• What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    Last week was an enjoyable Thanksgiving Holiday.  Our schedule was a little different from regular but we all had fun spending some extra time together.  We are back to our regular schedules this week plus a few extra events on top of it including Parent Teachers Conferences, delivering meals to new Moms and more great activities.  Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef Entree):  Green Bean Tator Tot Casserole, Salad
    • Tuesday (Seafood or Pork Entree):  Ham Pizza, Fresh Fruit
    • Wednesday (Chicken Entree):  Chicken Noodle Soup, Fresh Vegetables
    • Thursday (Pasta or Vegetarian Entree):  Vegetarian Chili, Cornbread
    • Friday, Saturday, & Sunday:  Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting

    I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef entree, Tuesday a seafood or pork entree and so forth).  It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned.  I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.

    Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family.  On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home.  As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes.  If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).

    As a family of four our life can get busy.  What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget.  Our family typically eats 6 to 7  dinner meals at home a week.  We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat.  Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family.  Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day.  Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends.  The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety.  We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.

    Photo by Liz

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Our family had a blast spending some time together for Thanksgiving last week.  I was beginning to wonder what kind of week it would be when we started the week tired and with a little one throwing up.  Thankfully we didn’t have any big travel plans and have gotten past that little spurt of sickness now everyone seems to be on the mend.    Over the Thanksgiving week together we laughed, snuggled, read books, worked on projects, ate delicious food, went shopping, put up the Christmas tree, and just had fun relaxing as well as doing stuff around the house.    I am thankful for a wonderful family and an opportunity to spend some extra time together.

    Here is the update on last weeks goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week – didn’t make do it 5 days
    4. Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed) – not quite every night
    5. Spend extra time with my family over the Thanksgiving Holiday

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – the first half of the week went well
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday and Tuesday

    Home Management Goals

    1. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    2. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    3. Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Wednesday)
    4. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    5. Put up the Christmas Tree

    Business Goals

    1. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk – my desk was buried by the end of the weekend, time with the family took priority
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – ahem….this one didn’t happen with birthday and Holidays, my sweet husband did a trip for me which brought it up as well. 
    2. Pay off remaining debt – working on it
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – on hold until the debt is paid off

    Here are my goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week
    4. Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed)
    5. Get the girls passport pictures taken

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday and Tuesday
    3. Finish reading  The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year by Crystal Paine who has a blog called Money Saving Mom (VERY excited about the opportunity to preview this book by a blogger I have been following for years and thankful to be featured on her blog weekly with the Save A Lot Deals!)
    4. Listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (I am going through this book with my Community Group)

    Home Management Goals

    1. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    2. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    3. Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
    4. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    5. File the receipts and coupons for the last couple of months.

    Business Goals

    1. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    3. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    4. Review my 2011 Business Goals and start planning ones for 2012

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    3. Make at least $25 towards my Creative Cash goal this week so I can give more to others.
    4. Deliver a meal to a new Mom.

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Pay off remaining debt
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results

  • Book: “One Month to Live” by Kerry & Chris Shook

    I recently finished reading “One Month to Live: Thirty Days to a No-Regrets Life” by Kerry and Chris Shook.  All of us only have a certain number of days to live yet what if you recently found out that you only have 30 days left?  Would you live life differently?  What areas would you change in your life?  The authors suggest that even though we may have more then 30 days left we need to consider what truly is important to us and live our lives like we would if we only had a short time of life left on this earth.  We have the opportunity to make an positive impact on the people in our lives everyday.

    The four principles they covered in the book were:

    1. Live Passionately
    2. Love Completely
    3. Learn Humbly
    4. Leave Boldly

    This was a great book for reading during devotions because the chapters where only a handful of pages long and were broken out into 4 life principles.  Instead of chapters they go by days (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and so forth up to 30 days).  Each day begins with a couple quotes on the topic they are covering followed by a story to illustrate the point they are trying to drive home.  Some of the stories painted powerful visual pictures in my mind of areas I have been struggling with and would continue to think about for several days after reading them.  The authors discussed a variety of key topics such as health, relationship with God, forgiveness, integrity and relationships with family, friends and more.  Each day includes:

    • Make It Count Moments
    • Make It Last for Life

    The Make It Count Moments and Make It Last for life sections contain a series of questions regarding the topic they are discussing to help you take a closer look at your life.  You may see areas that you need to shape up, take action to correct, or areas you need healing.  For example, on the chapter of Forgiveness one of the Make It Count Moments is “If you only had one month to live, what would you ask forgiveness for?  From whom?  Whom would you need to forgive?” 

    I was pleased with this book and look forward to sharing it with others.  It helped open my eyes to some heart issues that I need to work on and maybe it will do the same for you as well.  Life is short and we each have the opportunity to live a life to our fullest potential; a life of passion and purpose with no regrets.

    Rate my review & be entered into a giveaway: I reviewed this book for “Blogging for Books.”   By rating my review, it allows me to choose another book and enters you in a GIVEAWAY!   The rating is a two step process.

    Step 1:  Rate my review below (select the number of stars, enter your email, and hit submit).

    Step 2:  Check your email account for a message from Blogging for Books and click their link to verify your email.

    Once you rated my review AND confirmed your email, you will automatically entered in a giveaway for this book by WaterBrook Multnomah!!!  They will pick one person to receive a copy of the book for themselves!  WaterBrook Multnomah will contact the winner directly.

    Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher through the Waterhouse Multnomah.  The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

  • Family Recipe: Spinach & Chicken Casserole

    I came up with this recipe several years ago when I was trying to use up some items we had on hand and it has been a family favorite since that day.  My husband mentioned this recipe in passing conversation with someone this past weekend which made me think that it was time to make it again.  So it is on our Menu for this week!  It is easy to put together too!

    Spinach & Chicken Casserole

    • 1 lb Chicken Breasts
    • 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
    • 1 can Spinach (drained)
    • 1 can Mushrooms or Fresh Mushrooms
    • 1 cup Provolone Cheese (you can use Swiss or Mozzarella)

    Spread the chicken breasts out in a baking dish so they are touching but not overlapping.  Mix the can of mushroom soup and spinach together and spread over the chicken breasts.  Put the mushrooms on top of the spinach and mushroom mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the casserole and bake for another 10 minutes.

    Layer of chicken, spinach, and mushrooms

  • Happy Thanksgiving!

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    May you have a truly amazing day with your family and friends.  I am thankful for the many wonderful blessings in my life.  I love this quote because even during the difficult times there is “always something to be thankful for”.  What a great reminder not just for Thanksgiving Day but for everyday of our lives!

    photo credit

  • Raising Multiples: Upstate Multiples Club Fall Party

    Checking out the rabbits

    Our family had fun at the Multiples Club Fall Party!  We went to Fisher’s Orchard in Greer, South Carolina.  It is a small peach farm with a little barn, farm animals, pumpkins, hayrides and more for families to enjoy.

    Karlie having a blast with the rabbits!

    Karlie loved petting, talking to, and looking at all the rabbits on the farm.  She was thrilled to find that they were very soft and enjoyed eating the apple pieces she was feeding them.

    Brina tickled pink to have a chance to hand feed the bunny rabbits!

    Brina has a soft spot for animals and babies.  She had a grand time hand feeding all the animals on the farm.

    Hand feeding and petting the farm animals.

    The girls thought it was awesome hand feeding all the farm animals.

    Karlie running through the maze with a friend

    They had a really neat maze that the girls loved.  Both girls went through it several times on their own.  They enjoyed being able to do it by themselves yet they could still see us!

    Brina giggling as she rounded the final corner of the maze!

    Brina thought it was hilarious she made it through the maze before Karlie the first time.

    They got faster every time they did the maze.

    Both girls coming around the final piece of the maze at the farm.

    Hayride through the peach orchard

    The girls enjoyed the ride through the peach orchard.  We saw all kinds of scarecrows, trees, and a giant hay bale spider.

    Our two little pumpkins sitting with the pumpkins.

    Pausing for a moment to snap a picture (much to the girls protest).  They thought that we should take home some of the huge pumpkins but since they were $80 or more we decided they were a little out of the family budget.

    Family at the Fisher Orchard Farm

    Quick family shot on the hay bales at the orchard.

    Karlie getting her hand painted

    There is just something about being able to get your hand or face painted.  The girls had fun getting their hands painted during the party. Karlie got a United States Flag and a Rocket.

    Brina getting her hand painted

     Brina waited for Karlie to finish now she gets to have her hand painted.  So much fun!  Brina got a rainbow on one hand and a flower on the other hand.

    Relaxing on the hay bale outside of the maze

    Brina and Karlie loved all the scarecrows at this farm and hay bales to sit on.

    Pretty girls next to a happy hay bale at Fisher Farm

    It was a lot of fun hanging out with our family and families of Multiples at the farm for a few hours.

  • Family Recipes: Quick Breakfast Smoothie

    A few months ago Jake got me a new blender….ahem…..after I wore out the second Kitchen Aid blender in our 11 years of marriage.  I LOVE smoothies, even on cold days.  Some days I don’t have time to sit down a long breakfast and I like being able to whip up a delicious breakfast drink that I can sip on as I am working.

    The girls are hooked on smoothies too.  Anytime I have the blender out their first question is “Are you making us a smoothie?”  Meaning can you make me a smoothie first, ha!  🙂  Just ask Jake if they are already fed, playing in another room, or otherwise uninterested in what I am doing they are immediately by my side when the blender turns on!  We have many smoothie variations but I wanted to share a healthy breakfast one that I enjoy (and yes it contains food I normally don’t get excited about eating in it).

    Quick Breakfast Smoothie:

    • 3 Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
    • 1o Grapes (fresh or frozen)
    • 8 oz Milk
    • 1/2 cup Ice
    • 1 hard boiled Egg
    • 3 tablespoons Strawberry or Vanilla Yogurt (optional)

    Put all the ingredients in the blender and mix together.  You have a healthy mix of protein, fruit, and dairy for your morning breakfast.

    We keep frozen strawberries and grapes (as well as other fruit) in the freezer and a batch of hard boiled eggs in the fridge so this smoothie takes a minute to put together and is ready.  I was hesitant to add the egg at first but you really cannot taste it in the smoothie and it adds a boost of protein.  Sometimes I will add a pack of Chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast for the girls for an extra boost.  You can in a variety of other fruits that you have on hand or enjoy for your smoothie as well.

  • Save A Lot: Deals for the week of November 23 – 29, 2011

    The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience.  You can start stocking up on some great deals for upcoming Holiday cooking.  Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!

    Meats and Seafood

    Sugardale Bone In Hank Potion Ham – $1.19 per lb

    Chuck Wagon or Old Farm Bacon (16 oz) – $1.78

    Farmington Pork Sausage (16 oz) – $1.99

    Fresh Whole Chicken – $0.79 per lb

    Portside Cooked Shrimp (60 to 70 count) – $3.99

    Matlaw’s Shrimp Ring with Cocktail Sauce (10 oz) – $4.99

    Pick 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

    Home Churned Butter Quarters (16 oz) – $1.99

    Buyers Best Shoestring French Fries (12 oz) – $0.79

    Imperial Spread (45 oz) – $2.50

    Coburn Farms Cream Cheese – $1.00

    Cool Whip (8 oz) – $1.00

    Totino’s Pizza (9 to 10 oz) – $1.00
    Use $1.00/4 coupon from insert 9/11 General Mills (Expires 12/3/11)
    Use $1.00/4 coupon from insert 10/2 General Mills (Expires 12/24/11)
    Use $1.00/4 coupon from pamphlet Kroger’s My Magazine Giving Hope a Hand (Expires 12/4/11)
    Use $0.60/3 coupon from insert 10/2 General Mills (Expires 12/24/11)
    As low as $0.75 each after coupon

    Resers Salads (16 oz) – $1.00
    Use $1.00/1 printable coupon from Coupon Web
    Use $0.75/1 coupon found on a tearpad in some stores (Expires 12/30/11)
    As low as FREE each after coupon

    Mrs Smith’s Pumpkin, Apple or Cherry Pies (27 oz) – $2.99
    Use $1.00/2 coupon from pamphlet Target booklet (Expires 12/30/11)
    $2.49 each after coupon

    Coburn Farms Aerosol Whipped Cream  – $1.79

    Ginger Evans Ready to Bake Chocolate Chips or Sugar Cookies – $2.29

    Take and Bake Cheese Pizza (33 oz) – $5.49

    Take and Bake Supreme or Pepperoni Pizza (33 to 36 oz) – $5.99

    Wylwood Broccoli Normandy (16 oz) – $1.29

    Morning Delight Buttermilk Biscuits – $0.59

    Wylwood Shredded Hashbrowns (24 oz) – $2.39

    Produce

    Celery – $0.79

    Sweet Potatoes – $0.49 per lb

    Idaho Potato (5 pounds) – $1.89

    Mini Carrots (1 pound) – $1.00

    Household

    Poly Steel Heavy Duty Aluminum (32 sF) – $1.79

    Starware Food Storage (assorted variety) – $1.49

    Wrightware Napkins (250 count) – $1.69

    Ajax Dish Liquid (16 oz) – $0.99

    Luster Facial Tissues (85 count) – $0.79

    Grocery

    Stuffing on the Side – $0.89

    Coburn Farms Evaporated Milk – $0.79

    Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix – $0.45

    Kool-Aid Jammers (10 count) – $1.88

    Harvest Select Grape or Cranberry Cocktails (64 oz) – $1.69

    Musselman’s Apple Sauce (46 to 48 oz) – $2.50

    Velveta Cheesy Potatoes – $1.79

    T.G.I. Friday Snacks (5 oz) – $1.00

    Progresso Bread Crumbs (15 oz) – $1.00
    Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 11/13 General Mills (Expires 1/5/12)
    $0.50 each after coupon

    Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate (6 count) – $1.00
    Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 11/13 Smart Source (Expires 12/31/11)
    Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 11/13 Smart Source (Expires 12/31/11)
    As low as $0.66 each after coupon

    Kaskey’s Chicken Broth (14 oz) – $0.69

    Ginger Evans Cake Mix – $1.35

    Ginger Evans Ready to Spread Frosting – $1.49

    Ginger Evans Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix – $0.89

    Tipton Grove Cranberry Sauce – $0.99

    Crisp Cranberry Lemon Lime or Save A Lot Exclusive Soda (2 liter) – $0.79

    Grissom’s Brown and Serve Rolls (12 count) – $1.19

    Theodoro Dollar Rolls (12 oz) – $1.99

    Mantia’s Elbow Macaroni (16 oz) – $0.99

    Rapid Rice on the Side Instant White Rice (28 oz) – $2.79

    Kaskey’s Onion Soup Mix (2 pack) – $0.89

    Westcott Cooking Spray (6 oz) – $1.69

    Ginger Evans Big or Mini Marshmallows (10 oz) – $0.99

    Libby’s Pineapple (20 oz) – $0.99
    Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 8/28 Red Plum (Expires 12/30/11)
    Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 11/13 Red Plum (Expires 3/31/12)
    $0.49 each after coupon

    Portmann’s Seafood Cocktail Sauce (12 oz) – $1.29

    Kurtz Worcestershire Sauce (10 oz) – $0.99

    Nature’s Grain Cinnamon Raisin Swirl (16 oz) – $2.49

    Bakery

    Bakery Fresh Pumpkin 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.

  • Family Outings: SkyTop Apple Orchard

    We made it to SkyTop Orchard this year!

    We surprised the girls one Saturday morning by taking a road trip to SkyTop Orchard in North Carolina.  Several friends had told us that it is a great place to go apple picking so we decided to check it out!

    Too busy watching everybody and everything around them to look at the camera!

    Pausing for a moment to take a picture by the Sky Top 2011 Apple.  There were so many people and activities going on that they girls were just mesmerized.

    Hey MOM! Is this a good one?

    Karlie loved picking the apples straight from the tree.  It didn’t take us long with four people picking to fill up our baskets!

    Looking for juicy apples to pick!

    Karlie and Brina looking through all the apples on the branches for the ripe and juicy ones to pick.  They got pretty good at picking out the perfect apples!

    Brina pleased with the apple she found.

    Brina found a good one!  She was so excited when she found a perfect apple to put into the basket.

    Walking with Daddy through the apple orchard

    There were a lot of apples on the ground.  Some of them were whole while others were turning into mush.  If you stepped on a mushy apple you feet would slide.  The girls held our hands when we were walking longer distances to help prevent them from sliding around so much on the slick apples.

    Girls - Look Daddy there's a good one up there! Daddy - You want which one?!

    You know the saying “the grass is greener on the other side of the fence” well the same thing applies to apple picking.  The perfect apple is always at the top of the tree out of reach!

    Daddy gave the girls a few boosts to get some of the "perfect" apples at the top of the trees!

    Thankfully with a little boost from Daddy the girls were able to get some of those pretty apples up on top.  They thought it was neat that they could reach the apples without climbing the trees.

    Brina and Karlie playing on SkyTop's playground

    Another highlight for the girls was playing in the houses and on SkyTop’s playground.  They had a blast checking out all the fun houses, slides, and fun activities.

    Two sweet girls peeking through the playhouse window at me!

    As I was watching them play I caught them peeking at me through the window.  Cute!  Love those two girlies so much and thankful for an opportunity to go on a family adventure together.  Great memories!

    Brina Bee climbing up the wall

    Brina proudly climbed up the climbing wall.  She came over to me and said Mom that is a lot easier then the ones that you have to get buckled into.  Brina loved seeing all the babies and little kids at the orchard.  Glad she had a great time!

    Karlie Kook Kat peeping through the window.

    Sweet picture of Karlie peeping out the window.  It is amazing to see how much they have grown up over the last few months.

    Giant haybale spider

    The girls thought this giant spider was hilarious!  They had fun climbing all over it!

    Our family at SkyTop!

    We had a blast together picking apples and playing at SkyTop Apple Orchard!

    One bushel of apples

    We picked one bushel (approximately 42 pounds of apples)!  These apples were delicious!  It was a lot of fun to eat them plain and in a lot of dishes from apple crisp to apple pie to applesauce to apple smoothies and more!

  • Organized Chaos: Organizing Our Stockpile

    I LOVE getting a great deal but over the last couple of years when I find a good deal the more I find myself asking “Do I really need this?”  Yes, using coupons are wonderful and getting a great deal is amazing only if you are going to use those items or plan on giving them away. A friend introduced me to the show “Extreme Couponing” and after a few episodes I could no longer watch it.  The amount that some people had stuffed in various places in their home was too much for me to even watch.  After some thought I decided to come up with a plan to organize my stockpile in a way that would give me a visual indication that our family’s stockpile is full plus keep the items organized in a way that anyone in my family can find an item, including the kids.

    Here is what I did:

    1. Reorganized our Linen Closet to make room for the stockpile bins.
    2. Purchased inexpensive containers from the Dollar Store.
    3. Used the Label Maker to put the description on the front of each container.
    4. Filled the containers with items from the stockpile.
    5. Once a bin is full then I know it is time to stop buying that item
    6. Any extras items that I get for free I put into a separate box to be given away.

    The new system had to be practical for our family.  I think it is wise to be good stewards of what we have been given and find opportunities to share what you have with others.  I decided that if I had enough of a certain item to last our family for 6 months to a year our stockpile is considered full and I didn’t need to purchase any more of those items.  If I did get a couple items for free they would be put in a special box to give to others (charities, school, church, people in need, friends, family, and anyone else that may need an item from it).

    I have been using this system for several months now and I am really pleased with how it works.  It is easy to know when the stockpile is full enough for your family and it is more efficient when someone needs  to locate an item.  The majority of the items in this closet are office supplies, school supplies and miscellaneous household items.  I love having the freedom to take a few weeks off from using coupons, shopping, or getting deals in general because I know exactly what I have on hand and when I have enough for my family.