Blah Blah Blah

This week has been horrible as far as eating healthy goes.  It's just one of those weeks you want to binge eat, put your hair in a messy bun and watch Netflix all day.  Anyone else have those?  I've lost 49.1 pounds so far and I just can't seem to push myself past that (it's a mental block not a physical one).  Tomorrow's a new day...praise Jesus!

 

I've made my menu for next week and I'm hoping some comfort foods I've tweaked to become clean/healthy will help me ease back into getting on the right track.  I'll be posting at least 2 new recipes next week!!!

 

I've been contemplating whether or not to get a polar watch.  It seems like everyone and their dogs have them these days.  I'm wondering how well they work and if they're worth the money (meaning will I wear it longer than a week).  Of course that would mean I would have to start working out again...ha!  I used to run but now I'm too embarrassed to be seen running.  :)

 

A few months back the hubby and I bought some kettle bells and a gym mat to start a home gym but those things have sat downstairs since the day we got them and haven't moved.  I really just need to quit making excuses and get my butt into gear.  Sigh...

 

In other news, I bought my own website today.  Which means I'll have a new and improved blog coming very soon.  It may take me a few days (or a week) to get it up and running.  I'm hoping to have a better lay out and links to my etsy site and various other things.  With having James now and working on my weight loss journey I would really like to document everything.  I will keep you posted on that soon!



Common Misconceptions About Budget

 

One of the biggest misconceptions of being a stay at home mom and one income family is..."Your husband must make a lot of money for you to stay home!"

 

Umm No. Wrong. False.

 

Actually, for most families, it is a HUGE sacrifice.  You do without a lot of luxuries, frivolous spending, and mindless shopping.  That means we'll have less expensive cars,  a smaller house, and buy a lot of things second hand.  But, nothing compares to seeing that little precious baby day in and day out!!! :)

 

I've learned a lot in the last few years of marriage.  Mainly, money doesn't grow on trees and we have to be wise with the money God has given us.  Spending money wisely shows God we are thankful for what we've been given. 

 

One of the biggest areas for me that I try to work on is food budgeting.  I'm the shopper.  The cook.  The mom.  :) 

 

Here are some tips I've found helpful for our family to stick to a food budget of $300 a month:

 

Buy store brands

Did you know store brands are 20-50% less than name brands? I read in an article not that long ago that store brands were taste tested against name brands and they found that they tasted almost always identical. 

***BUT, always look at the price because when the name brand items go on sale they sometimes end up being less than the store brands.

 

Stock up when things go on sale

If I notice an item I use weekly going on sale I'll buy a few more that week (don't go crazy stockpiling).  I also like to keep an eye out for meat sales because you can really save green in this area (if its less than $2 a pound I'm going to stock up).

 

Don't buy snack foods

Talk about eating up your food budget.  Snack foods are just crazy expensive.  Plus your waistline will thank you.  ;)

 

Have a price list

This might sound extreme but keep track of items in a spreadsheet.  I like to make my grocery list and then check to see which stores have it cheaper and shop accordingly.  Saving .50 cents for an item might not be worth going to another store for you but I promise you that when you're saving .50 cents or more on every product by doing this it REALLY can add up. 

 

Check out clearance aisles

This past week I went to Walmart and found organic baby food and oatmeal marked 50% off or more.  You just never know what you might find. 

 

Coupons

I don't cut coupons.  I would like to get better at this.  However, really expensive items like baby yogurt and things I'll go online and get $1 off coupons.  Most of our food is fresh and not packaged so you can't really use coupons for those items.

 

Stick to a grocery list

I would never go to the grocery store without a list in hand.  I would put a lot more in the shopping cart than we actually needed that week.

 

Make a weekly/monthly meal plan

By planning out every meal you and not buying more than you need it can really help cut down your budget.

 

Don't spend money on drinks

Don't drink your calories.  Soda is crazy expensive.  Juice is just ridiculous.  Those things are full of calories, artificial sweeteners, and tons of sugar.

 

Eat before you shop

Sounds silly BUT the grocery store is full of temptations. 

 

8 Months Old

 

Weight:

Almost 18 pounds last we checked. 

 

Clothing:

He's still wearing mostly 6 month clothes but has a few 3-6 month outfits that he can wear.

 

Diet:

Still nursing 4-5 times a day.  Typically, he wakes up and nurses at 7am, breakfast at 8 (oatmeal & apples), nurses at 11, lunch at 12:30 (yogurt & banana), nurses at 3, dinner at 6 (whatever we're eating), and final nursing right before bed at 7:30.

 

Sleep:

 He only takes two naps a day now.  Usually takes a nap at 10am and 2pm.  Goes to bed at 7:30pm and sleeps till 7am.  As from my previous post most of you know how thankful I am he's sleeping so well now in his OWN room in his OWN bed.  Praise Jesus! :)

 

Milestones:

James can crawl, sit, stand, and walk as long as he's holding onto furniture.

 

Teeth:

He has his two bottom teeth.

 

Likes:

Eating (he comes by it honestly...ha), bath time, momma's makeup bag, looking out the window, shopping, walks in his stroller, and going to the park to swing!!!

 

Dislikes:

Diaper changes, naps, when meal time is over, and initially when he's put in his car seat (once he's buckled in he's fine).

 

I can't believe he's already 8 months old.  He is the light of our life and I don't know how we ever lived without him.  I thank God EVERY day for a healthy boy and having another day to spend with him.  He loves his daddy more than anything and I know he's going to be a daddy's boy for sure!

Quinoa Chili

As most of you know...me and my lovely husband have two very different "diets".  He is doing keto (low carb) and I'm eating semi clean and counting calories.  On Sunday, our food prep day, I made myself: sausage egg cups, quinoa chili, and meatloaf muffins.  For Jamie, I made bacon egg cups, bacon chili, and bacon wrapped chicken (basically bacon everything). 

 

Obviously, I was not going to eat his bacon chili (very fatty) so I made myself a guilt-free chili.  Y'all it's AMAZING!!!  I try to find recipes that me and baby James can eat so I don't have to cook his own food as well.  He loved it and ate a pretty good size serving.  The recipe says 6 servings but I think it makes 10 BIG servings.

 

If you'd like the recipe go check out Chungah's blog here!!!  I can't take any credit for the recipe and followed it precisely to her instructions

. 

Left overs...YUM!

 



Perfect fall meal!!!

 



Confessional Friday: {Link Up}

 

 

I confess that I have become addicted to watching Call the Midwife on Netflix this week.  So much so that I believe I watched an entire season in ONE day. 

 

I confess I'm THAT friend who doesn't answer her phone but will text you immediately back.  I hate talking on the phone.  However, moving 7 hours away from all my friends and family this year has made me realize that talking on the phone and hearing a loved ones voice is far better than any text I could receive. 

 

I confess that I've lost 5 pounds this week but I'm scared to step on the scale today after I ate an entire bag of peanut M&M's (and I ain't talking about the small individual bags) over the course of a day yesterday (only like 1,200 calories).  Gahhhhh WHY WHY WHY!?!?

*Maybe it could have been the fact that my poor teething baby had such a rough day yesterday I couldn't even put him down to use the bathroom...

 

I confess that I'm a STRESS EATER. Ha...that might be an understatement! 

 

 

 

I confess that God has really been working on my heart about what I post on facebook and instagram.   We tend to only want to share materialistic things or ourselves looking perfectly put together which leads to everyone seeing a picture perfect life.  I encourage us to post pictures and share things with a joyful pure heart and not one of self indulgence, boastfulness, and conceitedness.    

 

I confess that this has been the first confessional Friday I've participated in! :)

 

 

Dutch Apple Pie

We went to my parent's house over Labor Day and my mom made this amazing apple pie!!! Even baby James loved it...hehe.  Here is the recipe...

 

 

Hope you enjoy this recipe! Perfect for this coming fall and the holidays...

 

I have been so bad about keeping up my blog and posting.  I hope to make it more of a priority in the future but having a little one with me 24/7 makes it a wee bit difficult.  I'm hoping to post his 8 month photos tomorrow as he is 8 MONTHS TODAY!!! Woo Woo!!!

 

Here's what we've been dealing with the past month...

 

 

 

So we did what all parents are warned against doing...co-sleeping.  Once James hit 7 months old we were determined to get him in his crib and cut down on his night time nursing.  Now let me add we tried many approaches and everything failed.  After talking to our parents and getting advice we finally decided to try the Ferber method.  At first we were totally against this because the thought of leaving him in his room crying seemed cruel...but desperate times call for desperate measures (desperate meaning sleep deprived).  The first few nights were SO hard.  The books say it usually takes about a week but it took us about 3 weeks before he was "Ferberized".  First week it took him about 30-45 minutes of crying and us going back and forth every 10 minutes before he fell asleep.  Second and third week it was about 10-20 minutes of crying before he fell asleep.  BUT now I nurse him and then lay him in his crib and he immediately rolls onto his stomach and falls asleep.  It's a miracle!!!

 

He now sleeps from 7:30 pm to about 7 am EVERY time.  I am a firm believer of the Ferber method now.  Before, when he slept with us, we went to bed around 9-9:30 pm and slept till 6 am and then he would wake up every 3 hours to nurse in between that and he just didn't sleep well.  He would fuss in his sleep and wake us up hourly.  I am so thankful those days are behind us.  James sleeps better and has done great without the nightly nursing.

 

Mom and dad are thankful for time together every night to unwind, to watch tv, catch up on chores, and sleep ALL night like we used to! :) 

 

***Ferber method is not for everyone but it worked for us and we're extremely happy with the results. I don't think the 3 weeks of crying will cause him any long term psychological issues.

 

 



Firecracker Pasta

In honor of the 4th of July around the corner....
(AND because my husband said it actually smelled like firecrackers...ha!)

 

 

Firecracker Pasta (aka Spicy Smoked Sausage Pasta)

 

Ingredients:

1 1b. smoked turkey sausage

1 medium onion (chopped)

8 oz. pasta

1/2-1 cup heavy cream (I used 1 cup for a thinner style sauce)

1 can rotel

2 cups chicken broth

1-2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese

1 tsp. salt (I actually omitted this)

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. olive oil

 

Directions:

In a large skillet, add olive oil, sausage, and onions.  Cook on medium high heat until browned.  Add minced garlic and cook for about a minute.  Then add rotel, pasta, cream, chicken broth, and seasonings.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until pasta is cooked.  Lastly, add Monterey Jack cheese and stir to combine.  Broil in the oven for 3 minutes or until cheese is golden.\

 

Servings: 4

Calories: 625

 

 

 

This is my NEW favorite recipe y'all!!!!

  It was so flavorful and reminded me of a New Orleans Cajun-style pasta.