30 Self-Care Ideas For The Fall/Winter Season!
Days are getting colder and shorter. There’s no better time to put together ideas of some self care and ways to lift your mood. This time of year can be hard for so many, including myself. With the lack of sun and the winter blues you need to give yourself a little TLC. So here’s a list to get you started!
- Declutter your closet cleaning out your summer clothing
- Find a fluffy blanket and curl up in it
- Enjoy a nice hot cup of hot chocolate (or whatever your drink of choice is)
- Light a yummy fall smelling candle (Bath & Body Works has my favorites)
- Go on a walk and crunch the leaves
- Do a face mask
- Paint your nails
- Make a pie
- Start a gratitude journal
- Go without your digital devices
- Buy your favorite flowers
- Take a new exercise class
- Watch a romance movie
- Listen to a podcast
- Get a massage
- Take a hot bath
- Practice mindful thinking
- Find new dinner recipes for the crock pot
- Put together a puzzle
- Plan a do nothing day
- Reach out to a friend/write a letter
- Paint something
- Come up with a fall bucket list
- Visit the library
- Create a vision board
- Open up the windows
- Drink apple cider on the porch
- Make a fall craft
- Sign up for an online class
- Declutter your home
So if you’re starting to feel a little down as the weather changes, the stress of the holidays picks up or life takes over, make sure you take a break and give yourself some self care.
We Remember 9/11 – Join Us In A Moment of Remembering, Reflection and Hope
Remembrances of 9/11 are being shared all around the internet today. In our little corner of the internet we join with the rest of America in taking a few minutes of silence and thought. Join us as we take a pause from the deals and reflect with this timeless video and these powerful 9/11 quotes.
“One of the worst days in America’s history saw some of the bravest acts in Americans’ history. We’ll always honor the heroes of 9/11. And here at this hallowed place, we pledge that we will never forget their sacrifice.”
—President George W. Bush
“Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11.”
—President Obama
“If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate.”
—Sandy Dahl, wife of Flight 93 pilot Jason Dahl
Tips for Saving Time on Laundry
Okay, my friends! With school being back in full swing, you are probably running super low on time. I have three kids and oh my goodness, I get it, I have barely had time to sleep this last week. It’s only been one week of back to school and I am already behind on laundry. I am back at it though. It’s time to get my house back in order. In order to do so though, I cannot spend all of my time in the laundry room. That’s why I am going back over these tips for saving time on laundry.
Tips for Saving Time on Laundry
- Let the kids do their own. Kids are more capable than you think. You can save yourself a tremendous amount of time by giving them the responsibility of doing their own laundry. You will be amazed at how much time you are able to find after handing off this chore.
- Make sure that all laundry is in hampers. Laundry is time consuming enough, you might as well not add to it by having to pick everyone’s laundry up as you go. If it is all placed into hampers, you will save time.
- Don’t wash your jeans. Okay, this is only half serious. You do need to wash your jeans, just not as often as you probably are washing them currently. It’s actually not even good to wash your jeans very often as they break down easier, lowering their life span.
- Choose a “laundry day”. Do your laundry just one or two days per week keeps you from spending time each day doing laundry which helps prevent you from laundry burn out (it’s a real thing…trust me).
- Make sure you are washing clothes that need it. If you are a parent, you know exactly what I am talking about. I am constantly rewashing clothes that the kids put on for 5 minutes and then they drop on the floor only to be put through the laundry again. Make a rule that the kids put the clothes right back in the dresser or closet.
What ways have you found to spend more time on laundry?
Easy Fresh Peach Pie
I must say, I love peaches, but I love them when they are freshly picked off the tree and still have that slight crunch. I’m not a slimy peach fan. This peach pie is one of my favorites to make this time of year with all of the fresh peaches ready for eating. If you have peach trees and are overloaded with peaches, be sure to check out this easy step by step guide to canning peaches. Then with all of your leftovers, make this yummy dessert. This easy peach pie recipe is a yearly tradition that our whole family loves.
Easy Fresh Peach Pie
This recipe makes 2 pies
Ingredients:
1 Can Frozen Orange Juice (slightly melted)
2 Cans Water
1 1/4 Cup Sugar (less if peaches are super sweet)
1/2 Cup Cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Cut up Peaches (4-5 depending on size)
2 Pastry Pie Shells (cooked)
Whip Cream (optional)
Directions:
Cook sugar, cornstarch, salt, and water until thick. Cool slightly and add in the frozen orange juice. Stir until orange juice has melted and mixed in. Chill slightly and add peach slices. Put the mixture in your cooked pie crusts. Chill in the refrigerator until set. Top with whip cream and serve! YUM.
Fall Cleaning Checklist!
With the kids back in school and the weather starting to cool down you can feel fall is just around the corner. We hear all the time about spring cleaning but what about fall? When you do just a couple things each week you can easily get everything ready for fall, the holidays and enjoying being home!
Windows:
Clean blinds
Wash windows (inside and out)
Clean window tracks
Outside:
Clean gutters
Trim plants
Drain and put away hoses
Put away outside furniture and toys
Mechanical:
Clean chimney and check fireplace
Change furnace filter
Cover AC unit
Kitchen:
Pull out stove and clean behind and under
Clean inside oven and stove top
Pull out fridge and clean behind
Clean fridge coils
Wipe down cupboards
Clean out pantry
You can go into more detail with each room in your house (like bedrooms, living room and even the laundry room) but I like to save that for when the weather is too cold to go outside (because I don’t like the cold). This gets those things done that needs to happen before it’s snowing and your running the heater to keep warm. I also love to do a deep cleaning in my kitchen before I’m there baking all the goodies we eat during the holidays!
Best Tips for Saving Money on Kids’ School Lunches
Okay, my friends! Let’s talk kids lunches for school days. Do you struggle with keeping kids’ lunches affordable? They can be quite expensive, so it is important to put focus on how to save money on kids’ school lunches to keep your budget in check.
Best Tips for Saving Money on Kids’ School Lunches
- Check for program eligibility. Depending on your household income, you might be able to qualify for either free or discounted school lunches. When it comes time to register your child for school, be sure to check out the eligibility requirements for the reduced lunch program at school. Many people find that they qualify for free lunches. If you qualify for discounted lunches, you can often get lunches for as low as just $0.35 each! Additionally, many school districts offer free breakfast for kids too (regardless of income), so this is a good thing to take advantage of.
- Pack lunches. Unless you qualify for free or reduced lunches, packing your kids’ lunches is a great idea. You can make sure your children eat foods that you are happy with, and you can save money, especially if you use home-made food as opposed to pre-packaged lunch items.
- Coupon. One thing that I love about kids’ lunch items is that these are often the kinds of food that you can find coupons for. This is a great way to save money on your kids’ lunches.
- Meal Prep. Meal prepping is great for saving time and money. This is no different when we are discussing kids’ lunches. Cook a large amount of something during the weekend and split it up by 5 for 5 days of lunches for the kids.
- Use Leftovers. During the weeknights, pack up leftovers from each nights dinner for the kids’ lunches the next day.
What ways have you found to save money on kids’ lunches?
6 Fun Things to Do This Labor Day Weekend
It’s Labor Day weekend which means the close of summer. Can you believe it? Where I live, this is when the local pools and splash pads close down for the winter. This weekend is the time to enjoy the sun and finish off those summer bucket-list ideas. If you need a few fun ideas for this weekend, check these out.
- Find a local festival. Do a little research in your area and there will definitely be a festival or celebration going on near you. Try a new one out!
- Explore a new lake nearby. If you have any toys like kayaks or small boats, bring those with you. My kids just love the big inflatables. Being outside on a lake is a great way to close out summer.
- Take the kids to your splash pad. Most of these will be closing after Monday, so get your fill this weekend.
- Host a BBQ with family and friends. This weekend you’ll find great deals on food at your local stores. This is a great weekend to get out on the grill.
- Movie in the backyard. We still have good weather this weekend. If you are the same, grab that projector and a white sheet. Turn on a favorite movie in the yard and invite some neighbors.
- Take a hike! The weather is nice and warm, it’s a great time to get in the mountains and hike around. I always feel so much better when I’m out and about.
Quick Ways to Make $50 This Week
Are you stressing about money this week? Do you need to figure out how to make a little bit of extra cash to help pay bills or buy groceries? Not to worry! I would be willing to bet that you can find some extra cash with just a little bit of work. Check out these tips:
Quick Ways to Make $50 This Week
- Sell your stuff. You can sell your clothes that you no longer wear, old phones, books, toys, home decor. The list goes on! Chances are, you have tons of stuff in your home that you could actually make some money with!
- Donate Plasma. Donating plasma is a great way to earn quick cash if you are able to do so. Many times plasma centers will offer bonuses for first time donors, so you may be able to make even more money.
- Recycle. Do you live in a redemption state? In many states, you can redeem soda cans and water bottles for 10 cents each. In all reality, it doesn’t take too many bottles to get to $50! This is sometimes a sticky job, but you can do it!
- Focus Group. If you live in a metropolitan area, you can likely find a focus group to sign up for to make some quick money! I did a one hour focus group a while back and made $150. Easy, breezy!
- Return unused stuff. Do you have random stuff in your house that you never ended up using or opening before? I recently looked into my cabinets and saw 5 different things that I had never used (I bought them for a project that I didn’t end up needing them for). I decided to take them back to Home Depot and voila! I was all of the sudden $45 richer than I was that morning.
- Don’t go out. During this week when you are looking to find more money, work extra hard to not spend any extra money! It’s amazing how much money you can find when you simply spend it wisely.
When was the last time you had to make money in a hurry? Did you succeed? How did you do it?
Cheap Dinner Ideas for Busy School Nights
Do you have kids in school? Are your kids involved in after school activities? Those busy, activity filled school nights are so very hectic and it is extremely easy to find yourself blowing your budget on fast food. I mean, if your family is anything like mine, it is not unheard of to end up at home after nine on a school night and it’s hard to find time to cook dinner.
Cheap, Quick Dinner Ideas for Busy School Nights
- Breakfast. Breakfast is always a quick and cheap dinner idea for busy nights. Make some eggs and toast, make some oatmeal, a quick omelet… There are some really easy breakfast ideas that you can prepare in 20 minutes or less.
- Slow Cooker Meals. The slow cooker is your friend during the busy school nights. In the morning, before you start your day, you can toss just about anything into the slow cooker and turn it on low. It’ll be done by the time you get home. Here are a couple of my favorites:
- Chicken burritos. Chicken that has been cooking in the slow cooker all day long is extremely tender and you can wrap it up in a tortilla mixed with cheese or cheese and beans together and voila, you now have chicken burritos!
- Beans. Toss some beans in a slow cooker and come home to delicious beans at the end of the day. Again, you can easily turn these into burritos if you have a burrito fan in the house.
- Roast. Pork or beef roast will each be deliciously tender at the end of the day after cooking in the slow cooker all day.
- You can grab some 1-minute rice or other quick side to make along side of these main dishes.
- Sandwiches or Cereal. Mama, you do not need to feel sorry for letting your kids eat sandwiches or cereal for dinner some nights. No, I’m not suggesting that you do these for dinner each night, but once in a while it is not going to hurt anyone. I like to do a free for all dinner once a week. I prepare a meal for my 3 year old, but everyone else is on their own and the big kids almost always choose sandwiches and cereal.
What is your favorite cheap and easy dinner idea for those busy nights?
Cheap Ways to Spend Date Night
Are you and your honey trying to make sure you get time alone together? It is so important for couples to take date nights and spend time together and this is especially true once kids come along. Once you have children though, it is incredibly easy to forgo date nights in order to save money for the family. You know what though? Date nights don’t always have to be dinner and a movie. That’s right! There are lots of awesome ideas out there for FREE date nights that you can your honey can spend together without even touching your wallet.
Cheap Ways to Spend Date Night
- Farmers Market. Yeah, buying lots of stuff at a Farmer’s Market can add up quickly, but you can simply walk through a farmer’s market and check out the beautiful crafts and artwork by local artists with your special someone. It can give you ideas of things that you may want to buy later when you are not on a budget.
- Movie Night In. Many of us think of dinner and a movie for a date night, but the truth is that you don’t need to head to the theater and a restaurant. You can simply make dinner at home and watch a movie together. Wait until the kids go to bed so you have more time with just the two of you.
- Go for a walk. Fresh air and exercise is a great way to spend time together! There is just something refreshing about going for a walk and there is something very romantic about walking hand in hand with your loved one.
- Picnic. If you like to base your dates around meal time, why not have a picnic together at a park or a beach or some other lovely outdoor space. If nothing else, make a picnic meal and lay a blanket out in your backyard, watch the sunset and spend some time watching the stars together.
What is your favorite way to enjoy date night without spending any money?
6 Clever Ways to Explore a New City and Find Unique Things to Do
We love traveling to new destinations. This world is full of beauty and there is so much to discover. I’ve noticed that when we are in new locations there are a few things we have done that make these new destinations so fun. Check these 6 tips that will help the next time you find yourself in a new city or town.
- Find the tallest building or mountain in the city or town. Once you find that out, then figure out a way to get to the top! If it’s a super tall mountain, obviously that won’t work, but check into what is possible. That way you can see from the tallest vantage point and might find other places you want to visit just by looking down. For example, recently we visited Austin, Texas. The tallest point there is only a short hike up to Mr. Bunnell. Once we were there we saw a picture perfect view of the city as well as the surrounding areas. That vantage point is so fun.
- Research what that city or town is famous for. We recently went to Philipsburg, Montana and did you know they were famous for their Montana gems? I didn’t either, until I did a little research. We were able to go mine gems and our kids absolutely loved it. Take advantage of these unique attractions that can only be done at certain places.
- While you are visiting the city or town, check and see if they have any festivities or celebrations going on. There are so many random celebrations that you may not even know of. When we visited the very small town of Anaconda, Montana they were having their Smelderman’s days. I had no idea this was a thing until I heard about it from a local. This fun celebration provided a money drop, free candy, BBQ, and parade. Local festivities can be anything from boat races to farmers market. Exploring the city this way makes you feel like a local and will connect you to that location.
- Use yelp to find one of a kind food and be daring! When in a new place you have to try the food that is unique to that area. In New York, I’ve heard the food carts that are everywhere have the best Gyros. I totally didn’t think that would be the case, but I was up to try it out. The gyro was amazing! I was so glad we gave it a try. Also, be sure to ask locals where the best places to eat are. We do that every time we are in a new place. Locals know the secrets.
- Use all forms of transportation. Recently we returned from New York. We were able to explore the city by plane, subway, bus, water taxi, boat, train and of course by foot. It’s amazing how each form of transportation provides a different way to view the city. You could even grab a bike or scooter. See what is provided and try a few ways of getting around instead of just one.
- Reach out to friends, family and acquaintances that lives in your city or town you will be visiting. Tell them you will be visiting their city and ask for recommendations and if they are free to meet up. This is one of our favorite things to do. Even if we aren’t best friends, these locals love to explore the city with you and can give you some good inside info or be an expert travel guide. On occasions these friends or family might invite you to their own home. I love these unique experiences that really bring that local element into your visit. I remember being in Austria and being inside a family home and actually seeing how they live and cook. Those experiences are truly the best.
Our Favorite Campfire Treats!
We’ve spent as many weekends as we could out enjoying the mountains with friends and family this summer! Which means we’ve also cooked a lot of different treats around the campfire. It’s been so fun trying different treats each time we go out. Here’s some of our favorites you should try the next time you’re around the campfire!
Sweet & Salty S’mores – This is similar to your regular s’mores but instead of using graham crackers, try ritz crackers!
S’mores in a Bag – this one we haven’t tried yet but we have everything packed and ready for this weekend. Just get the individual size bags of teddy grahams and add your chocolate and roasted marshmallows inside. Easy and sounds like it won’t be as mess.
Roasted Starburst – I’ve heard talk of this one for a few years now but this was the first year I’ve tried it. Just unwrap your starburst and roast them the same way you would your marshmallows. You’re cooking them just until they start to bubble and almost crystallize.
Woof’em Treats – We’ve made these in years past and it’s always fun to come up with different filling ideas. If you’ve never had these all they are is biscuits that you’ve popped open from the cans. You wrap them around a woof’em stick and bake them over the fire. Then fill with your favorite sweets. We’ve done pie fillings, pudding, nutella, cream cheese and always top them with whipped cream.
Banana Boats – these are a classic and one my kids love. Simply open a banana and slice them long ways. Then put inside some mini marshmallows, chocolate chips and other sweets you desire. Wrap it all in foil and let it warm up over the fire.
There’s still lots more summer nights you can enjoy a sweet treat over the fire. Do you have others you and your family love to eat?
Unique Ways to Save Money on Groceries
Are you past ready to get started saving more money?! I get it. This summer has been ROUGH for my budget. I have had so many surprise expenses pop up that I spent way more money than I had anticipated, which sucks, but really, I am just super motivated to save some moolah in other areas! That’s why I am putting together this list of unique ways to save money on groceries.
Unique Ways to Save Money on Groceries
- Farm Stands. Not only are farm stand a great place to find delicious produce, but they are also much cheaper than grocery stores! I know at my local farm stand, I can buy 3 zucchini for a dollar, which is far cheaper than I can get it at the store.
- Meal swap. Host a meal swap party with your friends! Not only is it less work for you, but it is also a great way to save money on groceries! Yes, you still have to buy the ingredients, but if you stick to one recipe, you can actually make it quite cheap.
- Food Share. Hop onto Google and do a quick search for a food share in your area. Food share’s are a great way to greatly reduce your grocery bill. For a small amount of money each money, you can end up with a lot of food!
- Accept dinner invitations. If your family is anything like ours, you get dinner invites relatively often. From now on, start saying yes! For instance, my in laws invite us to their house for dinner at least once a week, yet we only say no maybe once a month. Saying yes to this would be we would save money on one meal per week!
What is your favorite, unique way to save money on groceries for your family?
More Side Hustles You Can Start for FREE
Are you past ready to get started making more money?! I get that money is not the end all, be all, but the thing is, many of us need more money to make some changes in our lives and to get some stuff paid off! Do you agree?
If you need to find a way to make some more money? I wrote down some of the things for us to do yesterday, but I decided to expand on it a bit. Here are more ideas for you!
More Side Hustles You Can Start for FREE
- Blogger. Okay, not exactly free, but you can actually start a blog for as little as a couple of dollars (assuming you have a laptop). Additionally, know that very, very few people make money blogging right from the start, but you can make money being a blogger as long as you have the drive and the interest in something that you want to blog about regularly.
- Virtual Assistant. Again, as long as you have a laptop, you can actually make money as a virtual assistant! Virtual assistants can do so many things such as administrative jobs, graphic design, writing, etc for bloggers and small business owners.
- Dog walker. Do you like dogs? You can walk dogs for those who are too busy to do it themselves. Get yourself a couple of clients and you can make quite a bit of money. To become a dog walker, you don’t need anything! Dog owners are going to have leashes, etc.
- Sell your stuff. I would be willing to bet that you have a good amount of stuff in your closets and garage and other storage places that you simply don’t use anymore and that you can actually sell! Go through it and put it on Craigslist, FB marketplace, OfferUp and other sales platforms to make some $$. This is a great way to bring in extra money, and a great way to get started in the flipping game if you are interested in that.
I’m so curious to hear about what side hustles that I am missing! Tell me what you have done?
Side Hustles You Can Start for FREE
With all of the savings talks that we have had lately, another great thing to remember is that a big thing that you can do to save money is to make more money! You can work overtime, or you can
Side Hustles You Can Start for FREE
- Pooper Scooper. Yes, I’m starting with this one. You can actually make really good money picking up dog poop. This is especially true if you live in a major metropolitan area. There are a lot of people who just simply don’t want to pick up poop. My kids recently made $40 each picking up poop from a yard that took them less than 30 minutes to do. Umm…$80 an hour to pick up poop using a scooper and some plastic bags? I can do that!
- Babysitter. If you like kids and don’t mind babysitting, offer up your services as a babysitter! Babysitters actually make pretty decent money anyway, plus, oftentimes you can do it in your own home.
- House cleaner. You can offer up your services cleaning houses. Yes, you should probably have your own gear, but you can offer a lower price and use the clients’ products instead of bringing your own. Why not offer up this service to friends and family to get started?
- Folding laundry. Here’s a secret about me. I literally hate folding laundry. HATE IT. I would gladly pay someone to fold my laundry for me if my husband would agree. That being said, I know that a lot of people would happily pay for this service. Why not post an ad on FB marketplace offering these services. Or, again, offer to do it for friends and family to get started.
Have you done any side hustles? What have you done? How much did it cost you to get started?