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Hey fam, It’s getting more and more expensive out there to keep our food costs down, and with the extreme increases in the cost of utilities in Alberta, as well as gas price uncertainties… we’re all looking for ways to make sure we can take good care of ourselves and our families with whatever we have left over. I have a bunch of affordable food posts coming up, more gardening posts so we can all be more food secure and share with our neighbors, as well as more information on how to help make sure you’re being as energy conscientious as possible. And yes, I’ll be sharing how to make that gorgeous spelt loaf. For today, I’m resharing some favorite affordable posts and the one that started it all- How I went a month without buying any groceries. https://thebrokegirlblog.com/2016/07/04/35-day-no-buy-recap/ https://thebrokegirlblog.com/2021/03/04/my-go-to-cheap-and-easy-meal/ https://thebrokegirlblog.com/2020/04/10/garden-series-choosing-your-garden-type/ There’s a lot to the changes in cost of…

Hey guys! I know this past year has felt awful for so many of us. For anyone who is suffering the loss of a loved one, I am so sorry for your loss. For anyone who is struggling with the loss of your normal life, I am with you and I feel your struggle. A few things have helped me this past year that I would recommend to anyone struggling with our new reality. Yes, I said new reality. Unfortunately, this isn’t going away anytime soon and our social construct may be permanently changed. It’s definitely worth our time to learn how to thrive in a world with more masks and less personal interaction, it’s like preparing for the worst and celebrating if the best comes upon us. Isolate as much as possible and have a cohort that does the same, so that you can visit with less risk when…

This year is a bit different for me. I’m in the 3rd year of my science degree, which I only recently admitted is my pre-med study plan. I’m so incredibly lucky that my family is understanding and accepting of this, because I’m working full- time and studying full-time while preparing for the MCAT. My mum has made me more meals than I like to admit, my sister has responded to more weirdo texts than is ok, and my dad has given more hugs than should be necessary for a 30- something. But yes, I am preparing to apply to medical school this year. I can’t even believe I’m saying that, and I know COVID could continue to push things back, but it’s still exciting and worth a mention. You’d expect some really intense goals then, right? Studying several hours a day, writing practice MCAT’s, GPA goals, research goals… but honestly,…

Hi guys! I’m writing this cosied into my couch watching my new fireplace burn, but I’ve been trying to write it for months. Life has changed so much since the last time I shared a personal update. The world has changed, too. Last I checked in, we had recently welcomed Georgia and said goodbye to Whiskey. At first, the three dogs did great together- confused about the missing friend, but they kept on trucking. Early in 2020, our old girl Jazz started giving us signs that she was in pain, and on March 4th we said goodbye to her as well, nine months after Whiskey. I miss them both immensely. By mid-March, the COVID-19 pandemic reached our neck of the woods and I began working from home (with my entire department doing the same) and self-isolating. I’m in a high-risk group, so I mostly only see my family, and a…

Harvesting your garden is the most fun part! Here in Edmonton, harvest season is nearing its end, but in other places, it continues. I wanted to chat with you guys today about how you can make the most of your harvest, keep your veggies good as long as possible, and what you can still have in the garden this time of year. Tomatoes are at the end of their growing cycle at this point in the year, unless you’re in a place where it is consistently over 15 degrees Celsius at night still. Otherwise, it is time to cut all of your fruit off, even if it appears immature, and put it in a warm, sunny window. They’ll ripen, I promise. I have a couple of posts coming up about how to use your eight million tomatoes when they all ripen at once. (They always do for me… so we…

Hello! A return to the garden series! We have now fully weeded the garden twice, and enjoyed our first full harvest of a planted vegetable. Our french-type radishes grew and were picked- in the VeggiePods, it made room for another planting of basil. In the garden, they were in the carrot row to promote spacing of the carrot seeds. They grew beautifully and were super sweet. I roasted some on the bbq. Because of the rain and poor weather thus far this year, everything is pretty behind. We experienced one crop failure- romaine lettuce. We’ve planted again and are now watching quite a few heads grow. The beans, peas, squashes are all quite delayed and while flowering, have not produced much yet. Even our little herbs are slow to grow. The real crop winner thus far is kale and lettuce! The veggie pods are happy and lush, and hard to…

Hi Guys! I know, this is a terribly grandma-ish thing to be writing about BUT spring cleaning is just one of those adult things that I feel like our parents took care of and often-times even though the kids helped, we didn’t always learn how to do everything, or in the correct order. I’ve done this process for my house twice now, and it works really well while not being too overboard on time investment. This post has nothing to do with organization, just the cleaning/sanitizing side of spring cleaning that is often ignored for the instant gratification of clearing out a closet. If you’re looking to undertake a full-scale spring clean of your home, here is the step-by-step guide you need to start the new season off on the right foot! You can apply these steps to each room one by one, or you can do all the steps…

Hi Guys! This is actually an important post regarding how to choose what type of plants to plant a seeds, which to get pre-started, and how many plants you might actually need for your family’s needs. What to Buy Pre-Started In northern Alberta, we only get great growing weather from June-September, which isn’t very long to raise certain vegetables from seeds unless you have a lot of indoor or greenhouse space to start them early. This isn’t feasible for most people, so we usually purchase pre-started plants for: RosemaryAny TomatoAny pepper We will also occasionally purchase a basil plant started, and then plant seeds around it so that we have basil sooner rather than later. Admittedly, this may be related to my love of caprese salad and fresh tomato sauce. All of our pre-started plants are put in pots, as these types of plants are often more sensitive to wind…

Hi guys! The spring 2020 Sephora sale has begun, and while I normally do a big series of posts split up amongst categories, but this time I really just want to share what I’ve personally ordered. I also put the sale codes here so you’re ready! I stocked up on my Josie Maran skin care, which I love. I also got a tub of the Devacurl super stretch curl cream since I’ve been trying to wear my hair in its natural texture more often. I also ordered the large size of Olaplex #3. I ordered two new products to try- a Milk Makeup lip and cheek color mini, and a Nudestix all-over face color. I’ll review them as I try them. What are you ordering in this sale?