What Does Being Frugal Mean?

When you hear the word “frugal” what do you think of? What does being frugal mean to you? Does it strike a particular image in your head? Do you conjure up a binder of coupons? Being frugal means different things to different people. So what does being frugal mean and does it really mean that you have to completely alter your lifestyle? Well, yes and no. Just because you’re making the decision to be frugal, doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice everything that you already have. Part of being frugal, to me, means coming to appreciate what you already have instead of constantly wanting things that you don’t have. What does it mean to be frugal? Being frugal, for many, is as much of…

K-Cup Crow Craft

I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned this, but I absolutely love crows. I’m not sure why because well, yes, they can be loud and annoying. But I find them to be amazingly smart and curious creatures to watch. Every Fall, I take out my stuffed crows so that they can take their places of honor throughout the house. This year, I wanted to try something different. Since I recently started drinking coffee again, we’ve been buying K-Cups because it’s easier for us. We have accumulated quite a few and I wanted to find a way to repurpose them. One of the ideas that I was toying with was making a k-cup crow. How to Make a K-Cup Crow (or Penguin) On second glance, I…

Supporting a Friend Through Infertility

This post is brought to you by The Stork OTC and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own. Though infertility is not something that I’ve had to deal with personally, I’m sure that we’ve all known at least one person who has struggled with this sensitive issue. Sometimes, however, we may not know how to support them or we may not know what to say. Or we may think we know what to say, but then it turns out to be the completely wrong thing. So how can we be supportive to a friend struggling with infertility? Here are some tips and advice for supporting a friend through infertility. First, it may be helpful to understand what infertility is. Simply put, infertility is the inability…

Student loans may seem like an ideal option to pay for college. But what happens when you default on your student loans?

The Dangers of Defaulting on Student Loans

If you’re a current or former college student, the chances are very likely that you have some amount of student loan debt. It happens to many of us and it’s really nothing to be ashamed of. Though there are ways to find free money for college and definitely ways to maximize your FASFA, sometimes taking out a student loan is unavoidable. Oftentimes, student loan debt becomes the first source of debt and we may struggle with managing student loans. But, just because we’re struggling with student loans doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t pay them. In fact, that’s the last thing that you want to do. Here’s some advice about defaulting on student loans and why this should be avoided at all costs. What Does It…

Learning disorders are far more common than you may think. Here's how to recognize dyslexia and dyscalculia.
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How to Identify and Deal with Dyslexia or Dyscalculia

Do you know someone who struggles with dyslexia? Or maybe you’re an adult with dyslexia that hasn’t been diagnosed until now. Whatever the case may be, dyslexia is out there and it’s one of the more common learning disabilities. In fact, more than 3 million individuals in the United States alone are diagnosed with dyslexia at one point in their life or another. But why do I care? Because, I feel that it’s important to bring light to all sorts of learning and developmental disabilities. I myself struggle with a learning disability called dyscalculia which is similar to dyslexia. That’s why I wanted to share some tips and advice for identifying and dealing with dyslexia and dyscalculia. As a child, I struggled with proper handwriting,…

Has a case of mastitis brought your breastfeeding to a halt? Here are a few reasons why you should keep breastfeeding through mastitis.

Why You Should Keep Breastfeeding Through Mastitis

I’m an advocate for breastfeeding though I also fully respect any woman’s decision to not breastfeed. While I do stand by the mantra, breast is best, I also fully understand that the baby getting their nutritional needs met is ultimately best. That said, the first few days breastfeeding with Squeaker were not fun. I was ready to call it quits after the second day but I persisted on. And while, in toddlerhood, she’s not breastfeeding exclusively; it’s still bonding time that we enjoy. Most of the time. One of the times that I was not so thrilled was when I had an unexpected case of mastitis. Following advice from a group of breastfeeding moms, I quickly learned why you should keep breastfeeding through mastitis. Mastitis…