Chops :)

Found a recipe that bestilled my heart! and I knew that soon we would be fast friends! 

{Brown Sugar Glazed Pork Chops} were on my table that night! 

I used bone-in pork chops because that's what I had on hand...

I just adjusted the pan fry time for 10 minutes on each side to make sure it was cooked all the way through

and please make sure you set your eye to med-low because you don't want your sugar to burn! 

Isntead of cooking it in the pan next time I think I'll try a griddle because I can cook them all at the same time

I served it with yellow rice and green beans.

This is obviously the hubby's plate full of goodness

I made some yummy rolls, but didn't document anything because I didn't know how they would turn out...

Next time I make them I promise I will blog it! 

Happy Halloween :)

Breakfast On the Go

I've been trying to add a lot more of my family's recipes onto my blog, because let's face it! We all LOVE food... and there ain't nothin' wrong with that

I found {this} recipe for breakfast burritos and thought it was pretty yummy lookin'.

and it WAS yummy, but I also had a LOT of problems with it

There was a LOT of prep

the hashbrowns turned into mashed taters

and the bacon was chewy

So I "came up" with my own... This is what I picture when I think of breakfast burrito

1 lb breakfast sausage

12 eggs

1/2 bag - 1 bag of spinach {optional}

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

12 flour tortillas

saran wrap

2 gallon size freezer bags

that's it ! 

brown and drain your sausage

chop spinach and add to eggs

whisk eggs together and scramble

assemble ingredients on your workstation

warm your tortillas, they are so much easier to work with warm {I put 6 at a time in the micro and warmed them for 40 seconds}

Some assembly required
and yes, Im watchin YT lol

Add desired amount of sausage, egg, and cheese to each tortilla and roll!

seal it up in saran wrap

I placed 6 in each bag
and added a leftover already from the freezer
Freeze until you need them.

Place in microwave for 2-3 minutes with wrapper still on

My hubby eats these in the patrol car while he's workin
and that makes me happy knowin he can get somethin' in his tummy instead of waiting for break

he texts me often telling me how much he appreciates them :)

Let me know how they turn out for you if you try them! 

Happy Homemaker Monday #11

Hey y'all! Hope everyone had a great weekend! I know we did! 

Joining up with Sandra today for another edition of Happy Homemaker! 

The Weather:::

I think I jinxed myself when I asked where my cool weather had gone because today the high is like 57 I think..... WHAT THE WHAT!?!?!?

Thinking:::

I wish I could find my electric blanket 

Something Fun to Share:::

went to our church's Trunk or Treat ... our church is so creative! Our theme this year was "A Night at the Movies" and our pastor was East Clintwood!! 

One group dressed up like The Hunger Games and you had to take a bow and arrow and "Aim for Jesus"

another group dressed up like the Duck Dynasty guys with fakes beards... it was fabulous! I hate I didn't get any pictures, but I was too busy enjoying my babies :)

Favorite Blog Post of the Week:::

Not Just a Ponytail by Kate @ The Small Things Blog

On my tv:::

Deadly Women

On the menu for this week:::

Monday - vegetable soup and grilled cheese sammiches

Tuesday - spaghetti salad and rolls

Wednesday - talapia wild rice and broccoli

Thursday - leftovers

Friday - eat out

Saturday - Chicken and wild rice casserole

Sunday - French dip and fries

On my to do list:::

bathrooms

laundry 

beds

dishes

Homemaking Tips:::

don't overextend yourself. I have my to-do list for the day, but I take my time... I play with the baby in the morning, have my blog time, clean a little, play with the baby, watch a movie with the big girl, and if there's something I couldn't get to during baby's nap then I finish it once hubby gets home from work. Daddy gets time with the kids and you have a babysitter {nontheless}

Looking around the house:::

still in my jammies, oh such comfy jammies

the wind is blowing the trees and the sunlight is hitting the leaves so it's twinkling outside :)

On my prayer list:::

my sweet friend struggling with possible infertility

Bible verse, Devotional:::

Proverbs 29:17 (NLT)

¹⁷ Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind and will make your heart glad.

Introduction to {TTC} Thursdays

well, obviously the title gives away what this series is going to be about, but you know me.. I love my background history. 

we conceived Hannah in 2005 at age 18 and delivered in 2006 at age 19

we conceived Angel Baby in 2010 and miscarried at 8 weeks

conceived Maddie in 2010 and delivered in 2011 at the age of 23

That makes almost 5 years between the two of them... and it still felt like they were MAYBE two years apart.. I hate that they're that far apart

They love each other so much, and you know that melts a momma's heart

(20 minutes later).... man, this is hard

I hated that we waited as long as we did, but I was in school and Wes was furthering his career so the timing never worked out. 

So that left me suffering with baby fever for I don't know how long

You see, it doesn't matter how young or old a mother is when she takes on her role, a GOOD mother loves her children, no matter how old she is

and because of the God awful shows like Teen 16 and Pregnant Mom I constantly have to defend my motherhood... even to my own family.

Who says I can't parent my children and train them to be godly women because I was a teenage mom?

Maddie will be 19 months in three days and I've had a pretty nasty baby fever for a while now... 

Since we started practicing Natural Family Planning in April every month has been a wait and see, because even though I have faith in the science of NFP.. you just never know.

well this month I for sure thought I was pregnant and kind of had a small panic attack... because I wasn't ready... I JUST got accustomed to two kids and now I'm being thrown into motherhood again..??

I had full blown symptoms, nausea {but only when I was around certain things}, peeing a lot, cravings, what I thought was implantation bleeding, slight cramping

even though I didn't want to be pregnant 

I couldn't be upset about the little miracle being knit together inside me

and even though I wasn't pregnant my mind was convinced

so when I started my period, I felt like I had just suffered an psychological miscarriage

I walked around in a funk all day

like a kid who just lost his puppy

after the realization set in that I wasn't pregnant {and Im not even sure I still believe it}, hubby and I sat down and talked baby prep...

even though we still don't want to actively start trying until February we have a lot of emotions to work through

and in case you're wondering why February, here's the break down

in this family of four we have March, June, July and December birthdays

I want a TRUE fall birthday so August and September are out because they are too hot

Our neice's birthday is in October and I don't like to share birthdays if I can help it

so that leaves November

I'd love a Thanksgiving baby :)

Maddie is an {almost} Easter baby and Hannah is two days shy of being an independence baby

I don't want this to be a temping and charting series... I want this to be a "here is where I am emotionally this week/month" series

Because let's face it... there's a lot to work out emotionally, financially, and making sure this family of soon-to-be five can work in a 3 bedroom house

Hope everyone has a great Friday EVE! 

Excuse me, Dr. Tickle?

I went for my 6 month cleaning last week and my dentist noticed a spot on my tooth that was starting to stain and he wanted to go ahead and cap it before it turned into a cavity so they scheduled me for an appt today. 

{did anyone notice that run-on?}

it's been forever since I've had a tooth filled and completely forgot what it was like

Took the baby with me because I had no one else to watch her

BIG mistake

She wasn't allowed to sit in my lap so I put her in the corner and gave her some toys

simultaneously telling the hygienist "no one puts baby in a corner"

laid down and got they started my NOS

and then a wave of the most sickening feeling EVER came over me...

I started to give in the drugs and I didn't like it one bit! 

Maddie started calling for me and there was nothing I could do about it... I was telling my body to move and it wouldn't.. talk about scary

The doc came in and made his injections and then left to give it a little time to kick in

while he was gone I started to make small talk with the lady and apparently I was too "awake"

and I swear to you, I saw her turn up my NOS and that sickening feeling came back

All I could think of was

"I really gotta pee"

"Oh, Man! I could go for a CFA spicy sandwich"

"Does that mean I'm pregnant?"

"If I'm pregnant, I really hope this drug doesn't hurt the baby"

"I don't want another summer baby!!!!"

"Can they even tell how incapacitated I am?"

"I'm gonna have to blog about this later"

my mind was racing..........

Maddie was good the WHOLE time

she walked around the little office we were in and did so well.. but it FREAKED me out that I was telling my arm to move and it wouldn't

Then I started to get a little mad... if they knew how this medicine would effect me then why would they let me bring the baby?

and then I started praying "Please keep that baby still... Lord, keep her safe"

and I wanted to cry

but once again, I can't make myself do it

Yes, the medicine made me feel so sick

 {and apparently it takes a lot to knock me out}

but if my child wasn't there I could have delt with it a little better...

I could completely focus on myself

but when my children are with me, I'm no longer responsible for just myself...

I have never felt so helpless in my life and if anything can come of this, I beg you PLEASE don't take your babies if you have to have ANYTHING done...

it will tear your heart to pieces! 

Happy Homemaker Monday #10

Hey y'all! Hope everyone had a great weekend! I know we did! 

Joining up with Sandra today for another edition of Happy Homemaker! 

The Weather:::

The high today is 82... Where did my cool weather go?!?!? :(

Right now I am: 

watching Dateline on ID, trying to make myself finish up the last load of laundry for the day, but it's not gonna happen

Thinking:

I want, I NEED to know how to make a spicy Chik fil A sandwich at HOME! I feel like my life

 depends on it

Something Fun to Share:::

Family grill night was Saturday. Daddy made steaks on the grill and I did asparagus and baked taters in the oven... the babies played in the sand box and then I finally caught them justa' swingin'

Love my babies :)

Favorite Blog Post of the Week:::

Mommies Need Friends Too by The Mrs.

On my tv:::

There's so much on my DVR it's nutzo!! 

On the menu for this week:::

Monday - spaghetti salad and rolls

Tuesday - pancakes, patty sausage and eggs

Wednesday - meatloaf, mashed taters, and broccoli

Thursday - leftovers

Friday - potato soup and something else... hmmm??

Saturday - chicken enchiladas, rice

Sunday - cheesy mac and greenbeans

On my to do list:::

Laundry

Make Beds

Dishes

Bathrooms
dentist appt (post to come soon.. it was HORRIBLE)

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

finally finished all the octagons and squares in light blue now its on to the cream color :)

Homemaking Tips:::

1. When you need to griddle/pan fry/ fry something messy do it outside. That way your kitchen floor doesnt get all icky from the grease poppin. It also keeps the house from smelling like bacon/sausage/ whatever! 

2. Yummy baked taters: Preheat oven to 425 and place taters in cast iron skillet. rub with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. bake for 1 hour !! YUMMY!  Turn after 30 minutes :)

Looking around the house:::

need to finish up some laundry but I need to rest from my appt more

hubby said to take it easy.. so easy I shall

From the camera:::

baby got mad and yelled at big sissy
what wonderful memories at the Punkin Patch haha

On my prayer list:::

Awaken

my hubby's safety

Bible verse, Devotional:::

Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home, and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Dueteronomy 11:19

If you don't teach them... how will they know?

Thirsty Thursday: men and {their} faith

I'm going to try and speak as honestly and as "unedited" as possible here only because these wounds are fresh and still very raw for me. 

we just had a fight.

an ugly fight.

all because I want our date night this weekend to include Awaken

if you read my testimony then you'll have a better understanding of this post... or it might confuse you.. who knows.

when I met my husband we were both "Christians". He had been baptized, but didn't follow

I had never been baptized, but had very conservative "Christ-like" beliefs

So there we were, two "Christians" trying to make it work, and it did.

I truly gave my life over to the Lord May 17, 2009 and my life has been completely changed because of that day.

But now, I've grown and my husband hasn't.

It's so confusing, and catches me off guard sometimes.

My husband supports me in every decision I make, and loves me unconditionally, but sometimes I feel like he just doesn't get it. 

He doesn't see God in anything

He supported me when I told him I wanted to be a part of Awaken

He supported me and even goes with me to teach Pre-K Sunday School

but he wants nothing to do with it

He goes to church with me, but then gets offended when I want to discuss the sermon

He throws it in my face and makes me feel so guilty when I ask him to be a part of something with me

As long as we aren't talking religion, {I hate that word, it makes me feel like a Pharisee} things are great! but it's like "religion" is the only topic that we can't talk about 

When something amazing happens to me, I can't call him and be like "honey, you won't believe what God has done for me!!"

When he got his promotion a few weeks ago, he didn't see God in that {He was going to give his two weeks notice that day and 20 minutes before end of shift they called with their promotion}

When we bought our house, he didn't see God in that {The day before we even looked at our house a guy was supposed to close on it, but his loan fell through}

it makes sense to me, so why can't he see God in anything?

Have you ever seen the movie, The Invention of Lying?

well, he's told me that that's what he believes... That heaven is just some place that people have made up to make other people feel better about their passing

and it doesn't help that we have ministerial friends tell him that they're too busy for him 

it's not fair that I see and hear about these other women who have such "amazing, "Christ like" husbands and I'm stuck with the hard headed one.

It's simply not fair.

I've tried meeting him on his terms about it

but when I say "God" in front of him, it just doesn't feel right.. like I'm giving the coordinates of my platoon to the enemy... and I start to see a cringe in his eye...

but with everything I've just explained... He wants me to grow more in my relationship

He reads to Hannah a chapter in the Bible almost every night..

Say Whaaaaaaaaaaat????!
If he wants this so badly for me and children, then why doesn't he want this for himself?

I'm not trying to say that if he would just change things would be perfect. I don't want a perfect marriage, there's no such thing as a perfect marriage. I just think that if he had a deeper relationship with God he could actually see how I've come to the conclusions and decisions I've made.

Instead I just feel like he sees me as some Jesus Freak, or that I've drunk the Kool Aid... or something
We've seen all the Sherwood movies, Fireproof, Facing the Giants, Courageous and he's enjoyed them but doesn't see how/why they should motivate him to change

He's never tried to steer me in the wrong direction, but when I leave on Friday nights for Awaken, I almost feel guilty for leaving him home alone... with the kids.. {even though they go to bed an hour after I leave and he has full reign over the PS3 for 2-3 hours}

I feel like I'm giving up precious family time

I don't want him to think I'm trying to force him into "Chrisitanity" that's not it at all! I just want him to have the same joy I have in the Lord

I love and respect my husband more than any other person in this world.
If he told me I would have to stick my tongue to a frozen flag pole in the dead of winter to prove my respect,
I'd do it. {Oh don't act like you weren't thinking of the Christmas Story... cuz I know you were}

because he truly is the best y'all! We have the same views on everything else, expect that ole time religion.
It's weird how similar we are.
but completely different all at the same time.

I know that my God is there for me and I know He would never forsake me, but I can't help but shake the feeling that I'm being ignored here......

Only by God's grace is this going to get better.....

 I cant lose hope, I won't

sorry this was so mopy and sad

but that's what was on my mind

Until next time,

Love God Greatly :)

i just don't know

to give you a little background history my entire family has attended Troy University. I think my sister and I are either fourth or fifth generation and we often joke about how we should have gotten some kind of family discount. One of my great grandparents attended, my dad's parents attended, my mom's parents attended, my mom attended, my dad attended, I graduated last year, and my sister is still currently attending. What can I say, we like to keep it in the family!! {I hope no one takes that the wrong way, HA!}

Both sets of my grandparents went into education so I've always been strongly influenced to do the same, but even if they hadn't I still would have gone into education. My mom was cleaning out her attic a few years ago and showed me a drawing where you had to draw out what you wanted to be when you grow up and whatdyaknow? I wanted to be a teacher! 

I've always had a soft spot for children and I've always felt like I could connect with them.

If you read my testimony then you know my husband and I found out I was expecting during my first semester of college. I was determined not to let that burden me and I spent the next 6 years juggling motherhood, wifehood, work, 12 hours at school, and working in the schools when needed. That was definitely a season of my life where things were just done... They weren't enjoyed, sadly, because there just wasn't any time. 

But lately, I've been really interested in homeschooling. It has slowly but surely started to creep it's way into my every thought. Surprisingly I've found that a lot of families I know home school their kids. 

Is this a sign from God that I need to homeschool my children?
 Hannah {big girl} is in 1st grade at an awesome school and has always had amazing Christian teachers... but I still feel like something is missing. 

I know that teachers don't make a lot of money, but it will still bless our family. If I were to take a paying teaching job then my husband could stop working his side jobs and be home more. But if I were to homeschool then we'd be in the same boat financially that we're in now, which isn't bad, but like I said, it would definitely bless this family.

 As it is now the ONLY day we are together as a family of four is Sundays, and as much as I love going to church, I really cherish the time I have with those three amazing people and I don't like to share my time with others.

So then if makes so much sense for me to take a teaching job {when one becomes available} then why do I suddenly feel called to homeschool?

I haven't talked to hubby about this yet mainly because I know what his answer is going to be, but if this is God's will I know it's not gonna go away. 

Anyone know of any great websites that I could research so I could possibly, maybe, convince hubby that it's worth is weight in gold for our children to be homeschooled?

If you homeschool then what was your deciding factor? How were you able to "convince" your strong willed husband that it was best for your children?

Happy Homemaker Monday #9

Hey y'all! Hope everyone had a great weekend! I know we did! 

Joining up with Sandra today for another edition of Happy Homemaker! 

The Weather:::
it was yucky this morning. The sun has finally come out, but weatherman says it could be stormy on and off all day :(`

Right now I am: 
Sittin' on the couch cuddling with baby and watching Dina's Party 

Thinking:
How I need to get back into my routine of cleaning

Something Fun to Share:::
I'm not one for the state fair. There's too many unsavory people and there are too many {food} temptations.
But the MIL called last minute and invited us to the Alabama National Fair {I get a kick out of that every time} so we went and had a fabulous time. Maybe next year I'll remember how HOT it was. I've never seen my big girl so happy :)

On my tv:::
Looking forward to Revolution tonight and SaconneJoly's on YouTube

On the menu for this week:::
Monday - sketti, salad, and garlic bread
Tuesday - garlic lemon chicken 
Wednesday - pizza
Thursday - BBQ pork chops, yellow rice, green beans
Friday - eat out
Saturday - taco soup
Sunday - steak, taters, and salad

On my to do list:::
laundry
dishes
make bills
balance checkbook
Replace air filter
Bathrooms
Clean Oven

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
finally finished all the octagons and squares in light blue now its on to the cream color :)

Homemaking Tips:::
Being a list maker has definitely helped me keep my sanity! I forget so many things, ALL the time. (I had a better one, but since I didn't write it down, I forgot... see my point now?)

Looking around the house:::
Kitchen lights are illuminating a messy kitchen
Toy corner needs to be tidied
light is streaming into the {faux} french doors
I really need to decorate my mantel for Halloween

From the camera:::

The girls and their Mimi at the fair! 

On my prayer list:::
There's a girl in my sister's nursing class who's husband was recently discharged from the military after being diagnosed with cancer. When my mommy told me my heart broke for them and I haven't been able to stop thinking about them. Hopefully I can add a few things to the grocery budget this week to get some freezer meals put together for them


Bible verse, Devotional:::
Matthew 6:27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? NLT

Worrying changes nothing. It's like a rocking chair... It gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere. Turn your worry into prayer and action

God of Wonders

It's been a morning

a holy morning

Because the Lord spoke to me.

Well, actually He spoke to me two Sundays ago
He doesn't ALWAYS speak to me, but when He does, I listen

Every message I hear, I try to relate it to my role as a mother and encourager.

so when my pastor said "We're like children on a road trip to Disneyland. We know where we're going, but it doesn't stop us from whining and complaining along the way" it really hit home for me

That's so true. We know as Christians, as children of the Lord that we will step into eternity, we know our destination is Heaven,

and we have the nerve to complain about our lives on earth until that time comes

"Mom, are we there yet?"

"Dad, she's touching me!"

"IIIIII'm hungry!"

"IIIIII'm bored!"

You know you're on the way to Disneyland, but the trip isn't going exactly the way you want it to go and instead of being grateful that your parents are taking you to the "happiest place on earth" you're complaining.
Don't you think your parents would like a stress-free journey, too?

Well God used that little baby of mine this morning to show me another example..

baby isn't allowed in sissy's room mainly because that's where all of the girls' books are and I don't want baby ripping out those precious pages

So when she got quiet this morning, I knew exactly what had happened 

"See what had happened was" {Big Sissy left the door open}

and baby found the forbidden crayons

She was content playing on the floor and just picking them up, putting them down.

Picking them up and putting them back in the crayon box.

She was perfectly content, even though I, as her mother, knew it's not where she was meant to be

So I picked her up, picked up her crayons, with the intention of bringing her into the kitchen so she could color in her highchair with minimal damage to anything else...

What do you think happened next?

{She arched that back the only way a toddler knows how}

and about fell out of my arms

Isn't it amazing how quickly a toddler can turn into dead weight?

Granted, she thought she was in trouble

Granted, she didn't know where she was going

But I knew what I was trying to do for her

I wanted to move her so she could spend time with me while I worked on other things
{God moves you so you can be closer to Him}

I moved her so she would be safer

and that little stinker fought me the whole way.

and here she is, 5 minutes later, safely in her highchair and coloring away. 

Happy as a clam

She was never in any harm, she was never in any danger

She was ultimately getting what she wanted, just in a different way

So if it's so easy for us to understand something from a parental point of view, why is it so hard for us as Christians to understand that God wants what's best for us

and that we are never in any danger while we are under His care...?

homemade comfort meal

I had Patty Melts on the menu last night, but I didn't have any swiss cheese and I was NOT running to the store for just that so I improvised... and I give you, absolute heaven

if you knew me in real life you would know I LOVE chicken. especially dark meat.

when I found {this} recipe for perfect chicken via Pinterest I fell in love with it

But if I can avoid chicken breast, I will

so decided to put my twist on it

I'm thinking about making this a permanent spice in my cabinet

 because I've used it three times in the passed week

Cast of Characters

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

Add the seasoning to a resealable bag full of thawed chicken legs

Next, add 3-4 TBS of lemon juice 

refrigerate for at least 2 hours

 Spray or butter 9x13 dish and bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, turn legs over and bake 30 more minutes

I love to serve with broccoli and {homemade} mashed taters

Now on to your taters:::

4 Idaho taters

4 TBS butter

salt to taste

milk or cream to taste

1 clove garlic/ 1 tsp garlic powder optional

Peel and cube taters

Place in boiling water for 20-30 minutes or until a fork can pierce the tater easily

drain water

mash taters in bowl and add butter and salt to taste

mixture will be somewhat dry, so add milk/cream 1 TBS at a time until desired texture is achieved

{we like a lump here or there of tater}

if you like garlic taters add that seasoning now

Prepare your broccoli however you prefer it. We buy the frozen Winn Dixie brand and prepare it according to package directions

This meal is so simple on a night when you don't really feel like having to babysit your stove. It's simple enough that the kids won't be scared to ask "What's in this?" {even your husband-age children}

When I hear that, I know dinner's gonna be a failure! 

If you try it, leave me a comment and let me know how you and your fam jam liked it! 

how we save money {on groceries}

while in college we were bringing in two incomes. He from his job and me from grants, but since graduation last year and no job for me we've gone from two incomes to one.

In all honesty, I think it's a HUGE blessing because it's allowed us to cut out a lot of spending. Hubby still has a weakness for fast food, but don't all cops?

Since we bought a house in April and with me still not being able to find a teaching job that's forced us to cut back even more. Here's my breakdown from the amount of research I've done over the last few months and what really works for us! 

{Danielle}

{Callie}

These two women have been my biggest inspiration... but I shouldn't forget this guy either!! 

{BIG DAVE}

I haven't spoken much about this, but last year we were in major debt! we were able to make our payments every month, and we weren't behind on anything, but it was such a burden on us because we could never get ahead! 

We refinanced my husband's truck (mine was paid off), we moved in with the in-laws the day after Thanksgiving   , and used our tax refund to pay off some debt. I can't tell you how much money we saved doing that. We had no rent, no power bills, a very small grocery bill... it WAS fabulous {financially}

So now that you have the short version of our financial history.. here's the meat of the post! 

The month we moved into our house I was in the middle of taking Financial Peace University. I paid $89 {hubby was NOT happy about that} and received a hardback full of worksheets to help us budget and keep track of our spending/saving and misc purchases. {along with the CD version of the class, an envelope system, and a copy of his Money Makeover}

If you are interested in taking FPU, I suggest you look at flea markets or ask friends if they've taken it, because I honestly didn't think it was worth $89. It might not be a lot for other people, but that is a lot of money for us. 

anyways, the most helpful part of the class was the envelope system. I don't really use it anymore because it was too much of a hassle... I kind of modified it to fit our needs. Instead of actually using the envelope system for spending I use it for saving.... so when we take money out for the girls' clothing it goes in the envelope so we don't have to keep up with it in our actual savings account. 

We spend about $600/month on groceries for a family of four... which roughly comes to $125 a week, which I think is pretty good, because that includes cleaning products, toiletries, and diapers for the baby.

If there is any money left over, it goes in the envelope system, but most of the time, there isn't any.

Here is my system.

1. menu plan {I'm planned up for the year}

also, while menu planning, always have a leftover night every week {ours is Thursday}

we also eat out on the Friday nights hubby get's paid

2. write down EVERY INGREDIENT you need for the week/month

3. Shop your pantry first. Maybe you bought a meal that you didn't use one night and you have leftovers

4. withdraw cash out of your checking account, that limits impulsive spending {I didn't withraw this week because I really didn't feel like going to the ATM at 8 o'clock at night}

5. buy generic

6. When you see Buy One Get One, take advantage!!!

{from what I understand, Publix's BOGO is really two items for half off and Winn Dixie is truly BOGO}
7. Go by yourself 

Here are my receipts from last week's trip! 

I always go grocery shopping before buying toiletries because I feel like I can convince hubby to extend the budget if I ever need to since toiletries aren't really groceries. My grocery bill isn't usually this much, but I took out $10 so big girl could go to the book fair.

Once again, I usually don't buy food from Wal Mart, but hubby kinda sorta snacked on the food designated for big girl's lunch for the week.

If you add everything together for the week I spent &127.70 .... and if you subtract the $10 for bookfair, I spent 117.70

$8 under budget!!! 

I know that might not be much to you, but $8 can add up quickly... maybe a date night out for "free" in a month to 6 weeks! 

and when you see this USE ITT!!!! I cannot stress that enough. I started to get into the habit of it, and I remember they didn't print one out a few weeks ago and my heart was broken, HA!

Thinking about starting a menu plan series going like Danielle, up there. Anyone interested?

Happy Homemaker Monday #8

Go check out Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

The Weather::: 

61 degrees and sunny... absolutely gorgeous!

Right now I am::: 

sittin on the couch, with the tv in the background

just put the baby down for her nappy

still in my jammies

Thinking:::

how overwhelmed I am with maintaining the house today

My favorite blogpost of the week:::

I hate this e-card by The Mrs.

Something Fun to Share:::

Went to Mom's Marketplace this weekend (my first consignment sale, EVER) and I got so many amazing play clothes for the girls for fall and winter! I'm overjoyed! I even found a few things for my nephew and his mommy for Christmas! 

On my tv:::

I was told by hubby that I needed to catch up on Revolution so we could start watching it together... don't know 'bout that

On the menu for this week:::

Monday - spaghetti and grilled cheese

Tuesday - hamburger helper and green beans

Wednesday - shepherd's pie and salad

Thursday - leftovers

Friday - salmon, wild rice, asparagus (GB for kiddos)

Saturday - BBQ pork sammiches potato rings and Green beans

Sunday - honey lime shrimp, rice and salad (I'm a little worried about this meal so if you have any suggestions to make it a little more man-pleasing that would be AWESOME MOM!)

On my to do list:::

tidy up the house

make sketti sauce for dinner tonight

laundry

bathrooms

dishes

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

I give up! I never have the time want to make the time

Homemaking Tips:::

Don't know if this is a homemaking tip, but I thought it was really interesting

Homemade Nesquik

it's so yummy, very chocolatey! 

Looking around the house:::

the toy box is knocked over and toys are everywhere

kitchen is sorta kinda picked up from breakfast

the light is streaming in from the kitchen windows and backdoor.. no need for a lamp on today :)

From the camera:::

 

my front door decorations, why yes! I'm ready for autumn!!

On my prayer list:::

always for my hubby's safety at work

Bible verse, Devotional:::

This was the scripture that Jason preached from Friday night and it still resonates with me

⁹ As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth.“Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him. Matthew 9:9

I wish we had that kind of faith.