Pinterest: Meal Planning

Pinterest is covered in "5 ways to save on groceries"*, "Become a meal planning wonder woman", and "Cutting your food bill by planning ahead".

This house goes through some food. By 'some' what I really mean is a LOT! I eat more than my stick figure shows, Jameson snacks all day long, and I feed anywhere from 2-4 hungry soldiers each day of the week. If you have ever fed even one soldier, you know that it takes a full sized buffet to feed 'em!

My mom, the awesome, has been writing out a weekly meal plan for as far back as I can remember. She is very smart to do so, and has passed on her planning, office supply hoarding, print out everything, write everything down on paper, gene to me. I truly get joy out of having paper and a pen in my hand and writing down lists.

Don't judge.

ANYHOO! I enjoy meal planning. I get on Pinterest, look up recipes, and write down all the dinners we feel like having. I try to do 14-16 meals bc I prefer to shop only when we get paid. 2 shopping trips a month... that is plenty enough for this gal who is not keen on crazy rude crowds at the store.

So 14-16 meals have been picked. Now to write out the shopping list. I try to keep it all categorized together. Dairy, meat, fresh produce, baking, canned, carbs, frozen, household items, Jameson needs, HBA. I'm in the works of actually making a meal planning binder... I'm serious about the organizing, planning, and office supply hoarding! (I will make sure to blog my binder once I get it worked out, and remember to buy black ink for my printer) Then off to the store I go with my list. I try to stick to my list, with the exception of a few 'I forgot' or 'I really should have eaten, but I had minutes to escape to the store while Daddy is home watching the little person."

Ok so the list is not even close to as organized as I usually

have it. I was kind of in a hurry this morning to just run to the store

and hurry and get out before the day's adventures began.

 

The middle piece of paper is my everyday pantry stash. I use

these items often and can always throw something together as long as

I have these things on hand and any sort of meat in my freezer.

I also have a snazzy framed chalkboard I hung on one of my kitchen cabinets. I write down all the dinners after each shopping trip, and Nic and/or I pick the meal we want for the night. No guessing. No wondering what we have in the house that we can make. No having to run to the store multiple times each week. No extra spending on the randoms you pick up every time you walk in the store (you can never get JUST milk!). It's truly great!!

 

This is usually what my menu board looks like...

sometimes with or without the football foods

 

This is the menu when the Army refuses to release my husband from work

except for about 5 hours to sleep... which several times he just

had to sleep in his chair/on the floor of the arms room

This is the menu that happens when Ranger husband has to work everyday

for 2 months and I begin to throw myself a birthday pitty party.

 

The cake was amazing by the way.

 

 

Ok so it's looking a bit of a mess right now. I'm usually better about having my shopping list organized, but like stated I kinda threw it together this morning since toddler meltdowns have been the norm in this house lately. I promise to get the awesome looking menu binder posted shortly and you all will see how organized, crazy, and possibly a little genius that I feel I am.

 

I know what's for dinner tonight!

Carrie Danilla Linn 

 

*I applaud the coupon clippers! Seriously there is so many hours that go into it and I know they can get AMAZING deals. I am not on of those women. I do have the coupons.com app and clip a few from there, and whatever may come in the Sunday mail that I know I will use. But lets face it. I'm cheap. I'm happy to admit I'm cheap. And in being cheap I almost always get the store brand of items, which I found out even with a pretty good coupon, I can get the store brand cheaper than the name brand. There are a few things I always go name brand and get lucky to find coupons for them often to help with the cost. 

Pinterest: The 52 Week $ Saving Challenge

Alright. Here it goes. The first Pinterest challenge of the year! What better way to start the year off than saving back a few pesos for rainy days. This is not our long term saving plan, but just a way to put some $ back for whatever reason we feel we want to. Jameson's first gun, Mommy and/or Daddy's next guns. Little vacation savings. Emergency need a new tire fund. Whatever it may be.

Jameson isn't being left out either.

THE 52 WEEK MONEY CHALLENGE

This is a very basic yet effective way to put a good small chunk of change away in a year. We are modifying it just a bit though. Instead of a $ amount each week (which lets face it I will forget to put $ in it unless written down or scheduled) I have decided to make it just $50 each paycheck. This way on pay day I go to the bank, get that crisp $50 and it goes into our piggy bank. It will become a priority just like paying a bill. Why $50 though. Well we get paid 2 times a month. Which makes that 26 pay periods in a year. 26 pay periods x $50 = $1,300. We would be $78 short of the above list, but I feel keeping it a single amount certain times a month will keep it on track and I wouldn't forget it. I actually have it printed out on our monthly bill schedule (If you would like to see how I have that planned out in another post feel free to let me know and I will Pinterest post that too!). I like things easy and planned when reoccurring!

Now we can't forget a little $ saving for Jameson too! We already empty our change into his piggy bank. Well ok I pick up Nic's change from around the house and put in there, and empty my wallet and car out of change when it starts getting in the way. $689 in a year for him though (not including what randomly gets thrown in there)... that's going to equal a nice little car when he turns 16, or him taking Daddy and Mommy our for a lot of ice cream. It's honestly however he feels like spending it. I have already dropped in the first 2 quarters. Cha-ching!

How many of you would are thinking about taking the 52 Week Money Challenge?!

$ saved is $ well spent
Carrie Danilla Linn

The Pinterest Challenge

So my mom, the awesome, messages me this morning on FB with lots of cute ideas from Pinterest. She said she is trying to stay off FB bc she is tired of the negative posts and drama.

AMEN TO THAT!

So I start looking around and ideas start popping to my head, and crafts I've been wanting to do but just haven't start lurking into my view. Then the thought hit me.

I need to start living more of my Pinterest and less of my FB. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing friends and families lives on FB and that how I catch up with the people that mean the most to me and how I keep up to date and plan for Thursday Bible study with my FABULOUS ladies.

Then the bored scrolling begins.

That's when the drama, hateful posts, things I don't really care to see, and things that get my blood bubbling come from. Why do we feel the need to post this stuff?! It's toxic to our minds.

So I have decided that Pinterest is going to start taking over FB. Not just the "repining". The actual living out my boards! I'm going to challenge myself to do 2 things minimum from my boards every week. One food item and something else. Then review it for y'all to "That looks so good", "That is pretty", "I need to try that now", and of course the infamous PINTEREST FAILS!

Now let me tell you, I'm crafty. But I also have a crazy toddler whose height allows him to literally take photos off our walls, and cheap sheet rock walls that barely allow those photos to hang in the first place. So as far as house décor goes... either there will only be a few things done in that board or several of you will be getting beautiful homemade house décor! (Comment with your address and birthday and you may get something! LOL)

The recipe part will be a piece of cake... pardon and don't pardon the pun! I use Pinterest every week to meal plan anyway. The rest y'all may have to remind me... or tell me that you demand I do this craft so you can find out easier ways to do the same thing. I will take suggestions! Each week I could do a craft, makeup tip (no to contouring, maybe to clean smoky eye, yes to zit stoppage and dark circle cures and maybe the puuurrrrfect cat eye for a date night.), cleaning/organizing tips, potty training tips (that's about to start!), care package ideas (yea... that's coming around again too. Boo), Bible study ideas, date ideas. Pretty much any and everything on Pinterest! I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty darn excited about this! I mean I have already gotten several ideas from there that I use, so why not just make it something of a routine.

So here's the real question... what would you like to see done and who wants to come over and have Pinterest days?!

*Note that I don't have a lot of power tools to do the awesome wood work with pallets and such that would be beautiful to have in my house. I also don't have a garage to do such work like that. I guess that's where we light a fire under my dad's lazy boy chair and make him join in too if need be. I would like to keep these things to about a hour-ish each week... bc Jameson does climb all furniture now and runs around like a crazy, yet adorable, Neanderthal in his diaper while telling the dog No. I guess taming the crazy in him will be something I need to look up on Pinterest too!


PIN ALL THE THINGS
Carrie Danilla Linn

Is that a grey hair...

... and other proof that we moms need a break.

Ok so no grey hair for me! Then again I spend as little time as I can with my hair as possible. Growing it out from a pixie cut=horrible looking hair for the next several months...

ANYWAY

The other day I attempted to watch Mom's Day Out. Mini was fighting his one nap of the day, climbing on me, falling off of everything, crushing cheese puffs into my jeans, and well everything else he enjoys doing. I restarted the movie about 5 times and still have yet to watch the entire movie (even pieced together I'm sure I've missed out on 30 minutes of the movie).

The opening scene, without giving away any spoilers, is my inner life. And by inner life, the narration by Allyson is what plays in my head almost 24/7! I'm not quite the germ obsessed person that she is, but the MOMENTS.

BOY DO I HAVE SOME MOMENTS!

Sadly Nic is usually the victim with my MOMENTS. And it usually happens while I'm cleaning. Counter tops get scrubbed, dishwasher drawer gets slammed, laundry gets folded, floors get swept... all while telling him to leave me alone and I GOT THIS!

But seriously, it's not just me. Right ladies.

RIGHT?!

Anyone.

*cricket*

But seriously I know we all have our own way of dealing with MOMENTS. Having snot in your hair, Peanut Butter on your jeans, an unknown sticky spot on the floor, and singing the Bubble Guppies theme song for the 9th time today pretty much gives you the right to angry clean your house while Mini and Ranger are on lock down in the living room together.

I mean the other day I was ready for Mini to take a 900 hour nap. I was doing my bible study homework in the morning. 4 minutes before he was sitting on the couch, drinking his juice, and watching Veggie Tales. Then I hear water and blocks banging together.

Mini was on lockdown in the living room 4 minutes ago.

HELP ME!

I get up and look in the living room. He is NOT in there! Now there are two entry ways into our living room. One is blocked off by the couch and the other by a baby gate. His new obsession is climbing over the back of the couch into the dining room, getting on the dining room table and playing while scaring me.

He was NOT in the dining room.

I hear more clinking. Walk through our bedroom door (that was for some reason on the rare occasion left open) and spot the bathtub water running. Walking into the bathroom I see Mini in his diaper, IN the bathtub, with the cold water running, putting giant legos together!

HE CLIMBED OUT OF THE LIVING ROOM AND INTO THE BATH TUB!

Thank goodness I always pull the plug out of the tub.

Seriously though kid!

So what do I do? Strip the cold water soaked diaper off the crazy tiny human in my tub, make the water warm, and give the kid a bath. After he was clean and still playing I scrubbed the gross dry skin off my feet.

HEY! It was either that or start pulling hair out one at a time from my head!

That is just one of the everyday adventures I get to endure in the House of Ranger.

Now don't get me wrong. Yes I NEED a break, but it doesn't mean I don't love my son and husband! Come on though, what kind of blog is all "Life is awesome! Rainbows and flowers everyday! Waking up with perfect hair and no morning breath! Sing birds sing!"

 

 

Life is real. It can be awesome! There can be singing birds! But NOT 24/7. Do I dwell on the crazy parts of my life. Eh... sometimes. We all do! If you tell me you don't, then I want the secret to your medication cabinet.

 

Oh look... Yogurt puffs under my desk. How long have those been there? Have they been there long enough that Mini has eaten one and I didn't notice? Ew. I did mop under there not too long ago. The guys never sit at my desk so at least I don't have their gross feet/shoe germs under there. How has that not gotten stuck to the bottom of my foot this last week?

 

This is literally 43% of the conversations in my head every day.

 

So please, when I go to the store, Bible study group, or even just check the mail... know I'm on vacation!

 

How did that fruit snack get stuck to my printer?!

Carrie D Linn

Happy...

...should be the new craze.

Strong is the new skinny.*
Real men love curves.
Only dogs love bones.
Thigh gaps.

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS CRAP?!

I am so sick and tired of seeing this spread across social media!

I have friends of every shape and size who have husbands of every shape and size that love how they look. I have friends who look different than me in every way.

Let me tell you everyone has their body they battle.

I am a skinny, pale, 34AA chest, size 5 jeans, size 2 dress, size 9+ shoe, wide shouldered, no assed woman.

But let me tell you something, I'm am HEALTHY! Can I always get better? Of course! Everyone can and should. I just didn't realize that if you weren't the perfect image of a woman (which I don't even know what that is) that you were in fact NOT a woman.

How about being a caring friend? Uplifting those around you? Seeing the positive in people? Not judging what you have no idea know about?

That sounds like a real woman to me. It's not a size or an image. Its the way you act. The way you present yourself. Its your character.

So how about...

A woman is the new woman.

Not skinny, pale, tall, healthy, or emotional
Just a woman
Carrie Danilla Linn


*Why does Strong have to be the new skinny. I didn't realize that everyone's goal was to be skinny. How about strong being just that, STRONG.

God IS....

..NOT dead.

Finally saw the movie.

WOW!

What an amazing movie. I will try not to give spoilers to those that have not and still want to see, but may have a minor "you see it coming from the beginning" slip up.


I have tried in my head a million times, like most/all, Christians to figure out how to tell those that don't know of God or try to discredit him how he created the universe. How he started it all. How he has ALWAYS been and ALWAYS will be. Time is something we measure by a year, a clock, history books... it's something that if we cant measure it we have a hard time believing and understanding it. We know the universe is so old bc of science. The hard part is telling our head that at one time there was NOTHING. NOTHING we can not grasp. How long was there NOTHING? How long did it take for NOTHING to create the world. And if there was NOTHING, how did it create the UNIVERSE?

Now don't get me wrong, I believe in science, I don't quite believe in everything in the Bible... but creation is something I can't falter on. There was NOTHING that suddenly boomed out of the middle of no where and created an extremely complex and complicated universe and everything in it perfectly...... What was in that vast space of NOTHING that created E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.? You cant take NOTHING and make something. Science says so. Yet science say the entire universe was created from NOTHING?

This is the main argument of the movie. It all comes down to how the universe was created.

So now that you are thinking, I'll get into the actual movie...

Let me tell you it was an extreme roller coaster of emotions. The first hour was cheering for the main character and being angry at most of the rest of the cast. And I mean ANGRY! I understand that some people don't believe in God or a higher being at all... fine. But the people in this movie were so hateful and rude and cruel and uncaring! It made it easy to be mad and frustrated with these characters. Even someone that was supposed to be a Christian had obviously lost sight of God and became so selfish in her ways she would lose everything in her future she had been planning for.

The professor... he's easy not to like. He tells his students that GOD IS DEAD and doesn't let them think otherwise. It's his way or you fail that section of the class. He has such a god complex that he even tells the main character "In my class I AM god!" He is rude by putting his girlfriend down, insulting her in front of his coworkers, whom do nothing about it. He talks about his freshman students like they are all idiots. He believes there is no one above him. *SPOILER ALERT* It's not because he doesn't believe in God... it's because he is so angry with God he cant see the good he does. Only the bad that happens in the world. One of the strongest points in the movie is when the main character finally realizes this and asks, no YELLS, to the professor in front of his entire class, "WHY DO YOU HATE GOD?!"

So much faith is found in this movie too though that tugs at your heart. Losing everything for God. Finding everything for God. Finding purpose. Finding hope. Finding light in the dark. That slap across the face that there is something bigger and better than you.

A son goes to visit his elder mother, who has dementia, in the nursing home and he talks about how she has undying faith. She's a wonderful person. Caring. Everything good. Then says he is a horrible mean hateful person but has everything he could ever ask for. Success, money, all the good worldly things. How could this be, he asks.

"Sin is like a jail cell except it's nice and comfy and there doesn't seem to be any need to leave. The door is wide open, until one day, it slams shut."

It slams shut.

God IS and ALWAYS will BE

Carrie Danilla Linn

If the genes fit...

... show them off!

Yes GENES, that's what I meant!

My mom is awesome.

Just putting that out there to start off. She's my mom, obviously, but she's also my awesome girl friend.

We have a lot in common, besides our laugh. Hobbies, styles, movies, past times... you get it. We both have a passion for the old fashion. We would rather make a simple home cooked meal most of the time than eating crap fast food. We love desserts. She is amazing at crafts, while I would like to dabble into crafts more, I guess I'm not too bad at them. We're both music crazy. (MUST have music on 99% of the time.) And both look for a bargain for EVERYTHING! Seriously I bet 75% of our clothes, home décor, and the rest of our households are from thrift stores, garage sales, and 50% off at Hobby Lobby. Why pay full price right?!

(Mini woke up)

SQUIRREL

So I don't really know where I'm fully going with this post except to brag that I have the best mom ever... don't challenge that bc I will win. Sorry folks.

Oh yeah I think I was going to put this in here somewhere... I have fallen off the workout wagon bad the past several months. Give me credit, Ranger just got home from deployment then was on leave for several weeks!

Anyway, this awesome mom I keep speaking of and I are now partners in crime with the workout circuit. We come up with challenges for us to do and keep each other accountable. People my mom had knee surgery recently and still attempted burpies... Like I said, she's the best mom hands down.

Our goals... just to feel better. There is nothing worse than not working out for awhile and not eating the best. You start to feel like CRAP! I hate feeling like crap. I like being energized, happy, and strong. And I know my mom feels the same way. So if you keep seeing us post workout posts cheer us on, or even better yet, JOIN US!

We are also always looking for recipes, dessert ones are a bonus. ;)

Best Daughter with the Best Mom
Carrie Danilla Linn

Momtrepreneurs....

... and how you are doing it wrong.

Hello at home business mommies! Yes I have been there and done that. Many times. Many different companies. Many different results.

I am all about making money doing something you enjoy with a product you love. I know that when you work from home you have to push your product to everyone you ever set eyes on, and double dare your entire FB friend list to try your products, sign up to be a consultant, try the latest challenge, and buy products they may or may not use every month in order to get the sweet deal.

I get it.

The way you go about it needs a little work though.

Who are your first customers? Your friends. How do you get them to buy your products? You talk to them about it and give them a sample.

Now stop right there!!!!!!

How did you bring it up to your friend? Think about it. This is where you will lose me and probably many more customers.

Did you send them a personal message on FB or a text message?

What was the first thing you said in that message?

Hello? Hey how are you doing? How's the family? Haven't seen you in a while?

If you start off asking me how I'm doing as your friend, you are more likely to get my business. If we are friends, and the first thing I read in that message is "I have a great business opportunity for you. How would you like to make $$$ in -- days/months. It's only $-- to start and you get this that and another to start" Or you invite me over to hang out for coffee and there are a dozen other people there and you have all your business products spread out. IT WAS A TRAP!!!

And there it is. You lost me as a customer and possibly a friend. Your friends are your most loyal customers, but they are still your loyal FRIENDS first. You must remain their friend first before becoming their upline/distributor. Remember they are a person first, and not just $ in your pocket.

Also be honest about your products. If you do not like something, don't think it is fit for their needs, or know of something better for them, TELL THEM SO! I was always honest about the products I sold. If I personally didn't like the product and someone asked me about it, I would be honest with them. If I felt what they were looking on was not ideal for them, I would tell them so and point them into a better direction. This is probably why I didn't stick with a company for long, I didn't believe the company. I didn't believe the product. And sometimes the company was such a mess as a whole that I did not want to deal with the issues and have a bad name on myself with my friends.

Be honest about the product you are selling. Be honest with your customers. Be for the customer, not for the $. Remember that most of your friends helped you become successful, and in order for you to stay successful with your business, you have to stay loyal to your friends first.


I'll let you know what I'm interested in....
Carrie Danilla Linn

We all fall off the wagon...

... but do you jump back on or let the entire convoy run over you?!

HELLO CRAZY WORLD!

So... It's be awhile. Like a long while.

Sorry about that.

Where to start? Well... Jameson is now over 13 months old! Yes you heard me, I have a 1 year old! He's quite the toddler. Runs, yells, eats, climbs, wrestles, jabbers, and still snuggles. He's quite the awesome little handful.

Nic deployed to Africa for 6 months back right before Christmas. So happy he has been back for a week now though. Honestly it hasn't been hard to readjust so far, but we will see what I saw about that in a month when he is on leave and home 24/7.

Me... Yeah about that.

I lost myself for awhile there. Like really lost myself. Lost my marbles. Lost my sanity.

Surprising lost zero hair though.

The last year has been a rough one for me to say the least. I put on a pretty good front, but mentally I was a hot messed basket case. I think a few noticed I was a little off, but not sure that anyone realized how lost I was in myself.

Becoming a new parent will take it's toll on you of course. Some worse than others. Jameson is a great, smart, good toddler. But he is also a clingy handful. I cant say I blame him when his best friend/daddy leaves when he is 6 months old for deployment. I cant even imagine what went through his head when daddy didn't come home. He is a very attached and affectionate little boy. This is great for snuggle time but makes for a rough time to do anything without him constantly attached to my leg or sides. Blessed are the moms that get their space to do things while baby entertains themselves/sleeps. Jameson will do his own thing for very short amounts of time... This is usually the time I can get the knives out of the dish washer before he comes and climbs into the dish washer to empty the rest out onto the floor. Or clean half a bottle. Or enough time to start making something to eat before he velcros himself to my leg and I end up burning my breakfast. This is an EVERYDAY ALL DAY thing, just not here and there. Or I'm lucky enough to get to eat half of my meal before he disrupts me for so long I just give up on trying to eat.

Now don't get me wrong. I love him to the moon and back a 1000000000 times, but mom's still need their space to breathe, do their own things. Sadly he doesn't allow me to do much of that.

I got to the point where I just wouldn't do anything I wanted bc it would get stalled, stopped, and/or forgotten. Add in cabin fever bc of crappy weather, deployed husband....

I very much lost myself.

I didn't want to do anything of my interests anymore. I had a craft table that wasn't touched until about a month ago. I was tired, frustrated, lonely, depressed, and bored. I let my mind go to no where. I just floated along from day to day not caring. Anyone who knows me even slightly knows this is NOT me. I try to have life, laughs, and energy. I should have gone to the DR and gotten help of some sort. I know that and told myself that way more often than I should admit. I didn't though. I just didn't care. I didn't care about doing the daily chores. I mean I never let my house get unlivable, but there would be 3 dish washer loads needing to be done before I would do anything. I seriously didn't fold any of my laundry from March to June until the week Nic came home. I didn't play with Jameson close to as much as I should have.... I felt guilty for not doing so, but never really did anything about it.

I hit rock bottom mentally more than once. I would bounce back for a week then just fall back into a horrible deep depression. I neglected my mind. I let myself become just a body doing the things it had to in order to get to the next day. My creative soul just died on me. It didn't want to inhabit my brain anymore.

I look back and know I should have handled everything so differently. I should have gotten help of some sort. I should have ask for help from friends to slap me and wake me out of the dark fog. I should have been more honest with everyone. I did tell Nic on more than one occasion that I was just a mess, but I don't know that I could let him know just how big of a one I was when he had a deployment to worry about getting out of the way and getting home. I tried to find my faith again by going to a women's bible study. I loved going and it gave me something to look forward to, but daily I'm still trying to be closer to God only to go to bed realizing I failed the second I got out of bed and not letting him cross my mind once during the day. I told myself and Nic constantly that we are going to find ways to work on our marriage, only to not open up and talk to each other still.

Tomorrow always became tomorrow, instead of today and now. I let the entire convoy of wagons, cattle, horses and those on feet trample over me before getting up at the end to realize everything was gone and out of sight.

I'm still not close to where I need to be mentally, but I did find the convoy again and I'm running as fast as I can to jump on to the wagon at the end. Will I go get the help I need? I'll work on it. Being able to write this an admit out loud that I need to get it together is big to me. I know I needed a kick in the rear, but maybe this will be the steel toed boot I need.

Slow down wagon!
Carrie Danilla Linn