Family
5 Fun Things to Do in the Fall
Fall is my absolute favorite time of year! And while it feels like marketing is steamrolling into the holidays, here are 5 fun things to do in the Fall.
Pick Apples from an Orchard
Google apple orchards in your area and see what turns up. There is an amazing apple orchard just down the road from our house in our previous town and regretfully, I never attended. However, this year, we are planning to make a trip to pick some apples – what better way to kick off the fall season? Steele Orchard seems like a perfect day trip.
Make a day of romping through an apple orchard taking pictures, sampling apples and all apple products, and creating sweet memories with your family.
Sew, knit, or crochet
Here me out before you read on – there is something about working with your hands that creates peace. While I am no expert at sewing, my mother’s advice along with YouTube videos have helped me navigate my way to showing off some sewing creativity. Spending time alone making something brings a sense of comfort and accomplishment. Can you just envision yourself sitting by the fire or in front of a good tv show making something with your hands? Try a YouTube video tutorial for any of the above: sewing, knitting, or crocheting. Let me know how it goes!
Bake an Apple Pie
With the apples you pick from your apple orchard trip, bake an apple pie! What better fun thing to do in the fall then to bake a delicious apple pie? This recipe from The Pioneer Woman sounds delicious. For me half the joy of the fall season are all the wonderful smells: apple, cinnamon, pumpkin – oh my!
Go for a Scenic Drive
Friends of mine who were limited on funds got creative with their vacations. They chose to visit all 67 counties of the state of Alabama. What a fun thing to do! Of course, some of their trips were longer than others but some pretty great scenic drives can be made in a day.
My favorite is when I find a pin on Pinterest that has a wonderful road trip already mapped out.
Visit a Pumpkin Farm or Farmer’s Market
My family is fortunate to live near a lovely farmer’s market. Pepper Place Market is located in downtown Birmingham and has a host of vendors that are lovely to peruse.
If downtown city is too much city for you, find a local pumpkin patch and enjoy the sights and scents of fall.
Another wonderful fall activity is camping. To me, when the air is chilly is the perfect time to start up a campfire and enjoy the scenes of nature. A good fall camping location is outlined here in a previous post.This is a fabulous season to complete five fun things to do in the fall!
10 Easy Weeknight Dinners for Busy Families
For when life is crazy, here are 10 easy weeknight dinners for busy families.
1. Taco Night
There’s some relief to the mental load when you have a regular taco night. Taco Tuesday isn’t popular for no reason! Keep Taco seasoning packets on hand or make your own using some common spices and at least one night’s dinner will be a breeze!
I use the following recipe as a guide for my taco seasoning: 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of chili powder, and 1 tablespoon of cumin. Combine all spices and sprinkle over ground beef while cooking.
2. Pasta & Meatballs
Another easy throw-together meal is pasta and meatballs. You can use spaghetti pasta. Aldi’s carries a bag of frozen meatballs. Cook the meatballs according to the package directions and the pasta of choice seperately. Combine at the end. You may even add more pasta sauce if you desire.
3. Chicken Tortilla Soup
This recipe is one of my favorite recipes of all time! I love to add tortilla chips, shredded cheddar, and sour cream to my bowl.
This soup can be thrown into the crockpot. To a crockpot add: two chicken breast, container of chicken broth, taco seasoning, can of pinto beans washed and drained, can of corn, can of Rotel, salt and pepper. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Here’s a similar soup that sounds just as easy to make…
Click this link to check out this recipe. 4. Sheet Pan Fajitas
Time is always precious in the evenings. Having a meal ready to go within 30 minutes is priceless! The following Pinterest pin highlights one of my fave go-to meals: sheet pan fajitas. This meal was a no-brainer for adding to my 10 easy weeknight dinners for busy families.
5. Frozen Pizza
Please don’t come at me for this one! When you just do not have the energy to cook, you can typically count on Publix to have some brand of frozen pizza on a Buy One, Get One sale. On nights that I go grocery shopping, a frozen pizza is usually in our near future!
Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels.com 6. Roast & Veggies
Another great use of the crockpot is placing a roast with potatoes, onions, and carrots in it. If your roast is frozen, you can place it in the crockpot along with some beef broth on low overnight and in the morning before work, toss in the onions and carrots. My husband likes to add peeled cloves of garlic to his roast recipe. You can try a variation of this by adding peperoncino peppers and a packet of ranch dressing.
7. Orange Chicken & Rice
This is my daughter’s favorite meal and if I am honest, I never fully remember how to make the same recipe twice! We always place the orange chicken over a bed of white rice. Add a little soy sauce and you have an awesome meal.
For the chicken, cut two to three chicken breast into cubes. In a small bowl add: half a teaspoon of garlic powder, half a teaspoon of ground ginger, salt & pepper to taste, the zest of an orange, a quarter cup of soy sauce, and a tablespoon of honey. To a skillet, add your cubed chicken and as it cooks, pour the mixture over top until cooked through. Sometimes, I will add a teaspoon of cornstarch to my dried, cubed chicken before placing it in the skillet. This is a crowd pleaser in our home.
8. Baked Chicken & Roasted Vegetables
Any type of sheet pan dinner is an easy win for me. For baked chicken, place your chicken breast and desired chopped vegetables on a aluminum foil-lined pan. Drizzle olive oil and desired spices (such as garlic powder, Italian seasoning, thyme, salt, pepper, etc.) over chicken and veggies, baking them at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Ta-da! Dinner is served!
9. Tater Tot Casserole
I fell in love with this casserole during my years that I watched 19 Kids and Counting. My version is slightly different than the original.
Cook ground beef with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Once meat is drained, add to a casserole dish that already has frozen tater tots on the bottom. In a separate bowl, combine a container of sour cream, a can of mushroom soup, a teaspoon of garlic and onion powders, and a cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Layer the mixture on top of the tater tots and meat then cover with a layer of shredded cheese. Bake on 350 degrees for 30 – 40 minutes.
10. Hamburgers
If I’m being totally honest, by the time I got to the 10th meal, I really was struggling for an easy win. Grilling hamburgers is an easy dinner for me because typically, I only have to patty up the burgers then my husband does the rest – ha!
Well, how did I do? Any new recipes that you would like to give it a try? There are certain tasks that us moms will continue to do until we pass away – wash laundry and cook dinner are two that come to mind! In a past post, I shared about my year of attempting to have 365 different meals. You can read about my attempt here. May these 10 easy weeknight dinners for busy families provide you a little bit of inspiration – enjoy!
Essential Tips for Setting Up My Son’s Dorm Room: A Parent’s Guide to College Living
What an experience to move our son into college. Getting his dorm room ready was a fun and a little bit frenzied time. The following are essential tips for setting up my son’s dorm room: a parent’s guide to college living.
1. Planning the Layout.
Consider the layout of the space when planning dorm room purchases. Seek out the appliance guidelines of your college/university of choice. Before our move-in day, I looked up dorm room pictures that other parents had supplied in Facebook groups. Having a visual idea of how we wanted the layout of the room to be made moving items in much easier.
A snapshot of our starting space. This picture makes the dorm room look so small. I am so pleased with the “after”. 2. Dorm Room Must-haves: Essentials for Comfort and Convenience
This is the area rug we purchased for my son’s dorm room. It is extremely soft AND washable. *As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission on any viable links. My family and I created a list of must-haves for our son’s dorm room. Now that he is moved in, here are my top 5 must-haves: 1. XL moving bags WITH straps that wrap all the way around the bags. 2. Woo Zoo fan. (We purchased ours at Costco) 3. Multiple sizes of Command Hooks. Unfortunately, we did not get the right sizes for our son’s wall art but we did get the correct, heavy-duty size for his curtains. For his dorm, absolutely no holes can be made in the walls so Command Hooks are a must. 4. A toaster oven/air fryer combo. (My husband found a unit that can: air fry, broil, bake, toast, and one more I cannot remember – ha!) 5. An area rug. And I’ll add a bonus – a rolling laundry hamper. The wheels make it easy to roll back and forth from the laundry room.
These XL Moving Bags were a HUGE help on move-in day. *As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission on any viable links. 3. Decorating on a Budget
Shopping Amazon Prime Day deals in July was a HUGE help in securing some great deals for my son’s dorm room. My husband likes checking out local overstock/discount stores for deals – places like Ollie’s or DirtCheap.
For all the curtains in my son’s dorm, I sewed them. My mother and aunt provided the fabric and I provided the labor. My son has curtains in his living room, bedroom, and bathroom. This is a big budget helper.
College parent groups and Facebook Marketplace are also great spots to grab some budget-friendly dorm room items.
The Collar Find is a wonderful account for college tips and tricks! 4. Preparing for Move-In Day: Tips for a Smooth Transition
For the actual move-in day, try to remember a few tips: 1. Not everything is going to go as planned – the earlier you can come to terms with this fact, the better. Lists upon lists were made and we still forgot some things. 2. Set your Woozoo fan up immediately. The air circulation will cool you down as you are unloading boxes. A friend shared this tip with me and it was a big help. We even brought a second portable fan to simply have running during move-in then we took it home at completion. 3. Try to keep conversations light and positive. Even if your son does not act like the move-in bothers him, he is still processing a lot of emotions. 4. Place all that you can into the XL moving bags. These bags are a game changer and save so much space. I picked up this tip from @thecollarfind on Instagram. 5. Have conversations BEFORE move-in day about your expectations of goodbye. Having at least a loose idea of leaving expectations helps prepare the mind slightly for the transition.
Moving is not always an easy nor smooth task. In fact, sometimes it is downright horrifying. You can read some of my cautionary advice related to moving here. My hope is that you have a great college move-in experience with your child! Let me know if you use any of my tips and tricks in this parent’s guide to college living.
The “after” of our son’s dorm room. Sizzling Summer: A Peak Into My Summer Routine
No doubt about it, my summer has definitely been sizzling! Read along to sneak a peak into my summer routine.
Summer with Kids
This by far has been our busiest summer. It is the end of a season in our lives, our second son graduated in May and will head off to college at the end of the summer. I was not prepared for how busy his last summer at home would be. He has participated in many wonderful opportunities this summer and I am just sad to see it come to an end. With that being said, much of our summer routine revolves around the kids’ activities.
My summer routine included many drop offs and pick ups from various camps: church camp, choir tour, Boy Scouts camp, and student leadership retreat. Add in our fabulous trip to Greece – which you can read about here – and there is a bulk of my summer routine. When the kids were younger, we kept a much more structured weekly summer schedule similar to the one I will post below; however, as the kids have grown and have more functions through various organizations, we have less time to devote to a daily summer schedule.
Many summers we followed a similar schedule. Daily Rituals
My daily rituals in the summer include: sleeping in, enjoying a peaceful devotional time with a hot cup of coffee, and getting ready for the day. Most Thursdays this summer, I attend an online Professional Development course to maintain my teaching certification. Also, I participated in a brief, six week Bible Study of the book of Philippians.
Now that my kids are older and sports, activities, and church events guide our routines, I think back to the days of the summer schedule similar to the one shown above. That schedule helped keep three littles on track and me sane. I appreciate this mom’s post of how she structured her summer routines, “just enough”.
Relaxing Vibes
While I personally believe there is always plenty to do at home, relaxing vibes are always my goal. Summer routines serve the best relaxing vibes. We are seldom stressed to get out the door at an early time during the summer. Maybe the extra time at home this summer afforded me the opportunity to online shop a little too much – ha! I have enjoyed ordering some of my favorite travel outfits from Amazon.
This dress has been an absolute favorite all summer long! *As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission on any eligible links. Special Treasures
Part of what makes summer so awesome are the special treasures tucked in throughout the summer months. We have enjoyed so many sweet treasures this summer: trip to Greece, a wedding for my nephew, and camp trips.
How has your summer been? Would you call it, sizzling? Let me know in the comments. I would love to hear from you!
What I Got During Amazon Prime Deals Days
July is a big sales time of year. And if you are like me, you are looking for ways to save money on needed items. One of our big life events right now is my son is moving off to college. What better way to prepare than to purchase needed supplies during Amazon Prime Deals Days?
Amazon Prime Day Deals is a sales period offered to all Amazon Prime members. To become a member, you will pay the $139 annual fee. (As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission on any viable links at no extra cost to you.) Membership affords you the opportunity to take advantage of free shipping and returns for a large variety of items. Having a Prime membership gives you access to certain Prime Video movies and shows as well as insight to great sales available on Amazon.
A majority of my Prime Deal purchases have been for my son’s dorm, however; I did manage to snag a few other deals. I love finding good deals on: fashion, food, and travel. I shared in a previous post about how to create a seasonal wardrobe. Being budget savvy allows for one to added needed items to his/her wardrobe. The great part of Amazon Prime Deals is they have early deals, prime days, then lead out deals at the end.
Early Deals
A few days prior to Prime Days, I looked for any early deals that peaked my interest. All of my purchases can be found on my LiketoKnow.It page which is linked on the right hand side of my blog. I was able to get six different pairs of earrings for $11! Other early purchases were: a lounge set (which is on greater sale today for the Prime Day Deals), a shirt, a beautiful 5×7 rug, and a twin sheet set. The last two items are for my son’s dorm room. You can check out the cute lounge set, here.
These six pairs of earrings were purchased for $11. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission from any viable links. Prime Day Deals
This year, Prime Day Deals are July 16 – 17, 2024. For the first Prime Day Deals, I ordered large moving bags. For today’s deals, I ordered: a shower caddy, bath mats, mattress topper, a rolling laundry hamper, hangers, and some under eye concealer for myself!
These moving bags are a best seller! *As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission on any viable links. Sale Tracking Features
I enjoy the format of amazon.com and how I can click on the “Prime Deal” link and be taken right to all available deals. Another tracking feature is like items are grouped together on Amazon’s home page.
Setting filters such as: price point, how big of a discount desired, and customer reviews help ensure you find the deals you are looking for.
While this has been my most intensive Amazon Prime Deals Days sale, it will not be my last. I look forward to the lead out sales that close Prime days!
Access my Greece Itinerary + What I would change about my trip
An overseas trip for my family is a big deal. We do not have these opportunities often so planning out a detailed trip ensures that we make the most of a trip of a lifetime. We recently went on the trip of a lifetime to Greece. Here I will give you access to my Greece Itinerary along with what I would change about my trip.
3 Days and 3 Nights in Santorini
My family and I spent 3 nights and 3 days in Santorini which is a part of the Kiklahdes islands of Greece. We stayed in the Exo Gonia area, centrally located in Santorini. Over the course of 3 days we explored the southern and northern portions of the island. The island is only three miles wide and a total of 10 miles long. When deciding which locations of Greece to visit, I loved gleaning information from Amanda Monique Brown and her Instagram and blog posts.
The architecture of Santorini and food were amazing. Spending time exploring various villages such as Emperio and Megalochori were lovely to stroll around. Fira, Imergovoli, and Oia were beautiful as well; however, crowds in Oia were not enjoyable.
On our second night in Santorini, we ate at Metaxi Mas in Exo Gonia and it was an amazing dinner experience. The environment and vibe of the place was welcoming and relaxed. The restaurant is tucked away down a street that is behind a church. Without the sign at the main road you would not know it exists but it is a delightful experience. One aspect of Greek culture I loved was every evening meal was meant to be enjoyed late at night with no rush. Our dinner reservations were not until 9:30 p.m. The restaurant provided complementary aperitifs and appetizers as well as dessert to close out the meal. When discussing our trip, the whole family remembers this evening fondly.
Skaros Rock and Imerovigli, Santorini 3 Days and 2 Nights in Milos
Milos was amazing! I wish we would have stayed longer in Milos. It is such a wonderful island. While it is larger than Santorini, it very much has a small town feel with buses taking you to many locations for only 2 euros per person.
We entered the port town of Adamas in the evening after taking a ferry over from Santorini. The ferry ride was around three hours long. We were able to walk from the port to our accommodations, The White Suites of Milos. After settling in, we strolled down to the waterfront and ate at Gyros of Milos. It was such a wonderful outdoor eating experience.
For our only full day in Milos, we rented a semi-private sailboat excursion with Polco Sailing. Hands down, this experience was the highlight of our entire trip. We left port at 9:00 a.m. and did not return until after 7:00 p.m. While aboard, we were fed breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Our excursion stopped at four different locations allowing for us to swim, snorkle, paddle board, and explore – a pirates cove was included! Kleftiko beach and the Blue Lagoon were our favorite stops. While sailing we passed the colorful fishing village of Klima.
The evening after our sailing excursion, we ate at Mikros Apoplous. This was a fantastic restaurant that I wish we would have been more alert to enjoy. A day at sea drained us but the seaside setting of this restaurant was gorgeous. The service was amazing and the food delicious with complimentary lemon souffle`s at the end.
The gorgeous waters of Milos, Greece. On our last day in Milos, we took a bus to Sarikiniko Beach which is known as the “moon beach” because of the white rock that covers the entire area. This beach was unlike any other beach I have ever visited. It was stunning! Buses run multiple times a day to Sarikiniko, just make certain you pay attention to the last bus leaving the beach.
1 Day and 2 Nights in Athens
My family flew in and out of Athens. Based on a friend’s recommendation, we checked out Athens at the end of our trip. While the history is amazing, my family and I greatly enjoyed the islands moreso than the city of Athens. Multiple outlets shared that Athens would not be worth more than a full day’s visit.
Athens is a large city and there are very pretty portions of the city. There are other areas that look pretty run down. My overall complaint was the heat. It was not enjoyable to walk around in 94 degree heat.
My son and I did check out the magnificent Acropolis and its lovely history and architecture. We arrived just before 9:00 a.m. and the crowds were already heavy. I would recommend booking a ticket time for 8:00 a.m. at its opening in order to hopefully have smaller crowds.
After touring the Acropolis, we met up with the rest of my family and ate lunch in the Plaka neighborhood then toured the National Archeological Museum of Athens. Plaka is a beautiful neighborhood and I would have liked to explore it a little more.
For our last evening in Greece, we were very chill. We ended up walking to a restaurant that was just a few blocks away from our hotel. We stayed at the Delice Hotel in Athens. Our last meal in Greece was an authentic, local fare filled with gyros and kebabs. The name of the restaurant was in Greek but translated it means, “Olive & Bread”. After dinner we strolled to a nearby grocery store to load up on new snacks to take on our journey home as well as stopped by a local bakery, International Classic Patisserie, to get some sweet treats.
One of many artifacts on display at the National Archeological Museum in Athens. What I Would Change…
Transportation – make sure you know everything there is to know about your mode of transportation between destinations. In hindsight, I would not have waited at the airport seven more hours for a quick flight to Santorini. I would have booked the six hour ferry and we would have been moving in the direction of our destination instead of waiting in an airport terminal (which was delayed by an hour due to plane technical difficulties).
The metro was the cheapest and easiest way to navigate Athens but it was extremely difficult to locate the actual entrance to the metro. I would make sure I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt where the Metro was located before heading out to catch a ride.
Lastly, I would have changed the order of days at our destinations. Instead of staying in Santorini for 3 days and 3 nights, I would have stayed there 2 nights and 2 days. This change would have allowed us to stay in Milos for 3 nights and 4 days. Milos was absolutely stunning and we didn’t even get to explore all of the island. Milos is much less crowded than Santorini and it had many more beach options to visit.
Creating an itinerary gives a little guidance as to what sites and excursions are available at a destination. Planning my own travel ititnerary is one of my favorite things to do. I share some of my tips for itinerary planning, here. I would love for you to check it out! Please take and use this blog post as a help to you when planning your own Greece trip!
Finding Balance: Tips for Juggling Work, Family, and Personal Time
Finding balance in work, family, and personal time will always be a challenge. There can be tips implemented to help bring the scales to a balanced position. Read along as I offer my tips for juggling work, family, and personal time.
Work
Boundaries in work provide guidance for how to not allow it to consume your entire life. Currently, I am implementing specific work hours. Working on my own allows for a lot of flexibility which is an attractive feature of my work; however, this feature also provides opportunities for me to put off doing necessary tasks. Setting specific work hours makes sure that I not only get my work done but that my job does not interfere with my family and personal time.
A good planner/calendar keeps my life on track. This article shares a variety of cool planners. I cannot function without my organizers. A full month calendar view and a day to day calendar view with provided lines for notes is a must. Below is a picture of the same brand planner that I have for the current year. The shown planner is for the 2024-2025 year.
This planner is the same brand as my current planner. *As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission from any eligible links.* Family
My family is the most important aspect of my life; however, my family, like yours is growing and with that growth will come seasons that will look differently than my current one. Why do I share that? Because how I serve my family now will not look the same in 5 or 10 years. Just as how I served my family 5 or 10 years ago is different. There needs to be a balance in how I serve my family and how I create space for myself.
As overstated as this is – dinnertime really is the best time for me to lay eyes on my family and to hear about what is going on in their lives. Having a weekly meal plan in place, helps keep dinnertime on a positive track. I recently shared some ideas for meal planning, here.
In addition to natural conversations that take place around the dinner table, a visual aid for the family to track our activities is an asset. Currently, we have a dry-erase calendar established upstairs where my kids’ rooms are located. In the future, I would love to have one of the Hearth Display calendars in our home – its organization is next level!
Check out the Hearth Display account to see this neat family organizational tool. Personal Time
Is personal time an oxymoron as a mom? I will definitely be the first to say that personal time as a whole has evolved for me over the course of my marriage and time as a mother. As a new mom, I’m not sure how much personal time existed for me because my focus was my family and home. While I still focus on both of those areas, I have realized as my children grow into becoming young adults, creating space for me to be individually me is important. My identity as a mom will take a big hit when my kids have moved out of our home into their own lives.
Questions I ask myself that help me curate personal time are: do I, myself, enjoy this activity? Is this an area of growth I would like to explore? Will this event/activity help develop me as a person? Does this activity bring me joy or peace which in turn benefits those around me that I have a relationship with?
Two self-help tips I would offer: write in a journal and invest in a counselor. Journal writing doesn’t have to be daily but getting your own thoughts down on paper, help with keeping a balanced life. Spending time in therapy is beneficial to ALL – I do not care who tells you different. Do not know where to start on a counselor? Ask a trusted friend whom you know receives counseling on who they would reccommend. A counselor can also help you navigate this work/family/personal time balance.
Hopefully I have provided enough tips to help you find the balance needed in your life. Please share which tips you like most. I would love to hear from you!
Top Graduation Gift Ideas to Celebrate His Big Achievement
May is the time for celebrations! And graduations are one of the main reasons to celebrate. This year our second son is graduating high school and I wanted to curate a list of top graduation gift ideas to celebrate his big achievement.
It seems like all of our first day of school pictures accumulated way too quickly. You can read about our first day of school preparations and traditions here. Now that we are at the end of our son’s senior year, I am thinking of his fun celebrations and not only him, but other graduates. What makes great graduation gifts?
Practical gifts
Entering a new, independent chapter of life requires a few practical gifts to ensure success and comfort. For Father’s Day, I had given my husband a classic weekender duffle bag that he could use for quick, overnight trips. My son’s girlfriend saw my son’s dilapidated duffle bag and asked me for the link to the one I had recently purchased. She made the purchase for my son’s graduation gift and I felt it was a wonderful gift for him!
Another area to consider in practical gift ideas are: items for future dorm or apartment rooms. Hanger organizers, collapsible laundry baskets, closet organizers, bath towels, hand towels, and kitchen towels all are useful gifts.
You can shop for this travel duffel bag, here.
As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission on any viable links.Fun gifts
Of course, everyone loves a fun gift! For guys, think of what they love. Do they love sports? Maybe an indoor Nerf basketball goal is a good idea. Even 18 year old Lego fans still love a Lego set. Try to think of hobbies and/or sports your graduate enjoys and buy a gift accordingly. If all else fails, everyone can use an Amazon gift card.
Memorable gift
Oh the Places You Will Go! is a fan favorite. Personally, I think you cannot go wrong with this book. Another graduation gift idea is to give a book that meant a lot to you. Are you a C.S. Lewis fan? His books are amazing.
One gift my son received this year that he and I both loved was a set of monogrammed cufflinks. This gift immediately upgrades a dress shirt and makes one feel special.
I’ve created a Guy Grad Gift guide on my Liketoknow.it page. You can check it out here. For more of my blog posts, check out the carousel below.
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Essential Tips for Setting Up My Son’s Dorm Room: A Parent’s Guide to College Living
Moving our son into college was a fun yet frenzied experience. We focused on planning…Mindful Eating: Creating a Meal Plan
Oh what a loaded topic I have on the blog today! Food, meal plans, healthy lifestyle choices are loaded subjects for me. While I was not a large child, I would have never considered me skinny either – which is strange because looking back, I really was in a healthy weight range throughout high school and college. As an adult, after children, my weight has crept on. Issues like insulin resistance and polycystic ovary syndrome complicate the weight issue even more. My plans for 2024 have been to make healthier eating choices to help with not only my weight but also the hormonal changes that come with middle age. This post will focus on mindful eating: creating a meal plan.
Focus on your main goal when creating a meal plan.
For me, my main focus is reducing the amount of sugar in my diet. When my sugar intake decreases, my overall health increases. I see multiple benefits of limiting sugar in my meal plans.
Focus on what your main goal is and create a meal plan that moves towards that goal. One of the easiest and most consistent changes I have made is switching out how I prepare my morning coffee. Instead of a sweet creamer which I would give a heavy pour into my coffee, I now add a scoop of collagen (protein and joint benefits), a touch of Stevia, and a little half&half.
In my meal planning, I try to do the same thing – look for little changes I can make that will reduce that sugar intake. I have incorporated more sweet potatoes into my diet as they are a healthier veggie than a basic baked potatoe. I’ve really cut back on the amount of bread served with our meals. Little changes can contribute to healthier long term lifestyle choices.
Know the basics when creating a meal plan.
It is helpful to understand the very basic food categories to help you create a nourishing meal plan. Foods have carbohydrates, proteins, and/or fats. Understanding that keeping carbohydrates paired with protiens and fats paired with protiens while keeping carbohydrates and fats separate has been a tremendous help to me. Trim Healthy Mama has been a big resource in guiding my mindful eating habits. With this knowledge, creating a meal plan is easier.
I love finding healthy recipes on Instagram that I can try. The Galvaston Diet book has also been an asset for understanding this new season of life and I am in. It is amazing what power and medicine is in the foods we eat. In this book, I am learning the value of protein and fiber in my diet as well as the benefits of weight lifting for overall body health.
Create One Week at a Time Meal Plans
It is easier to be mindful when there is a determined number of days. Seven days of creating a meal plan is a doable amount for me. As I have shared before here, I function best when I eat every 3 hours; therefore, I have three meals a day and 2-3 snacks a day.
I’ve recently found an account on Instagram where the mom shares meals that she makes for her family. The ingredients are purchased from Aldi’s. Now, next to having a good plan, I love saving some money! Alison Havens is the mom’s name and here is one of her weekly meal posts. For whatever meals I plan, I can always tweak them to a healthier version if need be. Honestly though, my suppers are not my biggest health concern – my mindless snacking is. Another resource I have discovered that does provide healthy snack and meal options is The Peachy Spoon. A friend sent me this recommendation and I am grateful!
Incorporate your favorites into your meal plan.
I’m uncertain why I buy into the lie that I need different healthy foods each and every day. When I eat horribly, I go to the same foods over and over again. Why can’t I apply that to my healthy food choices. Love a great chicken salad? Fix it everyday if need be. Found just the right treat to satisfy your sweet tooth? Keep it on hand.
You can incorporate favorite meals and snacks again and again. Just about any type of roasted vegetables are amazing to me. No matter what the main course is, adding some roasted veggies are always a healthy choice for me.
So go ahead and create a meal plan following these tips: focus on your main goal, know your basics, plan only a week at a time, and incorporate your favorites! Please let me know how your meal planning goes.
How to Start a Blog: Tips to Make it Happen
In today’s fast paced culture, one would think a blog is antiquated. However, blogs are a thriving mode for communicating with a mass audience covering any topic of interest. Read along as I share how to start a blog: tips to make it happen.
Family photo at Rosemary Beach 1. Select a niche.
I almost hate using this phrase for a subheading. If you spend any time at all online, you will hear the buzzword, “niche”. Honestly, sometimes it is stressful when I hear, “select a niche” or “niche down”. Take a deep breath and do not fear, selecting a niche might be easier than you think. What is it that you want to share? What perspective do you have that you want the world to know? For me, I like sharing about my home and family – our lifestyle. I have selected the niche of “Lifestyle Blogger”. When creating your own blog, select a niche ideal for you.
Much of my blog inspiration comes from what I share on my Instagram account. 2. Utilize a host site.
It is almost comical that I have a blog when being tech savvy is not my forte. The good news is, there are YouTube tutorials that can walk you through a step-by-step process for setting up your blog. These tutorials do a great job of helping you understand the ways to begin to monetize your blog. I decided to use WordPress to create my blog. WordPress has a wide range of templates to use when designing your blog.
Over and over again as I started my blogging journey, I saw information about bluehost.com. This is my host site for my blog. It allows me to own the name of my blog and its place on the internet. I pay an annual fee for the website name and site upkeep.
3. Determine a schedule.
Once you have hammered out the nitty gritty of a niche and have taken the time to set up and create the look of your blog, it is time to determine a schedule. Admittedly, this last one has been my weakness. For the 2024 year, one of my two goals for the year was to write 52 blog posts. I wanted to consistently show up on my blog in a way I had not previously done. Notice, I did not say I would post once a week – ha! I know myself too well and wanted to give myself grace in the event that something happened one week and I could not generate a blog post on a specific day of the week. Currently I am targeting releasing a new blog every week. A bulk of my blog posts have been released on Wednesdays with few exceptions. Determine a schedule that works for you and stick to it!
My hope is that these tips are just the motivation you need to start your own blog! Please let me know in the comments if you have a blog and what its name is. I would love to check it out!
