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Shared Mar 27, 2018 comment

10 Ways I’m Taking Care of Me Right Now

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 27, 2018 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Mamas, sisters, ladies… actually, all y’all: you need to make time to take care of YOU.

I know that there are a hundred other things pulling you in three dozen other directions. But you’re not going to be able to show up well for your life if you don’t show up to take care of you.

Taking care of you will look different for different people in different seasons. And it’s looked vastly different for me in my different seasons of life.

But I thought it might be fun (and hopefully helpful) for me to share 10 ways I’m taking care of me right now (remember, that I’m in a season of life where my kids sleep through the night and are very independent and now they mostly just need me to have long conversations with them and take them places!):

Making 7+ hours of sleep a priority. And taking a nap on the days when I get less than that amount.
Drinking a gallon of lemon water every day. Yes, for real. Here’s how I do it.
Starting my day with exercise, prayer, and Bible reading. (Most days, I combine the three. I read my Bible while I do my walking warm up on the treadmill and, while I run, I pray over every aspect of my day, spend time thanking God for blessings, and pray for Jesse and the kids in earnest. I love starting my day in this way of filling myself up with Jesus, getting in a good workout, and praying over my day! I always feel so refreshed and ready for the day once I’m done!)
Scheduling time for fun and down time everyday.
Making sure I spend at least a few hours hanging out with a friend once or twice a week.
Eating a big salad every day.
Drinking decaf/herbal tea instead of coffee.
Guarding my schedule so that I have time to be alone and recharge through quiet.
Having a few truth tellers in my life who regularly check-in with me to make sure I’m not overloading my plate (something I am prone to do) and am taking care of my soul and health and marriage and priorities.
Paying for help — with the business and with our home. This allows me to work full-time and run a successful business, while also freeing up the time to have space to nurture myself, my family, relationships, and other areas I’m passionate about.

Most importantly, I’m learning to give myself a lot of grace. To not be too hard on myself when I fail, when I disappoint someone, or when we have rough patches. Nobody does it perfectly and nobody has it all figured out!

How are YOU taking care of you in the season of life you’re in? I’d love to hear!

Shared Mar 27, 2018 comment

Gretchen’s $51 Grocery Shopping Trip and Menu Plan

Published: by Gretchen on March 27, 2018 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Dillons

2 bags Kroger Potato Chips – Marked down to $0.25 each

1.94 lbs Bananas – $0.95

2 American Beauty Spaghetti – $0.49 each

4 cans Green Giant Green Beans – $0.49 each

1 Think Thin Bar – $1, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

1 Kroger Cottage Cheese – $0.79, used $0.40/1 e-coupon – $0.39 after coupon

2 Green Apples – $0.80, used $0.25/1 Ibotta rebate – $0.55 after coupon

1 PopChips Nutter Puffs – $2.49, used $4/1 Checkout 51 rebate – Free plus overage after rebate

2 Ragu Pasta Sauce – $1.29 each, used $1/2 printable – $0.79 each after coupon

2 Chobani Flip Yogurt – $1.25 each, used 2 $0.50/1 printable that was emailed to me – $0.75 each after coupon

Used $0.25/1 Ibotta rebate for any receipt

Total after coupons and rebates: $6.65

Aldi

1 dozen Eggs – $1.44, used $0.15/1 Checkout 51 rebate – $1.29 after rebate

1 pkg Chicken Breasts – Marked down to $2.07

1 bag Mandarins – $2.49

1 Unsweetened Applesauce – $1.89

2 Cantaloupes – $0.99 each

1 pkg Flour Tortillas – $0.99

1.83 bag Green Grapes – $1.81

1 Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate – $1.19

1 pkg English Muffins – $0.99

1 Half & Half – $1.99

1 bag Green Peppers – $1.49

2.92 lbs Bananas – $1.28

1 loaf Bread – $1.49

1 bag Potato Chips – $1.79 (I bought these before I went to Dillons and saw the marked down chips.)

1 pkg Chewy Granola Bars – $1.49

1 Grape Jelly – $1.39

1 pkg Oyster Crackers – $0.79

1 gallon Milk – $1.88

1 Sour Cream – $0.95

1 bag Frozen Peas – $0.79

1 lb Butter – $1.99

1 Cucumber – $0.49

1 bag (16 oz) Cheddar Cheese – $3.29

1 Spiral Ham – $6.88 ($0.95/lb)

1 pkg Chocolate Chips – $1.69

Total after rebate: $44.37

Total for both stores: $51.02

Menu Plan for This Week

Breakfasts

English Muffins and Eggs x 2

Toast x 2

Cereal x 3

Lunches

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Veggies, Grapes x 2

Mac & Cheese, Mandarins

Cheese Quesadillas, Steamed Peas, Fruit

Cheese, Crackers, Veggies, Fruit x 2

Leftovers

Dinners

Out to eat (I’ll be gone on a girl’s overnight so my husband and kids are eating out!)

Venison Roast, Biscuits, Carrots, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Sliced Cantaloupe (We’ll be having company for dinner!)

Oven Baked Ham (I’ll be freezing the leftovers to use in casseroles and breakfast dishes the next several weeks.), Homemade Bread, Green Beans

Spaghetti, Spinach Salad (using leftover spinach from last week), Banana Muffins

Dinner with Lifegroup

Chicken Fajitas, Rice, Fruit Salad

Bring-Your-Own-Meat Grill Out with friends here (Everyone is bringing some meat to throw on the grill and a side dish. I’ll be grilling chicken and doing chips and chocolate chip cookies.)

Shared Mar 26, 2018 comment

What I Read & Watched This Past Week

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 26, 2018 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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 This Past Week

I read A Place to Land this past week and loved it. In fact, the story was so moving and beautiful that I had trouble putting it down. I’m not usually a huge memoir person, but this one was well-written and captivating.

Plus, I had a big personal connection to it since the author spent 10 years in South Africa! (You all know how much my heart loves that country!) Her descriptions of the food and terrain and people and even little bits of the language she threw in made my heart miss that country so much! (Gratefully, we get to go back in July! I can hardly wait!)

When I got finished with the book, I was thrilled to see that the author had sent me a message via Instagram with pictures of her family so I could put faces to the names and stories in the book. (She had seen me reading the book in a little mention and had reached out and thanked me. I told her that I loved her story so much that I had stalked her online to see pictures of her family — she was so kind to send me pictures because there aren’t many of her kids/family online!)

I loved the author’s realness and rawness to share how hard it was to live cross-culturally, to adopt unexpectedly, and to see her mom slowly lose her battle to cancer — all while she lived on the other side of the globe. If you love well-written memoirs and stories of God’s faithfulness even in the midst of the hardships of life, I think you’ll really enjoy this book!

What I Watched This Past Week

Jesse and I binge-watched the last three episodes of This is Us. (So good! But I’m sad we have to wait so long for Season 3. The mentions of their dad at the wedding had both Jesse and I in tears since he lost his mom to cancer when he was young and not having her at our wedding was hard.)

And then, of course we watched basketball. We had a friendly bracket competition going on amongst all five of us and I’m happy to report that, by some sheer miracle, I WON! Everyone else’s brackets are busted, but I chose Kansas and Villanova to go to the Final Four, so my bracket is still standing strong! 🙂

Poor Silas was not too happy to have been whooped in this competition by his mother who is not the most sports-savvy person — especially compared to himself! 🙁

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?

(Note: 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.)

Shared Mar 25, 2018 comment

A Peek Into Our Life This Past Week (+ an update on our goals for 2018)

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 25, 2018 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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 started with Jesse coming home from Peru (yay!!) but coming home incredibly sick with some sort of bacterial infection, high fever, and food poisoning. He was SO sick and we are grateful for modern medicine because he needed a lot of it! He finally began feeling more like himself around Wednesday afternoon and we are thankful he is okay and is now back to normal again!

I read this book this week and loved it — especially since the author spent 10 years in South Africa and you all know how much my heart loves that country! I’ll share more about how this book impacted me in me book post tomorrow.

I was honored to do a short interview for the Sorta Awesome podcast — one of my favorite podcasts. My interview is the last 12 minutes and I share some really honest thoughts about fear, lies, labels, and friendships. I also talk about my hospitality goals for this year and Discipleship Group.

Also, I am just LOVING leading a group of 220+ bloggers through a 4-Week Live Blog Coaching program. You can read a little bit of one topic we covered recently here.

Silas’ class presented in front of all of the school on Friday morning. They acted out details of the Punic Wars and then talked about how God has been so faithful in the lives of so many people throughout history. Silas chose to share on Noah and I loved getting to see him up on stage and how confident he is compared to the shy little boy he used to be a few years ago.

Two years ago, I was really struggling as a mom. I was often overwhelmed, frustrated, stressed, and scared about the future.

And it was because I was parenting out of a belief that it was my job to “fix” my kids — to be their Savior and Holy Spirit. In addition, I worried a lot about my reputation as a parent.

I wasn’t parenting to point my kids to Jesus; I was parenting to make myself feel better.

I didn’t recognize this, of course, and I wasn’t intentionally doing this. But it was the path I was on.

In essence, I cared more that my kids did the right thing, than that they were seeking a relationship with God. I wanted them to look good and be good in order to make me feel good.

So long as they made good choices, I felt happy and fulfilled. But when they made mistakes or struggled (which was much of the time, since they are kids and all!), I felt shame and guilt and discouragement.

On Wednesday this week, I stood up before a group of women in our church and got to share how God has transformed my heart as a parent these past two years. And it kind of blew me away to go back and remember the stress and frustration and shame and guilt I used to feel.

I’m so grateful for the transforming work of the Gospel… that it frees me up to stop striving and stressing. It frees me to wholeheartedly love my kids and patiently walk with my kids — through the beautiful days and the brutal days, without carrying the weight of shame & guilt anymore.

There is so much freedom and joy in this place, even on the hard days!

If you can relate to any of this or you struggle with Mommy Guilt and feel like you are always failing or are never doing enough or just can’t get it right as a mom, I highly recommend reading Mom Set Free.

This book is SO good. I slowly savored it — reading just a little bit every day — to make it last as long as I could and to really soak in the truths from it.

A few years ago, one of my friends announced her pregnancy. And I instantly felt all kinds of irritation toward her.

In fact, I didn’t want to see her or acknowledge her pregnancy. Why? Because she’d “effortlessly” had two babies in a short amount of time. All while I’d experienced disappointment month after month with secondary infertility.

I realized that my feelings toward her weren’t about her; they were about ME. I desperately wanted what she had… and I didn’t have it.

Here’s the thing I’ve learned from 8 years of secondary infertility: you can’t take the pain away. It’s always going to sting a little (or a LOT). And you will always feel that sadness and longing when you see a baby or a pregnant woman.

But being jealous of her or irritated at her won’t fix anything. It will only hurt you and prevent you from beautiful connections.

It’s the same in all areas of our life. And when I notice myself feeling frustrated or irritated at someone, I now stop to ask myself, “Am I in any way jealous of this person or something in their life?”

You guys! So much of the time, that question uncovers a lot of stuff in my heart that I need to process through… and when I’m finished processing, I realize I have no reason to be irritated or frustrated at them at all!

Let’s choose connection over criticism, joy over jealousy. We were created for community, not comparison!

Photo credit: @kellybeckleyshank

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: 17 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: 14 notes written so far this year

4. Run 500 miles.

**Progress: 106 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!

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. We launched the 4-Week Blog Coaching Program in March and we’re launching a few YourBloggingUniversity.com course in a few days!

Links You Should Check Out:

Hospitality on a Budget — Is it possible to show hospitality when you’re on a tight budget? Well, judging by the emails and comments I’ve received on this topic in recent months, this is something that many of you are struggling with. (I did a live video on this topic here, too.)

Ice Cream Soaked French Toast — Yes, please! (And it’s freezer-friendly, too!)

How I’m Staying Fit in This Season of Life — People are always asking me about fitness. Here are lots of details on what I do, what I don’t do, and how I keep it simple. (I did a live video on this topic here.)

P.S. Need a laugh? This gave us WAY more entertainment than I should probably admit!

Shared Mar 24, 2018 comment

Slow Day: Week 12

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 24, 2018 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy 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 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!

Homemade Pancakes in the car on the way to school… because some mornings, you just do the best you can do, eh? 🙂

I was supposed to teach on parenting at Discipleship Group this morning but because of Jesse being in Peru and then coming back super sick and me spending most of afternoon and evening before at Urgent Care with him, I didn’t have a chance to work much on my talk until Wednesday morning.

I jotted down some of my notes for my talk in the parking lot after dropping Kaitlynn and Silas off at school and while waiting to take Kathrynne to school (she had a later start than usual because they were going on a field trip).

I had some notes for the talk already on my computer, so I used my notebook for the first part of the talk and my computer for my second part of the talk. I had planned to print my notes, but when I went home to quickly finish doing my hair and makeup and make sure Jesse had everything he needed (since he was still sick), I couldn’t get the printer to work.

So I literally just used my computer and notebook when I gave the talk. Yet again, sometimes you just do what you have to do!

I shared some from my talk here and here. And here’s the book (Mom Set Free) I highly recommended that people read.

I met a friend for a quick lunch after Discipleship Group and then went home to check on Jesse. He was doing a lot better (thank you, Jesus, for medicine!) and I convinced him to ride in the car to school pick-ups.

I took his picture (mostly because I was so excited he was up and feeling better!) and he was pretending he didn’t want me to take his photo so he covered up his face with his phone. 😉

After school pick-ups, I dropped the girls off and then took Silas to his flag football practice. It was cold outside, so I stayed in the car and read my Bible and answered texts.

After football, I took Kathrynne to youth group at church and met a friend for tea until it was time to pick Kathrynne up. And I can’t even remember if I did anything else or went straight to bed.

I guess you could say I spent most of my Slow Day in the car! 😉

WANT TO SAVE $100 FAST?!Join the FREE 14-Day Savings Challenge!

Click here to sign up!

Shared Mar 24, 2018 comment

Brigette’s $82 Grocery Shopping Trip, Zaycon Order, and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

Published: by Brigette on March 24, 2018 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Aldi

1 large Spiral Sliced Ham (12.95lbs @ $0.95/lb) – $12.30

1 pkg Penne Rigate – $0.79

1 pkg Organic Linguini – $1.09

1 jar Organic Apple Cider Vinegar – $1.99

1 jar Balsamic Vinegar – $1.99

1 can Parmesan Cheese – $1.99

1 16-oz bag Shredded Cheddar Cheese – $2.05

1 12-oz bag Shredded Colby Jack Cheese – $1.65

2 64-oz cartons Orange Juice – $2.98

1 gallon Whole Milk – $1.36

1 16-oz carton Heavy Whipping Cream – $1.55

1 32-oz carton Half and Half – $1.59

2 16-oz cartons Egg Whites – $3.98

2 dozen Eggs – $1.96

1 jar Organic Ketchup – $1.49

1 Pancake Syrup (this was before I realized it was on sale at Harris Teeter – oops!) – $1.19

5 individual Greek Yogurts – $2.75

1 Pineapple – $0.79

1 Cantaloupe – $0.99

1 Personal-Size Watermelon – $1.89

1 bag Green Grapes (2.83lbs @ $0.99/lb) – $2.83

1 tub Organic Spring Mix – $3.79

1 pkg Broccoli Crowns – $1.45

2 pkgs Romaine Hearts – $3.98

1 bag Mini Sweet Peppers – $2.05

2 bags Baby Carrots – $1.38

1 bag Mini Cucumbers – $1.75

1 Cauliflower – $1.89

1 bag Radishes – $0.59

1 bag Zucchini – $1.49

1 loaf Sandwich Bread – $0.65

1 pkg Hamburger Buns – $0.59

Total: $68.81

Harris Teeter

2 boxes Cheerios – $3.48, used $0.75/2 General Mills Chex, Cheerios, Wheaties, Basic 4, Raisin Nut Bran, Oatmeal Crisp, Total, or Nature Valley Boxed Cereal – 3-11-18 SS (exp. 04/21/18) (doubled) – $1.98/2 after coupon

2 jars Ragu – $2.50, used $0.75/2 Ragu Sauces – 3-4-18 SS; Excludes 14 oz (exp. 04/01/18) (doubled) – $1.00/2 after coupon

1 jar Mrs. Butterworth’s Pancake Syrup – $1.64, used $0.50/1 Mrs. Butterworth’s Lite, Original Or Sugar Free Syrup – 1-7-18 SS (exp. 04/07/18) (doubled) – $0.64 after coupon

1 5-lb pkg Pillsbury Bread Flour – $1.97

2 jars Wishbone Salad Dressing – $2.78, plus receive $1 catalina wyb 2 – $1.78/2 after coupon

2 pkgs Perdue Short Cuts Grilled Chicken – $4.00, used 2 $0.75/1 Perdue Refrigerated Fully Cooked Product – 2-11-18 RP (exp. 03/25/18) (doubled) – $1.00/2 after coupons

4 pkgs McCormick Brown Gravy Mix – $2.00, used 2 $0.50/2 McCormick Gravy Mixes – 3-18-18 RP (exp. 04/22/18) (doubled) – FREE after coupons

1 pkg Tortillas – $0.89

6 cans Pinto/Black Beans – $2.22

6 cans Green Beans – $2.22

Total: $13.70

Zaycon

I’ve been purchasing all my boneless chicken breasts through Zaycon for the past several years. They are fresh (never frozen) and extremely affordable! I always wait until they go on sale for $1.49/lb. If you don’t mind purchasing in bulk, I highly recommend checking to see if Zaycon offers a drop-off in your area.

40lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts – $58.59

~Used $29.78 of referral credit

Total: $28.81

Grocery Total for the Week: $82.51, PLUS a $28.81 Zaycon Order

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Everyone is responsible for making/cleaning up their own breakfasts. Choices include:

Cereal, Oatmeal, Fruit, Toast, Fried/Boiled/Scrambled Eggs

Lunches

Cheese Quesadillas, Fruit, Carrots

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Grapes, Carrots x 2

Build-Your-Own Tossed Salad Bar (Grilled Chicken, Craisins, Shredded Cheese, Fresh Chopped Veggies, Romaine/Spring Mix Dressing) x 2

PB and J on Hamburger Buns, Carrots/Cucumbers, Yogurt

Leftovers

Dinners

Pan Fried Catfish (A friend gave us 2 HUGE gallon sized bags full of freshly caught and filleted catfish! This will last us for about 4 meals, so most of it went into the freezer), Pineapple, Green Beans, Biscuits

Ham and Broccoli Quiche, Watermelon, Tossed Salad, Make-Ahead Butterhorns

Best Turkey Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Broccoli

Crockpot Italian Chicken, Tossed Salad, Easy Whole Wheat Bread, Creamy Milk Rice

Ham and Bean Soup, Cornbread (family recipe from my husband’s side), Fresh Veggies with Dip

One Pot Chicken Alfredo, Focaccia Bread, Tossed Salad, Cantaloupe

Dinner at Cracker Barrel with Friends

Shared Mar 22, 2018 comment

Cinnamon Raisin Ice Cream Soaked French Toast (Freezer-Friendly)

Published: by Olivia on March 22, 2018 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’m excited to be bringing you another yummy breakfast recipe from my youngest sister, Olivia! If you need a winner French Toast recipe, this is it!

This Ice Cream Soaked French Toast is a Winner!

I started making this recipe a few years back when I was looking for the perfect French toast recipe to use on one of our super-sized family vacations. (I’m usually in charge of all the meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking!)

With 25+ people to feed, it can be difficult to come up with a recipe that suits everyone’s tastes. But ice cream-soaked French toast was a total hit with everyone the first time I made it, and we’ve been using it on our family trips ever since!

It’s extremely simple to make and can easily feed a crowd if you double or triple the recipe.

Ingredients for Ice Cream Soaked French Toast

1 cup vanilla ice cream, melted
4 eggs, beaten
1 stick butter (8 Tablespoons), melted
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10-12 slices of cinnamon raisin bread

NOTE: Sometimes I substitute different types of bread if people don’t like raisins. Feel free to switch it up with the bread of your liking, but I think raisins add a special boost of flavor. 🙂

How to Make Ice Cream Soaked French Toast

1. Whisk together ice cream, eggs, butter, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl.

2. Greased your griddle and set it to medium heat.

3. Soak bread in ice cream mixture (working with a few slices at a time) and let it sit for about 20 seconds or until completely soaked through.

4. Place soaked bread on hot skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides, 1-3 minutes per side.

5. Repeat with the remaining slices of bread.

6. Serve immediately with butter and warm syrup.

How to Freeze French Toast

1. Lay French toast slices flat on cookie sheets and allow to freeze for about 30 minutes.

2. Remove from cookie sheets, and place in freezer bags.

3. Freeze for up to 3 months.

To reheat: Place frozen slices of French Toast on a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through.

Recipe

Cinnamon Raisin Ice Cream Soaked French Toast

Author Olivia

Course Bread, Breakfast, Main Course

Cuisine American, French

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 7

Ice cream-soaked French toast was a total hit with everyone the first time I made it, and we've been using it on our family trips ever since!

It's extremely simple to make and can easily feed a crowd if you double or triple the recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup vanilla ice cream melted
4 eggs beaten
½ cup butter melted
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
12 slices cinnamon raisin bread

Instructions

Whisk together ice cream, eggs, butter, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl.
Greased your griddle and set it to medium heat.
Soak bread in ice cream mixture (working with a few slices at a time) and let it sit for about 20 seconds or until completely soaked through.
Place soaked bread on hot skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides, 1-3 minutes per side.
Repeat with remaining bread slices.
Serve immediately with butter and warm syrup.

Notes

Feel free to switch it up with the bread of your liking, but I think raisins add a special boost of flavor.

TO FREEZE: Lay French toast slices flat on cookie sheets and allow to freeze for about 30 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets, and place in freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.

TO REHEAT: Place slices of frozen French toast on a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through.

Nutrition

Love this recipe?

Make sure to share and save it on your favorite platform below!

Olivia is a music teacher, graphic designer, and event organizer. She loves hospitality, ministering to the elderly, reaching out to international students, playing harp gigs, adding beauty to everyday life, and experimenting with recipes in the kitchen. Her greatest joy in life come from knowing God and growing in her relationship with Him.

Shared Mar 22, 2018 comment

Target Savings Tip: Double Check Prices On Your App!

Published: by Gretchen on March 22, 2018 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Did you know you can possibly save money by double checking in-store prices in your Target app?

Simply open your Target app and scan the item. If the price is lower than what is scanned at the register, the cashier will price match it to the price in the app!

Thanks, Rachael Resourceful Road!

Shared Mar 21, 2018 comment

MySurvey: Earn cash or rewards for taking surveys

Published: by crystal on March 21, 2018 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Looking for legitimate survey companies to sign up with?

MySurvey is a company that I have used in the past and earned money from. You can redeem your points earned for cash or prizes, and every 1000 points equals $10.

Go here to sign up.

Looking for more opportunities to make money from home? See my list of recommended survey companies here.

Shared Mar 20, 2018 comment

How I Am Staying Fit in this Season of My Life

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 20, 2018 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

3 Simple Ways I'm Staying Fit During This Season of My Life

Someone recently wrote in and asked, “How do you stay fit?”

While I’ve talked about fitness in previous posts, it’s been awhile and I thought it would be great to revisit this topic again and share where I’m at in my current season of life!

As I thought about how I’m staying fit right now, three strategies came to mind:

1. I make it a priority.

I was blessed to be raised by parents who made fitness a big priority. My dad was a runner in high school and college (he was on the track team) and still runs 3 miles every single day at age 64! My mom is also really into fitness and encouraged us to participate with her in various workout programs (or just long walks or bike rides) many times while we were growing up.

As I watched both of my parents make physical fitness a priority — even in the middle of their busy lives — I knew that it was possible to find time for fitness, if you made it a priority.

As with anything you want to do in life, you can’t just say you want to do it. You have to commit to it and make it a priority. For me, that means getting in exercise as early as possible in the day and making my health and well-being a priority.

When I’m fit, I have more energy, I’m happier, I’m healthier, and I enjoy my life more. I’m a better wife, mom, and business owner. In fact, I wear all of my hats better when fitness is a priority. And it’s worth it!

2. I do what works in this season of life.

Staying fit will look different in different seasons. Right now, here’s what it looks like for me…

Drinking a gallon of lemon water every day. If you drink enough water and stay hydrated, it will help you stay healthy, sleep better, improve your skin, make you feel more energetic, take away aches and pains from dehydration, and regulate your weight and digestion.
I eat a big salad every day, as well as other raw fruits and veggies. I try to eat good protein at every single meal and eat mostly whole grains. I feel better when I eat whole grains, and I know that it’s better for me.
Limit desserts and sweets. I don’t completely limit them. I did for a long period of time, but now I just make sure I eat sweets in moderation.
Get enough sleep. Getting an adequate amount of sleep makes me healthier, happier, energetic, and more productive. It also helps my stress, clears up my skin, lowers my anxiety levels, and regulates my weight and metabolism.
Make sure I’m not taking on too much. Stress drastically affects your health. Having too much on your plate can cause your whole body to be unhealthy. This is something I’ve made a huge priority in the last two years.
And yes, exercise. I’ve learned not to push myself too hard. My personality is the type that I can easily be too driven and I can end up pushing myself too hard. Right now I have three very active kids who need a lot from me, I have a successful blog/business and work full-time + oversee my team and the longterm strategy of the blog, and I also invest a lot of my time into my local community. Because of this, I want to make sure exercise is fueling me, not draining me. So I try not to push myself too hard. I’m doing 10 push-ups per day and a run about 1-2 miles every day. And I try to stay active throughout the day, as well.

3. I don’t compare myself to others.

I encourage you to not compare yourself to someone else. It’s so easy to look at someone else and wish you had her body type or her metabolism.

I’m blessed to have great genes from my parents. They are healthy and slim and active and they seem to have passed on their great metabolisms and love of healthful foods and fitness to all of their kids.

But I know that not everyone has the same body structure or health or metabolism that I do. At the same time, I know that I need more sleep and more down time than a lot of other people do. Sometimes I can get frustrated that I’m not as able to go-go-go as someone else is, but then I remember that I have many strengths that other people probably wish they had.

Instead of wishing we were someone else, I want to embrace exactly who I am and all of the strengths and weaknesses, abilities and inabilities, body type and structure I’ve been given. And I want to make the best choices I can with the time, energy, and ability that I have.

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Shared Mar 20, 2018 comment

Gretchen’s $57 Grocery Shopping Trip and Menu Plan for 4

Published: by Gretchen on March 20, 2018 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Aldi

1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust – $0.89

1 pkg Baby Carrots – $0.99

1 pkg Celery – $0.99

1 pkg Instant Pudding – $0.49

1 gallon Milk – $1.88

1 bag Frozen Corn – $0.79

1 bag Mini Cucumbers – $1.79

1 carton Whipped Topping – $0.79

2 cans Green Beans – $0.44 each

1 pkg Chunk Cheese – $1.79

2 dozen Eggs – $1.37 each

1 Half & Half – $1.99

2 jars Spaghetti Sauce – $0.99 each

1 can Pineapple – $0.95

2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup – $0.49 each

1 Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate – $1.19

1 bag Spinach – $1.49

1 bag Shredded Cheese – $2.99

1 loaf Bread – $1.49

3 pkg Strawberries – $1.19 each

Total: $30.65

Dillons

2.18 lbs Banans – $1.07

1 pkg Big K Cola – $1.28

1 Birdseye Frozen Vegetables – $1.49, used $0.50/1 e-coupon – $0.99 after coupon

1 pkg Hormel Pepperoni – $3.49, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon

1 pkg Kroger Frozen Chicken Breasts – $6.99, used $1.25/1 e-coupon – $5.74 after coupon

1 Kroger Ice Cream – $2.50, used $0.50/1 e-coupon – $2 after coupon

3 Kroger Frozen French Bread Pizzas – $0.88 each, used $0.50/3 e-coupon – $0.71 each after coupon

1 Kroger Apple Juice – $1.39, used $0.50/1 e-coupon – $0.89 after coupon

1 Kroger Oven Roasted Turkey Breast – $2.50, used $0.75/1 e-coupon – $1.75 after coupon

1 pkg Kroger Applesauce Cups – $1.49, used $0.40/1 e-coupon – $1.09 after coupon

1 pkg Land O Lakes Butter – $2.50

1 Milka Oreo Chocolate Bar – $0.79, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

1 Post S’mores Cereal – $2, used $0.50/1 e-coupon AND $0.50/1 Ibotta rebate – $1 after coupon and rebate

1 pkg Reeses Peanut Butter Cups – $2.99, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon

1 Simple Truth Breakfast Bars – $1.50

5 pkg Simple Truth Nuts – $1 each, used 5 $0.75/1 e-coupons – $0.25 each after coupons

1 pkg Solero Frozen Fruit Bars – $4.99, used Free printable (no longer available) – Free after coupon

1 Totinos Pizza – $1.25 – used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon

1 pkg Keebler Crackers – $2.49, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon

1 Zone Perfect Bar – $1, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon

2 pkg Kroger Frozen Cod Fillets – $2.99 each, used 2 $1/1 e-coupons – $1.99 each after coupons

Used Free Clicklist coupon (so the pickup fee was waived)

Total after coupons and rebate: $27.17

Total for both stores: $57.82

Menu Plan for This Week

Breakfasts

Cereal x 3

Eggs & Spinach x 3

Toast & Juice

Lunches

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Carrot Sticks, Sliced Cucumbers

Turkey Sandwiches, Strawberries x 2

Crackers, Cheese, Fruit, Veggies x 2

Lunch out with our Lifegroup

Leftovers

Dinners

Grilled Fish, 30 Minute Rolls, Steamed Veggies

Homemade Cheese Pizza, Breadsticks, Spinach Salad

Spaghetti, Steamed Veggies, Homemade Bread

Poor Man’s Steak (using venison), 30 Minute Rolls, Green Beans, Pudding Pie

Hawaiian Haystacks

Pancakes, Eggs, Juice

Leftovers

Shared Mar 19, 2018 comment

What I Read & Watched This Past Week

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 19, 2018 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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 This Past Week

After reading and loving Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, I was eager to read this followup book called The Emotionally Healthy Woman. While I didn’t necessarily agree with every tiny little thing in it and think you need to remember to not take anything in the book to an extreme, I felt like there were some really great nuggets of truth in this book.

A big thank you to my friend, Melissa, for letting me borrow this book and for encouraging me to read it in the first place.

What I Watched This Past Week

Jesse was in Peru this past week, so I was flying solo as a parent. Which meant I didn’t have much extra time for watching anything myself. But the kids and I did watch the next three episodes of Designated Survivor together. We really enjoy that show.

(Note: It’s definitely a more action-packed show geared for adults and it might be scary to some kids who are sensitive. Silas doesn’t usually watch it with us because it’s a bit too scary for him.)

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?

(Note: 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.)

Shared Mar 18, 2018 comment

A Peek Into My Life This Past Week (+ an update on my 2018 goals!)

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 18, 2018 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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 snowed a tiny bit on Monday! Which meant that, since we live in the South, Kathrynne’s school had a two-hour delay. Silas doesn’t have school on Mondays + it was his Spring Break (he goes to a 4-day-per-week school right now) and Kaitlynn was off for teacher in-service day, so we got to enjoy a leisurely morning… which was perfect for right after we “lost” an hour due to Daylight Savings on Monday.

Did you read my review of this book? I highly recommend it!

We all filled out our brackets for the NCAA championship this week and have a very big family competition going on for who is in first place. 🙂 We were very disappointed that WSU (the school Jesse went to for three years of undergrad) didn’t make it past the first game. 🙁

Silas & I had a fun outing on Wednesday for his Spring Break. Read all about it here.

Jesse left on Thursday to head to Peru for a few days to help put on a Discipleship Conference down there with this team from our church. We’re missing him while he’s gone, but we’re loving his updates and the opportunity he has to go on this trip and encourage and share with the church there.

While he was gone, my mom and sister came to visit for two days. It was fun to get to show them our house and have them stay with us! We took them to some of our favorite places — including the Spice Shop downtown where you can taste test all the spices! Oh man, they have some really yummy ones!

We also went to Winstead Park — which has great historic significance and beautiful views! (We took a lot more pictures from our time together, but my mom and sister said they weren’t dressed presentably enough to have me share the photos online! ;))

I got a text from a friend one morning this week. She was struggling with some big life transitions & she needed encouragement. She was feeling invisible, scared, and overwhelmed.

I texted her these words… and I feel like some of you might need to hear them tonight, too!

“I am standing with you. Well, maybe more like sitting with you! ?

“It’s SO hard to feel out of your element and that you don’t belong. That you just don’t have what they want and you don’t know how to be what you’re supposed to be.

“As I was thinking of your text this morning, I kept hearing God whisper these words to me: ‘She doesn’t feel like she belongs there. She feels like she’s an imposter. That she’s out of her league. That she’s too much or not enough. But with ME, she belongs. I’ve placed her there. She can hold her head up high and walk in confidence knowing that I have called her to this. I will be her ENOUGH. For this day. For this hour. I see her. Her work, her heart… it’s not invisible to me.’”

Over 13 years ago, when I first started blogging, I picked a lot of fights with people by blogging on hot topics. And I expended a LOT of energy defending my positions in lengthy comments & posts.

Guess what happened? Well, for one, I realized (after a few long years and a whole lot of cringe-worthy posts) that I didn’t really know what I believed & needed to stop touting the beliefs & convictions of others & step back and do my some deep soul-searching & understanding of why others believed differently than I did (instead of just adopting the prideful “I’m right, you’re wrong!” mentality.)

But I also realized that spending much of my time on the internet trying to defend myself and prove my point and convince those who disagreed with me to change their minds… all this was just frustrating me, zapping my time, and taking way too much of my emotional energy.

So I quit that blog and made the big decision to set huge boundaries on what I will and won’t blog about (that list includes basically ALL hot button issues) and I also decided to commit to not defending myself online.

Even though I don’t blog about hot button issues anymore, there are still plenty of people who don’t like me online. They wish I would blog differently. They don’t like it when I say this or fix my hair that way. They don’t like my makeup or wish I had addressed something more clearly. They upset that I make money as a blogger. They wish I would go back to being poor. They don’t like how I’ve changed over the years. They are disappointed in my choices. They think I’m too frugal or not frugal enough.. & on & on it goes.

It’s rare that a day goes by that someone doesn’t write in saying they are offended or upset or bothered by things I’ve put out on the internet.

I’ve come to peace with this. It’s part of putting yourself out there. I love the sage advice, “I am not responsible to those I don’t have a relationship with.”

I have amazing local truth tellers in my life who check in and check up on me regularly. I need that. I want that. And it gives me freedom to let almost all of the rest of the negativity roll off my back. Because you just can’t please everyone!

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: 16 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: 13 notes written so far this year

4. Run 500 miles.

**Progress: 96 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!

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. We launched the 4-Week Blog Coaching Program this past week and we’re currently working on a new YourBloggingUniversity.com course that we hope to launch near the end of March.

Shared Mar 17, 2018 comment

Slow Day: Week 11

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 17, 2018 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy 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 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!

Kaitlynn has had extra school work recently because of the end of quarter. She’s been SO diligent and focused and we’re just so proud of her! She got up at 5:45 a.m. to finish a project!

Have you read my post on how I drink a gallon of water every day?

After dropping Kaitlynn off at school, Kathrynne and I sat in the car at Starbucks and talked and I caught up on my Bible reading. I headed to drop off Kathrynne, get ready, and go to Discipleship Group & Discipleship Leader’s Luncheon.

Since Silas was on Spring Break this week, I told him he could pick a special date for us to go on. He chose to go to Dave & Buster’s and he & I had a blast there. Best of all, there are half-price games on Wednesday.

And she came home & worked on more school work. Also, I want to be able to braid like her when I grow up!

Kathrynne and I worked on unboxing some of our Amazon orders together — and we finally have new towels, something we’ve needed to order for a long time!

I left to take Kathrynne to youth group and I met with some new friends at Panera while she was there.

I came home to find Jesse helping her with a few projects.

Shared Mar 17, 2018 comment

Brigette’s $70 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

Published: by Brigette on March 17, 2018 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Aldi

2 gallons Whole Milk – $2.72

1 32-oz carton Half and Half – $1.59

1 bag Rice Cakes – $1.19

1 loaf Sandwich Bread – $0.65

2 boxes Honey Crunch Oats – $2.90

1 box Frosty Flakes – $1.49

1 pkg Turkey Pepperoni – $2.19

2 cans Tomato Sauce – $0.38

1 3-lb bag Jazz Apples – $3.79

2 pkgs Romaine Hearts – $3.18

2 pkgs Baby Carrots – $1.38

1 pkg Radishes – $0.59

1 head Cabbage – $0.69

2 1-lb pkgs Asparagus – $2.78

1 bottle Pure Vanilla – $3.49

1 3-lb bag Pink Lady Apples – $3.59

1 bag Zucchini – $1.09

2 5-lb bags Red Potatoes – $2.78

Total: $36.47

Harris Teeter

4 64-oz cartons Orange Juice – $3.96

2 heads Green Cauliflower, reduced – $2.00

1 bag Bananas, reduced – $1.00

1 bag Zucchini, reduced – $1.00

4 dozen Eggs – $3.08

2 boxes Rice Krispies – $4.00, used 2 $0.50/1 printable (doubled) – $2.00/2 after coupons

2 boxes Mom’s Best Cereal – $4.00, used 2 $1.00/1 printable – $2.00/2 after coupons

1 12-oz bag Frigo String Cheese – $3.00, used $0.50/1 printable (doubled) – $2.00 after coupon

1 jar Smucker’s Fruit-Only Jam – $2.79

1 2-ct pkg Avocados – $0.97

2 boxes Truvia – $3.98, used 2 $2.00/1 printable – FREE after coupons

1 bag Snyder’s Gluten-Free Pretzels – $3.00

1 container Lysol Wipes – $1.67, used $0.50/1 printable (doubled) – $0.67 after coupon

Total: $24.56

Walmart

My husband made a quick stop at Walmart – we live less than 1 mile away – to pick up a few things that Aldi was out of.

1 bag Mini Cucumbers – $1.78

1 pkg Flour Tortillas – $1.19

2 bags Frozen Broccoli/Cauliflower Medley – $1.98

1 2-lb pkg Butter – $4.68

Total: $9.63

Grocery Total for the Week: $70.66

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Everyone is responsible for making/cleaning up their own breakfast. Choices include:

Cereal, Oatmeal, Fried/Scrambled/Hard Boiled Eggs, Veggie Omelets, Fruit, Zucchini Bread (family recipe)

Lunches

Cheese Quesadillas, Carrots, Apples x 2 (Just Like Campbells Soup for me – recipe from Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook)

PB and J Sandwiches/Rice Cakes, Cucumbers, String Cheese, Bananas x 2

Leftovers x 3

Dinners

Baked Potatoes topped with Bacon and Shredded Cheese, Asparagus

Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Roasted Green Cauliflower, Creamy Milk Rice

Hamburger Vegetable Soup (I’ll used ground venison in this), Easy Italian Breadsticks

Homemade Pepperoni Pizza and Breadsticks, Tossed Salad

Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs, Tossed Salad, Bread Machine Buttery Rolls, Asparagus

Date Night Out (Kids will eat something simple at home like Macaroni and Cheese)

Breakfast for Dinner – Pancakes, Eggs, Bacon, Fruit

Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List

FREE Summer Bucket List!!

How are YOU taking care of you in the season of life you’re in? I’d love to hear!

Dillons

Aldi

Menu Plan for This Week

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

What I Read This Past Week

What I Watched This Past Week

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?

2018 Goals Update

Personal Goals

Marriage Goal

Family Goals

Financial Goals

Business Goals

Links You Should Check Out:

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Aldi

Harris Teeter

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

This Ice Cream Soaked French Toast is a Winner!

Ingredients for Ice Cream Soaked French Toast

How to Make Ice Cream Soaked French Toast

How to Freeze French Toast

Cinnamon Raisin Ice Cream Soaked French Toast

Ingredients 1x2x3x

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

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1. I make it a priority.

2. I do what works in this season of life.

3. I don’t compare myself to others.

Related Posts:

OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!

Aldi

Dillons

Menu Plan for This Week

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

What I Read This Past Week

What I Watched This Past Week

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?

2018 Goals Update

Personal Goals

Marriage Goal

Family Goals

Financial Goals

Business Goals

Aldi

Harris Teeter

Walmart

Grocery Total for the Week: $70.66

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

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