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Shared Jun 27, 2016 comment

5 Days to a Better Morning Challenge (Day 1)

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5 Days to a Better Morning Challenge (Day 1)

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

5DaysToABetterMorning-JoinTheChallenge-Pinnable

This week, we’re going to be talking about mornings. Maybe you’re in the middle of summer and the last thing you want to think about is a routine. If so, you go right ahead and skip this series, okay?

But if you’re anything like me, you’re already thinking ahead to the upcoming school year or you’re wanting to get into a better routine this summer in preparation for the upcoming school year. Our kids are going to a 4-Day Classical School this coming year, so it will be our first year of having to get lunches packed, backpacks ready, everyone dressed and out the door early in the morning four days per week.

Our kids aren’t so little any more, so they are able to be a lot more helpful and independent, but I still need to be the one to create the overall routine and make sure things run smoothly. To help our kids gear up for this (and to help our summer run more smoothly because our girls are spending a lot of time at skating and swimming practices), we decided to have a pretty strict Morning Routine as a family.

Here’s what our current Morning Routine looks like:

5:45 am — Jesse and I up and ready to workout.
6:00 am — Workout in the garage with our friend, Brian. (Read more about my workout plan here.)
6:30 am — Run in and wake the kids up (if they aren’t already up) and get them started on their morning chores and then head back to finish the workout.
7:15 am — Finish our workout. Kids are expected to be at the kitchen table completely dressed/hair fixed, with their morning chores all done. I read a chapter from our current read aloud while Jesse makes breakfast.
7:30 am — We eat breakfast while Jesse leads our family Bible Time. (Read more about our family Bible Time here.)
7:45 am — Jesse eats and oversees the kids’ Summer School workbooks/helps Silas with reading while I clean up the kitchen and take a quick shower and get ready for the day.
8:15 am — Girls make their lunches/dinners if they’ll be at swimming/skating. Bags packed for heading out the door. I make sure everything is in order for the day, do my She Reads Truth study, and be ready to start my online work at 8:45 am.

5 Days to a Better Morning

And that’s that! Here’s the thing I love about this Morning Routine: if we don’t get much else done after 9 am, we still accomplished some of the most important things — like working out and family time around the table!

{My goal is to work back to getting up at 5 am so I can read my Bible and have some quiet before the workout, but I’m not there yet. Baby steps, right? :)}

Our hope is to just tweak this a little so we can have almost the same time blocks and then just head out the door at 7:45 a.m. for school (gratefully, they don’t have to be at school until 8 a.m. and it’s close to our house!)

There’s No One-Size-Fits-All Plan!

If you read our routine and felt overwhelmed, please remember this: My husband and I are both home full-time and both share in the household/kid responsibilities. I know that this makes things so much easier for me and allows me to have a lot more flexibility in my schedule than many of you have.

In addition, as I mentioned above, our kids are at a stage where they are much more independent than they used to be. Plus, our business is at the place where I have a great team in place and I don’t have to get on and check social media or emails until later in the morning.

And finally, we’ve been fine-tuning routines for a long time. This is not something new to us. Practice doesn’t make it perfect (trust me on that!), but it does make it easier. 

Here are some examples of previous routines — to give you an idea of how things have changed for us over the years:

5 Days to a Better Morning

3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Creating a Routine

If you don’t already have a great morning routine and you’d like to develop one, I want to challenge you to ask yourself three questions:

A. What is a realistic start time? What time can you realistically commit to getting out of bed in the morning? Please remember this is not the time you would ideally love to get up in the morning. Or the time you think sounds impressive. Or the time your Type A, super organized friend gets up in the morning. 🙂

I want you to think through what is actually feasible for you right now in this season of your life. Make sure it will allow you to get enough sleep. Trying to operate well while exhausted is like trying to run your car on fumes. You just aren’t going to get very far without being stalled on the side of the road.

Note: Maybe you don’t even want to choose a realistic start time and instead choose to start your routine when you wake up — whenever that is. I think this is an especially good option if you have a baby and/or a toddler who is waking up in the night and you’re in a season of life where you don’t have to be out the door at a certain time each morning.

B. When do you need to be out the door? What time does everyone need to be dressed, ready for the day, bags, packed, lunches packed, and in the car? This will help you determine what a realistic start time is and what you can realistically accomplish during the hour or hours you have from the time you get up to the time you need to be out the door.

If you don’t have to be out the door by a certain time, then ask yourself what time would you like to have accomplished your morning routine? Would you love to be ready to walk out the door if a friend called you for a play date or to easily be able to run an errand mid-morning because you are dressed, look presentable, and your ducks are in a pretty good row? That time could be 9 a.m. (like us) or noon or whatever time you decide! This challenge is not about following a formula, but about figuring out what works best for you and your family in your current season of life.

C. What are your Big Rocks? What would you really, really love to have done first thing in the morning? What few things would set your day up for success? What are those tasks or to-do’s or projects that you always hope to get to but that often get pushed to the back burner because you spend so much of your day putting out fires?

For my husband and me, working out and family time around the table are two big priorities. By making them something that happens very early in the day, we not only start our day off on a great foot, but we also ensure that they actually happen! It feels SO good to have accomplished these very important things right off the bat in our day!

My Top Favorite Time Management Books

Day 1 Project

1. Decide that you’re going to participate in this challenge. Committing to something is the first step to success! Leave a comment letting us know that you’re committed to joining me on this 5-day journey to a better morning this week.

2. Determine your answers to the three questions above. Write these out or type them out or leave a comment on this post answering them. We’ll use these as a guide for setting up a Realistic Routine tomorrow.

3. Tell someone offline that you’re participating in this challenge. In addition to leaving a comment on this post, I encourage you to text, call, or personally tell a friend, family member, neighbor, or co-worker about this challenge and that you are committing to it this week. The more accountability you set up from the get-go, the more apt you are to actually follow through on what you’re committing to!

5DaysToABetterMorning-JoinTheChallenge-FbAd (1)

Looking for some more practical help?

Shared Jun 27, 2016 comment

7 Ways to Save More on an Already Tight Budget

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7 Ways to Save More on an Already Tight Budget

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Kristin of Joyfully Thriving.

As a frugal mom, I am always looking for ways to save my family money. We were always on a tight budget, but after having children our income was cut almost in half when I became a stay-at-home-mom. Since then, I have had to work harder than ever to find ways to save.

I have learned that saving money is possible, even when your budget is tight. These ideas aren’t earth-shattering but they do work. You probably won’t be able to save as much as you used to save (or as much as you would like to save) but you still can save something!

Work hard and get creative to start saving.

Here are some of the ideas that we used to save money on our tight budget.

1. Sell things.

This is one of the quickest ways to earn money and can be done anytime money is tight. Look around your house and find some things to sell. I guarantee you have things to sell!

You can sell just about anything on Craigslist or through a Facebook garage sale. Have an actual garage sale. Sell books at Half Price Books or via Bookscouter.com. Sell your clothes at a consignment shop or online through a site like thredUP. Whatever you make from selling, put it straight into your savings account.

2. Eat from the pantry.

I would venture to guess that you have food in your pantry, fridge and freezer. It may be an eclectic mix but that’s okay.

Give yourself the challenge of eating from what you already have on hand and skip the grocery store for a week. Put whatever you would have spent on groceries into your savings account.

3. Use coupon apps and put the money earned in savings.

I have become a big fan of coupon apps for the simple way they can earn money. Start using coupon apps and whenever you can cash out, put the money directly into savings. The same principle can be applied to shopping through cashback sites.

4. Audit all your bills.

Really look at all your bills. It is a known fact that we can negotiate bills with most companies, but how many of us actually do it?

Start by cutting any bills you possibly can. If and when you’ve already done that, call the other companies to see if they can lower your bill.

Utilities, car insurance, your mortgage – any bill is fair game. You can even do a grocery audit to save money! Whatever the difference, set up a monthly transfer into your savings account.

5. Stay put.

When you don’t go out, you don’t spend money. You don’t spend money on food, entertainment or gas. It’s harder to calculate but look at your gas bill for the month.

See if you can skip one fill-up this month by staying put. Whatever money you save, once again, put it into savings.

6. Challenge yourself to a no spend week / month.

This idea is old and often encouraged by the most frugal of us, but when was the last time you completed a no spend challenge?

Now is a perfect time. You set the rules and the time frame. No matter how long you do it, you are bound to find savings that you can tuck away!

7. Look for a cheaper way to do everything.

Instead of going to a movie theater, rent a movie on Netflix. Instead of using Neflix, borrow a free movie from the library.

If you go on a weekly date night, can you switch it to an every other week date night?

Instead of hiring a babysitter, swap babysitting duties with another mom and her family.

If you like to eat out, commit to only eating out with coupons or gift cards.

Start thinking about everything you do and look for a more frugal way of doing it.

I hope this post has given you some new thoughts on ways to find savings on your tight budget.

Remember, get creative and you will find ways to save. Be careful not to let the savings disappear into your monthly budget! As soon as you find a new way to save, put the savings into a specific account or else it will get used for other purposes. (I have learned that lesson too many times!)

How do you save money when your budget is already tight?

Kristen is a frugal stay-at-home mom of two, who works hard to save her family money. She writes at Joyfully Thriving about learning to love her frugal life, as she encourages others to do the same. She loves baking with chocolate, good books, and saving money. 

Shared Jun 27, 2016 comment

Stop trying to impress other people

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Stop trying to impress other people

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Stop trying to impress other people

I’ve been thinking of this recently. When we focus on impressing others and trying to make them like us or think well of us, it distracts us from being able to fully focus on loving them well.

Let’s just be our authentic selves, set aside our desire for performing and people-pleasing, and instead pour ourselves into wholeheartedly loving others as best as we know how.

Shared Jun 25, 2016 comment

5 Things I’m Loving This Week (our new morning routine + more!)

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5 Things I’m Loving This Week (our new morning routine + more!)

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5 Things I'm Loving This Week

1. Our New Morning Routine

On Monday, we started our official Summer Schedule. For a long list of reasons, we decided to have a pretty strict Morning Routine as a family. We’re a week in and I’m happy to report that it’s going really well.

We’ve had a few bumps here and there, but overall, it’s been so good to get up and get so much accomplished before 8:30 a.m. You can read the details on our Morning Routine here.

Need some encouragement for setting up your own Morning Routine? Read my post on How to Set Up a Successful Summer Routine. You can also read about our Summer Routine for last year here.

Psst! Beginning on Monday, I’ll be doing a series called 5 Days to a Better Morning. Stay tuned for that!

5 Things I'm Loving This Week

2. A Q&A Budgeting Scope with Jesse

Jesse and I did something out-of-the-ordinary this past week: we recorded a Facebook Live video on budgeting.

Clearly, as you can tell from the video, we are still newbies at this. But it was a lot of fun to do it together and to get to take your questions live. I’m trying to convince Jesse that we should do this more often. 🙂

3. A Quiet Day at Home

This summer has been full. Full of good stuff and wonderful time with friends and lots of fun activities for the kids, but still full.

So I was so grateful to have a quiet day at home all day today. I didn’t need to go anywhere and didn’t have any big projects or to-do’s I had to accomplish. It felt SO nice!

Instead, I cleaned the house, did some organizing, watch the Olympic trials, hung out with my family, did some research for some upcoming blog projects, did some fun blog-surfing, and just enjoyed a completely laid-back PJ day!

5 Things I'm Loving This Week

4. My Birthday Girl

Kaitlynn turned 9 this week and we enjoyed some special birthday celebrations — including a Mother-Daughter date to get manicures and a fun afternoon at the pool with friends.

Still on our list of birthday plans: A date with me to the mall to go to Sephora (she’s been begging to go check out Sephora for a few months. That’s my fashionista girl!)

This girl brings so much life, beauty, and creativity into our home and I cannot imagine life without her!

5. Watching the Olympic Trials

For months, I’ve been counting down to Rio and I couldn’t be happier that it’s almost here! This week and next week, we’ll be watching the Olympic trials like it’s our job. {Yes, I’ve roped my kids into being just as enamored with the Olympics as I am!}

What are YOU loving this week? Tell us in the comments.

Shared Jun 25, 2016 comment

7 Ways To Fall Back In Love With Your Starter Home

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7 Ways To Fall Back In Love With Your Starter Home

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starter home

Guest post from Erin of The No Drama Mama

Sometime in the past eleven years, the home my husband and I purchased in our early twenties silently worked its way from our five-year plan “starter home” to our forever home.

Considering the housing market plummeted, it’s become paramount that we find ways to fall in love with the house we have and not the idea of a bigger, better house out there somewhere.

When you look around your house and find your list of grievances is stacking up (making the idea of moving feel like the only option) here are a few ways you can fall back in love with your starter home:

1. Clean

I personally don’t love cleaning, but every so often (when I feel like my house’s limitations are annoying me) I spend a few hours cleaning up. I usually find myself feeling a lot less fed up with my house when I’m done.

When you spend time improving your surroundings, it’s harder to distance yourself emotionally from a place you put sweat equity into.

2. Declutter

When you purge unnecessary things, you often find that you have a lot more usable space than you thought. I often say that many times when you think you have a “space problem”, what you actually have is a “stuff problem”.

When my husband and I needed to find space in our two-bedroom townhouse to add an additional bedroom, decluttering the basement opened up the perfect space. Decluttering and renovating turned a storage space into our beautiful master bedroom.

3. Make A List of Positives

Staying in love with your current home requires making a conscious effort to remember the things that made you fall in love with it in the first place.

Did you love the open concept design? The wonderful neighborhood? The spacious backyard? Write it all down. This should help you focus on the positive aspects of your home instead of dwelling on its shortcomings.

4. Think About Your Long-Term Goals

Think about your long-term financial goals. How would a larger mortgage affect those goals? Will it make it harder to travel? Will it make it harder to help your children with college expenses when the time comes? Would you like to pay off your home early and see some life-long dream fulfilled?

I constantly remind myself that when my family found transitioned from two incomes to one, our lower mortgage payment kept us out of financial trouble. If we had bought a much larger home, we definitely could not afford for me to stay at home with our children — and I am grateful for that!

5. Consider Renovating

Think about whether or not a renovation project or two could give you the extra space or functionality your home is currently lacking. It’s usually vastly cheaper to renovate than it is to move to a bigger home.

6. Consider Utility Bills

When my husband and I first moved into our home from our apartment, we were shell-shocked by the utility bills. Since our apartment had heat and hot water included with the rent, the first winter in our new home threw us for a loop and we felt pretty house poor at the time.

The mortgage is not the only cost to consider when contemplating buying a bigger home. You have to think about the higher costs for utilities too.

I still look at larger houses in awe, but now it’s more like, “Wow, look at that beautiful large house! I bet it costs a fortune to heat in the winter!”

Sometimes bigger isn’t always better, especially when it comes to heating and cooling costs!

7. Cultivate Community Ties

For years after I moved to a rural county in upstate New York, I thought about “home” as simply the geographical location of my house. It took years until my oldest child started school to really form community ties.

That was also when I met neighbors who would become my second family. Now our families are so close, we’ve practically taken an oath not to move out of our neighborhood unless we move together.

Do you have strong community ties? Is a bigger house worth it if it means losing those ties?

If you’re holding back like I was, I strongly encourage you to explore your town and surrounding areas. Shop local stores, visit the library, and perhaps join a service organization and give back to your community. A house is just a building, but a community creates that feeling of “home.”

Home is where your heart is and when you make room in your heart to be grateful for what you already have, you can fall back in love with your starter home.

Erin Johnson is the author of “So, You’re Broke? 18 Drama-Free Steps To A Richer Life.”  You can find her blogging at The No Drama Mama.

photo source

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Shared Jun 25, 2016 comment

Gretchen’s $55.14 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan

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Gretchen’s $55.14 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan

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IMG_1293

Dillons

1 jar Ragu Sauce – $1.29, used $1/1 e-coupon – $0.29 after coupon

2 Hamburger Helper – $0.99 each, used $1/2 e-coupon – $0.49 each after coupon (I just use the noodles from this since we don’t like Hamburger Helper.)

2 Annie’s Mac & Cheese – $1 each

1 Kroger Shredded Cheese – $1.88, used $0.60/1 catalina coupon – $1.28 after coupon

1 bag Kroger Flour – $1.79, used $0.40/1 e-coupon – $1.39 after coupon

1 Cheerios – $1.49, used $1/1 printable – $0.49 after coupon

1 Trix – $1.49, used $0.75/1 printable – $0.74 after coupon

1 Aquafina Drink – $1, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

1 Cascadian Farms Cereal – $2.49, used $1/1 e-coupon – $1.49 after coupon

1 Cottage Cheese – $2

1 Sour Cream – $2

2 Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad – $1 each, used $1/2 e-coupon AND $1/2 SavingStar.com rebate – Free after coupon and rebate

1 Lettuce – $0.99

4 Larabars – $1 each, used 2 $0.50/2 printable – $0.75 each after coupons

1 Bumble Bee Tuna pouch – $1, used $1/1 e-coupon – Free after coupon

Total after coupons and rebate: $15.38 

IMG_1294

Aldi

2 gallons Milk – $1.89 each

1 pkg Hamburger Buns – $0.69

1 loaf Bread – $1.39

1 pkg Crackers – $1.79

1 pkg Tortillas – $1.19

1 Marshmallow and Star Cereal – $1.29

1 Cucumber – $0.49

1 Watermelon – $4.49

1 pkg Sliced Mushrooms – $1.49

1 dozen Eggs – $0.99

1 pkg Bagel Chips – $1.79

1 can Chicken Broth – $0.49

1 pkg Sweet Corn – $0.99

1 Frozen Orange Juice – $1.19

2 can Green Beans – $0.49 each

6 Peaches – $0.29 each

1 pkg Pita Bread – $1.59

2 pkg Blueberries – $0.99 each

2 pkg Strawberries – $1.29 each

1 Grape Jelly – $1.49

1 pkg Kettle Chips – $1.79

1 pkg Carrots – $0.99

1 Vegetable Oil – $1.99

1 Applesauce – $1.89

1 Avocado – $0.69

Total: $39.76

Total for both stores: $55.14

Menu Plan for This Week

Breakfasts

Eggs, Toast & Fruit x 3

Cereal x 3

Carrot Apple Bread

Lunches

Tuna Sandwiches, Carrot Sticks

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Veggies

Salad Bar

Toasted Pita Bread, Sliced Cheese, Fruit

Mac & Cheese, Tossed Salad

Leftovers x 2

Dinners

Spaghetti, 30 Minute Rolls, Green Beans, Fruit Salad

Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowl, Chips & Salsa, Watermelon

Hamburgers, Chips, Pasta Salad, Corn on the Cob

Homemade Pizza, Tossed Salad

Slow Cooker Lasagna, Amish White Bread, Steamed Veggies

Chicken Philly Cheese Steaks, Watermelon, Lunch Lady Brownies

Out to eat

Don't let a pay raise ruin your budget or financial goals! Check out these 4 easy ways to keep a frugal mindset and stay on track!
Shared Jun 24, 2016 comment

4 Tips to Keep A Frugal Mindset After A Pay Raise

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4 Tips to Keep A Frugal Mindset After A Pay Raise

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Don't let a pay raise ruin your budget or financial goals! Check out these 4 easy ways to keep a frugal mindset and stay on track!

Guest post from Julie of The Hallway Initiative

“Nothing stimulates creativity like a good crisis.”

I’m not sure who originally came up with the above quote, but it could sum up the first several years of my marriage.

Finances were almost always tight, so I researched how to save money and stretch dollars. I read books on personal finance, kept a detailed budget, and searched the internet for money-saving ideas. It was during this time that a friend referred me to MoneySavingMom.com, and I ate up every penny-pinching post Crystal produced.

Friends often commented on how good I was at managing money, but deep down, I knew that I only did it out of necessity, not because I was naturally gifted with saving money.

Sure enough, when my husband Jon’s income increased, so did our budget. Some increases were absolutely necessary, like replacing our completely dead dryer and catching up on repairs that we simply couldn’t afford before. But we also increased our eating out, and I stopped being nearly as careful with our grocery budget as I used to.

I knew I needed to rein in our spending (with my husband’s support and help), but it wasn’t until I read Crystal’s razor post that it hit me how much my mentality toward frugality had changed. If I’d lost my razor, I’d simply have run out to the grocery store to pay full-price for a new one without a second thought.

After that wakeup call, I began to think about how I could change my mindset back to my frugal days even though our income is no longer as strained as it once was. I’m now implementing four strategies to maintain my frugal mindset:

1. Think in terms of stewardship.

I often forget that everything I “own” is actually a gift on loan from God. When I remember that it’s all His, no matter how much or little He’s given me, it challenges me to be a better steward with His things. I want to be found as faithful with the plenty as much as with the lack.

Thinking in terms of stewardship also enables me to give generously to others who may be hurting financially. We have had untold numbers of people help us during our lean years, including family, friends, and strangers who who paid out of pocket for my diabetic spark plug’s insulin pump! Now is our opportunity to help others in need.

2. Continue keeping a budget.

I admit, I’ve always been a budget nerd. My dad always kept a family budget when I was growing up, and it was something that stuck with me. With few exceptions, I’ve kept a monthly budget since we got married over 12 years ago.

That said, It’s easy to fall off the budgeting bandwagon once finances aren’t so tight. But sticking to a budget is one of the best ways to maintain control of your spending.

It helps you keep track of your expenditures and reminds you to be wise with what you have. And, if finances permit, it’s perfectly okay to increase certain budget categories, such as giving, saving, and splurges! Just make sure you’re doing it deliberately rather than on a whim.

3. Keep up with penny-pinching resources

Even though I don’t absolutely need to pinch every possible penny at the moment, I still stay subscribed to my favorite money-saving blogs.

I also continually peruse quality financial books. Why? I’ve found that by keeping up with new frugal ideas and reminding myself of the financial advice I’ve already learned, it helps keep me focused on being a good steward of my money.

Some of my favorite resources include:

4. Save for the next crunch

Just because your finances are freed up for the moment, doesn’t guarantee that you’ll never go through another financial crisis. Start saving today for the next squeeze.

Having extra reserves for the unexpected will go a long way toward mitigating the anxiety that naturally comes with a loss of income or unexpected bill.

Dave Ramsey and other financial giants recommend building up 3-6 month’s worth of living expenses. If you’ve never been able to do so before, do it now while you have money left over at the end of the month.

Chances are high that you’ll hit another financial rough patch, and having that savings in place will be completely worth the effort it takes to build up that much money!

I’ve not done a perfect job of thinking in terms of stewardship, continuing to keep a budget, keeping up with penny-pinching resources, and saving for the next financial crunch, but those are the four strategies that I’m working toward during this time of plenty.

I know that I’ll have no regrets for doing them, especially when the next financial famine hits!

Julie Moore is wife to Jon and mom to their four spark plugs, the oldest of whom has Type 1 Diabetes. When not helping Jon with his business or homeschooling the kids, she blogs at The Hallway Initiative, encouraging Christian women to praise the Lord in the midst of hardship.

photo source

Shared Jun 23, 2016 comment

Chasing After More When You Already Have Enough

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Chasing After More When You Already Have Enough

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Chasing After More When You Already Have EnoughNot too long ago, I wrote a post on why I stopped hustling, and why I wish I’d done it sooner. That was a really raw post about my emotions of how I got to a place where I decided I was ready to be done, to give it all up, and walk away.

As an individual, I made intentional choices to let a lot of things go and have a Year of Rest instead. As a team, we made some really big changes to help me take a step back and create more breathing room for myself.

It’s almost July and I’ve learned so much this year that has changed me in many ways. Just a few weeks into 2016, I started to realize that I had become very addicted to being busy. This was a powerful realization. 

Just a few months in, I also was acutely aware of the fact that so much of my worth was wrapped up in my work. I felt valued and validated by how much I did, how many people I impacted, and how productive I was. 

Chasing After More When You Already Have Enough

I recently finished reading A Life of Being, Having and Doing Enough and it challenged me to really consider the concept of ENOUGH. I think our culture often encourages the lie that more is always better. 

More money. More influence. More impact. More fame. More stuff. More friends. More. More. More. More.

While there can be good things with some of those “more’s”, it’s time we stop spending our life chasing after more and really stop and ask ourselves, “When is enough, enough?”

I’ve been asking myself the following questions: 

  • Am I only feeling contentment when I’m doing a lot?
  • Is my joy and fulfillment coming from when I am having the biggest impact?
  • What does enough look like for me?
  • Would I be settled right where I’m at with what I have?
  • Would I be content if I knew that where I am right now will never change?

These questions can apply to so many different areas and situations in our lives. For me, I instantly thought of two areas:

1) The Number of Children We Have

I have three wonderful kids. Which I’m so very grateful for. But I always thought we’d have a big family (Both my husband and I grew up in big families and we always wanted a big family ourselves). Instead, God gave us 3 kids… and my baby just turned 7!

I’ll be honest, there are times when I see other people announcing their pregnancy or I see little babies, I feel that pang in my heart. I’ve decided, though, that I can either focus on what I don’t have or I can rejoice in the children I do have. Because so many, many people would love to have three kids!

We are so blessed. I want to pour myself into exactly where I am and be the best mother I can be to the three kids God has given me instead of spending time wishing I had something I didn’t have.

Chasing After More When You Already Have Enough

2) The House We Live In

We are committed to staying out of debt and are saving to pay cash for a house here in TN. However, because of the housing prices here, it will likely be at least another 18 months to 2 years (or more!) before we have enough saved up to pay 100% down on a house.

In the meantime, we’re back to renting again — something we did for the first 8 years of our marriage. The house we’re in is less than ideal in many ways… including the fact that all three kids are in one bedroom right now because this is the best arrangement we could come up with here. 

Some people would say we are terrible parents for living in a house where they all have to share a room and don’t have a lot of their “own space”. But here’s the truth: Our kids were little when we made a LOT of financial and personal sacrifices to get to the place where we are now. They don’t remember those days.

We now have a lot more wiggle room in our budget and they get to enjoy things we never imagined we’d be able to afford for them — like swim team and figure skating and even an international trip to South Africa last year. However, we don’t want them to grow up thinking that everything will be handed to them. We want them to experience short-term sacrifices for long-term benefits.

So we’ve chosen to continue to rent a house that has less than ideal sleeping arrangements (along with a long list of other “less than ideal” things) because it allows us to be able to save aggressively and give generously.

We’re learning contentment in the house that we’re in and being grateful for the many things about it that we love — like the wonderful neighbors, a beautiful kitchen, and a great backyard. Our hope is that these lessons in contentment will be something our kids will carry with them for the rest of their lives — no matter where they live.

I’ve been asking myself: If we weren’t ever able to buy a house with more bedrooms or had to downsize even more, would I be content?

Stop Chasing After More When You Already Have Enough

How Can I Do Less Chasing and More Embracing?

Maybe for you, it’s your income level. Maybe you are struggling with where you are living or going to church. Maybe you wish you had a better job, different friends, better health, a spouse… the list could go on and on.

Whatever those things are that you really wish you could have, I challenge you to ask yourself, “Would I be content if I knew that where I am right now will never change?”

What does embracing enough look like for you? I’m not saying you shouldn’t work on improving your situation or set goals or build character or apply for jobs or whatever it is that would help you get closer to your goals and hopes and dreams.

However, I also want to challenge you to consider if you’re just chasing after more instead of embracing right where you are. If you’re spending your days pining for more and better instead of wholeheartedly loving the life you already have.

For me, I’m throwing my energy into loving and nurturing the beautiful children God has given me. I want to disciple them, encourage them, walk with them, and be present with them. In addition, I’m seeking to embrace the home we have and make it as welcoming for my family. I don’t have to have a bigger house or a better layout in order to make this home I currently have a haven of rest.

Let’s stop spending our time and our days chasing after more and instead start embracing the here and now — right where we are!

Related: When She Gets That Thing You Really Wanted


Planning a frugal wedding? Save BIG on wedding expenses with these 10 simple tips!
Shared Jun 22, 2016 comment

10 Ways to Save On Your Wedding

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10 Ways to Save On Your Wedding

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Planning a frugal wedding? Save BIG on wedding expenses with these 10 simple tips!

Guest post from Bronwyn

When my wonderful boyfriend proposed to me, I immediately bought a pile of bridal magazines and began looking for inspiration online.

I quickly learned one thing: Love may be free, but weddings can be expensive!

A quick google search showed that the average price of a wedding in the US is a little over $25,000. I initially laughed at this number, but having now planned a wedding, I can see how easy it would be to spend this amount of money.

In an effort to help other brides who are in the process of planning their big day, I wanted to share some money saving tips I knew going in, and some I learned along the way:

1. Decide how much you can afford.

I didn’t want to dip into savings to pay for a wedding, and I was definitely not going to put anything on credit. So I reviewed my monthly budget for areas where I could cut back each month. I multiplied this by the length of our engagement to determine my total budget.

2. Cut that amount by 10%.

There will be overruns, there will be items you forgot to include in your detailed budget, and trust me, as the day approaches you will want to throw money at problems just to make them go away.

My advice would be to cut your initial budgeted amount by 10% just to give yourself a little cushion.

3. Choose your top three priorities.

These are the items you will “splurge” on (splurge being a relative term). You may want to get your fiancé’s input on these!

4. Create a detailed budget.

Make sure this budget doesn’t exceed your total budget (including your 10% cushion). If it does, go back and revise.

5. Be upfront about your budget.

Don’t be afraid to tell vendors what your budget is for their particular area

Our baker and florist were both happy to offer us options that fit our rather modest budget. (Our florist even said, “Honey, more flowers aren’t going to make you any more married.”)

6. Be careful when dress shopping.

Although it might be tempting, DON’T try on a dress above your budget as you could fall in love with it.

Also, make sure to budget enough money for alterations and bear in mind that different styles will cost more/less to alter.

7. Consider if it’s something you actually need.

Yes, that ring cushion marked down from $50 to $25 may be a great deal, but do you actually need a cushion to put your rings on?

8. DIY can be your money-saving friend OR foe.

Buying a print-at-home invitation kit from Michaels was substantially cheaper than paying a professional to print them. However I have also seen brides spend a fortune on DIY projects.

9. Don’t feel guilty for not saving every penny.

Not every suggestion is right for every person (I wasn’t willing to have my wedding on a Tuesday to cut costs), pick and choose the ones that are right for you.

10. Remember what it is all about!

At the end of the day, you will be married to you best friend. And you can’t really put a price on that!

Wedding Picture

What are YOUR tips or tricks to save money on wedding expenses?

Bronwyn married her best friend in 2012, and is now a part-time bean-counter, full-time penny-pincher, wife, and mom to the world’s most adorable toddler (she may also be a little biased!)

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Shared Jun 22, 2016 comment

Change doesn’t just drop in your lap

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Change doesn’t just drop in your lap

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Success Never Comes to Someone Who Sat There & Dreamed About It

There are a few areas in my life right now that I really want to see change in. But I’ve been kind of hoping the change would just miraculously happen.

Change rarely just drops in your lap, though. Instead, it’s the result of intentional, consistent effort.

So today, I’m committed to getting up and taking the first step. And the next step. And the next step.

Wednesday, I’m showing up for you today. I’m not going to coast through you; I’m going to be intentional about playing full out, taking intentional baby steps, loving well, and making the most of you.

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

Click here to download!
Shared Jun 21, 2016 comment

My Struggle With Fear & Anxiety (+ 3 practical ways to overcome it!)

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My Struggle With Fear & Anxiety (+ 3 practical ways to overcome it!)

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My Struggle with Fear & Anxiety

One of the things I’ve struggled with most in life has been anxiety. I’ve had anxiety over new situations, anxiety over the unknown, anxiety over what other people will think of me, anxiety over failure, anxiety over abandonment, anxiety over not measuring up, anxiety over rejection… and on and on the list goes. To make matters worse, I’ve even had anxiety over my acute anxiety.

Many times, I’ve wished this wasn’t my story. I’ve wished I could be one of those people who just didn’t care about what other people thought, who loved new situations, who loved meeting new people, who let things roll off their back, and who didn’t spend hours of every week sick to their stomach with heart-palpitations and shortness of breath because of anxiety.

Starting a blog and being on social media has opened up many doors for me. It’s been an amazing journey for me — far beyond my wildest imaginations or dreams. And it’s given me literally thousands of opportunities to have to come face-to-face with my fears.

There are so many days when it would be easier to not share my words with the world, to not get on Periscope or Facebook Live, and to say “no” to opportunities that I know in my heart I should say “yes” to. It would be safe. It would be comfortable. And it would be {mostly} free from criticism.

But it would also mean I’d miss out on so much. I wouldn’t have built the beautiful relationships I have with other bloggers and readers. I wouldn’t get to hear your amazing stories. I wouldn’t get to work alongside my husband. I wouldn’t get to make a difference in South Africa. I wouldn’t get to inspire other women to use their gifts and skills to impact the world.

And most importantly, I wouldn’t have ever moved past the debilitating fear and into whole-hearted living.

My Struggle with Fear & Anxiety

{See all those empty seats? Those are a great way to make a speaker feel like a failure before she even steps foot on stage!}

I had to face those anxiety-inducing situations — like live video, speaking opportunities, media opportunities, live coaching, meeting with company executives, critical comments — and I’ve had to push past the fear and keep going. Because it was either fight through or flee.

Even when I wanted to run away, I made myself stay and punch fear in the face. Trust me, that sounds more noble than it’s often been.

Some days, I felt like I didn’t even have the courage to turn on the camera or leave my hotel room or pick up the phone and dial that number. I’m often literally visibly shaking and sweating.

But I’ve learned that the more I face my fears, the more I confront the anxiety, the less I focus on myself, and the more I believe the truth and replace the lies with truth, the more I experience joy from these experiences.

These 3 strategies have helped me push through the fear and anxiety and experience joy, fulfillment, and (yes!) even confidence:

1. Say Yes and Do it Scared

You have to be willing to accept that opportunity, even if you are scared to do it. Maybe, for you, it is hitting publish on a blog post or going live on Facebook Live video. It could be that you are scared of talking to the new person you’ve never met or volunteering for something at church.

Whatever the opportunity is that causes you fear and anxiety, if you know deep down in your heart it’s something you’re supposed to do, say yes — even if you’re terrified of it. That’s the first step to pushing past fear.

If you never accept any opportunities that scare you, you’ll never know the exhilarating feeling that comes from punching fear in the face. Say yes and do it scared!

2. Remind Yourself of the Truth

It’s so easy to let fear consume you after you have said yes to that thing that scares you. You start to feel anxious about the situation and wonder if you are good enough or if you will fail. When those lies start swimming around in your brain, remind yourself of the truth.

When you tell yourself lies for long enough, you start to believe them. Then, you start living under those lies so when you show up for the opportunity, you feel awkward and insecure. It’s time to reverse this trend!

The best way to develop confidence is to stop the negative messaging and replace it with positive truth. Instead of feeling like you don’t belong or you don’t have what it takes or you’re not enough, begin telling yourself the truth. Maybe you don’t feel it right now, but the more you tell yourself the truth, the more you will begin to believe it and live under it.
My struggle with fear and anxiety

3. Fake Confidence Until You Feel It

This trick has been the thing that has helped me the most. When I go to step on a stage or go on live camera or walk into a situation that I know will cause me to feel anxious, I always rehearse the first two sentences of what I’m going to say in my head.

I will often visualize it and rehearse it multiple times. I sometimes practice how I’m going to say it, the voice inflections I’ll use, where I’ll stand, the hand motions I’ll use, and the confidence I’m going to fake.

Yes, I said fake. Because I’ve discovered that the more I fake confidence in the beginning, the more I actually start to feel it and live out of it. If you can fake it in those first few seconds, then a lot of times, you get over your fear and begin to actually FEEL confident. It’s amazing what a difference this has made for me!

What helps you push through fear and anxiety? I’d love to hear!

P.S. Need some extra encouragement? I highly recommend the book, Presence, by Amy Cuddy. I also encourage you to watch my YouTube video on How I Stopped Feeling Like I Wasn’t Good Enough.


Shared Jun 20, 2016 comment

If mama’s cup is empty, everyone suffers

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If mama’s cup is empty, everyone suffers

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When mama's cup is empty, everyone suffers

The kids are asleep. The house is quiet. The kitchen is clean. What should I do??

24-year-old Crystal would have taken that as a sign it’s time to dive into the project list and tackle as many things as I possibly could before my eyes wouldn’t stay open any longer.

34-year-old Crystal sees that as a sign to set aside the to do list and instead do something to wind down, refuel her tank, and then go to bed early.

Maybe I’m just getting older and less energetic, but I hope it’s more so because I’m becoming wiser and recognize that there will be time tomorrow to tackle the to do list. For now, I need to take care of ME so that I’ll be able to take care of others well in the morning.

If mama’s cup is empty, everyone suffers.

(I’m just starting this book tonight. Have you read it??)

Shared Jun 20, 2016 comment

Southwestern Chicken Casserole

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Southwestern Chicken Casserole

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This Southwest Chicken Casserole is super delicious and SO simple to make! It’s a ridiculously easy recipe to wow guests and it freezes really well!

This Southwest Chicken Casserole is the easiest recipe ever and it's SO delicious! It will quickly become a family favorite -- especially one that the kids love!

I told you all that during my last freezer cooking session, I got creative (er, lazy) with our usual Southwest Roll-Ups recipe and turned it into a lasagna-like casserole. I wasn’t sure how we would like it, but I was curious to see!

Well, we pulled it out of the freezer and ate it recently and the verdict is in: it was a HUGE success! The whole family loved it!

In fact, we loved it better than the regular roll-ups recipe — which is saying a lot since those have been a family favorite for a long time.

Why You’ll Love this Southwest Chicken Casserole Recipe!

This recipe is SO much quicker to make than the roll-ups! It also seems a little fancier than the individual roll-ups, making it a great meal to serve to guests. Also, it’s just plan delicious!!

The only drawback to making it in a big batch like this is that if you’re freezing it, the thaw time is a lot longer. I had to let it thaw in the fridge for 24 hours after freezing it. (Just remember to plan ahead and you’ll be fine!)

Southwest Casserole Ingredients

How to Make Southwest Chicken Casserole

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together beans, salsa, and chicken.

3. Spread 1/4th of the mixture on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.

4. Sprinkle with cheese and layer two tortillas on top.

5. Repeat these layers twice.

6. Top with a final layer of beans and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top.

7. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Easy Southwest Chicken Casserole Recipe Tips

Try this recipe in the slow cooker if you don’t want to heat up your kitchen… simply layer it in your slow cooker and cook on low for 2-3 hours.

You can also freeze this dish before baking. Simply cover the pan with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. When you want to bake it, let it defrost overnight in the refrigerator then bake at350º for 45 minutes (or until heated through).

It’s also great for lunch leftovers throughout the week — just warm up single servings in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.

How to Serve Southwestern Casserole

The more toppings the better with this dish! It’s so yummy when topped with chopped lettuce, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, black olives, and maybe a little more cheese!

And don’t forget the tortilla chips!

How to store Southwestern Chicken Casserole

This casserole tastes great as leftovers — simply refrigerate it in a food storage container with a tight-fitting lid and it should last all week in the fridge (if you don’t eat it first!)

Recipe

Southwestern Casserole


Author Crystal Paine
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cans refried beans 16-oz each
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 3 cups cooked chicken chopped
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 6 tortillas

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  • In a medium bowl, mix together beans, salsa, and chicken.
  • Spread 1/4th of the mixture on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
  • Sprinkle with cheese and layer two tortillas on top.
  • Repeat these layers twice.
  • Top with a final layer of beans and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Notes

You can make your own refried beans with this recipe.
You can make your own tortillas with this recipe.
This recipe is freezer-friendly and could also be made in a slow cooker (layer ingredients and cook on low for 2-3 hours. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1square | Calories: 352kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 1148mg | Potassium: 212mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 477IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 281mg | Iron: 3mg

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Shared Jun 20, 2016 comment

8 Ways To Save Money on Meat

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8 Ways To Save Money on Meat

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Guest post from Sarah of Sidetracked Sarah

Unless you’re a vegetarian, you most likely buy meat on a regular basis — and those meat prices can add up quickly! It can be hard to find ways to save money on meat, as you typically just have to pay the going price.

We have a busy and hungry family of 9 people, and buying enough meat to feed us all can be VERY expensive, especially now that we have a few teenagers in the house. Here are a few ways that we’ve saved money on meat for our family throughout the years:

1. Buy in Bulk

While this can be pricey up front, it will likely save you lots of money in the long run. We’ve bought meat in bulk in a number of ways.

  1. Shop Sam’s Club
    You can buy a case of ground beef at the meat counter and the price is reduced more than it normally is. You just have to have a plan in place of how you are going to store it and/or use it. For instance, you could plan to have a Crockpot Freezer Meals cooking day, using these hamburger recipes. Or you could plan to separate it into 1-2 pound packs and freeze it.
  2. Buy a Side of Beef From a Local Farmer
    You can purchase a whole cow, half a cow, or even a quarter of a cow from a farmer and have it processed at a meat processing plant.

Typically, the beef you get from this tastes much better than the store bought kind AND you get those expensive cuts of meat that you typically don’t buy because of how outrageously priced they are. I recently ate T-bone steaks for $3.50 a pound!

2. Shop the Sales Circulars

Stores tend to go in cycles of when they lower the price of certain cuts of meat. Watch the cycles and prices and buy them when they’re at their lowest.

3. Find Creative Replacements

Here are two simple ideas for replacing expensive meat with less expensive options:

4. Eat Venison

Do you have a deer hunter in the family? Or maybe a hunting friend? Ask them if you pay for their hunting tag if they would let you keep the meat from the deer and have it processed.

If you have a hard time with the wild game flavor, mix it with hamburger meat or use it in dishes that require heavy seasoning, like chili.

Here in Southeast Kansas, if you call the Sheriff’s office, they will put you on a list of people who would like to pick up roadkill deer in good enough condition to be processed. If you get the call, you simply go out and pick up the deer right after it happens and then transport it to the local meat processing plant.

5. Use Food Buying Clubs

Recently, I was able to buy 40 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts from Zaycon Foods for $1.69 a pound. They don’t offer deals like this very often, but it’s well worth it to stock up when they offer it.

There may be other food buying clubs in your area that you could join that have great meat prices, too. Ask your friends and family to see if they’ve heard of anything in your area.

6. Raise a Cow

I hear what you’re saying,”But, we don’t have land!” I realize, I live in Kansas, where there are lots of farms all over the place, so this may be much more applicable to me than to you, but I couldn’t leave it out.

I’m writing this list because I want you to think a little outside of the box. Some of our friends live on 80 acres and they have cows on it. They offered to let us put a cow out there, too. All we really have to do is provide any feed that it may need.

Now, I realize you may not have a friend out there who will do this, but is there a farmer who would accept a fee from you to do this, still making the meat less expensive? It’s worth a shot.

7. Go Fishing

My husband loves to fish but he doesn’t love to clean the fish. If, however, someone offered to take any fish that he caught and clean them, so they could eat them, I’m sure he would gladly hand them over.

There are probably plenty of fisherman who would do this. Of course, you could be even more adventurous and go cast your rod in and catch the fish yourself. Yes, that would be much more fun!

8. Shop the Markdowns

Every store handles their soon-to-be expired meat differently. I’ve seen Dillon’s freeze it and offer it for sale for cheaper in a special section. Walmart immediately marks it down when it’s getting closer. Other stores probably do similar things.

Get to know your store. When do they mark their meat down? For us, it’s first thing in the morning, so it pays to be an early shopper. If you can’t figure it out, go and ask the meat manager when the best time to buy meat that is close to expiration. I’m sure they’ll happily pass this information on, as it will help them get rid of the meat faster.

How do YOU save on meat?

Sarah Robinson, busy mom of 7, blogs regularly about feeding her busy family on her blog Sidetracked Sarah. She’s discovered the secret to having stress-free dinner times by regularly using Crockpot Freezer Meals. She would love to give you a free Freezer to Slow Cooker one week meal plan when you visit her here.

Shared Jun 20, 2016 comment

Today: Your response is your responsibility

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Today: Your response is your responsibility

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Your response is your responsibility

Maybe you needed this reminder today, too?

Monday, we’re not going to let you get us down! We’re going to choose love, choose joy, choose gratitude, choose courage, and choose to do the next right thing.