2-in-1 Thanksgiving Blessing Board Plus Christmas Photo Display

Behr sponsored this blog post. The opinions and text are all mine.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I wanted to have a place for our family to display our blessings in an attractive fashion.

I've also been wanting (ever since last Christmas!) a place to display the photos we receive in Christmas cards.  I want to be able to display them year-round, and I wanted something to remind us how blessed we are to have these precious family members and friends.

I knew I could combine both of those wishes into one easy project, and I also am making the “blessings” banner that I used available to you as a free printable!

First, I pulled this old frame out of the barn.  It had been a mirror that got broken, so I saved the frame for when I got around to this project.

Then we got down to business sanding it with 150 grit sandpaper.

Yes…I said “we”.  I can't do anything by myself around here. 🙂

Once the sanding was done, I just had to do a quick dusting of the frame and then I was ready to paint!

I chose BEHR MARQUEE^® Paint & Primer in the color “Rumors” with an eggshell finish.

Starting at the corners and working outward, I painted the frame.

An extra paintbrush came in handy!  It was very hard to keep curious kids occupied while I painted!

I let the first coat dry for about an hour and then did a second coat just for good measure (and to try and smooth over some of the spots that got knicked by curious kids!)  I wish I'd had a bigger piece of cardboard, but we made do.

After it was all dry, I took it inside and measured twine and stapled it onto the back at equal intervals.

Then I hopped onto the computer and designed my “Blessings” banner, printed it out, and hung it with mini clothespins.

I also cut out tags for our family to write down our blessings each day and hang them on our board.

(You can print the pieces for the banner by clicking on the image below.)

Now we have a place to hang our blessings during the month of November, and when the Christmas cards start arriving next month we can switch over to remembering the blessing of friends and family!

This post is brought to you by BEHR. Color that’s True to Hue. If you feel it, you can find it. Visit True to Hue.

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How I Transitioned to a Real Food Diet Without Going Insane

I USED TO BUY GROCERIES FOR FREE

I’ll spare you the lengthy details, but a couple years after our marriage, I discovered the world of coupons. I’m not talking about getting a dollar off something we normally bought. I’m talking about checking out with a whole cart full of groceries and having them owe me money at the end. I was good at it, and it was fun.

When I started couponing so heavily, we didn’t have a strict grocery budget. I would just buy whatever was free or close to free with coupons and fill in the gaps with meat and vegetables.

Our pantry was filled to the brim. My husband had to build extra shelves – twice. We had boxes and boxes of cereal, shelves loaded with canned vegetables and soups, boxed potatoes, baking mixes, condiments – you name it and I had it. And I had paid almost nothing for it.

IS “HEALTHY” FOOD REALLY HEALTHY?

I tried to be careful. I tried to buy only the “healthiest” stuff. We ate cereal for breakfast, but I tried to get the kinds with less sugar. We ate granola bars for snacks as opposed to cookies. When I got Hamburger Helper meals for free, I would get them only for the purpose of using the pasta, and I would throw away the packages of chemicalized sauces.

Occasionally the temptation to enjoy convenience crept in, and I would allow myself to bring home cookies, chips, and soda when I got them free. But we still tried to keep the “junk food” to a minimum and only use it as a special treat.

But the fact of the matter is that processed food is…well…processed. It doesn’t matter how many claims on the box say that it’s healthy or all-natural. If it comes in a box or a can, 90% of the time it contains ingredients that were not meant for human consumption. At best, it doesn’t contain any real nutrition. Even if harmful ingredients are not added to the food, the process by which it must be preserved and packaged to withstand a long shelf life at the store renders it nearly void of any nutrients.

Our trend of consuming free-with-coupons food continued for about 3 years. Cooking was easy because I always had a pantry full of food from which to choose. I could open a few boxes and cans, stir them together, and have a meal ready very quickly. But shopping was another story. I grew tired of having to resist the temptation to get the free cookies and chips. I grew tired of not really knowing what my food was made out of, but eating it anyway because it was helping our grocery budget.

WE ATE 40 BOXES OF POP-TARTS

One week I brought home 40 (!) boxes of Pop-tarts, not because we intended to eat them, but because they had paid me to buy them, and I was using the overage to get other things for which there are no coupons like milk, meat, and vegetables.

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I should have immediately gotten rid of them, but I stuck them in the pantry to deal with them later. (You know all about my propensity to do that if you’ve been reading here for any length of time!)

Eventually we opened some of them up when we were hungry and needed something in a hurry.

A couple months later I went into the pantry to find that all 40 boxes of the Pop-tarts were GONE! In a couple months time, we had eaten 40 boxes of Pop-tarts. I was disgusted.

TIME FOR A BIG CHANGE

I knew it was time for a big change, and thus began our journey to healthy living.  But after shopping this way for so long, I had some big adjustments to make.

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First, we had to raise the grocery budget.  I would no longer be getting my groceries free or next-to-free.  Then I began to research into pastured meat and eggs, organic produce, and eventually even a gluten free diet, once I found out I was gluten sensitive.

Talk about sticker shock!

I knew I wanted to feed my family truly healthy food, but I was lost as to how we could afford to eat that way!  After lots of trial and error, I began to figure out which stores to shop at (Take a look at  The Ultimate Guide to Buying Healthy Food at Aldi) and other ways to save not only money but also TIME in the kitchen.

I wish I had access to the Grocery Budget Bootcamp back then.  Tiffany takes all these things that feel so overwhelming about healthy food and distills them down into bite-sized pieces of information that help you shave hundreds of dollars off your grocery bill.  Plus she teaches you how to save hours in the kitchen!

Below are some of the things I learned after tons of hard work and struggling to find the right balance.

(No fair.  Grocery Budget Bootcamp hands all of this to you on a silver platter.  I had to figure it all out by myself.  Where was this course when I needed it??)

1. Prioritize my must-have's and determine where I'm willing to compromise on quality for the sake of the budget. This will look different for everyone, but for me it was buying organic produce that is on the “dirty dozen” list and non-organic for everything else.  I also prioritize pastured meat and eggs.

2. Don't focus on what I can't eat but on all the good things I can have and learn to make them taste good.  I still crave Oreos and Cheetos and Coke sometimes, but instead of trying to find a direct replacement for those things (translate: organic processed food), I look for something else good that is more healthy. (These homemade peanut butter cups are a great place to start.)

Part of the Grocery Budget Bootcamp roadmap

3. Meal planning is a must! When I had boxes and cans in the pantry all the time, I could throw something together in a snap, even if it was already 5:00.  Dump a few cans in here and throw in some boxed goods there, and I'm done.  Real food doesn't work that way!  I have to know in the morning or even the night before what's on the menu.  Beans need to be soaked and cooked for a long period of time, meat needs to be thawed, and many times ingredients need to be made completely from scratch, like salad dressing for example.  There is no “winging it” unless I want to be frustrated beyond belief.  Grocery Budget Bootcamp teaches you how to time your meal planning so things run smoothly and so that you even know  exactly what you're doing with your leftovers.

4. Figure out what to buy in bulk and what to purchase week to week.  Buying in bulk is not only a money-saver, but a sanity saver as well because there are just certain ingredients that I need every single day (can we say coconut oil?)  I need to know that I always have those ingredients available instead of constantly remembering to buy more every week.

5. Keep a collection of tried and true recipes that work for your family.
One of the frustrating things about being a “real foodie” is that a lot of the food blogs out there are written by actual “foodies.”  They love food and they love cooking.

But me?  Well, I love food, but I don't love cooking.  Or should I say I don't love spending 18,322 hours in the kitchen every day.  Trying out new recipes isn't always going to be the best idea because I don't know how long they're going to take to make or how expensive the ingredients will be.

When I find a recipe that meets my criteria (tastes good, uses healthy ingredients, doesn't cost a million dollars and can be made on a mom-friendly timetable, I don't let it out of my sight!)  Having a pool of recipes makes menu planning go much more quickly, and I already know the ingredients will help me stay within my budget.

Grocery Budget Bootcamp has so many more ideas for making keeping the cost of real food manageable as well as keeping your sanity intact in the kitchen.

Enrollment is not open at the moment because Tiffany teaches each course live. I highly recommend getting yourself on the waiting list so you'll know as soon as she opens enrollment.  Most people taking the course are finding their grocery bill to drop by several hundred dollars each month!

I have total confidence that you can tackle this real food journey, all while keeping your sanity and your budget intact!

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Giving Up on Perfect

Imperfect Homemaker.

My motivation for naming this blog that way was to be a safe place where women could be reminded that they are not alone in their imperfections.

Before I began blogging here, I would see all these blogs with gorgeous crafts and delicious recipes, profound parenting advice, or home organization tips that would blow my mind.

And I would come away discouraged.

I'm not a great cook.
I struggle to keep my house clean and organized. Even though I try very hard, it's still not that great.
When I do a craft, people think it was my kindergartner's art project.

And when I would see these bloggers and their beautiful lives I would feel hopeless, knowing that there was no possible way for me to enjoy those things in my home.

I'm having a good day if I get a shower before noon.
You would never know by looking at my house that my kids and I have a cleaning checklist we do every single day. If you walk in unannounced I can almost guarantee that there will be a mess somewhere.
Some days I have dinner well under control, and other days it's 5 pm and I'm about to cry because I've been dealing with sibling arguments all day and I'm just too emotionally exhausted to think about making dinner.
Some days I am sweet and gentle with my kids, and some days I totally lose my cool.

And I am 100% certain that I am not the only one.

I don't want other wives and mamas to feel alone.

I get that people post their complicated recipes, their DIY home decor, and their mind-blowing parenting tricks to inspire and encourage. I'm sure there are things I have posted myself that only show the pretty side of life. Not every post has to be messy in order to be real or to be helpful.

But I want this to be a place where you see the pretty stuff and the not so pretty. Where you can be assured that to be imperfect is to be human, not inferior.

Sometimes being honest here has come back to hurt me. When I would try to be honest about my struggles with keeping a clean house, inevitably someone would comment about how I just obviously wasn't working hard enough at it.

When I would share some crazy antic that my child did, someone would be sure to let me know that if I were just more present with my children, my toddlers would never get into any mischief.

Many times there have been people who don't struggle with the same things that I do who just don't get where I'm coming from. There have been women who are naturally organized that have told me if I would just do x, y, and z  I would have no trouble keeping my house clean or my brain screwed on straight. They didn't seem to understand that I had tried over and over to do x, y, and z but that it didn't work for me because that is not how my brain works.

I have been told I'm making excuses and that I could do better if I just tried a little harder. No one knew how much I beat myself up every single day for not measuring up to the standards I had for myself. They didn't know that their well-intentioned comments only discouraged me further.

I know that if I felt that way, those of you who struggle in those ways probably feel that way too.

I have come a long way in the eight years since I started this blog.  I feel a little more on top of things than I used to. I've learned a lot, not just about homemaking strategies that work for me, but I'm also learning (or at least am better at) not to make my choices based on what other people think of me. I have learned what works for me, and I'm not afraid to do it, even if others don't understand or agree.

Over the years I have had to realize that when I became discouraged from seeing how much better at homemaking other people were, my feelings of self-condemnation were not coming from a place of truth.

I realized that it was wrong for me to let what other people said to me (or what I perceived they were thinking about me – yeah, I did that one a lot too) get to me. That is the fear of man, and the Bible says that the fear of man brings a snare (Proverbs 29:25.) I was trapping myself into the mindset that I had to live up to a certain standard of expectations or else I was somehow unworthy.

I saw a quote somewhere that said,

There are no perfect people; some just hide it better than others.

 

I was looking around at everyone else with their perfectly clean houses, their perfectly behaved children, and their perfectly planned meals and thinking that I was a miserable failure compared to them.

And that's where the big problem comes in — that little word compare.

The Bible says that comparing ourselves among ourselves is not wise.  (II Corinthians 10:12)

When I look at others I'm always going to feel like I'm not as good as someone else.  There's always going to be somebody prettier, more talented, more organized, more Godly, etc., etc., etc.

But the point of life isn't to find the most perfect person and try to be like them.

Because the most perfect person might not have any problems that show outwardly – she might have a gorgeous house, serve gourmet meals, and have little angel children, but there is no doubt she has her own problems.  Maybe she is not very wise or frugal with money, or maybe she yells at her kids or argues with her husband when no one is around, or maybe she struggles with overeating.

That very person who looks so perfect might be wishing she could be more like someone else (maybe it's even you she looks up to!!)

There are no perfect people.

We're all hopelessly flawed because we are sinful humans living in a sinful world. Our only hope is found in the grace of God; not in our abilities and achievements.

So it's time for all of us to stop setting other people up as our standard for living.  It's time to stop feeling like a failure because we don't measure up to some preconceived notion of who someone else is.

When we realize we are all in this together – this journey to holiness and to improving ourselves in the areas where we are not as skilled – we will be able to release ourselves from the condemnation of not measuring up.

When we see others who struggle in one area where we are more talented, we will be willing to help without judgment.

Let's release ourselves from the myth that there are perfect people.

Let's strive to help one another toward holiness and be understanding when we fail.

Let's each be the unique person that God made us to be and live the life that He intended us to live.

How To Win At Homemaking (When You Feel Like a Loser)

The runners all gather at the starting line.  As you look around at the others, you feel so incompetent and out of place.  This race doesn't even seem fair.  Many of the runners are dressed in expensive gear. You notice their well-trained muscles glistening in the sunlight as you painfully try to stretch the muscles in your own weary body. As you look down the lanes, you see hurdles and random obstacles in your lane while theirs have none.

Just as you decide that you don't belong here, you see other runners coming up to the starting block.  Some are on crutches; some are hunchbacks; some have blistered feet with bandages on them.

You don't have much time to ponder why this race includes such a variety of people with so many hindrances because the starting gun has blasted and everyone begins making their way down their respective lanes.

You don't get very far before your cramped muscles rebel against the exertion and you fall.  But your mama always taught you never to quit, so you pull your perspiring body from the track and keep going.  You catch a refreshing breeze which cools your aching lungs and you propel yourself forward.  For a glorious few minutes you feel the wind at your back and think you are making some headway; in fact, you begin to convince yourself you might even catch up to the experienced runners at the head of the pack.  As you focus on getting yourself to the front, you fail to notice one of the obstacles in your lane, and you trip and fall with a bloody gash on your shin.

You lay motionless for a time.  “What is the use?” you wonder.  “This race is a joke.”

As you determine to exit the track and go nurse your wounds, one of the other runners comes up behind you.  She's nearly crippled, but she makes her way along, inch by inch.

“It's not a competition,” she tells you gently.  “You don't win by getting to the finish line first; you win simply by getting there.”

You struggle to your feet and both of you inch your way down the track.  You each fall several more times but every time you get back up and keep going.  “I don't have to get there first.  I just have to get there,” you remind yourself with each panting breath.

Eventually one of the more skilled runners notices your struggle and comes to your aid.  You lean on her shoulder and continue to limp along.  Your crippled friend is being helped by another strong runner.

While you wish you weren't hurt or that your muscles were stronger or that you didn't have so many obstacles in your lane, you realize that this race is not about being the fastest or the best.  It's about sticking it out.  It's about getting up when you fall.  It's about taking one step at a time until you reach the finish line.

Weary friend, that's what homemaking is like.  Often you look around at your friends who are so much more skilled and organized than you are and you feel like you're hopelessly behind in the race.  You wonder why you have so many more obstacles or physical hindrances than others do.

Just remember: It's not a competition.  It's not about being the fastest or the best.  You don't win by getting to the finish line first; you win simply by getting there.

In order to win, you have to keep getting up when you fall.  And when you're stronger than the others, you stop to help them when they fall.

Don't look around at how much better everyone else is or how it's not fair that their lane doesn't have as many obstacles as yours.  Just keep going.  Keep going when you're behind.  Keep going when you're hurt.  Keep going when nothing you do seems good enough.  Keep going when you're tired.

Keep going.

And when you get to the finish line, you'll find that you've won.

How I’m Building a Modest Wardobe for Cheap

How to Turn Your Guest Room into a Haven, Part 2

Last week I shared some tips to help make your guest room a little more comfortable to the weary traveler.  I have a few extra suggestions that may help you make your guest feel right at home!  These are all little things, but they can be easy to overlook.  Yet when you have taken the time to think through and prepare these things ahead of time, your guest will feel especially blessed to rest in your home!

–Power Strips.  These days, with so much technology, everything needs plugged in at night.  My husband and I each use our phones as alarm clocks, and we each travel with a tablet or laptop.  When you use those items all day in the car, you need to plug in at night.  Make sure the outlet(s) are uncovered and easily accessible, and even add a power strip so there is plenty of room for extra plugs.

–Iron and Ironing Board.  Check with your guest to see if they need access to the iron.

–Laundry Facilities.  Offer the use of your washing machine (if you have one – I don’t!), and try to have it empty or cleared off so the guest has room to wash and fold their laundry.

–Night Stand.  I always appreciate it when there is a table near the bed for my phone and eyeglasses to set on, along with a glass of water.  That way I know right where things are at in the night!

–Empty Drawers.  If your guest will be staying for more than a night, it’s so nice to leave an empty drawer or two so they can unpack their suitcase.  My husband despises living out of a suitcase, so he always unpacks, even for just one night.  But –this is hard to do unless you have a dedicated guest room!

–Wi-fi Password.  Most homes have a wireless network these days.  And if they are careful, the network is password protected.  A guest might feel awkward asking you to share the password.  But at the same time, when you have to pay for the data on your phone plan, being able to connect to a network is money-saving and helpful.  My husband makes a lot of phone calls in the van, and then needs to follow them up with an email when we arrive at our destination.  Its always so nice when the hostess has laid out the wireless password for us in the room, so that we know we are welcome on their network.

–Ask About Allergies.  If you are hosting your guests for a meal, inquire about any allergies or preferences.  We have been blessed to have no allergies and enjoy pretty much any food.  But sometimes when you travel you get the same meal quite a bit (usually it's spaghetti or lasagna).  We haven’t had that happen on this trip!  It just shows thoughtfulness if you ask your guest if they have eaten something quite a lot, or if they have preferences.  Right now with my pregnancy meals heavy on the tomatoes are not a good choice.  But I am not going to tell a hostess that, unless she asks me.

How about you?  Are you a frequent traveler?  What do you love to find in a guest room?  What have you done to your guest room to make it more special for traveling guests?  I'd love to hear your tips, suggestions, and experiences, too!