Recovery

This year I learned that sometimes the morning after Christmas can be just as enjoyable as Christmas morning itself, especially when “Dada” is home and Nya and I get to enjoy three whole days with him.  Our living room was filled with the sound of wooden train tracks being assembled, new art supplies being opened, one bouncy little girl on her trampoline, Peppa Pig’s Christmas DVD on the television, and lots of laughter.  The Christmas tree lights remained on, and leftovers were combined into a tasty breakfast skillet alongside good, hot coffee.   

The flurry of Christmas is over, and it was a very merry day filled with family, good food, and a very happy little toddler as she celebrated her first holiday season.  I hope your holiday was all that you hoped and more.  For the next week, we will be reorganizing our home, making lots of donations of clothes and toys, and celebrating my husband’s 30th birthday with a day at his favorite coastal town- a yearly tradition.  Notice, I did not say we would be taking down our Christmas tree yet…some things are just too pleasant to take down before you're done enjoying them; that task will have to wait until next week.  Wishing you lots of peace and rest, clarity and recovery, and joy and fulfillment as we prepare to enter the new year.  Thanks for reading.    

 photo: stellaresque42.tubmlr.com

Christmas

Since this will be the last post before Christmas, I would just like to wish everyone a very happy holiday.  I hope you are able to celebrate with loved ones, be it friends or family.  During this time of year, our family likes to remember that Saint Nicholas was a real man born in 270 AD who believed in selling what you have to give money to the needy, the poor, and the sick.  He was also known for secret gift giving, which is where our modern idea of Santa Claus originated.  Somewhere along the way, Christmas has become a very commercialized holiday.  Although it can be very hard to escape this type of thinking, especially if you have children, my hope is that we can focus on those who are less fortunate than ourselves.  It is not hard to find a cause to support at this time of year- there are many different organizations that need help, and you can choose something you are passionate about.  But also don’t forget that there may be people right around you that won’t have a warm meal or a small gift for their children on Christmas Day.  I would challenge you to reach out to them as well, and getting to see the smile on their face(s) will bring you as much, if not more joy than watching your loved one’s faces as they unwrap a gift on Christmas morning that they have been wanting all year long.   

May we also remember that December 25th was a very important day in history, when a baby was born in a manger who would grow up and give us the greatest gift of all.  Wishing you warmth, joy, and gratitude on Christmas Day, and every day.  Thanks for reading!

   

Community

I would love to use this week’s post to talk about the community we live in.  So often, I think we forget about the awesome “freebies” that our neighborhoods have to offer, especially to children.  Recently, I was reminded of a few that I wanted to list here, and I would love some feedback if you know of any that I missed. 

Trader Joe’s has their “find the monkey” game always going for kiddos.  There is a stuffed monkey hidden somewhere in the store (different location each day) and if your kids see it, they can tell the cashier and they will get to choose a fun or healthy treat.  Also, the cashiers always have stickers on hand for the little ones.  I love TJ’s- I think they are a wonderful company and they take great care of their staff, suppliers, and customers…with a smile.

Whole Foods Market offers children one healthy treat as they are leaving the store.  I have seen oranges, apples, bananas, applesauce, and fruit juices, among other things.  I know that it doesn’t seem like much since their groceries can sometimes be expensive, but it’s all about appreciating the small generosities, right?  Plus, the staff is always so nice there too and I really value that!    

  

Bridgeport Village Outdoor Mall- when we took Nya there to get a picture with Santa, I didn’t even know how festive it was.  Retailers kept offering her candy canes (which she loved), and they have their huge Christmas tree all lit up. They also have these awesome star lights hanging up that twinkle overhead as you walk around and listen to the music that plays on their outdoor speakers.  Their fountain and fire are usually going, and they have an enclosed heated area around their outdoor seating so you can enjoy food from the kiosks without freezing.  They also have a great play area for kids.  Just walking around there was fun- Nya was having a little dance party out on the bricks under the twinkling star lights, and loving it!  The info center is also loaded with helium balloons that they tie to little rubber duckies for small children so they don't float away (the balloons, not the children), and a little train takes families around the grounds for $2 per person.  

Portland Children’s Museum offers free admission on the first Friday of every month starting at 4pm.  It gets a little busy, but that place is huge and awesome, and it was worth it to us to brave the crowds.  There is something for every age group to see, and there are plenty of quiet places to play and learn if you just look for them.  I highly recommend getting there a little before 4pm to get a parking spot and get in line.  

Tigard Library has lots of free programs and activities for children.  There are story times and crafts to take part in, and you can also check out cultural passes for free admission to local museums and gardens (so awesome).  Besides the obvious checking out books, music, and DVDs, it is also a great place to participate in donation drives and teach kids the importance of giving to those who are less fortunate.  Check out your local library too- you might be surprised by all it has to offer.

Home Depot offers free children’s workshops for all ages.  Kids can build little crafts with their parents’ help and they get a free certificate of completion and apron, plus the awesome learning experience.  Not to mention, there is probably an underlying confidence instilled in children when they are allowed to use “adult” tools to fix and create things.  

What are some things that you enjoy taking your children to?  How about fun and free local adult activities?  Thanks for reading!      

Drumroll...

It’s the third of December.  Can you believe that?  This year flew by!  At the beginning of the year, I embarked on a $100/month challenge for grocery spending throughout 2014.  Early in the year, we decided to join a CSA, which spent about half of that budget, and we also brought our daughter home in June, giving us another mouth to feed…and that girl can eat!  In case anyone is wondering how we fared, here’s the summary:

I spent $1065 on food from from the grocery store from January to December.  That puts me at $135 under my budget.

Our CSA cost us $580 for about 18 weeks of produce (we split the CSA with my sister’s family, otherwise that cost would have been double for double the produce). 

So the total per month ended up at $137.08, and you know what?  I will take that! 

To be completely transparent, I will mention the cost of my husband’s hunting expenses and the produce I bought for canning, which was about $800 total.  My husband brought home two deer, and will hopefully get an elk and salmon before the season is done.  I also got to go on a salmon fishing trip, which was a gift from my dad.  That trip provided us most of the salmon we will need for 2015.  So we have a stocked pantry of produce and enough meat and fish for the upcoming year included in that number.  I hesitate to add this to my 2014 total because about 90% of that food will be consumed in next year, but hey, we spent it so I should at least explain, and you can add it in where you see fit.  

Here’s what I learned after this challenge:

Our most expensive item turned out to be our organic non-dairy milk.  Since our daughter came home, (aaaaaand since I discovered hazelnut milk in my morning coffee ;)) that has taken about 30% of our spending. 

Our pantry is still stocked!!  We could probably do zero shopping for several months and be totally fine on food.  I just love fresh produce way too much to do that. 

I probably won’t do this budget again, and I don't think I will do once-a-month shopping every month either.  There are two reasons for this.  First, we want to eat as close to 100% organic and local as we can.  That means spending more on higher quality foods, which will raise the total cost.  I do mostly organic/local foods now, but not all of them, so I’d like to make that change.  Second, I actually really enjoy going to Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s and picking out my fresh produce every week or two.  It gives me inspiration and I don’t have to worry about the food going bad by the end of the month.  So while we are not members of a CSA, grocery shopping will probably occur a couple times a month, and that’s okay with me.  

Lastly, I have been reading some really amazing books lately about cooking, and I have learned that scratch cooking with simple ingredients packs so much more flavor and nutritional value if the ingredients are of higher quality.  So there may be a few things that we opt to spend more on, like olive oil, vinegars, spices, eggs, flours and sugars, coffee and tea, and fresh herbs to name a few.  So if paying higher prices means enjoying our food more, then that’s what we will do.

Now we are off to the beach for a birthday celebration with family for the rest of the week, where we will be blissfully unplugged until we return (hence, the early post today).  I hope you have a great week, and thank you for going on this food/budgeting journey with me!