Big Decisions

After much thought, prayer, and consideration my husband and I decided that it would be  best for me to stay at home and not to return to work in the fall as we had originally planned. I'm sure there are many questions regarding our decision, but please know that it is a good thing for us.

One thing I've learned is that I absolutely LOVE being at home. I love serving my husband by taking care of the house and freeing up more of his time. I also love that I can put on my favorite show(s) and multi-task with organizing, cleaning, or sewing. I love that I can focus on getting our apartment to where I want it to be and have much more time to expand my business. I also really love to save money!

I know it might sound crazy to some, but saving money has been a lot of fun for me. I love to try new things and have found a lot of DIY projects to do.

The most recent money saving projects I have done are:

1. Making homemade laundry soap. It was super easy, smells great, and works like a charm.
2. Making homemade baby wipes. No, I'm not pregnant, but we use baby wipes for a variety of things. I like knowing what goes in the products I use and it works well.
3. Making homemade dishwashing detergent. Yep, I've got my first load going as we speak! It's super easy and so cheap!

In addition to all of these things, I don't eat McDonalds everyday, have stopped drinking soda, and try to only go out to eat when invited (sometimes I invite people over so that I can make something here at the house instead). I've learned that I can make a steak that my husband and I like even more than the restaurant and two steaks for dinner is still cheaper than one out!

Overall, I am really looking forward to this new chapter in our lives. We are trusting God to continue to provide so that I am able to stay home and enjoying life at the moment.

So What Wednesday

This week I'm linking up with Shannon over at L.A.I.D. for So What Wednesday.

This week, I'm saying so what if...

• We decided that I'm not going back to work in the fall like we planned. I'm saving money by being at home and love my "new" job.
• I love Mexican food and eat it multiple times a week. Hey, at least I make it at home!
• I like to have long phone dates with friends. Sometimes this means that I don't get as much done, but it's so nice to catch up.
• I have baby fever. I'm turning twenty-eight soon and I'm married. Plus, my husband is really good looking so I can't wait to have his babies.
• I wanted to eat our wedding cake for breakfast on our anniversary. It didn't work out, but is was a great idea.

Sometimes and Always #1

Sometimes...I like to plan things waaaay in advance because it makes me feel in control.

Always...It gets done quickly and makes me more of a sane person.

Sometimes...I try to make a menu plan for the week to make things easier.

Always...I end up doing something completely different based on what I want to eat that day.

Sometimes...I make a list for the store and tell myself I'm going to stick with it and only buy what's on the list.

Always...I find other things that I forgot to put on the list and buy half the store!

Sometimes...I think I'll get up early and reorganize our cluttered apartment.

Always...I end up doing a little bit, running errands, and on the internet.

Goals

One thing I've really been working on this year is trying to be less judgemental. It's horrible to admit (and I think it's the California in me) that I can be very judge-y. I didn't like this about myself so I decided to stop.

The first thing that I realized was that not everyone has to do things by my rules or my way...shocker, I know! But, in all seriousness, this was a huge problem for me. I liked to look at others and express my views on the way they chose to live in regards to spending money and personal decisions mainly.

Realizing that everyone has their own ways of doing things and their own opinions has helped me to be less judgemental. It's their life to live and I have no right to be in their business and tell anyone how to live. Goodness, I have plenty of things to work on in my own life!

This new acceptance of others has been such an eye opener and I'm really happy to make this change.

Is there something you're working on changing?

DIY Homemade Laundry Soap (Review)

I saw a great tutorial found here on how to make your own powder laundry soap. It's supposed to be great for babies, stain removal, and those with sensitive skin. Eventhough we have so much laundry detergent from buying it on sale, I decided to give it a go. I mean, who doesn't like to make things at home and save money?

The first thing that you need is a few ingredients.

(found on the tutorial listed above)

Now, I couldn't find Zote soap, but I was able to purchase FelsNaptha bar soap. I made a half-batch of what is shown above.

I was able to find all of the products easily in my laundry section at my local Walmart. It cost less than $30 and I still have a lot of leftovers for next time!

The great thing about it is that you can use this on your colors and whites and it comes out smelling great! And the best part?

 You only need to use 1-2 Tablespoons per load!!!

That makes it super affordable, right?!

Of course, there are other tutorials out there if you only want a basic blend with three ingredients, but I really love the look, texture, and smell of this laundry soap.

I would definitely recommend giving it a try and would love to hear how it works for you!

P.S. This laundry soap works well in a High Effeciency Washer as it is has very low suds

Saving Money

It's no surprise that my new role of being a stay-at-home wife was a little unexpected. It kind of just came out of nowhere and happened suddenly. Despite these things, we both feel that it is a huge blessing for me to be able to stay at home.

The most difficult challenge from me working to not is definitely changing our spending habits. Going from two incomes to one is a bit of a change. Of course, we have done our budget and should be able to make it work, but there are some things that we are changing to make things more comfortable.

•  Couponing. I had started this a couple of months before leaving my job and it has really paid off! I'm not  a crazy-couponer (yet), but I do love to get a good deal and save some money.
• Driving. I make sure limit my driving when I run errands. I make sure that if there are places that I need to go and they are further away, I wait and get them done while I am in that area so I don't waste gas.
• Dining out. Has been cut back majorly. We invite people over, if possible, instead of going out to eat.
• Clothes shopping. Everyone needs new clothes at some point or another. I was able to score some name brand clothes (gap, american eagle, etc.) at the Goodwill for less than $5 per piece! I know many people frown upon this, but there is a really nice, clean, and kept up store that I only shop at!

These are just some of the ways that I am able to save money to make things easier on our budget. I will be going into more detail about these things and if you have any questions, please let me know!

It's Official!

I am a stay-at-home wife! At least I will be for the next six months!

I know many of you have questions on why I left teaching, but please know that it was the best decision for myself and for my marriage.

Yes, I am ok with our decision. In fact, I am thrilled to be able to take this time and focus on myself, my husband, my business, and our apartment. I love being at home and taking care of everything and having the energy to do so. I am considering this to be a blessing from God!

I do have a job lined up for late summer/early fall that I am really looking forward to. In the meantime, we will be making a lot of changes financially to be able to afford me being home so if we can't go out as much right now, that's ok. I hope you all understand.

Phil and I are really excited about this new opportunity and are looking forward to this change.