Sara Tetreault
Sara Tetreault, a frugal, fancy and fun blogger, inspires readers with thoughtful spending, smart use of resources, and efficient use of time. Sara loves to eat fabulous meals, wear designer clothing, decorate her home, and travel the world. How does she do it? By cooking at home, thrifting, and home swapping. Sara keeps a home, one husband, two children, and three backyard chickens.
Best Ever Garlicky Tangy BBQ Sauce
My husband made up the title for this sauce. It’s his recipe and I just wrote it down. Only a little bit of encouraging was needed. It’s so good you’ll want a spoon. A big spoon. I spilled some on the counter and considered licking it off but stopped myself. (Please don’t tell my kids {Read more about Best Ever Garlicky Tangy BBQ Sauce}
Why You Should Balance Your Checkbook
Why should you balance your checkbook? It’s so important, I’ve got several reasons. Nearly as important as why you should balance your checkbook is how you balance your checkbook. By using your hand with a pencil on paper, and calculator, you will better understand your statement. I know it seems old fashioned, passe, or even {Read more about Why You Should Balance Your Checkbook}
Buy Second Hand First
Someone asked me recently if I was a “garage sale guru.” I’d answer to that but I prefer “Stylishly Frugal Living Expert” as my title. Regardless, I’m a garage sale, estate sale, second-hand store, free pile type-of-gal! I try and always buy used items, first, instead of buying new and that includes most items except {Read more about Buy Second Hand First}
Hello Handbag
Hello handbag. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen you. Last summer to be exact. You’re so stylishly frugal and in season now, you get to come out of the closet where you’ve been hiding during fall and winter. I wish you could stay out year round but alas, you are a spring and summer accessory {Read more about Hello Handbag}
How to Set Up a Brooder for Chicks
Once you’ve determined that backyard chickens are right for you, the next step is to set up a brooder for baby chicks. A brooder is a little box or tub with just the right temperature for your baby chicks. It’s doesn’t have to be fancy at all. Your chicks won’t notice if it’s an old {Read more about How to Set Up a Brooder for Chicks}
Happy Mother’s Day
Happy Mother’s day to all you Moms! I do hope you’re enjoying your very special day. I’d like to wish my Mom and my Mother-in-law Happy Mother’s Day. They are both very special ladies and are not only great Moms but also the best Grandma and Nana their grandchildren could have. Even though my husband {Read more about Happy Mother’s Day}
Weekly Meal Plan
Our family hasn’t been out to dinner for a meal in so long. I’m pretty sure the last time we went to a restaurant for dinner it was last summer while on vacation. I mention this because I felt a little bad this week when I was scheduled to go out to dinner with a {Read more about Weekly Meal Plan}
Homemade Tortilla Chips
For our Cinco de Mayo celebration we had last Saturday night, we made our own tortilla chips. Before you picture me rolling out tortillas and deep frying the little strips or triangles, think again. I purchase warm, fresh tortillas from my favorite local Mexican market, cut the tortillas and transform them into chips. These homemade {Read more about Homemade Tortilla Chips}
The Good and Bad of Backyard Chickens
There are good points and bad points when it comes to having backyard chickens. For us, the good outweighs the bad and we love keeping chickens on our urban homestead otherwise known as our small backyard in the city, but it’s a good idea to know what you’re in for.
Coffee Table Tale
Design Sponge posted recently about tray tables and I was admiring how practical and useful tray tables are. Then I remembered – I have a tray table – that I made. It’s the coffee table in our living room and the table base part used to be a bench. I don’t have the part that {Read more about Coffee Table Tale}
Are Backyard Chickens Right For You?
If you’re thinking about keeping chickens on a small urban homestead, otherwise known as a backyard, there are several points to consider. Chickens are sweet pets, will give you delicious eggs, and provide you with entertainment but before heading out to pick out your chicks, you’ll want to have a few things lined up first. {Read more about Are Backyard Chickens Right For You?}
How to Hold Baby Chicks
When we have baby chicks, all the kids on our street want to come over and hold them. It’s great watching the kids be gentle with the chicks or overcoming their fears of grabbing them and holding them. When the chicks are held closely, they feel calmer and many times their eyes will close and {Read more about How to Hold Baby Chicks}
Weekly Meal Plan
When it comes to what my family eats for meals, it’s a mixed up crazy food world in our kitchen. Pesto on quesadillas, Mexican lasagna, and the always a big hit: Mediterranean tacos- it’s a virtual United Nations of flavors. With homemade hummus spread on pita bread, feta cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and a quick {Read more about Weekly Meal Plan}
The Best Ever Egg Salad Sandwiches
When our backyard chickens first began laying eggs, we were so excited. For those little creatures to produce an entire egg almost everyday was somewhat of a miracle. Every egg was tallied (and still is) and we joked about how our chickens, who were finally laying eggs, were laying golden eggs because if we calculated {Read more about The Best Ever Egg Salad Sandwiches}
The Non-Gardeners Gardening Strategy
Gardening doesn’t come naturally to me. When someone asks me a question about my garden, it makes me laugh, because I feel like a pretend gardener. With trial and error, I’ve had some successes but mostly because I’ve learned what doesn’t work first. I only like to plant hearty herbs and vegetables that are practically {Read more about The Non-Gardeners Gardening Strategy}
