Our family has a high deductible health insurance plan. We don’t have any chronic health problems, and we rarely go to the doctor. During a typical year, we save money with the high deductible policy. However, when things don’t go as planned, money starts flying out of our HSA. Last February, our oldest son started…
Author: cakerwakers
Am I a bad parent? – KITTEN EDITION
A friend contacted me last week to ask if I would watch her tiny 6 week old kitten for a few days. I thought our kids would get a kick out of it, so I volunteered to help her. She brought her kitten over on Monday afternoon, and we instantly fell in love with the little…
Hershey Park: Our First Trip During the Pandemic
We just got back from our first trip in nearly 2 years. I was feeling a little nervous about visiting Hershey Park with five children in tow during a pandemic, but it turned out to be a pretty awesome mini-vacation. For the first time in a long time, I felt like a normal person, living…
You Get What You Pay For
When I was pregnant with our third child, John and I decided to buy new beds for our 2 older children. At the time, we didn’t have much money. After extensive shopping, we selected beds that looked decent, but were very budget friendly. This would have been a good plan, except that we should have…
5 Chores to Prepare Children for Adulthood
Growing up in the 80’s, I received a weekly allowance. Like all of my friends, my allowance was based on cleaning my room. I can tell you now, I never cleaned my room. Despite my laziness, most weeks I still received my $5. I definitely wasn’t learning about the value of work or even how…
Vacation: A low-key summer get away
After a full year of isolation, John and I decided to book a vacation for the summer. I wanted to go somewhere that wouldn’t be overcrowded, but near water – preferably a lake. Also, I didn’t want to travel too far from home (2 year olds aren’t great with long car trips). Since we live…
Community College During High School
As I’ve mentioned before, we homeschool our children. Our local community college has a program that allows homeschooled high school students to take classes. They earn college and high school credits at the same time. To sweeten the deal, the classes are offered at a steeply discounted rate! I knew I wanted my children to…
Mother’s Day: Celebrating My Mother
My mother passed away in 2016. I’ve been thinking about her a lot lately. My mom wasn’t your typical, cookie cutter mother. She was wild and untamed, but also incredibly kind and generous. She wasn’t perfect, but I am so glad she was my mother. My mom’s birthday falls on Mother’s Day this year. In…
I am a Minimalist Wannabe
As I’ve mentioned before, I really love the idea of being a minimalist. Keeping what you need and love, and letting go of the rest sounds so appealing to me. With 7 people in our house, I know the importance of keeping clutter to a minimum. Some areas of our house are highly organized and efficient. My…
DIY Faux Board and Batten Tutorial
I have always enjoyed reading home decor blogs. Since renovating our kitchen, I have also been watching a lot of DIY YouTube videos too. As you might imagine, I see lots of cute home projects. I frequently find myself trying to incorporate these fun ideas into my own house. This is how I discovered DIY…