Lifestyle

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

Grace Girls | Building & Cooking Over Fire

homeschool, Motherhood, Uncategorized

This week we had our second Grace Girls meeting of the new school year. Our last meeting was learning how to properly set a table.

We started our night out with the devotion reading and a light discussion about what we read in our Bright Lights curriculum.

The meeting was hosted again by Ms. Darla and she taught the girls a lot about Fire Safety.

We learned what to wear and not wear around a fire. You want to wear jeans and short sleeves preferably. No flowy tops, dresses, or skirts. Hair must be secured back safely away from your face or cut short so it doesn’t catch on fire.

The most important question to always ask before building a fire is if it is legal to for a fire to be built there. Certain states have different regulations & seasons when fires are permitted, while other states ban fires all together due to high risk of forest fires.

When choosing a location to build your fire you want to look for:

  • No overhanging branches
  • Nothing flammable within 10 feet
  • The amount of wind the location gets
  • Is a pit provided? If not, dig one before building a fire to keep it safely secured in one location. It is best to line your pit with rocks.

Next Ms. Darla explained that we only burn wood for fuel. However for tinder & kindling you can use small branches or twigs, pinecone, evergreen branches and needles, pet fur, dryer lint, sawdust, or paper.

The girls worked together to group the wood in piles of large & small, and tinder/kindling in a bucket. She had bags of pinecone she had already collected over time.

Ms. Darla taught the girls different ways to build a fire, and what each kind is called. I had absolutely no idea there were so many different ways to make a fire. I thought it was just one way: build it 😂. The visual designs were really neat & helpful.

The girls then got into groups to pick a type of fire to build. Each group did a really good job!

We then went back around the fire to learn a bit more fire safety before we could get started.

We learned that you NEVER leave a fire unattended, and that you NEVER build a fire without adult permission & supervision.

If you do need to leave your fire for any reason: put it out first using water, covering with dirt or sand, or by spreading it out to reduce the heat.

Next, it was time to build the fire. Sasha really enjoyed this part. She was so adorable carrying the biggest log she could hold over for fuel.

The girls did a really good job building the fire. They even decorated it with pinecone and evergreen, draping kindling along the top and sides to make it pretty. It definitely was the prettiest fire I’ve ever seen!

Ms. Darla taught the girls about different tools needed to start a fire. She taught them about using fire starters and how they are important tools to pack when camping. She also taught things we could use if we don’t have Firestarter handy. She taught about the different size lighters and what each is good for. She also taught that when handling fire, we always use leather gloves to protect our hands.

For liability reasons, Ms. Darla lit the fire for the girls. They did such a great job building it! It burned really, really well and evenly. It was so beautiful and cozy – a perfect way to welcome in the start of cold nights here in Ohio.

The girls hung out for awhile, running around playing Ghost in the Graveyard together – another fun & spooky way to welcome in the season changing to Fall. They swung in the tree-swing and caught up with friends, while Mom’s got a chance to catch up with each other too.

Once the embers were hot enough, Ms. Darla began getting the fire ready for cooking while the girls went to the table under the light to start making their campfire Pizzas.

Once they were finished assembling their campfire Pizzas, Ms. Darla put them carefully on her makeshift oven set up.

She used fire grates, with racks on top of those. She then placed a baking sheet on top of the racks, and used a disposable baking pan lid as a cover to trap heat. Once the lid was on, she placed a smaller secondary disposable lid on top and filled it with hot embers to add heat coming from under, around, and above.

Once the Pizzas were finished cooking, she carefully removed them from heat and transferred to each girls paper plate. Ella said it was the best pizza she’d ever had, and that’s a big compliment coming from someone who doesn’t typically enjoy pizza.

This was such an awesome experience for the girls! I really wish I had a group like this when I was little – it really would have set me up for homemaking success later in life and taught me really necessary skills for living as an adult. I’m grateful to have it now with my own girls though – it’s even better together than it would have been on my own as a child. I’m grateful for the strong mother & daughter relationship foundation we are building. I really appreciate these classes and feel like I learn so much with them! The girls are always very excited to go.

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov

Grace Girls | Table Setting

homeschool, Motherhood, Uncategorized

Grace Girls is back in session for the new academic year! This makes our third year attending Grace Girls! Our first meeting was last night & the girls learned How to Set a Table.

Grace Girls is sort of like an etiquette class where homeschooled girls get together to both socialize and learn how to grow up to be Proverbs 31 Women (aka homemakers). They have so far learned knife cutting & Kitchen safety skills, how to preserve fresh vegetables from the garden, how to plan meals, how to host a fall feast, how & when to start a meal train cooking for someone in need (elderly or sick neighbor, a family who welcomed a new baby, new family moved in, a death in the family, etc.), how to make corn husk dolls, and how to hand sew, mend, & embroider clothes. My girls have mentioned to me how grateful they are to learn these skills & how useful the classes have been for them. 

Homemaking is something I had to teach myself starting from the very, very basics. I did not have a homemaking mother growing up. I am very grateful to be able to pass these skills on to my children while also still constantly learning new things myself.

Ms. Darla hosted our meeting. She taught the girls different ways to properly set a table. She worked on a tray, placing different styles, layers, & color schemes together.

She taught us that the most important parts to setting a table are consistency & making our guests feel welcome & wanted, rather than overwhelmed & intimidated.

She had different learning stations set up for the girls to take turns at so that no one space was too overcrowded.

Ella really enjoyed learning how to fold napkins at the first station. I particularly liked her napkin with the flower pocket. I would like to start setting our own table napkins that way for fancy meals & gatherings. It is so beautiful & will be an interesting way to use our flowers from our garden.

Mia loved picking flowers & putting together mini bouquets for table settings. I have never thought to do miniature personal bouquets for each guest, but I love that idea for future gatherings too. It especially sounds nice for a breakfast or brunch gathering.

At the second station, the girls each took turns setting their own place settings using fancy dishes. They enjoyed creating color schemes with the dishes, napkins, & placemats. Sasha had a lovely time arranging her favorite dishes – they were so much fancier than ours at home.

The third station was to set a Christmas themed table. I love the use of real pine needles & pinecones. That is so beautiful & festive. I’ll have to remember that for our own Christmas dinner!

Ms. Darla rented every book her library currently had on table setting, napkin folding, and hosting for the girls to look through to pick their favorite tables. She asked the girls what meals & what seasons the tables were set for. I took some photos from different books that I plan to use at my own home!

Of course we had to check our her beehives while we were there because we have plans to add our own to our home next year! Luckily, Ms. Darla also teaches homeschool families about beekeeping & honey extraction, so I’ll be able to get off to a good start!

We had a really fun time at last night’s meeting & we left feeling like we learned a lot. I love that each of my girls who attended found their own special talent to bring to homemaking & future gatherings. Ella found a way to make her love for origami useful at the table using napkins, Mia’s love for plants & nature brings creativity + beauty to the table’s decor and ambiance, & Sasha’s love for creating a beautiful space for each person she loves will be useful for setting each place at the table. Each person’s talents come together to create a magical gathering & after all, the most important part of the table is togetherness.

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov

Little Summer Cuts

Motherhood, Uncategorized

We went with Grandma Colleen to lunch today at Panera (I had a pick 2: Mediterranian Veggie Sandwich + Strawberry Poppyseed Salad without chicken… SO yum! The girls both had mac & cheese + strawberry yogurt) then took Sasha + Athena to get their hairs cut for summer!

We wanted to break the girls up by the big & little so it wouldn’t be as overwhelming for anyone which was a really good idea.

Before

During

After

They look so cute & behaved so well today. I was so proud of them!!

Back to mom life.

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov

Meatless Mexican Rice Casserole| A Taco Tuesday Alternative

Recipes, Uncategorized

When I began meal prepping, I used “themes” to help me plan meals since too many choices cause me to feel too overwhelmed. Taco Tuesday is a pretty household common theme, but even when you switch up your ingredients frequently, tacos/burritos/burrito bowls can get overdone after so long.

For last night’s “Taco Tuesday” I made a Meatless Mexican Rice Casserole just to change it up a little. It’s a super easy pantry staple meal that can be versatile depending on what you have/what your family eats.

It was really easy to throw it together and really yummy! Everyone especially enjoyed the homemade tortilla chips! I personally would have enjoyed a bit more heat, but since more kids than adults were eating it, I kept it super mild. Next time I will also add onion.

Let’s Get Cooking

For the casserole, you’re going to need:

  • 14 oz Not Chicken Broth
  • 1 cup Jasmine rice
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 jar salsa of choice (*I used a chunky-ish garden style)
  • 1 can corn
  • 1 can black beans
  • 1 can pinto beans
  • Cilantro (*fresh is better, but dried works also!)
  • Salt & pepper to liking
  • Cheese (*I used Monterey Jack)

For the chips, you’re going to need:

  • Tortilla shells cut into quarters (I use corn)
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • Sea salt

1. • Add rice and butter to pot, stir frequently until butter is all melted. • Once melted, add Not Chicken Broth & bring to a boil. • Once boiling; cover with lid, reduce heat, & set timer for 20 minutes.

2. Mix together the canned ingredients, salsa, and cilantro in a large bowl while the rice cooks.

3. • Once rice is finished cooking, move to a cold burner & fluff with a fork. Stir in sour cream. • Stir in contents from large bowl + salt & pepper until completely mixed together. • Top with cheese. • Bake 30 minutes uncovered at 375° in a 9×13 dish.

4. • While casserole is cooking, fry your quarter-cut tortillas in batches until they resemble golden tan chips (they harden more and more as they dry). • Sprinkle sea salt after each batch.

Serve casserole & chips 🌮 Enjoy!

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov

What’s Been Going on at Mama Morozov’s Home

home, Motherhood, Uncategorized

Happy Monday!! It started out a sort of overcast morning over here on this day so I’m catching up on housework. I have a sort of “unwritten rule” that dreary/overcast days are for housework and sunny days are for yardwork because I don’t want to miss any time with the sun.

We had a really great Sunday Family Day yesterday. The sun was shining, the kids were playing. We skipped church since the kids have some yucky cold symptoms going on and just hung out at home together.

My gardens have come along so much this week! There’s still tons to be done though! I’d like to get mulch down this week before the crazy amount of weeds return!

I filled my basket planter with these adorable trailing white flowers that will hang down under my Ukrainian flag. I’m really excited to see how far they grow!

I weeded & mulched this small garden bed this week. I used 2 bags and will still need to add at least one more bag here. This space was very low down compared to the grass around it and since it had probably never been mulched before I really want to get a good few layers on so the weeds don’t come back as heavy next year.

We brought our grill back out and bought a few needed grill tools for it.

Niko made hot dogs, vegetarian hot dogs, and the most delicious corn on the cob. I heated up the vegetarian baked beans & brought out watermelon, chips, and potato salad.

I planted this clematis in this planter. I’m so excited for the vines to take on a life of its own on this along the tower’s shapes. It’s going to be so beautiful especially when it has more purple flowers growing up it.

My ranunculus flowers are blooming and they are SO beautiful! One day I will have a much larger container filled with these beauties, but I’m SO happy with my start.

It has been so hot out lately & summer break is coming up so I decided it would be fun to get this inflatable pool for the kids to use this summer. It’s a lot of fun and the kids had a blast playing in it all day long.

Anyone have any tips on how to keep an inflatable pool clean all season? They always seem to get so gross after the first use.

I spoke with my neighbor last night and she gave me the compliment that my back yard is very pleasant to look at. That made me really happy. My hard work is making a difference for not only my own family but for my neighbors as well!!

It is my goal that while we are living in this home in Deer Park, someone nominates us for a Beautification Award. Her compliment made me really hopeful that could actually come true one day! I’ll just have to keep beautifying it for now.

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov

A Mini Garden Project 🍓

home, Sustainable Living, Uncategorized

I went to the Oakley Kroger the other night with Moses. That place is HUGE! As we were walking (aka me walking & wearing all 23+ pounds of him) inside we decided to check out the outside floral section and I ended up buying a cherry tomato starter plant & a strawberry starter plant.

When we got home it was too late to start a gardening project, so I set them aside for the next morning.

When I went to plant them, I came to the conclusion that I really didn’t want to plant food that we plan to eat near our trash cans, even with a fence separating them. So I figured out a new solution!

I moved the raised bed into this space along the fence.

I thought that it looked a little out of place by itself, so I built a little rock pathway with rocks out of the stockpile I already had.

Once I had all the rock placement laid out, I began collecting these mosaic tiles around my back yard. I had originally had them in the gravel patio area, but I think that they will be much more appreciated over here.

I’ve got a pretty good start going, but I definitely need to continue picking more out to make sure the spaces in between are really full.

I also moved this little red bird bath from a different garden space in my yard. It makes more sense over here since the hose can reach here, but not where it was previously.

I planted the cherry tomatoes in the middle container and strawberries to the right. I am going to plant lettuce in the container to the left when it isn’t raining.

To be completed:

• Finish filling in mosaic pieces between rock spaces.

• Plant a creeping flower in the tower growing up the sides.

• Weed and prepare the right side near the fence to sculpt out a garden bed + plant some flowers.

• Trim bush to the left side and sculpt out garden bed + plant some flowers.

• Create fun garden stakes with the kids for each container.

• Find and/or make more garden decor to personalize it more!

Just a small, spur of the moment project I wanted to document on here. I hope you like it and it Inspires you to do some gardening yourself! Gardening can be really, really therapeutic as well as a great work out & way to connect with nature.

Are you big into gardening, or a beginner? Have you tried raised garden beds or container gardens? What kind of things do you like to grow?

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov

Every Day is Earth Day 🌎

Crafts & DIY, Motherhood, Uncategorized

I hope you had a Happy Earth Month!

In our family, we celebrate the Earth every day, but for national Earth Day (& month) we are going to make sure to celebrate a little extra!

We wore our flower headbands to be extra festive on Earth Day on April 22. 

Not Our Trash, but it IS Our Earth

One of our very favorite outdoor family activities is plogging: picking up litter while jogging. Since my kids are pretty little, we mostly just walk briskly rather than jog, but it’s still exercise for our bodies and it’s still cleaning up our Earth.

We tied a trash bag to our stroller. The park is on the other side of the train, so all of the trash collected at this point was from our walk from our home to the park alone.

I want my children to know that it’s up to them to change the world. They cannot wait for someone else to do it for them. It is our duty to leave the Earth a better place than we found it.

By the end of our walk, we had filled our entire bag.

We ended up going back out the next morning with Niko + the older girls as well. We walked back to the park, a different way, and picked up more litter. When we got there, there was actually a Community Park Clean Up going on which was really cool! They were handing out free gloves and trash bags for people to volunteer to clean up the park. I was unaware that our park offered that, but I love it!

Dirt Dessert

We made “Dirt cake” which we decided to rename “Dirt Dessert” instead since it wasn’t exactly a cake.

It was really yummy and everyone gobbled it up! This is definitely a dessert that I will be remaking with different themes throughout the year!

We talked about the Earth & why worms are good for it. In case you didn’t know, worms are decomposers!

Drive Less, Walk More

This month our weather has really started warming up, so we have began walking to the bus stop to pick up Ella & Mia and then walking home. We bring a trash bag with us each time we walk.

Nature Art

Mia drew a face on a piece of cardboard we cut from a box. Then we poked lots of holes where we wanted her hair to be.

We walked around the beautiful flower garden at Ault Park looking for flowers to use as our hair. We tried to use only flowers that had already fallen, or weeds that we thought they wouldn’t mind us picking for them.

Even though the playground distracted the kids & we didn’t end up filling all of our holes, I still think that it turned out really cute.

5 Easy Ways You Can Be More Eco Friendly!

1. Stop using plastic bags. Instead, opt for reusable insulated tote bags & mesh produce bags. It makes carrying groceries in from the car WAY easier too!

2. Use a refillable cleaning solution (like Thieves Household Cleaner). Thieves is non-toxic, plant-based, & can replace literally EVERY single cleaning product you currently own. (You can order Thieves HERE).

3. Shop at a second-hand store first before buying new. Chances are, a second-hand store will have what you are looking for at only a fraction of the price.

4. Utilize your local library. Libraries go WAY beyond just books. There are so many activities and classes that they offer, as well as information on local resources. It is a great place to bring children as well (just kindly remind them to use their inside voices.)

5. Use what you have before buying more. This goes for food, hygiene or household products, decor items, anything & everything. It helps cut down on waste & clutter as well.

🌍 I hope you had a good Earth Month. What did you do to celebrate the Earth this month?

I can’t believe tomorrow it will be May! Mothers Day is coming up as well as Moses FIRST BIRTHDAY!! How the heck has it already been a year?? Then after that it will be SUMMER BREAK ☀️! So many exciting things coming up! Don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss out on any of it!

Have a beautiful rest of your weekend 🧡

Ukrainian Pysanky 🇺🇦🥚🐣

Crafts & DIY, Motherhood, Uncategorized

Ella came home from school last Friday with a new school project: Economics Market.

All of her classmates will be opening their own “shops” at their desk where they will be selling a paper item that they make. They will be decorating the shops, telling a bit of information about the shop/what is being sold. Ella will be selling Pysanky, otherwise known as Ukrainian Easter Eggs.

Ella is Ukrainian- we all are. Her grandfather, my dad, is a Ukrainian immigrant. Needless to say, even though we are living in America, I feel the deepest connection to this war currently happening in Ukraine.

I’ve always been extremely proud to be Ukrainian, but the amount of pride and gratitude I have for my heritage now is immeasurable. I grew up being taught that Ukrainians are strong people; the strongest in the world. I had no idea that I would ever have to witness the magnitude of their strength in my lifetime.

My dad & I on his birthday last year (April 2021) after celebrating with authentic Ukrainian cuisine including pierogies & borscht.

I know that we are very lucky to be living in America, yet I feel the strongest yearning to be there. If my dad never came to America, this war would be our lives right now and that is a scary thought. Yet I still for some reason feel as if that is where I belong. 

That isn’t possible at this time, however, so for now I’ll just continue to embrace the culture at home with my family, even more so now. We’ll become fluent in the language and carry the traditions. One day, when it is safe for my small children, we will travel there. Today, we will make pysanky.

Pysanky

Pysanky is the word for Ukrainian Easter Eggs. Pysanky are believed to hold great power for peace & love in the world. They were originally used in Spring ceremonies to thank the glorious sun for warming the Earth after the cold, hard Winter.

The designs and symbols that are decorated on pysanky have significant meanings- usually a wish of good fortune for the person you are gifting your pysanky to. On Easter Sunday, you would gift your pysanky and kiss the recipient on each cheek for good luck.

There is an old Ukrainian folk tale that Evil (a vicious monster)  is chained to a cliff. Each year his helpers go around the world and report back to him the number of pysanky that have been decorated.

If only a few eggs are made, his chains loosen and evil flows throughout the world. However if many eggs are made, his chains tighten; allowing love to conquer evil.

With all of the evil going on in the world, we are going to need a LOT of eggs.

Setting Up Shop

First, we found pysanky coloring pages on Pinterest then printed them out. Ella colored each egg and then wrote a wish for each egg on the back of them.

Next, we colored the pages for her shop and we cut them out and assembled them.

“At Ella’s Ukrainian Eggs, you can find Ukrainian Easter Eggs which are believed to hold great power for love in the world. Each egg has a special wish for you. Ella made these to support her Grandpa from Ukraine.”

“If you love ❤️ Ukraine, you should get one of these Ukrainian Easter Eggs. Plus they’re great for Easter and it is to be believed that these Eggs hold great power for love ❤ in the world 🌍.”

Her shop turned out SO cute! I’m very excited to hear how her project and “shopping” day goes. I am also excited to hear what the other children made for their shops. I really loved doing this project together with Ella. I loved that we were able to incorporate our heritage and culture to make it more meaningful to share with her friends at school.

Easter Celebration

My dad’s birthday coincided with Easter this year (the day after) so we went over to my parents home to celebrate both Easter and his birthday with an Easter Feast from the Wodka Bar. They offered a special, limited Easter menu which was perfect.

The pierogies & kolachi were SOOO yummy! I cannot wait to try more food from there from the regular menu! I also am going to learn how to make delicious kolachi at home so I can eat it alllll the time!

Mia also made a pysanky for each of us. I loved mine so much!

Overall, this was a lovely Easter weekend and my heart feels very full & blessed. We got to spend time with both sides of our family. We did an Easter egg hunt for the kids and they received nice spring time gifts. We had lovely food that I didn’t have to prepare or clean up. We truly are so blessed in this life on Earth.

Happy Easter y’all.

One Room Challenge: Basement Playroom | Family Room | Part 1

home, Motherhood, Uncategorized

I began my basement project a few years ago before I became pregnant with Athena. I had big plans in mind, but a seriously rough pregnancy left me to abandon this project until a later time, then another pregnancy + baby pushed it back even longer. The time has finally come to finish what I started!

Since this is such a BIG project, I am going to be splitting this up into 2 parts: 1. The kids area, this post, & 2. The “adult” area (laundry, entertainment/electronics area, & tool/cellar).

Imaginative Play

In the Imaginative Play area we have a grocery store/deli, doctor/wellness center, a mini roll top desk to play school, as well as the kids toy storage.

There is a chalkboard wall with a bulletin board on top for both school & “daily specials” at the deli.

This little stand is so cute and can be used for many Imaginative Play purposes. It is currently being used as a deli + coffee shop. They have their Melissa & Doug Sandwich Shop + their wooden utensils on top, and their Melissa & Doug coffee maker set on bottom.

I am a huge lover & collector of reusable bags. I buy new ones constantly! Having miniature size ones for the grocery shop makes my heart SO happy!

Their little roll top desk with the miniature globe is SO cute. They love to play school with it.

Under the stairs is their “parking garage” for rideable things like scooters and ride-on cars. I do plan to change this space in the near future though.

Having so many little kids, it has been really nice to be able to have a space for them to play and be kids and not worry about them making messes. That alone has helped me SO much as an overly-stimulated and stressed out Mama. Kids need to be kids, and this is their home too. They need a place they are able to express themselves freely and I hope that this space is able to be that place for them.

Art Studio

The first time I went to rehab, I went to Timberline Knolls in Lemont, Illinois. It had the most beautiful art studio with tables stained in paint and clay residue, colors and Empowering messages everywhere, and so many supplies.

Ever since then it has been a dream of mine to have my own art studio, but never really saw it as super realistic.

I recently spoke with a friend, who, ironically, I met at Timberline Knolls. I’ve always envied her life. She’s built her own little plot of homestead paradise in the middle of no where and spends her time homesteading and crafting and doing things her, her husband, and children love to do. That is literally my dream life.

Anyway, she made me realize that life is what you make it. I need to stop waiting for better, for more space, for my children to get a little bigger. I need to stop waiting, and start building my happy place now with what I have. So I began building an “art studio.”

First, I set our old dining room table up in the soon to be art studio, then added this Trofast Storage Unit from IKEA for art supply storage. I used this rolling cart that I already had to organize more supplies like paintbrushes, glue, washi tapes, etc.

I added this paper sorter from Michael’s to color code their construction paper. Not only does color-coding items look beautiful, it helps cut down on mess because the kids can visibly see what they are working with instead of fumbling around for what they need.

I repurposed produce bins to color code their crayons in the middle of the table. It looks super cute and it helps teach my kiddos to put their supplies back where they belong.

Color coding is an easy way to help teach toddlers how to organize + learn their colors at the same time.

I began hanging these colorful banners to make it look fun and inspire creativity.

I also began picking up a few functional decor pieces that I was very excited to use in this space.

Next, we removed the old, random, oddly-placed cabinet. We found out why said cabinet was randomly & oddly placed. There was a MASSIVE crack/wall damage hiding behind it. We got cement filler, patched the damage and waited 24 hours.

After the 24 hour wait, we began hanging the pegboard. I had purchased + planned to hang 4, but I ended up deciding 3 was plenty to start. I bought a few accessories with the pegboard, but wanted to wait to go crazy with accessory shopping until I had a clear idea of how I was planning to arrange it to go back and purchase more.

My dad & his friend updated the electricity + added lights above the table & outlets in the middle to be able to use electronic tools. I cannot wait to add things like pottery wheels in the future now that I have this outlet.

Using my Cricut, I added labels to the bins so that we are easily able to find the items that we need.

We moved the desk over here so they could play “Art Teacher.”

I am absolutely obsessed with it and the way that it turned out. I now have my very own art studio, filled with colors and paint stains and all kinds of materials for us to choose from. I am so in love with it and still in such awe every time I walk downstairs and think how is this mine?!

Baby + Soft Play Area

It’s a lot of work to try to keep babies & toddlers entertained for a long time, especially on days we are stuck inside.

This fun little climber tent was a birthday gift to Sasha. One side has a climbing wall, the other has a window.

The Nugget was a MUST for this area. We are OBSESSED with our Nugget. I got The Very Hungry Caterpiller print because it’s one of our favorite books & the print was just beautiful. It is SO soft and comfy too!

I have a lot of Primary colors in the baby area. I added lots of cushions, padding, & floor mats to encourage crawling + be able to roll around freely. The Lego storage blocks hold other toys so that we are able to rotate the toys that are out for open play.

We added a little library against this wall with the baby/younger children’s books.

I added these fun flower lights above this area. It’s somehow both a fun vibe and a calming one in one.

Well, that’s where I’m at in this stage of my basement makeover! I hope you got some inspiration for your own basement/family/play room.

I still have many plans to come in the future and just like with every space, it is forever evolving. Make sure to check back for part two to see how I did the “adult” areas!