This homemade garlic bread is super simple to make and tastes absolutely amazing. And, since it’s freezer-friendly, you can make a whole bunch at one time and freeze it for future meals!
Recipe from my sister, Olivia.
I originally made this recipe a few years ago when I was prepping recipes for some farmer friends to have in their freezer during the busy harvest season.
They loved how easy it was to prepare, and even claimed it to be their favorite recipe out of everything I made for them that year!
Since then, I’ve made it a few different times for various occasions. It’s so quick to prepare ahead of time, and it works really well for spur of the moment guests or when you aren’t sure until the last minute how many guests you’ll be serving.
Pair it with these super popular Individual Mini Meat Lasagnas for a great make-ahead meal for the freezer!
Ingredients for Easy Garlic Bread
- 1 16-inch loaf french bread
- 1/2 cup butter, slightly melted
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
How to Make Homemade Garlic Bread
1. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
2. Thickly slice bread into 1-1/2-inch slices.
3. In a medium bowl, mix remaining ingredients together.
4. Brush butter mixture evenly on both sides of bread.
5. Lay bread flat on foil-lined cookie sheets and freeze for 2-3 hours.
6. Peel bread off of foil, place in freezer bags, and freeze for up to 3 months.
To Bake Garlic Bread:
1. Preheat oven to 400º F.
2. Place slice(s) of frozen bread on cookie sheet(s), and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown in color.
3. Serve immediately.
Easy Homemade Garlic Bread
Ingredients
- 16 inch loaf french bread
- 1/2 cup butter slightly melted
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
Instructions
- Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
- Thickly slice bread into 1-1/2-inch slices.
- In a medium bowl, mix remaining ingredients together.
- Brush butter mixture evenly on both sides of bread.
- Lay bread flat on foil-lined cookie sheets and freeze for 2-3 hours.
- Peel bread off of foil, place in freezer bags, and freeze for up to 3 months.
To Bake Garlic Bread:
- Preheat oven to 400º F.
- Place slice(s) of frozen bread on cookie sheet(s), and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown in color.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Love this recipe?
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Looking for more delicious bread recipes?
- 13 Easy Homemade Bread Recipes (Freezer & Budget Friendly!)
- Easy Whole Wheat Bread (in the Bread Machine or By Hand)
- The Best Ever Bran Muffins
- Homemade Dill Bread
Olivia is a music teacher, graphic designer, and event organizer. She loves hospitality, ministering to the elderly, reaching out to international students, playing harp gigs, adding beauty to everyday life, and experimenting with recipes in the kitchen. Her greatest joy in life come from knowing God and growing in her relationship with Him.
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5 Work-at-Home Jobs for Beginners
Guest post from Angie of The Work At Home Wife:
It’s the dream of many moms to work from home. Perhaps you are looking to transition from a traditional full-time career, or maybe you simply want to start contributing to your household financially.
While finding legit work from home sounds so easy, many newcomers quickly find themselves in a catch-22. Many companies want prior work-from-home experience, but how do you get that experience when no one will give you that first job?
Luckily, there are a few industries and even a few companies known for giving work-at-home beginners a shot. There’s a great variety to choose from based on your skills and interests. Some of these opportunities may not require any specialized experience at all!
1. Freelance Writing
This is always one of my favorite industries for moms. Most companies hiring freelance writers do not have any set schedule, meaning you can work whenever you want whether that be at 3 in the afternoon or 3 in the morning. You also don’t need any special equipment. You can write from your existing laptop or desktop. You may even be able to use your tablet, though an external keyboard may help you with production.
Another perk for writers is that you can write from anywhere. You don’t need an “always on” internet connection with the exception of when you are conducting your online research or uploading and sending your completed assignments. This makes it a great opportunity for those traveling often or wanting to do a little work outside of the home office.
Crowd Content and BKA are two companies occasionally open to new writers.
2. Tutoring
We have seen a big increase in the need for online tutors, especially English as a Second Language tutors. ESL tutoring companies often do not require a teaching certificate or formal teaching experience. You may only need a bachelor’s degree in any subject.
These gigs are typically performed via webcam and with students in other countries. If contracting with a Chinese or Japanese company, this may mean the scheduling demand is in the early morning hours here in the U.S. There are companies working with students in other parts of the world, however.
goFLUENT and Cambly are two companies with students worldwide.
3. Transcription
If you have great typing and listening skills, transcription can be a lifelong work-at-home career. In this role, you are listening to audio files and typing them into text.
While once considered a gig that would go by the wayside with speech-to-text technology, we have seen a little increase in recent years as bloggers and online entrepreneurs turn to video content and podcasting. Many want those video and audio files available to followers as text as well.
Rev.com and TranscribeMe are two companies that periodically hire new transcribers.
4. Search Engine Evaluator
Search and Ad Evaluation are favorite gigs among my followers. These are often flexible positions in terms of scheduling. They also don’t pay too bad.
These positions will have you evaluating search results and online ads for relevancy and quality. Many positions ask for a high-speed internet connection. This is one opportunity you may be able to do from your smartphone if the role is open!
The testing can be long and tedious for these positions. There are a lot of guidelines to follow. That being said, once you learn the guidelines the gig’s a breeze. I have several readers who have been with the same company for years and still love what they do.
Appen and Lionbridge are leaders in this industry.
5. Customer Service
So, maybe a phone gig isn’t your dream job. There are very few people out there for whom it probably is. That being said, if you can swing it I highly encourage giving it a shot. At least temporarily.
The thing I love about customer service gigs is that they can often provide the hours and guaranteed pay many newcomers to the work-at-home world are seeking.
Many companies have both part-time and full-time roles available. Some companies even offer health insurance and paid time off for those looking for a work-at-home job that resembles more of a traditional employee role.
One thing to keep in mind is that not all phone jobs are sales jobs. If that’s one of your hang-ups, you have options. Vicky Virtual, for example, hires virtual receptionists. MaritzCX contracts market researchers. There is so much variety in this industry, you can likely find something that will work if you look hard enough.
Final Words
Most of the rates for the work-at-home jobs mentioned in this post are pretty low to start. But, they are just meant to be stepping stones leading to something better.
You should consider them a “foot in the door” and something to put on your resume when applying to those jobs you really want. As your experience and production increases, move into more profitable positions. Apply to better jobs. Continue to better your position in the work-at-home world!
Angie Nelson began working from home in 2007, when she took her future into her own hands and found a way to escape the corporate cubicle farm. Today she shares her passion for making money from home on her blog The Work At Home Wife.
Slow Day: Week 28
Welcome to my weekly Slow Day post, inspired by Monica from The Homespun Heart. My Word for 2018 is Slow and, in the spirit of that word, I’m taking one day each week (Wednesday) off — I’ll be unplugged and offline and plan to move at a slower pace, take time to do things that refresh me, and just really focus on being present and savoring the moment.
Each week, I’ll be sharing a photographic peek into my Slow Day. Enjoy a little peek into our lives!
I am posting this late because we travelled to South Africa yesterday and I’m finally having a chance to write a blog post! This is a little peek into my day on July 4…
My day started with a warm-up walk on the treadmill. I’m reading snippets from The Weight of Glory, Whispers of Rest, and my Bible reading during my warm-up walk right now.
After my run, I took a shower and Jesse made me a cup of Turmeric milk. And then my friend, Melissa, came over and we just chatted for two hours.
And then we left to head on a hike with two families. While we drove (the hike was an hour or so away), I read Paperboy out loud to the kids.
(This is our current read aloud, but please note that it has some language and kind of unexpected things in it for a kids’ book and I’ve had to censor it a little and we’ve had some discussions on various topics as a result of reading it.)
Once I was finished reading to the kids, I read one of the books I finished last week, Dance, Stand, Run.
It was a HOT day and we were a little worried that it was going to be too hot on the hike and at the waterfall.
But then as soon as we started walking down the hill, the temperature began dropping.
And by the time we got down to the waterfall, it was absolutely gorgeous. The temperature was perfect and it was not too hot, not too cool. Just perfect!
The kids had so much fun wading into the water!
And there weren’t that many people there!
The waterfall we went to was called Rutledge Falls and it was fantastic. I would highly recommend it — especially on a hot day and if you have older kids.
I love these women so much!
After the waterfall hike, we came back home and showered and then went over to friends’ house for dinner.
And then we walked from their house over to nearby friends’ house to watch their neighborhood fireworks.
It was super impressive and so much less crowded.
Multiple neighbors had fireworks to shoot off and the entire “show” went on for well over an hour!
I couldn’t really get any pictures to do it justice. But at least this gives you a little idea! 🙂 It was SUCH a good day!
3 Reasons Why You Should Stop Saying “We Can’t Afford That”
“Sorry, we can’t afford that.”
I know it seems like this would be a common phrase for frugal people, but I want to challenge you to take those words out of your vocabulary. Here’s why…
1. It makes you a victim.
When you use that phrase, you’re saying that you’re a victim — that you have no control over your financial situation, that you are living in bondage to your budget, that you’re stuck, that there’s no way out, and that you can not make any choices because your finances are dictating your decisions.
But here’s the thing! You’re actually making a choice not to buy that item. It’s not because you can’t afford it, but rather because you’re choosing not to afford it or buy it right now.
You might be thinking, “No, really. You don’t understand. We actually can’t afford it.”
My push back to you is that there is always a way to afford it. You could work crazy hours, run yourself ragged working two jobs, become a workaholic, run through life exhausted, go into debt, take out a loan, or get help from a family member.
I bet if you did one of these things, you could “afford” it, but you’re instead choosing not to spend your money on that item right now. You’re choosing an intentional life and wise financial decisions. You’re choosing short-term sacrifice because of your long-term dreams, goals, and visions about where you want to be some day.
2. It discourages you.
When you use the language that you can’t afford something, it’s discouraging. It makes you feel trapped and you think, “Why even bother?” It causes you to lose hope.
But when you turn it into something you have a choice over, it creates a victory mentality that is SO empowering and hope-filled! It gives you forward momentum, so that you don’t feel stuck in bondage to your budget.
When you look at your finances with a hope-filled mindset, you’ll be inspired to move towards your future one small baby step and smart decision at a time.
Maybe you don’t have a ton of wiggle room in your budget, but you can change your future by making tiny, wise choices along the way. These small choices will build smart habits which will move you in the right direction and get you on the path towards eventually changing your life.
When you change your mindset that you can make choices, it sets you free from feeling trapped and gives you momentum and encouragement!
Your mentality and the language that you speak makes such a difference in your attitude and how you live. If you have the attitude that you’re stuck, you’re probably going to stay stuck. But if you have the attitude that you’re making the best of a difficult situation, you’ll be able to choose contentment, cultivate joy, bloom right where you’re planted, and ultimately have much more hope and creative inspiration.
3. It puts you in a comparison mentality.
When you look at what other people are spending their money on and think, “Oh, we could never afford that,” it sends you into a comparison mentality. And that is one of the quickest ways to get discouraged and lose momentum, because comparison is the thief of joy.
You may not be able to do what someone else is doing, but I bet you can do something. Aim to do what you can do right now. Do small things a little bit at a a time, and you will eventually see the benefits from those efforts!
Choose to make the most of your situation, and you’ll create freedom and contentment for yourself.
When Jesse was in law school, we made a big commitment to stay out of debt. There were times when it was really difficult, because we were the only couple in the law school group choosing to not take out loans.
Everyone else was living the attorney lifestyle while still in law school — buying houses and cars, having fun, going on expensive trips, and going out to eat. And we were just trying to survive in a basement apartment with a beat-up car that sometimes didn’t start, wondering how we would pay the bills, and trying to stretch our grocery budget.
It would have been really easy to get discouraged and compare ourselves to other people. Comparison could have really destroyed our momentum and hope. We could have said, “This is too hard. This isn’t fair. We can’t afford to do anything. We give up.”
Instead, we chose to say, “We are choosing to live like this now so that we can have long-term benefits from it. We have a vision of what we want our life to be like some day, and we want to remain debt-free on our journey towards that goal.”
It wasn’t always easy, and there were definitely days we wanted to throw in the towel and give up, but we did the best we could do in our situation. We chose to cast off comparison and be content with our choices that were propelling us towards our goals.
So I challenge you to change your language and see it as a fun game that you’re choosing to stretch your money as far as it can possibly go! You can choose to make choices now so that it will pay off long-term in a big way.
Moms, Let’s Stop Apologizing for Our Decisions
{This post is sponsored by Mirum. Read my disclosure policy here.}
Now that my kids are 13, 11, and 9, I feel like I have earned the right to speak on a few topics related to motherhood. Not all topics, mind you. But just a few.
Someday, when my kids are grown and gone, I may have a lot more to say. But I feel like I need to practice and learn and live some more before I share many lessons on motherhood. Because I’m right there in the trenches with many of you.
But for you newer moms, I have earned enough battle scars and made enough mistakes that I feel like I can share some honest advice. You don’t have to listen to it, but I hope you will.
It’s this: Stop listening to all of the voices out there telling you what you should and shouldn’t do. Trust your gut and your God-given mother’s intuition. There is no one right way to parent a child.
{Okay, I know that I’m sort of telling you what you shouldn’t do by saying you shouldn’t listen to all the voices, but hear me out…}
Each child is different. Each family is different. Each season is different.
Do your research. Pray. Seek wise counsel. Ask trusted friends for advice and input.
Then, do what you feel is best for your own child. And do it confidently.
You don’t need to give long explanations if someone else disagrees. You don’t need to apologize if someone else doesn’t get it.
Walmart asked me if I could write on this topic because they know that many new moms struggle and wonder whether they are making the best decisions for their kids.
I’m here to tell you that nobody has this parenting thing all figured out. We’re all just doing the best we know how. Your best is the best you can do.
Stop feeling like you need to apologize if you don’t do everything perfectly. No one has cracked the code on perfect motherhood. 🙂
Unfortunately, there are some people who can make you feel less than if you choose differently than them. Sometimes, I think it’s because they are feeling insecure in their choices and it somehow makes them feel better about themselves if they put others down. It’s sad, but true.
In the time that I’ve been blogging, I’ve seen this happen time and time again. And one area where it happens the most is when it comes to breastfeeding versus formula.
Here’s the thing: I’m a huge advocate of breastfeeding and was blessed to be able to nurse all three of my kids exclusively. I was even one of those people who nursed my kids until they were around 18 months old. It was hard work at first. It was painful and uncomfortable and, were it not for the cost savings and the fact that we were on a super tight budget, I just might have given up on it.
In all honesty, I wanted to quit and not stick with nursing. But I’m so glad that I didn’t give up because I ended up loving it and it saved us a lot of money.
I’m always going to be the person to encourage moms to push through and stick with nursing — even when it’s rough. Ask experienced friends. Read books. Find a lactation consultant. In many, many cases, with some help and coaching, you will be able to experience the joys of nursing, too.
But I know that’s not the case for all moms. Some moms do everything they can and work so hard to be able to nurse and they just physically can’t. I’ve heard story after story from moms who feel so guilty that they couldn’t nurse.
There are also many amazing adoptive moms for whom breastfeeding isn’t an option. Some of them even try and put a lot of effort into attempting induced lactation and it doesn’t work.
Which is why I am grateful that there are options out there for high-quality formula that is more affordable. Store-brand formula is one such option.
Walmart offers a really great non-GMO infant formula at lower store-brand prices! (Plus, scroll down to the bottom of this post for Ibotta savings and a giveaway!)
There are four non-GMO formulas to choose from that will save you up to 50% annually compared to their nutritionally similar national brands:
- Parent’s Choice™ Infant Non-GMO Formula — Milk-based formula that provides complete nutrition for your baby’s first year 0-12 months and features a blend of nutrients that supports your baby’s health and brain development. Nutritionally comparable to Enfamil® Infant Non-GMO!
- Parent’s Choice™ Advantage® Non-GMO Infant Formula — This infant formula is designed to be more like breastmilk and features a blend of nutrients that support your baby’s growth and development from birth to 12 months of age. Nutritionally comparable to Similac Advance Non-GMO.
- Parent’s Choice™ Sensitivity® Infant Formula — Designed for babies with fussiness and gas because of lactose intolerance. Nutritionally comparable to Similac® Sensitive®.
- Parent’s Choice™ Gentle® Formula — Milk-based reduced lactose formula with easier to digest proteins that contains 25% less lactose than standard, milk formula. Nutritionally comparable to Enfamil® Gentlease® Non-GMO.
And right now there is an Ibotta offer to save $3 off any of the formulas listed above! So not only will you score the savings of the store-brand formula, but you’ll also save on top of that with this Ibotta deal!
Win a $200 Walmart gift card!
What’s your best advice for a new mom? Use the widget below to share it with a community of other moms (using the hashtag #MomsKnowBestWM), and you’ll be able to enter a giveaway for your chance to win a $200 Walmart gift card! There are 25 gift cards up for grabs!
Yes, I read 3 books last week!!
Welcome to my weekly Book-ish post where I share what I’ve been reading and watching recently. If you missed it, you can see my Reading Goals for 2018 and 44 Books I Plan to Read This Year.
(Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, and we will be compensated when you make a purchase by clicking through our links. Read our disclosure policy here.)
So last week, I told you that I set a crazy goal for myself to read 3 books per week every week for the rest of the year. Some of you thought I was completely crazy and some of you graciously suggested that I lower my goal. Others of you told me I totally could do this.
I realized that I should tell you that as an INTJ and Enneagram 8, I’ve discovered that this type of goal can really motivate me in a powerful and good way, instead of in a stressful way. So far, it seems like this goal is going to be a good thing.
Even though I had a really full week, I found myself turning on an audiobook multiple times per day and I realized I was picking up a book at night instead of picking up my phone to check Instagram — which was my big hope.
And it felt so good to be reading so much more again! As long as it keeps me motivated in a good way and it’s not causing stress for me, I plan to keep aiming for this 3 books a week goal.
I’m happy to report that I hit that goal this week! Here are the 3 books I read/listened to:
1. Relentless Spirit
This book is one I’ve wanted to read for quite some time as I’m always fascinated by Olympians and their resolve and discipline and upbringing. Unfortunately, this book was hard for me to get into.
I felt like it had a lot nuggets of truth and interesting stories, but it kind of jumped all over the place and I felt like it needed a lot more editing and tightening up. It felt repetitive and wordy in many sections and it was confusing since the timeline of stories was all out of order.
2. Dance, Stand, Run
I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed Wild & Free. I wanted more of a clarion call and to feel highly motivated and inspired when I finished it and I just didn’t. However, I felt like there were some thought-provoking chapters and things I’ll be mulling over for quite some time.
Have you read it? I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.
3. Shaken
I feel like I’m a broken record in my book post this week, but this book also was a disappointment. I felt like it had a lot of filler information, a lot of illustrations that have been shared too many times, and just wasn’t that insightful or interesting.
I ended up listening to it sped up through the Libby app.
(I just recently downloaded the Libby app and am loving it. It’s like a modern version of Overdrive. It’s free and you can “check out” audiobooks and ebooks from your library through it. They have a pretty wide selection and I think I won’t run out of audiobooks to listen to for a very long time. Here are 8 ways to get audiobooks for free.)
When I Find Time to Read
People are always asking me how I find time to read. Honestly, it’s because I love to read, because I’ve chosen to prioritize it, because I don’t have a lot of other hobbies, and because I can’t not read. Also, when you love something, you usually can find ways to get creative to find time to fit it in — even if it’s in the little nooks and crannies of life.
I wrote a post on 3 ways to find more time to read — even when life is busy. And here are 7 more ways to find time to read.
What did you read and watch this past week? Any books or movies or shows you really think I need to read or watch?
A Peek Into Our Week (+ an update on my goals for 2018)
Welcome to my weekly post I share a peek into our lives, talk about things I’m loving, share links to interesting articles or helpful ideas I’ve collected throughout the past week, and just talk about whatever is on my heart! ?
Kaitlynn and I got back our mugs that we painted for her birthday. It was so fun to challenge myself to do something new — especially something that I felt that I’m not gifted at. We had fun and I was really happy with how the finished product turned out!
We left yesterday on our much-anticipated 11-day trip to South Africa! I’ve been sharing a lot of the behind-the-scenes of our packing on Instagram Stories (you can access all of my travel-related videos by clicking on the little circle in my Instagram profile that says “Travel”).
I plan to share little peeks into our trip and what we’re doing and eating and experiencing in SA on Instagram Stories. (Follow me here, if you’re not already doing so. And then click on the circle with my photo in it on my profile to watch all my videos from the past 24 hours.)
(Oh and in case you’re wondering, I have some posts pre-scheduled to run here while I’m gone that I think you’ll love — including some about our packing, since so many people have been asking about that! And I’ll be popping on to check comments and social media at least once a day, provided I’m able to get access to internet on my computer. Depending on our schedule, I may wait to share more pictures and posts about our trip until after we get home. We’ll see!)
Quick travel tip that I shared on Instagram Stories and so many people loved it that I thought I’d share it here: When you’re staying at a hotel, refill your water bottles in the fitness room. Most hotels have fitness rooms and most fitness rooms offer a filtered water station. It’s cold filtered water — and you don’t have to pay for water bottles!
These two women have been such gifts to my life and have taught me so much about what true local friendship looks like and how amazing it can be.
Here are three lessons they have taught me:
1) Focus on loving others well. Stop worrying about whether you’re doing it right or wrong; just love others, really wholeheartedly love them.
2) Show up — even when it’s really inconvenient. Relationships will not fit into neat little boxes and they will require you to step out, step up, and be stretched far outside your comfort zone. Show up anyway.
3) Lean in — even when it’s awkward. Beautiful relationships never happen without awkward moments. Invite that person over, even if you don’t know what you’ll find to talk about for an hour. Volunteer to serve at church or go to that event, even if you don’t know anyone. It will be awkward. Expect it to be. But the more you lean in to people and relationships despite the awkwardness and show up anyway, the more chances there are that you are going to begin to develop deeper relationships.
Thank you, Jamie & Lauren, for loving me so well and teaching me so much about friendship. For believing the best about me. For pursuing me — even when I wanted to self-protect and had believed lies about how, “I’m not good at relationships.”
Thank you for letting me show up just as I am. For speaking the truth to me when I need to hear it. For making me laugh until I cry. For listening to me vent. For walking with me through heartbreak and devastating news. For constantly checking in on me and caring about me. And for helping me to begin to believe that I’m capable of being a really great friend.
Thank you for being the answer to many, many prayers I’ve had for real, authentic relationships.
If you’ve followed me online and seen a difference in my life this last year, these two played a big role in that and I wanted to publicly acknowledge them even though they are going to probably going to send me dagger eyes for sharing this picture of our waterfall hike yesterday! ?
Note: There are a few others of you out there who deserve a similar post and have played just as big of a role on this journey. (You know who you are!)
I sat with someone a few weeks ago as she told me she didn’t have anything to offer. Her life was too messy, too broken, too in shambles.
What did she have to bring to the world? She felt like no one would want her brokenness. No one would want to hear from her or want her to be in their lives until she got her life in better order.
And that’s the lie that so many believe. That unless our lives are shiny and organized, we should just just sit down and shut up.
But as I told this woman: You will likely impact many more people by sharing your journey right now, right in the middle of the messy, than you ever will if you wait until you feel like you are put together enough.
None of us have cracked the code on perfection. All of us are cracked. And that’s how the light inside can shine out.
Don’t wait to be polished and put together to start reaching out, developing relationships, volunteering, serving, sharing your story, and loving people well.
You have a lot to bring to the world and to bring to relationships and to make an impact on others right as you are… bumps, bruises, scars, wounds, brokenness and all.
The world needs people who are willing to show up just as they are. Who will say, “I feel like I don’t have a lot to offer, but here’s what I have and I want to freely share it.”
2018 Goals Update
Personal Goals
1. Read 100 non-self-help books that will build me up/encourage me/inspire me/recharge me. (Fiction/story-driven/biographies/inspirational living books/devotionals.) See the list of 44 books I plan to read this year.
**Progress: 30 books read so far this year
2. Read through the entire Bible.
**Progress: I’m using the Robert Murray M’Cheyne plan and am all caught up— yay!
3. Write one handwritten note to someone every week.
**Progress: 28 notes written so far this year
4. Run 500 miles.
**Progress: 260 miles run so far
Marriage Goal
5. Go on an overnight trip with Jesse without the kids.Jesse and I went to NYC together in January.Family Goals
6. Read 10 books aloud with the kids.
**Progress: I’ve finished one book so far and we’re over halfway through another book. (I have a plan for how we’re going to incorporate more reading into our schedule once school starts and we’re all driving in the car to school dropoffs every morning. For now, I’m just happy that we’re fitting in a little family reading a few times per week when we’re all in the car together driving to the pool or somewhere else. Something is better than nothing, right??)
7. Take the kids to South Africa.
**Progress: We just left yesterday on this trip!
8. Go on a family road trip.
**Progress: We’ve been researching some options for this. Stay tuned!
Financial Goals
9. Save up to pay cash to finish off an office for me and workout room for Jesse and me in the basement in our new house.
**Progress: The workout room is DONE and we’re starting on the office!
10. Replenish our Emergency Fund (we dipped into it to replace my car when it got totaled because of the carpet beetle infestation.)
Business Goals
11. Increase our gross income from the business by 8%.
12. Launch 5 new courses.**Progress: We launched 4 Weeks to a More Productive Life launched in January, Content Creation 101 in February, 4-Week Blog Coaching Program in March, Email List Setup 101 in March, Make Over Your Mornings LIVE in April, the Facebook Live Masterclass in May, and we launched Build Your List 101 in June!
I went to Publix for (maybe) the first time ever! (Plus, Kroger, Sprouts, & Aldi shopping trips)
I went to Publix for (maybe) the first time ever! (Plus, Kroger, Sprouts, & Aldi shopping trips)
I’m currently challenging myself to stick with a $70 grocery 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.
Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and we will be compensated if you click through and sign up. Read our disclosure policy here.
We leave for South Africa for an 11-day trip tomorrow (if you’re new around here, here’s a post from the last time we took the kids to South Africa that explains why were are taking them on this trip), so my grocery shopping is a little different this week. We’re mostly buying things we can freeze or stick in the pantry. And our meals are kind of weird because we’re just using up the perishables we have on hand!
But, don’t worry, just because we’re getting ready to go out of country, I still went grocery shopping! There were some great deals and I didn’t want to miss them!
Plus, I decided that I wanted to try shopping at Publix.
Some of you who love Publix are all, “Wait, hold up! You have a Publix nearby and you don’t shop there!”
I know, I know.
I have to be honest and say that I didn’t really pay much attention to Publix. I had looked at the deals at IHeartPublix.com a few times, Jesse has been there a few times, and I think maybe I have been there one time before, but I never thought to try to get deals there since I felt like the prices were likely too high to make it worth it.
But after changing my mind on Sprouts, I decided that I need to think outside the box and try out all the grocery stores here just to see what they have to offer.
I was pretty impressed with Publix! I especially loved that they let you scan your own coupons at the self-checkout and it seems like they are very coupon-friendly.
I only got a few items because I just wanted to test out and see how it worked. Overall, I was very impressed and will definitely be paying attention to the deals there from now on.
Saturday Publix Shopping Trip
- 2 Promise Land chocolate milk — $1.69 each, used 2 $1.50/1 coupons = $0.19 each
- 2 lbs. of Jennie-O Ground Turkey — on sale for $2.99, used 2 $1.50/1 coupons = $1.49 per pound
- 1 tub Yucatan Guacamole — on sale Buy One for $5.99, Get One Free, used $2.50/1 coupon = $0.49 (I bought one and they charged me half price since they are on sale Buy One, Get One Free)
- Total with tax: $4.24
I also stopped by Sprouts because they had rolled oats on sale for $0.69. I got around 2 1/4 pounds and we already used some of it to make a double batch of Baked Oatmeal.
And then I was SO excited to find ground beef and sausage on Manager’s Special!
Saturday Sprouts Shopping Trip
- Rolled Oats — $0.69 per pound
- Organic Ravioli — FREE with e-coupon code that Sprouts sent to me
- 2 packages of Ground Beef — marked down to $1.99 per pound = $3.51 and $3.71
- 2 packages of Ground Sausage — marked down to $1.49 per pound = $1.32 and $1.42
- Total with tax: $13.01
Saturday Kroger Shopping Trip
- Davinci Fettuccine — clearanced for $1.25, used a $0.75/1 peelie coupon = $0.50
- 5 PopChips — $0.99 each with the Weekend Only Digital Coupon
- 5 boxes of Ritz crackers — $0.99 per box with Weekly Only Digital Coupon
- 5 boxes Hefty Freezer bags — $1.49 each, used $0.50/1 Kroger Digital Coupon (could be used up to 5 times) = $0.99 each
- Bananas
- Turmeric
- 5 packages of Nathan’s Beef Hot Dogs — $1.99 each with the Weekend Only Digital Coupon
- 4 boxes of Creamette pasta — $1 each, used $2/4 Kroger Digital coupon = $0.50 each
- 4 boxes of Ronzoni pasta — $1 each, used $2/4 Kroger Digital coupon = $0.50 each
- Total with tax: $35
Jesse ran to the store for me on Tuesday because we needed a few things and I had meetings almost all day long for various business stuff. Here’s what he got:
BigLots — Whole Wheat Flour for $3 + Shout Laundry Stain Remover for $2.97 = $6.33 total with tax
ALDI — 2 Peanut butter ($1.15 each), Honey ($2.79), Organic broccoli ($1.89), Powdered Sugar ($1.29), Bananas ($0.81) = $9.80 total with tax
Total Spent on Groceries This Week
Total spent on groceries this week: $68.38
Rebates: $0.25 for submitting a receipt to Ibotta, $0.80 back from Fetch Rewards for scanning four receipts (If you haven’t signed up for Fetch Rewards, you can sign up here and use code WW7XJ and you’ll get a bonus 2,000 points = worth $2.)
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I set a kind of crazy reading goal for the second half of 2018!
I set a kind of crazy reading goal for the second half of 2018!
Welcome to my weekly Book-ish post where I share what I’ve been reading and watching recently. If you missed it, you can see my Reading Goals for 2018 and 44 Books I Plan to Read This Year.
(Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, and we will be compensated when you make a purchase by clicking through our links. Read our disclosure policy here.)
My Crazy Reading Goal
I set a goal to read 100 story-driven/non-self-help books in 2018. So far, I’ve read 26. Yup. If you just did the calculations, that means I’m quite behind my goal.
Now here’s the thing: I’m all about grace and not stressing myself out over hitting a goal just to hit a goal.
I know that I’ve spent way more time doing things with my family and being with friends and hosting people this year than I ever have in my life. So that has eaten into a big chunk of my reading time. And I’m so down with that!
But if I’m being really honest, I also know that I have spent quite a bit of time getting sucked into reading about other people’s lives on Instagram — people I don’t know, mind you. And it would be wiser to invest this time into reading books instead.
And I’m guessing there are probably other moments and cracks in my day that I could be investing into reading, too.
So I’m committing to make reading much more of a priority in the second half of 2018. In fact, because I like a good challenge, I’m going to aim to read three books per week for the rest of the year — without sacrificing time with friends or family OR sacrificing sleep.
If Teddy Roosevelt could read a book or two per day when he was President of the United States, surely I can do this! ?
Oh and yes, audiobooks count, as do chapter books I read aloud to my kids. I’ll keep you posted in my Monday posts and we can all see how this goes!
Am I crazy or do you think this is possible? You can give your honest opinion in the comments + your best ideas for ways I can fit more reading in! I’ll take all the tips I can get!
I know it might seem weird, but this sort of goal gets me really excited — especially when it challenges me to get creative and make more time for something I really love!
What I Read Last Week
I finished At Home in the World and it was the perfect book to read before our family leaves for South Africa on Saturday! If you love traveling or travel memoirs or wonder what it’s like to travel with kids, I think you’ll enjoy this book.
Also, it made me add about 25 new places to my “Must Visit In My Lifetime” list. I probably should not read travel memoirs as this could be dangerous! 🙂
What I’m Currently Reading
The three books I chose to read (and hopefully finish!) this week are: Dance, Stand, Run by Jess Connolly, And Still She Laughs by Kate Merrick, and Relentless Spirit by Missy Franklin. I’m thinking I’ll pick two shorter books and one longer book each week. We’ll see how this goes!
What We Watched Last Week
So, we had fun introducing our kids to a few classics this past week! We watched RocketMan (we all enjoyed this one, despite how incredibly cheesy it is), Princess Bride (the kids loved this one; Jesse and I both were like, “Wow! For how well known that movie is, we had forgotten just how bad the cinematography is because it came out in 1987!), and Jumanji (the original — I’ve never seen it before and it was a little scarier than we thought it would be, but the kids enjoyed it).
When I Find Time to Read
People are always asking me how I find time to read. Honestly, it’s because I love to read, because I’ve chosen to prioritize it, because I don’t have a lot of other hobbies, and because I can’t not read. Also, when you love something, you usually can find ways to get creative to find time to fit it in — even if it’s in the little nooks and crannies of life.
I wrote a post on 3 ways to find more time to read — even when life is busy. And here are 7 more ways to find time to read.
What did you read and watch this past week? Any books or movies or shows you really think I need to read or watch?
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Slow Day: Week 27
Welcome to my weekly Slow Day post, inspired by Monica from The Homespun Heart. My Word for 2018 is Slow and, in the spirit of that word, I’m taking one day each week (Wednesday) off — I’ll be unplugged and offline and plan to move at a slower pace, take time to do things that refresh me, and just really focus on being present and savoring the moment.
Each week, I’ll be sharing a photographic peek into my Slow Day. Enjoy a little peek into our lives!
I flew to Fort Smith, Arkansas on Tuesday afternoon to meet up with my friends, MacKenzie and Rebekah. They picked me up at the airport and we drove to Branson, MO and stayed there overnight. I had planned the trip so that my Slow Day would be the day we’d have a full day together — which would allow me to be completely offline and able to just enjoy our time together!
It didn’t go exactly as I had planned (see how it started below). But it ended up being a great day!
I wrote a little about Wednesday on Instagram:
Some days, friendship looks like scheming with another friend to plan a surprise getaway for a mutual friend who has had a really rough year.
Sometimes friendship looks like sitting and crying with a friend who has received devastating news. Sometimes, it looks like helping in very practical ways.
This past week, friendship looked like intentionally setting aside conversations about a pending divorce and looming legal fees and, instead, using free passes to go to Silver Dollar City as three grown women (without our 11 kids!), riding rides, eating amazing apple turnovers, getting soaked on water rides, laughing over ridiculous things, squealing and screaming and holding our hands up on roller coasters, and just having FUN together.
It didn’t erase the heartache or fix the situation or solve a thousand issues that still need to be figured out, but sometimes, friendship doesn’t have to do any of those things. It just needs to say, “I’m here, I love you, and you need a break.”
Monday had been a L-O-N-G day and then I didn’t get much sleep Monday evening because I had stayed up late packing and had an early flight out on Tuesday morning. I didn’t get near the work done that I had hoped to get done on the flights and had some pressing deadlines on Tuesday.
So, on Tuesday evening, after we hung out together and had dinner and the other two ladies went to bed, I stayed up to finish my projects. Unfortunately, I didn’t end up getting them done until 1:45 a.m. Wednesday morning! 🙁
(I love my job. I love blogging. And I love the flexibility that it provides me. But there are definitely times when it is just plain hard work — and you would much rather be sleeping but there are deadlines you have to stick with and projects you have to finish, so you just suck it up and power through!)
I had hoped to sleep well on Tuesday night — once I finally got to bed! — but I think because I stayed up so late (early!) and wasn’t in my own bed, I just struggled to sleep. So I felt exhausted when I pulled myself out of bed on Wednesday morning. But I made myself go down and get on the hotel treadmill — even though I didn’t feel like it at all (as the picture above clearly shows!)
I have learned that exercise is one of the best ways to wake you up — especially when it’s the last thing you feel like doing! It’s amazing what running a mile on the treadmill, drinking water, and getting a shower will do!
While I was on the treadmill, I prayed for strength and grace to be able to have energy to give and love and pour into MacKenzie — and to be a fun person to be around, despite the lack of sleep! And God answered those prayers in a big way!
The view from our hotel.
Hotel breakfast — this is typically what I’ll eat if there aren’t any whole grain/whole wheat options or great fruit options at a complimentary hotel breakfast
We stopped by Starbucks and I ordered a London Fog. I don’t usually do caffeine, but today I made an exception — and it was worth it! (I use Swagbucks to get my Starbucks gift cards for free.)
Rebekah had free guest passes to Silver Dollar City so we had so much fun introducing MacKenzie to this fun park. I grew up going here almost every year so there are so many great memories for me and it’s one of my favorite places!
We went to Grandfather’s Mansion first thing and laughed so hard.
It’s hard to describe this place. You kind of just have to experience it for yourself!
We spent a lot of the day waiting in line — since this was a busy time of year to go (we usually go in September when it’s much less crowded!).
We also watched the very cheesy and corny Saloon Show.
And waited in more lines! 🙂
The one thing I bought at the park was a $4 Apple Turnover that we split. It was so good — and worth the $$. (I brought in my own food — bran muffins, cheese sticks, and oranges. And I brought a water bottle and there were various places throughout the park where you can refill it. I love that they allow you to bring in your own food and drinks!)
Waiting in more lines! This time for one of my favorite rides — Wildfire.
We ended the day by getting soaked on the Great American Plunge. We laughed so hard and it was so good for our souls!
I realized as we were walking back to the car that I had forgotten how tired I was and had been able to just show up fully with lots of energy for the day. It had been so much FUN! And I felt so grateful for this opportunity — and grateful for God answering my prayers!
We drove back to Forth Smith, Arkansas on Wednesday evening so I could catch my flight out the next morning. It was so great to get to talk and catch up and just get to be together and be with MacKenzie and let her know how much we love her and are standing with her during this hard time in her life.
It wasn’t a typical Slow Day, but it was so good to check out from the normal pace of life. I said goodbye to MacKenzie and Rebekah feeling so refreshed and happy! And then I slept really, really well! 🙂
I spent $69.33 on groceries this week!
I’m currently challenging myself to stick with a $70 grocery 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.
Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and we will be compensated if you click through and sign up. Read our disclosure policy here.
Kroger had some great digital coupon deals this weekend that were good only on Friday and Saturday. Since I had $19 left in our grocery budget on Friday, we picked up a few of the deals + milk.
And then we picked up the rest of the deals today since our $70 grocery budget re-sets on Saturday. (I’ll share what we got at the store today in Monday’s post!)
Friday’s Kroger Shopping Trip
- 5 Hebrew National Beef Franks — $1.99 each with the Kroger Digital coupon
- 5 Chips Ahoy cookies — $0.99 each with the Kroger Digital coupon
- Milk — $2.69
- Total with tax: $18.69
Total Spent on Groceries This Week
Total spent on groceries this week: $69.33
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Zaycon Closing: Some clarifications, an apology, and what you need to do
Zaycon Closing: Some clarifications, an apology, and what you need to do
We’ve gotten a LOT of comments and emails the past few days about Zaycon shutting down. Many more than I expected — and many that have caused me to step back and consider how I handled this and what I should have done differently.
Some of you have written in very upset at me and a few of you have made some very strong accusations against me that were not true at all (things like accusing me of making thousands and thousands of dollars from them — which I didn’t! — or that I knew this was going to happen and scammed you all. Trust me, if you aren’t getting your chicken, you can for sure know that they aren’t going to be paying any bloggers any money! More on that below.)
But others of you have brought some things to my attention that concerned you or where you felt like I didn’t handle things well and I want to take some time to address your concerns, to issue you an apology and explanation, and give you further information and what I would recommend that you do.
Some Backstory
First off, I was really bothered when I discovered on Monday evening that Zaycon’s website was shut down and their social media accounts were gone — without any warning or explanation. It took me as much by surprise as it did you.
For years, I had heard nothing but amazing things about Zaycon. Readers had recommended them and friends had raved about them.
However, because I didn’t have personal experience with them, I held off posting about them other than mentioning them occasionally when people asked for ideas of how to save on meat.
Many bloggers encouraged me to signed up for their really fantastic referral program, but I didn’t because I didn’t have any personal experience with them. Even though so many people loved them, since I hadn’t tried them out, I didn’t feel comfortable doing a post about them.
My sister loved them, though, so I had her sign up for their referral program and use her own link when she would mention them. Her family lives on a tight budget and I was excited for her to be able to earn some free Zaycon credit from sharing her link in her grocery posts.
Near the end of last year, I believe, they started offering amazing specials to new customers. I began paying attention to these as they were incredible deals and I realized that they were so good that, based upon everything I had heard about Zaycon and how great it was, I should share these deals with you all.
I signed up for the referral program and we posted a few times at the beginning of 2018. However, soon after we started posting their deals, we got an email saying that they were closing down their blogger referral program and it sounded like they were tweaking some of their model because their business was struggling to be profitable as a result of the referral program and the incredible deals they had been running.
I’ve seen this happen with companies in the past and, in most cases, they will restructure how they operate and come back stronger. I decided we wouldn’t post about their deals again until they worked through their issues.
Sadly, it sounds like things were much, much worse than they made it out to be. I’m not sure what all went down, but I was just as shocked as you were to find out on Monday evening that they had shut everything down. I didn’t know much at that point, but I felt like we should post what we knew to alert you all.
An Apology
My goal is to always keep things upbeat and encouraging here. I never want to make this a place of negativity or criticism.
Because we didn’t know what had gone down with Zaycon and I didn’t want to speculate or be an alarmist, we decided to just state the facts and share what we knew in our post here.
Unfortunately, I had no idea how many of you had ordered from them recently and had paid them money and had not received your product yet. Had I known this, I would have probably approached the post differently.
I want to publicly apologize for upsetting many of you in my initial post and for not being more thoughtful and considerate in how I approached things. I am incredibly sorry that so many of you had ordered based upon my recommendation and aren’t going to get your order. I’m also so sorry that there is a possibility that some of you might not be able to get your money back.
An Explanation
I also felt the need to address some of the accusations swirling about me. Some of you have sent me very hateful comments accusing me of making thousands and thousands of dollars posting Zaycon deals and saying that it’s not fair I collected this money from them and left you all out to dry.
First off, while they did have a great blogger referral program, because I only posted about them a few times, what I earned from them was very small in comparison to what many bloggers who have personally used them and promoted them for years made.
In addition, because they had set up their program to only pay us a month or so after people actually picked up their meat and because people usually were ordering at least a month or two or three out, we only received two payments from them.
So all this to say, if you ordered through my link and didn’t get your order, we also didn’t get any referral money for it. But while we won’t ever be able to collect this money (and I would never want to collect it if you didn’t get your order!), you CAN likely get your money back by contacting your bank.
What You Need to Do
Based upon the information that has come out in the past two days, I would move well beyond suggesting what I initially did: that you consider contacting your bank or credit card company to dispute the charges.
Instead, I would strongly urge you to contact your bank or credit card company to dispute the charges. We’ve already heard from many people who have gotten their money back. I am hopeful that you will be able to get your charges reversed, too!
What We Can Learn From This
My biggest takeaway: Even the most reputable of companies can be experiencing financial issues that catch us all by surprise. Always make sure that if there’s any risk involved or you are purchasing a product that you won’t be getting for a few months, that you purchase it with some form of payment where you can dispute the charges.
As for me, I am committed more than ever to continue to vet companies and do the very best I can to bring you only the best deals from companies I feel I can stand behind.
Thank you for your patience and grace in the middle of this mess. I am so grateful for each of you!
CHEAP cereal & cheese, two bags of groceries for $3.80 at Sprouts, and this week’s menu plan!
CHEAP cereal & cheese, two bags of groceries for $3.80 at Sprouts, and this week’s menu plan!
I’m currently challenging myself to stick with a $70 grocery 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.
Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and we will be compensated if you click through and sign up. Read our disclosure policy here.
The Friday-Saturday deals at Kroger were super exciting to us this past weekend! I was thrilled to get cheese for $0.99 per block/bag and the kids were thrilled to get one of their favorite cereals (Honey Bunches of Oats) for just $0.99 per box! I bought two bags of cheese to stick in the freezer for later and three blocks to use over the next few weeks.
I also found organic cage-free eggs marked down to $1.99 per dozen, so you better believe I scooped those up! In fact, I ended up getting 6 dozen!! We love eggs — scrambled, fried, hard-boiled, you name it — so I’m always thrilled when I find a great deal on eggs!
In addition, they had a bunch of organic bananas marked down to $0.39 per pound! Actually, they had a cart FULL of bananas marked down, but I just picked up three big bunches to stick in the freezer for smoothies and banana bread and banana muffins!
Of course, I also picked up the free loaf of Nature’s Own bread that was the Free Friday download this past week. I think it’s probably one of the best Free Friday downloads there has been in a long time.
Saturday Kroger Shopping Trip — $28.42
- Bananas — marked down to $0.39 per pound
- Nature’s Own Bread — Free Friday download
- Organic Arugula — marked down to $1.79
- 5 boxes of Post cereal — $0.99 per box with Digital Coupon
- 5 packages of cheese — $0.99 each with Digital Coupon
- Total with tax: $28.42
Monday Aldi Shopping Trip
I ran into Aldi on Monday to see if there were any markdowns + to pick up a few staple items and baking items. I had a team meeting when I got home and didn’t get pictures taken of my shopping trip, but I did get a video made of my Aldi, Big Lots, and Sprouts shopping trip that you can watch above if you are interested.
Aldi Shopping Trip — $15.22
- Chicken Breasts — $5.99
- Cantaloupe — $0.99
- Baking Soda — $0.49
- Frozen Broccoli — $1.19
- Baking Powder — $0.99
- Milk — $2.69
- Oil — $1.85
- Total with tax: $15.22
Monday Big Lots Shopping Trip
I also stopped by Big Lots to see if there were any great buys in the clearance cart. I didn’t find anything great, but I did go ahead and pick up some whole wheat flour for $3.
I am planning to make a trip to Nolensville soon to check out the Bulk Foods Store there to see what their prices are on flour and I also want to check Sprouts, but for now, that was a decent price for higher quality flour.
Total spent with tax: $3.20
Monday Sprouts Shopping Trip
Y’all! I am kind of geeking out over this Sprouts discovery! I still can’t believe that this store has been sitting so close to Aldi and I’ve not been shopping there.
Maybe it’s just a good week or something, but based upon what you all are telling me, Sprouts regularly has great deals. And I’ve been so impressed with the quality of their food and their customer service.
Case in point, when I was there on Monday, they had corn on the cob marked for 5 for $1 — which is a fantastic deal. I started filling a bag and a woman who worked there came over to me and told me that the sign was actually incorrect. The deal was actually only for the weekend. She said that they had just changed the deal in their system and hadn’t gotten the signage changed.
She told me they would totally honor the price since it was marked as such. However, she told me to make sure to tell them at checkout that they’d need to adjust the price. She told me if I had any issues to just ask them to ask her about it. And then I saw her go straight over to the checkout lane and tell them to honor the price until they got the sign changed.
Also, I have no idea if this was because I just signed up for their email list or if it was some kind of fluke thing, but in the past 5 days, I have gotten two completely free coupon offers in my inbox.
These were at the bottom of their emails — there was a promo for a completely free item. I just added the promo code to my app and it added the digital coupon to my account. Free food?? Hello, I’ll totally take it! 🙂
Are the rest of you getting these coupons? Is this something they regularly do?
I have no idea, but I highly recommend signing up for their email newsletters and always opening them and scrolling to the bottom of them. Also, be sure to download the app to add the promo codes for these digital coupons if you get them, too!
Oh and remember the Driscoll’s strawberries I bought last week? Well, I filled out the surveys for the products on the Driscoll’s survey panel and I got $0.50 Driscoll coupons for each survey I filled out.
So you know what I did, don’t you? Oh yes, I took those coupons and went back to Sprouts and bought 5 more packages of strawberries for $0.48 per package!
By the way, when you fill out your 5th survey then they start giving you $0.75 coupons!! Of course, I filled out the surveys for the $0.48 strawberries I bought (well, actually Silas filled out the surveys — I taught him how to and he sat next to me while I worked and filled them out for me!) and earned $0.75 Driscolls coupons! Now I’m prepared for when they go on sale again! 🙂
If you are wondering what we did with 10 packages of strawberries in a week, we ate 6 packages and froze 4 of them to use in smoothies over the next month. I love having frozen berries — especially when I got them so inexpensively!
Monday Sprouts Shopping Trip — $3.80
- 5 packages of strawberries — on sale for $0.98, used 5 $0.50/1 coupons, $0.48 per package
- Organic Egg Noodles — used FREE product coupon
- Tandoori Naan — used FREE product coupon
- 5 ears of corn on the cob — 5 for $1
- Total with tax: $3.80
This Week’s Simple Menu Plan
This menu is subject to change a little if I find some great deals or markdowns! ?
Breakfasts
Fried/Scrambled Eggs, Cereal, Fruit, Toast, The Best Ever Bran Muffins
Lunches
Mac & Cheese, Cereal, Cheese/Crackers, Fruit, Veggies, Leftovers, Eggs, Yogurt, Salad, Smoothies
Snacks
Banana Bread, Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, Hard Boiled Eggs, Marked Down Yogurt Chocolate Cake in a Mug
Dinners
Monday: Frittata with sausage, peppers, onions, cheese, Fruit
Tuesday: Leftover Frittata, Fruit
Wednesday: Barbecued Chicken, Corn on the Cob, Fruit
Thursday: Breakfast for Dinner: Waffles, Eggs, Fruit
Friday: Dinner Out
Saturday: Chicken Quesadillas, Fruit, Rice, Beans
Sunday: Snack-y Dinner
Total Spent So Far on Groceries This Week
Total spent so far this week: $50.64
Total left to spend: $19.36
Rebates: $0.25 for submitting a receipt to Ibotta, $0.60 back from Fetch Rewards for scanning three receipts (If you haven’t signed up for Fetch Rewards, you can sign up here and use code WW7XJ and you’ll get a bonus 2,000 points = worth $2.)