Saving Families Money Since 2007
I got another big box of free books from My Reader Rewards!
Have you signed up for My Reader Rewards? If not, you can sign up here and get your own free books!
I also got a coupon for a FREE 8-pack of Sparkling Water.
What did you get free in your mailbox this week?
Looking for some great reads for your summer beach vacation or for slower summer days? I’ve got you covered!
I put together a list of my Top 25 Favorite Reads that are perfect for summer reading. I chose each of these because they had a compelling storyline, they left an impact on me, and they were all books you could read pretty quickly, if you wanted to. (And they are probably not the same books you are seeing on most other summer book lists!)
We also put together a FREE Summer Reading Printable Packet, complete with checklists and a challenge to help you plan and prioritize reading this summer! You can download it at the bottom of this post! Enjoy — and a big thanks to my team for helping me put this together!
And here are my top 25 Picks for Summer Reading:
This book moved me, inspired me, and challenged me. And it made me want to spend more time in the kitchen and around the table.
However, the phrase that stuck out to me most was: Present Not Perfect. Shauna shares how we can get so wrapped up in trying to make life perfect — to get all our ducks in a row and keep them that way — that we miss the present.
We rush through life with our plans, our goals, and our lists. We check things off. We pat ourselves on the back for being a powerhouse of productivity. And we forget to breathe. To slow down. To soak up the moments. To savor the here and now.
This book is the story of Kayla Aimee’s daughter being born as a micro-preemie and the pain and heartache and struggle that she walked through while fighting for her daughter’s life.
It’s funny AND heart-wrenching at the same time — which is a mark of a talented author, in my opinion. (I always say that I consider a highly talented author to be someone whose writing makes me laugh and tear up in the same page.)
I loved Jennifer’s encouragement to start looking for shots of happy in the middle of the mundane, cultivating cheer in the midst of the messes, and celebrating the gifts and wonder and beauty to be found all around us!
As Jennifer challenges us, let’s “refuse to join the chorus of negativity, stop sleepwalking through life, boycott cynicism, and wring the joy out of ordinary days.” We were made for more!
This book wasn’t anything like I expected it to be, but it was everything that I needed to read. It was so good and messed with me in such a profound way!
Bonnie shares how she had to go back to the broken places in her life and work through and heal those before she could find freedom from her intense anxiety and panic attacks. As someone who has experienced anxiety since the time I was a young child, I resonated with her journey so much and this book was a big piece of my own healing journey this year.
If you feel like you’re running on empty with no time for rest, no time for yourself, and no time for God, I think you’ll be blessed and challenged by this book.
Bob Goff is a unique, one-of-a-kind man. You’ll pick up on that just by reading the introduction. He loves life, he loves people, and he’s not afraid of outlandishness or extravagance when it comes to showing love to others. His big heart is contagious.
Loving others isn’t just words we say; it’s the life we live. It’s giving of ourselves, it’s bringing joy to others, it’s being available to others, it’s dropping everything to be involved in others’ lives. It’s caring, it’s giving, and it’s sometimes doing crazy stuff, all because we love someone else.
You might not agree with all of the finer points of Bob’s theology and you might think he’s a bit over-the-top, but I can almost guarantee you can’t help but be challenged to examine how you love others.
In a society where it feels like we are wired to find offense everywhere we look, what would it be like to choose to not be offended? (We do have a choice, you know?)
This book focuses on the choice we each have about how we respond, even when people aren’t treating us how we’d like them to. This doesn’t mean that we let people walk all over us or that we don’t set boundaries, but it does mean that we can choose to either be a victim or a victor. We can choose to either be offended and hurt and upset, or we can acknowledge our feelings, grieve our loss, and choose to forgive.
I highly recommend that every Christian read this book! Jesse and I did an entire podcast episode centered on it because I found it so helpful!
Do you struggle with kids who get easily irritated or have angry outbursts? Do you find yourself getting frustrated by your kids and then beating yourself up because you are frustrated at your kids and you don’t want to be?
Do you wish you had practical tools and suggestions for how to navigate hard conversations with your kids and how to help them face difficulty and disappointment in life?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, PLEASE do not walk, RUN and go get a copy of Raising Emotionally Strong Boys by David Thomas. And, if you want a taste of it, go listen to the 30-minute interview I did with the author on The Crystal Paine Show. I learned so much from this book and it impacts me every single day in how I parent.
Whether you have sons or daughters, I think this is a valuable read. Yes, all of her stories, anecdotes, and advice are more girl-driven, but I think much of it applies to boys (and adults!) too.
There is an epidemic of anxiety going on among our youth. This book will give you some starting places, great tools, and lots of food-for-thought to help you combat your kids’ anxiety.
I found so many new insights, wise advice, and practical ideas for us to implement in our home through the pages. This book is not a replacement for counseling or therapy, but it would be a fantastic starting place if you feel like your child might be struggling with anxiety. You might also enjoy the podcast episode I recorded with the author, Sissy Goff.
I picked this book up after Micah was born when I was feeling like I had lost some of the regular connection and community in my life, as a result of feeling sick and tired during pregnancy. I knew things needed to change and this book served as the perfect launching pad for me to step out and start initiating again.
If you are longing for community, if you’ve been hurt by relationships, or you just feel a little lonely where you are, Find Your People is a fantastic read. I read it and then followed through with her suggestions… and they worked! In fact, in just a few months, I had developed multiple new relationships and deepened relationships I already had, and I felt so much more connected as a result.
Even though I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable putting into practice all of the author’s suggestions (like how her small group shared everything about their finances), the book was exactly what my heart and soul needed when I needed it, and it just might be for you too.
When my friend, Melissa, gave me this book and said it had really impacted her life, I wasn’t sure what I was going to think of it.
Then I started reading… and within a few chapters, I knew it was going to be one of those truly life-changing books. The book is all about how our emotional and spiritual health are so tied together and how we often overlook this.
The author talks about how we often seem to think that our past and our baggage and all the things we try to pretend don’t exist or stuff down or not deal with won’t affect us in the long run… but they will!
There are so many things I gleaned from this book and so many sections that challenged me in deep ways. I feel like this book helped me live more fully in light of the truth that I am loved by God, to walk with freedom and confidence, and to love people much more deeply and authentically.
This was one of those books that will likely challenge and stick with me for a very long time. And it was one of two books that inspired my word for 2025.
I especially loved how the book felt inspiring and doable, not guilt-ridden or legalistic! I think it makes you want to unplug more because of how it would enrich your life and relationships, not unplug because you felt like you must or you should or that all technology is bad.
I don’t quite know what to say about this book. At first, I was so frustrated by the ending. That’s it?!?! No! There has to be more!
I couldn’t get the story out of my brain. What am I missing? Why is it haunting me?
The more I pondered, the more it started to make sense to me and I actually started to love the book and the powerful way it reminds us that without pain and suffering, we can’t experience emotional connection or truly feel at a deep level. If we took all of the pain away from the world, it would also take away so much depth and the ability to experience life in full color.
I wished I would have read this book with a book club because I would have loved to hear what other people thought of things as I went through it. And I totally understand why some people love it and some people don’t like it at all.
The book starts out slowly, but once I got to about page 40, I couldn’t put it down. It delves into some deeper issues of how past hurts and rejection can wound people so deeply that they hide their real self for fear of further pain and rejection. It’s a beautiful story of healing and redemption and of how to love and reach out to hurting people.
Ever read a book that you just don’t want to end and when you finish it, you want to meet the characters in real-life? That was this book for me.
This was one of the most heart-breaking, compelling, and thought-provoking books I’ve read in a long time. I thought it was very well-written and found it hard to put down. In fact, I read the entire book in one day!
Caveat: This book is not written from a Christian perspective, has quite a bit of language, and the plot line deals with suicide in a very raw form. I didn’t agree with the outcome of the book, but it made me dig deep and think hard… and books that do that are ones I feel are very worth my time.
I really enjoyed this book and it has stayed with me for months after reading it. While it wasn’t written from a Christian perspective and had some swear words in it, the book was well-written and really caused me to step back and examine my own marriage and relationships to see if I’m making small choices that would, over time, have devastating consequences.
If you like Christian fiction that tackles real-life brokenness and doesn’t have Hallmark endings, I’d highly recommend this book.
I loved the character development and it reminded me that everyone has hard burdens they are carrying, and that hurting people need our love not our judgment, ostracizing, or criticism.
So, this book completely surprised me with how much how I loved it and how attached I became to the quirky characters in it — including an octopus!
This book has multiple unique characters, each telling their story from their point of view, and the way they all weave together in the end is beautiful and endearing. If you enjoy a good fiction story told from different vantage points that spans a wide variety of ages and interests, definitely check this book out!
Note: This is not a Christian book and has some crass language in it, but it is a well-written and engaging story… and it made me want to learn a lot more about the octopus from it, because it was fascinating and I learned so much just from what the book included about it!
I absolutely loved this book. It was well-written, super engaging, and I learned a lot about an event in history (that took place during WWII) that I’d never even heard of before. I also loved that it was the same story written from multiple perspectives… which made it really fascinating.
It’s a sad story, but the author handled it in a way that it would be appropriate even for younger readers. Our teens read it with me one summer and we all really enjoyed it.
One thing I will say is that since it’s told from multiple perspectives, it may take a bit to get your bearings on who is who and what is what… but keep reading for the first 30-40 pages and then you’ll probably not want to stop reading!
This was my very favorite audiobook in 2021! It’s based on the true story of a Jewish family during World War II, who were separated all over the world, and how they ended up surviving and eventually being reunited. It is deeply moving, gripping, and heartbreaking. But, at the same time, it is the story of love, family, and perseverance against all odds.
I especially appreciated how creative and determined each of the family members was to beat the odds, come up with outside-the-box ideas, and not give up. When all around it felt like everything was crumbling and hopeless, they chose to press on and keep holding on to the will to live.
Note: There is a little bit of language and, as you can imagine, some intense and graphic topics are touched on. However, I felt like the book did a good job of not going into unnecessarily graphic details and that it stayed true to the story and experiences.
I love this WWII novel, which is written entirely in the form of letters and telegrams between Juliet, who lives in England, and residents of Guernsey, a German-occupied island in the English Channel. In fact, I love it so much that I’ve read the book, watched the Netflix movie, and listened to the audiobook, which is uncharacteristic for me!
I ultimately decided that the book is great, the movie is good, and the audiobook (which is narrated by multiple voices) is very well done. So I highly recommend all three!
I’d had this book on our shelf for a long time, but honestly, the cover just looked boring so I didn’t pick it up to start reading to the kids. I’m glad it was assigned reading in our Sonlight homeschool curriculum, or we would have missed out on this gem of a book.
Yet another great example of why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover! All three of the kids found it very engaging and attentively listened when I read it and always begged me to read more when I’m done.
This book was a winner of the 1944 Newberry Medal and is a fascinating novel that chronicles the defining events leading up to the American Revolutionary War. The author does such a great job of weaving together historical events and fictionalized characters in a way that had us all wanting to read just one more chapter!
Kaitlynn and I read this book as part of her Sonlight curriculum in homeschool and really enjoyed it! It was one of our very favorites this year — especially if you love Ancient Egyptian history.
It was a Newberry Honor Award winner and I’m not surprised. The storyline is compelling and interesting and it brings Ancient Egyptian history to life.
Plus, it’s a story of endurance and resilience in the face of many odds. It was one of those read alouds that we just didn’t want to stop reading and both of us looked forward to each day to see what was going to happen. And we were kind of sad when the book was finished!
We really enjoyed reading this book together as a family. It’s the true story of a young Jewish girl who was hidden in a room for two years to protect her from being captured or killed by the Germans. While the writing in the book could have been tightened up a bit, we all found the story fascinating and such a good reminder of the gift we have of freedom to be able to go outside and live our normal lives without fear.
Note: It totally caught me off guard that this book had language in it that I never would have expected for a kid’s book and I’ve had to edit out a few words here and there. Just keep this in mind if you’re planning to read this to your kids or let them read it.
This book is such a worthwhile read! I read it in two days and can’t recommend it highly enough — especially if you have kids around ages 9-12 like mine are. I think it’s a book that can really impact your thinking on what compassion and empathy look like and the importance of being a true friend.
My girls read it and we had some great discussions about the book. We also went to the movie and I wrote a really honest review of my thoughts on the movie and why I felt like it missed the mark.
FREE Summer Reading Challenge Printable Pack
Want accountability and encouragement to read more this summer? Download our FREE Summer Reading Challenge Printable Pack to help you keep track of all the books on your summer reading list!
This printable pack comes with 3 FREE printable pages:
- Checklist of my favorite reads listed in this post
- Summer reading challenge you can personalize to your interests
- Fill-in list to keep track of all the books you read this summer
Download it for FREE here.
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.
I was super excited to find eggs marked down at Kroger yesterday! We love eggs — fried, scrambled, hard-boiled, egg casserole, you name it! I bought six dozen — enough to last us at least three weeks!
I also stocked up on the Johnsonville Brats for just $1.99 per package — these will be great for grilling out! I’m trying to slowly stock our freezer with meat that will be great for grilling so we can have friends over for some impromptu cookouts this summer!
Here’s everything I bought…
They were out of the Townhouse and Club crackers that were supposed to be just $0.99 per box with the digital coupon, so I got a raincheck so I can get 5 boxes as soon as they are back in stock. If your store is out of something, always go to guest services and ask for a raincheck! It just takes a minute and it means you don’t have to miss out on the deal!
For more details on my shopping trip, watch my video above. (And you can subscribe to my YouTube channel here if you’re interested in watching other shopping haul videos, recipe videos, and more money-saving videos!)
One of my readers recommended that I sign up for Fetch Rewards because I bought Oscar Mayer products. I’m still checking Fetch Rewards out and, so far, I don’t like it as much as I like Ibotta. (I also sporadically use Checkout 51… though I find that it’s harder to earn $$ on Checkout 51 just because I don’t buy many things that they have offers for.)
But I’m going to test it out and keep you posted! Have you signed up for it yet? If not, you can sign up here and use code WW7XJ and you’ll get a bonus 2,000 points (worth $2).
This Week’s Super Simple Menu Plan
This menu is subject to change a little if I find some great deals or markdowns! ?
Breakfasts
Fried/Scrambled Eggs, Baked Oatmeal, Fruit, Toast
Lunches
Ham Sandwiches, Ma & Cheese, Chips/Salsa, Fruit, Veggies, Leftovers, Eggs, Yogurt, Salad
Snacks
Marked Down Yogurt, Fruit, Slab Apple Pie (from the freezer — we served this when we had guests last week and had some leftovers)
Dinners
Monday — Dinner Out at The Cheesecake Factory (our realtor gave us a gift card as a thank you when we bought our house and we saved it to use for summer break!)
Tuesday — Ham Sandwiches, Chips, Salsa, Apples (Jesse and Kathrynne are going to be gone this night.)
Wednesday — Grilled Brats, Corn on the Cob, Grilled Peppers, Cantaloupe
Thursday — Haystacks
Friday — Breakfast for dinner: Waffles, Eggs, Sausage
Saturday — Leftover Pizza (I froze some of the leftover pizza from our dinner with guests last week!), Veggies
Sunday — Snack-y Dinner (fend for yourself — cereal, leftovers, etc.)Freezer Cooking to Do: Waffles, Baked Oatmeal
Total spent so far this week: $28.95
Total left to spend: $40.15
Just a quick reminder! This ends at midnight tonight!
I’ve got some BIG news for you today! We are offering a coupon code to give you 50% off ALL (yes, every. single. last. one!) of our courses — through tonight at midnight only!
We’ve never done this before and I don’t know if we’ll every do this again! So if you’ve been wanting to grab one of our courses, now is your chance.
And here’s the best news: You can use this coupon code as many times as you like.
I’m not kidding.
You can buy all 12 courses for 50% off each if you’d like! Or just buy one or two or five at this amazing deal!
So what’s the special coupon code? It’s 50OFF4U.
That will give you 50% off all of the courses below…
Be sure to use coupon code 50OFF4U to get these prices! And remember, you can use this coupon code as many times as you’d like!I hope you’re able to score some great deals to benefit your life!
P.S. This coupon code is only good through midnight tonight (Monday, May 28, 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! ?
(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.)
Kaitlynn has been working on learning how to make homemade macaroons. She’s been watching YouTube videos and researching the past few weeks and she started practicing this week. She’s pretty determined to master this — and I have a feeling that she will!
Silas and I had fun making pizza together. Well, actually, I should say that he made it and I mostly just watched and did a little coaching!
This homemade pizza dough recipe is SO easy and it always turns out!
We enjoyed playing some rounds of Bananagrams. It’s such a fun family game — and I love that we can all really enjoy games together now that our kids are older!
Kaitlynn’s school had a special awards day on Tuesday where her teacher gave a sort of blessing over each child and talked about their character qualities. It was such a special time!
We’re so proud of this girl and all she has experienced and struggled through this past year. Someday, maybe, when she’s older, I’ll share more of her story. For now, let’s just say that we are so very grateful for this little school and the adults and girls in her life who have loved this girl through such a rough season.
I truly don’t even recognize the girl she is now compared to where she was last year at this time. It’s amazing what happens when you have people other than your parents who believe in you and love you and speak words of life to you!
And she won second place in the Science Fair!
On Friday, we went to Kathrynne’s school for their End of Year picnic. And just like that, 7th grade, 6th grade, and 2nd grade are finished for our kids and it’s S-U-M-M-E-R!!!
We went to the Crossfit Regional Games in Nashville this weekend. Jesse and Silas are really into Crossfit these days and I am trying to learn the language and lingo and understand this world that they love so much. So I suggested we make this a family event.
We went all day on Saturday and Sunday and we had so much fun!
I read a bit of A Man Called Ove on the breaks. (And I brought a blanket because I’m pretty much always cold at events like this and I drank maybe 5-6 cans of Zevia over the course of two days because they were giving it out for free!)
That’s Rich Froning in the blue shorts… he’s basically a Crossfit legend!
We also got to see Mat Fraser win multiple heats, break records, and win the entire Men’s Event. He’s incredible!
During the breaks, I also worked on a few blog projects and posts. I love that I can take my computer and work from anywhere! I feel so blessed to have a job that provides me with such flexibility!
On Saturday night, after we got back from the Crossfit games, we had two families over for Pizza and Games. The adults had a very competitive game of Ticket to Ride (which Jesse and I lost, but just barely!)
Man, I love this guy!
The energy in this building when the top guys were competing was pretty insane!
And they were giving out all sorts of great snacks — for free! Near the end of the last day, they were trying to get rid of their extras, we got quite a few free snacks!
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: 22 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: 25 notes written so far this year
4. Run 500 miles.
**Progress: 188 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.
7. Take the kids to South Africa.
**Progress: We bought our tickets!
8. Go on a family road trip.
**Progress: We’ve been researching and planning for some road trips we want to take this summer. 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: We’re working on finishing out the workout room.
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, and Make Over Your Mornings LIVE in April.
Spontaneous Hospitality on a Budget: “…I texted everyone and said that I was just making what I already had on hand. It wouldn’t be anything fancy, but we’d love to have them! We ended up having 18 people for dinner — and we had plenty of food!” Read more here.
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!
(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.)
I started the morning out like I usually do — with running, prayer, Bible reading, and a shower. I dropped Kathrynne off at school and then headed to Frothy Monkey to enjoy a cup of tea and do the reading/studying for our summer Discipleship Group study. (Our small group is going through this book together.)
A friend texted and asked me what my plans were for my day off. I texted her back to say that I was planning to do some cooking and cleaning, hang out with Jesse and the kids, have a chiropractic appointment, and get together with my Discipleship Small Group.
Well, God had other plans in store for my day… 🙂
When I got home, Kaitlynn and I spent some time together since it was her first day of Summer vacation!
And of course we had to take some pictures of Quill! 😉
I also worked on cleaning up our messy kitchen.
While I was in the middle of cleaning up the kitchen, the doorbell rang and our chair for the library was delivered.
Somehow, the legs for it weren’t delivered, so they put in an order to have them overnighted to us and went ahead and set up the chair without them.
I’m SO happy we chose this chair for our library. It’s perfect for cozy-ing up with a great book! Now we just need to get a rug and floor lamp (and some more books!) and our library is done. We just love this room so much!
Kaitlynn sat at the table (with her freshly-washed hair up in a towel!!) and played with Quill while I finished cleaning up the kitchen.
(She took these pictures and edited them on my phone — something she loves to do!)
My phone started blowing up with a bunch of texts and I found out that some of the women couldn’t come to the Discipleship Group get-together that evening. In fact, we were down to three ladies (including myself). I got this crazy idea… there is a mom and her 4 girls who recently moved to our area and started coming to our church that is a relative of one of the women in our small group.
We’d talked about having a get-together as a group with our families and this mom and her girls. Well, why not invite the two women who can come tonight and their families over for dinner and invite this mom and her girls, too?
It was one of those ideas that I often get, but I usually talk myself out of because it feels so spontaneous and crazy. But I decided to not talk myself out of moving forward with it… and I checked to see if we had food on hand that we could use to make dinner for three families plus our family.
I had bought 7 pounds of meat the day before and was already planning to make a bunch of meatballs for the freezer. We had marked down potatoes I could make mashed potatoes with. We had a bunch of corn on the cob I had gotten marked down. We had frozen broccoli I could use to make Roasted Broccoli.
So, as I shared here, I decided to just text the three families and offer what we had on hand and invite them to come for dinner.
And guess what? They were all so excited about it!
So, the rest of my morning was spent prepping food.
Kaitlynn came and helped me and she made two Spaghetti Casseroles for the freezer for later.
And then I watched some YouTube shows with the kids and relaxed while Kaitlynn gave me a pedicure — complete with foot massage! (Have I mentioned how amazing it is to have older kids??)
You can’t see it very clearly here, but she did this fun design on them. Because Kaitlynn never does anything in a boring way! 😉
Kathrynne and I headed to our chiropractic appointments — which is always super relaxing!
And then I came home and finished dinner prep and we all worked on cleaning the house and getting things ready for our guests — including getting this burned spot off the stovetop!
I stuck the broccoli in the oven… and then our doorbell rang and the three families arrived. I didn’t get any pictures of the evening, but I wrote a little more about it here.
I love how intentionally taking time to be offline gives me the ability to have more space in my life for spontaneity and relationships!
Aldi1 bag Frozen Raspberries – $1.79
4 ears Sweet Corn – $0.80
1 3-lb bag Pink Lady Apples – $3.39
1 3-lb bag Gala Apples – $2.65
1 Seedless Watermelon – $2.99
1 10-lb bag Russet Potatoes – $3.89
1 pkg Zucchini – $1.49
1 head Cauliflower – $1.85
1 bag Lemons – $2.69
1 16-oz jar Pure Olive Oil – $2.49
1 pkg Radishes – $0.45
2 pkgs Baby Carrots – $1.18
2 pkgs Blueberries – $3.38
1 pkg Baby Lettuce – $1.89
1 pkg Fresh Garlic – $0.79
1 pkg Broccoli Crowns – $1.45
1 large pkg Organic Spring Mix – $3.79
1 16-oz pkg Mini Cucumbers – $1.69
1 pkg Strawberries – $1.39
2 4-lb bags Sugar – $2.38
1 bag Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – $1.55
1 bag Mini Marshmallows – $0.89
2 gallons Whole Milk – $2.72
1 box Graham Crackers – $1.09
4 dozen Eggs – $4.96
1 pkg Hot Dog Buns – $0.55
1 32-oz carton Half and Half – $1.59
1 16-oz carton Heavy Whipping Cream – $1.55
1 2-lb bag Shredded Mozzarella Cheese – $4.89
1 jar Strawberry Jam – $1.49
1 box Rice Squares – $1.79
1 box Honey Nut Oats – $1.15
1 64-oz carton Coconut Milk – $2.39
Total: $69.03
Harris Teeter2 loaves La’Brea Petite Sourdough Bread – $2.98, used 2 $0.75/1 printable (doubled) – FREE after coupons
1 pkg Sargento Cheese Slices – $2.50, used $0.75/1 Sargento Blends Slices – 4-8-18 SS (exp. 06/03/18) (doubled), plus receive $0.75 back from Checkout 51 – $0.25 after coupon and rebate
2 pkgs Butterball Fully Cooked Sausage Patties – $5.00, used 2 $0.75/1 printable (doubled), plus receive $0.75 back from Ibotta – $1.25/2 after coupons and rebate
1 carton Juicy Juice – $2.00, used $0.75/1 Juicy Juice Product – 5-5-18 SS (doubled) – $0.50 after coupon
5 bottles Ken’s Salad Dressing (B2G3) – $5.98, used 2 $0.75/1 Ken’s Dressing – 5-6-18 SS; Includes 16 oz or Larger Only (exp. 06/15/18) (doubled), plus $0.75/1 Ken’s Simply Vinaigrette – 5-6-18 SS (exp. 06/15/18) (doubled), plus $1.00/2 Ken’s Dressings – 5-6-18 SS; Includes 16 oz Only (exp. 06/15/18) – FREE after coupons
2 cartons Florida’s Natural Lemonade – $4.00, used 2 $0.55/1 Florida’s Natural Lemonade – 5-20-18 SS; DND, Includes 59 oz only (exp. 07/14/18) (doubled) – $1.80/2 after coupons
Total after Coupons and Rebates: $3.80
Grocery Total for the Week: $72.83
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Everyone is responsible for making/cleaning up their own breakfast. Choices include:
Cereal, Fruit, Oatmeal, Fried/Boiled/Scrambled Eggs, Veggie Omelets, Toast
Lunches
PB and J (on Hot Dog Buns), Carrots/Cucumbers, Apples
Build-Your-Own-Salad Bar (Lettuce, Chopped Fresh Veggies, Chopped Apples, Craisins, Hard Boiled Eggs, Shredded Cheese, Dressing) x 2
Baked Potatoes with Cheese, Blueberries, Carrots/Cucumbers
Leftovers x 2
Dinners
Crockpot Italian Chicken, Creamy Milk Rice, Broccoli, Watermelon
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches on Sourdough Bread, Apples, Green Beans (My husband will be gone at a work party, so the kids and I will have a simple dinner!)
Build-Your-Own Burritos (Refried Beans, Seasoned Ground Turkey Meat, Salsa, Shredded Cheese, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Cilantro from a Friend’s Garden, Homemade Tortillas), Strawberries
Breakfast for Dinner: Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, Sausage Patties
Homemade Cheese Pizza
Hamburgers, Corn on the Cob, Watermelon, Baked Potato Wedges
Meat Potato Quiche (I found one more bag of diced ham in the freezer that needs to be used up), Tossed Salad, Roasted Cauliflower
We also have several end-of-the-school year parties/recitals this week that I need to bring food to. I’ll use the lemonades and juice I bought, as well as make S’mores Bars and Angel Face Cookies
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.
One of the best parts of this $70/week grocery budget challenge is not that we’re saving a few hundred dollars every month (though I’m stoked about that!) nor is it the fact that I’ve been re-invigorated to fill our freezer with food (we currently have close to 15 meals in there and I’m slowly adding to the stash every week!).
The best part is that buying ahead and stocking up on the sales and markdowns and being more of a strategic shopper means we have a lot more food at our house at any one given time — which means that spontaneous hospitality is so much easier to pull off!
Wednesday morning, I had the idea to invite a mom and her four kids over for dinner. She just recently moved to the area with her kids and I well remember what a big move like that is like!
I looked in our fridge and cupboards and realized I had just bought 7 pounds of marked down meat the day before, plus I had corn on the cob, marked down potatoes, and some frozen broccoli.
So we invited her family over plus two other families from church. I texted everyone and said that I was just making what I already had on hand. It wouldn’t be anything fancy, but we’d love to have them!
We ended up having 18 people for dinner — and we had plenty of food! Meatballs, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, roasted broccoli, and the other women offered to bring salad, mac and cheese, and fruit.
It was simple, it was inexpensive, and it was an evening of laughter, great conversation, and games.
Hospitality doesn’t have to require a lot of extra time or special ingredients. It doesn’t even mean you need to spend more $$ to pull off.
Hospitality is about welcoming people into your real life and bringing your real, imperfect selves to the table. It’s about saying, “Welcome! I want to share what we have with you. Come as you are and pull up a chair!”
While I was working on making food for our guests on Wednesday, Kaitlynn made two dinners’ worth of Spaghetti Casserole. We just made up the recipe using pasta we had gotten marked down, cheese I got on sale, pasta sauce I got from Aldi, ground sausage I got marked down, and cottage cheese I had gotten marked down and had frozen.
Kroger has some GREAT sales this weekend! Download their digital coupons (they are good through Monday evening) to get Seedless Watermelon for just $1.99 each (you can purchase up to 5 watermelon in one transaction at this price).
They also have Kroger Ice Cream Sandwiches and Fruit Bars for just $0.99 per box with the digital coupon (you can get up to 5 boxes in one transaction at this price).
I got the watermelon to take to a picnic we’re attending tonight where we’re supposed to bring enough of a side dish to feed 15 people and I got the ice cream sandwiches for tomorrow evening since we’re having two families over for pizza!
My total for the 5 boxes of bars/ice cream sandwiches + the watermelon was $9.49 — bringing my grand total for this week in grocery expenditures to $68, $2 under my $70 grocery budget!
Total spent so far this week: $68 (Yes! $68 even!)
Total left to spend: $2
Rebates: $1.50 Ibotta rebate for buying the 2 Fage yogurts, $0.25 Ibotta rebate for submitting my receipt, + a second $0.25 Ibotta rebate for submitting another receipt.
See our $70 menu plan for this week. See all my posts about our $70 grocery budget here.
Looking for cheap healthy snacks that are super simple to make for kids? Check out this comprehensive list of ideas, recipes, hacks, and more!
Julie wrote in with this great question:
I’m looking for advice on how to keep healthy snacks in stock for kids without breaking the bank? It’s so much easier to buy processed foods for them but I hate doing it. They love fruits and veggies but go through them so quickly that I am restocking often, which isn’t always feasible. Any helpful suggestions? Thank you!
Keeping healthy snacks in stock doesn’t have to be expensive, especially when you think outside the box and get creative! I personally save on healthy snacks by frequenting ALDI, shopping the markdowns at Kroger, making snacks from scratch, and keeping things simple.
If you’re looking for some really specific tips and snack ideas, check out this GREAT list that our readers helped put together in a recent Facebook post!
1. Snack planning. This is similar to meal planning, but with snacks! Try to buy the exact amount needed per week and plan your snacks around what’s on sale that week to make your money go further. There is always some sort of produce on sale for $1 or less. Stock up on whatever is cheapest each week. Most things will keep for several weeks in the fridge.
2. Choose a mixture of produce styles. Start with fresh fruit and vegetables and once that’s gone, move on to canned or frozen for the rest of the week. Bananas, cuties, celery, and baby carrots tend to be inexpensive favorites. Frozen fruit can go into a smoothie, a small bowl of oatmeal, or yogurt.
3. The freezer is your friend. Freezing fresh in-season strawberries, blueberries, and other fruits and vegetables is often cheaper than buying frozen. If your garden has a surplus or there’s a great sale at the grocery store, stock up and freeze them! You can also make double batches of healthy snack bars or cookies and freeze them for later.
4. Set limits. Limit snack portions and plan out designated snack times — maybe only offer an afternoon snack between lunch and dinner. Cut up and prepare kid-friendly snack portions and keep the snacks where kids can reach it. Let them choose the snack(s) they’d like during the designated time. Refrigerated stuff like yogurt or fruit cups can go in fridge bins and dry snacks like baggies of pretzels, crackers, or graham crackers can go in a reachable basket in the pantry.
5. Shop at ALDI. We love Aldi around here! It has saved us thousands of dollars over the years and they have great prices on produce and kid-friendly snacks.
6. Shop at Kroger. Kroger is a large retail grocery store chain that is well-known for offering great weekly in-store sales and clearance prices. Every store is different but most are pretty generous in how they will mark down soon-to-be expiring dairy products, produce, bakery products, and meat. It seems like most markdowns occur the morning of the new sale week so if the circular goes Wednesday to Tuesday, try shopping Wednesday morning and look for the yellow clearance tags!
7. Shop at Sam’s Club or Costco. If you buy in bulk, you can find some incredible deals at warehouse stores. Once you get it home, freeze whatever you won’t be using in the next week. And be sure to divvy things into portions, like creating snack bags of sunflower seeds and raisins!
8. Shop at Grocery Outlet. If you are lucky enough to have a Grocery Outlet near you, you’ll find brand-name groceries and farm fresh produce at up to 40-70% off conventional retail prices!
9. Shop at a scratch and dent grocery store. You can often get high end protein bars, canned fruit, beef jerky, etc. for pennies compared to the local grocery store.
10. Try the local produce store. Your local produce store can be amazingly cheap with slightly imperfect vegetables and fruits.
11. Garden. See if there’s a community garden in your area or plant one in your backyard. Can, freeze, or dehydrate what you grow and you can enjoy the fruits of your labor year-round!
12. Add protein. Try adding a protein to the snack so it will be more filling. Pair veggies with hummus or ranch dressing. Serve apples or pears with peanut butter. Add cheese slices next to some pretzels or crackers. Don’t Waste The Crumbs has lots of great savory and sweet hummus recipes if you want to make your own!
13. Smoothies. Smoothies are a frugal and easy way to get a daily dose of fruits and veggies in! This Pick-Me-Up Smoothie is delicious. If you make smoothies for breakfast, make extra and pour it into popsicle molds. Kids LOVE these healthy popsicles!
14. Breakfast as a snack. We LOVE breakfast foods around here — especially when it’s made ahead of time and ready in the freezer! Bowls of cereal, oatmeal, pancakes, and waffles make great after-school snacks.
15. Yogurt with granola or fruit in it. And did you know how easy and frugal it is to make yogurt in the crockpot?
16. Sandwiches. Sandwiches can be a great filling snack. If you have a Jimmy John’s nearby, you can often buy their day old bread for only $0.50 per loaf. Small subs are a great middle of the afternoon pick-me-up. You also can’t go wrong with good ole peanut butter & jelly!
17. Hard-boiled eggs. Kids can eat them as-is or you can use them to make deviled eggs for a filling and cheap snack. Don’t forget how easy these are to make in the Instant Pot!
18. Homemade muffins and granola/breakfast bars. Make pumpkin muffins, protein muffins, and granola bars throughout the month. Check out paleo snacks on Pinterest for breakfast bar recipes.
19. Energy bites. This Homemade Freezer-Friendly Energy Bites recipe is a family favorite. These are SO easy to make ahead of time, pop in the freezer, and have ready when you need a snack!
20. Freeze grapes for a yummy treat.
21. Popcorn. Buying popcorn kernels is often cheaper than buying microwaveable boxed popcorn. Make popcorn from kernels with an air popper, on the stovetop, or in a brown bag in the microwave. Drizzle with olive oil or butter and toss with salt. It is fast, wholesome, and cheap.
22. Dried fruit and nuts. Buy or put together trail mixes that have nuts, seeds, and dried fruit in them. If you have a Sam’s Club or Costco membership, you can get the dried fruits and nuts at a much better price.
23. Thomas’ mini whole wheat bagels with cream cheese. These go on sale about once a month for $1.50 at many grocery stores. They last in the fridge for a month or you can stock up while they’re on sale and freeze them for later.
24. Block cheese. Cut up your own block cheese into cubes or sticks. When you buy the larger blocks, it can be a lot less expensive.
25. Healthy cookies. Homemade breakfast cookies are great for busy mornings or afternoons. You could also try a breakfast cookie made of fruits, like this recipe.
26. Tortilla chips with guacamole or salsa. This is one of our favorite snacks to grab at ALDI.
27. String cheese.
28. Unsweetened applesauce.
What other suggestions do you have for Julie? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
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.
Kaitlynn had her end of school Awards Day all morning on Tuesday morning, so I didn’t get any freezer cooking done. But I did find some great deals at Kroger!
I was going to do the Buy 4, Get $4 Off Deal, but I only had 3 ALL laundry detergents and our store didn’t have the the razors I was going to buy, so I hopped onto KrogerKrazy.com on my phone in the store to see if there were any new deals that had popped up since the last time I checked.
And low and behold, there was a hot tip about how Kraft barbecue sauce was marked down (for one day only!) to just $0.25 each when you buy 4 participating items — no coupons needed!
So, of course, I grabbed some of them up! I decided to get 5 bottles because I think that will last us for at least 3-5 months.
Note to self: Always remember to check KrogerKrazy.com when I’m in-store so I don’t miss a hot deal tip!
Total spent so far this week: $58.51
Total left to spend: $11.19
Rebates: $1.50 Ibotta rebate for buying the 2 Fage yogurts, $0.25 Ibotta rebate for submitting my receipt, + a second $0.25 Ibotta rebate for submitting another receipt.
See our $70 menu plan for this week. See all my posts about our $70 grocery budget here.
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.
I had every intention of getting these Southwest Rollups done for Friday’s Freezer Cooking post. But alas I productively procrastinated on them and didn’t get them done before I had to get that post done.
But I did get them done! We had one pan for dinner that night and I put two bags of rollups in the freezer.
This is such a simple, frugal, and delicious recipe that we have loved for YEARS.
In fact, it would be fascinating to see how many of these I have made over the years. It’s probably an insane number! 🙂
Fun fact: This was a recipe that Jesse’s family loved and I love that it’s become one of our family favorites. These make such great quick lunches or snacks!
The freezer is filling up!! We currently have 9 dinners, 3 breakfasts, and 2 desserts in there. I’m aiming to have 30 meals in here by the end of June. We’ll see!
Kroger has been having fantastic Saturday only sales in recent weeks.
I was thrilled with the butter and water sale — two items that we use a lot!
You could buy up to 5 packs of butter for $1.99 each with the digital coupon — so, of course, I bought 5! We will stick these in the freezer and they should hopefully last us for two months (we usually use about 2 to 2 1/2 sticks of butter per week).
And I bought 3 cases of water — I found out later that the 32-packs were included in this sale. But they weren’t marked as such at our store, so oh well! We usually wash and re-use water bottles at least a few times before tossing them so this should (hopefully) last us all summer and will be so handy for time at the pool and road trips and other summer adventures!
We had our Community Group (four other families) over for an Ice Cream Social. We provided bowls, cups, napkins, and spoons and chocolate syrup and cookies. Two families brought toppings and two families brought ice cream and we had a great get-together that was super simple and inexpensive for everyone!
Silas made some Homemade Oobleck last night and the kids had so much fun playing with it. This would be a great frugal fun activity for summer.
This morning, Silas and I made Homemade Pizza Dough on Facebook Live. I had planned to make a double batch and freeze half of it, but I realized that we were getting down the bottom of the flour jar. So we just made one pizza crust.
This boy loves helping me in the kitchen — and he just better and better at cooking and baking!
I hadn’t made dough on our new kitchen table until today. I wasn’t sure how it would clean up, but I’m so happy to say that it wiped right off. I continue be so happy that we chose this table for our kitchen. I just love how sturdy it is and how easily it cleans up!
Silas helped me knead the dough and I taught him what dough should feel like when it’s ready.
We couldn’t find our pizza pan and I’m guessing that somehow it disappeared in the move or that Kaitlynn may have confiscated it for some craft project and I just haven’t discovered it yet (she’s always making all sorts of crafts and projects and I try to encourage it as much as possible, thought I do sometimes have to tell her that my kitchen pans aren’t up for grabs — especially if they are going to get destroyed in the process of her experimentation! ;))
Silas made the pizza entirely by himself — from rolling out the dough, to putting on the sauce, to thawing the chicken from the freezer, to grating the cheese, to pre-heating the oven.
I only had to give a tiny bit of coaching! I am so excited with just how capable my kids are becoming and how much all those years of letting them help me in the kitchen had paid off!
Silas’ finished pizza! This will be our dinner tonight. Yum!
You can watch us make the Pizza Dough live in the video above.
This Week’s Super Simple Menu Plan
This menu is subject to change a little if I find some great deals or markdowns! ?
Breakfasts
Cereal, Baked Oatmeal, Eggs, Fruit, Toast
Lunches
Ham & Cheese Sandwiches, Chips, Fruit, Veggies, Capri Sun, Cream Cheese Blueberry Muffins, (for the kids) Leftovers, Eggs, Yogurt, Pita Pocket Sandwiches, Salad (for me & Jesse)
Snacks
Whatever I Find on Sale/Marked Down (That works for snacks!), Ice Cream (our friends left the rest of the ice cream at our house from the ice cream social!), Yogurt, Cereal, Fruit, Popcorn
Dinners
Monday — Homemade Chicken Salsa Pizza, Apples
Tuesday — Spaghetti Casserole, Peas, Naan
Wednesday — Meatballs, Corn on the Cob, Homemade French Fries
Thursday — Haystacks
Friday — Picnic at Kathrynne’s School — we’re supposed to bring enough of a side dish to feed 15 people — I’m thinking of doing Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes since those always seem popular at potluck style dinners and I have all those potatoes that I got marked down. I may change my mind depending upon what markdowns I find.
Saturday — Takeout Pizza (we’re having friends over for dinner but we’re going to be gone all day long so I’m keeping it crazy simple!)
Sunday — Snack-y Dinner (fend for yourself — cereal, leftovers, etc.)
Total spent so far this week: $28.47
Total left to spend: $41.53
Rebates: $1.50 Ibotta rebate for buying the 2 Fage yogurts, $0.25 Ibotta rebate for submitting my receipt
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.)
We may be some of the last people on the planet to do so, but we finally started watching The Crown. And everyone was right, it IS so good!
Jesse and I are watching it first to decide whether it’s something that our girls can watch (we’ve heard there is one episode that is especially not family-friendly in Season 2) and we are loving researching everything while watching to see how historically accurate it is.
I feel like I’m getting this huge history lesson — in the form of a really engaging show! That’s totally my kind of learning! 🙂
Have you watched The Crown? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.
And of course, we watched the Royal Wedding. We didn’t get up super early to watch it so we only saw the tail end of it live, but then we watched them share all of the highlights and give commentary on it. It was pretty interesting!
We also watched the final episode of Season 2 of Timeless. And now I really hope they are going to make a Season 3!
I finished One Beautiful Dream by Jennifer Fulwiler this past week and truly loved it. If you are a mom who also works or you are a mom who wants to figure out a way to pursue your passions while also being a mom, I think you’ll enjoy this book.
I loved how Jennifer talks about embracing the chaos instead of trying to make everything perfect or ideal. I love how she shares so openly about the real struggles involved with trying to have a business and be a mom. And I loved how she showed that the seeing setbacks and delays that came with motherhood actually made her stronger as a writer and business owner.
The last chapter of this book was so good and just really encouraged my heart. There are some days when this path I’m on of being a full-time work-at-home mom who both loves my kids and loves my work can feel lonely. Jennifer’s book made me feel less alone and less crazy and it really reinforced a lot of the places that God has brought me to and the peace I have with what our family dynamics look like — even though they are so different than so many other families we know.
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.
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! ?
(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.)
Silas’ flag football team made it into the championship game!
And their team ended up winning. He was THRILLED, as I’m sure you can imagine!
I made some yummy food this week, including Baked Oatmeal.
Which Silas and Jesse were especially excited about since they LOVE this breakfast!
And I also made Crinkle Fries.
I also went to ALDI for the first time in a long time!
I got a GREAT deal on butter.
I made a big batch of Southwest Rollups.
And I filled up the freezer some more!
Silas helped me organize underneath the bathroom cupboard — something I’ve been meaning to do ever since we moved!
We bought some organizational shelves on Amazon…
…Took everything out from under the sink…
And then re-organized it. It makes me so happy to see it all organized now!
A few years ago, the thought of having teenagers scared and overwhelmed me. But you guys, I’m *loving* this year as the mom of a teen.
Kathrynne asked if she could take me out to dinner for her Mother’s Day gift to me (her treat). We decided to go to Blue Coast Burrito — a restaurant we had never been to and had been wanting to try.
We had so much fun together. Laughing, trying out the different salsas, splitting a HUGE burrito, and just talking about life.
I love spending time with this girl and I love that she wants to spend time with me! She wants to talk to me about what she’s struggling with. She wants me to get to know her friends. And she cares about what’s going on in my life, too.
Instead of dreading what’s to come, I feel like the best is yet to come! ❤️
It’s so easy to get frustrated when things aren’t growing or moving or progressing as quickly as we’d like.
We’re not saving money as fast as we’d hoped. We’re not able to pay off debt as aggressively as we’d hoped. Our business isn’t taking off at the pace we had dreamed it would.
Life is full of setbacks, interruptions, and unexpected roadblocks. But just because we aren’t moving along as rapidly as we’d wanted to doesn’t mean we aren’t making progress.
Sometimes, the greatest growth happens in the seasons of waiting. Oftentimes, my most valuable lessons have come as a result of those unexpected roadblocks.
Focus on the progress you are making — even if it feels microscopic. Moving forward — even at a snail’s pace — is still moving forward!
Thank you to @thelatestkate for this image!
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: 22 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: 25 notes written so far this year
4. Run 500 miles.
**Progress: 178 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.
7. Take the kids to South Africa.
**Progress: We bought our tickets!
8. Go on a family road trip.
**Progress: We’ve been researching and planning for some road trips we want to take this summer. 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: We started finishing out the workout room this past week.
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, and Make Over Your Mornings LIVE in April.
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 — and I’ll let the pictures almost 100% speak for themselves, instead of giving many explanations. Enjoy a little peek into our lives!
(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.)
The perfect way to start a Slow Day! I finished this book and really loved it!
I picked up my FREE photo at Walgreens.
I started this book and am anxious to see what I think of it!
We went to the UPS store to pick up our mail and I got my FREE Revolution Math Kit. Have you gotten yours yet? See what was inside of mine here and find out how to get yours.
After we picked the girls up from school (Silas is already out of school for the summer), we went shopping for furniture for our library.
The girls had a blast dreaming of ideas for Kathrynne’s room (she still hasn’t picked out furniture — she just has a mattress and a dresser. I told her she had to make this a priority as soon as she gets done with school for the summer at the end of this week.)
We didn’t find what we were looking for at the first store, so we headed to another store.
The kids LOVED the kid’s section of Rooms to Go.
We decided to go with this chair and a half for the library — we wanted something that wouldn’t take up a ton of space but that would be super comfortable and could seat two kids curled up. We also wanted something that was simple and would match the rest of our house decor. I have a feeling that all of us will spend many hours curled up in this chair with a good book!
We ended up taking way more time furniture shopping than we expected, so we decide to bump our dinner plans for the night and use our one Dinner Out night. I was having a friend over and wanted to get a few cleaning projects done before she came, so Jesse dropped me off at our house and then he took the kids out to Sonic.
Aldi3lbs 80/20 Fresh Ground Beef – $6.85
1 pkg Deli Sliced Cheese – $1.19
1 pkg Cheese Sticks – $1.65
1 2-lb pkg Shredded Mozzarella Cheese – $4.89
2 12-oz pkgs Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese – $4.30
2 1-lb boxes Butter – $3.98
1 pkg Gluten-Free Taco Mix – $0.79
1 16-oz pkg Sliced Deli Meat – $2.55
1 pkg Nacho Chips – $0.75
1 14-oz pkg Whole Almonds – $4.55
1 gallon Whole Milk – $1.36
2 64-oz pkgs Orange Juice – $3.38
1 32-oz carton Half and Half – $1.59
1 64-oz carton Almond Milk – $1.89
1 1-lb pkg Strawberries – $1.45
1 Pineapple – $0.89
2 pkgs Artisan Baby Lettuce – $3.78
1 3-lb bag Pink Lady Apples – $3.39
1 pkg Broccoli Crowns – $0.95
1 16-oz bag Organic Mini Cucumbers – $1.69
1 Cauliflower – $1.85
1 bag Radishes – $0.49
1 bag Spinach – $1.49
1 3-lb bag Sweet Potatoes – $1.49
1 Mango – $0.49
1 bag Organic Mini Peppers – $2.89
1 bag Zucchini – $0.99
1 pkg On-the-Vine-Tomatoes – $0.99
1 loaf Sandwich Bread – $0.65
1 pkg English Muffins, reduced – $0.75
1 pkg Hamburger Buns – $0.65
1 pkg Hot Dog Buns – $0.59
Total: $65.19
Harris Teeter1 5-lb bag Pillsbury Bread Flour – $3.39
1 bag Red Seedless Grapes (2.23lbs @ $0.99/lb) – $2.21
1 jar Polaner Fruit-Only Jam – $2.00
2 jars Vlasic Pickles – 2.74, used $1.00/2 Vlasic Pickles, Peppers or Relish – 5-13-18 SS (exp. 07/14/18), plus receive $0.50 back from Checkout 51 – $1.24/2 after coupon
Total after Coupon and Rebate: $8.84
Grocery Total for the Week: $74.03
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Everyone is responsible for making/cleaning up their own breakfasts. Choices include:
Toast, Scrambled/Fried/Boiled Eggs, Cereal, Oatmeal, Fruit, Veggie Omelets, Glazed Cinnamon Scones, Fruit
Lunches
Sub Sandwiches, Cucumbers/Peppers, Apples x 2
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches, Grapes, Cauliflower with Dip x 2
Build-Your-Own-Salad Bar (Chopped Lettuce, Spinach, Nuts, Craisins, Shredded Cheese, Hard Boiled Eggs, Assorted Chopped Fresh Veggies and Fruit)
Leftovers x 2
Dinners
Taco Salad, Mexican Rice, Pineapple
Barbequed Meatballs, Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes, Tossed Salad, Green Beans, Make Ahead Butterhorns, Our Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies (making this meal x 2 and taking to a friend who just had a baby)
Individual Pizzas (English Muffins, Sauce, Cheese, Assorted Toppings), Easy Italian Breadsticks, Tossed Salad
Burgers on the Grill (I use a combination of ground venison and ground turkey and seasonings), Roasted Parmesan Broccoli, Sweet Potato Fries
Pancakes, Bacon, Fruit Smoothies
Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Biscuits
Leftovers
