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.

This past week was interesting with so much snow and ice here. From Saturday until Tuesday, things were mostly all shut down in our area and we stayed home. Wednesday was the first time I got out of the house and it was a little surreal. I was not expecting how bad it was just getting out of our neighborhood (see a video here).

We had lots of indoor activities (see a video here of a little peek into two of our snow days).

I did quite a bit of baking — including making homemade sourdough bagels and trying making Garbanzo Bean brownies — which were a disappointment.

It’s been over a week since the ice storm and we still have quite a bit of ice on the ground in places and so many still don’t have power here! (We somehow never lost power — which we still can’t believe because SO many did!)

Since it was so cold and they were recovering from sickness + it was so icy and there were so many branches falling at first, they stayed inside for six days (and I needed to work most of those days so I wasn’t as available as I would have loved to be), so they started to get a little stir-crazy by Day 5. But we survived and I kept thinking of how many blessings we had that so many didn’t – like power, warm house, warm water, and plenty of food!)

We made Energy Bites together and did lots of LEGO building and games and made chocolate cake and read and did lots of workbooks and watches quite a few shows. I was really thrilled when it was announced that school would be back in session on Friday! 🙂

I am LOVING this sweater — and it’s still on sale for another two days! Get the deal here.

On Thursday, the roads were cleared enough for us to go visit Kathrynne in Murfreesboro for her 21st birthday. Jesse and I went and took her out to a late lunch.

It was so special to get to hang out just the three of us! We went out to eat at a new-to-us place (The Goat). It was delicious!! And we talked about her future and some opportunities on the table for her right now. She wanted our advice and input and took notes as we shared.

I’ve said it before but it’s worth repeating: watching your kids as adults is wild and weird and oh so wonderful!!

You spend years pouring so much into them and caring for them and meeting their practical needs and driving them places and doing their laundry and making their lunches… and then one day, they are a full grown adult, living on their own, taking care of all the details of their life, and asking you for advice about their future.

And you sit there and realize that all those days, weeks, months, and years of laundry and cooking and LEGOs and listening and answering questions and having hard conversations and silly inside jokes… it all added up, even though it felt so mundane and insignificant in most of the moments.

Just a reminder to you mamas still in the trenches: it is worth it! And you actually do work yourself out of a job!

In this year of setting no goals and cutting my work hours significantly, I’m learning to love and lean into my “Grandma hobbies” era — baking, water coloring, puzzles, and now crochet. And I’m discovering something so surprising… these hobbies are not only bringing me so much joy, they are re-regulating my nervous system!

I finished this scarf for Kierstyn this week (still need to add the fringe) and couldn’t believe the level of fulfillment I felt in creating something with my hands like this (plus, she was SO excited about it!!)

When I first started working with my functional medicine doctor, she told me that my nervous system was constantly in fight mode. That I’m basically living on adrenaline and always in this mental and emotional stance of being prepared for whatever the next big challenge will be — whether that’s with work, the kids, another situation, etc.

She’s been gently encouraging me that it’s not healthy for my body — especially longterm — to live in a state of hyper-vigilance where I can’t let my body relax and fully breathe.

I’d lived like this for so long (we’re talking YEARS!) that I had no idea because it had just become my norm. And it has been a process to even figure out how to stop living on adrenaline. But I’m slowly untethering myself from the unhealthy habits and patterns and learning to regulate my nervous system.

And things like water color and crochet and watching calming shows like When Calls the Heart and sitting in quiet and slowing down my pace have been so good for my soul. It’s like I can take a deep breath and actually see, feel, and hear what’s going around me in a whole new way!

Now I’m considering knitting and picking back up embroidery and more tinkering in the kitchen and even gardening (after an over 20 year hiatus!)… because I’m just loving this slower pace of life with space for creating!

What “Grandma hobbies” should I try next??

Psst! If you are wanting to learn how to crochet, check this out! Just $0.75 for an entire year of lessons!!

Since he had a relaxed school schedule on Friday, we went out to lunch mid-day, which was so fun! Also, I forget how tall he is until we stand next to one another!!

She and I also had a little date on Friday after school and before the basketball game!

I’ve been teaching her how to cook and she’s been loving it and is getting better and better at doing things herself!

Kaitlynn did my hair on Saturday!

Getting to be a cosmetology school guinea pig is the best — I get to hangout with my girl, she gets practice, I get pampered, I bring my laptop and phone and get some work done, and I get to leave with beautifully done hair!

We started a new tradition and went out to a fancy restaurant to celebrate her 21st. We told Silas and Kaitlynn that they’d get to pick a fancy restaurant for their 21st birthdays, too, and Silas immediately went and added a reminder to his Google calendar for six years from now! 🙂 (It was Silas’s first time to go to a restaurant that had a dress code and the boyfriends came, too, and we had such a fun time!)

Happy 21st birthday to the girl who made me a mother! Kathrynne: what a gift you are to my life — and to everyone who knows you!

This past year, you’ve walked through some really hard things — from health battles, to heartbreaking situations, to taking on big new responsibilities in your life. I’ve watched you weather the storms and challenges of life with resilience and maturity that is far beyond your years.

You are an old soul who cares deeply for everyone you know, who wants to know what you believe and why you believe it, and listens intently to others and wants to hear their stories and walk with them well. I love that about you — even though I sometimes have to remind you that you can’t carry everyone’s burdens for them and that you need to let other people help carry yours some, too!

You are such a servant — always going out of your way to do things to bless and help and cheer up others. You are also hilarious — just a few days ago, you and your roommate had me laughing so hard on the phone I was crying.

And you amaze me with all the things you juggle, all the people you keep up with, and how you always have time to talk and listen to me, too.

This year was filled with so many special memories together — including our Spring break trip just the two of us! It means so much to me that you always want to hang out with me and introduce me to your friends!

Most of all, your love for Jesus deeply shines through you! I am excited to see His plans unfold for you this year as you continue to seek Him and trust Him for your future! You are one-of-a-kind and I love you so much!!

Books I Finished This Week

And She Got Up — This book is the heart-rending but also hope-giving story of the author losing her husband to a tragic cycling accident. It is the story of great loss but also great redemption — and how she chose life when it felt like her life was falling apart.

What I’m Listening To

I didn’t really listen to anything this past week since we were mostly snowed in/iced in so I didn’t do almost any driving (which is usually when I listen to podcasts/audiobooks!)

What I’m Watching

I’m continuing to watch When Calls the Heart during some of my afternoon work time that I can easily do something else while working. I finished season 4 last week and am just starting season 5. I honestly can’t believe how much I am enjoying this show. It just feels like it has such a calming effect on me!

In Case You Missed It – Posts From This Week

Chicken Alfredo and Roasted Carrots ($10 Family Dinner Idea) — Your whole family will love this hearty family dinner that has creamy chicken Alfredo and caramelized carrots — and it all comes together in under 45 minutes for under $10!

Brigette’s $104 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 4! — See what my sister, Brigette, bought for her family of 4 and what she’s feeding them for $104 this past week.

Frugal Ways to Make Valentine’s Day Special for Kids — Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to remind your kids just how much you love them. To help you create special memories — without stressing yourself out or stretching your budget — we’ve rounded up simple, meaningful ways to celebrate. From hands-on crafts to thoughtful gestures that spark kindness, these Valentine’s Day ideas are designed to help your family make Valentine’s Day doable and special.

Throwing It Back to 2016 — There’s been a trend going around Instagram to post pictures from 2016 so I had fun rounding these up to share. (Were any of you around and following when first I posted these in 2016?)

This Week’s Podcast Episode

Join me and Jesse this week as I share what it has actually been like wearing a continuous glucose monitor as a non-diabetic, why I decided to try it, and what I’ve learned about my body in the process. It all starts in the middle of a “snowpocalypse” with canceled plans, sick kids, and a scrapped anniversary trip, which turned into the perfect time to slow down, rest, and pay closer attention to my health!

In this episode, we walk you through the basics of what a continuous glucose monitor is, how the non-medical versions work, and why my functional medicine doctor encouraged me to use one for a few months. I also dig into why we chose the brand that we did, what it cost, how easy it was to install and remove, and what it actually feels like to wear one day-to-day. (It’s way less intense than I expected, and I forgot it was even there most of the time!)

The real value for me, though, has been the data. Seeing my blood sugar in real time completely changed how I think about food, especially carbs, protein, and movement. Listen in as I share how I assumed that I had major blood sugar issues only to find out that my levels were actually pretty stable and that most of my past “crashes” were likely from under-eating and not getting enough protein. I break down the biggest patterns that I noticed such as why carb-only snacks spike my blood sugar, why starting meals with protein matters, and how even a short walk after eating can make a measurable difference.

Jesse and I also get into some surprisingly practical discoveries such as why eating the same foods in a different order changes the outcome, how workouts affect glucose levels, and why three muffins in one evening sounded fun but did not feel great later. If you have ever wondered how your habits actually impact your energy, focus, or overall health, then this episode is basically me being your guinea pig so you don’t have to be!

Listen to this week’s podcast episode here.

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