But two months later, I have come to realize that I don’t love blogging like I did when I first started. I dreaded the idea of writing a post. Or editing pictures for a new recipe tutorial. Or pitching a company for a review and giveaway. It wasn’t fun anymore. It started to feel like a job….and I already have a full-time one of those.

I thought about all of this for a while and have finally come to the decision to stop blogging. It was not a decision I came to lightly but I truly feel it is the right decision for me and my family.

There are just other things I want to do with my time right now. I’d like to sit down and read a whole book. And finally learn how to use my DSLR. And do a craft project without working about how to get the most “pinnable” picture of it.

Not to mention finish cooking Baby #2 and prepare to have a newborn in the house again.

I have so appreciated the community that has grown around this blog over the past two years. It is definitely the part of blogging that I will miss the most. Thank you for sticking around and supporting me.

So, goodbye….for now. Who knows what the future might bring? I may be back sometime down the road. But for now, I’m off to new adventures. Goodbye.

Like most kids, my son is always more interested in the box or wrapping that a new toy comes in than the toy itself. What is it about boxes that kids find endlessly fascinating?

A few of his other favorite unconventional toys include:

I have a white beverage container that my son commandeered for himself last year. He calls it “my little white bath” and it makes the perfect “swimming pool” for the deck. When he was younger, he could sit it in and happily play with his toys. It’s a bit of a tight squeeze now, but perfect for this Magnetic Fishing Game.

Another favorite is empty wrapping paper tubes. He calls them his “bongers”….as in “I’m going to bong you on the head with this”. He thinks it is hilarious to bong his dad on the head and watch him dramatically fall to the ground. Hours of amusement.

Lastly, who doesn’t love to play in a pile on money? Our spare change jar is perfect for “money game”. We dump them onto the floor and he uses his diggers and dump trucks to scoop them up and dump them out. Over and over and over again.

What are some of your kids’ favorite unconventional toys?

Be sure to head over to Chaos & Love or Growing Up Geeky to check out the other posts that have been linked up on this topic.

Part of the problem is that my laptop is on the fritz, so I can’t edit pictures and can barely get online most of the time. My husband is in the process of researching a new laptop (suggestions?), so hopefully that situation will get remedied soon.

I have things to share with. Great pictures of my son’s 3rd birthday party, a couple fun giveaways from companies I met at BlogHer, and some reviews of great products. All these posts are running around in my brain….I just can’t seem to get them to my fingers.

I’ll be honest. BlogHer was not the experience I had hoped it would be and I’ve been feeling jaded about blogging ever since I returned. My first BlogHer in 2011 was amazing. I learned a lot and felt that as a small blogger, I fit in as much as anyone else. I think maybe I was just naive to all the other things going on that year, but I came back from BlogHer ’11 excited about blogging.

This year was different. I felt that my small blog was insignificant. People (brands and bloggers) weren’t interested in hearing about it because I wasn’t offering something that would benefit them. It felt competitive and cut-throat. It felt like high school…and I have no interest in returning to those years.

I know that I let myself get too wrapped up in the drama. I let myself get too concerned about what parties I was going to and didn’t spend enough time focusing on the connections I was making.

I don’t regret going….I loved spending time with friends in NYC. But I won’t be back to BlogHer. The conference is too big and too commercial for me.

Obviously, I’m still having a hard time processing my BlogHer experience and deciding how to translate it into my blogging life moving forward. I’m hoping by writing about it here, I might be able to move on and get back to blogging about the things I want to blog about.

And I hope you will stick with me while I figure this all out. Thanks!

THE HORROR!

I have the worldest smallest bathroom that in recent years has been overrun by bath toys, potty chairs, a stool and other clutter that was starting to drive me batty. So I headed out in search of a few cheap and easy storage solutions that would make the bathroom a little more liveable.

First, I grab a 2-pack of hooks from IKEA. I placed these at the far end of the tub (opposite the shower) for hanging wet towels on. No more towels draped over every surface in the bathroom.

Next, I needed a way to tackle the bath toys. I mounted a shower bar along the back of the shower to hold these great baskets I found at Fred Meyer ($1.50/each). The baskets are have wide openings so all the water drains out and the toys aren’t sitting in stale, yucky water. I used open shower curtain hooks to hang the baskets from the bar, which makes it easy to take them down at bathtime. I also added an extra hook for my sponge.

Lastly, I got a over the door hook from the dollar store and hooked it over the cupboard handle to hold my son’s potty seat.

All told, I probably spent about $15 on these easy solutions. Now I feel like everything in the bathroom has a place and most of the time, things even end up where they are suppose to.

What other tips do you have for dealing with a tiny bathroom?

Need more ideas? Check out this book over on Amazon.

My husband and I gave up buying cans of soda several months ago due to the cost. And because we found we drank a lot more water when we didn’t have soda on hand (shocking). But when Soda Stream offered to send me a machine to test out, I couldn’t pass up a great opportunity. Sometimes I just crave something fizzy to drink and the Soda Stream is the perfect solution.

The Soda Stream turns tap water into carbonated water that can then be flavored with tons of different options. Soda Stream sent me a bunch a different flavors to test out, including diet cola, root beer, black currant and pear, and some flavorings for sparkling water.

The Soda Stream is really easy to use. Just fill the bottle to the line with tap water (don’t overfill it or it will make a bit of a mess…not that I did that). Screw the bottle into the machine and then push the button down until you hear a loud buzzing. Repeat 3-4 times. Initially, I wasn’t pushing the button down hard enough and nothing was happening, but once I figured out that you have to push down pretty hard it was simple. Then just unscrew the bottle, add your flavoring and enjoy.

The machine comes with one 1 liter bottle, but I would suggest getting a least one more. The awesome Soda Stream rep I met at BlogHer ’12 was nice enough to give me a 2nd bottle which is perfect. I keep them in the fridge filled with water, so they are cold and ready to go when I want to make soda.

My favorite flavor is probably the Cola Free. I’m a dedicated Diet Coke drinker and to be honest, the Diet Cola didn’t taste enough like Diet Coke for me. It tastes more like a store brand diet cola. But the Cola Free (similar to Coke Zero) is great (probably because I don’t know that the “real” thing tastes like). Also at BlogHer ’12, I got the chance to try out some of the newest Soda Stream flavors from Country Time and Crystal Light. Including my all time favorite Crystal Light flavor…Peach Iced Tea. Oh my! Carbonated Peach Iced Tea is amazing. I’ll be picking up some of that flavor for sure.

The Soda Stream bottle cap has a special seal that keeps your soda fizzy for much longer than a regular bottle. I was really surprised at how fizzy the soda was in a bottle I had left in the fridge for several days.

The Frugal Factor: So how does the cost of the Soda Stream bear out? The basic machine costs around $80 and the bottles of flavor are about $5. The Soda Stream website states that the price of a can of soda works out to $0.25 per can. That is about $0.10 less than we were previously paying for soda at Costco. Plus, I can have a bunch of different flavors on hand without taking up a ton of space.

I definitely think the Soda Stream is worth the investment. It is so easy to use and gives you so many delicious options. Plus, no hauling and storing cans and bottles. And you aren’t creating any waste because the Soda Stream bottle can be used over and over again. I highly recommend the Soda Stream.

Do you have a Soda Stream? Or are you considering getting one? What is your favorite flavor?

I love supporting local businesses and even more so when they believe in the same things I do….great coffee. Oh, and there is that little piece about being 100% organic and fair trade.

Mercurys Coffee is based in Woodinville, Washington and has been serving up outstanding coffee to Eastside residents for the past 14 years. At their five area locations, they serve espresso drinks with 100% organic fair trade coffee, certified rbst/hormone free milk and offer a variety of organic flavorings.

I was looking over their online menu and was immediately hooked in by the Organic Snickers Latte. “Organic chocolate, caramel, hazelnut & espresso with organic steamed milk”. OMG…yes, please!

In addition to espresso drinks, Mercurys Coffee also sells their coffee beans in 1 or 5 lbs bags. So even if you aren’t in the local area, you can still enjoy Mercurys Coffee at home.

Mercurys Coffee has generously offered one Simply Frugal Mom reader a pound of their 100% organic fair trade coffee and a coffee mug. Just enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

And if you are in the greater Seattle area, be sure to check out one of the Mercurys Coffee locations in Redmond, Fall City, or Woodinville. Also, Like Mercurys Coffee on Facebook for all their up to date information.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Famous Footwear has a great coupon available through August 18th. Buy one pair of shoes and get a second pair for 50% off. Plus you can print a coupon for an additional 15% off.

Even better if you join the FREE Rewards Program, you can print a 20% off coupon. Plus, you get all the other perks of being a Rewards Program member:

• Earn 1 point for every $1 you spend in-store or online
• Accumulate points to earn certificates up to $100 a year
• Discount offer just for signing up
• Other special inside discounts and perks

This is the perfect sale to get ready for back to school. I love shopping at Famous Footwear because all the shoes are right there in front of you. You could try on every shoe in the store if you wanted without annoying anyone! Of course, with all the styles offered at Famous Footwear it would take quite while to try them all on….but you get the idea.

The sale would be perfect for your back to school shopping. I generally buy my son two pairs of shoes at a time…one pair of tennis shoes and one pair of brown shoes. That pretty much covers any situation we come across. I always look for sales where I can save on both pairs at once.

Be sure to head over to Famous Footwear and print your BOGO + 15% off Famous Footwear Coupon for use between now and August 18^th. You can also use this coupon online and have your shoes shipped to your local Famous Footwear for free.

What other tips or tricks do you have for saving on back to school clothes and shoes?

Disclosure: This post was compensated by Social Spark. All opinions are my own.

Every Saturday, I’ll be posting a quick wrap up of posts from Simply Frugal Mom that you may have missed during the busy week. Plus, a “Frugal Flashback” of an older post worth checking out. And lastly, some links to other posts from around the web that I think are worth checking out.

Don’t miss any of the action on Simply Frugal Mom by signing up for my FREE newsletter.

Wish You Were Here Giveaway Hop

The Votes Are In: Check Out My New Haircut

Weight Weight Wednesday: Fembody Nutrition Appetite Control 100 Gum Review

Dried Pineapple + How to Cut a Pineapple

Summer Entertaining on a Budget

Frugal Flashback

Salad in a Mason Jar: Southwest Salad

Another one of my favorites. What’s not to love about salad in a jar?

Around The Web

I’ve been off in New York City for BlogHer, so I haven’t had a chance to catch up around the web this week. So tell me….

What things did you discover on the web this week?

Summertime around my house means lots of barbeques and family parties. As much as I love entertaining, it can get pricey to host all of these events. So today, I’m going to share some tips for summer entertaining on a budget.

Focus on one stand out dish.

Don’t plan a menu full of new, complicated or expensive dishes. You’ll end up frustrated and frazzled on party day. I like build my menu around one stand out dish and add some simple favorites to round out my menu.

One of my favorite summer entertaining meals is pulled pork in the slow cooker. Grab a couple bottles of fancy BBQ sauce from the store and pair with canned baked beans, fruit salad and potato chips. And a bonus…no standing over the hot BBQ or oven!

Or you could focus on a stand out salad, like this recipe for Greek Orzo Pasta Salad. Pair with grilled chicken, corn on the cob and watermelon for a light summer dinner.

Let Your Guests Help Out

As the hostess, we seemed trained to say “No thank you, I’ve got everything handled” when a guest asks what they can bring. But in my experience, if someone asks to help out….you should let them. If you want to handle the majority of the menu, let your guests bring some of the accompaniments. Ask guests to bring hot dog/hamburger buns, a tray with all the fixings for hamburgers, fruit salad, chips.

Be specific, but not too specific. Don’t give your guests a copy of the exact recipe you want them to make. Not that I know anyone who would do that (cough::mymom::cough!).

Decorate with What You Have

Unless you are planning an elaborate themed party, you probably have everything you need around the house to decorate for a summer party.

Mason jars filled with flowers are one of my favorite ways to decorate.

Or fill a large bowl with lemons and limes for a splash of color.

I’m planning a beach themed party of my son’s birthday in August. I plan on using clean sandpails (from the dollar store) as serving bowls. And decorating with shells and other treasures from our recent beach vacation.

Hit the Dollar Store

You can find tons of items at your local dollar store that are perfect for summer entertaining. Pick up paper plates and plastic cups and utensils. And bright colored table clothes and napkins.

Plus, you can find things like bubbles, bouncing balls or coloring books to keep your younger guests occupied and happy.

Think Beyond the BBQ

If hosting a full barbeque is out of your budget, consider a less expensive dessert get together. Grab some ice cream and have all your guest bring their favorite toppings for an old fashioned ice cream social. Or provide graham crackers and marshmallows and have your guests bring s’more toppings for a backyard bonfire.

Happy Summer Entertaining!

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1. I check what food we have in the house. It sounds simple, but I used to really frustrate myself when I’d lug home a huge packet of spaghetti, only to find I already had three!

2. I look at our family commitments for the week.  My husband works away sometimes, so on those days I cook something simple for myself as I know I’ll be tired after putting the children to bed by myself.

3. I check the coupons I have, to ensure that I’m making best use of them before they expire.

4. The menu planning begins.  A normal week might look like this (I shop on a Thursday so that’s when my menu starts!):

Thursday: Chicken Caesar salad.  Buying the ingredients separately is much cheaper than buying the pre-prepared packs.  Also, I make sure to have these sorts of meals as soon as possible after the supermarket trip so that the items are still fresh.

Friday: Fajitas.  You can make these as simple or as fancy as you like, depending on your budget, plus it’s also a good way to use up any chicken that didn’t get eaten the day before.

Saturday: Stir fry with rice.  This is a meal that feels special but that can be achieved quite cheaply.  Use up any leftovers from the fajitas and add some more vegetables and soy sauce.  Rice is very cheap, particularly when bought in bulk, but noodles can be substituted here as another budget alternative.

Sunday: Roast beef with potatoes and vegetables.  I know that meat isn’t the cheapest of options, but the leftovers can be used for sandwiches as well as further meals.  Buying frozen meat instead of fresh reduces the cost too (just make sure you leave enough time for defrosting!).

Monday: Easy beef stroganoff.  Using up the leftover beef from yesterday, add some mushrooms and a couple cans of condensed mushroom soup.  Serve with rice for an easy, delicious meal.

Tuesday:  Vegetable soup.  This is a great way to use up the rest of the vegetables, but anything goes with this recipe, just pop in whatever you have to hand, add some vegetable stock and let it simmer for an hour.

Wednesday: Store cupboard or freezer food. I like to batch bake (make large quantities of meals) and store it in the freezer, but if there’s nothing like that to hand I’ll check the cupboards and pull out something like tuna, pasta, garlic and chopped tomatoes for a tuna pasta bake (topped off with some grated cheese).

I hope that this proves as useful to you as it was for me, enjoy!

By Agnese Geka, who is mom, blogger and online marketing consultant for www.SurveyCompare.net – one of the largest work from home communities providing you with latest paid surveys and advice on home homeworking.