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Shared Feb 15, 2014 comment

Freezer Cooking in an Hour: Peanut Butter Granola Bars, Cinnamon Swirl Bread, and Ham & Cheese Pockets

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

I had another really successful Freezer Cooking in an Hour session earlier this week!

Remember the Crockpot Granola that I wasn’t thrilled with? Well, I used it in place of the dry ingredients in the No Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bar recipe (plus, I added in some chocolate chips — are you surprised?!)

The result? Really amazingly delicious granola bars!

It’s been awhile since I’ve made a batch of Cinnamon Swirl Bread.

After the loaf came out of the oven, I wondered why I’d waited so long to make this again. Because it is SO good!

And these Ham & Cheese Pockets are another recipe I hadn’t made for awhile.

Kaitlynn helped me roll out the dough and stuff them, so the pan of pockets had some character, but they tasted delicious, as always.

List of Recipes Made:

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

Shared Feb 15, 2014 comment

Change Your Mind, Change Your Life

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

Guest post from Shelly of Frugal Family Home

Do you tell yourself, I’m just not “this” or I’m not “that”?

I used to tell myself I didn’t like exercise. I would say, “I’m just not the exercising type”. But when I started to think long and hard why I told myself this I couldn’t really come up with an answer.

As a child and teenager, I was awkward. I could walk across the floor and trip over nothing. I would go to walk out a doorway and end up running into the door frame as I left the room. My family would joke with me about the walls jumping out to get me.

My performance in any sports was about the same, awkward and uncoordinated. But I played a lot as a child. But now as an adult I had decided or convinced myself that exercising just wasn’t for me. How did this happen to a once very active kid?

The only logical reason I could come up with was that it’s just what I told myself and I started to believe it. Then, I had an light bulb moment! If I had convinced myself I didn’t like to exercise, then why couldn’t I just change my mind. Why couldn’t I decide I was an exercising person?

So that day began a new way of life for me. I started to get up early and do some form of exercise each day. At first, it wasn’t pretty at all. In just a few moments, I was out of breath and feeling as though I might die.

I decided to give myself a goal, so I could measure my success. My first goal was to do a short CrossFit routine without feeling like I was going to die. It took me about three months and one day I realized this is easy for me. And so my transformation began.

How did it all start for me? It all started with my thought process.

What kinds of things do you tell yourself?

Do you tell yourself you aren’t a good cook, you aren’t a good mother, you aren’t a good wife, you don’t like exercising or you don’t like to get up early?

Think about how this self talk might be holding you back from becoming the true person you should be. The person you were destined to be. The person God has for you to be.

Here are three things that helped me change my mind:

1. Replace Your Negative Self-Talk

I decided to tell myself I’m active person, I need to exercise to be strong, I need to exercise to be healthy. Once my mind changed, my body followed along. I started to want to get up early (well, most days!) to get my exercising in.

If you have something you really want to change, work on changing your mindset first and see if that change doesn’t become easier.

2. Believe It

I wanted to lose weight last year. But all year long I kept hearing that voice in my head saying you tried so many times and failed.

Instead of fighting that negative self-talk with positive self-talk, I would give in. I had chosen to believe I couldn’t do it… and so I didn’t. I didn’t make the changes I needed to make my goal.

Be mindful of your own doubtful self-talk and counter each thought with a positive one.

3. Get a Support Person

Starting out last year I had an accountability partner. We would check in once a week by email. In each of these emails we would share our goal or goals for that week and how last week went. We would also share what we wanted to do differently this week and what things that might be holding us back.

Find an accountability partner you can check in with each day or each week to help keep you on track. You may find this makes all the difference for you. It’s always good to have positive support for someone you trust.

Changing your life CAN be as easy as changing your mind. I’m not saying it’s an easy process, but once you have made up your mind, the rest of you will follow along.

What kind of things do you tell yourself that might be holding you back from being the person you are meant to be?

Shelly is a homeschooling mom to 2 and wife to her sweetheart of almost 24 years. She blogs at Frugal Family Home about homemaking on a budget. Where she shares money saving advice, recipes, homeschooling helps and more.

Shared Feb 15, 2014 comment

Join me for a free webinar with Andy Traub on Tuesday (& get a free copy of Early to Rise!)

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

I’m excited to be joining Andy Traub on Tuesday, February 18, 2014, from 7-8 p.m. CST (8-9 p.m. EST) for a free live webinar. We’re going to be talking about How Every Mom (or Woman) Can Find Margin.

I believe that everyone will be able to benefit from what we’ll be talking about — even if you’re not a mom. Some of the topics we’ll be discussing will be:

Why self-care is the best thing you can do for your family
How to get your spouse on board with creating margin for you
How to stop fighting about money
How to rest and not feel guilty about it

Many of you will remember Andy from his book, Early to Rise. We did an entire month-long challenge based upon this book because I was so inspired by reading it!

And guess what? I’ve got some exciting news for you: everyone who attends the webinar will get a free download of Andy’s re-released book, The Early to Rise Experience. If you’re wanting to start getting up early and really struggling with making it happen consistently, I highly recommend this book!

>>Register for the FREE webinar on Tuesday evening here.<<

Note: If you can’t attend the webinar but you’d like to have access to the free replay, be sure to sign up above as well. Everyone who registers will also have access to the recorded webinar.

Shared Feb 14, 2014 comment

12 Months to a Healthier You: Week 7 Check-in

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

Are you joining us for the 12 Months to a Healthier You Challenge? If so, it’s Friday and guess what that means? It’s time for our weekly check-in to post our progress.

February’s Challenge:

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

If you haven’t set your February Exercise Goal yet, be sure to do so and then leave a comment on this post telling us what your goal is.

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

My Fruits/Veggie Intake Goal for February

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

This Week’s Progress:

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

How Are YOU Doing?

Leave a comment telling us how you did on your exercise goals this past week. If you’re blogging about this challenge, leave the direct link to your blog post about the challenge below.

Are you on social media? You can also share your progress on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter by using hashtag #12MonthstoaHealthierYou.

Shared Feb 14, 2014 comment

Green Chili Enchiladas Recipe

Published: by MSM Team on February 14, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Love enchiladas? Our family has been making this Green Chili Enchiladas Recipe since I was a child and it’s SO yummy, easy to make, and freezes perfectly!

Guest post from Brigette Shevy

Green Chile Enchilada Casserole Recipe (Family Favorite!)

Green Chile Enchiladas is a recipe our family discovered many years ago in the cookbook, Once-A-Month Cooking, and it immediately became a family favorite!

These creamy, cheesy enchiladas are easy to put together and freeze beautifully.

Growing up, Green Chile Enchiladas was always a personal favorite of mine. Now that I have my own family, I’ve come to appreciate it even more! After all, any freezer-friendly recipe that is simple to make and uses inexpensive ingredients plus tastes amazing is a winner in my book!

Green Enchilada Casserole Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
1 ¼ cups finely chopped onion
1 Tablespoon chili powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
8-12 flour tortillas (I use the large size)
12 ounces (3 cups) of shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (or homemade equivalent)
1 ½ cups sour cream
1 4-ounce can of diced mild green chiles

Should enchiladas have corn or flour tortillas?

Flour tortillas will be easier to roll without cracking, but if you are gluten-free or simply like the taste of corn tortillas better, they will work fine too.

Just make sure the corn tortillas are warm before you try to roll them with the ingredients — otherwise they might crack and the filling will spill out.

What cheese is best for enchiladas?

Any cheese that is gooey when melted will work well for enchiladas. Try using a Mexican blend of shredded cheese, or even a spicier Pepper Jack if you want.

Avoid mozzarella as that can be too “thick” when melted.

Hatch Chile Enchiladas Recipe Variations

This recipe as written is mild, so if you prefer your Mexican food spicy, you will want to jazz it up with some real hatch chiles (that are more traditional and a little bit hotter than regular green chiles), hot peppers, or extra seasonings.

I usually serve jalapenos and hot salsa on the side, but feel free to make it your own and to the spice level of your liking!

How to make Green Chile Enchiladas

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Grease a 9″ x 13″ pan and set aside.

2. In a skillet, brown ground beef and onions. Drain grease and return meat mixture to pan.

3. Stir chili powder, salt, and pepper into the meat mixture.

4. Spoon some of the meat mixture into each tortilla and top with cheese (remember to reserve 1 cup of cheese for topping).

5. Roll up tortillas (I usually tuck the ends inside while rolling them) and place seam side down in your 9″×13″ pan.

6. In a medium-sized bowl, combine soup, sour cream, and chiles and pour over tortillas. (If you are making this up ahead of time, cover the pan with foil and stick it in the freezer at this point).

7. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes.

8. Remove from oven, sprinkle reserved cheese on top, and bake (uncovered) for an additional 10 minutes.

Should you cover enchiladas when baking?

Yes, you should cover the enchiladas with aluminum foil if they start to look a little too brown on the top, or if the sauce soaks in and they look a little dry. Using aluminum foil will lengthen the cooking time a bit, but keep the enchiladas soft and pliable.

That said, you will want to keep them uncovered for the last 10 minutes so the cheese gets nice a melty (and doesn’t stick to the foil!)

How to Serve Green Chile Enchilada Casserole Recipe

We often pair this recipe with Spanish rice, a tossed salad, and some chips and salsa for a simple, budget-friendly company meal that will feed a crowd!

You could also serve with a “buffet” of condiments — sour cream, guacamole, salsa, queso dip, spicy peppers, tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, shredded lettuce, etc.

Green Chili Enchiladas Recipe Storage

You can make this recipe in advance and store in the fridge for a day or so (covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil). You can also freeze it in a covered pan for several months.

Store any leftovers in a food storage container — they are great reheated for lunch the next day!

Green Chile Enchiladas FAQs

Why is my enchilada casserole soggy?

The nature of this dish is to saturate the tortillas with sauce… so they will be very “soft”, possibly soggy. If you don’t want soggy tortillas, you can use less sauce or bake for longer.

What is green enchilada sauce made of?

We use cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and diced mild green chiles — but other recipes may call for different ingredients.

What is green enchilada sauce made of?

It depends on the ingredients you use — you can make/buy mild, medium or hot enchilada sauce that’s red or green.

What is the difference between green chili sauce and salsa verde?

The main difference between green enchilada sauce and salsa verde is that enchilada sauce is cooked, and salsa verde is raw. Enchilada sauce also requires liquid (either stock or water), but salsa verde ingredients are simply blended together and eaten as is.

Do you put enchilada sauce on before or after cooking?

You’ll want to add the sauce before cooking, otherwise the tortillas will become very dry and crack.

Recipe

Hatch Chile Enchiladas

Author Brigette

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Ingredients

1½ lbs ground beef
1¼ cups onion chopped
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
12 flour tortillas
12 oz Monterey Jack cheese shredded and divided
1 can cream of chicken soup
1½ cups sour cream
4 oz mild green chiles diced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Grease a 9″x13″ pan and set aside.
In a skillet, brown ground beef and onions. Drain grease and return meat mixture to pan.
Stir chili powder, salt and pepper into the meat mixture.
Spoon some of the meat mixture into each tortilla and top with cheese (remember to reserve 1 cup of cheese for topping).
Roll up tortillas (I usually tuck the ends inside while rolling it) and place seam side down in your 9″×13″ pan.
In a medium size bowl, combine soup, sour cream, and chiles and pour over tortillas. (If you are making this up ahead of time, cover the pan with foil and stick it in the freezer at this point).
Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes.
Remove from oven, sprinkle reserved cheese on top, and bake (uncovered) for an additional 10 minutes.

Nutrition

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

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Shared Feb 14, 2014 comment

This Valentine’s Day, Fall In Love With the World Next Door (a special request)

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

Today I’m going to ask you to join me in something big. Something that has the potential to change hundreds — if not thousands — of lives in South Africa.

I get requests all the time about projects and needs and I just can’t post about them all, otherwise this blog would be overrun with requests for you to donate money to causes. And I know many of you are living on extremely tight budgets right now.

However, today, I’m going to break tradition. Because I just can’t help myself.

My friend, Lisa-Jo Baker, is one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met. She just oozes with love and grace. And she’s hilarious, too.

I had a chance to read a pre-release copy of her new book, Surprised By Motherhood, and I loved it so very much that I wrote her and asked her how I could help promote it for her. Well, the email she sent back just blew me away. She shared with me about this huge vision she has to impact the culture in South Africa — where she grew up, where three of her siblings are adopted from, and where her parents still live and minister.

As she shared about this massive dream she had to encourage women around the globe to come together to change a community of kids in South Africa, I knew I had to tell you about it.

Here’s what she says:

What if between changing the diapers, the laundry and the dishes a community of mothers around the world could change the future for a community of kids in South Africa?

What if 1 blog community could build 1 South African community a safe place for sustainable food, child care, economic empowerment, job skills trainings, a gathering place for church, classrooms for HIV/Aids education, and a playground for their kids?

What if love was more than a date on the calendar this year?

What if we fell in love with the world next door?

Read her full post here to catch of glimpse of her vision behind this.

Today is Valentine’s Day and I’m going to ask you all to prayerfully consider giving something to help fund the Maubane Community Center in South Africa. Every little bit can make a difference.

If you can only give a dollar, give a dollar. If you have more wiggle room in your budget, would you prayerfully consider giving whatever amount it is that you can give?

Special Bonuses:

1. Give a donation of any amount and you’ll get the free downloadable print above emailed to you after you donate.

2. Give a donation of at least $20 and you’ll get the free downloadable print above, plus I’ll send you a copy of my book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode. Just forward the email you receive after you donate to [email protected] and include the amount you donated and your mailing address and I’ll send you a copy.

3. Give a donation of at least $40 and you’ll get the free downloadable print above, plus I’ll send you a copy of my book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, and I’ll pre-order you a copy of Lisa-Jo’s book, Surprised By Motherhood. Just forward the email you receive after you donate to [email protected] and include the amount you donated and your mailing address and I’ll send you a copy of my book and pre-order you a copy of Lisa-Jo’s book.

If you can’t give right now, would you consider tweeting about this project (you can retweet my tweet here) or sharing this post or Lisa-Jo’s post on Facebook or via email with your friends? Let’s all band together to help change this community in South Africa!

Psst! You can also buy one of these beautiful necklaces for $24 and $12 of your purchase will be donated to this project!

Shared Feb 13, 2014 comment

52 Different Ways to Save $100 Per Year: Limit Eating Out {Week 44}

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

Every week, I’m 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.

This is one of those ideas that pretty much everyone knows: when you eat at home instead of eating out, you’re going to save money. However, it can be easier said than done — especially when you have busy schedules.

Here are some suggestions to make it easier to eat at home instead of falling back onto restaurant meals:

1. Calculate the Savings

Take a little time to review your budget and see how much you’ve spent on eating out over the last few months. Often, just reviewing these numbers will be enough to encourage you to consider cutting back — because the savings could help you pay down your debt more quickly or to put extra toward your current savings goals.

Crystal from Serving Joyfully wrote a post on how they made the decision to stop eating out. Here’s what she says:

My husband and I live on a meager budget and are trying to get out of debt. We can’t afford all the meals out (we were spending our entire “spending money” budget, plus “borrowing” from other areas to fund it!)

So this year for Lent, we did something drastic — we stopped eating out.

While there are ways to save money when eating out, a meal out for a family of four will typically cost at least $10 for fast food, and $30 for most sit down restaurants. If you are like us, or like the typical American family, just cutting one meal out per week can save you $520-$1560 per year!

Read her full post for details on how they are saving $2600 per year by not eating out.

2. Plan Ahead

Taking a little time on the weekends or at the beginning of the week to plan a menu can make a major difference in your success in eating at home more. Because when you have a plan, it’s a whole lot easier to actually work the plan. 🙂

When you have a plan and you have the groceries to carry out that plan, it’s a lot harder to justify ordering pizza at the last minute. I’m pretty sure most of us agree with this in theory, but we have to have more than good intentions if we want to follow through.

So find a set time every week to plan your menu and buy the groceries for it. Put it on your calendar and commit to sticking with it. Find an accountability partner or sign up for a menu plan service if need be.

And then plan ahead at the beginning of the day for what you’re going to make for dinner that evening. Set out the meat to thaw, do any early prep work you can do, dump the ingredients in the crockpot… think about what’s for dinner at breakfast time and you’ll be glad you did when it’s 5 p.m.

3. Keep it Simple

One of the biggest pitfalls to being successful with eating at home is often planning meals that are too time and labor intensive. If you typically don’t have a lot of time and energy at the end of the day, don’t set yourself up for failure by choosing recipes that require a lot of effort.

I’m all about keeping it simple, as you can tell from our weekly menu plans. Why? Because I know that many evenings I’m pretty tired by the time dinner prep time rolls around. So the simpler I can make dinner prep, the better. If I have more time and energy, I can always make an additional recipe.

A few of my favorite really simple recipes are: Homemade Pizza, Italian Chicken, and Southwest Roll-Ups.

4. Use Your Freezer

I don’t know about you, but there are some days at our home when life whizzes by so quickly and all of a sudden, it’s 5 p.m. and dinner isn’t even a figment of my imagination. Before I started regularly cooking ahead and freezing meals, I’d be tempted to call my husband and ask him to bring something home for dinner.

Freezer cooking has solved the 5 p.m. “What’s-For-Dinner” panic. If I forget to pull something out earlier in the day, I’ll just pick a meal from my freezer stash that defrosts quickly — such as meatballs. I pair this with some frozen veggies, rice, and maybe a fruit salad. No one even has to know I forgot about dinner until 30 minutes before it was supposed to happen!

I’ve found that doing mini half-hour or one-hour freezer cooking sessions works really well for this season of our life. And while I might not be making 20 or 30 meals at a time, by consistently cooking ahead once or twice a week, we always have some meals in the freezer for those busy days when I don’t have time or energy for cooking.

Instead of having to make meatloaf three times in six weeks, I just triple the recipe and make meatloaf once and stick the extra two dinners’ worth of meatloaf in the freezer. If I’m going to be making one meatloaf, I might as well double or triple the recipe saving me the effort and mess later on in the month. After all, it really doesn’t take but a few more minutes to make two extra batches of meatloaf — and the clean up time is pretty much the same!

Freezer Cooking Links to Check Out:

5. Use Your Crockpot

It’s hard to say whether I love my crockpot or my bread machine more. Both of them are invaluable tools in my kitchen that I use again and again and again.

I love that I can stick the ingredients in the crock pot and then basically forget about it! Plus, there’s something so wonderful about smelling dinner simmering in the crockpot all day long!

One great way to use your crock pot to make dinner preparations easy-peasy is to whip up some Crockpot Freezer Cooking meals:

6. Give Yourself Grace

One of the most important things I want to stress, though, is that you need to give yourself grace. If you have the wiggle room in your budget to eat out and it’s something that your family enjoys, I encourage you to budget it in. It can be a fun change of pace and it can be a nice break for mom, too.

Plus, when you budget it in, there is no guilt with enjoying eating out. Maybe that means you budget to go out to eat twice a week, once every other week, every six months, or not at all. Figure out what works for you and your family and then do it!

Carmen from Life Blessons shares ways to save on eating out:

Eat out for lunch instead of dinner. Eating out for lunch can cost considerably less than when you eat out later in the evening. Plus, you’re usually not quite as hungry, so you eat less. That right there will cut down on your spending!

Instead of going out for entire meals, go out for treats. One thing we’ve done to trim our spending is to go out for things like ice-cream or coffee, rather than full-fledged meals. Sure, you can have coffee or ice-cream at home, but when it scratches the eating-out itch at a fraction of the price, it can be well worth the splurge!

Read Carmen’s full post on how to spend less money eating out.

What advice and tips do you have for a family who wants to cut down on eating out?

Shared Feb 13, 2014 comment

Gretchen’s $38 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan

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

Aldi

2 pkg Carrots – $0.99 each

1 pkg Roma Tomatoes – $1.29

1 gallon Milk – $2.98 (Will get $0.50 back from Checkout 51)

2 blocks Cheese – $1.99 each

1 pkg Flour Tortillas – $0.99

1 pkg Broccoli Crowns – $0.99 (Will get back $0.25 from Checkout 51)

3 pkg Strawberries – $1.79 each

1 bag (3 lbs) Gala Apples – $1.88

2 cans Green Beans – $0.49 each

Total with tax ($1.48): $22.12

Dillons

2 Barbara’s Cereal – $3.39 each, used $4/2 printable – $1.39 each after coupon

1 Cucumber – $0.75

1 Green Bell Pepper – $0.75

1.96 lbs Bananas @ $0.55/lb – $1.08

1 Red Leaf Lettuce – $0.99

6 Jenos Pizza – Marked down to $0.50 each

1 lb Simple Truth Organic Beef – Marked down to $5.49, used $1.25/1 e-coupon – $4.24 after coupon

1 Kroger Sour Cream – $1.25

Total with tax ($1.56): $16.40

Total for all grocery items: $38.52

Menu Plan for this Week

Breakfasts

Cereal, Granola, Toast

Lunches

Leftovers x 2, Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Cheese Quesadillas, Fruit/Veggies/Cheese

Dinners

BBQ Meatballs (using ground Venison and beef), Butterhorns, Green Beans, Tossed Salad

Chicken Enchiladas, Fruit Salad, Steamed Broccoli

Omelets, Sliced Strawberries

Roast, Potatoes, Carrots, Tossed Salad

Pizza Bread, Tossed Salad, Steamed Cauliflower

Chicken Stirfry, Biscuits, Fruit

Shared Feb 13, 2014 comment

Life is meant to be enjoyed and savored…

Published: by MSM Team on February 13, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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

Shared Feb 13, 2014 comment

Sponsor Spotlight: Motivated Moms

Published: by MSM Team on February 13, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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

Tell us about the history of Motivated Moms.

Deann Polanco and Janet Russell created and collaborated for several years on the Motivated Moms chore planning system. They first started selling the planner as a physical planner — copies placed in a binder and mailed to customers. Later they moved to the ebook format.

Beginning in 2005, Janet wanted more time to spend on other interests and Deann took over the business. I (Susan Cramer) met Deann at an online message board for Dave Ramsey fans several years ago. We had a lot in common — both Texans, born the same year, even owned the same model first car! She was my dear friend.

In early 2012, when Deann realized she was likely losing her battle to ovarian cancer, she asked if I would be willing to buy Motivated Moms. My husband had started programming the app for her a couple of years earlier so we were already very familiar with her product. I said yes: I was happy to carry on her legacy.

Can you tell us more about how the Motivated Moms Chore Planning System works?

Motivated Moms is a chore planning system designed to make housework easier for anyone, not just moms! It is a preplanned checklist of chores covering most common household tasks.

Each day has a manageable list of chores to be completed. Just do that day’s tasks, check them off, and you’re done for the day. If housework has been hit or miss for you, within just a few days of following the system you will notice the difference, both in your home and your sense of accomplishment.

The system is available as an ebook (several variations available) as well as an app for iPhone/iPad/iPod touch and Android (including Kindle Fire).

How can the Motivated Moms Chore Planning System help save you money?

Motivated Moms is a product that helps users to quickly accomplish necessary household tasks, freeing up time for other endeavors. There are even coupon-related tasks listed to remind you to stretch your dollars. In addition, Motivated Moms costs just pennies per day — it’s easy on the budget!

Do you have any new products or promotions coming up?

In the 2014 ebooks, we have added versions that have a touch of color to coordinate with our new logo.

We have just added a sync feature to the iOS app allowing users to share their task list with other iOS devices in their household. Our next step is to add this capability to the Android app and to make the list shareable cross-platform between iOS and Android! Syncing is our most-requested feature so we are thrilled to begin implementing it.

As for promotions, we currently have a coupon code good for $1 off the ebooks: SAVE1. We’re also planning a sale for Mother’s Day.

What would you most like your customers to know?

I want them to know that I love to hear from them! I love answering questions, hearing suggestions, getting feedback. We are delighted when someone finds our product helpful. It is really a joy to communicate with you!

We work hard to provide outstanding customer service because we want you to have the best possible experience with Motivated Moms — we stand behind our product 100%.

Is Motivated Moms just for stay-at-home moms?

Motivated Moms is used by all kinds of people: stay-at-home moms, work-outside-the-home moms, dads, grandparents, people with no children: really, anyone who wants an already-figured-out-for-you plan to get their housework done.

For people who work outside the home, we recommend they look at the week as a whole and move the bigger tasks to the days they will fit best for them.

If you have children, we highly recommend assigning tasks to your children. They will learn valuable life skills and they enjoy checking off their chores, too.

It takes time to teach them how chores are to be done, but it’s worth your time! For the printed version, different colored highlighters work great – just use a different color for each person. Similarly, the app gives you the ability to color code different people’s responsibilities.

Anything else you’d like to share?

One principle that guides me daily is that if I have the opportunity to do good, then I should do it—based on Galatians 6:10. Motivated Moms gives me the chance to do good every day and make every day count.

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

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

Click here to download!

Shared Feb 12, 2014 comment

Freezer Cooking in an Hour: Butterscotch Brownies, Cinnamon Roll Cake, Baked Chicken, and Taco Meat

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

Kaitlynn and I did some freezer cooking earlier this week.

I made a triple batch of Taco Meat and stuck some chicken in the oven to bake for some baked chicken.

The finished frozen Taco Meat and baked chicken.

Then, mixed up a Giant Cinnamon Roll Cake.

This was fun to make and so, so good!

In fact, the pan never made it to the freezer. 🙂

Kaitlynn helped me mix together the Butterscotch Brownies.

And the Butterscotch Brownies were also a huge success — so delicious!

Recipes Made:

Butterscotch Brownies
Giant Cinnamon Roll Cake
Baked Chicken
Taco Meat

Shared Feb 12, 2014 comment

“I’m Stressed & I Know Something Needs to Change!”

Published: by MSM Team on February 12, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Carrie Willard is working her way through Say Goodbye to Survival Mode and posting about her progress along the way.

Here’s a small snippet of her progress:

Seriously though, there’s more to my decision to buy this book however. For the last few weeks I’ve been feeling unusually stressed, and I know something needs to change. I’m just not sure what. (I’ll explain more about this in a later post, as well as what I intend to do about it.)

I’m hoping the book will help me – I’m not usually in “survival mode”, and I normally have a good grasp on my life and my time, but I am feeling tired and overwhelmed in a big way right now.

As I re-read through the book, I have decided to document my thoughts and notes here and invite you to share those with me. What do you think?

Read the full post.

Still wondering if Say Goodbye to Survival Mode is something you should read? Take a sneak peek at the introduction and first chapter here.

Shared Feb 12, 2014 comment

How Our Family Saves (& Earns!) Through Consignment

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

Guest post by Anita of Traveling Along

Wouldn’t it be great if kids only grew at Christmas, or on their birthdays — you know, those times when Grandparents happily purchase gifts? Thankfully, one of my mother-in-law’s love languages is “gifts” — specifically expressed via yard sale shopping!

Often what she picks is perfect, but sometimes it is too big or too small, not for the right season, or just not right for that child. However, I have a system in place for the clothing that doesn’t work, and we still benefit from her purchases!

I have learned to consign anything superfluous that is in decent shape, no matter its origin. There are different shops and they have varying payment methods.

This is what I do…

A: Charity Thrift Shop

The charity thrift shop by us will take up to 20 items a week, split the profit 50/50, and send a check when my total is over $10. I have received several checks — usually about every other month.

The store by us also takes household items and adult clothing — and since I get a check that turns into cash, I am able to purchase anything we need anywhere I want!

B: Children’s Consignment Chain

Our local children’s consignment chain will only take children’s items — toys, shoes, clothing etc. They will often pay cash on the spot or store credit. If you opt for store credit you get 15% more than in cash.

Currently I have about $4 in store credit, which isn’t a lot, but at their prices I could easily buy a pair of shoes and probably a pair of pants for a child who suddenly complains of sore toes or worn out knees.

In addition to consigning the kids clothes, I do whole closet clean outs for my husband and myself, stuffing bags full and delivering them for consignment. This will turn into cash in my pocket as well as clean out my own closet space, which has a therapeutic effect and clears the head. BONUS!

A few more tips for consignment:

1. Keep nice clothes nice. Dirty, stained, or damaged clothing will not sell and will be donated or tossed. Be sure to fold them neatly — presentation matters!

2. Clean out the closet regularly. If it is a good item but just doesn’t get worn, bag it and sell it!

3. Don’t just clean out clothes. Take in those dishes you haven’t used in years, clean out your purses, scarves, jewelry and other accessories.

4. Pick a day a month (ex. first Tuesday of the month) and fill a box!

5. Call your local consignment shops before going in and ask about their policies. You don’t want to waste your time or theirs.

I am not even half as intense as I could be with this, but in even the past few months we have added over $40 to our buying power through consignment. This will go a long way, especially buying back at thrift store prices!

I hope these tips can get you started!

What are YOUR best consignment tips?

Anita lives in Virginia with her husband and kids on a hopeful micro farm in the city. When she is not fine-tuning the budget, she can be found canning, cooking with spare parts, helping with math, praying the garden will grow, attending to a sick chicken, or covered in clay at the potters wheel. She blogs at Traveling Along.

photo source

Shared Feb 12, 2014 comment

I’d LOVE to meet you at one of the Teach Them Diligently Conferences!

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

I’m excited and honored to be speaking at all four Teach Them Diligently conferences this year!

Teach Them Diligently celebrates the focus of Christian families — that is, the discipleship of children to glorify God. More than simply a convention about home education, they purposefully develop the themes of Missions, discipleship, and Christian parenting in addition to the traditional academic “how-to’s.

The locations and dates of the four conferences are:

If you are a Christian homeschooling family (or one who is considering homeschooling), I’d encourage you to attend one of these events. I think you’ll be blessed and inspired! I was able to attend some of the sessions at the Nashville conference last year and was really encouraged by the speakers.

Get $5 Off the Registration Price!

Teach Them Diligently is offering $5 off any family registration to all of my readers when you use coupon code MoneySaver at checkout. Go here to register.

Psst! If you’re planning to attend, I’d love to meet you there! If you can’t make it to one of my sessions, we’ll also have a special meet & greet/book signing time at our booth at each conference. I’d love for you to stop by so I can get a chance to meet you personally. Meeting my readers face-to-face and getting to hear your stories is one of my very favorite things in the world!

Shared Feb 11, 2014 comment

Olympic Rings Pizza

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

So I had initially thought I would use mini pepperonis to make Olympic Rings like this picture.

But I realized that my round pan wasn’t really big enough to do that… so I just used larger pepperoni pieces and did a simple Olympic Rings Pizza.

I guess you can call this Super Duper Easy Olympic Rings Pizza. 🙂 My kids still thought it was very cool! And it was yummy, too!

Need a good pizza dough recipe? Be sure to check out my Freezer-Friendly Pizza Dough recipe.

Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List

FREE Summer Bucket List!!

List of Recipes Made:

1. Replace Your Negative Self-Talk

2. Believe It

3. Get a Support Person

February’s Challenge:

My Fruits/Veggie Intake Goal for February

This Week’s Progress:

How Are YOU Doing?

Green Chile Enchilada Casserole Recipe (Family Favorite!)

Green Enchilada Casserole Ingredients

Should enchiladas have corn or flour tortillas?

What cheese is best for enchiladas?

Hatch Chile Enchiladas Recipe Variations

How to make Green Chile Enchiladas

Should you cover enchiladas when baking?

How to Serve Green Chile Enchilada Casserole Recipe

Green Chili Enchiladas Recipe Storage

Green Chile Enchiladas FAQs

Hatch Chile Enchiladas

Ingredients 1x2x3x

Instructions

Nutrition

Love this recipe?

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1. Calculate the Savings

2. Plan Ahead

3. Keep it Simple

4. Use Your Freezer

5. Use Your Crockpot

6. Give Yourself Grace

What advice and tips do you have for a family who wants to cut down on eating out?

Aldi

Dillons

Menu Plan for this Week

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

Tell us about the history of Motivated Moms.

Can you tell us more about how the Motivated Moms Chore Planning System works?

How can the Motivated Moms Chore Planning System help save you money?

Do you have any new products or promotions coming up?

What would you most like your customers to know?

Is Motivated Moms just for stay-at-home moms?

Anything else you’d like to share?

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Recipes Made:

A: Charity Thrift Shop

B: Children’s Consignment Chain

A few more tips for consignment:

What are YOUR best consignment tips?

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Ingredients