Simple Ways to Save on Your Grocery Bill

 

Two of my crazy kids
helping me grocery shop

Times are tough, and many people are looking for ways they can save a few dollars here and there. While drastic changes are difficult and not easy to sustain long term, there are many little things you can do to save money on your grocery bill. Here are just some of the things you can try to make your money stretch a little further without feeling like you have to completely change your diet.

Try a Meal Kit Service

While meal kit services started out quite expensive, cheaper options are becoming more readily available as the food kit service industry is gaining popularity. Most services let you customize your plan for your lifestyle and budget, based on how many people you need to feed and how many meal kits you would like per week.

Buy Ingredients in Bulk

For ingredients that don't need to be used up in just a few days or a couple of weeks, you can often save money in the long run by buying these ingredients in bulk. Try looking for a bulk organic ingredients provider that can deliver high-quality ingredients in bulk so you don't need to shop for them as often.

4 Ways to a Less Stressful Thanksgiving at Your Home

 

Isn't Thanksgiving so great? It's one of the least stressful holidays for me personally. 

Fourth of July finds me worrying about burns and blown-off fingers and how many people are in the swimming pool. 

Christmas finds me frantically wrapping presents for days on end, holed up in the bedroom trying to hide what I'm doing, tossing a ring pop out the door now and then to keep my kids happy for a while. 

Comparatively speaking, Thanksgiving is a walk in the holiday park! Here are some ideas for making it even less stressful that I have learned over the years (since moving into our bigger house where we host a lot of parties!).

BEFORE: Instead of purchasing GladWare, saving up plastic containers (whipped cream, sour cream, lunchmeat, etc.), or loaning out your favorite Tupperware, (hoping it will come back to you someday), ask guests to bring a few small containers of their own to take leftovers home in. If they forget, put out some aluminum foil and paper plates for them. 

HOW THIS HELPS YOU: This puts the leftovers ball in their court and you can relax and enjoy the day while they are getting all packed up.

BEFORE: Put several extra empty trash bags at the bottom of your kitchen trash can.

HOW THIS HELPS YOU:  When a wonderful guest offers to take out the trash for you, they won't have to ask you where more bags are. You're hosting a party and you're busy! Sometimes during a party my kitchen is so full I can't even wade through the people to get to the empty trash bags, so that eliminates that problem as well. (Also, I tend to get distracted easily and forget what I was doing before I was interrupted, so...)

BEFORE: Yes, I know it's bad for the environment and clogs up the landfills. Just buy sturdy and large paper plates, as well as plastic cups and silverware. Don't forget to also purchase small paper plates for desserts. Forget the soda for kids and just get Capri Sun juice pouches (you know they make purses out of the empty pouches, right?).

HOW THIS HELPS YOU: Obviously you won't have to do dishes if they are all in the trash. If you have a compost pile, even better.

BEFORE: Put a cloth or paper tablecloth on the main table.

HOW THIS HELPS YOU: If it's paper, just take it off after everyone leaves and throw it away. If it's cloth, toss it in the washing machine. This saves you time wiping down a very messy table and then probably also having to sweep the floor as well. 

Now it's time to relax for the evening and watch Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Or check out my helpful post about How to Have a Happy Thanksgiving from 2015 :-)

#WorldsofFun — the Perfect Family/Fun Day! Find Your Amazing!

So I initially titled this post "Perfect Summer Day" ... but we've been to WinterFest and it was a Perfect Winter Evening. How about The Haunt? That would be a Perfect Autumn Evening! Carnivale? The Perfect Summer Night! We are so fortunate to have Worlds of Fun here in Kansas City, and it's no wonder people come from all over the country in all seasons and in all types of weather to enjoy it!

All photographs you see in this post that are of my family on a ride were taken while others were still loading onto the rides. We did NOT take any photos while a ride was being operated. You are not allowed to do this, and we did not do it!

*I need to start by sharing how great the Worlds of Fun/Oceans of Fun park app is. It stored all of our tickets and passes, including meal and drink passes. It showed wait times of rides and had a map of the park. It also made it quick and easy to get into the park.

River Market KCMO Date: Pigwich, Planter's, Lock up Your Love, Betty Rae's, Opera House, a Park

So when you've been with someone almost 26 years (we met in July of 1995, and here's our love story) and you have 5 kids together, it's easy to get into a routine of work, kids, busy, house projects, dishes, cooking, laundry, driving, errands, homeschooling, dentist, eye doctor, orthodontist, social stuff at home and other places, taxes, fishing, etc.

Maybe you try to carve out a day, put it on the calendar, but then something else comes up and you have to move the date to another time or maybe it just falls off the radar altogether. Also, with 5 kids coming and going, a couple driving, some with other plans, it becomes a homework assignment in rocket science to make it all work out. Not to mention you have to make sure there is plenty of food at home, and then you have to run down the ground rules again.

I'm happy to report that, although my husband and I didn't date much when the kids were younger (simply because we enjoyed being with them so dang much and also we had like 6 years together before we ever had kids), we are dating more now, when we can. Recently we went to Ronnie's Restaurant in Lenexa and it was fantastic!

I put this date on the calendar several weeks ago. It was originally supposed to be May 8, but I was consulted and agreed that a fishing trip with Mr. McLoughlin and Twin and 6 of the kids (4 of ours and 2 of Twin's) would be fine as long as we could move the date to May 1. 

Look, I know the MALE is supposed to plan the date and all that. I get where you're coming from, and we teach our boys that THEY call the girls and not the other way around. And we teach our girls that they should expect to have doors opened for them, etc. They are very blessed to have many friends whose parents have similar values. 

But sometimes you want to plan something nice for someone, you know? I chose a restaurant I knew he would like, a shopping experience I thought he would enjoy, and some exercise I knew he was craving. Then I got one more surprise idea. Here's our day in pictures! I hope it gives you some inspiration!

Helping Your Kids Through the Pandemic

 

Picture Source

We’re still in the midst of a pandemic and many of us are starting to consider how we can make this time as easy on our kids as possible. Here are a few suggestions that should help you to provide them with the best and to keep a smile on their faces!

Education

Many of us are finding that our main concern for our children during this pandemic is their education. At the end of the day, they’d usually be in school every weekday learning all the things they need to advance. But while many schools are closed, the responsibility of teaching has fallen harder on parents’ shoulders. While there may be video classes for little ones, many are finding that they want to educate their kids further. Try getting in touch with their school to find out the curriculum they would usually be studying or consider an online christian homeschool curriculum. Just make sure not to put pressure on yourself. All kids are in the same situation and all kids will be able to catch up together when schools reopen and teaching and learning recommence as usual.

Keeping Them Occupied

Of course, learning shouldn’t be the only thing your kids are doing at home. In usual times, they only spend a portion of their day at school. The rest of their days are usually filled with clubs, activities, and fun. Right now, hobbies and extracurricular activities are going to have to be home-based and away from others. So, you may find yourself looking for new things for your kids to do that they will enjoy. Here are a few suggestions that might help!

Arts and Crafts

The vast majority of kids love getting involved in arts and crafts. It helps them to express their creative side and - at the end of the day - is downright fun. Now, some ideas to get the ball rolling include helping them to make mosaics. Encouraging them to create sculptures with clay or plaster of Paris. Drawing. Supervised sewing or knitted. Painting. The list goes on. Simply provide them with the materials required to let their creative sides loose and they’ll be occupied for hours.

Baking

Another fun supervised activity for your kids is baking. So many little ones love getting involved in the kitchen and baking could be a fun and safe activity for you to all enjoy together. Plus, you all get a delicious treat at the end! Look up simple, child-friendly recipes or you could even consider pre-packaged and prepared baking kits specially targeted at kids. While you should take care of anything to do with the hob or oven, they can enjoy mixing, decorating, and all of the other fun and safe parts of the process.

Storybooks

When it comes to the evening, if you want to help your little ones wind down, try reading them a story. This will help them to drift off to sleep. You could also try out kids' audiobooks if you’re not great at reading out loud yourself.

Hopefully, some of this information will help to make the whole pandemic a little easier on you and your children. Each suggestion can really help to keep everyone engaged and occupied, bringing smiles to everyone’s faces on a daily basis!

The Biggest Mom & Baby Trends Of 2021

 2020 was a weird year for everyone, but for those of us that had a baby, or have a family to raise, it has been a wild ride. However, the good news is that you get ahead of the curve by checking out my guide to the biggest mom and baby trends of 2021, below. 

More sustainable baby products 

Sustainability is most definitely a watch-word in mom and baby trends this year. What that means is less of a focus on disposable items such as nappies, and wipes and more on good quality reusable ones that can be washed and used over and over again. 

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This focus on sustainability also means there will likely be a reduction in plastic toy use, and perhaps a move back to more traditional wooden toys. Something that fits well with the Montessori educational ethos. 

Finally, when it comes to sustainability you can expect big changes in the Baby Food Industry as well. In particular, plant-based baby food is set to be big this year, not to mention packaging made from materials such as sugarcane pulp which can be recycled or composted as easily as any other biodegradable waste. 

More gender-neutral clothing for baby 

I know that gender reveals seem to be as popular as ever on social media, but 2021 may just be the year we see this trend start to shift. After all, there is a real conversation about gender going on right now, and many parents are reluctant to impose an identity onto their children that may not ring true for them as they get older. 

With that in mind, expect to see more gender-neutral dressing and outfits in yellow, greens, and especially greys. 

More deliberate screen time for the kids 

2020 was the first year that many kids of all ages experienced online learning, and due to the constraints of the pandemic, we can largely expect this trend to continue. 

Of course, this can be somewhat problematic to families that like to limit screen time. However, it is important to recognize that not all screen time is bad. Indeed, at the moment it is what is allowing our kids to maintain their friendships and their educational process. 

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Having said that, will the necessary increase in deliberate screen time, it may be wise to encourage other non-screen-based activities as well, especially ones that involve outdoor activities and exercise. 

Outside parenting support 

Let’s face it, parenting is hard, and I'm pleased to see that we as a society are finally beginning to acknowledge this. Indeed, instead of getting on with the task of parenting the kids alone, there is now a lot more support for those of us having a bad day, or struggling with longer-term problems like poor mental health. 

I often find that one of the best places to go for support is other mommy bloggers, as many are wonderfully honest about the downs as well as the ups of parenthood. Then there are text and video call therapy services and there are even subs like r/breakingmom on Reddit that are specifically designed to be non-judgmental places of support and encouragement. 

Common Diets Explained

 Photo by Trang Doan from Pexels

The new year is coming up and that means many of us are finishing the last of the festive food in preparation for detox in January. New Year's resolutions of getting fit are being made and you are probably wondering how to get there. You might have done some research and found that there is a myriad of diets out there that all seem a bit confusing. After all, you want to lose weight in a healthy way, you don’t want to lose too much too quickly or do something unattainable that means you get to your goal weight but can’t sustain it long term and end up right back where you started. There is a diet out there for everyone and it is up to you to decide on what is the best for you, your habits, and your lifestyle. As long as you are exercising, eating healthily, and are comfortable in yourself, then that is what is the most important thing in life. Make sure you don’t get too fixated on your weight and that you are sensible. Here are some of the most common diets explained so you can make an informed decision. And remember, if something doesn’t work for you, don’t be afraid to try something new!

3 Ways To Cut Back Spending And Bump Up Family Income

 Extra money in any family's pocket or piggy bank is always a blessing. It allows parents to save for important events in their kids' future, such as funding driving lessons or paying for college. And it also gives them more room in the budget to spend on vacations and experiences to spend to build lasting memories.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels - CC0 Licence 

Money has a whole host of benefits for you and your family. But if you feel like there's not much room in your budget right now, don't worry; there are three ways below, you can either cut back on spending or bump up your income. 

Benefit Entitlement

Many people in America are unaware that they are entitled to some benefit to help with living expenses. 

There is a range of circumstances that could qualify you for a bump in your income from the government. For instance, if you're on a low income, if you've recently lost a job or if you or someone you live with has a disability. You could be eligible for extra financial support.

And there's help on hand to help with your claims too. For example, if you're struggling to file a disability claim for benefits. The San Diego Disability Law Group can guide you through the process and help you get the funds you are entitled to.

My Life as a Homeschooling Door Dasher

Hi, I'm Kerrie, a Door Dash delivery driver. If you want to give Door Dashing a try after reading my post, just click on the words Door Dash in the previous sentence and sign up! (side note: if you happen to have a remote car starter for your vehicle, it'll make your Dashing career a bit easier.)

I'm 49 years old, have five kids, and I usually have one or more of them with me helping out. We split the money we make 50/50 since they help grab the food and deliver it to the customers, and I just like the time spent driving around with my kids, teaching them the geography of our large city, math, economics, manners, reading, and more.

I'm also a wife, blogger, self-published author on Amazon (check out The Tater Tot Casserole Cookbook: Over 45 Yummy Recipes!), writer of parenting magazine articles, and proofreader. Basically I see myself as a queen of the side hustle and I take each one very seriously. 

The excitement of Door Dashing

Let's say you take a Walmart Grocery Pickup order. You might be able to pick it up quickly or you might sit there waiting for 20 minutes. It might be a small order or it might fill your trunk. After you do the delivery, you might end up with the $5 or $8 or however much you agreed to accept as payment, but then I have had several experiences where hours later I got a $20 tip from the customer in the Door Dash app. 

We love the excitement and surprise of not knowing where we will be asked to go next to pick up food and what the challenges might be. We always advocate for the customer, so if a bag is not sealed and I can tell that something is missing, I make it right at the restaurant. I used to be a waitress, and I used to be a magazine delivery driver, so this is like combining the two 😂

Our first Door Dash experience

The first Door Dash experience was with Samuel, my 11-year-old son, on June 29, 2020, and here's my talk-to-text journal post from that night:

Left the house at 6:40 PM headed for Raymore.

Sam said it would be funny if someone did Door Dashing in a semi-truck. We also think it would be funny to do a movie like Dodgeball but it’s Door Dashing and so it’s like Julia versus the Mcloughlins and we are rivals trying to see who will make the most money that night and get the highest ratings. We picture a lot of high-speed chases and sliding into restaurant parking lots sideways to make good time.

Our first Dash was a pickup at McDonald's (just a McFlurry and a mocha), which we dropped off at a bar and grill to a guy who had been sitting outside on the patio. We got paid $3 from DD and were tipped $2 on the app.

Then we immediately accepted one for Hawaiian Brothers for $5.25 total. They didn't have the drink the customer wanted, so I was able to text the customer directly to ask what he wanted instead, which was convenient. Headed to Lee’s Summit about 20 minutes away with that order.

Got to the house and a teenage girl came out and gave Sam $20 cash for the tip! She said she tried to order from the one in Lee's Summit and didn’t realize I was coming from Belton and I said that’s fine because this is our time together we love doing it. 

Next top was China Star, and I texted the customer to let them know the order was taking a little longer than expected. The delivery location was pretty close in a run-down trailer park. It was a great chance to talk to Sam about not judging people by what they look like, what they drive, or where they live. A tech millionaire could live in that trailer, while we are driving a fancy Buick tonight that we are borrowing from my step-dad because we can't afford to pay for our car repairs just yet.

Hawaiian Bros. again was our 4th Dash and $7 tip probably because we came so far. 

Dash #5 was to SONIC off Red Bridge Road. Such a great way for my kids to learn the city for when they start driving on their own!

$45 for two hours of work sounds pretty good, but then we also have to consider gas and wear and tear on the car. I drive so much anyway that I hardly notice plus gas prices are amazing right now.

Got home at 9:45 p.m. since our Dashes kept taking us farther from home. We'll learn for next time that we can decline orders or pause Dashing until we get back to Belton.

How to Stock Your Freezer With Meals

 

Photo by Ella Olsson from Pexels

Stocking up on meals takes me to a happy place in my own mind and saves me frustration, money, and time. If you have meals already prepared and frozen, ready to pop in the oven, you won’t be seeing the pizza guy on a weekly basis or going out for fast food when you’ve resolved to feed your family more healthy meals. 

The reward comes when you can pull something out of the freezer in the morning to thaw, knowing dinner will be ready to slip in the oven as you rush off to after-school ball practice or swim lessons.

I don't think we've ever had to call appliance repair on this commercial freezer in over 15 years (but we have had plenty of other appliances that didn't even last a year before needing some work).

7 Things You Can do When You're in a Funk

Photo by Inzmam Khan from Pexels

So, let's talk for a moment about what you do on those days that you are either (A) in a funk for no reason or (B) in a funk because nothing is going right; for example, you need to call someone for appliance repair because the dishwasher STILL is not working and a funky smell is also coming from it PLUS you can't seem to get anything in your life working correctly on a certain day. (I'm not talking about full-blown depression here.) 

Some people might call a friend, call a parent or sibling, take a nice bath. One of my favorite ways to get out of a funk is to go for a drive and put on some loud music. The music depends on the mood. Sometimes I'll put on a Spotify playlist, sometimes head straight for some Beatles and classic rock, sometimes current stuff. 

Below are more ideas to help you get out of a funk. One of them is bound to work, and if you pair a couple of them up, you're going to be in a better mood in no time!

The Entertaining Disasters To Avoid This Season

 

https://unsplash.com/photos/O4i1SVvckII

At this time of the year, stresses can be high. Even without a pandemic on our hands, Christmas and the holiday season can be busy and quite chaotic. When you’re trying to get everything done and make it perfect, please everyone, and enjoy yourself, tensions always run high. But that’s not really what you want to happen. Because the more stressed you are, the more likely it is that things are going to go wrong. And when you want to be able to make sure that things run seamlessly, it’s also a great idea for you to be aware of some of the disasters that could potentially take place so you can avoid them. If ever you’re able to stop anything stressful from happening, it’s a great idea, right? So let’s take a look at what you should avoid and how.

Running Out Of Food

Now, one of the very first blunders that you’ll want to avoid is most certainly going to be centred around food. When you have plans with others and you know that you have a set amount of meals to make for a range of people, you’ll always want there to be enough food. So this is when you need to be able to plan ahead and work out exactly how much you need to buy.

Unexpected Guests

From there, you may also then find that you end up having unexpected guests. Of course, you can find that this is less likely to happen this year compared to others. But, should that happen, you’ll then want to make sure that you have nibbles and drinks ready to go – even if it’s something in the freezer.

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Spillages

As much as you’d like to hope that your home is going to be able to stay safe, you may also be at risk of spillage, stains, and broken pieces of crockery or glassware. Ideally, this isn’t going to happen – but are you prepared if it does? If one of your guests’ skills wine around the house, you’ll want to know your upholstery cleaning options to save things pretty quickly. It’s best to be prepared, just in case.

Guests Clashing

When you have a range of people over for dinner, it could be that they won’t always get along. This can be fine in some circumstances, but if you are worried that they might clash and it causes an atmosphere, strategic seating has to happen. That way, you can avoid any unwanted awkwardness.

Messed-Up Meals

 

Finally, it could be that you’re worried about some of the meals being a little bit messed up. Do you worry about ruining Christmas dinner? Are you afraid of burning something or overcooking something? It could be that you’ve never made something in particular before and you’re a bit worried about that? When that’s the case, it could be that you want to do a trial run or really allow yourself enough time to do all of the prep work so that you’re not in a rush and the risk of things getting messed up is low.

Gift Guide: Universal Yums Subscription Box

 

Universal Yums makes a fantastic gift!

Do you worry that your grandchildren are not learning enough about the world in school? Is it hard to find a snack that's interesting and fun? Are you unable to board an airplane flight to anywhere in the world? Are you concerned because your kids seem to be sitting around the house staring at the ceiling tiles, bored out of their minds? 

Universal Yums can solve all of those problems! (and, yes, if you click on the link, we each get a special deal) 

Back in May 2020, I bit the bullet, plunked down 39 bucks, and got a massive box of snacks from United Kingdom (June 2020 Universal Yums box) for my family to sample. Here are some photos of the snacks we received. (FYI: you can pause anytime you like and restart your subscription box, change the size, etc.)

I apologize for some of the sideways photos!

Interesting!

LOVED these!

The Yum Scoreboard helps you keep track of your favorite snacks!

I'm going to order the Germany box for my dad and mom when it comes around because they lived there for a while (it's where I was born, in fact) and might think that's a pretty cool gift to get in the mail. Also, if there's ever a Kuwait, Dubai, or Middle East gift box, we gotta have it since my husband travels there quite a bit for work and it would be fun for the kids to sample some snacks from that region of the world.

What country or region would you like to try snacks from?

Your Weight Loss Environment and Where to Hide Your Food

Losing weight and getting healthy has a lot to do with what is in your house, in your desk at work, in your car, and everywhere else.

First you might want to check out my post titled Stop Saying You Can't Have a Certain Food. You are a Grown-up and it is Annoying.

Also check out Weight Loss When You're Traveling and Over the Holidays :-)

For the first few weeks when I'm working on losing weight (aka getting healthy because for me it's not about looking like Barbie but it's instead about being able to be ALIVE and HEALTHY for my children and husband and being able to enjoy life more = energy and joint health as I age), I just can't have tempting stuff around. It has to be hidden from me. After that, I get my Game Face on and can resist that bag of Reese's peanut butter cups. Usually.

What Basic Kitchen Utensils Do You Need?

 

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay 

Setting up a kitchen for the first time is something to look forward to. When you are at the store, the range of utensils can seem a bit overwhelming and it is difficult to know where to start.  Aside from the basic utensils you need to eat, spoons, knives, forks, and the like, what are the most useful utensils in the kitchen?

Tongs

Tongs are probably the most underrated tool in the chef’s toolkit.  Great for serving, tongs can also be used to turn food when frying or baking. These are probably the most used utensil in many kitchens. Adding Custom Tongs to your kitchen can a great addition, and they make a great gift for anyone who cooks.

Ladle

Spooning soup or a stew into your bowl is much more difficult without a ladle. It is difficult to transfer food without one. Having a ladle can save you a lot of aggravation and spilled food.

Spatula

Both metal and plastic spatulas have their place in the kitchen.  Spatulas are a must-have in basic cooking.  There are many types of spatulas so make sure to choose the type that you expect to use the most. Tongs work well for turning food as well, but if the food is flatter or more delicate, then a spatula is needed. When baking spatulas are good for getting the last bit of batter out of a bowl or scraping the sides of the bowl while baking so your mixture comes together well. A little reminder here, if you want the non-stick coatings on your pots and pans to last longer, remember not to use metal utensils when cooking with them.

Peeler

Fruits and vegetables can be peeled with a knife in a pinch, but it is much easier if you have a good peeler at hand.  A peeler can also be used to add curls of veg to a salad or to garnish pasta. 

Wooden Spoon

A wooden spoon is a must if you plan to bake in your kitchen.  Wooden spoons tend to be sturdier than plastic, making it easier to stir thicker mixtures.  There was a reason your grandma used one! Be sure to remember to wash all your wood utensils by hand as wood can splinter and degrade quickly in the dishwasher. 

Quality Knives

A good kitchen knife is worth its weight in gold.  This is one area where you want to make sure to have a quality product. If you are just setting up, it may be best to buy a set that includes a knife sharpener, a chef’s knife, a bread knife, and a paring knife.  A knife set is a great gift for newlyweds because they may not have the funds to obtain a good set for themselves.  Anyone who has invested in good knives will tell you it was worth it, as they will last a lifetime.

Becoming an expert in the kitchen is a lifelong process.  No matter your expertise, good quality basic tools can improve your cooking and make daily meal preparation less of a chore. Attaining the utensils listed in this article will set your kitchen up with the basics for success, and you can continue to add more utensils to your toolkit as you level up your kitchen skills.