Looking for some really easy 4th of July recipes? These Patriotic Strawberry and Blueberry Muffins are delicious and super simple to whip up in a pinch!
{Looking for 4th of July desserts? Check out this Patriotic Mason Jar Ice Cream — so much fun for the whole family!}
These Strawberry Blueberry Muffins are perfect for the 4th!
The 4th of July will be here before we know it!!
If you’re looking for creative 4th of July recipes to take to an Independence Day potluck or family gathering, try these fun Patriotic Strawberry and Blueberry Muffins!
Why you’ll love Blueberry and Strawberry Muffins
These Patriotic Muffins are ridiculously easy to whip up and they’re seriously some of the BEST muffins I’ve ever tasted!
They’re super moist and delicious — and it’s difficult to eat just one! You might want to make an extra batch just in case. 😉
What you’ll need for Mixed Berry Muffins
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups vanilla yogurt (I used dairy-free)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups each fresh blueberries and fresh chopped strawberries
What flour is best for muffins?
All-purpose flour works well for almost any type of muffin or quick bread. Cake flour would also work.
If you want to incorporate whole wheat flour or whole grain flour, we recommend only using up to 2 cups whole wheat / whole grain flour and all-purpose flour for the rest.
Do frozen berries work in muffins?
Yes, frozen berries work well for muffins, however, you’ll want to remove any icy parts from the fruit and roll them in a bit of flour before adding them to the batter.
Also, don’t overmix the frozen fruit with the batter or you’ll end up with red and blue batter!
Is it better to use fresh or frozen blueberries for muffins?
Either fresh or frozen fruit should work well and will produce a tasty finished muffin. Just take care to follow our recommendations above when using frozen fruit.
How to make Mixed Berry Muffins
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Spray 24-30 muffin tins with cooking spray, or use liners (I used patriotic ones).
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs and gradually add in the sugar.
4. While beating, slowly pour in the oil.
5. Next, stir in vanilla and yogurt.
6. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients and add to the egg mixture.
7. Gently fold in blueberries and strawberries with a spatula (don’t overmix).
8. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.
Should I refrigerate muffins with fruit?
Refrigerating muffins will cause them to dry out much faster — so we recommend storing them in an airtight container at room temperature.
You may freeze them if you plan to store them for more than 3 days.
How to serve Blueberry Strawberry Muffins
You could use them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even snack/dessert! I’d think they’d also be perfect for a brunch gathering!
You can eat them cooled or warmed, but I recommend them warm and slathered in butter. YUM!
Variations on these Mixed Berry Muffins
I love the extra flavor twist that the strawberries add to the traditional blueberry muffins taste. But if you love the tart taste of raspberries, you could always substitute the strawberries for raspberries and still have a fun patriotic-themed 4th of July recipe!
Oh — and if you’re looking for a dairy free version, just substitute the yogurt with your favorite brand of dairy-free vanilla yogurt. Voila!
How to store Berry Muffins
The best part of these Patriotic Muffins? They freeze really well!
Make them ahead of time a few days or even a week before you need them, and then all you have to do is pull them out of the freezer a few hours before serving them! Eat them as-is or pop them in the microwave to warm them up.
Mixed Berry Muffins FAQs
Our nutrition calculator estimates roughly 38 grams of carbohydrates in each muffin — however, this can vary largely based on the ingredients you use, the type of flour you use, and the size of your finished muffin.
No, it’s not necessary to thaw frozen berries, as long as they aren’t covered with ice or frozen in big clumps.
Yes, coating them in flour will help prevent them from sinking to the bottom of your muffins and from changing the color of your batter.
Coating them in flour will help keep the fruit evenly distributed throughout the muffin cup.
If you used mainly whole wheat or whole grain flour, the muffins will be tougher and denser — this is why we recommend only using up to 2 cups whole wheat flour and the rest all-purpose flour. Also, overmixing the batter or overbaking the muffins could cause the finished product to be tough and dense.
Don’t overmix the batter, especially not the flour. Also, you could beat the egg white separately and add them at the end (right before you add the fruit) to add some extra air into the batter.
Patriotic Blueberry and Strawberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups vanilla yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 2 cups fresh strawberries chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Spray 24-30 muffin tins with cooking spray, or use liners (I used patriotic ones).
- In a large bowl, beat eggs and gradually add in the sugar.
- While beating, slowly pour in the oil.
- Next, stir in vanilla and yogurt.
- In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients and add to the egg mixture.
- Gently fold in blueberries and strawberries with a spatula (don’t overmix).
- Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins.
- Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.
- Eat and enjoy!
Nutrition
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FREE 50+ Easy and Cheap Breakfast Ideas!!
Mornings just got so much easier with this FREE list of 50+ Easy & Cheap Breakfast Ideas for Busy Weekday Mornings!
Gretchen’s $63 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 5
Gretchen’s $63 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 5
Aldi
1 pkg Flour Tortillas – $1.19
1 Half & Half – $1.59
2 cans Green Beans – $0.49 each
1 can Chili Beans – $0.65
2 dozen Eggs – $0.58 each
2.98 lbs Grapes – $2.35
4 pkg Strawberries – $0.88 each
1 gallon Milk – $1.49
1 Unsweetened Applesauce – $1.95
1 pkg Flat Leaf Spinach – $1.39
1 pkg Peaches – $3.69
2 Seedless Cucumbers – $1.29 each
1 Cantaloupe – $1.49
1 pkg Snack Crackers – $1.59
1 Cream Cheese – $0.99
1 Peanut Butter – $1.49
1 bag Corn Chips – $1.25
1 pkg Thin Wheat Crackers – $1.25
1 Grape Jelly – $1.65
1 pkg Fruit & Grain Bars – $1.49
1 loaf Bread – $1.39
1 can Pumpkin – $0.79
1 pkg Frozen Chicken Breasts – $5.99
Total: $51.97
Dillons
2 Cascadian Farms Cereal – $1.79 each, used $1/2 printable – $1.29 each after coupon
1 bag Kroger Flour – $1.59, used $0.40/1 mailer coupon – $1.19 after coupon
4 Clif Nut Bars – Marked down to $0.49 each
3 boxes Sun-Maid Raisins – $2.19 each, used $3/3 e-coupon AND $1.50 Ibotta rebate – $0.69 each after coupon and rebate (Plus, received $2 catalina at checkout for buying 3 boxes!)
2 Larabars – Marked down to $0.59 each, used $0.50/2 e-coupon – $0.34 each after coupon
3 pkg Goldfish Crackers – $0.99 each
2 bags Apples – Marked down to $0.99 each
1 lb Butter – $2.77
1 pkg Kroger Frozen Broccoli – $1
1 Green Leaf Lettuce – $1.29
1.81 lbs Bananas – $0.89
Total after coupons and rebate: $11.58 (Plus, received $2 catalina!)
Total for all groceries: $63.55
Menu Plan for This Week
Breakfasts
Cereal, Toast & Eggs, Fruit, Oatmeal, Pumpkin Muffins
Lunches
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Tossed Salad Bar, Cheese/Crackers/Fruit, Apples & Peanut Butter, Leftovers
Dinners
Pancakes, Eggs, Fruit
Chicken Taquitos, Steamed Broccoli
Out to eat (I will be gone at a Mom’s Night Out so my husband will get dinner out for him and the kids.)
Spaghetti, Homemade Bread, Green Beans
Cheese Pizza, Breadsticks, Spinach Salad
Snacky Dinner (We will be traveling so I plan to pack lots of snacks for the kids to eat on the plane.) 🙂
How to Homeschool for Free or Cheap
Interested in homeschooling but afraid it might break your family’s budget? Read this post for some really great tips on how to homeschool for free — or very close to free!
{Don’t miss our weekly round-up of all the best FREE homeschool curriculum & resources! And you can also check out my Top 10 Favorite Free Homeschool Sites here.}
Guest post from Jessica of Where’d My Sanity Go:
Yes! It is possible to homeschool for free or cheap!
Once you dig into all the homeschool curriculum products available, it can be overwhelming. When you check out the prices on those bad boys, it can get scary.
Don’t worry though, there are a lot of ways to give your child a great education at an affordable price. Some of the homeschool lessons and curriculums we use are completely free!
So if you’re wondering how to homeschool for free, here are my top tips…
Use what you’ve got:
Search your home for any books you may have forgotten about.
When I started out, I had no idea how I was going to afford all the things I thought I needed.
Luckily, my son had a ton of nature and science books already. I used these to build a few of my lessons for him, and we had a set of dictionaries we used for spelling lessons and other subjects.
Borrow:
If you already know of other homeschool families in your are, ask them if they have any old schoolbooks or homeschooling curriculum books they aren’t using and that you might borrow for a while.
If you’re not familiar with any other homeschool families in the area, look on Facebook for local homeschool groups or ask your friends and family, your church, or even your local schools.
When I pulled my son out of public school, they were kind enough to give me some information about local homeschool programs.
Shop for used books:
Check local garage sales, used bookstores, and other local stores for discounted items.
Join a few Facebook groups where people are selling their used homeschool books for dirt cheap. I have saved so much money by doing this and hardly ever purchase anything brand new. Before buying anything, I always first search for used homeschool supplies or books.
Utilize free homeschool resources
There are tons of free online homeschool curriculum options out there. You don’t have to stick with just one either, you can take different lessons from multiple online curriculums to fit your educational outline.
A few popular free curriculums:
- Easy Peasy – All In One Homeschool – 180-day lesson plans for PreK-8th. (this is one of our favorites)
- Khan Academy – Free online lessons for just about any subject.
- K12.com – Independent teacher-led courses for homeschoolers.
- YouTube — there are a ton of educational YouTube channels out there that are perfect for supplementing your homeschool curriculum. You can find different channels that range from preschool to high school subjects.
Finding affordable or free homeschool educational materials or curriculum is not as hard as you think!
I recommend scouring the internet to find out what’s available. Join local homeschool groups, find local Facebook groups, etc.
Several of our local homeschool families often get together for different field trips — many places even offer homeschooling families a discount on tickets!
Do you have any other advice on how to homeschool for free? I’d love to hear in the comments!
Jessica Fuqua is the owner/editor of Where’d My Sanity Go, where she often writes about family, parenting, and homeschooling.
What it’s really like to be married to your business partner
Wonder what it’s like to be married to your business partner? In this episode, Jesse and talk about hospitality, summer habits, and what it’s like to combine marriage and business.
Missed previous episodes of The Crystal Paine show? You can listen to them here.
Just Open the Door!
Remember that goal I set in 2018 to open our home every single week? It was hard and scary at first, but the more we did it, the more it’s become second nature to use!
Last week alone, we opened up our home all week to host three college girls who are volunteering at Pine Cove Camp in the City, we hosted the Girls’ Bible Study for the teen girls at church (I think maybe 20 girls came?), we had multiple teens over, we had two couples over for dinner, and we had a family over for dinner.
And I loved it!
In this week’s episode of The Crystal Paine Show, Jesse and I talk more about the lessons we’ve learned on hospitality recently. We also share how it has changed our lives to re-define what true hospitality is.
(Want to hear more encouragement for practicing hospitality, even if it scares you? Be sure to check out the episode devoted to this topic with Jen Schmidt, author of Just Open the Door.)
The Habit Trackers We’re Using This Summer
We also dive into the topic of Habit Trackers and how both of us are using them this summer — me for a specific goal and Jesse to help the kids stay on track and be more productive. I share how I’ve been making huge progress toward a goal with just a simple change in my perspective and by putting some accountability in place.
And Jesse shares how the printable habit lists he put together for the kids have made a big difference in encouraging the kids to work hard, play hard, and spend less time on electronics!
What It’s Like to Be Married to Your Business Partner
Instead of an interview, Jesse and I answer a follower’s questions on what it’s really like to work together as a married couple. We discuss decision making, how we handle conflict and disagreement, who decides how the money is spent, how we make decisions on what risks to take, and how we balance being a spender and a saver who are also married and in business together.
Whether you are a couple who works together or you are just curious to hear more of the behind-the-scenes of our business operations or you just want to know how we’ve stayed friends and business partners who are also married, you won’t want to miss this episode!
In This Episode:
[00:51] – So many people have been in and out of our house lately that we joke that we’re past the “Just Open the Door” stage and have moved onto “Just Leave the Door Open” stage!
[07:01] – Have you ever used a habit tracker? I just started using one to better prioritize my time and it’s working! (so far…) You can check it out here, I snagged it from Abby Lawson.
[13:30] – Jesse has been using a habit tracker with the kids to keep them busy and engaged! They are working toward a big “end of summer” surprise!
[16:26] – Over the next few weeks, Jesse and I will be tackling some of the most-asked questions and topics you all have submitted as podcast episode suggestions.
[17:06] – This week, we’re having a very honest conversation about what it’s like to be married and business partners — and how we make it work all while staying best friends.
[19:32] – How do we make big business decisions — does one person have more say than another? We share more on our roles and how they play out.
[24:09] – What if we don’t agree? We chat about what we do when we don’t agree and agreeing often involves waiting or compromising.
[28:12] – One of us is a spender and the other is a saver (can you guess who is who?) How does this work in our business?
Links and Resources:
- Pine Cove Camp in the City
- Stop Being Scared of Hospitality (lots of practical ideas in this post)
- Episode 4 – How I Got Over My Fear of Hospitality with Jen Schmidt
- Just Open the Door
- Habit Tracker Printable by Abby Lawson – Just a Girl and Her Blog (the one Crystal is using)
- Free Habit Tracker (the one Jesse is using for the kids)
- Crystal’s Favorite Things on Amazon
- CrystalPaine.com
- MoneySavingMom.com
- YourBloggingMentor.com
- Your Blogging Mentor on Instagram
- Your Blogging Mentor on Facebook
- Crystal’s Instagram account (I’d love for you to follow me there! I usually hop on at least a few times per day and share behind-the-scenes photos and videos of my life!)
- Have feedback on the show or suggestions for future episodes or topics? Send me an email: [email protected]
How to Listen to The Crystal Paine Show
The podcast is available on iTunes, Android, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can listen online through the direct player we’ll include in the show notes of each episode. OR, a much easier way to listen is by subscribing to the podcast through a free podcast app on your phone. (Find instructions for how to subscribe to a podcast here.)
Ready to dive in and listen? Hit the player above or search for “The Crystal Paine Show” on your favorite podcast app.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission — at no additional cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!
Aldi, Sprouts, Big Lots, and Kroger Shopping Trips + Our Weekly Menu Plan
Aldi, Sprouts, Big Lots, and Kroger Shopping Trips + Our Weekly Menu Plan
Want to see what we bought for this week’s $70 grocery budget? I’m currently challenging myself to stick with a $70 budget for our family of five. This includes almost all of our breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners + most household products (toiletries, laundry soap, etc.).
For live updates, be sure to follow my Instagram Stories. See all posts on my $70 Grocery Budget here.
I finally made it to Sprouts on a Wednesday!! If you’re unfamiliar with Sprouts’ sales cycles, they have overlapping sales on Wednesdays — which means you can get the sales from the last week + the sales from the coming week on Wednesdays!
They had some great produce deals that I stocked up on:
Sprouts Shopping Trip
- 6 packages of strawberries — $1.25 each
- 3 Cantaloupe — $0.99 each
- 2 Pineapple — $0.98 each
- Sprouts Chocolate Chip cookies — used free coupon
- Total with tax: $13.24
Did you get your freebies from Sprouts? If not, be sure to sign up for them here.
I was SO excited to find so many good clearance deals at BigLots when I went on Wednesday!!
My biggest score? Boxes of Kodiak Cakes for $0.75 each!!! Jesse loves these and he was super thrilled at this score!
Big Lots Shopping Trip
- 4 boxes of Kodiak Cakes — marked down to $0.75 each
- 5 packages of bread, bagels, & English Muffins — $1.40 each (I stuck these in the freezer.)
- 1 can of Split Pea Soup — marked down to $0.25
- 3 cans of corn — $0.25
- Total with tax: $11.74
Aldi Shopping Trip:
- Honey Crunch Oats — $1.59
- All Purpose Flour — $1.89
- 2 packages of hot dog buns — $0.85 each
- Milk — $2.49
- Cream Cheese — $1.29
- Cheddar Cheese — $1.99
- Eggs — $0.73
- 10 lb potatoes — $3.49
- Watermelon — $2.99
- Total with tax: $19.39
Have you read my post on my 25 Favorite Things to Purchase From Aldi. And 5 Things You Should Not Buy at Aldi.
Kroger Shopping Trip #1
- Eggs — marked down to $1.39
- All Egg Whites — $4.99
- 2 loaves of bread — marked down to $0.89 and $0.99
- 1 bag of apples — $0.99
- 1 bag of grapefruit — $0.99
- Total with tax: $11.36
Kroger Shopping Trip #2
Bush’s Baked Beans — $0.99 each with the Weekend Only deals
This past week, we got to host three college girls from Pine Cove all week long who were here leading a Camp in the City for local kids.
We provided breakfast every morning for them. Then, we got to have dinner with them on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (they had dinners elsewhere the other nights).
Just for fun, we invited extra friends over on Wednesday and Friday night. I was excited that we were able to do all of the entertaining and still stick with our $70 grocery budget!
Oh and we ate a lot of leftovers this past week because we had a lot of extra food. 🙂 (I always want to make sure there is a enough food when we have guests, so that means I tend to plan a lot more food than we actually need! But hey, it means dinner is taken care of the next night!)
What We Ate On Our $70 Grocery Budget This Past Week
Note: When you see the meals below, please remember this: I buy ahead often. Which means that when I find a great deal on something I know we’ll use, I buy as much as I can afford in our budget to have on hand.
This means that you aren’t going to see all of the groceries my shopping trip that I used to make all of the meals we ate.
Please also remember that I’m putting this out there and it’s not a perfectly balanced menu. This is just really what we ate — and I hope that it encourages you to see the real-ness and lack of perfection here.
Our Menu Plan
Breakfasts:
- Cereal, Pancakes, Bagels, Toast, Waffles, Fruit, Yogurt, Bacon, Sausage, Banana Bread, Apple Muffins
Lunches:
- Leftovers, Salad, Mac & Cheese, Turkey, Fruit
Snacks:
- Fruit, Popcorn, Cookies, Banana Bread
Dinners:
- Sunday — Fend for yourself
- Monday — Dinner with our guests: Spaghetti with Meatballs, Green Beans, Fruit, Salad, French Bread
- Tuesday — Leftovers
- Wednesday — Dinner with our guests and some other friends: Barbecued Meatballs, Twice Baked Potatoes, Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Brussels, Fruit Salad, French Bread
- Thursday — Leftovers
- Friday — Dinner with our guests and some other friends: Brats/Hot Dogs, Squash Casserole, Salad, Fruit Salad, Homemade Mac & Cheese.
- Saturday — Leftovers
$70 Grocery Budget Totals
Total spent on groceries: $61.23
Cashback earned this week: 625 points for submitting my receipts to Fetch rewards + $0.10 for submitting my receipt to iBotta rewards.
A Peek Into May at Our House
Every month in 2019, I’ll be sharing a photographic peek into the previous month. I thought this would be fun to give you a behind-the-scenes look at our month and recap some of the highs and lows and special memories of the month.
It was Spirit Week at Kaitlynn and Silas’ school and they had so much fun planning their outfits. This was crazy sock day and Silas wore peanut butter and jelly socks while Kaitlynn wore movie popcorn and Sprite socks.
You can see some pictures and a video of their Prehistoric costumes here.
Silas made a tornado simulator (just like Kathrynne’s) for his Science Fair project. He worked so hard on it and did the lion’s share of the work himself.
He just needed our help with putting the simulator together and doing some of the research for his report and board (since he’d never done a school project quite at this level before).
Kathrynne and I flew to Utah for me to speak at the Everything Food conference. I love it when it works out for me to take one of my kids with me!
I loved getting to speak on one of my very favorite topics — increasing your engagement with Instagram. After taking almost two years off from doing any conference speaking, I said yes to some opportunities again this year to see how it would feel to be back on the road.
We created some very clear boundaries of what I would say yes to in order that I wouldn’t completely exhaust myself (like I did unintentionally back when I was traveling and speaking a lot more!) and y’all, I just LOVED being back on the road getting to speak again. And I came home fired up and excited for the next speaking event — yay!
I’m excited and hopeful that I’ll continue to find it life-giving because I so love getting to meet you all in person. It’s one of my very favorite things! (Psst! If you’ve asked me to speak at your event in the past few years and I’ve said no, go ahead and ask again because I just might say yes now that I’m in a better place with more capacity and better personal boundaries!)
She’s 14 and she loves hanging out with me.
I don’t say this to gloat, because just between you and me, I’ve made a ridiculous amount of mistakes as a mom.
I say this to push against the commonly touted belief that the teenage years are awful and hard and miserable. That you just grimace and hold on and try to make it through.
Honestly, yes, there are challenges. Yes, it’s like learning a completely new dance…
It’s letting go and seeing your child no longer need you like they once did.
It’s giving your teen space to learn and process and make mistakes.
It’s listening a lot more and instructing a lot less.
It’s realizing she is growing wings and, much as I want to, clipping her wings to selfishly keep her close to me will only hurt us both in the long run.
It’s a new dance and some days I misstep. But I’m loving it and so grateful for these beautiful years.
Mamas of littles, don’t dread the teen years. I’m here to tell you that, so far, they’ve been pretty amazing!
After we got back home from Utah (which was absolutely breath-taking, by the way!), I took Kathrynne and a group of her friends to see the new Avengers movie.
We went to TopGolf for Silas’ birthday.
10 years ago, I gave birth to this high energy, insanely extroverted BOY!
He brings so much life to our home and he is friends with pretty much everyone he meets. (Oftentimes, we’re out somewhere and he’ll holler out to someone he sees that he kind of knows from somewhere. I’ll be all, “Who is that?” And he’ll respond with something like, “Oh, I met him once at the park two years ago.”)
But despite his incredibly outgoing personality, I love that he is still very much a Mama’s boy.
In fact, one Sunday recently, he was telling me about how one of the men on stage has grown kids in multiple countries (he had read his bio in the church program.) I said, “Maybe that will be you all someday.” He gave me a shocked look and was like, “Never, Mom! I have to live close to you!”
He has decided he and his wife will live on our street so he can come spend time with me every day.
I love this boy so much! Being his mom has been one of the greatest privileges of my life.
TopGolf rolled out the red carpet for his birthday — including banners, a birthday card, a shark dressed up, and free Injectable Donut Holes.
One of the highlights of May was getting to interview our pastor on the podcast. Have you listened to his episode yet? It was one of the highest-downloaded episodes yet.
Kathrynne had her 8th grade banquet at school in May. It was such a special time of the teachers speaking words of blessing over each of the students and commissioning them as they move up to high school.
I posted this on Instagram:
She doesn’t like me to talk about her or share her pictures much online. And I 100% respect that.
But y’all, I wish you could meet this girl. (Warning: Sappy proud mom post forthcoming…)
She’s wise beyond her years. She has the most caring heart for others. And I so often look at her and think, “How did I get to be your mom?”
I have watched her step outside her comfort zone and step out in bravery in big ways this year. I’ve seen her wrestle with her faith and wrestle through difficult relationships.
She’s made mistakes and she’s owned them and asked forgiveness. She’s come alongside kids that are being made fun of and stood up for them. She’s befriended those who are struggling. And she’s worked really hard in school, too.
I know that people say it makes them sad to see their kids growing up. On the one hand, yes, I’m sad knowing that she’s going to be in HIGH SCHOOL in the fall (how did that happen??). On the other hand, I just love stepping back watching her grow up and grow into all that God has called her to be.
.
We love you, Kathrynne, and we’re so proud of you and grateful to be your parents. ❤️P.S. I took this picture at her 8th grade banquet. When I looked at it afterwards on my phone, it literally took my breath away! I know she’s growing up, but I sometimes don’t realize just how quickly she is until I see a picture like this!
And the same day, Kaitlynn had her 7th grade formal. I loved getting to do her hair for it.
She’d been planning for months what she was going to wear and how she was going to fix her hair. I just love how much she loves beauty.
Her favorite part of her outfit was her shoes. She ordered multiple different pairs from Amazon to try out (with free returns!) before she landed on these. She’s so different than me in so many ways (hello, I’m all about comfortable shoes!), but I love the life and creativity she brings into our home.
I loved getting to have one of my childhood friends and her family come over for dinner on their roadtrip in Tennessee.
Kathrynne won a special math award for her class at the end of year awards ceremony.
We kicked off our #100DaysofSummerFun challenge! Want to join us? Here are the details:
As our kids get older, we cherish our time together all together as a family more and more. With this in mind, our family committed to be intentional to do something fun all together as a family every day for the next 100 days.
I’ll be documenting it here on Instagram stories as a way to stay accountable — and maybe to inspire your family to prioritize family fun, too.
It doesn’t have to be something expensive or complicated. You know I’m all about keeping it simple! For instance, it could be something like taking a family walk or having a family basketball game.
Want to join us? Here’s to a fun summer filled with memories!
“What is the most important thing to remember?” I asked him on the drive to his last playoff flag football game.
“No matter what happens. No matter if the other team creams you. No matter if they have amazing plays & they block & intercept everything you throw. No matter if you miss every rushing opportunity. No matter if everyone is frustrated with you. No matter what, you get to choose how you respond.”
We talked about how to respond with graciousness in the face of defeat. We talked about how the most important thing was to represent Jesus in everything you do.
Then we prayed together & my little quarterback & rusher went out to lead his team in the biggest game of his life so far.
They were playing against the undefeated team. This team was good, really good. I knew that the game would likely be brutal.
But Silas went out and led his team with a quiet confidence and grace — and they WON!!! Then they went on to win the championship game, too!!!
Here’s the thing: Sure I was the insanely proud mama hollering & yelling for my boy on the sidelines. But this wasn’t about the scoreboard so much as it was about the character that my boy displayed.
For an entire year, my prayer for him has been that he would have a gracious, humble spirit. That he would learn to submit to leadership. That he would use his incredibly strong personality for good. That he would rather be kind than right.
He’s struggled a lot with this. There have been a lot of conversations, prayers, & lost privileges.
But the past few months, I have seen so many answers to those prayers on the football field…when a call has been made that he didn’t agree with, when his coaches asked him to do things he didn’t want to do, & when his team lost.
He’s had opportunity after opportunity to be kind rather than right, to be gracious even when he wanted to be angry.
It might have just seemed like two Flag Football games on Tuesday night with 9 & 10 years olds. And yet, for me, it was about so much more than that.
Mamas, keep praying for your strong kids. Keep having the hard conversations. Speak life. Believe that God can use their strength and stubbornness for good. Don’t give up!
Some days, parenting is amazing. Other days, it’s just plain hard.
One night in May, I had come up with the idea for us to take a picnic dinner to Fort Negley for our #100daysofsummerfun activity for the day.
Instead of excitement over my idea, the response was more like if I had announced that we were going to go spend 3 hours cleaning toilets.
There were bad attitudes and rolled eyes and whining and fighting all the way there. When we got there, there was more complaining, “This looks so boring!” “Why are we doing this?”
Then, as soon as we started down the trail, two children had a big fight and we had to separate them for 30 minutes so they could cool down.
Inside, I was irritated and thinking, “Why are we even bothering to try to do fun stuff together?? Let’s just go home!”
But then I heard that phrase that has become my mantra for parenting, “Lean in and love.”
I walked with one child and said to them, “I know you’re really upset. I’m sorry.”
This opened the door for them to share their heart with me. Frustrations they were feeling over their sibling. Frustrations they were feeling over situations in life. And I just listened.
When they were finished, I said: “You know, I’ve felt like that a lot, too.”
This child looked at me with surprise: “You have?? You don’t ever seem like you are frustrated like this.”
We ended up having a really beautiful heart-to-heart talk together on the trail where I shared some similar feelings I’ve felt recently and I was able to not give answers or solutions, but to just show empathy — which was what they needed.
By the time we headed for the car, everyone was laughing and joking and in much better spirits.
It wasn’t the family evening I envisioned and I don’t think the kids will be begging to go back any time soon! 😉 But I’m so glad we didn’t turn around and leave when we got there (like I seriously considered doing!)
Maybe today you’ll find yourself in a similar situation — whether it’s deal with defiant toddlers, difficult teens, frustrating co-workers, or just dealing with someone with a bad attitude. Choose to press in, press through, and lean in and love. ❤️
Silas and Kaitlynn both made the honor roll! They’ve worked really, really hard for this and we were super proud of them!
We loved getting to have a big group of friends over on Memorial Day weekend for a cookout!
I just loving opening our home (or our backyard, as was the case this time!) to friends — new and old!
We took a fairly impromptu road trip at the end of May to hit three states we hadn’t all visited yet: Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.
A little family football game at a rest stop!
We went to IKEA for the first time ever… and I’m sorry to say that I was underwhelmed.
Minnehaha Falls was incredible!
We had such a great time on our trip and I have so much more I want to share about it that I plan to do individual posts on the things we did in Madison, WI and Minneapolis, MN. (Sadly, it was raining the entire time we were in Iowa so we didn’t get to do much while we were there.)
Look for those posts coming soon — hopefully next week!
Brigette’s $82 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan
Aldi
1 gallon Whole Milk – $1.59
1 Gallon 1% Milk – $1.59
1 64-oz carton Unsweetened Almond Milk – $1.65
1 24-oz carton Cottage Cheese – $1.59
2 jars Pasta Sauce – $1.70
1 pkg String Cheese – $1.65
2 12-oz bags Shredded Cheddar Cheese – $3.50
1 2-lb pkg 85/15 Lean Ground Turkey – $3.98
1 2-lb pkg 80% Ground Beef – $3.76
1 16-oz pkg Deli Turkey Meat – $2.85
1 canister Quick Oats – $2.29
2 boxes Honey Nut Oats – $2.30
1 38-oz jar Ketchup – $0.95
1 loaf Sandwich Bread – $0.59
1 Seedless Watermelon – $2.89
1 large carton Organic Spring Mix – $3.49
1 3-lb bag Gala Apples – $2.99
1 pkg Baby Bella Mushrooms – $0.89
1 6-ct pkg Applesauce Cups – $0.99
1 bag Mini Sweet Peppers – $2.89
2 pkgs Zucchini (3.45lbs @ $0.79/lb) – $1.72
2 pkgs frozen Broccoli Florets – $1.90
2 pkgs Riced Cauliflower – $3.78
2 4-ct pkgs Corn on the Cob – $3.38
1 pkg Romaine Hearts – $1.89
1 bag Mini Cucumbers – $2.29
1 Cauliflower – $2.29
1 Broccoli – $1.29
1 bunch Bananas – $0.79
3 cartons Blackberries – $2.67
1 pkg Raspberries – $1.19
1 10-lb bag Russet Potatoes – $3.49
1 pkg Grape Tomates – $0.99
2 dozen Eggs – $1.56
1 16-oz carton Egg Whites – $1.69
1 pkg Rice Cakes – $1.45
Total: $76.50
Harris Teeter
1 pkg Eckrich Sausage – $2.50, used $0.75/1 printable (doubled) – $1.00 after coupon
2 Larabars – $2.00 – used $0.50/2 printable (doubled) – $1.00/2 after coupon
5 Chobani Yogurts (one got eaten on the way home :)) – $5.00, used $1/5 Chobani Single-Serve Yogurt and Non-Dairy Products, exp. 6/22/19 (SS 05/19/19), plus receive $1.00/4 rebate from Ibotta – $3.00/5 after Coupon and Rebate
1 pkg Sargento Mozzarella Cheese – $1.89, used $0.60/1 Sargento Reserve Series Shredded Natural Cheese, exp. 7/29/19 (SS 06/02/19) (doubled) – $0.69 after coupon
Total: $5.69
Grocery Total for the Week: $82.19
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Everyone is responsible for making/cleaning up their own breakfasts. Choices include:
Cereal, Oatmeal, Fruit, Scrambled/Fried/Boiled Eggs, Veggie Omelets, Smoothies, Yogurt, Toast
Lunches
Deli Meat Sandwiches, Blackberries, Cucumbers x 2
Peanut Butter on Rice Cakes, Cheese Sticks, Apples/Applesauce, Mini Peppers x 2
Leftovers x 3
Dinners
Barbequed Meatballs, Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes, Make-Ahead Butterhorns, Broccoli
Grilled Hobo Packets, Watermelon, Tossed Salad
Out to Dinner (Overnight Trip to the Beach)
Cheese/Veggie Pizza, Easy Italian Breadsticks, Tossed Salad
Taco Cheese Baked Potatoes, Tossed Salad, Peaches
Venison Burgers on Homemade Buns, Corn on the Cob, Mashed Cauliflower, Peaches
Leftovers
Gretchen’s Grocery $53 Shopping Trip and Menu Plan for 5
Aldi
5 lbs Potatoes – $1.99
2 dozen Eggs – $0.58 each
2.24 lbs Green Grapes – $2.13
1 pkg Tilapia – $3.39
1 Unsweetened Applesauce – $1.95
1 pkg Fruit Squeezies – $1.49
1 Half & Half – $1.59
1 pkg Frozen Chicken Breasts – $5.99
1 pkg Flour Tortillas – $1.19
1 loaf Bread – $1.39
1 gallon Milk – $1.49
1 Grape Jelly – $1.65
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup – $0.49
1 pkg Peaches – $1.78
1 pkg Fruit & Grain Bar – $1.49
1 Cantaloupe – $0.99
1 pkg Oyster Crackers – $0.79
Total: $30.95
Dillons
1 Annie’s Cocoa Bunnies Cereal – Marked down to $1.79
1 box Kroger Applesauce – Marked down to $4.99 (My toddler loves these and they are so perfect when we are on the run, so even though I’d already bought some at Aldi, I snatched these up for this great price!)
1 bag Kroger Flour – $1.59
1 Cucumber – $1.50
1 Kroger Shredded Cheese – $2.69
2 General Mills Cereal – $1.79 each, used $1/2 e-coupon – $1.29 each after coupon
3.08 lbs Bananas – $1.51
2 Stoneyfield Yogurt – Marked down to $0.50 each, used 2 $0.75/1 Ibotta rebates – Free plus $0.50 overage!
2 Birdseye Frozen Veggies – $1 each
1 pkg Kroger Drumsticks – $3.68
2 Green Bell Pepper – $0.50 each
Used $0.20/1 Ibotta rebate for any receipt
Total after coupon and rebates: $22.63
Total for both stores: $53.58
Menu Plan for This Week
We have a ton of lettuce from our garden this week that I will be using. 🙂
Breakfasts
Cereal, Toast, Eggs, Fruit
Lunches
Cheese Quesadillas, Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Tossed Salad Bar, Cheese/Crackers/Veggies, Applesauce/Yogurt/Grapes, Leftovers
Dinners
French Toast, Eggs
Date night (The babysitter will be making Mac & Cheese for our kids.)
Homemade Cheese Pizza, Breadsticks, Tossed Salad
Baked Chicken Drumsticks, Steamed Peas, Homemade Bread
Burritos (from the freezer), Rice, Cantaloupe
Grilled Chicken and Tilapia, Mashed Potatoes, Biscuits
Ground Beef & Gravy over Noodles, Fruit Salad, Steamed Corn
Why We Stopped Homeschooling
For those who have written and asked why we stopped homeschooling, don’t miss this episode! Jesse and I are joined by our kids to share the whole story.
Missed previous episodes of The Crystal Paine show? You can listen to them here.
Why We Stopped Homeschooling
On August 16, 2016, I posted the above picture on Instagram with this caption:
Today is a bittersweet day. After many years of homeschooling, I just dropped the kids off at the new Classical School they are attending this year.
I’m so grateful for those sweet years I had to be a homeschool mom. I’m also grateful for God’s direction this year (for a long list of reasons) that a different schooling option is best for our family and our kids.
I won’t pretend it’s been an easy decision. It’s one that we made with a tremendous amount of thought, prayer, discussion, and tears.
Ultimately, we have so much peace as we walk into this new season. There will be new challenges and new opportunities and I’m excited to see what God has in store as we trust Him to lead one step at a time.
Since posting that Instagram post almost three years ago, we’ve gotten a lot of questions about why we stopped homeschooling and how we knew it was the right decision for our family.
I Know This Can Be a Bit Controversial
I know that schooling choices and decisions are incredibly personal and can be somewhat controversial, so I wasn’t sure that I ever wanted to broach this topic publicly… and I really haven’t for 3 years.
But then, we got many requests to interview our kids on the podcast. We decided to move forward with this and I asked you all on Instagram to submit questions you’d like for us to ask them on their podcast interview.
To our surprise, there were SO many questions begging us to talk about the transition from homeschooling to private school and how it was for our kids. We asked the kids if they’d be willing to share — and they were.
So, enjoy this very honest family conversation around why we stopped homeschooling, how we came to this decision, how it’s been for our kids (one child was very, very angry about it!), and the best things and hard things about switching from homeschool to private school.
No matter your schooling choices or beliefs, I hope this conversation will encourage you in hard choices you have to make. It’s not always easy and sometimes it’s really scary, but you might look back in three years and realize it was so worth it to jump out in faith and do what felt you were being called to do — despite your fears!
First week of “real” school
Why We Stopped Homeschooling Episode
[01:08] – Jesse and I have so much to share with you today! We kick off the show by talking about our recent trips to Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.
[08:18] – I share a fun email we received from a listener that proves Jesse is right when he used the word “confluence” in a previous episode. (You guys are cracking me up with how much you’re taking his side in this!!)
[09:05] – My mobile hotspot and the ability to work on the road is what is saving my life this week! I also share about a book I just finished on 9/11.
[14:21] – Today we’re joined by our kids — Kathrynne, Kaitlynn, and Silas — and we’ll be discussing a much-requested topic: why we stopped homeschooling.
[16:57] – We never expected to stop homeschooling. In fact, we had always planned to homeschool through high school. Then, we started realizing that Kathrynne needed a change.
[17:59] – Kathrynne shares how she felt about her social life and gets really honest about her struggles with social anxiety and awkwardness.
[23:32] – Truth be told, while we expected Kathrynne to not be happy about the news, we were shocked that she was as upset as she was. We ask Kaitlynn and Silas about their reaction to the news that they were starting school as well.
[26:46] – The kids talk about what their first day and first weeks of school were like for them given their homeschool background. We’ve loved watching our kids really blossom and come alive in unexpected ways the last three years!
[37:02] – The kids share the harder aspects of going to school like getting up early and having to be away from home all day. Jesse shares his thoughts on the transition and how it affected our identity as parents. We also discuss our process for evaluating each year and what is best for each child.
Links and Resources
- Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis, MN
- Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly
- The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede
- Money Saving Mom: Kindle Unlimited Deal
- Crystal’s Favorite Things on Amazon
- CrystalPaine.com
- MoneySavingMom.com
- YourBloggingMentor.com
- Your Blogging Mentor on Instagram
- Your Blogging Mentor on Facebook
- Crystal’s Instagram account (I’d love for you to follow me there! I share daily behind-the-scenes photos and videos, my grocery store hauls, funny stories, and more!)
- Have feedback on the show or suggestions for future episodes or topics? Send me an email: [email protected]
- How to Listen to The Crystal Paine Show
The podcast is available on iTunes, Android, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can listen online through the direct player we’ll include in the show notes of each episode. OR, subscribe to the podcast through a free podcast app on your phone. (Find instructions for how to subscribe to a podcast here.)
Ready to dive in and listen? Hit the player above or search for “The Crystal Paine Show” on your favorite podcast app.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission — at no additional cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!
Goals for 2019: May Update
Did you set goals for 2019? Here’s an update on how I did on my 2019 goals in May.
It’s June 10, 2019. And it’s time to check in on our goals! How are you doing on the goals you set for 2019?
I spent some time today reviewing May and reflecting on the blessings of the past month and the lessons I learned. I also looked at my goals and how I was doing in each area. (If you missed My Goals for 2019 post, read it here.)
In order to keep myself accountable (and because I know some of you really enjoy these posts) I’m sharing a goals update post at the beginning of each month. I hope that this will not only motivate me to be focused and intentional this year, but I hope it might also inspire you in the goals you set for 2019.
So here’s my goals update for May 2019:
Personal Goals
1. Read 40 books I already own. (I’m using GoodReads to track my reading this year!)
Update: I finished 6 books in May — unfortunately, none were books I already own. But they were some great books, so I don’t feel too badly about it! Look for a Book Update post in the next few days where I share more about my thoughts on the books I finished.
2. Slowly read through the New Testament using the She Reads Truth Bible reading plans at the beginning of each chapter.
Update: I finished Romans and 1 & 2 Corinthians in May.
3. Listen to 2 audiobooks per month. (I use the Libby app to get these for free.)
Update: I finished to 4 audiobooks in May.
4. Complete all of the Organize in 5 Diary tasks to get our home more organized and set up better organizational systems. (Psst! Did you get yours? It’s just $9 right now.)
Update: I got behind on this in April, but I caught up in May. (You can see two posts I did on some of my organizing projects in January and February: Cleaning Out the Cookbooks & Organizing My Purse & Bathroom.)
5. Stay offline for 4 hours per day, 5 days per week. (I share more about why I chose this goal here.)
Update: I did much better about this in May — yay!
6. Leave my phone in the basement every night. (I talk more about what inspired me to make this goal here.)
Update: So, honesty here: Ever since I took email off my phone at the beginning of May, I haven’t really felt such a need to not have my phone by my bed and I’ve sort of slipped out of this habit. But I want to get back to it!
7. Go to bed before 10:30 p.m. 5 days per week. (I’m using this little spreadsheet I made to track most of my personal goals)
Update: I didn’t do a great job of this in May, but I have gotten more sleep ever since the kids have been out of school! 🙂
Marriage Goal
8. Go on an overnight trip with Jesse without the kids.
Update: We went on an incredibly fun trip to Destin, FL! Jesse and I drove by ourselves to FL and then we met up with two other couples there. We stayed in an AirBNB and split the cost three ways. Since it was off season, it made for a very inexpensive trip and we had the BEST time!
Motherhood Goal
9. One-on-one time with each child at least 3 times per week. (I am planning to dedicate 40 minutes per child after dinner each evening at least three nights per week to hang out and spend time with each child individually.)
Update: I hit this goal every week in May — woohoo!
Family Goal
10. Take the kids to at least two continents and 4 states we haven’t traveled to. (We’re hoping to travel to Europe in the summer and South America at some other point during the year.)
Update: We traveled to Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa together at the end of May. Also, we booked tickets to Europe!! We’re actually headed to Iceland since that’s where we found the cheapest tickets! Stay tuned for more details on these trips!
Financial Goals
11. Pay cash to redo our room and renovate our bathroom (we have to pull out the shower and put in a new one because it was installed incorrectly and is leaking and ruining the floor/wall and we want to do a few renovations while we’re at it + we want to finally decorate our room — we left it really bare when we moved in and decided to wait to prioritize it in the budget).
Update: We picked a contractor and tile and are hoping to get this started soon!
12. Pay cash to paint the walls in the main floor of our home.
13. Fully fund our Emergency Fund.
Update: This is DONE! YAY!
Business Goals
14. Redo/set up a much more intentional customer acquisition experience for all three of our email newsletters.
Update: We’ve been hard at work behind the scenes working on this and made some BIG progress in May.
15. Finish launching the rest of our beginner Your Blogging University courses. (If you want to start a blog, be sure to check out my other site, Your Blogging Mentor.)
Update: I’m working on my next course, Monetize Your Blog, and it’s going to be a bigger/more comprehensive course than I’ve ever done but I’m continuing to make good progress.
16. Launch a Blog Coaching/Accountability Group membership. (I’ll be opening this up to a very limited number of people in January of 2019. Stay tuned!)
Update: We opened this up to new members in April and I’m just loving leading this! Interested in being the first to find out when we open up to new members again? Be sure to join the waitlist!
How are YOU doing on your goals for 2019? I’d love to hear about your successes and struggles. Tell us in the comments!
OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!
Click here to download!
Want to learn how to make money on Etsy?
If you’ve ever wanted to figure out how to make money on Etsy, you will want to register for this class! You’ll learn how to get traffic to your shop, how to market your shop, and how to make sales!
How to Make Money on Etsy: Free Class!
Ever thought about setting up an Etsy shop? Don’t miss this opportunity!
Tomorrow night, I’m co-hosting a free online class with Lauren Keplinger. She is a wife, mom of three young kids, and very successful Etsy shop owner. Lauren is also passionate about helping other women learn how to set up a profitable Etsy shop!
The Etsy class will be held Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at 7 p.m. CST/8 p.m. EST. In this class, Lauren will teach you three behind-the-scenes secrets to being highly profitable on Etsy in 2019.
She’ll help you learn:
- How to Drive Traffic — How you can optimize your Etsy shop to drive traffic to your listings even while you sleep.
- The Secret to Converting Sales — Driving traffic is one thing, but how do you convert that traffic to actual sales so you can make money with your shop.
- How to Market Your Shop — Marketing your Etsy shop is not a matter of just putting up some listings and hoping for the best – it takes focused effort. Learn what works and what doesn’t as you scale your shop.
Yes! I Want to Make Money on Etsy!
Even if you feel like you’ve been thinking about starting an Etsy shop for years and you’re just too intimidated – by the technology, the marketing, and the competition… 2019 can be the year you finally take that leap and make it happen.
Whether you are a total newbie to the world of e-commerce or you’ve created an Etsy shop but are stalled without consistent sales, this workshop can be your ticket to a clear cut plan of action to get started building that flexible business you desire.
This Etsy Class is for you if…
- You feel stuck (and discouraged) by your desire to build an Etsy shop and make it profitable but your lack of direction in how to get there.
- You have opened your Etsy shop but haven’t seen the sales you were expecting, and you don’t know how to get seen.
- You’re overwhelmed by the steps it takes to build a profitable online business – the technology, the marketing, the social media – and you need a clear cut plan that gets you from point A to point B.
With Lauren’s proven tips, you’ll be well on your way to Etsy success! I hope I’ll see you there!
I Don’t Want to Miss Out! Sign Me Up!
This Week’s $70 Grocery Shopping Trip (I was under-budget!)
Want to see what we bought for this week’s $70 grocery budget? I’m currently challenging myself to stick with a $70 budget for our family of five. This includes almost all of our breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners + most household products (toiletries, laundry soap, etc.).
For live updates, be sure to follow my Instagram Stories. See all posts on my $70 Grocery Budget here.
I was out of town for two days this week at a blogging conference where I helped lead small group discussions in Instagram and also met with a number of different brands who are interested in working with me.
So once again, I didn’t end up writing down what all we ate this week. I had to laugh at my frugal ways though, because I managed to only spend $0.53 on food while I was on the road (I used a small Starbucks gift card to buy a few things one of the days and it didn’t quite cover everything so I owed $0.53!)
Some of our friends were out of town this week, so they offered us their share at a local farm since they wouldn’t be in town to pick it up. And they wouldn’t let us pay them for it! So we had roasted broccoli, cabbage and sausage, fresh strawberries, and lots of salads with fresh greens!
And then I found some great deals at Kroger on Friday:
Kroger Shopping Trip
- 5 boxes of Go-gurts — $0.99 each with Friday-Saturday deal
- 2 packages of Turkey Breast — on closeout for $2 each
- 5 packages of Danimals Smoothies — $0.99 each with Friday-Saturday deal
- 8 bags of frozen veggies — $1 each
- 1 bag of Chex Mix + 1 bag of Bugles — $0.99 when you buy 5 participating items, used $0.50/2 Kroger Digital coupon = $0.74 each
- 2 bottles of Aussie shampoo/conditioner — $1.99 each when you buy 5 participating items, used $2/2 Kroger Digital coupon = $0.99 each
- 1 Simply Popped Popcorn — $0.99 each when you buy 5 participating items
- 2 boxes of Earth’s Best French Toast Sticks — marked down to $0.79 each
- 3 bags of Simple Truth Dried Mango — marked down to $1.12 each
- 3 Kroger Greek Yogurt — marked down to $0.49 each
- 2 Kroger yogurt — marked down to $0.25 each
- Turkey Jerky — marked down to $0.99 each
- Parmesan Cheese — $2.19
- 10 1/2 pounds marked down bananas ($0.39/lb.) — $4.09
- Simple Truth Eggs — $2.79, used $0.50/1 Kroger Digital coupon = $2.29
- Half & Half — $1.79
- 3 pounds ground sirloin — marked down to $3.79 each
- Kroger milk — $2.99
- Turkey Hill Tea — $1.34, used $0.75/1 Kroger Digital Coupon = $0.59
- 1 bag of peaches — marked down to $0.99
- Total with tax: $67.68
Last week, I was a few dollars over-budget (intentionally), but I promised I would be under budget this week — and I was!
Of course, we got our FREE Krispy Kreme donuts on Friday + Silas got free donuts for his A’s on his report card. (Note: They said that they have a limit of 6 free donuts per report card. Also, I’ve heard that some stores no longer offer this.)
Brigette’s $86 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Brigette’s $86 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
My older sister, Brigette, shares her shopping trips and menu plans every week! You can go HERE to see all of her weekly menu plans and you can go HERE to read all about her family!
Aldi
2 bags frozen Steamable California Medley Vegetables – $1.70
1 pkg Romaine Hearts – $1.89
1 bag Mini Sweet Peppers – $1.69
4 cans Green Beans – $1.52
2 bags fresh Green Beans – $1.98
1 pkg Zucchini – $1.19
1 large tub Organic Spring Mix – $3.49
1 bag Lemons – $1.69
1 Baby Carrots – $0.69
1 pkg Broccoli Crowns – $1.19
1 Cauliflower – $1.99
2 bags Red Grapes (5.46lbs @ $0.89/lb) – $4.86
1 pkg Frozen Blueberries – $1.49
1 head Cabbage – $1.19
1 bag Mini Cucumbers – $1.19
1 bunch Bananas (3.43lbs @ $0.37/lb) – $1.27
1 7-lb Pork Roast, Reduced – $8.44
1 16-oz pkg Deli Meat – $2.99
1 10-lb bag fresh Chicken Quarters – $5.49
2 cans Chicken Breast – $3.10
2 dozen Eggs – $1.56
1 16-oz carton Egg Whites – $1.69
1 32-oz carton Nonfat Greek Yogurt – $3.49
4 Individual Greek Yogurts – $2.20
1 pkg String Cheese – $1.65
1 can Olive Oil Cooking Spray – $1.35
1 12-oz bag Chocolate Chips – $1.29
1 pkg Mini Marshmallows – $0.85
1 box Honey Nut Oats – $1.15
1 bag Corn Chips – $0.79
1 bag Gluten-Free Pretzels – $1.49
2 cans Garbanzo Beans – $0.76
1 can Whipped Topping – $2.15
1/2 gallon Unsweetened Almond Milk – $1.49
2 64-oz cartons Orange Juice – $3.18
1 gallon Whole Milk – $1.45
1 bag Milled Flax Seed – $1.49
1 24-oz jar Pasta Sauce – $0.85
1 Cream Cheese – $0.65
1 pkg Hot Dog Buns – $0.59
1 pkg Hamburger Buns – $0.65
1 loaf Sandwich Bread – $0.65
Total: $80.46
Harris Teeter
1 bag Fresh Beets, Reduced – $1.00
1 container Cauliflower Rice, Reduced – $1.00
1 bag Apples, Reduced – $1.00
1 carton Grape Tomatoes, Reduced – $1.00
1 pkg Eckrich Sausage – $2.50, used $0.75/1 printable (doubled) – $1.00 after coupon
2 Larabars – $2.00, used $0.50/2 printable (doubled) – $1.00/2 after coupon
Total after Coupons – $6.00
Weekly Grocery Total: $86.46
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Everyone is responsible for making/cleaning up their own breakfasts. Choices include:
Oatmeal, Cereal, Fruit, Yogurt, Smoothies, Fried/Boiled/Scrambled Eggs, Smoothies
Lunches
Deli Meat Sandwiches, Pretzels, Carrots, Grapes x 2
Build-Your-Own-Tossed-Salad (Canned Chicken, Romaine/Spring Mix, Chopped Fruits and Veggies, Cheese Sticks, Hard Boiled Eggs, Craisins, Nuts, Dressing), Rice Cakes x 2
PB and J, Bananas, Peppers/Cucumbers
Leftovers x 2
Dinners
Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork served on Buns (I’ll freeze some of the meat for a meal next week), Baked Parm Green Bean Fries, Tossed Salad x 2
Taco Salad (Seasoned Ground Venison, Shredded Romaine, Avocado, Salsa, Corn Chips, Plain Greek Yogurt, Shredded Cheddar Cheese), Cauliflower Spanish Rice
Egg Roll in a Bowl, California Medley Steamed Veggies, Biscuits
Garlic Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters, Creamy Milk Rice, Roasted Broccoli, Grapes
Church Dinner (food provided – we’re bringing S’Mores Bars)
Leftovers
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Thanks, The Krazy Coupon Lady!
Gretchen’s $72 Weekly Shopping Trip and Menu Plan
Aldi
1 loaf Bread – $0.89
2 Cucumbers – $0.49 each
1 Seedless Cucumber – $0.99
1 bag Carrots – $1.19
1 lb Oven Roasted Turkey – $3.99
1 bag Shredded Mozzarella Cheese – $2.69
1 bag Oyster Crackers – $0.79
1 bag frozen Corn – $0.79
3 pkg Strawberries – $0.99 each
1 bag Spinach – $1.39
1 bag Tilapia Fillets – $3.39
1 bag Frozen Green Beans – $0.79
1 bag Frozen Chicken Breasts – $5.99
1 bag Corn Chips – $1.25
1 bag Roma Tomatoes – $1.29
1 Unsweetened Applesauce – $1.95
1 pkg Rice Cakes – $1.99
1 Taco Mix – $0.29
1 gallon Milk – $1.49
1 pkg Snack Crackers – $1.69
3 Avocados – $0.79 each
1 bag Frozen Broccoli – $0.95
2 cans Refried Beans – $0.79 each
1 Half & Half – $1.59
1 pkg Flour Tortillas – $1.19
Total: $44.47
Dillons
1 bag Tortilla Chips – Marked down to $0.99
1 bag Sargento Cheese – $1.99, used $0.75/1 e-coupon – $1.24 after coupon
1 Blue Bunny Ice Cream – $2.99
1 pkg Danimal Smoothies – $3.99, used $1/1 Ibotta rebate – $2.99 after rebate
2 Annie’s Mac & Cheese – $1 each
1 Cascadian Granola Cereal – $1.99, used $0.50/1 Checkout 51 rebate – $1.49 after rebate
1 Old El Paso Taco Shells – Marked down to $1.09, used $0.50/1 Ibotta rebate – $0.59 after rebate
1 Pork Roast – Marked down to $2.19
1 pkg Pork Chops – Marked down to $3.68
1 Las Palmas Enchilada Sauce – $1.85
1 box Kroger Classic Applesauce Pouches – Marked down to $4.99
1 Green Leaf Lettuce – $1.29
2 pkg Bacon – Marked down to $0.99 each (I somehow forgot to include these in the picture!)
Used $0.25/1 Ibotta rebate for any receipt
Total after coupons and rebates: $28.02
Total for both stores: $72.49
Menu Plan for This Week
Breakfasts
Cereal, Toast, Eggs, Oatmeal, Fruit
Lunches
Salad Bar, Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Turkey Sandwiches, Cheese/Crackers/Fruit/Veggies, Peanut Butter on Rice Cakes, Leftovers
Dinners
Grilled Chicken & Tilapia, Biscuits, Steamed Peas
Brown Bag Burritos, Chips, Steamed Broccoli
Baked Pork Chops, Homemade Bread, Tossed Salad
Taco Bar, Fruit Salad
Homemade Cheese Pizza, Breadsticks, Veggies
Crockpot Pork Roast, Corn, Baked Potatoes
Mac & Cheese, Sliced Strawberries, Green Beans