November Menu Plan

Updates:  So, we're in our rental house and working on the plans for the new house.  We've come to realize that we're probably over-building, so we're going to try to tweak the existing plans to make them smaller scale and cut the budget some.  Living in 800 square feet has really made us think about what we actually need, which is a blessing.  Building less house will mean sacrificing a few things, like probably a rental space and our bonus room, but it will also be more manageable for our budget and thinking long term, better for retirement because it will be less house to maintain.

I've had some more health challenges, so any prayers would be appreciated.  We're hopeful to figure out this health stuff for me so that we can continue moving forward with our other life plans.  I am grateful for some improvement after seeing GI and getting on some high powered probiotics.  But baby is fortunately much better, aside from a cold!  He's really coming along with speech, and loving his time home with Daddy.  Little man is loving kindergarten and thriving there. 

Now, on to November's menu plan!  November will be all about using whatever meat we have in the freezer, as well as any pantry items.  I'm still pretty much gluten free and sugar free, but the rest of the family can do both in moderation. We'll work hard to keep grocery spending to a minimum (since we were in transition, it seems that we were less than diligent about keeping up with that), so we'll make use of the food pantry and free community/shared meals (hopefully including some Thanksgiving ones).  I would really love to keep November's grocery budget to $100 or less to help offset recent medical expenses.  We just placed a big herb/spice/seed order, so that should help restock those things for the year.  (There's also no dishwasher in the rental, so we're trying really hard to do lots of one pot/pan meals or crock pot meals to minimize dishes and maximize leftovers.)

Breakfasts:

• Smoothies (greens, frozen fruit, almond/coconut milk, flax/chia seeds, veggies, and some spices)
• Overnight crock pot oatmeal with raisins, chia, and coconut
• Muffins or banana bars
• Trail mix (homemade with nuts, raisins, and a few chocolate chips)
• Toast and jam with hard boiled eggs
• Reheated leftover pancakes or French toast
• Leftover roasted veggies and eggs
• Breakfast casserole or overnight French toast casserole

Lunches:  

• Leftovers
• Salads
• Cheese/nuts and fruit and veggies

Sandwiches (PBJ, ham and cheese, grilled cheese, chicken salad)

• Sandwiches (PBJ, ham and cheese, grilled cheese, chicken salad)

Dinners:

• Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup with Salad
• Veggie and venison (a very generous student gave us several pounds of venison) lasagna with salad
• Crock pot lasagna soup with garlic toast and veggies and dip
• Loaded black bean chili with almond flour cornbread
• Breakfast for dinner (French toast or pancakes with breakfast meat and fruit or roasted veggies)
• Black bean or ground beef tacos with fixin's (beef is from CSA)
• Homemade pizza with pesto, veggies, and meat (if possible)
• Veggie stir fry over rice with egg rolls
• Roasted veggies and mushroom garlic chicken (from Cheap, Fast, Good) over rice or quinoa
• Turkey salad over lettuce or on sandwiches with veggies and dip
• Leftover Thanksgiving turkey and sides
• Little man's choice x 2 (one of his new chores on his chart is to help choose and prepare two meals each month)
• Grilled cheese and salad or leftover soup
• Veggie quiche with broccoli, greens, onions, and maybe mushrooms or sundried tomatoes with salad

Snacks:

• Air popped popcorn
• Fresh fruit
• Nuts
• Fresh veggies
• Bread and jam 
• Cheese quesadilla

Batch Cooking (I'll make these things on weekends or evenings after the boys are in bed):

• Muffins
• Turkey stock (hopefully we'll be able to collect several turkeys from the few meals we'll be participating in... generally people are very willing to give them up because it means less mess for them to deal with)
• French toast (it's easy to make a bigger batch and then freeze it for later use for quick breakfasts)
• Spiced nuts (these are a favorite snack and super easy to make with the large bags of nuts we get at Costco)
• Winter squash (I'll be getting loads of winter squash from school in a few weeks, so we'll cook it up in the crock pot and puree it for smoothies and side dishes.  You can roast the seeds like pumpkin seeds and they're a great snack.)

Groceries to buy for the month (or source from food pantry):

• Avocados
• Almond milk
• Canned coconut milk (or I may use the powdered I just bought)
• Dry beans (they're on sale for $1/pound right now)
• Frozen deep dish pie crust
• Eggs
• Cabbage (for homemade sauerkraut)
• Red onions
• Salsa
• Salad greens

Summer Updates and Frugal Accomplishments for August

We had a fabulous summer!  There was a nice mix of work, family time, and time with friends.  We didn't travel a lot this summer, which allowed us to save, and we finally sold our house!  So, we were busy.

Our health has improved overall, and all our doctors are pleased with the progress.  My doctors say I'm totally recovered, but I'll stick with the current low gluten, low sugar diet to keep from back sliding.  I'm grateful to finally feel like myself again.

Currently, we're in the process of getting permits for our new house build and we're living with my mom until our rental house is ready.  It's a little tough with four of us in one bedroom at Mom's, but we're making it work and I think we're all adjusting reasonably well (though I think we're all glad it won't be longer than a few more weeks!).  We're grateful for this time that's rent-free to build up savings a bit, and have been able to help Mom with some projects around her house that have needed attention.  But we're certainly looking forward to not having everything in boxes and storage and having some space of our own soon.

Here's the frugal accomplishments for this week/summer:

• Found most school supplies for little man for kindergarten at home or in my stash of extras at school.  We only had to purchase a few things, and Mom graciously took him back to school shopping for a few new clothing items and a new book bag.
• Have been making use of the things hiding in Mom's freezer for meal planning, so we're working that down.  With our CSA veggies and veggies from our neighbor, we've had to purchase very little other than fruit the past few weeks.  I've been doing most of the cooking, and I think Mom's happy with the arrangement.
• Moving and packing has made us rethink some of the things we really "need" so we'll be very selective when we begin unboxing things in the rental, and eventually the new house.  I have a feeling we'll be sending several more loads to Goodwill.
• We made great use of the library this summer, including children's reading program and story time.  I also used it as a place to do some tutoring this summer.
• I tutored younger students this summer for a fee and thoroughly enjoyed it.  I'm hopeful that a few will repeat with me again next summer.  It was a nice way to supplement our income, and didn't take too much time away from my family.
• I stayed away from back to school sales, saving us on cash.  I didn't purchase any new clothing for me, though I am watching ThreadUp because I have a credit with them after sending in a bag before our move.
• We spent tons of time outside the last few weeks, which has given us good exercise, vitamin D, and free fun.  The boys played with bean bags, squirt guns, and side walk chalk.  We also played with bubbles.
• We were grateful for friends and neighbors who helped us move.  We couldn't have done it without them, and it really helped to have them help us pack.
• Made most meals at home, and Mom treated us to a few meals out.  We used a gift card for our anniversary dinner out.
• We kept up with our recycling, composting, and sending scraps to the chickens all summer.  Now that we're at Mom's, there are cows to send scraps to also, so there's very little organic waste that makes it's way to the trash, which is super nice.  We're also finding that our compost is getting more sun at Mom's and breaking down faster, which is great.
• I was wanting some succulents for my classroom to decorate with and help with air quality. I found some on clearance at Lowe's for $4.  They were hugely marked down (originally over $35), so we had to get an override.  Four dollars was a great price for what I was wanting them for!

What did you do to live and save green over the summer?  I'd love to hear from you!

June Menu Plan

With our CSA share coming in now, we've got a ton of veggies to go through.  We've also been getting quite a bit from gleaning at the food pantry (just this week we got a huge bag of sugar snap peas, broccoli, and about 10 portabello mushroom caps), so we're looking to make the most of it this month.  We'll try to keep our expenses low, mostly spending on fruit, dairy, and a few frozen items.  And we're also trying to clean out the freezers since the house is on the market and we're not sure when we'll get an offer.

Baby and I seem to have healed our gut issues, so we're slowly reintroducing some higher sugar fruits, occasional gluten (neither of our tests came back with a sensitivity), and a tiny bit of sweetener.  We're grateful for good health, and want to keep it that way, so we won't overdo it on these items too much.

So, here's the plan:

Breakfasts:

• French toast casserole or egg casserole with veggies
• Egg sandwiches on gluten free bread with sauteed greens
• Fried eggs, roasted veggies or greens, and smoothies
• Breakfast burritos with sauteed greens, onions, and mushrooms
• Almond flour muffins or lemon poppyseed muffins
• Leftover quiche and roasted veggies
• Banana bars
• Yogurt and homemade granola
• Strawberry cream cheese coffee cake and fruit or eggs

Lunches:

• Leftovers
• Grilled cheeses or quesadillas and soup
• Smoothies
• Healthy snacky lunch in the car (lots of summer activities with the boys) such as apples and peanut butter or almond butter, dried apricots, crackers and cheese, popcorn, nuts, etc.
• Occasional meals at the restaurant (it's a nice perk of Benny working there)

Dinners:

• Quiche with greens, mushrooms, onion, and dried tomato served with salad
• Dinner salad with tuna, salmon, or hard boiled eggs
• Tuna salad lettuce wraps
• Grilled sausage, cooked greens, and crock pot German potato salad
• Grilled chicken and veggies
• portabello burgers with lettuce and grilled onions, served with oven fries
• sweet potato and quinoa salad served with salmon
• Asian crock pot chicken with rice
• Breakfast for dinner:  French toast, eggs, roasted veggies or fruit
• Cheddar and spinach waffles with sausage
• turkey salad sandwiches with lettuce and veggies and dip
• loaded beans and rice with salad and almond flour cheddar muffins or scallion corn bread
• black bean crock pot chili with salad
• loaded crock pot baked potatoes with chili, cheese, and Greek yogurt
• homemade pizza 
• picnic dinner at the park:  hard boiled eggs, crackers, cheese, fruit, veggies and dip, maybe pasta salad

Snacks:

• cheese and crackers
• homemade foccacia
• pineapple jello (from scratch with good quality gelatin)
• popcorn
• carrot sticks and homemade ranch dip
• fruit
• banana bars

So, our shopping list for this month looks like this:

• Avocados
• Cheddar cheese
• "Pizza" cheese (as it's known in our house... aka mozzarella)
• Sweet potatoes
• Frozen pie shells (I could make my own, but it's just too tough when I'm home full time with the boys)
• Onions
• Baking potatoes
• Plain Greek yogurt

What do your meal plans look like for this month?  I'd love to hear from you!

Frugal Accomplishments for Last Week of May

This past week we worked really hard to keep extra expenditures down.  We enjoyed some shared meals with friends, which was great in terms of social time and also lightening the load on the grocery budget and the cooking prep.

We also worked hard to keep the house clean and tidy for showings, weeded the herb beds, and split a few plants to share with friends.  Once the house is under contract, I'll begin splitting things from the garden that I want to take to the new house for the new gardens there.  We're really looking forward to having neighbors there who enjoy gardening and can help us with some ideas for plantings there.

Here's what we did last week to live and save green:

• Cooked most meals at home including:  double batch of quiche (swiss chard, onion, dried tomato, and bacon) and salad, grilled chicken sausages with grilled veggies and portabellos, banana nut muffins, turkey tacos with refried beans, greens, onions, and radishes, scrambled eggs with greens and sausage, and smoothies with greens and frozen fruit.
• It was the first week of our CSA share, so we loved all the wonderful fresh produce.  Loads of greens, green onions, radishes, and a dozen eggs.
• Collected about 20 eggs from our friends' chickens.  Well worth the short drive over there, and the chickens love our kitchen scraps.
• Benny picked up items from the food pantry including two large cartons of organic plain yogurt, a gallon of milk, loaf of bread, some veggies, and some good quality gluten free snacks.
• Enjoyed a pot luck meeting in the new neighborhood.  We took a lemon chess pie that I had in the freezer, and most of it was eaten.  This was a gift from a student, and I was glad to share it.  It also helped clear out our freezer space a bit.
• Gladly accepted a turkey carcass and extra turkey meat from a new neighbor.  They took turkey to the meeting and gave us what was left.  I'll use the meat in turkey taco bowls this week, and we'll make stock from the carcass.
• Grateful for pretty weather and the boys getting to play on the playground.  We spent a few afternoons this way, and it was time well spent.  The sunshine was great for us all, and I think they slept better for the hard play.
• Continued with hanging laundry, but mostly inside this week due to scattered showers.  We're still using cloth diapers, but will hit potty training hard this summer.
• The boys shared a bath a few nights, saving on water.  I should have saved some of the bath water to use for potted plants, but forgot.
• Enjoyed getting the grill out this weekend.  It was a great time with friends, and was nice to not have to heat up the kitchen.
• Received a stipend check for student teaching mentoring.  It's a small amount, compared to the work involved, but it's nice to have the little extra income.
• I renewed my teaching liscense.  It was $35, which kind of stinks because it used to be free, but at least I was able to do it with professional development that was free and I didn't have to pay for.
• Enjoyed a date night on Friday night while Mom kept the boys.  We made quiche and salad for dinner at home, and enjoyed watching an episode of Downton Abbey after we got the baby down.  It was a good date night, and minimal cost, aside from the "splurge" of ice cream I got and the bacon for the quiche.  (I did have a coupon for the ice cream.)
• Made some herbal tea at home with herbs from the garden (lemon balm, orange mint, and pineapple mint) and some lavender I had in the pantry.  It was very good, and a combination I think I'll make in a pitcher to have cold this summer.  
• Started another bag for Goodwill, and have another box of books to take to the library for donation.  It would be nice if the tax receipts worked for next year, but even if they don't, it will be good to have the clutter gone.
• Used some citrus vinegar for cleaning, and olive oil to polish the stainless steel appliances.  It's nice to be able to use things we have for cleaning, and puts fewer toxins into our home, keeping us healthier.
• Even amidst rain showers, we managed to get the yard mowed.  It's nice when Benny can do it because it entertains the boys while I can get some stuff done in the kitchen.
• Enjoyed free yoga class and dinner.  I also worked out using free YouTube videos.
• Benny and I began looking at kitchen design ideas for the new house.  We've chosen most of our paint colors, are pretty sure of cabinet design, and are working on choosing flooring.  We're trying to make as many decisions as possible ahead of time so that once we can begin building, decisions are made and things can move as quickly as possible.

What did you do to live and save green this past week?  I'd love to hear from you!

Frugal Accomplishments Third Week of May

This past week was pretty good for us.  We got the house listed for sale and had four showings last week and another scheduled for early this week.  We're hopeful that it will sell quickly so that we can begin the process of building our new house.  We had a few doctor's appointments, and they were great.  Our health seems to be continually improving with our dietary changes, for which I'm grateful. 

Here's the list of our accomplishments for this past week:

• Made all meals from scratch including:  spaghetti and meatballs with gluten free pasta (which was a disappointment... I won't be purchasing that brand again), pancakes and sausage for dinner with fruit, homemade pizza with salad, "nibble" dinner of gluten free crackers, hard boiled eggs, sliced apples, and veggies.  We also did eggs, smoothies, and crock pot steel cut oats for breakfasts.
• Enjoyed shared meals twice this week with Mom and through the Children's Council with yoga.  I'm so enjoying the yoga class and the parent support group.  It's such an amazing resource.
• Grateful for items gleaned from the food pantry.  Fresh produce is in abundance now that they're gleaning from the farmer's market again:
• kale
• swiss chard
• leaf lettuce
• radishes
• eggplant
• coconut milk
• gluten free red pepper crackers
• Won a gift card to Harris Teeter for participating in the school fitness challenge.  I never win anything, and this is something we'll definitely use!
• Took all meals to work, saving on the cost of lunches.  I keep snacks at work too, so that I'm not tempted by things in the vending machine.
• Worked hard to use things from the pantry and freezer in meals, including meatballs, marinara sauce, turkey carcass and veggies (for stock), and mint for tea.
• I worked out for free using YouTube videos and the yoga class at the Children's Council.  We also took a walk a few evenings when the weather allowed, which was nice.
• The boys helped me with weeding in the garden, which was nice.  It's nice to begin seeing flowers pop up in the garden.
• Enjoyed lots of fresh eggs from our friends' chickens.  It's such a nice arrangement to have us collect from them a few days a week, and it makes their life easier to have a regular chicken sitter when they're on vacation.
• Worked really hard to keep the house clean for showings, and I think it's paying off.  It's also nice to begin getting in some habits that will hopefully keep things cleaner in the new house, like taking shoes off at the door and having the boys clean up before bed.
• Enjoyed our membership to the Children's Playhouse a few times, and even got to see some baby goats one day!  So fun with the boys!
• Began looking at the new house plans more diligently, thinking about how we can use our existing furniture to make that new space most efficient.
• Explored tae kwon do classes for little man.  I think we'll sign him up for next month as a trial.  He really needs the discipline and structure, and I think it will help with some things at home too.  My mom has offered to pay for these classes for him, which would be a huge help.  He's really excited about the opportunity.
• Making plans to use some of our existing supplies for the boys to make something special for Father's Day.  I hope it will be special, and something we'll enjoy in the new house.
• Reposted Craigslist ads, and working to week out a few more things to send to Goodwill and other donations.  I ordered another bag for ThreadUp to consign some items through them.  It's an easy way to get rid of some items I don't want, but are still in good shape. and earn a little extra money in the process.

What did you do to live and save green this past week?  I'd love to hear from you!

Frugal Accomplishments for Last Week of April

This past week we did pretty well frugally.  I tried to purchase produce that was on sale, and we tried to use up some more things from the pantry and freezer.  We also enjoyed some time with friends, which we all found fulfilling.  I had a few friends come over this weekend to help pack boxes and help clean the house for staging photographs, and that was a huge help!

Here are all of our accomplishments in detail:

• Cooked all meals at home including Thai coconut chicken soup, salad, roasted veggies, eggs, smoothies, meatballs over rice with peppers and onions, and homemade pizza (gluten free and regular).
• We also made a batch of spiced nuts, popcorn, and fermented sauerkraut.  These will be used for snacking and the sauerkraut will be a great addition to salads.
• Hung some laundry on the clothes line outside, which was nice because we've had so much rain lately.
• Enjoyed shared meals with family and friends twice.  This saved on cooking, as we only had to prep one dish instead of several.
• Grateful for friends who came to help clean the house.  We got the china hutch packed, the whole house vacuumed and mopped, counters cleared, bathrooms cleaned, clutter stashed, etc. 
• Used natural cleaners for cleaning including citrus vinegar, baking soda, and olive oil for polishing stainless appliances. 
• Rented a storage unit to begin moving larger items like appliances into, and once the house sells, our furniture will go there as well.
• Sent three more bags of items to Goodwill and the library for donation.
• Packed all lunches for school and work, saving on that cost.
• Used YouTube for working out.  
• Enjoyed free yoga and dinner at the Children's Council.  The parent support group that meets afterward is great too.
• Used my rice and lavender bag for a heating pad when my back was sore so I didn't have to use an electric heating pad.
• Enjoyed making homemade herbal tea with lavender, mint, and lemon balm from the garden.  (The lavender was ordered from an herb company, as it doesn't grow well here.) This has improved my mood greatly, and I believe has helped my kidney health some too.

What did you do to live and save this past week?  I'd love to hear from you!

Frugal Accomplishments for Third Week of April

This past week we managed to get quite a bit accomplished, and we had a wonderful visit with a great friend who stayed with us for several days.

Here's how we saved this past week:

• Made all meals from scratch at home including:  double batch of broccoli and ham quiche (using broccoli and ham from the freezer), salad, roasted veggies (using zucchini and eggplant from the food pantry), smoothies with veggies and berries, homemade pizza and sauteed greens (we were out of salad greens), fish tacos, carrot coconut curry soup, and coconut custard.
• We gleaned several items from the food pantry, for which we're really grateful:
• zucchini and yellow squash
• 2 eggplant
• brussel sprouts
• green beans
• 4 pears
• 4 kiwi
• 4 plums
• gluten free crackers
• Hung all laundry to dry except sheets and washed in cold water.
• Continued with cloth diaper use.
• Baby and I continue to be on a gluten-free, sugar-free, no high sugar fruit diet.  This really seems to be healing baby.  I think simply because I'm older, it's going to take me longer to get over this stuff, but there has been improvement.
• Made homemade turkey stock with a turkey carcass and veggie scraps from the freezer.  Used this for soup, and will use more for rice and soup this week.
• Packed several boxes (12, I think) and stored at Mom's house in her basement.  Very grateful that she also came over on Saturday to help me clean and pack some.
• Staged our bedroom and guest bedroom for pictures using things we had around the house.
• Tossed a few more items in the trash and Goodwill bags.  Also weeded out more books and magazines for library donation.
• Benny cleaned out the bathroom sink drains in all three baths.  This has needed to happen for a while, and I'm grateful that he did it in preparation for the sale of the house.
• Benny also finished caulking most trim that needed it, and will continue with the painting this week.  
• We got the appraisal back for our HEL to finalize the purchase of the land, and it came back for what we were hoping.  This means that we should be able to make what we need to from the sale of the house, which is great.
• The permit process has begun, and we're glad to have all those forms submitted.
• Enjoyed a wonderful visit with a great family friend who is from out of state.  He's preparing for a move to California, so we're especially thankful for the visit time we had with him.  He gifted the boys some wonderful books (he's always so thoughtful), and we gave him some homemade roasted nuts for his return trip.  We're in the initial stages of planning a trip to see him for next summer.
• I began planning which plants I want to put in pots to take to the new house for the garden. I'm sure I want to take herbs, some forsythia, and several perennial flowers.

What did you do to live and save green this week?  I'd love to hear from you!

Frugal Accomplishments for April Weeks 1-2

We've been working really hard the past few weeks to clean out more at home in preparation for selling the house.  We've taken a lot to Goodwill and the library for donation, sold a few more things online, and packed up quite a few boxes for my mom's basement.  It feels really good to have this much cleaned out, but we've got a ways to go too.

Eating more healthfully has been challenging with my kidney issues, but I'm slowly learning what seems to trigger things and what's ok.  I've been doing a pretty good job of eating my nine cups of veggies a day (a smoothie helps a lot with at least 2-3), but eating this much produce is certainly expanding our grocery budget.  Especially since I'm trying to do more organic to lessen the toxin load on my kidneys.  But, it's good for our health, so we'll continue on this route.  The dietary changes also really seem to be helping baby with his gut issues, so I think much of this will become our new normal.  I kind of miss baking, but it does simplify our life a bit to not do it as much.

Here's what we've done to save a bit over the past week:

• Used boxes from the paint store for packing, saving on cost there.  Used tape we had around instead of purchasing.
• Cooked all meals at home, trying to make use of what we had in the freezer, including:  veggie stir fry, black beans and rice, roasted veggies with salmon and brown rice, paleo pancakes and berries, eggs with sauteed greens, homemade pizza, and split pea soup and salad.
• Repaired a shelf on our own with a part from Lowe's.
• Exercised at home by walking or working out with YouTube videos.  Enjoyed free yoga class again, which included dinner and child care.
• Washed clothes in cold water with ecofriendly detergent and essential oils.  Hung clothes to dry.
• Trying to lessen our toxin load, so I switched deodorants to a natural one (Benny was already using one) made with baking soda and coconut oil, began washing my face with an organic soap, began oil pulling with coconut oil in the mornings, and continued cleaning with our baking soda, borax, and citrus powder mix.  All these are fairly inexpensive and should have a positive impact on our health.  I've also researched some detox baths and compresses that should help too.
• Used a few herbs from the garden in smoothies, for tea, and cooking:  mint, lemon balm, chives.
• Enjoyed fresh eggs from our friends' chickens we care for a few days a week.  These make wonderful breakfasts, lunch additions, or salad toppings, and are much more nutritious than grocery store eggs.
• Made fermented carrot sticks, which the boys really enjoyed.  I will make these again, since it was such a hit and a good way to get some probiotics in them besides yogurt cultures.
• Began journaling again, which I've needed to do for a while.  I found an old journal that I hadn't used many pages in, so I'll use that for now.  Once I finish that, I'll see if I can find another one inexpensively, or maybe with Barnes and Noble gift card money.  This is a great stress relief, and a wonderful way to be able to look back and reflect on things.
• Went to a community wide event, Buildfest, which is put on by the local children's museum.  It was free and a great time for the boys.  A local dentist was there, so we also came away with some free toothbrushes, toothpaste, and dental floss.
• Benny and I began researching and discussing windows for the new house.  We've found that fiberglass is more environmentally friendly than vinyl, and will be more stable.  By carefully choosing where we want single-hung vs. double hung windows, we should be able to make up some of the increased expense.
• The realtor came to check out the improvements we've made.  She said things look good, so we should be able to list the house within the next week or two.  We really have some packing and cleaning to do between now and then, but it is looking great!  Kind of wonder why we didn't tackle some of these improvements before now.

What did you do to live and save green this past week?  I'd love to hear from you!

April Menu Plan

Our April menu will be largely based on eating from our pantry and freezer, since we're trying to clean out things for selling the house.  We will take our large freezer to my mom's for storage while we build the new house, so we'll still have access to that if we need it.  We will take advantage of some things from the food pantry, and we'll pick up what fresh items we need in the way of fermented dairy (kefir, yogurt) or produce.

We're also trying to convert to a gluten free, low sugar diet to help alleviate some yeast overgrowth issues that some of us have had (and prevent it in the rest of us).  This means we'll be incorporating more coconut items, garlic, oregano, and ginger, all of which are natural antifungals.  We'll be experimenting with some more fermented veggie recipes, and be eating more veggies as a family to add good bacteria to our guts.  We're doing well with our goal of more veggies at each meal, and slowly are getting there with a healthier diet (not that it was too bad compared to the standard American diet to begin with).  I'm using The Wahl's Protocol, Body Ecology, and The Microbiome Diet as resources for recipes, etc. to help us with this transition.

Breakfasts:

• overnight crockpot oatmeal with unsweetened coconut, chia seeds, and flax meal served with blueberries or dried fruit (dried fruit for those not dealing with yeast)
• eggs and sauteed/steamed veggies
• smoothies with yogurt, almond milk, flax seed meal, and fruit
• almond flour muffins with blueberries or chocolate and orange flavor (chocolate made with cocoa powder, so not added sugar)
• yogurt with grain free granola
• paleo zucchini pancakes with homemade blueberry syrup (super simple:  1 cup berries, 2 T water, 1/2 t cinnamon cooked at a simmer for 5-10 minutes), chicken sausage, sweet potato hash, and fried eggs

Lunches:

• leftovers
• veggie sticks and garlic hummus
• salads with homemade dressing and fermented veggies

Dinner:

• crock pot black beans and brown rice with fixin's (avocado, salsa, plain yogurt, cheese) and paleo cornbread (I might add in some tumeric into the cornbread for added color and nutrition)
• black bean and smoked turkey chili with leftover cornbread
• coconut chicken curry soup in the crockpot with salad with fermented veggies
• veggie stirfry over coconut rice or quinoa with Asian cabbage slaw and frozen egg rolls
• lentil and sweet potato soup with kale salad or veggies and dip (incorporate fermented veggies)
• Friday night pizza night with gluten free pizza crust and salad (x4)
• egg sandwiches on gluten free bread (love the first one with garlic and feta) and salad w/ fermented veggies
• meatball subs (using gluten free bread or rice) with peppers and onions and salad w/ fermented veggies
• lentil sloppy joes over coconut quinoa and salad
• black bean tacos with corn tortillas and fixin's (avocado, salsa, plain yogurt, cheese, jalapenos, and spoon of fermented veggies) or taco bowls over quinoa/rice

Snacks:

• nuts
• gluten free crackers and cheese
• fresh fruit (mostly low sugar varieties like berries or grapefruit) or veggies
• air popped popcorn with garlic and oregano (both are natural antifungals for yeast)
• almond flour muffins
• grain free granola with plain yogurt
• coconut chia seed pudding
• homemade jello with blueberries and coconut milk
• hard boiled eggs seasoned with oregano and garlic

Frugal Accomplishments for the End of March and First of April

We worked really hard over the past two weeks to side hustle a bit, clean out more, and stick to eating primarily from our freezer and pantry.  This has yielded some great results, which will go towards our emergency fund and upcoming medical bills.  We also got our tax refund amount, which will be helpful once it's deposited.  The house has been prepped for sale, trim touched up, doors cleaned, working on ceiling fans, etc.  It's looking really good, and we're wondering why we didn't do some things sooner!

• Cooked meals at home including a double batch of quiche, homemade pizza, picnic (homemade hummus, veggies, crackers and cheese, chips and salsa, hard boiled eggs, and fruit), overnight crock pot oatmeal, smoothies, and bagels and cream cheese.
• Enjoyed shared meals a few days with Mom over our break.
• Took advantage of Grandfather Mountain's discounted days for local area residents over vacation for a cheap day trip.
• Used our science center membership for another relatively inexpensive day trip for vacation.
• Benny worked a full day on Monday, which gives a few extra paid hours this week.
• Sold more items on Craigslist and eBay, cleaning out and putting a little more in the emergency fund.
• Continued with all recycling, composting and reusing efforts at home to save on trash.
• Took several more things to Goodwill and the library for donation.  Saved tax receipts.
• Washed most laundry in cold water, except diapers, and hung to dry.
• Reused a door from a previous time to rehang on the back door.  It is a 15 light door, so it lets a lot more light into the kitchen, making it look brighter.
• Painters/carpenters got a lot of work done downstairs, prepping it for sale.  We've got a call into someone for a little electrical work and some tree trimming.  Hoping all this will come in for under $1000.
• Continue to work to pack boxes around the house.  I haven't met my goal of 15 boxes for the week yet, but I have managed to take several things to Goodwill/Craigslist sale, etc. so I guess that's progress.
• We're using free boxes from the paint store for packing.  They're a great size and really sturdy.  It's nice that they're all similar size so that they stack well.
• Gratefully using Mom's garage for storage of items while we stage the house.  We plan to rent a storage unit, but are holding off on that expense for as long as possible.
• Continue to eat from the freezer and pantry to lessen the items we have to move.
• Working towards a cleaner diet for us all.  We're still buying conventionally raised produce and meat, but I think this summer we'll be able to stock up some on good quality meat from the farmer's market and our CSA farm.
• Glad to have the use of our new neighbor's truck.  He generously allowed us to borrow it for moving some things and picking up items from the building supply store.  We so rarely need a truck that it doesn't make sense to own one, but it's so nice to have a neighbor in the new neighborhood who is willing to share.
• Worked in the garden on Tuesday adding more compost and straw to raised beds and trimming back blackberries, etc. that needed to be trimmed.  Little man was a big help and it was a beautiful day.  Great to get some good exercise and vitamin D in!
• Worked out using free YouTube videos at home and did free yoga class through the Children's Council.

What did you do to live and save green this past week?  I'd love to hear from you!

Frugal Accomplishments for the Third Week of March

This past week has been sort of a roller coaster.  We've had some unexpected blessings in the form of baby's pediatrician.  He recommended we make some phone calls regarding the size of the medical bill, and we've discovered (after truly hours on the phone, messaging, and automated menus) that other area hospitals would have charged us between $200 and $700 for the x-ray with our insurance, as opposed to the $1200 our hospital charged.  So, we're in the process of renegotiating that bill.

On the flip side, we've been referred to specialists for both me and baby.  Baby is seeing an allergist, while I've been referred to another specialist by my wonderful OBGYN.  I'm hopeful that with further testing, they'll be able to accurately target the fungal infection I have and clear it, and I'm going for further testing with my endocrinologist to help analyze and regulate my thyroid.  Hopefully all of this will help me to feel more like myself.  All the specialists and tests will cost significantly more than seeing our regular GP, but are worth it for our health.

Frugal accomplishments for the week include:

• Cooked all meals at home including smoked turkey chili verde and corn bread, breakfast for dinner (pancakes, bacon, eggs, and fruit), homemade chicken noodle soup, roasted veggies, oatmeal, and smoothies.
• Shared meal with Mom, making things easy.  We had fish tacos, which were really good.  I did mine as a bowl with quinoa, to avoid the grains.
• Worked to clean out several more things to send to Goodwill and sell on Craigslist.  We took a whole load of stuff on Monday, which was nice and yielded a tax receipt.  Several of the Craigslist items are selling, so this money will go back into our emergency fund.  So far, I think we've sold $40 worth of stuff and are negotiating pick up and payment on several more items.
• Gratefully accepted produce from the food pantry gleaning, including:
• bananas (froze them)
• mangoes
• pears
• cauliflower
• eggplant
• salsa
• peppers
• Went to state science competition with students this past weekend.  Was able to submit travel receipts, so will get about $300 back for the weekend, which will go toward the emergency fund.  We were able to combine it with a visit with family, so the boys got a good visit in while I worked.  I was able to submit my time for makeup time for the snow days, so no annual leave will be taken.
• Saved a few more boxes for packing up things for moving.
• Sold about $50 worth of Mary Kay.  This cleaned out a bit, and made a little extra money for the emergency fund.
• Continued with regular laundry, recycling, and composting habits. Cloth diapers were used also, though we're working toward potty training.
• Had two snow days, so Benny got to work some of that time.
• Gratefully participated in free yoga class at the Children's Council, with free child care and dinner.  Also did YouTube workouts for free at home several nights.
• Enjoyed listening to The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe in the car over the weekend.  Little man calls it The Lion, The Witch, and the War dragon, which I think is entirely too cute.  He wanted to read the book last night, so we began reading the first chapter or two.  
• Contacted our real estate agent, so we'll begin pictures and posting for the house in the next week or so.  Exciting!

I'd love to hear from you!  What did you do to live and save green this past week?

Frugal Accomplishments for 2nd Week of March

This past week was definitely up and down.  We did a great job with our usual frugal things, but kinda got blind sided with a few things, like a medical bill way higher than we anticipated.

• Cooked all meals at home including chicken tacos (using the crock pot for chicken filling), beef stew (using leftover steak and baked potato from a birthday meal we were invited to), roasted veggies and flounder, homemade pizza, chicken sausages, oatmeal, banana bars, and smoothies.  Tried very hard to limit food waste by saving some for compost, chickens, and the freezer veggie stock bag.
• Enjoyed a shared meal with my mom once and an impromptu invitation to a birthday dinner at a fancy steak house.  This was a lot of fun for us, even though it was a stretch for the boys.  They both behaved really well overall, though, which made for a nice dinner.
• Saved three cartons of milk from the school cafeteria, which was nice.
• Continued with regular recycling and composting efforts to save on trash going to the landfill.
• Worked really hard with all the things from my grandmother's estate to make sure we got the things we wanted.  We were also able to give several things to our current upstairs tenant, who will be moving out in a few weeks.  This is a big help to her, and makes us feel better that Grandma's things are going to a good home.
• Cleaned out several more things, including three large paper bags of maternity clothes.  We posted these on Craigslist, and have had an offer on them.  It's nice to have this cleaned out, and be making our way toward a tidier house for putting on the market.
• Continued with regular laundry activities, washing mostly in cold water and hanging things to dry.
• Worked out at home most nights.  I tried a new routine on YouTube with hand weights, which I like, and hope to continue with.  
• Took advantage of the free yoga class at the Children's Council, which included dinner for me and little man.  This was nice and the instructor was great.
• Enjoyed birthday celebration at home for baby who's now two!  He did a super great job blowing out his candles, and enjoyed his few presents from family immensely.
  
• Going back to review our parenting class materials because little man is giving us a run for our money lately at 5 years old.  We're re-instituting the sticker chart with fidelity, and really trying to be intentional about giving him the attention he needs so that we diffuse situations before they're meltdowns and blow ups.
• On the down side, we received a bill for the chest x-ray we had back in February for baby.  The bill was almost $1,200, which was way beyond what we had expected.  Apparently we didn't understand a change in our insurance from last year to this year, and while this would have been a few hundred dollars before, it now goes toward the deductible (which seems high to me).  We're grateful that the test came back negative, and that little man is better, but struggling with the size of this bill and the timing (since we're trying to prep the house for sale and both of our rental spaces are empty).
• To make up for the medical bill and lower emergency fund, we've come up with a plan:
• sell what we can on Craigslist and eBay (which will also help us clean out the house for sale too), including baby things we don't want to keep, clothing, electronics that Benny has, and other home items that we no longer want or need
• increase my Mary Kay sales through parties and selling to existing customers (so if you're local and would like to do a party, let me know!)
• continue eating from our pantry and freezer as much as possible
• I'll pick up little man one more day a week, saving Benny a trip to school and back.
• Take advantage of as many free meals as possible, so continuing with yoga class and Benny and baby will go to the food pantry soup kitchen on Thursdays for lunch.
• Monetize this blog
• Apply for a teaching award that has a cash award too (we'll see if I get it)
• Save any unexpected windfalls including tax refund, travel reimbursement for work, and a mentoring check I expect at the end of the year
• Continue to take advantage of gleaning from the food pantry for produce and milk especially
• Do what we can of the work to prep the house for sale ourselves (painting, caulking, cleaning, staging)
• Keep travel to a minimum
• Have Benny pick up as many extra hours at work as possible
• Keep superfluous spending to nil.  We will find creative ways to do special things for the boys (like spring break outings) that are free.  This might include a picnic on the parkway, trip to the park, or outing to Grandfather Mountain for dollar days (if Mom can go along with us).
• Since we had several snow days recently, I stayed home with the boys and Benny went to work.  This allowed him to pick up about 12 extra hours of work, which will help to pay for some of the carpentry work that needs to be done to the house before we sell it.
• We saved gas by staying home on snow days.  The boys played in the snow some, watched The Sound of Music, and we played with play dough and made some crafts with existing things around the house.
• We signed up baby for preschool.  He's on the waiting list, so we're hopeful that he will get a slot.  It would really help us out for Benny to be able to pick up some extra hours at work while he is in school, and we think it would be good for his speech too.
• The gas logs needed repair, so we called, and the repair was done free of charge (hurray!).
• The workers who came to help get the house prepped for sale came one day this week and got a lot more done than we anticipated.  This was encouraging, but they won't be able to come back for another week or so, so that sets us back a little in terms of timeline.  
• I carpooled one day to work because of the snow.  We weren't able to get one car out, so a colleague brought me to town after work to meet Mom.  This meant that it wasn't out of his way, and saved a little on gas.

What did you do to live and save green this past week?  I'd love to hear from you!

March Menu Plan

This month is again about clearing out the pantry and freezer.  Since we're now looking at prepping the house for sale, we want to have to move as little food stuff as possible.  The big freezer will go to my mom's for storage, so we can still access it there and she can share it as well, but we'd rather be able to defrost it and move it empty.  We're also trying to save where we can to be able to put the extra money toward the land purchase and our emergency fund.

So, to that end, here's what I think we'll be eating this month:

Breakfasts:

• Eggs, chicken sausages, and roasted/steamed veggies
• Overnight crock pot steel cut oatmeal
• Yogurt with homemade granola
• Smoothies with frozen fruit, yogurt, and frozen butternut squash
• Peppermint tea made from frozen mint from last year's harvest
• Banana bars
• Almond flour muffins with cocoa powder and shredded coconut

Lunches:  

• Leftovers
• Salads
• Yogurt parfaits with frozen fruit and homemade granola

Dinners:  

• Tomato basil soup
• Spaghetti and meatballs with frozen homemade marinara sauce and side salad
• Steamed flounder (frozen) with roasted veggies or salad
• Creamy chai pumpkin soup using canned coconut milk instead of cream and frozen butternut squash instead of canned pumpkin, served with side salad
• Split pea soup using a mix we have, frozen ham, frozen stock, and frozen chopped celery, served with bread or gluten free crackers
• Butternut squash and chickpea salad served with brown rice or greens (uses up dried chickpeas and a butternut squash hanging out on the counter)
• Breakfast for dinner:  pancakes (using a mix in the pantry), bacon (freezer), eggs, and fruit or roasted veggies
• Taco chicken in the crock pot (using frozen chicken) for tacos, taco salad, taco bowls, quesadillas, or enchilada casserole; served with refried beans (pantry), Greek yogurt, and Rotel tomatoes (pantry)
• Chicken pizzaiola (using chicken and marinara sauce in the freezer) in the slow cooker (America's Test Kitchen) served over egg noodles or quinoa (pantry) and a side salad
• Smoked turkey tortillas soup (using smoked turkey and stock, bell peppers, jalapenos, chipotle in adobo, and cheddar cheese all from the freezer) served with corn chips or a side salad
• Homemade pizza x 4 (using frozen pepperoni, cheese, homemade pesto, bell peppers, and olives and flour from the pantry)

Snacks:

• Air popped popcorn
• Pretzels from the pantry
• Frozen soft pretzels
• Fresh fruit
• Carrot sticks and dip
• Brownies or lemon bars from a mix in the pantry
• Crackers and hummus or with cream cheese and pesto spread

Frugal Accomplishments First Week of March

We had a pretty frugal week this past week. We enjoyed some shared meals, accepted hand-me-downs, and did what we could to save.  My health has improved slowly with the dietary changes and supplements I've been taking, which is all good, even though it's more expensive.  We've also been making some decisions about things from my grandmother's estate, so are hopeful that we'll have all that worked out by the end of the month.

And, in exciting news, we put in an offer on the land we've been wanting!  It was for more than we'd ideally want to spend, but we're hoping to have the closing on that soon and begin the process of putting our house up for sale, etc. to fund the building of the new house.

Here's the rundown of our frugal accomplishments for last week:

• Cooked all meals at home including tomato basil soup, homemade mac and cheese with gluten free pasta, roasted veggies, steamed flounder, homemade pizza, oatmeal, smoothies, homemade banana bars, and Asian ramen slaw.
• Composted and recycled as usual to save on trash.
• Accepted items from the food pantry gleaning including:
• gallon of milk
• apples
• pineapple
• romaine hearts
• purple cabbage
• gluten free crackers
• gluten free cereal
• chocolate coconut water
• bananas
• Took advantage of HT super doubles coupon event to stock up on meat, cheese, gluten free crackers, coconut milk, frozen peas, and a few other staples.  Also found parsnips on the discount produce rack.  Said no to some items that were on sale, but weren't needs.
• Continued to work down what is in the pantry and freezer including canned tomatoes, tomato juice, dried mincemeat (used in oatmeal), frozen bones and veggie scraps for stock, and frozen butternut squash and bananas.
• Continued to work on cleaning out and added another 15 items to our donation bags.  Some will go to Goodwill, some to the library.  Baby clothes will go to some of the Hispanic families Benny knows through the paint business.  We are also looking at items we can sell on eBay and Craigslist to help give us more of a cushion for building the new house.
• Did our usual laundry routine with hanging laundry to dry and washing cloth diapers.
• Enjoyed a shared meal with friends.  We took some roasted acorn squash that we made in the crock pot.  We'd had the squash for a while, so it was good to use it up.  The boys had a great time playing together, and we ended up with a few hand-me-down clothes from their recent cleaning out.  
• We did our usual Sunday night dinner with Mom, which was an easy sheet pan meal with chicken, onions, and roasted squash.  We had a side salad to go with it.
• Finalized my list of things I'd like to have from my grandmother's estate.  We're hoping to get some special pieces of jewelry, artwork, blankets, and furniture.  It would be nice to get some of her kitchen things too, which would replace some of ours from our wedding that are wearing out.  Will see how things all sift out with other family members.
• We are looking at creative options for housing while the new house is being built.  We want to save as much as possible, so we might look into borrowing a camper and renting a month to month site at a local campground.  It is cheaper than most rentals in the area, and would allow us to have the dog with us too.  This might be fun for the boys, and would also really force us to weed through belongings and decide what we need to live with and what could go to storage/sold/donated.
• Since I'm feeling better, I cancelled an appointment with a specialist, saving the $80 copay.  My labs didn't indicate that I needed the specialist appointment, but I thought I might need one since I was still having some issues.  Glad things are getting better, slow but steady progress.
• I kept the boys for a while to give Benny some time to gather tax documents.  We still have a little to do here, so we'll need one more session like this and then we'll have things ready to file.  We plan to use the refund to reseed our emergency fund.
• I began making plans for what I want to take from this garden to the new house.  I will pot up these plants this spring and summer so that we can move them to the new house.  They will probably live at my mom's while we're in transition.  This will save us some money with landscaping the new house, so hopefully we'll only need to purchase a few evergreens and maybe a fruit tree or two.  There are also neighbors in the new neighborhood who love to garden, so I'm sure they will have things to split and share too.
• I used a free gift card to Tanger Outlets (from the ski slopes trip we took with school) to purchase a clearance jacket for both boys and a pair of shorts for baby.  Baby's birthday is today, so these will be birthday presents for him.  I only spent $1 over the $20 gift card amount, so I think it was a win!
• Working with little man to make baby a tie dyed t-shirt to go with the new shorts.  He really likes this craft, and it makes for a cheap birthday gift that is really useful.

What did you do to live and save green this past week?  I'd love to hear from you!

Update on 2018 Goals

Here's a February recap of the goals we had for the year.  We're making some progress!

More Veggies:  I've been working actively to increase veggies with every meal.  The boys are getting much better about eating them at dinner and love them roasted with something to dip them in (usually ketchup).  Little man has requested asparagus the past few nights, so that 's been good.  I know I feel better for eating this way, and am hopeful that it will improve the overall health of my family too.

Move More:  This has very much been a two steps forward, one step back sort of thing.  I've been doing great with the free yoga class I've been attending, walking more during the day and week, and some exercise in the evenings.  I'm finding that if I do too much in the evenings, it's hard for me to go to sleep at night.  So, while I know it's ideal to work out in the mornings, it's not practical for me when I have boys who wake up at 5:00.  So, work in progress...

Try 26 new recipes:  I haven't tried anything new this week.  I've been relying on my good ol' reliable recipes (more accurately methods) for roasting veggies, making gluten free pasta dishes, beans and rice, etc.  I do have my eye on a chicken and acorn squash crock pot meal I want to try next week.

Spruce up:  This has kind of been on hold while we wait for our finances to sure up some.  We depleted our emergency fund some with medical expenses, so we'd like to not spend too much until we get that built back up.  We're working to get things done inexpensively, but quality workmanship, and we're ok with doing some of the work ourselves.

Clean out!  I continue to weed out.  We have several baby items we can sell, and many more things we can donate.  We're also looking through things to see what we can eBay to help clean out and build the emergency fund.

Build up the emergency fund:  I've been trying to keep our grocery budget low, but the new diet is tough to keep it at the $100-$150/month we usually aim for.  Once the CSA starts, this will be easier.  Gleaning from the food pantry is helping also.  We're looking forward to our tax refund, which will help to build this back up too.

Build a new house!  Some things are shifting in our POA and making our decision easier to move ahead with building a new house.  We just have to secure the land, which shouldn't be too difficult.  We'll have to do this carefully and economically in order to make the finances work out, but I think it will be a good move in the long run.  I'm looking forward to the possibilities of a new garden space, and to being more intentional about the design of our rental spaces.

How are you doing with your goals for the year?  I'd love to hear from you!

Frugal Accomplishments February 12-18

This past week has been sort of a roller coaster for us.

Little one and I have both been to the doctor's office, he ended up having a chest x-ray.  The nasal swab came back as just a cold for him, so we're hoping he'll kick it soon.  I am hopeful that with my dietary changes, limiting sweets/carbs for him, and supplementing him with frozen breast milk and probiotics that we'll both get better.  I've met with my doctor and we're going to try a new antifungal for me to try to clear up things, as well as adding some new probiotic strains for me.

On the up side, we were able to have a date night on Saturday night thanks to my mom keeping little man.  We had dinner at home of homemade mini meatloaves, roasted asparagus and cauliflower, and crock pot coconut lime rice pudding for dessert.  It was a nice evening for us, even if I did fall asleep on the couch during our date show!

Here are the rest of our frugal accomplishments for the week:

• All meals were made at home.  This includes split pea soup, mini meatloaves, roasted veggies, smoothies, salads, homemade pizza, biscuits, and steamed fish and veggies.
• Enjoyed two shared meals with my mom including a lunch out at Panera and a homemade coconut shrimp curry.  There was enough curry leftover for me to have lunch one day too.
• Appreciated gleaning from the food pantry:
• salad greens and collards
• yogurt
• bananas
• root veggies
• butternut squash
• mushrooms
• blueberries (which were gone within 4 hours!)
• juices for smoothies
• dips for veggies
• Enjoyed at date night at home, thanks to Mom.  She kept little man overnight and we had mini meatloaves and roasted veggies.  The crock pot coconut lime pudding was great for dessert, and totally fit with my diet.  It was a nice time to reconnect with each other.
• Began looking through things from my grandmother's house to consider what we might like in the way of furniture, jewelry, kitchen things, etc.  It's sort of bittersweet, but I know she'd love the fact that we're all going to enjoy things that were hers and have special memories for us.  This will save us some money because some of these things will replace things of ours that we'd otherwise have to purchase replacements for, especially kitchen items.
• Appreciated some Valentine's Day treats from my students.  Most were larger molded chocolate things, so I'll save these to chop for baking.  One student brought me a chai tea latte, because they know it's my favorite.  This was a really thoughtful  treat and a complete surprise.  It's nice when they pay such close attention to small things, in the same way I try to do for them.
• Made cinnamon buns from a can and sprinkled them with red and pink sugar for Valentine's Day breakfast.
• Used existing things to help little man make valentines for his classmates.  He enjoyed the activity, and it was a good chance for him to practice writing his name.  His classmates loved the cards and pencils he gave them.
• Have been using Valentine's Day treats as rewards for little man's sticker chart.  This has been making our mornings go much more smoothly, and has allowed us to meter out the candy a bit.
• Enjoyed a Saturday at the Playhouse with the boys.  It was nice to go back, since we hadn't been in a while (avoiding it since we'd been sick).  It was great fun for the boys, and some good parent support too.
• Took advantage of the free yoga class at the Children's Council again.  It's such a nice program, and really gives me some time to center myself.
• Finished reading a book we picked up from a free little library.  It was a fun mystery by Lillian Jackson Braun, but is one that I'll likely return or donate somewhere since it isn't one I feel like I would reread if I had it in my personal library.  Also enjoyed rereading some devotional material we had in our library at home.
• Little one has been doing really well with his speech sessions, which we started a few weeks ago.  While they're not cheap ($40 each session at one session per week), we feel like the investment is worth it to hopefully help him out in the long run.  
• Hung some laundry outside to dry since the weather's been unseasonably warm.
• Continued with all usual laundry habits--cold water, hang dry, use cloth diapers.
• Continued with all usual waste habits--composting (including cotton balls and brown cardboard tubes, recycling, reusing brown paper for draining bacon, etc.
• Saved veggie scraps for stock and to take to the chickens.  Had about 18 eggs this past week for our efforts with the chickens, which has made for a really nice arrangement with friends (and the boys love it, and teaches them some responsibility too).

What did you do to live and save green this past week?  I'd love to hear from you!

Frugal Accomplishments February 5-11

This past week, we were able to keep our overall budget on track.  We did have some extra expenditures for supplements for me to deal with my current health issues, but we know that these expenses should help me to get well sooner and prevent further health issues.  The frugal highlight of this past week was a free yoga class and meal I had through our local Children's Council.

• Cooked all meals at home including ground beef taco bowls/tacos (used frozen shredded summer squash to bulk up the filling), turkey and collard greens soup with barley, smoothies, homemade herbal chai tea mix with stevia, eggs with roasted or sauteed veggies, overnight oatmeal, pizza, and open-faced meatball sandwiches (used marinara sauce I made this summer with fresh tomatoes and spices from the CSA and food pantry) with roasted veggies.
• Washed laundry in cold water except for diapers, and continued with cloth diaper use.
• Composted kitchen scraps or took them to the chickens in exchange for eggs.
• Gathered about 12 eggs for our work this week.
• Used the crock pot for cooking two meals (overnight oats and turkey and barley soup), saving on electricity.
• Continue to eat from the pantry and freezer.  We're really making a dent in things, which will be good once the produce rolls in from the CSA, farmer's market, and food pantry gleaning.
• Gleaned several tomatoes, avocados, eggplant, acorn squash, chicken sausages, canned biscuits, and a can of cinnamon rolls.  Made a large batch of guacamole for snacking and lunches.  Will roast veggies later this week.
• Cut little man's hair at home, saving at least $15.  Still need to cut Benny's hair.
• Went to my integrative health doctor for a check in, and am continuing with a few more supplements for the next month.  Am hopeful that when we do more blood work at the end of March that things will have improved drastically.  I am definitely feeling better, but have room for improvement too.
• Little man and I went to a free class at the Children's Council.  There was dinner for both of us, 40 minutes of yoga for me, and child care for him.  It was a great evening, and we plan to make it a weekly event.  This allowed me to cook less, relax more (which is critical to my overall health), and gave little man some much needed play time with others.  I also earned a "baby buck" which I can cash in through the Children's Council for wipes, gas card, etc. once I earn enough.
• Worked out at home other evenings with YouTube videos for free.  I am slowly increasing my workout time.  Right now, some nights I feel good to get in 15 minutes, though I hope to get up to 20-25 each night.
• We have begun eating dinner by candle light.  The boys love the candles, and it seems to calm them a bit for meal time.  This is saving us a bit on electricity.
• The boys have been taking a bath together, saving on water.  My goal is to save some of this water for watering plants, but it hasn't happened yet.  (Some nights we're just in survival mode when it comes to bath and bedtime.)
• Put a few more things in the donation bag, meaning less stuff to store and clean for us.
• We sold a few more things on eBay, which will fund our CSA share this year.  We're hoping to sell a little more to help increase our emergency fund, and to clean out a bit more.
• Recycled and composted as usual.  Paper towels and brown cardboard/paper goes into our compost, as it's less of an environmental impact to deal with it this way.  (We're trying to get away from paper towels, but with a tenant upstairs, they are kind of necessity for the average American.)
• Planning to re-post the ad for our basement apartment and room upstairs, if needed.  Our upstairs tenant may be going month to month on her lease, we're just not sure yet.  
• Still trying to pursue the purchase of land, but that dream is seeming more fleeting by the day.  For many reasons, lots aren't for sale, or are priced above market value, which makes this all very difficult.  We may be looking at a renovation of our current home instead, just to make it a little more functional for us.
• We're looking into ways to monetize this blog a bit.  It's more just for fun for me, but we're getting enough page views that I think it might be worth it to at least try.  Anyone have suggestions?  Have you been successful with this?

How did you live and save green this week?  I'd love to hear from you!

Frugal Accomplishments Second Week of February

This past week we did pretty well, budget wise.  We had two sick in our house, but we were able to recover at home using things we had.  We were also able to take advantage of some items from the food pantry and the super doubles at Harris Teeter, so our fridge, pantry, and freezer are nicely stocked.

• All meals were made at home including broccoli and ham quiche, creamy pumpkin coconut chai soup (I subbed canned coconut milk for the cream), salads, roasted veggies with turkey bacon and eggs, taco bowls with ground beef and shredded squash and cilantro lime slaw, banana white chocolate muffins, chocolate and orange zest almond flour muffins, and homemade pizza with pesto, ham, sauteed spinach, and dried tomatoes.
• We shared a takeout meal with my mom, which was nice.  It was a little disappointment because the restaurant didn't package the hot chicken separate from the salad, so the salad was wilted and ruined... but we made it work by steaming some broccoli instead.  It was a reminder that often, eating at home is still simpler than takeout even, and of course cheaper.
• Spent about $50 at Harris Teeter, but saved $80.  I purchased five packages of chicken sausages, four packages of flour tortillas, four cans of refried beans, two cartons of coconut milk, two cans of coconut milk, unsweetened cranberry juice, cabbage, asparagus, onions, carrots, sweet potatoes, and three packages of diapers.  This will be the bulk of our grocery shopping this month.  (See the previous entry to see how we'll use these things in our menu.)
• Treated the boys to lunch at Chick-Fil-A with a $5 gift card I had.  This was a reward for doing well on errands and having a good day after being sick and down for several days.
• Washed and reused ziploc bags and produce bags.  Used brown paper bags for cooking bacon in the microwave, instead of paper towels.
• Washed laundry in cold water and hung to dry.  Continued with cloth diaper use.
• Saved some compost for the chickens.  Enjoyed 18 fresh eggs this week for our work with them.
• Started feeling rough myself, so I emailed my integrative medicine doctor and will pick up a refill on a supplement this afternoon, saving the cost of a visit.
• Treated the boys for illness at home with pedialyte popsicles, hot tea with honey, essential oils, rest, and Tylenol for fever.  The oldest seemed to have it the worst, but little one's snotty nose holds on still.
• Benny was able to work a little longer on Saturday, so I kept the boys at home after running a few errands.  It was good for him to be able to get these extra hours and to check off a few things on his work list.
• Updated my bulk spice order list.  We will probably need to place this order within the next month.
• Benny contacted another land owner in the neighborhood we're looking at.  We're hoping to hear back from them this week.  If we don't, we've got one more course of action before we give up on this dream.
• Located the door we need for the basement apartment at Lowe's.  Will look online for a coupon or discounted gift card to save some money on that.
• Used blankets and wool socks when I got cold, rather than turning the heat up.  We did have the gas logs on on particularly cold days to offset the electrical heat.

What did you do to live and save green this past week?  I'd love to hear from you!

Frugal Menu for February 2018

This month, we're still focusing on eating up what's in the pantry and freezer, as well as adding more veggies to every meal.  We'll also do our best to decrease our energy usage by using our Crock Pot at least once a week, if not more.  I'll slowly be adding more foods back to my diet on a trial basis, so you'll see some foods (bread, tomatoes, eggs, corn, dairy, legumes) that I've cut out for a bit and need to add back on a trial basis.  Baked goods will be sweetened primarily with stevia, though I can do a small amount of sugar in tiny quantities (think pizza dough).  So, here's the plan, along with the list of groceries we'll need to purchase or glean from the food pantry:

Breakfasts:

• Sauteed veggies, eggs, and maybe meat (chicken sausage or turkey bacon)
• Smoothies with frozen berries, bananas, winter squash, and greens with almond milk (I add turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, and chia seeds often)
• Almond flour muffins with blueberries, cranberries and orange zest, or cocoa powder and chopped pecans
• Big boy breakfast of biscuits, pancakes, or waffles with bacon and fruit

Lunches:

• Leftovers with side salad
• Quesadillas with salad
• Ham or tuna salad sandwiches on gluten free bread
• Hard boiled eggs, fruit, veggie sticks, and nuts

Dinners:

• Lentil sloppy joes over rice with roasted or steamed veggies
• Breakfast for dinner with grain free waffles or pancakes, sauteed greens, eggs and turkey bacon
• Ham, cheese, and broccoli quiche with kale salad and fruit
• Homemade pizza x 4 with homemade pesto, cheese, pepperoni, and sauteed veggies (likely peppers and onions)
• Veggie stir fry over rice or quinoa with egg rolls and Asian slaw
• Split pea soup with ham (my grandmother's recipe), salad, and bread
• Beef and cheddar pie with salad or roasted veggies (make pie with more veggies and less beef)
• Black beans and brown rice with salad and fermented veggies
• Tacos or taco bowls with black beans, winter squash, greens, and fixin's
• Pecan crusted chicken (minus bread crumbs subbing roasted almond flour or more pecans) or salmon and roasted veggies with quinoa
• Crock pot chicken fajitas on corn tortillas or over brown rice with fixin's and green salad
• Crock pot beef stew and salad
• Crock pot baked potatoes/sweet potatoes with fixin's (black beans, sauteed peppers and onions, Greek yogurt, cheese, salsa) and green salad
• Meatball subs (or over rice) with mushrooms, onions, and peppers with salad
• Lentil and sweet potato stew  with salad or sauteed greens
• Flounder tacos on corn tortillas with cilantro lime slaw, pineapple salsa, and queso fresco with a side of cilantro lime rice (if necessary)
• Crock pot chicken and acorn squash

Snacks/Desserts:

• Crock pot coconut lime rice pudding
• Air popped popcorn with seasonings (garlic salt, cheddar powder, or cinnamon sugar)
• Fruit
• Soft pretzels with homemade honey mustard
• Almond flour chocolate chip cookies
• Coconut milk hot cocoa with stevia

Grocery List:

Here's the things we'll need to purchase to make this menu work.  This does not include things currently in our pantry or freezer.

• canned coconut milk x4
• almond milk
• salad greens
• kale
• cabbage x2
• plain Greek yogurt
• corn tortillas
• cilantro
• green onions
• cheese
• veggies for salad and roasting (carrots, asparagus, mushrooms, onions)
• tapioca flour (for a bread recipe)

When possible, we'll glean veggies and yogurt from the food pantry.  This gleaning occurs at the close of the week for them so that things don't get tossed into the dumpster that could be potentially used.

How do you plan your meals for your budget and to save a little of Earth?  I'd love to hear from you!

Frugal Accomplishments

This past week, we had a pretty good week for our budget.  I've tried really hard to keep grocery spending down, so I only picked up $6 worth of groceries this week, instead focusing on what we could make with things from the freezer and pantry.  We also continued to use items from the food pantry that we gleaned last week, including yogurt, greens, and other veggies.  It was little man's 5th birthday, but at his request, we kept things small and low key, making dinner at home and baking a cake from things we had on hand.  It was a wonderful celebration, and he really enjoyed it.

• Made all meals at home including crock pot southwestern chicken soup, veggie stir fry with quinoa and egg rolls, homemade pizza and salads for birthday dinner, fermented veggies, large salads, smoothies, and roasted veggies.
• Spent $6 at the grocery store for almond milk on sale, free yogurt, and salad greens.
• Enjoyed a shared meal with friends Saturday night.  It was a great time for the boys to play, and a nice time for us to visit.  By eating in, we were able to accommodate everyone's dietary restrictions (there were several in this crowd), and save some money over eating out.
• Kept up with composting, recycling, and reusing as appropriate.  Reused wrapping paper and art done on large paper for wrapping birthday gifts.  Reused brown paper sacks for collecting items for Goodwill.
• Saved veggie scraps for making veggie stock this week, including onions, asparagus ends, and carrot peelings.
• Accepted some groceries that Mom purchased for us, so looking forward to using fresh spinach, kale, mushrooms, fruit, and buttermilk.
• Used homemade stock in soup that I previously froze instead of using store bought.  This is healthier and was far less expensive.
• Little man wanted icing for his birthday cake, so I made a chocolate ganache.  I didn't have any heavy cream on hand, so I used evaporated milk and it worked just fine.  Used birthday candles we had on hand.  Honestly, it was a pretty simple cake to pull together, and it was easier to decorate than a sheet cake or layer cake.
• Mom paid for bowling at the bowling alley for little man's birthday.  (So nice of her!)  He had a blast with a few good friends, pizza, and cake.  Instead of gifts for himself, he asked for gifts for the humane society.  We'll take those things on a Saturday when we can go play with the animals some.  We really encourage this kind of gifting, because the boys already have everything they need and more.  It also teaches them to be compassionate and consider the needs of others.
• Enjoyed fresh eggs from the friends we're sharing chicken keeping responsibilities with.  We collected close to two dozen over the two days we checked on them.  We also took the chickens some veggie scraps, so they'll stay healthy and we had a little less to compost.
• Went to school every day (wow, a whole week with no snow!) and packed lunches from home.  Tried to combine trips to and from home with errands that needed to be run, saving on gas.
• Relisted our room ad on Craigslist.  Our current upstairs tenant will leave in March, so we'd like to have this space rented, even if it's short term.  We really enjoy sharing this space and doing life with someone else.
• Continued to press on with getting things lined up to prepare the house for possible sale.  We don't have a lead on land yet, but are trying to make some decisions there.
• Exercised four times with YouTube videos.  I also walked a few days when the weather was relatively warm, instead of exercising at home.  I took the dog with me on one of the walks, which was some good exercise for her too.
• Planned the menu for February, using pantry and freezer items as a basis.

What did you do to live and save green this past week?  I'd love to hear from you!

Review of Goals for 2018

We're doing pretty well toward meeting a lot of our goals for this year, though of course we're making more progress toward some than others.

More Veggies:  I've really gotten in the groove of making smoothies.  I make them up the night before, and then just pop them in the fridge to buzz in the morning.  It's an easy way to include a serving or two of veggies (think spinach, carrots, winter squash, sometimes even parsley).  I've also been making a large salad to go with dinner each night, which gives me some to pack for lunch the next day.  Making soups is an easy place to add veggies too, and we've been roasting more veggies to have with other meals, and Benny's even been making sandwiches or wraps with those too.  I think I'm the only one who's really actively trying to eat more veggies, but at least having them to offer helps provide a chance for the others to have more.

Move More:  I've been trying to work out with YouTube videos each night after the boys go to bed.  This is easier said than done some nights (last night case in point), where baby seems to be going through that 18-24 month sleep regression thing.  There are times he wakes up every 15 minutes right after I put him down, so it's getting hard to work out after doing the "must do's" of prepping lunches, things for a crock pot meal, laundry, etc.  To alleviate that, I'm trying to actively move more during the day in small ways, like walking around my classroom and school more, or parking at the back of a parking lot to force myself to walk more.

Try 26 new recipes:  So far, I've tried a southwestern chicken soup recipe for the crock pot that I adapted to fit my new diet, a hot cocoa "recipe" that satisfies my sweet tooth in an easy way, and a new green bean salad recipe.  They're all pretty good, and I'm looking forward to trying some other new ones this year.  I'm also enjoying just reading through old cookbooks, and some that came from my grandmother.  It's such a nice way to reminisce, and some of them (especially the Mennonite ones, like More With Less) are kind of like devotionals.  I always try to write notes on recipes I make about when I made that particular dish, what we liked about it, etc.  It's fun to reread these notes too.

Spruce up:  Benny has touched base with the painter who's going to do our trim work, so that ball is rolling.  We'd like to get that started on the trim painting next week, so we'll see if it works out schedule wise.  We've contacted our tree guy to trim trees, and thought he was coming once, but he hasn't.  So, we'll touch base again with him.  

Clean out!  We still have so much stuff!  I've cleared out probably 100+ items now, but we've also ended up acquiring things from my grandmother's, since she passed away right before Christmas.  So, since we're ending up with that stuff too, I'm kind of on a mission even more to clean out.  We even set aside some Christmas gifts to save as regifts, not because they weren't nice or thoughtful, but because many of them duplicated what we already have.  I've also been working on using up more of what is in our pantry and freezer to clean out there too.

Build up the emergency fund:  We haven't spent quite as much on food this month, so that extra will go toward the emergency fund.  We also need to get our rental spaces relisted, which will help us rebuild this sooner.  I'm also looking into placing a Zaycon order for bulk meat, that's responsibly raised.  If you're interested too, check them out!  They offer pick ups around the country and prices are great.  By doing this in bulk, it would save more of our grocery budget for emergency fund.

Build a new house!  We are really praying on this one.  The original piece of land we wanted was sold (sort of out from under us... kinda sad), and the other in the neighborhood is really overpriced for the market.  So, we're trying to weigh how much this dream means to us, and if we can build a smaller, more efficient house that still meets our needs and budget in order to be able to purchase the other land.  I am leaning toward going for it, Benny not so much... Have you ever been at a crossroads like this?  How did you decide?

How are you doing with your 2018 goals?  I'd love to hear from you!

Frugal Accomplishments

This past week was a really frugal week.  We were able to glean a lot from the food pantry (it was closed due to snow and poor road conditions) and Benny ate lunch there at the soup kitchen on Thursday.  We made a short road trip to do belated Christmas and birthday celebration with my in-laws, which cost a little in terms of gas, but was overall a good visit.  We also made a stop at Aldi on the way home, which was a nice break for the boys, and a good place for us to restock on some things we needed.

• Cooked all meals at home including berry and white chocolate waffles, smoothies, roasted veggies, chicken sausages, turkey bacon, steamed salmon and salads, Thai chicken soup, and pizza we had in the freezer.  Several meals were leftovers.
• Took some veggies and soup with us to in-laws so that I'd have something I could eat (a lot of their meals are protein and carb heavy with few veggies).
• Continued with composting and recycling.  Saved veggie scraps for the chickens as well.
• Collected about 18 eggs from the chickens the two days we watched them.  Production was likely down since it was so cold.  (But we collected a dozen yesterday, so production seems back up.)
• Continued to eat what is in the freezer and pantry as much as possible.  Made an electronic freezer inventory to help us keep track of what we have and what needs to be used.  We've already used tomato basil soup, turkey bacon, turkey carcass, bananas, and chicken sausages.  
• Had several things from Costco given to us from in-laws, including almond flour, whole almonds, pasta sauce, cumin, pasta, coconut water, and a few other items.
• Enjoyed lots of fresh produce (much of it organic) from the food pantry including:
• salad greens
• spinach
• kale
• berries
• asparagus
• green beans
• bags of mixed veggies
• pudding (for the boys)
• shredded carrots
• Had several snow days, so we stayed home, saving on gas.  Benny was able to work a few extra hours, so that was good.  We also got little man out for sledding, which was awesome.  I think he really enjoyed his first few runs and is looking forward to another good snow so that he can sled with some of the other kids in mom's neighborhood.
• Cleaned out a few more items for the 400 item goal, including some clothing and toys.
• Gratefully accepted Christmas gifts from in-laws.  It was nice to get some new clothes for the boys and some snacks they'll enjoy.
• Stopped at Aldi and restocked on:  chia seeds, flax seeds, frozen wild caught fish, bone in chicken breasts, blue corn tortilla chips, celery, avocados, cranberries, and fresh pineapple.  We also picked up a reward snack for little man in the form of frozen soft pretzels.  They are a treat at our in-laws, but we figured they'd make a good sticker chart reward.  Spent about $40.
• Chose little man's birthday cake for his party Saturday.  He's asked for this chocolate bundt cake with strawberries around it.  I have all the ingredients on hand, except the strawberries.  So, it will be a relatively inexpensive cake to make, and I can eat the strawberries, even though I can't eat the cake right now.  We have a friend, who owns a bakery specializing in gluten free and alternative ingredients, making a dessert I can eat for our family gathering.
• Because of the snow days, the boys stayed in pajamas most days, keeping laundry down.  When we did do laundry, we washed clothing on cold and hung to dry.
• Continued with cloth diaper use.
• Saved produce bags and washed ziploc bags for reuse.
• Used beeswax wraps (Christmas gift) instead of plastic wrap to cover leftover salad one night.
• Used reusable tote bags for shopping.
• Made turkey stock using a carcass and some leftover chicken.  I added some rosemary stems too for extra flavor.
• Used the cold to our advantage and kept extra refrigerator items on porch when we were low on fridge space (since we rent the upstairs space, we share the kitchen and fridge).
• When we were in need of an activity, we pulled out brown packing paper (a large sheet) that we save from shipped packages and had the boys color it.  It's great wrapping paper for birthday gifts, and was a fun activity when they needed a diversion.

What did you do to live and save green this week?  I'd love to hear from you!

Frugal Accomplishments

We did amazingly well this past week sticking to our budget.  Our grocery spending is down, despite my new diet, largely in part to gleaning from the food pantry.  We're also really excited about a new resource we have for eggs.

So, here's how we saved this past week:

• Continued to cook all meals at home including black beans and rice, black bean chili and brown rice, crock pot Asian chicken with carrots and quinoa, roasted veggies, salads, steamed salmon, fried eggs, carrot pancakes (shredded carrot added to Bisquick), and homemade pizza.
• Gleaned from the food pantry, which received over 300 pounds of fresh produce that wouldn't all keep until clients come on Wednesdays.  We received plain yogurt, smoothie juice, spinach, basil, lemon grass, kiwi, berries, green onions, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, apples, oranges, lemons, sweet potatoes, eggplant, zucchini and summer squash, and butternut squash.
• Used many veggies for roasted veggies
• Will process basil for pesto
• Using fruit in smoothies and just to eat
• Plan to zest citrus to dry peel and juice some for freezing
• This has all really helped toward my goal of having four servings of veggies at each meal (seems like a lot, but really making me feel much better!)
• Struck a deal with friends who have a dozen chickens that we'll check on the hens twice a week, feed, water, etc. in exchange for eggs.  We'll also take care of them when they travel, making the arrangement beneficial to both of us.  We're enjoying about two dozen fresh eggs each week now, and the boys are learning how to care for chickens and take some responsibility!
• Spent only $8 at the grocery store for almond milk, cilantro, and some produce to use in Thai chicken soup later this week.
• Made a new batch of home fermented cabbage and carrots.  Tried using dill seed, since I was low on garlic.
• Had a shared meal with mom this week, saving us both some time and energy in the kitchen.  We were able to help her take down her Christmas tree, which was a big help to her.
• Composted all possible scraps.
• Saved veggie scraps for stock in a gallon freezer bag.  Once the bag is full, dump into the crock pot and cook all day.  I sometimes add plain gelatin too, for health benefits.
• Tried to reuse tea bags two or three times to stretch things.  I love hot tea, especially this time of year, but they can get expensive.  I'm working on drying orange zest, turmeric, ginger, and using frozen lemon balm and mint from the garden when I'm home to make tea.  (This is not as easy when I am at school, so I use tea bags there.)
• Saved cereal bags to reuse for bread or produce storage.  (We don't generally buy dry cereal, but we had some from cleaning out at my grandmother's.)
• Used rinsed yogurt carton water for smoothies rather than washing down the sink.
• Recycled all possible items and saved produce rubber bands for future use.
• Continued with cloth diaper use, washing at home and drying on drying racks indoors.
• Washed all possible laundry on cold and hung to dry.
• Continued with progress toward the goal of getting rid of 400 things.  Getting close to the 100 mark already and don't feel like we're missing anything!  Wow... so much stuff we collect.
• Emailed birthday invitations for little man rather than paper, saving paper and postage.
• Saved some gifted items to regift.  They are really nice items and ones we're sure will be enjoyed by the recipients, but are just extra beyond our needs.
• Made sure the ceiling fans were turning in the proper direction for winter to keep heat down, rather than at ceiling level.
• Reused plastic grocery sacks for trash and paper ones for collecting items to donate to Goodwill.
• Vacuumed out dryer vent to make it a little more efficient.
• Continued to try to prep the house for possible sale, doing maintenance things that need to be done anyway, though our land possibilities are dwindling.  The two lots we were hopeful about haven't worked out (one was essentially sold out from under us through the good ol' boy network, the other is asking an unrealistic amount--pre-2008 level--and unwilling to budge).  I continue to hope that something will work out, as it is a great neighborhood for raising a family with lots of kids and supportive neighbors, but also know that we are comfortable where we are, though the neighborhood is less than ideal.
• Reread books at home instead of making a trip to the library, saving gas.
• Used cardboard boxes to decorate like cars and push the boys around when they started to need a new activity.  Used existing blocks and balls to set up a make-shift bowling game for them.
• Kept heat at 62 during the day and 58 at night.  We use blankets and co-sleep, so we don't worry about the boys getting cold.

What did you do to live and save green this week?  I'd love to hear from you!