Money Saving Mom®

Welcome to my weekly post when I share some pictures and highlights from the past week + what I’m reading, watching, and listening to. I also share links to posts or other interesting things I don’t want you to miss.

It was colonoscopy week — and I got multiple requests to please share all of the details of the process and the prep. So I shared lots of details on Instagram for those interested!

(I had colonoscopy and endoscopy in order to try to determine the root cause of my chronic anemia.)

I did a low residue diet (no fiber) three days before and I would definitely do this again as I think it made the prep easier! You can see an example of what I ate on this diet here.

The hardest part of the whole process was the 36 hours of clear liquid diet. I did not expect to be SO hungry — like couldn’t function, had to lie down, brain fog hungry. In retrospect, I would have gotten more jello, hard candies, gummy bears, and Italian ice had I know I was going to feel so famished! See more what I “ate” on my clear liquid diet here.

(And I kept thinking of people who always have to eat a liquid diet, who have a feeding tube, or who are experiencing true hunger and starvation and it gave me new appreciation for so much I usually take for granted.)

I took 4 Dulcolax to start the prep and it worked very effectively and fast — and I was nauseous and uncomfortable for an hour and then I was good.

And then I had lots of Miralax mixed with Gatorade to make sure I was fully cleaned out. This part was really simple and I just took it easy, stayed close to the bathroom, and watched When Calls the Heart.

I ended up sleeping most of the night (I had prepped I might be up all night and be miserable) and then started another round of Miralax and Gatorade in the morning starting at 5:30 a.m.

Getting ready to go back for my endoscopy and colonoscopy. This man was so amazing this pasdt week – he always takes such good care of me!

He did two grocery runs to pick up all my supplies for the colonoscopy then went and got me tea with extra honey, Jello, and Italian ice when I was so hungry on my clear liquid diet.

Then, he did all the school dropoffs and pickups for two days and took care of the kids while I was in the Gatorade/Miralax prepping part 🙃 and then drove me to the procedure and stayed there with me.

Marriage is often not big grand gestures but small little actions and sacrifices added up that say,
“I love you.”

We actually didn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day this year together because Jesse is out of town (he and Silas are on a ski trip in Utah), but we try to celebrate it every day of the year with little gestures and acts of kindness. And I feel like that’s really what matters the most.

10 Things That Surprised Me About My First Colonoscopy/Endoscopy…

1) The prep was much easier than I expected, but…
2) The 24+ hours of clear liquid diet was much harder than I expected — I was so hungry and had a lot of brain fog and was feeling so weak. (I was so glad I had planned not to do much work that day!)
3) Mixing the MiraLAX & Gatorade and then divvying it up into smaller bottles and refrigerating it made it actually taste pretty good (or maybe I was just so hungry that it didn’t taste bad!)
4) I didn’t experience hardly any discomfort during the prep other than an hour of nausea after I took the Dulcolax.
5) I was expecting just light sedation for the procedure so was really surprised when they put an IV in and gave me oxygen.
6) I was worried it might take me a bit to go to sleep. But within literally two seconds of the anesthesiologist telling me he was starting the meds, I was out.
7) I do not remember one single thing until an hour later when they were talking loudly over telling me I needed to wake up.(I guess it took multiple tries to get me to wake up Jesse said.)
8) My first thought after they woke me up was, “Please let me go back to sleep. Don’t wake me up!”
9) I had no pain or discomfort of any sort, other than in my esophagus where they did some biopsies.
10) It took me a few hours to think clearly. I couldn’t seem to remember words when I was trying to talk and when Kathrynne called to tell me something about her day, I couldn’t track with what she was saying. I understood the words but could make sense of what it meant. It was the weirdest thing. 🫣

Overall, it was a really good experience! The colonoscopy and endoscopy looked good — nothing concerning and everything looked normally and healthy internally. They did biopsies and we are awaiting the results of that + I have another test next week and then I might need another scope, depending upon the results from that. We’re hoping to get some answers from that, but we’ll see!

I was SO excited to get to eat some non-liquid food… but since I’d had the endoscopy and multiple biopsies, they recommended only soft foods, so I had mashed potatoes and mac & cheese and it felt like the BEST mac & cheese and mashed potatoes I’d ever eaten! 🙂

Micah and Silas went to Target and came back with these tulips for me. I guess Micah saw them and insisted that they get these for me for Valentine’s Day. It was the sweetest gesture from my boys.

Kierstyn and Micah had History Week at their little classical school all last week. They studied about Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. On the last day, they could dress up, so Kierstyn wore this dress… and as soon as she put it on, she looked SO grown up all of a sudden!

Book I Finished This Week

Don’t Burn Your Own House Down — This book inspired me in so many practical ways to to prioritize Jesse more and to notice many little and big areas I could improve in to help him feel more loved, supported, and seen. I loved how honest the author was but also how practical and tangible it was. I definitely recommend it if you are either struggling in your marriage or just hoping to continue building a deeper connection. Listen to the podcast episode I did with the author here.

What I’m Watching

The Olympics, of course, just like last week. I also watched quite a few episodes of When Calls the Heart. (I’m now on season 8!)

Psst! If you didn’t see, you can watch the Olympics for free by signing up for a free Walmart+ trial!

In Case You Missed It – Posts From This Week

How to Find Walmart Hidden Clearance and Save Big! – If you love saving money and/or Walmart deals, there’s a secret treasure hunt waiting for you — Walmart Hidden Clearance Items!

Whole Wheat Pancakes ($10 Family Dinner Idea) – These whole wheat chocolate chip pancakes are easy and healthy and they taste amazing. Add some chicken breakfast sausage and scrambled eggs and you’ll have an easy family meal for under $10!

Making the Most of Amazon Subscribe & Save Deals: Tips and Tricks to Maximize Your Savings – In this post, I dive in-depth into explaining what Amazon Subscribe & Save is, how it works, how to save money with it, what to do if the price changes, and how to modify or cancel your Amazon Subscribe & Save subscriptions.

This Week’s Podcast Episode

This week on The Crystal Paine Show, I want to talk about something that has unexpectedly changed my life this year – what I jokingly call my “grandma hobbies era.” When I first shared that phrase online, it stirred up more feelings than I ever expected. Some people really loved it, but some were really bothered by it. For me, it’s a playful way to describe something deeply meaningful: choosing activities that slow me down, calm my body, and help me feel present again!

Two years ago, if I had heard myself talking excitedly about puzzles, watercoloring, or crocheting a scarf, I probably would have thought something had gone very wrong. Back then, my life was full of adrenaline, constant urgency, and never-ending to-do lists. I didn’t realize how tightly I was living until I started to loosen my grip, and with the encouragement of my functional medicine doctor, I began intentionally creating space – working fewer hours, building in white space, and letting go of the need to always be “on,” and in that space, I found myself drawn to simple, creative things that didn’t demand anything from me other than just my attention.

Listen in this episode as Jesse and I open up honestly about what it has been like to step out of fight mode and learn how to rest, and I share how scary it felt to reduce my work hours as the CEO of a company, how much anxiety that stirred up, and how it revealed an idol of control that I hadn’t even realized I had. I also share the surprising ways that God met me in that place – financially, emotionally, and spiritually – when I ultimately chose to trust instead of hustle.

Jesse and I also talk about what it feels like when your calendar finally has breathing room, when your to-do list doesn’t fill the page, and when people start to feel like opportunities instead of interruptions. We laugh about puzzles, sourdough, and my very flexible relationship with recipes, but even more than that, we talk about what it means to live from a calmer place and show up more fully to the people and work we love!

Please tune in this week, especially if you are tired, running on adrenaline, or craving a slower, richer way to live. Maybe it’s time to find your own version of a “grandma hobby.” I hope that this conversation encourages you, and, as always, I would love to hear from you, so please feel free to reach out!

Listen to this week’s podcast episode.

Tell me about your week! Anything interesting happen? Did you read any good books, watch any good shows, or tackle any projects?