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Many of you have written in to ask for some advice and tips on how to build a mix and match wardrobe.
Seeing as I’m the last person who should be giving fashion advice, I thought I’d share this link to a blog I found today that has lots of great ideas and suggestions for how to use what you already have to create lots of new wardrobe possibilities.
Ever since I saw this recipe for Mini Lasagnas, I knew I had to try it.
It’s not the simplest or most inexpensive recipe out there, but it sure was fun to make. And it’s definitely a more unique portable lunch idea — especially great for those of you who have access to a microwave.
I added salt, pepper, parsley, and two eggs to the ricotta cheese. This is how I always make lasagna, so I thought it would make these a bit more flavorful than just using straight ricotta.
I also added canned tomatoes to the pasta sauce. I attempted to save myself from having to dirty up another bowl by pouring these two things in the empty ricotta container. But, as you can see, that idea didn’t go over so well… actually, I guess it did go over — over the side of the container, that is! 😉
I thought these turned out beautifully and they tasted really delicious. I’m freezing them in airtight ziptop bags and am thinking I can just pull out however many I need at a time and let them thaw for a few hours before warming in the microwave.
You can find a Dairy-Free version of these Mini Lasagnas over at Milk Allergy Mom.
Are you joining us for Lunchbox Freezer Cooking? If you’ve blogged about a lunchbox recipes you’ve made for your freezer, leave a link to your post and recipe below. I can’t wait to see your yummy recipes and ideas!
Guest post from of Kelli of Eat Pray {Read} Love
Having a baby is such an exciting time, and if you’ve been pregnant before, you know that the costs can add up quickly.
Sometime in the first few months of pregnancy, you realize you will need a whole new wardrobe. Since some women don’t even show until they are 20 weeks (I’m jealous!), the wardrobe only has to last about 4 1/2 months — which means dropping a whole lot of cash isn’t ideal.
When I walked into stores during my first pregnancy, I was shocked to see the high sticker price on many items just because they were “maternity.” I am currently in my 4th pregnancy, and have learned a few tricks for getting maternity clothes on the cheap.
In this pregnancy, I just needed a few extra items to get me through the summer. I had bought two $10 Old Navy Groupons that were worth $20 each. When I found out I was pregnant, I went in and hit the clearance section. I was able to get two shirts, a dress, and a pair of maternity shorts for myself, as well as a shirt and dress pants for my son, all for $20 out of pocket!
Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes, the item is just too big all over — armholes are too big, or neckline is too low. Buying a bigger size has worked for me mostly in “stretchy” items like cotton T-shirts, skirts, and tank tops.
Recently, I was able to use a “$3 off any Merona item” at Target, and buy a nice shirt for $3 in a larger size. (One of the keys to buying shirts is to make sure they are long enough to cover your tummy, and fortunately, longer shirts seem to be fashionable right now.)
Consignment stores seem to be better than thrift stores in this aspect, at least where I live. Thrift stores often have the maternity clothes mixed in with the regular clothes, and it takes a while to sort – not something I want to do when I’m already tired and have swollen feet!
But you can get some amazing deals on barely-worn maternity clothes. Search Craigslist for garage sales in your area that specifically mention maternity clothes. As a bonus, you may be able to pick up some baby clothes for your new little one while you’re there!
This pregnancy, my “uniform” has been mostly tank tops and shorts since I am at home with my kids. When I was working part-time during my first two pregnancies, black and khaki pants, a nice pair of jeans, and a black skirt made dressing for work each day easy. I just added a maternity shirt to one of these, and I was good to go!
Save the majority of your budget for staples, as you’ll most likely wear these often. You will want to budget for at least one or two “dressy outfits”, as you may attend a wedding or other formal affair during the pregnancy.
If you ask friends who are done having kids to either borrow or buy their clothes for a small fee, many of them will be happy to help you.
Put out a inquiry on Facebook — someone you may not have thought of may have a stash she’d be willing to part with at a great rate! My best friend had 4 kids before I had my first, and she gave me all of her clothes. A few of these clothes will make it through 8 pregnancies — 4 of hers and 4 of mine!
Most of all, enjoy your pregnancy! Your little one will be here soon and what you’re wearing will be the least of your worries!
Kelli Hays is a pastor’s wife, will be a mom to four kids in November, follower of Christ, avid reader, aspiring cook, and she blogs about it all at Eat Pray {Read} Love.
Guest post from Kristen of Celebrate Every Day With Me
One of my kids’ favorite Bible stories is the feeding of the 5,000. It starts with a hungry crowd and ends with the thousands being blessed. Why? Because a little boy gave his food to Jesus and Jesus performed the miraculous: He multiplied the food given and fed the massive crowd.
My favorite part of this story? The fact that it was a boy. Not a man. But a boy who gave of what he had to bless and help others.
Somewhere in our culture (and please excuse the negativity), we have neglected to teach our children to serve others, to have a heart for other people and to think beyond ourselves. How many times have we commented about the self-entitled, self-pleasing, “all about me” world we live in?
So what can we do about it?
Even at a young age, children can begin to develop a heart for others. Just as the boy who shared his lunch was an instrument of blessing, so too can our children bless and help others. But we have to know this: if we want children who have hearts to give to others, we must be deliberate about teaching them.
Are my kids perfect? Umm, no! Spend an hour with us and you’ll find that out. But are they growing in a heart for others? You bet!
As I have been deliberate about being an example, providing opportunities and practicing giving with them, I have watched my children’s hearts change in the way they think and respond to others. We are on a journey of learning how to give.
Kristen Summers is a mom to two kids who keep her busy and laughing. As a former wedding and event planner, she now blogs at Celebrate Every Day With Me about fun ideas for party planning, children’s activities, and creating memorable moments. She has just released her first ebook, Teach Me To Serve: 99 Ways Preschoolers Can Learn to Serve and Bless Others. Use coupon code moneysaving30 to get 30% off the purchase of this ebook this week.
My friend, Stacie, from Motherhood on a Dime, has put together 16 simple Busy Bag Ideas perfect for a local Busy Bag Swap. You can find more Busy Bag Ideas here.
If you missed Jen’s question in part 1 last night, please take a few minutes to go read it. The comments were packed with fantastic wisdom and advice. Plus, I think it’s so encouraging to just be reminded that we all struggle with somewhat similar things. It’s good to know that none of us are alone in this journey!
I promised some specific advice for Jen’s situation. After contemplating it as I went about my various tasks today, here are my thoughts:
There are no supermoms. Seriously. None of us have our acts together.
Some of us might have cleaner homes or more organized schedules, some of us might be able to juggle more things or decorate our homes beautifully or whip up amazing recipes, but we all have plenty of warts and struggles. Believe me.
I have yet to meet a mom who didn’t have things she struggled with. And if any mom says she doesn’t struggle with anything, I can guarantee you she’s not being authentic.
Take time in the next few days to find a quiet hour and sit down with a blank piece of paper. Start mapping out your thoughts of what you want to be your priorities for this season of life. Keep these short and sweet, no more than 3-4 priorities for starting out. (You can see my current list of eight priorities here. The first four are my main priorities. The other four are my secondary priorities.)
Review these priorities with your husband and close friends for input. Once you feel like you’ve got a solid list that you’ll be happy with 25 years from now, type it up or write it out and tape it to your bathroom mirror or stick it on your refrigerator.
Before adding anything new to your plate or saying “yes” to any commitment, check your priorities list. This helps you to really consider things and not just pile all sorts of commitments on yourself that you’ll later regret.
It sounds like you might be a lot like me in that you have a hundred and one new ideas each week! There are books I want to read, things I want to do with my children, places I want to visit as a family, people I want to reach out to, friendships I want to maintain, skills I want to learn, character I want to develop, business projects I want to experiment with, house projects I want to work on… the list is practically endless.
And very quickly, it can become daunting and overwhelming — if I let it. Instead, just keep a notebook with a running list of ideas. That way, you’re recording them somewhere and they are out of your head vying for your attention.
A surefire way to set yourself up for failure is to try and re-invent your life overnight. It’s just not going to happen. Or if it does, it won’t last longer than a short while. Instead, take your list of priorities and your running list of things you want to do and map out one area of your life to focus on at a time.
I recommend picking the habit or change that is going to most significantly effect your everyday life. So think about what your biggest hangups and struggles are and then choose an area based upon that.
Make this habit your focus for 3-6 weeks. Once you feel like it’s truly become ingrained in your life, you can move onto the next habit or skill. But be careful that you don’t add something new too quickly. You’d rather improve a little bit more each month than to try and go full steam ahead and end up back where you started after a few months of effort.
Most importantly, give yourself lots of grace! You have a lot on your plate right now: you just moved and you have a six-month-old. Plus, it sounds like you no longer have the support you had before you moved.
Adjusting to being a new mom is a huge. Throw moving in there, too, and you’ve got a lot of big learning curves you’re shouldering at one time.
Now is the time to keep things really simple and to lower your expectations of yourself. Don’t worry about making elaborate dinners or cleaning your baseboards. Maybe even buy a few packages of disposable diapers instead of cloth diapering while you get settled in your home?
Don’t stress too much about trying to clip a bunch of coupons or shop at three different grocery stores. Just stick with simple, inexpensive meals and focus on stocking up on the loss leaders (or do more of your shopping at Aldi, if you have one nearby).
Finally, constantly remind yourself about what is really going to matter at the end of your life. Love on your baby and husband, cherish and embrace each day, and don’t forget to make sleep a priority.
In time, as you become more accustomed to your new area and your baby grows, you’ll be able to do more. But don’t be so anxious to do-do-do that you forget to take time to just soak up and savor the moments with your precious baby. They are fleeting!
This cheesy salsa chicken enfolded in a flakey homemade crust will soon become the meal your family requests! Eat them warm or freeze them for an easy weeknight meal.
I concocted these on a whim one night and they ended up being a huge hit with everyone in our family.
They were gone in a flash and I had to make more since Jesse was wondering what happened to them the next day!
Don’t you just love it when simple ingredients come together and become a family favorite?
For the Dough:
For the Filling:
1 Preheat oven to 500ºF
2. In a large bowl (or stand mixer) sprinkle yeast over warm water and mix until dissolved.
3. Add sugar, salt, oil, and flour and mix well.
4. Dump the mixture onto a floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes, until a soft dough forms.
5. Divide into 8-10 pieces.
6. Roll each piece into a ball and flatten with a rolling pin to form a small circle.
7. In a medium bowl, mix salsa, chicken and cheese.
8. Place a large spoonful onto each dough circle.
9. Fold dough over and seal tightly.
10. Bake on a greased cookie sheet in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until browned.
You can purchase refrigerated pizza dough or crescent roll dough if you’re short on time. I’d suggest following the baking directions on the packages for the dough (likely 375º or 400º).
Feel free to use your favorite cheese — specifically anything that pairs well with salsa and chicken. A Mexican queso blend would be fantastic!
Again, you can use whatever you have in the house, but if you’re going to buy something, look for a chunkier canned salsa (not fresh salsa) as they are less watery and won’t make your dough soggy.
Yes, for sure. Any type of cooked chicken will work for this recipe.
Let them cool completely and store them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Remove the desired number of pockets from the freezer and warm them individually in the microwave for about two minutes or until heated through.
OR, warm on a cookie sheet in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes, or until heated through.
Make sure to share and save it on your favorite platform below!
Are you joining us for Lunchbox Freezer Cooking? If you’ve blogged about a lunchbox recipes you’ve made for your freezer, leave a link to your post and recipe below. I can’t wait to see your yummy recipes and ideas!
Done-For-You Dinner Recipes With Simple Ingredients and a Grocery Shopping List!
This Busy Bag idea is so simple, but my kids loved it this week. It’s not exactly reusable — but it’s very, very inexpensive to put together, especially if you find a great deal on pasta!
Just put a bottle of glue, some pieces of cardstock, and some uncooked pasta (shapes and colors work best) into a ziptop bag. Or, feel free to skip the step of actually assembling the bag — but sometimes it’s easier to just go ahead and make up a bunch of Busy Bags so that you aren’t having to remember online ideas and assemble things on the fly.
Basically, just give your children the bag contents: some cardstock, glue, and uncooked pasta and let them have fun creating pictures. I’d recommend being close by if you have younger children, since glue and toddlers doesn’t always mix well. 😉
You can also do the same thing with uncooked beans. Or, if you want to jazz things up a bit and you only have plain pasta, you can dye your own pasta.
Note: As children can potentially choke on hard pasta, make sure to supervise them with this activity.
Find more Busy Bag ideas here.
I’m over at MomLife Today talking about one of my favorite subjects — freezer cooking:
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. For most people, the fallback is to call and order takeout or run and get something at the grocery store at the last minute.
But this is stressful and expensive, not to mention unhealthy. There must be a better solution!
For me, the solution to the 5 p.m. “What’s for dinner?” panic is called “freezer cooking.” If I forgot to pull something out from the freezer earlier in the day, I can just pick a meal from my freezer stash that defrosts quickly — such as meatballs.
I can 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!
Want to learn more about freezer cooking? Here are some posts to get you started:
OneGoodThingByJillee.com shows you how to make homemade laundry color-catchers.
Do you have a fun and frugal DIY idea to share? I’d love to hear about it! Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.
Looking for some new beans and rice recipe ideas? Meet Penny has a Beans & Rice Recipes link-up with lots of yummy-looking recipes. Go check it out — and leave a link to your favorite, too!
How do you do it? Mom, Wife, Cook, Clean, Homeschool, Blog, Coupon, and all around Happy Woman? Here’s a little on me: We just recently moved. Now we are 4 hours from family and friends so its just me and my 6 month old son. I LOVE your articles on 21 days to a clean house, freezer cooking, morning routines, and enjoy reading your goals list. My mom explained that being a supermom takes time and practice. I just want to know where to start.
There are 3 grocery stores to watch deals at, couponing, cleaning the house, trying to cook some dinner and maybe even some snacks, oh yeah, and taking care of my 6 month old that I recently started cloth diapering and I want to make some food for him (cook it up and blend it is WAY cheaper than buying jars!) And there are still a lot of boxes to unpack, and from there, donate and sell stuff and sort papers. I can’t do it all. Where do I start? -Jen
Let me just set your mind at ease, Jen: I’m not superwoman and I am far from having my act all together. All my local friends will tell you that I’ve got plenty of areas where I struggle in — just like everyone else. 🙂
That said, my heart goes out to you as a young mom. I well remember feeling so overwhelmed and inadequate with all of life’s demands when I just had my first baby. And I wanted to answer your question as best as I could, in hopes that it might encourage you and other moms out there who are struggling with feeling inadequate or just feeling overwhelmed with life’s demands.
Tonight, I’ll talk about how I do it (or don’t!). Tomorrow, I’ll share some suggestions I thought of for how you can find more peace, order, and fulfillment as a wife and mom.
As I’ve mentioned many times before, I lost my superwoman cape in the dirty laundry pile a long time ago. 😉 I think it coincided with the birth of my third child. That’s when I realized I so did not have my act together and needed to streamline if I were going to survive.
Also, I wanted to not just survive; I wanted to thrive. I didn’t want to look back at the end of my life and feel like I’d wasted my years. I’ve only got one shot at life and I want to use it well.
As a result, I’ve realized that I can’t do it all. I can’t even do a lot of things. I can only do a few things well. So, I’ve prayerfully chose what few things were priorities in my life (see my list here) and then I’ve been seeking to wrap my life around those things.
By choosing to only do a few things, I’ve been able to make those things a priority and focus. This simplifies my life and it helps me to stop feeling guilty about all the things I’m not doing that other people are. There may be a season for those things, but right now, I just gotta stick with a few things!
There is no way I could or would be blogging, running a business, speaking, and writing books if it weren’t for my husband. He’s my number one cheerleader and he is so excited about the opportunities and doors God is opening for me.
My husband is fantastic and we’re truly a team. As I mentioned last week, we both work together for the economy of our home. That means, it’s not uncommon at all for him to be helping with cleaning or dishes, he usually takes care of the kids’ bedtime routine, and he helps with the homeschooling.
After reaching the point of burnout a few years back, I’ve put some really clear cut boundaries in place when it comes to what I will take on and commit to. For starters, we try be home at least 4 nights each week and I try to stay home all day at least two full days every week. This helps provide a calmer home environment for us and prevents us from always rushing around to the next thing.
I’m a big believer in margin. I try to do something fun and enjoyable every day — even if it’s just 15 minutes of reading a good book. Because of my Type A personality, I’ve come to realize that if I’m not intentional about making fun and relaxation a priority, it won’t happen much. And I need to stop and smell the roses and have that white space in each day to give me energy and refuel my tank.
If life has been especially busy for a few weeks, I’ll declare a PJ Day and we’ll just stay home, take it easy, snuggle up and read, and/or watch a movie. Or, we’ll just go out and go to the library or the park for something different.
We take every Sunday off — off from media, off from blogging, off from our usual responsibilities. After church, we often go drive around (something my husband loves to do!), we sometimes stop for Sonic Happy Hour, and we typically have a leisurely extended lunch just hanging out as a family: talking, teasing, and catching up. After lunch, we usually read or take naps. And then we head to my family’s house around 6 p.m. for dinner with all of my side of the family. We look forward to Sundays all week long: it recharges and refuels us for the week — and it helps us to stay connected and grounded.
I’ve learned the hard way that I can’t do everything on my own. For a few years, I had a fantastic mother’s helper come in once a week to do whatever I needed done: deep cleaning, cooking, watching the children, or helping me catch up on laundry. Since my children are older now and able to help more, she’s no longer coming, but it was a huge help during a full season of life.
I’m blessed to have a great team of people who work for me to help shoulder the load of business responsibilities. I’d be completely sunk without them! And my assistant keeps my life running smoothly and orderly — so that I can focus on homeschooling, mothering, and loving my husband while still having time for friendships and margin. We’re also blessed to live near grandparents and extended family who are happy to babysit or help out however needed.
Despite all of these things, please don’t get the impression that I have all of my ducks in a row and constantly have a cheerful attitude. There are days when my patience seems nonexistent, there are times when I fail miserably, and there are moments when I want to pull my hair out. God reminds me often of how much I need His grace and help — and how without Him, I am nothing.
Stay tuned for my post tomorrow on some practical steps you can take to find more order in your home and life.
Related: How Can I Be Organized When I Have a Nursing Baby and a Toddler?
I’d love for the rest of you to chime in with your thoughts and advice for Jen. I can’t wait to read your comments and input!
photos from Big Stock
Inspired by this idea, I made Homemade Pizza Lunchables. I used our favorite Pizza Dough recipe and they turned out really well.
To serve these, you could either make them like Lunchables with some shredded cheese in a baggie, some pizza sauce in a little container, and one of the pizza crusts for your child to put together for their lunch. All of these items could be frozen in an airtight bag or an airtight freezer-friendly plastic lunch container.
Or, if you’re eating at home, you could top these with whatever pizza toppings you like and either heat them in the microwave or toaster oven, or bake them in the oven until heated through.
By the way, you can find a Dairy-Free version of this idea here.
Are you joining us for Lunchbox Freezer Cooking? If you’ve blogged about a lunchbox recipes you’ve made for your freezer, leave a link to your post and recipe below. I can’t wait to see your yummy recipes and ideas!
I was supposed to be out of town Tuesday through Friday of this week, but my trip got canceled at the very last minute (this afternoon!) because of a serious illness. So what was supposed to be a very full week, has now turned into a much calmer week — and an opportunity to catch up on a few things that have been hanging over my head for the past few weeks.
Last week’s goals:
Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals
1. Read at least 8 chapters of A Way Through the Sea aloud to the kids.
2. Write a love note to Jesse.3. Take children to the library/
meet friends at the park for a playdate.Personal Goals
4.
Finish reading Running For My Life, Eats, Shoots, and Leaves,Now, Discover Your Strengths,Abundant Simplicity, andHappier at Home.
5. Listen to two chapters of Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.6. Exercise at least five times. {It was only three times. I’ve got to stop slacking in this department!}
Homemaking Goals
7. Finish 25 more rows of the scarf I’m working on knitting.8. Make at least two new recipes.
9. Spot clean and wash curtains in kitchen.
Business Goals
10. Blog four posts in the Lunchbox Freezer Cooking series.
This week’s goals:
Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals
1. Read at least 8 chapters of A Way Through the Sea aloud to the kids.
2. Write a love note to Jesse.
Personal Goals
3. Finish reading 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess (re-reading for a project I’m working on), Whose Voice the Waters Heard, The Husband Project, Mended, Shades of Morning, Now, Discover Your Strengths.
4. Listen to two chapters of Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.
5. Exercise at least five times.
Homemaking Goals
6. Finish 25 more rows of the scarf I’m working on knitting.
7. Make at least two new recipes.
8. Go through our house for our garage sale next week.
Business Goals
9. Finish the Lunchbox Freezer Cooking series.
10. Finish book proposal for my next book & submit to my agent (Woot! So excited about the topic and contents planned for my next book!)
How did you do on last week’s goals? What are your goals for this week? I’d love to have you share your progress on last week’s goals and your goals for this coming week in the comments. Of, if you’ve blogged about it, leave your direct link below. Let’s cheer each other on to live purposeful and productive lives!
You can download a free customizable weekly goal-planning sheet here.
Breakfasts
Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets, Cereal, Toast, Eggs, and/or Fruit
Lunches
Lunch after church on Sunday: Pumpkin Pancakes, scrambled eggs, fruit
Cheese Quesadillas, oranges, carrot sticks
Snack-y lunch, fresh carrot/orange juice
Mac & cheese, veggies, fruit
Pizza Lunchables, veggies, fruit
Leftovers x 2Snacks
Fruit/Veggies
Homemade Bagels
Homemade Wheat Thins
Chewy No-Bake Granola BarsFreezer Cooking
Homemade Bagels
Homemade Wheat Thins
Chewy No-Bake Granola Bars
Lunchbox Freezer Cooking
Dinners
Dinner with extended family
Build-Your-Own Haystacks, fruit
Homemade Chicken Salsa Pizza Pockets (recipe coming tomorrow), fruit, steamed veggies
Steak, Twice-Baked Potatoes, Steamed Veggies, Fruit
Keilbasa/Potatoes/Carrots/Onions in the Crockpot, Soft 100% Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls, fruit salad
Lasagna Cups, Soft 100% Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls, fruit veggies
Dinner at church function
What’s on your menu this week? Share details and/or your link to your menu plan in the comments.
