This is the eighth installment in our series, Homemaking Your Way. Catch up on the first seven here. How can I get those strawberry jam stains out of the dining room rug? Why does my son hate vegetables? How do I teach my daughter not to begin every sentence with, "I need..." Why are there not more Starbucks drive-thrus in the greater Portland area? I have no clue. In fact, I could write an entire post on all the things I do not know about this thing called motherhood. Half the time, I'm just making it up as I go along [don't tell my kids]. However, there is one thing I know for sure: my kids have too many toys. In our home, toys seem Keep Reading
Year of the Staycation: Portland
If this is your first visit at Frugal Living NW, welcome! Our goal is to help you save money so you can reach your family's financial goals. We focus on deals in and around the Pacific Northwest, with a special focus on Oregon and Southwest Washington. To stay up to date on the deals, subscribe to the daily email (it's FREE!) and "like" Frugal Living NW on Facebook. Go here for a list of staycation ideas from around the United States! ******************************* A staycation : period of time in which an individual or family stays and relaxes at home, or vacations in their own country, possibly taking day trips to area attractions. I love to Keep Reading
Homemaking Your Way: Emily on laundry
This is the sixth installment in our series, Homemaking Your Way. Catch up on the first five here. Forget smart phones. I firmly believe that the humble washing machine is one of the world’s greatest inventions. I love washing clothes. While I am checking email or eating lunch or doing 24-piece puzzles, clothes are being cleaned while demanding nothing more from me than a scoop of soap and the push of a button. It is like magic. I could wash clothes all day long. Folding and putting away clothes, however, is a different story. This is a tedious, time-consuming task. So, instead of having a devoted laundry day, I just spread it throughout the Keep Reading
Homemaking Your Way: Emily on clothes
This is the fourth installment in our series, Homemaking Your Way. Catch up on the first three here. If you are on a tight budget, you know that buying new clothes is one of the first things that gets cut. As newlyweds, my husband and I were just barely scraping by each month. Our concern was paying rent and buying groceries. New clothing did not factor into the equation. Now that we have a bit of breathing room in our budget, we can afford to splurge occasionally on clothing. We go all out. Costco underwear. Old Navy clearance. Target sales. However, shopping for clothing with small children in tow is not for the faint of heart. If you are Keep Reading
Homemaking Your Way: Emily’s homemaking philosophy
This is the third installment in our series, Homemaking Your Way, where we are discussing different ways to. Catch up on the first two here. I admit it. I am that person who actually enjoys keeping my home organized and orderly. Even when I get tired of the process, I love the end product. My mom has always claimed that I was born this way. I guess that's as good of an explanation as any because I don't seem to be able to turn off this part of my brain. I vacuum my house two times a week and drop off bags at Goodwill like it's going out of style. I scrub the toilet while my children are taking a bath and mentally organize shelves while shopping at Keep Reading
The Spring Garden: Journal & Germinate
The Spring Garden Wasn't that 24-hour slice of sunshine wonderful? I know, I know. We're back to good ol' Oregon rain today, but for a brief break we had a glorious taste of spring/summer. My kids played in the yard. I poked seeds into the ground. We lost all track of time. My husband came home. Dinner was... scrambled eggs and toast. Back to those seeds, though. As you know from last week's post on spring gardening, I am determined to expand my growing season on either end of the summertime. I want to tuck seeds in earlier in the spring and harvest plants later in the fall. I have peas, spinach, and lettuce seeds in our raised beds right Keep Reading
Frugal Habits: a temporary fad or a lifestyle change?
photo credit My husband and I like to play the "Lottery/Rich Uncle Game" that starts out, What would you do if you won/inherited/found _____ dollars? (Warning: for entertainment only, not investment purposes). You've played some version of it, right? We dream up vacations we will never take and house projects we will never start and checks we will never write and gifts we will never give. Then we wonder about the practical stuff: Would I still clip coupons? Would my husband quit his job? Would I still clothe my children from clearance racks? Would my husband still be obsessed with lowering our energy bill? Last Friday's Oregonian featured an Keep Reading