There Goes My Malta Trip

I was supposed to be going away to Malta today. Supposed to being the key word. Then I ended up in the ER because of a persistent headache, was diagnosed with idiopathic intracranial hypertension, and was hospitalized for 5 days. The entire time I was in the ER and in the hospital, I kept telling […]

A Super Spontaneous International Getaway

I am so psyched, you have no idea! For so long, I’ve been exhausted and burnt out. Parenting is exhausting even in the best of times — but add being a single mom, raising special needs kids, and managing your own disabilities, and it’s no wonder the burnout runs even deeper. The last time this […]

A Fun and Frugal Girls Trip

I was invited to a get together with a bunch of other women a few hour drive from where I live. I knew I’d be driving there, and when the organizers asked if anyone was willing to give people lifts, I offered to do so, and ended up driving 5 other women up with me.  […]

Brain Breaks That Don’t Cost a Dime: The Secret to Saner Afternoons

Some people are very anti games, games you play on the phone or computer. But these games get a bad rap. Did you know that they literally use tetris to help prevent PTSD developing after trauma? They can also help with ADHD; I have an easier time focusing on certain things when playing an easy […]

Budget-Friendly Entertainment Ideas When Parenting Drains Your Wallet

Entertaining yourself and your family is important, and while you may think that this requires a large entertainment budget, it does not. There are so many ways you can have a good time without spending a lot of money. Here are some ways you can do that. Finding moments for yourself when raising children can […]

Throwing a Fancy Party for Over 100 – How to Do It Frugally: Part One – The Food”

I’ll be honest—posting this is giving me so much stress, because I’m afraid of being judged. Afraid of being called both low class and wasteful. Afraid that people will see this titled “fancy party” and then criticize it because we used disposables, or because the food wasn’t plated fancily enough. I’m afraid people will roll […]

Running in a Marathon Event with the Family

I’m writing this post thoroughly exhausted. Today, my kids and I participated in different races as part of a marathon nearby. Understandably, we’re wiped. I honestly never saw the appeal of taking part in a marathon event before. Getting up really early, figuring out parking with all the roads closed off, figuring out how to […]

Why Your Child’s Creativity at Home Matters More Than Grades

Growing up, all my parents cared about were grades. They made me feel that if I got good grades, that was what made me lovable, and if I didn’t get perfect scores… Well, lets just say that that was part of why I unschooled my kids, because I wanted my kids to have a love […]

DIY Glimmer Costume from She-Ra: Easy Cosplay Tutorial

A girl dressed in a glimmer cosplay with a pink and purple wig, light purple shirt, sparkly blue cape, purple pants, and blue fingerless gloves.

My daughters and their friends decided to go together to a local science fiction fantasy convention. Though I’ve been before, I never wore costumes, but my daughters wanted to cosplay their favorite characters. I didn’t want to buy a ready made costume for many reasons. First off, I enjoy creating costumes. Secondly, ready made costumes […]

How to Turn Casino Nights into Budget-Friendly Family Fun at Home

When I was a teenager, as part of a youth group, we spent a weekend in another city. One of the activities they did was turning the social hall into an ad hoc casino, and we played fun games using just chips, but no money, and we got a bunch of prizes at the end […]