Here is a week of my outfits using my spring capsule wardrobe.
Emily’s Spring Capsule Wardrobe – In Action
Category Archives: Ballin’ on a Budget
Emily’s Spring Capsule Wardrobe
Emily here sharing my spring capsule wardrobe. I so enjoyed my winter capsule wardrobe. It made getting ready for the day so easy and it helped me feel more confident in my body because everything I wore each week fit and looked great on me! In my winter capsule I picked specific outfits to wear each day of the week. After a few weeks I ended up mixing and matching different pieces from the outfits I had selected. This time around I went for more of a classic capsule. I started by selecting pieces that were comfortable, fit well, and that were a bit lighter weight to accommodate the warm temps. Then I looked on my Pinterest to fill in any holes. Here is what I have come up with.
5 sweaters. I kept the grey pull over and brown cardigan from my winter capsule. I added a stripe sweater my mom gave me. I also bought a grey sweatshirt and a black cropped cardigan.
I kept the black long sleeve from the winter capsule. Added a white long sleeve and a denim button down. I bought the black and white stripe long sleeve.
I kept the black and white T-shirt and purchased a black and white stripe shirt. And a word on all the stripes. After I had my first child I had gained weight (as one does). And I told myself “now that you’re bigger you can’t wear horizontal stripes!” Which I wore so much before having children. But I’ve always been told that horizontal stripes make you look bigger and larger so I said I couldn’t wear it anymore. Which is just silly! When I was looking at the capsules I had pinned all of them had stripe shirts. And I just finally gave myself permission to throw that “rule” out the window and wear what feels like “me” and what makes me feel good. So that’s why I have two stripe shirts in the capsule.
I kept the madewell jeans, the leggings and the black jeans. I want some kind of shorts or sporty skort but I’d spent a lot of money already on the shirts and sweaters and it’s never hot enough in the spring to consistently wear shorts so I stuck with the pants. I may add some short overalls near the end of spring.
Next I’ll be sharing my spring capsule in action.
Spring Equinox Celebration
This week we took time to celebrate the Spring Equinox. The tulips I planted this past Autumn have started to grow and we have had some very warm days this week. Life is good! I got us a few spring books from the library.
For our activity we made fairy houses. Well we have technically only made one so far. It took far longer than I thought it would. I found this picture/post on Pinterest and used it as my inspiration. We got plastic milk bottles to use. I’ve done a few crafts with the paper ones and it’s hard for things to stick to and I thought the plastic would last longer since I plan to have the houses outside in our backyard. The day before the project we went on a “foraging walk” and found sticks, rocks, pinecones and what greenery we could. I bought some fake baby’s breath and glue from the store. I would have bought moss as well but they were out.
We filled the milk bottles halfway with rocks to weight them down. The first half of this was rough!! I used the Tacky Glue the blog post said to use and it was terrible! Like took forever to dry, the sticks were falling off and Pal was getting frustrated (as was I). We would put a few sticks on then sit there for a bit while it sorta dried. Pal was very patient about it. Once I attached the roof I was done messing around and got the hot glue out. It was so much nicer. I’ll be doing hot glue on the rest of the houses. I figured this Tacky glue would make the houses last longer but omg it was such a hassle. Anyway once I got the hot glue it went wayyyy faster. And I was able to manipulate the material much easier. Here is how the first one turned out.
I think this would be such a cute seasonal project to do. You could use different materials that represent the current season (l’m thinking autumn leafs for the roof or summer flowers and foliage). Im also thrilled with the result because I’ve been wanting a fairy village in our backyard but man those can be spendy! This was nearly free! I bought the glue and baby’s breath which was $5 (and I didn’t even need the glue!). The milk bottle was up-cycled and all the other material was from around our yard and neighborhood.
My tips!
The foraging walk was with all 3 children but I knew Bud, who’s 2, would get frustrated with the actual building. So Pal and I did this project at nap time.
We started the project outside which was lovely! But once we needed to hot glue we took it inside. I always enjoy doing crafts outside for easy clean up and fresh air.
My biggest tip is just use the hot glue!
Emily’s Winter Capsule – In Action
First week with my new capsule! I started on Tuesday and here are my thoughts. Also I’m just taking these picture when I can and I have a messy house and at least one child with me at all times.
Overall thoughts: I loved this! Getting dressed was so easy and I felt pretty put together most days. I’m going to make a few swaps going forward. Friday’s outfit I’m going to do a black crew neck and different jeans. I picked my second most comfortable madewell jeans. And Sunday I’m going to switch the back crew neck for a white one. I’m not super sure on Monday’s outfit. But I’m going to give it another week and see. I won’t do another week post since it’s going to look exactly the same lol. But I plan to do a new capsule for Spring. Possibly at the end of March as it can still be pretty cold up until then and even into April.
Nap Time Sewing: Cat Bed.
Emily here! I’ve been in a mood with sewing and knitting lately. Today I was inspired to make my cat, Nacho, a new bed. I currently have a pillow and blanket under our dining table bench for him. He enjoys it as it has a small look out window for him and he is semi hidden from the rowdy boys but he deserves something a bit nicer.
I had some leftover mattress from and some old fabric for the project. I started by cutting out 2 pieces of fabric the size of my foam and added about 1/4in to all sides. I then cut a strip of fabric that was 2.5 inches. This piece will wrap around the edge of the foam so that was the length I made it (I did a rough guess).
I attached the strip of fabric to one of the large pieces using a 1/4 seam allowance.
I then attached the other large piece to the other side of the strip leaving one of the smaller sides open.
I turned the fabric and stuffed the foam in. Then I pinned my opening and hand sewed the side closed.
All done! Start to finish it took me about an hour and a half! I think it looks so much nice than the other “bed” and Nacho is very pleased. It was also a great project and I felt a great sense of accomplishment with it.
What I Ate in a Week and Grocery Haul
Emily here! With the price of groceries the way they are I’ve been trying to cut back on our spending. Here is what my family’s weekly grocery haul and menu looks. We have 2 adults and 2 toddlers and 1 baby to feed!
Grocery Haul – Shopped at Wal-Mart
1 Potato….$0.64
1 Bell Pepper…$0.86
1 Broccoli Crown…$0.86
2 English Cucumbers…$1.96
4 Honeycrisp Apples $4.48
1lb Strawberries…$2.72
14 Bananas…$3.19
2 Avocado…$1.48
Fruit and Veggie Pouches…$5.68
Organic Coconut Flakes…$2.64
Pub Beer 18 Pack…$15.48
String Cheese 12 Count…$4.33
Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Block 8oz…$3.98
Goat Cheese…$2.76
Tamed Jalapeno Peppers…$2.72
Dijon Mustard…$1.34
Raspberry Preserves…$3.98
Garlic Powder…$1.12
Apple Sauce 6 Cups…$2.24
Frozen Lasagna$9.84
Burrito Tortillas…$1.98
Ground Chicken…$4.82
Sourdough Bread…$3.98
Whole Wheat Bread…$2.48
Honey Ham Lunchmeat…$3.47
Honey…$3.94
Men’s Deodorant 2 Pack…$10.97
Formula 30.8oz…$35.98
Formula 12.4oz…$17.94
Pampers Pullups 25 Count…$9.94
Pampers Diapers 92 Count…$28.22
Tampons…$10.47
TOTAL: $209.2
Things To Note: We have a back stock of a few items (cheese in our freezer bought in bulk and random pantry items). We also get our dairy separate and it is not included in our weekly grocery haul. I include all “consumables” (diapers, wipes, haircare etc.) in our grocery budget. I also don’t have the time to meal prep all in one day so I spend it out through the week. My husband eats the same thing for lunch everyday. A PB&J on whole wheat bread and a chicken burrito.
Sunday. Picked up groceries after breakfast.
Lunch: Grilled ham and cheese with tomato soup. Used the Ham and sourdough bread. Had cheese and soup in back stock.
Dinner: Chicken Stromboli and Ham Pizza. Used chicken, red sauce, cheese, flour, and yeast that was in our back stock. Also I hadn’t planned to make a pizza but I ended up not having enough of the stuffing for the Stromboli to make 2. Stay flexible!
Monday. Prepped chewy granola bars from The Toddler Healthnut Cookbook and made a double batch. Prepped quiche. I had a premade pie crust from a few weeks ago. Added Ham, leftover broccoli, and half the potato I bought.
Breakfast: Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwich and cereal for boys. Both items we already had in our back stock.
Lunch: Grilled ham and cheese with tomato soup. Scrambled eggs and chewy bar for boys. Husband had his usual.
Dinner: Leftover Stromboli and ham pizza.
Tuesday.
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and chewy bar.
Lunch: Grilled ham and cheese and tomato soup.
Dinner: Protein smoothie and cheesy toast for boys. Pho for dinner for me (Takeout). Tacos for husband (Takeout). I had dental work done and my mouth hurt real bad and I wasn’t feeling well.
Wednesday. Prepped homemade bagels.
Breakfast: Quiche and avocado cottage cheese toast. Eggs and strawberry for boys.
Lunch: Egg and bagel for me banana and yogurt for boys.
Dinner: Frozen lasagnas and broccoli.
Thursday. Prepped rice cooker apple oatmeal and hard boiled eggs. Breakfast: Bagels and bananas for boys. Leftover quiche for me and husband.
Lunch: I can’t remember. It was some assortment of leftovers.
Dinner: Chicken tacos. I used foster farms frozen chicken breast strips that I had in back stock and added an onion and bell pepper. Chicken nuggets for the boys that were in back stock.
Friday.
Breakfast: Apple oatmeal.
Lunch: Egg salad for me. Bento cheese and cracker picnic for boys.
Dinner: Enchilada casserole at my moms house and boys had Mac and Cheese.
Saturday.
Breakfast: Waffles (Better Homes and Garden Cookbook recipe). Egg, potato, and spinach scramble.
Lunch: Enchiladas casserole in taco shells and egg scramble in taco shells for me and husband. Cheese, apples, and crackers for boys.
Dinner: Corndogs, cucumbers and cheese for dinner for boys. Sushi out for me and husband.
Sunday.
Breakfast: Leftover Waffles.
We do eat snacks but I forgot/didn’t want to write them down. Our snacks are usually fruit, cheese, pouches, veggie and hummus or whatever baked good I made that week.
It was also very hard to take pictures of what we ate because by the time I remembered to take one I had already eaten. You gotta eat fast when you have 3 young children!
Autumn Equinox Celebration 2023
Emily here! Sharing how we celebrated the Autumn Equinox this year. Pal is getting bigger and so I wanted this celebration to have some meaning so I decided to make a bird theme. It seemed appropriate given that birds are migrating soon. We also have a lot of birds visit our backyard. I started with getting some books from the library about birds. I got 5 and these 3 have been our favorite.
I also stopped by Starbucks for get a pumpkin spice chai and cake pops. Mostly that was for me but the boys loved the cake! Then after nap time we made our craft! An egg carton bird feeder. There are a ton of different DIY bird feeder options but I went with this one as it was very low cost and seemed the least messy. I only had to by the birdseed which was $6.
I made sure to show Pal and Bud a picture of a finished feeder so they got the concept of what we were doing. Bud didn’t care but Pal was jazzed. Pal loved stringing the beads on and they both loved adding the birdseed. Which we did outside to avoid any indoor messes. This craft was a pretty low mess low prep craft which is always nice. Bud is still young so he wasn’t totally interested in the craft and mostly observed as I made his but still fun to include him! Also Gal was having a moment during this whole craft so I ended up having to wear her. The whole thing felt a bit chaotic but we did it. We spent the rest of the afternoon outside talking to the various birds we saw and letting them know we had some food for them. We haven’t seen any eat the food but we’ve been checking on it the last few days which is a fun additional activity.
Happy Autumn Equinox!! 🍁
Toddler Activities. Free/Low Cost
Emily here! Sharing some of the activities I’ve been doing with Pal and Bud lately.
1. Library Story Time. You might remember this as one of my summer bucket list items that I never did. Well I finally did it! We don’t go every week but when we do it’s a lot of fun. Each time gets a litter easier and Pal is really enjoying the stories and songs. Bud is also very focused during the stories. Our library also always has some print out to take home. Sometimes it’s just a coloring page or a fun activity (once there was a DIY bear mask.) Cost: Free
2. Watch Construction. Our library is currently under construction. I took both boys in the stroller to the construction site and we just sat and watched them move dirt around for a while one morning. It was a huge hit! Pal asks often to go see the excavator. I made it extra special and got doughnuts to eat while we watched. Cost: Free (unless you’re getting doughnuts).
3. Home Depot Kids Workshop. My mother in law told me about this! Every first Saturday Home Depot does a Kids workshop where they have a kit and all the supplies (this months was a birdhouse). They get a cute little apron too. This is one I did only with Pal while my husband walked around the store with Bud. It was fun but really loud. Picture 12 children using hammers in a small space. Even Pal was commenting on the noise level. But you can also take the kit home and complete it for a quieter experience. Cost: Free! (I was a little skeptical but all you have to do is register and yes it’s totally free!)
4. Join a Local Mom’s Group. In October I joined two local moms groups (MOMS of Bend and Raising Littles Bend). Both groups put on so many activities that are obviously child friendly. There is a membership fee but all the events they put on are almost alway free. They have weekly play dates, seasonal parties, fields trips to local museums, recycling facilities, and farms and more! It has been a great resource for activities and meeting new friends for me and the boys. Cost: $30/year membership fee. Most events Free.
5. Afternoon Pool Day. We’ve been going to an indoor pool this winter that is apart of my parents neighborhood. Both boys are such water dogs and it’s a great way to burn energy. We have a few floaties for them to make it easier to swim and I always have one or both of my parents help with this. I wouldn’t be able to do it alone between getting everyone changed and water safety. Cost: Free (in theory but my parents pay month dues). Or very low cost if you have a community run indoor pool.
Freezer Meal Prep for Baby
Update: I’m 3 weeks postpartum and we have worked through our freezer stash. I have added my thoughts on each of the recipes below in italics.
Maddie here! I am 36 weeks pregnant with our first baby (hence the lack of posts from me for the past 36 weeks) and I thought it would be fun to document the freezer meal prepping that the hubz and I have completed in advance of the baby’s arrival!
The Strategy: We split the meal prep over two weekends: breakfast items the first weekend and dinners the second weekend. This meal plan was mostly inspired by a Butcher Box that we received (review coming on that service later) that had a sh*t ton of pork in it, including two pounds of ground pork and a six pound pork butt. I used that as a jumping off point for the recipes selected.
We also stocked up on pantry items such as pasta, pasta sauces, microwave rice packs, and frozen veggie mixes from the store to eat with the recipes below.
Total Spent: I’m estimating around $175 for the meat from the Butcher Box that didn’t go towards our regular meals, additional food purchased, and freezer bags/foil casseroles. I think these recipes should last us 2-3 weeks after the baby arrives, which is close to our normal weekly spend.
The Prep:
Homemade Breakfast Sausage– I definitely would not have done this if I didn’t find myself in possession of two pounds of ground pork, but I’m glad that we will have nitrate-free sausage for our breakfasts. I thought the recipe turned out well but I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to make it again.
Pork Butt- We placed the pork butt in a slow cooker overnight on low with 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar and 1/2 cup of water. I seasoned the pork with salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder. I shredded it in the morning and portioned some out to be used for tacos/pulled pork sandwiches for our weekly meals and the freezer meals below.
Veggies: Sautéed green peppers, onions, and potatoes. Roasted sweet potatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, onions.
Chicken Breasts: Diced up five large chicken breasts and portioned into quart sized freezer bags.
The Recipes:
Egg Sandwiches AKA Buddies– I followed this recipe but our eggs really puffed up and didn’t turn out flat like hers. If I did this again I would definitely mix up the eggs and cook them using a sheet pan instead of in the muffin tin. Made 12.
Woof these were rough to choke down. I can’t believe people meal prep these on the regular. The eggs were frozen solid and had to be microwaved separately and the english muffins were soggy. The cheese also did not melt well. 0/10 would never make again.
Breakfast Burritos– scrambled eggs, homemade breakfast sausage, sautéed potatoes, green pepper, onion, shredded cheese, on whole wheat tortilla. Made 10.
While not as bad as the buddies, these were no walk in the park either, mostly due to the eggs again being more frozen than the rest of the food inside. We had to microwave them for a really long time and then let them sit and cool down. 3/10 would not make again.
Apple Cinnamon/Banana Chocolate Oatmeal Cups- I followed this recipe but would caution anybody undertaking these that they turned out v wet so definitely use your best judgement and adjust the measurements so they are not falling apart. Made 18.
These were surprisingly yummy, easy to heat up, and easy to eat one handed with the baby in the other arm. 8/10 would make again.
Turkey Meatballs- Doubled this recipe that we love. Made 16 large meatballs.
What’s not to like here? These froze and unfroze well. We ate them with spaghetti and on hoagies. 9/10 would make again. I would probably do a double batch on a night that we are planning to make them anyway and pop half in the freezer.
Cottage Cheese Mac n’ Cheese- I baked off a pan using this recipe and am looking forward to reheating it and having it for lunches.
This is a great recipe that I have made before, but it didn’t freeze and reheat that great. It ended up being a bit dry. 6/10 would make the recipe again, but wouldn’t freeze again.
Pork Enchilada Casserole- I used this recipe as a jumping off point, but used green enchilada sauce, the shredded pork (obvi), and incorporated the roast veggies for some added nutrition. We are most excited about eating this recipe.
Wowowow this was definitely our favorite thing we meal prepped and we really enjoyed eating it. 10/10 would make again.
Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili- I used this recipe and added in…you guessed it….a bunch of shredded pork! I will reheat this in the crock pot and if we’re feeling ambitious bake off some cornbread (fav recipe here) to go with it because I think that would be very tasty.
By the time we got to eating this, we were really feeling the abundance of pork in this meal prep but other than that I thought it was pretty good. 7/10, not sure if I would make again.
Lemon Herb Chicken Marinade: Portioned diced chicken into two bags. Mixed together the juice of two lemons, olive oil, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
The first time we made this I threw it frozen into the slow cooker and it pretty much disintegrated and didn’t keep a ton of flavor. The second time I made it, I let the meat thaw in the fridge and sautéd it and it was significantly better. 7/10 would make again but not freeze again.
Thai Chicken Satay Marinade: Portioned diced chicken into three bags. Mixed together coconut milk, peanut butter, lime, sriracha, honey, and spices, loosely based off of the sauce in this recipe.
This turned out well! We made it in the instant pot and had it over microwave coconut rice. 8/10 would make again.
Snacks: I made and froze these lactation bites this weekend and they turned out great! We are also planning to make these lactation cookies once I get closer to my due date. I wanted to make this peanut butter frozen yogurt bark but alas there is no room left in our freezer so that will have to wait for another time!
The lactation balls have been my postpartum JAM. I have made them twice more, tripling the recipe and adding in dates. They are really filling for a quick snack and without the the processed ingredients you would find in a protein bar. 10/10 continuing to make!
We also made the lactation cookies and they turned out well! I haven’t made a second batch because I felt like there was a LOT of butter/sugar, but I am planning to make them again substituting applesauce. 8/10 will make again modified.
Avi until!
How We Celebrated Christmas 2022
Emily here again! (I’m on a roll with post and feeling inspired!) Sharing how we celebrated Christmas this year.
Christmas Eve day my husband went to the store and he picked up some frozen pizzas and corn dogs for dinner. Now this maybe seem kind of lame but it was so nice! I’ve mentioned it before but I spend many days cooking in the kitchen. I make pizza from scratch regularly and so for the holiday I wanted something easy. I also had a feeling we’d be up late being Santa’s little helpers so I didn’t want a big kitchen clean up that night.
We let the boys open a present on Christmas Eve morning. Both me and my husband love letting them open presents early and new toys keep them busy for a while. After naptime we all watched the Polar Express for the first time. Pal and captivated the whole time and Bud was ever so snuggly bouncing between me and my husband to give equal snuggles.
We cooked off our simple dinner (corn dogs for the boys with a side of strawberries. Frozen pizza for me and my husband.)
After dinner Pal and I baked off some sugar cookies and decorated them for Santa. I used the recipe from the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook.
After the cookies we all sat at the dining table (even Bud!) and made a few cut out snowflakes.
Then it was off to bed for the boys! My husband and I got started on wrapping presents and building a dollhouse for the boys big gift. This was one of those moments where we really felt like parents. Creating the magic for our boys and spending our evening trying to figure out a “simple” dollhouse lol.
Biggest holiday tip: get your tree up high. I’m not spending all December telling little hands to not touch ornaments.
Christmas Day! Presents were opened in about 15 min but played with for the rest of the day. We ate scrambled eggs and doughnuts for breakfast. We had a relaxing day at home playing with toys and being together. I started dinner prep around 2. I’d like to note that next year I need a disposable pan for the ham. I have used this glaze recipe the last two years but it always ruins the pan I use. No matter how much foil I use. Also this year it somehow leaked out of the pan and made a huge mess in the oven and the house smelled burnt for days. But worth it because it’s delicious.
Dinner Menu: Homemade dinner rolls, mashed potatoes and gravy, and ham.
Sister Hack 