Pantry Challenge Wrap Up

The Pantry Challenge 2018 is officially over, even though we might continue it informally for a few more days. We made it, guys! I'm so proud of all of us! We ate a few things that didn't 'match' or were outside our normal meals, but no one went hungry, no one went through the drive thru lane and no one had to eat things they hate. Those are all things I can live with :)

Goals Update: Final Numbers

Our goals:
1. Get the cold storage to the bare minimum so I can defrost it and clean it well.
~Somehow, my fridge freezer and the deep freeze are still PLENTY full. How is that possible? Perhaps I was using more of the fridge and pantry shelves for this challenge. Also, a friend gifted us a large turkey breast roast and a medium sized ham. The turkey fed us for a week in various forms and the ham went in the freezer, so not only did I not pull anything out of the freezer that week, but I actually put something IN. And when I made pizza dough, I made a double batch and put half in the freezer...Old habits die hard.

2. Use up whatever is hiding in the back of the pantry shelves. I’ve had helpers recently with putting away food (YAY!) but they just shove, not organize it by type. (Oops)
~I did pretty well with this, specifically with the baking goods and canned veggies. Rock on!

3. Reduce our food budget for the month by at least half. (I normally budget $600 when we are all home) Specific Goal: spend under $250 by only purchasing dairy and a little produce.
~We rocked this goal as well! We spent $143 this month, not counting the $60 my mother bought us as a thank you for Hercules fixing her van. So a total savings of $457. Even if we did count that money that's still a savings of $397. That's what I call awesome! I hit the store twice late in the month for milk, butter and fresh veggies, and that's it. That's a number I can live with to feed 4+ people for a month, especially since this month Hercules just happens to be unemployed so saving money is more important than ever.
4. Eat at home. We’ve developed quite a bad habit of eating out more often than our budget can truly handle and that ends today. I am aiming for one family meal out this month. Everyone else eats at home or packs a lunch.
~Another goal accomplished. Aside from the 2 times I ate out (mostly to get OUT of the office) while I was at work, we ate AT HOME for every single meal this month. No drive thru, no pizza ordered, no I'm-in-a-hurry convenience meals. And our pocketbooks and our waistlines are thanking us for our efforts.
5. Remember that I bake fantastic bread and it’s better for us and way cheaper than store bought bread.
~You GUYS! I don't toot my own horn that often, but I make such good bread!! We've enjoyed grilled cheese on regular sandwich bread, pizza on freshly made whole wheat yeast dough, we've had beer bread to dip into our soups, and french toast made out of homemade bread...oh my gravy do I love to make bread!
 

Chicken Pot Pie ~ala~ Pantry Challenge Goodness

Mixing up Pizza Dough

Simple Pantry Challenge Lunch

Over all, I'm calling this challenge a victory! We ate at home, we used it up, we scraped the bottom of the jars and barrels, we got creative about what goes together and what doesn't, we enjoyed more meals around the table than in months past, we put what we had to good use and we remembered to be grateful for it. The only part that we didn't do was empty out the fridge freezer and deep freeze, and I'm calling that a miracle instead of a failure. It was like the Bible story in 2Kings 4 about the oil that never ran out. Praise the Lord.  

Tamales from the freezer, refried beans from the pantry and Mexican rice made from the pantry shelves with a few substitutions. In a word, DELICIOSO!

PS. One extra bonus about this Pantry Challenge month is that is ties in so nicely with one of  my goals for the year, which is to Eat to Live, instead of Live-to-Eat. While there was quite a bit of focusing on food this month, it wasn't so I could be a gourmet foodie. It was to save money and use up what we already had, and so contenting myself with simple meals, especially at lunch time was just the push I needed to start that goal off strong for the year. Most of my lunches for the month consisted of a baked potato or rice or a slice of buttered bread with some fruit or veg. Good stuff!

Baby Caden is Nearly One!

Can anyone else believe that this little Punk will be 1 on Thursday? I'm speechless. Where did this year go? He's finally got a tooth or two, he's crawling and cruising, he waves and claps, he says mama and dada and wooooo, and he's starting to finally sleep through the night on a more regular basis.
His gift from GrandDan, {Grand}MamaK and the Uncles of the Apocalypse will arrive on time and they are waiting to open it until Friday when we have a Skype date. They are so sweet to us! I can't wait to see him tear into it.

It's the Little Things: Day 30

 I want to focus on the good things this year.
All the things people get right.
All the times that everything works out just perfectly after we assumed disaster had already struck.
All the time that the right word was spoken at the right moment.
So, let's celebrate those little moments together, shall we?

• It's oversleeping, but still waking in time to get to work on time.
• It's OWNING Pantry Challenge 2018 that's almost 4 full weeks in.
• It's a chat with your favorite oldest adopted child on his way home from work.
• It's you mom dropping by to bring you all the things you forgot at work because you're a scatterbrain. ;)
• It's fresh baked bread. Fresh bread fixes nearly everything that's not right.
• It's a chat with your favorite oldest biological son about a 'wacky plan' he has hatched with Hercules about rebuilding dirt bikes that he hopes will turn a profit.
• It's finding ingredients in your pantry to create chocolate mocha frosting to schmear on graham crackers for hubby's evening chocolate fix.
• It's your favorite middlest of middle children announcing that the whole house smells good when he walks in after work. (refer back to the comment about bread.)
• It's laughing with Mr. T and Slick over cat board games while you're 'at work'. Here, Kitty Kitty is a hoot, just saying.
• It's helping your favorite youngest biological child build a blanket fort and being so glad that even at 12, he still finds these amusing. 
• It's getting the email reminder that your grandson's birthday gift will arrive on time. (In other news, how is it already his 1st birthday later this week?)
• It's getting to the electronics first in line today and getting to listen to beautiful music for nearly 2 hours before someone else took control of the electronics. 
• It's your mom nonchalantly putting food into your fridge since Handsome Hercules is currently unemployed. She's the best. 

What's on YOUR little things list today?

It's the Little Things: Days 27 & 28

 I want to focus on the good things this year.
All the things people get right.
All the times that everything works out just perfectly after we assumed disaster had already struck.
All the times that the right word was spoken at the right moment.
So, let's celebrate those little moments together, shall we?

• It's when your child cleans his room and all the kitchen towels that have been missing for months magically turn up in the laundry baskets.
• It's catching up with our Reel2Real friends that have been sick for a few weeks and are now well enough to be back at church.
• It's Derek and I embracing the idea of an entire day at home. No chores, No errands, No work, No school. Just home. It's been a gift!
• It's being invited to my first paper-crafting event in over 5 years. Oh my stars, how I LOVE playing with paper! Paper Pumpkin if you are interested in playing along, it's a delightful monthly subscription service for people who love stamps, stickers and paper-crafting.
• It's time to make pizza from scratch, and to work up 4 pounds of pinto beans for meals in the coming weeks. (The Pantry Challenge continues)
• It's a child asking ahead of time if they can have command of the living room one night a week to host their own version of Game Night.
  ---Yes, yes you can! 
• It's glorious January weather that allows Dan and the BIGS to go 4-wheeling together all afternoon.
• It's a child whose birthday gift finally arrived in the mail that is delighted with it, even though it's not fancy or costly. 
• It's a child that calls late in the evening to 'demand' a haircut, but you're pretty sure he just wanted to talk about life, because haircut time when he tells you his problems. 
• It's binge-watching a show we both like with Hercules. Have I mentioned how delightful it is to have him home again?
• It's learning the art of listening to audio books while I'm in the kitchen. I've used them for many years for the boys in school, but never really implemented them for my own use. It's pretty great!
• It's being well rested enough to manage getting up an hour early to get a jump start on the week.

What's on YOUR little things list today?

It's the Little Things: Day 26

  I want to focus on the good things this year.
All the things people get right.
All the times that everything works out just perfectly after we assumed disaster had already struck.
All the times that the right word was spoken at the right moment.
So, let's celebrate those little moments together, shall we?

•  It's sneaking into your bedroom to kiss your sleeping husband goodbye for the day, only to find him awake, and propped up in bed reading his Bible. Glorious. 
• It's new games brought by Jodi for Game Night sharing. Quirkle and Dragonwood are both quite good. Jodi and I were also laughing over Speak Out today, so perhaps it will soon find it's way to the gaming tables.
• There were other things, but these were the best parts, for sure.

What's on YOUR little things list today?

2018 Word and Goals for the Year

  I know I'm a bit late to the party, as it's well into January already, but I wanted to share my word/motto for the year and some goals I will be working throughout the year. But first, a quick recap of 2017 goals/word.

  It took me a while to determine whether I was done using the word ENOUGH, as it's been my word for a few years now. I finally decided that with 2017 fully in the rear view mirror, I was ready for a new word and new goals. I retired my #PlateSpinner hashtag in June of 2017 by retiring from the B-Bunch House after 5 years and starting a new job at LFAL. I fully embraced my new hashtag of #NoLongerAPlateSpinner just a few weeks ago by bidding my snack bar lady work trade job at Gym Magic a fond farewell and reclaiming my Saturday mornings after 8 fun-filled years. So, I'm calling 2017 a win on goals, since my only true goal of last year was to retire the plate spinner tag.


     Moving on! Hello and welcome 2018. The word I've chosen for this year is "Progress". My motto is more of the same by choosing "Progress, not Perfection" to print in my planner and on my heart all year long. I've spent too many years either in one camp or the other...exacting perfection (or beating myself up for lack thereof) or a lackadaisical Meh, close-enough-is-good-enough attitude. Neither actually work for me, or lead to a healthy balance in my life, so I think Progress is a better fit. I can give myself grace on the days where it all goes to the dogs, and encourage myself to do better when I'm not giving things enough effort to make it come together.
     As for my specific goals, I've tried to just be reasonable with myself this year. We are in a season of change. Dan is currently unemployed. I don't make enough to support us. That is stressful and requires a good portion of our attention until that resolves one way or another. PattyCakes just turned 19 and will probably move out within this year, leaving us with just one child left at home, a situation we've NEVER encountered before as even when we were young parents with only one actual child, I was nannying for 2 littles and caring for my young nephew many MANY hours a week. I've never parented ONE child before, let alone a child who has FULLY embraced his 12 and a half-ness like this one does. It's not going to a dull or boring year, that's for sure. And that's ok, I just need remember that as I attempt to be real about how many/how specific of goals I can work on while I live this life I love so much.

     So, for the nitty gritty:

Spiritual:

• Make a new habit of praying WITH Dan as often as he is willing. 
• Read the Bible every day.
• Make a prayer list and pray more often and more specifically.

 Health:

• Instead of specific numbers/servings/grams, etc. I am adopting a eat-to-live attitude instead of my usual live-to-eat policy. I'm trying to pack simple healthy lunches each day, get more veggies in than in the past, and make sure I get my water every day. By end of year, I want to be able to hike Dripping Springs, A Mountain and Aguirre Springs. That's it.

Books: 

• Read 52 books (or approximately one per week) hopefully along these lines
  
  • 6 marriage 
  • 2 financial
  • 10 novels
  • 1 magazine subscription
  • 2 gov't
  • 3 history
  • 10 read-alouds with DT
  • 2 book club choices
  • 1 spanish
  • 10 Christian Living
  • 10 books that I had on my list from last year

Family:

• Start eating together at the table at least twice a week
• Get away together for at least one long weekend and 4-one day trips
• DE-CLUTTER the whole house. I mean it. For reals.

Cultural/Social:

• Attend one cultural/social activity per month that's inexpensive or free~ Game Night does not count, no matter how much we love it
• Attend 1-2 BIG events this year (Newsies, Lion King, TobyMac, etc)
• Participate in #NoPantsApril2018 and #100HappyDays 

Personal: 

• Wear Make Up 1-2 times per week
• Slowly upgrade my wardrobe with an emphasis on high quality classics with a few trendy pieces thrown in for fun (Limit t-shirts with writing on them)
• Plan meals and cook 4 times per week, plus pack healthy lunches for DT and I at work

Financial:

• Get back on track once Dan gets a new job and stay current on the bills
• Save 50% of my monthly earnings to start and grow our emergency savings
• Tithe more generously (not just to the church, but to our community)
• Pay off Dan's Honda
• Put up a clothesline, repair the breakfast nook roof/ceiling, install raised garden beds in the back yard, get a coop and 4-6 chickens, and plant dwarf fruit trees along the rear fence line. (probably only 1-2 two of these will happen this year and that's OK) 

I know that despite my trying to be "reasonable" with my goal setting, I've set some pretty challenging goals. And that's not a bad thing. I will try to update once a month to see how I'm progressing.

Feel free to share your goals so I can cheer you on this year as well! ~K~

It's the Little Things: Day 24

I want to focus on the good things this year.
All the things people get right.
All the times that everything works out just perfectly after we assumed disaster had already struck.
All the times that the right word was spoken at the right moment.
So, let's celebrate those little moments together, shall we?

• It's a brief but delightful phone chat with my daughter in love on her birthday
• It's an evening of quiet while my head is pounding. (Dan and the BIGS are playing Magic at The Hooligan House) 
• It's #HappyMail arriving today that is allowing me to diffuse thieves oil right now, and it smells outstanding. THANKS LAURA!
• It's a productive day at school for the boys, and for reorganized binders after a mishap earlier left it completely out of order
• It's an understanding Sister-Girl who was agreeable to a rescheduled evening so that I could spend the evening at home nursing my sinus headache
• It's the anticipation of more #HappyMail coming my way soon. 
• It's PattyCakes digging through old posts on our blog this morning and all of us enjoying a lovely little stroll down memory lane. THAT is exactly why I post here.

What's on YOUR little things list today?


PS. I'm reaping the benefits of this post style. We are having a tough January, but I'm reminded over and over each day of how blessed we are, despite some of our circumstances. All it takes is a little looking around. 💚

It's the Little Things: Days 20 & 21

   I want to focus on the good things this year.
All the things people get right.
All the times that everything works out just perfectly after we assumed disaster had already struck.
All the times that the right word was spoken at the right moment.
So, let's celebrate those little moments together, shall we?

• It's a weekend that was both restful and productive. 
• It's Dan and PattyCakes enjoying taking part in the Cars and Coffee event together.
• It's Nathan recovering from a nasty bout of stomach flu and being well enough to spend most of the weekend at The Man Crew House, hanging out and laughing with Pat.
• It's a motivating sermon about a renewed enthusiasm for the things of the Lord.
• It's Pat and Dan attending the Men's Prayer Breakfast together on Saturday morning and both coming away with encouragement in their personal walks with the Lord.
• It's a weekend full of puppy snuggles and hilarity thanks to Dastroyah's puppy named Datsun, but whom we call Potato. (Our large dog Chavi is quite terrified of the little potato on short stubby legs, which is HI-larious!)
• It's a safe trip there and back from Abq for Dastroyah and his little men, who competed fiercely and brought home many medals. 
• It's cleaned out closets and a trunk full of things to donate. 
• It's sleeping in on a Saturday morning...goodness I'm enjoying my Saturdays not working at the gym, even though I miss my little friends.
• It's being invited to a girly paper crafting party and the prospect of making time for crafts part of my real life again, instead of dreaming of SOME-day. 
• It's knowing that 2 sets of "happy mail" from friends are heading my way.
• It's the way the Lord provides for our needs during this bout of unemployment. Friends giving us a large roast, Mom taking us out to lunch and then grocery shopping to thank Dan for working on her van...just to name a few.
  
  We are blessed, my friends.
  All of us.
  Even when it doesn't feel like it.
  Look around, you'll find more ways you are blessed than you can count. 

 

What's on YOUR little things list today?

It's the Little Things: Day 18

 

  I want to focus on the good things this year.
All the things people get right.
All the times that everything works out just perfectly after we assumed disaster had already struck.
All the times that the right word was spoken at the right moment.
So, let's celebrate those little moments together, shall we?

• It's PattyCakes 19th birthday. He's an amazing young man and there are no words good enough to describe the joys this son has brought to our lives.
  None good enough.
  Period.
• It's having the supplies to make his requested birthday meal.
• And being able to purchase a gift he will really enjoy, even though it isn't costly in terms of dollars spent. 
• It's the reminder that life moves quickly and that we should more often take a pause to look around and realize how blessed we are.

What's on YOUR little things list today?

Pantry Challenge Update

OK friends, we're about 2 weeks into Pantry Challenge 2018. I've often done Pantry Challenges in the past, when unemployment or teenaged boys demanded that I spend less on groceries or use up everything I had on hand. This is my 4th or 5th year playing along informally with Jessica over at GoodCheapEats and I'm loving it. Not purchasing groceries every few days is forcing me to look past my 3-5 fave easy peasy meals that I use in rotation and use my creativity to either find a suitable substitution for some of our normal groceries or to even think completely out of the box and make up something new entirely. Here's how we are doing on our goals for the month.

Our goals:

1. Get the cold storage to the bare minimum so I can defrost it and clean it well.
~It's going down in the freezer and fridge, but not as quickly as I had anticipated. The proteins are holding out well, which is good since The Man Crew isn't too crazy about meatless meals.
2. Use up whatever is hiding in the back of the pantry shelves. I’ve had helpers recently with putting away food (YAY!) but they just shove, not organize it by type. (Oops)
~I re-organized the pantry, tossed a few things that had expired while they were lost, and am working my way through using things up, especially baking goods that are already open.
3. Reduce our food budget for the month by at least half. Specific Goal: spend under $250 by only purchasing dairy and a little produce.
~So far, all I've spent was that initial $111, and 30 of that was for dog food, so our actual food expenditures are at a lovely low $81. I will be needing fresh dairy and produce before the week is out, I'm thinking.
4. Eat at home. We’ve developed quite a bad habit of eating out more often than our budget can truly handle and that ends today. I’m aiming for one family meal out this month. Everyone else eats at home or packs a lunch.
~We are doing so well on this! I went to the little bistro near work once and every other meal has been eaten at home, or packed from home. ( this doesn't count as 'grocery money' as I use my 'discretionary fund' envelope for things like this.)
5. Remember that I bake fantastic bread and it’s better for us and way cheaper than store bought bread.
~Oh goodness, I had nearly forgotten how delicious fresh bread is. YUM~O and so frugal!
I think that’s enough goals for one month. I'll update throughout the month with our progress.

I'm quite pleased with our pantry challenge progress so far this month. Are you taking the Pantry Challenge? It's not too late to jump in!

It's the Little Things: Day 17

  I want to focus on the good things this year.
All the things people get right.
All the times that everything works out just perfectly after we assumed disaster had already struck.
All the times that the right word was spoken at the right moment.
So, let's celebrate those little moments together, shall we?

• It's a day FULL of running-running-running and doing-doing-doing, followed by a sweet snuggle with a sleepy Hercules in a quiet and calm living room at the end of the day
• It's having an urgent need met without a request even being made
• It's a call from a friend just to ask how you're doing
• It's the return of Sister-Girl Night...I love me some girl chatter!
• It's listening to humorous stories of a freezing cold car ride the boys and Dan took to Alamo to pick up a newly repaired engine for Dastroyah's latest project vehicle. The amount that these men love each other takes my breath away.
• It's a call from a dear one that tells you "It's NOT cancer!!" (totally not a small thing, but SO worth sharing!)
• It's having time to help a loved one through some difficult paperwork (#PlaterSpinner life, I DON'T miss you)
• It's stumbling across the perfect gift for my PattyCake's 19th birthday tomorrow.
• It's a mom who reads the sales flyer so she can cheerfully announce that all the ingredients for a special someone's birthday dinner are on sale at this particular store, while she tucks a few dollars into your purse because she knows we are doing a month-long pantry challenge.
  
  
  You guys! While this year is trying desperately to get off on the wrong foot (hello Mama K down for a week sick and unemployment for Hercules) It just can't gain any ground with all these amazing and wonderful blessings happening all around us...and sometimes, in spite of us. God is so good and has blessed with so many beautiful, generous, encouraging, praying, uplifting friends. I can't even. I am, in a word, humbled.

What's on YOUR little things list today?

It's The Little Things: Day 15

 

 I want to focus on the good things this year.
All the things people get right.
All the times that everything works out just perfectly after we assumed disaster had already struck.
All the times that the right word was spoken at the right moment.
So, let's celebrate those little moments together, shall we?

• It's having my energy back after the flu that nearly wiped me out last week. 
• It's finding meal after meal tucked away in my freezer that was such a glorious Christmas gift so many years ago. #PantryChallenge
• It's having Dan home in the evenings again. I've missed him this past year.
• It's a friend that sends oily goodness when I was frustrated that I couldn't find thieves oil locally.  
• It's accidentally stumbling across a charming house that might be perfect for the Hooligan House inhabitants.

What's on YOUR little things list today?

It's The Little Things: Day 14

 I want to focus on the good things this year.
All the things people get right.
All the times that everything works out just perfectly after we assumed disaster had already struck.
All the times that the right word was spoken at the right moment.
So, let's celebrate those little moments together, shall we?

• It's a lovely Sunday sermon about New Generosity. 
• It's getting the living room set back to rights after weeks of Christmas mayhem and Game Night jumbles.
• It's finding a show that Hercules and I both appreciate.
• It's getting back to regular bedtimes. (Kristy LOVES schedule)
• It's possibilities of even more work for Dan, who likes to stay busy.
• It's a #PantryChallenge meal lurking in the freezer and pantry, waiting to fill the bellies of all the handsome. 

It's the Little Things: Day 11

I want to focus on the good things this year.
All the things people get right.
All the times that everything works out just perfectly after we assumed disaster had already struck.
All the times that the right word was spoken at the right moment.
So, let's celebrate those little moments together, shall we?

• I am on the mend! Woohoo! I have renewed compassion for those with chronic illness, as after 3 days of feeling crummy, I was enraged that my body had betrayed me and wasn't allowing me to care for those around me. 
• I returned to work today and it felt good to get back to routine. 
• I was able to attend a concert by The Lesters, who have been in full time music ministry for 93 years. The concert was put on by generations 3 and 4. In a word, lovely. Mom and I had a wonderful time. 
• I am grateful again for all the freezer cooking I did in December as it kept the family fed and out of the drive thru lane once again without Mama K having to cook. And in other news, we are TOTALLY owning the Good Cheap Eats Pantry Challenge for January. So far, I've only spent a little over $100 on groceries this month and I normally would have spent $300+. I can live with $100 instead. :)

 
What's on YOUR little things list today?

It's The Little Things: Day 10

I want to focus on the good things this year.
All the things people get right.
All the times that everything works out just perfectly after we assumed disaster had already struck.
All the times that the right word was spoken at the right moment.
So, let's celebrate those little moments together, shall we?

• A day off (even if it is due to illness) that allows your heart and soul to enjoy some peace and quiet, and a slower pace for a day or two.
• A new recipe alongside an old favorite that both come out delicious. (beer bread and split pea soup)
• All the Handsome taking care of a project in the front yard making our home more welcoming than ever
• Getting to sleep in right smack in the middle of the week
• A mother that not only picks up your child to take him to school for you, but works your shift at work for you. (hooray for a family business!)
• Time to blog

What's on YOUR little things list today?

Simple Woman's Daybook: January 2018

For Today: January 10, 2018

Looking out my window: It's sunny and warm, but quite breezy today. I see three of my favorite men working to clean up a project in the front yard.

I am thinking: That while I TRULY do not appreciate being incapacitated by illness this week, there are things to be truly grateful for anyway.

I am thankful: For my mother, who has taken my shift at work for 3 days in a row, and even took my son for the day today as well. In other news, hooray for a family-run business. They all treat me with love and concern. It's good to be queen.

One of my favorite things: All the Handsome, as I lovingly call my husband, sons and their friends.

I am creating: a smaller mending pile.

I am wearing: comfy "I-am-sick" day attire. Stretchy pants, an old comfy tee shirt, and fuzzy socks

I am reading (read) /watching (watched) / listening to:
Reading: Tucker's Way, Married and Still Loving It, And re-reading The Five Love Languages
Watching: Call the Midwife, and hoping to watch Vaxxed tonight
Listening to: TobyMac Feel It station on Pandora

I am hoping: to be fully restored to health in time to head back to work tomorrow.

I am learning: That letting others care for you isn't quite the end of the world. In other words, a lesson in humility.

In my kitchen: split pea soup is simmering on the back of the stove, and beer bread is in the oven. Beer bread recipe is found here

In the school room: I'm very thankful that my sister and I are sharing the homeschool teaching this year, so even in my absence, my son is still getting school accomplished. We are LOVING Creation To The Greeks from My Father's World curriculum. We started our school year much earlier than normal and due to that schedule change, we are already halfway through our school year. Woot!

In my garden: Well, since I refer to myself as the plant nazi and plants kill themselves when they see me coming, I don't garden per se, but I have managed to keep 5 house plants alive for more than six months, so perhaps an old dog CAN learn new tricks.

Post Script:

Life As Mom is quite possibly the best thing that's ever happened to me from the Internet. A homeschooling mama of 6, who also writes cookbooks. This is someone we could all take a lesson from in my estimation. She is the first place I look when I need recipes, homemaking advice, or homeschooling motivation. 

Shared Quote:

A perfect reminder for me today, on day three of being ill and frustrated that I can't care for my family in the manner I am accustomed to doing so.

A moment from my day: I actually took no pictures today, that's a first. But yesterday, I took this one. Our ball python, Oscar Meyer (LOL) is shedding. Reminds me that sometimes shedding of the old is required to make room for the new.

Closing Notes: As 2018 begins, it's time to let go of old expectations of ourselves and those around us. Make a fresh start.

The Simple Woman's Daybook is brought to you by Peggy over at http://www.thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/ Check it out if you, too are seeking the simple life.

Blessings,

~K~

______________________________

It's the Little Things: Day 9

 

I want to focus on the good things this year.
All the things people get right.
All the times that everything works out just perfectly after we assumed disaster had already struck.
All the times that the right word was spoken at the right moment.
So, let's celebrate those little moments together, shall we?

• It's having time to work on the mending pile
• An early bedtime (due to illness, but I'll take it anyway)
• Knowing I 'fed the freezer' in December, so that even when I'm sick, it's easy to keep The Man Crew fed sans pizza delivery or drive-thru lanes. 
• It's a day largely spent in my pjs (again, due to illness, but I'll enjoy it anyway)
• Being lovingly cared for by Hercules and the BIGS when they were in and out of the house
• Having a flexible work schedule so I can come home if I need to do so. (Hooray for family business)

What's on YOUR little things list today?

It's the Little Things: Day 8

I want to focus on the good things this year.
All the things people get right.
All the times that everything works out just perfectly after we assumed disaster had already struck.
All the times that the right word was spoken at the right moment.
So, let's celebrate those little moments together, shall we?

• I'm sick today, which isn't really a good thing, but I was able to come home from work and go right to bed and not worry about if the kiddos could make food for themselves or care for themselves. And raising self-sufficient kiddos IS a good thing.
• Dan took good care of me this evening. He brought me tea and made me soup, and even came back to check on me every once in a while just to see if there was anything he could do for me. 
• Netflix, Kindle books, a Pandora subscription and Audible make really good bed-mates when you are ill. I binge watched Call the Midwife, listened to southern gospel quartet music, and listened to 5 chapters of a Kindle book via Audible. *sigh of contentment*

What's on YOUR little things list today?

Will You Take the Pantry Challenge?

It's that time again, friends! Time to dig out from under the crush of Christmas bills, the overspending on ALL.THE.THINGS. and get back to real life. A Pantry Challenge is a great way to trim your expenses for January (or any time, really) and to dig to the bottom of the pantry, fridge and freezer and use up those great gems that are hiding in there. That money is already spent, so there's no way to get your money out of those expenditures except to use up that food, so the challenge is on. I've rolled up my sleeves, taken stock (ok, sorta peeked into the freezer) and am ready to take on the task of feeding my family out of the pantry/fridge/freezer for the whole month of January 2018 and only shopping for dairy and fresh produce. With Dan home, we're a family of four most nights of the week. Here is the response I posted on the www.goodcheapeats.com website in response to Jessica's call-to-arms for Pantry Challenge 2018.

 

...The Man Crew House is IN! Between Christmas overspending, too many convenience foods, and one too many stops at the drive through in the past 6 weeks, the food money envelope is empty and the fridge/pantry/freezer are overflowing and yet everyone is complaining that there’s “nothing to eat”. Translation: nothing is ready to fall into their wide open mouths every time they open a cupboard or fridge door. So, this mama is ready to fight back!
Our goals:
1. Get the cold storage to the bare minimum so I can defrost it and clean it well.
2. Use up whatever is hiding in the back of the pantry shelves. I’ve had helpers recently with putting away food (YAY!) but they just shove, not organize it by type. (Oops)
3. Reduce our food budget for the month by at least half. Specific Goal: spend under $250 by only purchasing dairy and a little produce.
4. Eat at home. We’ve developed quite a bad habit of eating out more often than our budget can truly handle and that ends today. I’m aiming for one family meal out this month. Everyone else eats at home or packs a lunch.
5. Remember that I bake fantastic bread and it’s better for us and way cheaper than store bought bread.
I think that’s enough goals for one month. I'll update throughout the month with our progress.

So, are you in?

It's The Little Things: Day 3

I want to focus on the good things this year.
All the things people get right.
All the times that everything works out just perfectly after we assumed disaster had already struck.
All the times that the right word was spoken at the right moment.
So, let's celebrate those little moments together, shall we?

• Having the time to help someone with their necessary paperwork.
• Sister-Girl Night laughter
• Checking a project off the To Do list (got the Breakfast Nook uncluttered from all the Christmas baking usage, woohoo!)
• Delicious Lumpia cooked for us by a friend
• Late evening quiet after a busy busy day
• An hour in a cozy cafe with a mug of hot cocoa to start planning out the coming weeks and months
• Planning a play date for DT with Little Miss for tomorrow

What's on YOUR little things list today?

It's the Little Things: Day 2

I want to focus on the good things this year.

All the things people get right.

All the times that everything works out just perfectly after we assumed disaster had already struck.

All the times that the right word was spoken at the right moment.

So, let's celebrate those little moments together, shall we?

• A lovely afternoon strolling through the downtown area with DT with no agenda, no timeline, no expectations.
• A quiet evening with my mom, enjoying dinner together and a few hours chatting while making a puzzle. 
• DT's replacement tablet arrived today. Hurray for warranties!
• Not waking up to an alarm for 5 more days. 
• Checking a few things off my mental to do list. 

What's on YOUR little things list today?

It's the Little Things: Day 1

I want to focus on the good things this year.
All the things people get right.
All the times that everything works out just perfectly after we assumed disaster had already struck.
All the times that the right word was spoken at the right moment.
So, let's celebrate those little moments together, shall we? 

• Not waking up to an alarm
• Spending the day with Dan
• Actually relaxing
• Being TOTALLY caught up on laundry...at least for 5 minutes
• Enjoying homemade tamales
• Tickle fights between Dan and DT 

What's on YOUR little things list today?

Happy New Year and WELCOME 2018!

Happy New Year friends! I hope your 2017 was full of laughter, love, growth and life! I know mine was. And if yours wasn't amazing and wonderful and glorious, all the more reason to welcome 2018 with open arms, right? I'm preparing my list of goals, my word and motto for 2018 and a verse for the new year. I'll be sharing those later in the week.

If you want to share your goals and such, please feel free to do so here. I'd love to read what you are all working towards this coming year.