Annabeth is 14!

 Last weekend, in addition to celebrating Mark's homecoming, we also had some BIG events for Annabeth. Saturday night was her first high school dance and Sunday was her 14th Birthday!

Homecoming Ready

Mr. Oscar Chase was also all smiles 

Annabeth's shoes are from Amazon (she purchased with a giftcard)

Her dress is from At Home with Heartland (a local Boutique) 

Retro looking hairclips were a $6 (for 5!) find at Marshalls

Before the dance, we met her friend "A" for dinner at Fazoli's. Both girls manage food allergies and the families felt safer if the girls ate safe food before the dance and did not consume anything while at the dance. We were worried about cross contamination, lack of food labels, or improperly labeled foods. We had a fun dinner and it eased all of our worries.

Annabeth loved the dance and is already planning next year's dress and overall look. This year she was channeling "Alice" from Twilight. 

Sunday was her 14th birthday. She was up at 6:30, even after a late dance night, ready for presents before church. With zero toys on her list we went for teenage and practical - a CD, new pajamas, snacks, and her big gift was a new suitcase set. I realized on our Arizona Trip that she is maybe too old to still have an American Girl Suitcase and she agreed. Mark found a fun pink one that will be easy to spot on planes and busses. We passed her AG suitcase along to a sweet little friend of Owen's later in the week.  

We went to early church, met up with a friend who gave her the sweetest gift, and then had lunch out at Jockamo's. Her friend Maggie made some handmade items, gave some snacks, and then also gifted her a little New Testament which she had marked with her favorite passages and verses. We all thought this was such a unique, beautiful gift idea!

We always allow the kids one eat out meal and one paid for activity for their birthday. She said the dance could count as her paid for activity as we paid for tickets. For the afternoon we watched Wicked and then headed out to youth group. Since it was her birthday, we took dinner so she could have just what she wanted. We made BBQ meatballs, BBQ weenies, chips and queso, veggies, and she made an adorable Taylor Swift friendship bracelet themed birthday cake. 

I really felt like a "big kid" mom as I didn't have to 

help at all with her cake. She LOVES baking and was more

than happy to do it all by herself.

Annabeth also led the lesson, music, and games for youth night. She chose a lesson based on her dance solo song for the year "Flowers"  She did such a wonderful job fostering thoughtful conversation based on this song. She chose it about six months ago as her solo and has been excited to share it with everyone she can. It's so true - in the valleys of life God plants the seeds that become the flowers.

Leading  Youth Group

I could not be more proud of our Miracle Girl for using every moment of her life to share God's goodness and grace. I have shared many times that while I waited for the call from NICU to know if she had survived or not, I bargained with God. I pleaded with Him and said "If you just save her - we'll give her to You for life!" He did and so we have. To see her live for Him is the greatest gift! There is nothing she could do that could be more amazing, more powerful, or more meaningful than to do the work that lasts - the work of testifying to His good grace and saving power. 

Happy #14 to our girl! 

Mark is HOME!!!!

Mark is home!! 

I've just wrapped up a season of solo parenting while Mark was away at Bomb School. 

Since around the time Owen was born, Mark has served on our county's Bomb Squad and we have known that whole time that eventually his number would be up for a 6 week course in Alabama. He has been away a week or two each year for smaller trainings but this year was the big one.

He left in the heat of August, pools were still open, we were in shorts and tanks, the house was decorated for summer and now he's home in October. We are working our way through our Fall Bucket List, the house is decorated with pumpkins, and we are ready for fall fun together!

These past weeks have been so incredibly hard. As the primary caregiver and home educator, I am used to long days/nights with the kids. I am used to carrying the bulk of the home/child/errands for our family but somehow knowing that I was going to have to do it completely alone overwhelmed me. I was a mess before he left, sobbing as I tried to learn to use the weedeater so I didn't have to pay for yard help, and crying myself to sleep each night. (I'm thankful he didn't RUN out the door at that point)

In the first few weeks, I was incredibly bitter and jealous. I've certainly never gotten to come home and say "Hey, I'm headed out of town for 6 weeks..." I tried, but failed, to be happy for him as he lived a dream and accomplished a goal that he has worked hard for. 

In the middle, thankfully, my parents and sister had us along for a big trip to Arizona. We got away, relaxed, saw somewhere new, and I came home refreshed. I came home focused. I came home determined to savor these weeks of just the kids and me.

We certainly didn't carry on as normal. They had extra TV time, they had cereal for dinner one night, we ate pizza rolls every week, and my yard hasn't been weedeated since my dad kindly did it in Week 2 BUT we did it. I did it. 

We are SO proud of Mark's hard work at school, for all of the 100s on his exams, for passing with flying colors and coming home with ideas to help train his team better. 

I did not share outside of a small circle of friends/family that Mark would be gone so long as I didn't feel entirely safe with everyone knowing he was gone. In turn, this lead to some confusion as the kids and I took a trip to Michigan City and the Arizona Trip and Mark was noticably absent in pictures as well as in our daily lives. Have no worries, we are happily married, we were just long distance for a bit like our dating/engaged days. I am forever proud to be married to an honest, hardworking man, who shows integrity in all aspects of his life. Welcome home my love. 

Our Fall 2025 Bucket List

 Hello Frugal Friends!

Many of you enjoyed reading our Summer 2025 Bucket List and now that we've completed it, I wanted to share our Fall 2025 Bucket List.

As a reminder, the kids choose these items without any kind of prompting or guidance (clearly). I LOVE seeing what they actually want to do...it's always so simple! So instead of running myself ragged giving them alllll the fall fun this year, we are just going to do what they want. Here's to affordable family fun!

Riley Family Fall 2025 Bucket List

Register for 4H (October 1)

Start 4H Projects

Take photographs for 4H

Annabeth's Birthday (October 5)

Chicken Fingers/Mashed Potatoes/Gravy/Corn Dinner

Make Homemade Starbucks

Vacation with Kuhns (Scheduled)

Apple Orchard with Cousins

Fall Camp (Owen and Mark)

Go on a Fall Hike

Go to a Football Game (Scheduled)

Bake a Pie

Playdate with Neighbors

Zoo Teen Sign-Ups

Trick-or-Treat with the Sichting Family (October 31)

Throwback to Fall 2017 and my favorite

picture from October ever!

I am looking forward to a busy fall filled with the things we want to do!

What's on your Fall Bucket List? 

2,025 in 2025!

 Yesterday we finished our 2,025 in 2025 Decluttering Challenge!

Surprised?!

ME TOO!

If you remember, we cleared out 2,024 items in 2024. We finished in late September, having actually started in November of 2023. It was a project I took on, inspired by my friend Justina over at Well Planned Mama, and that the family went along with it. In the end, we all learned a lot! I was VERY into the project and loved the process. I shared many updates last year on the blog and loved talking about it with people in "real life" too. I felt accomplished, in control, and excited that we had done it. Mission Complete.

So...imagine my surprise when on January 1, 2025 Mark and the kids asked where our 2025 coloring sheet was and where we would declutter first! I had no intention of doing the project again or asking them to do it again but they asked - so we did! 

Now, not even all the way through August, we are 2,025+ items lighter!

Annabeth decluttered and colored in the final 10 squares yesterday!

Last year I made a point of not setting monthly goals or personal goals and that worked really well for the family. This year I only had the goal that I wanted to be patient and try to sell more than last year. Last year felt like a frantic rush to let things go but this year the house already felt more manageable. In 2024 we made just over $500 from our decluttering and this year we made just over $1700. This was a huge blessing in our budget as we spent a decent amount of money on gas, experiences, and lodging as we traveled Indiana and to the kids dance nationals. I am thankful that we were able to turn stuff into money for experiences!

So...where do we go from here?

Well, we already have three huge totes filled and tagged for the HWGA Kids' Sale in October. These items are NOT included in our 2,025 items gone so we're already well on our way to keeping the trend of letting go, going!

ALL of this is leaving soon!

Another 100+ items headed to new homes

How do I feel now that it's done?

I am glad we did it again! When my Momaw passed in June, we were blessed with many items from her home. We took some furniture, clothing, decor, Christmas ornamnets, etc and thus quite a few items entered our home. Thankfully, we knew right where each item was going to live and how we wanted to use them. Our decluttering journey helped us wisely choose to bring in only items that we love and/or that serve us well. It's given us the confidence to say "I don't need that" and even "I don't want that" when offered something or out shopping. We choose to bring in less, manage what we have, and to continue to bless others with our excess. 

Secretly, I am hoping we've created such a standard of letting go that we won't even need to color and track in the future. I hope that we've all learned to simply let go when it's time to do so.

Are you on a decluttering journey? Are you meeting your goals? 

Peace on the Little Pigeon River

 July 5 we headed to Pigeon Forge, TN for the kids' dance nationals. It was our third year in Pigeon Forge and we were already dreading the huste and bustle of the parkway. If you read my last post you know that our summer has been filled with loss, grief, changes, and many days an overall sad spirit. Needless to say, we were not in the mood for overpriced mini-golf, wax museums, or crazy souvenier shops. 

Our first morning in Pigeon Forge was a Sunday and instead of worshipping online with our church from home, I found that First Methodist had a service time that worked with our dance schedule. I made the short drive and found myself, in the middle of the PF Strip, at the sweetest brick church right along the Little Pigeon River. The sign out front told me of church ancestors who had built this little place after the last pandemic and a historic flood over 100 years ago.

Just beyond that tree is the Little Pigeon River

Inside, I was warmly welcomed like a lost friend. Seated in the "Midwest section" among other out-of-staters from Ohio, I was greeted by the pastor and most of the church members. I heard "Glad to see ya" and "What brings ya'll here?" and "So glad you've stopped in today" over and over again. 

Seated on a pew, well worn by 100 years of use, I worshipped alongside those in their Sunday best, those decked out in Dollywood souvenier gear, and even a gal ready for her next work out. We sung old hymns accompanied by a piano and organ that have been used by several generations and worshipped the One who's been here for all time. 

In a church who's mission statement read "...to make disciples of Jesus Christ who worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly" it was a JOY to commune with them. I typically choose to visit Methodist churches while traveling as they all practice open communion, allowing for any and all to commune with them. As the pastor welcomed all to the table he said, "Welcome All. We care not what journey in life brought you here today or where you are in your spiritual journey just that you are in this space with us today. Because you are here, you are welcome."

During prayers, they asked for names to be spoken aloud

for the church to hold in prayer. I took this as I spoke dear Halle's name

into the silence. In the moments that followed, a congergation of strangers

lifted her name in prayer alongside me.

At the end of service, this church often filled with travelers, acknowledges that many will never worship together or in that space again, and thus they sing "God Be With You Till We Meet Again." Someday, other the other side of the River of Life, we'll all sing and worship together.

Dear Readers, if you have not yet found a place to worship that says "I'm SO glad you're here" or "You're welcome just as you are" - I am in prayer for you! It is my dearest desire that all would find a church home that is warm, welcoming, and inclusive. If you're local to me, please ask about our church home and how you have a place there. 

Dear Readers, if you already have such a church home - are you welcoming all who stop by on their journey? Are you grasping the hands of others, making eye contact, welcoming them in on this day that your paths have crossed?

I have written Psalm 40:10* and Acts 20:24** on my heart and aim to live them daily. Friends, even in this hard season, I am living in faith, in hope, and in the promise that God loves us. ALL of us! God has chosen us to be here in this time, living for Him, and for His people. My goal is to speak Truth, to love big, and to witness boldly that all might know Him. I am thankful for that quiet reminder on the banks of the Little Pigeon River. Amen.

* "I do not kept the Good News hidden in my heart. I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power. I have told everyone of your unfailing love and faithfulness." - Psalm 40:10 

** "I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given to me - the task of testifying the Good News of Jesus Christ." - Acts 20:24  

Where We've Been...

 Hello Frugal Friends.

Long time no "see"

It's been a month since I've posted, probably the longest break I've taken since beginning blogging in 2008. 

Our June was . . . 

I don't know how to describe our June.

The end of May, we had the most beautiful day with my Momaw. We had lunch with her, talked about home projects, celebrated Owen's birthday, and for a bit of the afternoon just she and I sat in her living room. I read a long time ago that "grandparents are your first best friends" and that is 100% true for me. Momaw was always my voice of reason, encouragement, and her pride in me was just what I needed when I was unsure. We left that evening with a "See you next Friday."

Over that weekend, we celebrated Owen's 10th birthday a day early with a trip to the Indianapolis Zoo for the rhino experience. He was thrilled to meet his favorite animals and watching him pet them was a gift to me as much as it was to him. There was a long moment where he stood, eyes closed, hands to the side of a rhino and it was almost like a religious experience. I could feel him speaking to the rhinos soul and back. 

Owen turned 10 on June 2 and that same evening Momaw entered the Life Eternal. 

We did indeed go back to visit her that Friday - for her funeral - but we did go. Like many funerals, it brought family in from far away, put nearly everyone in the family in the same space at the same time, and I tried to enjoy that gift. God is always good, always working for us, and we all couldn't help but smile that the route from church to the cemetery (without any planning by the family) took us past the Barnard-Jones building at KWC, her favorite bread shop, the old neighborhood, the country club, and past her favorite orchard. It was one last tour with her of all of her favorite places. 

We spent a week+ in Evansville/Owensboro with our family, doing what needs done to begin the process of closing a house. Then we came home to our busiest week of summer - VBS and six dance shows all in one week. My parents came up for that week and we enjoyed even more time together.

Last week, Annabeth had her favorite week of summer - Production Camp and Owen and I finished our Indiana Counties tour. We also said "See you soon" to one of our pastors. As United Methodists, we are always changing pastors and this was our third to leave since 2020. We'll say "hello" to our second new one in just a few weeks. I love our church and this tradition as we faithfully accept the will of God for leadership in our church but it isn't always easy as we truly miss the people. 

As we left church that afternoon, I said "Lord. Please no more." 

Then we got word that a dear little girl, a friend of Annabeth's since Kindergarten, was in a car accident. We've spent day and night since then praying for Halle and for her family. Just like my Mama, I'm one for pacing the house at 3 AM when I can't sleep, and I've covered many miles it seems as I pray for Hal and her family. I am so thankful for a BIG God who can do BIG things. If you would, join us in prayer for her.

This month I have not been at my best. I have not shown up for others as I probably should have. I have not felt like connecting but God had a different plan. In a month when I've wanted to be selfish and sad, God has given us neighbors who needed lawn care help, friends who needed meals made, birthdays to celebrate, and life to live. 

Today I am so thankful to be here, for my children to have started school this week, and for the gift of serving God and others every single day. 

Thank you for your patience as I let this space go to hold space in "real life" for work that needed to be done there. 

See you next week Frugal Friends! 

Owen and I found solace in a tiny house in the woods.

We saw deer, rocked in a hammock, and

walked down the road for dinner. 

Our Summer 2025 Bucket List

For the past few Christmas seasons, we've had the kids made a Christmas Bucket List. I found when we did it the first year that what the kids wanted was always very simple and small compared to what I thought they wanted.

We've never done a Summer Bucket List before but last year we saw our friend the Swanson Family's list. Annabeth remembered and asked if we could do it this summer too. 

While I know most people are just beginning summer, we are already at our halfway break from school. We go back July 1 so we've been really working on crossing items off. Our goal is to finish our list by August 1st. 

Riley Family Summer Bucket List

Sign Up for Summer Reading

Finish Summer Reading (I'm the only one not done)

Finish Indiana Tour (9 counties to go!)

Visit Momaw

Visit Eblings

Movie Night with Sichtings

Cook-Out with Friends

Annabeth Learn to Mow Lawn

Eat Ice Cream Cones

Play in Backyard Sprinkler

Swim in a Pool

Wash Cars

Go to Farmer's Market

Owen to Summer Camp (Scheduled)

Annabeth to Production Camp (Scheduled)

Annabeth Post-Dance Haircut (Appointment Booked)

Ice Cream Cones ON our Indiana Tour

2 Birds, 1 Stone.

I love doing these lists with the kids because it shows me what really matters to them! It's never big, fancy, or expensive. They truly love seeing family and friends, being together, and simple fun. 

Do you have a summer bucket list? What plans are you most excited about?

Frugal Friday 574

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Friday to Sunday my parents kept the kids and Oscar for us. They went to the Strawberry Festival, played MANY games, spent Saturday in Nashville (IN), and sooooo much more! My parents have had an incredibly busy spring caring for my Momaw and I am so thankful that they were kind enough to set aside this weekend to help us. The kids loved having them here!

- While they stayed home, Mark and I went to Cincinnati to celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary. For Mark's birthday in March, I gifted him a hotel stay and tickets to the Reds/Cubs game. We found lots of free fun (I detailed it on my business Facebook page) and had fun on budget! Free stops included 21c hotel museum, William Howard Taft Presidential Site, Fountain Square, Findlay Market, Taft Museum of Art, and the riverfront. We parked our car on Friday and left it in the garage until Sunday. We walked over 10 miles exploring the city! We had a great time away, reconnecting. 

At the Cubs/Reds Game.

It was my first MLB game and I was excited to cheer for the Cubs.

My Grandma Chico was a huge, lifelong Cubs fan so it was really special

for me to see them play in person. 

- Sunday before coming home from Cincy, we stopped at Jungle Jim's. We found many Anna-Safe items and an incredible sale on crab cakes! We also bought lots of little treats for the kids.

- Monday we made a huge lunch for Memorial Day. Mark smoked ham and chicken. Mama and I made squash casserole, macaroni and cheese, green beans, and mashed potatoes and gravy. Annabeth made strawberry shortcake and a cookie cake. It was excellent! We ate it for leftovers for three meals.

- My sister came up for the day and while she was here she gifted Owen his birthday gift from her. She gave him a grocery store shopping spree. Together they went to Meijer and he chose: ice cream, fizzy waters, Mexican sodas, chocolate milk, Doritos, sushi, and watermelon. I think this is the third time she's given him this gift and he LOVES shopping with her for items of his own choosing. 

With Aunt Lu and his haul.

She also let him choose some Hot Wheels and toy cars. 

I am so thankful for the aunt and friend she is to my kids!

- After lunch and birthday excitement, us ladies all went to Goodwill to thrift. Each of the adults found a couple of items and Annabeth found five items. Thanks to a 10% off deal + a gift card, Mama spent under $50 for everything. One of Annabeth's sweatshirt was new with tags for $65 so we definitely came out WAY ahead of retail pricing! Thank you Mama for the fun outing!

- My sister brought some clothes to trade after cleaning out her closet. Annabeth and I each kept a few pieces and we will pass on the rest. Her clean out motivated me to do my own!

- Tuesday evening was Owen's last Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. I cannot believe that by next spring he will be in Scouts! Owen and Mark worked on his car for days and days. In the end, he was very proud of his design and placed 2nd Overall!

2nd place winner

Gold and Green design.

I especially liked the gold weights under the window!

- Mark cleaned out the garage some this week. We listed many items for sale. So far he has passed on one large item and sold another. The item he sold was a large set of cot bunk-beds. We bought them used several years ago but have only ever used while "camping out" in the living room. Neither kid ever wants to be on the top bunk and we end up just putting them side by side. We have plenty of cots to serve that purpose so these were just sitting in storage. We sold them for more than we paid for them so that was a win! 

- After being inspired by my sister, I cleaned out my closet and only found three items that I didn't immediately like. Here in Central Indiana, we're mid-seasons and wearing everything from shorts to sweats on a daily basis so I found it a tough time to clear out. I plan to do it again at the end of summer and to part ways with anything I don't wear this summer. Of the three items, one was donated and two went to Annabeth's closet. Both were sentimental items I haven't worn in 10+ years but now will fit her. One was a lace top I thrifted in San Fransisco and the other was a sundress I bought in Florida on our honeymoon. Neither have fit in ages but I am very attached to the memory of buying both and felt joy when I saw them in my closet. Now, I think I'll find even more joy seeing her wear them.

We're looking forward to a busy weekend with family, friends, and the biggest birthday surprise we've ever planned for one of the kids!

Happy Savings to All! meije

Frugal Friday 573

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Friday night we had stir-fry dinner and movie night. We made chicken sti-fry, egg rolls, and watched many episodes of Gilmore Girls. It was much more affordable than eating out and still felt special.

- Saturday afternoon we enjoyed a swim birthday party for one of Owen's favorite friends. The pool was kind enough to give swim passes to guests beyond just the party time and so the kids were able to swim the whole afternoon. Thank you to my sweet friend Lauren who sent home the extra Anna-Safe treats she had purchased for the party. I am forever thankful for friends who have safe foods for Annabeth. 

- Sunday after church we went to my nephew's baseball game. After the game, we went to Mark's mom's house for dinner and belated Mother's Day. I am so thankful for the gift of cousins for my kids - they truly love spending time with all of their cousins.

- Mark's mom did a grocery delivery order. When it came, it had bottled water that she doesn't care for. They refunded her for those and sent the correct ones. She kindly gave us the three cases!! We plan to take them on a trips later this summer. 

- Somehow over the course of our booster seat years, we ended up with five seats across our vehicles and the grandparents' vehicles. I've passed two along to a friend and last weekend I passed along the remaining three to a friend who is a social worker in the city. She will be able to use these to drive some of her clients. We were glad to have the room in the garage and to have them go where they will be used.

- Monday our friend Kelley and her girls had us over. With her church ladies group, she had started some diamond dot suncatchers that will be given to a local nursing home. We were able to complete nearly all of the rest of them as we visited. Annabeth particularly enjoyed this activity. Kelley is a great encouragement to me in always finding ways to bless others. 

- Tuesday we dropped a science text book off to a friend. We finished it this spring and she mentioned looking for something different for her daughter for next year. I was happy to pass it along! 

- The kids had studio dance pictures this week. As always, we did not buy any pictures. With our dance fees the kids do already get pictures from competitions do we don't spend double buying the studio ones too. Saved: TONS of money

- My debit card is set to expire next month. The new one arrived, I activated it, but chose not to save it to any of my devices. This stopped me from impulse spending this week. Saved: $25

- Last night my parents treated all of us to dinner at Bucca di Beppo for our anniversary. Mark's mom also let us know that she will keep the kids for us for a whole day so we can have a day date sometime! Thank you all! 

Frugal Fails:

- Somehow, even though we double check everything, Annabeth and I left her jazz shoes at her last competition venue. We didn't notice there or while processing the bags at home but we did notice when it came time for pictures this week. We searched the cars and house and didn't find them. So, she borrowed some for pictures and I ordered a new pair. This was especially painful as she had worn them literally four times and they would have worked for the next few years :( 

- Based on previous years' Nationals schedules and the kids' routines this year, I had guessed we would only be away four nights this summer. We've paid a ton for condos the past two years in Pigeon Forge so I decided to book a hotel room to save BIG. A tentative schedule has come out and it shows the kids will dance every day of the competition meaning we will be there seven nights. At the hotel, this would be an additional $500+ As it was a basic hotel room with mini fridge and no other ammeneties, I decided to check VRBO and AirBnB to see if anything was left for about the same price. In the end, I found a condo for a little less than the extended hotel stay. I am excited this means we will be able to cook with a full kitchen vs eating quick food in a hotel room or being very tempted to eat out. While we don't love spending the additional money in rentals and also three more days of paying a dog sitter, I was relieved to find a rental around the same price as the hotel. 

Celebrating 19 years since we met this weekend

AND 16 years since our wedding day today.

Happy Sweet Sixteen My Love. 

Happy Savings to All!

Frugal Friday 572

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Last week, when we realized our new furnace/ac unit didn't use the same filters as our old one, I put our extras on Facebook for free. Within just a few minutes a friend claimed them and picked them up from our house the next day. Part of our decluttering journey has been the fun of giving away SO many items for free! 

- Mark spent a day giving speeches at one of the schools. They gave him a little gift basket as a thank you. He brought home a nice pen, coupon for a free McDonald's meal, candy, and a giftcard to Main & Madison which he kindly gave to me! 

- Saturday the kids had most of their group dances at a competition in Zionsville. The boys drove up separately to tick Boone County off our list. I left them to their own devices and instead of choosing some free fun they went to Greek's Pizza. They did compare it to our local one and said it's way better. They brought us girls leftovers and thus none of us ate the lunch I had packed. Saturday night we packed away the cooler food into the fridge and saved it for our Sunday lunch. 

- Sunday was Mother's Day. Both of our moms were out of state visiting family so we had the day with just the four of us. Owen had dance so he and I were in Zionsville from 9-3. Mark and Annabeth mowed the lawn, made a homemade cookie cake, and smoked chicken + Mac-and-cheese for dinner. On the way home from the competition, Owen and I popped into a "fancy" northside Goodwill. We were a little disappointed to not find nicer items then we find on our side of town but I did find a nice sweatshirt for Annabeth and a pair of pants for me. I had a giftcard so it was $0 OOP.

For Mother's Day they got me cute little items from one of my favorite local boutiques.

They knew I would appreciate that they shopped small, local, and woman owned! :) 

Annabeth chose this fun hairbow for me. 

It was such a great gift as it's something I would look at in the store

but never splurge on. 

Also, I love the dance costumes - always momming haha

- We had lots of free fun this week - visiting parks, going to the library, house projects put off during the school year, and lots and lots of board games!

- Wednesday morning Owen had a haircut downtown. We stopped in Main & Madison afterwards and I grabbed a salad for me and a drink for him. Thank you to Mark's mom for the gift card. $0 OOP

- Our neighbor planted her totatoes and had two extra plants. She kindly gifted them to us for our patio. Saved: $5

- Last night was our mom's planning meeting for next year for our co-op. The returning members hosted a pitch-in to welcome the new moms. The sign-up came out the week we were hosting Annabeth's Confirmation luncheon. I signed up for plates, napkins, and utencils. I brought items that we already had on hand (leftover from her party) so $0 OOP! 

This week we started Summer School. People often ask what our summers look like so I'll share here. The first week after school lets out I try to have zero requirements of the kids. They get long lazy days of reading, crafting, playing outside, TV, etc. Then, Week Two-End of Summer we have at least 30 minutes of reading a day and a math lesson a day. The reading has looked different over the years with everything from piles of picture books, to read aloud, to their own chapter books, and even audio books. The point is -we read! As for math, I've always mixed it up too. Addition races, games, out loud questions, multiplication races, and now they are each doing a lesson of next year's math. The average school child can lose two years of skills over the summer (they call it the Summer Slide) and it makes life SO much easier at back to school time if there hasn't been a big break in learning. We do these skills every day that we are home all day. If we're out on an adventure, at VBS, have company, etc we do not do Summer School. 

I hope that's helpful for anyone looking to continue summer learning with your kids!

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 571

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- I took each of the kids on a little coffee date over the past few weeks. My best friend had given me a gift card and this was a fun way to use it! $0 OOP.

- Mark and I got ice cream one evening. I used a free Blizzard from the Dairy Queen App to make for a very cheap date. 

- We don't shop at Meijer super often but they do have some items we cannot find anywhere else. I made sure to use our "Free Item" coupons that came in the mail this month. We got a free peanut butter and free yogurt. Saved: $4.28

- Sunday the kids had a dance competition in downtown Indy. Our arrival time was 6 AM and we didn't leave until 8 PM. We packed along lunch and snacks. The boys went home midday for a break to let Oscar out. Although it cost them gas and time, it was more affordable than hiring a dog walker to come in for him. I did splurge on the way home and we ordered pick up pizza. After 14 hours of dance, I was in no mood to cook. I did use $2 Papa John's bucks and a 20% off coupon.

One year, Annabeth and I had seen another studio with the cutest, studded

studio jackets. We've talked about them on and off ever since. Annabeth thrifted

this black jean jacket last fall and a few weeks ago my dad got her the STYLE patches

for her to make her own. It turned out SO cute and earned her lots of compliments. 

- Monday, after two weeks without heat or ac, we had our new unit installed. I am very, very thankful that this happened in April/May when it didn't make any difference to not have anything running. We've had beautiful weather and typically don't run heat or air for most of April-early June anyway. We were excited that the new unit came in about $400 less than we thought. Even so, this was a major expense so are busy looking at our monthly budget to figure out how to trim it down to rebuild savings. Expect a LOT of free, frugal fun to appear here over the summer. 

- At my Wednesday night job, they often have excess food, supplies, etc that are donated. Once the group members go through, the volunteers can choose from what is left. This week's donation included some new-with-tag clothing basics donated from Maurice's. I chose 8 items for Annabeth and myself. We replaced worn out items in our dressers for free! 

- I ordered an item from Amazon that didn't come in exactly how I wanted. When I went to return it, Amazon told me that they would give me a full refund in the form of Amazon gift card and that there was no need to return the item. I will give the item as a gift in the future. I will also save the gift card amount until fall birthdays or maybe even Christmas as I don't shop online often at all. 

- Mark was sick all last week, I came down with it last Friday, and Owen started feeling poorly Monday. As a result, we've laid low the past two weeks trying to recover as quickly as possible. The worst part has been a persistent, dry, hacking cough. We hope to be fully through it soon.

Wednesday evening, I came home to our neighbor mowing our front yard. I was so surprised as he's a new neighbor, and we don't speak often. When I got out of the car to thank him, he just said he knew it had been rainy and maybe we needed that little bit of help getting ahead of Thursday's rain. It was such a simple, but deeply meaningful, act of kindness for us. It felt so wonderful to be seen and helped. It was a living reminder to us to always seek opportunities to be the hand and feet of Jesus. 

We are looking forward to another dance weekend! Good luck to our SDA Family at our last regional of the season!

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 570

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Last Friday we spent the day in Elkhart with our friends the Evans family. We enjoyed time at their house and had a snack lunch. Spent $0 for many hours of fun!

- The kids and I rounded out a 9 county tour of Northern Indiana. I found a good hotel deal for under $100/night at a very safe, clean place. Especially traveling alone with the kids I did not want to risk an unfamiliar area so I stayed right where I knew how to get places and with a chain I was comfortable with. We spent $45 on gas as we drove many miles and $30 on stops. We supported a small family owned bakery and local candy shop with that $30.

- Friday night through Sunday the boys had Spring Camp with the Scouts. They camped at Lakeview for the first time in a while and I know Mark really enjoyed sharing that special place with Owen. Together they caught around 80 fish which was the highlight of all of the stories from campt this week.

One of the MANY fish they caught.

- While the boys were gone, Annabeth and I enjoyed a Girls' Weekend. She had really looked forward to this and asked for pasta dinner and lots of Gilmore Girls. Saturday we spent lunch with co-op friends and it was the sweetest, sunniest afternoon with dear friends. The highlight for me was as the girls waited in line for their lunch a worship song came up on the playlist and together we all sang. It was sweet.

- Sunday after church we went to my nephew's baseball game. It's his first year playing and we loved cheering him on. He's been great about sitting through Owen's games over the years and we were excited to cheer for him now!

- Mark worked many overtime hours. We find that just as school kids get Spring Fever - so do grown-ups! He always has some strange cases this time of year. 

- In early April, I placed an order for a a nephew's birthday gift with 3+ weeks for delivery. It's been stuck in Ohio since April 11 with UPS saying they've handed it off to USPS and USPS saying they never got it. I asked the seller to either refund or send again once we were 10 days passed the delivery date. They haven't been good about responding to my messages so I finally filed a claim with my bank for failure to receive. They have refunded me the money. I doubt the original item will ever appear and at least now I have my money back. 

- In looking through my e-mails about that order, I realized I never got a confirmation for another item. I had seen a sunscreen shared over and over again by influencers and one had a great code for it. I went through her link, used the code, and had the money come out of my account before Easter. When I realized it never arrived, I went through to look for tracking. Then I discovered I never even got an e-mail. I wrote the company to see if they could resend it, or at least give me an Order/tracking number. I was a little worried I had ordered through a shell company instead of the real one as I've had that happen with Instagram before. This was not the case though! I had an answer, with order number and tracking, within 12 hours. I cannot wait for it to arrive!

- Annabeth took an online high school math class this year. It was $10.97/month. I realized mid-April that she would only have a couple of lessons after the April payment so we stacked her final unit on fewer days to save the final $10.97 payment. I spent quite a bit on next year so every little bit we can save on school this year will help! 

- Yesterday was our last co-op event of the year - Field Day! We played kickball, did stations, and enjoyed a gorgeous spring morning together. I am very thankful for this group of friends to do life with. 

- Yesterday was our last day of school! Annabeth completed 8th, and some of 9th grade, this year and Owen completed 4th grade. I am forever thankful to be a homeschool family! Our tradition is to eat out on the last night of school, our kids are townies so they chose The Willard. We had a great dinner out and used a $5 off coupon on our meal. We had a movie and living room camp-out to complete the festivities. I love that even though they are "big kids" they still want to celebrate this way. 

We are looking forward to a busy and fun two months of summer! We use May and June to wrap up dance, visit family, celebrate some special events, and to work on 4H projects. I find it hard to believe that when we head back to school in July that I'll be teaching my last year of grade school and my first year of high school! 

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Thursday 569

 Happy Frugal Thursday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- My mama kindly took us to Costco ahead of a weekend luncheon. This allowed us to buy in bulk and save from buying more smaller quanities from a regular grocery. Thank you to my parents for helping us with this huge grocery purchase! It made feeding everyone much easier for us. 

- We had a great weekend with my family in town. We took lots of walks, played hours of card games, went to several parks, and did eat out two times. My parents treated us to lunch and we took everyone out for ice cream and treats on evening. We ate the rest of the meals at home. 

- Sunday was Easter and Annabeth's Confirmation. We are so proud of her willingness to share her faith and to serve our church community. We welcome her to full membership in the UMC and look forward to helping her live and love like Jesus. 

Her life and Confirmation verse is John 16:33

thus the "Take Heart" cake 

- We, as always, did not give our kids any kind of Easter candy/baskets/gifts. My parents always have done an egg hunt for the kids with candy inside the eggs and Mark's mom does Easter baskets. That is more than enough for or our kids, especially as we don't feel it is a holiday about gifts other than the gift of Eternal Life through Christ Jesus. 

- Monday afternoon I received a Nielsen survey postcard. It took me less than 4 minutes and I received a $20 gift card for my time. 

- Mark took on his biggest bulk order with his Marked By Riley business. He worked several evenings to complete it. We are thankful for friends who choose to support our small businesses. Mark's Custom Sewing Business and my travel business. 

- I changed a hotel reservation for next month. When I booked it originally, it was cheaper on one site vs another. I looked again to be sure I still had the best deal and the price had dropped overall + a different site had it for even less. I cancelled our original one and rebooked. Saved: $70

- I cannot eat egg yolks due to an intolerance. I have eaten egg whites only for years but this week Just Egg had a deal on their Instagram that if you bought their plant based eggs they would refund your entire purchase. We were able to find them at Kroger to try. Saved: $8.49

- Sadly our air conditioner unit is beyond repair. It's original to the house, from 1998, and we have limped it along with some fixes over the years but it's time. Mark called several places, got several quotes and opinions, and found the best deal for us. I am so thankful this came in 70 degree April so we didn't feel rushed by a heatwave into this huge purchase. 

I am posting a day early because the kids and I are off for an Indiana Adventure today and tomorrow. We are most looking forward to visiting friends!!

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 568

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Friday afternoon Annabeth and I got our nails done. While this may not seem frugal, and it wouldn't be if it was a regular habit, BUT it was my birthday gift from Mark and the kids. He kindly gifted me enough for both of us to go. I saved it until right before Easter/Annabeth's Confirmation so she could have the fun of beautiful nails for this special weekend. 

- On Saturday, the boys took a tour of the Statehouse with Owen's Cub Scout Pack. Mark had not been before and Owen didn't remember much from our previous tours. A leader in the group paid for lunch for everyone so the boys also enjoyed a pizza lunch down on the Circle. They had a great time out, learning together.

- Saturday wrapped up the Kids' Sale. I felt very happy with my sales and my Express people's sales. When I break it down by hour, I typically make $30/hour worked and feel like it's a fairly easy way to add to our travel income. 

- Sunday after church, I picked up all of our leftover sale items. I took them to the free table at our co-op yesterday as we had some great homeschool books, books, and clothing leftover. I hope others were thrilled with their finds. 

- We spent time at Mark's mom's house this weekend. We helped with some yard work, shared a meal, and spent lots of time enjoying spring together. Sunday was his parents' 40th Wedding Anniversary which meant everyone missed his dad a little extra.

- I did a declutter on my Instagram. I had realized that I was following a ton of accounts that I was just scrolling right past each day. Even though it isn't "stuff" clutter around the house it's still clutter in my mind. I unfollowed around 50 accounts and now see more of what I want to see*

- Tuesday the kids and I escaped to the woods. We've been running non-stop and I just wanted some peace. We hit a great trail near Lake Salomonie in Wabash County. While the forest floor was greening up, the trees were still pretty bare. I let the kids each move at their own pace (we always wear bright hats in the woods so we can track each other) and we all came away from our time in the woods with some real peace. We technically didn't have the time, at all, for it this week but it was so needed and truly the best use of an afternoon.

At the top of Kissing Falls. 

The creek was flowing enough for a waterfall but still shallow enough

for us to cross safely at the top.

Owen at Frog Falls

Kissing Falls.

The kids were thrilled with the flow here.

I honestly thought it was going to be so much more after

all of the rain lately but they were still excited.

- Tuesday evening I took a meal to a family in town. The mom works at our local library and has been such a blessing to us in our library years! The husband had heart surgery last week so when I saw the ask for meals, I signed right up. I took over pasta Alfredo, bread, salad, and Mark's cookies.

- Wednesday afternoon we stuffed the Easter bags for church. At our church, the children find empty eggs (the tomb was empty so our eggs are a reminder of that) and they exchange them for a goodie bag. In the bags we have candy and information about our children's ministry and family ministry events. 

- This week the kids' 4H club had t-shirt orders. Owen immediately wanted one which was fine with me as he's always just had Annabeth's hand-me-downs. Annabeth decided she didn't love the design and will choose to keep wearing her one from several years ago. I LOVE that our kids don't have to immediately have what everyone else has or what they think everyone else is getting. 

- I did the bulk of our homeschool curriculum shopping for next year thanks to some online sales. I was able to save $75 + shipping costs by shopping this week vs other weeks. I will say we are spending over $250 more than ever before but I am proud to have waited for sales and sourced things as affordably as I could. I honestly cannot believe next year I'll be teaching 5th and 9th grade - pretty wild for a family who said "We'll try it a year and see how it goes..." in 2013. I thank and praise the Lord for the gift of homeschooling our children. 

- Last night we had the kids Spring Review at our co-op. Owen's class shared facts about space and the 7 continents. Annabeth's class made yearbooks for the group and handed those out. We had a special night celebrating their accomplishments. They were so excited to have Grandmama, Grandpa, and Nana all there. I am SO thankful for the women who pour into our co-op by sharing their time and talents. 

We are looking forward to a very special Easter weekend and cannot wait to shout, "He is Risen!" 

Happy Savings to All! 

*One note about social media. I make it a habit to immediately unfollow anyone who agitates me, makes me want to lash out with a quickly typed response, or makes me feel inferior about my own life/income/home/etc. 9/10 these people aren't people in my real life but rather "influencers" and if they aren't influincing me to have good, positive thoughts then I don't need to follow them. 

Frugal Friday 567

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Last Friday, Oscar had his annual vet visit. He never does very well with his shots and his ears are infected, again. Poor buddy. We ended up cancelling a Saturday adventure day to stay home with him. We made pasta bake and had a Gilmore Girls marathon. 

- We had a great deal of rain over the weekend. Mark and Owen made many trips to his office to check on rising waters. Thankfully he didn't have any major water damage to his spaces. Owen very much enjoyed checking on the flood around town.

- Sunday after church, I dropped off our items for the Kids' Sale. I tagged everything a few weeks ago and it was GREAT to get everything dropped off! I use our school room to store everything and we always love clearing it out when it's drop off time. So far my Express people and myself have had great sales and I look forward to getting totals tomorrow night.

- Monday we did a huge schoolroom clean-out. During the months that I use my half of it as storage, the kids' section often gets crazy as well. This year we also had the treadmill so it's been just packed. We spent an hour sorting through arts and crafts supplies and figuring out what we can take to the free table at our co-op. We are now at 1,000+ items cleaned out for our 2,025 in 2025 challenge!

- We ate meals at home. This week, and next week will be too, has been crazy. Instead of trying to be fancy, we did some fast meals at home to save money without taking up heaps of time. It would have been easy to want to stop out to eat several days this week but by planning ahead with easy groceries we avoided that! 

- It has been a very busy work week for me. SO many vendors - including Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and several major cruiselines - have all launched incredible summer sales. Quotes are going out and I cannot wait to finalize bookings. Want my (FREE!) help with your vacation plans - just send a message! a.riley@magicalvacationplanner.com

- Yesterday the kids and I did an Indiana travels day. We stopped in Frankfort and then at Sycamore Row for our free stops. We also enjoyed a tour at Seiberling Mansion. We had all been really looking forward to this stop and I had planned ahead for the cost - $20 for the three of us. 

Sycamore Row.

This was Michigan Rd. which went from Michigan City to the Ohio River.

We loved walking where so many pioneers traveled. 

- We stopped in Tipton at the most darling little shop - Tinkerhouse. I had not planned to spend any money but it was even cuter in person than online and we HAD to shop small! The owner's mom was working and told me about taking her kids on Indiana county visits when they were kids. She loved being our Tipton County stop so much she gifted me a candy bar! Saved: $4

I am very thankful to be through this week. I now have my Kids' Sale work done until late summer and I also had my last meeting on our co-op board. I have served three years in leadership and I look forward to just having a classroom and committee next year. It has been an honor to serve our group in this way.

We are looking forward to the weekend and what will be our busiest, most exciting week of spring!

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 566

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Friday after school and work we headed south for the weekend. My parents treated us to sushi dinner. On Saturday, we spent the day in Owensboro. Mama, Lu, and I stayed later than the rest visiting with Lance and Momaw and howling with laughter at old stories. It was the most perfect day!

Annabeth won't be confirmed until Easter but Momaw will not be 

traveling for the service so she gave her gift last weekend.

Fun fact: Momaw was my very first Methodist Sunday School teacher!

I still remember the joy of helping climbing on the chairs to open the big cabinet

and helping her lay out all of the booklets. 

- Sunday we opted to leave by 9:30 in the morning as there were huge storms projected. In the end, we had a mild thunderstorm late in the evening. I was disheartened as I felt like we should have just stayed longer but in the end we knew we had made the safest decision with the information we had.

- My sister sent us home with a bag of clothes to trade. I kept the ones that worked and took the extras along to our co-op's free table. We also took a long some books, CDs, and home decor to the table. As always, I picked up the extra items afterwards and took them to be donated to little free libraries around town. 

- We had a very rainy week here. Our treadmill got a LOT of use this week as we just didn't have enough sunshine to be out walking much. I am so thankful for the gift that piece of equipment for all of us to stay active even when the weather isn't ideal. 

- I have been very busy with work as many clients are on Spring Break and others are making plans to travel soon. Can I help plan your next adventure? Send me an e-mail a.riley@magicalvacationplanner.com 

- We did a small $53 grocery trip and have been using up foods that we already had on hand. Our dinners were: tacos + Mexican rice, chicken Alfredo, tomato soup + sandwiches, and pork loin + stuffing + veggies. Nothing fancy this week but it got the job done! Owen has already asked to pull out cookbooks to make the menu for next week.

- I cashed out some of my Ibotta Cash and used it to get pick-up pizza last night. I never want to cook on Thursdays when I am tired from the week so I love to treat myself once a month to not cooking. I also used a buy one, get one free deal + $6 Papa John's cash. Start saving with Ibotta Here. 

- I also cashed out some of our Fetch Rewards for an Amazon Giftcard. Mark used it to order Annabeth's facewash which isn't sold anywhere in town. Use my code to get 2,000 points when you join Fetch: YK4JN

As much of the state has endured big storms and flooding this week, we are very thankful to have had very little of it at home. We pray for those who have had water or wind damage. 

Also, shout-out to Mark who was the MVP this week! It was an emotional visit home, my first since January and I was so sad to have it cut so short. We're also in our last weeks of school, wrapping up middle school with Annabeth, looking ahead to next year, and I am in my final week on our co-op's board. I am tired, maybe even exhausted would be fair, and I am running on fumes. Last night, after working a 10 hour day and then going out to work a community event, Mark came home and surprised me with an ice cream. It had a candle in it. Without even asking, he somehow knew I just needed something special, extra. I am thankful that he loves me so well and so often sees my breaking point before I do. 

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 565

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Friday evening into Saturday, Annabeth enjoyed her last Confirmation Retreat at church. We are so proud of the work Annabeth has been doing on her Confirmation workbook, field trips, and independent Bible study. Annabeth already serves in several areas at church and we are excited to see her faith continue to grow. She baked cookies and took them to share.

- Friday evening I enjoyed a Mom's Night with some ladies from our homeschool co-op. I took a long a cheeseball + crackers and gluten-free Oreos. We had a lovely time! 

- Saturday I tagged ALL of the items for the Kids' Sale. The sale has been moved up a few weeks this year so I needed to get organized sooner than usual. With my Express Tagger's items I had about 500 items to tag. We will use the money from this sale towards vacations this year.

- Saturday I did take a break for lunch out with the boys and again when my best friend popped in for a chat. We live 90 minutes away from each other and we treasure every moment we can snag together!

- Sunday after church we hosted Mark's mom for dinner. Owen helped make homemade stromboli and Annabeth made homemade cookies. We also had salad. I love love love how much the kids enjoy baking/cooking and that they love sharing that with others.

- This week Owen attended a FREE Lego Camp at a library. In all, he had 7 hours of class on Legos, coding, and some other math skills. As other camps in the area are quite pricey, I was so thankful for this free opportunity! The kids also enjoyed playing at the library, getting books, and I enjoyed fireside sits with several friends.

One of the newer additions to this library is this game table.

The kids loved the air hockey game!

- Mark's coworker gifted us another loaf of homemade sourdough. As she's perfected her recipe, she will now be selling in small batches. We will simply return her bread bag with our order/money and Mark's coworker will bring us back the bread. Her price is what we pay at the grocery store and the quality is MUCH better! While my own sourdough journey failed - I am thankful to support someone local!

The most perfect bread.

Look how cute her bread bags are!

- Owen worked many hours this week clearing part of the yard for a garden. We have tried bucket gardening in the past but failed due to critters eating all of our produce. As the kids have starts from 4H and free seeds from the library - we have agreed to try again. Thankfully, we still have all of the buckets from previous years so we will only need some soil. 

- I did some thrifting this week. I found Owen church shorts, a sweatshirt, and new t-shirt. I found Annabeth an extra lightweight jacket and new church dress. She is down to just two dresses and we've had a very hard time finding ones that meet her requirements. I was thankful to find one thrifting! 

- We are now 900+ items into our 2,025 clean-out. One of my goals this year was to sell more as I'm not in such a rush to just get stuff out. We've made $1100+ from selling items already. I am honestly amazed that we have had that many items leave our home already this year! Proof that while we made good progress last year, there's still work to be done! 

We are looking forward to a fun weekend! Happy Savings to All!