Try Something New With Gro-Ables
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Gro-ables. All opinions are 100% mine.
The last update I gave on my Gro-ables was that I had to start completely from scratch because the kids had pulled the pods out of the ground and I found them lying in the grass.
I purchased some more pods and planted them. I was thinking of trying to do it without the kids knowing, but I decided a better strategy would be to include them in the process. If I make it more of “their” plants instead of “my” plants, they'll be more interested in taking proper care of them.
My oldest has been remembering better than I have to keep the plants watered! Although they haven't sprouted yet since it hasn't been quite long enough, I am sure they will grow if he keeps up caring for them as carefully as he has been.
The nice thing is that they don't require any complicated tending. Once they have been planted, the only thing they need is water.
And I'm hoping that my little guy will find eating fresh vegetables even more satisfying than watching the plants grow!
During the warmer months I like to saute fresh vegetables and herbs and serve it over rice or quinoa, but that's not exactly my kids' favorite food. Hopefully they will do more eating and less “picking” when they realize that they helped to grow what they're eating!
What is your favorite recipe using fresh vegetables or herbs from groables?
The Ultimate Guide to Buying Healthy Food at ALDI
Someone asked me this question a couple days ago:
“Knowing that you are a “real foodie”, I would love to see a post about what foods you buy and what you don't buy at Aldi. I love Aldi for my budget, but I'm just starting to make healthier food choices and sometimes I don't think Aldi fits in the picture.”
I think this is a GREAT question.
As many of you know, shopping at ALDI was one of the major steps in my healthy living journey. That was not because ALDI is necessarily such a healthy place to shop, but it was because I stopped using coupons to get all sorts of packaged foods for free and started focusing on whole foods instead.
I am still on my journey. It is a life-long process to always be learning and putting into practice what you've learned, all while keeping a realistic balance depending on your present circumstances.
With that said, I know that everything I buy at ALDI isn't necessarily 100% ideal. But it is better than what we ate before. If you're at the beginning of your healthy living journey, I believe it will be a big step in the right direction to start with some of these things. If you're further down the road than I am, than ignore everything I say and keep up the good work!
I've divided this list into things I normally buy, things I splurge on (health-wise), and things I never buy.
Things I normally buy at ALDI:
1. Plain rice cakes – I'm sure they're nutritionally void, but there's nothing bad in them either, and since we're gluten-free right now they help fill up our bellies in an emergency.
2. Natural peanut butter – I've priced out natural peanut butter in bulk many times, and buying it by the jar at ALDI still comes out way cheaper. It does have a couple added ingredients like molasses, but I'm okay with that for now for the savings and convenience.
3. Organic salsa – homemade salsa from local produce is ideal in my book, but since that was unrealistic last summer due to my chronic fatigue, I'm glad to have an “okay” option that's affordable. Maybe this will be the year to can a bunch!
4. Spices – I have not yet done the research on how important organic spices are, and spices are WAY cheaper at ALDI, so I'm using them for now.
5. Dried beans – Again, I haven't yet researched how important organic is, and these are WAY cheaper than anywhere else.
6. White rice – Do your own research on everything, but my conclusion on rice is that organic is no better than conventional under most circumstances. I'm definitely going for the savings here. (I also buy brown rice and use both types, but they don't sell brown at ALDI.)
7. Organic pasta sauce – Same story as the salsa.
8. Fresh Produce – I start by buying whatever produce I can get locally as that is definitely the most healthy option. If you are forced to trump savings over health, or if you can't find what you need locally, then stick with the “clean 15“, with the exception of corn. Please don't eat non-organic corn, as it's genetically modified. (Time would fail me to give all the reasons you should stay away from GMOs. Please just trust me and don't do it. Or go do some research. That would be even better.) ALDI's prices on produce can't be beat, and even if you're not yet doing the local/organic thing, eating produce is waaaay better than eating processed foods, so go for it! (Update March 2017: ALDI now sells many types of organic produce too.)
9. Frozen Vegetables – these are really good quality, and frozen vegetables are pretty much as healthy (if not more so) than conventional fresh produce from the store because they are flash frozen at the peak of freshness (i.e. nutrient density).
10. Organic apple juice – this is not a “regular”, but it is a fun treat once in a while.
11 .Paper goods – You're not going to find them much cheaper than you will at ALDI.
12. Toilet paper – So far my favorite brand of toilet paper comes from ALDI!
13. Baking soda and vinegar – for cleaning. I think I can get bigger bottles at Walmart for a cheaper price per ounce, though.
14. Some gluten free foods – ALDI does carry a gluten free line of foods now; however, most of it is highly processed and is therefore not what I would call healthy. For an occasional treat, it is nice to grab a box of pre-made cookies or bars. I also buy their spaghetti and pasta noodles regularly since the only ingredients are brown rice and water. They're cheap, and they cook up beautifully!
15. Bread – if you're not gluten free, ALDI has a line of sprouted grain bread that contains very few ingredients. (You'll need to keep it in the fridge because it goes bad quickly. That just means it's not full of chemical preservatives – yay!)
16. Plain yogurt – ALDI now carries organic plain yogurt.
Things I occasionally buy from ALDI:
1. Nitrate/nitrite-free ham – This is not ideal at all, but my husband likes to have lunch-meat on hand for those “Whoops, we didn't have any leftovers for you to take for lunch” days. If he's going to eat it, I'd rather it be free of preservatives.
2. Hormone-free cheese – Again, not ideal, but definitely better and cheaper than many of the alternatives.
3. Cream cheese – It's easy to make my own from raw milk, but every once in a while I get lazy and grab a block.
4. Butter – Same story as above.
5. Organic cheese sticks – NOT budget-friendly and not the greatest compared to raw dairy, but a fun treat for the kids when we're out that's much better than cookies or candy.
6. Nuts – Definitely cheaper than anywhere else, although I am currently in the process of researching the best options for nuts health-wise and am not quite sure where I stand on that issue yet.
7. Oats – a great option if you can't afford organic.
8. Almond milk – definitely a splurge. Don't look at the ingredient label.
9. Olive oil – This one's tricky. It's hard to know exactly what you're getting when you see a label marked “olive oil”. Do some research and you'll see what I mean. But I still grab a bottle sometimes.
10. Sugar – ALDI now sells raw cane sugar, which I don't use often, but if we're going to use sugar it's what I use.
11. Coconut Oil – I'm glad they have it if I'm in a pinch, though I can typically get a better price per ounce elsewhere.
12. Organic ketchup – It's nice to have an affordable organic option.
Things I never buy at ALDI:
1. Raisins – grapes are on the dirty dozen list, so I always buy organic raisins, which ALDI doesn't sell. If you can't afford organic, again, whole foods are still way better than processed!
2. Canned goods – I try to never buy canned goods since I don't want to contaminate myself or my family with BPA. (Here's a trick, though. If you need canned tomatoes, use salsa in jars. Most things with tomatoes in it are also going to have peppers and onions. This way you can purchase in glass jars, plus save yourself the work of cutting up the peppers and onions.)
3. Packaged/processed foods – self-explanatory
4. Baking powder – I only buy Rumford aluminum-free non-GMO baking powder, which ALDI does not sell.
5. Imported fish – If it comes from China, don't buy it! I've seen people saying they've found wild-caught Alaskan salmon at ALDI, but every package I've ever looked at says it was imported from China. Don't be deceived by labels. Read every word. (If you really find wild-caught Alaskan salmon, go for it!)
6. Meat and eggs – I can't bring myself to feed my family meat or eggs that comes from animals fed GMO grains their whole life. This one is tough, because grass-fed/pastured meat and eggs costs a fortune! I'm not even sure what to tell you, other than to make the sacrifice if at all possible. Otherwise, “give thanks and eat”, and really mean it when you ask God to nourish your body with the food He's provided. He knows. (Side note: ALDI does carry grass-fed beef now; though it is not always available. If you can find it, get it! I did the research on it, and came to the conclusion that while I would prefer locally raised beef, the grass-fed beef from ALDI is still a great option!)
7. Non-organic “dirty dozen” produce – Any produce I can get locally is the best option. Besides that, there are plenty of other produce options from the “clean 15” or I can pick up organic at another grocery store.
Shopping at ALDI has been one of the BEST ways for me to lower the grocery budget on healthy food. I also HIGHLY recommend my friend Tiffany's Grocery Budget Bootcamp if you're trying to eat healthier on a tight budget. Most of the people taking the course are finding that they are eating healthier AND lowering their grocery bill at the same time!
Enrollment is currently closed because Tiffany teaches each course live, so make sure you sign up for the waiting list so you can be the first to know when it opens back up!
3 Characteristics of a Godly Mother
In spite of the fact that I myself am still learning and working my way through this crazy maze called motherhood, I have been blessed with a Godly role model in the form of my own mother. I want to share with you some characteristics of a Godly mother that I have observed in her life over the years.
1. She was the real deal.
One of the things that I couldn't help but notice even as a child, was that my mom was the same person in public as she was at home. If there is any faster way to turn a child off to the things of the Lord it is to live a hypocritical lifestyle. My mom did not do that, and although she wasn't perfect (no one is), she taught us how to love the Lord by backing up what she said with what she did both at home and in public. A godly mother knows who she is in Christ, and everything she does flows from that. She isn't trying to present a certain image of what she thinks a godly person should look like; she just lives out who she is – a masterpiece created in Christ Jesus for good works! (Ephesians 2:10)
2. She admitted when she had failed.
Every mother fails at motherhood, many times on a daily basis. My mom had her moments of failure too. But a moment of failure does not mean you should give up entirely. “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again…” (Prov. 24:16). Instead of giving up when she fell short, or worse yet, pretending it didn't happen, she admitted her failure both to the Lord and to her children. We knew that she desperately wanted us to love and obey God, and God was able to use her because of her humility.
God doesn't bless a perfect parent (because there is no such thing!), but he does bless a humble parent.
The humility of a godly mother takes place on two fronts:
- Humility before God
- Humility towards her children
A mother's humility before God recognizes her own weakness and her need to depend on the spirit of God each moment of the day. A humble mother keeps her focus on God, knowing that she cannot be a godly mother through her own strength and wisdom. She digs into scripture, nurturing her own spirit, knowing that she cannot pour from an empty vessel.
When a mother is humble toward God, there is also a willingness to confess to him when she has messed up and acted out of the flesh rather than the spirit. Mothering from the flesh could show up in different ways. It might look like yelling at our kids in a moment of frustration, or it might look like pridefully patting ourselves on the back after what felt like a successful day. Yet the most successful day in which a mother has operated without dependence on the holy spirit, is a failure to fulfill God's purpose. A godly mother will recognize these failures and confess to God the times when her life has not reflected the new, Christlike nature. She will turn from reflecting the flesh and renew her mind to reflect the spirit.
A mother's humility toward her children might look like apologizing when she has said hurtful words to them.
It might look like being honest with them about her weaknesses and being an example of how to depend on God. (“Mommy is feeling overwhelmed today. Can we pray together that God will help mommy to stay calm and speak kind words?”
3. She prayed – a LOT.
We children all knew mom spent time with the Lord daily. We saw her spiritual journals and notes lying around and watched her read and study her Bible. And we knew she prayed. Along with her journals and notes were her prayer lists.
My mother knew that the best place to wage the battle for her children's hearts was on her knees.
She knew that ultimately her children's lives were not within her control. She knew that each of her children was free to make their own choices. She knew that she was not in charge of the events that her children would encounter each day.
But she knew she had an audience with the One who is in control.
She brought her requests for her children to God, and left our lives in his hands.
She prayed for our safety and health.
She prayed that we would make wise, God-honoring decisions.
She prayed that God would bring godly spouses into our lives.
And while she fulfilled her responsibility to teach the scriptures to her children, she did not attempt to control the outcome of our lives. She allowed the Holy Spirit to do his own work in drawing our hearts to him, and let our choices be our own.
When she was tempted to worry and fear over our safety or our futures, she brought those fears to God and left them there.
So you see, mamas, the characteristics of a Godly mother aren't a standard of perfection. You don't have to be perfect to be a good mother.
It's much better to be a mother who:
- knows who she is in Christ and allows everything she does to flow from that
- humbly depends on God
- brings her fears for her child's welfare and future to the Lord and leaves them with Him
If you desire to see your children grow to love and obey the Lord; if you are the real deal, humble, and 100% dependent on the Lord to work in your children's hearts rather than trying to do the work yourself, you are on the right track.
Be encouraged. When it seems your children aren't learning anything, just you wait. They are watching. And God is working.
Apparoo App of the Week: iStoryTime
This post is sponsored by Apparoo.
I’ve partnered with Apparoo to highlight a new app each week. These apps will be free or highly discounted during the weeks I post them, so grab them while you can!
This week's app: iStoryTime
Sometimes simple is best. No matter how many fancy toys your kid has, they always end up on your lap saying “Mama, tell me a story.” iStoryTime is like a central library for kids’ books, and they wisely left off extraneous features, letting the stories shine. It includes four free books and then you can buy more à la carte, or pay a monthly or annual fee, Netflix-style, for unlimited books. With new books released in the app every week, there is always fresh content to enjoy. Stories can be narrated or silent, allowing your child to read independently when they’re ready. Download it here for free.
How I Plan My Menus with Build a Menu
We all know we should be planning our menus ahead, but actually doing it is quite another thing.
I recently found out about Build a Menu, and it is awesome! It accommodates any diet type, like gluten free, Trim Healthy Mama, or even just “normal people”. 🙂
(Interested in trying it? You can try it free for 2 weeks by going through this link!)
I thought I'd show you exactly how it works so you can make an informed decision.
1. Choose your store.
I love that it includes Aldi and Walmart!
I personally just choose “any grocery store” since I buy my food from a variety of places, including the farmer's market.
2. Choose your recipes. You don't have to plan out 3 meals a day if you don't want to, but it's nice that everything is included if that's what you want to do.
There are so many dietary options from which to choose, and you are not limited to just one type. You can mix and match as much as you want.
I love the choices, though! (Dine on a Dime, Trim Healthy Mama, Gluten free, etc.)
You can open up the recipes and look at them to see if it is something your family would like. You can also see approximately how much each recipe will cost to make, so you can skip the ones that don't fit your budget. And if you're doing Trim Healthy Mama, it will tell you what type of meal it is (S, E, etc.) Then you mark the checkbox next to the ones you want to use and they are automatically added to your menu and the ingredients are added to your shopping list.
Another cool thing is that if you want to have something more than once, you can select how many times you want to have it, and the ingredients will be adjusted on your shopping list accordingly. (For example, it will tell you exactly how many ounces of beans you need to purchase.)
I also love the fact that the recipes are changed out every week so that there are not an overwhelming number of choices. I am very easily overwhelmed, and when there's too much to look at I usually end up saying “forget it”. You can, however, see all the menus you've created in the past, and if you want to add a favorite recipe to your menu for the week, you can do so even if it's not on the current week's list of recipes.
*New! Now you can upload your own recipes too!*
3. After you select your recipes, you click “Build My Menu” and you'll be able to add your recipes to a calendar on the days you'd like to have them. You can plan up to a month at a time; though you don't have to do that much.
You can also skip planning it out on the calendar and just go straight to printing your list of recipes and your shopping list.
(That's how I prefer to do it because I like to have the freedom to choose whichever meal I'm most in the mood for or whichever would work best with our schedule for the day.)
Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you – as you're checking off the recipes you want to use, the program is tallying up your grocery total for the week! That's perfect for those of us trying to stay on a strict budget.
Here is what your shopping list will look like:
I love how it's divided up into sections of the store, and how it even lists staples so I can make sure I have enough of those things.
Now, I must say as a “real foodie”, there are certain ingredients that I skip, like canned soups, broths, etc. But I've become pretty adept at substituting the “real food” versions of those things without any trouble.
So instead of buying broth at the store, I would just make sure I had enough homemade broth in the freezer or that I have enough yogurt to substitute for cream of ____ soup. (Side note: yogurt works great for that in most cases – just add a little seasoning to it, and you've got a creamy/tasty substance with no need to go through the complicated steps of making homemade cream of ____ soup.)
That's pretty much it!
You can sign up for your subscription using the button below.
(But if you happen to not love it, there's a money-back guarantee, so it's totally risk free to give it a go.)
Note: I have included affiliate links within this post. I will receive a portion of each purchase made through these links. You pay nothing extra, but the commission helps keep Imperfect Homemaker up and running. (And it might put a couple groceries on our family table too – thanks!)
What it Means to Be a Yes Mom
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Savings.com.
Being a “yes mom” doesn't mean letting your kids do whatever they want. They need to understand that life doesn't revolve around them. You don't need to feel guilty for not catering to your child's every whim. That doesn't create happy children; that creates spoiled children.
But at the same time your children need to know that they are important to you — more important than what you want to get done in a day. Sometimes we say no to our children just because it's more convenient to us. Help me cook dinner? No way. I'll be done a whole lot faster if you just let me do it. Read a book to you? Not right now; I've got work to do.
Being a “yes mom” doesn't have to be complicated.
It's not about doing fancy crafts you found on Pinterest (though if you're up to it that's totally awesome.)
It's not about spending lots of money on whatever the latest gadget is that they want.
It's about letting them know by your actions that they are important.
Actions like going outside with them even when you'd rather get some housework done.
Like playing a goofy game they made up. And then playing it again. And again. And genuinely having fun, not because you really want to play the game but because you get to spend time with your kids.
Actions like letting your 6-year-old plant and water his “plant” even though he's probably going to need a bath.
And then letting him use the camera because he really wants to take a picture of his hard work.
It's about letting the kids sit up on the stool and watch me make dinner even though it drives me nuts to have people all up in my space while I'm trying to work.
Do you truly believe that your kids are important? That they are human beings who just happen to live in tiny bodies right now?
How can you show them that they are important?
I'd love for you to use the hashtag #YesMomDay to share your “yes mom” moments on social media!