More than a few readers find my blog by searching for keywords around the Trim Healthy Mama eating plan (hi!). I found THM after my 7th child was born. It helped me lose those final, stubborn pregnancy pounds. However, I’ve abandoned the plan for good. Here’s why I stopped doing Trim Healthy Mama. Diet Culture? […]
Why I Stopped Coloring My Gray: one year in
Like many other women, I quit dying my hair during the Covid pandemic. The TL;DR of why I stopped coloring my gray? The mess, the expense, the hassle, and my journey to self-acceptance. I remember clearly discussing this decision with my husband. I wanted to get his input and he wholeheartedly approved of my plan. […]
How to Develop Mental Toughness
No matter what goal we’re trying to achieve in life, resiliency is key. I’ve often said that I’m not special, talented, or influential… the reason I’ve been able to do what I’ve done is because I understand the importance of GRIT. After all, persistence beats talent every time. (Paraphrasing a favorite quote by Calvin Coolidge.) […]
Work at Home, Homeschooling Mom of 7: a day in the life
That title was just a wee bit click bait-y. After all, only four of my children are homeschooled at the moment. The oldest two have graduated! And the youngest (5), does just a little schoolwork for kicks and giggles. Two are in high school and totally self-sufficient in their education at this point. So, only […]
Aldi vs Costco: who has better prices?
Long-time readers of this blog know of my love for Aldi. I even wrote a book about eating a whole foods diet with Aldi. If you love Aldi too, read on for my thoughts on Aldi vs Costco! Warehouse clubs had tempted me in the past, but a couple of things always held me back. […]
Five Frugal Wins
In an attempt to keep myself accountable to frugality and to inspire readers, I present Five Frugal Wins. FFW is a collection of things I did in the previous week to save money. (Btw, FFW will become a regular feature ’round these parts, in case you’re interested.) Real quick though, let me declare that I […]
Save Money On Utilities and Wireless Bills
I declared it the year of financial optimization. I’m analyzing every line item in the budget and figuring out how we can save money, with the purpose of putting more into our retirement investments. Here’s what I’m doing to save money on utilities and wireless bills. Photo by Katie Harp on Unsplash Internet/Cable We actually don’t have cable […]
Cheap Homeschooling (with Several Kids)
Considering homeschooling your kids? If you worry that you’re going to spend a lot of money on educating your children properly, read on. This post shares my tips for cheap homeschooling, even with several kids. A bit of backstory if you’re new. As of late 2019, my family has two grads (21 and 18), two […]
My Morning Routine
If you’ve read this blog for a bit, you know that I love to talk about morning routines. Years ago I read a short ebook called What The Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast. (I’m a sucker for a productivity or success hack!) And then I wrote a post called What the Happiest Moms Do […]
Lowering food costs (for a family of 9)
Groceries are my family’s biggest expense. Even higher than our mortgage. Interestingly, we spend roughly what the government says is reasonable for a family of 9. So I guess it’s not terribly bad. Still, it’s a huge figure and I know I can do better. What I Won’t Do to Lower Food Costs In the […]