Tips & Tricks to Help Your Budget!

Ever since I became a full-time stay-at-home mom I realized how much we waste on the daily.

Finally, I decided to make tons of small conscious decisions and suddenly I noticed big changes in our budget.

10 small things I do that impact our budget in BIG ways!

1. I cut our sponges!

    Exactly how it sounds: I take scissors and cut our dish sponges in 1/2 or 1/4's.

    

2. I keep minimal cleaning supplies!

    I have two spray bottles : 

1-a couple drops of dawn dish soap then fill with warm water. 

2-a couple drops of dawn dish soap, a 1/2 cap of bleach, then fill with warm water. 

    A Dollar Tree toilet bowl cleaner called The Works.

    Bar Keepers Friend for the extra grimy.

3. I keep paper towels out of sight!

    Out of sight, out of mind. It really works for us! We end up using less, so we spend less.

4. I always try the store brand!

    I have one exception, I won't compromise on our toilet paper. 

    I have found for the most part it's the same product you're just paying more for the brand/label. 

5. I meal plan!

    Also, I never go to the grocery store hungry. 

6. I shower every other day!

7. I try not to put makeup on unless I know we're going somewhere!

    Using less make-up = purchasing less often!

8. Laundry :

    I bought a hanging rack and have an outdoor clothes line for the summer months.

    I made my own dryer balls but wasn't satisfied with how they turned out, so I want to buy some

    and see if they make a difference. 

9. I try to only go out for errands once a week.

    I love driving, but I knew we needed to save on gas. 

    I map out my route so I'm not driving back-and-forth across town.

10. I thrift shop first.

     If there is something we need I head to the thrift stores. If I can't find it there then I'll buy new.

Do you have any tips or tricks to share? 

Happy budgeting!

Nicole

Being A Parent

Oh, parents! 

May you never forget the moment your child arrived.

When your child is new to you there is this connection that is indescribable! 

You're in "the love bubble."

Penelope Joy

Lillian August

They are perfect. 
They smell so stinking delicious you really do just want to eat them right up! 

Years go on and things change :
Just like with any relationship the excitement, newness, thrill-of-it-all dissipates.

You find yourself realizing :

The infatuation has worn off...with my kid(s)!

But the thing about being a parent : there is no "breaking up." 

You're in it for the long-haul. 

So, what does this really mean?!

You have to start putting in serious work.
You have to choose to love them through it all. 
You have to start being intentional. 

Take a few deep breaths. 

Now, have a dance party! 

Allow your kids to be kids.

Let them get dirty.

Read them their favorite book over & over.

Get on their level & explore the magic in everything. 

Give them more hugs. 

Did you know kids give THE BEST hugs?!

Never forget the joy. 
Don't give up.
Love them unconditionally.
Love them well. 

Wishing you all the best in your parenting journey!  

Children's Books

READ!

My mother was a librarian for 14 years of my childhood.

What did this mean for me?

I spent a gazillion hours in the public library thumbing through an assortment of stories.

I was carried away to distant lands. I had fictional friends. I learned & dreamed & explored.

Reading is magical. 

We have so many favorite children's books!
Here are some of our most favorites...

The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones 

I Love You Through & Through by Bernadette Rossetti 

Giraffe's Cant Dance by Giles Andreae

Llama Llama Nighty Night by Anna Dewdney

Geraldine's Big Snow by Holly Keller
A Porcupine Named Fluffy by Helen Lester
Panda-monium! by Cynthia Platt
The Mitten by Jan Brett
The Twelve Dancing Princesses by Marianna Mayer
Duck & Goose Find a Pumpkin by Tad Hills
God Knows All About Me by Kate Toms
Are You A Cow? by Sandra Boynton
Ten Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth
Witzy's Fun Bath by Katie Kobble
P-O-T-T-Y by Kathy Ireland

I encourage you to read to your children! 

Open up new world's for them.

Create a special bond through reading together. 

I promise you, your child(ren) won't be the only one benefiting! 

Enjoy!

Nicole

Homebody

Homebody : noun : A person who enjoys the simple pleasures of being at home. 

Home is where I spend 95% of my time. 

Home is my comfort zone.

If I'm going to be a homebody I may as well LOVE every aspect of our home! 

Six of my thoughts when making our house home ::

1) Does it bring joy?
The question I ask about every item that's going into our home.
There is no point in spending money on items that are "trendy" but bring no flick of "oh I love this & it brings a smile to my face!" 

2) Our little loves touch/get into EVERYTHING!
I need to be practical in including style & decor that works for the whole family. 

3) Less is more!
The slightest feeling of having "too much" sends me into a tizzy! 
I crave simplicity! 

4) Mix & match & all that jazz! 
For me, this will be the most difficult aspect of creating our new home. 
How am I going to include bits of each style I love, but keep the flow & not have it look too hodgepodge? 

5) Don't compare. 
I am loving all the Instagram accounts I follow & pull tons of inspiration from. 
I also see how easy it is to be jealous, covet, or feel insecure. 

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You." Dr. Seuss

Right now this shelf is a mess, but that's our real life.

6) Stay frugal!

Stick to a budget. 

I hope you found inspiration in this post and can use it while you make your house home! 

Thrifty Mrs.

Thrift : noun : the quality of using money and other resources carefully and not wastefully.

Thrifty: adjective : using money and other resources carefully and not wastefully.

I grew up in Whitefish, Montana; a wealthy resort town. 
My family was not wealthy.
I grew up wearing hand-me-downs and items from 2nd-hand stores. 
It was embarrassing & shameful to admit at the time.
Not that my wardrobe looked any different than anyone else's. 
I actually had some really great clothes that were purchased at a fraction of what the other parents were spending. 
It was just the stigma of it not being purchased brand new that I got made fun of for.

Jump ahead to my 20's & all the "cool kids" shop frugally. 
What the what?! 

Dumpster diving. Facebook sites. Thrift stores. Craigslist. Garage/Yard sales. Vintage.

When I go thrifting I ask myself a thousand questions, but I ask these two most often //
1) Who donated this item?
2) Why did they donate this?

Thrifting is so fun/funny to me. 
A bunch of inexpensive stuff others don't want that I find incredibly perfect for my family! 

Personally, I've always loved the thrill of the find. 

A $136 Free People dress that looks like it was worn once for $4.75//SCORE!
A 50¢ wood durian that I painted white//SCORE! 
Finding things for my two little gals that we could otherwise never afford//SCORE!

*Even better SCORE is that I typically only shop 50% off colors/days at thrift stores!*

As we look into decorating our new home I seriously can't justify spending full price for anything!
It's definitely fun to keep up with the all the latest trends. 
However; it's definitely not in our budget!

I am extremely excited to show all our before & afters. 
I am beyond excited to decorate & bring our home to life in our own joyful way! 

Now we all just wait until we move and I can start the process of making our house home, one thrifted piece at a time! ;)

The flowers came in a bundle of about 10 and I got them all for 50cents.
The giraffe was 50cents and I spray painted it white.

Our front porch fall decor.
Every decor item was thrifted!

Learning a thing or two...

6:30am      

I'm awoken by the shrieks of Lillian. 

I grab her & head back to bed.

Only I'm not going to try and sleep anymore.

I'm getting on my phone to browse Instagram & then Facebook.

Jealousy. Insecurity. Bitterness. 

Just a few nasty feelings that like to creep inside my heart & mind while scrolling.

A peek into my thoughts...
Here we are in-between houses and everyone is posting pictures of their perfectly decorated living room where 10 friends are gathered around a gourmet spread of yummy treats.
1. Where was my invite?
2. Darn you for having a home!
3. I like food. 
**Seriously?! What the HECK is wrong with you Nicole!?!**

But here's the thing...I know I'm not alone in thinking this way!

In this day and age it is easier than ever to compare yourself to other's.
Social media has created an instant way to feel insecure, jealous, and bitter about anything and everything you struggle with.

"Comparison is the thief of joy!" Theodore Roosevelt

Well ain't that the truth, Theo - thanks for those wise words!

"The bad news is - time flies!

The good news is - you're the pilot!"

Michael Althsuler

The other day I decided it's time I start to count my blessings!
Life is way too short to be jealous of others.
I need to get up off my bum & create the happy life I'm so bitter about everyone else having.
I need a heart check.
I need to alter my mindset.
I need to focus on LOVE & JOY!

Love yourself!

Love your friends & family!

Love a stranger!

Love doing what you do!

Love your life!

Be truly happy for other's & encourage them!

I'VE GOT THE JOY, JOY, JOY, JOY - DOWN IN MY HEART!

You were not called to live someone else's life. 

You were called to live your life. 

NOW is the best time to start being the best you!

Love, 

    Nicole

4 Ways To Be "Wild" When Married and/or A Parent

Dearest friends, 

How are you? Truly? 

I am coming out of a season of depression. But it was also a season of growing & learning.

And a season of figuring out what's most important to me.

I've been realizing how many different ways life can go. 

As a wife & mom I pride myself in being the source of stability. 

I am the constant. I am who they can always count on.  

I get the mundane daily tasks done. 

But I also don't want to get so caught up in routine that life looses it's fun-factor! 

I just read a quote :: wild wife = wild life.

So here I have written :

Four Ways To Be "Wild" When Married and/or A Parent

1. YOU NEED TO BE A LITTLE SELFISH!

*This is the toughest one for me because I constantly think 

"how will this affect my husband/daughters?"*

Get to know yourself!
What makes you happy?
Take time to meet a friend for coffee/wine/whatever floats your boat.
Go for a drive or run errands - all alone!
Then you can come back refreshed - even if it was just a five minute drive to the gas station to pick up anti-diarrhea meds.
Being a little selfish doesn't mean leaving on a month-long sabbatical to get your head on straight while spending gobs of cash that you don't have to spend. I know we could all use one of those - but don't be that selfish!
Most of the time when you take time for yourself you become a better, happier you.
Happier you = happier people around you.

2. LET LOOSE!
Spilled milk? I'm pretty sure someone somewhere has given a tutorial on how to clean it up.
No need to throw a bigger tantrum than your two-year-old.
Practice being care-free.
Roll with whatever life throws your way.
Don't sweat the small stuff.
Daily dance parties!


3. CHANNEL YOUR INNER-CHILD
Again - daily dance parties!
Kids do stuff without caring what people think - you should follow suit.
Quit worrying about being judged.
Let your insecurities fly out the window.
Laugh! Have fun!


4. PURSUE NEW THINGS
Don't be afraid to go on adventures together.
The thought of a whining child, or a complaining spouse are enough to make anyone want to turn around. But I encourage you to push through!
Have an interest in something but it's too expensive? Search Craigslist or Facebook Sell Sites.
Ask friends & family if they have one you can borrow, give you, or chip in for.
A lot of times you just need to vocalize your want in order to receive it.

I hope you all feel a little more confident finding your WILD!

* wildflower * wildcat * wildfire * wildcard *wildebeest

So much love to you,      

                                   Nicole

How I Started To Enjoy Parenting Again!

I do not deserve a gold star for the past few months in regards to parenting.
I had a short fuse and couldn't seem to respond to things without snapping and/or yelling.
I had gotten into a routine, a rut, where I wasn't choosing to enjoy each day with my girls.
I had forgot that I am the one to set the example and the tone.

Step one was realizing this.
Step two was figuring out a solution.

Here are six things that help me change my bad attitude :  

1) Scream & Shake
When I feel myself getting frustrated with one or both of the girls I take a deep breath and say, "ready to scream and shake it out so we're happy the rest of the day?!"
Then we scream and shake our bodies.
Okay, I scream and shake it out while the girls look at me like I'm crazy.

2) Dance Parties
JUST DANCE!

3) A Simple Reminder
I set a timer on my phone to go off every day at 9am and 3pm :: "ENJOY THE GIRLS TODAY!!"

4) Pray
It really is that simple.
Pray.

5) Don't Be So Hard On Yourself
You will fail. But that doesn't make you a failure.
God designed our sweet little loves to forgive and forget easily.
They move on, and so should we.
But we also need to always strive to better ourselves.
Always strive to be the best parent you can be.
Just don't beat yourself up over every mistake.

6) Ask For Help
The other day I called my parents and asked them to watch the girls so I could have even just an hour to myself.
In the hour they were gone I MISSED them.
That short time apart helped me remember just how much I love them!

The days are long, but the years are short.

Always choose joy. 

Jeremiah 4:3b

Like a farmer breaking up hard unplowed ground, you must break your rebellious will and make a new beginning; just as a farmer must clear away thorns lest the seed is wasted, you must get rid of the sin that is ruining your lives.

Heart Cleanse

I've been doing a little inward cleaning lately and my! oh my! is my heart dirty.
I harbor hate, negativity, bitterness & anger.
I didn't even know I was holding so tightly to these feelings until a few recent incidences.
How do I feel about this realization?
Wonderful!  [I hope you can detect the sarcasm.]
It is never an awesome thing to realize how ugly your heart is. 
I don't want to be a bitter old lady at the age of 25!
What young female aspires to that?!
With this ugliness happening on the inside I have come to find out it pours out of me as being standoffish and rude.
If I were asked to describe myself I would have never thought to use those two words.
I realized I was holding on to bad feelings, but not that it was making me treat people in a bad way.
I am extremely grateful for a friend who pointed this out to me.
Sometimes I can be extremely oblivious to how I treat others or the "vibes" I give off.
I would hope that all of my friends and family love me enough to be brutally honest and tell me how I'm acting is not ok.
Seriously.
Brutally honest.
I need it!
I don't want Penelope to grow up with a rude mom.
I read a blog post I found on either Facebook or Pinterest and it really spoke to me.
Raising a Kind Daughter by Kari Kampakis...basically she says to have a kind daughter you have to be a kind mother.
It makes perfect sense. 
Children mirror the actions they see.
If I want Penelope to be a sweet, kind, loving, positive individual then I need to live those qualities out myself.
Am I going to mess up still and have a bad day and act out of anger? Most definitely.
But am I going to strive really hard to change my attitude into one I want Penelope to mirror? You betcha!
Penelope deserves it.
Zach deserves it.
Truly anyone I encounter deserves it.

Proverbs 10:12

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.

Proverbs 29:11 

A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.

Ephesians 4:31-32

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.