Meet a Reader | Jenni (owner of a fake brick chimney!)
Hey everyone! We are meeting Jenni today, and the title of this post references the fact that she has a fake brick chimney in her house.
(presumably, this was not her personal decorating choice. Ha.)
Scroll on down to see it!
1. Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Jenni, I'm married to a wonderful man. We have 4 adorable, yet incredibly strong-willed, children ages 7, 5, 2, and 2 months.
We spent the past two years in southern California while my husband was in seminary before moving back to Iowa. Our town is small but close to a large city so I feel we have the best of both worlds.
I call myself a minimalist but you might not know that from looking at my house-6 people come with a lot of things!
Our favorite beach in California
For each move (to California and from California) we got rid of most of our possessions and moved in our minivan. The trip to California had my husband and dog in the van and the trip back had all 5 of us and our dog in the van.
We left California in May of 2021 and spent 2 weeks getting back to Iowa. Every time we stopped, it felt like a giant game of Tetris to get our possessions and children in the van while still being able to see out the back.
It was wonderful to see more of our country and in retrospect a much-needed time together as our family. We spent the summer living with family and friends before finally moving into our own house after my husband received his first call (job) as a pastor.
at the Badlands in South Dakota
We thought it was only going to be 1-2 months of unemployment but it turned into 4 months of living with other people.
I had our youngest 1 week before we moved into our house. I suffered from a spinal headache and was worried I wouldn't be able to make the move with my husband (he was supposed to drive the moving van and I would drive our minivan).
Luckily, I was finally able to stand up 2 days before the move without getting a massive headache and we got moved in just fine. The week I spent unable to stand or take care of my kids really made me appreciate my normal state of health.
I'm very active and I never want to experience that level of despair again. It seriously felt like I would never be able to stand again without a headache.
Our current backyard
We homeschool our kids and I really appreciate the flexibility offered especially with my husband's schedule. I am passionate about green living, being a good steward of my resources, and healthy living.
I enjoy cooking from scratch and gardening. There's something very satisfying about digging in the dirt and being outside (even if you aren't very good at growing things!)
2. How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?
Sometime after 2013. (That's the year we bought our first house)
I was connected to Stacy Makes Sense (now Humorous Homemaking) from my Financial Peace class at church (taken at the same time we bought our first house which is a big no-no. The first lesson said "Don't make any large purchases during this course").
After that, I started searching for other money-saving blogs. I stumbled on The Frugal Girl and have stayed for the positivity. We are doing a thankful challenge for the month of November (each day you say a number of things you're thankful for based on the date) and I think of the Thankful Thursday posts - these are my favorite ones.
3. How did you get interested in saving money?
I grew up with no money. I was raised by a single mom with 3 kids, so money was always tight.
After taking Financial Peace, my husband and I got very interested in paying off our student loans quickly. I feel I inherited my frugal bone from my maternal grandma (the epitome of cheapskates!) but I have made my own frugal decisions as I've grown.
4. What's the "why" behind your money-saving efforts?
When we had our first child, my husband and I decided we wanted one of us to stay home with him. We were still paying off our student loans so this did not happen until our son was almost 1. At about 11 months, my husband was able to quit his job and stay home full time. Since then, we've added 3 kids and there has always been a parent at home full-time.
Windy Rocky Mountains. We were switching drivers on an exit ramp and our kids were asleep. It was sooo beautiful to drive through the Rocky Mountains. It was also terrifying because there are lots of tunnels and I was always convinced they would collapse on me and crush us all. They did not, I'm thankful to say!
My husband is now a pastor and for those of you who don't know, pastors don't make a lot of money. Living frugally enables me to stay at home full time with our 4 children and homeschool the oldest 2.
I also want to be a good steward of the earth. I prefer to buy less because it's good for my wallet and for our planet. I also don't like taking care of a lot of things so buying less equals more money in our wallets!
5. What's your best frugal win?
Our vehicles.
When we go vehicle shopping, we look for something less than 10 years old and less than 100K miles. A lot of people seem to think vehicles go bad around the 100K mile marker. In reality, we don't drive very far or very often (my husband's commute is a whopping 6 blocks) so the higher miles don't scare us.
We are able to pay cash for our vehicles and drive them until they die or get damaged beyond financial-sense repair.
A stop in Colorado
My husband drove a Chevy Lumina when we met. It was backed into at my work and insurance gave us a check for $1500. He had paid $1000 for the car 5 years prior. My husband paid $35 at a junkyard for a new headlight and he and his dad hammered out the hood.
Was it pretty? No.
Was it driveable and safe? Yes.
On our current minivan (11 years old) we were backed into while at an ice cream shop and again, we received a check from insurance for about $1500. Now we drive around with a big dent above the driver tire. I don't even notice it anymore and the money is going towards a new car for when our van dies.
6. What's a dumb money mistake you've made?
Our bed (which my husband just returned to Costco thank goodness!)
We bought a split-king bed with an adjustable base. We have always eyed these bases but the first time we bought a mattress we could not afford one. So this time around, we thought we'd go for it. Turns out we hated the split. Maybe it wouldn't have slid apart as easily on carpet, but we have hardwood floors and the two sides and mattresses always ended up with a gap in the middle.
We're also both able-bodied so we decided to get a mattress and just put it on the floor. This is also more handy for kids since our 2-year-old and 2 month old regularly end up in bed with us during the early morning.
7. What's one thing you splurge on?
Shoes.
We all wear barefoot-style shoes because they allow natural foot movement and are feet shaped. I have always hated wearing shoes (I call them foot coffins) and socks. I have the beginnings of bunions from shoving my feet into too-small shoes while growing. I'm hoping to avoid this with our kids.
Nothing beats being barefoot! Even when the ground is kind of cold.
Men's footwear seems mostly fine but women's footwear is awful for people with wide toe-boxes! We have 2 girls and I want them to avoid the foot pain I have.
8. What's one thing you aren't remotely tempted to splurge on?
Purses. I have been carrying around a diaper bag/backpack for the past 7 years. I bought a smallet (a very small wallet) a few years ago after eyeing my husband's and that slips nicely into the backpack or my back pocket.
9. If $1000 was dropped into your lap today, what would you do with it?
Pay for a house project. Our house is almost 100 years old and needs a LOT of work. It still has knob and tube wiring, so after our basement foundation gets fixed, updated electrical will be next!
Our "chimney." Those are plastic bricks. And the speckled stick-on mirrors are in 3 places in our house. That wallpaper? The stuff we ripped off was the exact same, only yellow.
10. Share a frugal tip with other Frugal Girl readers.
I have a few because I am an overachiever at heart.
1. Shop in your house before going to a store. Chances are you may have what you need or something that will work in its place.
2. Buy less. While buying something on "sale" may save you 15%, not buying that item saves you 100%.
3. Don't just think of frugality in terms of money, your time is also valuable. I am trying to shift away from how much things cost to also thinking about the time cost involved. I recently paid our vehicle registration online even though it cost me $2.25 more than if I had gone to the courthouse in person (the courthouse is also 6 blocks away from my house).
However, the time it would cost me to transport 4 kids to and from the courthouse, plus the time to stand around waiting for my turn seemed way more valuable than the $2.25 I spent to do it online and have them mail me the stickers.
Teepee in Wyoming. It rained, it was small. But we can now check "slept in a teepee" off our list!
11. Is there anything unique about frugal living in your area?
We live in a farm community (evidenced by the near-constant smell of hogs outside my house). Buying meat directly from a farmer gives us higher quality for a lower price.
The cost per pound may be the same as ground beef in the store, but you also get steak thrown in the mix. So the price per pound of what you are actually getting is way less than in the grocery store. And there is definitely a difference in taste between fresh meat and old meat. The first time we bought direct, we felt like idiots: you pay the farmer for the meat, but then you also pay the locker (where they butcher the animal) based on the cuts you choose.
Neither my husband nor I grew up on a farm so we were pretty clueless on what to get. Luckily, the locker we dealt with was pretty friendly and we feel a lot more confident now! Buying direct is good for relationships and the local economy.
In California, produce was readily available and very inexpensive (so much produce is grown in California) but meat was expensive and not that great of quality. Now that we are back in the midwest, we are taking advantage of the good meat and the chance to support a neighbor.
_________________
Jenni, thank you! A few things:
- I think you have one of the best smiles I've ever seen. It makes me want to be friends with you!
- I feel EXACTLY the same way as you about shoes. I hate them. I am barefoot every chance I get.
- If you don't like that yellow switchplate cover, I bet you could sell it to someone on Etsy or eBay.
- The foyer in my house had bits of fake brick wallpaper glued onto the wall, surrounded by spackle, and then painted to look like brick peeking out of an old wall. It was terrible to remove and repair so I feel your pain! I also had to remove a lot of wallpaper in this house.
- Are you keeping the green wallpaper? It's kind of a nice print, but there IS a lot going on in that room between the brick, the speckled mirrors, the wallpaper, and the light switch cover, so I wouldn't blame you if you got rid of it.
It’s nice to meet you, Jenni.
I always smile when someone says that they have a strong-willed child. My eldest was exhaustingly so. One day when I was in tears, my sister gave me the best parenting advice that I ever received. (I realize that you haven’t asked for any, but my sister was so wise.) She told me that strong-willed children are really just determined. If I could figure out how to channel that energy in a positive way, that trait would beneficial to my son in adulthood.
Totally unrelated. (I realize that you didn’t ask for decorating advice either.) However, if you painted your faux brick chimney the same off-white that is in the background of the wallpaper, it would not be as obtrusive. It would be a cheap fix. Wallpaper just like yours is actually really trendy at the moment. Of course, it may not be your style. It’s just a thought. https://theturquoisehome.com/what-is-grandmillennial-style/
Anyway, enough of my unsolicited advice for one day. I wish you a lifetime of happiness and frugality.
@Bee, as long as you aren't one of my parents I don't seem to mind unsolicited advice! Unfortunately the "bricks" are coming off. My husband wants to make it look like a chimney again but I'm undecided. The current plan is to rip all the wallpaper down and paint. I wouldn't mind the wallpaper so much but it is every wall in the room!
@Jenni, I recommend the book Raising Your Spirited Child for parents of strong willed children. Mine are, um, iron willed. As am I.
@Bee, My father used to tell people his job was to raise mentally strong adults. But then he would add that this means they can be terrible children. I certainly proved that aphorism.
You are a girl after my own heart. Barefoot girl here, too. Even in the dead of winter I'm outside with bare feet hanging clothes on the line. I'd be curious as to your favorite barefoot shoes. I just bought a pair of groundies ankle boots. I have softstars, xero shoes, & tried keds sneakers wide width this past summer. Barefoot shoes are just so darn expensive, but sooo comfortable.
@Linda, I've had Xero's but they are too narrow in the women's and too wide in the heel for men's. I do have Xero sandals that I like. I currently have Softstars and really like them. I also have a pair of Vibram five-fingers that I like but take longer to get on. And I have a pair of Zeazoo boots (look like Uggs) that I'm undecided on. I will keep wearing them because I live in a polar vortex and need warm things on my feet when outside. Agreed on the price! That's why we don't have many pairs of shoes!
@Jenni, Another barefooter here. I also have the beginnings of a bunion and wide feet. Although expensive, I started wearing Lems shoes in the last couple of years and absolutely love them. The wide toe box is so comfy! Good shoes are probably my biggest splurge, but I think it's worth it.
@Linda, Have you tried Allbirds? I buy the men's size and find them very comfortable for my large feet.
Hi, Jenni--
It's nice to meet you. Another pastor's wife here. My mother-in-law gave me some encouragement about my own strong-willed children; she said that those who are strong-willed, when faced with bad influences/peer-pressure, will have the stubbornness to be able to stick to their beliefs/values. I keep hoping that is true.
Because of arthritis in my feet, I cannot walk about barefooted; I PAY for it. However, there is a minimalist shoe store about an hour or so from here. A doctor owns it, and the website has many resources. I bought shoes there for my two eldest, and I think I need to investigate more fully for the rest of the children.
@Jody S., my mantra is “to raise strong-minded adults, you have to raise strong-minded kids.” Some days are harder than others!
Hi Jenni,
Your interview brightened my morning. It is gray and gloomy outside but your smile and positive attitude were a mood lifter.
I spend most of my childhood and young adult life living in Iowa. There are a lot of good things about it, including the friendliness of the people, the lower cost of living, lots of wide open spaces, and the many miles of mostly uncrowded roads. I hope your family has a wonderful time in your new home and town.
I love your frugality mixed with Eco-consciousness.
I hear you on shoes. Apparently my feet were made for the peat bogs of Ireland and they do not like typical American shoes. I am almost always shoe less when at home. I have to wonder who designs womens shoes.
@K D, probably the same people who design women clothing!
Hi Jenni! SO MUCH of this sounded familiar to me, from moving cross-country with four little kids (although my oldest was 9 at the time, so not quite as little as yours) to wearing barefoot shoes, to buying meat directly. I actually did a post about that recently (https://going-country.blogspot.com/2021/09/tt-buying-steer-for-freezer.html) because I thought more people were probably exploring that option and would be a little taken aback at the details like the separate payments to the farmer/rancher and the butcher.
Anyway, so fun to read about someone I have so much in common with. I nodded along the whole time.
I love Iowa! I grew up traveling to a summer camp in Iowa called Camp Wyoming and we explored so many fabulous places around it. Many fabulous memories!
I agree with the buying a steer experience!! We started buying direct about 5 years ago and I can’t imagine anything different! It was overwhelming walking through all the different cuts. But I love getting steaks!! And the meat is so much better! And the relationship is awesome! So agree with you!
And my husband is also a pastor! He also went to school while we had little ones. I guess we still have little ones it’s just the ones that were little when he went to school are not so little anymore! And some of mine are more strong willed than others!
I also homeschool and hate shoes!
Thanks for sharing and have a merry Christmas season!
@Jennifer, my husband read your comment and couldn't figure out what I was talking about - he thought you were me!
Nice to meet you!
I love that light switch cover. Paint that baby a rubbed brass color and it would look like something out of a castle!
@Jenelle, That and the light in the dining room are the only thing I like! The brass would fit with all of my heat registers, I will have to try that!
@Jenni, spray paint is THE BEST for small projects!
Glad to meet you Jenni!
I am in a family (including in-laws) with four pastors, three missionaries, and two ministers of music, so your life sounds familiar to me. It sounds like you and your husband are full of energy and joy, and I like your motivations for being frugal.
What could be behind that fake chimney? Do you know? It's, um, different alright. I'm sure you will find frugal ways to re-do that decor that you don't like!
I agree especially with "don't buy it" - it does indeed save 100% of the purchase price.
@JD, It's the original chimney from the house. We still have a coal shoot in the side of our house. From what I can tell they've put something over the original material to make a smooth finish for the plastic bricks. Different is a generous way to describe it!
@Jenni,
Ah. I grew up in a house with a coal-fired furnace. Something else your wallpaper probably has on it - coal soot.
The wallpaper and speckled mirrors were also in my house when we moved in. The previous owners were smokers and the wallpaper sucked in the stale smoke. Removing all of that was hard work but worth it in the end. Almost 20 years later, there are still some things I want to update in our house but it finally feels like"me" instead of living in someone else's house.
We've been to many of the same destinations in our family trips and your pictures brought me happy memories. Thanks for being willing to share your life with us.
@Kris, I think the previous owner was a smoker too. It sat empty for 3 years before we bought it so the air was pretty stale. Our hope in removing the wallpaper is to help with smell.
Same story here! Our house was SO smoked-ridden when we bought it.
We removed every wall covering and floor-covering and painted every surface with Kilz. Even so, the smoke smell lingered for a number of years, especially if the house had been shut up for a while, like during a summer vacation.
Smoke is tough to get rid of!
@Kristen, and cat dander. When we moved into our house I noticed cat litter in the garage but didn't think about it. My sister visited us several months after we purchased the house like 6 months. Anyway she is very allergic to cats and wasn't in our house several hours before she was having reactions.
I had had all the carpet professionally cleaned before we moved in and finally decided it was the textured wallpaper in the den. I pulled it off and painted and the next time my sister visited about a year later she had no reaction.
Another member of the barefoot club chiming in, although I wear socks a lot of times around the house because my feet just get so darn cold this time of year. I never had a real issue with my feet like bunions or anything. I do wonder if my love of going barefoot is why I like the almost zero cushioning of the Converse All Stars.
Knob and tube was a deal breaker for me when looking for a house. If it had it, I would negotiate to get it replaced or walk away from the house. Luckily my house is too new for that and too old to have had any aluminum wiring (shudders!)
Also, it's funny you mention about California. Alton Brown gave a talk at Google some years back (it's on YouTube) and he criticized the "always fresh produce" people who primarily come from California. He said something like, "it's easy to do that when all the vegetables are grown here."
@Battra92, hi, I've been watching for you because I have a question. A few weeks back you talked about scrubbing your bathroom and how clean it was. I asked you what product you used and I think you said, "The Works" which had been purchased at a dollar store. I finally got to our local dollar store and I did find "The Works" but it said it was a toilet bowl cleaner. I couldn't decide if there were actually two kinds or if you had used that toilet bowl cleaner on your shower. For a buck, I bought it anyway and decided I would ask you. Is there another cleaner from that brand for other bathroom stuff?
@Anne, I don't use one that is called The Works. Let me check to see what I have.
I use LA's Totally Awesome Bang for regular cleanings. The soak the bottom of the tub method I used was vinegar mixed with Dawn dish soap, heated up and put in a spray bottle and sprayed all over paper towels which had been spread out on the bottom of the tub. I left it there for half a day and came back and it was very easy to scrub off the mess.
I have heard of people using toilet bowl cleaner for cleaning grout though. I don't have tiles in my shower so I've not tried that.
@Battra92, wow, I really got that one wrong. I must be down to my last brain neuron. I will try the Dawn/vinegar mix. 50/50 I assume?
@Anne,
People in my area commonly have a lot of problems with "rusty" water in their wells, and I know several people who use "The Works" on their shower walls, sinks and tubs, even though it's not recommended for them, just to get the orange stains off. I am extremely fortunate in that our own well taps into a spring, and I've never had to deal with rusty water, so I have no personal experience.
@Anne I found my note and it was 1 Tbsp Dawn per cup of vinegar. I also heated it up per the directions but I can't say if that was necessary or not.
I have seen other videos and posts of people using the paper towel or rag technique with standard cleaners but I used what I had.
@Battra92, I use vinegar-soaked paper towels wrapped around the taps in our bathroom to get the hard water build-up off. A few hours of soaking followed by a light scrub, and those old taps are shining again.
I showed my son a trick with mixing salt with Dawn dishwashing liquid to scrub his bathtub after misting it down with vinegar. The tub dates back to 1952 (it's a medium blue and lovely) and I don't want to use anything harsh on it. The vinegar loosens up the mineral buildup, the salt softens the water and provides some gentle abrasion, and the Dawn takes care of soap and body oil build-up. It cleans up a treat with only a light scrub with a soft brush.
@Battra92, we negotiated the price down because of the repairs and updates needed. We were scared at first but in a small town, there aren’t a lot of options for a family of 6 (plus a large dog).
@Anne, I remember that someone mentioned using “The Works”. That company actually had a whole line of cleaners: bowl cleaner, tub/shower cleaner, window cleaner, etc. It works well. I think hardware stores carry it.
Nice to meet you! Be patient with your home. Live there awhile before making any major changes.
Ah, the joys of older homes...so many quirks and interesting design features over the years always seem to get added! Please make sure and share some pics on the Facebook group when you start work on the faux chimney!
It seems like many of us here are barefoot fanatics. I'd much prefer to wear flip flops year round if I could! Once I forgot to change shoes before a round of golf (just 9 holes) and ended up playing in my crocs. I was perfect happy and my feet were too!
Thanks for sharing, Jenni!
Jenni, thank you for the wonderful post and pictures. I especially loved how you said you were passionate about green and healthy living, and being a good steward of resources.
Nice to meet you, Jenni!
I misread the bit about your grandma being the epitome of cheapskates, as "epitome of cheesecakes" and for a second I thought you were going to share a cheesecake recipe next. Now I just want a really good cheesecake recipe. LOL
@Tammy, My mom's is off the charts. Let me look for it for you.
Jenni - Thanks for the peek into your life! As you like digging in the dirt, may I recommend checking out Roots and Refuge homestead on YouTube. Lots of gardening information which works - as our backyard garden this past summer would testify & was a huge blessing in filling our freezer with the bounty. Nothing like a tomato sauce that tastes like summer in the winter! Iowa is beautiful & small Midwestern townspeople are the salt of the earth folks. Enjoy your time there!
@Theresa, I will have to check it out!
Hi Jenni! I have very wide feet--I have what's known as the sandal gap, which is a soft marker for Down's, but um, not actually in my case. I pay a lot for good shoes for myself and my kids. I'm 56 and have never worn any heels other than flats in my entire life. I also have very large feet--I'm six feet tall and a size 12, so I refer to my shoe size as "rafting down the mighty Mississip." My mother used to joke to shoe salesmen that if she'd known how big my feet were going to get she'd've bound them. (Like the Chinese did. Come to think of it I don't think the shoe salesmen ever got that joke.)
@Rose, your feet sound proportional to your size! My sister is 6’1” so I know she felt your pain growing up! I always thought smaller feet were all the rage. All my friends were around 5’3” and I towered over them. My feet were also bigger to accommodate my taller height (5’10”) and I never realized how silly I would look with size 7 feet.
@Rose, I am over 6 feet tall and always felt more embarrassed by my gigantic feet than my height (all the girls in my convent boarding school were at least five inches shorter), and the fact that when I was young they did not make women's shoes big enough for me and I had to buy men's shoes. I tried wearing heels once and after about an hour decided it was not a style for me. At that point I had a boyfriend who was 6'6" and I wanted to be as tall as he was but my feet mixed that idea. I was 17, that is the only explanation I have for wanting to be 6'6".
I think it's culturally hard to be a tall woman, just like it's tough to be a short man. Societal expectations and all that.
I am on the taller end of things for women, but I am only 5'8". And I still hate wearing heels! I wear heels on a super, super occasional basis.
Ha, guys! I was a size 10 until pregnancy. Each kid added a size to my feet. I "guess" they're worth it, heh.
It's the whole Cinderella thing about small feet. Spare me. I am BIGFOOT, I am cranky, and I hate housework. Also I have doubts about Prince Charming's orientation. Chalk up me as an ugly stepsister, thanks.
Totally not frugal, but wanted go share a cute story. Ds#2 memorized all 50 states on a map at 3 and would pronounce Iowa as "eye-OH-wa" and we thought it was so cute. He is a huge college football fan and he still uses this pronunciation to this day. He is now 21.
@Jennifer, My Dad was born and raised in eye-oh-wah. That's how he says it. I'm trying to hear what your son says. What's wrong with it? lol
@April, I think it's the emphasis on the OH! (I had to say it out loud a few times!)
When driving through Eastern Iowa recently, I saw a vanity license plate that said, (if I remember the spelling right):
WITH A Y
I laughed and laughed.
(I lived in Ames for several years and heard of the Iowa Corn Song, which is about "I-o-way.").
Ohhhh, like, "Iowa with a y". It took me a minute!
Hey Jenni! I love your post and parts of it looked like you were writing about my life! I grew up as a PK and, even though my dad also had a side job, we were pretty poor. Except I never knew it! We lived on a small farm and raised most of our food and meat. (I never appreciated steaks until I lived away from home and had to pay for them!) My mom also made most of my clothes until I was able to sew my own. Currently, we live close to the country and get our meat locally.
My daughter was very strong willed and now her daughter is following in her footsteps. She's been told by more than one teacher that our granddaughter could be the CEO of a big company one day! (I'll just be happy for her strong will be to channeled in the right direction!)
We also have an old house- about 75 years old. We've lived here a few years and have done some projects, but the list is long......some things are wants and other are definitely needs.
And I am also in the "barefoot club". I need a wide toe box also, and wear sandals as early as possible in the spring and till it gets too cold in the fall. But unless I'm out in public, you are likely to see me with bare feet.
Blessings to you and your family!
@Addy, we are taking care of the needs first. The downside of being a responsible adult...sigh. I hope we'll be here long enough to do fun things too. Although we've learned we don't like paying other people to do work we can do yet we find ourselves unmotivated to do projects on our own!
So nice to meet you, Jenni. I love that beautiful bit of door frame woodwork peeking out in the corner of the photo of your faux stone fireplace. I also have wide feet, but they're short too. I jokingly call them pony hooves. 😀
@Ruby, the woodwork is part of what sold us on the house. I always smile when I see your comments; I have a Ruby too.
Welcome to Iowa! I recognized a lot of places from your photos from our road trips west on I-90! We moved to my husband’s hometown NW Iowa about ten years ago and (except for the cold), it’s been a great place to live. We moved from the east coast and it was amazing how much lower the cost of living was! We both work in Christian education and the low cost of living has made it possible for me to work a very few hours a week while being a mostly stay at home mom.
Everyone in my town calls the hog and cow scents “the smell of money”- it’s my first time living in an agricultural community, so that’s a new perspective! Have a great day!
@Merry, the smell of someone else's money indeed! That's exactly what the farmers around here tell me!
I love your idea that frugality is not just about money, it can be spending more to save time (or your sanity, having to take four small kids on an errand!). I need to keep that in mind more...
Jenni, you are amazing to move one week after giving birth (plus those massive headaches...I've had a spinal shot to get rid of them). Loved all your pics and was wondering if the one with the toddler walking on the dried riverbed was of the falls in Sioux Falls -- I heard the drought really affected them but didn't think it could be that bad.
@Shirley, it is indeed Falls Park! I really enjoyed that stop! Something about flowing water is very relaxing to me.
I am the complete opposite when it comes to shoes. I wear shoes all day long unless I’m putting my feet up on the couch or laying in bed.
I enjoyed your interview!!
I loved hearing your story, Jenni! Young people with so much drive to find a good life for their loving family always makes me feel better about the world as a whole. Good wishes to you in the projects—I know you’ll find the motivation once some of the dust settles. You already have the most important part, a happy home. Fix-its will happen in time; the kids will only remember the happy part.
By the way, for the wide feet readers: I recently heard on a podcast that there are shoe stretchers you can buy to help with pinching shoes.
"Shop in your house" Is a truly good idea. I remember some years ago that my husband ended up buying 3 little jars of Fenugreek because he could not imagine such a peculiar thing being in the house! Also--leading from this, never use an old shopping list which is still knocking around in the car.
I enjoy and am impressed very much by your entry. Continue home-schooling your children. We did this with our children at primary school age. My daughter, now 55, still remembers the science lessons with delight and used them with her own 2 children (This was from a textbook issued in England for children in West Africa where parents had to use what ever came to hand for experiments)
We saw parts of the US we would never have visited, in 1992, when we drove across from Oregon to Delaware, taking 9 days and 2 cats with us.
Best wishes and good luck, Erika W.
Enjoyed reading this so much and am in awe of your moving, packing, and repacking talent! Tetris made me giggle and oh, I hear you on shoes -- my very wide feet make heels and pointy things torture. I have happily switched to sandals (I live in SoCal) most of the year and Teva's are my go too (especially if I can get them at Ross or TJ Maxx). Loved the happy pictures of your family and wish you all the best in your new posting.
Nice meeting you! I lived in Iowa for quite a while when I was a kid, and still have family near Iowa City and Des Moines- one in a small town, one in a suburb, and one on a farm near a tiny town. It’s a gorgeous and interesting state, going through problems like every other state, but the good outweighs the bad. It sure has changed over the years.
I love your house and yard. I love your wallpaper and switch plate, although as Kristen said, the swirly yellow plastic belongs in a different house. My sister has that same chimney set-up. The hundred-year-old house had 2 wood stoves, originally; 1 for cooking, and one for heating the first floor. The bedrooms upstairs were not heated except for what flowed up the stairs, apparently. The old owners from the forties-sixties came to visit and told her all about it! Then a coal furnace was used for heat, and finally a regular gas furnace with vents. The weird corner chimney sends the heat up to the second floor. It’s a metal furnace vent thing. She ended up getting drywall over it and then painted it with black chalkboard paint. The kids liked to write and draw on it. I think I would have left the brick texture and painted it. Does the church own and maintain your house? Maybe handy church members could fix the things you want done.
It must be very challenging to be a minister’s family. Sounds like you have a wonderful attitude and you sure have my admiration!
Loved this!
I agree with you about shoes and being barefoot. I am barefoot (or sock footed if it's too cold) as much as I possibly can be, and I feel fairly limited in the shoes I can buy because of my large toe box. Thankfully there are more brands that give space for wiggly toes and narrow heels.
This has nothing to do with frugality, but I just had to comment on your “tree” painting. I love how it’s a small family, including the dog. Makes me want to try to make one myself.