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Shared Jul 15, 2014 comment

Gretchen’s Target Shopping Trip: Spent $2.61 out of pocket!

Published: by Crystal Paine on July 15, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Target Shopping Trip

6 Up & Up Pocket Portfolios – $0.50 each, used 2 $1.50/3 Target printable – Free after coupons

2 Market Pantry Summer Shapes – Marked down to $0.89 each, used 5% off Cartwheel coupon – $0.84 each after coupon

2 Pure Via Sweetener – $2.29 each, used 2 $1/1 Target printable AND 2 $1/1 printable – $0.29 each after coupons

2 Up & Up Facial Tissue – $1.25 each, used 5% off Cartwheel coupon AND 2 $0.50/1 Target printable – $0.68 each after coupons

Used Target gift card from last trip (-$1.01)

Total before sales, coupons and gift card: $16.20

Total after sales, coupons and gift card: $2.61

Shared Jul 15, 2014 comment

Do It Yourself: Afterbite Anti-Itch Cream

Published: by Crystal Paine on July 15, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

ICanTeachMyChild.com shows you how to make homemade afterbite anti-itch salve.

Do you have a fun and frugal DIY idea to share? I’d love to hear about it! Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

Shared Jul 14, 2014 comment

Sometimes, courage is just showing up & giving it your all

Published: by Crystal Paine on July 14, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Friday night, I was asked to be the keynote speaker at the FlameFest Ball (an event for wives whose husbands are firefighters). I was excited about this event — and especially excited to get to speak at a ball!

I was looking forward to my presentation and had fun getting dressed up for the event (I wore a dress I got from RueLaLa, shoes I got from Zulily, and jewelry Jesse bought for me for 70% off at Kohl’s — gotta love frugal fashion!). I walked down the hall from my hotel room to the ballroom feeling very confident and stoked.

And then I stepped foot into the ballroom.

As I saw all the couples dressed in their finest, my former confidence disintegrated.

What do I have to offer these incredible folks? All around me were strong and muscular men who willingly risk their lives fighting fires. Next to their sides were equally strong women who endure long days and lonely nights while their firefighter husbands are on duty.

I looked at the strength and courage represented in the room and felt very small. Who was I to be standing on stage delivering a message of hope to them?

After all, I’m the girl who just confessed I have a nail-biting habit and struggle with anxiety. What do I really know about courage?

But then I remembered: sometimes, courage is just showing up.

I’d been asked to share a message on saying goodbye to survival mode. The conference coordinator knew exactly who I was and what I was about.

She knew I didn’t have a long resume or heroic acts of bravery attached to my name. I’m just a regular mom who hit rock bottom in her own life and found a lifeline of hope and practical steps to take to no longer live life stuck in that pit of survival mode, but to instead live a life of passion and purpose.

And so, I had a choice in that moment: I could choose to be swallowed up by fear and self-doubt. Or I could choose to go up on that stage and give it my all, praying that the words I shared would be impactful to those in the audience.

As I was getting mic’d up, I whispered to Liz (who travels with me), “I feel so out of my league, but I’m going to go up and give it my all.”

And that’s exactly what I did. I left all those feelings of fear and insecurity behind, asked God to fill me up with courage, and then I went up on that stage and owned it.

When I came down off the stage, I knew that it may not have been the most eloquent talk ever, but I’d given it my all. And it felt so empowering.

Sometimes, courage is just showing up and giving it your all.

Wherever you are in life, whatever you are facing, can I encourage you to show up and give it your all? To not let fear, insecurity, and self-doubt own you but instead for you to own whatever “stage” you are called to stand on right now?

Maybe your “stage” is investing in your kids and marriage, or reaching out to the needy in your community, or writing a blog post, or loving a difficult person, or serving at your church, or being the best employee you can be, or studying for your summer classes… or a million other things. But whatever it is, show up and give it your all.

There will always be those voices (literal or imagined) that will whisper in your ear, “That’s not good enough.” Or, “So-and-so does a better job than you.” Or, “You’re not qualified.” And on and on it goes.

Stop listening to the voices and show up and give it your all.

Related: Three Truths That Pulled Me Out of a Pit of Insecurity

Shared Jul 14, 2014 comment

10 Goals For This Week (and my summer reprieve — yay!)

Published: by Crystal Paine on July 14, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

The last few months have been really, really full… moving, unpacking, adjusting to our new life in TN, and many, many trips. So when I landed back in Nashville on Saturday afternoon, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I made it through, by the grace of God, and I’m still in one piece and not completely exhausted!

And now I get to go into my summer reprieve — which I’ve been so looking forward to! I’m all about working hard, but I’ve also learned that seasons of rest are so very important. And the hard work makes those seasons much sweeter and rewarding.

I pretty much didn’t accomplish much of anything on my goal list last week, but it was a good week and many good lessons were learned and memories made, so I’ll take it. 🙂

Last Week’s Goals:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

1. Start a new read-aloud with the kids.

~~2. Have a movie night with Jesse.~~

Personal Goals

3. Exercise 4 times.

4. Go to bed by 10:30 p.m. every week night.

5. Finish reading Breathe, I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t), and The Traitor’s Wife.

Business Goals

~~6. Tweak my presentations/slides for FlameFest.~~

This Week’s Goals:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

1. Read 4 chapters of The Four-Story Mistake and read 4 chapters of The Mouse and the Motorcycle

2. Have a movie night with Jesse.

3. Try making a Homemade Latte.

4. Make more Homemade Lip Gloss with Kaitlynn.

Personal Goals

5. Work on reviewing and memorizing Romans 1 and Romans 2:1.

6. Exercise 4 times.

7. Go to bed by 10:30 p.m. every week night.

8. Finish reading Breathe, I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t), Wine Bar Theory, True Beauty, Atlas Girl, Unstuff, and The Traitor’s Wife. {I am going to try to read a book everyday — which may be shooting way too high, but since it’s summer and it’s a quieter week, I think I’ll probably have at least an hour or two for reading every afternoon and evening before bed. We’ll see!}

Business Goals

9. Shoot two videos for an upcoming media project.

10. Finish all the details and writing the copy for an upcoming product launch.

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 Jul 14, 2014 comment

12 Months to a Healthier You: Week 28 Check-in

Published: by Crystal Paine on July 14, 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 time for our weekly check-in to post our progress.

July’s Challenge:

We’re focusing on developing the habit reading more. I grow and learn so much through the books I read — which is why I included this as part of the 12 Months to a Healthier You challenge. I think filling our mind with good things can transform our whole life — from the inside out.

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

My Reading Challenge for July

I’m hoping to read at least 20 books in July.

I’m also hoping to keep up with January’s habit of exercising at least 4-5 times every week, February’s goal of eating a big salad at least six times a week, March’s goal of drinking 8 glasses of water a day, April’s goal of cutting back on sugar, May’s goal of getting at least 7.5 hours of sleep every night, and June’s goal of sticking with my morning routine

This Week’s Progress:

So far, I’ve only read 2 books, but I was also traveling and out of town, so I’m hoping that I’m going to be able to step it up with reading now that I’m going to be home more the rest of this month. We’ll see!

I hit my water goals six of the days, ate a salad six days, got an average of 7.5 hours of sleep (yay!), did a fairly good job of sticking with my morning routine, and had dessert twice. The only area I really bombed was exercise — I didn’t exercise one single day. Yep, bad, I know. But I aim to change that this week!

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.

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

Click here to sign up!

Shared Jul 14, 2014 comment

7 FREE Ways to Celebrate Every Day

Published: by Crystal Paine on July 14, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post by Asheritah from of OneThingAlone.com

You don’t have to break the bank to celebrate. In fact, as I look back on my childhood, the best celebrations were the simple, unexpected ones, the chocolate cake in the middle of the week “just because”, the watermelon-eating contests to mark the passing of summer, the “attagirl” and pat on the back for a great slide tackle.

If you’re looking to add some excitement to your week or want to create some fun memories this summer, here are seven ways to add a flair of celebration to every day:

1. Make a big deal out of small accomplishments.

Did your toddler go potty by herself? Dance around the house with her!

Did you run 100 yards farther than before? Jump in the air and pump your fist!

Celebrating little accomplishments goes a long way to elevating our mood, and it also helps strengthen relationships.

In our family, my husband and I started celebrating our relationship every 3rd of the month before we even married. It gives us something to look forward to every month and I love coming up with little ways to surprise him.

2. Remember that every day is a holiday.

Every year my husband, daughter, and I dress up like cows to celebrate Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A. It’s become an annual tradition and we love being silly together (the free sandwiches sweeten the deal).

Check out local business’ event days or an online calendar for wacky holidays. See who can do the best moonwalk on lunar landing day (7/20) or eat cheesecake on National Cheesecake Day (7/30). Every day can be a holiday!

3. Start a list of #1000 gifts.

God’s gifts to us every day are miraculous blessings — but we often brush past them because we don’t stop to see them. Take a page from Ann Voskamp and write down 3 gifts each day; you’ll be surprised by all the reasons to celebrate every day.

Recently, I visited a friend’s house and saw a poster-sized piece of paper hanging in the kitchen with a long list of things they were grateful for, everything from shoes on sale to a life-changing missions trip. I LOVE that they do this as a family and that everyone contributes. You can write down anything and everything you are grateful for, and even share #1000gifts on social media like I do.

4. Make a toast at dinner.

Toasts don’t have to be relegated to wedding receptions or black-tie affairs. Pour some orange juice and make a toast to your husband, child, or friend, sharing with them what you appreciate about them or celebrating a recent accomplishment.

They may be embarrassed on the spot, but I bet they’ll also be touched and encouraged.

5. High-Five for a great job.

I read somewhere that giving out high-fives increases endorphins and general good-feelings. I’ve tried to include more high-fives in my day (both at work and at home) and the effect is a contagious smile and a rise in energy.

Finished putting away laundry with your husband? High-five! Got a sale at work? High-five! Managed to get the kids out of the house in time to catch the sermon at church? High-five!

6. Use the good dishes and put flowers on the table.

When someone special comes over for dinner, you probably tidy up, bring out the good dishes, put on a table cloth and maybe a vase of flowers.

Do that for your family. Make them feel special and celebrate each other!

7. Frame an “every day” picture.

Let’s face it: most days the house is a mess, dishes are in the sink, and we might get any makeup on. But it’s in that everyday grind that miracles happen: little lives are nurtured, two become one, relationships are built, and lives are transformed in those small daily things.

Celebrate those miracles by taking pictures of life as it really happens: tickle fights while putting away laundry, smeared spaghetti-faced babes, crayons spread across the kitchen table, and muddy boots in the foyer that tell of dancing in the rain. Pick your favorite and frame it to remind yourself that it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful (thanks to The Nester for that lesson).

With some forethought and an intentional attitude, we can break up the monotony of the daily grind and celebrate little miracles every day.

What about you? How do you celebrate every day?

Asheritah blogs at OneThingAlone.com about her journey to resting in God’s amazing grace, celebrating Jesus through laundry piles, stacked bills, and midnight cries. She also posts encouraging thoughts, #1000gifts, and interesting reads on Facebook and Twitter.

photo source

Shared Jul 11, 2014 comment

A Peek Into Our Week: A trip to Kansas, asthma, a wedding, business meetings, and my lack of navigational skills

Published: by Crystal Paine on July 11, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

My sister, Olivia, my mom, and me

It’s been a very full two weeks. And almost every day I had planned to write this post… and then life happened.

So, instead of a peek into the past week, you get a peek into the past week and a half or so. Because we’re just rolling with life like that right now. 😉

After I came home from Dallas, I literally spent two days 100% at home, catching up on sleep, hanging out with my family, and getting a few projects. But mostly just sleeping and hanging out. Because I’ve learned that sometimes that’s just exactly what my body and soul needs… and in my new fully embracing life mode, this is something I’m really allowing myself to do. And it’s been a beautiful thing.

Last Wednesday, we made the trip back to Kansas to spend the Fourth of July with our extended family and friends there. It was weird, because for the first time ever, Kansas felt so very flat and treeless. I guess that’s an indication we’re acclimating to TN?

We didn’t have an agenda or schedule set up ahead of time, but we just lived life “by the seat of our pants”. Which always makes for an adventure! 🙂

Wednesday evening, all of my family (minus my sister and her family who live in SC), converged on my parent’s home for dinner, firecrackers, and hanging out. Our kids were so excited to get to hang out with their cousins — and Silas loved having a little boy to play baseball with.

Speaking of Silas, sadly he really, really struggled with asthma when we were back in Kansas. In fact, while he’s had almost zero asthma symptoms since we’ve moved to TN, it came back in full force while we were in Wichita. We spent a lot of time caring for him and trying to keep his asthma under control. Gratefully, we have a fantastic Pediatric Allergy Clinic that we work with and they were able to get us an extra nebulizer and medicine during the holiday weekend and keep tabs on how he was doing.

He’s slowly getting better since we’ve gotten back home and we’re going to be a lot more proactive before we head back to Kansas next time to hopefully prevent another flare-up like that. We’re also trying to pinpoint if it was actually the weather/climate/allergens in Kansas or if was something else entirely.

While it’s so hard to see Silas have a flare-up like he did this weekend, this episode makes us so very, very grateful that he’s been doing so much better in recent months. He used to have flare-ups like this multiple times per month, so we’re thrilled that this has become out of the ordinary. It also hurts our hearts anew for all of you parents who are dealing with children who have special needs and/or serious ongoing issues.

Kaitlynn spent Thursday with Grandma as a belated birthday outing. They went to the zoo and then came back and spent time together. I love for the kids to get one-on-one time with Grandma whenever possible.

Jesse got to spend the afternoon and evening doing a “ride-along” with one of his police friends. He’s wanted to do this for a long time and I was so happy that it finally worked out. In typically Jesse fashion, he had a lot of stories to share when he got back!

Gratefully, nothing too scary happened that night. I don’t think I could deal with having him be a part of the police force… just doing the ride-along was plenty enough for me to be worried about. My hat is off to all of you who are in the police force or have a spouse who is. We so appreciate the sacrifices you make and the danger you face on all our behalf.

While Jesse was gone, we went to my family’s house and then my family watched the kids while I went out to coffee at Mead’s Corner with my good friend, Ginger. Sadly, neither one of us remembered to get a picture of the two of us together, but we had SUCH a good time.

As I shared not too long ago, Ginger is a childhood friend of mine and we re-connected through Instagram last year. Her friendship has been such a gift to me and Thursday evening was just exactly that for me… a precious time of sharing our hearts, our struggles, and encouraging one another.

We didn’t get good sleep on Friday evening because of Silas being up with his asthma, so we slept in on Friday morning and then headed over Jesse’s family’s house to hang out. They recently got two go-carts and the girls pretty much didn’t want to get off of them.

It was kind of surreal to ride on a go-cart with my daughter while she was driving. It made me realize that it won’t be too much longer and she’ll be driving a car. Not sure that I’m ready to go there yet! 🙂

On Saturday, Jesse and Silas went to his family’s house again, while Kathrynne and Kaitlynn went with me to a family friend’s wedding. Some of the girls’ really close friends from Kansas were going to be there, so they were excited to get to spend time with them. And I was happy to get to spend some more time with my family, as well see other friends of ours.

After the wedding, we headed to the reception. My good friend, Susanna, was running the very busy coffee bar, so I asked her if I pull my hair in a ponytail and jump in and help.

I’ve known Susanna for years — actually pretty much all her life! In fact, our parents have known each other since fourth grade! Susanna and her family are dear, dear friends of ours and she’s been such a blessing to our family over the years — babysitting for us, working as our mother’s helper, and being a dear friend of mine. She and I have so many memories of different events and projects we’ve worked on together, so it was fun to get the opportunity to be serving alongside one another again.

Helping at the coffee bar ended up being quite an adventure. It seemed like just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong, including massive spills, coffee brewers overflowing, running out of napkins, and never being even close to keeping up with the long line of people wanting coffee, but we just rolled with the punches and had a blast — especially since all the “customers” were so patient with the wait! 🙂

Saturday evening, we stayed as long as possible with Jesse’s family… engaging in our usual teasing, bantering, and just general craziness. Jesse’s dad services medical equipment so he had brought home a pulse oximeter so we could keep tabs on Silas’s oxygen levels.

Well, in typical Paine style, we all had to try it out and compare and compete to see who could get the best reading. It was hilarious and then we started laughing when we realized what nerds we were for finding things like this so entertaining. 🙂 {See Jesse’s sister above in her “Am I okay? Are these readings good or bad??” pose.}

We left for home early Sunday morning and boy were we ever glad to make it back to our own beds! We didn’t do much to speak of on Monday, other than make Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Apple Dip and make it to Meaty Monday.

Oh and I also wrote that post on Being Done With Being a People Pleaser that’s been percolating in my brain for a long time. Your comments on that post just blew me away. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your kind encouragement! Know that I read and appreciated and was touched by every single one of your kind comments and emails.

On Tuesday, my road manager, Liz, flew into town for meetings with me and my management team. I offered to pick her up at the airport… which I should probably have known better than to do since I kind of stink at navigation — especially when it comes to new areas. But I’m all about challenging myself to try new things, so I drove to pick her up… and promptly got hopelessly lost. Apple Maps told me I had arrived at the airport, when I had instead arrived at a warehouse that was nowhere near the airport.

After multiple tries, I ended up calling Jesse and he was able to track the location of my phone to figure out where I was — which was miles from the airport. Poor Liz had to wait for an extra 45 minutes or so while Jesse helped me navigate to the right place, since the maps on the phone weren’t being helpful at all.

I was never so happy to have arrived at a destination… and I’m pretty sure I will leave airport picking up duties to other people from here on out. 😉

We had a blast having a team lunch and then a meeting brainstorming some really cool possibilities for events the future. I’m so excited about all of the fun things we are planning and considering and can’t wait until I can tell you more!

Tuesday evening, we all went to Brian & Traci’s house to hang out — and we had so much fun and such great conversations that we ended up not leaving until around 11:30 p.m. Whoops!

Since we stayed out late on Tuesday evening, we got a late start on Wednesday morning. This little guy greeted me first thing in the morning and invited me to come join him for a tea party! He melts my heart and moments like these make up for all those hard mothering days.

How has the past week and a half been for you and your family? What’s been going on at your house?

Shared Jul 11, 2014 comment

“How I Lost 33 Pounds and Spent Less Than $30”

Published: by Crystal Paine on July 11, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Mary Ellen over at Whisk Together has a very informative and detailed post on how she lost 33 pounds and has kept it off for 3 years. To do so, she only spent $30 extra out of pocket.

Visit her blog for all the details on the plan she put together and how she made it work, even when she has young children.

Shared Jul 10, 2014 comment

Gretchen’s $7.86 Target Shopping Trip

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

Target Shopping Trip

Transaction #1

We were almost out of Advil so I had to take advantage of the deal going on this week. I decided to use my gift card on a few other deals going on as well.

3 Advil (24 ct) – $3.49 each, used 3 $1/1 coupon from the 6/29 RedPlum insert – $2.49 each after coupon

Total with tax ($0.39): $7.86, Received $5 Target gift card (for buying 3 Advil)

Transaction #2

2 Rice Krispies Treats Blasted – $2.04 each, used 50% off Cartwheel coupon – $1.04 each after coupon (My hubby was more than thrilled about this purchase!)

1 Up&Up Hydrogen Peroxide – $0.97, used $1/1 Target mobile coupon (text OFFERS to 827438) – Free after coupon

1 Peroxi-Clear Contact Solution – $5.21, used 60% off Cartwheel coupon AND $1.50/1 coupon from the 6/15 SmartSource insert – $0.58 after coupons

2 Up&Up Bath and Body Wash – $1.50 each, used $2/2 Target printable – $0.50 each after coupon (We go through this stuff SO fast at our house!)

Used $5 Target gift card from Transaction #1

Total with tax: $0.00 (and I still have $1.01 left on my gift card!)

Total for both transactions before coupons and gift card: $25.11

Total for both transactions after coupons and gift card: $7.86, plus $1.01 left on gift card

Shared Jul 10, 2014 comment

8 Busy Bag Ideas

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

Looking for some new Busy Bag ideas? Check out this round-up of 8 different ideas over on Mother’s Niche.

Find more Busy Bag ideas here.

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

Click here to download!

Shared Jul 9, 2014 comment

My nail-biting habit, shame, and what I’m learning about authenticity

Published: by Crystal Paine on July 9, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Not too long ago, I posted this picture on Instagram of my friend, Tam, and me. Here’s what I posted with the picture:

This is my new dear friend and neighbor @tamhodge — she and her family have been direct gifts from God to our family as we settle in TN. They’ve loved on us, brought us food, watched our kids, made us cookies, listened to us, made us salsa, laughed with us, prayed for us, introduced us to many of their friends, and been the hands and feet of Jesus in this big transition. We had fun going to get manicures today with a gift card I had! It’s amazing how close you can feel to someone you just met last month! #humblyblessed

There was so much beauty in this picture to me. Not only was it a fun memory together, but the gift of friendship that this woman has been to me just made my heart feel like it might burst with gratitude and joy.

And then, within a few minutes after I’d posted the picture, someone I didn’t know posted a comment on the picture asking, “Do you bite your fingernails?”

Immediately, it felt like the wind had been knocked out of my sails. Because, you see, I have been biting my fingernails. And I was ashamed.

I’ve mostly kicked my childhood nail-biting habit, but it creeps up again when I’m going through an anxious period in my life.

While the move to TN has been so good, there have been some hard parts about it, too. And all this processing and adjusting has brought on anxiety and, yes, my nail-biting habit.

For years, I’ve been embarrassed not only of my nail-biting habit, but also that I struggle with anxiety at times. I wish I didn’t have what feels like silly fears and dumb habits. Why can’t I just get my act together already?

I’ve often beat myself up and felt like a loser and a failure in these areas. And while I’ll commit to breaking a habit or not feeling anxious over things, my best-laid plans don’t always pan out.

So when that commenter asked, “Do you bite your fingernails?”, I felt like someone had just called me out for being a loser.*

And it bothered me a lot.

All of a sudden, I couldn’t see any of the beautiful things about that beautiful picture with Tam. All I could see were my too-short nails and the fact that I had this bad habit I couldn’t break.

Truthfully, I wanted to delete the photo from Instagram. But I went to talk to my husband about it instead.

I told him I was sure I was being ridiculous, but the comment stung hard.

As we talked about it more, though, I started realizing what it was: I don’t like people drawing attention to my weaknesses and struggles. It makes me feel less-than and not enough.

But yet, we all have weaknesses… that’s what makes us uniquely us. I can cover up my weaknesses and try to pretend that they don’t exist or I can be honest about them and work on them.

As I told you earlier this week, I really want to be authentic here. I don’t want you to think that I have it all figured out or that I have all my ducks in a row. Because I don’t.

We’re all in this together. We’re all learning and growing. We all have struggles. We all have habits we need to break. Pretending we don’t have messes or struggles only does a disservice to ourselves — and to others.

So I left the picture on Instagram and even posted it in a blog post. Because I don’t want to wear a badge of shame over my short-comings.

I’m not, nor will I ever be, proud that I have a nail-biting habit. And I’m still holding out hope that someday I can break it once and for all.

But in the mean time, I’m grateful that I’m learning that it’s okay to be honest about my struggles and short-comings. In fact, it’s not just okay; it’s good.

The truth is: I’d rather be honest and authentic and disappoint some people, than to exhaust myself trying to keep up a facade of perfection.

*Please Note: This post is not about judging an individual who left a comment, but about lessons I learned from that comment. I don’t know what the intent of the commenter was and they probably didn’t mean it in any way to shame or call attention to my short-comings. It was probably just a question they asked out of curiosity. However, I deleted the comment in order to protect the commenter’s identity. (Also: I don’t even remember what the person’s name was, so if it was you, know that I have absolutely zero hard feelings against you! :))

Shared Jul 9, 2014 comment

How can I save money on food when I’m never home?

Published: by Crystal Paine on July 9, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Do you have any tips for saving money on food when you’re never home? I’m spending too much on food while I’m out! -a reader

I was asked the above question on Twitter recently and I thought it was an excellent question — and there was no way I could respond to it in 140 characters. So I promised the reader I’d respond in a post.

Here are some of my thoughts:

1) Evaluate Why You Are Never Home

This might seem like an unnecessary step, but I think it’s very important to consider. Are you always gone because you have to be (i.e. you have a very demanding job or multiple jobs that you need to have in order to pay the bills) or are you always gone because you choose to be (you’ve accepted a lot of extra commitments and responsibilities you don’t have to do, but you want to do or you feel like you have to do out of a sense of obligation or guilt)?

These are vital questions to ask ourselves. Do you love your life? If not, what small steps can you take to start changing it so you have more breathing room, more down time, and more time to be at home?

Could you downsize your home and lifestyle and work hard to pay off all your debt so that you could lower your expenses and take a less demanding job? Could you cut out a few of your extra commitments or scale back in some other way?

In most cases, we have more control over our situation than we realize. But we have to be willing to say no, to make sacrifices, and to set clear boundaries. And then we have to abide by these things, even when it’s tough. In the long run, it will be worth it!

2) Take 15 Minutes Each Day to Plan Ahead

It would be fantastic if you could plan a weekly menu at the beginning of each week, but if your schedule is constantly changing and you’re not sure how the week will pan out, get into the habit of making a daily menu plan instead.

At the start of each day, look at your calendar and to-do list and make a simple plan for what you’re going to eat that day. Then, while you eat breakfast or before you leave for the day, take a few minutes to gather up a few snack items to take with you on the road, make a cup of coffee for yourself for the road, make a sandwich or two for your lunch and dinner, and fill up a big bottle with ice water or iced tea.

Taking 10-15 minutes to put together a plan and then putting together some food and drink items could easily save you $10 to $20 or more each day… and I think that’s well worth the 10 or 15 minutes of time it will take! As an added benefit, you’ll probably end up eating a little healthier, too.

3) Make Homemade On-The-Go Meals/Snacks

On the weekends or any time during the week when you have an extra 30 minutes, invest that time into making some on-the-go meals and snacks. Here are a few ideas, most that can be prepped ahead of time:

Hard-Boiled Eggs
Veggies
Fruit
Sliced Cheese & Crackers
Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets (these are great if you have access to a microwave at work)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothies
Freezer-Friendly Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches
Freezer-Friendly Banana Bread
Easy Morning Glory Muffins
Homemade Energy Bites
Brown Bag Burritos
Homemade Pizza Pockets
Southwest Roll-ups
Best Ever Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

4) Think Outside of the Drive-Thru Lane

The drive-thru lane is quick, easy, and expensive. It’s also usually not a very healthful option.

If you’re out and about and you really need something to eat and didn’t have a chance to plan ahead, consider going to the grocery store instead. If you have access to a refrigerator and kitchen at your workplace, you could buy a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, and a jar of jelly or buy a bag of salad greens and a rotisserie chicken from the deli.

Buying groceries might cost you a little more than it would cost you to go through the drive-thru lane once, but they’d give you enough food for lunch for at least 3-4 days. Just store the leftovers in the fridge at work and you’ll have lunch for the next few days.

I also encourage you to plan ahead: buy some items you can keep in your desk drawer or fridge at work. Stock your purse and glove compartment of your car with snacks. Keep a cooler with some snack foods in the fridge at home that you can just grab on your way out the door if you end up needing to run out unexpectedly for a few hours.

It takes a little bit of time to plan ahead like this, but when you calculate how much you’ll save in dollars and calories, it will make that little bit of time investment every bit worth it!

Readers: what are your tips and suggestions for this reader? How do those of you who aren’t home a lot save money on food? I’d love to hear!

Shared Jul 9, 2014 comment

Gretchen’s $34 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan

Published: by Crystal Paine on July 9, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Aldi

1 Cantaloupe – $1.49

1 pkg Carrots – $0.99

1 Vegetable Oil – $2.29

3 Cucumbers – $0.59 each

2 pkg Strawberries – $0.99 each

1 pkg Cherries – $1.49

1 pkg Cream Cheese – $1.29

1 pkg Celery – $1.19

1 pkg Rice Cakes – $1.29

1 pkg Blueberries – $1.49

Total (with tax): $16.36

Walmart

I rarely shop at Walmart but couldn’t resist the price of these fabric softeners.

2 Final Touch Fabric Softeners – $2.48 each, used 2 $2/1 printable (no longer available) – $0.48 each after coupons

Total with tax ($0.06): $1.02

Dillons

Items a part of the Mega Sale:

2 Breyers Ice Cream – $2.99 each, used 2 $1.50/1 printable (no longer available) – $1.49 each after coupons

4 Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta – $0.49 each, used 2 $1/2 printable – Free after coupons

4 Hefty Storage Bags – $0.99 each, used 2 $1/2 printable – $0.49 each after coupon

2 Kraft Cheese – $2.29, used $2/2 catalina coupon – $1.29 each after coupon

Other Items:

1 Lettuce – $0.99

2 lbs Ground Beef – $1.99 each

1 Green Pepper – $0.99

1.53 lbs Bananas @ $0.59/lb – $0.90

0.67 lbs Broccoli @ $1.59/lb – $1.07

Total before coupons and sales: $46.66

Total with tax ($1.75) after coupons and sales: $17.16

Total for all items: $34.54

Menu Plan for this Week

Breakfasts

Cereal, Toast, Smoothies, French Toast Roll-Ups (Don’t these look amazing?!? I saw the recipe on Pinterest and knew immediately I had to try it.)

Lunches

Peanut Butter & Jelly on Rice Cakes, Tuna Sandwiches, Tossed Salad, Fruit/Veggies/Cheese, Baked Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli

Dinners

Salad Bar, Sliced Cantaloupe

Hamburgers (My parents gave us a huge box of frozen hamburger patties last week!), Homemade French Fries, Green Beans, Grapes

Savory Crescent Chicken Pockets, Tossed Salad

Grilled Pizza, Steamed Broccoli

Meat Potato Quiche, Biscuits, Fruit Salad

Pancakes, Eggs, Sliced Cantaloupe

Double Date Night with our friends 🙂

Shared Jul 8, 2014 comment

Our Favorite Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Apple Dip

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

Last night, we were getting ready to leave for our weekly Meaty Mondays get-together (a local gathering here of 6-8 families — each family brings meat for the grill and side or dessert to share). We were planning to bring corn on the cob and Jesse was going to roast it in the oven (he makes this delicious recipe that everyone loves!).

Well, he pulled the corn on the cob out and realized that some of it was moldy. Yuck!

So I quickly scanned the fridge looking for a Plan B. I saw we had a package of cream cheese I’d purchased for another recipe a few weeks back that I hadn’t ended up making. And I saw we had peanut butter and two bags of apples that we’d just bought at the store this week.

That’s when I remembered this yummy Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Apple Dip that I used to make way back when. For a few years, it was one of our go-to recipes when we hosted guests or needed to bring a side dish somewhere.

I’m not sure when the recipe sort of fell by the wayside at our house, but I figured it was high time I resurrected it. Especially since I needed a side dish in a jiffy last night and wasn’t coming up with a lot of other quick and easy options.

It ended up being the hit recipe last night… and I decided I’ll likely be making it a lot more often. I love that it’s fairly inexpensive (all the ingredients can be purchased at ALDI — which is always a plus!), serves a crowd, and always gets rave reviews.

Plus, the recipe is very forgiving. Last night, I didn’t measure at all. I just dumped some ingredients in a bowl, stirred, taste-tested, and added a few more ingredients until it was “just right”.

Here’s the basic recipe I work from:

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Apple Dip

1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 to 3/4 cup powered sugar (you can also use brown sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-3 Tablespoons milk (adjust this depending upon how thick or creamy you’d like the dip to be)

Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl with beaters until smooth. Add more milk or sugar, if needed.

Serve with sliced apples… or just eat it plain. 😉

Oh and I just have to share this picture from last night. My friend, Tam, was getting her food while I was getting mine. And then she looked at our plates and just started laughing. Yup… we might just have a teeny bit of different tastes in food. 😉

Shared Jul 8, 2014 comment

10 FREE Ways to Beat the Heat with Kids

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

Guest post from Deanna of From this Kitchen Table

I live in Oklahoma. Our summers can be pretty miserable, but my children aren’t happy with spending the hottest months of the year cooped up in the house.

In an effort to save my sanity, I have 10 free ways to beat the heat with kids during those hot months:

1. Library

Take your kids to Story Time which often includes a few songs and a craft, and then let them check out a pile of new (to them) books and maybe a movie or two. Not only will you kill a couple hours, you come home with supplies that will keep them entertained.

Our library also shows a movie once a week and has special performances for kids during the summer! Call and ask what they have going on or pick up a printed calendar.

2. Splash Pad

Okay, I know sitting outside in the 100 degree heat isn’t high on your list of fun. It isn’t on mine either. Avoid the hottest times of the day and let your kids enjoy the water while you sit and read a book on the covered benches.

3. Mall Play Space

You can’t really beat air conditioning and space to run! When you need to get out of the house during the hottest time of the day, turn to indoor recreation. Let your kids climb and slide without worrying about sun burn.

4. Park

Once again, I know it’s summer and it’s hot — but go early early in the day. Have a breakfast picnic at the park and let your kids swing and play before the sun heats up the play structure. An added bonus is that you’ll usually miss most of the crowds.

5. Free Movies

During the summer, our local theater has free showings of a film for kids one day a week. What a cheap way for your kids to experience going to a theater. You could even use it for a testing ground to see if you’d want to go to a paid movie with your toddler.

6. Book Store or Toy Store

Our local bookstore is one of my 3-year-old’s favorite places! We normally have to pry her away when it’s time to leave. Not only do they have tons of books (including used ones), they also have a great toy selection and a train table set up for kids to use.

7. Beach

Again, plan your visit for first thing in the morning or shortly before dusk. To make it even more fun, you could plan for a breakfast picnic or eat dessert on your beach towels watching the sun set.

8. Community Events

Check your city’s calendar for community events. Many places will have free family activities periodically. Our County Fair has no fee for admission and the local Christian radio station puts on a big event for kids every summer.

9. Free Food Events

Occasionally, you’ll find restaurants that have freebies. You can print off a coupon for each person in your family, if they are required, load up the car and head to the drive thru or inside of the restaurant.

I’ve seen coupons for free ice cream cones, French fries, pancakes, and onion rings. A&W gives away free floats on National Root Beer Float Day and Chick-Fil-A has Cow Appreciation Day.

10. Free Workshop Projects

Home Depot has a Kids’ Workshop once a month and Lowe’s has Kids’ Clinics twice a month. It’s a fun way to spend a Saturday morning and your children will come away with a wood project they are proud to have hammered and put together.

What are your favorite free things to do in the summer?

Deanna, a wife and mother, attempts to balance frugality, (semi) natural living, lack of time and sleep while trying to follow what the Lord wants for her life. She enjoys dark chocolate, BBC mini series, good books, and spending weekends at home. She blogs at From this Kitchen Table.

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July’s Challenge:

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This Week’s Progress:

How Are YOU Doing?

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1. Make a big deal out of small accomplishments.

2. Remember that every day is a holiday.

3. Start a list of #1000 gifts.

4. Make a toast at dinner.

5. High-Five for a great job.

6. Use the good dishes and put flowers on the table.

7. Frame an “every day” picture.

What about you? How do you celebrate every day?

How has the past week and a half been for you and your family? What’s been going on at your house?

Target Shopping Trip

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

1) Evaluate Why You Are Never Home

2) Take 15 Minutes Each Day to Plan Ahead

3) Make Homemade On-The-Go Meals/Snacks

4) Think Outside of the Drive-Thru Lane

Aldi

Walmart

Dillons

Menu Plan for this Week

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Apple Dip

1. Library

2. Splash Pad

3. Mall Play Space

4. Park

5. Free Movies

6. Book Store or Toy Store

7. Beach

8. Community Events

9. Free Food Events

10. Free Workshop Projects

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