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Shared May 11, 2012 comment

How to Overcome Burnout and Get Back on a Routine (Part 1)

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 11, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I love my role as a stay-at-home mom, but I am just burned out. I wander aimlessly. I know I need my routines again, I know I need structure, but this once big-time routine-oriented mama is now struggling to get up out of bed. Do you have any advice or suggestions for how I can break out of this rut I’m stuck in? -Chrissy

My heart goes out to you, Chrissy! I am so sorry that you are struggling and feeling so exhausted and burned out. I can’t promise that I have any miracle solutions for you, but I will share some things I’ve learned from my own journey through postpartum depression and burnout two years ago.

1. Make Sure You’re Getting Enough Sleep

Sleep is vitally important to your overall health and well-being. If you’re short on sleep, it can affect many areas of your life — including your moods and motivation.

Make sure you are getting at least 7 hours of sleep almost every day. If you’re up at night with a baby and it’s impossible to consistently get a good night’s sleep, do the best you can do and let anything go that isn’t a necessity so that you can make sleep a priority. You’ll be much more productive and energetic when you are awake if you give yourself the grace to step away from the to-do list and get some shut-eye instead.

Go to bed early. Studies have shown that those who stay up late and get up late are more likely to struggle with depression. I’ve also found that I feel much more rested (and am more efficient the next day!) if I go to bed early rather than trying to stay up and get stuff done when I’m exhausted, only to wake up feeling all groggy in the morning.

Take power naps. If you can’t get a long stretch of sleep at night because your husband works weird hours and your babies are up multiple times throughout the night, try power naps. I used to think I wasn’t a napper, but I’ve found that if I feel tired in the afternoon, lying down and sleeping for just 20 or 30 minutes can really re-energize me for the rest of the day.

Find your sleep number. No, I’m not referring to the sleep number beds, but to your personal number of hours of sleep that you need to get every night to function at maximum capacity. For most people, it will be somewhere between 7 and 9 hours.

Experiment with getting 7 hours of sleep every night for a week and see if you feel rested and energetic all day long. If not, increase to 7.5 hours of sleep for a week. Continue to experiment until you land on what works best for you and then make that number a priority every night, as much as you possibly can.

2. Get Your Thyroid and Hemoglobin Checked

If you haven’t been to the doctor to get your thyroid and hemoglobin checked and other bloodwork done, I recommend picking up the phone and making an appointment today. Many times, what might feel like an emotional imbalance — or what you might think is just some lack of motivation on your part! — is actually a physical issue that can be easily treated and fixed.

3. Fill Your Mind With Good Things

Read God’s Word. If you are a Christian, make spending time in God’s Word and prayer on a daily basis your number one priority. If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a mom, it’s how much I need God — every single moment of every single day.

I encourage you to start your day with at least a few moments in God’s Word and prayer. Take five or ten minutes to pray over your day, asking God to give you strength and grace to face the tasks before you. I also highly recommend reading a good devotional book, along with a passage of Scripture. (I’ve loved Amy Carmichael’s devotionals and am being very blessed by Jesus Calling right now.)

Read good books. Books such as Calm My Anxious Heart or Today Matters, can help encourage, inspire, and re-invigorate you when you feel worn out and lifeless. Even reading just one page per day or listening to three minutes of an audiobook each day can give you a little extra boost — and the motivation to keep on, keeping on. You can see a list of all of the Books I Read in 2011 here and the Books I’ve Read So Far in 2012 here.

Listen to music. When I’m down, I’ve found that music can be a huge pick-me-up. Even if I don’t feel like listening to music, if I turn it on, I usually can’t help but be uplifted. And singing along with some of my favorite songs can also be a big mood-brightener.

Count your blessings. It’s easy to become discouraged if we focus on everything that’s wrong or difficult in our life. However, instead of dwelling on the negative, challenge yourself to think of at least three to five things to be thankful for. It’s amazing how a grateful spirit can change your mood — and even your whole outlook on life!

…to be continued on Monday

What has helped you overcome burn-out or exhaustion? I’d love to hear your thoughts and tips!

photo credit

Shared May 11, 2012 comment

How to Make a Hand Print Photo Family Tree

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 11, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Amanda of The Frugal Greenish Mama:

One day while my son was holding my hand I started thinking to myself, “My goodness how he has grown. His hand is nearly the size of mine and he is only four!” Somehow it got me thinking of hands and I thought… wouldn’t it be a great idea to make a family tree using the children’s hand print cutouts as leaves.

I started by tracing Austin’s right and left hands on a piece of paper. Next I did the same for my daughter Addie. I wrote their names in the middle of each print. Then I cut out the hand prints and we matched them up to the photos we wanted to use.

Having the hand prints cut out allows you to move it around the photo until you are happy with the results. You can either trace with a pencil the outline of the hand print or cut the hand print out of the photo around your pattern. I cut a total of six hand prints, two of Austin’s and four of Adalynne’s. This could vary depending on the size of your family.

I used two pictures of each of the children, one for their right hand and one for their left hand. Since Austin’s hand prints are larger, I stacked his photos on the bottom. The photos of Adalynne were on the next tier up.

Then for the top two hand print leaves, I used just my daughter’s hand print since they are smaller and I wanted to overlay a family photo. I had two of the same photo made and cut out my husband holding my daughter and then myself holding my son. We then overlapped the image to look like they were one larger image.

I used a white piece of card stock to start with. Then we simply used a piece of brown card stock to cut out a trunk image. I glued the trunk to the white card stock. I started with the bottom of the tree and using acid free glue, glued Austin’s hand prints in place. Then I added the next tier to our family tree by arranging Addie’s hand prints. For the top of the tree, I overlapped the two hand prints and glued them in place.

Add a simple frame and you have yourself a one of a kind family tree full of memories!

Amanda is a wife and mother of two striving to return to her roots to live a simpler life the way God intended it. She loves to cook from scratch, bake, and craft. She blogs at the Frugal Greenish Mama about her love of gardening, her journey to a more self-sufficient lifestyle and saving money while trying to eat organically.

Shared May 10, 2012 comment

Freezer-Friendly Pizza Pockets

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 10, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

These homemade pizza pockets are SO yummy and super easy to make!

This Pizza Hot Pocket recipe is the perfect way to fill your freezer!

They are fairly quick and easy to make in bulk — and kids can help too.

Plus, they taste amazingly delicious and can easily be customized based on your family’s taste preferences (or whatever meats and cheese are on sale that week!)

Pizza Pocket Recipe Ingredients

For the Dough:

2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.)
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 Tablespoons oil (I used olive oil.)
5 cups flour (I used unbleached, but I think half white, half whole-wheat would also work well.)

For the Filling:

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cup pasta sauce or pizza sauce
2-3 cups shredded cheese (I used mozzarella, but a mixture of cheese would work well, too.)
Other optional filling ingredients: diced black olives, pepperoni, diced green pepper, and/or diced mushrooms

How to make Pizza Pockets

To make dough:

1. Mix the yeast into warm water until dissolved.

2. Add sugar, salt, oil, and flour.

3. Mix well with a spoon.

4. Dump onto a floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes or mix in a stand mixer.

To make filling (I browned this while mixing up the dough):

1. Brown ground beef with onion and green pepper. Drain.

2. Add pasta sauce and mix together.

3. Add other optional filling ingredients, if desired.

To make Pizza Pockets:

1. Divide dough into 15-20 pieces.

2. Roll pieces into balls.

3. Flatten balls into circles with a rolling pin.

4. Dollop a few tablespoons of filling onto dough circle and sprinkle with cheese.

5. Fold over and seal tightly.

6. Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 500ºF for 10-15 minutes, or until browned.

How to Store Frozen Pizza Pockets

Cool completely and store in an airtight zip-top freezer bag for up to 2-3 months.

How to Serve this Pizza Pockets Recipe

Remove desired number of pizza pockets from the freezer and warm them individually in the microwave for about two minutes or until heated throw.

Or, warm on a cookie sheet in a 350º oven for 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Recipe

Pizza Pockets Recipe

Author Crystal Paine

Course Bread, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Ingredients

For the Dough:

2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
2 cups warm water 105 to 115 degrees F.
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 Tablespoons oil I used olive oil
5 cups flour I used unbleached, but I think half white, half whole-wheat would also work well.

For the Filling:

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cup pizza sauce
2-3 cups shredded cheese I used mozzarella, but a mixture of cheese would work well, too.
Other optional filling ingredients: diced black olives, pepperoni, diced green pepper, and/or diced mushrooms

Instructions

To make dough:

Mix the yeast into warm water until dissolved.
Add sugar, salt, oil, and flour.
Mix well with a spoon.
Dump onto a floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes or mix in a stand mixer.

To make filling (I browned this while mixing up the dough):

Brown ground beef with onion and green pepper. Drain.
Add pasta sauce and mix together.
Add other optional filling ingredients, if desired.

To make Pizza Pockets:

Divide dough into 15-20 pieces.
Roll pieces into balls.
Flatten balls into circles with a rolling pin.
Dollop a few tablespoons of filling onto dough circle and sprinkle with cheese. Fold over and seal tightly.
Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 500ºF for 10-15 minutes, or until browned.

Nutrition

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Pin Recipe

These Pizza Pockets, inspired by Amy’s Finer Things and Pocket Change Gourmet, turned out beautifully today!

Did you do any freezer cooking today? If so, I’d love to see the results of your efforts! Link up your blog posts below or tell us about your success in the comments.

Shared May 10, 2012 comment

We Paid Cash: A Truck For My Husband

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 10, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

We paid cash! Guest post by Sarah Mae

My husband has been dreaming of having a truck since I married him nine years ago. He not only loves the idea of having a truck, but it is actually quite practical for a handyman like my man.

But alas, we had no money to spare for a truck. We shared our used van and a motorcycle my dad gave to him as a gift early in our marriage. We lived on about $300 a month for groceries for our growing family of five, and every spare penny went to paying off school loans and collecting homeschooling supplies.

Did I mention my husband cut up all my credit cards when we got married? Oh, yes he did.

Of course, he had them paid off a few months later through his diligence with our budget and not spending what we didn’t have. There were nights I begged him to order a pizza because it was so much more convenient than cooking up a meal, but he stood his ground. We didn’t have the money, period.

My husband’s vision was that if we could scrape by, save, and not spend what we didn’t have in the bank, we would one day be able to pay off debt and have the opportunity to give more. His goal has always been to be able to be generous givers, but it wasn’t going to be possible if we were in debt.

So he worked hard, and he worked overtime, and he stayed focused.

Eventually, I began to earn some money through blogging, and that money went towards books for the babes while he continued to add whatever extra he made to our savings to plan ahead for the unforeseeable.

We had $12,000 of school loan debt and it felt like we were wasting our time just putting an extra $10 towards it here and there, but over the course of the year he was able to look back and see that we were making progress. I’m telling you, the man was diligent and determined.

I’m so proud of him.

The truth is, had I been in charge of our finances (I was for a while — bad idea), we’d be sunk. I’m the spontaneous “oh, we’ll get the money” type. I’d probably have ten credit cards and piles of debt by now.

Thankfully, that man of mine stayed true to taking care of our family and providing. I love him so much for his steadfastness. Because of his focus and self-discipline, our loans were decreasing and he kept us out of additional debt.

All of this allowed me to buy him a truck!

Wait, back up the truck (funny, no?). How did I possibly have the money to buy my husband a truck in cash?

The very fact that my husband kept us out of debt and paid down our debt every step of the way paved the way for the purchase. Through blogging and writing a successful eBook that led to publishing deals, I was able to use one of my advance checks to buy him the truck (a used truck, mind you).

I never would have been able to do so if we still had debt. By this time, we had paid off our used van and school loan debt. I had the freedom to give him a very special gift, one that I had always wanted dreamed of giving him.

Not only are we out of debt except for our mortgage (that’s next!), but he has his dream work truck and we now have the freedom to give more! It’s wonderful, and I have my husband to thank.

Sarah Mae is the author of several eBooks and two soon-to-be-published books, Desperate (Thomas Nelson) and Having a Martha House the Mary Way (Tyndale). She is the owner of the community site Allume.com and the co-host of the national Christian women’s social media conference, Allume Social. Sarah Mae spends her days homemaking, home-educating, writing, reading, and drinking smoothies (now that she’s given up coffee). Her family embraces life in the beautiful Amish countryside of Pennsylvania. You can find her writing almost daily at sarahmae.com.

Shared May 9, 2012 comment

Brown Bag Beef and Bean Burrito Recipe

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 9, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

From a quick lunch on the go or an effortless freezer-friendly dinner for busy weeknights, these beef and bean burritos are a must for busy families. Everyone will love them, and you’ll love how easy they are to make!

Freezer-Friendly Beef and Bean Burrito Recipe

If your family loves burritos, you need to try this recipe. It’s one of my husband’s favorite grab-and-go foods!

What I like best about this recipe is that, not only is it filling, but it’s also fast. You can have a piping hot burrito in less than two minutes — straight from the freezer. It’s perfect for those times when my husband wants a late-night snack or some hot for lunch on the weekends.

These are on the spicy side for my liking (keep in mind that I’m also the girl who likes extra mild salsa!), but my husband loves these. In fact, he was so excited I was making them again this week.

Ground Beef Burrito Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
2 cans (16 ounces) refried beans (you can make your own refried beans)
2 cans (10 ounces) enchilada sauce (you can make your own enchilada sauce)
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup diced onion (you can also use dried or minced onion)
1 taco seasoning packet
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
20 burrito-sized flour tortillas

How to Make a Beef and Bean Burrito

1. In a large skillet, brown ground beef with onions.

2. Drain meat mixture and return to pan with all remaining ingredients (except tortillas and cheese).

3. Bring the meat mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

4. Spoon 1/4-cup of the meat mixture onto each tortilla, sprinkle with cheese, fold sides in, and roll up tightly.

5. Wrap them individually in aluminum foil and place them in a gallon-size zip-top bag for the freezer.

6. When you’re ready to heat them, simply remove the foil and microwave a single burrito for about a minute, or leave the foil on and heat one or more burritos in a 350ºF oven for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Bean and Beef Burrito Variations

There are countless ways to customize this easy recipe, based on what you already have in the house, what’s on sale at the grocery store, or even what your family prefers.

Here are a few ideas:

Use black beans to add more protein (with or without the beef)
Use ground turnkey or shredded chicken instead of ground beef
Mix up the seasonings to make it spicier or more mild
Try different varieties of shredded cheese
Add more or spicier salsa to the meat/bean mixture
Try corn tortillas

How to Serve a Beef Bean and Cheese Burrito

Pull out the desired number of burritos, remove the foil, and heat a single burrito in the microwave for about a minute. Or leave the foil on and heat one or more burritos in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Serve them with lettuce, diced onion, diced tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, and guacamole — and don’t forget the chips!

How to Store a Ground Beef Burrito

These burritos are freezer-friendly, so you can easily whip up a batch for the freezer and just defrost as needed!

Freezing this Beef and Bean Burrito Recipe

Wrap each burrito in a piece of aluminum foil and then place in airtight ziptop freezer bags and store in the freezer for 2-3 months.

How to Defrost a Frozen Beef and Bean Burrito

When you’re ready to heat the burritos, simply remove one or more from the freezer and heat in the microwave (without foil) for 1 minute. OR, keep the foil on and heat them in a 350ºF oven for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Beef Bean and Cheese Burrito FAQs

How many calories are in a beef bean and cheese burrito?

It depends on how much meat, cheese, and beans you use — and what toppings you add. However, this recipe, as written (without additional toppings) is roughly 300 calories per burrito.

How do you make frozen burritos not soggy?

Let the chicken/bean mixture cool to room temperature before adding it to the tortillas. You could also put the burritos in the fridge before freezing them, so they don’t have as much condensation. And finally, you might try wrapping each burrito in a paper towel first and then in aluminum foil. The paper towel will absorb extra moisture.

Recipe