What to buy at Trader Joe's I'm no longer a hardcore coupon shopper, my brand of "frugal living" involves buying less, cooking more, growing food, ignoring trends. That kind of stuff. I also have four children under the age of five. When my husband and I collapse on the couch at the end of the day, it involves a pint of ice cream + 2 spoons. No scissors or coupons or talk of groceries. So while I occasionally miss my coupon glory days, grocery shopping is more of a survival skill/sprint event for me now. 90% of my grocery time is spent between Costco and Trader Joe's. I shamelessly adore both of these stores. Costco, with their carts the size of a Keep Reading
Book Review: The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up
I was totally skeptical of the title and hype behind the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo (Amazon). But I've got to say... it lives up to its name. This book has inspired me to look at my home and possessions in a whole new light. I am neat by nature and have read dozens of articles on organizing and decluttering, but this book hits it from a much more radical perspective. Prepare to get rid of tons of stuff. The basic premise is to break down all of the items in your home by category, handle each object, and decide whether or not it sparks joy in you. If it does, you create a Keep Reading
Homemade plain yogurt (step-by-step recipe)
Homemade Yogurt Recipe Making yogurt in my own kitchen has been right up there with grinding my own meat or baking my own bread. It is one of those kitchen skills that seems intimidating at the beginning, but once you figure it out you wonder why you were paying other people to do it. I know, I know. You are busy! You are lazy! You are tired! Me too. The good news with making your own yogurt is that most of the work happens when you step away. In fact, you could easily start your yogurt before you go to bed, allow it to ferment while you sleep (6-12 hours), and put the finished product in the fridge the next morning. It doesn't get much easier than Keep Reading
All About Coconut Oil: Using coconut oil in health and beauty products
Coconut Oil Personal Care Products Now that we know what coconut oil is and how to bake with it, it's time to look at how you can use it for personal care products. For those that have sensitive skin to commercial beauty products, coconut oil is almost a miracle. It allows them to use products without the worry of how it will react to their skin. Here are the most common homemade health and beauty products using coconut oil: Coconut lime deodorant Coconut oil skin polish Orange coconut oil body scrub Key lime whipped coconut oil body butter Coconut & beeswax lip balm Aftershave Sunscreen Diaper rash cream Hair mask What Keep Reading
All About Eggs: How to decode egg carton labels
Understanding Egg Carton Labels Spring is here, so let's talk eggs! I love eggs, but they are probably the one item on my grocery list that give me the most trouble. Anyone else feel this way? For example, a dozen eggs may go on sale for 99¢. Great price! But I hate the thought of sick hens in cramped cages. I put them back on the shelf. Do I pay three times as much for the cage-free option? Or even more for the humanely raised eggs? What's better: local eggs labeled as natural or eggs trucked in from Ohio labeled as organic? Omega-3? Vegetarian feed? Ack! I barely resist the urge to crumple into a heap in front of the dairy Keep Reading