This matter has been placed on my heart after seeing so many videos of everyday people expressing their frustration with inflation. People who would normally be able to afford food and shelter are struggling and/or becoming homeless. Back when the pandemic started, I could predict what is happening right now. The food shortages, rises in literally everything including housing, clothing, fuel, etc. Today I want to share you some tips on things you can do to help you survive inflation. Start a garden I started a garden during the pandemic like many others. Pandemic or not I’ve always desired to ..read more

I have been making my own liquid laundry detergent for almost a year now. At one point I used “eco-friendly” laundry sheets, which did not turn out to be as earth friendly as advertised. I then used soap nuts for a time, but when I discovered how to make my own liquid laundry detergent, I was sold. The detergent is cheaper than soap nuts costing less than $0.01 per load and lasts such a long time. For a family of seven, I only had to make it twice this year. The laundry detergent only consists of 4 ingredients: Zote laundry bar, borax, washing soda and water. I start by grating 6 oz of the Zot ..read more

With summer break coming to a close within the next couple of weeks, it’s time to start preparing for another homeschool year. I’ve had a few requests for more content about homeschooling, so I thought sharing our homeschool curriculum for this year would be a great place to start. If you are new to homeschooling, please see this post to learn more about how to get started. If you prefer to skip directly to the list of curriculum choices, click here. Math Singapore Math Dimensions Math has been our curriculum choice for the last three years. This curriculum is rigorous and a bit ahead of child ..read more

Our summer was amazing, and we still have a few more weeks of fun to enjoy before resuming our homeschooling. I planned a variety of activities, many of which were educational. Even a trip to the beach can become educational if you ask the right questions. Our past school year the littles finished learning about the ocean. They noticed how the tides changed as the day went on and was able to link the phenomenon to one of our lessons. Children retain information better when learning through play so I always try to find a way to turn our experiences into educational ones. We visited a planetariu ..read more

Having a monthly cleaning routine will make it easier to keep your home nice and tidy. It also works to keep your appliances running smoothly which in turn will help them last longer. My typical monthly cleaning schedule I clean our stove, dishwasher, washer, dryer, sofa cover, window treatments, comforters, baseboards and rugs. Whew! That seems like a ton, but I don’t do everything all in one day. I split the tasks up over a course of 4-5 days to get everything done. I try to make it a priority to finish at least 2 tasks per day to keep it from becoming overwhelming. Doing your task this way ..read more

Today I am sharing my personal reflections on homemaking. I often get asked “how to be a homemaker” or “What do I need to do to become a homemaker?” While there’s no exact answer, as homemaking can be different depending on the situation, I will share my personal feelings about the topic. Homemaking to be is more than just cooking and cleaning. It is the joy in serving others and creating a safe and peaceful environment for your children and husband. Your home is your family’s sanctuary. You as the homemaker cultivates what was an empty barren house to a warm inviting home that creates lasting ..read more

Sonata’s 9th birthday had finally arrived, and she requested a princess birthday party. I was excited to obligue her request as this gave me room to be creative as possible. I decided to throw a royal tea party for her because I thought this was the perfect occassion for a princess turning 9 years old. Wouldn’t you agree? I decide to decorate her party with pink and gold. Her golden birthday banner was reused from a previous party we threw her last year. Fresh flowers were used as table decor and I purchased a gorgeous pink and gold tea set from our local thrift store. I made her a beautiful p ..read more

Happy new year my darlings! I hope that your new year was fun, safe and surrounded by loved ones. I’m so excited to share with you our winter garden. I’ve never gardened in Florida before during the winter and I find it quite enjoyable. The weather during the winter here in Florida is beautiful. The weather isn’t too harsh and the pest pressure is little to none. I have been able to easily grow delicious winter crops such as leafy greens, root veggies and other cool weather crops. I hope that our garden can yield enough food for our family to reduce our grocery budget significantly. My goal is ..read more

Today I am sharing my simple night routine that helps make my day go a lot smoother. These tasks are the perfect way to prep for the following day. Another task that I forgot to share is unplugging small appliances as they can cause a phantom charge while not in use which will make your electric bill higher. Night Routine Video Details Sonata’s Literature Selection: Wonder by R.J. Palacio Nightly Sink Scrub Recipe from Clean Mama Your reading My Night Routine, originally posted on Blushing Rose Diaries and copyrighted to Blushing Rose Diaries ..read more

With the seasons changing so does the types of food we eat. We like to eat according to the season. Personally, I feel that it is what nature has intended. In the spring and summer, we enjoy juicy berries and as much delicious, sweet melons as we can get our hands on. In the fall and winter, we eat lots of storage friendly squash, apples, pears, and leafy greens. Isn’t it amazing that a winter squash can be stored for up to 3 months? It’s like nature designed them in a way to last through the winter! I hope my video inspires you to try eating seasonally. It will be easier on your budget and th ..read more