2014年
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How to Give Gifts on a Budget
I love giving gifts. There are a lot of things that are hard to do on a budget, and buying gifts is is one of them. I wanted to share a few things I’ve learned with you today so that giving wedding, birthday, and shower gifts doesn’t break the bank for you. I’m hoping to start a series that will will give tips on how to do the inevitable things on life on a budget. There are some things that human…
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When Life Gives You Lemons…Count Your Lemons
My husband no longer has a job. This wasn’t really a surprise for us, as he was told 2 months ago that he was being let go due to enrollment (he’s a teacher). We had hoped that somehow things might change and that there might be a place for him, but the end of the school year came, and the decision was final. He officially wasn’t going back to the school he’s worked at for the past four years. Fred has been…
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DIY Freezer Jam
This past week I bought 10 pounds of strawberries. My purpose? DIY jam! Some people get scared of making their own jam because they imagine standing over a huge pot, pulling jars out and waiting for the *pop* that tells you that your jars are officially sealed. Today I want to share with you one of life’s greatest secrets: freezer jam. My mother-in-law introduced me to freezer jam a few years ago (thanks, Lea!) and it has honestly been one…
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Set Yourself Up For Success
I’ve come to realize that no two people’s lives are the same. Now, this may have been obvious to you, but for me, this was a very freeing realization. The more time I spend on social media, the more I come to question my own lifestyle. I so desperately want to pin those delicious looking recipes that I see littering my home feed on Pinterest, but then I realize that trying to make the perfect looking meal doesn’t fit in with…
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Ode to 27
Yesterday was my 27th birthday. In some ways, I feel old, in other ways I feel really young. I think I’ve learned a lot over my life, and so for you today I have 27 things that I have learned in my lifetime. (I’ve grouped them into different categories for your convenience.) Ready? Here we go. Money 1. Most money is just numbers on a paper (ex. your bank account balance) or theory (ex. your house may be “worth”…
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Conventional Celebration
Today is Fred and I’s 4th anniversary. I’m currently sitting on a couch, watching Gilmore Girls and wearing my pajamas, and Fred is at a mandatory event at the school he works at. Some people might look at this situation and think “That’s so sad! Why aren’t you celebrating? I can’t believe you’re alone on your anniversary.” But I’ve never been happier. We learned at a marriage retreat that year four is the most common year for divorce in Canada.…
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Snack Time
I don’t know about you, but I get hungry in between meals. It seems that when I get hungry, I also get grumpy, and we’ve come to realize that Fred I often fight more when I feel hungry. To avoid these unnecessary fights, I’ve started thinking through some snacks that have protein and are healthy, don’t cost a fortune, and that I can throw in my purse and go. I bought a few things that I like that I thought…
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Portable Breakfast (+ Smoothie Recipe)
I hate getting up in the mornings. I usually hit the snooze button 1-4 times each morning. My husband usually has to coax me out of the bed. I’m working on being better at this, but until I become a morning person that just pops out of bed, I need to find ways to save time in the morning. Something that I do to save time is taking breakfast with me on the go. Two months ago, I shared my…
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How We Moved and Turned a Profit
Some of you know that we made a radical decision to move to another town to save money, be closer to Fred’s job, and sell a car. (You can read all about it here if you missed that post) As promised in my previous blog about our moving day, I wanted to share a few things we learned about moving expenses and selling things, and encourage any of you who want to make a change! When we decided to move, we…
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Moving Day & Our New Home
Last weekend we said goodbye to our home of 4 (5 for me) years, packed up our stuff, and brought it to our new home. (Click here to read about our decision to move) Seems simple, right? Well… We had our share of adventures on that day, and I want to share a few of them with you, along with a few thoughts about our new pad. First of all, renting a moving truck was not as easy as it…