Skip to ContentThis post may contain affiliate links, which earn money for this site. Disclosure here.A reader wrote me an email telling me about some family troubles, including the story of her son leaving an abusive marriage, with his little daughter in tow. At the end of her email, she said,I wonder if you could address the importance of taking care of one’s mental health especially during really hard times, specifically in frugal ways.First: I am most definitely not a licensed psychologist/therapist/anything of the sort. So, anything I share is just gonna be from one regular person to...…Skip to ContentThis post may contain affiliate links, which earn money for this site. Disclosure here.A reader wrote me an email telling me about some family troubles, including the story of her son leaving an abusive marriage, with his little daughter in tow. At the end of her email, she said,I wonder if you could address the importance of taking care of one’s mental health especially during really hard times, specifically in frugal ways.First: I am most definitely not a licensed psychologist/therapist/anything of the sort. So, anything I share is just gonna be from one regular person to...WW…

Skip to ContentThis post may contain affiliate links, which earn money for this site. Disclosure here.This has come up a few times recently in the comments, sooo, here you go! But before we do that: this post is gonna talk some about weight loss/gain (and there’s a picture of me when I was pretty skinny), so if that’s a topic you aren’t up for, maybe skip reading here for today. Also: I’m not an expert, and any weight-lifting you do is at your own risk!I mentioned in a recent post that I’ve been back on the weight-lifting train, and that I’ve put back on a lot of the muscle I lost.My...…Skip to ContentThis post may contain affiliate links, which earn money for this site. Disclosure here.This has come up a few times recently in the comments, sooo, here you go! But before we do that: this post is gonna talk some about weight loss/gain (and there’s a picture of me when I was pretty skinny), so if that’s a topic you aren’t up for, maybe skip reading here for today. Also: I’m not an expert, and any weight-lifting you do is at your own risk!I mentioned in a recent post that I’ve been back on the weight-lifting train, and that I’ve put back on a lot of the muscle I lost.My...WW…

Skip to ContentThis post may contain affiliate links, which earn money for this site. Disclosure here.This week, I’m thankful:A lot of things in my life feel rather up in the air right now, but I doooo feel sure that nursing school is where I’m supposed to be.I love the medical material, and the personal side of it also speaks to my soul.Here’s a quote from one of my textbooks:One tip for practice is to cultivate the habit of reflecting on your clinical encounters each day. As you walk out of a human encounter, mentally look back at what you are leaving in your “wake.”Were you one more...…Skip to ContentThis post may contain affiliate links, which earn money for this site. Disclosure here.This week, I’m thankful:A lot of things in my life feel rather up in the air right now, but I doooo feel sure that nursing school is where I’m supposed to be.I love the medical material, and the personal side of it also speaks to my soul.Here’s a quote from one of my textbooks:One tip for practice is to cultivate the habit of reflecting on your clinical encounters each day. As you walk out of a human encounter, mentally look back at what you are leaving in your “wake.”Were you one more...WW…

Skip to ContentThis post may contain affiliate links, which earn money for this site. Disclosure here.Since I spent some time last Friday doing a thorough job of planning, I did actually make an organized trip to Aldi this week.aforementioned planningAnnnnnnd we did not get takeout this week, probably because of the planning. 🙂a lunch salad from this weekI spent:So, $77 for us this week.Leftover chicken noodle soup, and I again added cream to mine. Will I ever eat regular chicken noodle again?PROBABLY NOT.Also, I took the suggestion from one of you and added my leftover tortellini to the...…Skip to ContentThis post may contain affiliate links, which earn money for this site. Disclosure here.Since I spent some time last Friday doing a thorough job of planning, I did actually make an organized trip to Aldi this week.aforementioned planningAnnnnnnd we did not get takeout this week, probably because of the planning. 🙂a lunch salad from this weekI spent:So, $77 for us this week.Leftover chicken noodle soup, and I again added cream to mine. Will I ever eat regular chicken noodle again?PROBABLY NOT.Also, I took the suggestion from one of you and added my leftover tortellini to the...WW…

Skip to ContentThis post may contain affiliate links, which earn money for this site. Disclosure here.I was a teenager in the 90s, and while this may be true of other eras as well, I remember there being a LOT of matching sets, particularly when it came to home decor.How 90s is this photo? Well…MY SWEATER HAS DUCKS ON IT.Like…you’d have curtains, sheets, and a comforter all made from the same flowered fabric.Scribbles over my friend’s face because I dunno if she wants to be on a blog!This was after a redecorating session, but the comforters and curtains still match!Also, in the 90s, kitchen...…Skip to ContentThis post may contain affiliate links, which earn money for this site. Disclosure here.I was a teenager in the 90s, and while this may be true of other eras as well, I remember there being a LOT of matching sets, particularly when it came to home decor.How 90s is this photo? Well…MY SWEATER HAS DUCKS ON IT.Like…you’d have curtains, sheets, and a comforter all made from the same flowered fabric.Scribbles over my friend’s face because I dunno if she wants to be on a blog!This was after a redecorating session, but the comforters and curtains still match!Also, in the 90s, kitchen...WW…

Skip to contentDo you have a little ripper who’s outgrown their wheels but aren’t quite ready for most adult-sized mountain bikes?The good news is that in recent years, more and more brands are offering youth-sized 26 inch mountain bikes as well as 27.5 inch mountain bikes with extra small frames to fit smaller riders.Photo credit: Norco Bikes*Whether you’re looking for 26 inch or 27.5 wheels, full-suspension or a hardtail, we’ve got you covered. We’ve also received a bunch of flack for the price of the bikes on this list, so we’ve added some budget picks toward the bottom.Note: These are...…Skip to contentDo you have a little ripper who’s outgrown their wheels but aren’t quite ready for most adult-sized mountain bikes?The good news is that in recent years, more and more brands are offering youth-sized 26 inch mountain bikes as well as 27.5 inch mountain bikes with extra small frames to fit smaller riders.Photo credit: Norco Bikes*Whether you’re looking for 26 inch or 27.5 wheels, full-suspension or a hardtail, we’ve got you covered. We’ve also received a bunch of flack for the price of the bikes on this list, so we’ve added some budget picks toward the bottom.Note: These are...WW…

Skip to contentYou love mountain biking, and you want your kids to love mountain biking too.  There’s no better feeling than ripping some singletrack with your favorite little person or seeing the smile on their face when they make it to the bottom of a technical descent.(Or maybe you don’t mountain bike, but it’s something your child has taken an interest in. If that’s you, don’t worry, we’ll explain everything you need to know to pick a good mountain bike).One of the biggest factors in how much enjoyment your kids are going to get out of mountain biking is how well their bike...…Skip to contentYou love mountain biking, and you want your kids to love mountain biking too.  There’s no better feeling than ripping some singletrack with your favorite little person or seeing the smile on their face when they make it to the bottom of a technical descent.(Or maybe you don’t mountain bike, but it’s something your child has taken an interest in. If that’s you, don’t worry, we’ll explain everything you need to know to pick a good mountain bike).One of the biggest factors in how much enjoyment your kids are going to get out of mountain biking is how well their bike...WW…

Skip to contentBy the time kids are ready for a 20 inch bike (around 6 years old), they have a heightened sense of interest and ability when it comes to cycling.  Suddenly, they can bike longer distances–faster!  And if they’ve been biking for a while, they might be ready for their first bicycle with gears.Cycling becomes even more fun than it was before, but having the right bike for your child (or grandchild) is key to their continued enjoyment and success.Unfortunately, there are a lot of crappy kids bikes out there. They are heavy, have poor geometry, and will fall apart...…Skip to contentBy the time kids are ready for a 20 inch bike (around 6 years old), they have a heightened sense of interest and ability when it comes to cycling.  Suddenly, they can bike longer distances–faster!  And if they’ve been biking for a while, they might be ready for their first bicycle with gears.Cycling becomes even more fun than it was before, but having the right bike for your child (or grandchild) is key to their continued enjoyment and success.Unfortunately, there are a lot of crappy kids bikes out there. They are heavy, have poor geometry, and will fall apart...WW…

Skip to contentIf your 4 or 5 year old loves biking (or perhaps YOU love biking), then you want to make sure that you are getting them a bike that they can grow their skills on.  With all the 16 inch bikes on the market, however, it can be confusing to know which bike to buy and how they stack up against each other.To help you out, we’ve tested dozens of 16 inch bikes over the years to help find the very best ones. The very best 16 inch bike is the Woom 3. It is lightweight, well-designed, and built to withstand abuse. The best budget 16 inch bike is the Guardian 16. Not only...…Skip to contentIf your 4 or 5 year old loves biking (or perhaps YOU love biking), then you want to make sure that you are getting them a bike that they can grow their skills on.  With all the 16 inch bikes on the market, however, it can be confusing to know which bike to buy and how they stack up against each other.To help you out, we’ve tested dozens of 16 inch bikes over the years to help find the very best ones. The very best 16 inch bike is the Woom 3. It is lightweight, well-designed, and built to withstand abuse. The best budget 16 inch bike is the Guardian 16. Not only...WW…

That time of year is approaching where we review our habits and try to replace the ones that no longer serve us with better options. The New Hope Blogger Box had some products that will start the year off right with the intentions of better and healthier. One easy way to improve daily nutrition is to drink some powdered super foods each day. These greens from Natural Factors are fermented, organic, non-GMO, gluten free, and contain medicinal mushrooms as well as 6 grams of protein. Adding one serving of greens in the form of powdered super foods really packs a nutritious punch and could be...…That time of year is approaching where we review our habits and try to replace the ones that no longer serve us with better options. The New Hope Blogger Box had some products that will start the year off right with the intentions of better and healthier. One easy way to improve daily nutrition is to drink some powdered super foods each day. These greens from Natural Factors are fermented, organic, non-GMO, gluten free, and contain medicinal mushrooms as well as 6 grams of protein. Adding one serving of greens in the form of powdered super foods really packs a nutritious punch and could be...WW…