Frugal Things I Did The Last Two Weeks

The beautiful wedding decorations which we enjoyed.  This picture does not do them justice.

We are adjusting well to life with myself in school and looking forward to fall.  Here are a few of the things we did the last two weeks to save money and enjoy life to the fullest!  

 My husband had a great surprise for us Friday night.  The kids and I bundled up after dark and headed next door to our church's prayer garden with blankets.  When we got there the happy hubby had plugged in the lights that had been strung in the trees for an upcoming wedding reception (he had permission).  We laughed, giggled, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  We also had a time of family worship.  Such a fun memory!  Just a great example that you don't have to spend money in order to have a great time.  

Produce we picked from the garden last week included: lemon cucumbers, 1 golden zucchini, three tomatoes (including a Green Zebra variety), okra, and 7 peppers.  

Our garden has turned into a huge weedy jungle but it is still producing!  (I refuse to weed any longer since the frost will be here in just a few weeks.)  We picked a bunch of items from our garden including our last yellow zucchini and tons of peppers.

I made homemade red pepper humus which we have been enjoying as a sandwich condiment and with lots of peppers!  I love peppers and they are a great way to increase my veggie intake.

My first attempt at Stuffed Peppers.

I used peppers from the garden and leftovers from a skillet casserole I made to bake Stuffed Peppers.  This was the first time I have made them and they were pretty good.  Eli and I loved them but I think Brandon was too scared to try them!  I have raised peppers in the past but this was the first year that I ate any orange or yellow peppers.

My niece's birthday present.

Last week my niece Zuzu turned three.  I sewed her (and her sister) a set of baby doll diapers and baby bibs.  I remember when my mom bought me diapers for my baby doll.  They were just the coolest thing ever!  I also picked up a Touch and Feel animal book which I also mailed.  We have this book and both of my kids absolutely love it!  Elijah made them both a birthday card.  

We enjoyed a trip to the zoo with new friends!  Having a zoo passed saved us lots of money.  I also packed us lunch.  

Our Goodwill Haul

 We made a run to Aldi (finally)!  We spent over $100!  It is so nice to have our pantry stocked for a while.  I decided to be brave and we stopped by Goodwill before we went to the grocery.  I purchased a nice (like new) basket.  I didn't have any purpose in mind when I purchased the basket but I always find them useful for organizing.  I purchased two games for Elijah.  I will probably save one of the games for his birthday and the other for a rainy day.  The gray shirt is actually a Lane Bryant shirt that I found for myself.  It fits great!  My favorite purchase was the light pink Gymboree sweater dress.  It is simply adorable and I am almost excited for the weather to turn cold just so Eva can wear it.  I also picked up the fun bubble skirt for Evangeline to wear around Christmas.  I love skirts which don't also have bloomers because I find that they don't fit Eva well since we cloth diaper.  I think I spent about $12 on everything pictured.

Vitacost Haul

I also received my order from Vitacost and used a $15 off coupon that I received in the mail.  I order from Vitacost about every other month and we have a specific section of our budget that is set aside for such purchases.  We purchase a number of supplements from them and I also purchase some hard to find grocery and health items.  Their prices are wonderful compared to other retailers and I love the fact that I can order everything from the comfort of my home!  Recently I just decided to try dry brushing so I purchased a brush for about $5.  This seems like a very economical way to increase circulation, exfoliate, and rid your body of toxins.  I will keep you updated!  If you are interested in ordering from vitacost you can save $10 on your first order by using this link.

I have also been thinking about the possibility of starting a youtube channel where I share all of the randomness that is my life.  I have lots of ideas for videos but I don't know anything editing, filming, etc.  Any advice?  Opinions?  Thoughts?  Would you watch my videos if I made them?  What types of videos would you like to see?  I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!