Molly's Money-Saving Digest July 2009 (Review)

Though I am no longer part of The Old Schoolhouse Crew, I am so thankful that my friends at The Old Schoolhouse magazine have decided to keep me on the list to review some of their e-books. I recently received an early copy of Molly's Money-Saving Digest for July so that I could look it over and let you know my thoughts! This resource can be used by everyone, not just homeschool moms, so read on if you're interested in ways to save yourself and your family some money!

The July issue of Molly's Money-Saving Digest is all about Frugal Fashion. Every article relates to ways that you can save money on clothing for your family. As you know, I have sewed a few dresses for Ella, but it has been difficult to make myself get back into the sewing room lately. The articles I read on sewing for your family have encouraged me to get back to it. These days, it is harder to save money by sewing because the cost of fabric (plus thread, buttons, etc.) is so high, but my favorite article ("A Mama Who Sews" by Aubrey Lively) in this issue reminded me to look at the savings in a different light. I need to see how I'm saving special memories for my daughter by creating items that are made specifically for her. I need to remember the look of pure delight on her face when I was finally finished with the dress I made her last summer. These are precious moments that cannot be bought with a cheap shirt from Wal-Mart. Here's the pic of Ella in that dress and a link to the post I wrote about it: Feelin' Crafty



Molly's Digest for July has a great article from Jennifer Schmidt, entitled "Looking Your Best - For Less!". She gives you wonderful tips for hitting the thrift stores to find fashionable clothing for yourself. I, for one, need to take these tips and run with them! My wardrobe could use some touching up since most of my clothes are comfy t-shirts and capri pants to be worn around the house and running errands. I would love to add a little pizazz, but don't really need to spend the money right now. I know a lot of you can relate! Jennifer actually shows you some of the complete outfits (with accessories) she has put together for only $10-$15, simply by shopping thrift, consignment and yard sales. Not only did I love her article, but I also love her blog (I got the link from Molly's Digest...you can, too!).

This issue of Molly's Money-Saving Digest also includes articles about how to save for the future, how to donate to charity and help friends when money is tight, how to show hospitality without blowing the budget, along with simple ways to help your children learn how to become more frugal themselves (hint, you have to show them by example!). I really enjoyed reading through my first Molly's Digest. You'll soon be able to find the July issue (and a new issue each month, plus archives) at The Old Schoolhouse store for only $4.95! You can also find some wonderful advice, freebies, coupons, and tips on Molly's blog, Econobusters.

Ah, ah, ah, ah, stayin' alive, stayin' alive!

Cheesy title, I know, but I did want my (very) few faithful readers to know that I am indeed still alive and kicking. I ran out of blogging energy after the copious amounts of posting I had to do in fulfilling my TOS Crew requirements. It was fun, but I am ready to return to my regularly scheduled blogging. So, here comes a random post, full of insight and wisdom (y'all are believing that, aren't you??).

The school year is winding down and we have entered our first summertime slump. Really, it could be called a springtime slump, because it's not officially summer yet and we've been in a bit of a slump since around the end of April. The slump was quite possibly due to a fun Spring Break, spent at a lovely condo at the beach with my parents. Then, the impending trip we'd planned to Orlando mid-May. I love looking forward to vacation almost as much as I love being on vacation, so my mind has been straying for quite a while now!

The trip to Orlando was absolutely wonderful and refreshing - everything you hope for in a vacation. We spent quality time with some precious friends who will soon be heading out of the country for 3 years, making memories to last a lifetime. Their kids and Ella get along so well, having only seen each other once a year or so for the past 5 years. We had a visit with Mickey and the gang, hung out at the Marriott's pirate-y pool, played several rounds of putt-putt (plus, the adults got in one round of actual golf while the kids stayed with a babysitter!), had a nice dinner out, and generally just lazed around.

We left Orlando on a Friday and drove over to St. Augustine for the weekend. My hubby just HAD to see the World Golf Hall of Fame for himself (yes, it's true...there is such a thing!).


Thankfully, it wasn't as torturous as I'd imagined and Ella and I did survive. The best part was the Bob Hope exhibit on the first floor. His daughter donated all kinds of memorabilia to the museum - his Oscars, Emmys, Presidential plaques, and the like. Some of his best comedy bits played on screens throughout the exhibit, which kept us entertained for a while, before having to move on to the more "educational" parts of the museum (you know you've always wanted to see what a golf club looked like in 1800!). While in St. Augustine, we tooled around the city and viewed some of the historical sites from the comfort of our minivan (because that's how we roll). We did get out to walk around an old fort and watch the boats coming into the port (see, I'm writing a song about the old city, lol!).


School has been on-again, off-again since we got home! Our schedule is much more relaxed at the moment because we're mainly just reviewing what we've learned this year and preparing to move on to 1st grade. Despite our early struggles with reading, Ella has learned many sight words and knows how to sound out and read most CVC words. More than anything, she has developed a love of reading through my reading to her. I can't wait til she's actually reading on her own because I just know she will spend hours at a time with a good book. Math has come pretty easily to her, so the difficulty here has just been knowing how far to go ahead. I would like for her to begin memorizing addition & subtraction facts (she can add & subtract numbers through 20), so we'll work on that this summer. I have concentrated on Bible, reading, and math this year, with science & social studies peppered in here and there. I want to make the other subjects more of a priority next year, so I will be looking for ways to do that. I'm not an outdoors kind of gal (I know that shocks those of you who know me, lol!), so it's been hard for me to incorporate nature studies and fun science exploration in the great outdoors. I need to work on that! Ella loved being outside last year, but now she seems to prefer the A/C. I hate for her to lose that love for God's creation. But, I do have to put my foot down in the hot, humid summer!! The heat index is 100 degrees today, for crying out loud! How can I be expected to get out in such weather?! ;) Ok, so that was my little summary of our school year. We'll be taking some more mini-vacations from school from now until August 24, when we'll officially begin 1st grade.

I will soon post more pictures from our vacation on Facebook, so be on the lookout for those. I will also *try* to regain some semblance of regular posting here, so please come back by and comment to let me know you're still reading!