budget living

Things I’ve Learned From Raising a Large Family While Living Off $200 (or Less) a Week for Over a Year

RESOURCES, Uncategorized

In 2023, my husband – the sole financial provider for our large family – left his job.

He was working all the time & making more than he had ever made in his life, yet come the same evening of payday, we were back to $0. Something had to give.

It didn’t help that a few months earlier, in March, there was the largest cut to EBT benefits throughout America that I ever had seen happen in the last 12+ years that I have used them, which also began the “great reset” of eligibility determination.

We went from over $1500 a month to a little over $300, almost overnight. It was terrifying. Over 42 MILLION families were affected by this, and continue to be greatly affected by this as food insecurity continues to rise, prices continously rise & fluctuate, and food banks continue to not be able to keep up with the growing demand.

When he left his job, I put in an application at the little Beer & Wine Bodega around the corner from my house. I had already been a regular for years, picking up beers for my husband, so I already knew the store well and even though I don’t drink, I am decently knowledgeable of beer. I got the job – one day a week. I cried, but I could handle that. It was a significant pay cut to what he was earning. I quickly gained a 5-day work week as several employees all resigned at the same time, which just as quickly became too much for me to juggle homeschooling & homemaking so I had to cut my schedule. My duties at home and homeschooling my children are my greatest priority to me.

🍎 Food

The very first thing I did was update this life change with Job & Family Services. Our monthly allotment was then changed to around half of what his monthly wage was.

The first few months afterward, I utilized the local food pantries to build a stockpile of canned & shelf stable foods. Canned food is not my pick when feeding my family, but having a stockpile to care for my family in emergency was top priority for me at this time. They have come in handy in the times when we run out of food money before the month is over.

My next step is to begin canning my own foods and slowly replace all of the canned foods I’ve built up with their healthier counterparts.

I stopped buying any & all prepared foods and began only buying ingredients to keep a well-stocked working Pantry. Since we have a large family and 99.9% of our meals are homecooked, I buy as much as I can in bulk at Costco.

I began learning how to make almost all of our families food from scratch. I stopped buying anything that I could make myself out of necessity, which turned into a passion and a newfound love for real food. Food at the store no longer looks or tastes like food to me, it all tastes and looks fake.

I don’t eat meat, but my family does. I also utilized the food pantries to stock our meat freezer. The local deli offers weekly & monthly variety meat bundle specials (typically ranging $30-$60, and usually includes small extras such as bread, pastries, or random side items) that I will buy to stock our meat freezer as well. Any meat I buy that we end up not making goes to the meat freezer to save for a later meal. Stocking up at Costco also helps significantly.

Our pets took a significant hit in the quality of food we can afford. However, they are still fed and that is my priority at this time. We have had to go to the Food Bank for Pets a few times. The local Church Food Pantry near my home offers pet food that I pick up each month. Since you only get 1 pet food at a time, I pick which is running lower (cats or dogs), but sometimes I get blessed with both. We make our own dog food a few times each month, but with 4 large huskies it doesn’t stretch very far. My mom’s dog, a Toy Poodle, luckily dislikes everything & my Mom loves to try everything on the market, so we end up with boxes full of rejected dog food and treats which helps a lot. I watch for sales on pet food & watch the free sites for pet food being given away for various reasons (pet is picky & won’t eat, pet passed away before finishing, etc.).

Grow what you can. This helps a lot, even if it’s only 1 thing. This last growing season we had: tomatoes (large & cherry, several varieties), cabbage, Broccoli, potatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, onions (white, red, green, shallots, & leeks), watermelon, pumpkins & squash (very low yield for how large of a plant it was), various herbs. We also have a peach tree & an apple tree. This upcoming year I’ll be adding a few more fruits & veggies, plus our chickens will be laying eggs. Seed sharing can cut down on the cost of plants. There are Little Free Seed Libraries where people share seeds for free, maybe there is one in your area. Some local libraries also offer free seeds.

I have shared previously about the Produce Perks program in my area that helps low-income families get free produce from participating Farmers Markets. Similar programs may be available to you.

Use coupon apps like ibotta when you shop to get cash back on purchases. I pay at the grocery store as normal with my EBT card and then select coupons that align with my shopping, and upload my receipt. I earn real cash back on my shopping trips that I can then save up and use on items that I cannot pay for on EBT such as hygiene products or pet supplies.

This is not exactly food related, but additional discounts are offered with proof of an EBT card. Amazon offers 50% off Prime Memberships, you can get free museum memberships at participating museums, free or discounted admission at other children’s activity centers/zoos, you can get free phones or discounted internet access, discounts on utility bills, access to free transportation, access to free veterinary services, and much more. Make sure to check in your area what discounts are offered.

👗Clothing

Even though we homeschool, we are allowed to use the local public school resources. Our local public school has a free clothing room that is run by a beautiful soul named Sandy. Parents donate clothing that their 1-2 kids have grown out of for other parents in need to shop. I get most of my children’s clothes here, and donate as often as I can as well. I consider it “clothing recycling” as well as a way to combat fast fashion. Check your local school district to see if your school offers this, and if not, consider talking to their board of education to start one in your area in a vacant room or even closet. It is a great benefit to the community.

There are other Free Clothing resources available such as Give Like a Mother. Foster children can shop for free at Hope’s Closet. Both Foster & Kinship families can shop for free at Jack’s Closet. I have no experience with any of these organizations, but they seem wonderful. *** If you are interested in donating children’s clothes, please consider organizations such as these before donating to gross corporations such as Goodwill. Domestic violence shelters are another great place to donate, as many times victims flee their situation with no belongings.

The FreeStore Foodbank has a clothing room and St. Vincent de Paul offers clothing Vouchers that can be redeemed at any of their thrift stores. Some food banks offer free clothing once a month as well.

NextDoor and Facebook Marketplace both offer “free” sections where you can find clothing and many other things that others are giving away for free, or at least very affordable. I’ve bought giant bundles of 200+ clothing items for $25. Any items we want to pass on get donated to Sandy’s Clothing Closet.

On Freecycle, you can make a post asking for specific items you need that someone may have to give away. Before buying, I will always try this first.

Always check your local thrifts first. Thrift stores have sale days with certain items on sale. Make sure to check their list to see what is for sale that day. Usually a large chalk/whiteboard will be near the front door with this information, or signs throughout the store. If you can’t find this information, just ask an employee. Some thrift stores have a blanket discount on a certain day of the week. For example, my favorite one offers 25% off everything every Monday, plus other discounts for holidays & different items throughout the week.

I went back to cloth diapering our only child left in diapers. I had already done this for years until I was injured during his birth, while I was bed-ridden & got a taste of the convenience of disposable diapers. Going back has saved so much money and eliminated the worry of not being able to monetarily meet my child’s basic needs. I strongly believe every mother needs to invest in at least one pack of cloth diapers to have on hand for emergencies.

Learn skills to be able to make your own items you need. Whether that be sewing, mending, repurposing, crochet/knitting, tie-dying or other means of creating. Old, stained (but in otherwise good condition) can be given new life with tie-dye. Hand sew or mend holes with scrap fabrics. Crochet/knit new dish towels, wash cloths, scarves, hats, blankets, socks, etc. Turn torn items into cleaning rags. My oldest daughter, Ella, sewed me the most beautiful chicken apron for my birthday, and it means more to me than anything from any store ever could.

🏠 Shelter

We use our entire tax return to pay forward on our bills. Since we have a large family, we get back a decent amount back in child tax credits. The same day the deposit hits, we immediately pay for a year’s worth of rent to make sure our family has a home of our heads. We put as much as we can towards our energy bill. Sometimes we need to replace large item appliances with this money, which would come from the total we put towards the energy bill. We did this even before he quit his job so that we live without bills. We have had much less to work with since he quit working though – after rent we were only able to make it through half the year with our remaining bills before we had to pay monthly again.

I did have to get assistance from the church when we received a electricity disconnect notice. That was the first time in my life that has ever happened, and it was scary. My mom picked up the remaining portion of the bill and I am very grateful she was willing to help us. Now that our bill is back to a manageable amount, I am going to stay on top of that and my family is working more diligently at turning off lights in rooms we aren’t using to save money.

If you need to avoid disconnection, you can also apply for a one-time financial assistance benefit directly applied to your utility bill through the H.E.A.P. program. You can also enroll in the income-based PIPP program to set up bills to consistently be 10% of your monthly income if you are struggling to afford your utility bill each month.

I watch free sites for people giving away furniture & home items and upgrade/replace our things for free. I find landscaping & gardening items this way too.

I drive around on large items pick up days “shopping” people’s trash to replace our things too. The perfectly good items people throw away are insane. I am always watching for any items placed on curb & 9 out of 10 times will stop to check it out. So many people in my area just leave everything they do not want anymore at the curb, it’s a guarantee you’ll drive past at least one house that has free items outside every time you leave your house (whether the items are good or not is another story.) My dad calls me when he sees really good items I could use while on his walks. I also spent a few days going through the contents of an eviction where I replaced so much of my kitchen and Closet for free. I’m currently cleaning out the basement at my work, and my parents ask for help with their storage clean outs. Re-using things others are decluttering is a great way to upgrade your items. When I upgrade items, I first see if I can reuse the old item in some way around my home. If not, the old item goes to the curb (or donation if nobody wants by trash night) to pass along to someone else.

Hand-me-downs from friends & family downsizing. My best friend gifted us a King Size bed, which I’ve needed for a long time now but couldn’t afford, when she decided to get a smaller one for more space in her room. Grammy Kat & my parents both always check with me before getting rid of items they do not want. After sharing about my chickens, my friend Ms. Mary offered a horse trough to us that was no longer being used & needed new life! That was a huge help to us! Typically, people would rather see their previously loved items carry on and be loved by new families than thrown away. I watched my parents do this as I was growing up, and it’s something that I value a lot now as an adult. It warms my heart when I hear people such as my cousin speak fondly of receiving their item, or seeing my old, childhood furniture on my wedding day at my childhood babysitters property we got married on.

For home repair/needs, shop Menards if available in your area. They give an 11% rebate that never expires. I save these up to do bigger projects around the house, but during this time they have been helpful for times we ran out of pet supplies or other necessary items to have a way to obtain those items.

Home items such as laundry detergent, dish soap, and toilet paper are available through your local food bank or community center.

There are programs available for low-income families to get help with needed home repairs. My unique living situation does not qualify us for their repair services, but I know they have helped many people in need.

🚗 Transportation

I get gas at Kroger gas stations, alternating between mine and my parents phone numbers (with their permission) for discounts. I can fill the tank of my Explorer for around $35 this way, but rarely do I have the funds to fill it up all the way anymore. The discount still helps stretch our gas.

Walk. This is obviously easier & more comfortable in the warmer months than we are currently in, but even in this weather I have walked to my job in times of need. During the warmer months, the children & I walk everywhere we can. We bring a garbage bag with us to pick up trash along the way. Not only does it save on gas costs, it is great for your health & better for the Earth.

Priorities + Tips

I learned that I had a spending problem, a big one, especially when I was still on social media (mostly, Instagram). I felt that I needed to buy all this unnecessary stuff to keep up with the moms I watched. I’d spend an entire paycheck on just a birthday party. I was living WELL beyond my means and my husband was working himself to death in an intensive labor job to keep up with my impulsive spending. That was hard to admit. I have had to learn to live without & be incredibly grateful for what I do have. I’ve learned less is more. I have had to learn to live on almost nothing to work with while providing for a large family. I have had to walk only an inch in his shoes of how hard he worked for our family. He also got to see how much work went into being a stay at home parent. It wasn’t as easy of a job as he assumed it was. We both have a better understanding of each other’s roles.

I thought that I knew how to budget, I did not. Well, I knew *how* to budget, I just didn’t understand how to budget.

We had to learn to prioritize what we need vs. What we want. We had to decide what was considered a necessity (toilet paper) or luxury item (paper towels). We had to learn to live without the luxury items. Each week, we had to learn how to decide which items were of greater need and which ones we could go without a little longer. We learned to save for bigger items or celebrations we knew were coming.

One of the first things I did was cancel everything, immediately. I didn’t want anything automatically being charged, throwing us in the dreaded overdraft struggle. We canceled all subscriptions we had, all extra-curriculars we were in. We adjusted to our new life with nothing, then slowly added what was important to us: piano lessons & Ms. Natalie, our homeschool “teacher”. Some weeks we had no money and had to miss a week with her.

Since we homeschool & don’t social media, my children have absolutely no clue that a single trend exists in this world or that they are even “missing out” on anything materialistic, saving us large amounts of money and keeping them from blindly following the crowd.

I only keep cash now, no cards at all for spending. If a payment must be paid electronically, I put the rounded up amount into my checking account and immediately pay the bill. The leftover amount from rounding is then transferred to my savings the night before I get paid to build a savings. It isn’t much – a few cents to a few dollars – but it adds up and is handy for small, unexpected emergencies. When I have cash, I avoid spending it. When I used a debit card, it didn’t register as “real money” to me, until I saw the bank statements and it became *very real.*

I’m not going to lie: this hasn’t been easy & this lifestyle DEFINITELY is not for everyone. The hardest part was already drowning, but needing to keep the entire boat afloat myself. Knowing my entire paycheck was already spent before picking it up to cash, yet being told a laundry-list of items I needed to miraculously come up with, sometimes with urgency. If I didn’t already hate money before, I certainly do now. I’d get rid of it entirely and live only through barter & trade if I could. 

It has given me a new perspective on life and new values, though. It has taught me to be exceptionally resourceful & given me so much unexpected confidence both in my abilities at home and in life. I feel very grateful that I got to spend this time with my family together at home for the most part & that my husband got this time in their young childhoods getting to bond with them. He had been working for so long, missing out on so much of their lives. Our days of all being together are coming to an end as he prepares to start back at the career he walked away from, so I am just trying to fully embrace these days, although it’s very bittersweet.

I hope this finds the mama who needs to hear it so she knows that with faith, she too will get through this.

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov

Terra Cotta Potters 🪴

Crafts & DIY, home, Uncategorized

I went to Target the other day and saw the cutest little face potters for plants that I wanted to get for this windowsill, but then I saw the price tag & said ope, nevermind, and placed it back.

I headed down to Menards and picked up a small stack of these Terra cotta planters for $0.78 each & asked my husband to decorate them for me instead. These first two he made for me are awesome! I can’t wait to see what the rest will turn out like. I want to go back and get a bunch more for the kids & I to decorate also! We have plenty of empty windowsill space to fill with our purposeful art, herbs, & houseplants.

Instead of blowing a bunch of money at Target to get what everyone else has, I was able to save a ton of money & get custom planters instead. You can do ANYTHING with these. Decorate them ANY way you want. Let your imagination run wild. They’ll end up looking way cuter than anything you can find at Target, plus no one else in the world will have the same one as you!

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov

Celebrating Moses

Crafts & DIY, Motherhood

We had our parents (minus my mom ☹️) & Kaden over tonight to celebrate Moses’ birthday. We were supposed to last weekend, but most of our family had a cough and/or runny nose, so we postponed to tonight, but unfortunately my mom tested positive for covid today so she stayed home.

My original plan was supposed to be a grill-out, but since it rained on & off all day, we moved it inside instead so I just threw something small together.

I used our tree stump cake stand from our fall forest wedding for a homemade chocolate cake. I made little “s’mores cups” out of garden seed starter cups & filled a fall mini loaf pan with gummy bears. I grabbed a stuffed squirrel we had & had the kids find me some sticks to place in a vase for decor.

I found these cute little cake toppers on Amazon and just stuck them in cute. My dad commented that it looked better than the ones I get from a bakery which made me sooooo happy to hear & really proud of my hardwork.

We ordered a variety tray of Subway sandwiches since our food menu changed on us. I also put out Pretzel twig sticks, wild berry mix my dad brought, and some babybel cheeses that I drew spots on to look like ladybugs.

I found this cute woodland theme party set on Amazon. They were adorable.

I made the garland finding photos on Pinterest that looked similar to the plates. I printed them out, glued them to construction paper, them laminated them & cut into individual pieces. I used a hole puncher to make holes and tried some yarn through to hang up. It barely took any time at all and looked really cute.

Moses was pretty nervous by the candle. He took a few bites of his piece before throwing it on the floor.

The handsome guest of honor with his super adorable “I’m Ukrainian, what’s your superpower?” Shirt.

It was really small, but it was only his first so realistically he had no idea what that whole shindig was for. It was still cute though and I hope everyone had a nice evening celebrating my Mosie Man.

Niko told me that I am “the best mom in the world” when he came home from work which really meant so much to me. He knows how hard I am on myself about being a mom & always thinking I’m not good enough/not doing enough so that really meant the world to me. I just hope the kids think it, that’s what really matters.

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov

My Favorite Vegetable Pot Pie

Recipes

Happy Monday! I know I’m the odd man out here, but I LOVE Mondays! Especially if the weather is as beautiful as it was today.

Monday is the start of a brand new week. A fresh slate. Getting back to my 4:30-5 am routine that I honestly enjoy. I’ve recently given myself permission to sleep in on the weekends which really helps restore my soul more than I knew I needed.

Anyway, not everyone shares my enthusiasm for Mondays. So I wanted to share my very favorite Vegetable Pot Pie recipe with you in case you need a super mindless (& meatless) meal to make.

You will need:

  • 1 box of store-bought pie crust (2 included), thawed to room-temp
  • 2 (10.5 oz) cans of Cream of Potato Soup
  • 3 bags of Frozen Mixed Vegetables, heated
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • Salt, pepper, & thyme to your liking

First, preheat your oven to 375°

In a large bowl mix together 2 10.5 oz cans of Cream of Potato soup, 3 bags of Frozen Mixed Vegetables (I heat before adding to mixture), a half cup of milk, salt & pepper to your liking, throw some thyme in that bowl, and mix it all up.

Put 1 thawed-out, store-bought pie crust in your pie pan (you’re welcome to make your own if you want, but we’re going for mindless over here). Slowly scoop in your mixture until it’s all in there nice.

Place your second pie crust right on top and squish it around gently until it looks pretty. Add a fun design or letter (I like to do M for our last name) if you want, or just a slit works too. Beat an egg, brush it on top and pop that in the oven for 45 minutes.

When it comes out, let it cool for a few minutes. Cut into slices, dish it out, & enjoy.

There ya go! A super, duper easy and affordable weeknight meal that is both kid & meat-eating husband approved. You can add cheese or other spices if you want as well. It’s also a meal that is easy enough for older children to learn how to make on their own!

Helpful tip: use the cooking time for homework or chores. Try to get as much of your to-do list crossed off before the timer goes off. The more you can get accomplished before dinner, the less you’ll be left with at the end of the night.

What is your favorite mindless meal 🍽 to make on the weeknights?

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov

Mother’s Day 2022

Crafts & DIY, Motherhood, Uncategorized

Happy Mothers Day to all the mama’s out there! I hope that today was wonderful for you.

I started Mothers Day weekend off at my parents house. My dad made a French toast, fresh fruit, and potatoes breakfast for my mom & I on Saturday.

After breakfast, my mom & I went to our favorite local flower farmer annual plant sale. I am so happy about my picks. We got them planted today (Sunday) and I cannot wait to see them grow! I swear her flowers just take root so much better than anything I’ve gotten anywhere else around town!

After the plant sale, Niko & I took the kids out to the annual Chili Cook Off & Dessert Auction at church. I REALLY enjoyed the vegetarian chili. My mother in law told me that she would ask the woman who made it for the recipe for me.

The dessert auction was fun. I couldn’t believe how much some of these families paid for these homemade desserts! One cake went for over $1000! It was to raise money for the Youth Mission Trip. (My father in law let us know today that the entire trip is paid in full thanks to the auction!) Next year I really want to enter a dessert or two into the auction. I wonder how much mine would go for?! 🤔

My father in law made & entered a “Strawberry Fields Forever” strawberry shortcake filled with real strawberries 🍓 and topped with a homemade strawberry glaze. He bid on & won that for us all to share. It was SO yummy! My mother in law bid on chocolate chip cookies for us to share. We also ended up bringing home a red velvet & cream cheese frosting cake.

Gifts

We bought plain white photo frames. I wrote Happy Mothers Day in the center & the girls signed all of their names and colored with Sharpies. After they were finished, we printed out photos of Moses & the girls and put them inside of the frames.

Mia & I had gone to Trader Joe’s the afternoon beforehand to buy several bouquets of flower arrangements. I took the arrangements apart and I laid all of the flowers on the table for the girls to make new bouquets for the Babas (Ukrainian word for grandma 👵🏼) except for the roses (since they had thorns) which I split 3 ways evenly.

They ended up turning out really cute! I thought this was a super fun way for the girls to be involved. I loved doing this with Mia at Findlay Market last year and really wanted to be able to make it possible for all of the girls to create real bouquets together to gift to their Babas for Mothers Day and thought this would be the easiest and less stressful way to accomplish that.

We assembled all of our gifts together and packed them up for each Baba.

I wish I would have gotten a picture of all of the completed bouquets. They were really pretty. Both my mom & Ali were really impressed with the girls work. I really hope that we made them feel special today.

Mia & Ella each made me a few things. Mia made me a cupcake 🧁 at The Mad Potter & a really cute card. Ella made me a mushroom 🍄 at The Mad Potter, a clay bowl in art class, a bouquet of paper flowers each listing different reasons why she loves me, & a box of “coupons” for me to cash in for various things like hugs, a walk around the block, or helping me out around the house.

Noah, Ella, Luda, Mia, Ali, Niko & Moses, me, Athena, Kevin, Milana, Sasha

We went to church, then out to lunch with my husband’s parents, sister, & her two children: Noah & Milana.

The cousin crew! Ella, Sasha & Moses, Athena, Mia & Milana, Noah. I can’t believe how big they are all getting.

One of my favorite gifts I received (from Kaden) was my Ukrainian mosaic butterfly 🦋 to add to my garden.

Of course I have my Ukrainian flag flying proudly. Then I added the sunflowers for the bad-ass Ukrainian woman who was giving out sunflower seeds to the occupiers so when they die sunflowers will grow. I moved the blue & yellow flower over to this space to go along with the Ukrainian tribute to my people.

I love love love the way that it looks! The butterfly really pulls it together. I got my new plants into the ground and I can’t wait to watch them grow through the season.

Well, after this busy weekend, I’m so exhausted I can barely keep my eyes open to finish writing this so I’m going to call it a night. 5 am will be here in the blink of an eye.

What was the best part of Mothers Day for you?

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov

We ❤ Our Teachers | DIY Gifts 🎨

Crafts & DIY, Motherhood

As Teacher Appreciation Week comes to an end I just wanted to share with you our small DIY gifts the girls made for their teachers.

Ella made a clipboard for her teacher, Mr. Vample. Mia made a clipboard for her teacher Mrs. Mcgahan.

They also made a clipboard for our “bus mom,” Mrs. Mace, because she is just the sweetest and has helped our girls (and many other kiddos) get safely to & from the bus stop each day which we certainly appreciate.

We bought each clipboard at the Dollar Tree for $1.25 each, and the rest of the materials we had at home already.

Getting teacher gifts doesn’t have to be pricey. It doesn’t have to out-do any of the other parents. You don’t have to break your budget. It isn’t a competition to be the “favorite” student, or parent. Your kid can color on a rock, or put nature together to form a portrait of their teacher. They can color a card. Kids are so creative- the possibilities are endless if you let them take the lead.

Your child just showing their teacher they care and appreciate them enough to take the time out of their busy play to make them a small gift is ENOUGH. Gifts are meant to be from the heart & that’s exactly where a homemade gift comes from ❤.

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov

Vegan Stuffed Pepper Soup | ONE POT | Easy + Affordable

Recipes, Uncategorized

My sweet Mia recently decided that she is going vegetarian! My husband recently told me that he is going pescatarian! Hooray! We are taking another giant step closer to being a completely meat-free home!

My mom also recently told me about these “Blue Zone People” who eat very little meat and live to be over 100 years old. I’m not a fad-diet person, or a diet person at all if we’re being honest, but if it involves no meat, I’m a supporter!

However, all three share a lack of enthusiasm when it comes to “fake meat,” or meat alternatives. I, for one, LOVE ❤ “fake meat,” but that is probably for the first time in my life, I can eat something that resembles meat without being afraid of eating it. We aren’t supposed to put dead things inside living things 🤷🏼‍♀️.

[ ❇ FUN FACT: I did not eat meat growing up due to a very debilitating phobia of vomit (better known as emetophobia), but did not classify myself as vegetarian because my diet consisted of strictly noodles, butter, and cheese until I met my husband. So basically, I was a carb-ivore. 😂]

I became determined to find recipes that make “fake meat” more appetizing to keep them from losing their interest in going meat-free and provide a variety of healthy AND large-family affordable meatless meals, using mostly ingredients we keep regularly stocked in our pantry. Using what you already have is the MOST eco-friendly thing you can do.

Let’s Get Cooking 

◾ Fresh Ingredients:

  • 1 Yellow onion
  • 1 Green pepper
  • 1 Yellow pepper
  • 1 large tomato
  • 1 LB. “Meatless Grind”

◾ Pantry Ingredients:

  • 3 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 Carton vegetable broth
  • 3 TBSP tomato paste
  • 1 TSP dried oregano
  • 2 TSP dried basil
  • 1 TSP garlic powder
  • 1/2 TSP black pepper
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 Cup brown rice

◾ Instructions:

  1. Get Prepared – Begin heating 3 TBSP olive oil over medium heat in your Dutch Oven pan (I prefer Lodge brand) + chop all veggies.
  2. Dump in your peppers & onions, after a few minutes add the tomatoes, cooking for another minute or so.
  3. Scoot your veggies over against the sides and add your meatless grind into the center & cover. Stir grind, cover. Stir grind, cover. Eventually you will mix all of the meatless grind in with the veggies as it cooks.
  4. Add your 3 TBSP tomato paste, stir. Add 1 carton of vegetable broth, stir. Add 1 TSP oregano, 2 TSP basil, 1 TSP garlic powder, 1/2 TSP black pepper, + salt to taste, stir.
  5. Bring the temp down to low, cover + let simmer for 20 minutes.
  6. Add 1 Cup brown rice. Cover + cook until rice is finished.
  7. Serve, paired with a crusty bread. We chose French Baguette.

Enjoy 😘

Found this recipe delicious? Please consider sharing! Make sure to subscribe for more easy & affordable meat-free recipes!

Have a beautiful day 🥰

My DIY Dream Nursery | ON A BUDGET

Motherhood, Uncategorized

My youngest baby is already about to turn 1 year old in just a few weeks! It is hard to believe this time last year I was perfecting every last detail of her nursery makeover before she arrived.

I never got to design Kaden’s nursery since we lived with my parents at the time he was born and they made the executive decisions about what was purchased for his nursery.

I never got to design Ella’s nursery, and as we added more and more girls, we just sort of left the dull pink color and mismatched furniture for all of the girls. I finally decided to design the nursery that I wanted and would love, and learned that I really don’t care for pink all that much, especially as a wall color.

My DIY Dream Nursery

This bed has made it through all 5 of my babies. It’s time is certainly coming to an end, but for now, I’m still loving all of its beauty.

This nursing chair has also made it through all 5 of my children, and 2 of my cousins before them. It came with an ottoman, which was well loved, but very large and in a small home, every inch of space counts. So it was freecycled, and hopefully loved.

I have always preferred hand created art over store bought art. I want my home filled with unique items that no one else in the world has. Basic is an insult in my vocabulary, so I prefer to be anything but.

I made this dream catcher to match my fall + earth inspired nursery with hemp and ribbons. I think it pulled the room together with its color palette.

The stars are decals that I found on Etsy. They were very easy to put on and made a huge difference in the room.

I have had this shelving unit since my oldest was a toddler and housed his VHS & DVD collection. I asked my husband to hang them on the wall instead. I love being able to have my cloth diapers on display, easily accessible, yet stylish at the same time. I spent a long time finding the perfect additions to style these shelves and I have to say, as simple as it is, this is probably my favorite wall in the house.

When my husband came to America this was his dresser which we were gifted by his parents. The shelf I have had since Ella was a baby which I picked up at the thrift store.

I chose to omit a changing table this time around and use a Moses changing basket instead which I highly recommend. We didn’t have enough space for a changing table, and quite honestly, over a span of 4 kids, it was only used about 6 months per kid, if that. I decided to convert my changing table into a hutch for my dining room. I love being able to take the Moses basket easily from room to room. And it takes up no extra space.

The Llama toy basket came Target.

This shelf I had a bit of trouble styling, but I love the wood and simplicity of it.

The lamp came from Target. The Adventure sign came from Hobby Lobby.

Small houses require a lot of additional storage anywhere you can add it. This cloth storage unit added some extra storage and fit well in this room’s color palette.

This was an additional step that everyone thought I was silly for adding, especially at around $15 a piece, but I think small details are important in the big picture. Why redo an entire room and leave those ugly plastic ones? Especially when we want to be a plastic-free home! I think they look beautiful in this room, and with the amount of money I saved shopping my home, using mostly what we already had, I figured that I could splurge a little on the cover plates I wanted.

I loved these animal hangers from Hobby Lobby. I got them during a 50% hanging decor sale making them less than $5 a piece. They went so well in here and add even a little bit more extra storage space. Every little bit counts in a small house!

So that’s my DIY Dream Nursery! I loved designing it and I love the feel that it has brought to our home. If you love it as much as I do, I ask that you please share!

Be sure to check back for more home makeovers as I share each room!!

Please subscribe & have a beautiful day 🥰

My Minimalism Journey | A Minimalist Gift Guide for Women

Uncategorized

A few years ago during the worst of my grief depression following the death of my son’s father, I began what I later learned as “Swedish Death Cleaning.”

Swedish Death Cleaning is the idea of clearing out all of the clutter from your home in order to leave less of a burden on your loved ones when you die to make it simpler on them.

I began obsessively tossing everything in my home and organizing everything perfectly in the event that I would pass. I wanted everything to be in order (even controlling from my grave, I see 🤪) so that when I was gone they would be able to find everything easily and they wouldn’t have to go through any of my things.

I got rid of almost everything in my home and found that a huge part of my stress had gone away. I found that my children actually played with the toys they had left. I found that every item left in my home has a purpose, and is used. I found that having a completely decluttered and organized home significantly cut down on waste. I found that it is much easier to thoroughly clean when you have less to move.

I learned that holding onto items for the off chance that I “might” fit in something one day or “might” use it one day even though we haven’t used it once in years was only creating extra unnecessary clutter. Why was I holding onto it? What purpose did it serve sitting in a corner or on a shelf being stored away. We aren’t supposed to hoard earthly treasures. We should give freely when we can, and if we have things that we truly are not using, we should offer it up to someone who could use it now.

With my 30th birthday approaching as well as the holiday season that will also soon be upon us, I thought I would create a gift guide to make shopping for the minimalist woman 😘 in your life a little easier.

A Gift Guide for the Minimalist Woman in your Life

  • Personal Care Gift Card (Massage, nail appointment, hair appointment, a facial. 💆🏼‍♀️💇🏼‍♀️ [ ⚠️TIP: Find out what salon the miminalist woman in your life uses before purchasing a gift card.]
  • A new candle🕯
  • Take care of one bill, expense, or outstanding debt. 💵 No matter how big or how small, its always nice to feel less financially stressed.
  • A grocery store gift card, or take grocery shopping! 🧁 It’s always nice to be able to get some things outside your family food budget.
  • A gasoline gift card ⛽
  • A new plant 🌿 real or faux!
  • Offer to help with something that needs finished! 🙌🏼 From finishing a project together to getting the laundry caught up for her, there’s always so much to do & not enough time to do it. An extra set of hands can be greatly appreciated.
  • Offer to babysit 🤱🏼
  • Provide an already prepared meal that is heat-able in the oven or crockpot for a night off from cooking, with minimal cleaning. OR go out for a meal. 🥗 [ ⚠️TIP: find out dietary restrictions ahead of time!]
  • A book or cookbook 📚 (Find out dietary restrictions ahead of time).
  • A Kitchen Aide Stand Mixer attachment for the homemaking minimalist woman. There are so many neat attachments that make cooking or baking from scratch even easier!
  • Cute reusable grocery bags
  • Earrings from a local artist or Etsy.[ ⚠️TIP: Etsy can sometimes have long shipping times. Plan accordingly.]
  • Baked goods. 🍪 Homemade is always best.
  • A bag of coffee from a favorite local coffee shop

I hope that this list helped give you a few ideas for creative and useful minimalist gift giving for the woman in your life! 🎁

🙏🏼 PLEASE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE! & Also check back for my Gift Guide for the Minimalist Children & Families, as well as my Gift Guide for the Minimalist Man!

Birthday Garden Tea Party | On a Budget

Crafts & DIY, Motherhood

One of my very favorite hobbies is planning, especially for events. I dream of the day we find our forever home with plenty of space to host many elaborate parties for the rest of our lives.

Throwing Mia a “socially distanced” birthday party was my first event since covid-19 began, and I was ecstatic to be party planning again! I was a bit further behind on time than I had hoped, but overall my first “socially disanced” party was a success.

I’m excited to take you along to join us for an afternoon tea!

The Invitations

I had so much fun making these invitations and I was really impressed with how they turned out.

I found a free teacup template online, printed it out and lightly traced onto white card stock. After that, I bordered it with pink and added a pink heart to each teacup.

I typed up the wording and cut out each one to be able to fit inside the hearts. Unfortunately, by the time I realized that it looks best if you cut along the individual letters, I was already on my last one 🤦🏼‍♀️ but now I know for the future! I wanted the letters to pop, so I used drafting dots to attempt to create that effect.

I made a hole behind the cup and two holes above the cup to be able to tie in a string for the teabag and a bow. I attached the string from a white & gold foiled Christmas string I already had and attached the teabag to the string using a stapler to give it a realistic look. I asked my friend to tie a perfect bow for me because she makes beautiful ones and mine are downright sloppy 😂.

I then bordered the pink with a brown to match the guest’s teabag and hide the strings behind the pink card stock and tie it all together.

The Spread

The waffle fruit bowls were a big hit! I bought 1 box of 12 small waffle cone bowls and an already prepared fruit salad and divided it between the 12 waffle cone bowls. We also had a cream cheese fruit dip to be used as a sauce to drizzle on top of each bowl, or to dip your fruit skewer in.

I would have preferred to buy my flowers from my friend, Celeste, the owner & artist of Village General; but due to lack of time, I purchased two small, half-price, day-old bouquets and blended them together to create the look I was going for.

I found some Celestial Caffine-Free Fruit Tea Sampler to serve the children. I thought that fruit flavored tea would go over well with the children, and there were multiple really yummy options for them to choose from! Even my pickiest of all found a flavor he enjoyed!

I had tried desperately to find some colorful macaroons, but had no luck tracking any down. I decided to substitute my original plan with meringues instead and that worked out just fine.

I made the pressed flower sugar cookies that turned out very cute! The other two cookies were purchased: Frosted Sugar Cookies in pink & of course, Verona cookies because you can’t have tea without those!

The bottom layer was simply a few boxes of powdered donuts, nothing too fancy. I would have liked to get the mini powdered donuts, but one package of them cost as much as 4 packages of the large ones, so I decided to go with those for budget purposes.

My mom found very cute little tea party plates that really pulled the theme together and came in several different patterns to match the various colors. They have an entire tea party set as well, that would make it even more adorable!

More food that was unfortunately not photographed was:

  • Chicken Salad Crossant Sandwiches
  • Fairy Bread Sandwiches
  • Ham & Cheese Sandwiches

The Activities

I found these plain white tea cups at the thrift store for 50 cents each. Each kid was given their own tea cup to decorate with sharpie to take home with them.

When decorating your own mugs or teacups with sharpies, it is important to bake them in the oven at 250°F for at least 2 hours so that the sharpie does not wash off.

I had planned to incorporate the tea cups into a game of having the children race with full tea cups of water to the fence and back while spilling the least amount of water, but tea went into the cups before I was able to get that far 🤦🏼‍♀️.

We also found many fun dress up ensembles at the thrift. The girls had a blast dressing up in boas, hats, and beads galore.

It was a really lovely day and I am very pleased with the turn out.

I cannot wait to begin planning for Thea’s FIRST birthday coming up in October (which if you know me, know that it is my FAVORITE month)! & Ella’s birthday in November!

Don’t forget to subscribe 😉 & as always, PLEASE share!

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