My daughter enjoys variation in her lunches from day to day, so I try to shake it up a little. In this post, I will include some of the snack options that work well in lunchboxes.
Mini Pancakes and Fruit
Next time you are whipping up some breakfast pancakes do some extra mini ones for lunchboxes. These are great with berries, and you can freeze them in advance.
Banana Bread/ Muffins
Banana muffins or banana bread works great a lunch box filler. Bananas are a great source of energy for kids, and if they’re bored of just getting fruit in their lunchboxes, a healthy slice of banana bread or muffin works well.
My children love pasta with tomato sauce and I save money by making my own. It really is simple, and the best part… as long as you have tomatoes, you can add those pesky leftover veggies from the fridge. This recipe can also be batch cooked and frozen.
This sauce can be used in bolognese, lasagne, and as a pizza base sauce etc.
We love to have breakfast for dinner in my house. We don’t tend to eat cooked meals for breakfast, so it makes sense to have them as our evening meal. My kids also like it when we shake things up a little.
We have this as a main dinner quite regularly. I often cook eggs for a cheap meal when we need to keep costs low. Scrambled eggs is the only type of eggs everyone will eat as I have a child who will not eat fried eggs or soft boiled.
If like me, you like to make your scrambled eggs in the frying pan (I can’t stand wet scrambled eggs), then you can use a little olive oil. You can add tomatoes or mushrooms, or even a little grated cheese and onion.
Who says pancakes can’t be a meal in themselves? You can make them healthier by substituting the eggs with bananas, and this means they will be naturally sweet too, so no need for sugar. Pile on some chopped fruit, and voila!
Bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches are a hit in my house. We like to have ours in large rolls with mayonnaise. This meal is particularly great when you’re in a rush, but need a substantial, warm sandwich to fill you up.
My husband wishes that Mcdonald’s served their breakfast menu all day. He loves a good egg and sausage muffin. We live a good 40 minute round drive from a Mcdonald’s so we have perfected our own. We prefer a poached egg, but fried or even scrambled would work. You can even buy the round, sausage patties in Tesco. If you are not a sausage fan, bacon works well.
A fry up is a treat meal in my house. It is far from healthy with fried bread, eggs, mushrooms- the whole shebang. Of course, you could make a healthy version to eat more regularly simply by oven cooking the meat and mushrooms etc and poaching the eggs.
With the kids still off school for a few more weeks (UK), I wanted to post another tight budget lunch time meal ideas post. Here are just a few more of the ideas my family enjoy.
Does anyone else get sucked down the Pinterest black hole? I love to explore the different content and find new ways to be frugal. My latest obsession is to discover innovative upcycle ideas. In this post, I will share some of the ideas I have found with links to the original posts for you to peruse.
DIY Rope Trash Can by Toolbox Divas
This is such a practical, yet pretty use of an old bucket and rope. Toolboxdivas.com have a tutorial on how to make this beauty.
T-Shirt Necklaces by Vicky Myers Creations
If you have stained or old t-shirts that you want to upcycle, why not turn them into necklaces? Vickymyerscreations.co.uk has a tutorial to do just that.
Bread Bin Charging Station by Joyful Derivatives
What an ingenious use of a bread bin to conceal unsightly wires! For a full tutorial, head over tojoyfulderivatives.com
Decoupaged Bedside Tables by Just the Woods
Decoupage is a great way to upcycle ordinary furniture into one of a kind pieces. Justthewoods.com have a video tutorial to help you do exactly that!
I was gifted a copy of this book (thanks to Hachette Kids and Tandem Collective), and I thought it was right up my street as I have a child who is of perfect age for this book. Because this book is for middle grade kids, who better to give an opinion than my daughter herself:
‘I think it is educational, but it is very interesting at the same time. It explains money in words that younger people can understand. The Amazing Trailblazers section was inspiring to me because it tells the stories of successful business people.’
My opinion on this book is one of praise. Many times, I have said that teaching children about money in more details should be on the curriculum, and hence, why as parents we are keen to ensure our children do understand the different aspects of money. Who doesn’t want their kids to grow up with a healthy respect and understanding of their finances? This book is perfect for educating teens and pre-teens in a clear, informative way.
Bar soaps for showering and hand washing and shampoo soaps are far from a new thing, but you would be surprised how many questions I get asked when I say I’ve made the switch away from liquid shower gels and shampoos etc. One of the most common ones… ‘does it clean you properly?’ Yes, it does. It’s soap!
I wanted to do a post on the reasons why I made the switch and how doing so may benefit you if you’re looking to do the same.
Less single use plastic. The less plastic we use, the better. I only buy soaps that come in environmentally friendly wrapping.
Bar soap lasts much longer than liquid soaps.
I feel just as clean (if not cleaner).
It costs less per wash than with liquid soaps.
My kids use the right amount. This applies to my eldest who bathes herself. She used to accidentally use too much liquid soap, but finds it easier to rub bar soap on a wash cloth to wash. She also prefers the shampoo bar as it foams gradually and she is less likely to have any get in her eyes.
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Do you use bar soaps or prefer the liquid variety? Have you found any that you really like?
After receiving some messages about my 2020 summer plans, I decided to share our summer bucket list with you all. We make one every year, and list all the things we would like to accomplish. Of course, this year feels much different than previous years, but we still wanted to create a list of fun activities to ensure we do not waste anymore of 2020.
I know we’re well into the summer, but there is always time to cram in some activities before returning to school in September.
On our list:
Blackberry picking
Beach days
Picnic at the park
Cast Cornwall Workshops (Local artist led workshops outside that are free)
Water fight
Frisbee at the big field
Ice cream and chips at the harbour
Body-boarding
Woodland walk
Garden picnic
Planting seeds
Play-date
Making slime
Your list doesn’t have to be fancy like some you see on Pinterest/ Instagram etc. You could even just keep a little note of what you want to achieve on your phone. We just drew up our list on a piece of paper to stick up in the kitchen.
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Have you got a summer bucket list? How do you decided what you want to do as a family during the summer/school holidays, especially during this time of uncertainty and social distancing?
When you think of bees, you may think of them as little honey making machines, but they are much more. The little guys are vital for pollination, and without them there wouldn’t nearly be as many plants and flowers. This of course applies to our gardens and veggie patches. Honeylove.org states that:
Bees pollinate 80% of the world’s plants including 90 different food crops.
1 out of every 3 or 4 bites of food you eat is thanks to bees.
Amazing, right? It is totally worth helping the little guys out, and helping your own garden in the process.
Here are tips to attract more bees to your garden:
Allow a wild area in your garden. By that, I mean, if you have space, allow an area to grow wild with flowers and plants.
Some of the best plants to attract bees are lavender, rosemary, hawthorn, ox-eye daisies etc.
Make or buy a bee hotel and hang it in an area of wild flowers or near to your bee attracting flowers.
If you have a veggie patch, plant some flowering crops such as tomatoes, potatoes, and strawberries.
Bees do get dehydrated, so provide some drinks stations by dotting around some really shallow dishes of water- Bottle tops or teaspoons are great for this as you don’t want the bees to drown.
Keep away from the pesticides. Research some natural means to protecting your plants and crops.
Mint, if happily situated, will just grow, and grow, and grow. So, what better way to keep that mint plant under control than to harvest it and use it this summer. I have compiled 6 ways to make the most of your mint plant this summer.
Foot Soak
Being on your feet all day in the heat can make them swell and feel very tired. A great way to revitalise your feet is with a minty foot soak. Just fill a large bowl or foot spa with warm water, grab a handful of mint and rub the leaves together to break them down a little. Add the mint to the water, and place your feet in the water for twenty minutes.
Note: You can add a little Epsom salt is you have any to hand.
Mint & Banana Face Mask
Bananas and mint leaves are not only good for smoothies, you can also make a refreshing face mask. All you need is 1 banana, a handful of mint leaves, and a blender. Blend the two together into a paste and apply to the skin. Leave for ten minutes before rinsing off.
Mint Bug Repellent
Mint is a natural repellent for bugs such as ants, flies, and aphids etc. You can make a simple spray to use on your outdoor furniture when having parties or barbecues etc by boiling 500ml of water and adding 2 handfuls of roughly chopped, fresh mint to it. Allow it to steep and cool, then strain the liquid into a spray bottle to remove the mint leaves. Simply spray on areas you want to use such a garden tables and chairs. to keep bugs at bay.
Minty Ice Cubes
An instant way to add minty hit to your drinks is with a minty ice cubes. Simply take some leaves of mint and place one into each square of your ice cube tray, top with water and freeze. These are great for cocktails and mocktails.
Facial Mist Spray
If you want a revitalising facial mist for the summer, then this is the one for you. Simple steep some mint leaves in hot water and allow to cool. Strain and the leaves and pour into a small spray bottle. Keep it in the fridge for a really cooling mist.
This is also good for keeping bugs away from you.
Sunburn Relief
Did you know that mint leaves steeped in black tea can make a great after sun concoction? Add black tea bags and mint leaves to your bath and allow it to steep and cool to lukewarm. You don’t want it boiling hot when you have sun burn. The black tea is supposed to aid in drawing out the heat, and the mint is cooling.
Sensibly Frugal Living 