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Shared Mar 25, 2013 comment

This week’s menu plan

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This week’s menu plan

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Pull Apart Oat Rolls

I’m keeping things simple food-wise here this week in order to streamline and focus on editing.

Breakfasts

Oatmeal, Cereal, Eggs, and/or Fruit

Lunches

Mac & cheese, fruit
Snack-y lunch
PB&J, carrot sticks, apples
Cheese quesadillas, carrot sticks
Pancakes, eggs, fruit
Leftovers x 2

Making Slow Cooker Lentil & Black Bean Soup

Snacks

Fruit/veggies
Popcorn
Quinoa Cookies

Freezer Cooking in an Hour (stay tuned on Thursday when I’ll share a play-by-play on how this goes!)

Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes
Crusty Baguettes
Quinoa Cookies

Freezer-Friendly Bean & Cheese Burritos

Dinners

Dinner with extended family
Slow Cooker Lentil & Black Bean Soup, Pull Apart Oat Rolls, fruit
Black Bean & Corn-Topped Potatoes, fruit, tossed salad
Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes, scrambled eggs, fruit
Bean & Cheese Burritos, fruit, veggies
Dinner with extended family
Dinner out

What’s on your menu this week? Share details and/or your link to your menu plan in the comments.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 25, 2013 comment

My Year of Kindness Challenge

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My Year of Kindness Challenge

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Guest post from Dallas of Day-by-Day Masterpiece

In December 2012, I read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker. Both books inspired me greatly, and I spent a lot of time thinking about how to be a better person.

How could I give more, do more, brighten more, serve more? And then the Sandy Hook tragedy occurred, and I mourned with the rest of our nation.

In my shock and grief, three questions kept rising to the forefront of my thoughts, refusing to be ignored:

  • How can I refocus and remember what truly matters?
  • How can I bring more love and joy to others?
  • How can I use my blessings to make a difference for others?

I want to be grateful and I want to be joyful; and in my experience, the best way to do so is to give gratefully and joyfully to others. I want to work on stepping outside myself {my petty grievances, my small problems, my unhelpful worries} and focus on the people and neighbors and global community around me.

So on the first week of January 2013, I started my “Year of Kindness Challenge” by pledging to do a random act of kindness for every week of the year. Some examples of kind acts I’ve done so far include:

  • donating canned goods to a food pantry
  • giving hot chocolate to someone out in the cold
  • writing and mailing a kind note
  • delivering Valentines to a nursing home.
  • baking cookies for a neighbor
  • leaving quarters on Laundromat washers & dryers

As a newly engaged graduate student trying to save money for my wedding, I knew when I started this challenge that I would not have much money to spare. So I am intentionally choosing every kind act to be inexpensive — some are even free! Also, they all take a short amount of time, so they can easily fit into a busy schedule.

What I’ve learned…

You do not need a lot of money to brighten the lives of those around you. Nor does it take much money to brighten your own life.

All you really need is a kind and open heart, a little creativity, and the willingness to make a positive difference. Who knows the ripple effects of kindness that will spread from your kind acts?

It’s very rewarding to keep track and reflect on acts of kindness – both the kind acts you do and the kindnesses others do for you. Chronicling my experiences on my blog every week has been a wonderful way to relive the joy of the kind act I did that week, and it’s also made me feel more aware and grateful for all the blessings in my life.

Whether it’s a sweet note I received in the mail, a door held open for me when my hands were full, or a free refill of green tea at Starbucks, taking a moment at the end of the day to write down and remember the little kindnesses I received fills my heart with contentment.

My weekly kindness challenge quickly became a priority in my life. It might only take fifteen minutes, but it undoubtedly boosts my own happiness and feelings of connection and positivity throughout the entire week.

Kindness really is contagious! The more I give, the more I want to give and give and give.

Will you join me?

Dallas Woodburn blogs about joyful, healthy living at Day-by-Day Masterpiece. She is also the author of two collections of short stories for children and teens; her latest, 3 a.m., was featured on the PBS book talk show “Between the Lines” and is available on Amazon.com. A passionate advocate for young writers and readers, Dallas is the founder of the nonprofit organization Write On! For Literacy and the publishing company Write On! Books, through which she edited and published the acclaimed anthology “Dancing With The Pen: a collection of today’s best youth writing.”

Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 25, 2013 comment

Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert ebook (now available)

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Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert ebook (now available)

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My friend, Erin Odom from The Humbled Homemaker, just released a brand-new comprehensive ebook today with just about everything you’d ever need to know about cloth diapering.

If you are considering cloth diapering, I highly recommend her ebook, Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert. Erin has extensive knowledge and experience — and she shoots it straight.

In this ebook, Erin addresses fears and concerns you may have surrounding cloth diapering. She also gives you step-by-step information on:

  • how to choose which cloth diaper is right for your situation
  • how to build your cloth diaper stash on a budget
  • how to make sure you get the right cloth diaper fit for your baby and toddler
  • how to wash your diapers properly
  • how to keep your cloth diapers stink-free
  • how to trouble-shoot cloth diaper issues
  • And so much more!

While I’ve cloth diapered exclusively in the past and have done a lot of in-depth research on cloth-diapering as a result, I still learned a lot from this ebook and feel it is well worth the price. Read more reviews and details on Erin’s just-released ebook here.

Psst! Erin is having a Facebook Party tonight from 8-10 p.m. EST and she’s giving away over $600 in cloth-diapering supplies!

Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 25, 2013 comment

Early to Rise: Share Your Success (and why I have a new crazy-early wake-up time!)

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Early to Rise: Share Your Success (and why I have a new crazy-early wake-up time!)

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to the Early to Rise Challenge! Throughout the month of March, I’m challenging myself and my readers to make the most of their mornings. So every week day morning at 9 a.m. EST, I’m posting a short Early to Rise post. I’ll share a few of my thoughts on the day’s passage from Early to Rise, tell you what time I got up that morning, and encourage you to leave a comment to tell us what time you got up and how you’re doing on the challenge.

Share Your Success

Have you found success by participating in the Early to Rise challenge this month? If so, don’t keep a good thing to yourself!

Tell your friends, blog readers, neighbors, and co-workers about what you’re learning and the progress you’re making. Don’t make them feel guilty if they are not early risers, but DO inspire them to consider trying to make the most of their mornings.

I get so pumped by hearing about other peoples’ successes with early morning rising. It motivates me to keep at it — and it inspires me to aim higher and be more intentional in my early morning rising.

For instance, at the Killer Tribes Conference this past weekend, I had the privilege of spending a little time with Jessica from The Mom Creative. She’s an amazing woman who accomplishes a lot and does it well.

I asked her point-blank, “How do you do it?” Want to know her first answer? “I get up early.”

She told me how she accomplishes so much by being committed to going to bed early and getting up at 5 a.m. every morning and using the first hour and a half of her morning really intentionally to write, plan, and work on projects.

Hearing her success inspired me to continue to making early morning rising a priority in my life. In fact, it’s one of the reasons I opted to get up really early for the next three weeks to work on editing my book (more on that below).

Who are you going to tell about your early morning success today? Tell us in the comments.

What Time Did You Get Up This Morning?

I got up at around 3 a.m. this morning. And don’t worry, it’s not because I think 3 a.m. is a great time to wake up. It’s for a good cause, though.

You see, I got my editorial review back from my publisher this past weekend and I have until April 15 to make some fairly extensive edits. While I’m going to scale back in some areas, I don’t want to give up the good routine we have going in our life right now.

So Jesse and I sat down and worked out a plan together. He offered to take over the kids’ bedtime routine so I could go to bed really early (8 p.m.). Then, my plan is to get up at 3 a.m. most every morning for the next three weeks to give me a good two hours to work on book edits each morning. Short-term sacrifices for long-term benefits, right? 🙂

What time did you get up? Leave a comment and let us know!

Join in the Chatter!

Want to blog about this challenge? If you’re blogging through this challenge with me, be sure to leave your link to your direct post for today below. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the Early to Rise Group Board on my Pinterest page, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.

Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? Each week day morning on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account, I’ll be posting a picture of my alarm clock as public accountability. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #EarlytoRise to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!

 

Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 23, 2013 comment

Weekend Giveaway: $50 Origami Owl Gift Certificate (5 Winners)

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Weekend Giveaway: $50 Origami Owl Gift Certificate (5 Winners)

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’m SO excited about this giveaway. Why?

Because if you know me in real-life, you know that I wear my Origami Owl Locket all. the. time. Well, okay, I do occasionally take it off (!), but it’s one of my very favorite pieces of jewelry and I typically wear it multiple times per week.

I love it most of all because I designed it. I have a charm representing each member of my family, so that I always carry them with me everywhere I go.

In addition, I love the versatility that these lockets provide — you can add charms, change out dangles to match your outfit, and more.

Origami Owl Lockets would make a fantastic keepsake gift and would be great to consider for Mother’s Day. Each locket is unique because YOU create it following these steps:

Get 10% Off Your Order Through Monday, March 25, 2013

Any orders placed by Monday, March 25th will receive an additional 10% off their total (before shipping and tax.)  To receive this special discount, readers can either contact Holly directly (via email – [email protected] or phone – 701.866.6577) or place an order through Holly’s website. If you contact Holly directly, she’ll take the 10% off before you pay and if you place an order though her website, she’ll reimburse you for the 10% off amount.

If You’re Interested in Hosting a Party or Becoming a Designer

If you are interested in hosting a party, please visit Holly’s website or contact her directly. If you are interested in becoming a designer, you can sign up on the wait list through Holly’s website. Please enter in 12529 when prompted for a Designer ID number and then contact Holly for more information on becoming a designer.

Origami Owl lockets allow you to tell a story by using charms, plates, dangles, and tags. They will be a treasured keepsake for any recipient — or to keep and wear yourself.

If you are interested in staying updated on Origami Owl news and special discounts and giveaways Holly will be doing, be sure to follow Holly’s Facebook Page.

Would you like to win a free $50 gift certificate to Origami Owl? Just click on the graphic below and type in your name and email address. This giveaway ends Sunday, March 24, at 11:59 pm, CST.

Enter the Giveaway

WANT TO SAVE $100 FAST?!Join the FREE 14-Day Savings Challenge!

Click here to sign up!
Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 23, 2013 comment

9 Tips to Simplify Freezer Cooking

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9 Tips to Simplify Freezer Cooking

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Krista of Krista Adams

I have enjoyed cooking and meal planning for a few years now, but recently I have been intrigued by freezer cooking. I thought it would make my weekday evenings easier if I had the option of pulling a meal from the freezer. But, I was very intimidated about the time required to do a freezer cooking session as well as what meals are freezer-friendly.

So I organized a cooking session with two of my friends, one of whom had done some freezer cooking already and had a better idea of what was involved. She was the one that decided which recipes we would make and how much we could cook in an afternoon. She also graciously did all the grocery shopping.

The three of us spent five hours making four recipes. Each recipe was multiplied by six so we each took home 2 x 6 servings of each dish resulting in 48 servings for each of our freezers.

We contributed some pantry items (seasonings) when needed, and our grocery bill totaled $66 per family (or $1.38 per serving!). Here are nine tips we used to simplify the freezer cooking process:

1. Buddy up!

Even though it was hard work, it was much more pleasurable being in the company of friends.

2. Plan ahead.

We didn’t have a good to-do list, and we spent a lot of time asking, ok what’s next? We would have been more efficient if we had created a task list and kept it visible in the kitchen.

3. Pick recipes with similar ingredients.

It’s more efficient if you can do the same prep for multiple recipes.

4. Overestimate on the time you think you will need.

We thought we could get everything done easily in 4 hours. But it took us over 5 hours, not including clean up.

5. Clean as you go when possible.

Don’t spend valuable time washing dishes when there are onions to be chopped, but when you are waiting on something else, use that time to wash a pot or wipe down a counter.

6. Pick the right kitchen.

You will need a lot of counter space, elbow room, and dishes. We discussed ahead of time who had what and who would bring what. We had plenty of cooking pans, but could have used additional mixing bowls.

I also had set a lot of bowls and pots out ahead of time so they would be readily available. But this just cut into our counter space and wasn’t necessary.

7. Pick simple recipes.

Find some recipes that are super simple and don’t require much work. One of our recipes included making a sauce and then adding raw chicken. Then it was done.

In total, we probably spent 10 minutes getting one meal done. We had other recipes that required more work, a lot more work, so it was nice to get one meal done.

8. Agree ahead of time on ingredients, cooking styles, and preferences.

We spent a lot of time preparing raw chicken by cutting off the fat. After the fact, we realized that the chicken probably didn’t need that much trimming.

During the cooking spree, we also discovered that none of us felt it necessary to fry the tortillas in oil before making the enchilada casserole. This didn’t affect the tastiness of the dish and definitely saved us time!

We also discussed ahead of time any diet restrictions and food aversions that our families have.

9. Ziploc bags are the way to go!

One of our meals was a casserole so we lined casserole dishes with foil and plastic wrap, then made the dish. It was a lot of work to get six dishes lined with the foil and plastic wrap.

This was also the last dish we made, and we were all tired at this point and ready to be done! We decided our next session we would only do meals that could be frozen in a bag.

Good luck on your freezer cooking session! It’s hard work, but worth it when you know dinner is in the freezer!

Krista is an engineer who works full-time. She is married and has a toddler. She enjoys cooking and meal planning. She is super organized which is her key to saving money, eating at home and most importantly staying sane! She also occasionally blogs at kristaadams.blogspot.com

Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 23, 2013 comment

FREE 4 Week Online Blogging Class

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FREE 4 Week Online Blogging Class

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Blogelina is once again offering her very popular 4-week blogging class — for FREE! This online class will be held in April 2013.

If you sign up for this free class, here’s what you’ll get:

  • A class manual – packed with 60 pages of information that will help take the overwhelming out of starting your own blog
  • 4 weekly online class sessions where you can ask your questions and get personalized feedback
  • A FREE year of web hosting.
  • Blueprints, step-by-step tutorials, networking with other bloggers – Everything you need to grow your blog.
  • Save yourself a lot of time, trouble, and money – learn from my own experiences what to do and not to do.

Go here to sign up for the FREE 4-week blogging class. 

(Note: Some of the links in this post are my referral links. Read our disclosure policy here.)

Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 22, 2013 comment

Do It Yourself: Homemade Herbal Scouring Powder

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Do It Yourself: Homemade Herbal Scouring Powder

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TheNerdyFarmWife.com shows you how to make homemade herbal scouring powder.

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.

Shared Mar 22, 2013 comment

Creamy Milk Rice

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Creamy Milk Rice

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Brigette Shevy

This has to be one of the easiest side dishes ever. And frugal to boot!

My husband grew up eating this creamy, comforting dish, so I was first introduced to it after I married into the family. And honestly, I never really cared for rice until I tried it served like this.

It’s a stick-to-your-ribs kind of side that can be served all year round. You can serve it alongside roast in the winter, or grilled chicken in the summer.

I’ve yet to meet another family who has heard of “milk rice,” so I’m curious if we’re the only family out there!? It falls somewhere between creamy mashed potatoes and risotto.

Since it doesn’t have a strong flavor, it pairs well with spicy or barbequed meats. And for those of you who prefer more flavor – feel free to liven this up however you like! Fresh herbs or Parmesan cheese, anyone?

My 2-year old likes this rice so much, that he will often come into the kitchen when I’m making dinner and ask, “Making rice, Mommy?”

If you feel like you’re stuck in a potatoes rut, here’s a super simple recipe to switch it up a little!

Milk Rice

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup long grain white rice (regular, basmati, and jasmine all work well. Brown rice does not work well)
  • 4 cups milk (whole milk or 2% is recommended)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS:

Stir together rice, milk and salt in a saucepan.

Over medium high heat, bring to a simmer (this works best if you do NOT allow it to get to a complete boil – at that point, it will boil over very easily and you’ll end up with a big mess!)

Immediately turn heat down to low.

Cook uncovered over low heat, stirring occasionally until mixture gets thick and creamy (somewhere around 25-30 minutes – the exact time depends on what kind of rice you use and how hot your stove cooks).

Stir in butter and serve!

Note: This will continue to get thicker as it cools. I usually take it off the heat when it is just a little bit soupier than I want it to be. If it gets too thick, you can always stir in a little additional milk.

Have you ever made “Milk Rice”?

Brigette is a full-time wife and mother who is blessed with three amazing bundles of energy (ages 6, 4, and 2). She enjoys music, experimenting in the kitchen, homeschooling her children, finding great deals, long-distance running, and anything chocolate.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 22, 2013 comment

Early to Rise Challenge: Find an Accountability Partner

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Early to Rise Challenge: Find an Accountability Partner

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to the Early to Rise Challenge! Throughout the month of March, I’m challenging myself and my readers to make the most of their mornings. So every week day morning at 9 a.m. EST, I’m posting a short Early to Rise post. I’ll share a few of my thoughts on the day’s passage from Early to Rise, tell you what time I got up that morning, and encourage you to leave a comment to tell us what time you got up and how you’re doing on the challenge.

Find an Accountability Partner

I’m a firm believer in what Andy encourages in Early to Rise today. 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.

For this Early to Rise Challenge, you all have been my accountability partners. Truthfully, there have been a few days that I have would have loved to go back to bed, but knowing I had to post my alarm clock each morning was a very good motivation to get up and stay up. 🙂

So, thank you, each of you, for joining me in this challenge! Your tweets, Pinterest posts, comments, and blog posts have fired me up and blessed me.

Do you have an accountability partner? Tell us in the comments.

What Time Did You Get Up This Morning?

I got up at 6:01 a.m.

What time did you get up? Leave a comment and let us know!

Join in the Chatter!

Want to blog about this challenge? If you’re blogging through this challenge with me, be sure to leave your link to your direct post for today below. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the Early to Rise Group Board on my Pinterest page, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.

Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? Each week day morning on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account, I’ll be posting a picture of my alarm clock as public accountability. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #EarlytoRise to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!

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

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Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 21, 2013 comment

Q&A: What books have most influenced you as a blogger & business owner?

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Q&A: What books have most influenced you as a blogger & business owner?

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Continuing on with the Q&A series on blogging I started two weeks ago, Christa asks:

What books/resources would you recommend as being the most influential in your blogging/business mindset? I recently started reading Platform by Michael Hyatt. I know you highly recommend Dave Ramsey. Are there any other books you would recommend that have been foundational in developing your mindset? -Christa

I highly recommend that anyone who wants to succeed in life becomes an avid reader of good books. Books will inspire you, challenge you, and shape the way you think. Best of all, books allow you to be mentored by amazing and successful people.

I can’t stress enough how much of a priority everyone should place on reading. Even if it’s just reading 1-2 pages of a book each day. Read something to stimulate your mind and I promise you’ll grow as a person as a result.

Here are a few suggestions and book ideas:

1. Watch, Listen, and Learn From People You Want to Emulate

Do you want to develop the character or work ethic of someone else? Read everything you can get your hands on that they’ve written. Their books, blogs, and articles will give you a peek into what has helped them to develop into the person they are.

I read and listen to Dave Ramsey, Michael Hyatt, Jon Acuff, Robert D. Smith, Jeff Goins, Lysa TerKeurst, among many others, because these are people who inspire and motivate me and whom I constantly learn from. {Speaking of which, if you haven’t watched this short video by Lysa TerKeurst, you must. She’s brilliant and I’ve been learning so much from reading, listening, and observing her!}

2. Read Books By People Who Are Successful Business Owners

If you want to have a successful blog or business, read books by people who are successful bloggers and/or business owners. They don’t need to be in your field. In fact, they can be doing something completely unrelated to what you’re doing. But you can apply the principles they share to your unique situation.

Here are a few biographies I’ve read in the last few years that have given me a lot of great business insight:

Pour Your Heart Into It — the story of how Starbucks came to be. It’s fascinating!

Against All Odds by Chuck Norris — full of inspiration to face your fears and move outside your comfort zone.

Eat Mor Chikin: Inspire More People — the story of how Chik-fil-A was born.

The Duck Commander Family — While this book isn’t really a business primer at all, I found the many business insights and ideas from it. You’ll want to have watched Duck Dynasty some before reading it or you probably won’t get the personalities of this family. 🙂

3. Feed Yourself a Steady Diet of New Ideas and Inspiration

Never be content with the status quo. There is always so much more to learn, so many new ideas to try, and so many ways to improve as a person.

Challenge yourself to read books that will inspire you with new business ideas and help you develop strong character as a business owner. A few such books that I’ve enjoyed and been motivated by in the last few years are: What the Most Successful People Do on the Weekends; Developing the Leader Within You; The One-Minute Entrepreneur; Becoming a Person of Influence; ReWork; and Today Matters.

Related: I also posted a list of 7 Must-Read Books for Work-At-Home Moms last year.

4. Immerse Yourself in Good Writing

If you want to be a successful blogger, constantly be seeking to improve your craft. This means exposing yourself to people who are amazing writers in a variety of genres. One reason I’ve been reading more fiction (outside the obvious fact that I enjoy it!) is because I’m gleaning so many ideas about good storytelling from it.

Emily Freeman, Jeff Goins, the Incourage writers, and Angie Smith are all bloggers and authors who inspire me as a writer. They are wordsmiths who paint pictures with their laptop. I want to be like them when I grow up.

Related: Two books on writing that I’ve loved this past year are: Every Writer Needs a Tribe and You Are a Writer.

5. Make All of Life Your Classroom

One of the greatest gifts my parents gave to me was a love for learning. When I graduated from high school, my education had just begun and all of the world was now my classroom.

As a blogger and business owner, you will never know everything there is to know about every subject. Every person you meet is a potential opportunity to learn something completely new. Ask questions, analyze, dig, experiment — and, most of all, enjoy the process. It’s an adventure!

Other Options to Develop as a Blogger & Business Owner

Listen to Podcasts & Audiobooks

I’m not much of a podcast listener but my husband regularly listens to Michael Hyatt’s podcast and the EntreLeadership podcast.

Reach Out to Wise People

Don’t be shy! It never hurts to ask for advice or input so long as you don’t feel hurt or offended if you never hear back or someone is unable to fulfill your request.

One suggestion: keep your requests short and succinct. A busy professional is much more apt to consider answering if you are asking a very simple question.

Find a Mentor

I’ve become a very firm believer in having mentors in your life. I’m blessed to have a mentor right now who meets with me once a week. She answers my questions, gives me counsel on situations, encourages me as I plan for the future, and inspires me to be the best I can be.

Hire a Coach

If you can afford it, hire someone short-term to help coach you in areas that you’re currently seeking to improve in.

I hired a proposal writer and ghost editor for the manuscript I recently wrote and she made a world of difference in the writing process — helping me think, process, plan, and write in a much more organized and efficient manner.

I also recently hired a speaking coach who is helping me craft all of my presentations. She is teaching me so much, helping to train me in how to wisely approach the art and craft of speaking, and shaving hours of prep time off my plate, too.

Related: Read this great article by Robert D. Smith on Do You Need to Hire a Coach?

Attend Conferences & Events

I cannot stress this option enough. The contacts and relationships I’ve made at conferences and events have been invaluable to me in helping to shape me as a blogger and business owner. If you have the opportunity to attend a writing, speaking, blogging, or business conference — GO! And go with gusto: use every minute to network and learn.

Ask questions of everyone you meet. Go talk to the keynote speakers and pick their brains. Take notes in all the sessions. Develop action plans. And then come home and put them in place!

What suggestions and ideas do the rest of you have for Christa? I’d love to hear!

Do you have a question on business or blogging that you’d love to have me answer as part of this series? You can email it to me here and I’ll be happy to consider doing so.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 21, 2013 comment

Freezer Cooking in an Hour: Pull Apart Oat Rolls, IHOP Pancakes, & Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pancakes

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Freezer Cooking in an Hour: Pull Apart Oat Rolls, IHOP Pancakes, & Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pancakes

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I mixed up the roll dough for the Pull Apart Rolls in the middle of our morning homeschooling while the girls were working on an independent project.

An hour later, the dough was done and ready to bake. Oh how I love my bread machine! 🙂

The rolls turned out beautifully (I forgot to brush them with butter, though!) and were very delicious. Plus, they froze well. By the way, these are so, so good with Crockpot Apple Butter.

Yay for another fantastic bread recipe to add to my line-up of favorite bread recipes!

I wasn’t sure how the Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pancakes would turn out. It seemed like an awful lot of different ingredients to throw into one recipe.

I used buttermilk and bananas that I’d purchased marked down and had frozen. I love it when I can incorporate ingredients that I’ve gotten on a great sale into my freezer cooking.

Jesse and I both agreed we really liked the end result. They are hearty and delicious. Best of all, they pack a nutritious punch.

We like them best served cold without any sort of topping. And don’t get too hung up on the “pancake” part of their name. They are pancakes, but they reminded me a little more of breakfast cookies than pancakes in how they taste.

And finally, we LOVED the IHOP Pancakes. They were so fluffy and yummy. This is definitely a recipe I’ll be making again!

Did you cook or bake anything for your freezer this week? Share the recipe link in the comments; I’d love to check it out!

Recipe links:

Pull Apart Oat Rolls
Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pancakes
IHOP-Knock-Off Pancakes

Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 21, 2013 comment

Utilizing a Vocational School’s Services to Save Money

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Utilizing a Vocational School’s Services to Save Money

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Amy emailed in the following tip:

We were recently told that we needed new brakes and rotors on our minivan, but we didn’t have the $346.24 quoted us to replace them. And we had just paid off one of our credit cards so we really didn’t want to throw almost $400 dollars back on the card just days after paying it off.

Instead, we saved a lot of money and gave the business to our local vocational high school. The grand total for getting our new brakes and rotors at the vocational school was only $161.59 — including the labor charge of only $30!

If you want comfy waiting rooms, quick service and a ride back home, this is definitely not the way for you to go. But if you want to save money and don’t mind being mildly inconvenienced, this is a great alternative.

We’ve used the services of this vocational school in the past for other jobs and it really is a fantastic option if you have one close by. All of the work is supervised and inspected by certified teachers who have often worked in their fields for many many years before deciding to teach. -Amy

Have you used the services of a vocational school before?

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Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 21, 2013 comment

Free samples in my mailbox this week

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Free samples in my mailbox this week

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Here are the free samples I’ve gotten over the past week:

Free sample of Peet’s Coffee

Free 8-load bottle of Method laundry detergent

Free Fiber One protein bar

Coupon for a free NIVEA lip product

What freebies have arrived in your mailbox this week?

By the way, if you want to start getting great freebies in your mailbox, just start signing up for the freebies I post every day that interest you. Within 4-6 weeks, your mailbox will start filling up with great freebies!

Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 21, 2013 comment

Giving Yourself Grace

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Giving Yourself Grace

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Kate of Organization for the Type B

A little while ago, Crystal had a lovely post about giving your kids grace, not shame. Today I am writing to tell you that not only do you need to do this for your kids, but yourself also.

How often do you make a mistake? I make them all them time!

I have been participating in the “Early to Rise” Challenege, and the past couple mornings I have not gotten up at my goal time (in fact yesterday, I overslept a whole hour)! My first response was guilt, and I felt very down on myself. We all feel down on ourselves, whether it’s eating too much spending too much, etc.

However, instead of berating ourselves for making a bad decision, it’s time to show ourselves some grace.

Here is what I do:

1. Admit I made a mistake. I should not have ate/bought/did that — whatever it was. We all know the saying, “The first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one”. So, admit it to yourself.

2. Make an action plan for next time you find yourself in this situation. Tomorrow, I will set two alarms and promise to text my friend as soon as I get up. Or, I will go to the store and stock my pantry with healthy food. Or, I will stay home instead of going to the mall and tempting myself to overspend.

3. Do it! Feeling bad and shaming yourself will do NOTHING to make a difference next time. Only you DOING it differently will.

God shows us grace everyday, and we try to show our children and other people grace. So it’s about time we give ourselves some grace, too!

Learn to laugh with yourself. When you do, you will find it makes giving others grace easier!

Kate is a full time wife and mother and part time teacher outside the home. She blogs about organization, minimalism, frugal, and green Christian living at Organization for the Type B.

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