Our First Garden

This past weekend, my mom came to visit and helped us plant our very first garden. We were so grateful for her knowledge of gardening and her extra set of hands. This project and others have also made me very thankful for marrying a man who knows his way around the internet. I may not have married a "handy-man", but I married a man who can find a detailed  "how-to" video on almost anything and follow it to a tee.

The garden was a hard days work (and I'm sure there is much more to come), but once every seed and plant was in the ground, we were giddy! We all looked at each other and then prayed that God would allow our garden to grow. Planting this garden has made me think a lot lately about how we must submit ourselves to the Lord, pray, and wait on Him to work.

Nathan lined the boxes with chicken wire to protect against moles.

When our big helpers weren't scooping dirt, they were swinging. 

This picture makes me look like I did a lot of hard work with Jonah on my back, but I assure you it was my husband and my mother who did most of the hard labor.

Hauling the dirt from the driveway to the boxes proved to be one of the hardest tasks.

We put a light layer of rock at the bottom to help with moisture control.

"Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near."

James 5:7-8

Tired

Are you tired? Do you sometimes feel like being a wife and a mother is a thankless and exhausting job? There are times when I just want to scream, "but what about ME!" There are mornings when I feel so tired from Judah's frequent night wakings and the last thing I want to do is get up and cook for my family. I stand in the kitchen knowing that I have the choice to throw a pity party or ask God to give me the strength to serve my family on this day.

When we have these feelings, the world tells us that we just need to get some rest or have a little more "me time". Well, I would like to share a different message. One that I believe Jesus taught us oh so well! Check out this article that is chalked full of TRUTH!

" just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28

" Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Cloth Diapers: What Works for Us

When I was pregnant with Judah, I started to consider using cloth diapers. I felt a bit lost when I started to look at all of the options. It wasn't until I met a woman who actually cloth diapered that I felt confident enough to purchase my diapers. I was so thankful to talk to a real live cloth diapering mama! So, if you are considering cloth diapers, know that there is a real mama out there that is cloth diapering and loving it! There are a lot of great cloth diapering products out there, but here are the products that have worked for us...

Diapers
FuzziBunz One Size Diapers
* These diapers do not provide for a slim fit, but if you aren't concerned about your baby looking slim on the bottom half, they save you a lot money because they grow with your baby. We purchased 16 diapers. As long as you wash daily, 16 should be plenty. We ordered our diapers from here, but I would get them from whoever is cheapest. Just watch for sales!
-As I mentioned before, I DO NOT recommend buying used diapers unless you can verify that they have been used and washed properly.

Wipes
Mother of Eden Wipes
I have a total of about 20 wipes, but the Fuzzibunz wipes are my favorite. In the beginning, I just used cut up receiving blankets. They work just fine, but I would suggest sewing the edges or they will fray in the wash.
* Even if you choose not to cloth diaper, using cloth wipes is super easy and will save on waste and cash!

Wipes Warmer
Price Lionheart Warmer (Price Lionheart makes a great warmer, but their wipes are terrible!!!)
* It is important to place new wipes in your wipes warmer each day or they will get stinky! I usually wet the warmer pad and add new damp wipes each morning. It takes me less than a minute to refill my wipes!

Wipes Solution Recipe
I just make this solution and put it in a spray bottle. Before I use the wipes, I spray the wipe with the solution. This solution should last at least 3 weeks!

2 Tbsp. Natural Baby Wash
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Cups of Water*
4 Drops of Tee Tree Oil
* Add the water first, then the other ingredients.

Accessories
I bought a trash can with a lid and this pail liner http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Planet-Wise-Diaper-Pail-Liner-PVC-FREE-Cloth-/380185316352?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item97571009dc but I've ended up just using a plastic laundry basket. The first is better, but you need to purchase two liners (so you have a liner in the pail while you wash) to do the pail and they are pricey.

Diaper Rash Protection
You cannot use any diaper creams with cloth diapers, but I have found that coconut oil and Balmex Diaper Rash Powder effectively prevent diaper rash. If you need to make a paste so the powder stays on a particular area of the bum, you can always mix a little bit of coconut oil with the powder to create a paste.
* Fuzzibunz diapers are famous for keeping baby rash free. Thankfully, Judah has been rash free so far!

Washing Diapers and Wipes
All #2 diapers should be shaken off and sprayed off (no soaking is required). Pee diapers do not require any rinsing or soaking. They sell sprayers for the toilet, but you can also rinse them in the sink.
* They are cheapest on Ebay. Make sure you purchase one with metal attachments!

Use Charlie's soap! I do 1 cold rinse cycle, 1 hot wash cycle (using one scoop of charlies), and another cold rinse (if you have hard water, I suggest using Calgon) . I line dry everything to save energy (I use a small drying rack because clotheslines are not allowed in our subdivision), but you can dry the inserts in the dryer as long as you don't use any dryer sheets in your dryer. An added benefit to line drying the diapers is that the sun acts as both an antibacterial and stain remover! I use Grapefruit Seed Extract to disinfect the diapers about every 2 weeks. I add 4 drops of GSE to the hot wash cycle and add an extra cold rinse.

These diapers are super easy to clean and let me just say that I HAVE NEVER HAD A SINGLE STAIN ON ANY OF MY DIAPERS! Cleaning the diapers takes me less than 10 minutes a day. All you have to do is add diaper duties to your daily routine (like brushing your teeth).

More Questions
If you are having trouble deciding if you want to cloth diaper, I recommend the following articles. This article will tell you the benefits of cloth diapering. This article will tell you everything you need to know about cloth diapering. This second article will show you the financial benefits of using cloth diapers. If you are married to a big numbers guy, he will love the second article!

Summer Cleaning Schedule

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend! We really enjoyed our fun friend-filled weekend. We were able to play cards and eat with friends, and spend some time at the pool with the children. Hanging out at the pool with the children is so much fun. The look of delight on their faces as Nate chases them around the pool is just priceless. Isn't summer the best?

As I discussed in my previous post, marathon cleaning sessions do not work for me, so I have formulated a new summer cleaning schedule to help me keep my home clean and peaceful during the busy months of summer. I know that I will need to be flexible and may need to adjust the schedule, but I think this is a good starting point. In August, I plan to formulate a new schedule for the fall that will work with our fall schedule. If you have not yet done so, I encourage you to take the time this week to create a cleaning schedule that works for you!

For those of you that have children, this schedule could easily help you determine their daily chores. If you have children that are able to help, I encourage you to formulate a detailed chore chart from this schedule as well. Throughout my childhood, my mother always left us a list of chores to complete each day. The rule was that we had to finish our chores before we could go outside and spend time with our friends. I am sure it was a funny sight to see 4 children running through the house trying to get our chores done as quickly as possible so we could go have some "fun". We were not going to waste our day cleaning, so that chore list was done pretty quickly :). Just a thought.

Steps to Creating a Cleaning Schedule
#1- Make a list of the tasks you would like to complete each week.
#2- Make a list of those tasks that you complete throughout the week as you go about your business (ex. we load the dishwasher and wash any non dishwasher safe items after each meal).
#3- Make a list of tasks you would like to complete for each day of the week.

#4- Print your schedule and hang it in a visible place to serve as a reminder.

Weekly Tasks
Grocery Shopping
Food preparation

Dusting

Floors (hard woods/ carpets)

Bathrooms

Laundry(wash/dry, fold/put-away clothes)

Kitchen counter tops/tables

Dishes (load dishwasher/hand wash, unload dishwasher)

Trash

Making the bed
General clean-up

Complete Daily

Kitchen Counter tops/ tables
Load dishwasher/ hand wash

Trash

Making the bed
General clean-up

-Weekly Schedule-

Monday

Put away laundry

Tuesday
Floors

Wednesday

Wash/Dry Laundry
Dusting

Thursday

Put away laundry

Bathrooms

Friday
OFF

Saturday

Grocery Store (am)

Food Preparation for the week (am)

Sunday
Wash/Dry Laundry

Unload dishwasher

It is also a good idea to formulate a schedule for any deep cleaning ( cleaning windows, walls, fridge, etc.). I plan to formulate a monthly cleaning schedule for these items. This schedule will include those deep cleaning tasks I would like to complete during each month. I will try to post this schedule on a later date.

Enjoy cleaning your home this week :)!

Does Not Work for Me Wednesday- Marathon Cleaning Sessions

For the past 8 months, I have been blessed to have most of the day Friday to handle our household needs (grocery shopping, oil changes, etc.) and cleaning. Now that my schedule is changing for the summer, I will no longer have a day during the week to take care of our home. I must admit that even prior to the schedule change, marathon cleaning was not working for me. I would spend hours cleaning, which would leave me feeling accomplished, but also exhausted. While I think it is important for us to share things that work for us, I think it is just as important to identify those things that do not work for us so that we can seek advice and find new and improved ways to manage our homes!

A good friend of mine shared with me that she has a cleaning schedule that allows her to stay on top of her cleaning throughout the week. So, my goal this week is to come up with a personalized cleaning plan (including laundry, floors, dusting, etc.) that will work for me.

If you have found that your current cleaning schedule or lack thereof is not working for you, I encourage you to join me in formulating a schedule that WORKS FOR YOU! I plan to post my schedule in the future, so if you join me and would like to share your plan, do not hesitate to do so.

We have the great honor of being keepers of our home, so it is important that we learn how to do this in the most effective and efficient way possible. I am eager to hear tips and suggestions from you all, so feel free to send me an email or leave me a comment with your cleaning schedule tips and/or plans.

Learning...
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 15:15-17)


This is a picture from our mini get-away in Nashville over Memorial day weekend. It was such a relaxing time for us. I can't say that we did much, but that was truly the best part. We were excited to just "get-away" for awhile and simply enjoy enjoy each other.

Works for me Wednesday- Microwave Cleaning Made Easy

As some of you may have detected, I took a short break from the blogging world due to a need to focus on other things for awhile. I assure you that Nathan and I are alive and well! Hopefully, I will take the time to write an update about the excitement in our lives in the near future, but for now, I am going to share with you all a simple cleaning tip that "works for me".

For the most part, I really enjoy cleaning our home. I enjoy the sense of accomplishment I feel as I look at our clean home. I have even found that I am able to relax and find more peace when our home is in order. While I can "let the house go" for a few days (I don't recommend this), it usually starts to get to me by the weekend. That being said, I also have certain cleaning tasks that are more of a "chore" for me. I don't desire to look at cleaning anything as a "chore", so I have recently tried to discover ways to make these daunting tasks more easy and enjoyable.

I don't know about you all, but our microwave can get just plain gross. A couple times of leaving something in for too long or forgetting to cover a dish and food is fully baked on to every part of the interior. I used to spend way too much time scrubbing the inside of our microwave, but now I do a little prep work before I attempt to wipe away the old food.

Microwave Cleaning Prep Work:

- Fill a microwavable safe bowl with about 4 coups of water.

- Place a few lemon slices in the bowl.

- Microwave the lemon water until it is boiling.

- Leave the boiling lemon water in the microwave for a few minutes.

- Remove the mixture and easily wipe the "un-stuck" food off the walls of the microwave.

Just a simple cleaning tip that "works for me"! Hope you all have a great week!

Happy cleaning :)!

Learning...

Titus 2

Good Reads...

Check out this awesome series called "Homeaking, It's a Real Job". It has been very encouraging to me and I thought some of you ladies would enjoy it!

If you are up for a challenge, check out this post on being a Jezebel!

Works for Me Wednesday- Morning Routine

Keeping a morning routine "works for me". While I do not follow my exact routine each and every morning (flexibility and prioritizing is also important), I do my best to follow it "most" mornings (usually Monday through Friday). The more closely I follow my morning routine, the better start I have to my day. It has taken me some time to figure out what routine works best for me, but now I am at a point where I really enjoy my routine. I realize that as with most routines, it will change over the months and years, but I think it is important to continue to have a routine so that we get our (and our family's) days off to the right start.

This morning routine is what works for me at this time in my life.

Elements of my morning routine:

- First to Rise. At this time in my life, I do not having to get up at 5am to do this, but I realize this could and probably will change. I think it is important for me to be the first one up so that I can take time for myself and be ready to serve my family when they wake. In order to be the first one to rise, it is very important for me to go to bed on time. The later I stay up, the harder it is to start my day right.

- Physical Exercise. Exercise fights stress and keeps my body healthy. I currently do not have a gym membership, so my main forms of exercise are running, walking, lifting weights, and exercise videos. Nate usually joins me a few times a week, which makes it even better. I try to be reasonable as to the length of my work-outs. Usually, 25-40 minutes works best for me.

- Prepare breakfast for my Family. I prepare the same simple breakfast and COFFEE (a must have) almost every morning. Once a month or so, I will buy something special like OJ or bagels instead of toast. I don't try to change the whole breakfast, I just switch out one element of the breakfast. I also try to do something different for breakfast on Saturdays.

-Plan for dinner. I check my menu plan and if I didn't prep a part of our planned meal the night before, I prep some of it in the morning.

- Clean-up any dishes from the night before and breakfast. Do a "quick" (like 5 minute) sweep of the house before I leave to make sure the house is semi-presentable (I don't try to clean my entire house, I just try to make it look tidy). Once or twice a week, this includes placing a load of laundry in the washer or dryer.

- Self Care. Shower, brush my teeth, do my hair, etc.

- Time of prayer!!!!!!!

Getting up on time is key (which is usually the hardest part)! I try to get up on time so that I have plenty of time to carry out my morning routine. If the routine is rushed, it is harder to be joyful and follow my routine. I try to keep this in mind when I am tempted to hit the snooze button :).

Start a morning routine:

If you do not currently have a morning routine, I encourage you to start trying to create a routine that works for you!

#1- Decide what elements you would like to have in your routine.

#2- Decide what time you will need to wake-up in order to joyfully carry out your routine.

#3- Make a time schedule (mine has a good 10 minute flex in it) for all of the elements. If you have children, this will include working around their needs and schedules, which will require more flex time.

#4- Practice carrying out your routine and make adjustments until it works for you.

Learning...

"She rises also while it is still night and gives food to her household and portions to her maidens." (Prov. 31: 15)

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might... " (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

We serve a MIRACULOUS GOD! He is moving mountains...

Updates....

We just returned from a long weekend trip in Orlando, Florida where both Nathan and I were able to be a part of the wedding of two of our close friends! It was great being able to witness and celebrate their marriage with them. I will have to share pictures with you all soon. Their wedding was gorgeous. We continue to pray for Steve and Sarah's marriage.

Works for me Wednesday- Helping with Yard Work

Recently, the joy of great weather has also brought back the joy of yard work! Originally, I thought that yard work would be Nate's "responsibility". I figured that because I do most of the cooking and cleaning, he could take care of the outside without my assistance (sounds like a self-entitlement!). Besides, I wasn't "good at" all of that outdoor stuff and I certainly didn't enjoy it. Well, I must tell you that I have since found that helping with yard work "works for me".

I am always really thankful when Nathan (my sister-in-laws, friends, the kids, etc.) helps me with a task that is "my responsibility". Things usually take less time and are more enjoyable when you have a helper, even if the helper isn't doing much. Even the small things like handing me the bread out of the fridge, bringing something in from the car, placing a dish in the oven, or carrying a heavy something to a new location really make things a lot easier for me. Mostly because it makes me feel like I'm not having to do it all on my own.

So, I decided that Nate might like a little "helper" when he is doing yard work (which he actually enjoys doing, for the most part). I put this into practice late in the "yard working" season last year and I assure you that it truly worked for me. My helping can range from me mowing the entire yard to simply making myself available to bring him the tools he needs as he works. I will often assist him by cleaning up branches and weeds after he trims bushes, pulls weeds, etc. I will also often ask him what he needs to get done in the yard and then volunteer to do the tasks that I know I can do (like pulling weeds or watering the plants). Other times, I work inside while he works outside, but I make it a point to check on him periodically to see if he needs help or a cold glass of water ( I realize that depending on your busy schedule (work, school, small children), this may be all you can commit to do and that is okay!). My goal is to make myself available to assist him with yard work. My ability to help him in the yard may change with different seasons of our lives, but I want to have a heart that is always willing to help! Again, it is all about my heart.

Benefits:
1) It is another opportunity to spend time with our spouses (and children) during the sunny months. I know we plan to have our "Linc kids" join us in our yard work adventures from time to time. We see it as another way we can teach them to work together and have fun while doing it. I have found that I can actually enjoy yard work when I have the right attitude and look at it as "family time".
2) Everyone loves to have a little bit of help sometimes. Your husband will cherish his willing helper. Even if you aren't able to mow the entire lawn, he will be glad that you have a heart that is willing to help where you can.
3) Yard work is a great workout. Seriously...whew!
4) We are called to be "help meets". This is just another way we can find joy in fulfilling our great command!

So, next time your man's out there working hard, think about how you can help. This will be different for us all, but as long as we have a heart that is willing to help, we will always find opportunities to do so. It works for me!

P.S. My mom and "grandmother" are coming to visit this weekend!!! They are driving over 14 hours to spend 4 days with me and Nathan. They will be here tomorrow and I can't wait! I miss them so much and am very thankful that I will be able to spend this time with them.

Works for Me Wednesday- Cooking on Vacation

"Gasp....NO...not on my vacation!" Well, Meal planning on vacation "works for me". I know I have lost a few of you already, but stick with me on this one. You might find out that it works for you as well. This past week, Nathan and I had the privilege of taking a vacation to Kentucky. The vacation was very inexpensive for us to say the least (mostly because our lodging was free of charge), but also because we didn't plan to eat out every meal. I assure you that there are many benefits to meal planning, even on vacation! Now, I realize that you are not able to cook meals on every vacation and it is fun to eat "local" food in new places (we planned for that as well). As always, I am not talking about always and never, I am talking about a balance. I encourage you to look at the possibility of meal planning (whether it is 2 or most of your meals) for your future vacations, it works for me!

Benefits:
#1- It saves you and your family money. Eating out almost always cost more than making a simple meal. Notice I said simple. If you plan to make something elaborate, you may want to assess the cost. I have found that some things are more cost effective to eat out. If you spend less money on your vacations, you will be able to take MORE vacations in the future. The way I look at it, you get more bang for your buck. It works better for me to cook on several vacations than to eat out on one vacation :).
#2- Your family will learn to enjoy your cooking, regardless of location. They will continue to crave your home-cooking instead of someone else's good cooking.
#3- You learn to enjoy cooking meals away from home. For me, it is all about the heart in which you do it with. If I'm excited to save my family money and cook them healthy and simple meals away from home, then it seems like less of a chore.

Why we don't want to:
I can only speak for myself on this topic, but for me, it has a lot to do with self-entitlement. This week, I read a fellow blogger's post on self-entitlement( http://likeawarmcupofcoffee.blogspot.com/) and I was reminded that "what I think I deserve" is at the root of most of my discontent and prideful moments.

* In her words, self-entitlement is the attitude that lurks just under my skin, ready to emerge whenever I’ve worked hard and think I deserve some sort of a pay-back. Also, when I imagine that people are deliberately disregarding my time or work. Also, when I self-righteously call myself a “servant”, but expect to be treated like a “queen”. I would add that it is the long list of things that I believe I deserve- whether that is a break from serving others, a night out, or to be treated better or to be appreciated more by a certain person. It is the little voice inside our heads that tells us that we have RIGHTS!

* I agree with her when she says that I am entitled to 2 stunning rights:
1- To love the Lord our God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.
2- To love my neighbor as myself- which includes our family. (Of course, these basically open a glorious storeroom of rights to me: the rights to serve others, love others, and to enjoy peace, kindness, and gladness to my heart’s content.)

Beyond that, though, I have no self-entitlements. None. I am not entitled to sulk, complain, demand, destroy, or resent. GULP... dropping my self-entitlements is going to be an ongoing process.

For me, this means that if cooking on vacation will benefit my family, then I will do it willingly, knowing that it is just one of the many ways that I can be of service to them. If I am tired and feel that I deserve to be served and taken care of and yet I continue to serve my family, then I am thankful that God is giving me the strength to do so because I know I can't do it on my own merit.

The more self-entitlement I allow myself to feel, the less joyful I am about being a servant. I suppose much like anything else I want to change, it will take practice to end these self serving thoughts.

Practice with me this week:
#1- Write down your most common self-entitlement beliefs and make a plan to combat them.
#2- Commit to do one task each day that goes against one of your most common self-entitlement beliefs.
#3- Continue to ask for transformation of the heart. I don't know about you but I can't will myself into dropping my self-entitlements (or anything for that matter).

Learning...
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. (Phil. 2:3)

For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. (James 3:16)

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2)

Works for me Wednesday- Preparing part of our dinner in advance

This past week, I have discussed the convenience of meal planning with several friends. I think many people (I used to) have the misconception that cooking dinner nightly is a hard task that takes up a lot of time. I have spoken to several women who said that the reason they don't plan to cook on a regular basis is because by the time they get home from work or other activities, the last thing they want to do is slave away in the kitchen for hours making a meal. This leaves people eating out on a regular basis or buying convenience meals that are high in preservatives and price.

I would like to share with you all what makes menu planning and cooking meals on a regular basis much easier for me. As I have mentioned in a previous post regarding meal planning, I grocery shop once a week (some people cut this down to only every other week- just a thought) and buy all of the supplies I need for our meals throughout the week. I shop with a list and it usually does not take me over an hour. This is much easier than not planning and thus having to run to the store on a regular basis for ingredients, which adds to the total time it takes to prepare meals. I have all of my meals planned in advance.

Another huge part of what makes meal planning WORK FOR ME that I did not share in my previous post is preparing at least part of our meal in advance. The night before or in the morning, I look at the meal I have planned for the (following) evening and determine what part of the meal I can prepare in advance. For example, if I am cooking lemon tilapia, rice, and veggies-I will thaw my tilapia, place my seasonings and lemon on the tilapia, wrap them in foil, place it in a pan, and store them in the fridge. Then, when I get home, all I need to do is place the pan in the oven and boil a couple pots of water for the rice and veggies. While things are baking and boiling, I usually have the time to do other small tasks in the kitchen, so I don't feel like I am standing over the stove for long periods of time.

It usually always works for me to prepare my meat portion of the meal the night before. Several of my common menu items (spaghetti, chicken and rice, etc.) allow me to fully cook the meat the night or morning before I serve the meal. Menu items such as turkey pockets allow me to cook my meat and mix all of my ingredients together in advance, so all I have to do to prepare dinner in the evening is place the mixture in the dough and bake the pockets. I also often chop veggies and other ingredients early in the week that I will use for future meals during the week, which again, saves me time in the evening.

There are several benefits to preparing at least part of your dinner in advance:

1) It shortens the amount of time it takes to prepare dinner in the evening. This is extremely helpful when you are running behind schedule, feeling tired, or have hungry people waiting on your meal.

2) It helps you and your family to eat out less because you know that you have part of your dinner prepped and ready to be cooked at home. You also know that it won't take you long to prepare the meal since the "hardest" parts are already done. If you prepare a part of your meal dinner in advance, you have committed to eating at home that night, so there are far less temptations. Besides, you wouldn't want to waste good meat or fresh chopped veggies.

3) By prepping part (or all) of the meal in advance, you have made the completion of the meal more simple, so it will be easier to call on your spouse or children to help you finish cooking the meal.

"What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow." - Martin Luther

***Thanks to all of you who are sharing what "works for you" with me! I have so much to learn :).

Works for me Wednesday

I came across this fun blogging idea on another blog that I enjoy reading and I thought I would share some of the things that work for me with my family and friends. Feel free to join me!

Meal planning works for me! The thing most of you already know about me is that I am a planner. I love to plan because for me personally it makes my day to day life more enjoyable by eliminating stressful situations. I usually start planning next week's meals by around Wednesday or Thursday because I go grocery shopping on Friday for all the food we need for Saturday through Thursday of the next week. I also keep a running grocery list on a chalkboard hanging in my pantry. Once I have my meals planned out for the following week, I complete my grocery list and ensure I have all of the ingredients for my planned meals.

Some of you may be wondering what we do for breakfast and lunch. Well, for now, I am able to simply cook enough dinner for us both to have left-overs for lunch. So, whatever we eat for dinner, we also eat for lunch the next day. I am very thankful that Nathan enjoys left overs as much as I do. Sometimes I will mix it up by making simple sandwiches for us like tuna or turkey and cheese. As for breakfast, Nathan loves eating one egg, one peice of toast, and two peices of turkey bacon almost every morning. On Saturday, I cook pancakes instead of toast :). I often eat peanut butter toast, raisin bran/fiber one, or Nathan's special. As you can see, we I try to keep our meals pretty simple!

There are several benefits to meal planning. One, I have found that meal planning and sticking to my grocery list saves me time and money at the grocery store. Two, it also allows me to plan meals where I can use fresh ingredients for several meals, which eliminates waste. For example, this week, I made fajitas Monday and homeade pizza Tuesday. I purchased three peppers (they can be expensive) and a bag of shredded cheese to be used for both meals. I used half Monday and I used the other half Tuesday. Third, I am able to plan our meals according to sales, which again SAVES US MONEY (are you seeing a pattern here?). Lastly, we eat out less because we know we have "healthy" meals prepped for the evening.

So, are you convinced yet? If you aren't a natural planner, it may seem a bit odd, but just try it out. IT WORKS FOR ME!

Some of our close friends gave Nathan and I this chalkboard as a wedding gift. I keep it on the kitchen counter so Nathan always knows what to expect for dinner :).

This large chalkboard hangs on the wall of our pantry. I keep our grocery list, my to-do list, workout progress, and other fun lists on it without having to display it to everyone.

My meal plan for this week:

Friday-Dinner Party for Dasha: Hamburgers and Hotdogs

Saturday-Date Night: Using Gift Cards from our sister for a night out

Sunday-Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Monday- Fajitas

Tuesday- Homeade Wheat Pizza

Wendesday-Chicken Alfredo Pasta

Thursday- Talapia and Rice

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Learning...

"She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night." (Prov. 31:17-18)

This week, I really enjoyed listening to this podcast regarding marriage and our call from the King to serve our husbands and families! To listen, click on the following link-http://www.goodshepherdcc.org/ministries/women/momtomom.htm, then scroll down to the little audio box on the bottom and click on the message from Alan Hlavka.