If you need a super easy, quick dinner recipe that everyone will love, this Taco Pie should do the trick. Oh, and it’s freezer-friendly and tastes great as lunch leftovers later in the week!
Bisquick Taco Pie
Guest post from Brigette Shevy
This twist-on-a-taco recipe has always been a hit at our house!
The original recipe came from the Once-A-Month Cooking cookbook – a resource my mom, sisters, and I often relied on during one of our marathon freezer cooking days.
Why You’ll Love this Taco Pie Recipe
If you like making up meals ahead of time, this is a great one to have in your collection since it requires only minimal last-minute preparations!
Of course, you can also just make it and bake it immediately, which is what I normally do these days.
Feel free to experiment by adding other taco toppings such as salsa, onions, or black olives. If you like your Mexican food spicy, sprinkle in some cayenne pepper, or add some jalapenos on top! Yum!
Bisquick Taco Bake Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 package taco seasoning mix
- 1 4-ounce can diced mild green chilies, drained
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup Bisquick
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced (I only use 1)
- 8 ounces sour cream (or plain greek yogurt)
- 1 chopped tomato
- Shredded lettuce
How to Make Taco Pie with Bisquick
1. In a large skillet, cook and stir the ground beef and onion until beef is brown. Drain.
2. Add drained beef mixture back to skillet and mix in taco seasoning.
3. Spread mixture in a 9-inch pie plate.
4. Sprinkle with chilies.
5. In a medium bowl, beat milk, baking mix, and eggs until smooth.
6. Pour milk mixture over beef.
(NOTE: If you want to freeze it, cover the pie plate with foil and freeze at this point.)
7. Bake uncovered in a 400º oven for 30-35 minutes.
8. Top with sliced tomatoes, sprinkle with cheese, and return to oven.
9. Bake an additional 8 – 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
10. Top with sour cream, chopped tomato, and shredded lettuce.
11. Serve immediately.
Bisquick Taco Pie Recipe Substitutions
If you don’t have any Bisquick in the house, you can substitute the following mixture:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon oil
You can also use ground turkey instead of ground beef, and any of your favorite cheeses should work.
Feel free to add spicier seasonings if your family can handle the kick, and top with any of your favorite taco toppings!
Bisquick Taco Bake Tips
Make sure you mix the Bisquick batter well so there aren’t any dry clumps.
It’s also wise to make sure the Bisquick topping is fully baked through before adding your tomatoes and cheese — otherwise the finished casserole could be soggy.
How to Store this Taco Pie Recipe with Bisquick
These leftover reheat wonderfully for lunch later in the week! Refrigerate it in portion-size containers and reheat in the microwave.
You can also freeze this recipe BEFORE you bake it — simply cover the pie plate with aluminum foil after step 6 and freeze. Whenever you’re ready to bake it, defrost on the counter for a few hours and bake.
Bisquick Taco Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 pkg taco seasoning mix
- 4 ounces diced mild green chilies drained
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup Bisquick baking mix
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tomatoes thinly sliced (I only use 1)
- 8 ounces sour cream or plain greek yogurt
- 1 tomato chopped
- Shredded lettuce
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook and stir the ground beef and onion until beef is brown. Drain.
- Add drained beef mixture back to skillet and mix in taco seasoning.
- Spread mixture in a 9-inch pie plate.
- Sprinkle with chilies.
- In a medium bowl, beat milk, baking mix, and eggs until smooth.
- Pour milk mixture over beef.
- Bake uncovered in a 400º oven for 30-35 minutes.
- Top with sliced tomatoes, sprinkle with cheese, and return to oven.
- Bake an additional 8 – 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Top with sour cream, chopped tomato, and shredded lettuce.
- Serve immediately.
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.
My Top 10 Favorite Books from 2013
I read 106 books total in 2013 (see the full list of titles here). Do you know how hard it is to pick my top 10 from that long list? Very hard!
I ended up going with the titles that most impacted me… that I gleaned from, that changed the way I thought about life, and/or that inspired me as a person. So here they are, in no particular order:
Daring Greatly — This book impacted me deeply and my life will never be the same as a result. In fact, I was so challenged by it that I had a necklace made that I wear almost all the time as a reminder.
Two caveats: the book is not written from a Christian perspective and has a lot of fairly strong language in it. However, it messed with me in such a good way and motivated me to confront the shame in my own life that I didn’t even realize I was there. Powerful stuff that has forever changed how I think and live.
What’s So Amazing About Grace? — I believe every Christian should read this book. It caused me to step back and examine what grace means to me and how I’m displaying that grace to others. It’s a very thought-provoking read — even if you don’t agree with all the conclusions.
One Thousand Gifts — I feel like I was the last person on planet earth to read this book and, after reading it, I know why it’s been recommended so highly to me. I love Ann to pieces. She’s so heartfelt, deep, and Jesus-filled. This book is a little piece of her soul… and it’s beautifully inspiring.
I didn’t expect to be so moved by the book, but I was. It challenged me to slow down, savor, and count the gifts that God has given me. And to be a noticer of the little things that we often fail to see as we rush through life.
Wild Goose Chase — Mark Batterson (the author) has a way of writing that powerfully challenges complacency. And this book is no different. I think my biggest takeaway was that we often put God in a box and believe He’s only capable of doing what seems possible to us. But He’s the God who delights to do the impossible — that way He gets the credit and glory! This book really inspired me to pray big prayers and believe God for big things in my life.
Loving the Way Jesus Loves — This book takes 1 Corinthians 13 and walks you through how Jesus exemplified each verse in His own life. The section on how Jesus loved Peter in spite of how Peter denied Him, walked away from Him, and turned his back on Him was so convicting to me in my own relationships with people in my life. It’s easy to love those who love us back, but I want to love like Jesus and love those who hurt or mistreat me.
Embracing Beauty — I royally surprised myself. Because I loved this ebook! It was breath of fresh air for me. I loved Trina’s perspective on beauty from a Christian standpoint in the beginning chapters. In fact, it really challenged some of my preconceived ideas and beliefs–which I appreciated.
This ebook inspired me to break out of some of my same-old, same-old ruts in what I wear and try new colors, styles, and looks. And believe it or not, I’ve actually found some new styles that I love — and I never would have tried them had I not read this ebook! (Read my full review of this ebook here.)
Sleep: It Does a Family Good — I was fascinated by the research in this book and it really inspired me to make sleep a higher priority in my life. My favorite part? Reading about how your body runs on a 7-day cycle and how you can make up for a bad night’s sleep by sleeping extra on another night or during the day — so long as you make it up within 7 days. I’ve been trying to go to bed early and sleeping in and napping on the weekends as a result of reading this book. (Looking for more ideas on how to get a better night’s rest? Check out this post.)
Early to Rise — I was so inspired by this book that I did a month-long challenge here based upon it. If you want to develop the habit of early rising, I think you’ll find this book to be very beneficial and helpful. Andy’s ebook is not for someone who isn’t willing to endure some discomfort and put forth some effort. If you’re happy with how your life is and you’re satisfied with your mornings and your productivity, then you probably don’t need Early to Rise.
Or, if you’re a mom who has young ones and you’re thankful for every second of sleep you can get, you also probably don’t need to read this ebook. {The last thing you need is to feel guilty for getting sleep that your body desperately needs!}
However, if you struggle to get up in the morning and you struggle to be productive during the day wish you could regularly get up earlier and get more done in the mornings, Early to Rise will challenge and motivate you. It’s broken down into easy, manageable steps to get you started on the path to consistent lifelong early rising. Even though I typically get up fairly early, I was re-inspired by it to make early rising even more of a priority in my life.
The Myth of Multi-Tasking — This book is a really simple and quick read, but it’s very thought-provoking. I always thought I was a pretty good multitasker. Now I’m not so sure. You see, according to the book — and I’m beginning to be persuaded it’s true — there is no such thing as true multitasking.
Instead, the author makes the case that what we call “multitasking” is really just an inefficient way of switch-tasking. When we are trying to do two things at once, we’re really just switching back and forth between two different things — taking a much longer time to do both.
The author does say that there’s such a thing as background tasking, where you are listening to music while cleaning, etc. But when it comes to tasks that require concentration, he makes a strong case that multitasking is a misnomer.
The more I’ve been testing this theory out in real-life, the more I’m beginning to believe that it’s true. And reading this book has caused me to step back and evaluate how I’m spending my time and how I can be more productive by not trying to multi-task but instead just concentrate completely on one task at a time.
Bread & Wine — I loved reading Bread & Wine. It moved me. It inspired me. It challenged me. And it made me want to spend more time in the kitchen and around the table.
However, the phrase that stuck out to me most was: Present Not Perfect. Shauna shares how we can get so wrapped up in trying to make life perfect — to get all our ducks in a row and keep them that way — that we miss the present.
We rush through life with our plans, our goals, and our lists. We check things off. We pat ourselves on the back for being a powerhouse of productivity. And we forget to breathe. To slow down. To soak up the moments. To savor the here and now.
Present not perfect. That’s how I want to live.
photo credit: DaySpring
What were your top reads from 2013 and why? I’d love to hear!
How to Make Vinegar Pie
Vinegar Pie is a deliciously frugal dessert every money-saving mom should know about — you can make it when the cupboards are nearly bare!
Guest post from Carissa.
You will love this vintage Vinegar Pie recipe!
I’m not sure what it was about this recipe that grabbed me as I thumbed through the hundreds in my Grandma’s recipe book. Maybe it was the odd name, Vinegar Pie. (Who ever heard of such a thing?) Or maybe it was the first ingredient listed: a quart of water!
Could Grandma Montgomery be serious? How could this recipe produce an actual, edible pie? An edible puddle maybe… but surely not a pie.
So in the hopes of resolving some of my confusion, I did what any respectable child of the internet-age would do… I posted a pic of the recipe to my Instagram account and asked people to enlighten me!
I was astonished to learn that this recipe was, in fact, legitimate.
One friend even told me that she and her children had recently read in Little House in the Big Woods that Laura Ingalls’s “Ma” would make vinegar pies at Christmastime. They were a perfect dessert for poor farming families who didn’t have access to fancy ingredients. Eggs, water, vinegar, and sugar were always on hand!
That solidified it for me. I love the Little House books, so I had to find out what this pie would taste like! Besides, what did I have to lose? A few eggs and a quart of water weren’t going to break the bank if the recipe failed.
So I tried out the recipe, and color me shocked when this humble method turned out one of the creamiest, most luscious custard pies I’d ever tried! In my opinion, it rivals any custard or cream pie I’ve tasted. And the maple flavoring makes it especially cozy for wintertime.
What does vinegar pie taste like?
Contrary to what you might think, vinegar pie doesn’t taste sour or bitter — it’s actually quite sweet, with a little citrus vibe.
The texture is silky-smooth and so creamy.
Here is a recipe with a little more explanation than dear Grandma Montgomery gave me in the little slip of paper above.
I hope you enjoy making it and feeling like “Ma” Ingalls, one of our country’s earliest money-saving moms!
Old Fashioned Vinegar Pie Ingredients
- 1 pie crust (homemade or store bought)
- 1 quart water (or 3 cups, to shorten boiling time)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup flour
- Pinch salt
- 3 Tablespoons cold white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon maple extract (If you don’t have maple extract vanilla, lemon, or coconut extract will also work)
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
How to Make Vinegar Pie
1. Well ahead of time, prepare a pie dish with a single crust and pre-bake according to recipe instructions. Allow the pie shell to fully cool.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil.
3. Meanwhile, combine the eggs, sugar, flour, salt, and vinegar in a mixing bowl and use a whisk to combine.
4. Pour the filling mixture into the boiling water and continue to boil, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens. (6-12 minutes, depending on amount of water.)
5. When mixture thickly coats the back of a spoon, remove the pan from heat.
6. Add in the cinnamon and maple extract and stir to combine.
7. Pour mixture through a sieve into each pie crust to prevent any curdled egg from ending up in the finished pie.
8. Refrigerate for 4+ hours (preferably overnight) before serving.
Vinegar Pie Recipe Variations
You can try different different type of vinegar for a slightly different flavor. You can also swap out the maple extract for vanilla, almond, or even lemon extract.
How to serve this recipe for Vinegar Pie
This pie is fairly thin, so you can cut generously sized slices.
It tastes wonderful plan, or you can serve it with a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream, or a bit of homemade whipped cream.
Storing Vinegar Pie
Cover leftovers with plastic wrap or place in a food storage container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
In general, cream pies like vinegar pies don’t freeze well.
Old Fashioned Recipe for Vinegar Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust homemade or store bought
- 1 quart water or 3 cups, to shorten boiling time
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup flour
- Pinch of salt
- 3 Tablespoons cold white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon maple extract If you don’t have maple extract, vanilla, lemon, or coconut extract will also work.
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
Instructions
- Well ahead of time, prepare a pie dish with a single crust and pre-bake according to recipe instructions. Allow pie shell to fully cool.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, combine the eggs, sugar, flour, salt, and vinegar in a mixing bowl and use a whisk to combine.
- Pour the filling mixture into the boiling water and continue to boil, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens. (6-12 minutes, depending on amount of water.)
- When mixture thickly coats the back of a spoon, remove the pan from heat.
- Add in the cinnamon and maple extract and stir to combine.
- Pour mixture through a sieve into the pie crust to prevent any curdled egg from ending up in the finished pie.
- Refrigerate for 4+ hours (preferably overnight) before serving.
Nutrition
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More Recipes You’ll Love
- Homemade Healthy Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars
- 30 Minute Rolls (Quick Yeast Rolls)
- Dipped Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Bars
- Chocolate Chip Oat Muffins
Do you make any old-fashioned, penny-pinching desserts?
Carissa is a wife and mother of a sweet 1-year old girl. She loves the Lord, her family, and cooking! In recent years her family has made drastic cuts to their budget in order to start saving to build a home.
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Crockpot Freezer Cooking: 12 meals + a printable shopping list
Looking for some more Crockpot Freezer Cooking recipes?
Head on over to Kojo Designs where they have details on how to make 12 meals in a very short amount of time. Plus, they’ve saved you some effort because they have a printable shopping list for you, too!
For more Crockpot Freezer Cooking ideas, check out the following links:
- Crockpot Freezer Cooking: 40 Meals in 4 Hours
- Crockpot Freezer Cooking from Loving My Nest
- Crockpot Freezer Cooking: 20 Meals in 2 Hours
- One Afternoon of Chopping = 14 Crockpot Freezer Meals
- Printable Crockpot Freezer Meals Weekly Menu
My Reading Goals for 2014 + 12 Books I Plan to Read in January
In 2013, I set very lofty reading goals. And I started out the year really strong and but then fizzled out as the months wore on.
I love to read. I can’t not read. But I decided that choosing 48 books to read at the beginning of the year was too restrictive for me.
You see, that list hung over my head the whole year. As I got further and further behind on my reading goals, I felt frustrated and guilty.
This is ridiculous, I know, considering no one was making me read those 48 books… after all, I was the one who had set the goal. But I still felt a sense of guilt over it. And every time I’d read something not on the list, I’d remember that it wasn’t on the list and that I really should be reading THE LIST.
{Just being honest here. Yes, I’m quite a crazy mess sometimes! :)}
So this year? I’m changing things up and trying a different approach. I still set a big goal to read 150 books & ebooks in 2014, but I’m not going to plan out 48 books to read throughout the year.
Instead, I’m going to take it on a month-by-month basis. At the beginning of the month, I’ll share my list of 12 books I plan to read that month and at the end of the month, I’ll share which books I read and a short recap of them.
This way, I’m still being intentional about reading, but I’m not planning so far out in advance and can pick my list based upon topics I’m really interested in that month or based upon new books I’ve recently discovered that I really want to dive into. And I can also make the list longer or shorter depending upon what I know my schedule might be like that month.
So here’s my list for January:
12 Books I Plan to Read in January
- His Word in my Heart
- Undaunted
- You Were Made for a God-Sized Dream
- Life After Art
- I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t)
- Fit For Faith
- Eat Move Sleep
- Sell Your Book Like Wildfire
- Fire By Night
- Samson
- On Every Side
- Sarah’s Key
I also am reading through the Bible using the plan in my Blessing Journal and reading one devotional from Jesus Today every day.
4 Books I Plan to Read Aloud to My Kids
What books are you planning to read in January? Leave a comment and let us know — and then you can come back at the end of January to tell us what you ended up reading and what you thought of the books you read!
Coming tomorrow: My Top 10 Favorite Reads from 2013
Join Me for the 12 Months to a Healthier You Challenge!
Note from Crystal: I originally did this Healthier You Challenge a few years ago, but you can totally still use this any time you’d like if you’re looking for some easy ways to get back on track with your health! You can see all the posts here. Or if you want a quick jumpstart, be sure to check out my 15 Days to a Healthier You course!
As I’ve been pondering what goals I want to have for this year, one area I really want to focus on is my health. It’s easy to let our health take a back burner to everything else on our to-do list. But as I share in my book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, I’ve experienced what happens when you put your health last… and it’s not pretty!
With this in mind, I’m committed to making my health even more of a priority this year. And I’d love to have you join me for the 12 Months to a Healthier You Challenge.
We’ll be focusing on one challenge area each month — all with the goal of being in a healthier place as a person by the end of next year. My hope is that as we work on instilling one new healthy habits each month, they won’t just be month-long challenges, but lifelong changes.
12 Months to a Healthier You Focus Areas
Here are the focus areas I’ve planned out for each month this year:
January: Exercise Regularly
February: Eat More Fresh Fruits & Veggies
March: Drink More Water
April: Cut Back on Sugar
May: Get More Rest
June: Create a Morning Routine
July: Read More
August: Go to Bed Earlier
September: Declutter Your Home
October: Cut Back on Caffeine
November: Keep a Gratitude Journal
December: Simplify & Say No
How This Challenge Will Work:
At the beginning of the month, I’ll introduce the focus area and encourage you to set a small goal for that specific area and I’ll share my goals.
Then, every Friday, I’ll have a check-in post where I’ll encourage you to share your progress & struggles and I’ll share mine, as well. If you want to blog about your progress, I’ll include a link-up at the end of the post so you can share your blog posts on this challenge.
In addition to the Friday check-ins, I’ll also probably share a few posts and guest posts on the monthly topics each month, along with sharing about related books, resources, or websites that I’ve found helpful.
Are you on social media? You can also share your progress on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter by using hashtag #12MonthstoaHealthierYou.
Will you be joining me for this 12 Months to a Healthier You Challenge? If so, leave a comment letting us know you’re planning to join and what your exercise goals are for January. Remember to keep them simple and doable!
Need a small jumpstart?
If this all seems a bit overwhelming and you need some accountability to take baby steps in getting your health back on track, be sure to sign up for my 15 Days to a Healthier You course!
This 15-day course is designed to help you:
- Prioritize your health so you can feel better and get more done.
- Boost your energy, feel less exhausted, and take better care of your body and your mind.
- Set realistic goals for self-care that you can actually follow through with.
Go here to sign up!
We Paid Cash: A Minivan!
A testimony from Kim from ProteanMom.com
We are big fans of paying cash for items. We use a cash envelope system (though for larger envelopes we actually keep the cash in our savings account) and we use a spreadsheet to keep track of how much is in each specific envelope.
We started using this system five years ago. And after we realized debt was going to limit our long term goals, we went to work on paying off our debt and changing our habits.
We paid off each account and celebrated our financial successes along the way. After working tirelessly for eighteen months, we paid off everything but our mortgage. And just in time, too! Our first child was born and we were so excited.
Because we were both committed to living debt free from then on, I was able to cut back my hours and stay home with our child.
Now we were debt free, but we didn’t have anything in savings.
Our vehicles, while still reliable, were already 7 plus years old. We wanted to be financially prepared for potential malfunctions or to replace the vehicles when the time came. So we pretended we still had a car payment – only we paid our “car payment” into our savings account and kept track.
When we began to seriously discuss having a second child, we realized we would have to replace my truck. We started researching cars and listed my truck for sale. We (thank the Lord!) managed to sell it for more than we had anticipated. That money went straight into the car envelope.
After some time we looked at our spreadsheet and we realized that we had met our goal. So we kept an eye out on local ads for a used minivan and found one that had the features we wanted – and it was in our price range!
We called up the seller (a small used car dealership) and took the van for a test drive. After it passed inspection, we went to the bank and withdrew our car payment money. The dealer was so excited to be paid in cash that he gave us a discount!
All in all, it took us three years to save enough for our minivan. The discipline and happiness we have gotten from paying with cash has been worth every tear and penny. And our long term goals? They’re happening!
Kim is a wife, mother of two happy little boys, writer, family chef, and a whole lot more. She works in healthcare and blogs about finding fulfillment and better ways to serve in the variety of roles that life gives each of us at ProteanMom.com.
Have you saved up and paid cash for something — large or small? Submit your story for possible publication here.
4 Lessons I Learned From Goal-Setting “Failure” in 2013
2013 wasn’t a banner goal-setting year for me. I did manage to cross 13 goals off my list of 25 goals, but I spent the last half of the year feeling frustrated that I wasn’t making more progress in the goal-setting department.
As a person who thrives on productivity, feeling like you’re not making headway can be really discouraging. However, I’m trying to practice what I preach when it comes to giving myself grace, so I refused to beat myself up over the lack of progress.
Instead, stepped back and evaluated what needed to be changed for the coming year. After some thought and discussion with Jesse, I came up with four things that hampered my goal-setting success in 2013:
1. I need to set fewer goals.
I bit off more than I could chew last year in setting 25 goals. I got excited and pumped up when I was doing my goal-setting and didn’t think truly realistically — even though I really tried to.
This, in turn, set me up for failure in some of my goals. The goals themselves weren’t bad, there were just too many of them.
This year, I’m only setting 12 goals. When I look at my goals list, it feels so much more manageable!
2. I need to make my goals more specific and actionable.
Last year, I made the mistake of putting some goals on my list that weren’t specific enough or actionable enough. For instance, one of my goals was: “Wake up by 6 a.m. and exercise, shower, and dress by 8 a.m. every day.”
While this was somewhat specific, it was sort of one of those goals that was just “out there” — with no concrete ending. If I had said something like: “Wake up by 6 a.m. and exercise, shower, and dress by 8 a.m. every day for 21 days” that would have been much more doable, specific, and actionable.
This year, I tried to have every single goal on my list have a specific time frame or number assigned to it. For instance, instead of saying, “Write more content pieces for my blog” I said, “Write 150 content pieces for the blog.”
This goal has a very specific action point attached to it enabling me to track exactly how I’m doing. Plus, this allows me to break it down into bite-sized pieces (i.e. I’m shooting to write at least 3 content pieces on my blog every week. If I do this, I’ll easily hit the 150 mark by the end of the year.)
3. I need to account more for the expected.
In January of 2013, I knew I was writing a book and doing more speaking/traveling, but I didn’t seem to account for that in my goal-setting. I forgot how much time and effort book-writing and editing and marketing requires and didn’t allow time for that when considering goals.
In 2014, I’m thinking very carefully about what I already know my life is probably going to look like. There will be a lot of book marketing stuff happening in early 2014, I have a full spring travel/speaking schedule, we have a BIG thing happening as a family in April which is going to require time and transition (more on that sometime soon), and we have plans to produce a few more products in 2014.
Plus, then there’s just the daily life stuff of homeschooling and activities for our children, nurturing our marriage, being intentional in my friendships, and other ministry opportunities. So, knowing all of this, I am being much more careful about what goals I’m setting realizing that my plate is already pretty full.
4. I need to account more for the unexpected.
This was my biggest downfall in 2013.
There were some wonderfully unexpected things that happened — namely, the business exploded (our traffic/unique visitors doubled in 2013!). As a result, we had to change a lot of our processes, switch to a new hosting company, and bring on new team members to take over many of my previous responsibilities of running and managing the business so that I could focus on what I do best.
This was all very exciting, but it also meant that there was a 3-4 month period where I spent every spare moment I had available answering questions from new team members, having business meetings and conferences calls, brainstorming new processes, training new team members, and tweaking and experimenting with the new processes. Needless to say, this meant that a lot of other things had to be put on hold in the mean time while we made this transition.
The growing pains were hard, but so very worth it! And I am very grateful for the amazing MoneySavingMom.com team! Each person on the team is incredible and they’ve willingly taken over so many behind-the-scenes details so that I can now focus most all of my business and blogging time on writing, brainstorming, overseeing, and speaking — the things I love most!
In an effort to prepare for the unexpected in 2014, I’m leaving some breathing room in the goals I set. And it feels so good to know that while my goals are going to stretch and push me, they hopefully won’t overwhelm me when curve balls are thrown my way.
Want to learn more from my goal-setting failures and successes? Be sure to pre-order a copy of my brand-new book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, where I share about the lessons I’ve learned when it comes to goal-setting. If you’re longing to live a more fulfilled and purposeful life, I think you’ll be blessed, encouraged, and inspired by it. Get your copy here.
My 12 Goals for 2014 (and come share yours, too!)
I learned a lot about myself and goal-setting this past year. With these lessons in mind, I’ve simplified goal-setting even more for 2014 (more on that in a post I’ll be sharing later tonight).
Jesse and I spent time really discussing what my focuses should be for 2014 and we nailed down four areas that are my priorities for this year:
- Marriage: to continue to invest time and energy to strengthen and nurture our marriage and make it one of the greatest priorities
- Mothering: to continue to invest in our children with the goal of teaching them character, life skills, and raising them to be responsible adults
- Myself: to make my health a priority and to invest in my personal growth as a Christian, business owner, writer, speaker, and leader
- MoneySavingMom.com: to invest time into blogging — not just overseeing the business and my team, but making writing content pieces one of my top blogging priorities
Having these specific areas determined at the beginning of the year will really help me to prioritize throughout the year and will give me much clearer direction on when, where, and what to say no to over the next 12 months.
With these focus areas in mind, here are my 12 goals for 2014:
Marriage Goals
1. Read 6 marriage books.
2. Write 50 love notes to Jesse.
Mothering Goals
3. Read 40 books aloud to the kids.
4. Finish memorizing Romans 1 together.
5. Go through a cooking course with the kids. (Anyone have a recommendation?)
Personal Goals
6. Read through the Bible.
7. Memorize Romans 2.
8. Run a 5K race and go through P90X again.
9. Read 150 books/ebooks.
Blogging Goals
10. Write 150 substantive content pieces for the blog.
11. Write 50 DIY/Recipe posts for the blog.
12. Blog about/participate in the 12 Months to a Healthier You Challenge (more on this tomorrow!)
Did you set goals for 2014 yet?
If you’ve posted goals for 2014, I’d love for you to share your link in the comments. Or, if you don’t have a blog, feel free to just leave a comment with a list of your goals. I’ll post an update at the end of each month sharing how I’m doing on my goals.Let’s encourage one another to live lives of intention and purpose!
If you’re brand-new to goal-setting, be sure to read my post on How to Change Your Life By Setting Goals.
Swagbucks Paid for Everything!
Today’s Swagbucks success story is from Sri:
Swagbucks is one of the best things I have come across on internet. In the last three years, I’ve earned more than $600 in Amazon, Walmart, and Target gift cards — which helped me purchase so many things that I can now joyously say my home is filled with items purchased with Swagbucks.
Just a few things I purchased using Swagbucks:
- Klean canteen stainless steel water bottle
- Thermos Nissan insulated bottle
- Jeans, Books and lunch bag(for my husband)
- Chicago cutlery knives
- Crayons, coloring books and toys(to make gift boxes for our township kids)
- Loads of Vita coco coconut water
- Cuisinart stick blender
- Oster citrus juicer
- Aroma Stainless steel rice cooker
- Low flow faucet aerators
- Drying rack for clothes
- Brita filters, Cereal boxes, groceries, toiletries
I can go on and on..and I only hope the list continues to be endless in future too.
My favorite ways to earn Swagbucks are:
- Special offers: I get most Swagbucks from here. These include signing up for websites, doing surveys, watching short videos, trial offers, and many more. I have gotten some big bucks from trial offers. But we have to make sure to cancel before the trial period ends.
- Inbox offers: Watch out for offers in your Swagbucks inbox. I recently had an offer for 2500 Swagbucks if I spend at least $25 at 1saleaday.com. I purchased a down alternative comforter for $25 and it turned out to be “better than free” as I used the Swagbucks to redeem five $5 Amazon gift cards (and still had Swagbucks left over).
- Trusted surveys: I qualify for very few surveys but for the ones I do I feel that I am rewarded well. As an added bonus, I have received some products to try out as a follow up of the surveys.
- Searches and Swagcodes: These give me at least 15 Swagbucks everyday.
Referrals are a definite bonus but I have never had the success. Even with out referrals it is possible to make $20 – $25 each month. Just explore all the ways of earning and in a few days you will understand which ones work for you.
Thank you, Swagbucks!
OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!
Click here to download!
My interview with Chris LoCurto: How I got started blogging, made some major mistakes, and learned along the way
Recently, I was honored to get to hang out and record a podcast with my friend, Chris LoCurto. Chris has been a huge inspiration to us and is a wealth of wisdom on business leadership, personal development, and entrepreneurialism.
We first learned about Chris when we attended EntreLeadership a few years back. We then became big fans of the EntreLeadership podcast that he hosted while working with Dave Ramsey.
Chris and I connected on Twitter awhile back and have become great friends. The thing I love most about Chris is that he’s the exact same person on stage and on a podcast as he is in real-life.
We’ve spent time at his home with he and his wife Debbie and they are the real deal. So caring, inspiring, giving, and encouraging (not to mention, Chris is an amazing chef — we still talk about the mouth-watering lamb chops he made for us when they had us over for dinner!)
When we were in Nashville a few weeks ago, Chris asked if he could have me on his podcast — which I was more than thrilled to do! If you’re interested in the story behind MoneySavingMom.com or the lessons I’ve learned as a blogger and business owner, you’ll want to check out the podcast.
In this podcast, we talk about:
- How I got started blogging and how much (er, little) money I made in the first few years
- How I tried to be like another business owner and ended up failing royally as a result
- Why I first started MoneySavingMom,com and how it has changed and grown over the years
- How I choose MoneySavingMom.com team members and what I look for when considering hiring someone
- How anyone can grow their platform using Pinterest
- The various strategies and tactics we employ to create a high-level of engagement on our Facebook Page
Free Budgeting Resources for 2014
Want to get your finances in order in 2014? Here are some free resources to help you get started.
Download a free copy of Dave Ramsey’s Guide to Budgeting.
Set up a free online Mint.com account to track your income and outgo and stick with your budget.
Free Savings Tracker: Would you like to know how much you’re really saving by using coupons? You can download the free 2014 Savings Tracker and do just that and more!
Create a budget for the year and calculate the difference between your budgeted and actual expenses with this free Yearly Budget Calculator from Vertex42.
Work out a proposed household budget with this Household Budget Worksheet from Kiplinger.
Are there any free online budgeting tools you use not included in this list? Please let us know in the comments.
Aldi: Simply Nature Organic Products Return
Earlier this year, Aldi tested a line of organic and natural products in their stores labeled Simply Nature. Now, Aldi has brought them back to stay, additionally including meats and produce.
Starting on January 5, 2014, Aldi will have Simply Nature product on Special Buy. Here’s a breakdown of the prices you’ll find, but please keep in mind that prices tend to vary from store to store.
Simply Nature
Organic linguine or spaghetti $1.19
Organic pasta sauce 25 oz. $1.99
Organic dressing 8 oz. $1.99
Organic salsa 16 oz. $1.99
Organic free-range chicken broth $1.79
Organic diced tomatoes $1.49
Organic toasted oats $1.99
Organic wildflower honey $3.19
Organic fruit bars 10 oz. $2.69
Organic blueberries, 10 oz. $2.99
Fruit and nut bars $3.99
Organic apple juice 64 oz. $2.49
Organic string cheese 6 oz. $2.99
Organic grass-fed beef $4.49 lb. (Wed. only)
Chicken breakfast sausage $2.99
Organic orange juice $3.79
Organic fruit preserves $2.49
Fruit squeezies, 4 pack $1.99
Granny Smith or blueberry applesauce, 24 oz. $1.59
Organic Greek yogurt, 5.3 oz. $.99
Organic frozen pizza $3.99
Sesame Lo Mein or Southwestern Fresca meals $1.69
Organic animal cookies $1.79
Organic teddy graham packs $2.49
Vegetable chips $2.99
Twisted fruit ropes $2.49
A few things to remember when shopping at Aldi:
- Aldi does not accept manufacturer coupons.
- Bring your own bag as Aldi does not supply bags.
- You will need to insert a quarter in order to use a cart. You’ll receive your quarter back when you return the cart.
Thanks, All Natural Savings!
Savor the Here & Now
It was the day after Christmas. Each of our children had gotten some wonderful new presents — all things that they had long wanted and hoped for.
But after the initial excitement wore off, one of my children was very dissatisfied. Even though this child had received so many wonderful presents, they weren’t happy.
Why? Because this child was frustrated that they didn’t get that one thing that one of their siblings got.
This child whined and spent much of the day upset. They had a number of amazing new things to play with… but it wasn’t enough. They couldn’t have that one thing, so instead of happily enjoying their Christmas presents, they pouted.
As we had some great talks with this child about gratefulness and contentment, I felt inwardly irked that this child could be so discontent. But then I realized how often I’m the same way.
Oh, maybe I don’t cry over the fact that I don’t have a gadget or accessory like a friend does, but I’ve certainly wasted a lot of time comparing myself to others or wishing I was in different place in life instead of just savoring the present.
It’s so easy to think that if we lost that weight, achieved that goal, paid off that debt, could afford that dress, got our kids potty-trained, had a house cleaner, got that raise, found a new job… then we would be happy.
But what if what you’re hoping for never happens? Does that mean you spend the rest of your life discontent?
It’s wonderful to dream and plan for the future. It’s good to set goals and work hard toward them. But don’t let that keep you from savoring the here and now.
Today is the only day you are guaranteed. Don’t waste it wishing you could be somewhere or someone else. Soak up the beauty right in front of you and be grateful for the blessings you are already surrounded with.
Even if you never make it to where you want to go, contentment in the here and now will make the journey a sweet and rich experience. For truly, “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.”
Top 10 Posts of 2013
Just for fun (and because I always find it interesting to track these things!), here were the 10 posts that were the most-read in 2013. Some of these are from years past, but thanks to Pinterest, are still very popular. If you missed any of these, be sure to check them out…
1. Is it possible to survive on a $30 per week grocery budget?
2. Best Ever Chocolate Oatmeal No-Bake Bars {Clean-Eating}
3. Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
4. How To Make Homemade Refried Beans
5. Bean & Cheese Burritos
6. 15 Chore Ideas for 4-Year-Olds
7. Glazed Cinnamon Scones Recipe
8. Homemade Freezer Biscuits Recipe
9. Having a Baby Without Breaking the Bank: Part 1
