by Karen on February 10, 2011
So it appears my little boy has a nasty case of recurring reflux. Rats. He spits up buckets, fusses through the night, and seems to be in pain. Thankfully, we’ve avoided the consistent inconsolable colic that typically accompanies reflux. But there have been some rough nights. He also doesn’t seem to be sleeping for longer [...]
by Karen on October 5, 2010
We’re down to 65 days until my estimated due date. That means I could be having this baby anywhere from 6 to 11 weeks from now. Since I hope it’s more like 7 or 8 weeks, I’m starting to think about how we can make our lives a little easier in those first couple weeks [...]
by Karen on July 27, 2010
One of my favorite indulgences is the Starbucks Banana Chocolate Vivanno. Sadly, I no longer live near a Starbucks (probably a good thing since my frequent cravings would lead me to drink lethal amounts of decaf and cost us a fortune). The good news is I stumbled across this recipe in Real Simple magazine a [...]
This is a guest post by Jennifer, who blogs about frugal and simple living at her blogs Getting Ahead and Our Suburban Homestead. When Karen asked for guest posts to run while she was in Europe, I knew I had to help. I love her blog and find that we have many similar frugal thoughts. [...]
by Karen on April 21, 2010
Convenience foods have become a way of life for many families. You can purchase most things ready-made — even whole meals. Cooking from scratch may not always save a lot of money, but it’s a great way to eat healthier and cut out artificial ingredients. I think you’d also be surprised at how simple and [...]
by Karen on December 21, 2009
It’s finally the week of Christmas! I can’t wait for the four-day weekend of relaxation. We have a tradition of red meat on Christmas Day. It used to be steak, but this year we’re trying something new. We’ve never made a pot roast, but Tony is thrilled. And of course, on Christmas Day, we’re celebrating [...]
by Karen on December 14, 2009
It’s the final full week before a four-day holiday weekend. That doesn’t really make Monday less painful, though, does it? Holiday spending has really kind of wrecked our budget. Blerg. We’re trying to keep it low-key this week to lessen the damage. Here’s our menu plan: Saturday: Holiday party Sunday: Leftovers Monday: Potato soup Tuesday: [...]
by Karen on December 7, 2009
It’s finally getting chilly here in the mornings and evenings, which means we’re starting to work more comfort foods into our menus. Call me crazy, but I absolutely love when the weather turns colder. There’s nothing cozier than bundling up in the evening. We paid full price for organic chicken for the first time this [...]
by Karen on November 30, 2009
After a weekend filled with not enough family and way too much food, the last thing I wanted to do was menu plan and grocery shop today. But our house full of guests this weekend seriously depleted our pantry reserves, so we had no choice. Luckily, we have enough food leftover to get us through [...]