The home we currently own was built in the 1980s. When we purchased the house several years ago, the most unsightly room in it was the full bathroom in the upstairs hallway. Unfortunately, after nearly five years, this bathroom remained the most unsightly part of the house! Our original intention was to completely redo the bathroom, but … [Read more...] about Easy and Affordable Update to an 80s Bathroom
frugal living
10 Frugal Ways to Make Valentine’s Day Special
Valentine’s Day is a commercialized holiday in the U.S. It has a rich history that begins with Christian martyrs and includes many folk traditions and legends. In the 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer associated Valentine's Day with romantic love (source). Since this time, individuals have written love letters and exchanged tokens of their … [Read more...] about 10 Frugal Ways to Make Valentine’s Day Special
How to Prevent Snags in Moisture-Wicking Clothes
My husband loves clothes made from moisture-wicking fabrics. We live on the Texas Gulf Coast where it is very hot and humid, so he appreciates that he can wear polo shirts made of these fabrics to work. Moisture-wicking clothes (such as those in the popular Nike Dri-FIT line) are designed to quickly move sweat to the outer surfaces of … [Read more...] about How to Prevent Snags in Moisture-Wicking Clothes
5 Reasons Hand-Me-Downs are Awesome
My daughters’ wardrobes are comprised primarily of used outfits. Thanks to the generosity of their grandparents, they each get a couple of brand new outfits each year. However, the vast majority of their clothes are hand-me-downs or items we’ve purchased from consignment stores. When I think of hand-me-downs, my mental images are of … [Read more...] about 5 Reasons Hand-Me-Downs are Awesome
Alternatives to Facial Tissues
I feel like my family usually gets a break from runny noses during the summer months, but this hasn’t happened this year. One or more of my kids has had a runny nose since December. Some of these runny noses have been from colds, but many have been from allergies. Regardless of the cause, we’ve been going through ridiculous quantities of … [Read more...] about Alternatives to Facial Tissues
How Budgeting Reveals More About Your Heart Than Your Wallet
My husband and I have really pared down our budget in recent months. Since we got married, our goal has been to live completely free of debt (though we are comfortable having a mortgage). Thus far this has remained beyond our reach. We did pretty well during the early years of our marriage. At that time, we had two incomes and no … [Read more...] about How Budgeting Reveals More About Your Heart Than Your Wallet
10 Alternatives to Parties for Celebrating Kids’ Birthdays
When my oldest child was about to have her first birthday, my husband and I decided that we were going to take a simple approach to celebrating birthdays. Now that a few years have passed and we have three kids, we’re so glad we’ve taken this approach! Though we believe that forgoing extravagant parties is right for our family, it’s … [Read more...] about 10 Alternatives to Parties for Celebrating Kids’ Birthdays
7 Healthy Canned Foods
When I do our grocery shopping, I try to make sure I get lots of healthy foods and skip over most of the unhealthy ones. I get fresh produce, lean meats, healthy grains, etc., but I avoid most processed foods that come packaged in things like cans and bottles. This is a useful approach in general, but it means I may skip over a number … [Read more...] about 7 Healthy Canned Foods
