My oldest daughter has been wanting to learn how to sew, so this week we finally tackled her very first sewing machine project! We kept things simple, thrifty, and fun—perfect for building confidence. Project 1: Doll Pajama Shirt Start with a baby onesie that no longer fits your little one. ...
DIY American Girl Boy Doll (On a Budget!)
About a month ago, I took the kids to the American Girl store. My oldest daughter adores their dolls, and I thought it would be fun to get a boy one for my son. But when I saw the price tags, I knew I needed a DIY, budget-friendly option. My sweet girl is currently working hard to earn a “mini-me” ...
DIY Designs: Clock Wall
I’m not a designer or decorator by any means, but I do love all things DIY, inexpensive, and pretty. This project checks all three boxes. For a couple of months, I kept my eyes out for three coordinating clocks I loved. I never found the perfect mix—so instead, I bought three that matched. They were ...
DIY: Diaper Sprayer Shield How-To
This post contains affiliate links. You can visit my disclosure tab to learn more. We’re a cloth-diapering family, and yes… I catch a lot of crap for that. Get it? Crap. Yep. Momma’s got jokes for dayyyys. There’s a little gadget you can buy for about $20, but I’m a DIY kind of gal anyway, so I ...
DIY Table Top S’mores
Last night we made Table Top Driveway Smores. I had everything on hand already except the charcoal and the pot. Driveway S'mores Being impatient we roasted some while there was still a little flame, this makes deliciously burnt mallows. ;-) The Basics. I think this bag of charcoal will last us ...
Create a Simple Donation Station for a Clutter-Free Home
If you haven’t already, set up a donation station in your home. For us, it’s a small table in the basement. Whenever the kids are getting dressed and a shirt doesn’t fit, or a pair of shoes is too snug, they know exactly where it goes. This keeps things organized and helps me avoid hunting through ...
Learn Something New
My friend Jennifer came over last weekend and taught me how to knit. I'm thankful for this new activity, & getting to spend time with her. I'm not sure if it is something I will keep up, but it has been fun to try. As I struggled with how to hold the needles and where to put the yarn, I realized ...
How We Make One Income Work as a Family of Four
People sometimes ask (and I even ask myself), “How do you make it on one income while you stay home?” First, praise God. Without Him, we couldn’t do this. He’s been so faithful. Second, thank you to my husband for working hard every day to provide for our family. I'm grateful he has a career he ...
A Simple Upgrade for a Healthier Home: Shower Filters
This post contains affiliate links Back in 2011, we installed our very first shower filter. At the time, I didn’t know much about water quality, but I wanted to do what I could to protect my family from the chlorine and other chemicals that can make their way into our homes. Now, all these years ...
Unplugging the TV for Better Things
Last week, I decided to unplug the TV. Not because it’s all bad, but because it was stealing time we could be using better. Instead of watching shows that don’t add much to our lives, I want to spend those minutes helping my kids learn new skills, reading together, or simply catching up on things ...
Why We Ditched Plastic Storage Containers
My husband mentioned how the toy aisles at Wal-Mart smell like plastic. Our bodies know that is toxic, and we turn up our noses at it. It made me think of where we had plastic lurking within our home. We had a kitchen drawer full of Ziploc containers. Sure enough, when I opened it, I noticed that ...
Godly-Givers
I’ll start by confessing: I’m a purger. On a whim, I’ll decide to throw or donate tons of things all at once—it usually turns into a big production. I’ve always known this about myself, but a good friend recently pointed it out, and it made me stop and think. The next time I was in a purging ...
Cutting Cable
About two years ago (2009-ish), I made the decision to cancel our cable TV. It wasn’t really a financial choice, it was about getting the awful, horrible media and pushy ads out of our home. My husband and I were watching grown-up shows, thinking the kids weren’t paying attention… but they were. At ...
Choosing Better Nourishment for Our Family
One of the biggest changes our family has made over the years has been in the area of food. When I was a young wife and mom, I used to get so excited over a sale on boxed meals or snack packs. At the time, I thought I was winning at homemaking by stretching the budget that way, and in that season, I ...