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Wonder if freezer cooking can work if you have a large family? Head on over to Free Homeschool Deals to see Jamerrill’s Large Family Freezer Cooking Day.
She and her kids made 75 PB&J Sandwiches, 60 Burritos, and 84 Muffins! So impressive and inspiring!
Despite the sickness at our house today, it ended up being a good day. Here’s a play-by-play on how it went:
I slept in a little this morning since I was a little tired after a full weekend. I got up around 6:45 a.m. and went downstairs to read my Bible, write in my journal, and get my morning blogging work done.
My copy edits for my manuscript were due today, so I spent some of my blogging time tying up some loose ends with that and sending some emails to ask for some information I needed to gather.
Silas came downstairs as I was working on wrapping up my blogging time so I stopped to make breakfast for him.
I made him some oatmeal and while it was cooking, I made some fried eggs for the rest of us.
And then I unloaded the dishwasher and put away the dishes.
Silas came back into the room all wrapped up in a blanket ready to eat his oatmeal. We were out of milk, so he used half and half instead (notice sick Kathrynne in the background. She slept in a sitting up position on the couch most of the night because she said she could sleep better that way due to how stuffed up her nose is. Poor girl!)
I love how committed he is to getting everything done on his Daily List. First thing in the morning every morning, he asks for his list so he can get started on it! 🙂
After Silas was finished with his breakfast, I helped him with his Kindergarten and then we did an abbreviated Morning Time together with Kathrynne somewhat participating from the couch.
I got some food and drinks for Jesse and Kathrynne and tried to make them as comfortable as possible.
I then got busy getting the rest of the house all picked up and presentable. Since I’d gone to bed with the house completely clean, this was quite easy.
{I just love our new mantle decor/set up. We freshened it up for the filming at our house and it makes me smile every time I look at it!}
I made a quick snack to take with me later when I went to the office space. I’ve found that I will eat a whole lot of healthy foods if they are all cut up and accessible. So I try to bring at least 4-5 servings of veggies/fruits with me each day as it’s a very simple way to increase my fresh produce intake with very little effort!
I carried the laundry down since Kathrynne was sick (I told her I’d take over her chores for the day) and started a load of laundry.
I then made my bed and straightened our room.
By this time, it had been about two hours since Silas had eaten and he was hungry again so I said he could made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for himself. He struggles to keep weight on — in large part due to his asthma medication — so I am always happy to see his hearty appetite!
I’d been dreading it all morning, but it was time… time to face this messy, messy closet! I’m not sure how the kids’ closet explodes like this on a regular basis, but it just does. They do a great job of keeping their room clean most of the time, but we’re still working on learning how to keep the closet clean, too.
20 minutes later and it was so. much. better. I had Kaitlynn and Silas help me and I talked to them about the importance of keeping their closet clean and not just throwing random things in the closet.
Speaking of throwing random things in places, I then went out to clean out the car. Oh my goodness! I knew it was bad, but I had no idea how bad it was. I almost considered not showing you these pictures because it’s quite embarrassing.
What is that pile of junk, you may ask? Oh, just every single last thing I found in the car that didn’t belong!!
I have decided we should probably dub our car the “Traveling Trash Can” instead of “car” because it looks like that’s what we’ve been using it as recently. I’m not even going to apologize or try to explain why all those random things are in that pile… because I’m not even sure about some of them!
But suffice it to say, my car looks so much better now. And I’m hopeful that I can do a better job of keeping it that way.
Once that was finished, I got in a quick run on the treadmill in the garage, took my shower, and got ready to head out the door to the office space. Jesse told me to go ahead and go and he held down the fort for a few hours while I finished up some pressing writing and work things.
When I got home, Silas and Kaitlynn and I had a baseball game together outside to enjoy the gorgeous weather we had in Nashville today. Then we made smoothies for dinner (I’m all about quick and easy and it was what sounded good to the sick ones so I was happy to oblige!), finished a few projects, ran some more laundry, had bedtime routine, and the kids went to bed.
And now Jesse and I are going to catch an episode of Downton Abbey and then head to bed. I’m hopeful that he and Kathrynne will be feeling somewhat better tomorrow. I hate that they are so miserable!
Leave a comment & you could win this stack of books!
Just for fun, I’m giving away this stack of extra books and CDs I have — mostly extra copies that were sent to me by publishers. If you’d like to win this stack of books, just leave a comment on this post telling us what you cleaned today or something you accomplished today. I’ll choose one winner later this week.
The winner of the stack of books is: atritzbitz424@ You should have received an email with instructions on how to claim your prize. Congratulations!
You will notice a new category on my goals list this week — Local Ministry/Hospitality/Friendship. One of my personal desires for 2015 is to plant deep roots in our local community. I recently took on a new ministry position at our church — helping to manage the coffee bar/cafe on Sunday mornings before church — and I am absolutely loving this opportunity to be back to serving in church again!
In addition, we also recently joined a community group in our church and this has been such a blessing to our family. And finally, I started meeting with a friend for weekly accountability and prayer times.
This might seem like I’m taking on a lot in a short amount of time, but it’s something that I’ve spent months considering/praying about/paring down my life for. And because we significantly cut down on my business responsibilities and commitments heading into 2015, it’s freed up room for me to have time and to invest in things that feed my soul in ways I’ve been longing for — like more time for deep relationships and opportunities to serve and use my gifts in our local church.
I can already tell how these things are breathing fresh inspiration, refreshment, and joy into my life. And I’m so grateful!
Last week’s goals:
Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals
1. Continue on with our Morning Time routine.
2. Write a love note to Jesse.
3. Have a date night with Jesse.Personal Goals
4. Exercise at least 3 times.
5. Finish at least two books.
6. Work on the Cosy Posy Ear Warmer.
7. Try one new recipe.Business Goals
8. Write 2 substantive blog posts for next week.
9. Shoot a quick video for a project.
10. Finish the copy edits for my new manuscript.
This week’s goals:
Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals
1. Continue on with our Morning Time routine.
2. Write a love note to Jesse.
3. Attend the Teach Them Diligently Conference in Nashville & decide on homeschool curriculum for next year. (SO excited that our family gets to attend a homeschool conference together — it’s been awhile since I’ve been an attender and not a speaker!)
Personal Goals
4. Exercise at least 4 times.
5. Finish at least two books.
6. Work on the Cosy Posy Ear Warmer. {By the time I get this done, it’s going to be summer! I guess I can save it for next winter!}
Local Ministry/Hospitality/Friendship Goals
7. Research coffee brewers and coffee to find a better solution for our church’s cafe.
8. Invite a single young man from our community group to have dinner with our family.
Business Goals
9. Write 3 substantive blog posts for next week.
10. Put together resources list for my manuscript.
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.
Guest post from Rachel of The Purposeful Wife
Forced frugality often feels like a bad thing. Making cutbacks, adhering to a tight grocery budget, and preparing all of your meals at home isn’t always fun.
Yet many blessings accompany frugal living. I’ve learned so much as my husband and I have tried to get out of debt and grow our savings. Here are just a few of the lessons gleaned:
Most of the “green” changes I’ve made in our home were in an effort to save money. Making my own yogurt, cleaning supplies, and pantry staples are easier on my wallet and healthier for my family.
Last year I started washing my face with the Oil Cleansing Method. While it is all-natural and feels super luxurious, it also costs mere pennies to make. Frugality for the win!
I knit scrubbies for washing our dishes instead of buying sponges. I can prepare rice and beans in an infinite number of ways. I’ve scored fabulous finds at the thrift store. I make most of our Christmas gifts.
All of these endeavors have expanded my homemaking and crafting abilities.
My fridge is usually pretty bare, by choice. Each week I purchase only the fresh ingredients needed for my meal plan, and very little of our food gets thrown out. We also wear our clothing until it is worn out, and then cut it up for cleaning rags or crafts.
Thinking so much about how I spend our money, always being on the hunt for a new DIY project, and frequently trying to trim our budget has made me mindful.
I’m more disciplined and self-controlled than I used to be — though I still have room to grow!
It is easy to think wistfully over what we don’t have. But as Crystal recently pointed out, we’re a lot wealthier than we realize. Not having everything we want, exactly when we want it can teach us to rely on God for our needs, and to be thankful for what we have. We choose how to respond to our circumstances: will we grow bitter and resentful, or learn to be content?
My husband and I often discuss how if we’d started marriage with a large income, we probably would have spent recklessly and taken it for granted. Not having it all right away has been one of our biggest blessings.
If the Lord hasn’t given it to us, clearly we do not need it. With greater income comes greater responsibility. Today’s limited finances are the training grounds of our financial future.
Even if our income tripled tomorrow, I would still shop at Aldi, meal plan religiously, and collect Swagbucks. These are some of the things I’ve grown to appreciate on our frugal journey, and I wouldn’t trade them!
Rachel has been married to her husband Niall for 6 and a half years. They live with their two children in frigid Northeast Pennsylvania, where she likes to drink tea, read lots of good books, and dabble in blogging. She writes about faith, homemaking, motherhood, and marriage at The Purposeful Wife.
I’m late in getting this posted this morning because we have sick people at our house. Gratefully, I’m well. But Jesse has a fever (a very rare thing) and feels miserable, Kathrynne has a fever and cold, and Kaitlynn and Silas aren’t feeling great either.
So, I’ve been wearing my nurse hat and taking care of my people — and blogging is just fitting in wherever it fits in after real-life priorities are taken care of.
Today’s project is to clean out your vehicles. You can be as detailed as you’d like. I’ll probably keep it simple and just clear out all the trash/extra items that aren’t supposed to be taking up residence in my car. I’m also going to clean out my kids’ closet because it’s been hollering for attention the past few days. 🙂
In spite of the sickness, it’s been a productive morning already, as you can see above. I spent a few hours picking up and cleaning yesterday afternoon and evening and it felt SO good to start the morning off with a very clean house!
This evening, I’ll share a post about how my day went and give you an update (with pictures) on how my cleaning projects turned out.
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.
Of the 1,189 entries, the winners of the Start Creative Doodle Books are:
Nachelle (nachellesampson@)
Lindsey (lgcheatham@)
Both winners should have received an email with further instructions on claiming your prize.
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Are you giving something away on your blog this week? If so, post your link below and let all the readers here know so they can get in on the action! Your giveaway must be family-friendly and no-strings-attached. In addition, to make it easy to navigate, your link must go directly to your giveaway post. Links going to the homepage of your blog or any other part of your blog besides the direct link to your giveaway post will be deleted. Links left solely for the purpose of promoting an affiliate link will also be deleted.
Y’all. Something you might not know about me is that I can be quite brainless.
I lose things in obvious places. I forget where I’m going. I call people and can’t remember why I called them. I’m terrible at directions and navigation. And I often walk into a room and can’t remember why I am there or what I was supposed to be getting or doing in that room.
For some reason, I can handle big details and complicated projects involving dozens of moving parts, but I can be a hopeless cause when it comes to very simple things.
This morning was a perfect case-in-point. I was supposed to meet a friend at the coffee shop at 8 a.m. I was excited that I had gotten up and around early and was actually going to be on time.
I dashed to the car, pushed the button to raise the garage door, quickly started the car, backed out, and then heard a big crunch behind me…
Oh me, oh my! I had hit something while backing up and I knew instinctively what it was — Jesse’s car.
Yikes!!! So much for my good morning and actually getting out the door on time!
Even though I was scared to, I knew I had to get out of the car and go look at the damage that had been done.
I slowly made my way to the back of the car and breathed a huge sigh of relief: it wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d expected. There were a few scratches and dings on his car, but it was mostly my car that had taken the brunt of the impact.
Even then, it wasn’t all that bad: mostly just a large 4-inch crack in the plastic bumper — something that wasn’t too obvious if you weren’t looking for it.
But it was still damage and it was completely the result of my brainless haste and I knew I had to go break the news to Jesse.
I came in the house and, trying to sound as calm and un-alarmed as possible, I hollered up the stairs, “Honey, I’m so, so sorry! I just ran into your car!”
Lest he picture massive damage, I quickly reassured him, “But I promise it’s not as bad as it sounds. Trust me. It could have been a lot worse.”
I was trying to find the perfect balance between expressing remorse and not creating undue panic.
He wasn’t thrilled with this start to the morning, but he was gracious in his response and came down to survey the damage.
I apologized profusely and told him I should have looked in my rear view mirror. It was my haste to get out the door that had caused the accident and my lack of remembering obvious things — like looking behind yourself when you back out of the garage.
The most embarrassing part? This is only the second “accident” I’ve caused and the other one also happened in our driveway. Yep, I told you I was brainless!
When I came home from meeting my friend, Jesse told me, “You know what? I did some calculating and realized that a few simple bad decisions resulted in potentially hundreds of dollars’ worth of damage.”
I gulped at that and immediately started beating myself up for being in such a hurry. But he wasn’t done talking yet.
He went on, “It wasn’t all your fault this morning.”
“But yes it was!” I protested.
“No,” he replied, “You see, the kids were irresponsible last night and left a scooter out in the driveway where I usually park my car. I saw the scooter and, instead of having the kids pick it up, I just parked on the wrong side — right behind you in the driveway.”
“So, we’re actually all to blame.” He went on. “The kids know they are supposed to put all of their outside toys up at night. They didn’t. And I was careless in parking the car right behind you instead of moving the scooter and parking where I usually park.”
A careless move on our childrens’ part plus careless moves on both of our parts all added up to costly damage to our cars. We had a good talk about personal responsibility as a family and we all committed to do a better job to not be careless or hasty in the future.
The good news? The cars are still completely drivable and the damage won’t hurt them in any way, except to potentially lower their trade-in value.
Learn from our mistakes today. Be thorough. Be careful. And don’t be in too much of a hurry. Seemingly small bad decisions can add up to costly mistakes.
2 Skippy Peanut Butter – $2 each, used $0.55/1 printable (doubled) and $0.50/1 coupon from the 2/8 SmartSource insert (doubled) – $0.95 each after coupons
1 Post Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal – $2.50, used $1/1 coupon from the 2/8 SmartSource insert (doubled) – $0.50 after coupon
2 Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta – $1, used $1/2 printable (doubled) – Free after coupon
3 Dannon Oikos Yogurt – $0.88 each, used $1/3 printable (doubled) – $0.21 each after coupon
2 Yoplait Yogurt – $0.50, used $0.40/2 printable (doubled) – $0.10 each after coupon
2 Cucumbers – $0.69 each
1 bag Spinach – $1.89
2 Kraft Sliced Cheese – $2, used $1/2 printable (doubled) – $1 each after coupon
0.89 lbs Roma Tomatoes – $0.85, received $0.25 back from Checkout 51 – $0.60 after rebate
Total with tax ($1.21) after coupons and rebate: $10.32
Dillons1 SeaPak Shrimp Scampi – $4.34, used $1.50/1 coupon from the 2/8 SmartSource insert – $2.84 after coupon
1 pkg Kroger Bacon – $2.99, received $0.25 back from Ibotta – $2.74 after rebate
1 pkg Driscoll’s Raspberries – $2.99 AND 2 Lemons – $0.79 each, used $1/$4 produce mailer coupon
1 Green Leaf Lettuce – $0.99
1.95 lbs Cabbage – $0.76
1 can Kroger Pineapple – $1.09
1 pkg Kroger Flour – $1.79
0.71 lbs Broccoli – $1.34
1 gallon Dillons Milk – $2.59, received $0.25 back from Ibotta – $2.34 after rebate
1 pkg French Bread – Marked down to $0.89
1 Hormel Rev Wrap – $1.99, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon
Items a part of the Mega Sale (Buy 5, Get $5 off):
3 Frosted Flakes Cereal – $1.99, used $1/2 printable (no longer available) and $0.50/1 printable – $1.49 each after coupons
1 Breyers Ice Cream – $2.99
1 pkg Hormel Sliced Turkey – $2.49, used $0.50/1 coupon from the 3/8 SmartSource insert – $1.99 after coupon
2 Kraft Cheese – $1.79 each, used $1/2 e-coupon – $1.29 after coupon
4 Quaker Oatmeal Bowls – $0.79 each, used 2 $1/2 coupon from the 3/1 RedPlum insert – $0.29 each after coupons
2 Irish Spring Gear Bodywash – $2.49, used 2 $2/1 coupon from the 2/22 SmartSource insert – $0.49 each after coupons
2 Mr Bubble Bubblebath – $0.99 each, used 2 $0.50/1 printable – $0.49 each after coupons
Total with tax ($2.56) after coupons and rebates: $36.06
Total for both stores: $46.38
Menu Plan for This Week
Breakfasts
Cereal x 2
Eggs/Toast/Fruit x 3
Oatmeal Cups
Biscuits & Jelly, Bacon
Lunches
Peanut Butter & Jelly Rice Cake Sandwiches, Fruit
Pizza Quesadillas, Veggies
Tossed Salad x 2
Yogurt, Fruit, Cheese Slices
Cheese/Crackers/Veggies/Turkey Meat
Spinach Smoothies and Cheese Quesadillas
Dinners
Shrimp Scampi, Tossed Salad
Hoagie Sandwiches, Chips, Fruit (We still have fruit from the last 2 weeks of grocery shopping that needs to be used up.)
Steamed Cabbage & Cubed Venison, Rolls
Black Bean Quesadillas, Steamed Broccoli
Chicken Pockets, Steamed Cabbage, Sliced Apples
Lasagna Casserole, Oatmeal Raisin Muffins, Tossed Salad, Green Beans
Hawaiian Haystacks
Guest post from Rachael of Thriving on Thrifty
You all know the different types of moms out there. You have ones like me, the frazzled couponer or you have the “well-put together-latte mom” as I call them.
Now, if you are a latte mom, please know that I am in no way putting you down. If anything, I have a bit of the jealous monster, hence this post. I always seem to write posts on being content, I guess I do so to remind myself of this important principle…
At the grocery store the other week, I frantically ran through the aisles scouring the shelves to find the items I had strategically planned to purchase with my purse full of coupons. Generally, I am a little more put together, but this was a particularly rough day.
As my children said “Hi!” to everyone in the store from the cart, I bent down to pick up items my son had so graciously pushed off the shelves onto the floor.
I looked up from my frazzled mess to see a mom come walking by in her yoga pants and Starbucks latte. It was almost in slow motion with cool music playing in the background (as you would see in a movie). She slowly pushed her perfect hair behind her ears and flashed a beautiful smile at her 2-year-old daughter dressed from head to toe in her Baby Gap outfit. She had very few items in her cart along with a large bouquet of beautiful flowers.
All of a sudden the music stops as my son accidentally kicks me in the head and snaps me back to reality.
Of course, the jealous monster starts to rage as I wish I could be her. I start wishing I could slowly browse the aisles picking out whatever looks good and not worry about costs. I wish I could take the time to slowly sip a latte and not worry about the next stop on my “once-a-week” trip into town. I wish my children could be dressed in this season’s trendy new clothes.
But as my child flashes a smile and a quick “hi” at the next passing stranger (yes, he is very outgoing), it reminds me of everything I DO have to be thankful for.
I have two beautiful children who look just as beautiful in last year’s clearance rack as they would in this year’s fashion trends. I have a basket full of food I get to feed my family. I have been blessed with the skills and passion to coupon and deal shop for that food and their clothes (hence, getting it free or very cheap). I have a wonderful, supportive husband who allows me to be able to stay home and raise our children everyday.
What else could I possibly ask for??
And you know what? If I stick to my budget and stay a “couponing mom”, maybe, just maybe I’ll be a “latte mom” some day! On second thought, I would miss the thrill of the couponing and deal-seeking! Only time will tell, but I do know for now I’m going to enjoy my current blessings.
Rachael is a stay at home mom of 2 beautiful children who looks for ways to save and loves scoring freebies. She is a couponer at heart and loves to share her deal-saving tips at her blog Thriving on Thrifty. Be sure to stop by and say hello!
1 3-ct pkg Romaine Hearts – $1.99
1 large bag Kale – $1.99
2 1-lb pkgs frozen Ground Turkey – $3.78
2 pkgs Garden Salad – $1.18
1 5-lb bag Red Potatoes – $1.79
1 16-oz bag Tilapia Fillets – $3.49
1 bunch Bananas (2.07 lbs @ 0.35/lb) – $0.72, plus receive back $0.25 from Checkout 51 – $0.47 after rebate
1 3-head bag Garlic – $0.79
2 16-oz cartons Egg Whites – $3.98
1 24-oz pkg Zucchini – $1.99
3 16-oz pkgs Baby Carrots – $2.07
4 1-lb pkgs Butter (only $1.89 each!) – $7.56
2 8-oz cartons Mushrooms – $1.58
1 3-lb bag Yellow Onions – $0.99
1 3-lb bag Sweet Potatoes – $1.69, plus receive $0.25 back from Snap by Groupon – $1.44 after rebate
1 16-oz bag Frozen Peas – $0.89
Total after rebates: $35.98
10 8-oz bags shredded Cheese, various kinds (B2G3)- $13.00
1 gallon Milk – $2.99
1 12-oz bag Sorrento Stringsters – $2.49, used $1/1 Sorrento Galbani Stringsters or Sticksters Snack Cheese (SS 01/11/15 #2 R) – $1.49 after coupon
1 pkg Sargento Tastings Cheese – $1.49, used $0.75/1 Sargento Tastings Cheese, exp. 3/22/15 (SS 01/25/15) (doubled) – FREE after coupon
1 box Fiber One Protein Cereal – $3.00, used $0.75/1 printable (doubled), plus $0.75/1 Harris Teeter evic, plus receive $0.75 back from SavingStar – FREE after coupons and rebate
1 box Tetley Tea – $1.29, used $0.75/1 Tetley Tea, exp. 3/31/15 (SS 02/08/15 R) (doubled) – FREE after coupon
1 head Cabbage (3.60lbs @ $0.25/lb) – $0.90, plus receive 20% back from SavingStar – $0.72 after rebate
2 8-oz Dawn – $2.00, used 2 $0.25/1 printable (doubled) – $1.00/2 after coupons
1 32-oz bag frozen Spinach – $2.29
2 Yoplait Yogurts – $1.00, used $0.40/2 printable (doubled) – $0.20/2 after coupon
4 pkgs McCormick Gravy Mix – $2.00, used 2 $0.50/2 McCormick Gravies, exp. 4/12/15 (RP 03/08/15 R) – FREE after coupons
1 8-oz container Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa – $3.89 (NOT a good price – but Aldi was out of cocoa powder today, and I NEEDED cocoa powder! :))
Total after tax and rebates: $25.90
6 pkgs Bread and Hoagie Buns (reduced to $0.33 each) – $1.98
Total: $1.98
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Oatmeal and Strawberries (from the freezer) x 3
Veggie Omelettes x 2
French Toast with Homemade Strawberry Chia Jam x 2
Lunches
Cheese Sticks, Crackers, Carrot Sticks, Bananas x 2
Build-Your-Own-Salad Bar (Lettuce, Kale, Mushrooms, Carrots, Boiled Eggs, Shredded Cheese, Sunflower Seeds), Toast x 2
Baked Sweet Potatoes, Apple Slices, Tuna
Leftovers x 2
Dinners
Egg Roll in a Bowl, Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes with Ham (a friend gave us a huge ham this week!), Sautéed Zucchini, Tossed Salad
Chicken and Gravy over Brown Rice, Steamed Buttered Carrots, Toast
Cheesy Hamburger Potato Soup, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Oranges
Pan Fried Tilapia, Baked French Fries, Tossed Salad, Steamed Peas
Date Night (SO excited for a night out with my man! :))
Leftovers
Snacks
Smoothies, Popcorn, Yogurt, Cheese Sticks, Chewy No-Bake Granola Bars
{The four of us together at a cabin in the mountains last year.}
The four of us met two years ago at the SheSpeaks Intensive. We were all in the same breakout group at the conference together and we connected within the first day.
We live in 4 different time zones. Our age range spans about 15 years. But, despite this, God knit our hearts together and forged a deep and lasting bond between us.
We’re all authors and speakers trying to manage full lives, fulfill the calling God has given us, and keep our families as our main priorities. We all have very diverse backgrounds and stories, but similar struggles. And we all knew we needed some safe friends to join us in this sometimes tumultuous and exhausting journey.
From the get-go, we committed to be all in as friends. To make our friendship a priority. To speak the truth. To cheerlead. To love well. To always believe the best. And to deal with conflict immediately.
Over the past two years, our bond has been strengthened as we’ve weathered a lot of life together…
{At the Launch Conference together last year with a “Flat Stanley Renee”.}
We’ve celebrated book launches and successes. We’ve cried together over heartache and struggles. We’ve laughed over the silliest of things.
We’ve prayed countless prayers… over health issues, big decisions, personal struggles, and so much more. We’ve walked through the death of loved ones together.
We’ve stayed up way too late talking together in person. And we’ve blown up many a text stream together in just a matter of minutes.
We’ve seen each other at our worst and our best. We’ve shared hotel rooms and bathrooms. We’ve cooked meals together, grocery shopped together, and gotten lost driving way too many times.
{The four of us together at a cabin in the mountains last year.}
And, most recently, we’ve walked through Michele’s battle with cancer together. Our hearts have bled for her and the pain and suffering she’s undergone as a result.
We’ve rallied around and supported her as best we knew how from afar — sending care packages and flowers and cards and texts and emails. Storming the gates of heaven on her behalf. Doing all we can to make her laugh. Being a safe place for her to share about those dark hours.
But we wanted to do more than just text and write and pray and send gifts in the mail. We wanted to go. To be there. To hold her hand. To sit with her in her pain. To be in the same room with her. To try to communicate how much we love her.
So, a few months ago, we worked out babysitters and speaking schedules and calendars and blocked off the days around Michele’s book launch to go to be with her. And on Saturday, we each boarded a plane — from California, North Carolina, and Tennessee — and flew to Denver to be there with her.
We were so honored that she would let us come — especially so soon after her treatments and while she’s still in the thick of the recovery process. We couldn’t stand not being with her.
On Monday, Michele had a little energy so we were able to take her to a local spa and then got coffee drinks and sat on her couch and laughed and cried and shared our hearts.
Tuesday — the day of Michele’s book launch — was a hard day for her. She was in a lot of pain and really exhausted. She spent most of the day resting. But even when she was sleeping, we wanted to be as near to her as we could.
So we all sat on one L-shaped couch, prayed for her, talked quietly, watched her Amazon book rankings soar, and updated her on how her book launch was going every time she woke up.
We kept asking her if she needed anything or if she wanted us to leave. And every time, she’d say, “No, I just want you near to me. I need you here. I just want to wake up and have you close by me.”
Friends, so much of the time, we want to serve and do things for other people. We want to try to fix their problems. Or lessen their pain. Or we feel like it’d be easier for them if we leave them alone.
There is a time and a place for helping in practical ways, but sometimes, those who are going through dark times just need someone to come and sit with them in their pain and hurt.
They don’t need words. They don’t need acts of service. They don’t need fixing.
They just need the ministry of your presence. They just need to know that they are not alone.
The beautiful and unexpected result of this was that each of us left our time together feeling so filled up. And our hearts were further knit together by just sitting together like this. Not doing. Not fixing. Just being there for our friend in her hour of need.
Sometimes, the best way to help is to just to sit with someone in their pain.
So I encourage you: who in your life is struggling? Who is going through a dark and difficult situation?
Go sit with them — either physically or metaphorically. Let them know that they are not alone. That you are with them. That you love them. And that you are going the distance with them.
Give them the ministry of your presence. It’s one of the greatest gifts you have to offer.
Note: This post was inspired by Andrea Dekker’s post on how they decide what to splurge on and what to save on.
I think that many people have this idea that if you’re frugal, it means you’re miserable. That you save every single penny and hold onto it for dear life.
In my view, that’s not what frugality looks like at all. Yes, I’m an advocate of never spending more than you need to. Yes, I’m a firm believer in taking time to scout out the best deal. Yes, I’m all about making-do and doing without if you are in a tight spot financially.
But despite all of this, I do not believe that you should become a miser or a tightwad in the name of “frugality.” After all, I believe money is just a tool. The purpose of money is not to accumulate as much of it as you can; it’s to do as much good with it as you can.
This is not just about giving and making an impact, but also about investing and spending your money in a way that is in line with your family’s priorities. It means deciding to save money in areas that don’t matter to you so that you can spend more money in areas that do matter to you.
The purpose of money is not to accumulate as much of it as you can; it’s to do as much good with it as you can.
For the first few years of our marriage, pretty much every extra penny went to paying for making it through undergrad and law school debt-free. We had made a choice: 1) to invest our money into law school and 2) to try to do it debt-free.
By making these choices, it meant that other things had to take a back seat: we didn’t buy anything that wasn’t a basic necessity and we made-do over and over again in order to stay out of debt.
Choices can have either consequences or rewards. In this case, it turned out to be rewards because those choices put us in a position to eventually have wiggle room in our budget to make other choices — like being able to splurge on some budget areas that are important to us.
As our budget has increased, we’ve have lots of conversations over what areas are priorities to us and what really matters to our family long-term. These priorities sometimes change as our seasons of life change — and that’s a good thing! Priorities and needs change over time and so should our budget.
Here are 6 things we have decided are worth splurging on right now in this season of our life:
This is paramount to everything we do and the driving force behind why we want to manage our money well. Truly, there is so much blessing in being a giver!
And the thing we’ve found is that you can’t out-give God. The more we open up our hands and let Him use our resources to impact others, the more fulfillment and joy we receive in return.
All of our kids are actively involved in one sport — Kathrynne is on swim team, Kaitlynn takes ice skating lessons and private coaching, and Silas just started baseball. Each of these costs a fair amount of money — from the cost of equipment to the costs involved with competitions and swim meets, to the costs involved with lessons and coaching.
For some families, this investment might not seem worth it — especially when you factor in the time investment (Kathrynne has swim practice/meets 3-4 times per week, Kaitlynn has lessons/coaching 3-4 times per week, and Silas has baseball once per week). For our family right now, we feel that this is money and time well invested because of the character we see our children developing.
Not only do these activities encourage our children to be more outgoing and brave in new situations with new kids and adults, but it challenges them to work hard, learn to listen and follow the instructions of their teachers and coaches, face their fears head-on, and have a good attitude even when they struggle or don’t place well in a competition. We truly believe that the lessons they are learning from these sports will be invaluable for them the rest of their life.
Case in point, just last night, Kaitlynn showed me a large bruise on her arm that she’d gotten from a bad fall in ice skating. I said something like, “Ouch! That had to really hurt!” She quickly responded enthusiastically, “My coach says that if you don’t have bruises, you’re not an ice skater!”
Instead of running from hard things, she’s embracing them as part of the process of perfecting new ice-skating jumps and maneuvers!
I fought against the idea of hiring a cleaning lady for a long, long time. It felt so extravagant and just plain wrong for a frugal person like me to spend their money on.
But Jesse kept on encouraging me to just consider it. Finally, after much coaxing from him, I broke down and tried it one time.
And I was hooked.
For many people, this might not be a wise investment of their money and I honestly hesitated to even put this out here publicly for awhile because I know that some people might be a little put off by it.
But here’s the truth: Jesse and I both work 30-40 hours per week and we are committed to homeschooling our kids, so we’re learning that we have to look for ways to streamline and simplify our lives if we want to have breathing room and margin.
Having a cleaning lady come in a few times per month saves us at least 15-20 hours each month. That’s 15-20 hours we get back to invest in our kids, invest in our marriage, and maybe even to spend sleeping or just enjoying downtime!
When we divided the cost by the number of hours it saves us, we realized that it was very worth this expense for this season of life. Because we make a good income and because we found a cleaning service with good rates, it really only costs us a few hours of our time working to pay for the cleaning service each month. Right now in my life, I’m all about spending a few hours of time working in order to save 15-20 hours per month!
We still have to keep up the daily maintenance — and we all pitch in to help with laundry, pick up, bathrooms, kitchen cleaning, etc., but it’s been incredibly helpful to have someone come in and clean our floors, dust, deep clean the shower/tubs/toilets, and clean our windows.
I’ve mentioned this before, but this is probably one of my biggest (and one of the few!) splurges I make on myself.
There’s something about a good hair day that just makes the whole day so much better! Having a good hair stylist means that I have mostly good hair days instead of constantly fussing and being frustrated with my hair when I mostly cut it myself.
When I started going to get my hair done at a more expensive place about five years ago, I quickly realized what a difference it made. My hair looked much nicer. It was much easier to fix. And it needed very little maintenance from me on a daily basis.
In addition, Jesse loves it when I spend time and money on my appearance (he’s the spender in our relationship, remember?!), so investing some money on my hair every other month is actually a way that I show my husband that what’s important to him is important to me.
When we moved to Tennessee, Jesse signed up for a guy’s fitness group at a small locally-owned gym here. Honestly, this has been one of the best things he’s ever done for his health!
He’s faithfully gone to the gym at 6 a.m. 3 times each week almost every week since signing up and it’s been so amazing to see the impact it’s made in his life. Not only has he gotten a lot stronger and fitter, he’s had so much more energy and zest for life as a result!
I love to see how healthy and strong he’s becoming and how he’s pushing himself and excelling. The accountability and motivation he’s received from going to the gym and being apart of this group for the past 10 months has been life-changing for him!
We keep things pretty simple at our house and don’t spend a lot of money on Christmas or birthdays. Instead, we’ve decided to prioritize traveling and giving our children experiences versus things.
Since we homeschool and Jesse and I are both self-employed and can work anywhere, this allows us the flexibility to be able to travel regularly. And we all love doing so!
We’ve found a lot of ways to travel inexpensively: we look for great deals online and book things when they are at their lowest rates, we almost always use the same airline and hotel chain so that we can rack up points and use these for free tickets and hotel stays, and, as much as is possible, we utilize credit from Swagbucks to cover the costs of some of our travel expenses.
While these tricks allow us to spend as little money out of pocket as possible each trip, we still do invest a fair amount of money on travel each year. However, for our family, the memories we make, the things we get to the see, the history and geography we learn together, the experiences we get to share… are all worth the investment.
Your turn: What does YOUR family splurge on? Or what do you hope to splurge on when you have the wiggle room someday?
I attended my first MOPS meeting tonight. When they introduced the video I think I gave an audible “Yay!” (Hopefully it wasn’t too loud?) when I saw it was a video from you explaining living with intentionally. When it was time to discuss, I joyfully began telling how I follow your posts and how your time management of “fringe” time and blocking off 8 hours of sleep were life changing for me. But, several just couldn’t believe 8 hours of sleep is possible, even when you “live intentionally.” How do you encourage people who are skeptical that it is possible?? -Luci
First off, Luci, I loved this email from you! Thank you for being such a devoted reader. I was truly touched and grateful to hear that things you have read here have encouraged you and made such an impact on your life.
Here are a few thoughts to answer your question:
I know I say this often, but I’m going to say it again: I think it’s always important to remember that what works for one person will not necessarily work for another.
So what might be the perfect solution for you and your family in your season of life may not work at all for a different family in a different season of life. Do what works for you. And don’t worry if it’s completely different than what works for someone else.
I’m thrilled that you’ve found ways to make sleep a priority and are getting 8 hours of sleep every night! That’s fantastic! However, for moms who are still getting up multiple times each night with a toddler or baby, for women who struggle with insomnia, for pregnant women, or for those with other physical issues or limitations, getting a solid 8 hours of sleep each night just might not be possible.
When I encourage people to make sleep a priority, it’s because I believe that many of us are sleep deprived and exhausted and that this is contributing to a number of physical issues. But I don’t say this to lay a guilt trip on women or to put everyone in a one-size-fits-all sleep box.
Some people genuinely need more sleep than others. Some people can truly function well on less sleep. Figure out what works for you.
If you’re feeling exhausted all the time, look at your schedule with your spouse or a good friend and ask them for their input on how you might be able to fit more sleep into your schedule. Get creative, if need be!
Some ideas: Maybe you could sneak a nap in while your baby naps in the morning. Or maybe you could go to bed when your kids do. Perhaps you could find a way to sleep in a little extra in the mornings. Or maybe you could even take a mid-afternoon nap with your toddler.
In addition, make sure you’re exhaustion is actually sleep related and not the result of poor diet, lack of exercise, not drinking enough water, too much stress, or another physical problem that’s contributing to you feeling fatigued.
No matter what season of life you are in, do make sleep a priority. This doesn’t have to mean 8 hours of solid sleep every night, but it does mean that you prioritize sleep and that you take opportunities you have to sneak in naps, go to bed early when you’re tired, and get up a little later if you’re feel drained. It might mean that some other things get set aside so you can squeeze in a little extra sleep, but it will be worth it. Because here’s the thing: if you make sleep a priority, it will have a positive trickle down effect into almost all other areas of your life.
What advice and thoughts do you have for Luci? How do you prioritize sleep in your life? I’d love to hear!
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Guest post from Kyle of The Penny Hoarder
When every penny counts, you want to make the most of your household budget. To stretch your hard-earned dollars even further, why not try some unorthodox ways to save money in the kitchen?
I can’t be the only one whose parents ran a thrifty kitchen. This was one of my mom’s favorite strategies.
Wash out your tinfoil and zip-closure bags, let them air dry and use them again. Some people advise against reusing plastic bags that have had raw meat or moldy food in them, but most plastic bags can be used many times before they start to degrade.
You’ve probably seen those commercials where people show off the strength of their paper towel by wringing out the towel like it was a rag.
Well, why not just use a rag? You’ll save money on paper towels and never have to worry about an empty roll! Simply cut up an old T-shirt or some old socks to create your own cleaning rags.
This tip helps keep food waste to a minimum — even food you wouldn’t normally think of eating.
Get a few more meals out of your veggie peels, ends, bones, and meat scraps before throwing them away. Find a good stock recipe, toss in your leftovers and simmer. Try this vegetable stock recipe, or follow these guidelines to make beef, turkey or chicken stock.
Don’t pay for out-of-season produce. Buy fruits and veggies at their cheapest, then freeze them to last all year.
Some items are more appetizing frozen whole, while others are better in pieces or pureed.
Here’s another one you might have seen your grandma doing: canning food. Home canning is a staple of money-saving kitchens, although it’s becoming more of a trend as people realize it’s a great way to enjoy their favorite fruits and veggies all winter long.
You’ll want to be careful, because improperly canned food can carry botulism. For meat, seafood or vegetables, you should use a pressure canner and follow guidelines like the USDA’s Complete Guide to Home Canning. Canning fruit using a water-bath canner? Make sure to boil your canning for as long as the recipe says, adding an additional minute for every 1,000 ft above sea level to account for the effects of altitude on boiling temperature.
For delicious (and safe) canning recipes, check out the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving or Food in Jars.
Many bruised fruits and vegetables are totally safe to eat, as long as you avoid anything with mold or where the bruise has broken the skin.
Go to a farmer’s market and ask if the vendors have any “seconds,” or fruits and vegetables that might be too bruised to display. Bruised bananas make the best banana bread!
Ceramic and glass containers conduct heat better than metal containers, according to Adria Vasil, author of Ecoholic.
The next time you bake that cake or casserole, use a ceramic or glass dish. You’ll be able to reduce your oven temperature by about 25 degrees Fahrenheit, which saves both energy and money!
When you cook pasta, let it boil for about two or three minutes, then turn off the heat and keep the lid closed. Your pasta will cook perfectly in about 15-20 minutes, though the first time you try this, you may want to test it sooner than that to find the perfect amount of time for your brand of noodles.
Don’t forget about saving money when you clean up!
You may already be familiar with vinegar and baking soda cleaners, but take a look at this list of 52 DIY Natural Cleaners and learn how to make even more cleaning products to help you scrub and disinfect.
Do you do all of these things? Why or why not? What ideas would you add to this list?
Kyle Taylor is the founder of The Penny Hoarder, a popular blog about weird ways to earn and save money. His blog is read by more than 5 million readers a month and has been featured on Oprah.com, ABC News, Men’s Health and Woman’s World magazine
Meal time just got so much easier!
