In this episode, I’m sharing a Q1 budget recap as part of our “use it up, wear it out, make do or do without” year. I walk through what worked over the past three months, including areas where we saved money, lowered recurring expenses, and leaned into a thrift-first mindset for clothing, home items, and kids’ needs.

I also talk about where real life didn’t line up with the budget—things like higher utility bills, car expenses, and annual costs that I didn’t plan for. Some categories weren’t overspending issues, just reality, and it was helpful to see that distinction more clearly.

Finally, I share a few simple shifts I’m making for Q2, including adding sinking funds, adjusting categories, and continuing habits that are already working well. If you’ve been wanting to check in on your own spending without feeling overwhelmed, this is a great place to start.

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Today, I'm sharing three recent favorites I can’t stop thinking about, then unpack one widely loved novel that surprised me in the wrong way.

1. How To Read A Book by Monica Wood, a prison book club - fun!
2. What Kind Of Paradise by Janelle Brown as a lingering, introspective audiobook. Set in the late 90's with tech on the horizon and the tension between protection and control
3. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen as sharp, funny, uncomfortable family drama + why a 500-plus page novel can feel fast when the writing is masterful
4. An unpopular opinion on Buckeye by Patrick Ryan and what didn’t work for me

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We tie a bow on the rhythmic home series by zooming out to seasonal flow and the small resets that keep our routines working as life changes. We share how we review what’s working, adjust what’s not, and stay grounded as people so our home supports us instead of controlling us.
• zooming out from microhabits and weekly flow to seasonal rhythms
• asking what’s working, what feels chaotic, and what this season needs
• using last year’s photos and notes to plan without reinventing
• doing a light seasonal reset with closets, toy rotation, and budget check-in
• swapping gear for the weather and making seasonal supplies easy to reach
• setting a home goal, personal goal, and relational goal each season
• choosing stewardship over productivity to build a calm, sustainable home
• giving yourself grace when one closet still overwhelms you

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In this episode, we continue the Rhythmic Home series by exploring the layer that often gets overlooked: what’s actually inside your home. Because even with strong habits and a well-planned weekly flow, your home can still feel overwhelming if the volume of what you own is working against you.

We talk through the difference between daily tasks, weekly rhythms, and ongoing projects—and why keeping a running project list can immediately calm mental clutter. From there, we get into a gentle, sustainable approach to decluttering, and finally, the real root of the issue: consumption. This episode will help you shift from constantly managing your home… to thoughtfully curating what enters and stays in it.

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In this second episode of the series on building a rhythmic home, we move from micro-habits into structure — specifically, how to create a daily and weekly flow that actually supports your life. Because the truth is, even the best systems won’t work if your days feel reactive and scattered. This episode walks through how to organize your week in a way that feels calm, flexible, and realistic for motherhood.

We’ll talk about creating one “source of truth” for your tasks, how to sit down and plan your week in just 15 minutes, and the three daily reset anchors that keep a home running smoothly. This episode builds directly on the ideas from Atomic Habits by James Clear — because ultimately, your systems only work if your behaviors support them. And when those two things come together, that’s when a home starts to feel truly sustainable.

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This episode kicks off a special four-part series about what it really takes to run a peaceful, sustainable home. Before we talk about planners, weekly rhythms, and seasonal resets, we have to start somewhere much smaller: our habits. Because the truth is, a calm home isn’t built on heroic cleaning days or perfect organizational systems. It’s built on tiny decisions we make throughout the day.

In this episode, I’m sharing twenty motherhood micro-habits that quietly keep a home running — things like never leaving a room empty-handed, doing quick five-minute resets, and using simple habit stacking to make routines easier. These small behaviors compound over time and create the kind of environment that supports your family rather than overwhelms you.

Much of this episode is inspired by the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, which beautifully explains why tiny actions repeated consistently lead to massive results over time. Before we design systems for our homes, we have to look at behavior — because systems plus behavior equals a sustainable home.

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In Part 9 of What We Ate This Week, I’m sharing a very full February week — what we ate, how I prepped, and what we spent as a family of six after returning from travel.

This week includes:

• A full fridge reset after vacation
• Two Trader Joe’s runs + one Costco trip
• Scratch cooking (as always)
• Frozen cookie dough confessions 🍪
• Homemade tortillas 🌮
• Shabbat rhythms ✨
• And how I manage leftovers so I don’t cook on Saturdays

Total grocery spend: $309
Dining out (besides airport): $0

What I Prepped This Week 🥣

• Hard-boiled eggs
• Sourdough pancakes
• Homemade sandwich bread
• One loaf sourdough
• Blueberry scones
• Frozen cookie dough balls
• Sourdough tortillas
• Roasted chickpeas
• Challah for Shabbat
• Pre-packed school lunches
• Washed + chopped snack vegetables & fruit

Meals Mentioned 🍽️

• Chicken noodle soup
• Lentil soup (freezer stash win)
• Meatloaf + mashed potatoes + Brussels sprouts
• Slow cooker chicken taco bowls
• Sheet pan salmon + frozen vegetable mix
• Steak + salad + challah (Shabbat dinner)

Systems That Are Working ✔️

• Bulk mashed potatoes for future meals
• Frozen cookie dough for emergency dessert
• Large after-school snack platter
• Homemade bread rotation
• Leftover-only Saturdays

Budget Notes 💸

Goal: Keep groceries under $1,200/month
Reality this week: Higher than average due to post-trip restock
Win: Zero restaurant spending (minus unavoidable airport food)

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This year, I’m treating 2026 like a stewardship reset.

In this episode, I walk through the discretionary spending categories I’m tracking — groceries, household sundries, kids’ gear, memberships, family outings, clothing, and more — and how I’m identifying the “slow bleeds” that quietly add up. I also share why I’m prioritizing second-hand purchases, repairing before replacing, and using what we already have (yes, even the unopened lipsticks).

We simply have enough. And this year, I want to live like it.

Previous Episodes on Budgets:

• #31: Fluid Budgeting and a Spending Freeze Part I
• #32: Sinking Funds, Budgeting Part II
• #105: 2024 Budgeting for a Smooth Year
• #188: Raw Monthly Budget | What My Family of Six Actually Spends

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