Looking for a hearty snack or delicious addition to your breakfast table? Look no further than these fabulous whole-wheat banana chocolate chip muffins!
Whole wheat banana muffins are the best snack!
Last week, I wanted to use up a bunch of over-ripe bananas. So I took our favorite Banana Bread recipe and made it into muffins instead.
I used whole wheat flour and added chocolate chips — because everything’s better with chocolate, of course! (If you’ve been following for any length of time, you know who much I love to add chocolate to everything!) 😉
They were so delicious… though I won’t tell you how many I ate over the course of a few days! At least I made them with all whole-wheat flour and bananas… so they are totally healthy, right?? 😂
My only regret is that I didn’t make more because they freeze so well!
Ingredients for Banana Muffins
- 2 cups flour (I used whole-wheat, but you could use all-purpose)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 bananas, mashed
- 1 cup sugar (I used turbinado)
- 1/2 cup oil (I used melted coconut oil)
- 2 eggs
- 3 Tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)
How to Make Whole Wheat Banana Muffins
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or use paper liners.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients.
4. In a smaller bowl mix sugar, oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla.
5. In another bowl, mash the bananas.
6. Add wet ingredients and mashed bananas to dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
7. Stir in chocolate chips, if desired.
8. Pour mixture into muffin tins and bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean.
9. Cool in pan for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.
10. Enjoy your warm muffins, or cool completely and place in a food storage container for later.
Frequently Asked Questions About Banana Muffins
Yes, simply let them cool completely and place them in a zip-top bag.
Pull out as many muffins as desired and thaw on the counter for a few hours or defrost them in the microwave for 20-45 seconds.
Your bananas should be covered all over in brown spots that smell very fragrant. You can wait longer until the bananas are completely brown or even black on the outside for the most flavor.
Banana muffins are a good source of vitamin E, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and essential minerals. They also have a good amount of carbohydrates for extra energy!
Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour or all purpose
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 bananas mashed
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 3 Tbsp milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or use paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients.
- In a smaller bowl mix sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and milk.
- In another bowl, mash the bananas.
- Add wet ingredients and mashed bananas to dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Stir in chocolate chips, if desired.
- Pour mixture into muffin tins and bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.
- Enjoy your warm muffins, or cool completely and place in a food storage container for later.
Notes
Nutrition
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Looking for more ways to use up ripe bananas?
Check out this LONG list of some of my very favorite ideas.
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“I never expected we’d still be living on the same budget — 9 years later!”
“I never expected we’d still be living on the same budget — 9 years later!”
Guest post by Katie of Embracing a Simpler Life
Early in our marriage, my husband and I used the cash-envelope system to carefully track each dollar we spent.
I was in grad school, and we were saving to buy a house.
When I quit my job two years later to become a stay-at-home mom we also quit shopping (except for Aldi and clearance at the thrift store), so a simple spreadsheet was an easy budgeting solution.
As one child became two, and as two children became three, we continued working hard to budget, save, earn extra income, and plan. We were thrifty, and yes, it was a strain.
Last year, we moved to a new place, became debt-free, started homeschooling, and my husband gave up the predictability of a salary in favor of pursuing his own businesses. There is less security and much more potential for him now. All our past diligence has opened the door for this move, but it has also put us right back where we’ve always been — on a careful budget.
Currently, we use a budgeting app to track all our spending. We are thrifty, and, if I’m honest, it’s still a strain.
The truth is, I did not expect to be on the exact same budget 9 years into our marriage.
- I thought that all our hard work and diligence would have lead to some sort of breakthrough in our monthly spending.
- I thought I would be picking out cute clothes for my kids at Target instead of relying on consignment trade-ins.
- I thought I would have my house all set up with decorations, organizers, and furnishings, not balancing on the edge of the bathtub to get a near-full-length view of my outfit and shoving kids’ shoes into broken plastic drawers.
However, as I’ve grappled with contentment again (for the umpteenth time) in recent months, I see that my concept of contentment has been rooted in the belief that it would be temporary. I wasn’t prepared to be grateful and happy tracking every dollar for the long haul, I was just sort-of holding my breath until things would be different.
That day hasn’t come.
And so I’ve been thinking. What does it mean to be content, really content, in a socially-connected world filled with beautiful farmhouse kitchens, backyard patios draped with string lights, and beautiful beach vacation photos?
What does it look like to be grateful when life doesn’t meet the perceived status quo?
And actually, I think I’ve figured something out.
For me, I’ve realized that true contentment flows from believing in God for His unseen, eternal promises. You see, when I set my heart on heaven, I am trusting that God has prepared something unspeakably better than anything I could have on this earth.
Ecclesiastes 4:6 says, “Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.” (NIV)
In this life, I run the risk of becoming consumed with the accumulation of more, bigger, and better.
If I’m not careful, the desire for possessions can pull me in like an ocean current, and which could cause me to unintentionally devote my life to acquiring things that could never replace the peace, hope, and joy I’ve found through my contentment in Christ.
I feel the undertow every day.
But here’s the truth:
“More” focused living leads us to encumber ourselves with debt, which in turn prevents us from giving generously to the needs of others. We work extra jobs to afford that mortgage and those upgrades on that new vehicle. We feel we must have two handfuls because they look oh-so appealing, so we toil and chase the wind to have them.
“More” focused living leads us to consume our minds with what we want and how we are going to get it. We devote hours upon hours to dreaming and shopping, either browsing in stores or online. What do we really gain from all our striving after so many wants and desires?
They might make us happy for the moment (they’re not bad in and of themselves at all), but all the pleasure we take in our possessions and experiences is as fleeting as the wind. That new car will soon be stained and scratched; that new furniture will be nicked; that new outfit will cease to delight us, and that vacation, a distant memory.
So, I’m learning what it means to find tranquility in what I do have, and to thank God for it! And I’m learning to allow God to be the guardian of my desires and to trust Him as He guides us down a path of simplicity and trust right now.
Katie Bennett is a blogger and podcaster at Embracing a Simpler Life, and author. Her newly released devotional, Heavenly Minded Mom: 90 Days to Embrace what Matters Most, calls mothers to a new way of seeing life, by seeing it in light of eternity. Get Katie’s free scripture writing plan here: 30 Days to a Heart Set on Heaven.
Gretchen’s $54 Grocery Shopping Trip and Menu Plan for 4
Aldi
1 frozen Orange Juice Concentrate – $1.19
1 Unsweetened Applesauce – $1.89
1 Chunk Cheese – $1.79
1 tub Oven Roasted Turkey – $2.39
1 Half & Half – $1.99
1 Oyster Crackers – $0.79
1 Ranch Dressing – $1.29
1 Spaghetti Sauce – $0.99
1 bag Spinach – $1.49
1 pkg Green Peppers – $1.69
1 bag Frozen Chicken Breasts – $5.99
1 pkg Flour Tortillas – $0.99
2 dozen Eggs – $1.55 each
1 bag Green Leaf Lettuce – $1.29
1 bag Potatoes – $2.49
1 box Breakfast Bars – $1.79
1 bag Baby Carrots – $0.99
1 bag Vine Tomatoes – $1.49
2 pkg Strawberries – $1.49 each
1 lb Butter – $2.45
1 loaf Bread – $0.89
1 bag Shredded Cheese – $2.99
3.14 lbs Bananas – $1.38
2 Cucumbers – $0.49 each
1 gallon Milk – $2.08
Total: $46.89
Dillons
1 Simple Truth Breakfast Bars – $1.50
1 Old El Paso Dinner Kit – $2.99, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon
1 Breakstone Cottage Doubles – $1.25 each, used Buy One, Get One Free e-coupon – $0.62 each after coupon
2 Chobani Yogurts – $1.25, used Free printable (no longer available) and Free e-coupon – Free after coupons
1 Hershey’s Gold Bar – $1, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon
1 Kroger Frozen Cauliflower – $1.19, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon
2 Kroger Snack Medleys – $1 each, used $0.50/2 e-coupon – $0.75 each after coupon
1 Kroger Potato Chips – $1.25
1 Kroger Kettle Chips – $1.39 used $0.50/1 e-coupon – $0.89 after coupon
1 Kroger Brown Sugar – $0.99
1 Kroger Unbleached Flour – $1.29, used $0.40/1 e-coupon – $0.89 after coupon
1 Old El Paso Green Chilies – $1.49, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon
1 Old El Paso Taco Seasoning – $0.85, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon
1 Old El Paso Refried Beans – $1.59, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon
Used $0.25/1 Ibotta rebate
Total after coupons and rebate: $8.01
Total for both stores: $54.90
Menu Plan for This Week
Breakfasts
Cereal x 3
Eggs & Spinach x 3
Waffles, Eggs, Juice
Lunches
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Veggies, Chips x 2
Cheese, Crackers, Fruit, Veggies x 2
Cheese Quesadillas, Applesauce, Carrots
Leftovers x 2
Dinners
Snacks (We’re having friends over for a game night and everyone is bringing snack food. I’m making chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, a veggie tray, tortilla roll-ups and chips.)
Spaghetti, Homemade Bread, Green Beans
Salad Bar, Banana Muffins
Papa John’s Pizza (We’re having friends for dinner and I decided to just make it easy on myself.):)
Venison Roast, Potatoes, Carrots
Tacos, Steamed Cauliflower
Grilled Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Peas
What I Read & Watched This Past 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.
What I Read Last Week
I read Sisters First — the story of Jenna and Barbara Bush. I found their accounts of growing up as the granddaughters of a President and then the daughters of a President to be really fascinating. They did a great job of sharing stories of the wonderful things, hard things, and crazy things that come along with being in this position.
The book also did a great job of shying away from politics and just focusing on telling the stories of what it was actually like to grow up in their world. I found it interesting, intriguing, and inspiring and was glad I read the book.
What I Watched Last Week
Jesse and I went on a date and saw Black Panther. It was very different from the other Marvel movies and we didn’t enjoy it as much. It was okay, but definitely not one that I would say is worth seeing in the theater — unless you have MoviePass! 😉 It was fun to see all of the African undertones, since we love South Africa and the people there.
We also went to see The Post — a movie I have wanted to see for some time. It was a fascinating look at some parts in history that I actually didn’t know a whole lot about (Jesse, on the other hand, knew pretty much ALL of it… but I call him a walking encyclopedia ;)). While it wasn’t 100% historically accurate, there was a lot of truth and accuracy in it and I thought the film was well done. Not a must-see movie, but well done and one that I was happy I watched.
(By the way, we got MoviePasses for Christmas and we have fallen in love with them. You just can’t beat $10 per month to be able to see one movie of your choice every single day. Read my in-depth review of MoviePass here.)
How 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 you really think I need to read or watch?
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I’m SO excited that I’ll be offering another highly popular LIVE online blogging class on Tuesday, February 20, 2018!
In this class, I’ll teach you:
- The one habit you should begin today if you want to set up a successful blog (it might surprise you!)
- The few key things you need to have in place to get your blog up and running (it’s a much shorter list than you might expect!)
- 5 simple ways people are making a part-time or full-time income from blogging (& how you can, too!)
- Plus, I’ll be hosting a LIVE Q&A at the end of the class to answer your burning questions!
This class will be packed with information, instruction, and inspiration. If you’ve ever thought about starting a blog or you are in the process of setting up a blog, this class is for you!
I’ll be hosting one LIVE class at 12 p.m. CT/1 p.m. EST on February 20, 2018. The class will be around 45 minutes long (plus the time for live Q&A at the end!).
Register for my LIVE Blogging Class for FREE here!
P.S. Can’t make the live class? Go ahead and register because I’ll send you a replay link once the class is finished!
A Peek Into Our Life This Past Week (+ an update on our goals for 2018)
A Peek Into Our Life This Past Week (+ an update on our 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! ?
It was a full week — prepping to move this Friday, I taught on Family of Origin and Genograms at large group at Discipleship Group, it was History Week at Kaitlynn’s school, Science Fair at Kathrynne’s school, Jesse was sick, we had guests over, Jesse and I had a date night, I went out for an evening with a friend, we’re in the middle of some big blog projects, and one of my team members resigned which required some effort and extra hours on my part to re-arrange things and find a temporary replacement.
And yet, my heart felt calm. Because even though my house might not be as clean as I’d like, even though I might have moments that feel overwhelming, I know that God’s got this!
And over and over again, He continues to show up and show Himself strong.
Also, I’m making sure to do the best I can to savor some quiet every day, accept help, give myself grace, and take time to replenish & refresh myself.
“Lord, thank you that even when I don’t feel like I am enough, thank you that You are enough. That in You I am enough and that I can rest in You and Your Enough-ness even when life feels a little on the crazy side.”
Kaitlynn and I have been writing notes back and forth this week and leaving them in different places in the house! 🙂
This boy, I love him and his cheerful attitude and extroverted energy so much!
We move this week so we had fun going furniture shopping/looking this past week!
We had friends over for dinner on Friday night and made this Crockpot Taco Soup — it was so easy to make and it was really yummy! We served it with cheese and sour cream and chips.
Kathrynne was awarded Student of the Month at Jiu Jitsu this month!
Kathrynne made the decision to switch to a different Christian school in January.
Switching schools in the middle of the year as a 7th grader is hard enough, but the change also meant she was saying goodbye to some of her very closest friends at her old school.
I’ve watched her walk through this season with so much maturity. She has grown in her trust, in her walk with God, and in her confidence through this.
And we couldn’t be prouder of the young woman she is becoming! I loved watching her ROCK her Tornado Simulator booth at the Science Fair.
The last picture above is my favorite — Kathrynne hugging her Daddy as we were getting ready to leave the Science Fair.
I’m just loving having a teenager! ❤️
Want to try out Rockbox — a jewelry rental service? Watch my latest unboxing video and learn how to sign up for a completely free month!
Have you always wanted to start a blog? Well, maybe it’s time to stop dreaming and just begin! To help you out, I’m hosting a FREE online blogging class on Tuesday and I’d love for you to come!
This class is specifically for you if you are thinking of starting a blog, want to start a blog, or are in the process of starting a blog. In this class, I’ll teach you:
*The one habit you should begin today if you want to set up a successful blog (it might surprise you!)
*The few key things you need to have in place to get your blog up and running (it’s a much shorter list than you might expect!)
*5 simple ways people are making a part-time or full-time income from blogging (& how you can, too!)
*Plus, I’ll be hosting a LIVE Q&A at the end of the class to answer your burning questions!
This class will be packed with information, instruction, and inspiration. If you’ve ever thought about starting a blog or you are in the process of setting up a blog, this class is for you! Sign up for this free class here.
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: 12 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: 9 notes written so far this year
4. Run 500 miles.
**Progress: 70 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 nailed down dates for our trip this past week.
8. Go on a family road trip.
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.
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: 4 Weeks to a More Productive Life launched in January and Content Creation 101 launched in February.
Links You Should Check Out:
Hosting My First Come As You Are Night for Local Women — I got so many emails from people asking for more information about the Come As You Are Night I hosted at my house last week, so I wrote a really detailed post about the entire night, including the invitation I sent out, the agenda of the evening, and more.
What I Read & Watched This Past Week — I read one book that I’m positive is going to make it to my Top 10 list for 2018!
Why I Started Doing 10 Push-Ups a Day — “I thought it was a great idea and something I might enjoy doing… but the reality is that 50 push-ups is a whole lot of push-ups, especially for someone like me who hasn’t really done many push-ups in the last year or two. (Okay, who am I kidding? I don’t think I’ve done ANY push-ups this past year!)”
Slow Day: Week 7
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 Saturday, 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!
I spoke at Discipleship Group on Wednesday morning about Family of Origin and Genograms. Here were some of my notes/my genogram poster board that I brought as an example. I had them set out the night before so I would remember to bring everything I needed to bring.
Kaitlynn and I have been leaving little notes to each other around the house. 🙂 I woke up to find this one on the mirror.
I love this man so much! Here he is helping make lunches for the kids before school.
We kept Valentine’s Day super simple this year — and we just bought Dollar Tree Valentine’s this year.
Silas made this beautiful Valentine for Jesse and I and gave it to us on Valentine’s morning.
I made Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins using this Banana Bread recipe.
It was a perfect evening snuggling and watching Olympic figure skating.
Brigette’s $71 Grocery Shopping Trip, Zaycon Order and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Brigette’s $71 Grocery Shopping Trip, Zaycon Order and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Aldi
1 pkg Smoked Turkey – $2.25
1 pkg Sliced Pepperoni – $1.95
1 jug Pancake Syrup – $1.29
2 gallons Whole Milk – $2.72
1 32-oz carton Half and Half – $1.59
1 8-oz carton Heavy Whipping Cream – $1.55
1 32-oz carton Greek Yogurt (for some reason, this isn’t on my receipt)
2 64-oz cartons Orange Juice – $3.18
1 pkg Applesauce Cups – $1.15
1 can Olive Oil Cooking Spray – $1.35
2 cans Chicken Breast – $3.10
1 12-oz bag Shredded Cheddar Cheese – $2.15
1 pkg Strawberries – $1.49
1 bag Broccoli Crowns – $1.05
1 3-lb bag Lemons – $1.89
2 pkgs Romaine Hearts – $3.58
1 bag Zucchini – $1.45
2 pkgs Baby Carrots – $1.50
1 2-lb bag Carrots – $0.79
1 bunch Bananas (2.39lbs @ $0.25/lb) – $0.60
1 16-oz bag Mini Cucumbers – $1.75
2 Pineapple – $1.78
1 bag Mini Sweet Peppers – $1.69
2 16-oz cartons Egg Whites – $3.98
1 bag Pretzels – $0.85
1 jar Onion Powder – $0.99
1 jar Garlic Powder – $0.99
1 24-oz carton Cottage Cheese – $1.75
1 pkg Hot Dog Buns – $0.59
1 pkg Hamburger Buns – $0.59
1 loaf Sandwich Bread – $0.65
1 Dark Chocolate Bar – $1.99
1 32-oz pkg Spaghetti – $1.09
Total: $53.32
Zaycon
For several years now, I have been buying almost all of my chicken, ground beef, and ground turkey from Zaycon. It’s no secret I’m in love with their quality meat and affordable prices!
This is my first time purchasing their Premium Hickory Smoked Bacon, and it is fantastic! I’ve been wanting to “splurge” on buying their bacon for awhile, but I’ve been waiting to save up enough referral credits. It did not disappoint! 🙂 It comes frozen in 12 3-lb packages, which makes it super easy to throw in the freezer with no packaging work on my end. We love the hickory flavor of the thick-cut slices.
If you haven’t tried Zaycon before, I highly recommend it! As an added bonus, they offer regular sales and promotions, as well as a wonderful referral program.
36lbs of Bacon (@$3.79lb) = $136.44, minus $27.29 (a promo/sale code they were offering) = $109.15
~Used $109.15 of Referral Credits
Total: FREE
Harris Teeter
1 28-oz pkg Seapak Popcorn Shrimp – $3.49, used $0.75/1 Seapak Product – 2-11-18 SS; Includes 8 oz or Larger Only (exp. 04/08/18) (doubled) – $1.99 after coupon
1 pkg Fresh Spinach, reduced – $1.00
1 head Cauliflower – $1.99
1 tub Spring Mix, reduced – $1.00
1 jar Peanut Butter – $1.00
1 bag Eight O’ Clock Coffee Beans – $2.89, used $1.00/1 printable – $1.89 after coupon
1 tub Arla Cream Cheese Spread – $2.99, used $2.99 evic coupon – FREE after coupon
1 24-oz tub Cottage Cheese – $2.69
5 cans Libby’s Green Beans (B2G3) – $2.78
1 bag Red Grapes (2.50lbs @ $0.99/lb) – $2.48
1 64-oz carton Almond Breeze – $2.50, used $0.75/1 Blue Diamond Chilled Almond Breeze Almondmilk – 2-11-18 SS; Includes 64 oz or Larger Only (exp. 04/15/18) – $1.00 after coupon
Total after Coupons: $17.82
Grocery Total for the Week: $71.14
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Everyone is responsible for making/cleaning up their own breakfasts. Choices include:
Fried/Scrambled/Boiled Eggs, Cereal, Oatmeal, Fruit, Yogurt, Toast
(I didn’t buy any cereal or eggs this week in hopes that we will use up some of the random half-empty cereal boxes that have been regularly ignored for weeks now, as well as a few dozen eggs that have past their “sell-by” date!)
Lunches
Turkey Sandwiches, Carrots, Pineapple x 2
Baked Potato Bar (Broccoli, Bacon, Cottage Cheese, Shredded Cheese, Butter), Grapes x 2
Build-Your-Own-Tossed Salad (Romaine, Spring Mix, Fresh Spinach, Chopped Fresh Veggies, Craisins, Chicken, Shredded Cheese, Hard Boiled Eggs, Homemade Dressing) x 2
Leftovers
Dinners
Popcorn Shrimp, Mashed Potatoes, Tossed Salad
Spaghetti Alla Carbonara (family recipe that is similar to this), Homemade French Bread, Green Beans
Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Steamed Carrots, Baked Potatoes, Fluffy Cream Cheese Biscuits
Grilled Chicken, Roasted Cauliflower, Easy Whole Wheat Muffins, Strawberries
Night out with Girl Friends (for me; the rest of the family will probably use McDonald’s gift cards the children got from their grandparents for Valentine’s Day)
Homemade Pepperoni Pizza, Tossed Salad
Venison Bacon Burgers, Macaroni and Cheese, Sauteed Zucchini
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- Search for the company, website, or service you’d like to sign up for.
- Click on “get referral” once the site pops up.
- It will auto-populate a referral link for you to sign up under, so that you get your sign-up bonus for that particular site (and that person gets a random referral bonus, too!)
In a nutshell, GetReferred.com is a community sharing website for referral links. It’s a win-win! You can find referrals to sign up under plus get credit for people who sign up under you.
There are some tricks to getting “seen” more often when people are searching for referral links to sign up under. Once you’re logged in, you can click on the little trophy icon up top to see how often your codes are being seen and complete achievements to be seen more often.
Go here to sign up for GetReferred.com and start earning referral rewards at your favorite sites!
I’d love to know! Have any of you ever tried this site? What has your experience been?
Hosting My First Come as You Are Night for Local Women
One of my big hopes for 2018 was that I would get brave enough to stop waiting for the invitations, and start being the initiator.
Because of past rejection and insecurities, initiation is outside my comfort zone and there are a lot of fears involved for me. But I’m tired of sitting on the sidelines of community and missing out on beautiful relationships. I’m ready to start reaching out, initiating, and opening the door of my heart and home more — despite the awkwardness and fear that is there for me.
So, with this in mind, I put it out there on the internet the first week of January asking if anyone lived in the Nashville area who was craving community with other women who wanted to live intentionally. If so, I asked them to message me.
The Invitation
I had no idea if I’d hear from anyone at all or maybe a dozen people, but I was excited to see where it led.
Well, guess what? I ended up hearing from at least 100 women!! Because so many women responded, I asked everyone who contacted me to fill out a form to share more details about themselves and had them sign a commitment form, as well. (I did this because I wanted to narrow down the list to people who really wanted to go deep in relationships and were willing to put themselves out there and take initiative, as well.)
Here’s what the commitment statement said:
Yes, I am interested in being part of a community of women who are committed to authentic relationship.
In this spirit I commit to the following:
√ I’m willing to be honest and vulnerable.
√ To go first.
√ To reach out.
√ To trust other women.
√ To not gossip.
√ To keep conversations confidential.
√ To love extravagantly.
√ To believe the best.
√ To listen and ask questions.
√ To be gracious when there are differences of opinion and belief.
√ To show up fully and bravely.
√ To be a safe space for other women.
Of the initial 100+ people who contacted me, 50 women filled out the form! I invited those women to a Come As You Are Night. (I shamelessly stole this idea from the pre-release copy I got to read of Just Open the Door by Jen Schmidt.)
The Email
Here’s part of the email invite I sent out:
Because of the incredible and overwhelming response, my vision for what this is going to look like has changed some. I had initially pictured that maybe 5-10 women might be interested. Instead, there were dozens and dozens and dozens of women who answered my initial post and over 40 of you who filled out the Google form.
I realize that God might have something bigger here than my initial idea of one small gathering of women who meet on a monthly basis; I think maybe He’s opening the door for there to be multiple groups (maybe one hosted by you!) across the Nashville area!
So here’s what I’m thinking: I’d like to invite all of you who signed up on the Google form to a Come As You Are Night on February 9, 2018 at 7 p.m. It’s going to be hosted at XXXX.
Wear your comfy clothes (yoga pants or sweats or whatever you feel comfortable in!), bring a super easy snack or drink (whatever you have on hand or something that’s super simple), and come just as you are — without needing to pretend or perform or please or impress. Just be exactly who are, short-comings and struggles and all. 🙂
We’ll gather and get to know one another and we’ll share our hearts and we’ll talk about community and friendship. And yes, there will be questions and conversation starters that everyone will be asked and I’ll encourage you to share vulnerably with the women who are there. (You filled out the Google form saying you were willing to be authentic and vulnerable and go first so I’m going to hold you all to that! ;))
My desire for this evening is that we’ll all be brave and be willing to share openly and, that by doing so, we’ll find some connections and community with other women. Ultimately, my hope is that we’ll all leave with the names and numbers of at least a few new friends that we will plan to connect with on a deeper level in the weeks and months to come.
And 23 women (most whom I had never met and who had never met each other!) showed up at our house for the first Come As You Are night. These brave women showed up not know what to expect or who was going to be there.
The Agenda
The night was filled laughter, good food, amazing conversations, and incredible openness.
For those who have asked for details on the agenda, I started the evening by sharing my vision to connect women, to encourage women to get to know people in their local area, to encourage women to build authentic community, to be intentional and vulnerable.
I shared how my hope for this night was that people would connect with at least a few women in a deeper way and that they might even leave with the names and contact information of at few women that they would plan to reach out to personally and invite over to their home or invite out to coffee in the next week or two — and maybe that become good friends in the coming months!
I then had everyone go around and introduce themselves — sharing their name, where they live in the Nashville area, and telling us one interesting thing about themselves.
The Questions
After everyone introduced themselves, I had a list of 8 questions that I put together and we broke into groups of two and talked about one of the questions for 5 minutes and then moved on to a different person/different question.
Here are the details of this from my notes (for those who like specifics! And yes, I had very specific notes for the evening — because that’s how I roll!)
7:50 p.m. — In an effort to help us all go deeper in relationships tonight and start being a little more authentic and vulnerable, we’re going to do a fun exercise — I have a few questions that I am going to have each of you answer… however, instead of having you share with the entire group — because I know that can be scary and intimidating, I’m going to have you turn the to person next to you and answer the question.
I’ll give you a few minutes and I want to encourage you to ask followup questions, if you have time. Ask why, dig deeper, encourage the person next to you to share as much as you feel like they are comfortable sharing. Don’t be afraid to step a little out of your comfort zone in the questions that you ask.
Remember: This is a safe place. And the more you are willing to share authentically, the more opportunity there is to develop relationships. And great questions are the way to open doors to stronger relationships.
Question #1: Where did you live in grade school and what was your house like? (I went first and demonstrated how I could answer this question. I did this with the first few questions so that women had a little bit of time to think of their answers!)
Trade places with people
Question #2: What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?
Trade places with people
Question #3: What is one of the wildest things you’ve done as an adult?
Trade places with people
Question #4: What is your greatest fear?
Trade places with people
Question #5: What was one of the happiest moments of your life?
Trade places with people
Question #6: What is one of the biggest obstacles you’ve had to overcome in your life?
Trade places with people
Question #7: When was the last time you cried and why?
Trade places with people
Question #8: What are you celebrating right now?
We ended up going over the 5-minute mark for most of the question/answer time (I love that I had trouble getting the women to stop talking!), so we only got through 7 of the questions before it was past 9 p.m. and I wanted to make sure to respect everyone’s time. It was a great way to go deep in relationships pretty quickly and to get to know a number of women in the room in a short span of time.
A big thank you to my friend, Melissa, for all her help with pulling last night off and being my extroverted sidekick! And thank you so much to Jen for inspiring me to stop waiting to be invited and to start being the initiator!
I had no idea how much I was going to fall in love with this hospitality thing! I’m already looking forward to planning another night soon!
Tshanina Peterson attended the event and made a video sharing about how it impacted her life and she gave me permission to share it here in hopes that it would challenge some of you to step outside your comfort zone and stretch yourself, too!
It’s amazing what happens when you just open the door! Who can you reach out to today?
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Why I Started Doing 10 Push-Ups a Day
At the beginning of 2018, two people I follow on Instagram were challenging their followers to commit to to doing 18,000 push-ups in 2018. This would be 50 push-ups a day for 350 days total (allowing for 15 grace days throughout the year).
I thought it was a great idea and something I might enjoy doing… but the reality is that 50 push-ups is a whole lot of push-ups, especially for someone like me who hasn’t really done many push-ups in the last year or two. (Okay, who am I kidding? I don’t think I’ve done ANY push-ups this past year!)
Push-ups just aren’t the thing I usually think to do when I want to get in a workout. I’ll run or walk or do planks or lunges, but I’m just not that into push-ups.
But I was still intrigued with this idea. However, I just really felt like it might be a little much to go from no push-ups at all to 18,000 push-ups in a year. So, in the spirit of what Job Acuff teaches in his book, Finish, I decided to cut down the goal.
Yup. That’s what I said: I cut down the goal.
I know, I know. We hear everywhere that we are supposed to set these big, hairy, audacious goals. And I think there is a time and place for that.
But I also think there are plenty of times and places for tiny, doable, realistic goals.
Jon Acuff shares more about this in his article on Goal-Setting Tips:
We tend to think we need huge goals. Go big or go home! Aim for the moon so that even if you fail, you’ll land amongst the stars. That sounds nice, but doesn’t work in real life. If your goal is to lose 10 pounds and you only lose eight, you aren’t excited. You failed by two, and in that moment, most people give up.
Recognizing that, we asked the participants in our study to cut their goals in half. The theory was that if you only tried to lose five pounds and lost eight, you would have won by three pounds. You’d feel successful and keep working on your goal. The crazy thing is that nothing changed—you lost the same eight pounds, but your perspective was different. What happened when we did this? The people with smaller goals were 63% more successful. Go big might be a good slogan for a gym wall, but if you really want to win, go small.
Armed with this inspiration, I set my own push-up goal for 2018: to do 10 push-ups per day in 2018.
Yes, that was nowhere near as impressive as 18,000 push-ups, but it was still a lot more than zero push-ups!
And this simple little goal has made a difference in my life. Not only have I made this a habit that I now do without thinking (I have done these 10 push-ups pretty much every single day since January 1), but I’ve noticed that my arm strength is increasing, my core is getting more toned, it’s so much easier to drop and do 10 push-ups! In fact, I think I might increase to 20 push-ups a day!
How did I make this a habit? Well, it was three steps:
1. I Decided On a Habit
I chose the habit of 10 push-ups a day because it sounded like a tiny bit of a challenge, but also something that was doable. It would only take a few minutes a day, but it would get my heart rate up a little, it would increase my arm strength, and it would tone my core.
When choosing a habit you want to develop, I challenge you to just pick one. I know that feels boring. I know it feels like it won’t make much difference. I know there are so many areas in your life you probably want to change or new habits you want to develop. But if you only choose one habit at a time to work on, it will mean you have time to focus on that habit and follow through with it.
And when you do something over and over and over again until it becomes ingrained into your day, you can then add another new habit and then another new habit, and another new habit. Slowly, ever so slowly, that’s how you change your life!
So pick that one habit. Focus on that habit. Don’t stop focusing on it until you do it without thinking about it. It just naturally happens. That’s when you know it has truly become a habit. And when it has truly become a habit, it’s time to pick another habit to focus on!
2. I Decided When I’d Do It
It’s not enough to choose a habit; you also need to know when you are going to make this habit a part of your daily life. I’ve found that habit-stacking is a highly effective way to develop a new habit.
What is habit-stacking? Well, basically, it’s using an existing habit as a trigger. So for instance, I already have the habit of running pretty much every single morning. I love running and it’s something that I do without really thinking about it. I just get up, get my running shoes on, and go down to the garage and run on the treadmill.
After that, I come up to our room and take my shower and get ready. So, I decided to stack my habit of 10 push-ups a day onto this pre-set habit: As soon as I get upstairs to our room, I drop and do 10 push-ups. And then it’s done for the day!
If you don’t decide when you are going to do something, there’s a good chance you’re not going to do it. What habits do you already have in your life? How could you stack this new habit onto one of those.
Maybe you want to read for 10 minutes a day, so you put your book right by the coffee maker in the morning and that’s your reminder that as soon as you make coffee, you sit down and read for 10 minutes.
Or maybe you want to remember to write down 3 things you are grateful for. You put a journal in your car and a reminder on your dashboard that as soon as you get in your car in the morning, you open up the journal and jot down three things.
When you make something a part of your pre-established daily routine, it is much more apt to happen. And then pretty soon, it will be such a part of your life, that you can stack another habit onto it! And then another!
3. I Followed Through & Did It
Once you’ve determined the habit you want to develop and decided when you are going to make it a part of your daily routine, then it’s time to just do it! Get some accountability in place, if need be (maybe a friend who checks in regularly, or by posting on social media, or through a spreadsheet or habit tracker app that you use), and then just get up and do it every day.
Developing new habits doesn’t have to be this complicated process. It doesn’t have to require fancy tools or hiring a coach. It just involves picking a habit, choosing a time to commit to the habit every day, and then getting up and doing it.
One tiny habit at a time, one push-up at a time, you can change your life!
How I Found Time to Start a Non-Profit & Write a Book!
The following testimonial was sent in from reader, Hannah, who blogs at Broken & Hopeful:
I can’t tell you how many people look at me incredulously when they discover I started a nonprofit last year, and wrote a book (a short book, mind you, but a book nonetheless!) all while mothering two small children, being a wife, and trying to maintain my household.
Let’s be honest… my house isn’t as clean as it probably should be. But I still can’t believe all of this happened over the last year, and it was really the small steps all added up that made it possible.
I have been following Crystal’s various courses over the last few years, and I started making small changes in my morning routine, using the fringe hours more wisely, and creating the time I needed to be able to pursue my dreams.
I really do attribute being able to succeed in these areas to Crystal’s teaching and mentoring through the years.
I believe the following items were key in making this all happen, and might be helpful as you pursue your dreams in the midst of daily life:
1. I tweaked my morning routine to get up before my kids.
This was HARD for me. I love my evenings and did not savor the thought of getting up before the sun.
I created some motivators to help in this transition — prepping coffee the night before so I just had to push a button to get it started, having my books and Bible in an easy place to find in my groggy state, and making a small prioritized list of what I’d like to get done once my time with God was finished in the morning.
If the kids got up early, I just moved the rest of the list to later in the day or the next morning.
I have tweaked this again in the last few months (the heavy-lifting with writing the book and starting the nonprofit is done) and let myself rest and sleep a little more.
When I start another project, this might change again, but I figured out how to make the mornings work for me, whether I get up hours before my kids or only half an hour before them.
photo from GoddessMychele on Instagram
2. I made the most of small pockets of time.
I spent a chunk of time creating the outline for my book, and then just followed it in writing each section — so anytime I had 15 minutes in between things, I tried to jot a few notes down about that section.
I used the time during my running workouts to really focus on what I wanted to say, and would speak things into my phone to write out later once I was finished running.
When we were camping, I would use times when the kids were napping or hanging out watching a movie and recovering from our hikes to write.
3. I made my work schedule work for me.
I do pastoral counseling with my nonprofit, so I can plan my schedule around times when my husband is home to care for the kids (he’s a firefighter, so his schedule is weird).
Sometimes that requires me to work evenings and weekends, but I can then take some time to rest during the week, and that is ok.
I don’t want to be a workaholic — I want to be productive with my time. There is such a difference, and it allows me to still be there for my family while also getting stuff done.
4. I made changes slowly.
This whole thing took place over about 18 months, and I had already made changes to my morning routine prior to that.
Getting overwhelmed doesn’t help anything, so don’t rush the process.
Whatever your goals are, you can do it!
You can pursue the dreams you have, while still doing all the other things, but it may take a little longer. That’s ok!
Looking back, I can’t believe what has happened over the last year in small bits, and I am grateful that God has been the strength for all of it.
You can order Hannah’s book from Amazon here.
Hannah is a pastoral counselor and executive director of Broken & Hopeful, a nonprofit whose mission is to personalize the message of abiding in Christ through donation-based pastoral counseling to bring rubber-meets-the-road change to this life of loving Jesus and finding hope in Him.
Gretchen’s $63 Grocery Shopping Trip and Menu Plan for 4
Dillons
1 Kroger Frozen Green Beans – $1
1 Breyers Ice Cream – $3.49, used $0.50/1 e-coupon – $2.99 after coupon
1 Kroger Sour Cream – $1.29, used $0.30/1 e-coupon – $0.99 after coupon
1 Luvo Frozen Mango Chicken – $4.99, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon
1 Arla Cream Cheese – $2.99, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon
1 V8 Fusion Juice – $1.50, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon
1 Body Armour Water – $1, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon
1 SweetTarts Hearts – $0.50, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon
1 can Tuna – $0.75, used $0.25/1 e-coupon – $0.50 after coupon
1 pkg Kroger Yeast – $0.99
1 Knorr Selects Rice – $1.99 (I had a free e-coupon for this but it didn’t come off.) 🙁
1 Kroger Tortilla Chips – $1.25
1 Kroger Unbleached Flour – $1.29
1 Simple Truth Breakfast Bars – $1.50
2 pkg Steak – (Buy One, Get One Free) $7.34 for both
Total after coupons: $19.84
Aldi
1 bag Shredded Cheese – $2.99
1 Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate – $1.19
1 lb Butter – $2.49
1 pkg Moo Yogurt Tubes – $1.55
2 dozen Eggs – $1.47 each
1 loaf Bread – $0.79
1 pint Blueberries – $1.79
1 jar Spaghetti Sauce – $0.99
1 Crisp Rice Cereal – $1.19
1 bag Sugar – $1.39
1 bag Mandarins – $2.49
1 can Northern Beans – $0.69
2 Cucumbers – $0.49 each
1 Cantaloupe – $1.29
1 pkg Cheese – $1.79
1 bag Spinach – $1.49
1 Pineapple – $1.19
1 bag Red Grapes – $2.64
2 pkg Strawberries – $1.49 each
1 bag Chewy Granola Bars – $1.49
3.72 lbs Bananas – $1.63
1 bag Dried Apricots – $2.79
1 can Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies – $0.59
1 pkg Flour Tortillas – $0.99
1 pkg Crackers – $1.49
1 gallon Milk – $1.88
Total: $43.71
Total for both stores: $63.55
Menu Plan for This Week
Breakfasts
Cereal x 3
Eggs & Biscuits x 3
Cinnamon Rolls, Juice
Lunches
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Strawberries, Mandarins x 2
Tuna Salad Sandwiches, Grapes
Crackers, Cheese, Fruit, Veggies x 2
Leftovers x 2
Dinners
Chicken Noodle Casserole, Steamed Broccoli (from freezer), Cantaloupe
Soft Tacos (ground venison, spinach, cheese, sour cream), Rice
Spaghetti (using ground venison), Biscuits, Steamed Cauliflower (from freezer)
Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Heart-Shaped Dinner Rolls, Cupcakes & Ice Cream (Valentine’s Dinner)
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili, Chips, Fruit Salad
Hawaiian Haystacks
Grilled Chicken, Fruit Salad, Homemade Bread
What I Read & Watched This Past 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.
What I Read Last Week
I finished two books this past week — one that I am positive is going to make my Top 10 list for 2018! Which one is that? It’s Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.
My friend, Melissa, gave me this book and said it had really impacted her life. I hadn’t heard of it before and 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 really life-changing books. I slowly savored a chapter or two per day and was really sad when it was over with. I’ve already told Melissa that we are going to go through it as a book study once we finish going through Mom Set Free because I’m ready to read it all over again! 🙂
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 often we 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 it will!
There are so many things I gleaned from this book and so many sections that challenged me in deep ways. I feel like I will be processing its message for a long time to come.
One of the areas in the book that really encouraged me was to recognize how much the changes I’ve made in the last two years to slow down and savor life more. I realize how these changes have truly allowed me to become so much healthier as a person — physically, mentally, and spiritually.
There were numerous quotes that I loved from the book, but one that I shared on Instagram was this:
“True freedom comes when we no longer need to be somebody special in other people’s eyes because we know we are lovable and good enough.”
In Christ, we are enough. We are loved. We are redeemed. We are forgiven.
When we live in light of this truth, we can walk in amazing freedom and confidence — and we can love other people so much more deeply and authentically.
I also finished reading The Story of the World: Volume 1 aloud. I started this with Kaitlynn as part of her homeschooling last semester and then, when we enrolled her in a local private school for this semester, I wanted to go ahead and finish it. So I decided to make it a book we read aloud at dinner.
While the writing could have been tighter, we really enjoyed reading it — especially since the kids have studied so much of this in school the past two years and they all wanted to pipe in with their thoughts and opinions on different stories!
What I Watched Last Week
Jesse and I went to see The 15:17 to Paris. I didn’t know much about this movie before we saw it. Jesse had read about it and thought it seemed interesting — especially since it was based upon real-life events. (I found out that it appears to be very closely in line with the actual story.)
It’s the story of three ordinary young men who overpowered a gunman on board a train bound for Paris. The actual young men play themselves in the movie — even though they have no previous acting experience.
The story is slow to build and the acting isn’t great… it kind of feels like you are watching someone’s YouTube video of their life, only the videography is way better than it usually would be if it were a YouTube video.
It felt very slow and untraditional in the way that it progressed, but all throughout, there is this underlying story of overcoming the odds and persistence in spite of failure. When the movie was over with, I felt inspired and challenged… and I found myself mostly liking the movie even though it had lackluster acting and slow development.
Note: There is quite a bit of language in the movie, there is a club scene, and there is definitely some blood and intense scenes. I had to close my eyes during the part where they are helping the man who is injured and bleeding. I just can’t do that much blood. (Read the full review of the negative and positive elements of the movie here.)
(By the way, we got MoviePasses for Christmas and we have fallen in love with them. You just can’t beat $10 per month to be able to see one movie of your choice every single day. Read my in-depth review of MoviePass here.)
We also loved watching the next two episodes of This is Us — I can’t stop talking about what an amazing show that is!
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 you really think I need to read or watch?
A Peek Into Our Week (+ an update on my goals)
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! ?
This week was filled with recovering from sickness, working on moving projects, launching Content Creation 101, a Slow Day and spontaneous dates, planning for the Come as You Are Night (see more below), watching the Olympics, and spending time with friends. Oh and I also decided to try experimenting with Instagram Live…
Join Me for My Daily Instagram Live Show!
So many of you have told me that you really miss my Periscope shows that I used to do. Well, I’ve been experimenting with Instagram Live and it reminds me a lot of Periscope — minus the trolls!
I’ve been hopping on live around 11 a.m. CT every morning to share an inspirational message or practical encouragement. The show is usually 5-10 minutes long and you can interact with me live in the comments. OR, if you miss the show, you can watch the replay for the next 24 hours.
You need to download the Instagram app and have an account. Then, follow me here. You can click on the round profile picture and then it will play my Instagram Live or any Instagram Stories I have recorded over the last day.
Note: I’m currently just experimenting with this to see if it’s something that I want to commit to longterm or not. I’d love your input and thoughts as I decide whether to continue on with it!
I wrote a post this past week sharing about my experience using DiscountGlasses.com.
I also wrote a detailed post talking all about my trip with Jesse to go to the New York Stock Exchange Closing Bell Ceremony.
So this happened Friday night. 23 women (most whom I had never met and who had never met each other!) showed up at our house for the first Come As You Are night.
These brave women responded to an Instagram post of mine asking if you were looking for authentic community in the Nashville area. And then they showed up not know what to expect or who was going to be there.
The night was filled laughter, good food (everyone brought a simple snack!), amazing conversations, and incredible openness.
(After everyone introduced themselves, I had a list of 8 questions that I put together and we broke into groups of two and talked about one of the questions for 5 minutes and then moved on to a different person/different question. It was a great way to go deep in relationships pretty quickly and to get to know a number of women in the room in a short span of time.)
A big thank you to my friend, Melissa, for all her help with pulling last night off and being my extroverted sidekick! And thank you so much to Jen Schmidt for inspiring me to stop waiting to be invited and to start being the initiator through her book, Just Open the Door!
I had no idea how much I was going to fall in love with this hospitality thing! I’m already looking forward to planning another night soon!
It’s amazing what happens when you just open the door! Who can you reach out to today?
Links You Should Check Out:
- Want to know my honest thoughts on the books I’ve read so this year? Read this post on the 9 Books I Read in January.
- We’re in the beginning stages of moving to our new house and we’re experimenting with a new system for simplifying our move. Read more about it here.
- Some of you might be bothered by this, but I see a recipe as a suggested guideline to follow, not a hard and fast set of rules. Here’s an example of how that played out in real-life last week.
- Do you have a houseful of teenage kids? Or just growing kids who eat a LOT? You probably should read this.
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: 11 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: 7 notes written so far this year
4. Run 500 miles.
**Progress: 60 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’re in the process of nailing down dates for our trip right now.
8. Go on a family road trip.
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.
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: 4 Weeks to a More Productive Life launched in January and Content Creation 101 launched in February.