Murphy's Laws for Moms

Independence is an amazing thing.  I recall moving into my first "real" apartment after college.  My parents were no longer footing the bill.  I had no roommates.  I was responsible for everything: decorating, cooking, cleaning...  My complete independence had begun! What seems like ages since then, I've now learned that independence comes in cycles.  We're continually moving through periods where we become dependent on things and/or people.  Or, others are becoming dependent of us.  Such is the case with parenting. This past week, I have been working with my Sweet Pea on her own independence...mainly so that I can once again have my independence (at least during meal times so that I can sit down and enjoy a hot meal).  We've been working on using utensils to eat, eating finger foods (although nearly every food has become a "finger" food whether I want it to be or not...think applesauce all over the floor!), and entertaining ourselves.  ...

Let's face it; I'm not really made to be frugal.  However, in today's society, frugality can be a necessity.  So, I try.  I have saved money using cloth diapers, making my own baby food and home-cooked meals without going to the grocery store; I gave up clothes shopping for Lent (probably my greatest Lenten sacrifice to date)...I'm making a real effort at not spending money. The difficult thing is that I have wants.  They're not needs.  They're not, "I can't survive without it" or "That will make work so much easier."  No, they are wants...I want what others around me have.  I want the nicer car, the exotic travel, the ease of life that seems to come if I just get that newer gadget...you get the idea.  These are all a part of the "I see - I need" syndrome which I have to resist on an hourly basis. It's not easy to resist these urges.  I am the person that marketing departments are trying to get when they put items in the che...

I have a lot of friends that are gourmet chefs.  While perhaps not classically trained in the art of cooking, as I watch them meander through their kitchens preparing delicacies from around the world, I realize how much of a foreigner I am in my own kitchen.  I tend to stick to the easy-to-prepare, no-fuss recipes.  My go-to recipes tend to include chili, meatloaf, pot roast, enchiladas, grilled chicken, salmon, and spaghetti. My husband is the king of leftovers and so I rarely have to eat this after-thought of my preparations.  I don't like leftovers. However, as I begin this new challenge of not spending money on groceries and simply using what I already have, I found that I have a ton of leftovers in my fridge and freezer.  While, in a typical month, I would probably just toss these if my DH hadn't eaten them in a week, I feel like I need to also partake in this cleansing so that I can truly fulfill the goal of my challenge of not wasting food. Therefore, on ...

Perhaps if you've been reading my blog for a while, you've realized that I'm a person who loves a challenge.  I think that's part of why I've survived being a mom for nearly an entire year...yes, my Sweet Pea is almost one!  It's amazing how fast the time flies.  Granted, I don't remember half of it, but I have my previous blog posts to help me remember it all. As my second year of being a mother begins, I had a thought...really a dare from my husband.  We have saved so much money by using cloth diapers and cloth wipes - as well as making most of our own baby food - that I wonder where else I could save money.  After all, I love to spend money, but I can't spend money I don't have! So, here's the idea.  For the month of March, I am going to attempt to only make meals with items that I already have in my pantry, fridge, and freezer.  I'm going to attempt to spend nothing - or next to nothing - on groceries (which is usually one of our top expe...