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Shared Mar 10, 2014 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Assignment #6 (update)

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 10, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’m so excited about how many of you are joining us for the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home Challenge! If you missed Monday’s assignment, you can find it here.

It was another full and eventful day here! The weather was beautiful, so the kids were able to play outside this afternoon — which was so nice after so many cold days the past few weeks! I even broke out the flip flops to celebrate the warm weather. 🙂

I also tried making whipped butter for the first time. I cannot believe I haven’t tried this until now. It’s a great way to stretch butter and made it easy to spread. I’ll share more details and pictures on how I made it later this week.

Oh how the car needed to be cleaned out! It didn’t look too awful at first glance, but the more I started cleaning, the more I realized how neglected it’s been recently!

Yikes! See that bowl peeking out? That’s a cereal bowl left in the car from Sunday morning on our way to church… because we’re so organized like that. Ahem.

I vacuumed and vacuumed and it seemed it was a never-ending job!

Not perfect — but so much better! See that tub? That’s our Emergency Box and it’s been one of the best things we’ve ever started keeping in the car. Comes in handy all the time!

How you do on Assignment #6? I’d love to have you share your progress and success with us so we can be inspired. Either post a link to your blog post below or leave a comment with your update.

Shared Mar 10, 2014 comment

10 Goals For This Week

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 10, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Last Week’s Goals:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

~~1. Read 3 chapters of A Big Year for Lily to the girls. Read 3 chapters of Jungle Doctor’s Fables. Read a few picture books with Silas.~~

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

~~3. Blog about the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home Challenge.~~

~~4. Make Homemade Whipped Butter.~~

Personal Goals

5. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-28.

~~6. Exercise four times.~~

7. Finish reading The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages and I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t)

8. Drink 8 glasses of water every day. {I did this all but one day!}

Blog/Business Goals

~~9. Put together a special download page for an upcoming event.~~

~~10. Tweak and practice my talks for the Hearts At Home Conference.~~

This Week’s Goals:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

1. Read 3 chapters of A Big Year for Lily to the girls. Finish reading Jungle Doctor’s Fables. Read a few picture books with Silas.

2. Write a love note to Jesse.

3. Blog about the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home Challenge.

Personal Goals

4. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-28.

5. Exercise four times.

6. Finish reading The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages and I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t)

7. Drink 8 glasses of water every day.

Blog/Business Goals

8. Practice my talks for the Hearts At Home Conference.

9. Work on my talks for the Teach Them Diligently Nashville Conference.

10. Write three content pieces for my blog.

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.

Shared Mar 10, 2014 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Assignment #6

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 10, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home

I’ve set aside the month of March to really focus on organization in my home and life. And I’d love for you to join me!

Day 6 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life!}

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea and create a list of weekly goals. I’ll be posting my weekly goals later on today.

::Complete your morning routine. {If you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and run through your home quickly picking up everything that’s out of place and putting it away.

::Clean out the inside of your vehicle. Remove all trash and clutter. Use a vacuum attachment to vacuum all the seats and floors out.

::Find 7 items to get rid of today. Throw them out, stick them in a donate or garage sale box, give them to a friend who can use them, or list them on Craigslist or eBay.

Note: If you work outside the home or have a really busy week with little time for extra projects, just do the bolded project above.

Get Your Free Ebook + Printable Checklists

I put together an ebook with encouraging articles, all the daily assignments, plus printable checklists so you can know exactly what’s planned for the month and to allow you to work at your own pace, if you’d like. To grab your free ebook so you can participate in this challenge, just fill out the form below with your name and email address. You’ll need to confirm your email address and then your free ebook will be sent to you instantly.

Are you planning to join us today? If so, leave a comment below!

Shared Mar 10, 2014 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Assignment #5 (update)

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 10, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’m so excited about how many of you are joining us for the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home Challenge! If you missed Friday’s assignment, you can find it here.

So, in case you didn’t notice, I sort of fell off the earth this weekend… I had every intention of blogging about my Friday projects on Friday, but then we were gone all afternoon and evening with friends and didn’t arrive home until after midnight! So then, I was determined to blog about it on Saturday, but we spent Saturday playing catch-up, looking at rental houses in TN (virtually, of course! We found one we love, had friends who live there go and look at it for us, and now we’re now waiting to see if they accept our application!), and spending the evening with our extended family.

When I got home Saturday evening, I meant to finish the post, and then I promptly fell asleep. Such is life sometimes! 🙂

At any rate, we did get the couches cleaned and we did have much, much more than 15 minutes of fun & refreshment — more like hours of it, since we got to spend a lot of time with dear friends!

Oh, how I love clean couches!

I cleaned out the utility closet/pantry in our basement and came up with a box full of items to get rid of — yay!

How you do on Assignment #5? I’d love to have you share your progress and success with us so we can be inspired. Either post a link to your blog post below or leave a comment with your update.

Shared Mar 7, 2014 comment

Gretchen’s $48 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 7, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Aldi

1 Vegetable Oil – $2.39

1 Salsa – $1.69

2 Strawberries – $1.29 each

1 Pineapple – $1.29

1 Cucumber – $0.59

1 Rice Cakes – $1.29 (I’m thinking these are going to become a staple at our house. My son loves them!)

1 Corn Chips – $0.89

2 Grapefruit – $0.29 each

1 Cauliflower – $1.69

1 Flour Tortillas – $1.19

1 Italian Dressing – $1.39

1 Old Fashioned Oats – $2.29

1 Half & Half – $1.69

3 cans Beans – $0.59 each

1 gallon Milk – $2.73

Total with tax ($1.72): $25.77

Dillons

7 Mom’s Best Cereal – $1 each (I was so thrilled about this price as this is some of our favorite cereal!)

1.2 lbs Bananas @ $0.59/lb – $0.71

1 Lettuce – $0.99

1 Kroger Cottage Cheese – $1.34

0.71 lbs Broccoli @ $1.59/lb – $1.13

1 Kroger Frozen Green Beans – $1

1 Kroger Butter – $2.50

1 Breyer’s Ice Cream – Marked down to $2.70

1 Kroger frozen Apple Juice – $1.29

1 Clabber Girl Baking Powder – $2.25

Total with tax ($1.71): $22.62

Total for all grocery items: $48.39

Menu Plan for this Week

Breakfasts

Cereal, Homemade Granola

Lunches

Cheese Quesadillas, Fruit/Veggies/Crackers, Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Mac & Cheese, Leftovers

Dinners

Chicken Rice Casserole, Steamed Broccoli, 30 Minute Rolls

Haystacks, Sliced Pineapple

Lasagna Casserole, Homemade Bread, Tossed Salad

Hamburger Vegetable Soup, Sliced Strawberries, Butterhorns

3-Bean Chili, Cornbread, Sliced Veggies

Date night

Dinner with family

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

Click here to sign up!

Shared Mar 7, 2014 comment

12 Months to a Healthier You: Week 9 Check-In

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 7, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Are you joining us for the 12 Months to a Healthier You Challenge? If so, it’s Friday and guess what that means? It’s time for our weekly check-in to post our progress.

March’s Challenge:

We’re focusing on developing the habit of drinking more water in March. I encourage you to set a simple and doable goal for drinking more water and to stick with it.

New to this challenge? Read more details on the plan for this year here.

My Water Intake Goal for March

My goal for March is to drink at least 8 glasses of water every day. I’m also hoping to keep up with January’s habit of doing exercising at least 4-5 times every week and February’s habit of eating six big salads every week.

This Week’s Progress:

I quickly realized that I don’t drink enough water! This challenge has been so good for me and I’m happy to report that I’ve hit my goal of drinking 8 glasses of water every day all but one day! I’ve also kept up with exercising and eating big salads. And I can definitely tell that being intentional about these three things are making a big difference in my life!

How Are YOU Doing?

Leave a comment telling us how you did on your exercise goals this past week. If you’re blogging about this challenge, leave the direct link to your blog post about the challenge below.

Are you on social media? You can also share your progress on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter by using hashtag #12MonthstoaHealthierYou.

Shared Mar 7, 2014 comment

Gretchen’s CVS Shopping Trip: Spent $1.18 for $21 worth of products!

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 7, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

CVS Shopping Trip

1 Gold Emblem Jelly Beans – $0.99 (Buy 1, Get $0.99 ECBs)

1 Cadbury Mini Eggs – $0.87 (Buy 1, Get $0.87 ECBs)

2 Crest Be Toothpaste – $4.99 each (Buy 1, Get $3.25 ECBs)
Used 2 $1/1 coupon from the 3/2 P&G insert

1 Jumbo Valentine’s Bear Card – Marked down to $0.59 (This card is HUGE and was way too big to fit in the photo above.)

Used $10 ECBs from previous shopping trip

Total before coupons, sales and ECBs: $21.83

Total with tax ($0.88) after coupons, sales and ECBs: $1.18, Plus received $8.23 ECBs

Shared Mar 7, 2014 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Assignment #5

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 7, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’ve set aside the month of March to really focus on organization in my home and life. And I’d love for you to join me!

Every weekday morning at around 10 a.m. CST, I’ll be posting the day’s assignment and then every evening at around 8 p.m. CST, I’ll be posting my progress and pictures, along with a link-up for you to share your progress and pictures, too.

Day 5 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life!}

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

::Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}

::Remove your couch cushions and clean out any crumbs, toys, or other miscellaneous items you find. Use an attachment on your vacuum to vacuum the cushions, underneath the cushions, and all crevices of your furniture. Spot clean the fabric, if needed.

::Set the timer for at least 15 minutes and do something you really enjoy and that relaxes and rejuvenates you. If you need ideas, here are a few: read, write, call a friend, pray, exercise, bake, play with your children, laugh with your husband, stop by the bookstore and browse the book selection, work in the garden, or take a nap! Take some time to just stop and enjoy life today!

Note: If you work outside the home or have a really busy week with little time for extra projects, just do the bolded project above.

Get Your Free Ebook + Printable Checklists

Are you planning to join us today? If so, leave a comment below!

Shared Mar 6, 2014 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Assignment #4 (update)

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 6, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’m so excited about how many of you are joining us for the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home Challenge! If you missed today’s assignment, you can find it here.

Today was a good day, but it was a LONG day… lots of unexpected interruptions, lots of memory-making, lots of great discussions with friends and family, lots of productivity, lots of family time… and I. am. tired! But I promised you all I’d get this up tonight, so I’m putting off bedtime just a little bit to get this up. 🙂

I was so excited to realize that our commitment to regularly cleaning out underneath the beds and couches is paying off — because there wasn’t hardly anything under there!

That was a welcome relief from the last time I blogged about all the nastiness underneath our couches.

Silas had a blast helping me make pancakes tonight.

He helped put some of the batter on the griddle and then was so excited to tell me what each little pancake was… there was an elephant, a rocket, and many other interesting objects! His imagination always cracks me up!

Cleaning the bathroom always makes me happy… well, at least once it’s cleaned! 🙂

I cleaned out my closet and come up with a bag full of items to get rid of — yay!

How you do on Assignment #4? I’d love to have you share your progress and success with us so we can be inspired. Either post a link to your blog post below or leave a comment with your update.

Shared Mar 6, 2014 comment

Gretchen’s Walgreens Shopping Trip: Spent $1.95 for $49.45 worth of products

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 6, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Walgreens Shopping Trip

3 Almay Makeup Remover Wipes at $5.99 – On Sale Buy One Get One 50% off

1 Almay Makeup Remover Pads at $4.99 – On Sale Buy One Get One 50% off

4 Almay Lip Balm at $5.99 – On Sale Buy One Get One 50% off

Used $2/1 Walgreens coupon from the March coupon booklet (it only took it off 7 items)

And used 4 $5/2 printable

Redeemed 2,000 points

Total before coupons, sales and points: $49.45

Total with tax ($2.53) after coupons, sales and points: $1.95 (Plus qualified to receive a free Almay Cosmetic Bag which will be sent in the mail)

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

Click here to download!

Shared Mar 6, 2014 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Assignment #4

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 6, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’ve set aside the month of March to really focus on organization in my home and life. And I’d love for you to join me!

Day 4 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life!}

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

::Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and do a quick-clean of your bathroom. Need specific directions? Read this article on How to Clean Your Bathroom in 15 Minutes.

::Clean out underneath your beds and furniture. Remove clutter and trash and put it away or throw it away. Move the furniture (if possible) and vacuum underneath.

::Find 7 items to get rid of today. Throw them out, stick them in a donate or garage sale box, give them to a friend who can use them, or list them on Craigslist or eBay.

Note: If you work outside the home or have a really busy week with little time for extra projects, just do the bolded project above.

Get Your Free Ebook + Printable Checklists

Are you planning to join us today? If so, leave a comment below!

Shared Mar 6, 2014 comment

Sponsor Spotlight: eMeals

Published: by MSM Team on March 6, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

We’re excited to have eMeals as one of our sponsors. We had the opportunity to interview them and get to know their company a little more recently:

What is the history behind eMeals?

eMeals was founded by Jane DeLaney & Jenny Cochran in 2003. Both Jane and Jenny are active moms, devoted wives, and very, very busy. Jane was frazzled over trying to pull off dinner for the family week after week. Her meal plans were scribbled on napkins and lost in her purse. So she went to work creating a better way to make meals happen. Along the way, Jane recruited Jenny, who is not only a fabulous cook, but also happens to be her sister.

Working with a talented team of meal planners, experienced home cooks and technical gurus, they developed eMeals to feed their families and preserve their sanity. Hundreds of thousands of relationships later, Jane and Jenny built a way to make moms’ lives easier — and to bring families together at mealtime.

What is eMeals?

eMeals offers over 50 weekly meal plans based on a user’s preferred food style, family size, and grocery store. Food styles include classic meals, clean eating, paleo, simple gourmet, low fat, low carb portion control, natural and organic, vegetarian, gluten-free, slow cooker, and our new 500 calorie plans.

We provide 7 simple to follow recipes with corresponding grocery lists each week. Meal plans are tied to the weekly sales and seasonal specials at selected grocery store chains. The result is our mass following of loyal customers who save time, money, and their sanity while providing delicious and healthy home cooked meals for their families.

Can you really save money by using eMeals?

The average eMeals customer says they save around $1,000/year on groceries, and that doesn’t even include all the time they save. And we all know time is money!

Over 50% of our customers have a targeted weekly budget for their grocery spending. We keep this in mind and try to structure our meal plans around seasonal specials and in the case of specific stores…we tailor the recipes to be based around the store specials.

Does eMeals have any new products or promotions coming up?

We just released our new 500 calorie plans, a new Publix Portion Control Meal Plan, as well as a new COSTCO Meal Plan. We are always looking to expand our meal plans to what our community tells us they need! We are happy to offer Money Saving Mom® readers 15% off with the coupon code DINNER15.

Are you involved in any charity work?

For five years, eMeals has been one of the largest funding sources for the Haiti Nutrition Project which is a program that curtails and reverses severe malnutrition within infants and children in Haiti. This program distributes Medika Mamba, which is a Haitian term for “peanut butter medicine,” a daily food supplement that provides complete nourishment needed for the growth and health of young Haitian children.

What would you most like your customers or future customers to know about your company?

We are a company based on the ideals of having dinner together as a family. That is such a valuable gift you can give to your children, your spouse, and anyone else that joins you at your table. We want to make it easier to facilitate dinner together as a family where connections and memories are made.

How can your customers get the most out of eMeals?

Sporadic grocery spending and multiple trips to the store is money down the drain. Having a plan, period, is what saves people the most money and controls spending. Having a consistent plan at your fingertips, ready to be shopped at a moments notice is GOLD. In comes eMeals.

Forgetting to bring your list to the store is also money down the drain. Eliminating that problem is gold too. In comes the companion eMeals app. Your list is always on your phone – ready when you are.

Useful tips:

Determine how many meals you need for the week. There are seven meals on each week’s menu.

The app can skip any of the meals you choose to not cook and it will automatically delete those items from the grocery list.

Shop your stockpile first and delete items you may already have from the grocery list.

Be sure to purchase the pantry staples that you may not have that are required for the meals you choose to cook.

Stick to the list!

We also have not only dinner plans, but breakfast, lunch and dessert to help you get all your meals planned out with minimal effort. Use this tool to your advantage!

Is there anything else that you would like for MSM readers to know about eMeals?

eMeals is always adding more plans to meet the growing eating lifestyles that emerge. Paleo and Clean Eating are examples of that and happen to be two of our most popular plans! We would love to have Money Saving Mom® readers sign up for eMeals with the discount code DINNER15 for 15% off.

Interested in becoming a monthly sponsor or advertising with us? Find more details here.

Shared Mar 5, 2014 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Assignment #3 (update)

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 5, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’m so excited about how many of you are joining us for the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home Challenge! If you missed today’s assignment, you can find it here.

Oh how my bedroom needed today’s assignment! This pile — leftover from vacation — was greeting me and begging for my attention.

So. much. better! {Never mind the carpet stain… it happened a few weeks ago and has refused to comply with my scrubbing and usual stain removal techniques!}

I sort of cheated and cleaned out the freezer when I cleaned the refrigerator. It’s getting pretty bare right now since we’ve been eating down its contents in preparation for our move in April.

Oh, how I love a clean kitchen!

The 7 things I found to get rid of — a few pieces of jewelry and a few kitchen items.

How you do on Assignment #3? I’d love to have you share your progress and success with us so we can be inspired. Either post a link to your blog post below or leave a comment with your update.

Shared Mar 5, 2014 comment

12 Books I Plan to Read in March

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 5, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

As I shared in January, I’m changing the way I’m approaching my reading goals in 2014. Instead of picking books for the whole year, I’m just choosing books a month at a time.

Here’s my list for March:

12 Books I Plan to Read in March

I also am reading through the Bible using the plan in my Blessing Journal and reading one devotional from Jesus Today every day.

5 Books I Plan to Read Aloud to My Kids

What books are you planning to read in March? Leave a comment and let us know — and then you can come back at the end of March to tell us what you ended up reading and what you thought of the books you read!

Shared Mar 5, 2014 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Assignment #3

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 5, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’ve set aside the month of March to really focus on organization in my home and life. And I’d love for you to join me!

Every weekday morning at around 10 a.m. EST, I’ll be posting the day’s assignment and then every evening at around 8 p.m. EST, I’ll be posting my progress and pictures, along with a link-up for you to share your progress and pictures, too.

Day 3 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life!}

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

::Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and do a quick-clean of your bedroom: throw out any trash, put away items that are out of place, get rid of clutter, tidy up, vacuum, and make your bed.

::Clean out your freezer(s). If you need step-by-step help, read this guide on How to Clean Out Your Freezer.

::Find 7 items to get rid of today. Throw them out, stick them in a donate or garage sale box, give them to a friend who can use them, or list them on Craigslist or eBay.

Note: If you work outside the home or have a really busy week with little time for extra projects, just do the bolded project above.

2hr Cleaning Checklist

2hr Cleaning Checklist

FREE DOWNLOAD: 2-Hour Cleaning Checklist!

Day 6 Assignment

Get Your Free Ebook + Printable Checklists

Are you planning to join us today? If so, leave a comment below!

Aldi

Dillons

Menu Plan for this Week

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

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

March’s Challenge:

My Water Intake Goal for March

This Week’s Progress:

How Are YOU Doing?

CVS Shopping Trip

Day 5 Assignment

Get Your Free Ebook + Printable Checklists

Are you planning to join us today? If so, leave a comment below!

Walgreens Shopping Trip

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

Day 4 Assignment

Get Your Free Ebook + Printable Checklists

Are you planning to join us today? If so, leave a comment below!

What is the history behind eMeals?

What is eMeals?

Can you really save money by using eMeals?

Does eMeals have any new products or promotions coming up?

Are you involved in any charity work?

What would you most like your customers or future customers to know about your company?

How can your customers get the most out of eMeals?

Is there anything else that you would like for MSM readers to know about eMeals?

12 Books I Plan to Read in March

5 Books I Plan to Read Aloud to My Kids

Day 3 Assignment

Get Your Free Ebook + Printable Checklists

Are you planning to join us today? If so, leave a comment below!

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