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Shared Jun 14, 2014 comment

This Week’s Grocery Purchases: ALDI, Whole Foods, & Amazon

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

We’re still navigating all the new stores and options here in Tennessee. And we’re still finding our groove… but each week it gets better!

We are trying to find a good source for farm-fresh eggs and milk. We were spoiled in Kansas since our grocery store sold glass-bottled, cream top milk from a local farm and my family had chickens.

We tried out Whole Foods for milk and eggs this week to see what we thought. Well, we loved the eggs and milk we bought, but we didn’t necessarily love the prices — in fact, they sort of killed our budget this week. So we’re still looking into other options and hoping maybe we can find a local farm to buy from here (anyone have any recommendations?).

Here’s what we bought:

Whole Foods Shopping Trip

2 bottles of Whole Milk — $3.99 each
3 dozen eggs — $3.79 per dozen

Total with tax: $21.11

ALDI Shopping Trip

Asparagus — $1.99
Bananas ($0.44/lb) — $3.18
Cheddar cheese — $1.99
Bag of Pinto Beans — $1.89
Cream cheese — $1.29
1 bag of chicken breasts — $5.99
Bag of Fuji apples — $3.49
Sour cream — $1.29
Cottage cheese — $2.29
2 cartons of blueberries — $1.69 each
Ground Sirloin ($3.99/lb.) — $9.94
Strawberries — $1.59
Carrots — $0.99
5-lb. potatoes — $2.99
3 packs of sweet corn — $1.29 each
Onions — $1.89

Total with tax — $52.62

And the pasta pictured came from Amazon — thanks to a gift card earned through Swagbucks!

Since we went “over-budget” this week (we budget $50/week in cash to spend on groceries but we take it out on a monthly basis so that we can have stock-up weeks like this, if need be), that means we’ll make this last as long as we can and then I’ll plan our menu next week mostly based on what we already have on hand so that we don’t have to buy much at the store.

Or at least that’s what I’m planning to do. I’ll let you know how it all shakes out. 🙂

Shared Jun 14, 2014 comment

Why My Morning Routine Didn’t Work Well This Week (+ Day 7)

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

I spent the last 24 hours mostly offline because I was just soaking up some quiet, refreshing time with my family and dear friends here. After my bone tired week last week, a little time offline with life-giving family and friends was exactly what I needed.

But I still somewhat followed my new morning routine. Here’s how Day 7 went for me:

6:43 a.m. — I wake up and head downstairs to clean up the kitchen. I unload and reload the dishwasher.

7:06 a.m. — I make some coffee, do a quick clean up of our bedroom, and gather the laundry from the bedroom hampers and start a load in the washer. I also empty the trashes and take out the kitchen trash to the dumpster in the garage.

7:22 a.m. — I sit down and read my Bible, write in my Blessings journal, and read a chapter from Pursue the Intentional Life.

7:41 a.m. — I take one of the items out of washer that I need to wear today and stick it in the dryer (shh! don’t tell anyone it wasn’t all the way finished going through the wash cycle!). I head upstairs, put on my running shoes, take a few minutes to chat with Jesse, and quickly post two posts on my blog and schedule a few posts on Facebook. Then I head down to the garage for a really quick run.

8:18 a.m. — I hop in the shower, get dressed, and leave to meet a friend for coffee in town.

Why My Morning Routine Didn’t Work Well

So I’ve been analyzing why I’ve struggled with my morning routine this week. It’s not like the days were awful. By being intentional about my mornings, I got a lot more done in the mornings than I would probably have otherwise. I also did a much better job of not getting on the computer until after the essentials were done in the morning.

However, my morning routines this week have been a far cry from what I want them to be. I’ve gotten up quite a bit later than I wanted to every morning and that stems from the fact that I’m not going to bed early.

I know, so very earth shattering. Ahem.

But truly, if I could just go to bed earlier, I’m pretty sure that would have a big impact on my mornings. I wouldn’t struggle to get up when my alarm clock goes off. I wouldn’t hit snooze. And I’d probably actually get up on time.

Yup, I gotta just stop knowing this in my head. And actually, you know, DO IT. {Truth be told, this would fix most of our issues and problems, wouldn’t it — if we just stopped thinking about it, knowing it, and talking about it, and actually DID IT!}

So anyway, I’m making a public commitment to you all that this coming week I’ll be in bed, lights out by 11 p.m. every single night. I’d really like to move that back to 10 p.m. eventually. But you have to start small and set realistic goals. So we’re going with 11 p.m. for this coming week.

And to help me follow through with this commitment, I’m going to keep a log of what time I go to bed each night start Sunday evening and I’ll post this on my blog next Saturday.

How did you do on your morning routines this week? What are you going to change next week? What have you learned? Let us know in the comments!

Shared Jun 14, 2014 comment

4 Simple Ways to Save This Summer

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

Guest post from Kim of Protean Mom

Want to enjoy your summer while keeping those budget goals you’ve set? Here are 4 ideas that should help:

1. Be Water Conscious

No matter where you live, water is a precious commodity. Using less water is a great way to help the environment while saving some cash. Here’s how:

Lawns also don’t need to be watered every day unless you’re watering mid-day. Try watering before dawn instead.
Planning on using the kid’s sprinkler toy that day – but also have the sprinkler system set to run? Run the other stations, but keep that zone off. It’s going to get soaked when the kids start playing.
Take shorter showers or use less water in the bath. Kids may prefer to bathe in the pool; I’ll let you decide whether that counts! 🙂
Mulch your plants: a lot of the water just evaporates in this heat unless it has something, like mulch, to keep it put. You won’t have to water the plants nearly as often.

2. Get Outdoors

How does being outside save money? Well, for one, you don’t have the lights on in your house when you’re outside. It’s summer – there’s plenty of sunlight! It also means that the TV can be off, the A/C can be raised a couple of degrees, and that you could enjoy nature.

There are tons of outdoor options: hiking, camping, playing in the backyard, gardening on a budget, swimming, boating, and more. Just be sure to take proper precautions for the activity.

I grew up in Arizona and I’m a ginger, so I understand that being outside during the heat of the day isn’t always possible. That’s fine – go outdoors when you can and wear sunscreen. Mornings and evenings are cooler – even in Arizona – and are great times to enjoy being outside.

3. Change the Thermostat

Keeping a house cool in the summer is a big deal, but it doesn’t have to be a drain on the pocket book. Go look at what your thermostat is set at: ours is set to 75 degrees. Having it set at 75 degrees saves us on our power bill, but is still refreshingly cool compared to the 90+ degrees outside.

Don’t think you can handle 75 inside? Try raising it just a single degree. You should still notice savings.

4. Avoid the Oven

I wish this meant a free pass on dinner, but it means using other appliances to cook your dinner.

We do the majority of our summer baking in the toaster oven. There’s less energy (or gas) used, the house doesn’t get as hot, and my bill stays lower. It also means I can’t make – or eat – as many cookies at once.

There we have it: four easy ways to save big money this summer. Good luck!

What would you add to my list?

Kim considers herself versatile as a writer, wife, and mom because she occasionally does yoga. She’s geeky and proud of it. She lives with her husband, their children that she’s nicknamed after Transformers, and their intellectually-challenged dog. She blogs at Protean (pro-te-an) Mom.

photo source

Shared Jun 13, 2014 comment

My Monthly Menu Plan

Published: by Crystal Paine on June 13, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Ashley emailed the following tip:

I recently explained how I put my menu planning on auto-pilot, and some of you were interested in seeing my monthly menu plan.

This list of recipes below is one month’s worth of dinner meals for my family. On weekend evenings, we have frozen pizza or deli sandwiches. For lunches, we eat leftovers or macaroni and cheese.

1. Chili
2. Tuna helper
3. Quesadillas
4. Mushroom casserole — 9.55
5. Saucy chicken — 5.116
6. Spaghetti hotdish — 2.121
7. Chimichangas- 2.129 or Chicken enchiladas — 1
8. Tilapia — 1
9. Fried chicken w/ mashed potatoes
10. Creamy hashbrowns- 5.216
11. Pesto-mozzarella chicken breasts — 1
12. Tacos
13. Pasta with white beans — 1
14. Southwest chicken & rice — 1
15. Pizza casserole — 3.49
16. Chicken breast w/ cheese & spinach — 1
17. Tuna helper
18. Baked potatoes
19. Bacon-wrapped chicken — 1
20. Ranch potato salad — 2.106

After most of the recipes you will see a number that tells me where I can find the recipe. The number in front of the decimal point stands for the cookbook the recipe comes from (I know which book is which number), and the number/s after the decimal point are the page number.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have 3 monthly menu plans and after 3 months, I start over again with the first month — which means I never need to make a weekly meal plan or stress over “what’s for dinner”.

I also have 3 monthly shopping lists made up with all the non-perishable ingredients I need for each of the month of meals. I do one large shopping trip each month and then pick up a few perishable items like milk, eggs, and fruit on the other weeks.

This meal-planning method has worked very well for our family and I hope it might help you, too!

Have you ever tried monthly menu-planning? How did it work for you?

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Shared Jun 12, 2014 comment

My Morning Routine: Day 6

Published: by Crystal Paine on June 12, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

How’s your new morning routine going? I’m encouraged at the slow and steady progress I’m making each day in following my New Morning Routine. I’m far from where I want to be, but I’m going to focus on the forward momentum I’ve made this week — instead of being discouraged at how far I am from where I’d love to be!

Here’s how Day 6 went for me:

6:30 a.m. — My alarm goes. And I turn it off and go back to bed. {Yes, I know… I feel like I’m the worst example this week when it comes to early rising and discipline. But maybe I’m an example of how to give yourself grace when you’re tired or something?? ;)}

7:10 a.m. — I get up and realize it’s 7:10 a.m. — yikes! Gratefully, I have a quieter day today schedule-wise, so I’ll just jump in and make the best of the day, even if I’m getting a late start. I head downstairs to clean up the kitchen and living room.

One child wakes up and immediately starts whining. So I send them back to bed until they can have a better attitude.

7:30 a.m. — I’m finished cleaning up the kitchen, so I go back upstairs and clean up our room, make our bed, and go to gather up the laundry in the hampers so I can start a load. I’m excited to realize we don’t have enough laundry to run a load — yay!

I write out a to do list for the day. While doing so, I realize that I’m supposed to go grocery shopping today. So I go back downstairs and clean out the refrigerator to make room for the new groceries and make sure we don’t have any “science experiments” made up of old leftovers growing somewhere in the back of the fridge.

8:06 a.m. — I make some coffee and grab my Bible and books and go back to sit in my comfy chair in our room to read my Bible. Silas follows me upstairs and asks if he can sit on my lap and snuggle. So while I read my Bible, write in my Blessings journal, and read 3 short chapters from Pursue the Intentional Life, I have a little buddy cuddled up on my lap. And I soaked up every moment of it!

8:43 a.m. — Jesse comes in our room and we chat for a bit while I’m cuddling with Silas. I finish with my Bible time and Jesse makes bacon and eggs for breakfast and then the kids and Jesse eat breakfast while I read a chapter from The Saturdays aloud.

Then I head out to the garage to run on the treadmill while listening to my Scripture memory passage (Romans 1) on the YouVersion Bible app. And then it’s time to open the laptop and start on my morning computer work.

How did you do on your morning routine today? Let us know in the comments!

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Shared Jun 12, 2014 comment

Free in my mailbox: Holes & The Mouse and the Motorcycle

Published: by Crystal Paine on June 12, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

PaperBackSwap is one of my favorite resources for getting books inexpensively–or even free! You only pay postage to swap books you already have on hand for books you’d like to add to your library.

You start out by signing up and adding 10 books to their system. Once you’ve added your 10 books, you’ll get 2 free credits. And then every time someone requests a book of yours and you send it out, you’ll get another credit. Most books only cost one credit–even big hardcover volumes.

I recommend that you add books to your wishlist, instead of looking through the books they currently offer. You’ll get an email notification when the book is available and have 48 hours to respond and request it. I’ve been amazed at some of the really nice almost-brand-new $20 and $30 books we’ve added to our library this way!

In fact, just this week, I got copies of Holes by Louis Sachar and The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary — both books I found as recommendations from the FREE Summer Guide to Reading for Families — using credits I earned from PaperBackSwap. I can’t wait to add these titles to our reading line-up for the year!

Shared Jun 12, 2014 comment

Swagbucks Helped Us Prepare for Baby #2

Published: by Crystal Paine on June 12, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s Swagbucks success story is from Rachael:

With Baby #2 due in early June, we had to get quite a few items. We not only needed items for the new baby, but we needed to get my son into his big boy room.

We had gotten many of the “big” items through Christmas and baby showers, however there were quite a few decorations and small items that were wanted, but not necessarily needed. We decided the decorations would just have to wait until we could rack up enough rewards through Swagbucks and other rewards programs to afford them.

In 3 months, I have earned roughly $60 in Amazon giftcards through Swagbucks which put a dent in the “extras” for my son and baby girl on the way. I have been so pleased with how quickly and easily I was able to rack up on Swagbucks over the past few months with simple tasks:

1. Daily Poll: Though it only rewards 1 Swagbuck, it certainly helps in getting to my goals.

2. SwagbucksTV App: I try to watch roughly 50 points per day in videos on their mobile app. I sometimes miss this goal, but I try to make it a point to attain my goal as often as possible as this is where I get most of my points.

3. Bonus Points: Many times their mobile app will send notifications when there is bonus points available on Facebook, Twitter, or their blog. I love the notifications as it helps me keep up with new bonus points available. Although not a steady source of Swagbucks, these certainly help in filling in the gaps for days that I don’t hit my goal.

Shared Jun 11, 2014 comment

My Morning Routine: Day 5

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

How’s your new morning routine going? I’m encouraged at the slow and steady progress I’m making each day in following my New Morning Routine.

Here’s how Day 5 went for me:

6:30 a.m. — My alarm goes off. I roll over and fall back asleep for 5 minutes.

6:35 a.m. — I crawl out of bed and head downstairs to clean up the living room and kitchen. The dishwasher needs to be unloaded and re-loaded and there are quite a few odds and ends around the living room. I make a pile on the stairs of all the items that need to go upstairs and then make one trip up to put everything away.

7:04 a.m. I light a candle in the now clean kitchen and take a few minutes to answer and send some texts. Texting is one really effective way I’ve found to keep up with most of my close friends. I often text to ask what I can pray for them, to let them know I’m thinking of them and praying for them, or to just pass on a quick word of encouragement or to share a fun story to brighten their day.

7:18 a.m. — I head upstairs to our bathroom to put my contacts in and wash my face.

7:23 a.m. — I gather all the laundry from all the hampers in the bedrooms and start a load of laundry. I take the kitchen trash out of the big dumpster and then wipe the kitchen countertops off.

7:35 a.m. — I make some coffee and sit down at the kitchen table and read my Bible, write in my Blessings journal, and read 3 short chapters from Pursue the Intentional Life.

8:00 a.m. — After my Bible reading is finished, I hop online to take care of a few quick things and then change into my running clothes.

8:14 a.m. — I head out to the garage where the treadmill is and read a chapter of Love Idol while doing my walking warm-up. And then I get in a short but good run.

8:40 a.m. — When I come back in, everyone is up and around. I drink some water and switch the laundry into the dryer.

8:50 a.m. I make myself a bowl of granola, finish loading the dishwasher, and then sit down to read aloud to the kids and enjoy my breakfast. (Today we read two chapters from Brother Andrew: Behind Enemy Lines.)

9:30 a.m. — Time for me to do my Morning Computer work.

I just had to share this photo that Kaitlynn took of the clouds today. It’s so peaceful and beautiful — and makes me smile every time I see it.

How did you do on your morning routine today? Let us know in the comments!

Shared Jun 11, 2014 comment

In case you thought I had my act together…

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

Of all the comments left on my What Do You Want Me to Write About post, I read this one and knew I had to respond to it:

I’d love to know about the things that challenge you. I know you say that you don’t have everything together, you have a great team working for you, and that you are definitely not supermom.. but it still seems like you don’t struggle at all. I’m not talking about a fear of public speaking that you were able to overcome (and good for you!) .. I’m talking about real life.. how are you a human being and not a machine? -Jenna

Truly, Jenna, I wish you could have dropped by my house last week.

You see, last week was a B-A-D week. Really bad.

For five weeks, we’d been running, running, and running. Packing up our house in Kansas, driving 15 hours in one trip to TN, unpacking in our new house in TN, multiple speaking engagements in different states, a wild trip back to Kansas as a family, get-togethers with friends old and new, finding our way around in a new town, hosting out-of-town guests, and starting summer activities, all while running a business and adjusting to a completely new schedule and way of life.

And all that running caught up with me. And I was just plain tired. Bone tired.

The adrenaline wore off last week and the tiredness hit me like a mac truck and engulfed every area of my life. I was irritable. I was on edge. I was creatively drained. And I felt like I had nothing to give to anyone.

I stayed home as much as possible, considered not getting out of bed at all one morning, and was generally a really grouchy person to be around. My poor family and close friends had to deal with a yoga-panted mess of a woman with unfixed hair and a sassy, rude attitude for a few days.

Trust me: it wasn’t pretty.

So yes, I’m very, very human. And my family and close friends will be happy to vouch for this if you have any questions as to the validity of that statement. 😉

I share all this in hopes that it encourages you, Jenna. I’m a work in progress just like everyone else.

There are so many issues I struggle with — insecurity, fear of what others will think of me, being a perfectionist, over-analyzing things, feeling like I’m not good enough, comparing myself to others, speaking before I think, lack of patience, among many other things.

Pretty much every day, I feel so very, very inadequate to be writing, speaking, or blogging about anything since clearly I’ve got a boatload of my own issues to work on. And there have many many, many days when I’ve seriously considered deleting this blog and maybe buying a one-way ticket to some foreign country.

However, truly, I look back over the past five years and realize how many healing has gone on in my heart. I still struggle with fear, insecurity, being a people-pleaser — and a host of other things — but not in the acute, debilitating way I used to.

The opportunities that have resulted from blogging: meeting new people, stepping outside my comfort zone, speaking, traveling, consulting — these things that would have been absolutely and downright frightening to me a few years ago — have been a major part in my own personal healing.

The authentic relationships I’ve formed as a result of blogging — with people who won’t let me settle for less than being the best I can be, people who love me enough to wholeheartedly celebrate my gifts and also to speak truth into my life when I need to hear it most — these people have been deeply instrumental in helping me change from the inside out.

And so, I continue to blog, write, and speak. Even when I feel so unqualified and incompetent (which is pretty much every day!). Because I know it’s what I’m supposed to do right now… despite my short-comings, failures, and struggles.

Thank you, each of you, for joining me on this journey. I appreciate you so much!

Shared Jun 11, 2014 comment

How to Make Your Own Natural Deodorant

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

At first thought, making your own deodorant may seem far fetched, but believe me — it’s not. Odds are good that you already have most, if not all, of the ingredients for this simple recipe in your kitchen cupboards!

Guest post from Elise of Frugal Farm Wife

I remember the first time I bought deodorant after I got married. I found myself cringing as I shelled out dollars for a tube of the natural, aluminum-free variety, and then apologizing profusely to my husband for spending so much on a single tube of deodorant.

I need not have worried. We’re both cheapskates, but if anything, my husband is more health conscious than I am, so he had no problem spending a bit extra on the good stuff.

It was the last time I ever bought deodorant, though.

When that bottle ran out, we tried using a deodorant stone for a while (with limited success), and then I stumbled across some homemade deodorant recipes online, and we were hooked!

We have been really impressed by the effectiveness of this deodorant, and not only that, but everybody we’ve talked to loves it as well!

There is one drawback to using homemade deodorants; while they are very effective odor inhibitors, they are not technically anti-perspirants. The cornstarch (or arrowroot powder) does absorb perspiration, significantly reducing, but not eliminating moisture.

While homemade natural deodorant may cost a bit more than the coupon and sale savvy shopper pays for the drugstore variety, making your own deodorant is by far the cheapest and most effective way we’ve found to go natural.

Ingredients for Homemade Deodorant

1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder
2-4 Tablespoons coconut oil (at room temperature)
10 drops of essential oil such as tea tree, lavender, or rosemary (optional*)

*NOTE: Essential oils are not completely necessary, but antibacterial oils do provide extra protection against odors — to say nothing of how nice they smell!

How to Make Your Own Deodorant

1. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix baking soda, cornstarch, and essential oil.

2. Stir in coconut oil, a little at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

3. Store in airtight containers to prevent drying out.

The type of deodorant container you use will determine the consistency that you need your deodorant to be.

You can make your deodorant super thick and pack it into an empty deodorant tube so that you can apply it just like any other deodorant, or you can make it a bit thinner, and store it in a small container or jar to rub in as a lotion.

Recipe

Homemade Natural Deodorant

Author Crystal Paine

Prep Time 5

Ingredients

1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder
2-4 Tablespoons coconut oil at room temperature
10 drops of essential oil such as tea tree lavender, or rosemary (optional*)

Instructions

In a small bowl, thoroughly mix baking soda, cornstarch, and essential oil.
Stir in coconut oil, a little at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
Store in airtight containers to prevent drying out.

Notes

Essential oils are not completely necessary, but antibacterial oils do provide extra protection against odors — to say nothing of how nice they smell!

Love this recipe?

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

Pin Recipe

Elise is a God-follower, wife, mom of two munchkins, and dairy goat enthusiast, who blogs about affordable gluten-free living, making things from scratch, and farm life at FrugalFarmWife.com

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Shared Jun 11, 2014 comment

My Morning Routine: Day 4

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

How’s your new morning routine going? I’m encouraged at the slow and steady progress I’m making each day in following my New Morning Routine. I might not be following my routine perfectly by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m getting a lot more done and staying a lot more focused.

Here’s how Day 4 went for me:

6:30 a.m. — My alarm goes off. I’m tired so I make the decision to sleep for another hour.

7:30 a.m. — My alarm goes off a second time. I get up and turn on my laptop as I have a project with an early morning deadline and it needs just a few finishing touches before it is done.

(As much as I’m trying not to turn on the laptop until my morning routine is done, you sometimes just have to do what you have to do — even if it means veering from the ideal. The good news? I was disciplined this morning and only stayed on for 15 minutes — just enough time to finish what had to be done. That’s progress, right??!)

7:45 a.m. — Project done, I shut down the laptop and head downstairs to the kitchen to clean up a small mess leftover from the evening before (we’d gone over to one of our friend’s houses for dinner and had brought some of the food… we’d gotten home late, so I just pretty much dumped the plates, bowls, cooler, and utensils in the kitchen and gone to bed. Yep, that’s how I roll sometimes!).

8:05 a.m. — I gather the dirty laundry from the bedrooms, sort it, and start some laundry.

8:11 a.m. — Silas is up so I help him get some breakfast. Jesse and I decide to let the girls sleep in for a bit since we were out late last night. Jesse and I chat a bit while I make coffee.

8:29 a.m. — I sit down in the living room with my coffee and read my Bible, write in my Blessings journal, and read 3 short chapters from Pursue the Intentional Life — I’m really being inspired and blessed by this book!

9:00 a.m. — I answer a few texts from friends — one asks me for prayer requests, another wonders if we can chat on the phone to catch up this afternoon or evening. I’m so blessed and thankful to have such wonderful friends in my life!

9:05 a.m. — The girls wake up and saunter down to the kitchen to get their breakfasts. I help Silas take a quick bath and get dressed.

9:12 a.m. — I switch the laundry and then sit down at the kitchen table with everyone and read one very long chapter from The Saturdays with the kids while they eat breakfast. Silas and Kaitlynn ask Jesse if he can help them make apple/carrot juice. So while I’m reading, he pulls out the juicer, helps them chop and wash the produce, and makes juice for them.

10:00 a.m. — We’re finally finished with the chapter and breakfast. Jesse sends the girls upstairs to get ready for the day and I delay my run and shower for a bit and instead open up my laptop to get started on my Morning Computer work.

This morning, I pretty didn’t follow the outline of New Morning Routine at all, but that’s life sometimes. You get home late the night before. You give yourself grace when you’re tired. And you just jump in where you are and do the best you can do!

How did you do on your morning routine on Day 4? Let us know in the comments!

Shared Jun 10, 2014 comment

Q&A: How can a non-morning person have an effective morning routine?

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

I am definitely not a natural morning person at all and really struggle with the morning. How do you suggest a non-morning person use the morning versus staying up at night? Right now, I am really not using either effectively. I go to bed early (by 10 p.m. at the latest) and wake up late (between 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.) depending on my work schedule (I currently work a variety of shifts during the week). I find it really hard to get anything done after putting our daughter in bed (I feel so tired after our bedtime routine) or in the a.m. before work (prying myself out of bed is so hard). -Allison

Hi, Allison!

Such a great question! I’d encourage you first of all, to make sure that you’re not telling yourself “I’m not a morning person” and then acting in that belief.

You see, I’ve found that when I tell myself “I’m not _____” it restricts me and confines me. What you believe is how you live. So make sure you’re not allowing yourself to believe something that’s not the truth.

If you’ve read my running story, I share about how for years, I believed “I’m not a runner” and I let that belief rule how I lived. But when I stopped letting that belief dictate my lifestyle and I actually started doing Couch to 5K, I realized that I actually loved running. But first I had to get up, make myself do it over and over again, to discover that my statement of “I’m not a runner” wasn’t true.

Yes, I may not be a fast runner and I may not be a long-distance runner, but I can run. And this has motivated me to stop the belief that “I can’t do _____” or “I’m not _____” hold me back from success in my life.

You mentioned that you are getting a lot of sleep but you are still feeling so tired. You may have a really demanding job that is contributing to this, but I’d also encourage you to consider getting your bloodwork done and thyroid checked to make sure that there’s a not a physical problem that’s contributing to your tiredness.

Also, be sure you’re taking care of yourself — eating a balanced diet, drinking enough water, and getting some exercise — as this will give you more energy and also help you sleep better at night. For some suggestions here, I encourage to read my series on 15 Ways to Have More Energy.

Step back and examine your life and goals. Do you have a few things you’re pursuing/working on that are exciting you? It’s amazing what a difference it can make when you have some things you’re doing that make you feel alive. And when you have these in your life, they’ll probably give you extra motivation to get up in the morning.

Finally, I encourage you to start small. Set your alarm for a little bit earlier than you’d usually get up and commit to getting up then and doing two small things every morning for three weeks. See how you feel and if it makes a difference in your day and energy levels. If it does, try adding a few more small tasks to your morning.

Having said all this, I want to remind you to do what works for you. Don’t feel like you need to get up really early in the morning or have a strict morning routine and get 15 things done every morning before you go to work. What works for me and others, won’t necessarily work for you. Focus on what is best for your family, schedule, energy levels, and situation.

I’m cheering for your success, Allison! I hope you’re able to find a morning routine that starts your day off well!

What advice and suggestions do the rest of you have for Allison? Share them in the comments.

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Shared Jun 10, 2014 comment

ALDI: Make 25 Meals for a Family of 4 Under $150!

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

So yes, I sorta, kinda, really like Aldi. You may have noticed that. 🙂

At any rate, I was pretty excited to see that I Am That Lady had put together a complete menu with 25 meals for less than $150! This menu plan includes main dishes, side dishes, and vegetables for a family of four.

Get the complete menu and shopping list here. (You can purchase the printable pack for $1.97 if you’d like to have all the details on the menu plan and shopping list. However, all the basics you’ll need to know are in the blog post free of charge.)

Shared Jun 9, 2014 comment

My Morning Routine: Day 3

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

How’s your new morning routine going? I’m encouraged at the slow and steady progress I’m making each day in following my New Morning Routine.

Here’s how this morning went this morning:

5:45 a.m. — My alarm clock goes off. It’s raining outside and I’m still tired, so I lie back down to sleep “for a few more minutes” (ahem).

6:13 a.m. — I roll over and look at the time and realize that “a few more minutes” was actually almost 30 minutes… oops! I get up and go downstairs to the kitchen to make some coffee. While the coffee is brewing, I unload the clean dishes out of the dishwasher and re-load a few dirty dishes that were left in the sink last night.

6:30 a.m. — While I’m thinking of it, I gather the dirty laundry from the various hampers (everyone has a hamper in their room) and start a load of laundry.

6:43 a.m. — How did 30 minutes already go by?? I read my Bible, write in my Blessings journal, and read 4 chapters from Pursue the Intentional Life (the chapters are short, so that’s not as ambitious as it sounds!)

7:21 a.m. — Jesse arrives home from the gym. I head upstairs and wake the kids up. While they get up and around, I make our bed, clean up our room, and do a quick clean of our bathroom.

7:35 a.m. — The kids and I sit down at the kitchen table and I read a few pages from Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing to them, as well as a chapter from Brother Andrew: Behind Enemy Lines. Jesse makes bacon and eggs while we’re reading.

8:00 a.m. — I head out to the garage to run on the treadmill. I read a chapter from Love Idol while doing my walking warm-up and then listen to Romans 1 on the YouVersion Bible app while running.

8:23 a.m. — I come back in and get some water to drink and notice Jesse has a plate of bacon and eggs set out for me (yes, he’s such a great guy!). He’s already sent the kids upstairs to take baths, get dressed, and do their morning chores. We chat about the day while I eat breakfast and then I head upstairs to take my shower and start my morning computer work.

It feels good to get so much done by 8:30 a.m. and I’m excited because I manage to keep the laptop off until after 8:30 a.m. today. Yay!

How did you do on your morning routine today? Let us know in the comments!

Shared Jun 9, 2014 comment

This Week’s Menu + One-Hour Freezer Cooking Plan

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

Breakfasts

Oatmeal, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Granola, Cereal, Flaky Biscuits, and/or Fruit

Lunches

Pizza Pockets
Brown Sugar Meatloaf, blueberries, cucumbers
Snack-y lunch {veggies, cheese, fruit, crackers, etc.}
Sack Lunch at the Park with Friends: PB&J, carrot sticks, apples
Leftovers x 3

Snacks

Fruit/veggies
Popcorn
Boiled eggs
Homemade Energy Bites

One-Hour Freezer Cooking

Million Dollar Spaghetti
Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans
Homemade Energy Bites

Dinners

Meaty Monday (A local family coordinates this every week & they were so gracious to invite us to be apart — it’s a weekly informal gathering of friends — each family brings some kind of meat for the grill and some kind of side.)
Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans, brown rice, steamed veggies
Pasta Salad Bar, fruit
Homemade Pepperoni Pizza
Steamed Cabbage With Beef
Million Dollar Spaghetti
Dinner Out

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

Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List

FREE Summer Bucket List!!

Whole Foods Shopping Trip

ALDI Shopping Trip

Why My Morning Routine Didn’t Work Well

1. Be Water Conscious

2. Get Outdoors

3. Change the Thermostat

4. Avoid the Oven

What would you add to my list?

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Breakfasts

Lunches

Snacks

One-Hour Freezer Cooking

Dinners

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