Search Results for: blog romans pants

Romans Pants

I named this recipe Romans Pants for two reasons. The first is because I put this together pretty much by the seat of my pants when we were running late for a concert and needed a quick dinner. The bonus of this recipe, is that it can very easily be taken along with you to eat “on the way.” The other reason for the name is that, although the tastes are quite different, it reminds me of a classic ethnic phenomena called “Saint Joseph’s Pants,” a sort of pastry that is usually served on the feast of Saint Joseph in … Continue reading →

Why People Make New Year’s Resolutions

The custom of making a New Year’s resolution goes back farther than you might think! According to History.com, the ancient Babylonians are said to be the first people to make New Year’s resolutions, some 4,000 years ago. They were also the first to hold recorded celebrations in honor of the new year, which, for them, began in mid-March when the crops were planted. There was a 12-day festival known as Akitu, when the Babylonians crowned a new king or reaffirmed their loyalty to the reigning king. They also made promises to the gods to pay their debts and return any objects … Continue reading →

The Donation Station

Today I had about 15 minutes between the time I finished my shower and the time I needed to get ready to go out. The kids were occupied and everything else was ready. So, I decided to use those few minutes to take a look at the back of my closet. Chances were, I knew, that items that were in the back probably hadn’t seen the light of day in a long time. Sure enough, I quickly found four pairs of pants that weren’t being worn often. They either didn’t fit or were so out of style that I couldn’t … Continue reading →

Adapting My Clothing

Since I have been losing weight, I have had to contend with clothing not fitting me quite right. Believe me, I am not complaining. I’d rather have loose clothing than tight clothing. But because of my limited wardrobe (yes, I am the mom who still has clothing she purchased 10 years ago), I’ve been having to adapt. Why don’t I just get new clothing? Well, for one thing, I am very frugal (notice the clothing from 10 years ago). We just don’t have a new wardrobe in the budget at the moment, especially with the holidays here. The other reason, … Continue reading →

More Ways a Closet Clean Out Can Save You Money

Have you gotten enough motivation to go and clean out your closet? In my last post, I shared some ways that showed how doing a closet clean out can save you some money. But if that wasn’t enough to get you to tackle this task, then let me offer some more ways to save. All you need is a little time and the desire to save or earn some money. Find new combinations You may or may not have had other clothing in mind when you made a new purchase. For example, you might have bought a shirt that you … Continue reading →

My Search for a Frugal Doggie Costume

I was shopping at Target yesterday, looking for a Halloween costume for my youngest child. He really wants to be a doggie, and I thought that this would be an easy find. After all, I wasn’t looking for a licensed character, so the costume should be pretty inexpensive, right? Well, unfortunately, I was wrong. They not have a doggie costume in his size. The doggie and other generic costumes seemed to have stopped at size 18-24 month. After that, all of the costumes for boys were those dreaded (for me anyway) character costumes. There was a Scooby Do costume that … Continue reading →

Owning the Dream

How do you feel about your weight loss journey? My friend Cindy, who has lost more than 40 pounds so far bubbles over about her weight loss. She is firmly committed to her journey and finds it easy to share it with everyone. Me, not so much. For me, I am trying to focus on the fitness aspect of weight loss, and it making great lifestyle changes that I can keep up. It certainly feels great to be able to fit into smaller size clothing and to see my mommy belly evolve from being marshmallow fluff to being, well, still … Continue reading →

Clothes and Weight Loss

I have to admit that my weight loss has been on the slow side. But because my main goal is to make my lungs and heart stronger, and to make this routine really part of my normal life, I am okay with that. Slow and stead wins the race, right? I’m still not counting calories, and I still don’t own a scale, but I do have two things to substitute. I have a better awareness of exactly what I am putting into my body and when, so there is little mindless eating. And instead of a scale, I have my … Continue reading →

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Weight Loss

This has been an interesting week for me with a few different ups and downs. Feel free to play some mood music from your favorite western movie, in the background as you read this. “Doodeedeedoo Wah, wah wah.” The Good I had a particularly great exercise day on Saturday. With no where pressing that we needed to be, I was able to walk and run for a longer time period, proving to myself that I could do it. I was also able to relax and not be so stressed about getting back on time in the morning to shuffle my … Continue reading →

Top Ten Thrift Store Tips

Whether you are looking for vintage or just a great bargain, shopping at a thrift store can be a great experience. From my admired outfit that cost $1.50 to valuable Antique Road Show finds, you’ll do better when you keep the following top ten tips in mind. 10. Shop around to find the best thrift stores. Don’t get turned off by the first thrift store you find. Some are much better than others, so shop around. 9. Set aside enough time to really browse. Sometimes you’ll walk into a thrift store and see exactly what you are looking for from … Continue reading →