This month, Molly Saves in the Bedroom. At first I thought this Money Saving Digest would just be a home decorating issue, and that?s not for me right now. (I need to dejunk our bedroom before decorating it. My patient husband is getting tired of the boxes of books that end up in our bedroom as I dejunk the rest of the house.) But I was wrong. This Monthly Digest, like all the others, contains inspiration and tips for our family as well.
I like the list of February to-do?s because they show that spring is just around the corner. Rototilling garden beds doesn?t work in our area; we?re still shoveling snow and battling arctic winds. But the mere thought of turning up the dirt breathed some spring into my life
More in tune with winter, however, is the article on pancakes. You?ll never believe what this pancake expert uses to grease the pans, but my kids will love the idea. I can?t wait for our family?s next batch of pancakes?to be followed by a good, long, healthy walk or ski in the snow. The Dutch Apple Pancakes sound delicious, too. To be honest, even the pictures taste good!
For those planning to do a bit of spring cleaning, there?s a list of helpful links and ideas for organizing your closets. Although I should be dejunking books, I?m more than happy to tackle the easier project of closets, and I may do some of that to build up momentum and fill this month?s thrift store bag.
As with everything, it makes sense to take care of what you have. This month?s ?Décor and More? talks about frugal plant care. If you?re one of the happy people who gets fresh flowers for Valentine?s Day, you?ll appreciate Elinor?s tips for making them last longer. Then, of course, there are houseplants, good for beauty, inspiration, and indoor pollution control. We used to have a huge number of plants, and I?m going to be looking at some of Elinor?s lists of houseplants to see which other ones would work for our home.
Molly?s ?Meal of the Month? looks great! It involves baking chicken, something we can?t really do with our home-grown chickens that have run around so much they need slow cooking. Once we are back to using store-bought chickens, we may try this recipe. What I really appreciate about this meal that it showcases how yummy gluten-free meals can be.
Now, for the sleeping article, which was much more helpful than I expected: Molly discusses individual requirements for pillows, blankets (she likes lots, her hubby doesn?t…just like in our family), bed space, allergies, flipping mattresses, sheets, sprays, and duvets. There?s a lot of information here, perfect for those setting up a new home or redoing a bedroom.
On the other hand, organizing a child?s bedroom is a different matter entirely. That is all about function and fun, matching the room to the child?s personality and wishes. The pictures in this article are not of magazine-perfect homes, but of a kid-(im)perfect one, as they should be. After all, a child?s room is about the child, not about mom.
This month, Molly?s resident vet discusses pet food, explaining why we do not need to blow our budgets on expensive ?organic, holistic, all-natural? pet food. She also discusses the different food requirements of dogs and cats.
The kids? section, ?Tightwad Training Camp? is about balancing bank registers. Full of detailed examples, it also includes a few exercises with an answer key. This will be a very handy and easy way of teaching my younger children these concepts. In fact, Miss 10 just needed it today, since she got paid for caring for a neighbor?s pets.
This month?s ?Something Old, Something New? showcases a cozy wool blanket made from old sweaters. As the author, Sharon, was working on this project she combined it with a Bible study, ending up with a useful and concrete reminder of God?s love for her. What a lovely way to fill a home with Truth!
Did you know that people are more beautiful after sleeping long enough? ?Here?s to Your Health? discusses many surprising benefits of sleep, and then gives suggestions for improving our quality of sleep. Here?s to a relaxed, productive, and beautiful year!
I have friends who make their own beauty products. Molly has climbed onto that bandwagon, too. She discusses home-made moisturizers, masks, and lip balm so that we can join her in this latest foray into natural frugality.
Molly reviews The Tightwad Gazette, which must be one of the more influential books of our generation, at least among those of us interested in frugality. I agree whole-heartedly with her enthusiastic recommendation.
?Change One Thing? discusses gift closets or gift boxes. I?ve actually been considering closing mine down, but perhaps I just need to revamp the idea of buying gifts on sale ahead of time. This would also work for charity purchases; if I can get 30% more socks by buying them on sale, that means so many more warm feet for the homeless of our city, right?
I really miss the ?My Story? feature; it was my favorite part of previous Digests. This year?s ?Inspiration!? section is much more hands-on than inspirational. Even though repurposing Christmas cards is a good thing, I?m still a bit sad about the change.
Here?s a final quote that made me chuckle:
People who say they sleep like a baby usually don?t have one. Leo J. Burke
Once again, this is another great Digest, and I feel so privileged to be able to tell you about it. You can get it here. Remember, if you sign up for a Molly Membership (you can cancel anytime), you get the Digest and a whole lot more for even less than the Digest by itself!
Disclosure I received a complimentary download of Molly?s February Money-Saving Digest in order to give you my honest opinion of it.
For more great tips, see Works for Me Wednesday, Thrifty Thursday, and Frugal Friday.
I read my copy of the February Molly Digest last night and laughed at the “rototill your garden” type things, too. It always seems a bit nutty to me when people start talking about spring in February. I also wish more of the houseplants she’d linked to hadn’t been identified as “poisonous to small children/poisonous to dogs/irritating to people with sensitive skin.” But I did enjoy the issue, and am now thinking about pancakes as well.
It’s surprising how many plants are poisonous, isn’t it? Many of the nicest ones seem to be.
When my five were young, I always avoided poisonous plants inside and outside, but my children would find them when we were out and about anyhow…and eat them. I’ve called poison control several times for my little plant-eaters, although it was only serious once.
Annie Kate