Hope in the Mess

Finding hope in a messy life

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Frugal Birthday Party Ideas

July 1, 2018 By Natalie Leave a Comment

When you have children, birthdays are part of the territory.

So how do we keep parties special without breaking the bank? So far we have held 2 parties for our children, and did each one completely different. But each was also done in a way to make it fun, without the fuss. I hope these ideas will spark some imagination for you as well!

Frugal Birthday Party Ideas - Hope In The Mess

First off, for our family we have decided that having a party every single year is unnecessary. Especially since we have 4 children! So each child will have a party when they turn 5, 10, then 16. Each of our first two parties ended up being princess themed.

When daughter #1 turned 5, I planned our first party. Her new friend’s birthday was one day before her’s, so we combined their parties. That way, each family only had half as much work to do. I made the cake, crocheted crowns for the girls, and bought table settlings. I came up with 2 of the games. My friend brought snacks, made cardboard swords for the boys, and came up with another game for the children to play. She also bought prizes for the games from the dollar store.

Money spent for my half: cake mix, paper plates, cups, table cloth, and plastic ware. What I didn’t have to buy because we already had it: yarn for crowns, printer paper, ink, and tissue paper to make a Pin-The-Tail-On-The-Pony game.

Frugal Birthday Party Ideas - HopeInTheMess.com

This year I planned a party for our second daughter’s birthday. I made it even simpler this time. Since the girls were in school this year, we printed invitations on the computer, and sent them with her to hand out. We held the party at a local park this time. No stressing over getting the house cleaned up beforehand, or afterwards. Also, I didn’t have to plan any games or worry about buying prizes. The kids had a blast on the play equipment. We brought pretzels and pitchers of water with us. Way cheaper than buying water bottles or juice. We also made cupcakes, and handed out coloring sheets to her guests that had been printed at home.

What I bought this time: cake mix, pretzels, paper plates and cups. What I didn’t have to buy: location, invitations, coloring sheets.

Frugal Birthday Party Ideas - HopeInTheMess.com

So, as you can see, birthday party #2 was even cheaper than #1, and way less work. Even if we can’t afford a fancy event center, or even party decorations, we can always do something! And chances are, our kids will remember that year they got to have a special party, not that we paid an arm and a leg to have a super fancy one.

What have you done to keep parties affordable?

Remembering my Grandmother

June 24, 2018 By Natalie Leave a Comment

This week was one year since my grandmother passed into eternity. She was the most amazing women I ever knew, and I miss her so much! So I wanted to write a little tribute to her today. Especially as so much of her life exemplifies what this blog is all about.

Remembering my Grandmother - Hope in the Mess

My grandma was born one year before the Great Depression began, so her earliest memories were of many of the hardships that created. Her father was a minister, and her family was completely dependent on the tithes of their congregations. Naturally, tithing went down as people had less money to give. Instead of money, people would bring baskets of eggs, or produce from their gardens, and occasionally even a freshly butchered chicken. They may not have had much, but they were always taken care of.

Despite a very difficult childhood, Grandma grew up not only resilient, but with the kindest and most generous spirit of any woman I’ve ever met. She was extremely hardworking too. My grandfather always had a weak heart, which prevented him from being able to do much of the heavy housework, so Grandma had to take the work on for him. She could reupholster furniture, garden, sew, cook, and would later go on to her earn her RN certification.

Hope in the MessI remember Grandma saying many times how when her boys were young, she couldn’t even buy herself a pair of pantie hose because she had to make sure the boys always had enough to wear. Somehow she always managed to prepare enough food for everyone to eat, and made that food delicious. With 3 of her 4 sons being teenagers at once, that was no small feat!

She was also well known for her love of hostessing. Early in my parents’ marriage, my mom knew that if she was too tired to make dinner on a particular night, all she had to do was call Grandma up. It wouldn’t take long in the conversation for Grandma to invite them over to eat. Every time.

Grandma loved people, and loved being able to help out whenever she could. Even with such a poor upbringing, and extremely tight early marriage, her generosity knew no bounds.

I well remember my grandma and her problem solving skills. During one of her visits to my parents’ house, I woke up one morning to discover her on her hands and knees greasing the track of our stubborn sliding door!  And did I mention, she was in her late 70’s!

My biggest regret in life was not getting to see her one last time. With several states between us, and no money for traveling, I only saw her twice after getting married. But I am eternally grateful that I did call her up 1 month before she died, and we got to talk about the baby I was expecting, and I learned something new about her own mother.

It’s already been a year, but I still miss her every single day, and strive to follow in her footsteps.

What are some of your favorite memories of a beloved grandparent?

Hope in the Mess

This is my journey

Welcome to my journey of finding hope in a very messy life. Trying to live healthy for my family with chronic illness and food intolerances… all while living below the poverty line. Click here to learn more about me.

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  • The Toll of Chronic Illness on the Family
  • Gluten Free and Dairy Free on Food Stamps
  • Frugal Birthday Party Ideas
  • Remembering my Grandmother
  • Looking for Hope

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