As the summer break rolled into the fourth week our tiny apartment started to feel much smaller with the kids home all day long. It was apparent that even the kids craved a little individual space  - they converted their bunkbed into a three (separate) compartment fort - desperate times call for creativity and innovation. While I wholly support the idea of some personal space, I could not embrace the aesthetics of the thing. Also, nary a blanket could be found and Mummy could not get comfortable on the couch. A fort makeover was in order. Our Fort These instructions are specific to the IKEA SVÄRTA Bunkbed and SVÄRTA Pull-out Bed  but could probably be adapted to another similar style of bunk bed. This project cost me about $60 ($20 per child). You will need: Bed Tent  - $20 Curtains - $16 Curtain Rings - $2 Tablecloth - $13 Grommet Set - $6 Binder Rings - $2 Cable Ties - $0 (I had left over from a previous project; I only needed five) Inst...

Can't believe that, until A Perfect Fit , I had not written new blog post in over a year. Time flew, life was lived, and lessons were learned. Most noteworthy is that I've assumed a more relaxed posture towards housekeeping. I found that keeping up with the standard of clean and tidy I had become used to, having household help overseas, is unmanageable. I still clean thoroughly, if not as frequently, and we still endeavor to have a place for everything and everything in its place. Still, with three young children, I spend much of my day tidying. We attempted to ease the burden of cooking by enjoying takeout out a few more times a month but quickly realized that eating out more than a handful of times per month, even at inexpensive restaurants, has a significant effect on our food budget. For a family of five, the only way to stay under budget, $5 to $7 per person, per day, is to prepare the majority of meals at home. To put things into perspective, what we can reasona...

Ah ha! I have been had. I have been, for a few months now, a huge fan of Costco Same-Day (Instacart) and I still am but... Costco Same-Day (Instacart) and Costco 2-Day pricing are not the same. I was so overcome with joy about being able to get my Costco fix on the same day that I never looked closely at the 2-Day service.  You will probably get the the best bang for your buck ordering non-perishables via the 2-Day service unless there is a sale on the Same-Day side. Try to fill your Same-Day and 2-Day shopping carts at the same time and compare every single item before you checkout. I bought the following items and saved $4.30.  Unfortunately, I failed to cross check my carts and accidentally missed out on sale prices for almonds and cereal. I would have saved an additional $3.50 if I put those items in my Same-Day order. It is just a few bucks but we are penny pinching, remember? Costco 2-Day vs. Same-Day Service Kirkland Signature Minced Garlic in Wa...

Since my No Ramen Here post about grocery shopping, I have made some adjustments to the way we shop for food. I increased the frequency of our Costco orders to weekly when I realized that we were visiting the local grocery store very frequently and spending significantly more for basics - eggs, milk, juice, and fruit. I determined that it was better to order in bulk and get more bang for our buck. For example, a tray of 1 dozen eggs at our local supermarket costs about $3 but I can get 2 dozen eggs for $4.29 from Costco . We are at the end of the third week this month and still have about $60 left in our $700/month food budget. The fridge, freezer, and pantry are stocked such that we won't need to go to the store for groceries through the end of the month. Under budget months are my opportunity to stock up on baking supplies, canned goods, and bulk snacks. Here is a breakdown of our shopping trips and spending: 3 x Costco - $436.82 3 x Whole Foods - $126.52 1 x Trader...

Even though the D.C. area is teeming with activities for children, we don't get out much. We don't cannot do a lot of events, activities, shows, play spaces and such. The reality is that many of these activities are cost prohibitive. Keep in mind that were are a family of five so a $10 admission fee translates to $50 just to get into a venue. For instance, our family recently enjoyed a movie at AMC Theatres and the tickets cost $60. A stop at TGI Fridays  for a treat for the kids, and an early dinner for the adults (one appetizer, one entree, and three desserts) was another $40. Just like that, and not including the cost of transportation, we blew $100 on a fairly ordinary outing. Thankfully, we were using AMC gift cards that we received for Christmas. When we do get out, we seek out free activities that are close to home, because we have no car. Weather permitting, we take long walks around the neighborhood or spend time at nearby playgrounds. We are new to the area and...