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Shared Apr 25, 2015 comment

How I Paid $550 for $3,700 Worth of Braces

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 25, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Marie

At nearly 14, my son’s last baby tooth had finally fallen — I was filled with elation but also dread. We always knew he would need braces (we’re talking major orthodontic help) as he was born with a snaggle of slow-growing teeth and was missing an adult canine tooth.

It’s a genetic trait several family members share, and they have all ended up with partial dentures as adults.

Fortunately for my son, dental implants are now the norm, but they start at about $3,000 per tooth. How was I, a divorced mom, going to pay to straighten out what was there, and plan for what will come?

Saving Up

I started putting away $10 a week since my boy was 10, giving me more than $1500 so far. Working for a coupon company, I cut every corner I could and put any excess into braces and college funds. My work insurance also paid a portion of orthodontics.

By January of this year I’d saved up $2,000; but braces tend to run $3,500 and up in my area, and he’d need more than the norm. He’s a good-looking kid but refused to smile and it broke my heart. It would only get worse as he entered his teen years. I had to do something.

Seizing a Deal

The answer came unexpectedly a few weeks ago when I attended a fund-raiser for a new magnet middle school. I went as a favor to a friend who was selling her jewelry in a booth. I was surprised by the number of handicrafts and silent auction items.

I promised myself I’d steer clear of beauty products and artisan clothing – wants instead of needs – and then I came upon the most unusual “deal” I’d ever seen: $3,700 worth of metal braces from an orthodontist whose son attended the fledgling school.

Doing My Research

A deal like this would not be worth it if the orthodontist had a bad reputation. A quick survey of attendees who knew him and a Google search on my phone showed he was a respected professional with no complaints filed against him. I had to do this. The opening bid was $500. I held my breath and bid the next allowable amount: $550 — and I won!

A Deal Waiting for Me

Sometimes you have to spend money to save money, whether it’s grocery stockpiling or buying in bulk or a pre-sale price. This fell into the latter category for me. Even if the $3,700 didn’t cover all the work he needed, it would lighten the load.

When the initial appointment time came around, I was nervous. What if my son needed so much work my $3,700 and insurance would be just a drop in the bucket? I did not want to use credit with a high interest rate to pay it off.

A Pleasant Surprise

It turned out the orthodontist, a kind man, works with families with small budgets and even works on a sliding scale with families receiving public assistance. I didn’t fall into that category but he agreed to honor the auction deal. My son gets a full set of braces next month and all adjustments until the work it done.

Planning Ahead

Yes, he will need a retainer with a false tooth until he is old enough to get the implant, and that step of the journey will run at least $5,000. Insurance will pay part of that, if I have the same coverage in five years. To be safe, I will continue to save and should be able to afford it, and my son will be able to afford to smile again.

Marie Hickman is a TV journalist turned savings writer. She and her son live a fun, frugal life in Palm Harbor, Florida. Follow her on Twitter at @MrsHickman777.

photo source

Shared Apr 24, 2015 comment

5 Principles We Follow That Simplify Our Home

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 24, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

My husband and I have been married for over 12 years and in those years, I’ve learned and grown a lot.

The first seven years of our marriage were especially hard. We survived the last semester of undergrad, infertility, law school, then three babies in five years, multiple job changes, job loss, starting multiple businesses, moving multiple times, financial struggles, marriage struggles, postpartum depression… and more.

I struggled to figure out how to do this wife thing, this mom thing, this home business thing, and this homemaking thing. There were many rocky seasons and rough patches.

There were many days when I never made it out of my PJs (well, truth be told, I still have a few days like that here and there!), I always felt incredibly behind, I rarely ever got enough sleep, and the house was often near disaster.

In the past five years, I’ve made huge strides in my organizational skills, my personal self-discipline, and in setting up more structure and routine for our days. There are 5 principles we follow that have helped us to find our groove, simplify our lives, and have better order in our days:

#1: Touch It Once

As I talked about yesterday, instead of moving papers and piles and clutter and stuff around from place to place, I’m a firm believer in touching things once.

If you pick it up, use it and put it away. If you get it out, put it away. If it’s trash, throw it out. If it’s a dirty plate, don’t just set it in the sink, rinse it out and put it in the dishwasher.

By dealing with dishes and trash and junk mail and papers immediately, you save yourself so much time in the long run. {If you missed my post on this principle yesterday, read it here.}

Now if I could just implement a Touch It Once system for my laundry, we’d be all set! The good news? I’ve stayed almost completely caught up on laundry for a WEEK. That’s massively huge for me — especially because we went on vacation and came back during that week!

#2: Everyone Pitch In

If you are a member of our family, you are required to be an asset to our family. We want to raise our kids to be responsible adults, so that means we are working on training them to pitch in and carry their own weight as part of our family.

One way we do this is by having Non-Paid Chores and Daily Lists. Our kids know that this is what is expected of them and that there are consequences when they don’t do what is expected of them.

By all pitching in and working together, it makes our home run much more smoothly and it means that no one person is having to tackle the majority of the work involved in keeping our home clean and orderly. “Many hands make light work!”

#3: Pick Up Twice A Day

This simple principle has made a world of difference in our home. I’m not exactly sure when it started, but I don’t plan to ever discontinue it!

Basically, in a nut shell, we aim to have our whole house picked up and company ready twice a day — this means all the main rooms all picked up, the kitchen cleaned up, the laundry started, the bathrooms clean, etc.

We usually have a household clean-up time right after breakfast when everyone does their morning chores, I work on the kitchen and laundry and oversee/inspect the kids’ work. Then, after dinner, we all work together to clean up again — this time with Jesse either overseeing the kids’ chores or helping with cleaning up the kitchen.

#4: Stick With a Budget

From the beginning of our marriage, we’ve lived on a strict, written budget. This has simplified our lives, made decision-making so much easier, helped us in our communication as a couple, given us greater financial traction than we could have ever dreamed, and allowed us to be able to fulfill our heart passions to be givers.

If you’ve never had a written budget before, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Some people think that it would make life miserable. On the contrary, we’ve found that it simplifies life so much — we don’t have to worry that spending money in one area is going to hurt our ability to spend in another area because we’ve already pre-determined and designated money for all of our budget categories. In addition, it cuts down significantly on impulse purchases!

#5: Shop Less

The less you own, the less there is to clean, dust, and pick up. We don’t do much shopping — except mostly for groceries and some online shopping for necessities like clothes and household items.

Before heading out to shop, I encourage you to really ask yourself why you’re shopping. Do you have the money to buy the item? Can you make do with what you already have? Is there a better use for that money?

It’s long been said, “If you’re not content where you are, there’s a good chance you’re not going to be content where you think you want to be.” So instead of focusing on what we don’t have, for years we’ve made it our practice to focus on what we do have and to bloom right where we’re planted.

It’s amazing how this goes such a long way in curbing the “I wants” and the need to run out and buy something just to to buy something. Plus, the more we stay out of the stores, the less we are tempted to think we need to buy things we didn’t know we needed or didn’t know even existed!

What principles help YOU simplify YOUR home? I’d love to hear in the comments!

Do you want to take better control of your grocery budget? If so, you’ll want to read my newest eBook, 5 Days to a Better Grocery Budget!

This eBook will give you all the tips, tricks, and practical advice you need to create a grocery budget tailored to your family’s needs that you can actually STICK to (because that’s the key!)

In this eBook, you’ll learn:

How to create a grocery budget that fits your family’s needs and your finances!
New systems to help you keep track of what you spend at the store!
How to actually stick with your new budget and save money for years to come!
Ways to save up to $50 off your grocery bill THIS WEEK by using the 10 simple strategies outlined in this eBook!

Read to get started? Just use the form below to sign up!

[better_budget_form]

Shared Apr 24, 2015 comment

Weekend Giveaway: $25 Lamplight Scripture Prints Gift Certificate (10 Winners)

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 24, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Lamplight Scripture Prints is an Etsy store dedicated to making fresh and beautiful designs of timeless truth. They offer Scripture prints for every room in your home.

This store is run by two moms who desire to make God’s Word tangible and present in homes and hearts.

They sent me some of their prints and I love them. I also love that 10% of all purchases go toward local and global ministry. Proceeds have helped to support ministries fighting to free those being trafficked, to fund adoptions, and more.

All of their designs are professionally printed on fine Moorim 100# gloss cover. (Shipped prints do NOT contain the lamplight watermark shown in these pictures.)

For more information, check out the Lamplight Scripture Prints Etsy Shop or the Lamplights website. You can also follow them on Facebook to keep up with new products they release and specials they offer.

MoneySavingMom.com readers can receive $10 off a $25 purchase by using the coupon code momsday2015 through May 15, 2015.

Would you like to win a $25 gift certificate to the Lamplight Scripture Prints Etsy Shop? Just 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 Saturday, April 25, at 11:59 pm, CST.

Shared Apr 24, 2015 comment

Brigette’s $48 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

Published: by Brigette on April 24, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

We had a wonderful vacation with extended family in Maine this past week, and I really enjoyed the break from my normal menu planning and grocery shopping! Since there weren’t any great deals on meat or fruit this week, I decided to rely on what we already have in our freezer. I like to completely rotate through my freezer stash every 4-6 months anyway, so this seemed like a good opportunity to work on that!

Aldi

1 20-oz pkg Yellow Squash – $2.19

1 20-oz pkg Zucchini – $1.99

3 containers assorted Baby Lettuce – $5.07, plus receive $0.25 back from Checkout 51 and $0.25 back from Snap by Groupon – $4.57 after rebates

1 head Cauliflower – $1.99

1 bag Kale – $1.99

1 bag Baby Brussel Sprouts – $1.29, plus receive $0.25 back from Snap by Groupon – $1.04 after rebate

1 pkg Flat Leaf Spinach – $1.79

2 16-oz bags Baby Carrots – $1.38

2 16-oz containers Egg Whites – $3.98

1 bag Mini Sweet Peppers – $2.29

1 container Grape Tomatoes – $0.99

2 Avocados – $1.98

2 Cucumbers – $0.78

Total after Rebates: $26.96

Harris Teeter

2 jars Skippy Peanut Butter – $4.00, used 2 $0.55/1 printable (doubled) – $1.80/2 after coupons

2 boxes Kelloggs Mini Frosted Wheats (B1G1) – $3.39, used 2 $0.50/1 printable (doubled), plus receive $0.30 back from Ibotta – $1.09/2 after coupons and rebate

1 32-oz carton SO Delicious Coconut Milk – $1.50, used $0.55/1 printable (doubled), plus receive $1.00 back from Ibotta – $0.60 MM after coupon and rebate

1 box Blue Bunny Ice Cream Novelty – $3.49, used $0.75/1 printable (doubled) – $1.99 after coupon

5 8-oz pkgs Sargento Cheese (slices and shreds) – $10.00 (must buy 5 to get this price) – used 2 $0.55/1 printable (doubled), plus 2 $0.50/1 printable – $5.80/5 after coupons

5 8-oz pkgs Cabot Chunk Cheese – $10.00 (must buy 5 to get this price) – used 2 $1/2 printable – $8.00/5 after coupons

2 16-oz pkgs Land O’Frost Premium Lunchmeat – $7.98, used 2 $0.75/1 printable (doubled) – $4.98/2 after coupons

2 pkgs Mission Soft Taco Tortillas – $3.98, used 2 $0.55/1 printable (doubled) – $1.78/2 after coupons

1 gallon Milk – $2.99, plus receive $0.30 back from Ibotta – $2.69 after rebate

4 pkgs assorted Frozen Vegetables – $4.00

used $10/50 purchase – Publix Coupon received in mail

Total after Coupons and Rebates – $21.53

Weekly Total: $48.49

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Smoothies (using strawberries, grapes, bananas, and blackberries from our freezer), Toast x 2

Oatmeal with Fruit (from the freezer) x 2

Cereal x 2

Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls (birthday breakfast)

Veggie Omelettes (for me)

Lunches

Cheese Quesadillas, Fresh Veggies with Dip x 2

Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwiches, Yogurt, Fresh Veggies with Dip x 2

Build Your Own Tossed Salad, Boiled Eggs, Sliced Cheese

Leftovers x 2

Dinners

Mexican Lasagna, Tossed Salad

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole, Easy Whole Wheat Bread

Hamburgers on the Grill, Homemade French Fries, Grilled Vegetables, Cottage Cheese Pie (birthday meal for my husband)

Sub Sandwiches, Fresh Veggie Plate, Homemade Strawberry Applesauce

Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes with Ham, Steamed Vegetables, Easy Whole Wheat Bread

Leftovers x 2

Snacks

Fresh Veggies, Sliced Cheese, Our Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies, Popcorn, Protein Smoothies (for me)

Sick of the clutter? This is a MUST-read article on how to eliminate almost all of the paper piles in your home! And it's SO simple!!

Shared Apr 23, 2015 comment

How to Eliminate 99% of the Paper Piles in Your Home

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 23, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Recently, one of my friends who comes over to our house frequently commented about how she can’t figure out how we don’t have pile of paper anywhere. She wanted to know how on earth I accomplish that and what systems I have in place to maintain that.

At first, I told her I wasn’t sure; I just didn’t like piles so we didn’t have them. But being the analytical person I am, I spent some time thinking about it over the next few days.

Are there systems I have that I just don’t realize I have? Are there things I do on a regular basis to tame the pile monster?

I thought about it for quite awhile and slowly realized that I DO have systems. However, they have been in place for so long that I do them without thinking about them. I guess those are the best kind of systems, aren’t they? The ones that just happen without you thinking about them.

So, here are my systems and how you, too, can eliminate 99% of your paper clutter:

1) Find Out Where the Paper Is Coming From

Start paying attention to where the paper piles are coming from. Are they school papers your kids are bringing home from school? Is it bills? Is it mail? Is it newspapers?

Figure out the source of your problem and see if there’s anything you can do to cut down on some of the inflow. For instance, can you automate your bills with online bill pay? Could you throw junk mail out in the outside dumpster before you even walk in the house? Could you cancel a subscription to the newspaper if it’s just piling up and not really being read?

2) Stop Hanging Onto Anything You Don’t Absolutely Need

Very few papers really need to be saved. Ask yourself: “If all my paper piles were all burned up in a fire tomorrow, what would I desperately wish I had saved?”

Only save those really meaningful papers and get rid of the rest. There’s no sense in letting things that don’t matter to you take up residence in your home and personal space!

3) Implement the “Touch It Once” Policy

If you’ll stop to really pay attention, I bet you spend time each week moving paper piles. And you probably let them bog you down, too.

Here’s the truth: I rarely touch a paper that comes into our house more than once. For real.

I’ve determined that I just don’t want to spend hours of my life moving a pile from one place to another place, so instead, I institute the “Touch It Once” policy for all papers that come into our house. In almost 99% of the cases, this completely eliminates paper piles.

Here’s how it works for me: When a piece of paper comes into our house, be it bills, kid’s papers from their activities, a magazine, an invitation, there are one of four things that will happen to it when I have it in my hand:

I either Trash It, Scan It (and then trash it), Display It, or File It.

Pretty much every single paper can fall under one of these categories. And doing one of these four things guarantees that it doesn’t become the start of a pile.

Practical “Touch It Once” Examples:

Some examples of specific kinds of papers and how I deal with them:

Ads: These are trashed immediately — as soon as I go through the mail. You can pretty much always find all ads online. I may glance through them and might jot a note on my Google Calendar about a sale or a reminder of something in them and then I trash them immediately (or, stick it in the recycling bin if you recycle).

Kid’s Artwork: I either display artwork on the fridge (I rotate these display regularly. When I take one down to rotate in another, I take a picture if it’s something I want to remember and then toss it), mail it to grandparents or our Compassion children, or take pictures of it on my phone so I have a record of it and toss it. If it was something really special — such as a very touching note or beautiful picture, I’ll store it in our Keepsakes & Mementos tub.

Bills: Pay immediately and then scan and shred. If possible, switch to online bill pay so that you don’t even have to worry about remembering to pay bills.

Invitations/Notices/FYIs: Immediately make a note on your calendar of all the details you need to remember — times, due dates, details, etc. If you want to save the invitation for some reason, pin it to a board that’s designated for this purpose or display it on the fridge. Be sure to regularly cull these things on display, though. More than a few on display and you’ve sort of created a “Display Pile”!

I make notes in Google calendar of all events and details and then will put a reminder a few days before if I need to buy a gift, write a card, make a dessert, etc.

Cards/Letters: Want to know the truth? I don’t keep very many cards and letters from people. This might sound incredibly unsentimental of me, but the reality is that I’d have boxes and boxes of cards with signatures if I kept all the cards I’ve received in my life. So my rule of thumb with cards and letters is to ask myself, “Will I wish I had this in 25 years from now?”

If the answer is, “Yes!” than I’ll put it in our Keepsakes & Mementos tub. If not, I just toss it. You could also scan cards and letters to have an electronic record of them.

I dare you to try the Touch It Once System for two weeks just to see if it makes a difference. If you hate it, you can always go back to piling. But you might find, as my husband did, that it saves so much time and effort and keeps your office, countertops, tabletops and more much, much cleaner!

What are YOUR best solutions for dealing with paper clutter? I’d love to hear!

Want some practical help with setting up your day for success? Be sure to grab a copy of my brand-new online course, Make Over Your Mornings.

This 14-day online course includes videos, a workbook, and step-by-step projects and is designed to help you revolutionize your productivity, streamline your routines, invest your time in things that truly matter, and find more joy and peace in the process.

If you’ve ever wished that you could figure out how to get more done, have more organization in your life, and find time to spend on things you love, the Make Over Your Mornings Course is for you. Find out more about it here.

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

Click here to sign up!

Shared Apr 22, 2015 comment

Why I Turned Down Thousands of Dollars This Past Year

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 22, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

This past year, I’ve turned down thousands of dollars in paid opportunities.

Some of you might think I’m crazy to do so. And when our business expenses are up and our business income is down, I sometimes will question those choices, too.

But then I quickly remind myself of why I’ve said no. For instance…

I’ve said no to credit card companies who want to pay me to write posts about their offers… because, in good conscience, I just can’t bring myself to endorse credit card companies.
I’ve turned down many opportunities to add more ads to the sidebar, header, and footer of my blog… because while advertising helps to pay the bills, I am adamant about keeping it to a minimum on the blog.
I’ve turned down many lucrative opportunities to add pop-up ads to the blog… no matter how much the advertiser wants to pay me, I can’t bring myself to put something on my blog that I know will just be annoying to most readers.
I’ve turned down numerous requests for me to write an underwritten post on a topic that isn’t in line with my core beliefs or that might possibly compromise my integrity… or even just that might pay well, but offers no benefit to my readers.
I’ve turned down many partnership opportunities because it would suck my time and keep me from being able to make my family and writing here a priority.

Please know, I don’t judge or criticize other bloggers who have made different choices than me in this regard. I’ve seen some of the above work well for different bloggers with different audiences, but for me, I am 150% committed to always putting my specific readers and their specific needs first in making blogging decisions.

And not just my readers take precedence, but more importantly, my relationship with the Lord, my husband, and my kids.

If it’s not a win for you, if there’s not any value for you, if it means I must neglect my family or lose my health and sanity in the process, I don’t care HOW much a company wants to pay me, it’s not worth it.

I also am very careful what I choose to heavily promote or highly endorse. I want you to know that my words have weight.

Almost every month (or sometimes more than once a month!), I get asked to be a part of a Bundle Sale — where a bunch of authors put all their downloadable books together into a package and offer it for a special sale price and then split the earnings. I have said no to every single one of these but two so far: The Healthy Living Bundle Sale and the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle Sale. (This offer has now expired.)

Why? Because I know that your resources are limited, your budgets are tight, and I can’t be highly recommending that you buy a new Bundle offer every month.

I’ve specifically chosen to promote the Healthy Living Bundle Sale and the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle sale because I know the folks who run those sales very well, have worked with them closely for years, and believe that they are offering you a top-notch bundle at an incredibly low price.

They are the real deal. And all of the amazing testimonies from my satisfied readers who have purchased from them in the past are proof of just that.

I tell you all this, because through Monday only, the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is available. This is a never-before-offered Bundle packed with 99 different resources. And I am participating in this sale because I firmly believe it is worth every penny of the price and much, much more.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve gotten a sneak peek at the ebooks, e-courses, and free bonuses and have been so inspired and motivated by what I’ve read and learned.

In fact, The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is a complete library of carefully selected eBooks, ecourses, audios, online conferences, and printable packs designed to help you turn your house into a home… without all the overwhelm. (This offer has now expired.)

It’s 99 resources in all. (A total value of $984.74.) It includes:

✔ 76 eBooks
✔ 6 eCourses
✔ 1 audio download
✔ 2 online conferences, and
✔ 14 printable packs

Now please note: There is a LOT of information in this bundle. It could feel overwhelming if you were to try to read all the ebooks, go through the ecourses, sign up for the freebies, and implement all the changes and ideas the authors tell you to make.

I want to encourage you to NOT read all the ebooks. That information overload could just produce major stress and guilt.

Instead, I encourage you to look at the list of ebooks and e-courses and pick 10-15 that you feel would be highly beneficial. For instance, here are the ebooks I want to read ASAP:

There are many more ebooks that I hope to read in the future, but I’m trying to pace myself and not be overwhelmed with ideas and information.

It’s better to baby step your way along and actually make small and steady changes, than to try to overhaul your life overnight and end up stressed and burnt out.

~~Want to win a FREE bundle?~~

~~To help manage your home and life better, I’m going to give away an Ultimate Homemaking Bundle to two readers here in the next 24 hours. Here’s how to enter to win:~~

~~1) Head over here and pick out two ebooks in the bundle that you’d love to read.~~

~~2) Then, come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me which two ebooks you’d love to read.~~

~~I’ll choose and post two winners tomorrow afternoon and will buy you each a copy of the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle!~~

The winners are: Susan (susanay2626@) and Kristen (kmueller14@)

This offer has now expired.

(Note: The links in this post are affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.)

Shared Apr 21, 2015 comment

What My Blog Looked Like in 2007 (trust me, it wasn’t pretty!)

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 21, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

In 2004, when I found out that I was pregnant with our first child, I began searching high and low for something — anything! — I could do from home to earn enough money so I could be a stay-at-home mom. That had long been my dream and I was so determined to do so.

After many different tries and mistakes, I finally landed upon this thing called blogging. I started a few blogs in the next two years — learning a lot as I went! Because there was so much interest in me writing about saving money on groceries, I started MoneySavingMom.com in 2007.

I didn’t have money to invest in blog design, so I started with what I could afford and set up myself: a free blog on Blogger.com with a white background. I didn’t know how to design a header, so I just had plain text at the top that said “Money Saving Mom”.

After a few months, I had been making some money off of affiliate advertising and sidebar ads — enough to invest a little money in sprucing up the blog. So I hired someone to design a header for the blog for $25.

And here’s what it looked like…

Yes, it wasn’t pretty. At all.

But that “ugly” blog that cost me almost nothing to start grew and grew until I finally had to move to Typepad and then to WordPress.

I had no idea that that little blog would be such a catalyst for so many things — meeting so many amazing bloggers and readers, making a full-time income from blogging, having speaking opportunities, getting book deals, the opportunity to give generously, the ability to move to Nashville and work with my husband in business, the opportunity to provide jobs for people on my team…

I don’t share this with you to gloat; I share this with you to encourage you.

Don’t let the lack of money to pay for a very professional website or expensive office hold you back. Don’t let the fear of making mistakes keep you from beginning somewhere. Don’t wait until you have everything figured out to jump in and start working on your dreams and ideas.

Just start… even if it’s not as nice and professional as you’d like it to be.

Experiment… even when you fail and make mistakes.

Jump out of your comfort zone… even if not everyone thinks your idea will work.

Some day, you might look back and shake your head at how little you knew, how much you’ve learned, and how far you’ve come… but you never would get to witness all that progress if you don’t take the first step.

P.S. If you’re thinking of starting a blog, be sure to read my comprehensive post on How to Start a Blog & Make Money Blogging.

Shared Apr 20, 2015 comment

A Peek Into Last Week: I got caught up on laundry (!), a date by myself to Panera, a trip to Maine (and I left my phone at home for 5 days!)

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 20, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

There’s been a lot going on at our house and in our family. Here’s a little peek into this past week:

A Peek Into This Past Week

He woke up one morning last week and said, “I’m going to make eggs for breakfast. How many eggs do you want me to make for you?” I watched as he then prepared our fried eggs, dished them onto plates for both of us, and came and presented mine to me like this.

This is what parenting is all about — raising adults who are self-sufficient, take initiative, and look for ways to serve. However, you should know that there are many moments where I feel like I’m failing as a parent. It’s the beautiful stories like this that remind me that we are making headway, even if it sometimes feels like 2 steps forward, 10 steps backward.

There was a hair in one of my eggs. Usually, I would gag and throw my plate of food down the sink. But somehow, I was able to just pull it out, throw that section of eggs out, and eat the rest. A mother’s love overpowers even gag reflexes, I tell ya!

{By the way, Silas loves to wear Daddy’s t-shirts to bed. Do your kids ever do that? I did as a child and thought it was the best thing ever.}

This picture is rather fuzzy, but what it represents to me is powerfully clear… Almost a year ago, we moved to TN in a huge leap of faith and obedience. We didn’t really know the why behind it and we didn’t really know what was waiting for us here. But we moved anyway, because we knew that if we didn’t, we would always wonder what we missed out on by staying where it was safe and comfortable.

The first five months were hard. Jesse went through an identity crisis and struggled to believe he had any worth or value.

I struggled to know how to walk through this dark time with him. We wondered if we’d made a massive mistake in moving.

But God, in His amazing grace, brought us to Fellowship Bible Church where Jesse connected with Eric (our campus pastor — who is standing by the camera in this picture). Eric invited Jesse to be part of a Men’s Small Group where Jesse has been welcomed, challenged, poured into, and built up.

I’ve seen him slowly transform from the inside out these past 8 months. He no longer believes he has nothing to offer; he now wholeheartedly knows who he is in Christ and the value and worth he has. As a result, he has more joy and passion for life than I’ve ever seen.

Last week, Eric asked him if he’d be willing to share his story on video for a project he’s working on. As I sat and watched Jesse record the video, my heart felt like it might burst. God is good!

I had a date by myself to Panera. For real. I can’t remember the last time I’ve gone out to lunch BY MYSELF. It was an introvert’s paradise.

Please note the receipt. Yes, only $2.24 for lunch! And that was just for my overpriced cup of coffee (I should have gotten a small or just skipped it altogether!).

I logged into My Panera account the other day to check to see if I got the free coffee all month offer that a bunch of you all said you received (did you get it?). I didn’t have it in my account, but I did have a FREE You Pick Two Meal. Woot!

{I have no idea why I “earned” the free You Pick Two Meal because I haven’t been to a Panera in months. But hey, I’m not going to complain!}

Inspired by this video and the encouragement you all gave me in this post, I did a LOT of laundry last week and ended up getting all caught up on laundry. Which I couldn’t be more excited about!

Apparently, I need to do the laundry more often! In just one load, I found 4 quarters and a $10 bill!!! I’d say that’s much better than finding a wet diaper or food (two things I’ve found multiple times in the past while transferring wet clothes from the washer to the dryer. Yes, gross, I know!)

Kaitlynn had an assignment to write a letter in her language arts lesson last week. She came and handed me this… And there are no words.

I don’t deserve my children’s love — especially after the past few weeks where I’ve had a lot on my plate and have struggled with irritation and lack of patience. I am so grateful for the grace and love that my family constantly extends to me, even when I least deserve it.

Excuse the early morning hair that I didn’t have a chance to do anything with as I was getting everyone out the door for our early morning flight to Maine on Saturday morning {Yes, I didn’t have time to fix my hair but I did put on makeup. Priorities, people!}

Apparently, I was rushing just a wee bit too much as halfway to the airport, I realized that I LEFT MY PHONE AT HOME!

Since I recently missed a flight because security took way longer than usual, I’m a bit paranoid so I didn’t want to turn around to get my phone lest we all miss our flight as a result. So, I’m involuntarily phone-free for 5 days.

It’s only appropriate that I had planned to finish reading Hands Free Life on the plane this morning!! I did panic a bit when I discovered I’d left the phone at home, but I quickly worked through it and reminded myself that it’s just a phone. I lived for years of my life without one. Okay so I was a baby and child and pre-teen during most of those years, but still… Surely I can survive for 5 days!

We headed to Maine with all of my family — my parents, my 6 siblings, and their children (my parents paid for all of us to come as a celebration of their 40th anniversary). All 23 of us are staying in one house and we are loving exploring Maine (we’ve never been to Maine before!).

A Peek Into Our Week

I got my feet wet in the Atlantic Ocean and had Tim Horton’s coffee for the first time. The ocean here is breath-taking. The crashing waves. The rocks. The lighthouses. I felt like it was the scene from a painting.

It’s cold here. Cold and wet. I sort of wish I would have brought more warmer clothes, but we’ll make do. Our kids thought the ocean was incredible.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t as impressed with Tim Horton’s as I hoped to be. The coffee was just sort of so-so.

Yesterday, we went on a supposedly “moderate” 3 to 4-mile hike up to some cliff overlooks. I’m pretty sure I have a different definition of “moderate”! I would be scared to know what a “strenuous” hike is!! (Maybe I’m just a wimp?!?)

We slogged and slid through areas that had up to a foot of snow and ice. We climbed uphill for almost two hours — mostly through unmarked trail areas, scaling some large rocks in the process — in order to hit both the North and South Cliff Overlooks. But, it was worth it for the beautiful and spacious views at the top!

I am blown away by how NICE and friendly people are here! We met multiple hikers this afternoon and they went out of their way to ask questions and give us helpful advice for other trails/attractions we should check out in this area. We are loving it here and so thankful for my parents gifting us this family trip as a Christmas present!

How was YOUR week last week?

Shared Apr 18, 2015 comment

A “Glamper’s” Guide to Budget Camping

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 18, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Kristin of The Touring Camper

Our family loves to go camping — or perhaps I should say “glamping” given we camp in a travel trailer?

Either way, having a camper has enabled our family to save money on more expensive destination vacation experiences by staying at inexpensive campgrounds rather than condos, lodges, or hotels. However, the cost of gas is high these days, so we are always trying to find ways to save money.

Here are a few tips we have learned along the miles:

1. Look for Government Campgrounds First

When picking a campground, first check out state or government-affiliated parks (like the Army Corp of Engineers). Typically these parks will have a cheaper rate per-night of camping. KOAs and private campgrounds usually offer more amenities, like pools, cable, and wi-fi, which bump up the nightly rate.

2. Plan Your Activities Ahead of Time

To save money on touring the area we implement three strategies:

Use the Visitor’s Center

During our 2014 trip to Charleston, SC, we stopped at the visitor’s center to sign our kids up for a free passport program. As we visited local sites that were connected with the program (many were free) the kids collected stamps in their passports and earned rewards.

Buy an “All-Access” Pass

If you plan to visit several area attractions, sometimes you can get a discount by buying a pass that gives access to several linked attractions. During our 2013 trip to Johnstown, PA, we purchased one pass at a discounted rate that gave us access to historic sites as well as a children’s museum.

Purchase Memberships for Locations you Visit Regularly

Consider purchasing a science center, museum, or zoo membership that has reciprocity with locations you plan to visit. This past year, we had a Carnegie museum membership in Pittsburgh that also gained us free access to COSI during a Columbus camping trip.

3. Pack Carefully

Once you plan your activities (see #2 above), take the time to carefully pack what you’ll need for those various activities to avoid last-minute shopping stops at expensive camp stores.

However, even with careful planning, you may still need to head to the store for a necessity. So before you leave on your trip, know where budget-friendly dollar stores, Walmarts, or Aldis are located!

4. Consider Becoming a Good Sam Member

This program is similar to AAA, but geared for campers. The membership comes with roadside assistance but also offers fuel discounts at Flying Js.

Another option is to sign up for your preferred gas station’s fuel discount program.

5. BYOB (and Meals!)

Save money by bringing your own beverages… and your own meals.

Although it takes extra planning, we avoid expensive restaurant meals by having breakfasts and dinners at the campsite and packing lunches while we are out exploring.

To make the vacation as enjoyable as possible, we pick easy meals that can be reheated, quickly assembled over a campfire, or cooked in a crock pot while we are out touring. Additionally, when we camp with family or friends we generally take turns making dinner meals, which gives everyone at least one night off from cooking.

What are your best tips to camp (or “glamp”) on a budget?

Kristin and her husband Jarrett share additional camping tips and ideas over at The Touring Camper, where they are searching for adventure on and off the beaten path while reviewing places to camp and highlighting awesome places to visit.

Shared Apr 18, 2015 comment

Homemade Quick & Easy Hot Dog Buns

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 18, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Oh! I love this idea! Home Ec @ Home shows you how to make Homemade Quick & Easy Hot Dog Buns.

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

Click here to download!

Shared Apr 17, 2015 comment

Weekly Dinner Plan for $70 from Trader Joe’s

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 17, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Jessica from Life as Mom has put together a downloadable meal plan with a Week of Dinners from Trader Joe’s for just $70.

Shared Apr 16, 2015 comment

The 3 Most Important Things to Do After You Start a Blog

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 16, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Last week, I asked you if you had any questions on blogging or business. I was pretty astounded at all the questions I received. And it made me excited to see how many of you were interested in a weekly column tackling business and blogging-related topics.

My plan is to answer one question per week for as long as there’s interest and questions being asked. We’ll see how it goes!

Here’s today’s question, emailed in from Alyssa:

Currently, I am considering the possibility of starting my own blog. For the past several weeks I have done TONS of research. So naturally, I was really excited when I saw your post about asking you questions about blogging.

I haven’t been able to find much yet in terms of tips or suggestions for once your blog is live (like the first couple of months). It seems like there is endless information out there about the logistics of getting the blog off the ground and running. And then, there is quite a bit of information out there for different ways to monetize your blog and make your graphics beautiful.

But, what I haven’t found very much of is strategy for your first couple months while your blog is just getting started. I would be curious to see more information (from you in particular) about what you would recommend a brand new blogger focus on in that first few months.

Quality content is obvious, but what marketing techniques would you recommend and what strategies would you use for optimum growth? -Alyssa

Great question, Alyssa! And I’m guessing you’re not alone in wondering what some of the first steps would be once you’ve actually started blogging. {If you’re still in the thinking of starting a blog stage, be sure to check out my comprehensive post here on How to Start a Blog & Make Money Blogging.}

I thought about this question — and especially back to my early days of blogging as well as to bloggers who have started in recent years and what I’ve watched them do. With this in mind, here are my top 3 recommendations for what you should do after you start your blog:

1. Blog Consistently

This is a must. Do not, I repeat, do NOT, start a blog, put up a few posts, and then disappear for days at a time.

If you want to do this blogging thing well, if you want to build a successful blog, if you want to make money blogging, you MUST be a consistent blogger.

Now, this does not mean that you need to put a post up at 8:01 EST a.m. every day like my amazing friend and virtual assistant, Andrea, does. Though you are more than welcome to, if that kind of consistency is your thing.

The consistency I’m referring to here is that you show up regularly. That people know they can count on you. That you treat blogging like you do a real job — because it totally can become that with consistency.

This might mean that you post an in-depth post every other week. Or, it might mean that you post every day. Or it something in-between or something entirely different.

But whatever you do, be consistent about it. Perseverance for the long haul is the key to success in blogging.

If you pay attention around here, you’ll know that I don’t always blog at the same time every single day. But I pretty much almost always blog every single day. You know that when you check in here each day, I’ll be sharing some deals, sharing some inspiring ideas, and maybe sharing a peek into my life, too.

You never know exactly what you’ll get or exactly when my posts will go up (because I’m more in the “blogging by the seat of my pants” camp), but you do know that, unless it is Sunday, I’ll be updating this blog every day.

I don’t always feel like blogging. I don’t always feel like showing up. But I show up every day because I love you all, because I’m committed to this blog, and because I know that staying consistent in blogging is one of the biggest keys to success for the long-haul.

Blogging consistently every single day is a habit I developed years ago and the rewards have been far beyond what I could have ever dreamed or imagined! I love this community. I love the amazing ideas shared. I love getting to learn from you. I love the encouragement I receive from here.

And our family is also grateful for the income this blog provides that gives us flexibility and the ability to pay cash for purchases, save for the future, and give generously.

None of these things would have happened had I started blogging and blogged faithfully for a few weeks and then fallen off the planet for weeks. Start and stop blogging — where you blog consistently for a few days and then go long periods without blogging and then blog for a few days in a row and then go missing again — is a surefire way to sink your blog. People will only show up consistently if you also show up consistently.

I encourage you to consider carefully what you can realistically commit to in regards to blogging and the time you have available to invest in it. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.

Start out slowly — maybe committing to post 1-2 times per week, if that, and then gradually increase if you feel like that works for you. When it comes to blogging, quality content is almost always better than quantity content.

In addition, I encourage you to plan out post ideas for at least the first 6-8 weeks of blogging. This exercise will get your creative wheels turning and will help you to refine what your blog is about and determine whether or not you have enough content inspiration to write dozens and dozens of posts on those topics.

2. Experiment Strategically

It’s good to have a plan in place for where you want to go with your blog, but in order to make traction and figure out what works for you, you’re going to need to do a lot of experimenting.

It’s easy to go into Experimentation Overload mode… where you’re trying lots and lots and lots of ideas all at once. However, this is not only a recipe for burnout, it’s also going to inhibit you from really drilling down and learning what is working.

So rather than trying to implement 33 new ideas in the first 3 weeks of blogging, pick 1-2 ideas. Set some goals for those ideas, map out a plan for experimenting with those ideas, and then get to work!

Keep focusing on those 1-2 ideas for at least 3-6 weeks. Keep tabs on how effective the idea is. Does it bring more traffic? Is it increasing social media engagement? Are you getting good response via comments or emails? Or whatever measurable ways there are to track it.

Also, consider personally if that type of writing or implementing that idea is fulfilling to you. Do you love it? Hate it? Or somewhere in between?

It’s important to remind yourself often that what works for one person won’t always work for another. And that what one person loves, another person will loathe.

Your sweet spot in blogging is where you find what you love writing about/working on that also brings traffic and engagement. However, please don’t compare your traffic and engagement numbers to someone else. Every blog is going to be different, just as every person is different.

It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers game and become so focused on that that you lose sight of what you love or why you started blogging in the first place. Remember that all the traffic and engagement and income in the world isn’t worth it if you’re miserable in the process.

Do what you love and what works best for you. Don’t worry about what works for someone else or how much traffic they have or how much income they are bringing in.

It’s also good to realize that a successful blog and business is constantly growing and experimenting and changing as technology and blogging and the online space changes, expands, and morphs. The day you get stuck in a rut and refuse to keep growing and experimenting is the day your blog begins to die.

Be willing to fail. Jump out and try new ideas. Change up the way you post. Experiment with different voices and writing styles. Try video blogging or podcasting.

Read books. Watch other bloggers. Learn from them and be inspired by them, but always remember that it’s most important to be YOU.

You have a unique story and perspective that no one else on the planet does because you are the only you in existence. So be you, bravely.

Be okay with breaking the “blogging rules” if doing so means you are staying true to yourself. Be okay with having less traffic or making less income if doing so means you keep your integrity or have your priorities in place. At the end of your life, you won’t regret it.

3. Network Religiously

One of the best things you can do for your brand-new blog is to get to know other bloggers. Some ideas:

Join Facebook groups with other bloggers.
Leave well-crafted comments on other blogs.
Reach out to bloggers via Twitter.
Offer to write a highly-relevant and well-written guest post for a blog you love.
Use hashtags on Instagram and find other folks who are interested in the same things you are.
Comment on Facebook/Instagram posts of bloggers you love.
Join Pinterest group boards and re-pin posts from bloggers you love.
Write a blogger and tell them thank you without asking for anything from them.

Now, this list might seem really long and overwhelming… and it sort of is. Which is why I encourage you to just focus on the 1-2 networking-related goals like we talked about earlier.

You can’t do it all, but you can reach out a little. And a little bit of the right kind of reaching out can go a long way.

What do I mean by this? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret.

Want to know the best way to develop relationships with other bloggers? Stop making it about yourself and what you can get from them.

It’s a huge turn-off to get pitches and requests from people again and again and again when they want nothing more than to just use you as a step stool for their own personal success and gain.

Instead of networking with bloggers for the purpose of what you can get from them, start looking for ways that you can give to other bloggers. Promote their links. Retweet their posts. Send them encouraging emails just because. Tell them thank you.

Truly show that you care about them as a person, not that you only care about what they can do for you. Expect nothing in return.

Let me tell you, because it’s so rare that someone reaches out and says thank you and gives without asking for anything in return, I take notice of it right away. And that’s how some of my best friendships and blogging relationships have been formed.

I’m so over the whole “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” philosophy and I know how lonely and discouraging it can be when you are constantly hearing from people who are complaining or who wants something from you, that I am always looking for ways to serve, celebrate, and give to others. It’s so much fun and it’s so fulfilling. And bloggers genuinely appreciate it and often go out of their way to build a relationship with you as a result.

Some of these relationships have not only blossomed into deep friendships that have blessed my life in numerous ways, but they’ve also opened doors of opportunity that I never would have expected.

Bloggers: I’d love to hear what YOUR advice and recommendations would be for Alyssa. Tell us in the comments!

photo credit

Shared Apr 15, 2015 comment

My New Laundry “System” (if you can even call it that!)

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 15, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you know I have laundry issues. It’s the area of homemaking that I’ve always struggled with the most.

For years, I tried system after system to attempt to fix this issue:

I tried the one-load-from-start-to-finish-everyday system.
I tried the only-do-laundry-one-day-a-week idea.
I tried divvying the laundry chore between my kids.
I tried Laundry Parties.
I tried doing certain kinds of laundry on certain days (towels one day, whites one day, etc.)
I tried encouraging my kids to re-wear things over and over again.
I religiously cleaned out closets and drawers so that we didn’t have too many clothes.
I hired out the laundry chore for a few years.
I’ve even considered having our family become nudists… okay, just teasing. 😉

Yes, I’ve pretty much tried it all. While these systems can be great and work well for many families, none of them seemed to work well long-term for us.

You see, I work full-time and have weird hours in order to homeschool. My husband works weird hours, too.

I travel regularly. And our family travels regularly. We also have an ever-changing routine because we’re an entrepreneurial family and our kids are very involved in their respective activities (something that we’ve decided is a family priority for us).

So all of these things mean that neat little systems we try only seem to work for a total of three days for us and then something comes up that derails the whole system.

This might sound like I’m making excuses, but I’m not. I’m just stating reality. It’s a reality that we’ve chosen and what we feel God has called our family to. And we’re very settled in it.

But it has meant that systematic approaches that work beautifully for other families, don’t work so well for ours.

As a result, for years I’ve felt like a laundry failure. Every time I’d pass a towering pile of clean laundry waiting to be folded I felt mocked and taunted by it.

“You’re not a good enough homemaker!” “You can’t get your act together!” “All the other moms can seem to create and keep laundry systems and you can’t.”

Yes, I felt shamed and discouraged by the laundry pile.

In the last few years, I’ve learned to replace so many of my own incorrect deep-rooted beliefs with the truth. I’ve stopped feeling like I was a misfit. Like I didn’t have anything to offer. Like I wasn’t good enough.

I’ve realized that I do have many gifts and talents. I have great worth and value. And I want to own my gifts and talents.

So, in embracing this, I’ve been challenging myself to also stop listening to the voices of guilt and shame that I hear in my head when I see the laundry pile.

Instead, I’m working on making peace with my laundry pile. With the fact that our current life choices mean things can’t be tied up with a neat little bow. That things will be a little (or sometimes, a LOT) messy. That it’s probably a given that I’ll never be fully caught up on laundry on a daily basis for long periods of time.

And I’m okay with that. Because I refuse to be defined by my laundry pile.

I have many homemaking gifts and talents. I’m great at keeping clutter at bay. I’m great at sticking with a budget. I’m great at keeping paper piles to a minimum. I’m great at keeping up with dishes. And our home is usually 15 to 30 minutes to being “Company Ready”.

You have different gifts and talents. You might never be behind on laundry. You might have an incredible system that works beautifully for your family. I’m so happy for you and want to learn from and be inspired by you.

But I am going to stop comparing myself to you and feeling like because I am not following the same system as you that I’m therefore a failure.

You see, that’s the “system” that I’ve discovered and that’s giving me so much freedom for the first time. To realize that there are more important things than always being perfectly on top of the laundry. That it’s okay to get a few loads behind in favor of investing in my marriage or hanging out with my kids or spending time with a friend or serving in our community or even sleeping.

It’s really and truly okay. My laundry pile does not define me.

This doesn’t mean that I don’t want to keep baby-stepping my way toward better success with the laundry. Or that I don’t want to continue to learn and try ideas I hear from others or read about on a blog. But if they don’t work for me or only work for a short time period, that’s okay.

So, all that said, here’s my laundry “system” or at least my current philosophy for approaching laundry:

1) Be Grateful For the Laundry Pile

A clean laundry pile means that we have clothes to wear. It means we have more than one outfit per person. It means we have options in our closet. All the clothes are a reminder of the wonderful people I get to share life with. These are blessings that many, many people would love to have and I don’t want to take them for granted.

2) Try to Work on It a Little Each Day

I usually have great ambitions each day to get a load or two or three done from start to finish. But that’s just not always possible and that’s okay. However, I try to spend at least a little time — even if it’s 2 or 3 minutes! — on the laundry each day. Every little bit counts.

If I have more time, I can make a much bigger dent in it. I like to set the timer for 10 or 20 minutes whenever I can and work on it. I usually have the kids help put away while I fold and we can tackle a lot in a short amount of time.

3) Make Sure We’re Not Washing More Than We Need to Be

The less laundry we wash, the less there is to fold and put away. Making sure that we keep our closets cleaned out and pared down helps to cut down on laundry.

I’m also working on encouraging our kids to not put clothes or towels in the laundry that aren’t truly needing to be washed.

4) Have Our Kids Help Me

This has been key for us to not get hopelessly behind on laundry in the past year. Kathrynne’s job is to start the laundry every day and to help with folding every day. I also have Silas and Kaitlynn help with putting their laundry away.

Even though we’re rarely ever completely done with laundry, by working together in short stints multiple times per week, we usually have enough clean clothes to wear that we’re not digging through the pile to find something to wear (not saying that doesn’t ever happen, but it’s not an every day occurrence like it once was!)

5) Keep Trying & Experimenting

I’m holding out hope that I will one day be a Laundry Ninja. And so I want to keep learning and trying new things. You never know if something will work for you unless you try it!

I’m signing up for the Stress-Free Homemaking Course (not currently available online) and am committed to trying the system that Holly outlines in it in hopes that it just might be the perfect fit for us.

6) Continue to Give Myself Grace

In the midst of my experimenting, I’m also committed to continuing to give myself grace. To reminding myself that what works for one family won’t necessarily work for our family. And to remembering that a laundry pile doesn’t make me a failure. It just means I’m human and that life is full of other wonderful things that are taking higher priority right now.

Shared Apr 15, 2015 comment

Freezer Cooking in an Hour: Banana Bread, Bacon, & Trim Healthy Mama Pancakes

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 15, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I saw some bananas sitting on my counter and it inspired me to do some freezer cooking last week. I’ve gotten out of the habit of regular freezer cooking in recent months and oh how I’ve missed it!

I’m not even sure why I got out of the habit… I can give a long list of ~~excuses~~ reasons, but I think it just boils down to me not making it a priority. And by not making it a priority, I’ve realized just how much freezer cooking benefits our family and makes life easier.

So it’s good to be back into it again.

I made two loaves of our favorite Banana Bread. (Recipe link is here.)

I enjoyed listening to Kat Lee’s Inspired to Action podcast while cooking. I’ve listened through quite a few episodes over the last few weeks and have truly been inspired to action.

I added chocolate chips to the top of one of the loaves… because, of course. 🙂

Apparently, it takes a lot of bowls to make banana bread. 🙂

This bread is so, so yummy and freezes so well!

While the banana bread was baking, I pulled out the bacon and started getting it ready to stick in the oven. This was a total experiment idea. We love bacon at our house, but I don’t love the process of making it.

Jesse devised this bacon-cooking plan that works really well — put the strips of bacon on a cooling rack on a foil-lined pan and bake at 425 degrees for 17 to 20 minutes.

I wanted to see if I could make a bulk batch and freeze. It froze well, but when I reheated it in the microwave, it was fairly limp instead of crispy. I want to try one more time and bake it until it’s really, really crispy and see if that makes a difference in how it freezes.

It may not work well to freeze, in the end, but we’ll still suffer through eating it to experiment. 😉

Has anyone had success in freezing and reheating bacon?

I also boiled a pot of eggs. Not for the freezer, but just to have on hand for quick snacks for our kids.

And then I made a batch of Trim Healthy Mama Pancakes.

I was excited to try using the new package of Sweet Blend that I recently got.

Unfortunately, I didn’t love the pancakes as much as usual with the Sweet Blend instead of Xylitol (that we usually use). I think it’s just because I still can’t get over the taste of Stevia, try as I might.

While I was finishing up in the kitchen, I made myself a pot of this Tranquility Tea. It’s so calming and refreshing — perfect to drink with some cream before bed.

I cleaned up the kitchen and surveyed the fruits of my efforts. It might seem like just a little bit, but for a small amount of work, I now have some snacks and breakfasts in the freezer at the ready. And little things like that can be such a sanity-saver!

Shared Apr 14, 2015 comment

A Day In My Life

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 14, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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Note: I had this all written up earlier this afternoon and I posted it and then — poof!– half of it completely disappeared. And I have no idea where it went to! Oh well, such is blogging sometimes!

How was your day yesterday? My day didn’t start so well, but it ended well — and I’m grateful!

I slept in to recover from a full weekend and then started my day feeling really behind and off-kilter. I wanted to get the house back in order after hosting two different families for dinner + our Community Group over the weekend, I had a few pressing business projects, I was hoping to be able to go through the kid’s clothes, and there was just the normal life stuff like homeschooling and laundry and blogging.

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So after Bible, blogging, and breakfast, the kids started in on their Daily Lists and I worked on cleaning up the house. I was shocked that the floors weren’t dirtier than this! We had 13 children at our house on Sunday alone (ages 3-12) plus parents/adults and there were snacks and drinks and dinner… so it’s pretty impressive that that’s all that I had to show for my kitchen/dining room dirt pile after sweeping!

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Our bedroom needed a little help, too! Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 2.38.18 PM

We’ve slowly been working on decorating our bedroom — thanks to the help of a friend. I love how it’s coming together. Next up for decor: hanging some curtains and hanging some things above our bed.

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Yes, we may have a bit of a laundry situation going on here. 😉

I posted this picture on Instagram and said:

She offered to fold the laundry for me today. Um, I’m not sure if she quite knew what she was getting herself into!

5 things you should know about this picture:

1) I have laundry issues. Always have and maybe always will. It’s one area of homemaking that I’m rarely on top of.

2) Yes, I have tried all the surefire and “proven” methods shared in the blogosphere and in books. Some of them work for a time, but usually I revert back to this in a few weeks. I may be a hopeless cause.

3) I AM really good at washing and drying laundry… And I’m holding out hope that someone is going to invent a folder and put-er-awayer someday.

4) In the mean time, maybe we should look into becoming nudists?!?

5) In all honesty, I’ve been reminding myself that recently, my unfolded laundry pile is the result of intentionally choosing something that’s a greater priority. For instance, I’d planned to tackle this last night, but instead, we invited a family we just met over for dinner at the last minute. They moved here recently and are struggling to get plugged in and find friends. Spending time investing people trumps laundry every day in my book.

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While Kathrynne was doing the laundry, Kaitlynn and I tackled her closet. As she’s our resident fashionista, she probably has more clothes than Kathrynne and Silas combined.

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I was so happy that we were able to get rid of a number of items — either things she no longer wears, things that are worn out, things that are the wrong season, or things that no longer fit.

We created a system for better organizing her dresser: accessories in one drawer, socks/underwear/swimsuits in another drawer, tops in one drawer, bottoms in one drawer, and ice skating outfits/clothes in the last drawer. I think this will make things much simpler for her — and I’m hoping it will keep her closet/dresser a lot more organized. We’ll see!

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After we were finished sorting through Kaitlynn’s clothes, I realized I was running out of time, so I decided to go through Kathrynne and Silas’ clothes later this week and instead called everyone to the kitchen table for snacks and Morning Time.

After Morning Time, I finally headed to the garage to run on the treadmill and then to wash my hair while Jesse took over with the homeschooling and then headed to take Kaitlynn to her trampoline lesson (she just started doing off-ice jump training with a coach to work on some of her technique figure skating jumps and spins) and then take Kathrynne to her swim lesson (she’s doing private lessons with her swim team coach this summer to work on her strokes and endurance).

Once I was ready, I headed to our office space to have a meeting with my assistant and then to get some business/blogging work done. Before I knew it, it was 5 p.m.!

Jesse met me at Publix and then we rode together to a get-together at our friends’ house.

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Remember when we went shopping with Tam on Saturday? Well, Tam and I begged Angie if she’d give us a makeup and hair tutorial on Monday night. So she kindly obliged… and wow! It was SO helpful and I learned a LOT.

Angie is a makeup pro and really needs to have her own YouTube channel. We’re working on that. 🙂

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As you can tell, we didn’t have any fun at all. 😉

How was YOUR Monday (or Tuesday)? And since I fessed up about my laundry, what would you consider to be your “homemaking issue” or “time management issue”? I’d love to hear — it’s good to remember that we all have our own strengths and weaknesses.

Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List

FREE Summer Bucket List!!

Saving Up

Seizing a Deal

Doing My Research

A Deal Waiting for Me

A Pleasant Surprise

Planning Ahead

#1: Touch It Once

#2: Everyone Pitch In

#3: Pick Up Twice A Day

#4: Stick With a Budget

#5: Shop Less

What principles help YOU simplify YOUR home? I’d love to hear in the comments!

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Harris Teeter

Weekly Total: $48.49

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

Snacks

1) Find Out Where the Paper Is Coming From

2) Stop Hanging Onto Anything You Don’t Absolutely Need

3) Implement the “Touch It Once” Policy

Practical “Touch It Once” Examples:

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How was YOUR week last week?

1. Look for Government Campgrounds First

2. Plan Your Activities Ahead of Time

3. Pack Carefully

4. Consider Becoming a Good Sam Member

5. BYOB (and Meals!)

What are your best tips to camp (or “glamp”) on a budget?

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1. Blog Consistently

2. Experiment Strategically

3. Network Religiously

1) Be Grateful For the Laundry Pile

2) Try to Work on It a Little Each Day

3) Make Sure We’re Not Washing More Than We Need to Be

4) Have Our Kids Help Me

5) Keep Trying & Experimenting

6) Continue to Give Myself Grace

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