I’ve said many times that if a recipe doesn’t state that it is “easy” or “simple,” then I’m probably not going to prepare it. This hasn’t always been the case, but during this busy season, I don’t have time for meals that take a lot of time and energy to prepare. I greatly prefer homemade foods, but my need for convenience has led me to … [Read more...] about Convenient Shortcuts to Prepare Mostly Homemade Meals
organized living
8 Unique Takes on New Year’s Resolutions
With next year quickly approaching, ‘tis the season for resolutions and goal setting. Though the concept of making changes in the New Year is an idea that’s been around for ages, there have likely never been so many novel ways of going about doing so. Early in our marriage, my husband and I would set aside time to goal plan each winter. … [Read more...] about 8 Unique Takes on New Year’s Resolutions
How to Help Your Night Owl Child Become an Early Bird
My eldest child is a night owl. In the evenings, when her sisters are starting to wind down and are ready for bed, she’s wide awake and good to go for another couple hours. She’d gladly stay up until midnight each night and sleep until midmorning each day. Unfortunately, most days she must get up at a reasonable time because we have … [Read more...] about How to Help Your Night Owl Child Become an Early Bird
Christmas in July: Plan Early for an Affordable Christmas
It’s been some time since I wrote a Christmas in July post. However, I was thinking about Christmas gift ideas a little bit last week, so I decided it is the perfect time to write another post of this variety. As I’ve noted previously, I don’t write Christmas in July posts to usher in the Christmas season prematurely; I write them to … [Read more...] about Christmas in July: Plan Early for an Affordable Christmas
Easy Meals to Prepare in a Hotel Room
As I noted in my post of this month’s menu, we will be taking a short trip this month. We’ll be staying in a suite-style hotel, so we will have a full kitchen in our room. This means we will be able to prepare many of our meals in the hotel room. I’m working on our meal plan now. Drawing on my previous experience cooking in hotel rooms … [Read more...] about Easy Meals to Prepare in a Hotel Room
Simple Ways to Streamline Thanksgiving Dinner Preparation
For many families, the focal point of Thanksgiving Day is a table laden with delicious food. As nice as it is to dive into these foods, getting them to the table often requires a lot of work and can be stressful. Last year, for example, we spent the entire day before Thanksgiving preparing various dishes. Then I was up and cooking again … [Read more...] about Simple Ways to Streamline Thanksgiving Dinner Preparation
Tips for Meal Planning While Moving
I didn’t post a menu this month because there is absolutely no way we would be able to stick with it! We are moving in the middle of the month. I’ve already started packing up the kitchen, and eventually it will all be in boxes. Even though we can’t adhere closely to a menu, we still must eat! Though we are making some impromptu choices … [Read more...] about Tips for Meal Planning While Moving
11 Tips for a Successful Garage Sale
We had a garage sale earlier this spring. The sale was more successful than I imagined it would be! We started with a driveway full of furniture items, clothing, toys, housewares, etc. and ended with a single box of items that didn’t sell. We owe a lot of our success to my parents. We strategically planned to have the sale while they … [Read more...] about 11 Tips for a Successful Garage Sale
