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Shared Dec 10, 2013 comment

Do-It-Yourself Reusable Baby Food Pouches

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 10, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Elise

Baby food pouches came out a few years ago when my now four year old was a toddler. They were immediately a huge hit with many of my mommy friends. I have always made my own baby food, so I never bothered to purchase any of the store-bought pouches.

After the birth of my third son earlier this year, I was still committed to making my own baby food. However, a few weeks ago I was walking through the baby section and found myself in the baby food aisle. The colorful, transportable, spoonless, feed-as-you go food pouches were calling my name and persuaded me into buying two of them for a busy-on-the-go week… just to see what all the fuss was about.

The price was less than alluring at $1 a pouch (sale price), but I figured this was just a one-time purchase, so it wasn’t a big deal. The problem was, after using one of the pouches, I was hooked! I was amazed at how easy it was to feed him while we were out and about — so much less mess, and he seemed to like it, too!

So, I started researching refillable pouches online and was dismayed with how expensive they were. I wasn’t willing to invest that much, especially since this was our last child and I would only be needing them for a few months and would probably only use one or two pouches a week.

I was expressing my desire to do some sort of inexpensive, re-fillable pouches for all of our upcoming holiday travels to my husband; and he all the sudden chimed in, “Can you use the spout from the pouch you just used and put them in one of your icing bags?” Genius! Have I mentioned how glad I am that I married an engineer?

So, that is what I did. I took my two empty pouches, cut out the spouts, removed the foil as much as I could, and ran the spout and lid through the dishwasher. Then I dug out my cake decorating supplies and found my plastic, disposable piping bags and went to work. If you decorate any cakes the assembly will be pretty easy for you!

Amazingly enough, the lid will screw on over the plastic and still lock into place. I will not guarantee that these homemade pouches are completely leak proof. But throwing the pouch into a plastic baggie (that I re-wash later) is something that I am used to doing whenever I packed up my re-usable plastic containers, anyways.

And, best of all, the piping bags that I buy are quality enough that after I feed my baby I re-wash the tip and bag for another use! Thus far, I am on my third use with one bag and it still works like a charm! (Quick tip: turn the bag inside out to pull out the spout!)

Approximate Total Cost:

12 Disposable Piping Bags = $3.99

2 Pre-filled Food Pouches = $2.00

TOTAL = $5.99 for 14 pouches (plus the 12 piping bags can be reused)

Not bad if you ask me!

Picture Instructions:

Carefully cut out the spout remove as much foil as you can. Wash thoroughly by hand or in the dishwasher.

Push the spout as far down into the disposable piping bag and snip the end with scissors. Reach in again and push the spout down as far as you can again to create a tight seal.

Twist on the lid and lock it into place.

Carefully fill the bag with your home made baby food puree. (Consider filling it with applesauce or yogurt for your toddlers for when you are on the go). I recommend using a tall cup to hold the bag in place so you can be careful not to get too much on the sides of the top of the bag.

Twist off the excess bag and secure in place (I used a twist tie, but you could probably use a rubber band or even just tie it off.)

Feed your ridiculously cute baby!

Or let ridiculously cute baby feed themselves!

Elise Haroldson has enjoyed eight years of oneness with her dear husband Steve (who really deserves the credit for this amazing idea!). They have been blessed with three active little boys, ages 6, 4 and 10 months and love living on a 15 acre homestead in IL. Elise strives to maintain an orderly, budget conscious, fun and Christ-centered home, all while dabbling in the fine arts of gardening, baking, sewing, and photography. She currently enjoys writing a quarterly “Cutting Corners” article for her church’s women’s newsletter.

Shared Dec 9, 2013 comment

21 Days to a Simple Christmas: Day 8 & Update

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 9, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It’s Day 8 of the 21 Days to a Simple Christmas Challenge! And today we’re talking about Christmas cards.

As a child, one of the highlights of Christmas was receiving all the Christmas cards and letters from friends near and far. We’d keep the letters in a basket, string the cards around our living room, and put the family pictures on the refrigerator.

Sometimes, the Christmas letter was our only real communication with friends from our past. But it kept us up on their lives and gave us a small sense of connection, even though our paths had drifted apart.

It was always exciting to hear of marriages, babies, grandchildren, trips, new jobs, and exciting adventures. It was fun to see how the family pictures changed over the years. And it was always somewhat of a thrill to see how many strings of cards we’d be able to hang up.

Many people opt not to send Christmas cards or letters any more. There are many valid reasons given: “We’re too busy living life to take the time to write about it.” “We can’t afford to mail cards since postage has gone up so much.” Or maybe, “We didn’t get a decent family picture.”

I definitely think that Christmas cards and letters are an optional aspect of Christmas and I totally respect people who have chosen not to send cards in order to keep Christmas simple. That said, I think that we’ve become so used to texting and Facebooking and emailing, that sometimes we forget the joy of sending and receiving real physical mail via the postal service.

Creative Christmas Letter Ideas

If the thought of writing a detailed letter is overwhelming to you, here are some creative Christmas letter ideas:

Put together a Top 10 list from the past year.

Make a graph of some interesting facts from the past year.

Create a newspaper-style letter with short stories and tidbits from the past year.

Other Simple and Inexpensive Ideas

If you’ve decided that sending a Christmas letter isn’t your thing or mailing out a lot of cards or letters is outside your budget, here are some other ideas:

::Send photo cards.

We’ve skipped sending a letter for the past few years, but we have sent out photo cards. It’s a very simple way to send a Christmas greeting and share pictures of our family with dear friends and those we don’t get to see often.

::Send out your letter as a PDF via email.

Can’t afford to mail your letter? It’s perfectly okay to send it out as a PDF attachment via email. Be sure to include some sort of teaser in the email you send out so that people will be sure to open the attachment and read the letter! 🙂

::Post your Christmas card on Facebook.

Jenae’s family decided to post their Christmas picture/card on Facebook in lieu of sending out a Christmas card. This might not work for everyone–especially if most of your recipients are not on Facebook–but it’s definitely an inexpensive option!

Day 8 Project & Update

1. Read the above post or chapter 5 from Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas. (Did you sign up for your free copy yet? If not, click here and fill out the form to be emailed a copy.)

2. Decide whether or not you’re going to send Christmas cards this year. If so, what types of cards are you going to send? Are you going to send a letter?

My Update: After some thought and consideration, we decided to streamline and keep it simple this year and not send Christmas cards. This is the first year in awhile that we’ve not sent cards, but it was a big relief to decide to simplify things this year and skip this tradition. And we’ll probably pick it back up next year. 🙂

Shared Dec 9, 2013 comment

5 Accountability Sources to Help You Reach Your Goals

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 9, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Alexa of Single Moms Income

You’re a dreamer and a doer. You set big audacious goals and actually go for them. But, every now and then you find yourself slacking a bit. It happens to the best of us.

However, if you find yourself slacking more often than you should, you need some accountability.

You see, I’m a dreamer and a doer, too. And, from time to time I find myself falling off the bandwagon. What’s helped me push through and achieve my goals (and recently, start my own home based business) is public accountability.

It’s true – accountability works.

If you tell people about your goals and they ask how you’re doing, you are much, much more likely to actually push through and achieve them.

And the thing is, it doesn’t matter what your goals are. Money, business, parenting, career, spiritual – accountability is going to help.If you’ve been struggling with your goals you need accountability.

Don’t know where to find accountability? Here are 5 places you can look:

1. Announce Your Goals to Family

Who cares about your well-being more than your family? Probably no one. That’s why looking for accountability within your family is the best way to start.

If you have a spouse, cousin, or best friend who you think would make regular check-ins with you talk to that person about your goals. Even better, if you can convince your new accountability partner to create goals of their own. This way you can cheer each other on.

2. Post Your Goals on Facebook

If you’re like me and don’t really have a certain family member to hold you accountable you could always post your goals to Facebook.

I’ll admit; this one’s for the brave. But, if you have a lot of Facebook friends posting your goals for everyone to see could be an awesome way to keep yourself accountable. After all, you’re not going to want to publicly announce that you gave up on your goals.

3. Email an Online Acquaintance

Have you exchanged emails with someone you’ve met on a forum or blog? The internet is one of the best ways to connect with like-minded people.

I actually met my accountability buddy online. We started exchanging emails after getting acquainted through my blog and have been doing so for a few months. And, I am so glad we do!

Sometimes it’s really, really hard to meet someone who thinks like you in your day-to-day life. But the internet is a huge place! Those people who think like you and have similar ambitions are probably hanging out in the same place that you are.

You might be surprised how nice it is to have an online accountability partner!

4. Join a Forum or Mastermind Group

There are several internet forums and mastermind group that you can join to find accountability. If you look hard enough, you’re bound to find a dozen or so on the subject of your goal.

Forums are also a great place to find like-minded people. You’ll have the ability to share your goals with other members and to also bounce ideas off of them. Through a forum you might meet the perfect accountability partner.

5. Start a Blog

One of the absolute best ways that I have remained accountable is by announcing my goals and dreams on my blog. I started doing this before anyone ever read it and was instantly motivated every time I hit the “publish” button.

Starting a blog is easy and you can do it for free. If you think announcing your goals to the online world will help you, then don’t delay. Start your own blog!

Whether you are trying to start your own business, grow your blog, pay down debt, be a better parent, or anything else you could possibly think of; the power of accountability will push you closer and closer to reaching your goals.

I also think that the more accountability you have in your life, the better. No need to limit accountability to one source. Push yourself a little outside of your comfort zone and just go for it!

Do you have an accountability partner? If so how did you find him/her?

Alexa Mason is a mother of two, personal finance freelance writer, blogger, and internet entrepreneur. She chronicles her journey as a single mother who is trying to make it big on Single Moms Income. You can visit her blog or sign up for her free newsletter to follow her journey through the world of online entrepreneurship.

photo source

Shared Dec 9, 2013 comment

10 Weekly Goals

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 9, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

10 Goals For This Week

I was sick for a few days last week, so I didn’t get to cross off as many goals as I would have liked. But some progress is progress, eh? 🙂

Last week’s goals:

Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals

1. Read 4 chapters of Loony Coon aloud to the girls. ~~Read a few picture books with Silas.~~

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

~~3. Cookie decorating with the kids.~~

~~4. Blog about the 21 Days to a Simple Christmas Challenge.~~

Personal Goals

5. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-24.

6. Run 9 miles. {I ran 5.5.}

7. Read Leaving Yesterday, Safe People, The Greatest Gift, Into the Whirlwind, ~~Remote~~, and The Gifts of Imperfection.

8. Work for 30 minutes on my embroidery project.

Business Goals

~~9. Write more handwritten notes to go out with book launch packages.~~

~~10. Write one post for the 52 Ways to Save $100 a Year series.~~

This week’s goals:

Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals

1. Read 4 chapters of Loony Coon aloud to the girls. Read a few picture books with Silas.

2. Write a love note to Jesse.

3. Blog about the 21 Days to a Simple Christmas Challenge.

Personal Goals

4. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-24.

5. Run 9 miles. 6. Read Leaving Yesterday, Safe People, The Greatest Gift, Into the Whirlwind, and The Gifts of Imperfection.

7. Work for 30 minutes on my embroidery project.

8. Work on Christmas presents.

Business Goals

9. Write a guest post for book launch week.

10. Write one post for the 52 Ways to Save $100 a Year series.

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 Dec 7, 2013 comment

25 Goals for 2013: November’s Update

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 7, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

2013 has ended up looking a whole lot different than we thought it would… isn’t that how life goes? I learned a lot more about what works for me when it comes to goal-setting and how to give yourself grace in the face of changes and unexpected curveballs.

So even though I won’t be crossing everything off my list this year, it was a year of much personal growth for me — and our family. At the end of the day, that’s much more important than checking things off the list. 🙂

In a few weeks, I’ll be sharing my goals for 2014 and some changes I’ll be making to how I do goal-setting based upon what I learned this year. Stay tuned!

Here’s my list of 25 Goals for 2013 and an update on how I did in November:

Personal Goals

~~Read through the Bible in a year using~~ this plan. {I’m on track with this so far.}
Run in at least one 5K race. {I think I’m going to have to bump this to 2014 as I ended up having to go out of town the day of both races I had planned to run this year.}
~~Complete the Couch to 10K program.~~
Memorize Romans 1 and 2 with Jesse. {I’ve almost finished Romans 1 — which I am happy about since it’s been years since I’ve consistently memorized Scripture!}
Wake up by 6 a.m. and exercise, shower, and dress by 8 a.m. every day. {I’ve made good progress here. Not perfect, but huge strides in the right direction!}
Read 150 books/ebooks {See my list of 48 books I’m for sure planning to read here — I’ve read 97 books/ebooks so far in 2013, unless some miracle happens, I don’t think this goal is going to get completed. But I’m going to be good with that — especially because many of the books I’ve read have been ones that I’ve gone slowly through because they’ve been so life-impacting!!}

Marriage Goals

Read 3 marriage books.
Finish reading through the Psalms together as a couple.
~~Have overnight stay (sans children) at least every other month.~~ {Done in November.}
~~Go on at least one date per month.~~ {Done in November}

Mothering Goals

Continue memorizing together from the Grace and Truth memory book.
~~Ice-skating lessons for all three children during the first quarter of 2013.~~
~~Swimming lessons for all three children during the summer.~~
Finish at least 37 read-aloud books. {We’ve finished 32 books so far this year.}

Ministry/Friendships/Extended Family Goals

~~Weekly accountability meetings with a friend.~~ {This has been SO helpful!}
~~Get together with friends for a playdate or lunch at least once a month.~~ {Done in November.}
~~Continue being involved in our local church, couple’s group, and blogging accountability group.~~ {Ongoing}
~~Continue with weekly get-togethers with both sides of our extended family.~~ {Ongoing.}

Financial Goals

~~Use a portion of the proceeds from my next book project to fund a well project.~~
~~Fund our Child Survival Program for 2013.~~ {Done — yay!}
~~Buy a new bedroom set.~~
Invest in another rental property. {We hit our funding goal, but have decided to hold off on investing in another rental property for at least another few months for a variety of reasons.}

Business/Blogging Goals

Release two new ebooks. {This is another 2013 goal that I intentionally decided to shelve, for a variety of reasons.}
~~Attend one speaking conference.~~ {I attended the She Speaks Intensive in January.}
~~Finish and submit the manuscript for my next book.~~

Did you set goals for 2013?

If so, tell us how you’re doing in the comments or leave a link to your blog post update below. Let’s encourage one another to live lives of intention and purpose!

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Join the 21 Days to a Simple Christmas Challenge

Shared Dec 7, 2013 comment

21 Days to a Simple Christmas: Days 6 & 7

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 7, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It’s Day 6 & 7 of the 21 Days to a Simple Christmas Challenge!

Today I want to take a little time to talk about ordering online — one of my favorite ways to find great deals and simplify my life! If you don’t typically shop online, I encourage you to read my post on DaveRamsey.com on How to Be an Online Shopping Ninja. Here’s a snippet:

Shopping online is not only convenient, but it also saves you money—especially if you’re armed with my secrets for sleuthing out super deals. Here are three of my favorite ways to get the best bang for your buck online:

1. Use a Coupon Code

My husband and I have a policy to never purchase anything without first finding a coupon code to use. I’ve tried a lot of different coupon code websites and I’ve also tried Googling for coupon codes, but in my opinion, nothing compares to RetailMeNot.com. They are the best coupon code website in existence right now.

All you have to do is go to their homepage, search for the store you’re planning to shop from, and ta-da! you have a long list of coupon codes that have been rated by their large community of users. More often than not, I’m able to find at least one coupon code from the long list that works for me. And, for possibly one to two minutes of effort, that coupon code will usually save me at least 10% off my order—sometimes even as much as 25%!

Read the full article.

There are so many ways to get great deals by shopping online. And my favorite part is that you never have to leave home — you don’t have to deal with traffic, you don’t have to find a parking space, you don’t have to stand in line… it’s just all around so much more efficient. Plus, a lot of times I find that the deals are better online, too!

I got this email yesterday that illustrates how great online shopping can be:

I just want to thank Crystal for recommending both Swagbucks and Rakuten (formerly Ebates). I am saving so much money this Christmas shopping season between these two places. I do most of my shopping on Amazon and can use my Swagbucks gift cards and while not all Amazon categories are eligible for rebates, I make sure to use Rakuten whenever they are.

I also did some shopping on other sites, like Kohl’s, JCPenney, and Target and got rebates on all of that. So far, I have almost $30 in rebates and have earned $140 in gift cards from Swagbucks. Thank you, thank you, thank you! -Sarah

Day 6 & 7 Project

1. Read chapter 4 from Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas. (Did you sign up for your free copy yet? If not, click here and fill out the form to be emailed a copy.)

2. If you’re planning to shop online, be sure to sign up for Rakuten and check out RetailMeNot.com.

3. Take some time to just stop and enjoy your weekend — even if it’s just 5 minutes of quiet or taking time to write down blessings from this past week. Step back and refresh, relax, and refuel. Life doesn’t always need to be lived at breakneck speed!

Shared Dec 7, 2013 comment

21 Days to a Simple Christmas: Day 5 {Update}

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 7, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Yesterday’s project was to read Chapter 3 of Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas (Did you sign up for your free copy yet? If not, click here and fill out the form to be emailed a copy.) and to figure out when you’re buying/making your Christmas gifts — if you haven’t done so already.

I’m a little late in getting this post up because we had two Christmas parties yesterday afternoon/evening and didn’t get home until late last night. One of them was a Gingerbread House-Making Contest Party, which was so much fun — even if our team’s attempt making a Monticello Gingerbread House didn’t quite pan out as we’d anticipated. 🙂

I sat down and put dates on my calendar for what I was going to buy and make when and it feels so good to have that all planned out! Once I got those details out of my head, I realized that things are in pretty good shape for our Christmas gifts. And that was a great feeling!

Did you figure out when you’re going to buy/make all your Christmas gifts? I’d love to hear what you’re doing — especially if it’s something creative or a little outside the norm. And if you’re blogging about this challenge, I’d love it if you left a link to your blog post, too. Let’s encourage each other to simplify and savor this season more!

Shared Dec 6, 2013 comment

Meat Quiche

Published: by MSM Team on December 6, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Looking for an easy dinner recipe? Try this easy meat and potato quiche recipe! Use sausage, shredded potatoes, eggs, and cheese as the main ingredients!

Guest post from Brigette Shevy

Mom’s Special Meat Quiche

Growing up, my mom served this quiche for Christmas brunch. She always made it with Swiss cheese, evaporated milk, and sausage, and we all LOVED it!

As a child, I always categorized this as a “special” meal. I was pleasantly surprised once I got old enough to cook and realized it was much easier to make than I had imagined!

Once I started paying my own grocery bills, I appreciated it even more – it relies on basic ingredients that don’t cost a fortune.

Sausage Breakfast Quiche Variations

Meat Potato Quiche is completely flexible. You can use any kind of leftover meat, or substitute chopped cooked vegetables for a vegetarian version.

Feel free to mix up the cheeses, or add extra milk and eggs to stretch it a little further.

How to Serve Potato Quiche

If you are hosting brunch over the holidays, this is a fabulous recipe to include. You can even make it up the night before and wait to cook it until the next morning – freeing up your kitchen time to do other things.

It can also be made even further in advance and frozen, either cooked or uncooked. It doesn’t get much easier when it comes to “fancy” holiday cooking! 🙂

Potato Quiche Recipe Ingredients

3 cups shredded potatoes (either grate your own or use packaged hashbrowns)
3 Tablespoons oil or melted butter
1-2 cups grated Swiss or cheddar cheese (my Mom always used Swiss)
¾ cup cooked browned sausage (or any kind of cooked diced meat)
1 cup evaporated or rich milk (you can just use whatever milk you normally buy as well)
2 eggs (I use 4, but we like eggs around here!)
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon parsley flakes

How to Make Meat Quiche

1. Preheat oven to 425º.

2. Grease a 9-inch pie plate and set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, mix grated potatoes with oil or butter and press evenly into a pie crust shape.

4. Bake this “crust” in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or just until it begins to brown.

5. Remove crust from the oven and layer on the cheese and meat.

6. In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour this mixture on top of the other ingredients and sprinkle with parsley.

7. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until knife inserted 1-inch from edge comes out clean.

8. Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Recipe

Potato Quiche Recipe

Author Brigette

Course Breakfast, Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Ingredients

3 cups shredded potatoes either grate your own or use packaged hashbrowns
3 tbsp butter melted
1 – 2 cups grated Swiss or cheddar cheese
¾ cup cooked browned sausage or any kind of cooked diced meat
1 cup evaporated milk or whatever milk you normally buy
2 eggs I use 4, but we like eggs!
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tbsp parsley flakes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425º.
Grease a 9-inch pie plate and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix grated potatoes with oil or butter and press evenly into a pie crust shape.
Bake this “crust” in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or just until beginning to brown.
Remove crust from the oven and layer on the cheese and meat.
In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour this mixture on top of the other ingredients and sprinkle with parsley.
Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until knife inserted 1-inch from edge comes out clean.
Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Nutrition

Love this recipe?

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

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Brigette is a full-time wife and mother who is blessed with three amazing bundles of energy. She enjoys music, experimenting in the kitchen, homeschooling her children, finding great deals, long-distance running, and anything chocolate.

Shared Dec 6, 2013 comment

21 Days to a Simple Christmas: Day 5

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 6, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It’s Day 5 of the 21 Days to a Simple Christmas Challenge! Now that you’ve got your Christmas budget in place and determined who you’re going to buy presents for, and figured out what you’re going to buy/make, it’s take to figure out the specific details of when you’re going to shop or make your gifts.

Creative wrapping idea: Make your own gift bows!

If you’re buying presents, sit down today and determine:

When will you take the time to buy these gifts? Will you be buying online or in-store?
Look at your calendar and schedule a shopping time. I’d encourage you to schedule an extra hour or two more than you think you’ll need just to give you some breathing room and prevent feeling stressed.
Also, make a list of what you’re planning to buy at which stores. Map out a route that is the most efficient for the different stores you’ll need to stop at.

If you’re making presents, sit down today and determine:

When will you take the time to make these presents?
Do you need to purchase any supplies? If so, when will you purchase the supplies?
Look at your calendar and schedule time(s) to make these gifts. I’d encourage you to schedule an extra few hours more than you think you’ll need just to give you some breathing room and prevent feeling stressed.

Creative Wrapping Idea: Use old maps as gift wrap!

Do you need to buy any wrapping supplies? If so, add these to your list. Check the creative wrapping ideas in Chapter 3 if you need ideas.

Day 5 Project

1. If you didn’t get a chance to do so yesterday, read chapter 3 from Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas. (Did you sign up for your free copy yet? If not, click here and fill out the form to be emailed a copy.)

2. Schedule when you’ll do your Christmas shopping/gift-making. Evaluate each item on your list to make sure you have the time and money to pull it off. If not, pare down your plan so that it’s realistic and doable.

3. Come back at around 9 p.m. EST tonight and I’ll have a follow-up post sharing about our Christmas shopping plans and encouraging you to share about yours, too!

Shared Dec 5, 2013 comment

21 Days to a Simple Christmas: Day 4 {Update}

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 5, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s project was to read Chapter 3 of Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas (Did you sign up for your free copy yet? If not, click here and fill out the form to be emailed a copy.) and to figure out what you’re buying/making for those on your Christmas gift list.

Unfortunately, I’m going to have sit this project out… because just about everyone on our Christmas gift list knows about my blog. So I don’t want to risk ruining their Christmas gifts by sharing my list publicly. 🙂

But I did sit down and finish the list today — and assign days and dates to when I needed to have the gifts finished. And it feels so good to have that all planned out!

Did you figure out your Christmas gift list? I’d love to hear what you’re doing — especially if it’s something creative or a little outside the norm. And if you’re blogging about this challenge, I’d love it if you left a link to your blog post, too. Let’s encourage each other to simplify and savor this season more!

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Click here to download!

Shared Dec 5, 2013 comment

Gretchen’s $33 Grocery Shopping Trip + Weekly Menu Plan

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 5, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Aldi

1 Raisins – $2.79

1 Roma Tomatoes – $1.29

3 lbs Gala Apples – $2.99

1 Cucumber – $0.59

1 dozen Eggs – $1.49

1 canister Oats – $2.29

1 bag Baby Carrots – $0.99

1 can Refried Beans – $0.79

1 bag Tortilla Chips – $1.19

1 Flour Tortillas – $0.99

Total with tax ($1.10): $16.50

Dillons

4 General Mills Cereals – $2.50 each, used $2/4 catalina coupon – $2 each after coupon

1 gallon Milk – Free (since I bought 4 General Mills cereals)

1 Kroger Cheddar Cheese (16 oz) – $2.99

1.68 lbs Banana @ $0.54/lb – $0.91

1 Romaine Lettuce – $0.99

1 Ham Steak – $2.79

Total with tax ($1.26): $16.94

Total for all grocery items: $33.44

Menu Plan for this Week

Breakfasts

Cereal, Oatmeal, Toast, Bananas

Lunches

Pancakes, Cheese Quesadillas, Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Leftovers, Tossed Salad

Dinners

Cheese Pizza, Steamed Cauliflower

Ham & Cheese Biscuit Bake, Steamed Broccoli

Poor Man’s Steak (using ground deer meat), Butterhorn Rolls, Tossed Salad, Green Beans

Hamburger Vegetable Soup (using ground deer meat), 30 Minute Rolls

Southwestern Roll-ups, Chips and Salsa, Fruit Salad

Chicken Rice Casserole, Steamed Broccoli

Spaghetti, Toast, Green Beans

Shared Dec 5, 2013 comment

21 Days to a Simple Christmas: Day 4

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 5, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It’s Day 4 of the 21 Days to a Simple Christmas Challenge! Now that you’ve got your Christmas budget in place and determined who you’re going to buy presents for, it’s time to figure out what you’re going to buy or make for those on your list.

Some of you have commented and said you’ve actually already gotten all of your Christmas shopping/gift-making done this year. If that’s you, I’m impressed and inspired. And the rest of us will try not to envy your organizational skills. 🙂

For those of you like me who haven’t finished our Christmas shopping and crafting, today’s the day to make a plan for what you still need to buy/make and when you are going to buy it/make it.

Free Printable Handmade Gift Planner from Callaloo Soup

Look at the master list you made yesterday of who you are going to buy/make gifts for and decide for sure what you’re planning to buy/make — or at least jot down some ideas of what you think you’ll buy. {You can use one of these free printable gift list spreadsheets, if you’d like.}

Once you have your list written, step back and evaluate it:

Do you need to be buying all the items listed?
Can you afford to buy all of the items listed?
If not, do you have time to make something for that person?
If so, what are you going to make and how much time do you have to invest?

Pare down your list, if need be, based upon the answers to these questions. This is not because you are not generous or cold-hearted, but because sometimes you just have to face the reality that you can’t do it all.

Remember, like I said yesterday: Streamlining and simplifying your gift list so that you have breathing room and aren’t exhausted, stressed, and overwhelmed all December could be one of the best gifts you could give those closest to you — the gift of your presence!

Free printable Christmas Shopping list from Exceptional Charm

Day 4 Project

1. Read chapter 3 from Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas. (Did you sign up for your free copy yet? If not, click here and fill out the form to be emailed a copy.)

2. Make a list of everything you’ll be buying/making as gifts for Christmas. Evaluate each item on your list to make sure you have the time and money to pull it off. If not, pare down your plan so that it’s realistic and doable.

3. Come back at around 9 p.m. EST tonight and I’ll have a follow-up post sharing about our Christmas gift list and encouraging you to share about yours, too!

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Swagbucks Helped Pay for our Emergency Preparedness Supplies

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 5, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s Swagbucks success story is from Nora

Both my husband and I are originally from an area of the country that is not prone to tornadoes, so when we moved to the Midwest, we had no idea what we were in for.

As tornadoes kept hitting close to where we live, we became more aware of items that we needed to have on hand. Being on a tight budget meant that we couldn’t afford things that could very well save our lives in the event of a tornado.

At the time, I had just started using Swagbucks, I decided to redeem my Swagbucks for Amazon gift cards so that I could “buy” very important emergency supplies. It was easy to earn Swagbucks just by switching my standard search engine to Swagbucks, taking the daily poll, and by inviting my friends to join in, too.

Pretty soon, we were able to make our first big purchase — a NOAA weather radio. Since then, we have also purchased a solar lanter, hand crank radio/flashlight, first aid supplies, and more!

We still have a long way to go when it comes to being prepared; however, I am thankful for Swagbucks helping us to get there! -Nora

Shared Dec 4, 2013 comment

52 Different Ways to Save $100 Per Year: Frequent the Library {Week 39}

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 4, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Every week in 2013, I’ll be sharing a different way you can save $100 this year. If you do all of these things, you’ll be able to save over $5,000 this year alone! Many of these things will likely be things you’re already doing, but hopefully all of you will pick up at least a few new ideas or some inspiration from this series.

When Jesse was in law school, there were a lot of really hard things about that season of life, but there was one huge bright spot about those law school years: the library. I’m not exaggerating.

You see, we lived in Topeka, KS, and it’s home to what I consider to this day to be one of the best libraries in the U.S. It was new, it was large, it was clean, and it was FREE.

We had almost no wiggle room in our budget, we were a few hours away from family, we lived in a town where we knew very few people, and we were newly married. Needless to say, that library was a sanctuary for us. We spent countless hours there. In fact, when we went back to Topeka for a visit not too long ago, we stopped by the library for old time’s sake.

When we moved to Kansas City, we were blessed to find a rental that was within walking distance of the library. Every Friday, I’d load the girls up in the stroller and we’d spend a few hours at the library — checking out books, playing with puzzles and games, and playing with the train set. We didn’t have a second vehicle, so the library became on oasis for us in Kansas City, too.

Yes, I’m a wee bit sentimental about libraries… but they’ve saved us so much money over the years and provided so many hours of inspiration and entertainment that I just can’t help myself. 🙂

While the library is a great place to check out books, of course, most libraries also offer many other money-saving programs and resources. Here are a few more ways to save at the library:

1. DVDs & CD’s

Not all libraries offer free DVD rentals, but if your library does, take advantage of it! Our kids especially love checking out old TV series to watch during movie time each day. We also have enjoyed checking out music CD’s from the library, too.

I can’t even begin to fathom the money we’ve saved by checking out DVDs from the library over the years instead of renting or buying them!

2. Kid’s Toys

Many libraries have kid’s play areas — with puzzles or other toys that children can play with. It’s a great place to take your children on cold winter days that doesn’t cost any money (and mom can bring some books home, too!). All for free.

3. Audiobooks

Check your library to see what their audiobook collection is like. Many have a pretty extensive collection — and some even offer audiobooks you can download for a time period.

4. Ebooks

Have you checked to see if your library offers ebooks you can “check out”? Here’s a tip from Hannah:

Many people don’t realize that most public libraries have eBooks available for checkout through their websites. All you have to do is log into your local library’s site using your library card, then follow the links for eBooks (often, there are also digital audio books available).

In just a couple of minutes, you should be able to search through the available titles, download your selection, and begin reading on your device! No late fees for failing to “bring the book back,” because it will simply expire after 2-3 weeks. This is a great, free way to read some of the newest and most popular books without paying a cent — or leaving your home! -Hannah

5. Local Attraction Memberships

Some libraries offer memberships to local attractions (zoos, museums, etc.) that you can “check out”. If your library offers this, it’s a great way to visit local attractions and have some family fun — without spending a dime!

6. Online Foreign Language Programs

Want to learn a foreign language? Michele from Saving Money In Real Life emailed in this tip:

I recently learned that my public library has an online foreign language program that I can access for free. There are dozens of foreign languages available that I can learn!

Many public libraries across the country have the same free program. It’s called Mango Languages. If you check their website, you can find out if your local library participates. You can find out if your library participates here.

I thought your readers might enjoy this program especially those who homeschool. My son and I just discovered it last week, and we’ve been having a lot of fun with it! -Michele from Saving Money In Real Life

7. Summer Reading Programs

We started doing our library’s summer reading program in the past few years and we’ve been incredibly impressed with it. Not only does it provide huge motivation for our children to get in a lot of reading during the summer, but the rewards are amazing!

The above picture is what our kids earned from last year’s library reading program. Not only did each child get to choose a free book to take home, they also got a bag stuffed with great coupons and offers from local businesses — things like free Kid’s meals, free miniature golf, a free smoothie at McDonald’s, free baseball game tickets, free ice skating passes, and more.

Note: If you have a relatively small library that doesn’t have a great selection, check and see if they offer Inter-Library loan. Most libraries do, and this offers a much, much broader selection. You have to request the book and then wait for it to come in, but it’s free–which usually makes it worth a bit of a wait!

You can also suggest books for your library to purchase. They might not heed your suggestion, but it’s always worth a shot.

Rebekah from Simple Rebekah shared that her library also offers the following two resources:

Online Classes – My library offers free online classes through Universal Class. There are hundreds of classes to choose from out of there 42 areas of study. Some of those areas include: office skills, performing arts, parenting, homeschooling, do it yourself, gardening, cooking, computers, accounting and web development.

Kindles — I was shocked to find out that my library just started loaning out Kindles! They come pre-loaded with 15-20 titles. My library has 13 Kindles, each with a different theme. The themes include New York Times Fiction & Non-Fiction Bestsellers, Romance, Mystery, Science Fiction, Classics, Popular Fiction, Biography and more! This is a great way to test out a Kindle before you buy one.

How do you save money by using the library? What other ways do you use the library? I’d love to have you add to my list!

photo credit; photo credit

Shared Dec 4, 2013 comment

21 Days to a Simple Christmas: Day 3 {Update}

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 4, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s project was to read Chapter 2 of Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmas (Did you sign up for your free copy yet? If not, click here and fill out the form to be emailed a copy.) and to figure out your Christmas gift list.

Our Christmas Gift List

As I mentioned, we pared down our list this year. Here’s my list:

Immediate family: gifts + stocking stuffers
Extended family: Names we drew + a few family gifts
Our team members
White Elephant gifts for upcoming Christmas parties
Service workers: mail people, library staff, etc.
Kids’ friends

And I think that’s it. If I get inspired to do more, I might. But I’m giving myself grace this year to not have to do a bunch of gifts for a bunch of different people. And it feels good. 🙂

Did you figure out your Christmas gift list? Share it with us in the comments. And if you’re blogging about this challenge, I’d love it if you left a link to your blog post, too. Let’s encourage each other to simplify and savor this season more.

2hr Cleaning Checklist

2hr Cleaning Checklist

FREE DOWNLOAD: 2-Hour Cleaning Checklist!

Approximate Total Cost:

Picture Instructions:

Creative Christmas Letter Ideas

Other Simple and Inexpensive Ideas

Day 8 Project & Update

1. Announce Your Goals to Family

2. Post Your Goals on Facebook

3. Email an Online Acquaintance

4. Join a Forum or Mastermind Group

5. Start a Blog

Do you have an accountability partner? If so how did you find him/her?

Personal Goals

Marriage Goals

Mothering Goals

Ministry/Friendships/Extended Family Goals

Financial Goals

Business/Blogging Goals

Did you set goals for 2013?

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

1. Use a Coupon Code

Day 6 & 7 Project

Mom’s Special Meat Quiche

Sausage Breakfast Quiche Variations

How to Serve Potato Quiche

Potato Quiche Recipe Ingredients

How to Make Meat Quiche

Potato Quiche Recipe

Ingredients 1x2x3x

Instructions

Nutrition

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FREE 50+ Easy and Cheap Breakfast Ideas!!

Day 5 Project

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

Aldi

Dillons

Menu Plan for this Week

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

Day 4 Project

1. DVDs & CD’s

2. Kid’s Toys

3. Audiobooks

4. Ebooks

5. Local Attraction Memberships

6. Online Foreign Language Programs

7. Summer Reading Programs

How do you save money by using the library? What other ways do you use the library? I’d love to have you add to my list!

Our Christmas Gift List

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Ingredients