Reconstituting Old, Dried Up Paint

This was the first time I tried to save old, dried up paint by adding water and mixing well - and it worked! We removed a shelf from one of the walls in the office, leaving a huge area that needed to be remediated. After sanding, spackling, sanding, spackling, and sanding more, we had a…

January 17-23 Meal Plan

We cleaned out a lot of food from the fridge last week! A couple of herbs (oregano & parsley) were a sad state of disgusting in the produce drawer. Chalk those up to a loss. But that is all that went bad! (Jump to the meal plan.) Review and Recap January 10-16 Meals: Thai Chicken…

DIY Removable Paint Swatches for the Wall

After living in 4 houses where our bedroom was almost always overlooked and rarely put-together, I decided that I would make sure to focus on our bedroom in our new place. It's easier and cheaper than other rooms, so why not? Here's our room now. Lots of light: Jump to the how-to First thing to…

January 10-16 Meal Plan

It feels like our country is spiraling in directions we've never seen, so keeping track of our food feels inconsequential, a bit foolish, and like I'm burying my head in the sand. Unfortunately, (or fortunately, depending on how you choose to look at it), day-to-day life doesn't take a break. (Jump straight to meal plan.)…

January 2-9 Meal Plan

Last week's meal plan went pretty well. We got to try a few new recipes, two out of three kids didn't notice they'd eaten refried beans, and nothing spoiled in the fridge. Lots of wins. Review & recap of last week's meals: Tacos: always a hit. Only one kid noticed there was a pea-sized amount…

December 27 – January 2 Meal Plan

I like eating. I like planning our meals. I hate wasting food. So every week I make a meal plan. I scan the fridge, freezer, and pantry to see what's going to expire and write it down. Then I look through Pinterest and my cookbooks, ask the kids and Luke if they want anything in…

Personalized Chip Clips

In light of the fact that we are not traveling to see people for Christmas this year, we've been forced to think creatively about gifts that won't break the bank to ship to our extended family. This is a super cheap (under $5) gift that is light and easy to pack: Chip clips with your…

Traveling Turkeys

If you're like us and unable to visit family for Thanksgiving this year, this is a cute way to send some photos and art as a proxy for you being there in real life. (I whited out the kids' faces in this picture below. Beneath the white ovals are pics I took of their faces…

Grateful Turkey

This is an easy, almost free way to help your kids remember things they are thankful for. All you'll need is construction paper, glue, scissors, and something to write with. Last year, we made a Grateful Tree in the month leading up to Thanksgiving. This year, we upped our game by also making a Grateful…

Replacing the Undersink Water Filter

It's pretty easy to replace an undersink water filter, so if you're looking for a way to save a couple dollars, this wasn't too bad. A local water company was going to charge us $68 plus labor ($139) for this; I was able to do it for less than $30. Here's what our undersink set-up…