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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?
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
Shared Jan 16, 2014
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Download a free chapter from my new book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode!
Download a free chapter from my new book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode!
My book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, comes out on Tuesday (January 21, 2014)! I am SO excited and can’t wait for you to have a copy in your hands!
If you haven’t ordered your copy yet and want a sneak peek at the contents of the book, you can download a free chapter here. In this chapter, I share:
- A little background on why I wrote this book
- My own personal spiral to hitting rock bottom
- The words my husband said when I was in the pit of despair that changed my life
- Why I stopped using my personal Facebook profile
- The importance of creating a Personal Priorities List
- The four C’s to creating margin
To read the introduction and Chapter 1 of Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, click here. If you’re struggling with feeling exhausted and overwhelmed with too many to-do’s, I think you’ll be blessed by it.
Here’s what a reader wrote in about the free chapter a few days ago:
I just read the sample chapter from your new book and I’m not exaggerating when I say it was like I was reading about my own life word for word. I am getting on Amazon to pre-order this now. I really hope that this can help me get back on track!
Slowly but surely, I keep falling further behind. I am a mother to three children, work 30 hours a week outside the home, and my husband is in the marine corps with little to no time at home to help. I feel like I am living in survival mode now just struggling to complete what we need for the next day. Over time, I’ve somehow forgotten who I am.
My daughter asks me what some of my favorite things are and I cannot even answer them anymore. But how can I find myself when I can’t even find my car keys half the time?
Anyway, I am really looking forward to reading your book and trying to find some ways to simplify my life. Thanks for all your help!
If you haven’t ordered your copy of Say Goodbye to Survival Mode yet, you can pre-order your copy on Amazon or through many other retailers here.
Shared Jan 15, 2014
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Gretchen’s Target Shopping Trip: $10.66 worth of product for $3.82
Gretchen’s Target Shopping Trip: $10.66 worth of product for $3.82
Target Shopping Trip
4 Market Pantry Pasta Sauce – $1 each, used 2 $1/2 Target printable – $0.50 each after coupons
2 Up & Up Floss – Marked down to $0.73, used 2 $1/1 Target printable – Free plus overage after coupons
1 Organic Carrots – $1.09, used $1/1 Target mobile coupon – $0.09 after coupon
2.12 lbs Organic Bananas @ $0.82/lb – $1.74, used $1/1 Target mobile coupon – $0.74 after coupon
3 Market Pantry Canned Vegetables – $0.79 each, used $0.75/2 Target printable AND 5% off Cartwheel coupon – $0.51 each after coupons
Total before sales and coupons: $10.66
Total after sales and coupons: $3.82
OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!
Click here to download!
Shared Jan 14, 2014
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Get your FREE 40-page Say Goodbye to Survival Mode Printable Packet!
Get your FREE 40-page Say Goodbye to Survival Mode Printable Packet!
The launch of my new book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode is just a week away! Can you believe it?!
I am so excited to share this message with you and cannot wait until each of you have a chance to get this book in your hands. I think you’re going to LOVE it!
In order to celebrate, we’ve put together a huge packet of free printables. The Say Goodbye to Survival Mode Printable Packet is an updated collection of some of the best of my home management printables.
The packet is over 40 pages and includes the following printables:
- menu planning printables
- shopping list printables
- house cleaning checklists
- a printable daily docket to help you keep your home and life in order
- printable 2014 monthly calendar pages
- and more!
To get the FREE printable packet, follow these steps:
Step 1: Share about the book with your friends and family on social media. You can use Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or your blog—whatever is easiest!
Option #1: Post on Facebook.
Post about Say Goodbye to Survival Mode on Facebook. Click here to share this post on Facebook.
Option #2: Post on Pinterest.
Post about Say Goodbye to Survival Mode on Pinterest. Click here to repin this pin on Pinterest.
Option #3: Post on Twitter.
Post about Say Goodbye to Survival Mode on Twitter. Click here to retweet this tweet on Twitter.
Option #4: Post About the Book on Your Blog.
If you have a blog, you can write a post about Say Goodbye to Survival Mode. To help with your post, you can get more information about the book and even read the first chapter.
Step 2: Fill out the form at the bottom of this post to get your FREE printable packet.
Fill out the form below to get your free Printables Packet!
Good Morning America Meets Money Saving Mom
This morning, Crystal was on Good Morning America talking about Pinterest Money Saving Tips.
It was super exciting and a great way to kick off the week! In case you missed it, here’s the clip from earlier today.
Your support and enthusiasm means everything!
Thank you,
Joy G. from the Money Saving Mom® Team
My Money-Saving Pinterest Tips on Good Morning America
This past weekend, I had the amazing opportunity to film a segment with Good Morning America! (It airs at 8:35 a.m. your local time this morning.)
I talked about how we use ideas I find on Pinterest to save hundreds of dollars a year. If you’re not following me on Pinterest, I’d love to have you check out my Freezer Cooking board, my Money-Saving Ideas board, and my Do It Yourself Board.
This was one of my first times to ever do something like this and it was a great experience. I’m so thankful for all of your support and encouragement on Facebook the last few days. It means so much!
Is Frugality Really Worth It?
Recently, someone emailed in and asked if I died tomorrow would I regret the frugal choices I’ve made?
It was an excellent question and one that gave my husband and I pause — and produced a great discussion for us as a couple. Both of our answers were a resounding “No. We would absolutely not regret the frugal choices we’ve made.”
While we’ve made plenty of mistakes individually and as a family, we have zero regrets that we’ve chosen to live beneath our means, make sacrifices, delay purchases until we can pay cash for them, and live on a strict written budget.
To some people, not getting what you want right away or doing without might seem like a miserable existence. But truthfully, we’ve found it to be just the opposite: we live very fulfilled lives and we wake up excited about each day.
However, we both believe that the reason we feel fulfilled and passionate about life — even though we’ve made counter-cultural choices that some would balk at — is because frugality is a means to an end for us. If we were just frugal for being frugal’s sake, we’d likely quickly burn out or give up.
It’s not about saving money so we can continuously upgrade our lifestyle and always be buying bigger and better things. We want to live beneath our means so that we are able to give generously to others.
There’s a world of need around us. The more we steward our money well, the more abundance we will have to meet those needs. The more we save, the more we have to give.
Your efforts and my efforts might seem like a drop in the bucket when compared with all of the need that’s out there. But collectively, we can make a huge impact.
Let’s live simply so that others can simply live. Because truly, there is nothing more fulfilling than living a life with outstretched arms.
reposted from the archives
Shared Jan 12, 2014
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Say Goodbye to Survival Mode Challenge: Day 6 (Find an Accountability Partner)
Say Goodbye to Survival Mode Challenge: Day 6 (Find an Accountability Partner)
Welcome to the 7-Day Say Goodbye to Survival Mode Challenge. Each day this week, I’ll be blogging through the 7-Day Challenge. If you’ve not signed up yet, enter your name and email in the orange sign-up box at the top of the page here and you’ll get the daily emails and challenge in your inbox.
Why You Need an Accountability Partner
If you want to be successful at anything in life, having an accountability partner will highly motivate you and keep you inspired when you don’t want to stick with it.
You can’t build good habits and discipline in life alone. Well, you can, but I guarantee you it will be a lot harder to keep at it if you don’t have anyone encouraging you along the way.
Whenever I run by myself, I’ve found that I tend to go easier on myself and stop earlier than I planned. If my side starts hurting or I have a long to-do list, I use that as an excuse for a short run. However, when I run with someone else, I’m always motivated to push a little harder, go a little faster, and not give up when I feel winded and tired.
It’s the same with life: when you feel like you’re going it alone, it’s harder to keep on when the going gets rough. But when you have others around you who are encouraging you, checking up on you, or texting you to make sure you’re following through with your morning run, you’re much more apt to actually stick with your goals.
How to Find An Accountability Partner
You might be thinking, “I wish I had an accountability partner, but I don’t even know where to find one.” Well, it might not be as hard as you think. Start with your local friends and family and see if anyone would like to join you in keeping each other accountable to one specific goal on a regular basis.
If you can’t find anyone locally, ask friends on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or other online groups you’re a part of. Or, search and see if there’s already an online support group of some sort (such as the Good Morning Girls or Hello Mornings Challenge, if you’re working on getting up early).
This Weekend’s Challenge
You can’t live a purposeful life on your own. Find a friend who is willing to keep you on task.
Contact them by email or phone today and present your proposal. If they accept, schedule a start date for regular check-ins, whether online, in person, or over the phone. Share ideas on how to practically engage in an accountability relationship.
No more excuses! It’s time to hold yourself accountable!
Your Turn: Who is your accountability partner? If you don’t have one already, think about who you are going to ask today to become your accountability partner.