Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Kid's Table Makeover, Before and After
Saturday, December 12, 2020
DIY Rustic Christmas Wreath
I had a hankering to make another quick and easy Christmas wreath, before it's too late! I can't believe it's less than two weeks until Christmas! I am a fan of making wreaths as inexpensive as possible. I either try to find decorations for my wreath for free by foraging in nature or for very inexpensive at the Dollar Tree.
What You Need:
-Buckeyes (I found mine while on a walk in my neighborhood)
- Glue gun
-Sand paper, medium grit
- Small wreath form: $1
-Faux poinsettia: $1
- Christmas ribbon : $1
- Wired Jute Cord: $1
Here's what the items you need from the Dollar Tree look like:
Friday, December 11, 2020
Some Little Ways I've Learned to Save Money
Ever since I started living on my own as a 19 year old, I’ve always tried to come up with new ways to save money. The little things truly add up! Even if you are spending 5 dollars a month on something, at the end of the year that’s $60 you’ve spent. If there are ways to save, even if it’s a little bit, why not do it? Here’s a few things that i’ve done to help cut down on unnecessary costs:
1. Use an olive oil dispenser bottle for dish detergent
After my first baby was born, we bought a large bottle of dishwasher detergent from Costco. We upcycled an oil dispenser that we had recently used the last bit of oil from. I thought it looked nicer than having the dish soap bottle in sight and I didn’t have to lift up a huge bottle of dish soap every time I needed to use it. The oil dispenser allowed only a few drops of soap to come out at a time, so we did not waste a lot. Dish soap is very concentrated, so you really only need a little bit to wash your dishes. The large bottle of soap from Costco ended up lasting us 3 years! Some dish soaps may clog the oil dispenser, so the one I'm using right now is the generic version of Dawn from Costco. It hasn’t clogged at all. It’s SO nice never really having to worry about buying dish soap. Here’s to another 3 years! *update* I knocked it over and it shattered! Time to find a new one...
2. Buy bread in bulk & freeze the extra
My family of 4 goes through bread at an alarming rate. If you really are what you eat, then my 5 year old son is a peanut butter sandwich. He consumes at least one a day. Anyway, we eat a LOT of bread. I was sick of running to the store all the time just because we ran out of bread. I discovered at Costco (yes, Costco again) that they sell two loaves of bread for the price of what one loaf usually costs (for the kind of bread I get anyway.) We leave one or two loaves out and freeze the rest. Just pop one out of the freezer to thaw when you see that you’re almost out of bread.
3. Cut your own and your family’s hair
Maybe this sounds terrifying to you? Or maybe it sounds fun. Either way, hair does grow back, I just recommend only taking off a little at a time to start! Youtube is a wonderful tutor and you can find a plethora of amazing videos teaching you how to cut your own hair or other people’s hair. It can save you a lot of money! And the best part is (besides saving money) if you mess it up, you only have yourself to blame! So, hurry and go ask your significant other or your friend if you can practice on them!
4. Mop with white vinegar and water
I have a Bona hardwood floor spray mop that I believe I bought from Walmart or Target for around 40 bucks. It comes with a washable, removable pad. It came with the Bona spray in it but once that was empty, I didn’t want to spend money on a refill. Instead, I replaced it with a mixture of white vinegar and water. You really don’t need much vinegar added to the water for it to be effective. You can get a humongous 64 oz bottle of vinegar for about $2. That will last you a very long time! And since there are no chemicals being used, it’s healthier for you and your pets. If you don’t have this type of mop, just get a bucket and mix some vinegar and water and go to town with whatever mop you have. Apple cider vinegar works too but the smell is pretty strong. When using white vinegar, the smell dissipates fairly quickly in my opinion, although it may have you craving salt and vinegar potato chips!
5. Buy frozen vegetables if you can’t eat fresh produce fast enough
I think we all have moments at the grocery store where we’re on a healthy kick and we decide to buy a ton of fresh produce, thinking that if we buy it, we will definitely eat it, and therefore be healthier. While those are great intentions, sometimes we fall short and just let the produce go to waste. After all, that stuff goes bad fast! And when it goes bad before we have had a chance to eat it, then we throw it away and it’s like we have literally thrown away our money. If you are slow to use fresh produce, then why not buy frozen vegetables? You can use them when you feel like it and they are staying fresh in the freezer for much longer. Sometimes buying frozen vegetables is cheaper than fresh ones to begin with. So you can be healthier and save a little cash.
6. Put paper towels in your spinach or spring mix
Since we’re on the subject of produce, we may as well talk about one way we can help extend the life of your salad. Ever since I have started putting a paper towel in with my bag of fresh spinach, it lasts me almost a week longer. The paper towel extracts the unnecessary moisture and helps keep the leaves crispy for longer. Every time you open the bag of spinach or spring mix, replace the paper towel because it will be wet! Popeye would be proud. Maybe, just maybe, you can eat it all before it goes bad!
7. Eat more potatoes and rice
Both potatoes and rice are SO cheap and they’re healthy (especially brown rice and sweet potatoes.) You can get a 5lb bag of russet potatoes for around $2. You can get a 5lb bag of brown rice for under $4. These foods are so versatile and are easy to cook. There are tons of easy recipes online. You can pop a potato in the microwave and have a “baked” potato in 5 mins. Easy, quick meal!
8. Eat less meat
Meat is expensive. I haven’t bought it for years, simply because I don’t like it and it has saved us a lot of money! Meat is not meant to be the main course of a meal, it’s meant to add flavor to a meal by using a little bit. Eating large amounts all the time is unhealthy and expensive. Try cutting down on it and eating more rice, beans or vegetables in your meals. If you can’t live without meat in your meals, start by purchasing less and not letting it take the stage as the main course of every meal.
9. Shop around for car insurance quotes
A couple years ago, I looked at our budget and wondered if our car insurance payment could be lowered. My husband and I got different quotes from different car insurance companies. Soon after a little research we were able to switch to a new car insurance company and we were able to cut our payment by about $62! That is saving $744 a year. I *highly* recommend you do some research and find a good, reliable car insurance company that will get you a lower rate! Do ittttt…! I continue to get insurance quotes every once in a while.
10. Buy Used
I used to never have any sweaters during winter time. I simply did not want to spend $40+ on one. I discovered that by going to a thrift shop, I could buy a perfectly good sweater for $3-$5. That price makes me VERY happy! Many people will donate their sweaters because they are pilly and fuzzy. If you invest in a fabric shaver (inexpensive), you can buy those pilly sweaters and make them look brand new. Fabric shaving is also SO therapeutic, haha! Of course, there are plenty of other things you can buy used for much cheaper than new. Check out Facebook marketplace, your local thrift shop, craigslist, etc.
11. Make your own cleaning solution
Pinterest is full of information about DIY cleaning solutions. One I learned and always make is a multipurpose spray (do not use on granite.) I soak orange peels in vinegar for a couple weeks in an air-tight jar and then transfer the solution without the orange peels into a spray bottle. I use this on my table, floors to wipe up any spills, oven and stove.
12. Look through every ad you get in the mail
We all get junk mail, and it’s annoying. But before you throw it away, take a quick peek and see if there are any coupons you could use! I found a BOGO coupon for a local frozen yogurt shop in some junk mail and I was able to go on a cheap date with my husband. Score! I always find coupons for discounted oil changes as well, which is great since it’s for a necessary service I have to get eventually anyway. It only takes about a minute, so might as well try before the papers go to recycling!
13. Be grateful for what you have
Dave Ramsey always says that we buy things to impress people that we don’t even like. So, stop it and save money! Look around you, and see all that you already have. Maybe you can even see things that you need to get rid of? Having less clutter makes us feel more at peace. Being grateful helps us feel even more at peace. It’s a win-win.
Thanks for reading!
-Merewyn
Saturday, November 28, 2020
How I Meal Plan for Two Weeks (free meal plan printable)
I starting meal planning a few years ago for a few different reasons:
1. I wanted to save money.
2. I didn't want to try to think of a dinner idea every night. It's stressful! Meal plans simplify things.
3. I wanted to make it less of a temptation to go out to eat because I didn't feel like coming up with dinner.
4. I didn't want to have to run to the grocery store all the time.
It took me a little while to tweak my meal planning strategy over the years. Now I have a good system down and I can't imagine ever straying away from it. It makes my life so much easier!
This is how I do it:
On my phone I have an app where I can make lists. It helps me organize my perpetual tornado of thoughts! The app is called "To Do" but I know there are many other apps similar to it. One of my lists is called "Dinner Ideas" and it's where I've written down all the meals my family likes to eat. I currently have 46 dinner ideas on my list. I started out with a lot fewer than that but picked more up as years went by.
Every week I go through that list and I star 14 dinners that I will make in the next two weeks. I only meal plan for dinners. I know some people prefer to plan for all 3 meals a day but I'm not there yet.
I rotate between a few different meals for breakfast and I keep all of the food I need on hand and buy it every time I grocery shop every two weeks. Same with lunch. It helps that my kids prefer peanut butter sandwiches for every meal! Of course I don't feed them PB sandwiches every meal, but they certainly eat a lot of them throughout the week for lunch and breakfast both.
Once I have chosen all the dinners I am going to make in the next 2 weeks, I go through and take inventory of my refrigerator and pantry. I then write down all the ingredients for the meals that we are out of or almost out of. I write it down in a grocery list on the same app. I have separate lists for each of the stores I usually shop at. For example, I buy a lot of my food from Costco. And I also buy a lot of my food from Smith's. So I have a separate list for each of them and any other stores I normally go to.
After I have all my ingredients written down, I go to my online grocery ordering apps and order what I need. Smith's has one and so does Walmart. Many other grocery stores are on board with online ordering as well. It saves me so much time and sanity! Grocery shopping with little kids is very difficult! And I can also stay in budget better and not have impulse buys when I order online. Then, I go shop in person at Costco whenever I have time that week.
When I shop for enough groceries for two weeks, I keep in mind that a lot of produce could go bad before the two weeks is up. I buy a large amount of my vegetables frozen so I don't have to worry about them going bad too soon. Things like carrots and broccoli last a while in the fridge. The other vegetables that perish quickly I try to eat first. Then we have meals with the frozen vegetables during week 2.
We try to stick to a budget when grocery shopping. I certainly am not perfect at always staying within it! But I'm working on being more strict about it!
The last thing I do is I have a little white board on the inside of my pantry door. It's in a spot that I can easily see often. I write down the days of the week and then I pick a meal from my list and match it with a day. I keep in mind which nights are my busy nights, where I won't have as much time to cook. So I place the easier and quicker meals on those nights.
Nights like Sundays, I have the more time consuming dinners. So, when it's time to started making dinner, I just glance at my white board and see what I'm making that night.
That's it! It does initially take time to sit down and plan for two weeks. To go through your pantry and refrigerator and see what you need. But in the long run, it saves a whole lot of time and effort. And also $$$$. It is one little thing to help simplify your life in a huge way.
I have a free meal plan printable linked below, if you want to give meal planning a try for yourself! My husband helped me create it. This printable allows you to plan for two weeks, for all 3 meals if you so desire.
Thank you for reading!
- Merewyn
Thursday, November 26, 2020
Some Things I Did to Simplify My Life this Week
Monday, November 23, 2020
My Experiences with Extreme Morning Sickness
*Warning* there is a lot of describing puking and other gross things!
I know that this topic doesn't quite fit with my blog but I have been thinking it's an important thing to share. When I was pregnant and sick, I searched all over the internet to see if anyone else was going through what I was going through. I hardly found anything at the time. I did find a You Tube channel where the girl was vlogging her experience being sick and that helped me feel like I wasn't so alone. Because, having extreme morning sickness makes you feel very alone.
In 2015 my little son was born in the spring. The whole nine months I was pregnant with him, I was sick. I had a job where I was a home health aid for the elderly and I would have to go run and throw up in their toilet while I was at work. There were a few close calls where I almost did not make it to the bathroom in time. I was finishing a semester at college and I missed a lot of class. Eventually, I took a month off of work because I was throwing up so much. Fortunately I was able to finish the school semester and my grades didn't suffer too much.
I threw up water immediately after I drank it. I was lucky to keep anything down. Whenever I went anywhere if I was feeling well enough, I had to find out where the bathrooms where right away in case I needed to throw up. Friends would want to hang out but I had to constantly explain that I was too sick. They would say, "You're STILL sick?" I had a feeling some thought I was being dramatic. I felt alone.
I was in bed most of the time. When I was at the hospital getting induced, I threw up non-stop. They gave me some Zofran in an IV to help with the nausea and it helped. I had been taking Zofran my entire pregnancy and even though I still threw up many times a day, the Zofran kept me alive. As soon as my baby boy was born, I felt AMAZING. All my nausea was gone and I had a brand new baby! If you're going through morning sickness right now, please remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel. 9 months (or less) and it's over. You are stronger than you think, even if you have to have IVs of fluid every day to keep you alive.
3 Years later I had another baby. A girl this time. Before I got pregnant, I knew that another pregnancy would be very difficult. However, I didn't think it could be any worse. I even changed to a plant-based diet because I had read that those who eat plant-based tend to have less morning sickness. I thought that I was prepared to go through another 9 months of puking but from the very beginning, this pregnancy with my little girl was 100 times worse than my first pregnancy. There was no way I could have prepared for it. I was dealt this hand and I had to take it.
I found out I was pregnant at 4 weeks and on week 5, I started throwing up around 25 times a day. If there was nothing to throw up, which was often the case, just stomach bile would come out. When my stomach bile refilled in my stomach, I would throw it up again.
I was SO dehydrated and had extreme thirst and hunger the whole 9 months. I would be so desperate for water that I would drink but then I would violently throw it up seconds later. I had to keep eating, even though I would just throw it up. I could at least extract some nutrients before it came back out. I remember eating an apple and it being SO good. I hoped that I would be able to keep it down. It stayed in my stomach for about an hour and it hurt badly. I could feel it just sitting in my stomach and not digesting. Eventually I threw it up and the pain went away.
I ended up going to the hospital in my early pregnancy because I was just so dehydrated. The doctor mentioned something about babies being "little parasites" sucking all the nutrients from their mothers. I thought that was a flippant remark. I got some IVs hooked up with liquid Zofran and other fluids to hydrate me. I felt the best I had in a few weeks. Zofran is an anti-nausea medication typically given to chemo therapy patients. But they also give it to people with extreme nausea in pregnancy and it's the only medication that helped me, even if it was very little help. I was so thirsty and so hungry. The Zofran and dehydration caused me extreme constipation. I would sit on the toilet for hours at a time. It was very painful. I did end up in the hospital later on for extreme stomach pain. Turns out it was from constipation and they couldn't do anything to help me. And I had to keep taking Zofran to survive.
Eventually I called the doctor's office and told them I needed an IV. The nurse seemed impatient with her tone and said "well, has it been more than 24 hours that you haven't been able to keep a teaspoon of water down?" I told her I throw up everything. She still seemed unbelieving, oddly. But I got an appointment set up with the OBGYN. There, they discovered I had lost 11 lbs when I should have been gaining weight. I looked like a zombie as well so the nurse immediately set up an appointment at the IV center so I could get fluids. I had to go at least twice a week. I would have gone more if I could have mustered the strength to do it. I was not sure how it was possible to be so sick and to still be alive. If IVs of fluid didn't exist, I think I would have died. I remember the receptionist in that IV building looking at me with great pity every time I walked by her. I was a wreck.
My little 2 year old son was taken to his Grandma's house every week day. I was bed ridden and incapable of watching him, I am SO thankful that my mother-in-law was willing to babysit him for so many months. My husband had to drive and extra 1.5 hours every day to get him there before he had to work. He also worked from home often to help take care of me. He often worried about being fired because he was working about 6 hours a day. Fortunately, he worked for a wonderful company and had amazing co-workers that understood. That was a huge blessing!
At around 9 weeks pregnant, my OBGYN wanted to do an ultrasound to see if I was pregnant with twins because I was so sick, I was hoping that it would be twins, so that all this work and suffering would feel even more worth it! Alas, it was only one little jelly bean that appeared on the ultrasound screen. My doctor told me that it was probably a girl, and that was why I was so sick this time. She was right about that! At my 20 week ultrasound, it was indeed a girl.
I remember at one point early on having the disturbing realization that I was going to feel horribly sick for an entire 9 months. 9 months can feel like years. It's not like the flu that's gone in a few days. It's like a million times worse than the flu, for nearly a year. I prayed a lot to help me get through every minute of the day. I couldn't go downstairs into my kitchen. The smells made me throw up instantly. I couldn't even look at my Pinterest app on my phone because seeing pictures of food made me nauseous. My husband had to cook outside a lot, even when it was wintery and cold. The smell of any food cooking made me extremely sick. I was happy to discover that once a day, usually in the evening, I could eat a small potato taco from Taco Bell and not throw it up every time! It was a miracle to be able to keep some food down, even if it didn't have much nutrients. Eventually I could also eat some Fruity Pebbles and some Fruit-By-The-Foot. Again, not nutritious but it was better than nothing. I was extremely sick the first trimester and most of the second trimester. By the end of the second trimester I was throwing up a little less. Then, the third trimester happened and I got pretty sick again at the beginning. Toward the end of the third trimester the nausea and throwing up had lessened. I threw up 1-3 times a day instead of 25. I started to be able to eat again. My stomach was so shrunken that I would get full very quickly. I started to gain weight back. I was able to take care of my little son again, although it was incredibly difficult physically, My muscles were atrophied for being bed-ridden for so long. I went to a massage therapist who specialized in pregnancy massage and he helped unstiffen my atrophied muscles. I remember looking at my legs and being amazed at how skinny they are. I had read that muscles start to atrophy after only 4 days of laying in bed.
3 days before my due date, I decided that I could not go any more days of being pregnant. I called my OBGYN and asked if I could be induced. They got me in that day! I had the baby quickly and she was perfect! Somehow, after me having barely any nutrients, no pre-natal vitamins, and being constantly dehydrated, my baby turned out perfect in every way. That was my biggest blessing. My body could go through hell any day as long as my baby was safe and healthy. After delivering the baby, I once again felt AMAZING. I felt myself again and all lingering nausea was dissipated.
I didn't write this to complain. I am very blessed to have been able to have any babies at all. Even though I had difficult pregnancies, I was able to learn a lot. I am now more compassionate towards others. My love is deeper. Suffering really squeezed any artificiality out of me. It helped me strengthen my relationship with Jesus Christ. He helped me through every agonizing minute of the day when my sickness was at its worst. When I listened to hymns and other church music, my nausea lessened. My husband took care of me without complaint. He did everything for me when he could. Our relationship strengthened despite the turmoil we faced. We've been married almost 7.5 years now and our relationship is amazing. There is always something we can learn from suffering. It's never for no reason, even if we don't find out what that reason is until after we die.
Oddly enough, every fall since I had my little girl, I have had a bit of what I call "Pregnancy PTSD." Since I was very sick for both pregnancies in the fall, when fall time rolls around now I get unexplained nausea for weeks! It's so weird, I told my mom about it. She was pretty sick during her pregnancies as well. She told me she used to get the pregnancy PTSD in the springtime because that's when she was sickest with all of her kids. The brain is truly incredible.
In the end, everything turned out OK. I survived, my husband survived, my babies survived. I gained back weight and muscle. 2.5 years later, I'm the healthiest I've ever been. The body is incredible and will bounce back, I do have to say though, I'm not having any more kids! ;)
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
DIY Dollar store Christmas Wreath
Kid's Table Makeover, Before and After
I've been obsessed with this shade of green for a while now, and i've started painting pretty much everything in my hous...
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This DIY dollar store Christmas wreath is easy to make and only cost me $7. Here's what you need from Dollar Tree: 1. Wreath...
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I've been obsessed with this shade of green for a while now, and i've started painting pretty much everything in my hous...
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When I went to my local Dollar Tree today, almost all the fall and Halloween items to make wreaths with were gone. They even rep...