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Shared Jan 14, 2015 comment

What Your Craving For Change Might Really Mean

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

Guest post from Ashley of Lies About Parenting

Do you ever get one of those thoughts that just won’t go away? Like a kid with a loud new toy, the thought pops up, over and over again. Totally exhausting, and completely irritating.

Here’s one I’ve been having: I should chop all my hair off. Right now.

It’s become an obsession, over the last week. Lob or bob? Layered or blunt? Dark or light? My Pinterest peeps must be sick of me, and the dizzying variety of new hairstyle pins I’ve added to my board.

That’s why Crystal’s recent post about making fewer decisions, came at the perfect time. It reminded me why change — disguised as decisions, variety, and choice — is not always a good thing.

The last time a big urge like this came over me, I chopped off over a foot and a half of length, well into pixie crop territory. About that time, I was diagnosed with severe depression, which taught me something important about how my need for change relates to my mental health status.

When the craving for change surfaces, it’s usually because there’s something else going on. Something I can’t control. Work, home, or life has thrown too much at me, and giving myself a choice is like giving myself control.

So, when I find myself obsessing (especially about hair) it’s time to put down the scissors and take a deep breath. Obsessive thoughts about change are a warning sign, flashing, “Slow down. Now.”

Okay, okay. I hear you!

As stress levels rise, our need to control something (anything!) increases, too. Control manifests itself as choice. So, the more choice we have, the happier we should be, right?

Umm…no. Sorry.

The next time you find yourself obsessing over a change, big or small, stop and ask, “Why?”

The real reason might surprise you.

Ashley Trexler loves honest talk about parenting and life choices. She blogs about the good, the bad, and the funny at Lies About Parenting. She is known for debunking popular parenting advice that just doesn’t work, and is a passionate believer that clean homes create clean minds. She’ll consider herself a parenting success if she can, somehow, manage to raise kind and compassionate kids.

photo source

Shared Jan 12, 2015 comment

Why I’m Not Setting Any Goals This Week (& Why I Might be MIA for the Next Week)

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

So, after anticipating it few many, many weeks…

After spending the last few weeks researching online what I should bring (oh yes, I totally Googled “best pillows for international flights” and “best sleeping pills for long flights” and “does South African Airlines have wi-fi?” — yes, I totally did. And quite a few other such crazy searches!)…

After making some purchases — like some summer clothes (I resorted to buying them from Amazon since most local stores didn’t have clothes for hot summer days!) and special outlet adapters…

After making a detailed packing list — a lot of it based upon your experienced advice and Lisa-Jo’s years of experience (see her post here with great tips on International Travel With Kids — she’s a pro!)…

After a few weeks of collecting a pile of stuff that I thought I’d want to bring…

It was finally time to pack for my trip to South Africa last night!

Packing for long trips is always a tug-o-war between my inner Boy Scout packing tendencies (you know, the “always be prepared” motto) and my minimalist personality.

I was excited that I managed to get everything into a backpack and my carry-on luggage with some room to spare!

On the one hand, it doesn’t look like much for a 7-day international trip. On the other hand, I feel like I “over-packed” and prepared for multiple possibilities. I brought a few extra outfits, I brought extra medicine, I brought extra snacks, I brought multiples of things like tissue packs and hand sanitizer.

Since this is my first time to be on an airplane for longer than 5 hours (our flight is 18-hours straight!), I kind of want to be over-prepared because I’m not sure how it will be for me to be cooped up in a plane for that long! 🙂

{And yes, all those of you who regularly go on international flights can get a good chuckle over how green I am about all of this!}

Our secret to traveling often with younger kids is to teach them how to pack themselves in an organized fashion. My kids all have their own system — some more detailed than others — and they have it down to almost a science.

They packed for the 10-day trip to DC in less than an hour last night! All we had to do was double check their work and pack ourselves.

When I had 3 kids under 6 I could have never imagined the day that my kids would be doing all of their own packing — and doing a great job of it. Moms of littles: your hard work and all that time you spend teaching and training your kids does pay off!!

{We left around noon today for DC and have been driving ever since. We’re almost there! We plan to visit a few sites tomorrow and then I’ll fly out of DC to South Africa on Wednesday. Jesse is staying in DC with the kids while I’m gone and they’re planning go to the museums and visit as many surrounding states and historic sites as they can while I’m gone. They are so stoked about it!}

Last Week’s Goals Update

Since I’m flying to South Africa on Wednesday and won’t be back in the states until next Tuesday (the 20th), I’m not going to set my usual list of goals for this week or next week. My goals, instead, are to soak in everything from the trip, learn all I can learn from those we’ll be with in South Africa, and let the lessons impact me and sink in deep.

Here’s an update on how I did on last week’s goals:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

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

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

~~3. Help the kids write thank you notes for Christmas gifts.~~

~~4. Write notes to the children we sponsor through Compassion.~~

Personal Goals

~~5. Exercise at least 4 times (I’m trying out these BeFit in 30 workouts this week.)~~

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

7. Knit a Cosy Posy Ear Warmer. (I worked on this for at least an hour, but was having trouble getting the seed stitch to look consistent. I know, I know, it’s such a simple stitch, but I’m also such a beginner level knitter and not a naturally crafty person so this kind of stuff requires a lot more effort and concentration for me. However, it’s really a good way to stretch myself in a different creative direction and I find it so invigorating when I actually am able to finish a project and be proud of it! I found some YouTube videos on how to do the seed stitch and found those to be helpful so I’m going to try again and am hoping that I can have a finished project to show you in the next few weeks!)

~~8. Clean out our bathroom closet.~~

~~9. Try a new DIY project & recipe: Fixing Our Hardwood Floor Scratches & Trim Healthy Mama Chocolate Cupcakes.~~

Business Goals

~~10. Finish writing 3 articles for Mandi’s Live course.~~

What You Can Expect While I’m Gone

I’ve been told that we will have limited access to internet while we’re in South Africa. I’ve pre-scheduled some great guest posts to run here and I’m hoping to be able to share at least a few great deals every day plus write a few blog posts while I’m gone sharing pictures and telling you about what I’m experiencing.

However, I’m expecting that I’ll be offline much of the time. So if things are a little quiet here on the blog for the next week and a half, you’ll know why.

I know we’re only just beginning the new year, but we’re going to take a two-week hiatus from all of our 2015 weekly features. I promise we will pick those back up again starting January 26, 2015.

I will be posting pictures on Instagram when I’m able to get a wi-fi connection during the day, so if you’re not following me on Instagram yet, you can click here to do so. That will be the best way to keep up-to-date with the South Africa trip. In addition, follow Joy and Lisa-Jo who will both be traveling with me.

Wondering how to raise a baby on a budget? It's easier than you think! Check out this helpful list of 20 ways to save -- even with growing babies in the house!

Shared Jan 12, 2015 comment

20 Ways to Raise a Baby on a Budget

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

Guest post by Sarah of Saving Money Never Goes Out of Style

When most parents find out they are expecting, they are so excited; but after that, comes the panic.

You wonder how you will be able to afford a baby, with all that he or she needs, and not go bankrupt doing so. The good news is that you can rest easy.

As a now-single SAHM, it’s important for me to raise my kids on a budget. Thankfully, there are many ways to achieve this. Here are 20 ideas:

20 Ways to Raise a Baby on a Budget

1. Breastfeed if you can. Formula is extremely expensive, and while there are programs out there to help you pay for it and coupons galore, breastfeeding is the cheapest option for most people.

2. Borrow a breast-pump. If you choose to breast feed, the pump can often cost more than you can afford. Look for programs in your area that allow you to borrow them.

3. Make your own wipes. Baby wipes can add up and making your own just takes a few minutes.

4. Use cloth diapers. The initial investment may seem steep, but the savings will add up very quickly. {For some creative ways to save money on cloth diapers, check out this post on How to Cloth Diaper for Practically Free.}

5. Make your own baby food. It’s better for baby, anyway, and it’s so simple.

6. Trade babysitting time. Instead of pay for a sitter, trade babysitting time with other parents.

7. Buy used clothing. Babies grow so fast in the first year or two that it makes more sense to do so. Also, skip shoes. They don’t need them until they walk, anyway!

8. Keep baby in a bassinet with you the first few months. This will give you time to save for setting up a nursery!

9. Create your nursery with a budget in mind. Don’t spend too much on building your own nursery. You can find many things gently used in this area as well.

10. Ask for freebies. Companies love to give new parents freebies. Just do a quick hunt online and don’t forget to also ask your child’s pediatrician for some, too.

11. Buy items that convert. There are many things (from beds to car seats) that convert as the child grows. They may seem costly at first, but they save you money down the road when it comes time to replace things.

12. Use coupons. Diapers, formula, wipes, and even baby furniture can be bought with coupons, Just sign up on the manufacturer’s websites and they will usually flood you with them.

13. Keep your baby’s products simple. Babies have sensitive skin, it’s true. However, you don’t need to spend all your money on special baby products when you can use simple, natural things like coconut oil, Aloe Vera, unscented lotions, and so on.

14. Have a friend be your photographer. Many new parents spend so much money on baby pictures and newborn photos. You can take some lovely ones right at home with just a little practice and some good lighting. If you do go pro, sign up for newsletters to places like Sears and JcPenney’s as they have a lot of promotions that cost as little as $10 in and out the door.

15. Make your own baby-wearing wrap. This can often be done even if you don’t know how to sew. Baby wraps can by costly, but making your own doesn’t have to be.

16. Change your mind. The culture we have here is very consumer driven. One of the biggest targets is new moms and dads. Be aware of this and you may find that you spend less.

17. If you need new, shop at discount stores. Places like Burlington Coat Factory, TJ Maxx, or Tuesday Morning offer an entire section that is devoted to department store baby products. These items are 20-60% off the prices at other stores.

18. Skip bibs. Instead buy shirts that are too big for your child. They can be washed easier and they grow into them for messy toddler play later.

19. Borrow things you don’t need for long. If the item is something you only need for a couple of months, such as a baby bath, neck rest for the car seat or Moses basket, see if you know anyone you can borrow it from.

20. Get creative. Sometimes, we can avoid buying something if we get creative. Just think of things you have around the house and see if they will double for what you need them for. {Note from Crystal: Here is my list of the only 6 things I think you truly need for your baby.}

Raising a baby does not have to put you into dire straits. With a little creative thinking, you can save a lot of money!

What ideas would you add to this list? Do you agree with everything on this list?

Sarah is a stay-at-home mom of two wonderful children with a mission to prove that you don’t have to have a lot of money to live a quality life. Sarah loves encouraging others through her blog: Saving Money Never Goes Out of Style.

Shared Jan 12, 2015 comment

How to Save Time, Money, and Space on Kid’s Clothing

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

Andrea Dekker has a great post up on How to Save Time, Money, and Space on Kid’s Clothing.

If you need some ideas for cutting costs and cutting down on the amount of kid’s clothing you have at your house, head on over here to read it.

What ideas would you add to her list?

Shared Jan 10, 2015 comment

A Peek Into Our Week: A new homeschooling routine, fort-building, celebrating our 12th anniversary, and She Reads Truth

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

After a few weeks of Christmas break, traveling, and sickness, we were back to homeschooling and a regular schedule this week. And I was shocked at how well the week went.

Usually, easing back into a routine after a few weeks off is hard. But this week everything felt so smooth and calm.

I really attribute it to the grace of God, giving the kids a clear picture of how our tweaked schedule was going to look, getting them excited about how we had changed things up a little bit, writing out a to-do list for each child every day (they loved this and were highly motivated by it), and instituting Morning Time as part of our homeschooling schedule.

They loved Morning Time so much that they asked if we could please do it on Saturday, too! I am so grateful for this excitement and new life breathed into our homeschooling and am hoping this momentum continues!

I am loving the She Reads Truth John study this month. Jesse surprised me with the Yearly Membership to She Reads Truth as my Christmas gift and I can’t tell you how thrilled I was!

These studies have challenged me, encouraged me, and inspired me to dig deep into God’s Word. If you are looking for a great Bible study/devotion, definitely check it out. You can get the daily Scripture reading/devotional for free online and just use a notebook to record what you’re learning/studying/praying.

We also started using The Confident Mom Weekly Household Planner this week. I’m divvying up the daily chores amongst myself and the kids and that seems to be working well.

I’m curious to see if this is a good fit for us long-term… we’re committed to try it out for a few months to see how it goes!

I’ve been doing a LOT of reading recently. It’s been so soul-filling for me to get back to making reading a regular part of my every day after a few months of not being so intentional about it. And I’m just loving the variety of books I’m reading.

You can see what I read last week and what I’m reading this week here.

12 years ago today, I married my childhood sweetheart. We were full of big dreams, completely idealistic, and incredibly naive.

We’ve experienced a lot, moved a lot, failed a lot, fought a lot, and grown a lot in these last 12 years. While the years and struggles have made us quite a bit more realistic about life (and maybe a wee bit cynical!), two things haven’t changed: we’re more madly in love than the day we got married and we still want to spend our lives doing all we can to make a difference in this world.

Only God knows what the next 12 years will hold, but we are grateful to be following a God who is always faithful and never changing.

{Thank you, Jesse, for the beautiful anniversary flowers, thank you for 12 amazing (and eventful!) years, and thank you for loving me and believing in me — even on those many days when it’s the last thing I’ve deserved. I love you with all of my heart!}

Today’s frugal fun: Fort-building in the dining room. We don’t have a table in there yet, so I’m happy to see the area be put to good use!

The kids had a blast setting it up with me and then had popcorn and watched a movie in their tent so Jesse and I could enjoy an at-home anniversary date!

How was YOUR week? Anything exciting or interesting happen? Tell us about it in the comments.

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Shared Jan 10, 2015 comment

The 6 Most Popular Posts This Week

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

Small House Living: Could You Downsize in House?

How To Get a Free Washer or Refrigerator From Your Utility Company

Trim Healthy Mama Chocolate Cupcakes

Want To Get More Done? Stop Making So Many Decisions.

A Day In My Life

Finally, I announced details of an exciting secret I’ve been keeping for a few months. Read all about it here.

Shared Jan 10, 2015 comment

DIY Experiment: A quick fix for scratched hardwood floors

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

When I saw this post on an Easy Fix for Scratched Hardwood Floors, I knew I had to try it. Our floors in our rental are very scratched up and I’ve been on a mission ever since we moved to figure out ways to improve how they look.

I bought some of the Howard Restor-A-Finish on Amazon with my Swagbucks credit and was excited to try it out this week.

I chose a spot that was pretty bad but also in a fairly inconspicuous place. See above for the scratches before I tried Restor-a-Finish on them.

And here is how they look after using Restor-a-Finish on them. I can’t tell that much of a difference up close, but I think it looks somewhat better from a distance.

I think this would work even better on wood with darker finish. I also would recommend starting out pouring on less of the Restor-a-Finish to make sure you’re happy with the results in a small area before you dump a bunch on a larger area. 🙂

Do you have any suggestions for how to improve scratched hardwood floors? Did you try an do-it-yourself projects this week? If so, how did they turn out for you?

Shared Jan 9, 2015 comment

I’d love to meet you in Mississippi on February 6, 2015!

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

Our team is so excited to be putting on a special one-night Say Goodbye to Survival Mode event on February 6, 2015, in Purvis, Mississippi!

This evening will be encouraging, inspirational, and actionable. I’ll be sharing from my heart and giving you practical steps to take to:

Stop living life feeling stuck, exhausted, and overwhelmed
Determine your most important priorities & find time to invest in what really matters
Break free from the lie that whispers “I’m not good enough”
Move past loneliness and build authentic friendships with other women

If you could use a boost to begin 2015 on the right track, you won’t want to miss this special one-night event!

Find out more information about this event and purchase tickets here. We have a special group rate for those who’d like to invite a group of women to come.

P.S. Want to have us bring this one-night Say Goodbye to Survival Mode event to your church or women’s group in 2015? We’d love to chat with you about that! Just fill out this form here and we’ll be in touch with more information on dates we have available and how we can serve your church or women’s group.

Shared Jan 9, 2015 comment

How We Paid Cash for a Rental House

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

A testimony from Jackie

We are determined to pay cash for everything — even big ticket items. So while my husband and I were getting completely out of debt, I set another long-term goal: to pay cash for a rental house once we were debt-free.

The plan was to buy the rental property within a self-directed IRA. (That’s a type of retirement account where you’re allowed to decide what you want to invest in, so long as you stay within the IRS rules.)

Small amounts add up:

I started contributing to my 401k at work. At first I just contributed 3% to see what my check would be like with that amount gone. Once I adjusted to that change, I increased my contribution by 1-2% every few months. I kept that pattern up until eventually I was contributing 30% of my check!

I invested in the options available to me in the 401k, and also got a very small company match. I had in mind that I would be quitting my job at some point in the (then-distant) future to go and work for myself. Once I did, my plan was to roll the 401k money into a self-directed IRA and then buy a rental house within it. The IRA would own the rental property on my behalf.

But before I could do that, the company I worked for was acquired. That meant I could roll the money over to a self-directed IRA earlier than I’d expected. I went ahead and did exactly that. Then I went house shopping!

Finding the house:

I had managed to save up about $80,000 over about 7 years, so I set my rental property budget at $50,000 or less. (I wanted to have extra cash available for repairs and unexpected expenses.)

In order to find a house for that low price, I had to look outside of our area. I found an older home listed at around $40,000 in a small town about 40 miles away. I had my IRA make a full-price cash offer, sight unseen, that was contingent upon inspection. (The property was occupied, and they didn’t want people inspecting who weren’t serious.)

After inspection, I had my IRA withdraw the offer. The house needed a LOT of work. I got a few estimates, and then had my IRA make a new offer at about half the asking price due to the repairs that would be needed. They accepted. Suddenly my IRA owned a rental property, and I’d paid cash for a house.

How it feels to pay cash:

The first time you make a large purchase with cash is amazing! So is every time after that!

Living a debt free life may not be considered “normal”, but it’s awesome — and something I believe everyone can do once they get their finances into shape.

We’re regular people who struggled with debt for years, and we finally beat it. You can too!

Jackie Beck is an entrepreneur and the mom of one college-age son. Her husband is a software tester and avid reader. You can read about how they paid off over $147,000 in debt at TheDebtMyth.com.

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

Shared Jan 9, 2015 comment

10 Things I Learned From Downsizing Our Life

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

I posted about Small House Living earlier this week and introduced you to Lori and her family of six who are currently living in an RV. The comments on that post were quite lively and there were lots of pros and cons shared for both living in a small house and having a larger house.

Lori posted a follow-up post yesterday called 10 Things I Have Learned By Downsizing Our Life. I think you’ll find it very interesting and insightful — at least I know that I did. Head over here to read it.

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Shared Jan 8, 2015 comment

How I Saved This Week: Making coffee at home

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

I know it’s simple, but one way we save hundreds of dollars each year is by making coffee at home. You might feel like buying coffee really isn’t costing you much, but here’s what I wrote two years ago:

The Simple Dollar estimates that the cost of a 16-oz. brewed at home cup of coffee will cost you no more than $0.50 to $0.60 each, including the cost of energy, cream, sugar, etc. When I calculated it myself, I was coming up with the same costs for high-quality coffee. If you get a good deal on the coffee beans, your savings is going to be even higher.

So, if you’re typically paying $1.50 per cup of coffee, that’s a savings of around $1 per cup five times per week — or $20 per month or $240 per year. If you typically pay $4 for a fancy cup, you’re saving at least $17.50 per week, $70 per month, or $840 per year! Crazy, eh?

Not only does it save quite a bit of money, I also like coffee brewed at home the best. I can make my cup exactly like I like it. It’s almost like an art form to me!

We don’t really make fancy coffee all that often and we don’t even use sugar in our coffee any more around here, but we do love good cream. So we splurge on half and half every week. It costs us less than two cups of coffee at the coffee shop would cost us and it lasts us all week long — and it makes good coffee so much better!

Some Tried & True Recipe Links:

I was thinking about how much money we save by making coffee at home this week as I found myself brewing a delicious cup and pouring it into my favorite Copco cup before heading out the door.

And not only that, but it saves a lot of time waiting in line, too.

If you’ve been to a Starbucks any time recently, there’s a good chance you’ve waited in line for a least a few minutes, possibly much longer. Those orders of no-whip-two-pumps-extra-foam-double-cup-extra-hot-sugar-free orders take quite awhile to process. 😉

{Speaking of which, I was at the coffee shop recently and someone ordered some drink with a long string of names and instructions that included a specific temperature for the coffee to be. I was pretty aghast that that was allowed. I kind of just want to try ordering a coffee drink with instructions for it to be some random temperature — like 42.5 degrees or something — just to see what the barista says! 😉

For the record, I’m not at all opposed to buying the occasional cup of coffee, I just like it to be a fun treat, not an every day occurrence. Because once you add up how much it costs over time for “just that one cup of coffee”, it becomes a lot more motivating to learn how to brew your own cup of coffee!

What’s one way that YOU saved this week? I’d love to hear!

Shared Jan 8, 2015 comment

Gretchen’s $45 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan

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

Homeland

Farmland Bacon – $4.69, used $1/1 mailer coupon (doubled) – $2.69 after coupon

2.39 lbs Fuji Apples @ $0.99/lb – $2.34

1 Cucumber – $0.69

2 Hungry Jack Hashbrowns – $1.59 each, used $1/2 coupon from the 10/5 SmartSource insert (doubled) – $0.59 each after coupon

1 Welch’s Fruit Snacks – $2, used $1/1 printable (doubled) – Free after coupon

1 Wishbone Salad Dressing – $1.67, used $0.50/1 mailer coupon (doubled) – $0.67 after coupon

Items a part of the Kellogg’s sale (Buy 4, Save $4 instantly):

3 Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Cereal – $1.50 each, used $1/2 coupon from the 12/7 RedPlum insert (doubled) and $1/1 printable (doubled) – 1 Free and 2 for $0.50 each after coupons

3 Kellogg’s Special K Crackers – $1.50 each, used $1/3 coupon from the 1/4 RedPlum insert (doubled) – $0.83 each after coupon

2 Kellogg’s Granola Bars – $1.50 each, used $1/2 printable (doubled) – $0.50 each after coupon

Total before coupons and sales: $54.38

Total with tax ($1.38) after coupons and sales: $12.94

Dillons

3 half gallons Milk – $1 each

1 Kroger Tortilla Chips – $1.25

1 Welch’s Natural Fruit Spread – $2.99

1 Malt O Meal Cereal – $3.49, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – $3.49 after coupon

0.79 lbs Tomatoes @ $1.99/lb – $1.57

1 can Kroger Refried Beans – Marked down to $0.49

1 Kroger Butter – $3.99, used $0.40/1 e-coupon – $3.59 after coupon

1 Kroger Peanut Butter – $2.19

1 Kroger Frozen Orange Juice – $1.59

1 Kroger Mouthwash – $1.49, used Free mailer coupon – Free after coupon

1 Kroger Tortillas – $1.79

2.82 lbs Bananas @ $0.59/lb – $1.66

0.51 lbs Broccoli @ $1.89/lb – $0.96

1 Romaine Lettuce – $0.99

2 dozen Dillons Large Eggs – $1.25 each

1 Nabisco Belvita Biscuits – $3.49, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

Items a part of the Mega Sale (Buy 5, Get $5 off instantly):

2 Gillette Shave Gel (pk of 2) – $1.99 each, used 2 $1/1 coupon from the 12/14 RedPlum insert – $0.99 after coupons (Makes them $0.49 each)

1 Nature’s Valley Bread – $1

1 Cascadian Farms Cereal – $1.99, used $0.75/1 printable – $1.24 after coupon

1 Cascade Dishwasher Detergent – $2.99, used $1/1 mailer coupon – $0.99 after coupon

Total after coupons and sales: $32.27

Total for all grocery items: $45.91

Menu Plan for This Week

Breakfasts

Cereal x 3 Grapefruit/Oatmeal, Toast & Juice

Lunches

Bacon/Eggs/Grapefruit, Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Baked Potatoes, Leftovers, Apple Slices with Peanut Butter

Dinners

Ground Venison and Noodles, Biscuits, Steamed Peas

French Toast, Eggs, Hashbrowns

Venison Burgers, Homemade French Fries, Tossed Salad

Hamburger Vegetable Soup, Homemade Bread

Bean Burritos, Chips/Salsa, Grapefruit

Salad Bar, Pumpkin Muffins

Out to eat

Shared Jan 8, 2015 comment

What would you love for me to blog about while I’m in South Africa?

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

On Wednesday of next week (January 14, 2015), Lisa-Jo, Jackson (Lisa-Jo’s 9-year-old son), Joy, and I will be boarding a plane for an 18-hour flight from DC to Johannesburg, South Africa.

{Yes, we opted for no layover to cut down on travel time… but that’s going to be one long, long flight!}

We’re getting really, really excited. Unlike my usual pack-the-same-thing-an-hour-before-I-leave routine (one of the benefits to having a really simple wardrobe and basically bringing the same things on every trip I take!), this time around, I actually wrote out a packing list earlier this week and am already starting to collect everything I need to take in a spot in my closet.

{By the way, thank you, thank you, for all the great ideas and information in the comments on this post. You all covered some things and shared some ideas I hadn’t thought of. Things like the fact that bathrooms wouldn’t have toilet paper… yikes, I’m clearly such a newbie international traveler! :)}

We’re staying with Lisa-Jo’s parents and will be spending most of our days meeting the amazing local leaders who work with them as part of the Take Action Ministry and seeing the work they are doing in the communities there.

We’re excited to be dreaming and planning for how we can come alongside them long-term and partner with them in their much-needed ministry in South Africa (more on that in the future — I can’t wait to share more with you about the projects and opportunities we’re discussing right now!)

For those who have asked, we will be in Pretoria mostly in Hammanskraal. It’s supposed to be around 95 degrees there — which will quite the contrast from the cold we’ve been experiencing in TN. It’s hard to think about sun dresses and tank tops in this coat and glove weather!

I’m grateful to be traveling with Lisa-Jo and Jackson who were both born in South Africa and who have extensive international traveling experience (Lisa-Jo has lived all over the world and speaks 5 languages!) And I’ve heard that the hospitality in South Africa is amazing. So it sounds like we’ll be in great hands there!

There are definitely things I’m anxious about, but there’s so much peace in my heart about this trip. I’m already falling in love with the beautiful people of South Africa and have a feeling I’ll be leaving part of my heart there.

I also have a feeling that it will be an eye-opening, American-comfort-bubble-bursting, life-changing trip. I want to go with an open heart to whatever God wants to teach me and am praying that my heart would never be the same as a result of this trip.

As one of our goals from this trip is to introduce you to South Africa and the wonderful people there, we want to be your eyes and ears on the ground.

There will be SO many things I could blog about when I’m there, but I’d love to know what you’d most like to hear about. So help me out:

What questions do you have about South Africa?
What pictures would you like to most see me share from my South Africa trip?
What would you most like me to blog about while I’m there?
What questions do you have about this trip?

I can’t promise that I’ll be able to cover everything you suggest, but I will definitely do my best to capture as much as I can in pictures and blog posts so that you can feel like you’re joining me virtually in this adventure!

Shared Jan 8, 2015 comment

Join the 2015 Book Challenge at Blessed Beyond a Doubt

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

Need some encouragement to read more? Jill at Blessed Beyond a Doubt is inviting you to join her 2015 Book Challenge. Here’s what she says:

“This new year I decided I wanted to read more because I adore it. It’s my relaxation therapy. So I decided to come up with a book challenge 2015 for myself.

And of course, I want you to join me.

I want to broaden my horizons by reading multiple different genre and topics of interest. I rarely read fiction, but I do enjoy it. I believe you can grow from reading from any type of book.

Here’s my Book Challenge 2015 Printable with all the different genres and topics I plan on reading this year. I am just going to check them off as I read them. If I don’t get to all of them, no sweat, I will add them to my next year book challenge list. Reading is meant for enjoyment not stress…”

Read more here.

Shared Jan 7, 2015 comment

5 Books I Read Last Week + What I Hope to Read This Week

Published: by Crystal Paine on January 7, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

We’re seven days into January and I’ve finished seven books so far. That’s a pretty good pace, eh?

I don’t think I’ll be able to keep reading at the pace of one book per day, but it’s been fun to have more time for reading these past two weeks!

Books Read This Week

Here’s what I read this past week:

What Alice Forgot — I really enjoyed this book. While it wasn’t written from a Christian perspective and had some swear words in it, the book was well-written and really caused me to step back and examine my own marriage and relationships to see if I’m making small choices that would, over time, have devastating consequences.

Steal Like An Artist — This is such a quick read, but it’s packed with inspirational ideas. I didn’t agree with all of the ideas and thought some of them could be overwhelming — especially if you felt like you needed to add a bunch of them to your life in order to be a better writer or more creative person — but overall, I thought it was solid and helpful advice.

I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t) — I’ve loved all three of Brene’s books. This one is her first book and, while it was very thought-provoking, I’d say it was my least favorite. If you only read one of hers, I would highly recommend Daring Greatly. Caveat: All of Brene’s books have some crass language in them and aren’t written to a Christian audience.

5-Minute Morning Boosters — This was another quick read, but it had some interesting ideas in it for starting your day well. Some of them were quite weird, but there were enough good ideas to outweigh the few weird ones. 🙂

Dashing Dish: 100 Simple & Delicious Recipes for Clean Eating — This book just showed up at my doorstep one day and it looked interesting, so I read through it last week. And to my surprise, I thought many of the recipes looked really good. In fact, I dog-eared so many pages that I feel like I practically dog-eared every other page! Many of the recipes were unique but still simple and delicious-looking. I passed the cookbook on to Jesse to look through since he’s been doing a lot of cooking these days, too.

Books I Plan to Read Next Week

James and the Giant Peach — This is our current read aloud. We’re enjoying it, though I have to say that some of the language and attitudes has surprised me for a children’s book. I’ve edited it a bit and used other parts as opportunities to have discussions on how our words can be hurtful and shameful to others.

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

Glimpses of Grace — So many people have told me I must read this book. I’m about a 1/2 of the way through it and am finding it thought-provoking it.

The One Thing — I keep seeing this one mentioned over and over again, so I thought it’d be a great read to start the year out with.

Long Walk to Freedom & Kaffir Boy — I’m reading these in preparation for my trip to South Africa next week.

Against All Grain — Multiple friends have mentioned this book to me and suggested I read it.

From This Day Forward — I saw an article about this book on Ann Voskamp’s site and was intrigued so I picked up a copy.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie — My friend, Ginger, recommended this book to me.

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

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