Earn, Save, and Live Joyfully.
After a lot of consideration my brother and I have decided not to swap Christmas gifts this year. I’ll still buy gifts for my niece and nephew and he’ll do the same for my son, but we will no longer exchange gifts between each other. It’s always a struggle to decide what to buy and … Read more
In general I consider myself quite lucky and blessed. I received a room full of gifts at my baby shower, my mom purchased the crib for my son and other than a new dresser and car seat my husband and I have bought very few things for our little bundle of joy. A friend of … Read more
Based on the sheer volume of people searching for stocking stuffer suggestions I know that many of you are stumped for Christmas ideas this season. Do you feel like you buy the same things for people year after year? Do you want to find something unique? Are you interested in hand crafted items rather than … Read more
My mom and I had a lengthy discussion yesterday over childproofing. There are two schools of thought. First, move the items that might be in harms way. Second, leave the items exactly where you’ve always placed them and teach the child that he is not allowed to touch them. I’ve noticed that while most parents … Read more
My dad likes to play the lottery. He isn’t a fanatic or anything, but he buys tickets from time to time and always jokes about what he’d do with the money if he won. Sometimes he let’s the machine pick the numbers, but most of the time he buys a ticket with his lucky set. … Read more
Between the end of November and the end of December ‘stocking stuffers for my husband’ is the number one search query readers use to find this blog. It seems my blog is inundated every December by women searching for that perfect Christmas gift for their husband. The original post that lures Google readers to my … Read more
Last week I wrote about my struggle to rid my home of sentimental clutter. Thankfully I received a bunch of great suggestions on how to pare down the mess. Among my favorites were picking out the very best items, removing duplicates and limiting the amount of stuff so that it all has to fit inside … Read more
In 1999 I bought a children’s medical kit for $5. You know one of those plastic boxes full of pretend thermometers, stethoscopes and blood pressure monitors. I intended to use it as part of my Halloween costume, but changed my mind at the last minute and switched from dressing like a doctor to dressing like … Read more
My mom has been bugging me to create a Christmas list for weeks now. “Can’t you just sit down and come up with a list for me,” she asks. So I pour myself a large glass of ice water, plop into my favorite chair and stare at my laptop. I have every intention in the … Read more
Over the course of my lifetime I’ve often downplayed my happiness and success. When I bought my second home I was hesitant to tell my friends and family about it. When I was promoted at work I decided to keep the news to myself. When I found out I was pregnant with my son I … Read more