CelebrateEverydayWithMe.com shows you how to make a no-sew fort kit. I love this idea!
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.
Summer Bucket List
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Shared Aug 27, 2012
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Make the Most of Your Mornings: Don’t Focus on Quitting Bad Habits, Focus on Starting Good Habits (Day 11)
Make the Most of Your Mornings: Don’t Focus on Quitting Bad Habits, Focus on Starting Good Habits (Day 11)
Over the weekend, I read The Real Reason You Can’t Quit Diet Coke, Ditch the Junk Food, or Get to Bed on Time by Anne from Modern Mrs. Darcy. Here’s a little of what she says:
Have you ever resolved to drop a bad habit–and failed? I have. And I’m not alone.
You may decide you need to drop a bad habit, but it’s hard to just QUIT doing something. You may be committed to change, and have fabulous intentions–but you still struggle to follow through. Why?
It’s because people typically set themselves up to lose.
To be successful, you have to replace a negative habit with a positive one. So instead of resolving to “stop eating junk” you have to “choose healthy snacks” instead. This isn’t just a question of semantics: it’s a powerful–and overlooked–difference.
This is so true — especially when it comes to making the most of your mornings. If your normal course of action for the last five years has been sleeping in until the last minute each morning and then running around in a crazy chaotic mess trying to get everything done and yourself out the door on time, telling yourself that from now on you’re going to wake up early and get a bunch of extra things done in the morning is probably setting yourself up for failure.
No matter how strong your resolve is, determination alone is probably not going to be enough for long-term success.
Don’t get me wrong; commitment is the first step. But it’s just that — the first step. If all you ever do is commit to change, I’m proud of you for your drive and desire to change, but I want you to see long-term success in the goals you set. So you’ve got to take it a step farther and stop focusing on what you’re giving up and instead focus on the good habits you are resolving to instill in your life.
Create Your Game Plan for Success
Once you’ve determined what areas you need and want to change, pick the most important areas — those that are going to make the biggest difference in your overall life, sanity, and fulfillment. Start with those and come up with a specific plan for the good habits you are going to focus on implementing in your life.
For instance, if you want to make getting up by 6 a.m. a reality, plan to have everything done for the day by 8 p.m. or earlier so that you can wind down, get ready for bed, and get to bed at a decent hour. In addition, figure out what things you love to wake up to in the morning and implement those as part of your morning.
Maybe you love a good cup of coffee with special creamer and classical music playing in the background. Buy the special creamer, set the coffeemaker to turn on right before you wake up, and set your alarm to play classical music beginning at 6:05 a.m. By doing these things, you’re helping yourself succeed — and making it a whole lot easier to get up in the morning.
My Game Plan for Getting Out of My Workout Clothes Each Morning
Last Friday, I confessed that I’ve been struggling with making time for getting a shower and getting out of my workout clothes in the morning. For some of you, I am sure this seemed beyond bizarre that I can’t get my act together in this simple area, but you all were so gracious to give me such helpful suggestions and practical ideas. I spent the weekend mulling over things and devising a plan.
Here’s what I came up with:
1) I Declare That From This Day Forth Wearing Pajamas or Workout Clothes Past 9 a.m. is Not An Option
There, I made a personal declaration and you can hold me to it. You have my permission to email me, text me, call me, or drop by to see if I’m living up to this. 🙂
2) I Will Stop Working Out at 7:00 a.m. in Order to Take a Shower
I realized that one of the problems was that I was feeling like I had to always complete the full P90X workout every single day — even if we hadn’t started it until later than planned. Often, this was throwing off my whole morning since once we were finished working out, there was no time for a shower before I needed to jump into our morning chores and homeschooling.
3) I Will Lay Out My Clothes I Love to Wear Every Night Before Bed
I was already laying out clothes as part of my Top 5 Evening Must-Do’s (not that I was ever changing into them, but…), however, I realized that I was mostly choosing outfits that I’ve worn so many times I wasn’t really excited about putting them on. I was inspired by some of you to consider sprucing up my wardrobe a bit to make getting dressed in the morning a little more fun.
4) As Soon As I’m Showered and Dressed, I Get to Have My Morning Coffee.
I love my morning coffee. It’s my cup of happy that I look forward to waking up to. I realized that making this rule would highly motivate me to get showered and dressed!
For those of you who get showered and dressed every day without nary a thought or consideration, I’m sure this list seems over-the-top crazy. And it might be. But I had to draw a line in the sand and I had to be very specific if I want to overcome this lifelong nemesis.
I’m hoping sharing this might encourage or inspire some of you who are struggling in this area or another area. Don’t just say you want to change; come up with a clear cut plan of action for making the change happen. And then go do it!
My Day 10 Project Update
Bedtime: I made it to bed by 9:30 last night — finally managed to hit my bedtime!
My Top 5 Evening Must Do’s: Done!
Wake Up Time: 4:35 a.m.
Day 11 Project
1. Did you determine your bedtime and 5 Evening Must-Do’s? If so, leave a comment telling us how you did on them last night.
2. Did you determine what time you’re going to commit to waking up every morning for the next three weeks? If so, leave a comment telling us how you did this morning!
3. Did you get in some exercise yesterday and eat a nutritious breakfast? If not, make a commitment today to a specific way you’re going to incorporate exercise and a nutritious breakfast into your day.
4. Read The Real Reason You Can’t Quit Diet Coke, Ditch the Junk Food, or Get to Bed on Time and think about one area in your life that you are currently struggling with. How can you set yourself up for success replacing a negative habit with a positive one? I’d love to hear what you come up with!
10 goals for this week
Last week’s goals
Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals
1. Finish reading Missionary Stories From Around the World.
Start reading The Borrowers aloud to the children.
2. Write a love note to Jesse.3. Read together with Jesse at least four nights. (We read together two nights; I guess that’s a start!)
Personal Goals
4. Start and finish reading
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society,Satisfy My Thirsty Soul, Running For My Life, and Eats, Shoots, and Leaves.
5. Listen to two chapters of Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.6. Exercise goals: Follow P90X workout schedule (I’m starting this with my husband this week! Day 1 down and it was a lot of fun to do together!)
Homemaking Goals
7. Try at least two new recipes.8. Finish knitting the scarf I’m working on. (Um, I only have about 6 inches done on this. It’s going a lot slower than I was expecting. But progress is progress, right?!)
Business Goals
9. Write at least two articles for other blogs/sites.10. Do the final edits to my new ebook on self-discipline
Here are my 10 goals for this week:
Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals
1. Finish reading Missionary Stories From Around the World. Finish Little House in the Big Woods (reading aloud to Kaitlynn). Continue reading one chapter of The Borrowers aloud at dinner each night.
2. Write a love note to Jesse.
3. Read together with Jesse before bed at least three nights.
Personal Goals
4. Finish reading Running For My Life and Eats, Shoots, and Leaves. Start and finish reading Now, Discover Your Strengths, Unglued, Abundant Simplicity, Happier at Home (Gretchen sent me a pre-release copy! I can’t wait to dive in!), and Every Now & Then. {I’m pretty positive there’s no way I’ll finish all of these, but I’m so anxious to delve into a few of these that I made my reading list long this week!}
5. Listen to two chapters of Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.
6. Exercise goals: Follow P90X workout schedule (Jesse and I are doing this together — so much fun!)
Homemaking Goals
7. Try at least two new recipes.
8. Finish at least half of the scarf I’m working on knitting.
Business Goals
9. Write at least two articles for other blogs/sites.
10. Do the final edits to my new ebook on self-discipline (more details coming soon! Hopefully I’ll actually get this done this week!)
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.
How Changing My Morning Changed My Whole Day
Testimony from Jessica of The Abundant Wife
A few months ago, Crystal did a series of posts on how getting up early could give you more time in your day. I took those posts to heart, and decided to give it a try.
On June 15, I wrote down six goals that I hoped to accomplish in the next month:
- Go to bed every night by 10 p.m.
- Get up every morning at 7 a.m.
- Read a chapter from my Bible every day.
- Write a page in my journal every day.
- Read from a book every day.
- Go for a walk every day.
Next I posted my list on the bulletin board over my computer so that I would see it every day. After a few days, I decided that I needed some sort of reward system. Amy Lynn Andrews had recently posted a “productivity secret” from Jerry Seinfeld, so I decided to use his system. I gave myself a star for every day when I accomplished items #2-#5.
I decided to give myself Sundays off, which worked well for me. Later, I also added Crystal’s technique of keeping track of the books I read on Pinterest, which has been another great motivator.
As with most goals, I have had some set-backs.
First, my kids started getting up when I did which was really frustrating! However, with time, they have adapted to my new routine. Now my 3-year-old daughter often wanders out and sits by me while I’m reading and writing. I usually have to finish my new routine by getting my 1-year-old son out of bed and changing his diaper.
I have also really struggled with goals #1 and #6. I think I will have to focus more on them in future months, but I am still happy to be accomplishing four out of my six goals.
In spite of those few struggles, I am very pleased with the positive results of my 6 goals over the last 2 months:
- I have been reading my Bible and writing in my journal daily for the first time since my daughter was born three years ago.
- I have finished 12 books in 2012 — 9 of those books were finished in the last two months!
- I have been able to write more regularly on my blog.
- I have needed fewer naps since I have been trying to get to bed earlier. I am also tired when it is time to go to bed.
- By moving up my schedule, our entire day begins and ends earlier. All of our meal times are now happening earlier.
- I have accomplished more of my other goals for the year, including outings with the kids and home improvements I had planned.
When I first began getting up before my kids, I dreaded the thought of getting any less sleep or adding more tasks to my day. Now, I find myself looking forward to “my time” in the mornings as a breath of fresh air.
Getting up earlier than my kids jump-starts my whole day and gives me structure. Doing something I love first thing keeps me motivated to continue my new routine!
Have you accepted Crystal’s challenge to make the most of your mornings? What has or has not worked for you?
Jessica is the child of a loving God, the wife of a wonderful man, and the mother of two energetic toddlers (with a third on the way!) She is a lifelong learner who loves reading, writing, bargain-hunting, creating art, and laughing until her face hurts. Jessica writes about living abundantly on one income at The Abundant Wife.
An Emergency Fund: Our Secret Financial Weapon
photo source: BigStock
Testimony from Amanda of Finding Joy in Depression
It was a quiet Friday evening. My husband was running an errand on his way home after work. He stopped at a stoplight and the unthinkable happened: he was rear-ended.
Thankfully, my husband was completely fine. The tailgate door and the bumper of my van, on the other hand, were both crushed and in sad shape.
When reporting the claim with our insurance company, we were informed that we’d have to pay the $500 deductible up front and wait to be reimbursed despite the fact that the other driver was at fault. My former self would have been relieved that the money was coming back but completely panicked in figuring out how we’d come up with the money.
But, we no longer needed to panic about the unexpected. We had a secret weapon. It’s called an emergency fund.
A few years ago we committed to funding an emergency fund at $1,000. Having children and owning a home, we didn’t feel like $1,000 was enough. So, we increased our goal to $2,500. Now, we keep our emergency fund between $2,500 and $3,000.
Rather than floating the money on a credit card or trying to juggle cash while praying that payments to our bills wouldn’t bounce, we used our secret weapon. I simply moved the money out of the emergency savings account and into the checking account.
From the checking account I paid the $500 deductible at the body shop. A few weeks later, the $500 reimbursement check arrived in the mail, and I replaced the $500 that had been taken out of emergency savings.
Pretty cool secret weapon, huh?
Amanda Pelser is a work-at-home(schooling) mom of two young boys who has been married to her high school sweetheart for nine years. She opens her home as an encouraging and inspirational shelter for the heart of moms through stories of faith, motherhood, and homeschooling at ThePelsers.com. Amanda is the author of Finding Joy in Depression and runs her own virtual assistant and WordPress maintenance business from home in an effort to reach her family’s goal of being debt-free.
Shared Aug 24, 2012
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Make the Most of Your Mornings: Get Dressed in Something That Makes You Feel Good (Day 10)
Make the Most of Your Mornings: Get Dressed in Something That Makes You Feel Good (Day 10)
So yesterday, I sort of stepped on some of your toes, but today, I’m stepping on my own toes. Because I’ve really been struggling with getting dressed in the morning.
In fact, to be 100% honest, I’ve worn my workout clothes almost all day everyday this week and I only got a few showers in. Ick, I know, but I’m just being truthful here.
If you just were utterly horrified with me, you have every right to be. Because it’s not how I want to be living either. Nor is it the kind of example I want to be setting for my kids.
Yes, I could make the excuse that we started our new homeschooling schedule and P90X this week, but those are just that — excuses. The real reason I’ve been struggling with getting dressed in the morning lies in the fact that I’m not making it a priority.
My days are full, no doubt, but I find time to blog and I find time to read. So that means I could also find time to shower and get dressed in something other than workout clothes! Instead, it seems that this past week I’ve been having my morning quiet time, heading downstairs to exercise with my husband, and then I get busy with taking care of my children’s needs, homeschooling, cleaning, cooking, blogging and all the other things that fill up my day — and all of a sudden, it’s almost dinner time and I’m still in my workout clothes.
I know that when I take a shower and get dressed in something that makes me feel great, including hair and makeup, I feel so much better about myself, I’m able to head out the door at a moment’s notice, I don’t fear the doorbell ringing (!), and I seem to be more productive, too. But knowing these things is not enough, I need to crack down and actually do something about it.
So today, instead of sharing with you some tips and practical ideas like I’ve done every day in this series so far, I’m coming to you for help: What advice and tips do you have for someone like me who struggles to get a shower in and get dressed every morning if I’m not going anywhere that day?
{And I know that those of you who have to be up, dressed, out the door, and to work at 6 a.m. or earlier are probably cracking up at my dilemma since you can’t imagine how someone couldn’t just get up and get dressed. I know, I know, it sounds so simple in theory…!}
I’ll share my plan of action for how I’m going to seek to improve in this area on Monday.
My Day 9 Project Update
Bedtime: I made it to bed by 10 p.m. last night — 30 minutes after my bedtime. Hopefully, I’ll do better next week!
My Top 5 Evening Must Do’s: Done!
Wake Up Time: 5:20 a.m.
Day 10 Project
1. Did you determine your bedtime and 5 Evening Must-Do’s? If so, leave a comment telling us how you did on them last night.
2. Did you determine what time you’re going to commit to waking up every morning for the next three weeks? If so, leave a comment telling us how you did this morning!
3. Did you get in some exercise yesterday and eat a nutritious breakfast? If not, make a commitment today to a specific way you’re going to incorporate exercise and a nutritious breakfast into your day.
Reader Tip: Keep Track of Library Books with LibraryElf.com
Susan emailed in the following tip:
A friend tipped me off to LibraryElf.com, and it’s made keeping track of our family’s library accounts so much easier!
Members of participating libraries can sign up for a Library Elf account and add each family member’s cards. Then email notifications are sent as desired; I’ve requested a summary each day. The notifications let me know which holds are ready for pick-up, what books are coming due soon, anything that’s overdue, etc…for each family member whose card I registered!
You can see the huge list of participating libraries here.
Classic Grilled Chicken
Guest post from Brigette Shevy
This is a basic recipe for chicken on the grill that never disappoints. If you like juicy, well-seasoned chicken, this recipe is for you. It is simple enough to appeal to children, while being classy enough to serve to company. And did I mention that it’s budget-friendly?
You can use whatever cut of chicken your family likes best, but it works great with chicken legs and thighs, which can often be purchased quite inexpensively. Plus, almost all of the ingredients used in this recipe are standard pantry items for most people!
The homemade spice mixture is flexible – feel free to adjust things according to your family’s preferences (or whatever you have on hand).
Classic Grilled Chicken
Serves 4-6
4 ½ – 5 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (I often use chicken leg quarters since they are usually very inexpensive.)
Marinade:
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
Spice mixture:
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon each: salt, pepper, onion powder, chili powder, thyme and oregano
- Pinch cayenne pepper (or more if your family likes things spicy)
Trim any excess fat from chicken pieces, and remove skin if desired. Cut several small slits on the underneath side of each piece of chicken to help the marinade absorb better.
Combine marinade ingredients until well blended (I do this in my blender). Put chicken pieces in a seal-able bag or container and pour the marinade over them. Make sure the marinade is distributed evenly and seal well. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Combine spice mixture ingredients.
Remove chicken pieces from marinade and pat dry. Discard marinade.
Preheat grill to medium heat. Generously rub or sprinkle chicken pieces with spice mixture on all sides. Grill 4-5 minutes on each side.
Turn the heat down to low and move chicken to cooler parts of the grill (usually the outside edges). Continue cooking on low until juices run clear and internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
I like to move my chicken back to the hotter parts of the grill and turn the heat back up to medium for the last few minutes of cooking (for a slightly crispy outside).
The total cooking time will vary depending on the thickness and type of chicken pieces you are using and the temperature of your grill. It takes somewhere between 35-50 minutes total cooking time for me.
Brigette is a full-time wife and mother who is blessed with three amazing bundles of energy (ages 5, 3 and 1). She enjoys music, experimenting in the kitchen, homeschooling her children, finding great deals, long-distance running, and anything chocolate.
How to Find Free Kid’s Books Online
KC Edventures has a fantastic post up with a bunch of links to different sites that offer free ebooks and audiobooks for kids.
Shared Aug 23, 2012
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Make the Most of Your Mornings: Stop Saying “I’m Not a Morning Person!” (Day 9)
Make the Most of Your Mornings: Stop Saying “I’m Not a Morning Person!” (Day 9)
Sorry that I’m getting this up so late (and past my bedtime!). I had it ready earlier but then had computer issues. Hopefully, tomorrow’s post will be up much earlier again. Thanks for your patience as I adjusted to our new homeschooling schedule this week and tried to figure out where blogging was going to fit in! I’m hoping I’ve got it figured out now after four days into our new schedule… we’ll see! 🙂
Okay, I’m probably going to step on some toes here, but I want to stick my neck out anyway and say this: As long as you continue to say “I’m not a morning person” you never will be one.
We’re all wired differently. Some of us are better at getting up in the morning. For others, it’s a big struggle. But when you convince yourself that you’re just not a morning person, you’re basically committing yourself to failure before you even try.
Don’t be a defeatist!
You might not be able to get up really early. You might not jump out of bed ready to hit the ground running. You might require more hours of sleep than other people. But don’t let those things keep you from trying or seeking to improve.
If I were to declare “I’m not good with money,” that might be true. But that doesn’t mean the fact that I’ve handled money unwisely in the past needs to define me or be used as an excuse for blowing money on things I don’t need or racking up credit card debt.
Having low expectations of ourselves is one sure way to never rise above the status quo. It’s also sure way to live a mediocre, boring life.
So, no matter what you’ve done or been in the past, don’t let that define you. Instead, start taking steps toward where you hope to be. And keep at it, even when the going is rough.
I loved this comment from Kelli@Taste&See:
I didn’t consider myself a morning person for year and years. I’m still a bit of a morning person-in-training.
However, I just wanted to chime in and say that I didn’t know I had potential to be a morning person until I committed to trying it for three weeks. I hated it – truly hated it – for the first week.
By the 2nd week, I didn’t mind getting up quite so much. By the 3rd week, I found that I really looked forward to my quiet time to myself!
Now I’d like to try adding exercise to my morning routine. I expect to hate that for the first week, too. 🙂 -Kelli
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that if you start getting up early every morning you’re going to magically turn into someone who loves getting up at the crack of dawn. Nor am I saying that everyone should get up really early.
What I am asking is that you stop and consider whether your preconceived notions about being a certain kind of person are holding you back from success.
My Day 8 Project Update
Bedtime: Um, so much for getting to bed by 9:30 p.m. But hey, after my shopping fiasco, I did at least make it to bed by 10:30.
My Top 5 Evening Must Do’s: Done!
Wake Up Time: 6:30 a.m.: It felt so late, after four much earlier mornings. And I felt behind all day. At least I know that the early morning wake up times are making a big difference. Now if I can just stick with them…!
Day 9 Project
1. Did you determine your bedtime and 5 Evening Must-Do’s? If so, leave a comment telling us how you did on them last night.
2. Did you determine what time you’re going to commit to waking up every morning for the next three weeks? If so, leave a comment telling us how you did this morning!
3. Did you get in some exercise yesterday and eat a nutritious breakfast? If not, make a commitment today to a specific way you’re going to incorporate exercise and a nutritious breakfast into your day.
4. Consider whether you have preconceived notions about yourself that might be holding you back from success.
OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!
Click here to download!
Shared Aug 23, 2012
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Freezer Cooking in an Hour: Mini Deep Dish Pizzas & Knock Off Betty Crocker Brownie Mixes
Freezer Cooking in an Hour: Mini Deep Dish Pizzas & Knock Off Betty Crocker Brownie Mixes
Here’s a little peek into the freezer cooking I did tonight:
I baked some chicken earlier in the day and chopped it while I was talking with my mom (she’s been coming over to spend time with the kids every Thursday afternoon after school).
And then Silas helped me grind up some flour while I mixed up the homemade pizza dough.
The Deep Dish Barbecue Chicken Pizzas were a little time intensive to put together.
Gratefully, I had some extra help in putting the pizzas together. I think someone likes their cheese. 😉
I also made up a pizza with the extra ingredients.
Silas took this picture himself and I thought he did a pretty good job.
The Deep Dish Barbecue Chicken Pizzas turned out beautifully and the family declared them to be delicious. I’m happy to have some yummy grab-and-go foods in the freezer — perfect for a quick snack or lunch.
I also mixed up a double batch of these Knock Off Betty Crocker Brownie Mixes. I’m anxious to make them and see how they turn out.
Have you done any cooking or baking for your freezer this week?
Shared Aug 23, 2012
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My Dillon’s Shopping Trip (apparently, I’m pretty out-of-practice when it comes to using coupons!)
My Dillon’s Shopping Trip (apparently, I’m pretty out-of-practice when it comes to using coupons!)
Yesterday’s Dillon’s Shopping Trip
Bag of Tyson Chicken Breasts — $6.99
6 boxes of Hefty OneZip Bags — $0.99 each after the Buy 10, Get $5 Off Promotion — used 6 $0.55/1 coupons here and here = free after coupons and promotion
4 bags of Nabisco Oreos/Animal Crackers — $0.99 each after the Buy 10, Get $5 Off promotion — used 2 $1/2 coupons = $0.50 per bag after coupons and promotion
2 bags of cheese — $1.79 each
1 dozen eggs — $2.50
7 boxes of Nature Valley & Fiber One Bars/Thins — $1.99 per box after the Buy 10 Get, $5 Off promotion — used 2 $0.40/1 coupons (doubled), used 2 $0.50/1 coupons (doubled), used 1 $0.50/2 coupon (doubled) = $9.33 total + got back a $3 catalina for buying 6 boxes of GM bars = about $0.91 per box (would’ve been less if they would have had all the boxes in stock that I had $0.50/1 coupons for — I’m going to check another store!)
1 SmartBalance Butter — $1.99 after the Buy 10 Get, $5 Off promotion — used $1.75/1 coupon = $0.24 after coupon
1 BirdsEye frozen veggies (not pictured) — $0.99 after the Buy 10 Get, $5 Off promotion — used $0.35/1 coupon (doubled) = $0.29 after coupon
1 Dial hand soap — $0.88 — used $0.35/1 coupon (doubled) = $0.18 after coupon
1 package of Goldfish crackers (not pictured) — $0.99 after the Buy 10 Get, $5 Off promotion
Total plus tax: $27.59 + got a $3 catalina back for purchase six boxes of General Mills cereal bars
If you’ve noticed, I haven’t been doing much coupon-shopping recently. I took the summer “off” from many different normal activities — including using coupons. I was feeling rather burnt out after a busy winter and spring and a laid-back summer was the perfect antidote.
But when my friend emailed me yesterday and told me about the really hot Buy 10, Get $5 Off deals at Dillons, I knew it was time to get out my coupon box again. So I consulted Frugal Fritzie, revved up the printer, and made my list.
After Jesse and Silas headed to a men’s meeting yesterday evening, I finally got my shower in for the day (yes, I know, that’s terrible, isn’t it?!) and headed out to Dillon’s with the two girls in tow and my envelope of coupons.
I was excited to get some smoking hot deals again! And I did get some great deals, but I ran into a few snags along the way…
Problem number one: By the time I got around and go out the door, it was pushing 8:30 p.m. No sweat, I figured. My list wasn’t too long, the store should be deserted, and I’ll just run in and run out really quickly.
Problem number two: The shelves were empty of some of the best deals. Again, I just re-worked my plan and figured out how to pull it off so that I was
Problem number three: Somehow I thought the Dial soap was a part of the Buy 10, Get $5 Off deal. So, while I counted and re-counted to make sure I had 20 participating items, one of the items wasn’t participating — which meant I only had purchased 19 items. But I didn’t realize this.
The shopping trip took me quite a bit longer than I was expecting and long gone were my visions of getting home before 9 p.m. so I could get to bed by my bedtime. Oh well, life happens sometimes, I told myself.
But since we were running late, I called Jesse who was on his way home from the meeting. He said he’d meet us at the store since he wanted to pick out some ice cream for an evening snack.
I went through the lane, had a very coupon-friendly cashier, and paid for my groceries. But the total just didn’t sound right. I waved off the feeling at first while we met up with Jesse and Silas.
The nagging feeling of having paid too much was still there, so I pulled out my receipt and immediately figured out the problem: the $5 hadn’t been taken off for one of the Buy 10, Get $5 Off promotions. I really didn’t want to pay an extra $0.50 for each of those nine items, so I headed back to the checkout lanes and two really kind cashiers helped me look over my receipt.
We couldn’t figure out what went wrong where, but we counted and re-counted the items and realized I had only gotten 19 items. They graciously offered to let me purchase one more item in order to get the $5 off.
I ran over to pick up a package of Goldfish crackers and went back to the checkout lane where the helpful cashiers were waiting for me. One of them started ringing up the Goldfish crackers and then I realized that Jesse had already taken my other groceries and the kids out to the car — along with my wallet and Dillon’s card.
We stopped the transaction and I ran out to the car to get the Dillon’s card. The cashiers were so patient and amazing about all of this. I kept apologizing and they kept saying, “Don’t worry about it; it’s no big deal. It happens all the time!”
I finally got everything squared away and walked out with my groceries — only to realize that Jesse had already gone back into the store with all the kids and he had the keys! So I stood at the entrance for what felt like a very long time (in reality, it was only about 10 minutes) while they picked out ice cream, checked out, and finally met back up with me again.
So much for my quick shopping trip — and my bedtime. But I did get some great deals and the cashiers were amazingly helpful, so it could have been a whole lot worse! 🙂
Mostly, it just cracked Jesse and me up. Apparently, I’m pretty out-of-practice when it comes to using coupons and scoring bargains at the grocery store. And I hope to rectify that over the next few months as I really want to get my coupon mojo back!
Do It Yourself: Honey Limeade Popsicles
FoodDoodles.com shows you how to make homemade honey limeade popsicles.
Pinterest Experiment: 100-Calorie Chocolate Mug Cake
I find a lot of great ideas on Pinterest… but pinning something doesn’t do anything unless I actually, you know, try the idea. So I thought it’d be fun to challenge myself to do at least one Pinterest experiment every week — and blog my results.
I can’t promise that I’ll always have a Pinterest Experiment post up each week, because you know how I sometimes get distracted or on blog tangents. But I’m at least going to try. By the way, you can follow my personal Pinterest account here, if you’re interested.
I saw this yummy-looking 100-Calorie Two-Minute Mug Cake on Pinterest recently.
100 calories? 2 minutes? Chocolate? Sign me up.
I’m pretty positive that the end result was a little more than 100 calories. I did use applesauce, but I substituted a whole egg for the egg white — because I couldn’t bear to just dump the yolk down the sink. And I substituted 2 Tablespoons raw sugar for the stevia. Finally, I added in some chocolate chips and sprinkled the cake with powdered sugar.
It was still pretty low calorie, I’m guessing. It wasn’t spectacular, but it was certainly edible. I think I’d try half applesauce/half oil or butter, if I made it again. It just tasted a little on the bland and not-sweet side.
Or, maybe some extra chocolate chips and another Tablespoon of sugar would help, too? Possibly a scoop of ice cream and some chocolate syrup also? Oh wait, that would probably negate the low-calorie-ness altogether, though. 😉
Have you tried any ideas or recipes you’ve found on Pinterest recently? If so, I’d love to hear how they worked out for you. Feel free to leave your blog link in the comments if you blogged about your experiment!
Shared Aug 22, 2012
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Make the Most of Your Mornings: Eat Something Nutritious (Day 8)
Make the Most of Your Mornings: Eat Something Nutritious (Day 8)
If you have a lot you’re juggling right now, it’s easy to feel like you don’t have time to eat nutritiously in the morning. But, as I’ve written about recently, you can’t expect your body to run efficiently and productively if you’re not fueling it well.
Instead of grabbing a doughnut and latte at the drive-thru or just altogether skipping breakfast, here are some suggestions to help you make eating a healthful breakfast a priority:
1. Have a Plan
If you don’t have a plan for what you’re going to eat for breakfast, it’s much easier to just grab a pop-tart or something else that isn’t too nutritious.
Take 15 minutes on the weekends to plan out your breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners for the following week, and it will help your mornings run much more smoothly, not to mention saving you unnecessary trips for takeout!
2. Keep It Simple
It’s better to eat the same nutritious breakfast every morning, than to eat junk or nothing at all. There’s nothing wrong with keeping things simple! Find something — or a few things — that work for you to pull off for a quick breakfast and then stick with them.
3. Prep Food the Night Before
If you struggle to eat a nutritious breakfast, consider making breakfast prep part of your Top 5 Must-Do’s plan for before bed. (By the way, if you followed point number one and actually have a plan, it shouldn’t take too long to prep something the night before!)
When breakfast is already prepped in the morning, not only does it help you to wake up and feel like you’re already ahead, but it also will help guarantee that you eat something healthful before jumping into your day.
A few make-ahead breakfast ideas: Fruit Salad (or chopped up fruit), Hard-Boiled Eggs, Baked Oatmeal, or Overnight Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal in the crockpot.
4. Make Food for the Freezer on the Weekends
If your weekdays and nights are packed, you might not have time to prep much food, but see if you can carve out an hour or two on the evenings to make some food for your freezer. As I’ve said often here, freezer cooking can make your life so much easier — and save your sanity, too!
A few freezer-friendly breakfast ideas: Whole-Wheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Waffles, Breakfast Burritos, Easy Morning Glory Muffins, Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets, and Homemade Egg McMuffins
5. Find Some Quick-Fix Favorites
If you don’t have time to prep food ahead of time and your freezer is bare, find a few breakfast ideas you can fall back on that are nutritious and can be made in a short amount of time.
A few quick-fix breakfast ideas: Peanut butter on Whole-Wheat Toast, Pick-Me-Up Smoothies, or Scrambled Eggs.
What are your favorite quick and easy go-to breakfast recipes?
My Day 7 Project Update
Bedtime: Made it to bed at 10 p.m. last night. I won’t give you my laundry list of reasons why I stayed up 30 minutes past my bedtime, but I will say that I’m going to make a point to be in bed before 9:30 p.m. tonight. I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow!
My Top 5 Evening Must Do’s: Done!
Wake Up Time: Got up at 4:35 a.m. this morning! I’ve been amazed at how going to bed at a decent hour is allowing me to get such great rest that I really haven’t been dragging much in the mornings — well, at least not after I actually get out of bed and take 10-15 minutes to really wake up! 🙂
Day 8 Project
1. Did you determine your bedtime and 5 Evening Must-Do’s? If so, leave a comment telling us how you did on them last night.
2. Did you determine what time you’re going to commit to waking up every morning for the next three weeks? If so, leave a comment telling us how you did this morning!
3. Did you get in some exercise yesterday? If not, make a commitment today to a specific way you’re going to incorporate exercise into your week on a regular basis.
4. What’s your plan for making sure you’re eating a nutritious breakfast every morning? Leave a comment and tell us about what’s working for you or what you’re going to experiment with.