Two blueberry pies and two apple pies lie on the counter, their crusts still glistening with brushed milk and sprinkled sugar.

And four pizza dough balls are rising into billowy bubbles.  Tonight our Mennonite friends and their eight children are coming to visit us and tour Washington. We met the Martins in Ohio: my parents’ farm lies down the road from their horse-and-buggy community. But that — and the fact that these people really embody the simple life — is a whole other story.

For now I wanted to tell you that I am going to practice what I preach and slow down this summer.  I’ll be posting one article per week, and one round-up on the weekends where I link to ideas I think you will find inspiring. I’m also excited to introduce you to some different voices — readers, other writers, and even my daughters.

Sofia and Virginia are out of school for the summer, and I’ve been mixing business with pleasure by “taking my daughters to work.”  Yesterday Virginia helped me type up our favorite blueberry pie recipe, and Sofia wrote her first guest post about our new allowance system. The rest of the time, they’re reading, playing paper dolls, having a friend over, or spraying each other with the hose.

Spending more relaxed time with my kids is just one of my missions for this summer.  I also want to dedicate time to getting organized. I’ve made a pact with myself: one hour per day on whipping into shape some pretty scary areas — from the junk drawer to the basement piled with hand-me-downs to my business papers.

If you’ve been here for a while you know that, when I decide to do something that requires courage or self-discipline, I am most successful when I:  

1. define the goal (focus)
2. write it down (commit)
3. tell people about my plans (go public).

Try it yourself!

So this summer will be a mix of getting things done, lying in our postage-stamp patch of sunny grass while Mark and Luke climb over me, turning off the computer and reading a book all the way through, curling up for a chat with my girls instead of worrying about bedtimes, and inviting friends over for long al fresco dinners.

Slowing down the churning out of new content will help me step back to look at the big picture and think of where I want Frugal Mama to go next.

I’m sure a lot of you will be taking time off, loosening up, and going out to see the world.  I think that’s awesome.  We all need a little breathing room, and now the air is especially sweet.

School is out for my daughters, Sofia (4th grade) and Virginia (3rd grade), but they still like to while away the hours reading.

Here are some good books that my daughters have enjoyed now, and over the years:

My Life with the Chimpanzees by Jane Goodall

Sofia (10) says: “I like how in this book, Jane Goodall tells the events in her life really well. I especially like the stories about her and the chimps.  This book also inspired me to do things, like keep going on my wildlife club, and to donate to places who help animals.”

 

The Emily Windsnap
series by Liz Kessler

Sofia (10) says of this series of four books: “I like this series, because they have mermaids, castles, curses, and magic.”

Virginia (8) says:  “I only read the first book, The Tail of Emily Windsnap, but I want to read the other ones because I like magic and stuff.”

 

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

Sofia (10) says of this series of 13 books: “I like these books because sometimes it seems like Sunny, Klaus, and Violet Baudelaire are in such a situation that there is no possible way to get out, but then thanks to their amazing talents, they can get out of the problem.  I also like these books because there seem to be so many secrets that died along with their parents, and it is interesting to try to figure them out myself.”

Virginia (8) says: “I love these books because they feel so real and it feels as if I’m the one who actually lost my parents and went on unfortunate adventures. Also, I love adventures and these are the books that contain a various amount of adventures.”

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Sofia (10) says: “I love Roald Dahl’s books, especially James and the Giant Peach, because the huge insects that James finds inside the peach seem so scary at first, but they really are very nice to him.  I also like when the gigantic peach is rolling down the hill, and crushes bony Aunt Spider, and Fat Aunt Sponge.

“Some other books that I would recommend by Roald Dahl are: The BFG (see below), George’s Marvelous Medicine, Giraffe and the Pelly and Me, Matilda, and The Twits.”

The Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey

Sofia (10) says:  “I love these books because they are SO funny!  That is all I can say, that they are incredibly funny!  (But if you are a grownup that hates “potty talk”, then you might want to not read these books.) My favorite of all the Dav Pilkey books is The Adventures of Ook and Gluk, Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future because Ook and Gluk are so naughty and funny and they play a lot of tricks on their chief.”

Virginia (8) says:  “These books are the funniest, silliest books you have ever picked up in your life.  I love reading these books anytime-just for entertainment. Other books I would recommend: The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby
and The Dumb Bunnies. (All by Dav Pilkey.)”

The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

We started reading this series when Sofia was in kindergarten. I would read a few chapters each night, and by the time we had finished, Virginia was old enough to pay attention (age 4) and Sofia was finishing 1st grade. I remember my mom reading these books to me and my sister, and how it helped give perspective to my life. I often wondered what Laura would think about our cash registers, fast cars, telephones, and running water.  Sofia says it’s made her re-examine her life in the same way:  what would Laura think if she could see all the things we do that seem so normal to us, like using computers, switching on electric fans, turning on lights on the ceiling, and filling a glass of filtered water from the refrigerator?

Here is what Sofia (10) says:  “I liked for my mom to read me these books, about three chapters each night.  I liked to read about what it was like to be living in Laura’s time.”

My Weird School books by Dan Gutman

Virginia (8) says: “These books are one of my favorite collections. They are packed with stories about out-of-their-mind teachers and some confused kids who do not know what the heck is going on with the school’s teachers. For example, the kids have to teach Miss Daisy multiplication but she still doesn’t get it. (By the way, the Weird School books take place during 2nd grade, My Weird School Daze books take place in 3rd grade, and My Weirder School books take place in 4th grade.)

The Daring Book for Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz

Sofia (10) says:  “This book is really great for girls who are bored and have nothing to do.  It also has fun and easy activities to do, with easy instructions.”

Virginia (8) says:  “This book is my favorite guide for girls filled with crafts, projects, and stories. Also my favorite thing about it is that it shows easy instructions for anything you find in it!”

p.s. There is also a The Dangerous Book for Boys.

The Rainbow Magic series by Daisy Meadows

Virginia (8) says:  “I like these books because they are full of two of my favorite things: Magic and Adventure. Also, I love it how each and every fairy has a different personality, and theme.”

 

 

Tuck Everlasting and The Search for Delicious, both by Natalie Babbitt

Sofia (10) says:  “I love both of these books because their worlds are so different and impossible.  The world in Tuck Everlasting is like ours except for the magical pond which when you drink from it, you can live forever.  The Search for Delicious is so interesting with mermaids and elves, secret keys and unexpected endings.”

National Geographic Kids Almanac 2012

Sofia (10) says:  “I love to bring this book on long trips to entertain me. This book always has something new that I didn’t know. For example, there is such a thing as a liger (a lion combined with a tiger).”

The BFG by Roald Dahl

Virginia (8) says: “This is practically my favorite book filled with giants, fantasy, silly words, and snozzcumbers. Do you know what the BFG (or Big Friendly Giant) calls crocodiles?  Crocodowndillies.  I am sure you will absolutely love this book.”

“Other books I would recommend: James and the Giant Peach (see above), George’s Marvelous Medicine, Giraffe and the Pelly and Me, Matilda, The Twits, and The Witches. (All by Roald Dahl.)”

The Candymakers by Wendy Mass

Sofia (10) says of this book:  “My friend Zara gave me this book for my birthday, saying that it was really good.  I didn’t really want to read about candymakers when I first looked at the book, but I read it anyway.  I soon realized that this book was not really just about candy makers!  When some kids enter a candymaking contest, they don’t really know what unexpected things could happen.  For example, they don’t know that one of the contestants is really a spy looking for the factory’s secret ingredient.”

 

It’s been almost six months since we decided to relandscape our front yard with edible plants.  It all started when we realized that the tasteful plantings around our city house had zero interest for the kids.

Even I — a believer in “Nature is good for the soul” — didn’t want to linger more than a few minutes. So why would they?

An edible front yard, I decided, was the solution.  Like many people, we have a sunny-ish front yard and a shady back yard. The trick with planting food in the front is making it look good, as Ivette Soler emphasizes in her excellent book, Edible Front Yard.

Fruit and vegetable plants need a good six to eight hours of full sun to bear food, so we removed a problematic mulberry tree that was casting unwanted shade, tilled up the earth, built a ground-level wooden frame, and filled it with rich potting mix.  Then we made paths with antique bricks, which we found at a salvage yard to match the ones already in our front walk.

By April we were ready to plant. I went to a local nursery, where I got some free advice about what and where to plant, and picked up some heirloom seeds.

Nothing is perfect, but so far so good.  We started with good soil and a sunny spot, and the kids help me water almost every day that it doesn’t rain. We haven’t hit summer yet, but the only wild beast we’ve had to contend with so far is this one:

Luke likes to harvest the blueberries whether they’re ripe or not.  And we have had to train him not to grab plants by their necks and rip them out of the earth.

And then there was the time when our Honeycrisp apple got sick. That story and more in my pre-summer update:

Note:  We live in zone 7a of the mid-Atlantic region in Washington, D.C.  You can find your hardiness zone here.

1.  Arugula

Arugula was the very first food that we tasted from our first garden.  A milestone moment — and we are still getting enough crop for salad after salad. I buy other lettuce (as you know, the kids love crunchy white stuff) and then intermix them. I don’t think the children would have eaten arugula otherwise, but even my four-year-old has been spotted folding the leaves into his mouth.

“Kids are more than twice as likely to eat fruits and vegetables if they grow them,” says Mary Quattlebaum, my neighbor and author of the children’s book, Jo MacDonald Had a Garden.

2. & 3.  Sungold & Brandywine Tomatoes

Sungold cherry tomatoes are a favorite of the staff at American Plant, where we bought our first 12 inch-high plant. “Sungold tomatoes produce pounds and pounds of fruit all summer long,” according to one of the gardeners on site.

Judging from these branches (pictured above) on a plant that is now taller than me, they might be on to something. We’ve already plucked off a couple yellow globes and tasted their bright, sunny goodness.  Are there many better things in life than home-grown tomatoes?

When we noticed the Sungold was getting big fast, we added a Brandywine tomato plant. The kids just noticed these rather large green tomatoes this morning, which should produce “very large, pinkish-red beefsteak tomatoes” if we’re lucky.

We planted a bunch of marigolds around the tomatoes and throughout the garden to deter bugs. Do you think that really works?  So far the bugs are keeping their distance.

4. & 5.  Nero Toscana (Tuscan) and Regular Kale

These huge leaves were not always huge. Check out how tiny they were in my early post about our edible front yard at Parentables. We started from seedlings (about 4 inches tall) and have already harvested one crop to make a full batch of kale chips. The best we have ever eaten. So light, tender, and clean.

I love the bumpy, blue variety of kale called Tuscan or ‘Nero Toscana’ (pictured above), so we planted it from seed.  The plants are still quite small (maybe 5 inches high), but I was just thrilled they emerged. I still remember when they were tiny green dots poking up from the dirt.

6.  Nasturtiums

We haven’t seen a bloom yet on these edible flowers, but I love the round faces of their leaves. So happy and simple.

We were supposed to soak the seeds for 24 hours before planting, but due to a confluence of factors (rain, kids not in the mood to plant), I let them sit for 48 and they started to mold. Thinking all was lost, I just scattered them willy-nilly around the garden, and lo and behold, they flourished against all odds.

Have you ever tasted a Nasturtium flower?  I haven’t.

7.  “Wonderful” Pomegranate

It’s probably a long shot, but when we were looking for a mid-height bush to fill the vertical space between our holly tree and our veggie garden, someone suggested a pomegranate tree.  Native to Iran, these bush-like trees are full and pretty. Our tree has flowered several times, but we need the right temperature and direct sun for it to bear fruit.  I’ll let you know later in the summer if we make the cut.

8.  Peaches

In my fantasy version of the edible front yard, we would pick fruit on our way out the door and bite into it on the way to school. That has yet to become a reality, but we have had some encouraging progress.  Even though our apple trees fell ill (more on that later), our Reliance peach tree is hanging on to about 10 fuzzy orbs like this one (pictured).

9. & 10.  Coville Blueberries & ‘Pink Lemonade’ Blueberries

Considered more ornamental than blackberry and raspberry plants which tend to get rangy and scraggly, blueberries are neat bushes with attractive leaves that turn a reddish color in the fall.  They need to cross-pollinate with other species, so we planted a zig-zag row of three different varieties — mainly Coville, but also Jersey and Blueray — and mulched with pine bark since blueberries like acidic soil.

The berries are not supposed to be ready until July 4, but green ones are already turning purple and they’re perfectly sour-sweet.

Here is our Pink Lemonade blueberry bush, so-named because its berries turn pink instead of blue when ripe.  This plant is much more beautiful than the other blueberry bushes we have:  shapely, tall, and lush with pretty leaves, as well as lots of pink berries.

11 – 15.  Basil, Oregano, Flat-Leaf Parsley, Thyme and Rosemary

Fresh herbs have given big taste to our dinners.  I grab handfuls of Italian parsley, oregano, and thyme, for example, and toss them in the skillet with some zucchini and tomatoes for a fresh pasta sauce. We’re not at the point where we can make basil pesto yet, but having ready herbs has made our cooking much fuller, a taste that you would pay dearly for at the grocery store.

16.  Howden Pumpkin

Not only is this notoriously easy-to-grow plant doing well, it may grow so aggressively this summer that we’ll have to double-lock our door at night.  That’s what happened to us when we lived in Arlington, Virginia.

It was around Halloween-time, and I was watching a neighbor’s child for the morning. We carved a pumpkin and, instead of roasting the seeds, he wanted to plant them. I completely forgot about the seeds until the following summer when we realized pumpkin plants were taking over our front yard.

Once we came to terms with the tentacles that seemed to grow as we watched, we became addicted to fried pumpkin flowers.  After seeing how the Italians eat squash flowers in risotto, pasta, and stuffed with cheese as an appetizer, we were hooked.

And Then, These Plants are Giving us Furrowed Brows

Apples

I was so proud of our two little apple trees — a Grimes Golden and a Honeycrisp — in our front yard orchard. Dotted with delicate pink flowers when we brought them home, the trees soon started bearing small globes of fruit.

One day, however, I looked out and noticed that the tips of the branches were drooping. We had been watering regularly, so I knew something was wrong. I called up the nursery and spoke to their fruit expert. “Fruit trees are difficult,” Roger reminded me, before guessing that they probably had a case of ‘fire blight,’ a common bacterial infection.

Advice found on the internet recommended that I cut as far down as 8 inches below the diseased area, dipping the clippers in rubbing alcohol after each cut.  In hopes of saving more of the fledgling trees, I didn’t amputate that drastically, and maybe because of that, the trees continue to look distressed.

Apple trees require an investment of love and future-thinking, says this recent Washington Post article, Apple trees for the home garden. They’re slow to propagate but they last forever — as long as 2oo years. “Some day, strangers may fill their pockets and aprons from your tree,” says Barbara Damrosch in the same Post article, “and you will have fed them well.”

I like that idea.  So even if the garden store won’t replace them, I’ll start anew with (disease-resistant) apple trees.

Strawberries

Out of 10 bare-root plants that we planted in this strawberry pot, about five are flourishing. However, a friend tells me that they may not bear fruit this year. While this is not a terrible thing, it’s a little disappointing.  If you are considering growing strawberries, you might want to spend a few extra dollars on established plants.

Here is a video from White Flower Farm that my kids and I found helpful on planting strawberries in a pocket jar:  How to Plant Strawberries in a Container (Strawberry Jar).

 Honey Berries, or Edible Honeysuckle

To feed my fantasy of replacing all of our landscaping with edible plants, I looked and looked for a plant that could bear food even in shade. The edible honeysuckle is native to northern and eastern Europe, hence one of its names: the Siberian Blueberry.  Its elongated fruit is supposed to taste like blueberries, and it can tolerate partial shade, but as I discovered, the berries will taste better with full sun.

I planted four bushes along our driveway next to a tall fence (the small-leafed plants in the picture above) so they get very limited sun. They’re not dying, and I do see some new leaf growth, but they’re not exactly flourishing either. The fruit was early and sour, but that didn’t bother Luke, who is shown picking the berries in the Washington Post photo gallery.

The Post article, by the way, is being picked up by newspapers across the country, from Charleston, South Carolina, to Bend, Oregon — and even as far as Italy. If you’re new here, welcome!  If you have more experience than I do in growing food, making front yard gardens look beautiful, and keeping raccoon paws off the loot, I hope you’ll feel comfortable sharing your experiences in the comments section.

One final thought:  I love how the activity of growing food helps us slow down and connect with the earth and sun. My daughters have just finished their school year and have a lot of time ahead of them.  They both have friends over this afternoon, and they’re required to spend half of their time outdoors. Encouraging them out is a lot easier when I can say, “Why don’t you see if you can find any ripe blueberries?”

Time at home with my family is my bread and butter, my pasta and tomato sauce. But to add a little zing without spending hardly any money, I like to add a little of this:  Friends.

Since most people find hanging out with friends inherently fun, why spend money to have a good time? Studies show that the good feelings created by laughing, talking, playing, and eating with others have a long-lasting effect on our well-being.

Sure, it takes a little bit more effort coordinating with another family, but to quote a saying Enrico and I used on our wedding favors:  Friendship multiplies joy.

Here are some of my favorite ways to grab that bull by the horns and add some feel-good zest to the summer.

1. Synchronize Calendars and Meet in the Middle

Don’t let those free events slip away again.  From bonfires and walking tours, to open-air concerts, boat races, fishing lessons, and air shows, every city offers way more free events than one person can take advantage of.

I find that if I don’t plan ahead with friends, I’m more likely to resort to the default local park.

To avoid letting the summer get away from you without making some memories, identify three fun things you want to do from the city’s calendar, and make plans to go to each one with a different set of friends.

2. Can’t Deal with Throwing a Party?  Go Halfway

Let’s face it: if we think we can only throw a party when we can offer tropical drinks, Martha-worthy decor, a three-course meal, and a spotless house, it’s not going to happen that often.

Don’t be shy to invite friends over for a potluck dinner. People are happy to have someone take the initiative. You offer the party spot, and maybe drinks or a salad. The rest is up to your guests.

Believe me, they’ll thank you for it — even if (and perhaps especially if) your patio is not magazine-ready.

3. Bring a Little Heat to the Picnic

A day at the park can be like a mini-vacation. But who isn’t jealous to smell somebody else’s hamburgers roasting over an open fire?  Especially when the picnic basket is stuffed with cold sandwiches.

It takes just bit more effort to pack up a bunch of patties or sausages, some buns, condiments, chips, and fruit. But the payoffs are big. If you’re with a big group, ask each family to bring a different element of the meal.

(If the smell of lighter fluid is not your favorite thing, try a charcoal starter. We love this simple and chemical-free method for firing up an old-fashioned grill.)

4. No Pool Membership? No Problem

Do as New Yorkers do, if you don’t have a big hole in your backyard. I’m not thinking of wrenching open the fire hydrant, although that sounds like good illegal fun.

I’m thinking of sprinklers, hoses, slip & slides, and water balloons. Invite friends and their kids over for popsicles and watermelon and ask them to bring their suits and water toys.

5. Look No Further than Next Door

Haven’t met your neighbors yet? What better way to do it than over a cold beer or lemonade? Seize the opportunity to introduce yourself (or smooth over a bygone tiff) by inviting everyone to gather in your front yard. Even better, get a permit to close off your street and spread out on the blacktop.

Assign each house a dish, or just be surprised. I find that potlucks always seem to work out without trying to plan who brings what.

Reaching out to others and coordinating schedules may take more effort than flying solo, but the emotional and social rewards are well worth the effort.

So what are you waiting for? Get out your calendar, fire up your phone, and start making plans. And don’t forget your camera — you’ll want to remember these times.

Photo credit: corn on grill.

I can still remember the little knock at the door, and the outstretched arms with a plate of chocolate-chip pancakes with strawberries on top.

I can smell the perfume of that homemade chicken and rice soup still warm in the pot, the overflowing grocery bag of frozen food and snacks, and the basket of mother-daughter homemade cookies. But most of all, I remember their faces, and how their small gestures had a huge impact on me.

One of the Greatest Gifts You Can Give a New Mother is the Simplest: Dinner

Welcoming a new baby or adopted child means over-the-top joy as well as over-the-top turmoil. You feel delicate in every way, and when your baby is crying all the time, keeping you up all night, or so needy you can’t keep up with basic household tasks, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and alone.

Sometimes You Have to Give to Know How to Receive

Before I experienced that outpouring of love and support with my third child, I didn’t get the whole meal-delivery thing. We lived in Arlington, Virginia, and some of our good friends were Mormon. I remember being in awe of their strong communities, and how a whole support system went into motion as soon as someone had a baby, got sick, or went to the hospital. Community members were organizing and signing up to bring meals, take care of the kids, and whatever else was needed to help keep the family afloat.

But still, I was busy with my own life, my own activities, my own family.  I admit, I didn’t always put my name on the sign-up sheet at the preschool for the family who had just had a baby.  Even though I had been very involved with my neighborhood and school, I was pregnant myself, stressed with an upcoming move, and feeling like I could barely keep my own life together.  But after experiencing this simple yet powerful gesture, I have changed my outlook.

Random acts of kindness are good for my own soul.  Even though I don’t deliver meals as much as I’d like, I know how that one small action, that half an hour of time, really means a hell of a lot more in someone else’s life.

The Other Side of American Individualism

We’re so busy working, taking care of ourselves, maintaining all the things that we have bought with the money we earned that it’s hard to make time for getting involved in our communities.  I see how my own time and energy is being eaten up by our first house:  yes, having our own place is exciting, but it’s also a burden and “can make us isolated monads in a world that needs collective responsibility,” as Philip Kennicott put it so well in his review of the National Building Museum’s long-term display, “House and Home.”

As we wind down our work on the house, I am resolving to do some more reaching out and helping other people, rather than just helping ourselves.  Friends, neighbors, family:  people are what really make life worth living and sustain us over the bumpy road of life.

June through September is prime time for new humans entering the world, and I know both a neighbor and a friend who are having babies soon. I have to keep reminding myself, it’s not about a four-star, super-delicious dinner. It’s about simple food and nurturing.

4 Ways to Bring a Meal to a Pregnant Lady or New Mother

1.  If you live nearby:  Walk over a pot of your favorite soup, pasta, or stew (see my friend Carly’s recipe for beef stew, below). Come back in a day or two to pick it up. There’s is something so satisfying and generous about sharing a pot; it’s like channeling grandma.

2.  If you need to drop it off:  Make double of what you are eating for dinner, and package up half in plastic containers or disposable ziplock bags. Include side dishes like salad, fruit, bread, and dessert if you like.

3.  If you can’t cook:  Call up and order a pizza or have Chinese delivered. Pick up a roasted chicken or some prepared foods the next time you are at the grocery store.

4.  If you’re part of a group:  Organize meal delivery with friends using a free online service like TakeThemAMeal.com or MealBaby.com. With these Web tools, you can avoid the tornado of back-and-forth emails, and convey information like locations, ideal times, and allergies.

Here’s a one-pot dinner that my friend Carly and her daughter brought over, still warm, when we had Mark. She was doubly generous to type up the recipe because I loved it so much.  So if you’re looking for a dinner idea, here you go:

Simple Beef Stew

Carly says, “The recipe also calls for 1 cup diced green pepper and 1 cup chopped turnips, if you are interested. On occasion I use green pepper if I have it on hand but have never tried it with turnips.”

(adapted from Betty Crocker’s New Cookbook)

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 lb. stew meat in 1-inch cubes
• 3 cups hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 1/4 cups potatoes, cut into pieces to your liking (skin optional)
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2 tablespoons flour

1. Heat oil in large pot. Cook beef in oil about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is browned. Add hot water, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients except cold water and flour. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes or until veggies are tender. Remove bay leaf.
3. Shake cold water and flour in a jar. Gradually stir into pot. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute or until broth is somewhat thickened.

One last way to give something free.

Even if the early days are as peaceful as a sleeping baby, new parents (and second- and third-time parents) need a hug of congratulations and the kind of “how are you?” that waits for an answer.

And one more thing you could give a new mother?  Make her promise not to bother with a thank you note.

Some people assume that saving money and frugality is all about cutting down, getting less, and sacrifice. And when we talk about cutting down on fuel costs, it just seems like more drudgery. Commuting to work aside, here are some ways to cut down on those extra miles.

Advice about saving money on car fuel usually falls into three categories:

1. Use your car less
2. Consume less fuel when you do drive, and
3. Make sure you’re getting the lowest prices on gas.

Let’s focus on number one first, because it’s the most powerful method and it’s the funnest.

Think about it this way:  if you are not in the car, not only are you spending zero on gas, but you’re getting time for other things – whether it’s hanging out with your family, getting the house organized, or just putting on a pot of soup.

Now here’s something that will really motivate you to be in the car less:  let yourself develop a passion or a hobby – something that totally engages you, and makes you want to stay home and do it.  If you pick an activity like gardening or cooking – you can save a ton of money on food. If you pick something that could turn into a part-time job or home business, you can make more money!

So let’s focus on the first point today, and we’ll cover the other two as we get closer to road trip season.

Drive Less and Get More Time

Since we’ve only got one life, time is just as valuable as money, if not more. Of course we have to pay the bills, but there are ways we can maximize the free time that we have.

1.  Organize our lives close to home or work

Every time we choose professionals and services — dentists, activities, banks — we have choices. Call me crazy, but I make my life easier by choosing services based on closeness to home.

Just like trying the cheapest brand at the grocery store first, I choose the closest doctor first.  As I explain in How to Simplify Life when Picking a Good Doctor (or Accountant or Mechanic or Dentist or…), we have had great outcomes with this method 9 times out of ten.  Not only do we have great service-providers, but we don’t spend hours going back and forth and battling traffic.

2.  Do as much as you can online

Patronize the little shops and services near home that make your neighborhood a vibrant place to live, but for everything else, let your fingers do the walking. It’s easy to find the best product at the best price by doing online research and comparing prices. Plus having stuff delivered may be eco-friendly, since one delivery truck does the same job as many individual cars, which clog the streets and create more pollution.

Everything from banking to postal tasks can be done online now. After moving a million times, we use an online bank (USAA), and I love the quiet convenience of just slipping a deposit into an envelope and letting the mail carrier do the rest.

3.  Communicate and combine errands

It’s easy to just live our own lives, rushing around to cross off our to-do lists.  However, when family members check in with each other every morning — “I’m going downtown. Do you need anything?” — we can all save time, money, and gas.

Besides thinking strategically about the paths we make with our cars, we can also give ourselves rules, like only doing errands on the way to work or school. Some families agree that if something gets forgotten, it has to wait until someone is going that way again. No more “just running out” to do this or that.

Drive Less and Make More Friends

When we depend on each other by sharing — whether it’s pet-sitting or clothes-swapping — our relationships deepen. Coordinating with another family requires familiarity and trust, qualities that most people find more satisfying than smiles and small talk.

Carpools are a great way to connect with people while you’re also getting stuff done. Of course adults can share rides to work or even to errands, but carpooling is also great for families.  (No one seems to love all the toting back and forth to extracurricular activities.)

In addition to using a ton less gas, here are a few great things families can get out of sharing driving:

Character-Building:  When kids are on their own with another family, they learn responsibility for themselves and respect for another family’s rules

Bonding:  Even though you may be spending less time with your child in the car, when it’s your turn to drive, you have an up-close opportunity to observe your child interacting with his peers.  (If you can manage to keep quiet up front (something I’m not good at), I hear that kids forget you’re there and start really talking.)

Fun:  And of course, the parent who is not driving can use the time for something else, while the kids in the car get to spend time with their friends.

Drive Less and Skip the Gym

Why drive when you can walk? Or bike, scooter, or pogo stick?  Walking to places helps me slow down and get fresh-air exercise. It’s also a great time to connect with my kids — we have some of our best conversations walking to and from school.

A lot of us live in a car-dependent communities (even though real estate prices are showing developers that Americans now value walkable communities). If  you can’t walk anyplace, can you drive and then walk?  One of the participants in the Frugal Mama Makeover video series said that instead of dropping her sons off at their activities and then driving home and back, she saved a lot of money by staying there and walking around for exercise. (You could even keep ankle weights in the car if you want a more vigorous workout.)

In case you missed Thursday’s article in the Washington Post, I wanted to share it with you. These things don’t happen every day, after all.

This Frugal Mama Isn’t Afraid to Spend:  A D.C. blogger and her family live on a budget so they can spend on the things that really matter.

If you’re new here, this article is probably what brought you here, so welcome!  I promise I’ll give you something new next week.

But for now I wanted to tell you how it all happened. Well, it all started when one of the Washington Post’s Home reporters, Terri Sapienza, found my website on Pinterest.

Terri contacted me in March about the idea of doing a story; in April, we did an interview; and in May, photographer Katherine Frey spent the day with us.

Don’t miss my 13 Tips for Saving Money and Stress, which have been making their way around Twitter.

I can’t tell you what an honor this experience has been. I remember looking forward to reading the Home section of the Washington Post ever since we were starting our family in Arlington, Virginia. (And I’m so passionate about it still that I’ll even root through the recycling can in my pajamas to find a copy I missed.)

Thank you everyone for stopping by the Post live chat, for your emails, calls, and Facebook shares, and for your all-around support. I’m so grateful for you!

This sweet, wholesome treat has become one of our family’s all-time favorites.  It’s so simple, I can barely even call it a recipe.

All you need is frozen fruit, yogurt, and sugar. Grind it up in a couple of minutes in the food processor, and voila!  (And if you don’t have a food processor, you might be surprised to hear that Mark Bittman, my favorite food writer, thinks it is the most versatile appliance in the kitchen.)

Why frozen fruit?

“Frozen fruits … are picked when ripe and suspended in their ripeness until you’re ready to use them,” says Bittman in The New York Times’ article where I spotted this recipe, Sorbet? Let’s Make it Short and Sweet. Of course no fruit is better than fresh, he acknowledges, but frozen fruit is already prepped, it’s relatively cheap, and it’s a “good starting place for a frozen dessert.”

Winter or summer, I always keep on hand frozen fruit and yogurt so we can whip up a batch on a hot day after school, or to serve to guests as a fun finale to homemade pizza.  And the ingredients are so few, and the process so easy, that my kids can pretty much make it themselves.

We’ve made sorbet with mangoes, peaches, cherries, blueberries, and raspberries, but perhaps our most favorite of all is sorbet made with strawberries. Substituting lemon juice for the water makes it particularly refreshing and bright.

Ridiculously Deliciously Simple Sorbet

adapted from Mark Bittman’s Super-Simple Sorbet

Makes about 4 servings.

• 1 pound of frozen fruit
• 1/2 cup of plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons of water or lemon juice

Dump the fruit, yogurt, and sugar in the food processor and turn it on. Pour just enough water or lemon juice (about 1 to 2 tablespoons) in the feeding tube to help the fruit break down. If you add too much liquid, you get a smoothie (which is not such a bad thing, actually).

We never tire of whipping up this cold treat — and I never tire of seeing it dabbed on chubby cheeks.

I know you’ll love this recipe as much as we do.

15 Ways to Get Your House Ready for Summer Entertaining

Can’t you just feel summer in the air?  See my recommendations for prepping now so you can relax later, at Parentables this week:  15 Easy Ways to Get Your Home Ready for Summer Entertaining.

Join Me for a Live Q&A at the WashingtonPost.com

And finally, I am excited to tell you that my family and I will be featured in the Local Living section of tomorrow’s Washington Post. If you’re not local, you can see the article and photo gallery online tomorrow in the Home & Garden portion of the Lifestyle section at WashingtonPost.com.

As part of the article, I will be answering questions tomorrow in an online Q&A session.

I wrote this article last year for Family Times magazine when we lived in Central New York. You might also like 10 Tips for Planning Plane Trips with Kids.

I have been flying with my four children since before they sprouted teeth. Because my parents live in Ohio and my husband’s in Italy, long trips are a part of life. We usually fly as a family, but when my husband has had to work, I’ve flown solo with the munchkins—and I’m not sure if I say this laughing or crying—while super-pregnant, during whirling Northeasters, and when I was so sick I was green.

Most of the time, though, things go just fine. If you can handle taking your children to a three-course meal in a sit-down restaurant, then you can handle a cross-country flight. Sure, it takes longer, but instead of a bill, it ends with a vacation.

For the smoothest possible soar through the skies, here is what I prescribe.

1.  From Head to Toe

Wear slip-on shoes and nothing too metallic—you’ll be thankful when you get to security. Simple clothing is best, especially if you have to use the bathroom while holding a baby. We always bring sweaters since airplanes tend to be freezing cold.

2.  Hands-Free Navigation

Ideal carry-ons for Mom and Dad are backpacks or across-the-body bags. And don’t forget the baby carrier. Children over three years old can carry their own backpacks filled with toys, snacks or pillows.

3.  Get the Wiggles Out

Airports are getting better about providing play areas for kids. If you find one in the main terminal and you’ve got a chunk of time before your flight leaves, delay going through security and let the kids go wild on the jungle gym. Otherwise just let them run up and down the terminal, climb on all the chairs, test out the moving sidewalks, and roll down the ramps. After this ordeal, sitting down for hours will be a relief.

4.  In Case of Emergency

Stuff happens. Your most fastidious child will spill a glass of orange juice on herself. Someone will get airsick. Or just plain sick. That’s why we always bring a change of clothing stored in plastic bags (to contain any eventual mess). Even if everyone is well, a big package of wipes always comes in handy.

5.  Solving the Liquids Problem

The good news is that you can bring on board reasonable quantities of formula, breast milk, baby food or medications. You can also bring empty water bottles and sippy cups, and fill them up later. (Since milk goes bad and juice is sticky, I find water is the best beverage.)

If you want to bring contact lens solution, moisturizer or toothpaste, make sure each container is less than 3.4 ounces and that all of them fit in a quart-size zip-top bag.

And speaking of medications, I’ve tried the whole Benadryl thing to help kids sleep, and I didn’t notice much of a difference. So now I spare myself the mess and hassle.

6. Please Play with Your Food

Food can be a great boredom-buster—especially if you bring something you wouldn’t normally let your kids eat. If the snacks come in various colors and shapes, they can be organized, traded, sorted and counted.

To avoid painful ear pressure during takeoff and landing, offer chewing gum or gummy vitamins to children (babies can be nursed or bottle-fed).

7. Where the Best Seats Are

The ideal spot for me and my loud crew is the last row of the plane, where we bother fewer people. However, if I am taking a long flight with a baby, I always request bulkhead seats and a bassinet, a folding crib that attaches to the front wall. (Take advantage of this free amenity while you can, because babies grow out of them once they’re over 20 pounds.)

8.  Car Seat or Not?

You can rent car seats on the other end or check them for free with your luggage. But there is an argument for bringing car seats on board a long flight: Kids are used to sleeping in them. However, if you have to transfer, I have found lugging them on and off planes and through sprawling airports to be a nightmare, even if my preschoolers did sleep like a dream.

9. Wheels Ride Free

One piece of equipment that always makes the short list is the stroller. You’ll have to fold it to go through security, but at least you can bring it all the way up to the gate. Strollers are also great for resting the carry-ons while the kids burn off some energy.

10.  In-Flight Entertainment

The key, especially with small children, is novelty. We keep certain toys just for travel to avoid buying new stuff each time. Consider doling out a toy every hour or so, or wrapping them like presents. We like travel-friendly activities such as magnetic Bingo and drawing boards, finger puppets, non-messy art supplies, card games, small stuffed animals, Play-Doh or other modeling clay, and calculators.

11.  What Not to Bring

Relaxing entertainment for yourself such as any magazine, book, computer game or hobby. If you don’t expect to do anything but take care of your children, then you won’t be disappointed. (There’s always the in-flight magazine if you get lucky.)

It’s funny but the best piece of advice I’ve gotten about traveling with kids has nothing to do with what to pack. It’s about frame of mind. If you can think of the trip as an adventure, rather than a hardship, everything will be easier.