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Shared Feb 12, 2015 comment

3 Books I Read Last Week + What I Plan to Read This Week

Published: by Crystal Paine on February 12, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

3 Books I Read Last Week

The Grain-Free Table — This book showed up in my mailbox as a gift from the author and I was really impressed with it overall. Some of the recipes were too complicated or too time-consuming to be ones I would be interested in making (I’m all about keeping it simple!), but I picked out at least 20 different recipes from it that look like ones we’d like to try. I also found the author’s personal story in the book quite compelling.

The Anxiety Cure — As someone who struggles with anxiety during different seasons of life, I’m on a mission to learn more about it and what I can do to help prevent or minimize it. I read Sleep: It Does a Family Good by Archibald Hart two years ago and learned so much from it that I picked up this title to check it out, too.

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I did his book on sleep just because it felt more like a psychology textbook at times and it also seemed a bit dated (for instance, referring to being able to order a cassette tape from the author, etc.). However, it did have some good nuggets in it — especially on the topics of stress and worry — and it caused me to step back and examine my own life and consider changes I could make to have more peace and minimize anxiety in my life.

From This Day Forward — I saw an article about this book on Ann Voskamp’s site and was intrigued so I picked up a copy of this. I really wanted to like it because the writing was funny and many parts of it had great advice. However, I was bothered that it felt like they were using fear of divorce as a motivation for why you should follow their advice, not that it would result in a strong marriage — oneness in your relationship and the wonderful blessings that come from that.

4 Books I’m Reading This Week:

Lizzy & Jane — I just started this and, so far, I’ve found it really engaging!

The Cricket in Times Square — I’m reading this to the kids right now and we’re about halfway through it. They’ve all enjoyed it and beg for me to read more chapters each — which is always a good sign!

Long Walk to Freedom & Kaffir Boy — I’m working through these as I seek to understand more about South African history.

What did you read this past week? Any must-read book recommendations?

Shared Feb 12, 2015 comment

How We Saved This Week: Eating leftovers for dinner

Published: by Crystal Paine on February 12, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

As we were eating leftovers for dinner last night, I realized that making a habit of eating up leftovers a few meals each week instead of forgetting about them at the back of the fridge is one way we save a little money every week.

It saves time, because we don’t have to plan a dinner or make dinner or clean up the dishes from dinner. And it saves money, because we don’t have to buy the ingredients for another lunch or dinner.

It’s such a simple, no-brainer thing, but saving money in simple ways on a regular basis adds up over time!

We’ve also found that serving leftovers for dinner on busy nights cuts down on the temptation to grab carryout. So on busy nights, I’ll often set out all the odds and ends in the fridge and declare it a Leftover Buffet night.

For those of you who wish you had leftovers but it seems like your hungry teens or growing kiddos eat everything you make, consider doubling a casserole or soup recipe you’re making a couple times per week and sticking half the recipe in the fridge or freeze before you eat dinner that night.

That way, you’re guaranteeing you’ll have “leftovers” to eat later in the week! 🙂

My favorite part of eating leftovers for dinner? Less kitchen clean-up!

What’s one way that your family saved this week? Leave a comment and tell us about it!

Shared Feb 11, 2015 comment

How to Make a Difference (no money or passport required!)

Published: by Crystal Paine on February 11, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Yesterday, I told you about our #TenDollarTribe initiative and encouraged those of you who had the wiggle room in your budget and felt the nudge in your heart to join us in this project to make a difference in South Africa.

A few people left comments bothered by the fact that I would encourage people to give money to a cause outside of the U.S.

Truth be told: I fully anticipated a little push back like this.

I don’t expect that everyone will jump on board with everything I’m excited about, nor do I assume that everyone is called to give outside the U.S.

And that’s the beauty of giving spirits. We aren’t all passionate about the same causes. We aren’t all supposed to invest in the same projects.

But we should all invest in something and in someone in some place — whether that’s in Haiti or New Hampshire or Africa or Arkansas. Whether that’s in your own home, down the street, across the country, or around the world.

We ALL have something to offer, something to give, and someone in our life who needs what we have to offer and give.

A few weeks ago, when I took a big leap out of my comfort zone, got on an 18-hour flight, and went to South Africa, many of you emailed in, commented, or told me personally that you wished you could have gone with me.

Some of you talked about how you wish you could make an impact, take a mission trip, or do something bold and brave like that.

While I think going on an international trip can be eye-opening and insightful, the thing is: You don’t need to go to South Africa to make a difference, have an impact, or be bold and brave.

Look around you and you’ll see many needs. You can’t meet them all. You aren’t supposed to meet them all.

But you can do what you can, with what you have, where you are. You can take what time and energy and skills you have and use them to bless someone in some way.

Here Are a Few Practical Ideas:

Donate books to your local library, schools, or members in your community.
If you are a coupon queen and have built a stockpile of toiletries, household products, or cleaning items, donate them to a family in need in your neighborhood or to a local shelter.
Volunteer in your community. Whether that’s in the local soup kitchen, hospital, church, school, or charitable organization. {Visit VolunteerMatch.org to find opportunities near you.}
Shop sales and clearance racks for significantly marked down merchandise you can donate to local families or organizations.
Pick up prescriptions for elderly neighbors or ask them if they need someone to drive them to doctor’s appointment or help with errands.
Mow the lawn/weed the yard of a neighbor working multiple jobs.
Supply freezer meals to a mother who just had a baby, a family who lost a loved one, or a neighbor who is sick.
Donate your talents. For instance, if your hobby is photography, offer a financially struggling family a photo shoot.
If you have a passion to sew or knit, make sweaters or scarves for a local shelter or hospital.
Clean the house or do laundry for someone who is sick.
Send a handwritten card to someone who is going through a difficult time.
Smile and look for opportunities to encourage others with your words.
Participate in the Blessings in a Backpack program to provide food for needy children in your local schools
Make bags of food and hygiene products for the homeless.

Making a difference is going to look different to each and every person. We all have unique gifts, talents, abilities, and passions. We all have different capacities and callings.

But don’t let that hold you back from doing something. The world needs your gifts, your talents, and your willingness to start somewhere, step outside your comfort zone, and do something.

What creative ways are you reaching out and serving in your own community? I’d love to hear!

Shared Feb 11, 2015 comment

We Paid Cash: New Siding for Our Home

Published: by Crystal Paine on February 11, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

A testimony from ProteanMom.com.

Not long ago, we paid cash for a minivan using the Envelope Budgeting system. It was an exciting (and addicting) moment. We’ve been paying with cash ever since!

Our Fixer-Upper Home

We knew that we would need to replace our home’s wood siding – eventually. Within a few months of buying our minivan, however, we realized that “eventually” had caught up with us. Our siding still looked good from a distance, but it was molding and rotting. At best, we had a year to save up for new siding.

We decided that this was our next big-purchase project. We also determined that this was a project that we did not want to do ourselves, which meant paying for labor on top of materials.

Adjusting the Budget

We put other projects on hold, scaled back on outings, and delayed fun purchases. It was hard, but we were diligent in putting any extra funds into that new siding envelope.

It helped that we knew we had to be good, because otherwise we’d also be paying for potentially massive interior repairs, too. By adjusting our budget, we knew that we would have almost enough money by our self-imposed year mark.

Wanting to avoid debt for siding, we tried hard to cut from other areas to save even more. It was hard to forego activities with friends and eating out, but we knew it would be worth it.

By the year mark, we were *so* close to our goal. Thankfully, my husband then got a larger than expected bonus at work. Putting that into our siding envelope, we would have enough money for siding *if* we could get a great bid.

Shopping Around to Hire a Contractor

We got bids from several different companies, and the bids ranged widely. The highest bid came in at more our minivan had cost us! We chose a reputable, but reasonably priced, company to install our new siding. Their quote was *just* under the amount we had saved!

We paid half up front (and the rest when they were done) and the company got to work.

They were shocked that we didn’t need financing – or try pay with a credit card. In fact, they almost looked confused (but happy) to see a check! Our home ended up needing more siding than the contractor had originally thought, but this amazing company held to their quoted price.

They did an amazing job, our house looks great, the extra insulation lowered our power bill, and we stayed within our budget!

On to the Next Project…

Since the siding was done, we’ve moved into another home that’s closer to family. Here, we’re trying to decide which is next: replacing the roof or a getting a new-to-us car for my husband. It’ll probably be the roof. Wish us luck!

Kim loves her life; she lives with her husband, their two boys, their dog, and is happily expecting boy #3. She writes about life as a ginger, geek, Doctor Who fan, triathlete, mom, wife, nurse, teacher, and more at ProteanMom.com.

Have you saved up and paid cash for something — large or small? Submit your story for possible publication here.

Shared Feb 11, 2015 comment

How I Landed My Dream Job Working from Home

Published: by Crystal Paine on February 11, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post by Stephanie O’Dea

In 2007, I quit my job. I was a young mom of two children, and I hated going to work. I was blessed that I taught preschool and could take the kids to work with me, but almost every day I hoped and prayed that this day would be my last day of going to work.

And then the baby started getting sick. I couldn’t figure it out — I tried everything I could think of, but she just kept vomiting sporadically, and it became obvious to me that I needed to pull her out of the daycare setting and stay home.

So I quit.

My husband wasn’t all that thrilled with me (be careful what you wish for, right?)

[PS, my little one is now ABSOLUTELY FINE. We learned after some testing that she had Celiac Disease, and after being put on a gluten-free diet she made an immediate recovery and now is a super strong and healthy 10-year-old.]

Because we live in a tremendously expensive part of the country, I needed to quickly find a way to replace my income in order to meet our monthly expenses. I became determined (and slightly obsessed) at trying to find a legitimate way to make money from home.

I started living a secret life, and began answering work-at-home ads found in the back of parenting magazines, and on Craigslist.

They were all scams.

After months and months of searching, I started feeling lonely, afraid, and guilty. I knew that I had to find something that was “for reals” and that didn’t cost an upfront fee the way a lot of the online direct sales businesses I researched did.

So I tried my hand at blogging.

In 2008, I started a free blogspot blog at Crockpot365.blogspot.com and told the internet that I had a New Year’s Resolution to use my crockpot slow cooker every single day for a year.

And I did it.

This simple idea, this crazy and absurd idea, has since launched a full-time income for myself. This site has led to 5 books, numerous national TV and radio spots, endorsement opportunities, and a job.

A legitimate job that I do all by myself, from my own kitchen, in my fuzzy slippers, while I am home with my kids.

I truly couldn’t be any happier. I do believe, with all my heart, that I am living my version of The American Dream.

I’ve now had my site for 7 years, and decided to write down all that I’ve learned along the way. I’ve been lucky enough to mentor many other bloggers who have followed the steps that I took and they, too, have been successful.

I’d like to show you how. My newest book, The Mommy Blogger Next Door: Real Moms Making Real Money Blogging at Home, In Their Pajamas is now available.

Crystal has been gracious enough to provide the quote listed on the cover, which reads: “Stephanie’s practical advice and spot-on tips will give you the confidence and tools you need to start your own mommy blog.” — Crystal Paine

Want to win a copy of my new book? Enter below — and here’s to your blogging success!

Stephanie O’Dea is a New York Times best-selling author, slow cooking expert, and a mommy blogger. You can find her online at StephanieODea.com, or on twitter @stephanieodea.

Enter to Win a Copy of Stephanie’s Book!

Would you like to win a copy of Real Moms Making Real Money Blogging at Home in Their Pajamas? Stephanie is giving away 10 digital copies to readers here this week.

To enter, click on the graphic below and type in your name and email address. 10 winners will be chosen and posted next week. This giveaway ends Friday, February 13, at 11:59 pm, CST.

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

Click here to sign up!

Shared Feb 11, 2015 comment

Make 12 Frugal Freezer Meals in One Hour

Published: by Crystal Paine on February 11, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Jamerrill from Free Homeschool Deals shows you how to make 12 frugal freezer meals in one hour.

Shared Feb 10, 2015 comment

50 Shades of Frustration

Published: by Crystal Paine on February 10, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Those of you who know me well know that I am a person of strong passion and conviction. I am fiercely loyal, intensely focused, and highly opinionated.

If you’re a newer reader here, you’ve probably not seen this side of me as much as those who know me well have seen it. I’ve learned, from numerous mistakes, that there are many things that are better left unsaid online.

We have a very diverse group of readers here and I don’t feel like my calling is to stir up debate and controversy. Instead, I want to encourage, inspire, and challenge you to live lives of intention and purpose.

So most of my strong words and passionate beliefs are reserved for conversations with those I know best. However, every once in awhile, I just cannot hold back… and today is one of those days.

I hadn’t planned to blog about the whole 50 Shades debate. It’s long been swirling and, with the movie releasing this week, it’s escalating to epic proportions. While I believe that some debate and intense conversations can be healthy and helpful, much of the debate has seemed to be polarizing and divisive. In my (yup, strong!) opinion, conversations that only serve to create an “us” versus “them” mindset don’t foster anything worthwhile.

As a result, I’ve skipped over blog posts and Facebook posts on the subject and kept silent on the topic. We don’t need any more division in our ranks than it seems we already have.

But after this morning, I can keep silent no longer.

You see, Silas (my 5-year-old) had finished most of his Daily List and was getting ready to watch a YouTube LeapFrog video on my phone. I’d picked one out for him, clicked on it, and then was sitting next to him fixing one of the girl’s hair while he started to watch it.

As soon as it began playing, I knew something was seriously wrong. He flipped the phone over face down and acted very surprised. I could tell that the sounds coming from the phone weren’t LeapFrog sounds at all.

I quickly took the phone away to see what it was and was AGHAST to realize that it was a 50 Shades of Grey commercial playing!!! Yes, it was playing before a kid’s educational movie clip on YouTube. For real!

To say I was upset and frustrated was an understatement. So was my husband.

I know that YouTube is not completely safe no matter how many controls we put on it. I get that. And that’s why we’re careful to keep close tabs on what our kids are watching when they do watch YouTube clips.

But seriously? Surely YouTube could at least have the decency to ban commercials for R-rated movies from kid’s channels!!

It was a stark reminder to me that no matter how careful I am as a parent, my children are going to be exposed to things that I wish they wouldn’t be exposed to. I cannot completely bubble wrap their lives from things I feel are objectionable and unhealthy for them to be filling their minds with.

What Can We Do?

As I thought about this more over the course of the day, I realized that while it’s our job as parents to nurture our children, protect their little minds, and instill good values in them, there are ways we can take this a step further.

Instead of just being on the defensive and reacting to the bad attitudes, poor examples, and objectionable things they are exposed to, let’s become offensive and start being proactive about raising our children to be upstanding adults of strong character.

Here are 4 ways we can be on the offensive in our home:

1. We Can Provide Wholesome Role Models for Our Children

It has been well said that you become like the three people you’re closest to.

In the books we read to our kids, the media we watch as a family, the friends our children spend the most time with, and the teachers and coaches they have, we are seeking to have our children regularly rub shoulders with many wise mentors and models.

2. We Can Surround Our Children With Beauty & Purity

We want our kids to appreciate beauty and purity on a deep level, so we are encouraging them to read and listen to good books, develop a love of hymns and classical music, try their hand at drawing and painting, study historical men and women of character, and love the beauty of nature.

3. We Can Fight For Our Marriage

A strong marriage takes enormous amounts of work, but it’s so worth fighting for. We’ve committed to do our best to prioritize our marriage over our kids, spend intentional time each week investing our marriage, constantly look for things to praise and express gratitude for in each other, and work hard to have honest communication between the two of us.*

4. We Can Teach Our Children to Be Critical Thinkers

We don’t want our children to blindly follow our beliefs or the beliefs of others. From the time they were little, we have asked them deep, open-ended questions on a variety of subjects (we let them answer and then we often follow up with, “Why do you believe that?”), encouraged them to question what they hear and make sure it’s valid, and to never accept anything at face value.

How are you promoting beauty, wholesomeness, and a strong marriage in your home?

Note: This is a sensitive topic and one that could be highly controversial. By writing this post, I am not seeking to open a Pandora’s box of debate on whether or not you should read or watch 50 Shades. Because of this, comments of that nature will be deleted. Instead, I’d love to hear you chime on what you’re doing to promote beauty, wholesomeness, and a strong marriage in your own life and in the lives of your children.

*Update: Please note that section on marriage in this post was written for couples who are in healthy relationships where both parties love each other and want to work on issues together and personally. If your spouse is abusive, please, please, please don’t hide the abuse out of fear or let your spouse convince you it’s your fault. Get help immediately.

Shared Feb 10, 2015 comment

The day we’ve been anticipating for months is finally here…!

Published: by Crystal Paine on February 10, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

The day we’ve anticipated for months is finally here!

After coming home from my trip to South Africa, I’ve hinted around for the past few weeks that we were cooking up something really exciting to give you an opportunity to join us in making a difference in the poorest communities there.

After months of emails, Skype calls, and a few in-person meetings, we are ready to launch and we are all so very excited!

Drumroll…

Starting today, we are opening the doors for the first ever #TenDollarTribe — and we’d LOVE for you to join us in this.

What is the #TenDollarTribe?

The #TenDollarTribe is a group of people — moms, dads, singles, grandparents, families — who are all committed to making a difference in two very needy communities in South Africa: the Maubane community and the Reagoboka community.

I have visited both of these communities, spent time talking with the leaders, met the children they are ministering to, seen how great the need is, and witnessed just how far money can go in these very poor areas of South Africa.

Why $10 Per Month?

We talked about a number of different options and we really felt like we wanted to provide an amount that was doable for many, many families.

I knew that something like $40 per month was not in many of your budgets, but that the majority of you could find a way to tighten your budget in a few categories in order to free up $10 per month to give to this much-needed cause.

In addition, because money goes so much further in South Africa, $10 per month can make a big difference.

What Can $10 Per Month Do?

The short answer is: a lot. In fact, I was shocked at how much of a difference small amounts of money can make in South Africa.

For instance, $10 will buy 100 bowls of porridge for school children, a month’s worth of school supplies, or two weeks of cooking fuel for a local family.

I know that you all are like me: you want to give your money to causes that will use it well. I can say with utmost confidence that your money will be stretched as far as possible to make as big of an impact as possible.

Lisa-Jo and I are working in partnership with Help One Now and Pure Charity for this initiative with the on-the-ground team, Take Action Ministry. Both Help One Now and Pure Charity have been incredibly generous in helping us out. We could never logistically do this on our own as there are so many moving parts involved and we are so grateful for their support and help.

Our Family is Personally Very Invested in This Project

I hesitated to share this, because we do the majority of our giving anonymously. However, I wanted you to know that our family is committed to putting our money where our mouth is.

When I went to South Africa, it was primarily to personally investigate the projects and leaders there to make sure I felt 100% comfortable asking you all to join us in this. But our family had a secondary reason, too, and that was to look for a way that our family could personally partner with Take Action Ministries.

I discovered that they had very little money coming in for their organizational expenses (storage/office building rental, computer equipment, office supplies, etc.) and that almost everyone involved was volunteering their time or only getting paid a very small amount. As I talked with them more, I realized that this was a huge stress for them as every single month they were just barely, barely eeking by.

Because of the financial choices we’ve made throughout the years to live on less than we make, develop strong income streams, and stay out of debt, and because God has blessed our businesses far beyond what we could have ever dreamed or imagined, we are in a place where we could take on these monthly expenses for them so that they wouldn’t have to constantly be looking for grants or dealing with the stress that comes from trying to survive on a tiny, tiny budget.

I share this only because I want you to know that our family is very invested in this project and we believe wholeheartedly in the work and ministry Take Action is doing in South Africa. I would not ask you to join us in this had I not vetted it very thoroughly and felt I could put a huge rubber stamp of approval on it.

Will You Prayerfully Consider Joining the #TenDollarTribe?

There are many fantastic causes to give money to and I completely understand that not everyone is called to give to South Africa nor in a place to make a monthly commitment like this, but I want to urge each of you to not click away from this post without taking a few minutes to consider whether this is a project you could find the funds to support and the desire to be involved in.

If dozens of us are willing to take a step and make this commitment, it will impact the lives of hundreds of children for years to come. Will you join us?

>>Click here to sign up to be a member of the #TenDollarTribe.<<

If you join, will you do me a favor and either email me or leave a comment on this post? I’d like to personally thank you.

Can’t Give Money But Still Want to Help Out?

For those of you who are not in a place to join the #TenDollarTribe, but you’d like to help out in some way, can I ask you to pray that God would bless these community centers, provide for their needs, and help them to have wisdom as they seek to make lasting change in these communities?

Also, would you consider sharing this post via Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest? Thank you so much!

Shared Feb 9, 2015 comment

A Day in My Life: Daily Lists, Lord of the Rings, purse clean-out, and the allergy appointment that wasn’t!

Published: by Crystal Paine on February 9, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

As a family, we’ve been collectively working on going to bed early and getting up early. When we follow our plan, it’s always amazing the difference it makes! Today was such a good Monday and I think a big part of that was because we went to bed early, got a great night’s sleep, and all got up early.

I think it’s also helping a LOT that I’ve been following through with my #Choose30 Challenge to get up and exercise, shower, get dressed, and read my Bible before doing anything else. No more wearing my PJ’s at 10 a.m. in the morning!

When I get dressed in something that makes me feel great, it always helps me have an extra spring in my step and more focus and productivity.

If you’ve been feeling like you don’t have any energy and are just spending your day running around in circles, I encourage you to try getting up a little earlier, exercising and getting dressed, and making a simple plan for your day. Sometimes, something as simple as a few tweaks like that can make a world of difference!

Meet Lillian. Kaitlynn spent a lot of time with her today and made her a collar and leash. 🙂

This is totally my kind of pet — no messes to clean up and no allergies to worry about (Silas and I are both really allergic to just about every animal. As a result, much to my kids’ sadness, stuffed animals have to suffice for our family in the pet department!)

After getting up early, exercising, showering, getting dressed, and reading my Bible, I spent some knocking out some blog projects, answering emails and comments, and scheduling some blog posts and social media posts.

(Photo courtesy of Silas — he wanted me to show you all his list so he took 20 pictures for me to post!)

Then I got the kids up to eat breakfast and work on their morning chores. We are still loving the Daily Lists idea… and now that they’ve gotten into more of the routine of doing these, the kids get so much done, the house is staying so much cleaner, and everyone is happier all around. I highly recommend this idea!

Kathrynne started reading The Lord of the Rings a few days ago and she is lapping up the first book. I wasn’t sure if it would be above her reading level, but she keeps telling me how interesting, exciting, and engaging it is.

I’m finding her with her head stuck in the book almost every extra minute she has… and I couldn’t be happier to raising such a voracious reader!

After morning chores and breakfast were done, we sat down for Morning Time. We’re loving The Cricket in Times Square so far. It’s a fun and light read, but I think we’re all going to want to visit NYC after reading it!

Jesse got home near the end of Morning Time (he had been at the gym, running a few errands, and in a business meeting) and brought me a Starbucks coffee — Pike Place coffee with lots of cream, just as I like it! I love that man!

Kaitlynn was afraid Lillian might run away, so she made sure she stayed put during Morning Time. 😉

After Morning Time, I gave instructions to the kids to start working on their independent work and I gathered up my bag, coffee, and made a sack lunch before heading out for another string of allergy tests at the allergist.

Right about then, Kathrynne came to me worried and reminded me that I’d taken my meds last night and wasn’t I supposed to be off of them for the week before I did the allergy patch testing?? I completely forgot that the doctor had told me at my appointment last week. Whoops! Thankfully my kids are more on-the-ball and paying better attention than me! 🙂

So I called the allergist and they were so gracious to let me reschedule. Oh well, I wasn’t really looking forward to wearing patches all over my back for the next two days anyway… especially since I wasn’t going to be able to shower until they took them off on Wednesday!

So instead of heading out the door, I hung out with Jesse for about 20 minutes and we talked about life and did some business brainstorming. And then I took 15 minutes to clean out my purse.

I was thrilled to realize that my purse wasn’t at all as bad as I thought it would be. I’ve been trying to make a habit of always thoroughly cleaning it out when I return from a trip and it seems this habit is helping quite a bit.

I dumped everything out of my purse and here’s what was in there. I happy that there was so little trash and very few things that weren’t supposed to be in my purse!

I also cleaned out Purse Emergency Bag. This little bag is filled with everything that I often find myself needing or wanting — lip gloss, tissues, essential oils, tampons, breath mints, Advil, hand sanitizer, lotion, and so on.

I use something from it almost every single time I go somewhere and love that when someone says, “Does anyone happen to have ____?” I often do, thanks to my Emergency Bag.

After my purse was cleaned out, I left Jesse with some instructions for the kids, told everyone goodbye, and headed out to work at our shared office space for the afternoon. I spent this afternoon getting caught up on email, working on projects, scheduling social media posts, and writing some blog posts.

And now I’m headed home for dinner, to work with Kathrynne on getting caught up on the laundry (she’s been doing most of the laundry, but I help her out when it gets a little behind like it often does over the weekend), and to hopefully do some knitting while Jesse reads aloud to us (he’s recently started reading aloud to us in the evenings and we all love it and so does he!)

How was YOUR day? Did you get any cleaning done? Tell us about it in the comments!

Shared Feb 9, 2015 comment

10 Goals For This Week (+ I’m loving this new season of life!)

Published: by Crystal Paine on February 9, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

One of my big goals for 2015 is to be more home focused. We made some significant changes in December to make this desire of mine become a reality. And I’m almost 6 weeks into 2015 and I just can’t even begin to express how thrilled I am at the difference these changes have made!

The last two years have been r-e-a-l-l-y stretching for me on so many different levels. And I don’t regret the decisions we prayerfully made for me to be on the road or as involved in as many projects as I was. I grew so much and God was so faithful, even in those times when it felt that it was physically and emotionally possible to do everything we felt He was clearly calling me and our family to.

But in December, I really felt that the season was coming to an end and I feel so settled about it. I’ll still be traveling and speaking some, developing a few new products, and working on a few big projects, but we’re really streamlining this year and being incredibly picky about which opportunities I’m saying “yes” to.

We only set a few business goals (as opposed to our long list of goals last year!), and we’re also bringing on some new team members (God has brought some of the most amazing and perfectly-suited people my way in January and I’m so grateful!)

All this to say, I’m loving this new season of life and soaking it up. And I’m also loving that there is much more margin in most of my days, we’re spending so much time together as a family (often just hanging out and being together!), and that I’m doing a much better job of getting my goals crossed off.

I’m so content at such a deep level. And I’m so grateful.

It feels like such a gift to have this season of reprieve and I’m humbly grateful that, after years of Jesse and I working so hard, we’re finally at a place where we can both work a lot less and carve out the lifestyle that we feel like God has called us to and the rhythm of life where each of us will best thrive.

Last week’s goals:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

~~1. Continue on with our Morning Time routine. Read aloud for at least 20 minutes every day.~~

~~2. Write a love note to Jesse.~~

~~3. Have a family movie night.~~

4. Work with the kids to help them learn their new chores (we just added a few new chores to each of our kids’ daily lists and Silas, especially, is needing a little extra help learning how to do the chores.)

Personal Goals

~~5. Exercise at least 4 times.~~

~~6. Finish at least two books.~~

7. Knit a Cosy Posy Ear Warmer. (I’m hoping to finally get this started this week!)

~~8. Try two new Trim Healthy Mama recipes: Raw Cookie Dough and Peanut Butter Pancakes.~~

Business Goals

~~9. Get back with bloggers interested in the ePantry opportunity.~~

~~10. Tweak my presentations and slides for the Friday night Say Goodbye to Survival Mode event in Mississippi.~~

This week’s goals:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

1. Continue on with our Morning Time routine. Read aloud for at least 20 minutes every day.

2. Write a love note to Jesse.

3. Have a date with Jesse.

4. Write a note of encouragement to one person.

Personal Goals

5. Exercise at least 4 times.

6. Finish at least two books.

7. Knit a Cosy Posy Ear Warmer. (I’m hoping to finally get this started this week!)

8. Try two new recipes: Trim Healthy Mama Waffles and Hot Fudge Pie.

Business Goals

9. Shoot a short video for a project I’m working on.

10. Finish up edits on the script/handbook on my soon-to-be-released course. (More details coming soon! I’m SO excited about this and how it’s coming together thanks to a great team who is putting so much heart and effort into it!)

How did you do on last week’s goals? What are your goals for this week? I’d love to have you share your progress on last week’s goals and your goals for this coming week in the comments. Of, if you’ve blogged about it, leave your direct link below. Let’s cheer each other on to live purposeful and productive lives! You can download a free customizable weekly goal-planning sheet here.

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Click here to download!

Shared Feb 9, 2015 comment

Jamerrill’s First Crock Pot Freezer Cooking Session (Trim Healthy Mama recipes!)

Published: by Crystal Paine on February 9, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Thinking of trying your hand at making some crock pot freezer meals?

Check out Jamerrill’s thorough post with the recipes she made, how it went down, plus some things she learned from her first crock pot freezer cooking experience.

Shared Feb 9, 2015 comment

My Monday Morning Plan + Today’s Cleaning Project

Published: by Crystal Paine on February 9, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It’s Monday and guess what that means? That means it’s time for our weekly deep-cleaning project! Every Monday morning this year, I’ll be assigning us all a deep-cleaning project to tackle (well, that is, if want to join us!)

Today’s project is to go through your purse/handbag/diaper bag. Clean it out, toss at the trash, re-organize it, and add anything to it that you’ve been meaning to or that you’re always wishing you had when you are out and about.

Here’s my plan for this morning:

~~Exercise, shower.~~
~~Bible reading/journaling.~~
~~Morning blogging time.~~
Get kids up — morning chores/breakfast.
Morning Time with the kids.
Get kids started on their independent work.
Clean out my purse.
Ready to go — coffee made/lunch made — head to allergy appointment and then to work at our office space.

{Thanks to the #Choose30 Challenge, I already have some “big rocks” done for today!}

This evening, I’ll share a post about how my morning well and give you an update (with pictures) on how my purse-cleaning project went.

Need some motivation? Check out my post on 10 Ways to Make Cleaning More Fun.

Want to join me? Leave a comment to let us know you’re participating! If you have time, tell us what your morning plan is, too.

Shared Feb 8, 2015 comment

A Peek Into Our Week: Book edits are DONE!, a simple change that’s made a big difference in our homeschooling, a trip to Mississippi, and my #Choose30 challenge update

Published: by Crystal Paine on February 8, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It was a full but good week this past week.

I finished my book edits and turned them into my editor on Monday… and what sweet relief that was! I didn’t realize how much they’d been hanging over my head until I turned them in and she approved them later in the week.

These were the substantive edits — which means that this was the hardest edit. The next rounds of editing will be more for grammar/typos, etc. Those kinds of edits are much easier to go through than this round where I needed to completely redo a few of the sections!

We’ve been loving the new addition of Morning Time to our homeschooling. You can head over here to see a video I posted of our Morning Time on Tuesday. And you can read a little more about Morning Time here.

On Wednesday, we had our usual morning routine and then I ended up having back-to-back meetings all afternoon and then Jesse, Brian (one of my business managers), and I met with a potential new hire that evening at our house. So it made for a long day, but it was productive and worth it.

I spent Thursday afternoon getting ready for our first Say Goodbye to Survival Mode event on Friday while the girls had a play date at a friend’s house. I decided to completely revamped one of my talks for it — which is always a time-consuming, but rewarding task.

Earlier in the week, I had felt like I had zero creative ideas for this presentation. I knew what I wanted to communicate, I just couldn’t figure out how to effectively communicate it. So I’m so grateful that it all came together on Wednesday and Thursday and it will definitely be a talk I’ll be tweaking and re-sharing again and again.

I left on Friday morning to fly to Mississippi for the event. We were thrilled that over 140 people showed up for our first ever Say Goodbye to Survival Mode event — especially because the church that hosted it was in the tiny town of Purvis, MS!

{There are a number of other churches and groups very interested in hosting a similar event in other areas of the country, so stayed tuned for more details on where our next event will be held. I’d love to get to meet you there!}

The women in Purvis were amazing! So warm, friendly, gracious, and welcoming. I was incredible blessed and encouraged to be there. Thank you, all, for having me!

While I was gone, Jesse took the kids to Movie Night at our church on Friday night. They were supposed to wear PJ’s and had all sorts of fun kid-friendly things and yummy snacks. The kids had fun at the photo booth, as you can tell. 🙂

Jesse surprised me by cleaning out the garage, taking a bunch of stuff to Goodwill and completely reorganizing it today. The garage had been the one part of our house that had been neglected pretty much ever since we moved in here. It felt amazing to come home to a spic-and-span garage!

I arrived home late this afternoon and we spent the rest of the day just hanging out, catching up on the events of the past day, and having a Family Movie Night tonight. And now we’re looking forward to a restful Sunday to refresh and recharge for the coming week.

My #Choose30 Challenge Update

I told you earlier this week that my #Choose30 Goal was to get up and exercise, shower, get dressed, and read my Bible first thing every morning. For those of you who have to get up really early to leave for work, this might seem like an easy-peasy thing to do. But for me, since I work on my own time schedule and don’t have to clock in at a certain time and can dress however I want to, committing to get up, exercise/shower/dress/read my Bible first thing takes some effort and discipline.

I’m happy to report that, so far, I’ve been really committed to this goal this week. I’ve slipped up a tiny little bit and gotten a little distracted here and there, but only for a few minutes and then I’ve gotten back on task.

And I’ve noticed a big difference in making this change. Not only do I seem to get more done every day, but I feel better about myself and feel more energetic since I’m starting the day off with exercise, making myself look presentable, and quiet time to read and pray. Yay!

How was YOUR week this past week? Anything interesting or eventful happen?

Shared Feb 8, 2015 comment

This Week’s 6 Most Popular Posts

Published: by Crystal Paine on February 8, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

My 12 Goals for 2015: January’s Update

3 Books I Read This Past Week + What I Hope to Read This Week

Why We Love the LEGO Magazine & How You Can Get a Free Subscription

How to Save Money By Taking Your Own Baby Pictures

Silas & His Self-Imposed “Budget”

Why We’ve Chosen to Rent Instead of Buy

Shared Feb 8, 2015 comment

Gretchen’s $64 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan

Published: by Gretchen on February 8, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Aldi

We were out of town all last week and I had used up most everything in our refrigerator before we left so this week I had a LOT of items to buy!

2 pkg Strawberries – $1.29 each

1 pkg Cauliflower – $1.69

1 pkg Celery – $1.29

1 pkg Asparagus – $1.49

1 pkg Green Peppers – $1.49

1 pkg (3 lbs) Navel Oranges – $1.68

1 pkg (5 lbs) Potatoes – $0.99 (I was so excited about this price!)

1 dozen Large Eggs – $1.49

1 pkg Carrots – $1.49

1 pkg Baby Carrots – $0.99

1 pkg Trail Mix – $1.99 (My 3 year old son is growing like a weed and is constantly hungry. I saw this and thought it would be a great snack for him on those days we are out and about.)

1 pkg Ocean Spray Craisins – $1.29

1 pkg Spinach – $1.79

1 pkg Rice Cakes – $1.29

1 pkg Frozen Peas – $0.89

1 frozen Orange Juice – $1.19

1 pkg Mozzarella Cheese – $1.79

1 Mild Salsa – $1.69

1 Grape Jelly – $1.45

1 Natural Peanut Butter – $1.69

Total with tax ($2.16): $32.40

Dillons

1 Green Leaf Lettuce – $0.99

2 pkg Tyson Frozen Chicken Breast – $5.57 each (This was NOT on my list to get this week, but when I saw it was on sale for my target price, I ended up buying 2 bags and going over my grocery budget this week. I will spend less next week to even out this month’s grocery budget and will save money in the long run. 🙂 )

2 half gallons Dillons Milk – $1 each

0.32 lbs Broccoli Crowns – $0.60

1.64 lbs Bananas – $0.97

1 South Beach Diet Bars – $6.99, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

1 Chobani Greek Yogurt – $1.25, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

2 Kroger Shredded Cheese – $1.99 each (These were advertised as $1.67, so I was disappointed they did not ring up correctly.)

2 Cantaloupe – $0.99 each

Total with tax ($1.61): $24.07

Homeland

1.11 lbs Tomatoes – $1.43

2 Cucumbers – $0.69 each

1 Farmland Sausage – $1.25, used $0.55/1 printable (doubled) (no longer available) – $0.15 after coupon

1 Hiland Cottage Cheese – $1.94, used $0.50/1 printable (doubled) – $0.94 after coupon

1 Motts Applesauce – $2.89, used $1/1 printable (doubled) – $0.89 after coupon

2 Kellogg’s Pop Tarts – $1.29 each, used $1/2 printable (doubled) – $0.29 each after coupon

2 Wishbone Salad Dressing – $1.69 each, used $1/2 coupon from the 1/11 SmartSource insert – $0.69 each after coupon

Total with tax ($0.69): $7.95

Total for all grocery items: $64.42

Menu Plan for This Week

Breakfasts

Cereal x 3, Scrambled Eggs & Juice, Oatmeal, Cranberry Almond Scones & Fruit (We are having a playdate at our house this week and I will be serving this.)

Lunches

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches/Veggies, Turkey Meat/Cheese/Fruit/Crackers, Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches/Carrots x 2, Leftovers, Vegetable/Banana Smoothies x 5 (I will be eating this for lunch every day.)

Dinners

Hawaiian Haystacks (Brown Rice, Chicken, Gravy, Canned Pineapple, Coconut, Cheese)

Venison Stew, Steamed Asparagus, Leftover Scones

Hamburgers & Fish (A church friend kindly gave us a bag full of fish he had caught, cleaned and frozen for us!), Tossed Salad, Homemade French Fries

German Pancakes, Eggs, Sausage, Cantaloupe

Venison Roast, Potatoes, Carrots, 30 Minute Rolls, Steamed Asparagus

Homemade Cheese Pizza, Tossed Salad

Dinner with family

2hr Cleaning Checklist

2hr Cleaning Checklist

FREE DOWNLOAD: 2-Hour Cleaning Checklist!

3 Books I Read Last Week

4 Books I’m Reading This Week:

Here Are a Few Practical Ideas:

What creative ways are you reaching out and serving in your own community? I’d love to hear!

Our Fixer-Upper Home

Adjusting the Budget

Shopping Around to Hire a Contractor

On to the Next Project…

Enter to Win a Copy of Stephanie’s Book!

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

What Can We Do?

1. We Can Provide Wholesome Role Models for Our Children

2. We Can Surround Our Children With Beauty & Purity

3. We Can Fight For Our Marriage

4. We Can Teach Our Children to Be Critical Thinkers

How are you promoting beauty, wholesomeness, and a strong marriage in your home?

What is the #TenDollarTribe?

Why $10 Per Month?

What Can $10 Per Month Do?

Our Family is Personally Very Invested in This Project

Will You Prayerfully Consider Joining the #TenDollarTribe?

>>Click here to sign up to be a member of the #TenDollarTribe.<<

Can’t Give Money But Still Want to Help Out?

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Here’s my plan for this morning:

My #Choose30 Challenge Update

Aldi

Homeland

Menu Plan for This Week

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

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