househackingmom

04/03/2022

My door would like to announce that it’s spring! I’m so amazed by these dried hydrangea blooms from LAST FALL! I put them away after last autumn, stored them under my bed and here they are still as vibrant as the day they were picked! If you have hydrangea bushes or a friend who does, try drying them (on the bush) and you can use them for months to come to bring real hues of green, blue and purple into your home! Hobby lobby’s is great, but you might have the tools for your seasonal decor in your own house and backyard!

12/01/2022

Some say budgeting is like eating your vegetables. Something you don’t always like but that you need to do anyway. But I’m trying think of budgeting in 2022 like tending to a plant or garden. It takes a lot of care and intention, but yields beautiful results. You can’t cheat when it comes to gardening. You need the right soil, sunlight, watering/weeding schedule etc. to cultivate your space. No one ever saw a gorgeous garden and thought “oh it’s it nice that just happened by chance.” No. We know instinctively care and thought produced what we see.

So for our finances this year, let’s set systems in place to help us succeed! Just like we do for our gardens (or house plants). Checkout my latest YouTube video for more tips!! Link in Bio!

•track your spending weekly in your favorite budgeting app (mine is every dollar)

•have at least 4 bank accounts to keep track of how much money you actually have.
-Checking, Savings, Escrow, HSA

•set rewards for yourself when you meet a budgeting goal!! -bubble bath, favorite latte, date night…

27/10/2021

New YouTube video out where I share from scratch dinners we ate this last week to help inspire your meal planning! It’s a challenge we all face every day, and sharing is caring! What are your go to meals right now! Link to video in my bio!

Meals we ate last week:
-grilled chicken with veggies
-3 cup chicken
-split pea soup
-skillet chicken with mac-n-cheese
-cast iron skillet pizza
-shepherds pie

Most of our meals right now revolve around eating the rest of the offerings from my tiny garden, and eating the chicken in the freezer! I’m not an alarmist, but we are all witnessing the rising cost of food in real time and it’s important to lean into cooking with cheaper ingredients. Foods like chicken leg quarters/whole chicken, beans/split peas/lentils, cabbage, squash, carrots and potatoes are cheap and keep the budget on track!

18/10/2021

It’s officially Fall which means you’re already behind on Christmas! JK…but for real, you will be behind if you don’t start planning pronto! The first place to start is with your Christmas budget! I made a YouTube video covering this topic (link in bio) if you want a fuller explanation.

I know budgeting is boring, but it’s so important to keep you on track and help you peacefully enjoy the holiday season. If you’re not a budgeter, that’s ok. Just grab an envelope and write the word CHRISTMAS and your goal fund on it and get started! I personally like to use a budgeting app system, but the old school way is foolproof. Here are a few tips to get you ahead of the Christmas game!

1. Look up your Nov-Dec statement and subtract the statement from an “average” month to see how much you spent on Christmas.
2. With that number in mind, set a budget for this Christmas.
3. Decide what your budget includes (gifts, decorations, food, activities…)
4. Figure out how many gifts you need to buy/make and how much you want to spend. (We draw names for family outside our household)
5. Figure out how much you need to save extra these next few months to fund your budget.
6. If needed, plan to get some extra cash by selling stuff online, at consignment stores, yard sales or just working extra hours.
7. See how you can cut back to save the money by cooking from scratch, only drink water, do a spending freeze, etc.
8. Keep your costs low for Christmas by thrifting decorations, making handmade gifts, make thrifted gift baskets and most importantly, shop early to avoid panicked Amazon purchases!

Hope some of those ideas get you inspired to stay frugal this Christmas without sacrificing a heart of giving!

11/10/2021

In this new YouTube video, I share my crunchy, homemade granola recipe that is even better than store bought! The trick is in the butter and maple syrup/honey sauce that makes this granola so amazing! Give it a try! Link to video in my bio.

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped nuts (almonds/pecans)
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup Cheerios (or unsweetened cereal of choice)
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup seeds (chia and flax)

Sauce:
1/8 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup honey
3/4 tsp table salt
1/2 TBSP cinnamon
1/2 TBSP vanilla

Directions:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325 F. Bring sauce ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan over med/high heat and set aside.
Combine remaining ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir in the sauce and mix until fully incorporated. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and spread granola onto pan into an even layer. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Let cool completely and snap into desired size pieces. Store in airtight container. Enjoy by itself or as a topping on yogurt or baked dessert!

07/10/2021

Dutch baby pancake to the rescue! This is a great way to kids to eat a lot of eggs and have a protein packed breakfast, lunch or dinner (I’ve done them all!) Also it makes almost no mess. Just put the blender in the dishwasher and you’re done 👌

2 TBSP butter
12 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 apples sliced thin
Cinnamon/brown sugar (opt)

Put butter in the 9x13 pan and then place in the oven and preheat oven to 400.
In a blender, mix flour, eggs and salt until smooth.
Once oven in preheated, rotate pan to coat in the melted butter and pour the batter into the hot pan. Arrange the apples on top of the batter and sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar (or pumpkin spice). Return pan to oven and bake for 20 min. Serve with powdered sugar or maple syrup.

05/10/2021

How to take care of toddlers/kids clothes without driving yourself mad with treating stains and folding outfits! In my latest YouTube video, I show you my simple method for managing my kids clothes with a minimalist wardrobe approach that is practical and doesn't require you to do laundry every day. I'll show you my kids actual wardrobes for this fall\winter in the clothes reveal at the end of the video as well as some brand recommendations to look out for while thrifting! I hope the video is helpful for anyone out there seeking a streamlined method for managing kids clothes! Link to video in bio!

30/09/2021

New video out on my Thursday and Friday routines and my fall decor! Link in bio!

Daily routines are a huge part of my homemaking. I love following the “fly lady system” where there are pre-assigned tasks for each day that chip away at the revolving chores.

I have tried other systems and this one works the best by far! Because you don’t have to think about anything! You have a simple schedule with only a few tasks that over time make a big difference.

My Thursday routine:
-my husband’s and my laundry
-play date/errands
-zone cleaning

Friday routine:
-clean out car
-clean linens
-shine bathrooms

My fall decor so far this year:
-autumnal Plaid
-mums
-dried flowers

29/09/2021

Intimidated by all the autumn squash? Me too. My husband continues to be adamant that he hates squash and it was never my favorite growing up either. So what to do?

I’m determined to learn how to prepare these beautiful gourds so we can savor more of what Fall has to offer.

I figured spaghetti squash was the easiest to like since it’s pretty mild on its own. I prepared it by roasting until tender in a 400 degree oven for about 50 minutes, separating the “noodles” with two forks and liberally seasoning with salt, olive oil and cheddar/parmesan cheese and browning under the broiler! The result was very tasty! My 1 year old ate it right up but my 2.5 year old took a lot of convincing. But not a bad start! Tonight I plan to attempt to make a butternut squash version of my zucchini pizza (on my YouTube channel)! Apparently you can pre-soften the squash by soaking it in salty water and then drain it and blot with towels to remove as much moisture as possible and then proceed with the same recipe. Maybe add some cumin? I’ll post my results tonight in my stories if it turns out!

I will gladly take any and all advice on how to make these squashes yummy!

27/09/2021

This is the best potato soup recipe I have ever eaten! It’s a great healthy potato soup (also know as a cheese burger soup) for fall dinners that will give you all the cozy vibes!

The magic ingredient in this soup (and all good soup really) is homemade bone broth. I highly encourage making your own.

Bone broth recipe:
1 gallon size freezer bag of saved chicken bones (or just a pack of raw chicken legs/thighs.
2 onions
A few celery stalks
A few carrots
1 whole bulb of garlic (unpeeled) cut crosswise
Salt

Simply fill a crockpot with the above ingredients (exact amounts don’t matter! And fill slow cooker with water so that it covers the ingredients. Cook on low overnight and strain in the morning. Season to taste with salt to your liking. Use right away, store in fridge in mason jars or freeze for later use!

Potato Soup Ingredients:
6 medium potatoes (I used Yukon gold)
5-6 carrots
5 stalks celery
2 onions
6 cloves garlic
2 lbs ground beef
6 cups bone broth
1 bunch fresh parsley
10 oz fresh grated cheddar cheese
Kosher salt (if using table salt, use much less)
Fresh pepper

Find directions for soup in my latest YouTube video! Link in Bio!

24/09/2021

A healthy and delicious Fall inspired breakfast for the whole family to enjoy! My little ones love these whole wheat pumpkin waffles and I hope you will too!

These waffles smell and taste of pumpkin and it nearly uses an entire can of pumpkin puree which I love. In fact there is only a few tablespoons left that could be used to make a few homemade pumpkin spice lattes to enjoy with your waffles! Hey, you already have half the ingredients out, so you might as well while the waffles are cooking!

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Waffles
Makes 5-6 large Belgian Waffles (serves 3 adults)

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour (or all purpose)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
2 T pumpkin spice
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs seperated (2 yolks/2 whites)
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 cup whole milk
4 T melted butter
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

For directions, reference my latest YouTube video! Link in Bio!

16/09/2021

Grocery shopping is a chore that rarely thrills my soul, but this week, it did! I had ordered a Walmart pickup order that just fell through with no explanation. My pickup time came and went and my order was never ready. The “help” chat just recommended I cancel the order and try again for a later time. At this point, I just decided to do an Aldi run instead and I’m so glad I did!

My local Aldi, had their 10lb chicken leg quarter bags on sale for $2.90!!! I was able to pickup an extra 20lbs of chicken for only $5.80 😉 that is one of the best deals I’ve ever gotten from Aldi and now I wish I had picked up 3 bags instead of just 2. The food in this picture (plus more not shown) only cost $97 and the same food would have cost $107 at Walmart and I wouldn’t have had the chicken. It was just crazy for me to see the comparison bc I literally used my cancelled pickup order as my shopping list at Aldi so I could see all the prices right there.

But for anyone out there who has avoided Aldi up until now, watch my latest YouTube video where I take you shopping with me and see if I can change your mind! Link in bio!

This is not to say btw that I won’t still continue to use the Walmart pickup. I’ve used it many times with no problems, and I’m sure this week was just a fluke. But I’m glad it was bc I got more value for the same cost as a result!

If you’re wondering what on earth I do with all that chicken, I just put 3-4 leg quarters in gallon freezer bags and freeze them for grilling, frying, roasting or soup! That amount is about right for us for a big dinner and leftovers for the next days lunch!

28/08/2021

Mama’s of littles, feel like you spend your life wrangling an endless supply of toys? I can maybe help…a little lol!

•1st -don’t over organize the toys 😱 I know it sounds wrong, but trust me. If the toys are separated into too many categories, not only will the kids be unwilling/unable to put them away correctly, but you won’t want to either. Instead use a few medium to large containers with lids so the kids can dump in them any which way and close the lid and it appears tidy! We have two of these basket/trunks downstairs and that fits all the toys. All of them!

•2 be brutal and declutter all the toys that aren’t played with on a regular basis. Otherwise the amount becomes quickly overwhelming for both you and your kids. Decluttering needs to be done probably twice a year or around birthdays and Christmas. Obviously, I’m talking to moms with little children. Don’t chuck your teens stuff without getting them on board first 🤫

•3 be minimal in your approach. Even if you’re not a “minimalist” your kids are small people and can’t mentally keep track of lots of stuff. We keep a few basic categories and haven’t branched outside them too much: blocks, wheels and puzzles. Try picking some categories that work for you just to keep yourself between the rails! And they will change as your kids change.

•4 watch to see what your kids enjoy and pour into that. My oldest, for example, prefers books, play dough and coloring supplies to all her “toys.” So we haven’t purchased her toys in months…maybe even since last Christmas. Instead we spend ~$5/month on a new blank coloring pad and washable markers to keep her supplied. Sure I’m now chasing crayons and markers, but I don’t mind as much because they are used!

If none of this is new to you, just take it as an encouragement to keep picking up and fostering a lovely place for your little ones to play learn and grow! What are your toy tips?

23/08/2021

This is a crazy good, healthy pizza recipe which happens to use zucchinis! (Full recipe link in Bio!) It’s a great way to use up the last of the summer zucchini that the whole family will love -pizza! I’m not the sort of person who likes to put vegetables where they don’t belong, but the zucchini in this pizza actually adds to the flavor and texture in a way that I can get behind and no one ever notices that the crust is 50% whole wheat! Shhhh it’s a secret 🤫

I love how this recipe has all the components of a great dish: soft yet crisp crust, crunchy bread crumb topping, well seasoned/tender zucchini and a nicely acidic marinara sauce with a little heat from the garlic! It all works together!

Ingredients:

Dough:
125g All Purpose Flour
125g Whole Wheat Flour
5g instant yeast
1/4 heaped tsp sea salt or table salt
150g or 2/3 cup room temp water

Topping:
2-2.5lbs grated zucchini
1.5 tsp sea salt or table salt
8oz or 2 cups grated cheese (cheddar or Gruyère)
~3TBS bread crumbs (Panko is best)
Opt -pepperoni

Marinara Sauce:
8oz can tomato sauce
1 garlic clove
Pinch of salt
Small splash red wine vinegar
Small splash olive oil

17/08/2021

Sharpening knives if one of my least favorite jobs. I wish someone would just magically come and do it for me once a week to keep my blades razor sharp! That would be amazing!

Alas, the cavalry in not coming and the knives won’t sharpen themselves. When I do take the time to do this chore, I bless myself and my kitchen. Kitchen prep is enjoyable when your knives cut through an onion like butter! I’m not advanced enough in this skill to do the whole wet stone thing, but this automatic knife sharpener does an amazing job!

So as part of my homemaking system, I sharpen my knives on the 2nd week of every month while I focus on my kitchen “zone”. If you have no idea what that means, basically you divide your home into 5 zones and assign each zone to a week of the month. During that week you devote any extra time to doing beyond surface level cleaning/care in that zone. It works amazing! Highly recommend to keep up with the chores that always fall to the bottom of list because they are annoying and take too much time.

🔪

16/08/2021

What are your goals for the first day of the week? Mondays are a key part of everyone’s week and they can either get the week off to a calm, productive start or throw us 3 steps behind where we started. I find routines to be a crucial part of accomplishing my goals and being the best help-meet to Jesse as possible!

I ascribe to the FlyLady system and I have a different routine for each day of the week. It sounds tedious and complicated, but it’s actually really simple and a small investment each day that keeps us between the rails. My Monday “routine” is the longest of the week and is as follows:
-quickly wipe down all bathrooms (including showers)
-vacuum all carpets and rugs
-empty all trash cans
-do a quick workout
-mop if I’m feeling too cool for school

What are your goals for Monday? We all have different homes/family’s with different needs and we can learn from each other! If you would like a more detailed explanation of my routine, check out my latest YouTube video! Link in bio!

14/08/2021