September Acres

~I just finished reading 'The One & Only' by Emily Giffin .  I've read all her books except her newest one ('First Comes Love') and I think 'The One & Only' is my favorite so far. I highly recommend it. I am excited to dig into 'First Comes Love' soon. ~Easter is Sunday and I know most of us are knee deep in preparation. *One of our family traditions is making these sticky buns for Easter morning.  I usually only make them on Christmas and Easter as they are pretty rich and I want them to be a treat.  Kind of how my Grandma made ebelskiver's for us when we were little - we wanted them everyday but she made them on rare occasion and everyone of her grandchildren remembers how special they were. If she had made them every time we asked (i e. every morning) they wouldn't have been special and we'd likely not remember them as fondly as we do. *I am forever looking for wreaths for our front door.  We have double doors  s

Every year I write about candy-free Easter basket filler ideas. We are bombarded right after Valentine's Day with Peeps, chocolate bunnies and Cadbury Creme Eggs every time we enter a store..  There has to be more to an Easter basket than sugar, right?  No matter the size of the basket, non-sugar goodies are a must for Easter.  While I don't want Easter to turn into another Christmas-like gift giving holiday, I am always searching for gift ideas to pass on to the Easter Bunny.  Here are 25 non-candy Easter basket ideas (some new ideas, some are old stand-by's) for kids of all ages: For Little Kids (0-8 years or so) Coloring Books and Crayons - there are awesome Easter Bunny & Religious coloring books out there this time of year - a great place to check is your local dollar store.  Legos - I love the   'Friends'   line that is out for girls now.  The usual cars and trucks and airplanes are still out there for the boys. Small Play Characters - like   Litt

Well, hello there! By the end of next week, most schools will be out and many of us will be itching to hit the road for a little vacation.  With extra time, many of us look no further than the family hot rod as our mode of transportation.  Make your road trip less painful and, dare I say, fun with these tips. Pack Right - Make sure each family member has all the comforts of home in the back seat.  Blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, books, toys, snacks & drinks make the hours fly by.  A backpack or tote bag for each family member is the way to go.  Don't forget a cooler and lots of water and charging supplies for phones, etc. Stop Often - Stopping every 3 or 4 hours may sound like you will never. get. where. you. are. going.  But you'd be surprised how a stop can put everyone in a better mood - especially the driver!  Rest stops are great places to stop - everyone can use the rest room and stretch their legs. Make a Game out of it -  Find the license plates fro

It's March 1st which means our no spend month is over.  How'd we do?  Well, to be honest, it wasn't our most successful one.  Not awful but we did spend on things like going out and some new clothes. The clothes were needed.  The dining out not so much.  The middle school basketball season ended so there was a bit of celebrating in the form of eating out but it was at a Mexican restaurant so it wasn't pricey at all. We had company one weekend and I made lasagna instead of going out. That's a win in my book.  We saved a little bit extra. We didn't go crazy or buy things we didn't need so I'd call it a moderate success. Now I need to go work on that March budget.  I started using Every Dollar last month and think I will like it. I'm still getting used to it, just like with any new budgeting system but I think I'll stick with it. I'm such a pen and paper person that it's taking some getting used to but you sure can't help

Peeps, chocolate bunnies and Cadbury Creme Eggs.  There has to be more to an Easter Basket than sugar, right?  With the size of baskets these days (that's another post, for another time) non-sugar goodies are a must for Easter.  While I don't want Easter to turn into another Christmas-like gift giving holiday, I am always searching for gift ideas to pass on to the Easter Bunny.  Here are 25 non-candy Easter basket ideas for kids of all ages: For Little Kids (0-8 years or so) Stuffed Animals Bubbles Playdoh  Coloring Books and Crayons - there are awesome Easter Bunny & Religious coloring books out there this time of year.  Legos - I love the  'Friends'  line that is out for girls now.  The usual cars and trucks and airplanes are still out there for the boys. Small Play Characters - like  Little People  &  Polly Pockets . Sidewalk Chalk Bubble Bath Gardening tools - kid sized shovels, hoes and rakes in cute patterns start showing up in stores like T

I can't believe that January is almost over!  And that means that February is almost here and our annual No Spend February.  It's our eighth year. I can't believe we've been doing it that long. I personally love it. Coming off the spending frenzy of the end of the year, it's a nice change for me. I am, quite frankly, done shopping. We have no birthdays, anniversaries, etc until June so I like the 'cold turkey' aspect of a no spend month. What, exactly, does 'no spend' mean @ September Acres? - No shopping  -that means we won't roam the aisles of Target buying stuff we don't need & sometimes don't even want. No trips to Costco. Grocery shopping is okay but limited as we will try eating from the pantry this month.  - No vacations  - Easy Peasy as school is in.  - No going out to eat  - If we are invited to go out as a treat we will go but otherwise we don't. I've also been really slack with meal planning since Christmas so