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Shared Feb 10, 2014 comment

This Week’s Menu Plan + Freezer Cooking in an Hour Plan

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

Breakfasts

Oatmeal, Cereal, Eggs, and/or Fruit

Lunches

Mac & cheese, fruit
Snack-y lunch {veggies, cheese, yogurt, fruit, crackers, etc.}
PB&J, carrot sticks, apples
Cheese quesadillas, carrot sticks
Leftovers x 3

Snacks

Fruit/veggies
Popcorn
Boiled eggs
Butterscotch Brownies

Freezer Cooking in an Hour Plan

No Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Ham & Cheese Pockets

Dinners

Homemade Pizza, veggies, fruit
Slow Cooker Southwest Soup, Homemade Soft Pretzels, fruit
Breakfast for Dinner: Pancakes from the Freezer, scrambled eggs, fruit
Build Your Own Haystacks, fruit
Ham & Cheese Pockets, Fruit
Dinner at our church’s Valentine’s Banquet
Dinner out (We’re going to Oklahoma City as a family for a fun getaway trip and are planning to use our gift card to The Cheesecake Factory that we got as a Christmas gift one of the nights!}

What’s on your menu this week? Tell us in the comments or leave a link to your menu plan post.

Shared Feb 10, 2014 comment

10 Goals For This Week

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

Last Week’s Goals:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

1. Read 4 chapters of Missionary Adventures of Bob & Arty aloud to the girls. ~~Read 4 chapters of A Big Year for Lily to Kaitlynn. Read a few picture books with Silas.~~

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

~~3. Clean out 4 drawers in our bedroom/bathroom.~~

~~4. Make Little House Inspired Molasses Candy with the kids.~~

See our Molasses Candy pictures and how it turned out here.

Personal Goals

~~5. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-27.~~

6. Complete five days of the P90X Program.

7. Read Sarah’s Key, ~~Eat Move Sleep~~, Samson, ~~Undaunted~~, and On Every Side.

8. Finish embroidery quilt square project. Make this Knit Headband.

Blog/Business Goals

9. Record the audiobook version of Say Goodbye to Survival Mode. {I finished two days of recording and am 2/3rd of the way through the book. I have 1/3 of it left and plan to finish recording that this Friday. You can see a little behind-the-scenes photo collage on my Instagram page.}

~~10. Write three content pieces for my blog.~~

This Week’s Goals:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

1. Read 4 chapters of Missionary Adventures of Bob & Arty aloud to the girls. Read 4 chapters of A Big Year for Lily to Kaitlynn. Read a few picture books with Silas.

2. Write a love note to Jesse.

3. Clean out 2 drawers in our bedroom/bathroom.

4. Take a family overnight trip to Oklahoma City.

Personal Goals

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

6. Complete four days of the P90X Program.

7. Read Sarah’s Key, Samson, On Every Side.

8. Finish embroidery quilt square project. Make this Knit Headband.

Blog/Business Goals

9. Put together details for a download for March’s 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home Challenge.

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 Feb 10, 2014 comment

“We didn’t have a spending problem. We had an income problem.”

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

Testimonial from Tiffany of Wife.Mother.Teacher

In the fall of 2012 I was introduced to Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover. I found his book at our library and became a regular radio listener. With the purchase of our home, we were quickly realizing — we’d bit off more than we could chew.

Between student loans and our new mortgage, our money needed to be told what to do if we were going to survive.

That realization led me to call in to the Dave Ramsey show seeking advice. By amazing grace, I was able to make it on air and Dave gifted us his Financial Peace University class.

Let the Games Begin

As predicted, money fights ensued. My husband and I learned that we weren’t on the same page with money, and fit the bill as personality opposites.

Within 3-6 months, we made monthly budgets and usually stuck to them. But it wasn’t until around month 9 that we really got the hang of the entire plan. We were working together creating our budget, and checking in with each other regularly. We were using the cash envelope system to follow through on our budget, and feeling successful, but that’s the point where we hit our next obstacle.

We had already cut our spending dramatically — cutting back internet and cable TV, canceling smart phones, and limiting our grocery budget. And although we were making the minimum payment on all of our debts, we were struggling to really get the ball rolling on our debt snowball.

With nothing more to sell or cut out, we had to get real.

Our financial problems were no longer a spending problem. They were an income problem.

If we ever wanted to get out of a paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle, and see the debt snowball in action, we would have to increase our income.

Entering Phase Two of Our Debt Snowball

I waitressed before teaching, but with my husband’s schedule, a traditional part-time job wasn’t feasible. We don’t have an evening sitter that we could count on to babysit on such a regular basis.

Instead my husband picked up extra hours at work and I started working after school activities to earn a little extra income. It helped, but we still needed to find something more consistent.

That’s when I started tutoring online. Since completing my first lesson, I feel like I have found the key to increasing our income for the time being. It’s not a perfect solution, but until we can find another avenue, it will work.

We keep counting down the numbers as we pay off our smallest debt. I know that if we continue to persevere, our debt snowball will really start to take hold.

Whether you’re in phase one, or two, it’s important not to loose sight of your goal. No matter how big your debt, you can achieve financial freedom. The hard work and effort are worth it, especially when you learn to live on what you make. I’m looking forward to what phase two of our debt snowball has to bring and guarantee we’re up to the challenge!

This post was written by Tiffany at Wife.Mother.Teacher. – a blog devoted to sharing a passion for home management with modern, working moms – where you’ll find posts on household budgeting, teaching & raising a toddler. In her free time, Tiffany enjoys reading, exploring the great outdoors and catching up with friends and family.

top photo credit

Shared Feb 10, 2014 comment

FREE 4-Day Celebrating Your Valentine on a Budget Challenge + Free Love Notes Printable Pack!

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

Many of you are on tight budgets right now, but you still want to come up with creative ways to celebrate your Valentine on a budget. So I put together a 4-Day Series on How to Celebrate Your Valentine on a Budget.

This series has practical ideas, a daily challenge, and just some personal ideas of things that have helped our marriage stay strong over the past 11 years. The ideas will work for Valentine’s Day — or any day of the year!

Sign Up for the 4-Day Challenge!

Sign up below and you’ll get an email every day for four days. These emails are simple and fun — each ending with a small practical challenge for you to implement that day.

When you sign up, you’ll also get a FREE printable Love Notes packet — with some fun ideas on how to keep the sparks flying in your marriage by the simple act of writing love notes. Plus, we put together some cute printable love notes that you can use to show your Valentine just how much you care about him/her.

Psst! Wishing you could get a copy of my new book for Valentine’s Day? We’ve made it really easy for you to do so here!

Shared Feb 10, 2014 comment

How to Start a Freezer Club

Published: by MSM Team on February 10, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Are you tight on time or money but want to eat healthy meals at home on a regular basis? Consider starting a Freezer Club with your friends.

“A Freezer Club is a small group of friends (anywhere from 2-8 people) who commit to cooking freezer-friendly meals for one another each month.” ~Rachel at Thriving Home

Interested in learning more about starting a Freezer Club? Read more at the Thriving Home blog.

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

Click here to sign up!

Shared Feb 10, 2014 comment

My Interviews with Kat Lee: Say Goodbye to Survival Mode & Keys to Successful Blogging

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

I was honored to get to do two interviews with Kat Lee recently! We did an interview for her Inspired to Action Podcast where we talked about my new book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, and on How They Blog where we talked about Keys to Successful Blogging.

On the Inspired to Action Podcast, we talked about:

How to create and stick with your goals

How to find margin in your life

How a “best stuff” list will help you create margin.

The importance of self care.

How knowing your drainers and fillers will energize you.

On the How They Blog Podcast, we talked about:

How I got started blogging.

The importance of building relationships for blogging success.

The first step toward monetizing your blog.

How to find your voice.

How to find your niche.

How to know what to quit.

Shared Feb 8, 2014 comment

How to Stay Focused on Your Debt Snowball When Real Life Hits…HARD!

Published: by Crystal Paine on February 8, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Kim of Kimz Kitchen

My family and I are avid followers of MoneySavingMom.com and Dave Ramsey. When my husband and I graduated from college, the only debt we had were some (relatively) small student loans to pay off. Our plan was to knock them out before we started adding children to our family.

Things were going well, and though we got pregnant before they were paid off, we had every intention of being debt-free before our first daughter arrived.

Then real life happened.

A deer hit our car, and even with good insurance, we had to replace our car. Because it wasn’t worth much to begin with, and it was our only vehicle, we had to take out a small loan to pay for another used one. This put our debt payoff on hold.

Then our daughter was born with major health issues — which meant big medical bills to pay.

A couple years later, my husband was out of work for several months, so our debt snowball was put on hold again and I sold everything I could on Craigslist and Ebay. MoneySavingMom.com was such a huge help to us during this tough time.

The next few years brought on more high deductibles that had to be paid each year — our daughter was bitten by a copperhead one year, we had another beautiful little girl the next, we had three pregnancies that ended tragically (and with big medical bills), and then my husband was diagnosed with a large (benign) brain tumor that needed an eleven-hour surgery to remove.

So, while our debt was small and easily manageable in the beginning, we were being stalled every year by big bills that had to be paid first. I would hear the stories of others who were paying off smaller amounts of debt on smaller incomes in a quarter of the time we were and I would get SO discouraged!

Some of you may be in a similar situation to us. You have every intent to dump your debt quickly, but life happens, and sometimes it hits harder than you can imagine.

If you can relate, here are a 5 tips that helped us stay focused (and kept us from growing our debt):

1. We always paid ourselves first and made sure our $1,000 emergency fund was available for short term emergencies. This came in handy when our hot water heater started smoking and a pipe burst in our guest bathroom!

2. We started using the envelope system to pay cash for budget busters like groceries, eating out, and date nights. Anything left over went straight to our current outstanding bill.

3. We used coupons to save money on our grocery bills and played the drugstore game for toiletry items. CVS was our favorite. Many times we were getting our milk and diapers free! We would even use extra free items to make up small gift baskets for gifts for our families.

4. We paid our bills first to avoid more debt. Whenever the big medical bills came due, we put our debt snowball on hold until they were paid. In a sense, we were cash flowing those medical bills, using our debt snowball money to pay for them. While it was hard to lose the steam on my student loan, it was still something that had to be done, and we were grateful to have the means to pay them.

5. We simplified our belongings and made money by selling our excess belongings on our local Facebook Yardsale page, Craigslist, and eBay.

We stuck to our goal, and the day before my ten-year college reunion, we paid the final payment to my student loan!

While it took MUCH longer than I had anticipated, it was still worth the effort. Plus, the lessons we learned about saving, living on less, and paying cash for everything have been invaluable.

Kim is wife to a brain tumor survivor and mom to two girls here and three kiddos in Heaven. She blogs about her adventures in homeschooling, cooking, and helping young children deal with sibling loss at her Kimz Kitchen.

Shared Feb 8, 2014 comment

12 Months to a Healthier You: Week 6 Check-in

Published: by Crystal Paine on February 8, 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 Saturday and guess what that means? It’s time for our weekly check-in to post our progress.

February’s Challenge:

We’re focusing on developing the habit of eating more fruits and veggies in February. I encourage you to set a simple and doable goal for exercise and to stick with it.

If you haven’t set your February Exercise Goal yet, be sure to do so and then leave a comment on this post telling us what your goal is. New to this challenge? Read more details on the plan for this year here.

My Fruits/Veggie Intake Goal for February

My goal for February is to eat at least six big salads every week. I’m also hoping to keep up with January’s habit of doing P90X at least 4-5 times every week.

This Week’s Progress:

Yay! I hit my goal this week of eating six big salads plus exercising 4 times!

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 Feb 7, 2014 comment

Gretchen’s $53 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan

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

Aldi

1 loaf Bread – $1.29

1 Pineapple – $1.29

1 Flour Tortillas – $0.99

1 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts – $4.21 (I was so excited that their chicken was marked 50% off!)

2 dozen Eggs – $1.59 each

1 Carrots – $0.99

1 Roma Tomatoes – $1.29

1 bag Cuties – $1.99

1 Blueberries – $1.79

1 can Pineapple Chunks – $0.89

1 Cream Cheese – $1.29

1 Chocolate Syrup – $1.49

1 bag Spinach – $1.69

1 Celery – $0.69

1 Cauliflower – $1.69

1 can Pumpkin – $0.89

1 Strawberries – $1.29

Total with tax ($1.99): $28.93

Dillons

1 gallon Milk – $2.78

1 gallon Chocolate Milk – $2.78

4 Totino’s Pizza Rolls – $1 each, used 4 $1.25/1 printable (no longer available) – Free plus overage after coupons

1 Annie’s Mac and Cheese – $1, used $0.75/1 catalina coupon – $0.25 after coupon

1.24 lbs Bananas @ $0.55/lb – $0.68

1 Cascadian Farms Granola – $2.50, used $0.75/1 coupon from the 1/5 SmartSource insert – $1.75 after coupon

1 Kroger French Bread – $1.99 (Requested by my husband…I prefer homemade bread, but I love spoiling him sometimes.)

3 Gluten Free Quinoa Pasta – Marked down to $0.99 each (We aren’t allergic to gluten but I have several friends who are, so I always keep my eye out for good deals on gluten free items.)

2 Nature Valley Granola Bars – Marked down to $1.99, used 2 $1.25/1 printable (no longer available) – $0.74 each after coupons

2 John Frieda Root Lift – Marked down to $1.59 each, used $3/2 coupon from the 1/19 SmartSource insert – $0.09 each after coupons

1 Hormel Rev Wrap – $1.99, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

1 Romaine Lettuce – $0.99 (I will get 20% back from SavingStar.com.)

1 Marshmallow Matey’s Cereal – $4.49 (My husband was shopping with me and put this in the cart! :))

1 Suave Lotion – $0.99, used $1/1 coupon from the February All You magazine – Free after coupon

2 Right Guard Deodorant – Marked down to $1.09 each, used $2/2 coupon from the 1/26 RedPlum insert – $0.09 each after coupon

1 Natural Cane Turbinado Sugar – Marked down to $1.89

Total before coupons and sales: $48.20

Total with tax ($2.67) after coupons and sales: $24.07

Total for all grocery items: $53

Menu Plan for this Week

Breakfasts

Cereal, Homemade Granola, Oatmeal, Toast, Homemade Juice (I’ll use various fruits and veggies.)

Lunches

Fruit/Veggies & Cheese/Crackers, Mac & Cheese, Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Tossed Salad with Tuna, Egg and Spinach Quiche Cups

Dinners

Baked Chicken Drumsticks, French Bread, Tossed Salad, Sliced Clementines

Hawaiian Haystacks, Steamed Cauliflower

Crepes, Sausage, Fruit Salad

Venison BBQ Brisket, Pumpkin Muffins, Steamed Broccoli, Baked Potatoes

Chicken Fajitas, Sliced Veggies

Lasagna (from the freezer – I made and froze this a couple of weeks ago), 30 Minute Rolls, Tossed Salad

Date night

Shared Feb 7, 2014 comment

Reader Tip: A Frugal Replacement for Tomato Sauce

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

Kimber emailed in the following tip:

I have a non-frugal confession: I am brand-loyal about pasta sauce and I really don’t like the generic stuff.

However, I discovered a great use for the cheaper, store-brand pasta sauce… it’s a frugal replacement in recipes that call for a tomato sauce. Not only is it usually much cheaper than tomato sauce, the jars of pasta sauce contain more ounces than the cans of tomato sauce!

This might not be news to anyone but me, but I thought I’d pass it on anyway. I have some lentil soup simmering right now (using this tip) and just tasted it — fabulous!

So next time you see a great deal on store-brand pasta sauce, scoop it up and try using it in your other recipes that call for tomato sauce.

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

Click here to download!

Shared Feb 7, 2014 comment

Baked Spaghetti Pie with Cottage Cheese

Published: by MSM Team on February 7, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

If you’re looking for a quick, simple and frugal meal that everyone will love… Spaghetti Pie is it! Not only can you make it ahead if you’re short on time, you can also make several at a time and freeze them for later!

Guest post from Brigette:

Spaghetti Pie Recipe with Cottage Cheese!

Spaghetti pie has been one of my Mom’s go-to recipes for as long as I can remember (so long that none of us can remember where the original recipe came from).

And it still is!

Any time we visit my parents for more than a few days, Spaghetti Pie will most likely be on the menu at some point. It’s another one of my Mom’s crowd-pleasing recipes that can be made up ahead of time and frozen – perfect for company!

Although Spaghetti Pie is similar to lasagna in taste, it’s cheaper to make and quicker to assemble!

My Mom usually serves this with a tossed salad, a fruit salad, and fresh homemade bread (Dill Bread is especially yummy with this!)

Baked Spaghetti Pie Ingredients

6-8 oz. spaghetti noodles
2 Tablespoons butter
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup cottage cheese
1 lb. ground beef or bulk pork sausage
½ cup onion, chopped
¼ cup green pepper, chopped (optional)
1 (8 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Ingredient FAQs:

Can I use a different type of pasta?

Yes, any type of pasta could work for this recipe — however, it’s easiest to form a “crust” with spaghetti, fettuccini, or angel hair pasta noodles.

Gluten-free noodles could also be substituted.

Can I use store-bought pasta sauce?

Certainly! You can substitute any of your favorite store-bought (or homemade) pasta sauces in place of the dice tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, and salt. You may choose to still add the cooked ground beef and onion mixture to your store-bought sauce.

You could even try store-bought pesto or alfredo sauce to mix up the flavors a bit.

Can I make this recipe vegetarian?

Yes! Simply omit the ground beef and sautee some mushrooms or additional veggies of choice to add to the sauce. You could also add in more cheese to increase the protein.

What can I add to spaghetti sauce to make it taste better?

Most Italian herbs, like parsley, basil, and oregano, will boost the flavor of your pasta sauce. Also, make sure you add enough salt — along with a little sugar to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes.

Which is better ricotta or cottage cheese?

This is probably a personal preference more than anything else. Ricotta cheese has much smaller “curds” and a smoother texture. Cottage cheese is usually less expensive, lower in calories, and higher in protein.

How to Make Spaghetti Pie with Cottage Cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

2. Cook spaghetti al dente and drain.

3. Stir butter into hot spaghetti; stir in beaten eggs and parmesan cheese.

4. Press this mixture into a greased 9 or 10-inch pie pan to form a “crust.

5. Spread cottage cheese over spaghetti crust.

6. In a skillet, cook the meat, onion, and green pepper until meat has browned and vegetables are tender.

7. Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, and garlic salt. Heat through.

8. Spread meat mixture over cottage cheese.

9. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

10. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Easy Spaghetti Pie Variations

Can I make this recipe in a slow cooker?

If you boil the noodles and cook the ground beef ahead of time, you can dump all the ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours or until all the cheese is melted. It will not resemble a “pie” but the flavors will still be delicious!

Can I make a double batch?

This recipe is so delicious, you’ll want to make a double batch! You can either use 2 pie pans or put it all in a 9″x13″ pan (with the “crust” on the bottom). You’ll probably want to increase the baking time by 5-10 minutes as well — just keep watching so the cheese doesn’t burn!

How to Store this recipe for Spaghetti Pie

How do I freeze this recipe?

It works best to freeze this recipe after you assemble the pie but BEFORE you bake it. When you want to serve it, simply defrost it overnight in your refrigerator and bake as directed in the recipe.

Recipe

Easy Spaghetti Pie

Author MSM Team

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Spaghetti Pie is similar to lasagna in taste, but it’s cheaper to make and quicker to assemble! It's a family favorite weeknight recipe that we hope your family will love too!

Ingredients

8 oz spaghetti noodles (uncooked)
2 tbsp Butter
2 eggs; beaten
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup cottage cheese
1 lb ground beef or bulk pork sausage
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped (optional)
8 oz can diced tomatoes
6 oz can tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cook spaghetti al dente and drain.
Stir butter into hot spaghetti; stir in beaten eggs and parmesan cheese.
Form this mixture into a crust in a greased 9 or 10-inch pie pan.
Spread cottage cheese over crust.
In a skillet, cook the meat, onion, and green pepper until meat has browned and vegetables are tender.
Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, and garlic salt. Heat through.
Spread meat mixture over cottage cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 more minutes, or until cheese melts.

Notes

Feel free to substitute your favorite pasta or store-bought sauce in place of recipe ingredients. You also might just want to make a double batch!

Love this recipe?

Make sure to share and save it on your favorite platform below!

Pin Recipe

Shared Feb 7, 2014 comment

Failure isn’t proof that you’re a loser…

Published: by MSM Team on February 7, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Have you purchased your copy of Say Goodbye to Survival Mode yet? Get the book here!

Shared Feb 7, 2014 comment

Sponsor Spotlight: ListPlanIt

Published: by MSM Team on February 7, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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

Tell us about the history of ListPlanIt.

I had the idea for ListPlanIt in that chaotic week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. I had three young children, aged 2 to 6, and while I had always been a list maker, I was desperate for a simple way to keep track of and help manage the myriad of details that are involved in running a family and home. ListPlanIt has grown from 200 downloadable lists when it first launched in May 2007 to what it is today.

Tell us more about what ListPlanIt offers.

ListPlanIt is your complete resource with hundreds of lists all geared toward helping you get and stay organized. You’ll not only find downloadable lists, inventories, schedules, and to dos, but members now have the ability to create and store lists right in their ListPlanIt account and then access those lists from any device whether at home or on the go.

How can ListPlanIt help us save money?

Being organized means saving money. Whether using a list at the grocery store, packing for a trip, planning a birthday party, or preparing for any of life’s events, having a list means that you get what you need and not a lot of stuff that you don’t need. It means not running out at the last minute because you’ve forgotten something, which will now cost a premium. Lists mean saving time and anxiety, as well as money.

Do you have any new products or promotions coming up?

A few years ago, I wrote an eBook called 100 Days to Christmas that tied in with the vast number of holiday planning lists available at ListPlanIt. 100 Days to Christmas starts on September 16 and counts down the 100 days that lead up to Christmas day. The idea is to start planning early so that you can enjoy December to the fullest.

The following year, I wrote 100 Days of Summertime, which journeys from about Memorial Day to Labor Day and gives a reminder, task, or activity to help make the most of your summertime fun.

Last year, I wrote 100 Days of a New Year, which was just newly updated for 2014. You can currently get the 100 Days of a New Year, which includes 75 lists and planning pages to help set goals for 2014, for just $5!

How can members get the most out of ListPlanIt?

Members to ListPlanIt.com can view some of our tutorials on how to get the most out of creating and managing lists as a ListPlanIt member. Your lists can be shared with friends and family on pinterest, Facebook, twitter, and via email so that next time there is a potluck or a wish list, sharing makes it easy. Members should subscribe to our weekly newsletter (The L.I.S.T.) to get tips and ideas delivered right to your inbox to inspire you to get the most out of your lists.

Anything else you’d like to add?

While new members to ListPlanIt automatically get a free 30-day trial to see if our lists are right for you, I’d like to share a coupon code exclusively for the MSM community for $1 off the monthly membership fee! Use the following coupon code at checkout: MSM20LISTS and you’ll get $1 off the monthly fee.

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

Shared Feb 6, 2014 comment

Make sleep one of your highest priorities

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

Have you purchased your copy of Say Goodbye to Survival Mode yet? Get the book here!

Shared Feb 5, 2014 comment

Why You Should Stop Trying to Do It All {Chapter 1}

Published: by MSM Team on February 5, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Note from Crystal: Mandi asked me if she could blog through my new book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode. She’ll be sharing one post per chapter per month. I know many of you are reading through the book right now and I thought you’d enjoy hearing her thoughts — and joining in the discussion to share your thoughts, as well.

Guest post by Mandi Ehman from Life Your Way

My one word for 2014 is LIVE.

Like Crystal, I’ve spent many years building a business, saying yes to every opportunity and making sacrifices. While many of those choices have been worth it, since it allows our family to live and work from home together and gives us plenty of flexibility for traveling, etc., I’ve realized that somewhere along the way I decided that being busy and productive was the ultimate goal.

In short, I’ve accepted the Survival Mode mindset and made it my own, and I’ve let the best things in life — reading with the girls, cooking together, saying yes to an impromptu play date or coffee date — get pushed aside.

After taking two months off for maternity leave after the birth of our fifth baby, January was a month of new beginnings — a chance create new habits and get back into the groove of working without falling into all of those bad habits once again.

When Say Goodbye to Survival Mode arrived (I was fortunate to get a preview copy at the beginning of January!), I knew it would become my manual this year as I discover what it’s like to homeschool with a baby in our home (our four girls were born within five years, so I’ve never had to juggle school and a baby before!) and as I look for ways to continue doing my job (which I love and which supports our family) without letting it become the focus of my life.

I read it straight through the week it arrived but decided that I wanted to work through it one chapter at a time this year — along with Hands Free Mama by Rachel Macy Stafford and Notes from a Blue Bike by Tsh Oxenreider — to create a life of abundance rather than one characterized by stress.

Stop Trying to Do It All

This month, I started with the first chapter from Say Goodbye to Survival Mode: Stop Trying to Do It All.

The truth is I’m pretty good at saying no…to all of the wrong things. I say no to playing games, to going on field trips, to spending quality time with the people who are most important to me, all while saying yes to the tyranny of the urgent: emails demanding my attention, yet another business idea, self-imposed deadlines, exhaustion, etc.

In order to make time for the important stuff, though, I first have to learn to say no to the rest of the things that divide my attention and steal my time.

The hard part is that many of those things are good things themselves; but they’re not the best things.

The Four C’s to Creating Margin

To help us differentiate between the two and make time for the things that really matter, in her book, Crystal offers The Four C’s to Creating Margin, which I have been practicing this month:

Create a Personal Priorities List
My personal priorities in 2014 are to:

Be consistent about daily Bible study and prayer to start each day. {I joined a GoodMorningGirls.org group this month, and so far I love the study and the accountability.}
Spend quality time with my children, not just quantity time. {I am recommitting myself to looking them in the eyes when they talk to me, playing games together, snuggling on the couch with our read alouds, looking for opportunities for one-on-one outings and inviting them into the kitchen to cook with me.}
Refocus my business and spend time on the things that directly impact my vision rather than time wasters. {More on this below.}
Make time for connecting with my husband, not just living life side-by-side. {I’m not a fan of the date night myth, but I do think a strong marriage takes work!}
Cultivate local friendships. {Say yes to invitations more, which I can only do if I keep my work stress in check.}

Clear the Schedule Clutter

“Just because we are spinning our wheels, rushing from one commitment to the next, doesn’t necessarily mean that we are doing anything worthwhile.”

These words from Crystal cut straight to the chase and made me take a hard look at where I spend my time. What I realized was that I create a lot of extra work for myself.

You see, my desire for excellence in my work can border on perfectionism, and I’ve had to practice taking a step back and reevaluating the way I do things. What I’ve realized is that too often I do things the hard way in my quest for excellence when really no one else will notice and I’m just making more work for myself.

Cut Out Time and Energy Suckers

We all have time and energy suckers in our life, and I am no exception. While I love Facebook for staying connected to friends and family, it’s too easy to get sucked down a rabbit trail. I know I’m not alone in suddenly realizing that I’m spending time reading someone’s profile that I don’t even know just because I’m being nosy.

In addition, when I’m tired or overwhelmed, it’s easy for me to get sucked into the internet vortex (not to be confused with the time I actually set aside to read articles and blog posts, which I consider a fun and important part of my job!). I end up just clicking around aimlessly, and the more I do it, the worse I feel.

Acknowledging my tendency to do these things is at least half the battle, but I’m also consciously practicing closing the window or — better yet, getting up from the computer altogether — when I find myself doing one or the other so that I can reset my focus.

Count the Costs

And finally, in order to make time for social activities, field trips, coffee dates with friends, etc., I’ve had to count the cost of each and every commitment:

Taking on an extra project means eliminating the time in my week that I could use for an outing instead. Saying yes to X means saying no to Y. Every decision in life is like that — we only have so many hours to work with each day, after all — and it’s simply a matter of acknowledging what the cost is before you make the decision so that you know you’re truly choosing the best.

Get Practical

This chapter’s Get Practical tip is easier in theory than it is in practice, but it’s worth the effort: Practice saying no.

While I don’t need to practice saying no to social activities (since one of my goals in 2014 is to actually say yes to more of those), I do need to practice controlling my daily commitments and expectations when it comes to my to-do list, so I’ve been taking Crystal’s advice to “immediately eliminate three things from [my] list” seriously.

I love this practice because it acknowledges that my want-to list is longer than practical and helps me prioritize what I can actually get done in a day right from the start.

Sometimes I move things to later in the week…and sometimes I decide they just don’t need to be done at all!

Next Month…

In January, I focused on saying no and being realistic about the amount of time I actually have, and in February I’ll be moving on to Chapter 2 — Say Good Say Yes to the Best and practicing that very important skill. I’m looking forward to sharing my successes {and failures} with you next month!

**Are you reading Say Goodbye to Survival Mode? What were your takeaways and thoughts from chapter one?**

Mandi Ehman is an entrepreneur, online publisher and author who is passionate about encouraging other women to live intentionally. She’s the blogger behind Life Your Way, the author of Easy Homemade and the founder of BundleoftheWeek.com. Mandi and her husband have four spunky little girls plus one baby boy, and together they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia.

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