January 8, 2008

Raising healthy eaters- Getting off to the best start

Pregnant_belly
Before we are off and running on topics such as healthy snacks and lunches, getting your kids interested and involved in nutrition, and help for picky toddlers, I thought that we would touch on this all important subject of what we eat while we are nourishing our little ones during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Although I was already somewhat interested in nutrition when I became pregnant with my oldest child, I hadn't really thought about the impact that my diet would have on her development and overall health in the years to come. Early in my pregnancy, I was lent the book What to Eat When You're Expecting, which was really the catalyst to developing a conviction that what I ate was of the utmost importance. While I do not agree with all of the nutritional theory in the book, the foundational principle is that what we eat goes a long way towards determining the health of our pregnancy, reducing the risk of complications, promoting a better labor and delivery, and most importantly, supporting all the developmental needs of our baby.

It has also been demonstrated over and over again (through studies which examine the quality and content of breast milk) that what moms consume has a direct effect on the milk that they produce (it's vitamin, mineral, fat and cholesterol content- all very important!). Although breast milk is always, absolutely, 100% the best choice when it comes to our baby, how we eat affects the nutritional content and quality of our milk. Several studies have shown that the amount of certain crucial fats, as well as many vitamins and minerals, can be very different from mother to mother, depending on her diet (not to mention pesticides, trans fat and other, which actually get into mother's milk!). Read more about the impact of nutrition on breastfeeding here.

And, just to add to the importance of this issue (in light of our overall topic- raising kids who are healthy and that know how to eat in a healthy way), there is now some evidence that what mothers eat while pregnant or nursing may actually influence their children's taste buds! It seems that the flavors from the foods eaten by the mother are actually passed into their breast milk, and that those babies who have been exposed to stronger flavors (such as green vegetables) will accept vegetables more readily when it comes time to feed them solids.

So nursing moms, eat your veggies!!! In fact, eat a wide variety of healthful foods, exposing your baby to many different tastes (greens and other non-sweet veggies, beans and legumes, all different fruits, etc.). Although you will likely still need to be persistent in offering foods such as green beans or broccoli, your child will be more likely to take to them than a child who was not exposed to them through breast milk.

As for correct pregnancy and nursing nutrition, I will touch on some of the most important elements only, since the focus here is on teaching children to eat well. However, I will likely post more on prenatal and nursing nutrition at a later time (and please email me, if you have specific questions and I will try to answer them!). Here are some of the basics (and for more details, see this article and many others on the Weston Price site):

  • Eat more than usual (300 extra calories a day for pregnancy, 500 extra for nursing- approximately, everyone is slightly different)
  • Water needs increase dramatically- rather than 6-8 glasses a day, aim for 10-12 or more
  • Adequate protein is important for babies growth and supporting a healthy pregnancy and a sufficient milk supply.
  • Our need for all vitamins and minerals increase- so in order to get the most nutrients possible, we need to make the most of each and every one of one food choice. Make every bite count for your baby!
  • In order to get these extra nutrients, more fruits, vegetables, a variety of whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds are all important, in addition to excellent animal protein sources (natural meat, poultry and fish, eggs, and dairy).
  • Avoid processed foods, chemicals, additives, caffeine, preservatives, food colorings, MSG, trans fatty acids (hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated oils), sugar (as much as possible) and all other unnatural substances in foods.
  • Eat more sources of Omega 3 fatty acids (very important for growth, and brain development)- sources include fatty fish (ocean caught salmon and tuna), cod liver oil, free run/organic eggs, fresh ground flax seed and flax oil, walnuts, etc.
  • Ensure you are getting enough Vitamin A and D from good food sources- cod liver oil, butter, seafood, egg yolks and liver (Beta carotene comes from primarily orange and yellow vegetables and fruits- this can potentially be converted to Vit A, although much of it is not, and these are great foods, but it is not the same as Vit A from animal and fish sources).

As we will talk about more in-depth later in this series, one of the most important ways that we can influence our children's health and eating habits is by setting them an excellent example. Pregnancy and nursing are the perfect opportunities to re-examine our eating habits and overall nutrition. Using these seasons of life to make crucial changes in our own diets and eating patterns will enable us to provide a strong example of nutrition for our children.

I know that with my own little Abbie-Monkey (as she is affectionately called), it is "Monkey see, monkey do". Even at 3, she notices what I do, say and eat, and often holds me accountable by commenting on inconsistencies that she sees! I'm so glad that God, in His kindness, used the seasons slightly before and during my pregnancy with her to begin to prepare me for a lifetime of cooking, teaching and modeling healthy eating for my family!

Image from The Spirit of Motherhood .

Filed Under: Babies, Breastfeeding, Nutrition, Pregnancy, Raising healthy eaters Leave a Comment
January 7, 2008

Q & A: Healthy freezer meals requested!

Any chance I could talk you into doing a post on healthy freezer meals?  Do you freeze many meals?  I'm getting ready to have my third baby and would rather do this than rely on prepackaged frozen meals.  My oldest is barely over three, so I know time will be at a premium.
Fullheartandhandsmama

Such a great request! I think we all have seasons of life when spending any significant amount of time preparing home cooked meals is just not truly possible. Personally, I've used this technique during the week when I found out I was pregnant with #2, before the morning sickness hit hard, and in the months and weeks leading up to the birth of both of my babies, as well as trying Once a Month Cooking several times. I also use it occasionally just to have an easy meal or two in the freezer, should I ever have "just one of those days" (and believe, I definitely have them!).

Here is a list of freezer meals that work well for me:

  • Chili (vegetarian or with meat)

  • Almost any kind of soup or stew (creamy soups and pasta soups don't work as well- more on this below)

  • Spaghetti sauce

  • Lasagna

  • Hummus

  • Meatballs

  • Homemade hamburger patties

  • Pre-cooked (and seasoned) taco or fajita meat

  • Marinated steaks or chicken breast (I just add the marinade to a bag with frozen meat, and when I'm ready to use it, I thaw the bag in the fridge for a little longer than usually, and it's ready to cook!)

  • Baked beans

  • Quiche

  • Chopped veggies for stir-fry, with a bag of stir-fry sauce/marinade in a little baggie (which goes inside the big one, with the veggies)

Some tips for doing this:

  • Make sure that you have enough large Ziploc bags, or sturdy Tupperware or Pyrex storage dishes before you start. I prefer glass storage, but I don't have enough containers, so I usually use Ziploc bags for my soups, sauces, etc. as I can lay these flat and save space.

  • Leave a couple of inches of headroom at the top of your containers when you are freezing anything liquid, as the liquid will expand when frozen.

  • Each time you are cooking something that could be frozen, double or triple your recipe, eat it for dinner that night and freeze the rest into meal sized portions

  • Or, try to make one recipe for freezing each day, or if that is too ambitious, one or two recipes a week. Add freezable recipes into your meal planning.

  • If you are making a creamy soup, just prepare it as usual but leave out the cream (or whatever dairy it calls for). When reheating it, add the dairy just before you serve, and don't bring it to a boil.

  • With pasta soups, try cooking the pasta slightly less before adding it to the soup. I find that the pasta tends to absorb the extra moisture and become too soggy. Or you could prepare the rest of the soup, and only add the pasta at the time of reheating (though this is a bit more work). This may be partly because I use rice pasta- any thoughts?

  • Some vegetables don't freeze really well. I don't personally enjoy peppers that have been frozen, so I tend to stick to freezing broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, etc. and add my peppers fresh.

  • It is difficult to freeze meals that incorporate enough fresh veggies. I freeze recipes that will form the basis of my meals, knowing that at the time I will need to prepare a salad or side veggies, etc. To make this more time-saving, try buying pre-washed organic bagged salads and lettuce, and taking small chunks of time to chop up a bunch of fresh veggies all at once for the week (rather than every night).

For more great suggestions on freezing meals, and many recipes specifically for freezing, try looking at some Once a Month Cooking (OAMC) sites, and some tips for freezer meals. Also, the image in this post wasn't mine- it came from Frozen Assets, a freezer meal blog I just discovered.

Also very useful is Tammy's excellent post on preparing for a new baby. This was where I first got the idea for making dry mixes (muffins, cornbread, pancakes, etc.) in bags or jars, with the ingredients included (on a card or sticker or written right on the bag). This makes home made baking a snap when you are pressed for time!

Does anyone else have any great freezer recipes or tips on freezer food storage or preparing for baby? Please, share your wealth of knowledge with us! :)

 

Filed Under: Homemaking, In the kitchen, Nutrition 11 Comments
January 6, 2008

Menu Plan Monday- Jan. 6

Mpm8
As promised, here is my menu plan, complete with a step-by-step of how I planned it below:

Monday: Spiced chicken breasts, quinoa, red cabbage coleslaw (all recipes from Nourishing Traditions- except quinoa- I just cook it like rice and we use butter and Bragg's on it)

Tuesday: Taco salad with guacamole and sour cream- the way we make it is we break a couple of handfuls of tortilla chips on a plate, add chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes or salsa, grated cheese, some type of protein (this week is black beans, some weeks it's ground meat), and add guacamole and sour cream on top. One of my favorite easy meals!

Wednesday: Dinner is provided at a church event

Thursday: Cream of Tomato Soup (with rice added) and homemade bread

Friday: Dinner with friends. She is bringing chicken and veggie kebabs, and I am making amazing Greek salad and Greek rice.

Saturday: Moussaka (guess it's a Greek weekend) and probably leftover salad and rice from Friday

Sunday: Salmon, sweet potato and broccoli chowder in the crockpot (it's not a crockpot recipe, but that's how I'm going to try making it this time- the review was only a 3/5, but I've been making this for years and I think it's incredible!)

So how did I come up with my menu plan?

1) I went through my fridge and cupboard and freezer, and came up with a list of foods that I already had, and items that I particularly needed to use up. My list included:
-eggplant, cilantro, 4 avacados, red cabbage, red onion, red and green peppers, broccoli, 2 sweet potatoes, cheese
-tortilla chips that needed to be eaten soon
-plus lots of rice, grains, beans in the pantry as well as some canned goods, and an assortment of fish, meat and poultry in the freezer

2) I looked at my calendar to see what our week looked like- we didn't need dinner on Wednesday because we are serving at a church event where dinner is provided, I am hosting a home school meeting on Tuesday so I wanted a simple meal, and I am trying to do crockpot meals on Sundays to make less cooking and cleanup for myself. We had also scheduled a dinner with friends for Friday, so she and I talked on the phone to discuss how we wanted to do it.

3) I made a short list of some yummy sounding meals (from my list of meals, that I talked about in my first menu planning post), that used the ingredients that I already had

4) I plotted the meals onto my calendar, to suit the needs of our week, and when I think I might go shopping for a few last minute ingredients. Then I made a short list (9 items, mostly produce for the Friday night Greek dinner) for grocery shopping. The total shopping will probably come to $30 at most. And that's it!

Today's meal planning took me several hours, because I decided to do what I have been needing to do for a long time and that is work on my master list of favorite recipes. I just need to type it up and then I will take some pictures to show you what it looks like!

Now go visit Menu Plan Mondays for inspiration, or to add your own link!

Filed Under: In the kitchen, Menu Planning 4 Comments
January 6, 2008

Amazing Greek Salad Recipe

This is the ultimate Greek salad that I could practically live on (especially while pregnant).

I made this recipe because I disliked Greek salads in restaurants that had such big chunks of veggies that you could never fit more than one piece in your mouth at a time. I love all the flavors mixed together!

(And no, the picture isn't mine, but it looks very similar to mine! I tend to focus on eating, not picture taking, when I make greek salad.)

Stephanie's Greek Salad

(The amounts are all approximate, as I just do it by feel and add however much looks right to me)

1 English cucumber

3-4 tomatoes (this totally depends on the type- Roma, small or large, etc.)

1/4 large red onion (maybe 1/2 a small one?)

1-2 red peppers (again, depending how big they are)

Dice all veggies. I like mine in about 1 inch cubes- it's a nice size.

Add pitted green (Kalamata are great) deli olives (fresh, not canned!), chopped into smaller pieces. Then add as much feta cheese as it takes to mix it well throughout the salad, without scrimping.

Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar (balsamic vinegar is good, too, but most have sulphites in them- more power to you if you find one that doesn't!)

A good squirt of Dijon mustard or a 1/2 tsp. of mustard powder

1 tsp. Italian seasoning (or half each of basil and oregano)

a few cracks of a pepper grinder

1/8 tsp. sea salt

1 clove garlic, pressed

Put in a glass jar, then shake, shake, shake. Pour over the salad, mix well and devour.

Image by a dash of life
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , 13 Comments
January 5, 2008

The Story of Stuff

Take the time to watch this very thought-provoking video!

Big hat tip to Lindsay for the link!

Filed Under: Good stewardship, Natural living 2 Comments
January 5, 2008

More healthy and frugal meal planning…

Vegmarket Seems like the topic of healthy and frugal meal planning is a timely one for many! I'm so glad! If you didn't get to read yesterday's post yet, please go read that one first, then come back and read this post.

There was one thing that I realized in re-reading my post yesterday that I meant to mention (I know I thought it, but I guess it didn't quite make it all the way from my mommy brain through my fingertips onto the keyboard). When I was talking about planning for nutritional variety in meal plans, I only mentioned protein sources. The other two major areas that I consider from a nutritional standpoint are grains and vegetables.

I want to make sure that my meal plan includes a colorful mix of different vegetables, as many kinds as possible, and a combination of both cooked and raw veggies. For grains, it is important not to just become dependent on one type of grain- this is one of the ways that sensitivities and allergies to grains can develop, plus each grain contains a very different composition of vitamins and minerals. It is wise to use a couple of different kinds of flour in your baking and cooking (I use mostly spelt, a bit of wheat, and also kamut, barley and brown rice flour). Grains can also be incorporated in other ways- barely in soups and stews, rice with stir-fries or saucy dishes or in soups, quinoa in salads or as a side dish or in stuffed peppers or tomatoes, buckwheat in pancakes and waffles, millet in place of rice in a casserole or just as a side, etc.

Now let's continue on with the topic on meal planning where we left off- the shopping.

As I mentioned yesterday, I do my best to keep my freezer and pantry stocked up with foods that I find for the best prices possible. Because I am working with the foods that I have already stocked up, after making my meal plan I write a list of what I will need to complete these meals, most of which is usually produce, as well as other fresh items like eggs, milk (we actually pick up our milk once a week now), cheese, some spices I am running out of, a can of coconut milk, etc.

I make a plan for where I will buy these items and approximately how much I believe they will cost (the ability to estimate very closely to the correct amount has come from several years of cost comparisons and a somewhat freakish memory for trivial things like exactly how much a flat of tomato paste costs at Costco vs. Superstore, or which store has free range eggs for 20 cents less than another). However, if you do not have this "gift" or desire to memorize all the numbers, I suggest you purchase a small notebook to fit in your purse, and begin to compile a simple chart listing the item, and then 2-3 columns where you will note the price of this item at the stores you commonly shop at. Over time, you will grow very accustomed to knowing where the best deal is to be had.

As I make my lists, I buy slightly beyond my meal plan. Partly because I am ensuring that we have enough for breakfasts (which I do not plan for specifically), but partly because I am preparing for the next week of meal planning. (But wait, you say- you haven't planned for next week, yet! You're right, I haven't! Wait for it...)

When I go shopping at my selected stores, trusty list in hand, I will also be scanning for deals. If I notice that whole wild pink salmons are on 2 for $5, I will buy some as long as my budget allows for it. Same with finding a coupon for $1 off cheese, or 5 cans of coconut for $3, etc. BUT, I will only buy these extras when I have the extra money for them (you know, that whole budget thing)!!!

Now, when I go to the produce market, I do the same thing. I will already have a list of the produce needed for my specific meals (and if I need 3 carrots, I don't buy just 3, I buy a bag), plus some extra fruit, etc. for breakfasts and snacks. And as I go around the market, I check to see what is seasonal (more to come on this topic in another post), what is overstocked and therefore on sale, any bags of discounted produce (only if they are in good shape still- I won't compromise nutrition and quality for a deal).

Because I have bought slightly larger amounts than I need, as well as other produce items that are going for a good price, I will come home with a nice amount of fruit and veggies to last us more than a week.

And this is where the second part of my meal planning comes in!

The second week of my 2 week period, before I look at my recipes, I take a very thorough look at what I have in the house, specifically what is in the fridge and needs to be used up. My primary focus will be on how to use the extra produce I've already bought (for a good price, remember!). Now I can choose recipes that suit the food I have on hand, and do my best to use up everything that I have bought before going shopping again (this really helps me avoid waste and stretch our dollars!). I will still sometimes need to make a small list of items that I need to fill in the gaps for my recipes, but it is usually quite small (maybe $20-30 worth).

And so my second week is planned by finding recipes that use what I already have on hand, and still keeping in mind the meal planning principles mentioned yesterday (nutrition, variety, our schedule, etc.). One of my favorite resources for this lately has been All Recipes. This site has a great ingredient search feature that allows me to find new recipes to use what I have, avoiding the ingredients that I don't have. Sometimes I tweak recipes to make them healthier, but at least I often find great inspiration or the skeleton of a good recipe.

I hope that this explanation of my menu planning is useful and gives you a starting place if you have never tried this before!

I have recently been posting my menu plans every Monday, as part of Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Mondays. Check out my Menu Plan Mondays category to see my previous meal plans, for some great recipes and inspiration on putting together well-balanced meal plans. This week, along with my menu plan, I will also post a step-by-step
explanation of how I made my plan, based on what I had, what I bought,
nutritional needs, etc. If you would like some further motivation, why don't you try to make your own meal plans (starting this weekend, even!) and post them, then add your link on Monday? Maybe I'll see you there!

Filed Under: Frugality, In the kitchen, Nutrition 5 Comments
January 4, 2008

An inside look at the Polestar planner

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Dsc04340_4

Someone requested a look at the inside of the Polestar planner. This is what each week looks like. Sorry the pictures aren't great (a photographer, I am not!), but the headings above the columns are Family Appointments, Meals/Kitchen, Home, and then the left list is To Do, the right list is To Buy, and the bottom right section is Messages.

Filed Under: Homemaking 3 Comments
January 3, 2008

Healthy and frugal menu planning help!

Tortilla_soup
If you have never been much of a meal planner, I encourage you to grab a cup of something steaming and delicious, and sit down to join me as I discuss how I use meal planning to keep our meals cheap and nutritious!

There are two things that I really love about meal planning:
1) It helps me to be purposeful in what my family is eating, in order
to meet nutritional needs by including a wide variety of foods and by
seeing where I can improve our menus.
2) It helps me to keep costs low, by reducing waste, planning ahead, taking advantage of sales and seasonal deal, etc.

That said, allow me to explain how it works for me:

One of the best things I did for my meal planning a couple years ago was to sift through all of my recipes and cookbooks, and to make a list of healthy meals that my family enjoyed. It took me quite a few hours to compose, but it has been worthwhile. One of my future projects is to actually revamp the list, in light of changing eating habits, new favorite recipes, etc. By creating this list, you are already on your way to making meal planning simple and stress free!

When I go to meal plan at the beginning of a 2 week period, I will sit down with this list (and with my newer cookbooks, whose recipes haven't been added to the list yet), and begin to look for recipes that sound interesting. A few things that I keep in mind as I chose are:

  • What foods are seasonally available and at their cheapest right now? Fresh greens and tomatoes and peppers in summer, root vegetables and squash and potatoes in winter, etc.
  • How complex are the recipes I am choosing? I don't mind a couple of more time intensive recipes each week, but I prefer most of them to be relatively simple- there should be a balance.
  • What do I currently have stocked up in my freezer and pantry? For the most party, I use the "pantry principle" (can't remember where I heard that term, but I like it), preferring to stock up my non-perishables according to what deals I have and what extra money I have in my budget to purchase items in bulk, etc. This way I am always using items that I have gotten for the best bargain, rather than being ruled by my menu plan and having to purchase items at their most expensive.
  • Nutritional balance- do I have a good mix of recipes using different protein sources (beef, chicken, fish, legumes- each around 1-2 times a week)? This helps us to get a variety of nutrients, as well as keeps the budget more manageable with some vegetarian meals thrown into the mix.

Based on these criteria, I choose 7 meals and arrange them according to our weekly schedule (I may choose a crock-pot meal for a Sunday or a day when we will be out for part of the day, or need to find a cost-effective but delicious meal to serve to a family that we will be hosting, etc.). These days are not set in stone, either. If I forgot to take out the meat or cook the beans for a particular meal, I will simply switch days. I try not to do this very often, but I don't allow myself to get stressed out about the need to do this once in a while. My meal plan should serve me, not the other way around!

Here are some suggestions to get you going:

  1. Sit down and pull out all your cookbooks.
  2. As you leaf through them, begin to make a list of the recipes that your family likes the best (keeping nutrition in mind), and mark the page and book that they are from.
  3. Store your list in your planner, homemaking binder, or start a new menu planning binder if you prefer. Just somewhere safe and useful, where you will always be able to find it.

That is your assignment for today! Come back tomorrow for a continuation of this menu planning post...

(And go visit Frugal Friday for more great tips!)

Filed Under: Frugality, In the kitchen, Nutrition 14 Comments
January 3, 2008

What are your financial goals for the New Year?

Winter_new_year
In light of the New Year, I know that many of us have been establishing new goals, resolutions, priorities and schedules. My husband and I recently made a date night of it, and spent an evening setting some goals, which I hope to post about shortly! I thought it might be the perfect time to bring the subject of our finances back up, as many of you may be wanting to get serious about your own finances as a New Year's goal!

When I did the Savvy Spending Challenge,
back in November, a lot of you mentioned that although you loved the
idea, doing it before Christmas just felt like it wouldn't be feasible
for your family. Now that we are past Christmas, I thought I would
bring the topic back and encourage those of you who would benefit
from a month of no spending and a lot of saving!

Just yesterday I received a question by email:

We're attempting the no sending month right now. I've been meaning to
e-mail you some questions, to get some input. Do you do coupon/bargain
shopping like Crystal does? And if so, when you're doing a month with
no spending, do you forgo the great bargains altogether, no matter how
cheap, if it's not something you have to have right then?
Jeana

Great questions! To answer the first one, no, I do not do coupon shopping like Crystal (although I certainly admire the way that she manages her grocery budget and finds all those deals!). My method of frugal grocery shopping is a bit different in that couponing does not work well where I live, and as I try to buy the very best quality foods (including many organic, natural and specialty foods due to some allergies), I have found that I need to use some other methods.

Perhaps I will plan to write a more detailed post on this topic soon (let me know if this would be of interest to you, and what would specifically you would like to hear about). For today, I will say that my basic method of frugal shopping includes careful meal planning, working hard to avoid waste and use up all that is in my fridge, balancing protein sources (both for health and cost) and using meat as an addition to a meal (but not usually as the basis of the meal), cooking almost entirely from scratch, and shopping at several different stores in order to get the best deals. My combination of stores that I use has been developed over the years as I have carefully done price comparisons and searched out the best deals (considering both nutrition and price). Using an excellent produce market (rather than a grocery store) has helped my budget considerably, and also provided us with an excellent variety of fresh, local and often unsprayed or organic foods at a fraction of the cost in a regular store.

As for the second question (do I forgo great bargains while on a no spending month?), the answer is usually. There will always be fantastic bargains that catch my eye, and my usual method is to buy up as much of a bargain as mu budget will allow. Unfortunately, while on a no spending month, my budget just doesn't allow for much. I will confess to you that during our no and low spending months (Nov and Dec) recently, my freezer and pantry became quite barren, as I used up much of what I had previously worked to stock up.

Now that I am back to my regular grocery budget (well, we've actually lowered it just slightly this new year, to see if I can do it,  but it's almost the same as usual), I am working very diligently to re-stock that which I had used up. It will take a little bit of time, but I see this whole process as worthwhile in many regards. First, the previous stock I had built up carried us through the lean months- what a blessing! Second, it is good to really use up what you have every once in a while to ensure that what you have is fresh, not freezer burnt, etc. and that you are not wasting valuable food. Third, now I am faced with the challenge of re-stocking and finding new bargains with no extra money. This stretches me and forces me to get creative as I purchase food, not only for our regular meals, but also to replenish my freezer and pantry, and take advantage of as many deals as I can.

Also, some of you might remember that back in November and December, I did
a lot of posts about saving money and budgeting, etc. I thought I would
link to those posts for those of you who have made it a goal to save
money, pay off debts, make a new budget or just get your finances more
under control in general!

The Savvy Spending Challenge

Fudge-it or Budget?

Setting up your cash system - Part 1

Setting up your cash system- Part 2

Cutting costs in the kitchen

Nipping discontentment in the bud

For some other great related posts, check out the categories of Frugality and Budgeting !

Filed Under: Budgeting, Frugality 6 Comments
January 3, 2008

Bloggy update

Life is busy.

I've had so many posts swirling around in my head all Christmas vacation, and was so eager to come back and write my little heart out. But there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day, what with Christmas travels and mountains of laundry, and getting back into the swing of regular, non-holiday life. To top it off, each member of our family has had a bout of sickness, and we're not quite through it all yet, although things are looking up. :)

With that in mind, I just wanted to let you know that I am still intending to post my frugality story, but it will now be next week. I am also preparing a post detailing some goal setting that my husband and I did a few nights ago, as well as many others that I just haven't found the time to write yet!

And, tomorrow you can look forward to some healthy and frugal meal planning info- I didn't forget about it! See you then!

Filed Under: Uncategorized 3 Comments