I’ve just barely scratched the surface of the world of Instant Pots and I am starting to clearly understand why people are such raving fans of this appliance! There’s so much it can do — and it makes eating at home and getting dinner on the table so much easier! Let me show you how…
I Love My Instant Pot!!
I am falling more and more in love with the Instant Pot I bought during an amazing Black Friday sale!
I love that I can cook so many different things in it so quickly. I love that I can put the ingredients in it and set the timer and then just leave it — instead of having to watch the stove, wait for the water to boil, and/or make sure the water doesn’t boil over.
It kind of feels like a slow cooker on steroids. You just dump the ingredients in, program the time, and leave it be to do it’s thing… while you get on with your life!
There are many, many bloggers out there who are sharing incredible Instant Pot recipes. However, I knew there are some of you who haven’t yet gotten your Instant Pot out of the box and you are feeling scared, just like I was when I first got mine.
So I thought it would be fun to share some “Beginner Instant Pot recipes” on my blog over the next few months as I learn how to use my Instant Pot.
My hope is that these will inspire you to not let your Instant Pot sit in the box any longer! Get it out and start using it — you’ll be so glad you did!
Here’s your Beginner’s Guide for Brown Rice in the Instant Pot!
Instant Pots have a Rice button on them that you can use to cook white rice or basmati rice. However, we pretty much only use brown rice at our house, so that needs to cook quite a bit longer than white rice.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Brown Rice
- 2 cups brown rice
- 2 cups water
How to Make Instant Pot Brown Rice
1. Pour two cups rice and two cups water in the removable metal pot. (You can do any measurement of rice and water that you choose. Always use a 1:1 ratio… meaning 1 cup water for every 1 cup of rice.)
2. Plug your Instant Pot in.
3. Turn it on and press MANUAL.
4. Adjust the + button to 22 (for 22 minutes).
5. Line up the arrows on the lid and turn the lid until it locks (and sings music to you!)
6. Make sure the lid is closed and turn the vent lock to closed (turn it to sealing). This vent lock is loose — or at least it is on mine. Just make sure it is turned to sealing not venting. (See a photo here with more details on this. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.)
It will take about 5 minutes for the Instant Pot to heat up. It will start making hissing noises. Don’t be alarmed.
Once it is heated up, it will start counting down from 22 minutes down to zero.
You can literally just leave the Instant Pot and go about your day. It will shut off once the 22 minutes are up and it will naturally release the pressure within 20-ish minutes of it shutting off and then the rice is ready.
If you want to serve the rice right away and don’t want to wait for the natural pressure release, here how to do that:
1. Let the rice cook for 22 minutes.
2. Once it is at zero on the countdown, wait 5 minutes to let the pressure naturally release.
3. Use an oven mitt to turn the vent lock to venting (so that it’s open).
VERY IMPORTANT: This will shoot out steam. A lot of hot steam. This is releasing the pressure. Make sure you have on an oven mitt. Make sure there isn’t a cupboard or anything above your Instant Pot that all the steam is going to shoot up to. And KEEP YOUR FACE AND HANDS AWAY FROM THE VENT when you are turning it. It is HOT!
4. Let the steam fully release (the floating valve will drop down when it’s released).
5. Open the lid and your rice is ready!
Okay, I know that sounds like a lot of steps. But trust me on this, after you’ve used your Instant Pot one time, it will be so much easier. I promise!
{Need some hand holding to make this recipe? Watch my video here.}
How to Freeze Instant Pot Brown Rice
I put the brown rice in the Instant Pot to cook before I made dinner and then started dinner. I didn’t come back to it until about an hour and a half later.
Here’s what I did to freeze the rice.
1. Take the lid off and let rice cool to room temperature.
2. Scoop rice into ziptop freezer bags.
3. Label and lay flat to freeze.
Instant Pot Brown Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown rice
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Pour two cups rice and two cups water in the removable metal pot.
- Plug your Instant Pot in.
- Turn it on and press MANUAL.
- Adjust the + button to 22 (for 22 minutes).
- Line up the arrows on the lid and turn the lid until it locks.
- Make sure the lid is closed and turn the vent lock to closed (turn it to sealing).
- Leave the Instant Pot and go about your day!
If you want to serve the rice right away and don’t want to wait for the natural pressure release, here how to do that:
- Let the rice cook for 22 minutes.
- Once it is at zero on the countdown, wait 5 minutes to let the pressure naturally release.
- Then, use an oven mitt to turn the vent lock to venting (so that it’s open). VERY IMPORTANT: It is HOT!
- Let the steam fully release (the floating valve will drop down when it’s released).
- Open the lid and your rice is ready!
Notes
How to Freeze Instant Pot Brown Rice
1. Take the lid off and let rice cool to room temperature. 2. Scoop rice into ziptop freezer bags. 3. Label and lay flat to freeze.Love this recipe?
Make sure to share and save it on your favorite platform below!
So easy! So simple!
I love that I can just put the ingredients in the Instant Pot, turn it on, and leave it and then come back to it later. I don’t have to worry about it burning or boiling over or over-cooking. I don’t have to mess with watching for the water to boil or setting the timer and then turning down the burner.
More and more, I see why people are such big fans of this kitchen appliance!
What are your favorite Instant Pot Recipes?
Looking for another great beginner Instant Pot recipe? Check on my post on How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot.
FREE One Week Menu Plan!
Done-For-You Dinner Recipes With Simple Ingredients and a Grocery Shopping List!
Brigette’s $54 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Brigette’s $54 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Aldi
1 gallon Whole Milk – $2.65
1 Cauliflower – $2.29
2 64-oz cartons Orange Juice – $3.38
1 8-oz tub White Mushrooms – $0.69
1 5-lb bag Yellow Potatoes – $1.49
1 5-lb pkg Ground Beef – $8.95
1 32-oz carton Half and Half – $1.79
1 3-lb bag Lemons – $2.49
2 cans Green Beans – $0.98
1 bag Mini Sweet Peppers – $2.79
1 3-lb bag Pink Lady Apples – $2.99
1 Pineapple – $0.79 (great price!)
1 16-oz bag Brussel Sprouts – $0.99
1 bag Baby Carrots – $0.49
1 pkg Zucchini – $2.49
1 Spicy Mustard – $0.99
1 bunch Bananas (2.37lbs @ $0.44/lb) – $1.04
1 bag Pea Crisps – $1.39
1 16-oz pkg Radishes – $0.99
1 bag Gluten-Free Pretzels – $1.89
1 pkg Hamburger Buns – $0.85
2 16-oz cartons Egg Whites – $3.88
2 dozen Eggs – $1.90
2 quarts Fresh-Picked Strawberries (gift from a friend)
Total: $48.18
Harris Teeter
2 boxes Ritz Crackers – $4.49, used $0.75/2 Nabisco Ritz Crackers – 4-9-17 SS (exp. 05/20/17) (doubled), plus receive $1.00/2 rebate from Checkout 51 – $1.99/2 boxes after coupon and rebate
1 Whipped Topping – $1.67
1 2-ct bag Avocados – $1.67
1 WeWalka Pizza Dough – $2.50, used $1/1 SS 4/9/17, plus receive $1.00 rebate from Checkout 51 – $0.50 after coupon and rebate
1 pkg Crab Classic – $1.49, plus receive $0.75 rebate from Ibotta – $0.74 after rebate
Total after coupons and rebates – $6.57
Grocery Total for the Week: $54.75
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Oatmeal with Fruit x 2
Cereal x 2
Eggs and Toast x 3
Lunches
Cheese Pizza, Apples, Mini Peppers x 2
Crackers and Peanut Butter, Mini Peppers, Bananas
Veggie Omelets, Strawberries x 2
Leftovers x 2
Dinners
Hamburgers on the Grill, Roasted Cauliflower, Homemade Baked French Fries
Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Perfect Baked Potatoes, Carrots, Homemade Applesauce
Easter Dinner (at a friend’s house – I am bringing a Fruit Salad, Pecan Pie, and Ultimate Double Chocolate Brownies)
Simple Baked Chicken Breasts, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Creamy Milk Rice
Freezer Friendly Barbequed Meatballs, Twice-Baked Potatoes, Tossed Salad, and Biscuits
Oatmeal Pecan Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs and Cheese, Fruit Smoothies
Leftovers
This Month’s Blogging/Business Income Report (February)
Thinking of Starting a Blog? Over the years, I’ve received many requests from folks for help on how to start a blog and how to make money blogging. That’s why I put together this comprehensive guide on How to Make Money Blogging with updated information and links.
It includes step-by-step help on how to set up your blog, get started, and make money from blogging. Go here to learn how to make money blogging and get started today!
In 2005, I discovered this thing called “blogging” and decided to try it out. I was a brand-new mom at the time, had recently quit working as a nanny, and was hopeful I could make enough on the side through online ventures to be able to replace my income and be able to stay home.
My husband was in law school and we were living on a beans and rice budget, trying to stay out of debt. We never, ever dreamed that my little blog idea would grow into what it has become.
In all honesty, when I started MoneySavingMom.com, I remember telling people that I hoped to make a side income from it. I never could have imagined that by the end of 2008, I’d be making full-time income from blogging!
And in all my wildest and craziest dreaming, I never would have envisioned that this blog would allow my husband to come home full-time, would provide the means for us to support ministries we love dearly (in the US, in the Dominican Republic, and in South Africa), and would enable us to provide incomes for our small (but amazing!) team.
How I Make a Full-Time Income from Blogging
Over the years, I’ve heard the question again and again and again: How do you actually MAKE money blogging??
People seem intrigued by the idea that our family actually makes a really good income from this blog and other related online ventures. In these monthly posts, I want to give you a comprehensive and detailed look at our different income streams and expense streams to give you a better idea of what’s working, what’s not working, and how I actually make money blogging.
I always find these posts fascinating and inspiring when I read them from other bloggers. It helps me to learn the real nitty-gritty details of what is and isn’t working, how bloggers are diversifying their income, and what they are experimenting with.
Some bloggers share these types of posts and include specific numbers of exactly how much they make every month. I’ve opted not to do that because I feel like sometimes people can get hung up on numbers and miss the bigger picture.
Instead, I want share detailed percentages of our income and expenses — not only will this give you a very accurate picture of our earnings, but it will be something that is relatable, no matter the size of your blog or the income you make.
My hope is that these detailed reports not only help give you a better picture of how I make money blogging, but I hope they inspire you with new ideas on how you can increase your income or improve as a blogger or online entrepreneur.
Ready for the numbers? Here’s our income and expenses report for the month of February 2017:
February Income
Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links. All of the products listed below are products and services we’ve used before. If you have any questions about any of the income or expenses, you can leave a comment and we’ll do our best to reply.
All Revenue Streams
- Affiliate payouts (See a detailed breakdown of all affiliates we earned income from below.) — 67%
- Sponsored Posts — 20%
- Banner ads (We mostly work with AdThrive for this. Erin lists more ad companies here.) — 11%
- Digital products (Sales of Make Over Your Mornings, Make Over Your Evenings, and Make Over Your Year) — 2%
Affiliate Revenue Streams Detailed Breakdown
Want to know more how affiliate programs work? Be sure to check out my post on How to Make Money Blogging.
- Amazon Digital Services — 50%
- Other (MySavings, Inc., Survey Sampling International, LLC, DiscountMags.com, 23 Publishing, Media.net ads, Escalate Network, CotterWeb Enterprises, The Selling Family, Topcashback, LinkShare, Ultimate Bundles, and more) — 14%
- Impact Radius — 11%
- Hope Light Mission — 9%
- ShareASale — 5%
- Ebates — 3%
- Commission Junction — 3%
- Link Share — 3%
- Dedicated Media, Inc. — 2%
February Expenses
- Charitable contributions — 33%
- Payroll expenses — 25%
- Partner & affiliate payments (Sign up for our affiliate program for our products here.) — 10%
- Subcontracted services — 9%
- Web-based tools (InfusionSoft*, Feedblitz, GoDaddy, Dropbox, Harvest, etc.) — 7%
- Other (Office space rent, PayPal fees, shipping/postage fees, merchant account fees, bank service charges, utilities, travel expenses, wifi, etc.) — 6%
- Computer, hosting, Internet expenses — 5%
- Health insurance — 3%
- Professional fees (for our CPA, payroll management, etc.) — 3%
Percentage of Income Versus Expenses
Recent Experiments
New Sites Coming Soon!
We’ve been hard at work behind the scenes putting the final touches on my brand-new sites, YourBloggingMentor.com and CrystalPaine.com. The designs are almost done and now I’m working on putting together content, posts, and more. I cannot WAIT to unveil them very soon!
We’re also hard at work putting together strategic email series for those who sign up for our email newsletters. We’ve never been very strategic in the past with our on-boarding process for new email subscribers and that is one thing I knew I wanted to make a big priority if I were to ever start a new site.
Working Smarter, Not Harder
One thing I changed in the last two months was delegating even more of my usual MoneySavingMom.com responsibilities so that I could have good boundaries with work and home life and also be able to devote time to the two new sites.
My sister, Gretchen, has been helping Meg with posts here every day and they’ve been doing a fabulous job of finding, vetting, and posting the deals.
This has allowed me to spend a lot less time in the nitty-gritty daily details and a lot more time in the big picture details. It’s also freed me up to have more time to devote to writing — both for blog posts and for other projects (see below!)
Brand-New Courses Are in the Works!
One of the BIG things we’re working on is putting together a series of courses for beginning bloggers which we’ll be offering on YourBloggingMentor.com. We batted around a LOT of ideas as a team for what digital products we wanted to offer on YourBloggingMentor and I’m super stoked about the final result of all of our ideas and brainstorming.
If you are a new blogger or even someone who is considering starting a blog, I can’t WAIT to share what we’re putting together. It will be affordable, step-by-step, go-at-your-own-pace, customizable, and simple. Stay tuned for more details!
This Month’s Featured Question
This month’s featured question is from Lauren at Funky Monkey Children:
Do you have recommendations for where to find VAs?
This is such a great question! In all honesty, I can’t give you a simple answer, because there are so many variables.
I think you first need to determine what type of VA you are looking for (Someone to do admin work? Someone to help format blog posts? Someone to oversee your inbox? Someone to help with social media? etc.)
Once you know who you are looking for, then determine how many hours of work you think you have for them to do and how much you can budget to pay them.
I personally start by thinking of people I know would be a good fit — usually someone who has some experience online, is someone I have a relationship with of some sort, or someone I know and trust has a relationship with. I will sometimes ask others I know and trust for ideas or names of people they’d recommend, too.
You can also use a VA service (these are usually more expensive, but you’ll typically get higher quality work) or find another blogger who has experience with blogging and who has some extra hours to devote online. Jessica commented and said that she has found great VAs through this Facebook Group.
Don’t ever hire someone whom you haven’t vetted well ahead of time. I prefer to have met face-to-face, have had some phone calls, and have some recommendations. I also always start with smaller, short-term jobs first before moving to a more permanent working relationships.
Remember, that it’s very important to vet your VAs to make sure they’re a good fit for you. See my recommendations on this past income report.
Note: Finding a good VA isn’t always about finding the most experienced person for the job. If the chemistry isn’t there, it can end up being a total flop hire. Hire the person who is reliable, willing to learn and grow with your business, and who comes through for you — even if they aren’t an expert!
Highly Recommended Blogging Resources
- How to Blog for Profit Without Selling Your Soul by Ruth Soukup
- Building a Framework: The Ultimate Blogging Handbook by Abby Lawson
- Brilliant Pin Promotion Course by Beth Anne Schwamberger
- FB Brilliance: The Ads Course for Business Builders
Want to Start Your Own Blog?
I’m here to help! Check out my comprehensive guide on How to Make Money Blogging with updated information and links. It includes step-by-step help on how to set up your blog, best practices for blogging, and all the details on how to make money from blogging.
Also, if you haven’t done so already, be sure to sign up for my FREE 5-day course on How I Make a Full-Time Income From Home. This video course will give you an inside peek into my blogging and business journey, will share lots of inspiration and hard lessons I’ve learned in the process, and will encourage you with ideas on how you can make a part-time or full-time income from home, too.
Previous Income Reports
- August 2016 Income Report
- September 2016 Income Report
- October 2016 Income Report
- November 2016 Income Report
- December 2016 Income Report
- January 2016 Income Report
More Posts on Blogging
-
- Help! I Want to Start a Blog, But Isn’t the Market Already Saturated?
- Help! I Want to Start a Blog, But I Can’t Figure Out What I Should Blog About!
- The 3 Most Important Things You Should Do After You Start a Blog
- Why I Think You Should Break the “Blogging Rules”
- 5 Questions to Ask When You Feel Like Quitting Your Blog
My 10 Goals for 2017: April 11th Update
Welcome to my monthly post where I share an update on how I’m doing on my goals for 2017. I hope that this post inspires you in your own goal-setting journey!
It’s time for another goal update for 2017! March was kind of an off month for me because my assistant was offline for two weeks and then, the day after she came back, Jesse left for 13 days! So I’m posting this late, as a result.
We knew it was going to be a full and somewhat overwhelming 4-week period, so I gave myself permission to just make it through, take care of the essentials, and try to not neglect my health in the process.
And I MADE IT! I didn’t get a whole lot accomplished other than the essentials, but I learned a lot and grew a lot from the last 4 weeks, so I’m celebrating that… and hoping that I can get back on the bandwagon with my goals this month!
I’ll be sharing a recap of each of my goals + an update on how I’m doing on each of them below. (If there’s no update listed, I have no update to report. Hopefully I’ll have an update next month!)
Personal Goals
1. Run 3 miles in 30 minutes — I took up running again this year — as part of my fitness plan that my nutritionist put together for me. I’ve never been skilled in the running department, but I’ve started to really enjoy it and am wanting to push myself here and be able to easily run 3 miles in 30 minutes.
April 11th update: I’m on a more intentional running regimen — varying between easy runs, long runs, progressive runs, and HIIT workouts + intentional warm-up and cool down. My nutritionist is a runner so he is putting together a run training schedule for me each week!
This month, I’m averaging about 2.4 miles in 30 minutes — the same as last month. With everything going on in March (see beginning of this post), I decided to just maintain where I was at instead of trying to beat my times from last month.
(I could push myself and do more, but my nutritionist is encouraging me to not push myself too hard, too fast and instead to slowly build up my endurance. So I’m trying to take my time and not get impatient. Because I know that slow and steady wins the race!)
2. Make it to Phase 4 of the nutrition plan — I’m currently working through a 4-phase custom nutritional plan with my nutritionist. I start in Phase 1 back at the end of August 2016. He thinks that at the rate I’m going and progressing, I’ll be able to start Phase 4 by mid-2017! And I guess that when I hit Phase 4, I’ll feel absolutely and utterly amazing!
April 11th update: I started Phase 3 in February! This means I get to introduce back in quite a bit more foods and have more wiggle room as far as what I can and can’t eat. Plus, it means that I’ll be eating even more — which is crazy because I feel like I eat so much right now. 🙂
I love how my tastes have changed so much in the last few months. I crave healthy foods almost all the time and rarely have a desire to eat something that isn’t something nourishing. I even like celery now — a food I couldn’t stomach before!
I think one of the biggest things that has changed is that I’ve really made taking care of my health a top priority in my life. And the benefits and results of that are pretty amazing!
3. Read 48 books I already own — I didn’t read as much in 2016 nor did I set any reading goals because I let myself have a lot more time to rest, feel, think, process, sleep, and just slowly go through one or two books at time. I wanted to see what that felt like… and I realized it was good for a year, but now I’m anxious to get back to more reading and having a few books going at once! I decided to challenge myself this year to focus on reading books I already own.
So I picked 48 books — a stack of 12 books that were old Christian reprints, a stack of 12 books that were story driven, a stack of 12 books that were about improving your life, and a stack of 12 books to encourage me in my Christian walk. My plan is to try to read one from each stack each month.
April 11th update: See all 36 books and ebooks I’ve read in 2017 so far here! Yay! It feels so good to be back to reading again! Here’s what I’ve read so far this year from books I already own:
January: Candles in the Dark, Grace Not Perfection, A Trip Around the Sun, and The Giver. Of those 4 books, The Giver definitely was the one that impacted me the most profoundly. I wrote more about it here.
February: Answers to Prayer, Hope in Front of Me, The Cozy Life, Be Real.
March: If, Lilac Girls, Just Do Something, Unashamed
Marriage Goals
4. Go on a 4-day completely unplugged trip — Jesse and I went to Hawaii last year and it was downright incredible. I left my computer at home and didn’t get online or on social media the entire time. It was BLISS!! We walked for miles on the beach, I fell in love with the ocean, I read 10 books (!), we scouted out the cheapest food options (because the food is SO $$ there! But never fail, we found a Subway we could walk to a few miles away from our hotel!), and we just had so much fun together.
We’re planning to do the same sort of trip of this year, but we’re going somewhere different. We’re currently saving up and looking for deals so that we can do the trip for just a few hundred dollars like the Hawaii trip!
Family Goals
5. Go to South Africa as a family — Our kids have been begging to go back to South Africa and we’ve set a goal to make that happen this year. We’re hoping to find a great deal on tickets like we did last time during a timeframe that works for our friends in South Africa. The kids are already getting really anxious thinking about it (and of course, Jesse and I are, too!!)
April 11th update: So, after quite a bit of investigation and back and forth with our friends in South Africa, we don’t believe that it’s going to work out for us to go this year because the only window of time we have long enough to make it happen this summer (and allow time on either side of the trip to prepare and recover) is the one time when the families there can’t do it. Instead, we’re planning a family trip to London this summer (!!!!) and are getting a trip planned for 2018 to South Africa.
Financial Goals
6. Sell our 3 rental houses in Kansas — So, we loved having rental houses and it’s been a great investment for us (we paid cash for them and have turned a profit on them pretty much every single month we’ve had them!), but we have decided that we’d like to sell them (and hopefully turn an additional profit when we sell them) and put that money into our house savings. Then, once we’ve purchased a house here, we’ll start saving to invest in local real estate.
April 11th update: We sold one of our houses!!! We’re putting the other two on the market in the next 2 months. (We wanted to give our tenants enough time to find other housing options so we gave them a longer notice than usual — because I know what it’s like to be a renter and want to treat our renters like we’d like to be treated!)
7. Save up to pay cash for a house here in TN — As I mentioned above, this is something we’ve been mulling over a lot this past year and thinking through and have decided to start saving aggressively for in 2017. We currently have around 15% of the total amount we’d like to save set aside in our house savings fund. By selling our rental houses, we should have about 75% of the total amount saved… which will mean, we should be able to save the additional 25% needed this year if we careful and strategic.
And yes, homes in this area are much more expensive than Kansas!! We could move about 30 minutes away and homes would go down significantly in price, but we love this area and we love being so close to our church, to the kids’ school, and to other places we go to on a weekly basis. We’ve also decided we’d like to buy something that would be our “forever home” and would give us enough space to have offices + bedrooms for each of the kids.
April 11th update: Since we sold one of our rental houses (see above), we are now at 40% of our savings goal!!! If we can sell the other two houses in the next 3-4 months + save all we can during that time period, we should be really, really close to our goal!!
**Not listed specifically, but very important to us: We decided to take a leap of faith and significantly increase our giving this year. We didn’t feel comfortable listing the details of that as a goal here publicly, but we wanted to acknowledge that this was happening. Because honestly, it’s our heartbeat and one of the main reasons I’m highly motivated to be strategic with what I do online — so that we can give generously to causes and people near and dear to our hearts.**
Business Goals
8. Release 2 online courses.
April 11th update: We are in the process of putting together not just two courses, but an entire SERIES of courses for YourBloggingMentor.com that we’ll be slowly launching over the next year. I cannot WAIT to share more! But first, we have to get the site done (see below).
9. Start 2 new blogs — I shared more here about the big changes for this blog in 2017 — including two brand-new blogs I’m launching.
April 11th update: We made a TON of progress behind the scenes getting CrystalPaine.com and YourBloggingMentor.com set up. Everything is almost finished for the launch, but we decided to add some extra things before we launched, so we pushed the date by a few weeks. Look for more details on the launch of YourBloggingMentor.com very, very soon and then CrystalPaine.com will be coming soon after that.
10. Learn YouTube/iMovie — You can follow me on YouTube if you want to watch me learn! ?
April 11th update: I’ve had fun editing and publishing YouTube videos and feel like I’ve made a lot of headway in learning tricks and strategies and what works. I’ve subscribed to some new YouTube channels over the past few weeks to be inspired and I feel like I’m slowly getting more and more confident in this area and learning new tricks each week.
I have a long way to go, but I’m having so much fun! I also decided that publishing a video 5 days per week (what I was initially planning) is too much for my schedule. Instead, I’m shooting for 2 videos per week. That seems to be a good pace for me! You can watch my recent YouTube videos here.
How are YOU doing on your goals for 2017? Leave a comment and let us know!
A Peek Into My Life This Past Week (some raw & honest thoughts)
A Peek Into My Life This Past Week (some raw & honest thoughts)
This week, instead of my usual Peek Into My Life This Past Week post, I just wanted to share some honest thoughts about what I learned from Jesse being gone for 13 days in Israel. It’s raw and honest, but I hope it might encourage some of you who maybe struggle with similar things…
Some of you have wondered why Jesse being gone was so hard for me. Honestly, I debated whether or not to share about this experience online. Because it’s easier to pretend that I’m more confident and capable than I really am.
The truth is: I’m way more introverted and insecure than most people would ever expect me to be. I almost always get anxious over making phone calls, driving to places I’ve never been to before, and talking to people I don’t know really well. I’ve pushed myself far, far outside of my comfort zone the past five years, but there are still plenty of “normal life things” that make me really nervous or cause me to feel like shutting down from anxiety.
I rely on Jesse a lot. Probably way too much. He’s the one who deals with coaches and teachers and doctors and repairmen and basically any situation where I’d have to make a phone call or interact with someone I don’t know well.
So I’d been dreading him being gone because I knew it would mean I’d have to put on my big girl pants and face a bunch of anxiety-inducing situations without him. Little did I know that my phone would get lost (or stolen?), our cars would break down, and I’d need to make lots of phone calls and interact with WAY more people as a result.
Did it scare me? Yes. Did I have a few minor panic attacks? Yes. But you guys… I’m so grateful for these past two weeks because I grew up as a result of them.
I drove all over Nashville. I made phone calls. I dealt with the AT&T people, the phone insurance company, our landlords, teachers, coaches, parents, doctors, repairmen, and all sorts of situations that were brand-new to me.
I got to rely on God, not my husband. And it was good for me. And I learned that, with God’s help, I’m much more capable & competent than I believed myself to be!
And I’m super excited that Jesse is HOME… as of 2 a.m. this morning! And I have crazy new appreciation and amazement for all the single parents, the military parents, and the parents whose spouses travel for work regularly. You all are all kinds of incredible and you inspire me.
Next week, I’ll be back to my regular Sunday Peek Into My Life This Week Post. Thanks for your patience with me these past two weeks as I haven’t been as present or consistent on the blog here. Sometimes, blogging takes a back burner to real life! 🙂
P.S. Need a laugh? Watch this video where my daughter professes her love for butter. I’m raising her right. 😉
Gretchen’s $49 Grocery Shopping Trip and Menu Plan
Aldi
1 Oven Roasted Turkey Breast – $2.39
1 bag Mini Marshmallows – $0.89
1 bag Broccoli – $1.79
1 loaf Bread – $0.85
1 Rice Cakes – $1.29
1 Table Salt – $0.39
1 gallon Milk – $1.68
1 pkg Boneless Skinless Frozen Chicken Breasts – $5.99
1 lb Butter – $1.99
1 lb Ground Beef – $2.69
1 Sour Cream – $1.19
1 dozen Eggs – $0.52
1 Cantaloupe – $0.99
2 Cucumbers – $0.49 each
1 Applesauce – $1.89
1 bag Chocolate Chips – $1.49
2 bags Frozen Veggies – $0.79 each
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup – $0.49
1 bag Baby Carrots – $0.99, used $0.10 Mobisave rebate – $0.89 after rebate
2 pkgs Cheese – $1.79 each
Total after rebate: $35.04
Dillons
1 Kroger Ice Cream – $2.19
1 Romaine Lettuce – $1.49
2 Honey Nut Cheerios – $1.99 each, used $1/2 e-coupon AND $1/2 SavingStar.com rebate – $0.99 each after coupon and rebate
2 Sunbelt Granola Bars – $1.69 each (I had a Buy One Get One Free coupon I handed to the cashier but when I got home and looked at my receipt, it wasn’t on there. It must have gotten stuck to one of my other coupons.) 🙁
1 Jello Simply Good – $1, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon
1 Kettle Chips – $1.79, used $1/1 e-coupon – $0.79 after coupon
2 Hormel Rev – $0.99 each, used 2 $0.50/1 printable AND $1/2 Mobisave rebate – Free after coupons and rebate
1 Red Grapes – $2.26, used $0.25 Checkout 51 rebate – $2.01 after rebate
1 Hormel Turkey & Cheese Snacks – $0.99 each, used $1/1 printable – Free after coupons (I had two of these coupons, but once again, only one was taken off on my receipt. Obviously, I’m still trying to figure out how to juggle two kids while checking out with coupons and watching the computer carefully!)
2 Nabisco Ritz Crackers – $1.89 each, used $0.75/2 e-coupon AND $1/2 Checkout 51 rebate – $1.02 each after coupon and rebate
4 Plum Baby Food Pouches – $0.49 each, used 2 $1/2 printable – Free after coupons
Total after coupons and rebates: $14.88
Total for both stores: $49.92
Menu Plan for This Week
Breakfasts
Eggs & Toast x 4
Cereal x 2
Breakfast out (Special family date after church!)
Lunches
Turkey Sandwiches, Chips, Carrots
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Veggies
Crackers, Cheese, Veggies, Fruit x 2
Mac & Cheese, Veggies
Leftovers x 2
Dinners
Soft Tacos, Sliced Apples
Homemade Pizza, Breadsticks, Tossed Salad
Waffles, Eggs, Fruit Salad
Spaghetti, Steamed Veggies, Amish White Bread
Dinner with in-laws
Sour Cream Chicken, Steamed Veggies, Rice
Salad Bar with Grilled Chicken, Amish White Bread
How to Freeze Avocados
Can you freeze avocados? I set out to answer that question a few weeks ago and here are my results!
Y’all know I love me some clearance buys at Kroger. I mean, really, those yellow WOOHOO stickers make my heart skip a little beat.
{I might have issues. Okay, let’s face it. I do have issues. But hey, this weirdness has saved us a LOT of money over the years and it has certainly helped to keep life interesting! ;)}
Our Kroger has a section for marked down produce and they have these red mesh bags that they fill with produce. Each bag is just $0.99. Sometimes, it will be a pretty sorry deal — like 3 half-rotten apples for $0.99 or 5 potatoes for $0.99. But oftentimes, there are some really amazing deals in these red mesh bags.
Case in point, a few weeks ago, I went to the store and saw an incredible deal on avocados. And by incredible, I really mean incredible.
They had bags of 6-7 avocados that were ripe (but not overripe) for just $0.99 per bag! I love avocados and I eat a LOT of them on the eating plan I’m on.
Right now, avocados are usually priced around $0.88 per avocado (I’ve seen them for as low as $0.25 to $0.30 each at ALDI, but that’s very rare) and I usually eat one avocado almost every single day.
So this was a BIG score for me! The only problem? I knew I couldn’t eat them all up before they went bad.
I remembered something I’d read somewhere online about freezing avocados, so I literally whipped out my phone in the middle of the store and googled, “Can you freeze avocados?”
{What did we do before the days when we could stand in the grocery store and have all of the internet at our finger tips??}
From what I found, it looked like it was worth the risk to attempt freezing them. There were six bags and I decided to play it safe and only buy 3 bags, just in case my experiment was a flop.
To freeze them, I pitted them, scooped out the insides, and then mashed those up and added some salsa and lime juice. I then stuck them in freezer bags, pressed them flat and put them in the freezer.
A week later, I thawed one out and it tasted great! I stored it in the fridge for a few days and ate some every day to see how it fared. I’d say that it’s best to use it the day you thaw it, though it was still fine a few days later — it was just a darker brown color and didn’t look too appetizing!
I opted to freeze my avocados with salsa and lime juice for flavoring because I usually eat my avocados with salsa. You could also add other seasonings, herbs, or flavorings to it — such as salt, cilantro, tomatoes, onions, or cayenne pepper. Onions and tomatoes can be a little on the iffy side to freeze, though, so you could also add those in fresh after you thaw the avocados.
You can also freeze avocados halved if you want to use them in smoothies.
Want more details? Watch my quick YouTube video to see how I made this! (Psst! Are you subscribed to my YouTube channel? If not, what are you waiting for? Go subscribe here so you never miss any of my new weekly videos!)
Brigette’s $50 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Brigette’s $50 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
We will be out-of-town 4 days this week (yay for Spring Break!), so I didn’t buy as much at the grocery store. I’ll be relying on our freezer stash of chicken and venison for the nights that we are here.
Aldi
2 cans Green Beans – $0.98
1 head Cauliflower – $2.29
1 3-lb bag Sweet Potatoes – $0.99
1 bag Sliced Pepperoni – $2.19
1 bag Romaine Hearts – $1.99
1 bag Mini Sweet Peppers – $2.79
1 can Parmesan Cheese – $2.29
1 64-oz carton Orange Juice – $1.69
1 pkg Artisan lettuce – $1.99
1 gallon Milk – $2.27
2 bags Baby Carrots – $1.98
1 1-lb pkg Sliced Turkey – $3.19
1 16-oz carton Heavy Whipping Cream – $1.89
1 pkg Zucchini – $2.49
1 dozen Eggs – $0.99
1 bunch Bananas (2.35lbs @ 0.44/lb) – $1.03
1 pint Grape Tomatoes – $1.89
1 bag Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chips – $1.09
2 Avocados – $2.58
Total: $36.60
Harris Teeter
1 bag Steamable Fresh Broccoli, reduced – $1.00
1 bag Kale, reduced – $1.00
2 cans Carnation Evaporated Milk – $0.94
1 1-lb bag Mahatma Brown Rice – $1.00, used $0.50/1 Mahatma or Water Maid Rice, exp. 4/30/17 (RP 01/29/17 #2) (doubled) – FREE after coupon
2 5-lb bags Harris Teeter All-Purpose Flour – $1.94
1 jar Polaner All-Fruit Raspberry Jam – $2.00
5 8-oz bags Shredded Cheese – $6.58
Total: $13.46
Grocery Total for the Week: $50.06
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Scrambled Eggs and Toast (Veggie Omelets for me) x 2
Breakfast at Campout (provided)
Breakfast at Hotel (provided)
Cereal x 2
Oatmeal
Lunches
Sub Sandwiches, Carrots, Apples x 2
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches, Mini Peppers and Grape Tomatoes, Chips x 2
Lunch Out
Leftovers x 2
Dinners
Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli, Rice Casserole, Tossed Salad, Southern Biscuits
Dinner at Campout (provided)
Dinner at Hotel (Drury Inn – provided)
Upside Down Pizza (using pepperoni instead of hamburger), Kale Salad (I will leave the cilantro out)
Date Night (Kids will eat something simple at home while Eirik and I go out)
Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Roasted Carrots, Mashed Potatoes
Baked Chicken, Green Beans, Easy Whole Wheat Bread
How an Internet Friendship Changed My Life
(Note: This post is sponsored by B&H Publishing Group. Read our disclosure policy here.)
Lisa-Jo and I met online soon after I began blogging (maybe in 2008 0r 2009?). We had mutual friends, we read some of the same blogs, and we started to get to know one another a little bit from the internet.
We met briefly in person at the Relevant Conference in 2010. Little did I know at the time that this was a woman who was going to profoundly impact my life.
I actually arrived at that conference wounded and hurting from a recent internet friendship break-up. I remember distinctly feeling so jaded by internet friendships that I told myself, “I will never be close friends with another blogger again.”
So, I wanted to put up pretty strong walls at that conference just to be safe. But there was such warmth and authenticity and kindness oozing from the women at this conference that I just couldn’t keep those walls there for long!
Lisa-Jo was one such woman who I almost instantly fell in love with. She was honest and funny, but most of all, when you were talking with her, you could tell that she really, really, really cared about you and your soul.
Over the next few years, we saw each other at multiple conferences and got to know one another a little better. And each time, I fell more in love with her. I was still leery of internet friendships, but I couldn’t get enough of her warm personality, so more and more, I let my thick walls down and let myself begin trusting her.
In 2013, Lisa-Jo asked me to read a pre-release copy of her new book, Surprised By Motherhood. Now you have to know this: I get asked to read pre-release copies of books a lot. I usually say no because, well, you know there are things like laundry and dishes and kids to care for… and if I said yes to every request, I’d probably never get a chance to sleep! 🙂
But I said yes to Lisa-Jo because she’d been such a cheerleader of me and I was excited about the opportunity to support her. Little did I dream what God had in store for the future through that pre-release copy of her book!
I loved Surprised By Motherhood so very much that I wrote her and — uncharacteristically — asked her if there was any way I could help her promote it. I look back and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was God who prompted me to ask that!
Well, the email she sent back just blew me away. She shared with me about this huge vision she has to impact the culture in South Africa — where she grew up, where three of her siblings are adopted from, and where her parents still live and minister.
As she shared about this massive dream she had to encourage women around the globe to come together to change a community of kids in South Africa, I knew I had to tell my readers about it.
Lisa-Jo didn’t know I was going to blog about it. We hadn’t talked ahead of time about the best strategy or post time or anything like that.
She just put her post up, I followed up with a post encouraging you all to Fall in Love With the World Next Door, and then dozens upon dozens of our readers and blog friends shared those posts with their friends.
We were absolutely humbled and stunned and overwhelmed by the donations and emails that came in — from all over the world. Hundreds of you gave.
It was one of the most beautiful Valentine’s Days I’ve ever celebrated. Because of your giving hearts, a community center, veggie garden, and playground was funded for the Maubane community in South Africa.
It still gives me goosebumps to think about.
But I had this nagging feeling that this wasn’t the end of the road for my involvement in South Africa. My heart kept feeling a pull that we were supposed to do something more.
I didn’t know what that more looked like, but I just felt like we weren’t done there yet. Lisa-Jo felt the same way.
And then one day, she asked me, “Would you like to GO with me to South Africa?”
Even though it scared me so much, even though I’d never really traveled outside the US before, even though I have a huge fear of the unknown, and even though it meant an 18-hour plane ride there and back, I said yes!
As my long-time readers well know, that trip changed my life.
I went to South Africa with Lisa-Jo to investigate the work there. I thought I was going so that I could see the playground, the water point, and the community garden that our blogs had fundraised for.
I had no idea that I was going to fall madly in love with this country and come back home with a longterm dream and vision of how our business and family could come alongside and support the work of Take Action Ministry.
But that’s what happened. And it was pretty overwhelming and exciting all at once.
When I got back home, I proposed to Jesse that we would fund the operational expenses of the ministry out of our personal budget.
Even though he hadn’t traveled to South Africa with me (yet!), even though he hadn’t met the wonderful folks from Take Action Ministry (yet!), and even though he hadn’t experienced any of the amazing experiences I had or seen anything firsthand, he didn’t bat an eye.
He did the math, rearranged our budget, and said, “I’m all in!”
Jesse has supported me in this crazy dream that God has given me ever since then. However, this is no longer just my dream and my thing. South Africa has become our family’s calling.
Getting to go with my family and having Jesse and the kids fall in love, too, was one of the greatest experiences of my life. My friends in South Africa became their friends. My love for South Africa became their love. My strong and burning passion to make a difference in this country became their passion, too.
We’ve gotten to help build buildings and classrooms there, come alongside and encourage and support the locals, see amazing progress and change in the different Centres there in just a short few years, be a part of helping hundreds of kids have food and care and education every single day, and even take a group of readers to South Africa with us and have them fall in love with the country and the work there, too.
None of this would have happened if it weren’t for what started as an internet friendship with a woman named Lisa-Jo.
Lisa-Jo has shown me through her life what guilt-free, authentic relationship looks like. She’s walked it out as my friend.
And she’s the absolute perfect person to have written the brand-new book, Never Unfriended. This book is packed with encouragement and much-needed advice and encouragement for building and keeping lasting relationships with other women.
Deep, authentic relationships with other women is not something that is just reserved for a few, special, extroverted people. It’s something we all can experience.
And as someone who has struggled to build relationships, who has made many mistakes, and who has been hurt and burned in the past by other women, I can tell you that — for most of us — it takes work. It won’t just happen.
It takes being willing to step out of our comfort zones, show up, and not try to pretend we have it all together. It takes being uncomfortable, being honest, and being forgiving.
But it is so very, very worth it!
If you’ve struggled to develop meaningful relationships, if you’ve wished you could go deeper in your current relationships, if you’ve ever wondered whether authentic friendship was even possible, if you’ve felt lonely and left out, if you’ve been hurt or wounded in the past, Never Unfriended is for you.
Gretchen’s Target Trip = 9 items for $0.72!
Target Shopping Trip
2 Barilla Protein Plus Pasta – $1.69 each
Used 2 $1.75/1 printable
Free after coupons1 Surf Sweets Organic Candy – $2.39
Used 25% off Candy coupon (text CANDY to 827438)
And used $1/1 printable
And used $1/1 Ibotta rebate
Free plus overage after coupons and rebate4 Twix Eggs – $1 each
Used 25% off Candy coupon (text CANDY to 827438)
And used 2 $1/2 printable
$0.25 each after coupons2 pkgs Bic Highlighters – $1.59 each
Used 2 $1.50/1 printable
$0.09 after couponsUsed $1/1 Ibotta rebate
Total before coupons and rebates: $12.95
Total after coupons and rebates: $0.72
OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!
Click here to download!
“I am a multi-millionaire!”
I read a book recently that talked about the importance of saying affirmations daily for things you want to become. The author encouraged you to speak it until you become it.
Truth be told, I’m sort of on the fence about this idea.
On the one hand, I think it’s fantastic to know what you are aiming for and I think it’s much, much more effective to visualize yourself winning and succeeding in life than to envision yourself failing at everything.
There’s a good chance you will end up making a lot more progress if you believe that you can do something than if you assume or predict you can’t do something. In fact, there’s a high probability you won’t even bother to try a lot of things if you tell yourself that you can’t do it from the get-go.
For instance, if you believe, “I’ll never get out of debt.” There is a very good chance that you won’t even be motivated to make a plan to try to get out of debt. Because, why bother if you already think it’s a hopeless cause?
On the flip side, I think that this whole repeating daily affirmations things can become detrimental or unhealthy if your affirmation is based on a self-focused premise or an unrealistic ideal.
One of the affirmations this book encouraged people to repeat over and over was, “I am a multi-millionaire.”
That just rubbed me all kinds of wrong.
Why? Because our culture is obsessed with the belief that money is the answer. That if you just made twice as much money (or five times as much money) or inherited a million dollars or won the lottery, then all your problems would be solved.
As someone who has been on both ends of the spectrum (having very little and have an abundance), I can tell you this: money is not the answer to all your problems. Money can do a lot of amazing things, but having money doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t have problems. Just like not having money doesn’t necessarily mean your life will be filled with all kinds of terribly hard things.
If you chase after more money and make more money your end goal, you’ll never, ever be satisfied. Because there’s no such thing as “enough money” when more money is your goal. If you finally end up making $100,000, you’ll then aim to make $200,000. If you end up becoming a millionaire, you’ll then shoot to become a multi-millionaire.
And on and on it will go.
Money doesn’t satisfy. Money isn’t the answer. If you chase after money, you’ll always be chasing after more.
If you are struggling with this concept, I encourage you to ask yourself two questions that have changed my entire perspective in how I run my business and the choices that I make in my personal life:
- When is enough, enough?
- Would I be content if I knew that where I am right now will never change?
I cut back, streamlined, said no, and stripped away so much from my life as a result of these two questions. Why? Because I realized that I was chasing after more when I already had enough.
Instead of spending most of my days pursuing new opportunities, researching new possibilities, planning and mapping out new ideas, exhausting myself trying to reach new goals, or stressing over setting up new strategy, I want to spend the bulk of my time just loving the life right in front of me and embracing and being grateful for the more-than-enough life that I already have.
From first hand experience, I can promise there is much more joy, fulfillment, and life right there.
Now, let me be clear: There’s nothing wrong with wanting to increase your income, grow your business, or hit certain financial goals, so long as you have a healthy WHY in place for doing so and you have healthy boundaries in place for achieving these goals.
Instead of chasing after more or coming up with a daily affirmation or goal of becoming a millionaire or multi-millionaire, start with a WHY that matters.
Maybe something like, “I will help as many hungry children as possible have nutritional meals.” Or, “I will find ways to help eliminate hunger in our city.” Or, “I will make an impact in teen girls’ lives.”
You know what’s different with those goals/affirmations? All of them are ones that you can start right now. You don’t have to wait until you are a millionaire or a multi-millionaire. You can begin today!
Your why might be something that requires a lot of money to pull off. Some of my goals and the whys behind those goals definitely do or will require a significant amount of money to make happen. And for me, this is certainly a reason to be strategic with opportunities I accept, to work on growing the business while having healthy boundaries, and to look for ways to work smarter, not harder.
But I can tell you from personal experience that there is so much more joy and fulfillment and purpose when you have established your WHY and you’re not just chasing after something for the sake of chasing. Not only that, but it also helps me be a lot more intentional about how I spend my time, what I say yes to and what I say no to, and it allows me to embrace and enjoy the here and now instead of just focusing on trying to get where I want to go.
So, I challenge you to stop chasing after more for more’s sake, to establish your WHY behind your goals, and to begin today to embrace exactly where you are. Don’t wait until you get where you think you want to be to start loving the life you have.
A Peek Into My Life This Past Week (The Daddy is Traveling Edition)
A Peek Into My Life This Past Week (The Daddy is Traveling Edition)
Well, this past week was anything but boring! 🙂 It was so eventful, in fact, that I didn’t have time or energy to get this post written on Sunday, like I usually do! 🙂
On Tuesday, we said goodbye to Jesse for 13 days.
It was a bittersweet goodbye. We’re so glad he gets this opportunity to travel to Israel with our pastors and a group from our church! I’m happy I get to “hold down the fort” (as he has done so many times!) so that he can go!
But since he’s so involved in our every day life — especially now that he’s home full-time — he’s left a HUGE hole in his absence.
Just juggling the essentials of what Jesse does (almost all the kids’ activities, half the cooking, most of the errands, and at least half of the home responsibilities) + what I do + being as available for the kids as I can possibly be has kept me plenty busy.
But there were some other things that kept me busy, too…
(I look super tired here… because I was! :))
I LOST MY PHONE the day after he left!!!
I had it in the car when I picked the kids up from school. I had it a few blocks away from our house.
When I got home, we were taking backpacks and things in the house and I noticed there were maggots crawling on the floor of the back seat of my car.
Queue the complete GROSS OUT emoticon and me going into full-on, crazy car-cleaning mode.
When I was convinced all maggots had been 150% evicted from the car, I ran inside to bring a few things in and got distracted for a few minutes with kid stuff.
A few minutes later I went out to get my phone the rest of the stuff from the car.
And POOF, the phone was gone.
We tore the car apart. We went through every article of everything that had been in the car. I retraced my steps multiple times. I went through every room in the house. I went through the car again. And again.
I went through all the trash cans and the outside dumpster. I went though the fridge and freezers. (I was desperate!!)
No phone. Nada. Nothing.
I began to panic as I rarely ever lose anything… and the last thing I wanted to lose while Jesse was gone was my connection to him and all the numbers saved on my phone.
It was scary and unnerving and stressful — especially because there’s an issue with my iMessage password so it doesn’t work for texting from my computer AND because Find My iPhone said that my phone was offline (it had been fully charged and on).
But here’s what I learned: I am way too dependent upon my phone and upon my husband. God allowed me to not have either to rely upon because He wanted to remind me to trust fully in Him, put on my big girl pants, and deal with this situation. It was good for me and I realized that I am more capable than I believe myself to be.
In addition I learned that: you should not rely upon your husband to know some of your passwords, you should backup your iPhone more often than once every 64 weeks (!!!), and that paying for phone insurance was a really, really good deal!
(I have to say HUGE props to Asurion — the company my phone was insured with. They were incredible to work with and, once I had filled out all the paperwork and Jesse faxed in what he needed to from Israel, I was able to get a new phone overnighted to my doorstep in less than 24 hours. And it was a fraction of what it would have cost for me to go buy a brand-new phone!
This weekend, I chaperoned an overnight retreat for my 5th & 6th grade class at church. There were 50+ kids at the retreat and it was quite the adventure!
Our day and a half was filled with: Outdoor games (in the morning cold!!), 9-square in the air, Gaga ball, string art, worship, preaching, small group sharing times, getting to pray with so many girls as they shared and poured their hearts out, s’mores, and rock-climbing.
(All three kids attempted the rock climbing wall and both girls made it to the top and Silas made it halfway! Swipe through the pictures here to see all three of them!)
Can I just say how proud I am of my kids? Silas got to go to the retreat since Jesse was gone. He was such a trooper… Playing the games right along with the older kids, staying by my side for a long, long time while I was praying with someone or talking with someone or helping lead small group… and he never complained about the long day or the fact that he was ready to go play or be done!
Both girls made me so proud today, too. As I’ve alluded to online, the last few months have been especially stretching for me as a mom as my girls walk into puberty. They are growing and changing and asking hard questions and challenging me and struggling with hormones and trying to navigate a lot of new and unknown in their lives.
I’ve felt inadequate. I’ve messed up. I’ve wondered how on earth to respond when faced with new situations, new questions, and new attitudes. And there are days when I’ve wondered if all the work and time and effort that goes into parenting is really worth it.
But then there are days like this weekend when I see my daughters — separately and completely on their own — sitting next to a girl who is crying, with their arm around her, just loving on her and being with her. I see their incredibly tender hearts for the lonely, the hurting, the left out, the wounded… and I’m just humbled and grateful.
I’ve taken your advice on my Instagram to lower the standards and give myself grace while Jesse’s been gone, so in addition to calling cereal a legit meal, I’ve also given myself permission to not do all the house cleaning I usually do (it will still be there waiting when Jesse gets back!), to wear a baseball cap instead of fixing my hair, to buy more convenience foods, to hand off more projects to my team, to only exercise for 15-20 minutes per day, and to watch more shows with my kids (we watched and entire season of The Amazing Race this week!)
We miss Daddy something fierce, but we’re making fun memories, we’re working together to get things done, I’m focusing on one day at a time, and trying not to think about how many days are left or what all I need to tackle without Jesse here in the coming week.
Oh and one of the best parts of Jesse being gone? We’re having a Slumber Party in my room every night! Everyone — including me! — is sleeping better that way!!
Jesse comes back in 6 days and we can hardly wait. In the mean time, if you want to follow along with our adventure in his absence, you can follow me on Instagram.
P.S. This experience has taught me so much and reminded me to be so grateful that I have a wonderful husband who usually shoulders so much of the load. I think of all of the single moms and dads. The military spouses. The women whose husbands travel like this really regularly. And those of you who have spouses who work incredibly long hours or who are (for some reason or another) not a support. And I can’t imagine how you do this all the time. Truly. Wow!
Gretchen’s $64 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan
Aldi
1 dozen Eggs – $0.68
1 pint Grape Tomatoes – $1.59
1 carton Roma Tomatoes – $1.49, used $0.25/1 Checkout 51 rebate – $1.44 after rebate
1 Cottage Cheese – $2.29
1 Sour Cream – $1.19
1 Pure Maple Syrup – $6.49
1 Pineapple – $1.29
1 bag Broccoli Crowns – $1.99, used $0.10 Mobisave rebate – $1.89 after rebate
2 cans Green Beans – $0.49 each, used $0.10 Mobisave rebate – $0.44 each after rebate
1 loaf Bread – $0.85
1 tub Deli Turkey Meat – $2.39
1 bag Spinach – $1.49
1 Cheddar Cheese – $1.79, used $0.10 Mobisave rebate – $1.69 after rebate
1 Grape Jelly – $1.39
1 lb Butter – $2.69
1 Half & Half – $1.79
1 Honey Bear – $2.99, used $0.10 Mobisave rebate – $2.89 after rebate
Total after rebates: $32.97
Dillons
1 Pepsi – $1
1 Mountain Dew – $1
1 A&W Root Beer – $1
2 Classico Pasta Sauce – $1.99 each, used $2/2 e-coupon AND $0.20 Mobisave rebate – $0.89 each after coupon and rebate
6 Annie’s Mac & Cheese – $1 each, used 3 $1/2 printable – $0.50 each after coupon
3 Totino’s Frozen Pizza – $1 each, used $1/3 printable – $0.67 each after coupon
1 pkg Dillon’s Hoagie Buns – Marked down to $0.99
1 pkg Dillon’s Buns – $0.77
1 Nabisco Ritz Crackers – $2.49
1 bag Simple Truth Organic Potatoes – $1.99
2.31 lbs Bananas – $1.36
1 gallon Milk – $1.88
2 Edy’s Ice Cream – $2.50 each, used $1/2 e-coupon – $2 each after coupon
1 Kroger Cinnamon Rolls – $1, used $0.50/1 e-coupon – $0.50 after coupon
Romaine Lettuce – $1.49
3 Cucumbers – $0.49 each
1 Lara Bar – $1, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon
4 Zone Bars – $1 each, used 2 $1/2 printable – $0.50 each after coupons
1 pkg Strawberries – $1.88
1 pkg Kroger Tortillas – $1
Used $0.25 Ibotta rebate (for any receipt)
Total after coupons and rebates: $31.36
Total for all grocery items: $64.33
Menu Plan for This Week
Breakfasts
Toast, Eggs & Spinach x 4
Cinnamon Rolls
Cereal x 2
Lunches
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Carrot Sticks
Sliced Apples and Peanut Butter, Crackers
Cheese, Crackers, Veggies, Fruit x 2
Tuna Salad Sandwiches, Fruit Salad
Mac & Cheese, Sliced Cucumbers
Baked Potatoes, Broccoli, Cottage Cheese
Dinners
Sub Sandwiches, Strawberries
Pizza, Pop, Veggie Tray, Brownies & Ice Cream (We’re having our LifeGroup over for dinner and games and will be ordering pizza from Papa John’s.) 🙂
Slow Cooker Lasagna, 30 Minute Rolls, Green Beans
Salad Bar with Grilled Chicken
Green Chicken Chile Enchiladas, Tossed Salad
Waffles, Eggs, Fruit Salad
BBQ Beef Sandwiches (using leftover venison roast I froze), Steamed Broccoli
Healthy Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries
These Healthy Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries are a new family favorite. They are very simple to make (only two ingredients!), you basically can’t mess up the recipe, and they are packed with nutrition!
Sweet Potato Fries are the BEST!
As most of you know, I completely revamped my lifestyle and diet about 7 months ago. And it’s totally changed my life in some really profound ways.
I’ve tried a lot of new things as part of that — including vegetables for breakfast! — and have found some recipes and food combinations that I absolutely love… including these amazing sweet potato fries!
A word of warning, though: these are crazy addictive.
And when you know that they are healthy, it’s hard not to just keep eating and eating them until half the pan is gone. Ask me how I know! 😉
Ingredients for Sweet Potato Fries
- Sweet Potatoes
- Oil (I use grapeseed oil, but olive oil or any other oil would work too.)
How to Make Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries
1. Preheat oven to 450ºF.
2. Wash and peel potatoes.
3. Slice potatoes into fries
4. Spread fries out onto a baking sheet.
5. Drizzle oil over.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 20-35 minutes, flipping them with a spatula 1 or 2 times during the cooking.
The baking time will depend upon how thin or thick your fries are sliced, how many fries you put on your baking sheet, and also how crispy you like your fries.
7. Let cool at least 5 minutes before serving.
8. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container.
Health Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
- sweet potatoes
- oil grapeseed, olive, vegetable, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450ºF.
- Wash and peel potatoes.
- Slice into fries
- Spread fries out onto a baking sheet.
- Drizzle oil over.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20-35 minutes, flipping them with a spatula 1 or 2 times during the cooking.
- Let cool at least 5 minutes before serving.
- Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container.
Notes
Love this recipe?
Make sure to share and save it on your favorite platform below!
Do you have any other great sweet potato recipes?
FREE DOWNLOAD: 60 Meals To Help You Avoid Takeout!
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Brigette’s $87 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Brigette’s $87 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Aldi
1 8-oz pkg Deli Sliced Muenster Cheese – $1.89
1 2-lb bag Shredded Mozarella Cheese – $5.89
1 2-lb bag Shredded Cheddar Cheese – $5.89
1 1-lb bag Oven Roasted Turkey Deli Meat – $3.19
1 box Honey Crunch Oats – $1.49
2 boxes Raisin Bran – $3.58
2 cans Green Beans – $0.98
1 can Baking Cocoa – $2.19
1 pkg Sliced Pepperoni – $2.19
1 gallon Whole Milk – $2.27
2 64-oz cartons Orange Juice – $3.38
1 bag Nacho Cheese Chips – $1.09
2 1-lb bags Fresh Asparagus – $2.98
1 pkg Romaine Hearts – $1.99
2 pkgs Broccoli Crowns – $2.38
1 bag Flat Leaf Spinach – $1.49
2 heads Cauliflower – $4.58
2 bags Mini Sweet Peppers – $3.98
1 bag Radishes – $0.99
1 16-oz jar Organic Olive Oil – $3.99
1 dozen Eggs – $0.89
1 pkg Zucchini – $2.49
1 2-ct pkg Tomatoes – $1.69
1 bunch Bananas (2.19lbs @ $0.39/lb) – $0.85
2 16-oz cartons Egg Whites – $3.98
1 Pineapple – $0.99
1 pint Grape Tomatoes – $1.89
Total: $69.19
Harris Teeter
3 15-oz bags Galbani String Cheese – $7.03, used 3 $1.00/1 printables from galbanicheese.com – $4.03/3 after coupons
1 4-lb bag Dixie Crystal Sugar – $2.50, used $0.55/1 Dixie Crystals Granulated, Poly Bag Brown or Powdered Sugar – 3-26-17 SS; Includes Granulated, 4 lb or Poly Bag, 2 lb Only; DND (exp. 04/30/17) (doubled) – $1.40
2 Quaker Real Medleys – $2.50, used $1.00/2 Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal – 3-12-17 RP (exp. 04/23/17), plus receive $2.00 rebate back from Checkout 51 – $0.50 MM after coupon and rebates
3 boxes Kellogg’s Special K Nourish – $5.97, used 3 $0.50/1 printable (doubled) – $2.97/3 after coupons
1 Atkins Harvest Bar – $1.00, receive $1.00 rebate from Checkout 51 – FREE after rebate
2 boxes Horizon’s Organic Fruit Snacks – $3.98, used 2 $0.55/1 printable (doubled) – $1.78/2 after coupons
10 Yoplait yogurts – $3.70, used 2 $0.50/5 printable (doubled) – $1.70/10 after coupons
3 pkgs Trident Gum – $2.08, used $1.59/3 printable, plus receive $1.50/3 back from Ibotta – $1.01 MM after coupon and rebate
Meal Deal:
1 pkg Hormel Bacon, used $0.50/1 Hormel Black Label Bacon Product – 3-12-17 SS (exp. 05/08/17) (doubled)
1 16-oz Half and Half
1 10-ct box Seattle’s Best Hazelnut K-cups, used $1.00/1 Seattle Best Coffee K Cups – 3-19-17 SS; Includes 10 or 16 ct (exp. 05/19/17)
1 pkg Thomas English Muffins
1 dozen Eggs
~$7.99 for all 5 items after coupons
Total after coupons and rebates: $18.36
Weekly Total for all Groceries: $87.55
Weekly Menu Plan
We have lots of fruit leftover from previous weeks that need to be used up!
Breakfasts
Cereal x 3
Toast, Smoothies x 2
Oatmeal with Apples x 2
Lunches
Veggie Omelets, Fruit x 2
Baked Potatoes with Broccoli and Cheese x 2
Leftovers x 3
Dinners
Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwiches on English Muffins, Roasted Broccoli
Taco Salad (this is a weekly staple at our house since the children continue to beg for it – I can’t complain since it is SUPER simple to make! We use ground venison for taco meat), Fruit Salad
Chicken Gravy over Basmati Rice, Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower, Tossed Salad
Sub Sandwiches (I’ve been craving these for some unknown reason :)), Fresh Veggies with Ranch Dip
Grilled Chicken, Grilled Asparagus, Garlic Cheese Biscuits (I don’t have any Bisquick so will have to come up with a homemade concoction to substitute)
Upside Down Pizza (I’m going to use pepperoni instead of hamburger), Green Beans, Fruit Salad
Leftovers