Organized Chaos
Fresh & Healthy: Downtown Farmer’s Market (Saturdays) Fresh Produce & More!
It is the beginning of produce harvest for a lot of local farmers which means the Farmer’s Market is opening. Many local communities will host Downtown Farmer’s Markets to help connect the farmers with the local people who want to purchase fresh fruits and veggies for their family.
Families in the Greenville area who are looking for some fresh in-season vegetables, fruit, local honey, gourmet foods, seafood, fresh flowers, diary products, coffee, nuts, baked goods, handmade crafts, woodworking and a wide variety of other goodies from more than 50 vendors can come to downtown Greenville on Saturday mornings starting May 7th through October 29th.
Downtown Greenville Farmer’s Market Details:- What / Where – Downtown Greenville’s Saturday Market (Main Street at McBee Avenue, Greenville, SC 29601 )
- When – Saturdays from 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM ( May 7 to October 29)
- Cost – Free Admission (the only cost is for the items you purchase from the local farmers / vendors)
- For More Information / Activities – Saturday Market Live / 864-467-4494
Downtown Greenville has music and special events during the Saturday Farmer’s Market. Please go to their events section for more information on upcoming musicians, cooking demonstrations, and special events.
Easley just started a Downtown Farmer’s Market a few years ago. It is smaller than the one in Downtown Greenville but for a small community it has a lot of amazing produce to offer. Each year it has grown bigger with more vendors offering their fresh produce and goods to the local community.
Downtown Easley Farmer’s Market Details:
- What / Where – Downtown Easley Farmer’s Market (205 North 1st Street, Easley, SC 29640)
- When – Saturdays from 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM (April 9th to End of Season)
- Cost – Free Admission (the only cost is for the items you purchase from the local farmers / vendors)
- For More Information / Activities – Easley Farmers Market / 864-855-7900
2011 Special Calendar of Events – Easley’s Farmers Market:
- May 7 – Smoke House & Sparky
- May 14 – Parent Magazine & Fun Kid Activities
- May 21 – SunLit Moon Entertainment
- June 11 – Parent Magazine & Fun Kid Activities
- July 2 – 2nd Annual Pie Baking Contest & July 4th Celebration.
- July 23 – Square Root Entertainment
- More activities being scheduled check back often
Photo by Natalie Maynor & Swami Stream
Family Outings: “Moonlight Movies” Series starts Tonight at The Peace Center Amphitheater
Looking for a fun family activity tonight and you live near Greenville, SC? The “Moonlight Movies” Series Starts TONIGHT at The Peace Center Amphitheater sponsored by Fidelity Investments!Event Details:- When – 8:00 PM (at sundown) on Wednesday, May 4, 2011
- Where – The Peace Center Amphitheater & Wyche Pavilion (300 North Main St., Greenville, SC 29601)
- What’s Showing – “Father of the Bride”
- Cost – FREE
- Who – All Ages / Family Friendly Activity (movies will be rated G or PG or family friendly Not Rated)
- Food / Drink – Bring Your Own Beverage and Food or you can buy a wristband
- What to Bring – Your Family, Lawn Chairs, Blanket, Picnic, Drinks, and Snacks
- Not Allowed at the Event – No Pets / No Smoking
- For More Information – Greenville Moonlight Movies / Phone: 864-467-5741
If you cannot make it out to the movie tonight there will be more “Moonlight Movies” events coming!
Future “Moonlight Movies”:
- Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 8:00 PM – “Batman”
- Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 8:00 PM – “Winchester”
- Wednesday, May 25, 2011 at 8:00 PM – Viewer’s Choice
Even if you do not live in the Greenville area I encourage you to check out events in your local city. Many towns offer free events that your family can enjoy.
Photo by Metromix Greenville
Save A Lot: Deals for the week of May 4 – 10, 2011
The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience. Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!
Meats and Seafood
Fresh Bone-In Split Chicken Breast – $0.99 per pound
Pork Spare Ribs – $1.79 per pound
Sugardale Bratwurst (14 oz) – $1.99
Bone-In Assorted Pork Chops – $2.49 per pound
Sugardale Super Dogs – $3.99
Hillshire Farms Sausage – $1.99
Use $1/1 coupon from Hillshire Farms
$0.99 each after couponHolten Beef Patties – $3.99
Hillshire Farms Lit’ Smokies – $2.59
Use $1/1 coupon from Hillshire Farms
$1.59 each after couponPick 5 for $19.99 promo on going: Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts of fresh, frozen or smoked meats and pay just $19.99 (about $2 per pound).
Fridge and Freezer
Fudgsicles or Popsicles – $1.00
Borden Singles or Grilled Cheese Melts (12 oz) – $1.50
Wylwood Mini Corn on the Cob – $1.69
World’s Fair Ice Cream (1 gallon) – $4.99
World’s Fair Round Top Sundae Cones – $2.49
Crisp Premium Orange Juice – $2.69
Take & Bake Pepperoni or Supreme Pizza – $5.99
Take & Bake Cheese Pizza – $5.49
Stouffer’s Party Size Lasagna (90 oz) – $8.99
Use $1/1 coupon from Nestle Family
$7.99 after each couponHousehold
Colortex Bath Tissue (12 double rolls) – $2.99
Wrightware Foam Plates (100 count) – $2.00
Solo Plastic Cups – $0.99
Wrightware Napkins – $1.55
Kindle Charcoal Lighter Fluid – $2.49
Royal Oak Charcoal (8.3 pounds) – $2.99
Produce
Fresh Strawberries (1 pound) – $1.50
Extra Large Green Peppers – $0.33 each
Grocery
Gatorade (1/2 gallon) – $1.69
Cowboy Billy’s Pork & Beans (16 oz) – $0.50
Senora Verde Tortilla Chips – $1.29
Senora Verde Mild or Medium Salsa – $1.49
Senora Verde Taco Dinner Kit – $1.99
Senora Verde Refried Beans – $0.79
El Monterey Steak & Cheese Taquitos – $2.99
Kurtz Yellow Mustard – $0.69
On the Side Pasta Salad – $0.99
Kurtz BBQ Sauce – $0.99
Portmann’s Real Mayonnaise – $2.29
Kurtz Ketchup – $0.87
Kurtz Sweet Relish – $1.29
Save A Lot Brand Soda (12 Pack) – $2.29
Crystal 2 0 Drinking Water (24 pack) – $2.49
Frosty Flakes, Circus O’s or Captain Choco’s Cereal – $2.99
Toast Em Strawberry or Brown Sugar – $0.99
Malt O Meal Cereal – $0.99
Ralston Crisp Crunch Cereal – $1.99
Ralston Essentially You with Red Berries Cereal – $2.49
Pebbles Cereal – $1.79
Velveeta Cheesy Potatoes – $1.99
Kraft Homestyle Mac & Cheese – $1.99
Use $1/1 coupon from insert 4/17 Smart Source (Expires 5/17/11)
$0.99 each after couponBakery
Bakery Fresh Cherry or Apple Pies – $2.99
Remember you can use the $5/$25 printable coupon to sweeten these deals! Plus you can earn up to 5 additional $5 off $25 coupons for sharing the coupon with your friends.
For more information about Save A Lot’s coupon policies go here. If you find additional deals or savings please let me know and I will add them to the list.
Living on a Budget: Creative Cash (April Update)
April is my third month tracking my Creative Cash. What is Creative Cash? Creative Cash is finding ways to come up with extra cash to share with others as well as work on our current goal. I am working part time, a stay at home Mom, and wear many other hats from day to day, however, I feel that it is important to save money for our family by using coupons and buying items on sale but to earn a little money to help with the extra expenses and to share with others. The extra amount I bring in on top of the work is what I call “Creative Cash” which means finding ways to make money creatively or with items and talents I have already. I have tested this goal over the last couple months as I am challenging myself to make my life more simplified. I plan to continue this goal for the remaining months of the year. Despite the many financial obstacles that we have faced as a family we have been blessed with so much. We believe it is important to be accountable with our finances and give to others.Explanation: The creative cash will be made throughout the entire month through various endeavors. As it comes in the money is placed into our savings account and withdrawn at the end of the month so it can be split. It is my goal to make at least $100 extra a month to help with our goals as well as share with others. At the end of the month the money will be split 50 / 50 with half going towards our current goal we are working on (which at the moment is paying down debt) and the other half going to charity.
April was a great month even though I was out of town for half the month. Thankfully we started the month strong and I was able to go over my goal of $100. I want to share with you the ways we did it so if you are looking for ways to make a little extra creative cash for your family hopefully we can be an inspiration in getting your creative juices flowing:
- $23.11 – Items sold on Ebay (after fees): The all the items sold were coupons. I encourage you to look around at some of the coupons you get the mail, newspapers, magazines, in your stockpile, or other places and if you will not have the opportunity to use them then consider selling them for a little extra creative cash.
- $64.70 – A portion of the proceeds from our family garage sale the first weekend in April.
- $26.20 – A portion of the proceeds from the Upstate Kids Consignment Sale
- $28.85 – A portion of the proceeds from the Mothers of Multiples Club Consignment Sale.
- $3.87 – Bag of Aluminum cans taken to the Recycling Place.
- $18.99 – Other miscellaneous amounts earned (3 rebates, returns, cash back, extra money, etc…) that was added to my stash for the month.
April’s “Creative Cash” total was $165.72 which means $82.86 extra that goes towards our current goal (paying down debt) and $82.86 goes towards charity. It was exciting to go above the $100 goal again and to know it helps us get a little closer to our goals as well as helps others along the way. I have plan of action on ways to earn creative cash in May so stayed tuned, hopefully, it will be another month where we can get closer to our goal and share with others. Each month I do a variety activities to accomplish this goal, the items above are just the ones I did specifically in April. I look forward to sharing more of the things that work well for our family as I do them in the upcoming months.
I will share with you the challenges, successes, and updates as I go through this journey so you can keep me accountable or even go through it with me by participating and sharing your story. Taking the extra time to find ways to help our family as well as invest in the lives of others is important to us. I hope that we have been able to encourage you to find ways to come up with some creative cash for your household as well. Obviously, each situation and family is unique so decide what works for you and go for it! Do you know of another way to earn creative cash? I would love to hear your idea!
Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances. Life doesn’t always go as planned. We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given. Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life. A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others. There is so much more to life than having all the stuff. We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.
Photo by StopNLook
Heart Reflections: It’s Not About Us
As Moms, wives, and friends we get involved in so many activities. It is easy for our lives and schedules to quickly fill up to the point of bursting. When our lives, hearts, and schedules get packed full we don’t have the flexibility to spontaneously help and encourage others.A month ago I had the blessing of taking a quick road trip with friends. It was encouraging to spend time with a friend, another Mom. We have been richly blessed with amazing people in our lives. Also, we have a lot to be grateful for yet we often get too busy and don’t take enough time to focus about what’s really important. We forget that other Mom’s are going through many of the same struggles that we go through. We are not alone.
As Moms we want to allow our children the freedom to grow while at the same time protect them from danger and harm. There are many mistakes we make as Moms which can often lead to the feeling of guilt. Even though we make many mistakes in our lives and as parents God is much bigger than us. The focus really isn’t on or about us at all. Not only that but we are not called to raise “perfect” kids, the goal is to raise godly kids with the help of our spouse, extended family, church leaders, friends, and most importantly Christ. No one is perfect and to expecting our children to be that way is setting everyone up for disappointment.
- The first step is reflecting his love, grace and mercy through our lives in our words and actions starting first in our homes. We will continue to make a mess of some situations, but He forgives and helps point us back to what really is important. God has the power to work in our lives and family despite our failures. He is not surprised by those bumps in the road nor do they slow Him down. When we are relying on him for strength we will have more energy to focus on helping our children each step of the way.
Having the opportunity to raise and watch my girls grow has been a truly amazing adventure. As Moms we need to pray for our children, families and those our lives touch. We don’t know the path before us so we need to trust in His faithfulness and promises for today. While I was on bedrest for weeks the phrase that I repeated continually was “Day by Day”. Getting through the tasks and plans that are to be accomplish today, not tomorrow or yesterday, just today!
- Therefore the second step is praying for our kids. One of my prayers for our girls is that they will grow up to know Him and have a soft heart willing to soak in His teachings as well as listen to His guidance. I hope that my girls will be able to see past their Moms shortcomings and have a direct relationship with a heavenly Father who loves them even more than their Mom and Dad. No person or family is perfect. I am thankful for a husband who plays an active role in the lives of our children and for a God who loves, heals, and protects our family. It’s okay to loosen my grip a little regarding my children because I know I can hand my concerns about my children and their lives over to Him knowing He has their best interest at heart.
We often get wrap up in what we need to get done that we miss some of the beautiful moments we have with our children. Our girls are growing up quickly and I have to constantly remind myself that it’s not about us. Our calling is so much bigger and better than just our schedule and agenda. We have to continually remind ourselves of what truly matters and to purposely take the extra few minutes each day this week to really spend quality time with our families.
“Heart Reflections” is a series of thoughts and encouragement that come directly from my heart. Life has a way of throwing us extra challenges and when our focus is pulled away from what is truly important we tend to feel the pressure of stress in our lives. This series is created to remind us that we are part of something so much bigger than ourselves. We don’t have to face the pressure of life on our own. We can trust that our prayers are being heard. He alone knows what’s best for us and gives us the appropriate strength to get through each day as it is set before us.
Photo by Seattle Municipal Archives
Life Simplified: Set the Timer!
It has been a really busy few weeks and I don’t anticipate that it will slow down any time soon (maybe in May). The girls and I will be traveling over their Spring Break so I have a lot to get done before our fun time begins. If you are like me I want everything to be caught up before I leave on a trip – bills paid, house cleaned, emails returned, inbox empty, garden planted and weeded, etc…. however, the “to do” list is generally much longer than the hours available in the day. When I am working on a project I want to stick to it until it is completely finished. There are major benefits having this personality, however, the downside is that I may get that one project completed but there are 27 other projects that haven’t even been started.One of the ways that has helped me stay on task and be more productive (I have been using this a lot lately) is to set the timer. I have a small timer that I can take with me from room to room. My timer has been well used the past few weeks, I even lost it for a couple days while getting ready for the yard sale! I anticipate it will continue to be used in the upcoming weeks as well as I prepare to travel with the kids. I set the timer for an increment of time to help motivate me and keep me focused on getting the task done. When the timer goes off that means I am done with that project for the moment and need to move onto the next task (which can be very hard for me at times especially if I am really close to finishing the task I am currently working on). Here is an example of some of the activities I do during a day with my timer (every day is different so this just an example of activities I set the timer for throughout the day):
- 30 minutes – Exercise
- 45 minutes – Quiet Time
- 10 minutes – Prep for Dinner
- 10 minutes – Eat Breakfast
- 30 minutes – Check & Respond to Emails (sometimes I do this 2 to 3 times a day)
- 60 minutes – Blog Posts
- 60 minutes – Work Projects
- 30 minutes – Pick Up the House
- 60 minutes – Fold & Put Away All Laundry for the week on Laundry Day
- 30 minutes – Lunch
- 45 minutes – Homework with the Girls
- 45 minutes – Make Dinner
- 30 minutes – Dinner Clean Up and Wash Dishes
- 15 minutes – Packs Lunches for the Next Day
- 30 minutes – Clipping Coupons
- 30 minutes – Matching Coupons with Weekly Ads
- 30 minutes – Pay Bills & Balance Accounts
- 10 minutes – Power Clean My Desk (or on some days find my desk)
If I get to all the tasks that had on my list that day I will reward myself with 30 minutes of “free” time which usually means spending extra time with the family, reading, writing, or something else rewarding yet beneficial. A lot of times during breakfast or lunch I will spend time reading or answering emails as well. I have found that days when I work on the computer I don’t get anything done in the house and days that I spend concentrating on home projects I don’t get any work done so as in my attempt to try and balance life a little bit more the timer has become a fun trick that works well for me. Although the computer work is important I do have some moments when I get sidetracked by a great article or Facebook or something else and before I know it the time has flown by and an hour has passed (same things happens on home projects). The timer helps me track the time better and alerts me especially when I have gotten distracted from the task at hand. I do not set the timer for family time or family oriented meals and tasks because those are important for the entire family.
Now if I could only find a way to set a timer for travel time, shopping and waiting to check out, ha! Although I must say I am becoming a little more efficient in shopping too by only going directly to the items I need and not “browsing” through the entire store. Not everything works well with setting a timer but there are some tasks I noticed will consume larger amounts of time if I don’t put a time limit on them.
How do you balance it all as a Wife, Mom, Business Person, etc…? Do you have other ways that help you stay on task?
Photo by ellie
Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping (February Update)
Now that we are almost through February 2011 you may be wondering how I am doing with my No Grocery Shopping Month Challenge. I am wrapping up week 8 of my “No Grocery Shopping” goal. This month has been harder because the pantry and freezer are getting lower but for the most part I have been doing well as long as I do my menu planning ahead of schedule. When I go over what I am going to make for supper that morning, check for the ingredients, and have a plan everything goes so much smoother. Here are my criteria for purchasing any grocery items over the last 8 weeks:- FREE – I don’t want to waste free grocery coupons that my family will use while doing this goal
- Necessity – Milk, Eggs, Bread, etc…
- For Someone Else outside of my household. For example I make meals for new Moms in our church and if I need to pick up an item for them on the way to deliver a meal that will be an exception.
Although with all that being said I did have to purchase a few items not really within my guidelines for one meal recently. I was in charge of making our Community Group meal at church last Wednesday, we have an average of 16 to 20 people on Wednesday night. While we still have plenty to feed our family of four, I did pick up a couple items from the store to make the meal last week since there are people in the group that have food allergies and I wanted to make sure I had items that they could eat. The extra items that were not in my guidelines were:
- Bananas which I bought at Save A Lot | Rite Aid for $0.19 a pound to make homemade banana pudding, it was delicious!
- 2 lb bag of Green Giant Potatoes for $2.49 to make homemade potato soup, my friends recipe! You can find more of her great recipes at Reflecting on the Simple Things in Life!
- 1 cup Heavy Cream for homemade potato soup
- 1 onion for $0.68 for the homemade beef stew
So now you know that I didn’t entirely hit my goal of no grocery shopping except for necessities. When I first set the No Grocery Shopping challenge I was hoping to get through the month of January, the fact that I plan to make it to the first few days into March with only a few extra purchases during the challenge is a huge win (at least for me). In the month of February the only other groceries I have purchased are:
- 5 gallons of Milk
- 2 packages of Cheese
- 1 Loaf of Bread
For the most part the No Grocery Shopping challenge went fairly well. I spent a little over $19 (including tax) for the month of February on grocery necessities. We even did extra activities during this time of cutting back. Doing this challenge may seem silly to some but it has made a huge impact on my way of thinking. It has been a wonderful learning experience and made me appreciate how many blessings we have in our lives. I hope to do a similar challenge in the future to help remind me of the importance of saving as well as using the items we have on hand. Even with the challenge we were still able to participate in several extra events in February while only using items in our freezer or pantry:
- Hosted Guests in our Home
- Made food for a Super Bowl Party
- Brought Treats to the Girls Valentine’s Party
- Brought Cupcakes and Drinks to the Girls Birthday Party for School
- Had Snacks for Girls Night
I do have to say that I had a hard time buying the few extra items that I purchased this month……I felt guilty buying extra food during this challenge especially when I know we still have plenty. I am grateful for an amazing husband and two wonderful kids who put up with me throughout this adventure. It is my plan to try and make it through the first few days of March (only 1 more week) with this goal, which will be 9 weeks of only shopping for the necessities (with a few hiccups in the mix). I want to thank everyone for all the support and encouragement along the way. One of the BIGGEST ways that helped keep me accountable is that I knew people were watching, reading and commenting on the blog. Thanks for being a part of my life and helping me at least feel like I touched a finger tip on my goal.
So what’s next!!!! In the next few days I will be sharing with you my next Grocery Shopping Goal, don’t worry it won’t be as extreme, however I want to continue to utilize the stockpile we still have and not waste what God has given us. With this new challenge it will allow me the freedom to Grocery Shop for the family yet stay within a budget, PLUS perks! Stayed tuned as I unveil what is coming up next and if your up to it you can join me in the next adventure!
Life Simplified is a series on getting rid of the extras in our life while learning how to enjoy what God has given us so we can continue to be a blessing to others. Our homes can quickly start are bursting with “stuff” and if you are like us we just have too much. I am doing a series on ways we are learning to simplifying our food, homes, and lives. When our hearts, lives, and homes get too cluttered we may start missing out on opportunities to serve and bless the people around us.
Photo by Little Blue Hen
Life Simplified: Laundry Day
For those who don’t know me…….I am NOT a big fan of doing laundry. Don’t get me wrong , it gets done in our house because I don’t like wearing dirty clothes but doing laundry everyday is almost like torture to me. Before discovering a system that worked for our household I would delay doing laundry until the last possible moment (ie…someone was out of underwear) then do a huge batch. The laundry would then sit on the guest bed waiting to be folded and put away. Many times if you wanted to wear a certain shirt or were looking for clean underwear you had to dig through a massive pile in search for an item.Thankfully, we had a season in our life that forced me to get organized in the laundry department as well as other areas. Several years ago my husband took a contract position in a town an hour and half away from our home. Since the girls were young and not yet in school the entire family commuted with him on the contract. The company gave him an allowance for an apartment and we were able to find one less then the amount we were given so we could save a little bit extra. A couple of the downsides to the apartment being less expensive is that it was tiny and it didn’t have a washer and dryer hookup. Since we came “home” on the weekends it wasn’t that big of a deal, however, that meant we had to keep track of groceries in two houses plus carting laundry back and forth every week. During this season in our marriage I learned a lot about organizing and planning especially with living in two places at one time, an apartment during the week and at home on the weekends. There were several benefits to our family doing laundry only once a week:
- Less Stress for Mom because once laundry was completed on Saturday it was done for an entire week.
- More Cost Efficient as far energy, water, and laundry soap.
- Only 4 Loads of Laundry per week (on a typical week we do 4 full loads of laundry for an entire week: 1 – Sheets & Towels, 2 – Light Clothes, 3 – Dark Clothes, 4 – Whites)
- Saves Time when I do everything all from start to finish in one day. The laundry gets washed throughout the day and for about an hour in the evening I take the time to fold, hang up and put away the items.
- Happy Family – no more digging through piles of clean laundry on the bed looking for underwear or a shirt, etc…. everything is cleaned, put away and ready to be worn.
- Cleaner Home when the piles of laundry are no longer stacked on our guest room bed or in front of the washing machine our home is neater.
- Items are Pre-Treated prior to being put in the laundry basket instead of trying to remember which ones to spray when I am putting them into the wash machine.
- Organized System – having a specific day and task to accomplish enables me to get it done for the week and move onto the other tasks that demand my time and attention
On the weekend we had to get the laundry done in order to have clothes to wear for the next week so it was a great motivator. Even though that was several years I still do all our laundry in one day. I no longer have to get it done on the weekends so currently laundry days are Monday’s at our house. Everything is washed, folded and put away all in one day. Since starting this organizational task it has allowed additional freedom in my week plus it has been a blessing to my family. I no longer dread doing laundry because I know it will be done completely on “laundry day” and I will not have to think about it again until next week. My family no longer has to dig through piles of clothes looking for something to wear. It was a win-win situation for everyone.
Even though that season in our life was difficult balancing the two households looking back on it I realize how many rich blessings and memories were created during that time as well. It is during the times of stretching and change in our family when we discover new ways to make life more enjoyable for ourselves as well as those around us. Having the opportunity to look at our organizational system from a different perspective may be all it takes to make it more efficient.
Do you like doing laundry? What works for one family may not work for another. What are ways you use to help make your time doing laundry more efficient?
Photo by Jon Yu
Life Simplified: Hosting in Our Home
One of my goals in 2011 is to simplify my life more by enjoying the blessings and not wasting what God has given us. I have been sharing with you the successes and challenges on those specific areas in my life as I go through them. One of the areas I am working on is making the best use of my time. While spending time hosting family and friends in our home is important to me I must also make sure there is time on the schedule to spend with my immediate family. The girls are growing up fast and the times we have together are precious. In order to make sure I don’t go overboard I am setting a goal for myself and asking for your help to keep me in line.Here are the current challenges I am working on:
- First Life Simplified Goal: No Grocery Shopping
- Second Life Simplified Goal: Meal Delivery
- Third Life Simplified Goal: Organize & De-Clutter our Home
- Fourth Life Simplified Goal: Hosting in our Home
Explanation of the Goal: As a family of four we LOVE hosting people in our home! We are blessed to have a home to share with family and friends whether it is for a party, game night or just to hang out together. I would probably host a get together several times a week if we had the time, money, and energy to do it. Part of learning how to simplify my life is making decisions on what to do with my time. Hosting typically requires time for cleaning, cooking, prepping, and/or decorating for guests. It is my goal to host at least one other family in our home once a month but no more than four. When I spend time hosting that means I must give up some for something else. Having up to 4 hosting events in our home means that there will be time to spend together as a family of four. I want my girls to have the experience of hosting even at a young age. Sharing our home and their toys is a valuable skill they can learn at an early age, but they like anyone, need a time to relax and refresh.
We have already started working on this goal. We had 3 families of three over in the month of January. February is a busier month in our household not because of Valentine’s day but because we will be hosting the girls birthday party. One of the many benefits to having twins or higher multiples is their birthday parties hit at the same time. Brina and Karlie’s birthday party will be our major event this month and we have at least one other hosting event already on the schedule.
I will share with you the challenges, successes, and updates as I go through this journey so you can keep me accountable or even go through it with me by participating and sharing your story. Taking the extra time to invest in the lives of others is important to our family. I hope that we have been able to host many people in our home without going over board. It is important to me to make time for my family on the weekends as well as the people around us!
Life Simplified is a series on getting rid of the extras in our life while learning how to enjoy what God has given us so we can continue to be a blessing to others. Our homes can quickly start are bursting with “stuff” and if you are like us we just have too much. I am doing a series on ways we are learning to simplifying our food, homes, and lives. When our hearts, lives, and homes get too cluttered we may start missing out on opportunities to serve and bless the people around us.
Photo by MaryTClark
Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping (Recipes)
I am now wrapping up week number 5 in my No Grocery Shopping challenge! It has been a fun adventure for our family as we continue to find ways to make the food in our fridge and pantry stretch! Some of the recipes over the last few weeks have been a huge hit in our family for years while others were different. We are always looking for ways to create healthy meals that everyone enjoys without wasting the food we have in our home.For those who have been emailing me about what we’ve been eating here are a few of our low budget main dish recipes:
Macaroni & Cheese Casserole
I came up with this recipe a couple years ago when I was trying to use up some leftovers in the fridge. It has since become a favorite at our house. The neat part about this recipe is that it can be easily altered based on the ingredients you have in your refrigerator. We usually have a stock pile of Wacky Mac because we use double coupons at Ingles, Bi-Lo, or Publix plus we get extra money back from Upromise eCoupons which makes most of our purchases of Wacky Mac free plus some overage. Dairy products are regular staples in our house so it makes this recipe fairly easy to make anytime.
Macaroni & Cheese Casserole
The neat part about this recipe is that it can be easily altered based on the ingredients you have in your refrigerator. It is a simple recipe that is almost impossible to mess up.Servings: 8Equipment
- 9x7 Pyrex Casserole dish
Ingredients
- 12 oz Wacky Mac Veggie Noodles (Any shape pasta can be used, but the girls love the mixed shapes and colors of Wacky Mac)
- 1-2 cups Milk (depending on how rich you want it, powder milk works too or add a touch of sour cream to increase the richness)
- 1 cup Velveeta Cheese (cubed)
- 1 tbsp Butter or Margarine
- 1 cup Shredded Cheese (I use up the partial bags in our fridge so it is usually Cheddar, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Colby, etc..)
- 2-3 cups Water (You want 4 cups liquid, if you add more milk, reduce the water)
- dash Salt, Pepper, and Garlic to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add all the ingredients above except the water to a casserole dish.
- The water will be different based on what you add to your casserole. Add enough water to cover the noodles and stir everything together.
- Bake uncovered at 350 degrees. After 15 minutes of baking stir the casserole than continue baking for an additional 45 minutes. The top of the casserole will be crunchy (everyone’s favorite part) but should not burn.
Notes
I have also been known to cut of cheese slices or put in a couple spoons of cottage cheese. It really is a “use up the leftovers” type of Marconi & Cheese Casserole! If you want you can add a cup of fresh or canned tomatoes that tastes great too.Chicken Pot Pie
After several days of cooking we will often use the meat and vegetable leftovers in the fridge to make a Pot Pie. Our favorite is the Chicken Pot Pie, but we have made several variations of Beef and Ham Pot Pies as well. You can often get Store Brand Pie Crusts on sale or clearance for a great price if you them on hand use those otherwise the recipe below includes how to make your own pie crust with a few basic ingredients.
Chicken Pot Pie
A family favorite, chicken pot pie is a simple way to use up the remaining chicken that doesn't taste like a "leftovers" meal.Servings: 8Equipment
- 9 inch pie pan
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
- 3/4 cups Crisco Shortening
- 1 tssp Salt
- 5 tbsp Water (cold)
Filling
- 1 to 2 cups Cooked Chicken (use leftover or canned Chicken)
- 1 to 2 cups Cooked Vegetables (use leftover or canned Veggies)
- 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix together the ingredients for the crust until the dough is formed, split the dough in half.
- Roll out half of the pie crust (add more flour if necessary). Place half of the pie crust in the bottom of a 8 or 9 inch pie pan.
- Stir together the Chicken Pot Pie filling ingredients. Add the filling to the pie pan.
- Top with remaining pie crust. Roll the edges of the bottom and top crust together. Cut a few slices in the top of the pot pie, (I usually will do a smile face or Christmas Tree or heart just for fun. The girls are always looking to see the design on the the top prior to eating it.)
- Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Check halfway through and if the crust is getting too dark put a piece of foil over the top to keep it from burning.
Pasta Night
We will often have a “Pasta” night which is a quick and easy meal that our family enjoys. It is one of our “meatless” meals. Many times Pasta nights consists of cooking:
Poor Man's Pasta
Don't let the name fool you. This is a simple staple that is quick and easy to make, yet still a comforting favorite.Servings: 4Cost: $3Ingredients
- 4 cups Elbow Noodles
- 1/2 tbsp Butter or Margarine
- Grated Parmesan Cheese (aka. "Shaky Cheese")
Instructions
- Cook the noodles, drain and add the butter. Sprinkle Shaky Cheese over your noodles and enjoy.
Notes
I add veggies and fruit to round out the meal. It is quick, simple, and inexpensive.Spinach Chicken Casserole
This is another one of those quick recipes I threw together to use up some extra chicken we had in the fridge that was a hit with the family.
Spinach Chicken Casserole
This is a quick "throw together" meal that tastes great and feels like it should have taken more time.Servings: 6Ingredients
- 2 to 3 cups Cubed Chicken (or you can use 2 to 3 frozen whole Chicken Breasts)
- 1 can Spinach
- 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 4 oz Sliced Mushrooms (Optional: Canned works best)
- 2 slices Provolone or Mozzarella Cheese
- 2 cups Rice (uncooked)
- 2 to 4 tbsp Water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Pour the 2 cups of uncooked rice and water if necessary into a casserole dish. Add the Chicken on top of the rice.
- Mix together the Spinach and Cream of Mushroom then add it on top of the Chicken.
- Spread the sliced mushrooms over the spinach mixture.
- Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
- Add the cheese on top 10 to 15 minutes before the casserole is done.
Veggie Beef Soup is another one we put together with items we have on hand.
Along with the main meals we have a fruit and vegetable. We still have chicken and beef weekly as well as fish every couple of weeks to make sure everyone is getting the nutritional meals they need.
I will continue to share with you the challenges and successes so you can keep me accountable or even go through the journey with me by participating and sharing your story. As I extend this goal into at least the first part of February I hope to have the opportunity to share more about what we are doing to make it stretch! Let’s see if we can finish yet another week of the No Grocery Shopping challenge!
Life Simplified is a series on getting rid of the extras in our life while learning how to enjoy what God has given us so we can continue to be a blessing to others. Our homes can quickly start are bursting with “stuff” and if you are like us we just have too much. I am doing a series on ways we are learning to simplifying our food, homes, and lives. When our hearts, lives, and homes get too cluttered we may start missing out on opportunities to serve and bless the people around us.
