by Jamie Jeffers | Dec 5, 2020 | Large Family Life
One year we got to my parents house for St. Patrick’s Day. (What does this have to do with Christmas??? Keep reading!)
My Mom had hidden shamrocks all around the house. She asked all the grandkids how many they could find.
The kids spent a long time searching everywhere to find those shamrocks.
And once they had found them all, they were rewarded with a small prize!
To may surprise, my kids bring up that simple game as one of their favorite holiday traditions all the time.
So I thought, why not turn this into a fun Christmas activity for kids, too?
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by Jamie Jeffers | Nov 11, 2020 | Recipe
Your new favorite quick and easy sausage sweet potato soup recipe is here! Throw it together and simmer 30 minutes…they’ll swear you cooked all day.
Jump to Recipe
Say you have chicken stock sitting in the fridge right now.
You just emptied several bowls filled with science experiments (ewwww) from the back of the fridge a couple of days ago, and you’ll be darned if you’re gonna let that chicken stock meet the same fate.
So clearly, supper is going to be some kind of soup.
But what kind? You’ve served chicken five nights in a row, and the family might revolt if you do it again tonight.
You flip through recipe books, looking for something that…
a) you actually have most of the ingredients for, and…
b) the family would actually be willing to eat (or at least try).
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by Jamie Jeffers | Oct 27, 2020 | Saving Money
The critical part of choosing a money saving plan is finding one that works the way YOU work.
Savings account.
Ugh.
Is there any more guilt inducing phrase in the English language?
Maybe. But most of us don’t feel a sense of security when we hear about the “savings” we were supposed to have built up.
That’s because it’s not as easy as “just save 10% of your paycheck” when you add in things like…oh, kids. And cars. And rent or mortgages. And, and, and…
But if that save 10% advice doesn’t work for your real life, that doesn’t mean everything is hopeless.
It simply means that you haven’t found the savings method that works for your real life…yet.
Today, we’re gonna fix that.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Oct 25, 2020 | Recipe
The best large family freezer meals are easy to make, with simple ingredients. Get the recipes here.
You know those days when you get out of bed late, and everything that happens next seems to snowball until your day is one big mess?
By suppertime, you’re ready to throw in the towel and call for pizza. (Again.)
Well, you can make everything much easier on yourself with just a little prep work, and this list of large family freezer meals.
This list is gonna come in handy over and over, so make sure you bookmark it or pin it!
And by the way, don’t miss out on my other lists of large family friendly meals:
Large Family Dinner Ideas That Will Be Favorites In No Time
Easy, Cheap Large Family Meals You’ll Love
FYI, every recipe in this list and my other recommended lists are easy, cheap meals with simple ingredients that I make for my family of 8 on a regular basis (with a couple I just discovered and will be adding to our meal plan ASAP!).
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by Jamie Jeffers | Oct 20, 2020 | Holidays
Figuring out what to get a teenager for Christmas can be a real head scratcher. But this list of tried and true ideas from a mom of 4 teens makes it easy.
It’s hard to believe it, but that little boy you used to snuggle with has grown into a tall teenager!
Where does the time go?
Of course you want to get him the perfect gift. Something that shows how much you love him.
But how can you manage that?
He hardly wants anything at all. And the few ideas you’ve managed to wiggle out of him are well above your budget.
What do you get a teenager for Christmas?
It’s a tough task…but not an impossible one!
Let’s explore a few ideas that are just right for your beloved teen this year.
(If you can’t tell, I have 3 teenage boys and a teen girl of my own. And these are the gifts my kids and their friends want the most.)
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by Jamie Jeffers | Sep 30, 2020 | Saving Money
Wondering how to live simply when you feel like you’re already following most frugal living advice? Time to dig deeper!
Here’s another fabulous post from one of our favorite frugal folks from the Frugal Living Facebook group, Belinda Lents!
(If frugal tips are your favorite, you can join us here!)
Do you ever feel like you have read countless money saving articles only to realize…
…none of them apply to your real life?
I mean, I don’t even drink coffee or eat out on a regular basis.
Over the past twenty years, I have read hundreds, maybe even thousands, of articles on how to save money.
And a few years ago, it finally occurred to me that I was already doing most of the common suggestions.
It was time to dig deeper.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Sep 27, 2020 | Parenting & Household Tips
These easy snacks to make at home will be instant hits…easy for mom, yummy for everyone!
The hardest thing about being a parent is having to think of things to feed them every single day.
(Ok, ok, if that’s the hardest thing for you then count yourself lucky!)
Still, it’s a pain to try to think of something for them to eat 3 times a day.
And then, there’s the constant snacking.
Ugh!
Finding easy snack ideas to make at home that take no time to put together is a must.
Luckily, this list is full of super easy snack ideas that our kids love.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Sep 8, 2020 | Saving Money
These frugal ways to keep your house warm are so easy to put in place…but they’ll save you a ton of cash!
Fall is something to get excited about, especially when life seems so crazy and otherwise unpredictable.
There’s hot cups of tea to look forward to. And warm cozy sweaters you haven’t seen in months.
And those surprisingly enormous heat bills coming in the mail.
Ok, so maybe you aren’t looking forward to that one.
But that’s ok. Because I’m gonna let you in on some really easy things you can do to make it all better.
Ready to learn how to stay warm at home?
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by Jamie Jeffers | Aug 31, 2020 | Holidays
Whether it’s by choice or not, a stay at home Christmas can be so much fun (and so memorable!). Don’t miss these ingenius traditions this year.
This post was originally written for 2020, when many people were preparing for a stay at home Christmas.
That said, these ideas also work GREAT in a bad economy.
So even if you can’t afford to do all of your favorite Christmas time traditions this year, you can still TOTALLY do some very fun memory making things with the family.
All of these ideas are cheap or free, and most of them can be done from the comforts of your home.
Enjoy these great Christmas time traditions, without all of the expense.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Aug 28, 2020 | Ways We Saved This Week
Well hello again!
I’m sorry to say that I haven’t blogged so inconsistently in the entire time I’ve written at Medium Sized Family as I have in 2020.
This year has stretched me in so many new ways. Some days I feel like I’m rocking the Little House On the Prairie life. Other days, I can’t even get a load of dishes clean (let alone anything else).
I have a feeling I’m not alone. 😉
This week, school started back for our kids. We’ve got some of them back in public school, and some of them I’ll be homeschooling. As in traditional homeschool…which is a lot of work!
But, I hope the new school year will give us a chance to get back to something resembling a routine. And maybe I can make more time for writing. (It’s my favorite part of blogging!)
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I'm Jamie, and I want to help you afford a beautiful life with your family. 
