1. Oh She Glows

From beverages to breakfast and dinner entrees, this vegan recipes blog has it all. The pictures provided with the recipes will make your belly rumble with hunger so you will be forced to try out one of the recipes immediately.

2. Lunchbox Bunch

You’ll find a large assortment of recipes for vegan cooking on this blog, many of which you won’t find anywhere else. The food looks and sounds absolutely amazing.

3. My Whole Food Life

This blog not only has vegan recipes, but gluten-free recipes as well. You may not find gluten-free recipes on many other vegan cooking blogs, so this one definitely has it all.

4. Veg Kitchen

You’ll find a lot of scrumptious dessert recipes and tasty salad recipes among others on this blog. Whether you’re looking for one meal or a whole menu, you’ll find whatever you need all in one place.

5. Vegan in the Freezer 

This vegan blog has a lot of slow-cooker recipes and other easy to make recipes that will make planning meals for the week a lot simpler. You can pop something in the slow-cooker in the morning and come home from work with your dinner ready to eat.

6. Sprouted Kitchen 

The recipes found on this blog are created in a way that will allow you to tweak the recipes to your own tastes. You won’t find a lot of exact measurements here, but you will find some tasty vegan food ideas.

7. This Rawsom Vegan Life

If you enjoy eating a lot of raw foods as opposed to cooked foods, you will love browsing around this blog for new and interesting vegan recipes.

8. Vegan Richa

If you like eating a lot of baked foods, this is the vegan recipe blog for you. Among regular cooked vegan recipes, you will also find a lot of recipes for baked foods.

9. Gluten-Free Vegan Love

There are lots of tasty, healthy recipes to be found on this blog. If you are on a gluten-free diet and you are also a vegan, you will find yourself in health food heaven as you browse through the recipes on Gluten-Free Vegan Love.

10. One Ingredient Chef

From meatless spaghetti sauce to vegan Caesar salad and veggie burgers, you will find a variety of delicious vegan recipes that you can prepare for your family.

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$5 Dinners

Erin Chase is also known as The $5 Mom and provides insightful tips to help with meal planning, grocery spending and couponing. It is possible to make fantastic dinners for $5 or less for the family. Find out how she does it on a consistent basis at her blog. ( @5dollardinners )

The Law Student’s Wife

Erin and her husband Ben have been living an adventure as she has been helping him to get through law school. Chocolate and cheese are her favorites but she hosts a variety of money-saving recipes on her blog. These recipes will boost not only your spirit and your body but also your budget! ( @LawStudentsWife )

Good Cheap Eats

Follow the Good Cheap Eats blog to find out how to make better use of your deep freezer and how to create exciting meals from scratch. Home-cooked family healthy meals are provided showing how a family with six children can eat on an $800 per month food budget. You’ll find out exactly how this can be done easily as you follow along on the blog. Make sure that you take a peek at the homemade pizza – it looks sensational! ( @FishMama )

Eating Richly

Diana Johnstone develops recipes and provides cooking lessons for healthy recipes. If you’re following a shoestring budget, you’ll find all sorts of food options here including gluten-free and vegetarian delights. ( @EatingRichly )

Cheap Recipe Blog

Eat well and cook cheaply with Haley from Cheap Recipe Blog. She’s been baking and cooking her entire life and brings her secrets for inexpensive cooking to your table. She’s a bargain hunter that knows how to choose the best ingredients to provide a scrumptious yet money-saving meal. She’s also a savings gal that loves to shop through garage sales, eBay and thrift shops. If you’d like to learn about saving money in other areas besides just food, check out her blog. ( @CheapRecipeBlog )

Budget Bytes

Cooking on a budget doesn’t have to be difficult when you know how to do it right. If you’re the type of person that isn’t used to cooking, you’ll love this site! It’s a simple and back to the basics blog to help people connect with easy meals that are home-cooked and budget friendly.

Beth’s recipes are satisfying, quick and simple. If you think that cheap eating involves cooking noodles every day, think again. You can eat well and still pay your bills on time by following the recipes listed here. ( @Budget_Bytes )

Stone Soup

Preparing home-cooked food doesn’t mean that you have to spend endless hours in your kitchen. Learn how to make quick and affordable whole food preparations. Take the stress out of cooking by learning more about last-minute preparations and how to stay motivated to cook. If you’re looking for extra confidence in the kitchen, the simple recipes and the videos provided will really give you that extra boost you need. 

What you won’t find at Stone Soup are intimidating recipes that require specialized utensils or hard-to-find ingredients. The recipes are simple but could never be considered as generic or boring. ( @jules_stonesoup )

Budget Gourmet Mom

Krista always makes sure that her husband and their 4 young boys are well-nourished. She writes about being a mom and food. It’s mostly food though and since she and her husband raise their own beef, you’re in for some exciting recipes here. ( @BudgetGourmetM )

The Frugal Girl

Kristen is certainly an interesting girl and invites you into her frugal living lifestyle on her blog. Her low budget meals are innovative and look fantastic! She also includes unique ideas for frugal living that include do-it-yourself projects, repurposing ideas, frugal home decor and others. It’s an interesting site that you won’t want to miss if you’re trying to cut down on your grocery budget. ( @TheFrugalGirl )

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In most cases, it’s easy to start with optimism and determination to get the job done. As things start to progress with the cleanup, however, the frustration and confusion starts to get overwhelming. For this reason, we are breaking down the steps for decluttering your home into 5 easy ones that will work quickly!

1. Start with baby steps

All you want to do at the beginning is spend 5 minutes decluttering a certain area. You need to choose one specific area in the house and it can’t be an entire room. Try to find a small space that could be cleaned in a total of 5 minutes. It may just be one drawer in your dresser. That’s enough to get you started and once you have completed the5-minute task you’ll feel great! You will have completed an entire cycle from start to finish and will be able to tackle the next one when you’re ready.

In order to keep track of these 5 minutes, put on a timer. Most microwaves have a timer that will beep when the time’s up. The timer will be in control of the situation and once it has beeped you need to stop. If you need more time to finish up your cycle you can put the timer back on for 5 minutes when you’re ready. Once you’re feeling more in control of the situation you can extend the time limitation to 10 minutes.

2. Start from easiest then move on to hardest chore

Getting rid of clutter should be done starting with the easiest to confront and then working on slowly to the hardest. When you’re choosing your smaller tasks to perform, don’t look for anything that’s difficult. Start with something that won’t take a lot of brain power so that you can begin to see results quickly. The faster you clean and the more you get done, the better you’re going to feel about yourself and your accomplishments. This will get you motivated to do more and more until you’re left with only a few difficult projects at the end.

3. Handle the bulkier items first

Try to free up as much space as you can quickly. If you see that your children have left out a few big toys, they can be handled first before the smaller toys. As you start cleaning out space, your vision perception starts to change. You’ll actually see things that you didn’t notice were first there when the cleaning first began. By getting rid of a lot of big items, you’ll feel the space lighten up. You won’t get caught up in the overwhelming type of feeling that it often goes along with the decluttering process. This is how to organize your house without having to deal with a lot of frustration and confusion.

4. Keep it fun

The best way to succeed is to keep things fun. Don’t allow the process to get heavy at all. When you’re finding out how to declutter your home, don’t do anything that makes you feel foggy or unsettled inside. Keep things light so that you enjoy the process. Otherwise, you’ll just end up giving up. Find a way to make it enjoyable. Perhaps you could play some your favorite tunes on your iPod while you’re working. Maybe you could sing your own songs while you’re decluttering. Simply look for ways to make the job more fun and don’t look at it as a terrible chore. If you do, you’ll just be looking for ways to constantly avoid doing it instead of looking forward to getting things done.

5. Persistence will get you there

The only way that you’re really going to end up with a well-organized home free of clutter is to persist with your projects. Persistence is the key to success. If you ever find that you’re getting bored and not persisting, it’s time to put together a new game. You can abandon the 5-minute cleanup and replace it with a new and exciting kind of adventure. Decide to fill up one bag per day with items that need to be given away or trashed. You could also make up a reward scheme so that you get a positive payback for everything accomplished.

You get the idea, right? The trick is to make things as easy as possible without allowing yourself to get bored or irritated. When you can accomplish this, you will be able to persist and will find yourself ultimately in a decluttered home that you can be proud of.

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1. Shop the day away

Plan a weekend holiday with the girls to do some serious shopping! It’s always fun to shop with a group and get the real lowdown on what looks great on you and what should be a pass. You can even categorize your shopping weekends into a shoe shopping adventure, one for accessories and another for apparel. You should schedule these holidays well in advance though to give everyone in the group a chance to save up some money that can be spent at the malls or boutiques.

2. Plan a wellness escape

If the girls that you hang around with are into wellness and keeping fit, look for an escape to a yoga or a healthy living retreat for a weekend. Not only can you work on your physical health but can also bring your spiritual well-being up a notch. The nice thing about this type of weekend is that you will often go home with your batteries charged and a brand-new positive outlook on life. With this new attitude, your husband and kids will want you to get away more often!

3. Get pampered for the weekend

Schedule a girls weekend getaway at a spa retreat. Look for a weekend package that you can pay for upfront that has no hidden surprises. This way, you be able to truly relax knowing that everything is already paid for and you can enjoy your pampering to the max. You and the girls can get a massage, have a manicure and pedicure in the morning and then regroup at lunch to talk about your plans for the rest of the afternoon.

4. What happens in Vegas – You know the rest!

Go away to a big city where it’s okay to be a little bad and indulgent! Just make sure that you don’t get too carried away when you’re away with your friends. A little indulgence is okay but too much can spoil all the fun. Know your limits and enjoy a little badness amongst friends.

5. Sun and fun

This is one of the girls trip ideas that never gets old. Who can ever get tired of soaking up the sun and having fun on the beach? If you don’t have any other ideas that everyone can agree on, you’ll never go wrong by heading south to grab some extra rays.

6. Take a cruise

There’s nothing quite like getting your feet off of the land and really getting away from things. When you’re out on the open water, you really do develop a fresh perspective on life. Cruises are usually all-inclusive so you don’t have to worry about taking out your pocketbook to pay for everything while you enjoy the weekend. There are also plenty of activities for everyone and the food on board is simply fantastic! If any of the girls have not had the opportunity to experience a cruise first-hand, this is a great chance to introduce them to a brand-new world of traveling.

7. Do nothing and enjoy doing it!

Plan a trip that has no theme to it at all and no schedule. Make no plans and just hop in the car and drive. See where you end up. It’s an adventure when you don’t have any plans in place and have the freedom to decide on anything. You probably remember back when you were younger and you wished that you could just get in the car and drive away. Now is your chance to do so and you you’ll be surrounded by your favorite girls to help you enjoy doing whatever you want! No responsibilities – no restrictions – just the chance to do anything!

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Ask the right questions

Everyone that has to deal with depression is experiencing it in a different way. You can’t assume that the person will automatically want to pour his heart out to you. On the other hand, you can’t assume that he would like to be left alone. You don’t really know how to help the person or the right way to do it.

The best thing you can do is to start by asking questions. The first one should be, “How can I support or help you right now?”You may not be given an answer on the first try but you should continue to ask the question from time to time. This way, you’ll be able to establish a connection with the depressed person and find out how you can actually support him during his time of need. Other questions that you can ask include the following:

• What do you need right now?
• Is there anyone that you would like to talk to?
• Is there anything I can help you with?

These are safe questions to ask that lets the person know that you care and willing to help.

Say the right things

The questions are important but you also need to know how to say the right things. You have to let the person know in a calm and gentle way that you’re there to help and not to judge. Some of the statements that you should avoid saying include:

• You’ll feel better tomorrow.
• You need to snap out of this.
• You’re letting this drag on too long.
• Let’s look at the positive side.
• You’re just imagining things.
• It can’t be that bad.

You get the idea. The statements above show indications of judgment and this is not how to help someone who is depressed effectively. The things you say can deeply affect a person that is already feeling sad.

Here are some examples of better things to say to help a person that is feeling depressed:

• You’re not alone. I’m here to help you.
• I know that I don’t understand how you’re feeling but I’m still ready to help you through this.
• You’re an important part of my life and I care deeply about you.

There are no judgment calls coming from these types of statements. You are setting yourself up to be a safe individual that this person can talk to.

You need to stay strong

When you’re helping someone with depression you need to stay strong yourself. You certainly won’t want to get dragged down into a deep sadness. If you end up collapsing when you’re trying to lend a hand, you won’t be of any use to anybody! For this reason, some boundaries need to be set and you must understand that you may not be able to handle the level of depression that the person is experiencing on your own.

Put limits on the amount of time you’re willing to invest and stay in control of your emotional limits. Sometimes, when things get to be too much, you may simply have to walk away for a while to regroup and recharge your own batteries. You should never feel guilty about needing to do this either. Depression has a sneaky way of trying to bring others down into a bottomless pit with it.

Explain to the person with depression that you aren’t walking away for good but just need time to handle some things that you’ve been ignoring and putting off. Let the person know that you’ll be back soon and that they can call when need be. You should also have somebody take your place temporarily so that the depressed individual is not left with the feeling of abandonment.

Keep your strength up and do your best to remain happy. Happiness is an important part of life and sometimes it can be easy to forget this when you’re dealing with someone that hasn’t seen the light of happiness for quite some time.

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To help you out, we have assembled 7 different ways that you can save a bit of extra cash without having to completely reassemble your current lifestyle.

1. Eat out less often

If you love to dine out and have a favorite restaurant that you frequent often, it’s time to put the brakes on the amount of visits you make to the diner. You don’t have to completely eliminate eating out – you just need to eat out less often. For example, if you eat an average of 4 meals a month at a restaurant, try cutting back to only 2 meals out. This way, you aren’t breaking the habit cold turkey and can still look forward to your dining out times. Simply mark on the calendar the days in a month when you can head out for a bite to eat and stick to this plan. The money that you save can go directly into your piggy bank.

2. Get in the habit of turning off all of your lights

This is a simple yet effective way to save money and best of all you don’t have to make any serious lifestyle changes to do it! If you’re like most people, you aren’t in the habit of turning off every light in the house when you’re not using them. By turning off your lights you can expect to save at least $5 a month on your electric bill. This adds up to $60 a year. While it’s not a fortune, it is an easy way to start saving. When you add this small amount to the other amounts, you’ll see that they all add up pretty quickly!

3. Use a grocery list and a meal plan

Every week you should be planning out all of the meals according to your budget. Then and only then should you attempt to write out a grocery list. You’ll be able to see exactly what ingredients you’ll need and will have a strategic plan in place before visiting the grocery store. As long as you stick to your list when making your food purchases, you’ll be all set!

4. Go through your monthly budget again

If you haven’t taken a look at your monthly budget lately, it may be time to go through it again. If you don’t have a budget, it’s time to prepare one – now! In a new unit of time you’ll be able to revisit your exact needs and wants and see if there are any areas on the budget where money could be shaved off. If you are looking at a budget that you have already set up, go in with the attitude that you will find a way to save $5 per month. That will add up to an additional $60 per year as well!

5. Coupons add up quickly

There are people out there that can spend $50 for a $200 grocery order through the wise use of coupons. Take a serious look at the coupons that are being offered on the Internet and in the local flyers you receive from grocery stores. When you combine some of these coupons with sale items, you can really end up with a lot of food at a low price. While you are looking through the online coupons, you might also want to take a look for restaurant coupons and deals. You’ll not only end up saving money at the grocery store but also on your restaurant nights out!

6. Work with your neighbors

Don’t be afraid to work with your neighbors and your friends and ask them for things when you need them. If you’re baking a cake and don’t have an egg, it’s nice to have a neighbor to go to. You won’t have to run out to the closest convenience store to buy an expensive carton of eggs to make the cake. Your neighbor will come to you to borrow certain items too when you build up this type of relationship. It’s a win-win scenario where you and your friends and neighbors can all save money together.

7. Set up a rewards scheme

Saving money can often feel like a chore but it doesn’t have to! Reward yourself for saving! Set up a goal and targets to reach and then give yourself a treat once you have obtained them. These rewards don’t need to be costly; a simple treat or a special time to yourself may be all that’s required to stay motivated.

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