DIY sneak peek

A little teaser of the furniture makeover that's been captivating our weekends lately...

If you're wondering about the shadows and grass...we took advantage of the gorgeous weather and had a painting party outside. Yay spring!

Only a few more finishing touches left! Before and after shots coming soon!

introducing: news from the book nook

This post has absolutely nothing to do with food, crafts, or couponing. It's about another love in my semi-frugal life...books. Specifically, children's books.

I'm a children's lit nut. It's the truth. You might as well know now. I can spend hours in a bookstore devouring the newest children's books. I've been known to suggest personal favorites to complete strangers who look bewildered at the volume of books to choose from in the children's section. My heart is full when walking by a impromptu storytime featuring Pigeon and Duckling. Many of my best childhood memories include books...reading The Little House series aloud, devoting a whole tote bag to all the reading material needed while on vacation because I really would fly through ten of them, weekly trips to the library with my mom, bedtime fairy tales, reading/memorizing my first book - Green Eggs and Ham and reciting it to all who would listen...my life would not be my life without a stack of books somewhere nearby.

the library books that currently occupy our coffee table

And now begins my rant...
I believe the books you read your child should be chosen with the same care and attention as those that you read for yourself. Big words and colorful pages do not make a book worthy of bedtime. Nor does the fact that it cost you $3 dollars instead of $12 (let's put my frugalish self aside for today). Or that it has a lovely little pop up at the end of the book. Am I done ranting, yet? No, but I promise there is a point...

My heart hurts when I come across families that have turned reading into a chore. I grow teary (quite literally) and mournful about the problems parents are sometimes unknowingly causing by pushing reading into a mundane task. Never mind the implications of setting your child up for failure in school. It takes the magic, surprise, and enjoyment out of reading. I could write a whole book on the appalling acts I've witnessed against reading from the mouths and hands of parents and caregivers. I could, but I won't because it would a depressing and angry memoir. Thankfully, I could also write volumes about parents who understand the value of reading. Parents who believe in bedtime stories, read alouds, and daily storytimes. Parents who search for books with lyrical language, rich vocabulary, and relate-able books for their children. Parents who know that it is not simply about enabling your child to succeed in life, but providing an avenue for them to dream, imagine, play, learn and grow.

It is in this reading spirit that I present this little series entitled: news from the book nook. Old beloved classics, nonfiction newbies, and hilarious picture books recommendations rolled into informative and fun blog posts. Why? 1) You are never to old to laugh at a Mo Willems book 2) Even the best parents might need some new recommendations 3)  I miss recommending my faves and helping children find that one book that will forevermore be their favorite 4) Because you probably have a baby shower coming up where board books are requested...or maybe that's just my life :)

What does this have to do with being frugalish? Everything! Reading cost nothing and yet it provides so much! The library provides the perfect place to "shop" without sacrificing a penny (just make sure you return or renew on time!).

Stay tuned for the first installment!

cherry chocolate almond oatmeal

Spring is just around the corner, but no one told the weather. It's a cloudy, chilly, windy day. The kind of day that sends drafts through our abode and causes me to spend the day wrapped in three blankets while constantly sipping a cup of hot tea. Nothing satisfies my tummy on cold days like a warm, comforting bowl of steaming oatmeal.

Today, I got doubly creative by trying a new flavor combo and using steel cut oats...I know such a rebel! I recently discovered Trader Joe's Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats on a shopping expedition. We call it an expedition because the nearest store requires hopping the state line and driving a bit...nothing that isn't worth shopping at one of my favorite places! Anyway, TJ's oats cost $2.94 (cheaper than most other steel cut brands) and are a delicious change of pace and texture from the old fashioned oats I typically use. TJ's has also managed to drastically reduce the cooking time. Bundle all those reasons together and you'll understand why the little can found its way into our cart.

On the menu today: cherry chocolate almond oatmeal. Inspired by the flavors of this tart: mini chocolate chips, almonds, and frozen cherries from the summer's bounty mingled together in a bowl of hot goodness. If there are no cherries in your freezer, try raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries instead. A touch of summer flavors with the warmth needed for a windy lion-like March day. Oh and did I mention it's a healthier, but still decadent option for all of us chocoholics!

Cherry Chocolate Almond Oatmeal
1 serving of oatmeal (old fashioned or steel cut...you choose!)
1/4 roughly chopped thawed cherries (fresh works too!)
1 tbsp. almonds (by all means toast these if you'd like - I was simply too impatient)
1 tbsp. mini chocolate chips (regular size work too, but the minis melt and stir evenly into the oatmeal)
the smallest pinch of salt
drizzle of maple syrup (because everything is better with it!)
dash of cinnamon and ginger, to taste

Cook oatmeal according to package directions. Then mix in the other yummy ingredients and eat while still steaming! Enjoy and rejoice that spring is indeed coming...maybe even this weekend!

If you like experimenting with oatmeal flavors, here's are a few other fun flavor combos I found floating around the web: creamy pumpkin pie oatmeal, honey crisp apple cinnamon oatmeal, and four steel cut oatmeal recipes (I promise I came up with the cherry and chocolate idea before I even saw the recipe on this site!).

when the 'mallow's flaming...

Ten homemade marshmallow points for anybody who can name that movie...

Once you've had a real marshmallow, it's so hard to go back. I have nothing against Jet Puff. I was raised in a home where a proper cup of hot chocolate always had a mound of tiny marshmallows on top. And summer childhood dinners on the deck ended with a large flaming marshmallow roasted over the grill. Store marshmallows have their place, but if you have a stand mixer - make your own! The difference in texture and taste have turned me into a marshmallow snob (who still has store-bought marshmallows in her pantry for back up...).

The process to homemade marshmallow perfection is a tad bit messy. You have to work quickly to get the marshmallow fluff out of the mixer while it's still warm. Otherwise, be prepared for a giant hard-lava-like marshmallow mass in your bowl. This is the time to set aside the compulsion to get every last drop out of the bowl and into the pan. You won't do it. Don't attempt it. If you ignore my advice, you will be one hot sugary mess...I may know from experience...

If the process isn't simple, then why make your own? Three reasons you should give it a whirl:

1) The texture is radically different then store bought. When stirred into a cup of steamy hot cocoa a homemade marshmallow s l o w l y melts. Store bought will lose their shape and melt into the abyss in five minutes.

2) The flavor of traditional homemade marshmallows is deliciously vanillay. If you'd like you could use other extracts instead. Perhaps peppermint or raspberry - both great combined with a cup of hot chocolate.

3) The satisfaction that making candy-like things is not only for chocolate shops and kitchen divas. There is indeed beauty in the homemade. For the record: homemade marshmallows are not cost-efficient. It's cheaper to buy the store marshmallows when they go on sale for a dollar, but there's no adventure in store-bought. (unless you count navigating a cart through the narrow aisles of the supermarket on a Sunday an adventure...)

I use Bon Appetit's recipe and my marshmallows turn out perfect each time, but there are tons of similar recipes on the web. The only substitution I make is cornstarch for potato starch because I'm cheap and have never bought potato starch in my life.

Snuggle in with some homemade marshmallows floating in a dreamy swirl of hot cocoa and enjoy the last few remaining weeks of winter properly - hot cocoa in one hand, book in the other, and a blanket in your lap.

frugal find: ibotta app

For all my tech-savvy, deal-loving friends - do you know about the Ibotta app? You could be getting paid to shop! Well, sort of... Download the free app then anytime you purchase one of the items listed on the app take a snapshot of your receipt and redeem it for $$$ in your PayPal account. The catch: you might have to take a quick survey (super quick!) or write a one sentence testimonial on why you like the product.

Oh, did I mention you can still use regular newspaper coupons on the Ibotta item! Not sold yet? The teacher in me will now provide an example to prove the awesomeness of this app:
Soy sauce is on sale for $1.25 and you have a $1 off coupon. You pay $.25 for it in the store, BUT if it's also featured on Ibotta with the potential of redeeming for $.50 then you make $.25! 

I know you're thinking, "that's only a quarter, Caitlin." You could probably just as easily find that amount under your couch cushions, but think about if you redeemed 8 products similarly. $2 in your pocket and with free grocery items in your pantry for the month....I'd say that's living in semi-frugal style!

There are other similar apps available, but Ibotta is my favorite thus far. Easy-to-use, painless, and it has a fun name! One final word to the wise: make sure your grocery store is found on the list of stores working in conjunction with Ibotta. They keep adding new ones so check back often! 

Happy saving!