When life gets hectic, the last thing you want to do is worry about what to make for dinner. The solution is not dialing for take-out or hitting the drive-thru. It's taking just a little bit of time to prepare for those busy nights. The new cookbook Prep-Ahead Meals From Scratch by Alea Milham is a comprehensive guide to helping you do just that. … [Read more...]
I live in northern Minnesota, in a unique part of the world called the Iron Range. This is a place where iron is mined to make steel. It is a place rich in history and a melting pot of cultures. It is a place that drew thousands of immigrants from countries like Finland, Sweden, Germany, Norway, Slovenia, and Italy to live and work. And with them, they brought their food and traditions. Potica, môjakka, lutefisk, porketta, lefse, and the pasty are just some of the foods of the people of … [Read more...]
Eight years ago I had an awesome job. I worked with great people, I found my work fulfilling, and the pay was good. And then I left all that behind for a job that meant even more to me. I became a full-time mom. Leaving my career to take care of my three children (a 2-year old and infant twins at the time) was one of the scariest things I have ever done. I had spent years investing in my education and developing my career. How could I just throw that away? We were going to lose 40 … [Read more...]
We are a society of consumers. And as consumers we produce an amazing amount of trash. We buy. We use. We toss. We repeat. We've known for decades that we need to take better care of our Earth, but we often fail to do so. One book seeks to change that with a simple goal: Make garbage great. … [Read more...]
When the new book Life & Debt by Leslie Tayne landed on my desk, I was a little hesitant to review it. You see, the tagline of the book goes against my whole philosophy toward debt. … [Read more...]
One of the unintended consequences of my frugal lifestyle is that I've become a bit more eco-friendly. I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm a green, tree-hugging hippie, but I've made some progress... particularly when it comes to my consumption of stuff. I'm buying less, saving more, and making do with what I have. So when I was asked if I wanted to review Madeleine Somerville's new book, All You Need is Less: The Eco-Friendly Guide to Guilt-Free Green Living and Stress-Free Simplicity, I … [Read more...]
Let's be honest. Sometimes when we're trying to save money, it can be such a chore! You're constantly finding ways to scrimp and save pennies here and a couple of dollars there. And while those savings do add up, there's definitely an argument to be made for spending less time finding bigger ways to save. That's where a book like Effortless Savings: A Step-by-Step Guidebook to Saving Money Without Sacrifice by Richard Syrop from EffortlessSavings.com can help. … [Read more...]