I always feel a little sheepish about the gross amount of consumerism that goes on this time of year.Our home is awash with boxes and bags of toys and gifts. On one hand, I feel very blessed. On the other hand, do we really need all this stuff?I simply remind myself that these are the holidays, and that we don't live like this every day. And I use this time before the start of the new year to reign in my crazy consumption. Here are a few ideas to bring you back to post-holiday reality.Do a … [Read more...]

One of the biggest challenges of living in northern Minnesota is finding affordable winter gear. It's hard! The temperature fluctuates so much that you need to have different levels of cold weather clothing.  And then there's the whole need for dress coats vs. play coats vs. snowmobile jackets.  Ugh. Here are a few ways I've saved money on winter gear: 1) Shop the end of season sales.  When you are soooo sick of winter that you never want to see another snowman, that's the time to hit … [Read more...]

In Minnesota, it's not even remotely close to the end of winter. But all of the stores are anxious to get their spring and summer inventory out on the racks. Now is the time to start thinking ahead for next winter.It's a great time to find deals on winter jackets, gloves, hats, scarves and boots. I found boots for my son 1/2 off at Target. And yesterday, my mom found three winter jackets for my kids at Herbergers. She got three really warm, nice, namebrand jackets that would normally have … [Read more...]