Dave Ramsey isms

I listen to Dave Ramsey a LOT. If you don't know who he is you should. He is blunt, tough, but effective. Chris and I have been following his baby steps and they WORK. 

• Baby Step 1 – $1,000 to start an Emergency Fund
• Baby Step 2 – Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball
• Baby Step 3 – 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings
• Baby Step 3b- Save for a down payment for a home
  
• Baby Step 4 – Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement
• Baby Step 5 – College funding for children
• Baby Step 6 – Pay off home EARLY
• Baby Step 7 – Build wealth and give!

Chris and I are on Baby step 3b! We are proud of what we have accomplished in about 5 years of Marriage. We have no car payments, and Chris' student loan is GONE. We are so grateful for Dave Ramsey and his podcasts! If you have any debt at all, you NEED to follow him, listen to him and do the baby steps; it comes with some sacrifices (mostly social, no eating out, etc) but it is SO WORTH IT, and SO freeing! 

Things I've learned along the way:

• Saying no. As much as I want to, I have had to tell myself no a LOT. And my friends No a lot.
• Selling things we don't need on Facebook Marketplace, online yard sale pages etc. 
• Being more mindful of the things we buy and bring into our home! This saves us a lot of money!
• Working on being a minimalist (needing less, which in turn means spending less)
• Working with what we have and making it work, repairing it, re purposing it, etc. 

Cleaning On A Budget

 Everyone loves a clean house and I am no exception. There can be so many cleaning products out there and sometimes it can become overwhelming. I wanted to write a post and share some of my favorite AFFORDABLE cleaning products as well as some of my favorite cleaning hacks! 

Favorite Budget Friendly Cleaning Products:

Comet Powder (.85)

Pumie Stone for Toilet ($2.98)

Distilled White Vinegar ($2.69 for a Gallon)

Blue Dawn Dish Soap ($2.69) 

                                     = $9.21

I have been recently trying to be more selective about the cleaning  products I use and have in our home. We live in a condo, so space is valuable. I need cleaning products that can be used for multiple things! Comet Powder is awesome, it is a disinfectant and can be used to clean toilets, sinks, and bathtubs. I have always found that comet does a great job and I know the surfaces I use it on are clean afterwards. I had a friend tell me about a Pumie Scouring Stick for the toilet once, best thing EVER, it can remove rings around toilets, and also be used for a variety of other things on so many different types of surfaces! One Pumie stick usually lasts us quite a while as well! 

Distilled white vinegar is a great way to clean countertops. I find that I love to clean my kitchen table by spraying it with Distilled white vinegar. Vinegar is safe to use around my girls. They might not like the taste if they were to lick our kitchen table (it's been done before) but it won't hurt their little bodies. I also had someone I follow share this tip; in a spray bottle mix 1/4 cup of blue dawn dish soap and fill the rest of the bottle with Distilled White Vinegar. It makes theBEST cleaner and is SO affordable. It works especially great when I need to clean my shower, or sometimes I will spray it in our kitchen sink let it sit for 10-15 minutes and then rinse out my sink. No real scrubbing required. It is AWESOME. 

I would love to hear what some of your favorite dual use cleaning products are and how you use them around your home. Comment Below! 

Pursuing Minimalism with Kids

Why would anyone want to pursue minimalism with kids, how is that even possible?

Those were questions I asked myself. And here are my thoughts about it.

Why spend so much time cleaning when I could be playing with my kids? The less clutter and STUFF we have the less time I have to spend fighting it by putting it Just where it goes and having more time for other things.

Following minimalist Instagram accounts and watching tiny house videos has helped me and also made me realize how much we CAN live without. Plus I love watching tiny house videos to see all the ideas people come up with in order to store things they need in their tiny house. I'm not talking a small apartment or a small house. If you don't know what a tiny house is, they are almost RV like structures that people live in, often on wheels and can travel around with their owners. It's pretty awesome!

Storage in the stairs of these tiny homes! How smart!!!

Love the look of this interior tiny home. Color, wood etc. LOVE! 

 I have found that reducing our clutter and donating/ selling what we don't need or use has GREATLY reduced my anxiety! (don't get me wrong, I still have anxiety but it is FAR less the more and more we seem to get rid of). Toys, clothes, extra stuff in the kitchen, etc. I want my kids to have quality toys that they ACTUALLY play with. I want them to LOVE their toys, but not have so many that they don't play with them much! 

Experiences over things:

I have struggled with this. When friends or family give gifts we are super grateful but our kids don't need anything (besides diapers and wipes) we have everything we need! 

How do you nicely tell friends and family instead of things we want experiences rather than things (more toys, clothes, etc.) when they ask us for our wishlist's around birthdays and Christmas? I would rather have my kids get gift cards/ experiences (like a family pass somewhere)  or time with their family members to take them on a little date and make them feel special and make memories with them! This means so much more than more THINGS. I want them to be able to have experiences rather than tripping over all the material items in our 2 bedroom 1 bath, 745 square foot apartment. We have reduced the toys in our home recently to our best quality toys, and the ones that get played with the most! Saylor is actually playing with the toys she does have now instead of digging through toys! Typically most of the toys that we kept don't have batteries. I wanted our girls to be playing with toys that promote open ended play!

How has it benefited us?

I have found that reducing what we don't need/use/love has also helped Saylor. She isn't tripping over as much, (which has been an issue for a long time and due to my guilt with getting rid of something that was a gift, or something we might need in 6 months) and seems happier and more carefree to run (with what room she does have) and play!

Leave a comment below if you have any advice on asking family members for experiences/ family passes rather than things! 

My favorite minimal Instagram accounts to follow that have the best tips:

The.Minimal.Mom
Minimalist.Motherhood
Minty.Minimal.Mama
Morganized_Living

Resources for Busy Parents

I have wanted to write this post for awhile now! I have been thinking of all the things that help me complete my daily tasks as a mom. There is so much to do from cleaning the house, doing daily tasks and chores, and getting errands done.

One of the things that has helped me is Shipt. Shipt is a delivery service that you can use for groceries at stores like Target, Smith's, Macey's, and even Office Max Stores vary based on where you live but it has been SUCH a help for us, when we are sick, when it's snowing, or when we just don't feel like going out to get our groceries. A Shipt membership is normally $99 a year but I have a link for $50 off, making it only $49 for the annual membership which is a STEAL. Click Here for that link. Basically anything that they sell in store you can get. We even ended up getting a wooden puzzle for one of our girls around Christmas time and it was the best thing not having to go out and fight the holiday crowds to get it. It allows me to spend that time at home with my family when I would normally be out completing that errand. Shipt can also be ideal for households that only have one car as well.

Another thing that is basically obvious to everyone is using Amazon Prime. It is such a blessing to basically have whatever we need delivered in 1-2 days!

Walmart Grocery Pickup is awesome when you don't mind going to pick up your groceries. You just pull up to one of the stalls for Walmart Grocery Pickup and they bring out your groceries to you! The kids can stay in the car so you don't have to bring everyone inside the car with you.

Target Drive Up is a newer addition to getting all the things we need without having to unload our kids and go inside the store. Target Drive up is different from Walmart Grocery Pickup in the sense that with Target Drive Up you can only get nonperishable type items. I've found that you can get some food items like salad dressings, canned food. They also offer cleaning supplies, paper supplies, hygiene and beauty items, etc. The list is basically endless!

I have found when we use the services that I listed above we actually SAVE money, which has been a big blessing. Because we are ordering it online and having it delivered later that day, or in a few days if it has to be shipped we actually save because things don't accidentally fall into our cart which can sometimes happen in the store. Anyone else know what I'm talking about here? ;) hahaha 

Have you tried out any of these services? Which one is your favorite? Leave it in the comments below. I would love to hear if you also use other services that might be similar that help you in your daily life! 

Coming soon:

Harper's birth story coming soon! It's a LONG one!

{Jessie Oberg Photography}

Favorite Drug Store Makeup Finds!

Stef here.

I have been trying makeup products recently that are on the less expensive side because I want to be better about cutting costs where I can so we can be better about $aving! 

Here are a few of my favorite finds!

Maybelline Fit Me Dewy + Smooth Foundation

 I love the Maybelline Fit Me Foundation! I wear color 110 Porcelain. It is $5.99 to $7.99 and can be found at Target or Ulta.

I also tried the Matte and Poreless one but I liked the look of the Dewy + Smooth better on my skin!

ColourPop No Filter Matte Concealer

I have tried SO many concealers high end & drugstore and I couldn't find one I liked until this one. Even better the ColourPop No Filter Matte Concealer is only $6 at Ulta or on Colourpop.com

It doesn't crease, and I feel like it lasts all day! They have 30 shades to choose from! I wear the color Light 12 (have an Ulta employee color match you to ensure you get the right color). 

Milani Baked Blush 

Milani has a great color called Dolce Pink. Milani Baked Blushes are $7.99 at Ulta. It is highly pigmented and provides the perfect amount of color for those cheeks! 

Younique Brow Obsession Palette 

Warning: This isn't a drug store or less expensive product. I know that's what I said in the post, but this is the only one that isn't! It is my absolute favorite. I have tried SO many. Benefit, Tarte, Anastasia Beverly Hills and the list goes on. 

The MOODSTRUCK Brow Obsession palette is hands down my favorite. It is $39. Mine has lasted me 2 years. TWO YEARS people, and is still going strong. I highly recommend getting the Younique Brow Artist Brush with it. The Brow Artist Brush is $19. That's what I have and it's awesome! 

 They also recently came out with the Younique Spoolie Brow Artist Brush 

It is $19. I haven't personally tried the Younique Spoolie Brow Artist Brush but I have had friends tell me good things about it. 

Maybelline Full 'N Soft Mascara

I love this Mascara. It is $6.39 at Target or $7.99 at Ulta. There is also a Waterproof Version as well, which is also fantastic! I absolutely love this mascara! It is great for the price and works very well! 

Ulta Automatic Eyeliner- Matte Black

The Ulta Automatic Eyeliner is $8. I love the Classic Matte Black, but there are so many color options if you are more adventurous! I love it because there is no sharpening of the eyeliner, you just roll it up when you need more. I have also found that one eyeliner will last me several months! Score!

Morphe 35 F Fall into Frost Eyeshadow Palette

I don't know if I would consider this drugstore either BUT before you stop reading this palette has 35 eyeshadows and is only $24, plus Morphe has amazing quality with their eyeshadows! This is my favorite eyeshadow palette they make, but they have so many other great ones as well! Just search for them on Ulta.com

The shadows are SO pigmented so a little goes a longgggg way. My palette has lasted me over a year and I use it frequently.  

ColourPop Dream St. Kathleen Lights Eyeshadow Palette

This was the first Colourpop Eyeshadow palette I ever purchased. I love Kathleen Lights. If you want to check out her Youtube Channel, click here. She always has so many great makeup/beauty tips and is one of my favorite YouTuber's!

Anyways back to the Colourpop Palette. This palette is so easy to use, only $16 and the pigments are so creamy and easy to use. I haven't experienced a lot of fall out with this palette either which is a plus.  There are a couple fun colors in this palette, but it also has mostly great everyday colors, which is always something I am looking for when I am buying eyeshadows! 

Overall I would recommend all these products to friends & family (or I wouldn't be writing about them).

Let me know in the comments what your favorite drug store makeup/less expensive makeup products are! I would love to hear it! 

Thanks for reading!

Life Update

I really need to be better about updating our blog! 

Recently Chris and I have been trying to "kill the clutter", meaning we are trying to get rid of things that we don't use or need, excess, etc. We use KSL and Facebook Yardsale pages a lot and some things we just end up donating. But we always try to sell it so we can just make a little bit of extra money if possible. If you have any tips on how to get rid of clutter, be more minimalistic (is that a word?) let us know! We love all suggestions. I've been reading lots of articles about being a minimalist, and most people say they like having less to worry about, clean etc and that because of that they have more time to enjoy life and their families because they are not spending all of their time organizing, cleaning and finding things! Being a minimalist can mean different things to different people. Some Minimalists are more minimal than others, and thats ok. I've learned I just have to do what works for my family (and my sanity). Chris and my minimalist has been slowwwwwwww, basically since we got married. We live in a 2 bed 1 bath apartment. It's always been someone of a struggle/slow start for us, but it's so worth it. I find it so freeing to not be attached to THINGS. 

I've found several good articles that I love about reducing the clutter.

Gift Ideas for KIDS that are Clutter Free: 

https://miadanielle.com/minimalist-gifts-for-kids/

This graphic has really helped me & caused me to think if I actually NEED what I'm purchasing (which helps me save money too). 

Something we are now trying to live by: