I had the honor and privilege of being able to post a blog article on Money Saving Mom! Crystal has a very large platform and a very successful blog, so to be chosen to write for her site was a big deal to me.
Of course I had to write from my heart – and what’s closer to my heart than…ALDI?! 😉
Over on MSM I’m giving 10 items that our family really enjoys and the prices are fantastic!
Stacy
I’ve been making dairy kefir since Annie was 2 years old (she’s almost 15) and I realized the other day I don’t talk about it much any more.
So when mentioning it on Instagram, I got tons of interest in the subject and I realized a refresher was in order.
We are not a vegan family, but we do eat a lot of meatless/plant-based meals. It started out as a way to heal our gut and then we just felt so good that we continued to eat meatless for several days a week.
(For those interested, I learned about this gut healing through the books of Dr. Robynne Chutkan, Gutbliss being my favorite.)
It has also really helped us on our grocery budget because cutting out meat for several meals and replacing it with grains or beans really cuts down on cost! If you’re looking to cut back on some of your grocery expenses, consider making 1-2 meatless meals a week and see if it makes an impact!
[Read more…]I often talk about our grocery budget and show my weekly haul on Instagram, but I thought it might also be helpful to post it in written form.
At this point, with the six of us and our dietary needs and appetite, we have settled on $1,000/month for our grocery budget.
[Read more…]I think a lot of people believe that rest is something you will have or do when your life slows down.
But here’s the truth: that’s probably never going to happen. If we wait for life to slow down, we will never rest. The time when we need rest the most is in the middle of the hustle of our everyday lives – ballgames, church, community events, etc.
I used to believe: I’ll sleep when I’m dead. This led me to serious burnout and anxiety. That’s actually NOT how we’re supposed to live. We’re supposed to get a clue from the Lord who actually commanded us to rest. (Exodus 20:8)
[Read more…]Because the answer is – it depends.
I’ve been “deal shopping” for groceries and other items since I got married in 2003 – I learned from my mother, who taught me the art of double-coupons.
When I first started, I knew I could get the best deals by hopping from store to store and using their coupons – most of the time, that was my shopping DAY and I was gone most of it. It was almost a job for me. And I taught others to do it.
Fast forward and I started having children. I found that I no longer had the time to hunt deals for hours – so I started doing more frugal things at home and making a lot of our food from scratch. That was how I saved.
[Read more…]I used to keep a paper list of all the books I wanted to read but when you want to read MOST BOOKS, that sort of thing can get a little overwhelming – and man, the mountain of paper! 😉
I had heard about Goodreads but it seemed just like another app to complicate my life – I held off for a long time, but finally decided to jump in when I realized I wanted to see what my friend Crystal was reading. HA!
[Read more…]On December 7, 2023, my best friend Penny lost her husband Kelly. I was in Walmart shopping when I got the message and I’m pretty sure the moment will be imprinted on me forever. Pearl Harbor Day – the day Kelly left.
Nothing in life will prepare you for something like that – no books are written to give you the exact steps because to be honest, there aren’t any.
Each person who grieves, does so differently. There is no cookie cutter way to get all your sorrow out.
[Read more…]I have been making this recipe for Honey Bran Muffins for the longest time – it’s one of our favorites! But in the last year, I when I tried to share it with someone, I realized the blog it was posted on was gone!
PSA: if you enjoy a recipe, always always make sure to print it!! You never know when that blog might disappear.
As I was making these today, I took some notes and a photo so I could post the recipe here and share it…because it deserves to be shared! One of my life’s mission is to feed the world more fiber. Hard to have a good day when you don’t poop. 😉
[Read more…]I prefer to know that breakfast is all ready to go when we get up – for some reason my day seems to go easier. And if that’s in my head, that’s fine with me. 😉
My friend Christina asked me to compile a list of our favorite make-ahead breakfasts, so I hope this will be helpful. I’ll also include a short list at the end of what I usually serve alongside our breakfasts.
[Read more…]
