The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

No.321: The BWF Super Specific Gift Guide // Science



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I know, I know…like the Internet needs another gift guide.  I’m posting this one anyway because I think it serves two purposes: these are all tried and true things that I believe are worthwhile purchases and it almost serves as a time capsule since Sophie’s favorite subject this past year has been science!  So forgive me for pushing more stuff this time of year, but if you’re interested, here are some of her best-loved things:

1 // EXPERIMENT SETS
Sophie got this lab set from Learning Resources two Easters ago and it was a great way to introduce her to chemistry.  The pieces of the kit are all heavy-duty plastic and even include a handful of laminated experiments.  Her favorite was cleaning old pennies with lemon juice!  For her birthday this year, we got her a color chemistry set, which was also a big hit.

2 // LAB COAT
Another birthday gift was a white lab coat, because you have to look the part, right?  It’s not the best quality, but it definitely keeps her clothing clean.  I embroidered her name above the front pocket for a little something extra.

3 // BOOKS
Look I’m a Scientist is a nice beginner book – we’ve done a handful of the experiments with good results.  Another zoology favorite is Encyclopedia of Animals.

4 // CIRCUITS
The latest addition to our collection is this circuit clay kit. I like that it combines artistic creativity with science!  The only con is that the clay in our kit was a bit crumbly.  I plan to replace it with this clay soon.

5 // ALL THINGS SPACE
Sophie’s other love this year has been the solar system.  Her favorite book on the subject is the First Big Book of Space – it has beautiful pictures and is easy to read and understand.  Other space favorites: this puzzle and this DIY solar system set.

Do you have a little scientist?  What are some of the favorites at your house?

No.320: A List of November’s Frugal Accomplishments

NOVEMBER’S FRUGAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
My Goal: Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.  
And if you have to spend money, do it with intention.

+ I sewed the button back on my wool coat.  A two minute fix and it’s as good as new!

+ Instead of hiring a photographer, we decided to take a family photo ourselves.  We used a tripod and lots of bribery…and it was worth it!  We got a decent picture and saved at least $150.  I also ordered Christmas cards from Basic Invite while they had a promotion for 30% off, saving us around $20.

+ I have been keeping and reusing almost all of the boxes and packing material I receive in the mail.  I’ve been selling a lot of items on ebay for my 1,000 Item Declutter Challenge and this has kept packing supply costs down to a minimum.

+ I used Rakuten (formerly ebates) for cash back on my online purchases.  Each little bit counts and it adds up!  The sites I used: Chewy: 3%, Fat Brain Toys: 4%, Carter’s: 1%, Old Navy: 4%, Book Outlet: 5%, and ebay: 2%.

+ I invested in “Iron Knee” leggings (affiliate link) from Lands’ End for Sophie.  They are more pricey than the Target ones I usually buy, but I’m hoping the reinforcement will help keep them in one piece a little longer.  I waited for a coupon and got 2% back with Rakuten.

+ I gave my son a haircut and my daughter a trim.

+ I borrowed and read a book from the library.

+ We filled up our propane tank while the company had an early bird promotion.  It feels like an exorbitant amount of money to spend, but it’s at least $300 less than what we usually pay. 

+ We made it until November 9th before turning on the heat.  This was three days earlier than last year, but waking up to 59° in the house forced my hand.  Still so grateful for that small 36-day relief on our electric bill!

+ We paid off our cell phones.  Our cell phone bill is just ridiculous (and we don’t even have fancy phones!) so we decided to pay off our balances early and look into a different carrier.  Currently in research mode!

Your turn!  What did you do to save a little money this month?

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Previous Frugal Accomplishments: 
JULY  //  AUGUST  //  SEPTEMBER  //  OCTOBER

No.319: The Wednesday Five #03

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Happy Wednesday!  Changing up my five prompts with a whole bunch of bullet points:

A QUOTE

Let’s take back the honor of small donations, small care packages, and small movements toward fellow image-bearers because love isn’t measured in inches, grand gestures, or dollar amounts…
Let’s take back moments that are lovely even if they are imperfect, words that are powerful even if only one person hears them, company that is meaningful even when we don’t say any words at all.
– Simply Tuesday by Emily P. Freeman, p.18

A BOOK (OR THREE)

My brain has been filled to the brim with all things Advent and Christmas, so I’m already preparing my reading list for December.  Here’s what I have so far:

A LITTLE WISHLIST

THREE THINGS KEEPING ME SANE RIGHT NOW

  • NOT folding socks.  I don’t mind doing laundry and actually find folding clothes therapeutic, but the socks…the socks will be the death of me.  Right now, I throw everyone’s socks in a big Bean bag and then we have a “sock folding party” when it gets full.  
  • Writing a meal plan in pencil on a monthly calendar.  I will usually plan five or so meals a week and pencil them in.  But you know how life goes…some days you decide to eat out after activities, some days you’re exhausted and just have cereal for dinner.  When that happens, I just erase the meal and rewrite it somewhere on the following week.  I throw the meat in the freezer and put the non-perishables together in the pantry, so I won’t use them for something else. This has saved me from wasting ingredients and often keeps grocery costs down the following week.
  • A new vacuum.  I’ve been trying to keep my old vacuum alive all summer because #frugalaccomplishment.  But by October, when Lucy was shedding her summer coat everywhere, it was barely doing the job and I was going crazy.  So I invested in this new one and I couldn’t love a vacuum more.  It works on rugs and on hard wood, it swivels and gets in those hard to reach corners.  The ridiculous dog hair situation is now under control.  

A CROWDSOURCING QUESTION OR TWO

  • What are your favorite “old school” blogs?  Who is still out there writing without pushing the latest new product?  Who still writes about their day-to-day life or their hobbies?  I want to read and support blogs that aren’t constantly focused on being “influential”…you know what I mean?
  • What is your go-to weeknight meal?  I’m in a big dinner rut right now and need some new ideas!

No.318: Intentions for the End of November



“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.”
― Mother Teresa

INTENTIONS FOR THE END OF NOVEMBER

  • prepare to potty train P
  • wrap birthday gifts for J and P
  • get a good start on Christmas shopping
  • make a list of gifts to look for Black Friday deals
  • prepare supplies for December Daily
  • write lesson plans for “Advent School”
  • put flannel sheets on the kids’ beds
  • buy bathroom floor tile and grout
  • finish reading Story of a Soul
  • bake a pie

            PREVIOUS INTENTIONS

            If you’re reading on your phone or in a reader, be sure to click over to see what I checked off the list!

            • buy wrapping paper and wrap gifts for M (I have a teenager in the house!  I can’t believe it…)
            • finish collecting items for Birthday Boxes and drop off at the food pantry (on the list for this week!)
            • start thinking about Christmas
            • send off broken crayons to The Crayon Initiative 
            • make homemade playdough (100LT #58)
            • list 10 things on Poshmark/ebay (not quite – I listed 6/10)
            • bake bread
            • catch up on snail mail correspondence (sooo close – just one penpal letter to go!)
            • replace the foyer light

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