Mandi Ehman's Blog, page 2

Weekend reading: January 28, 2017

From Instagram: I opened my office door and he came scooting in as fast as he could.

I’m thankful to say that after last week’s stomach flu-pocalypse, we returned to our regularly scheduled program this week, and it was a good week! I’ll share more about our new schedule soon (because we’ve flipped everything on its head!).

Daytime weaning Lucas while we were at Disney in early December (because he was so very mesmerized by everything there was to see and my mom was there to help!) has been even more amazing than I could have imagined. In many ways, I feel like I’ve gotten my life back and left the challenges of 2016 so far in the dust, and I’m having fun “rediscovering” myself now that I have more time to read, to find clothes I love (and not have to worry about whether I can nurse in them), and just take care of myself in general.

And I actually get dedicated work hours, which is making a huge difference in my productivity and work-life “balance.”

The crazy part is he’s actually happier now as well. Rather than following me around all day whining to nurse, he plays happily, eats like a champ, and is content with his Daddy and sisters as well. That’s what we call a win!

What I’m reading: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling,  Move Your DNA by Katy Bowman, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, Fly Away by Kristin Hannah

What I cooked: smoked paprika london broil and holiday green bean saute, baked oatmeal, homemade pancakes, broccoli-mushroom prosciutto egg cups

What I’m thinking about:

{Follow my personal Facebook feed for the things I’m thinking about and talking about all week!}

What it really means to be healthy

8 Ways to Add Movement to Daily Life | Whole 9


The Fight with Food Stops Now | Paleo for Women

Working smarter, not harder

Fear of Failure: Why Getting Back Up After a Fall Really Matters | Marie Forleo


2 ways to love your job more in 30 seconds | Jon Acuff


How to End Every Day Feeling Accomplished | Michael Hyatt

Inspiration for your BuJo

7 Bonus Bullet Journal Lessons | The Lazy Genius Collective


Cool Bookish Ideas for Your Bullet Journal | BookRiot


Bullet Journaling: A few of my ‘extra’ pages | The Art of Simple

Have a great weekend!

P.S. The Clutter Your Conquer Super Bundle is only available for a few more days! Don’t miss your chance to get it.

The post Weekend reading: January 28, 2017 appeared first on Life Your Way.

Related posts:
Weekend reading: July 2, 2016
Weekend reading: July 23, 2016
Weekend reading: September 3, 2016
Weekend reading: October 15, 2016



     

The surprisingly easy way to get kids to try new foods

Sean and I both grew up as picky eaters, and this trend continued into the early years of our marriage and parenthood.

The list of foods we enjoyed was limited, not exceptionally healthy, and short on veggies.

Over the past four years, my tastes have expanded considerably, thanks at least in part to a few Whole30s and the necessity of trying new things.

But one of the hazards of starting out picky yourself and trying to cater to your husband’s limited tastes is that your kids end up picky as well, and I’ve stressed more than once or twice about the foods my kids wouldn’t eat and the nutrients they were missing in the process.

Thankfully, laziness sometimes reveals the best parenting strategies, and I accidentally stumbled across the surprisingly simple way to get them to broaden their tastes.

Ready?

Make good food and don’t share it.

This is not an instantaneous solution, but it’s incredibly effective.

I credit this approach with my children’s ridiculous love of brussel sprouts and asparagus, salad and spicy chili.

When I make something new for dinner, they can hardly resist the temptation to complain, and while they may take their obligatory taste, they rarely end up giving it a fair chance.

But when I make myself a small portion for lunch? Suddenly there are 6 hungry kids gathered around me, opening and closing their mouths like baby birds as they wait for a taste.

I’ve gotten smarter and started making enough that I’m willing to share a few bites, but I don’t start dishing it out…I simply let them have a taste and then move on. Next time I make the same food I’ll ask who wants some and a couple kids will usually say they do. I make enough for us and, sure enough, the others wander over for a taste. And the process repeats.

I love everything about this approach: we don’t waste food trying to get everyone to eat it; we don’t battle at the table over unfinished plates; and trying the new food becomes their idea rather than mine.

It’s low stress, low cost, and—most importantly—effective!

The post The surprisingly easy way to get kids to try new foods appeared first on Life Your Way.

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Making chores a family affair

A couple of weeks ago after a long day out at our homeschool group, I told the kids we were going to clean after dinner so we wouldn’t have to worry about it over the weekend. I mentally prepared myself for their whining, but when they finished eating they got started right away, motivated by the prospect of having most of it done.

Their cheerful hearts reminded me that we’ve come a long way in the last couple of years. In early 2015, as we were coming to terms with a surprise baby due that fall, I realized that our home had become chaotic and disorganized. The cause was clear: somewhere along the way our kids had decided to turn into big kids rather than preschoolers, and our systems and routines had not adjusted accordingly.

We set out to get them more involved in chores, become more disciplined about “cleaning as you go”, and regain control of our home, and the changes we made had a huge impact on our survival during Lucas’ very tough first year of life.

Don’t get me wrong: our home is not perfectly clean, and there’s also been some lowering of standards along the way. But everyone pitches in and does a pretty good job of it, which makes all the difference.

I have a feeling we’re not the only family who has struggled with realizing that the kids really need to do more around the house, so today I wanted to share some of the strategies we used (and still use) to make this transition:

1. Teach one new thing at a time.

One of our biggest issues was that we hadn’t expanded the girls chores as they’d gotten older. They would help unload the dishwasher or pick up toys, but no one could do the dishes or laundry from start to finish. Slowly, we began teaching them how to take charge of various chores—cleaning the bathrooms, their own laundry, dishes (including pots and pans), and so one. But we didn’t do it all at once; instead we focused on one chore at a time.

2. Teach them exactly how to do it.

For each new chore, we are careful to show them exactly how to do it, which includes demonstrating, practicing together, and (maybe most importantly) revisiting how it’s done every few months. No one’s born knowing how to clean toilets or the best way to vacuum a room, and teaching these skills properly is an important part of being able to delegate.

3. Be willing to offer reminders.

In a perfect world, I’d never have to remind my girls to do any of their chores, and they’ve gotten pretty good at doing the daily ones without prompting. But if I set out with the expectation that I shouldn’t have to ask them to vacuum or clean the bathrooms, I’m going to be disappointed. Now I just write the chores down on their daily checklists when I want them done, and everyone is happy!

4. Check on it periodically.

I mentioned this already, but it’s worth repeating: It’s really not enough to teach them how to do something and then set them loose forever. Instead, we make it a point to check on how they’re doing things and revisit the proper methods every so often. This isn’t done as criticism or nitpicking, but just as a regular part of our process for everyone.

5. Notice the good.

But while we are careful to ensure that the jobs are done well, we’re also quick to notice the good—whether it’s their willingness to volunteer, attention to detail, or remembering to do something without being reminded. We don’t do this to be manipulative, but I do think everyone is more willing to pitch in because we show appreciation for a job well done.

***

Finally, here a few more tips to make chores and cleaning a family affair:

Set a timer. When you need to clean quickly, set a timer and race against it. It’s surprisingly motivating for everyone!


Turn on music. Similarly, some fun, high-energy music can get everybody moving and help them choose good attitudes while they clean.


Use transition times. Sometimes I feel like we could clean alllll day every day. Since that’s ridiculous, we use the transition times—mealtimes and bedtime—to straighten and clean instead.


Surprise them by doing it for them. Although I can’t do all of the chores all the time by myself, now that it’s not all on my to-do list I love to quickly unload the dishwasher or fold the laundry for someone when they’re least expecting it.


Pay for extra chores. Whatever your philosophy on chores and allowance, paying for extra jobs is a great way to get kids excited about working hard while also getting things done.

How do you get your kids involved in cleaning and chores? 

***

The Conquer Your Clutter Super Bundle is here for just 6 days with a collection of 38 ecourses, ebooks, and printables to help you finally conquer the clutter. And not just the physical clutter in your home, but digital and mental clutter as well.

Check it out here. (But hurry, because it ends at 11:59 pm EST on Monday, January 30th!)

The post Making chores a family affair appeared first on Life Your Way.

Related posts:
When the clutter is getting to you…
Chores and allowance for keeping the house clean AND building character
7 things saving my sanity as a work-at-homeschooling mom
Could 2017 be the year you finally get organized?



     

Could 2017 be the year you finally get organized?

A couple of years ago we realized that the systems and clutter busters we’d had in place when we had four girls under five years old were no longer working for us! Those girls were bigger, with more opinions, more stuff of their own, and more mess, and things felt very chaotic and disorganized all the time.

We have spent about six months evaluating and putting new systems in place, and while our home is still chaotic (there are 8 of us, after all), it feels a bit more like organized chaos these days.

I’ll be sharing more about how we approach chores these days in tomorrow’s post, but today I wanted to tell you about the ultimate clutter busting kit, which I’ve been working hard on for the past few months in my role with Ultimate Bundles.

This collection of digital ebooks, ecourses and printables is almost too good to be true and definitely too good to miss.

It includes…

A comprehensive collection of 38 eBooks, eCourses, and printables covering almost everything you could want to know on how to get organized, including …

how to organize your papers, photos & digital files
family systems
decluttering
time management
and so much more…




A unique Getting Started Guide to help you pinpoint exactly which resources are right for you right now, so you can take action immediately.


Full money-back, happiness guarantee, so there’s no risk in trying it out.

Plus, you’ll get a 4-month subscription to YNAB (You Need a Budget), which I’m excited to set up for our family this week, and a $20 SaneBox credit to help you manage your email inbox.

Altogether this bundle is worth more than $650, but we’ve made it available for just 6 days at $29.97!

Click here to get yours while it’s available.

The post Could 2017 be the year you finally get organized? appeared first on Life Your Way.

Related posts:
When the clutter is getting to you…
Chores and allowance for keeping the house clean AND building character
Because it doesn’t have to be boring to be functional
7 things saving my sanity as a work-at-homeschooling mom



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How Aldi is saving my grocery budget {$294.76 for 2 weeks of food for 8 people}

Over the past few years, as our family has grown and our kids have gotten bigger, our grocery budget has become a source of stress for me. We went from spending $100 a week to barely making $200 a week stretch far enough, and I found myself skimping constantly—using less meat, buying fewer snacks, running out of produce.

It took me forever to try Aldi because it’s so different from what we’re used to. It’s a tiny store with maybe two brands of each item to choose from…if you’re lucky. And I just didn’t want to have to make multiple stops to get my groceries each week.

But last year I decided to give it a chance, and after a few weeks I was hooked!

These days we make a big Aldi run every two weeks, filling two big carts full of food until our fridge and pantry are overflowing…and we rarely spend more than $300. I buy way more snacks, way more produce, and splurge way more often (like crab cakes for an at home date night or a hyacinth for the kitchen) and still don’t break the budget.

I’ve gotten good at quickly working my way through the store, grabbing what we need and making a short “extras” list for Walmart with what I can’t find.

That list includes things like light olive oil (although when I do find this at Aldi, I stock up!), certain cuts of red meat, and various spices and specialty items that they don’t carry. It also includes a relatively short list of items where we have brand preferences—hotdogs, chicken, mayonnaise for the family and lunch meat and bread for my husband.

It took me several months to get really familiar with what Aldi does and doesn’t carry, but now that I am, I find that I can get the bulk of my list there. And we could certainly make do with only the items they carry if I planned accordingly!

On the other hand, there are things we now buy that I would never buy even at Walmart because the prices are just too high—things like the aforementioned crab cakes, naan bread for individual pizzas, prosciutto, and yogurt cups.

Even though I’ve been singing Aldi’s praises for a year now, I am still amazed by the prices and how much food I can get every single time I go. It’s an incredible feeling to be able to fill your fridge and pantry with good food without stressing about the budget, and it’s not a blessing I take for granted!

Look at those tiny boys last year!

My top tips for shopping at Aldi

As I mentioned, the Aldi shopping experience is much different than a traditional grocery store. That can be overwhelming at first, but I’ve come to enjoy the differences.

Here’s what you need to know before you go:

1. Bring a quarter. One of the first things you’ll notice at Aldi is the only way to get a cart is to insert a quarter into the handle and unlock it. You’ll get your quarter back when you put the cart away, which is incredibly effective at keeping the parking lot clean and avoiding the need for an extra employee to chase them down. I try to always have a quarter in my wallet, but when I do forget, I just run in and a cashier changes a dollar (or smaller coins) for me.

2. Be prepared to bag your own groceries. Another huge difference is that the cashier does not bag your groceries for you. (Another way that they limit the number of employees needed in each store so they can keep prices down.) Instead, they’ll scan your groceries and load them back into a cart at the end of the lane. You leave your original cart with the cashier and push the one they’ve filled to the store counter to bag your groceries. Aldi brand grocery bags are awesome, and at pennies each, I buy them when I need them and just reuse them again and again.

3. Aldi now accepts credit cards. For a long time Aldi only accepted cash or debit cards, but they now accept credit cards as well so you’re able to choose your payment method.

4. Make a list, but know that you won’t find everything you need. If I’m not sure whether Aldi contains a specific item I’m looking for, I’ll add it to my list anyway. When I’m done, I move over any items I didn’t find to my Walmart shopping list.

5. Always stock up on the things that’s on special buy. Okay, this is true at any store, but the Aldi sale prices are SO good that I really make this a habit now. I’ve seen eggs as low as $0.29/dozen (with a limit of 6 per shopper), grapes for $0.99/bag, etc. I stock up on pantry items when they’re on sale, but my kids also know that we’ll buy extra of whatever produce is on sale each week in addition to the items that are on our list.

 6. Their take & bake pizzas are perfect for after a big haul. By the time we shop for and bag two weeks worth of food and then come home and put it all away, I’m flat out exhausted, so we usually pick up one or two of their take & bake pizzas for dinner. They’re inexpensive ($4.49-$4.99 for five-cheese!), big, and delicious!

My most recent Aldi shopping trip

And finally, here’s what I bought on our most recent 2-week trip, for a total of $294.76!

Bread

2 packs of hotdog buns, 1 pack of hamburger buns, $0.85 each
2 loaves of white Italian bread, $1.39 each
3 loaves of whole wheat bread, $1.39 each
1 pack of naan bread (4 ct.), $3.49
2 packs of flour tortillas, $1.49 each
2 packs of bagels, $1.59

Snacks

20 baby food pouches, $0.79 each
tortilla chips, $0.99
prunes, $3.89
4 packs of fruit cups (4 ct.), $1.69 each
organic all-fruit strips, $3.99
2 boxes of cinnamon graham crackers, $1.49 each
whole cashews, $4.69
salsa con queso, $1.99
2 boxes of round butter crackers, $1.59 each
2 cans of Pringles, $1.45 each

Frozen

Phillips frozen crab cakes (2 ct.), $5.99
seasoned french fries, $1.75

Produce

baby carrots, $0.99
bag of mandarin oranges, $3.99
sweet onions (2 lbs.), $1.99
sweet potatoes (? lbs.), $1.99
grape tomatoes (1 pt.), $1.99
white sliced mushrooms, $1.29
3 cucumbers, $0.29 each
2 packs of caesar salad, $1.99 each
fresh cilantro, $0.99
3 pk. of zucchini, $1.99
celery, $1.29
roma tomatoes (1 lb.), $0.79
3 pk. of romaine hearts, $2.49
cauliflower, $1.99
red onions (? lbs.), $1.49
carrots, $1.29
red grapes, $4.38
fuji apples (3 lbs.), $3.49
gala apples (3 lbs.), $3.49
asparagus, $3.49
flat leaf spinach, $1.79
bananas (9.29 lbs.), $4.62
green beans, $1.49
petite yellow potatoes (? lbs.), $2.99
lemons (? lbs.), $2.99
2 big packs of blueberries, $1.49 each

Canned & Boxed

2 cans of pineapple chunks, $0.99 each
dried kidney beans, $1.99
dried black beans, $1.99
baked beans, $1.39
4 cans of pumpkin, $0.99 each
blueberry shredded wheat cereal, $1.99
multigrain oats cereal, $1.79
honey puff cereal, $1.99
crispy rice cereal, $1.39
Honey Nut Cheerios, $2.64
corn squares cereal, $1.79
2 jars of fruit spread, $1.99 each
pure maple syrup, $6.49
italian dressing, $0.89
2 bottles of organic ketchup, $1.69 each
old fashioned oats, $2.39
organic honey, $3.49
hot cocoa packets, $1.29
2 boxes regular mac & cheese, $0.33 each
6 boxes of organic mac & cheese, $1.29 each*

*I don’t normally buy organic mac & cheese, but my kids wanted white cheddar, so we made this one of our splurges for the week!

Meat

ground beef patties, $5.34
2.34 lbs ground beef, $6.44
prosciutto, $2.99
breakfast sausage, $1.99
turkey kielbasa, $1.99
honey ham lunch meat, $2.49
smoked turkey lunch meat, $2.49
chicken thighs (? lbs.), $4.06
pepperoni, $2.19
hickory bacon, $4.49

Dairy

sharp cheddar block, $1.89
2 packs of sliced cheddar, $1.99 each
2 packs of butter quarters, $2.69 each
2 bags of shredded sharp cheddar, $2.69 each
27 cups of yogurt, $0.39 each
4 cartons vanilla almond milk, $1.99 each
2 gallons whole milk, $2.76 each
orange juice, $2.09
6 doz. eggs, $2.94

Miscellaneous

hyacinth in a vase, $2.99
2 take & bake pizzas, $4.49 each

TOTAL: $294.76

And what I bought at Walmart…

When I decided to photograph and record everything we bought last week, my plan was to shop at Walmart two days later and record that list for you as well. Unfortunately, we ended up being hit hard with the stomach flu, and we didn’t leave the house for nine days. That also means that we ate much differently while we were sick (we all craved toast and fruit, along with simple foods like eggs), and so yesterday at Walmart I had to pick up a few of our staples as well. It’s not quite a typical list, but for the sake of transparency, here’s what I bought at Walmart in addition to the Aldi list above:

2 loaves of wheat bread, $2.88 each
1 loaf of white bread, $2.23
2 cans coconut milk, $1.36 each
almond flour, $10.72
coconut flour, $3.28
Hillshire Farm ultra thin honey ham, $2.97
Oscar Mayer Selects turkey hotdogs, $2.98
Ball Park beef hotdogs, $3.48
1.65 lbs top sirloin steak, $10.46
6 lbs boneless chicken breasts, $11.94
2 bags peeled, tail-off raw shrimp, $4.38 each
fresh rosemary, $1.78
7.36 lbs bananas, $3.61
4.33 lbs pears, $6.37
broccoli crown, $0.69
6 Silk dairy-free yogurts, $1.28 each
3 doz. eggs, $3.46

TOTAL: $91.11*

*I had to calculate this manually because we bought non-food items, so don’t hold me to the exact total!

P.S. Want to learn more about how I plan & shop for 2 weeks worth of food at a time? I’m planning a special webinar to show you exactly how I do it. Sign up here to be notified once it’s scheduled!

The post How Aldi is saving my grocery budget {$294.76 for 2 weeks of food for 8 people} appeared first on Life Your Way.

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CommentsMy hubby does our grocery shopping (he says it relaxes him!) ... by Mary_LynI started shopping at Aldi for mom and me last year and I can't ... by JoAnn C. 

Weekend reading: January 21, 2017

From Instagram: Synchronized stomach flu.

If I believed in that sort of thing, I might just say I jinxed myself by celebrating the success of our new schedule in last week’s post.

Smashing my January reading goals {Quick Lit with Modern Mrs. Darcy}

We’re only two weeks into January, but I’m so happy with the progress I’ve made on this year’s reading goals. And this is why I love the new year: nothing in particular has changed from last month to this one except I reexamined my reading habits and goals, which has motivated me to pick up a book more often—listening to audiobooks in the shower or while I fold laundry, taking my Kindle to read while Sean runs into a store, reading before bed instead of staring mindlessly at my phone. I’m sure as seasons change there will be months when I read less again, but I’m happy to kick things off on the right foot and read “ahead” for as long as this season lasts!

Linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Quick Lit to share my thoughts on the books I’ve read so far this month.

Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo

I knew this would be my choice for a book that had won a Newbery Award as soon as I saw that category on the Modern Mrs. Darcy 2017 Reading Challenge. My kids love Kate DiCamilo, and the big girls both loved this story, which Shaina gave us a few years ago.

I’m trying to preserve Saturdays for reading, relaxing and spending time as a family (as opposed to catching up on work!), and I set a goal of finishing this book on Saturday. It’s an easy, short read, so that wasn’t difficult, but a tiny part of me wished I’d saved it for a read aloud because it’s laugh out loud funny as well as charming and thought provoking. I still might read it aloud so the little girls can enjoy it, but it would have been more fun to read it for the first time with them!

Homegoing: A Novel by Yaa Gyasi

Jessica from The Mom Creative recommended this book as one of her top reads of 2016 just a few weeks ago when it was on sale, and I’m so glad I picked it up. I chose this book for my #diversebooks category in the reading challenge, but we have family friends from Ghana, and it’s a country that has always captured my imagination and heart, so it could also fit under a book set somewhere you’ve never been but would like to visit. 

Homegoing is breathtakingly, heartachingly beautiful. It’s a fast-paced novel, moving quickly from the 1700s in Ghana to modern day America as it follows the paths of two half sisters who were born into separate villages and whose lives took very different paths—one married to a British soldier and one captured and sold as a slave. As you can imagine, there are parts that are very, very hard to read. But the writing is phenomenal, and Gyasi manages to capture the beauty in each story—the strength of the people and the culture at the time—even in the midst of the awful.

Distant Shores by Kristin Hannah

Reading all of Kristin Hannah novels I got on sale at the start of the year is my guilty pleasure and “the book(s) I don’t want to admit I’m dying to read this year.” I really, really disliked Home Front a couple of years ago and dismissed Hannah’s writing as overly sweet and cliche, but I’ve enjoyed the last few that I read.

This novel is the story of a couple that has grown apart as they’ve raised their children and a woman who has lost herself as she’s poured everything she has into her family. Although I don’t identify with the “losing yourself” part of the story, I always appreciate the perspective that reading about struggling marriages provides, and this was no exception. It made me think about the way Sean and I interact and how we can preserve “us” in the midst of raising six kids.

Hands Free Life: Nine Habits for Overcoming Distraction, Living Better, and Loving More by Rachel Macy Stafford

Rachel Macy Stafford’s words and examples often inspire me to slow down and prioritize, and this book is no exception. I was a little disappointed that all of the examples were still so closely related to motherhood (just as Hands Free Mama was) rather than written more broadly for life in general, but I still found it thought-provoking and encouraging. I especially love habits #6 and #9: give what matters and change someone’s story.

Belong to Me: A Novel by Marisa de los Santos

I really enjoyed Marisa de los Santos’ Love Walked In last year, and this follow up novel didn’t disappoint.

It’s not a perfect novel and I agree with some of the reviews that there was too much going on and the three different story lines didn’t always blend together well, but it was a sweet, easy ready, perfect for those times when you’re just looking for an escape!

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

I’m on my second reading of the Harry Potter series (a goal I set for myself last year to try to keep up with my kids’ encyclopedic knowledge of the characters and events). The first three books were extremely quick reads, but this one felt a bit like slogging through the mud. I still haven’t figured out why; in theory, I love this storyline, but in reality it’s hard for me to sit and ready it steadily. Now that I’m through it, I’m hoping the last three books will be quicker!

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

I’ve had this book on Audible for months now, and I’m so glad I finally made time to listen to it. In fact, while I rated it 4 stars on Goodreads, I may go back and bump that up to 5. There were things I didn’t love about it—the way Gilbert personifies creativity is a bit weird and reminiscent of Marie Kondo—but overall it resonated and inspired me to create for creativity’s sake, to push limits, live curiously and more.

Currently reading:

Full: Food, Jesus, and the Battle for Satisfaction by Asheritah Ciuciu
Curious Faith: Rediscovering Hope in the God of Possibility by Logan Wolfram
The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own by Joshua Becker
What She Knew: A Novel by Gilly Macmillan

The post Smashing my January reading goals {Quick Lit with Modern Mrs. Darcy} appeared first on Life Your Way.

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How to find Kindle deals on the books you actually want to read
How do you feel about memoirs? {Plus 6 memoirs I loved!}
Setting unreasonable reading goals, and my 2017 Reading Challenge picks



     

Weekend reading: January 14, 2017

From Instagram: Such a beautiful 70-degree {January?} day! 

These week felt like the perfect start to a new year—a new schedule that is working wonderfully, home cooked meals after a year of eating whatever was easiest, 3 books finished before the weekend.

Of course, I’m not naive enough to think that one good week means the rest of my life (or even month) will go perfectly, and the truth is we’ve been laying the foundation for each of these things for months. But man does it feel good to get to the end of a week and feel accomplished about it rather than frustrated and discouraged!

I removed Lucas’ steristrips and pulled his one external stitch on Wednesday and it’s so good to see his whole face again. Looking forward to watching it heal and fade!

What I’m reading: Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling, Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, Full: Food, Jesus, and the Battle for Satisfaction by Asheritah Ciuciu

What I cooked: paleo pumpkin muffins, whole chicken & chicken stock in my pressure, egg salad (and it’s true—hard-boiled eggs in the pressure cooker peel sooooo easily!), chicken salad, meatball subs (with spaghetti squash), pesto chicken with crispy potatoes, shrimp scampi zoodles

What I’m thinking about:

{Follow my personal Facebook feed for the things I’m thinking about and talking about all week!}

What’s saving your life?

8 things saving my life right now | The Art of Simple


Three things I’m doing to keep life calm | Deidra Riggs


A few of my January favorites | Modern Mrs. Darcy

Adjusting your perspective

Entitlement is optional | Seth’s Blog


Invite Delight | Becoming Minimalist

Inspiration for Taco Tuesday

One-Pot Spanish Chicken & Rice Casserole


Oven-Baked Chicken Tacos


Weekday Meal-Prep Chicken Burrito Bowls

Have a great weekend!

P.S. Have you seen the letter from Barbara & Jenna Bush to Malia & Sasha Obama? Such sweet, sincere words.

The post Weekend reading: January 14, 2017 appeared first on Life Your Way.

Related posts:
Weekend reading: February 20, 2016
Weekend reading: April 9, 2016
Weekend reading: May 14, 2016
Weekend reading: June 11, 2016



     

250+ Instant Pot recipes to get your pressure cooker out of the box

On Monday I mentioned that the Instant Pot is one of the things saving my sanity, and in Monday’s Easy Homemade newsletter, I included links to a tons of tips, tricks & recipes for making the most of this trendy kitchen gadget. I don’t usually share newsletter content here, but it’s such a great list, I couldn’t resist.

P.S. To adjust your newsletter settings and hear about the topics you’re interested in, click here.

It always takes me a little while to jump on the latest bandwagon, and I prefer to wait until the latest trend has lasted long enough to prove that it’s worth paying attention to rather than jumping in at the beginning. Which explains why it took me so long to join the Instant Pot craze, even though friends of mine have been raving about theirs for almost a year now.

Several months ago I finally gave in and purchased an Elite pressure cooker. I wanted an Instant Pot since that brand has become the face of this trend, but I felt like our crew would need an 8-quart and the larger Instant Pot was just way too expensive to justify.

When my pot arrived, my oldest and I quickly unpacked it, excited to use it…and then it sat on my counter for a good three months untouched! I was just scared of the thing, not so much of it blowing up on me as ruining good food in the process of learning how to use it.

That all changed a couple of weeks ago, and I have used it almost every single day since. Roasted chicken and homemade stock, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash…when I’m limited on time, it delivers every time! Now that I’ve gotten to know it a little bit, I’m excited to learn how to do even more.

Whether, like me, you have a brand new pressure cooker sitting around waiting for you to use it or you’ve already started to discover the magic of this not-so-small appliance, I’ve gathered a ton of resources to help you (and me) get to know it better.

Using a pressure cooker is intimidating because it’s so different from the way we normally cook, but these 10 basic techniques from Katie at Kitchen Stewardship are a great place to start!

My favorite: “Roasting” a whole chicken and then making broth!

 

My friend Wardee is one of the first people I saw cook everything in her Instant Pot, and she’s become a pro in the process! In this post she shares 80 amazing recipes from around the blogosphere, and I guarantee you’ll be surprised by the variety of food you can cook.

The one that gets me: Cheesecake. (Cheesecake!)

 

Shelly at Cookies & Cups has put together a roundup of her favorite instant pot recipes. Like most people with a pressure cooker, she couldn’t stop at just 1 or 2!

The one I can’t stop thinking about: salsa verde chicken casserole.

 

From easy one-pot meals to a variety of fruits and vegetables, this collection of easy instant pot meals from Amy + Jacky at Pressure Cooking Recipes is right up my alley.

Yep: Those are no-fuss, 4-ingredient ribs.

 

My friend Tricia has been helping families stock their freezers with meals for years, and this collection of 50 instant pot meals can be assembled and frozen to make mealtime even easier when life gets busy.

The one that makes my mouth water: balsamic chicken with pears and mushrooms.

 

The Kitchn is a trusted voice in recipes and food preparation techniques, and this collection of 50+ recipes includes some basic techniques you’ll want to add to your repertoire.

Next on my list: Hard-boiled eggs.

 

And finally, if you prefer paleo meals, Michelle from Nom Nom Paleo put together a list of her favorites…plus you’ll find even more in her recipe index.

On this week’s menu: pressure cooker crispy potatoes.

 

Have you caught the instant pot bug yet?

The post 250+ Instant Pot recipes to get your pressure cooker out of the box appeared first on Life Your Way.

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Setting financial goals and moving from stress to confidence

Although life in 2016 was stressful, we were able to capture the magic of Christmas that makes it my very favorite time of the year. We slowed down in December, spending our afternoons baking, committing random acts of kindness, and enjoying our favorite traditions.

One of those traditions is ringing the red kettle bell for the Salvation Army. We’ve done it four times now, and there’s just something magical about greeting shoppers with a “Merry Christmas!”, a friendly smile and an opportunity to give. And we always find that ringing the bell with kids makes people a little extra generous.

As we head into 2017, my hope is that we’ll continue to exercise generosity as one of our family’s core values. But we also have some financial goals—like paying off our vehicles, the lot we plan to build on, our daughter’s braces, etc.—which will help us be more generous in the future.

We’ve set financial goals like this in the past, but both Sean and I are spenders. It’s not things that get us but experiences…usually travel.

SunTrust’s onUp Movement launched last year on Super Bowl Sunday and has helped almost a million people take steps to gain control over their money and focus on what matters to them.

The onUp Mental Wealth Quiz asks some good, thought-provoking questions, and my results say:

You’ve taken some good steps in the past. But, at the same time, you’ve struggled to maintain those actions. It’s time to get in the game and stay there.

You need to step back from your financial flow and examine what matters the most to you. Here is one thing you can start doing right now: Weigh the cost of an impulse buy versus spending on what matters the most to you.

That fits well with the goals we’ve set as a family, and while I also believe that there’s no promise of tomorrow, we feel strongly that this is the year for us to focus and lay the foundation for the next couple of decades for our family.

Whether you’ve already set financial goals for 2017 or you’ve been avoiding thinking about your finances, head on over to take the quiz and discover tools and resources to help you move from stress to confidence!

***

At SunTrust Bank their purpose is lighting the way to financial well-being. When you feel confident about your money, you can save for your goals and spend knowingly on what matters most to you.  

The onUp movement was created to guide millions of people one step at a time towards a more financially confident life without ever losing sight of the moments that matter along the way.

Join the growing number of people transforming their stress into positive motivation to move onUp.

Join the movement

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of SunTrust. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Setting financial goals and moving from stress to confidence appeared first on Life Your Way.

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