Don’t forget to head over here to enter to win a Whirlpool Cabrio Washer & Dryer Set!
I can’t WAIT to see who wins!
Shared Jan 21, 2014
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Summer Bucket List
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4 Things to Do When You Feel Overwhelmed With Life
I’m sharing over at my friend Sarah Mae’s blog today about 4 Things to Do When You Feel Overwhelmed With Life. Here’s a snippet:
It was 2009. My third baby had just been born. I was beginning “official” homeschooling with my five-year-old, my two-year-old was potty-training, my husband’s law firm was still getting off the ground, I was battling postpartum depression, and my blog had mushroomed into something far beyond what I’d envisioned requiring hours of effort each week to run.
Everything felt out of whack. I was overworked, overwhelmed, and exhausted — and I wasn’t doing a good job of being a wife, mom, homeschooler, homemaker, or a blogger. In addition, my health was suffering a great deal from the strain and fatigue of trying to juggle it all.
I knew something had to give… but what? I kept telling myself that if I just got more organized, pushed harder, and slept less I’d be able to find a way to do it all.
However, a better schedule, more productivity, or shorter nights wasn’t the magical fix. In fact, it was the exact opposite: I desperately needed to do less, have more margin in my schedule, and get more sleep at night.
Q&A: I’m pregnant & have a toddler & I’m overwhelmed!
I’m going through your seven day Say Goodbye to Survival Mode Challenge and am really having a hard time implementing some things. I am almost 20 weeks pregnant and have a 2- year-old.
I honestly want to spend each day with some coffee and mindless TV while my boy plays. This pregnancy has worn me out way more than the first. I’m still getting laundry, cooking and cleaning done when I can put on Barney for a bit or when I’m not napping during his nap, but getting up early is so hard. I went to bed last night at 9 and still was solid asleep until 7am.
I have so many books I want to read, hats I want to knit for my friends moving to China, baked goods I want to make for families, biblical studies and better prayer time that needs to happen, etc. How do I implement both grace and discipline in my current situation? -Paige
{Hugs} Paige! You are in a hard season of life… I well remember those days when you’re trying to care for a toddler’s needs and you’re feeling exhausted from your pregnancy, too!
Here’s my encouragement to you:
1. Give Yourself Grace
There will be time for reading and knitting and baking and studying. Now is not that time. Right now, focus on getting as much sleep as you can, loving on your toddler, and taking care of yourself as you nurture a life inside of you.
When you are feeling discouraged that you aren’t getting much done, remind yourself that this is just a season. Before you know it, your children will be more independent and you’ll probably have more energy, too.
2. Don’t Play the Comparison Game
Whatever you do, don’t compare yourself and what you’re able to accomplish to other women. Each of us has our own strengths and weaknesses, our own struggles and difficulties.
It’s easy to feel guilty if we’re not doing as much as someone else. But the thing is: we can always find someone who is doing more than us in every single area. So no matter how much we do, we’ll always come up short when we play the comparison game.
Instead of comparing yourself to others, do the best you can do with the time and energy you have and then give yourself grace for all you aren’t doing.
3. Focus on Your Top 3 Priorities
I encourage you to sit down with your husband and discuss what your top three priorities should be for this season of life. Decide on these together and then write them out and stick them some place where you are reminded of them daily.
When opportunities arise or you have creative ideas, look at that list of three things and decide whether these opportunities/ideas are in line with your life. In most cases, I’m guessing they won’t be. And this will allow you to guiltlessly say “no” or set aside the idea for now. This doesn’t mean that you are failing; it means that you are being very intentional about how you spend your time.
If you find it helpful, you can keep a running list of all the projects and ideas that come to mind that you really want to accomplish — but add to this list and then stash it away for someday. That way, you have a record of the ideas, but you are clearly delineating that they are for someday, not now.
If the list ever starts to bog you down or make you feel guilty, give yourself permission to literally rip it up and throw it out. You might find this simple exercise is incredibly freeing to you!
4. Allow Lots of Breathing Room
I cannot encourage you enough to plan lots of margin and breathing room in your life right now. Write out a loose routine for each day, but be sure to plan at least a few hours of wiggle room in your day. This can be for you to take a nap, lie down and watch a movie with your toddler, to cuddle with your toddler and look at picture books, or to do something restful.
If you’re anything like me, by planning rest and relaxation as part of your routine, not only will it make your days much calmer, but it will also allow you to kick back and just “be” without the guilt that you really should be doing something else. If you’re tired, take that as a queue to rest and relax!
What advice and tips do the rest of you have for Paige? Share in the comments!
10 Goals For This Week
I had to put most of my goals on hold the past two weeks since life trumped my planned goals. But I’m very ready to get back to tackling goals again and am hoping to have a more productive week this wee!
Goals From Two Weeks Ago:
Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals
1.
Finish reading Loony Coon aloud to the girls.
Read a few picture books with Silas.
2. Write a love note to Jesse.3. Make Non-Toxic All Purpose Cleaner.
4. Finish all the prep work for Kathrynne’s birthday party.Personal Goals
5. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-25.
6. Complete six days of the P90X Program. Run 3 miles.
7. Read Sarah’s Key,
Sell Your Book Like Wildfire, Fit For Faith, His Word in My Heart, and On Every Side.8. Make Simple to Knit Fingerless Gloves. Work for 30 minutes on my embroidery project.
Blog/Business Goals
9. Write one guest post for my book launch.
10. Write three content pieces for my blog.
Goals For This Week:
Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals
1.
2. Write a love note to Jesse.
3. Make Non-Toxic All Purpose Cleaner.
4. Have a Family Movie Night.
Personal Goals
5. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-25.
6. Complete five days of the P90X Program. Run 3 miles.
7. Read Sarah’s Key, His Word in My Heart, Eat Move Sleep, Samson, and On Every Side.
8. Make Simple to Knit Fingerless Gloves. Work for 30 minutes on my embroidery project.
Blog/Business Goals
9. Write one guest post for my book launch.
10. Write three content pieces for my blog.
How did you do on last week’s goals? What are your goals for this week? I’d love to have you share your progress on last week’s goals and your goals for this coming week in the comments. Of, if you’ve blogged about it, leave your direct link below. Let’s cheer each other on to live purposeful and productive lives! You can download a free customizable weekly goal-planning sheet here.
The Day I Stopped Trying to Be Superwoman
I’m so honored that Incourage chose my book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, as one of their recommended reads this month! They asked if they could feature two posts from me this week, so here’s a snippet from my first post called The Day I Stopped Trying to Be Superwoman:
Not too long ago, I was at a mom’s get-together. I don’t remember what we were talking about but, in the middle of the conversation, one of the moms said sheepishly, “Well, actually I have a cleaning lady who comes every other week.”
She looked ashamed to even admit this audibly, but I quickly set her at ease by looking directly in her eyes and saying, “Good for you!”
We women tend to think that unless we’re doing every little thing to run our homes we are failures. We beat ourselves up if we can’t do it all. We feel guilty for even considering bringing in a little outside help on occasion.
I know the feeling because for years I tried to do it all, too. I juggled babies and toddlers and moves and job changes and homemaking and home businesses and financial struggles and potty-training and blogging and friendships and church and exercise and everything else that I thought a good wife, mom, and business owner was supposed to do.
Read the whole post.
Say Goodbye to Survival Mode: A Review by Michael Hyatt
I was incredibly honored that my friend, Michael Hyatt, took the time to read my new book and write a thorough review of it. If you’ve been wondering whether or not Say Goodbye to Survival Mode is a book that would be beneficial to you, I think you’ll find his review very insightful.
Here’s a snippet:
Even though the book is written specifically for women, I found it tremendously valuable—even as a middle aged man. Here are five reasons why:
- She understands our complex, demanding world. More specifically, she knows first-hand what it’s like to feel overwhelmed and burned out.She is brutally honest with her own life, including the mistakes she has made along the way. She doesn’t set herself up as a guide so much as a fellow-traveler.
- She offers practical strategies and tools. Though Crystal is long on empathy and compassion, she doesn’t get stuck there. This is a book for people who are sick and tired of being sick and tired.She offers practical, real-world solutions that will get you from where you are to where you want to be. The book is full of steps, tips, lists, checklists, and forms. Here’s a sampling of what you will find:
- how to become more self-disciplined;
- how to set and keep goals;
- how to manage your time, money, and home;
- how to juggle responsibilities and self-care;
- how to experience less stress and more joy;
- how to rediscover your passion and purpose for life; and
- how to keep a balanced life perspective and make a difference in big and small ways.
Want a sneak peek at the contents of Say Goodbye to Survival Mode? Download the introduction and first chapter here.
Shared Jan 20, 2014
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Sign up for the FREE Say Goodbye To Survival Mode Live Conference Call on January 21 (space is limited!)
Sign up for the FREE Say Goodbye To Survival Mode Live Conference Call on January 21 (space is limited!)
I’m so excited to be hosting my next Live Conference Call on January 21, 2014 at 9 p.m. EST and I’d love to have you join me! This Conference Call is free and can be accessed by phone or a streaming web audio player.
On this call, I’ll be sharing about some of the key lessons from my book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode. Plus, we’ll open up the floor for any questions you have for me — on any topic!
Some of the Topics We’ll Be Talking About:
- How I overcame a period of my life where I found myself in a pit of despair — feeling burnt out, exhausted, and overwhelmed.
- How to look at failure as your friend and embrace it for growth and change.
- How to stop living in the “Comparison Trap” and find more joy.
- How to create space for margin and breathing room in the midst of a busy schedule.
- Practical steps you can take to stop living in survival mode and start living a life of purpose and intention.
- How to find your purpose by living on purpose!
- And much more!
I’ll also be answering as many of your questions as I can! You can either submit them when you register or ask them live on the call.
I’m especially excited because my wonderful friend and manager, Joy Groblebe, will be hosting the call with me. You’re going to love her. She’s an amazing work-at-home mom of 4 children and will bring lots of great wisdom to the call, too!
This call will be fun, fast-paced, and informal — kind of like we’re all sitting around a big table chatting together over coffee! I can’t wait!
How to Register
The free LIVE Say Goodbye to Survival Mode Conference Call will be on Tuesday, January 21, 2014 at 9 pm Eastern Time (8 pm Central, 7 pm Mountain, 6 pm Pacific). You can access it LIVE by phone or a streaming web audio player. The call will be an hour long.
Note: Sign up is limited and we expect that it will fill up quickly. Be sure to register now to participate.
Note: When you register, you’ll have the opportunity to submit any questions you’d like for me to cover on the call. I’ll also be taking questions live on the call, too.
After you register, you’ll be emailed the access information for the phone call. If you have any other questions about the call, feel free to leave a comment and ask and I’ll do my best to answer it.
Many times busyness is mistakenly equated with productivity…
7 Ways That Google Calendar Simplifies My Life
I’m over on Living Well Spending Less sharing about 7 Ways Google Calendar Simplifies My Life. Here’s a snippet:
For years, I was an ardent pen and paper gal. I wrote lists. I checked things off the lists. And I prided myself on how I stayed so organized without the aid of any new-fangled techie tools.
Because isn’t old-fashioned better, right? Well, that’s what I had convinced myself was true.
But then, my business grew and my kids grew and our calendar started filling up with more appointments and activities. Needless to say, the pen and paper method wasn’t working so well.
I kept trying to make the paper system work… I was determined and committed. But I often didn’t have my paper with me when I needed to write something down. So then I’d scratch it down on any paper that was nearby — and then often lose that paper.
In addition, my brain felt constantly cluttered up by to-do’s and to-remembers. I didn’t have a streamlined way to post paper reminders of something I needed to remember in 7 weeks and 3 days from now, so I just kept it in my head, kept reminding myself that I couldn’t forget it, and then kept worrying that I wouldn’t remember to remind myself about it.
Yes, I was fighting a losing battle!
Psst! I think you’ll find #7 on my list especially interesting. It always surprises people when I tell them about it, but it really does make such a big difference!
Swagbucks Paid for Our New Printer
Today’s Swagbucks success story is from Erica:
My husband was accepted to the Graduate Program of his dreams on March 2, 2013. This was incredibly exciting, but also incredibly daunting as it would mean we have to move to a new town and quit both our jobs.
So we saved every penny we could in the Spring and Summer, which was quite difficult because my husband and I needed to purchase textbooks, clothing for a drastically different climate, and pay for assorted moving expenses.
We have long gone without a printer since we both graduated from college, but my husband felt (and I agreed) that a printer will be a true necessity for us in this new adventure. We will be living in a very cold climate and foregoing the use of a car in favor of public transit and walking. It’s just not realistic for us to expect to make use of the school’s library printers all the time. I knew we needed a printer. However, I just couldn’t stomach paying for it out of pocket.
I knew exactly what printer I wanted and how much it would cost on Amazon.com. So for roughly three months, I plugged away on Swagbucks trying to save up the Amazon gift cards to purchase our printer. By hitting the Daily Goal on Swagbucks every day, I was able to really ramp up the pace at which I was able to earn Amazon gift cards.
We hit our goal! I earned $85 in gift cards and the printer was priced slightly lower than normal at $84.99. The delayed gratification of saving and working a little bit each day for something that we needed makes the feeling of success even sweeter!
Erica: Can you email me so I can send you your $50 Amazon gift card as a thank you for sharing your story?
OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!
Click here to download!
A Peek Into My Whirlwind Week: The Kansas Girl Visits NYC!
You may have noticed that I’ve been absent from here this week. That’s because I had a bit of a crazy week… one that didn’t allow much time for blogging. I missed you all so much and thought some of you might enjoy reading a brief recap of the very out-of-the-ordinary events from this past week. So here’s a quick run-down:
Wednesday & Thursday: We get two opportunities pretty much dropped into our lap to do segments with Good Morning America. This was crazy and random seeing as my only other television experience ever was going on the 700 Club two years ago.
Friday: I talk to the producers and we decide to go with the Monday segment. We nail down some more details and around 4 p.m. or so, they tell me they are sending a crew to our home to film a segment the next day. They want to talk about freezer cooking, fitness on a budget, and menu-planning.
I call my book publicist and she recommends that I over-prepare — with props, soundbite points, and run-throughs ahead of time so that I feel really comfortable. (I’m so grateful she had the foresight to have me do this!)
Silas helping me prep food for my Good Morning America segment
Saturday: I spend the morning finishing up the freezer cooking and prepping my topic sheets — with the main points I want to convey in the segment and the specific takeaways I want to share. I clean the house up, get the kids out the door to Grandma’s house, do my hair and makeup, talk to the producer again on the phone, and the crew arrives.
I expected the crew would know exactly what to have me do/what they wanted me to film. But instead, the producer told me she felt I had a really good grasp of what they were wanting to accomplish with the segment and she wanted me to “direct” the piece — telling the crew what I was going to share about and making sure they got the right footage.
I was SO very grateful my publicist had encouraged me to over-prepare! We filmed for almost three hours solid and I was exhausted by the end — but my week was just starting!
Sunday: I got up early to catch a flight to NYC. I was excited and nervous at the same time. Excited because it was my first time ever to go to New York! Nervous because I knew I had a grueling few days ahead of me and I was already tired from the past two days.
I met up with my friend and business manager, Joy Groblebe, and the two of us Colorado and Kansas “bumpkins” were pretty proud to navigate NYC all by ourselves and make it to our hotel without a glitch. 🙂
Monday: My GMA piece aired at 8:35 a.m. and it was quite fun to see what they had done with the 3 hours’ worth of footage (and also a little crazy to think about how much time and money goes into every minute of television since it was hours and hours of work for just a 1.5-minute piece!)
I was also so overwhelmed by all of my friends who called, texted, emailed so incredibly excited about the piece. I’m one very loved and supported girl and I was so touched by how much people went out of their way to celebrate with me. Thank you, friends!
We got ready and headed out to downtown NYC for media training for my satellite media tour on Tuesday. Heather Adams, my publicist, flew in Monday morning and met us at the media training. She’s spent a lot of time in NYC, so we were glad to have her there to help us learn the ropes. We spent the rest of the day in meetings with media and then had dinner at a really fun restaurant in NYC.
Tuesday: We had to get up at 4:30 a.m. in order to be ready and at the studio for my satellite media tour by 6 a.m. I didn’t sleep very well the night before, so I just prayed that God would give me extra energy as I had a very long day ahead of me. And He was so faithful to do so.
Over the course of the next few hours, I did 27 different interviews back-to-back — mostly TV interviews, but a few radio interviews, as well. This was an entirely new experience for me to be doing satellite interviews and it was definitely stretching and outside my comfort zone. But after the first few interviews, I started getting into a groove, and I actually ended up enjoying my morning.
We left the studio and met Chad Cannon (who is the Director of Marketing for my publisher) for lunch and then headed to New Jersey for a meeting with another magazine. I’d never been to New Jersey, either, so I was stoked to get to cross that off my “States I’ve Visited” list this trip, too!
Three exhausted but happy gals! {photo from Joy}
We celebrated the completion of two long days by eating at a sushi restaurant in Times Square and seeing a Broadway show. It was certainly a night I’ll remember for a long time!
Wednesday: We had a breakfast meeting with another magazine, a mid-morning meeting, and a lunch meeting with another magazine. And then it was off to the airport to say our goodbyes and head home.
While I am very grateful for the opportunities I had the past week, I was never so happy to be back home to my family. It was exciting to visit a big city like NYC, but this Kansas girl couldn’t have been more thrilled to come back to yoga pants and PB&J sandwiches. 🙂
Shared Jan 17, 2014
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12 Months to a Healthier You Check-in: Week 3 (the week I completely BOMB the challenge!)
12 Months to a Healthier You Check-in: Week 3 (the week I completely BOMB the challenge!)
Are you joining us for the 12 Months to a Healthier You Challenge? If so, it’s Friday and guess what that means? It’s time for our weekly check-in to post our progress.
January’s Challenge:
We’re focusing on developing the habit of exercising more in January. I encourage you to set a simple and doable goal for exercise and to stick with it.
If you haven’t set your January Exercise Goal yet, be sure to do so and then leave a comment on this post telling us what your goal is. New to this challenge? Read more details on the plan for this year here.
My Exercise Goal for January
My goal for January is to consistently exercise at least 5 times per week. I plan to follow the P90X workout schedule except for the days when I’m traveling/out of town. On those days, I plan to stick with cardio/running.
This Week’s Progress:
You may have noticed that I’ve been absent from here this week. That’s because I had a bit of a crazy week… one that didn’t allow time for blogging or exercise.
I spent most of the week doing interviews and media meetings in NYC (I’m posting a recap in a bit for those who are interested in getting a peek into my week). So I pretty much bombed my exercise plans.
Unless the one mile I ran on the treadmill or all the walking I did in NYC counts. Other than that, I did zero exercise. But I’m going to give myself grace… and get back up on the bandwagon again tomorrow. 🙂 And hopefully I’ll have a much more positive report to share next 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.
Gretchen’s $50 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan
This week, I shopped on a different side of town than I normally do. There are a couple of different health food stores right next to each other. Just for fun, and because I had some extra grocery money to spend, I stopped in to both and bought a few things. Here’s what I got:
Natural Grocers
1.64 lbs Organic Broccoli @ $1.99/lb – $3.26 (This much will last us for a couple weeks.)
1 Organic Cucumber – $2.15 (This is CRAZY expensive compared to what I normally pay, but these cucumbers were so big and looked so amazing that I just wanted to try one and see if it tasted a lot better than the ones I normally buy.)
1 bag Organic Chopped Dates – $2.57
1 bag Unsweetened Banana Chips – $1.52
1 bag Organic Whole Wheat Tortillas – $2.99
Total with tax ($0.89): $13.38
The Fresh Market
2.99 lbs Navel Oranges @ $0.98/lb – $2.93 (These oranges are HUGE and I’m excited to try them.)
1 gallon hormone-free Milk – $2.99
Total with tax ($0.42): $6.34
Aldi
1 pack Zucchini – $1.59
1 Pure Maple Syrup – $3.99
1 pack Mushrooms – $1.49
1 pack Roma Tomatoes – $1.29
1 Pineapple – $1.29
1 Cauliflower – $1.69
1 dozen Eggs – $1.59
2 packages Cheese – $1.79 each
4 Avocadoes – $0.29 each
Total with tax: $18.93
Dillons
1 Yopa! Greek Yogurt – $1.29, Used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon
1 Kroger Natural Peanut Butter – $1.88
1 Kroger Hashbrowns – $1.99
1 Hormel Turkey Lunchmeat – $3, used $0.50/1 coupon from the 1/5 SmartSource insert – $2.50 after coupon
1 lb Laura’s Lean Beef – Marked down to $2.99, used $1/1 e-coupon (no longer available) – $1.99 after coupon
2 Plum Baby Food – Marked down to $0.29 each, used 2 $0.50/1 mailer coupons – Free plus overage after coupons
1 Romaine Lettuce – $1.49
1 Green Pepper – $0.75
Total before coupons and sales: $20.71
Total with tax ($0.84) after coupons and sales: $11.02
Total for all grocery items: $49.67
Menu Plan for this Week:
Breakfasts
Homemade Granola, Cereal, Banana Pancakes, Fruit Smoothies
Lunches
Fruit/Veggies/Cheese, Tossed Salad, Leftovers, Baked Potatoes, Cheese Quesadillas
Dinners
Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole, Eggs
Meat & Veggie Stir-Fry, Biscuits
Apple Turkey Picadillo, Tossed Salad
Homemade Chicken & Noodles, Peach Cobbler (with the peaches with picked and canned last fall)
Meatballs (with ground venison), Steamed Broccoli, Homemade Whole Wheat Bread
Pizza Pockets, Tossed Salad
Out to eat
The Beauty of Being Authentic
I saw her pictures online of the amazing celebration she hosted for a large group of people. And I immediately wondered, “How on earth does she do it?”
I knew how much she had going on in her life so I just didn’t see how she could pull it off. How does she juggle so many things, have her own business, have more children than me, host these amazing parties, and do it all so effortlessly?
The thoughts of comparison and me not measuring up began swirling in my brain. But then she confided, “You know I was a mess last week? I was so frustrated and stressed. I wanted to run away from all the to-do’s I had to do. I was upset at my kids. And just plain overwhelmed with life.”
Folks, it’s never as perfect as it may seem. No one has it altogether. Superwoman doesn’t have a clone. And no matter how incredible some woman may look or how gifted she is or how thin she is, she has struggles just like you and me.
Don’t look at another woman and feel like you don’t measure up. You are YOU, not her. Even if she looks like she has it altogether, I promise she has struggles that just might not be showing outwardly right now.
Life is messy, our dreams don’t always pan out, our hopes are sometimes dashed, and we often falter and fail. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. Don’t hide behind a facade hoping that if you look more impressive people will like you.
There is beauty in being our real authentic selves. Because it’s only when we are our true selves, that others can love us for who we really are — messes, struggles, and all.
In my new book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, I share vulnerably about my own struggle to find safe friends and how being willing to be authentic with others changed my life. If this is something you struggle with, too, I think you’ll be encouraged to read about my journey. You can pre-order your copy here, if you haven’t done so already.
Shared Jan 17, 2014
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Gretchen’s CVS Shopping Trip: Spent $16.26 for $43 worth of products!
Gretchen’s CVS Shopping Trip: Spent $16.26 for $43 worth of products!
CVS Shopping Trip
3 Pampers Diapers – $8.99 each
1 Pampers Wipes – $2.99
Buy $30 in select baby items, Get $10 ECBs
Used $0.50/1 Pampers Wipes printable
Used 3 $1.50/1 Pampers Diapers printable1 Baby Ruth Candy Bar – $0.79 (Buy 1, Get $0.79 ECBs)
Used $12 ECBs from previous shopping trip
Total before coupons, sales and ECBs: $43.16
Total with tax ($2.51) after coupons, sales and ECBs: $16.26, Plus received $10.79 ECBs back