Parsnips and Parsimony

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Their lives are so narrow that they are fairly boring to watch. I am intrigued by their frugalness though, which is what keeps me viewing their vlogs. I'm a very frugal person and am in the process of decluttering lots of things, so that sort of blog is interesting to me. I just wish they wouldn't make such a big deal out of things that are so mundane though. I'm sick of listening to all Jangle's "inspirational" comments about 31 and the containers she stores things in. For goodness sake! Why spend so much money on those expensive containers when they have so many empty boxes lying around the house that they could use? They are all about frugalness, except when Janelle wants something that she no trouble spending their money on.

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Janelle has a good time out shopping with charity while Art stays at his shop with all of the other kids (including the baby) while trying to clean up there. Sounds very fair .... NOT! Why does he keep letting her do this to him?

[DoodleBop2]

Art is a pushover.

[dahell]

I’m sure he handles being alone with all the kids better than she does too. For someone that’s trying to “simplify” and “declutter” she sure loves shopping and bringing misc junk into their house.

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Janelle is talking about her kids' curriculum in the latest vlog, but unfortunately she has absolutely no idea what the word curriculum means. How can she teach her kids properly when she has never been to school herself? She has such a limited view about things and those poor kids are suffering. I'm an educator and it breaks my heart to see those kids missing out on so much.

[DoodleBop2]

Unfortunately, that is one of the selling points of homeschooling for some families. Keeping their children's worldview small.

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I really really don't get these people. once AGAIN the third floor is utter chaos and they are "making a start" on cleaning it up. how on earth does it keep getting so messy if they keep cleaning it all the time? I'm not talking just a bit messy, I'm talking out of control messy. The state of it is appalling. Even downstairs is so messy all the time, yet they just keep allowing it to get that way. They have said themselves that they are not good at making the kids clean up after themselves,s so I think they just allow it all to pileup until it need a major clean. Why don't they just do it bit by bit as they go?

As for the stuff STILL being brought downstairs to be got rid of ... dear God! .. how much do they have jammed into that house? They keep saying how they are nearly done, but I don't see it. Everywhere you look in the background of whatever room they are in, there is stuff piled up behind them. Yet they say that this is the fourth year of decluttering. What was it like before they started?

I couldn't live like that.

And they still go shopping .... the cycle continues.

[dahell]

I really really don't get these people. once AGAIN the third floor is utter chaos and they are "making a start" on cleaning it up. how on earth does it keep getting so messy if they keep cleaning it all the time? I'm not talking just a bit messy, I'm talking out of control messy. The state of it is appalling. Even downstairs is so messy all the time, yet they just keep allowing it to get that way. They have said themselves that they are not good at making the kids clean up after themselves,s so I think they just allow it all to pileup until it need a major clean. Why don't they just do it bit by bit as they go?

As for the stuff STILL being brought downstairs to be got rid of ... dear God! .. how much do they have jammed into that house? They keep saying how they are nearly done, but I don't see it. Everywhere you look in the background of whatever room they are in, there is stuff piled up behind them. Yet they say that this is the fourth year of decluttering. What was it like before they started?

I couldn't live like that.

And they still go shopping .... the cycle continues.

You’re so right. I applaud Art for continuing on so diligently. He seems like he’s at more of a turning point that Janelle. I know they have computer “work” for their channel/website but he’s working away and she strolls into the dining room saying how it’s “not that bad” and shouldn’t take that long. But he does it all! Then they said it was organized but not clean. Why not get it all done. They keep thinking “once this room is done it’s DONE once and for all!!” I think they need to realize it will be a life long process for them. It is ongoing for most people to constantly reorganize and reassess their rooms but moreso when you have children. And even moreso when you have hoarding tendencies. It will never be “whew, house is all done now”. I really think they need to change their mindset on this issue.

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I thought it was so ironic that in their latest vlog they are talking about getting rid of things and trying to become more minimalist, when the background is piled high with bags. Don't they see that they have just replaced their habit of buying from eBay and garage sales with buying those 31 bags? Janelle has just substituted one for the other. Art's sister even made a comment about it in the comment section, although I didn't quite understand what she was getting at. She said that people who saw those bags behind them would think that they were still living a cluttered life and probably not understand the significance of them. I don't understand that.

They are hoarders, pure and simple. Substituting collecting one thing for another is not decluttering. It was very interesting listening to the history of how they got into this state though. They really were compulsive about it for many years. I hope that they can continue to improve, although I really doubt that they sustain it.

[DoodleBop2]

Some people put more value into these products bought from "direct sales" aka MLM. I bet Janelle is surrounded by women who all sell different MLM products. They all have the same script, or so it seems, God is giving me the opportunity to stay home with my family and run my own business from home! Only a few hours a week! Really it's just some crappy leggings, bags, candles etc.

They are hoarders and will continue to justify it.

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In the latest vlog, Janelle gets to go by herself to do the shopping because (in her words) she gets depressed if she is at home too much in the winter ... and poor Art has to mind ALL of the kids at home (while having a headache all day). Poor man said at the end of the blog that he had been sick all day, but that didn't stop her letting him do all of the child-minding while she went out. If it was the other way around, then Art would have taken all of the kids to the shops to allow Janelle to spend the day in bed! That sure is a very one-sided relationship.

They also brought the TV down for the next two weeks because Janelle "likes to watch the Olympics" ... oh and she tags on as an after thought that "the kids enjoy them too". Hmm ... it always seems to me that everything in that house is governed by what Janelle wants and everyone else has to agree. I suppose at least the kids get to experience something different for a little while though, which has to be a good thing for them.

I also noticed that it was Charity yet again ... not Janelle ... who had made the soup and the bread sticks for lunch. That girls sure does a lot of the cooking for that family. Janelle said that she did the shopping for the next two weeks and had to stock up on fruit for that time, yet what was in the cart hardly seemed anything to me. She stated that it was a full cart, but it didn't even seem half full. Certainly not enough fruit for 9 people for two weeks! I have always felt that they eat far too much meat and bread and not enough fruit. They do have plenty of vegetables in the summer due to their garden, but their fruit intake always seems to be lacking to me. When they do put fruit on the table it is often one strawberry or a slice of apple each. I don't think that is enough for growing kids.

[DoodleBop2]

It was over a year ago one of her family members commented that Janelle all but rations the food in the comments then another defended her saying the kids have more than enough to eat. Janelle then preached about how good healthy food means the kids don't need as much as other types of food.

How many of their recipes involve cream of something soup...and whatever packaged thing was the cheapest on sale with a coupon...healthy food!

Charity was born the maid of all work.

[dahell]

It was over a year ago one of her family members commented that Janelle all but rations the food in the comments then another defended her saying the kids have more than enough to eat. Janelle then preached about how good healthy food means the kids don't need as much as other types of food.

How many of their recipes involve cream of something soup...and whatever packaged thing was the cheapest on sale with a coupon...healthy food!

Charity was born the maid of all work.

They love to stress how healthy they eat. Very little processed food. Very little sugar. I don’t know, all those homemade baked things are LOADED with sugar. They love baking cookies, muffins, cakes etc. Which I don’t care but they act like it’s “low sugar” when its really not. I know they make a ton and can etc. But, they seem to have their fair share of processed stuff too. They always act like “this is a huge treat to the children, oyster crackers!!” But they forget all the baking. Also, what did you all think of their “baked chicken skin” treats? Part of me applauds not being wasteful and part of me wants to puke. They all loved it though I guess.

[DoodleBop2]

It was over a year ago one of her family members commented that Janelle all but rations the food in the comments then another defended her saying the kids have more than enough to eat. Janelle then preached about how good healthy food means the kids don't need as much as other types of food.

How many of their recipes involve cream of something soup...and whatever packaged thing was the cheapest on sale with a coupon...healthy food!

Charity was born the maid of all work.

They love to stress how healthy they eat. Very little processed food. Very little sugar. I don’t know, all those homemade baked things are LOADED with sugar. They love baking cookies, muffins, cakes etc. Which I don’t care but they act like it’s “low sugar” when its really not. I know they make a ton and can etc. But, they seem to have their fair share of processed stuff too. They always act like “this is a huge treat to the children, oyster crackers!!” But they forget all the baking. Also, what did you all think of their “baked chicken skin” treats? Part of me applauds not being wasteful and part of me wants to puke. They all loved it though I guess.

Oh yuck that's just too much.

They do garden and eat a lot of produce but they still eat quite a lot of packaged stuff and the meat they eat is often the cheapest meat possible -- makes me wonder what's in it. Then, of course, the portion sizes reminds me of Janelle claiming a family of that size takes 2 months to use 1 12 pack of toilet paper.

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I know they eat a lot of garden produce, but my point is that the vast majority of that is vegetables. Good on them for eating all that fresh produce. But .... apart from the occasional windfall of peaches some years, I've never really seen them harvest anything else that is fruit. I know that vegetables are really, really important, but so is fruit and they just don't seem to eat enough of it. Meat, chicken and bread with their fresh vegetable harvest seems to be the majority of their diet. I think that those kids are very rationed when it comes to fruit because it is something that they can't grow and therefore it is an expense they don't want to spend to much on. They don't even seem to buy much milk.

I think they eat well for what they DO eat, but they don't enough of certain food groups and they eat far too much cheap meat and bread.

I agree with all the baked goods being full of sugar. Also, if they are so health conscious, why do they insist on using all that bleached white flour? I never bake with anything except whole grain flour and I pack it with wheatgerm or bran on top of that as well. White bread just doesn't cut it with growing kids as far as I'm concerned. I know that a lot of people eat white bread and cakes made from bleached flour, but as Janelle is always going on about how healthily they eat she really doesn't have a clue. If she was honest she would see that their diet is just ok, not the super healthy diet she insist that it is. Where are the seeds, nuts, whole grains, etc? They eat so cheaply because they feed their kids an inadequate diet. Janelle has stated many times that she loves meat and bread. My opinion is that that is why she serves that up for her kids so often. What Janelle likes is what the family eats.

[dahell]

I know they eat a lot of garden produce, but my point is that the vast majority of that is vegetables. Good on them for eating all that fresh produce. But .... apart from the occasional windfall of peaches some years, I've never really seen them harvest anything else that is fruit. I know that vegetables are really, really important, but so is fruit and they just don't seem to eat enough of it. Meat, chicken and bread with their fresh vegetable harvest seems to be the majority of their diet. I think that those kids are very rationed when it comes to fruit because it is something that they can't grow and therefore it is an expense they don't want to spend to much on. They don't even seem to buy much milk.

I think they eat well for what they DO eat, but they don't enough of certain food groups and they eat far too much cheap meat and bread.

I agree with all the baked goods being full of sugar. Also, if they are so health conscious, why do they insist on using all that bleached white flour? I never bake with anything except whole grain flour and I pack it with wheatgerm or bran on top of that as well. White bread just doesn't cut it with growing kids as far as I'm concerned. I know that a lot of people eat white bread and cakes made from bleached flour, but as Janelle is always going on about how healthily they eat she really doesn't have a clue. If she was honest she would see that their diet is just ok, not the super healthy diet she insist that it is. Where are the seeds, nuts, whole grains, etc? They eat so cheaply because they feed their kids an inadequate diet. Janelle has stated many times that she loves meat and bread. My opinion is that that is why she serves that up for her kids so often. What Janelle likes is what the family eats.

I totally agree. And, for the most part I feel like they eat okay. Small portions but maybe my kids just eat a lot? My kids are pretty active and pretty tall for their age, and even though we eat okay (notice I don’t claim health nut status here) they are still hungry all throughout the day it seems. I watch some YT moms that feed their kids decently but not perfect and they are honest in saying “we use this prepackaged stuff sometimes. Maybe even in case of “emergency”. Very honest. I guess it boils down to, if they say how they eat so healthy now compared to a few years ago, wow, wonder what that looked like. And the toilet paper thing, I just don’t get. Why is that something to aspire to? I’m not saying be wasteful but geez. I remember thinking with baby wipes and my oldest, “even if me using quite a lot of wipes when necessary means I buy an extra box or two for his lifetime, so be it. I want to make sure he’s clean!” It’s an extra $15-20 for gosh sake! Lol. There are ways I try to skimp and save and ways I don’t I guess.

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Janelle said in one vlog that before they changed their eating habits everyone referred to them as the family who was always sick. I think they seem to get sick on a regular basis now, so I hate to think what it used to be like for them.

Nice to see them giving the kids an ice-cream treat for once.

[DoodleBop2]

Why do they need an excuse to watch TV? I think it's pandering to the conservative crowd like when someone in the comments called her immodest and then for a while after you'd see her attempting housework in awkward skirts.

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Here we go yet again! How much more can they have to do with decluttering? That third floor is atrocious ... even the part which Art says is done ... and I don't think they will ever get it under control. The boys' bedroom and Art and Janellle's bedrooms were also really bad. I know they were cleaning out cupboards, but there was stuff everywhere! They think that is neat and tidy? I think it is appalling. I keep looking in the background of the various rooms they are in while they are filming and every single room is just so messy, even when they claim to have cleaned them up. I think they are beyond help to be honest. They certainly aren't being truthful with themselves about the state the house is in. their definition of tidy and neat is certainly not my definition.

[dahell]

Why do they need an excuse to watch TV? I think it's pandering to the conservative crowd like when someone in the comments called her immodest and then for a while after you'd see her attempting housework in awkward skirts.

YES!! I can’t stand when people constantly JUSTIFY things. TV. Treats. Shopping. She will go into some extreme detail about why she bought someone a new shirt at Kohl’s instead of a rummage sale. Give it a rest already. They always have to make sure they say something like “the kids watched a movie which is SOOOO unlike us!” We get it. I didn’t know that about the skirts though. That’s funny. I have a friend that “went skirts” for a few years. To each their own but I remember when she first started it and I didn’t know. I would see her out mowing the lawn in a long skirt. Then going for a walk in one (we live near each other). I was kind of confused. She wore them for quite a few years and recently stopped. I didn’t notice Janelle though.