Category Archives: Lessons

Grocery game

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Today I received a text regarding how much I spend a week on groceries.  Always an interesting discussion, to me.  I am infinitely curious as to what people spend at the grocery store.  It’s a barometer of where we are as a family (am I blowing too much on x, y and z?), but also a GREAT way to get tips and such.

I have friends who can coupon like the TLC show (in my eyes), friends who once had a $1000 grocery budget FOR. THE. ENTIRE. SUMMER., friends who cook ahead and freeze and friends who just wing it.  It never gets old to me and so, once again, it was an interesting text conversation on groceries and I thought I’d share a few tips that help us and would LOVE to hear your tips.

  • We shop at Aldi.  We’ve comparison shopped and they are consistently lower than Publix and Walmart.  Downside:  they don’t always have everything I need on my list and they don’t take coupons since they sell their brand (aside from the surplus of various name brand items from time to time).
  • I plan our meals ahead for the week.  I don’t plan specific meals for specific days, but a menu of meals for the week.  I shop for the menu.
  • Our fruits and veggies come from Aldi and the produce store/farmer’s market.  We do have to replenish bananas mid-week (a family of monkeys, I tell you) and I buy the verrrrry ripe ones @ .29/lb and freeze them for smoothies.
  • Eating out is a rarity and a luxury.
  • It’s a dry house.  However, Aldi does have beer and wine—FYI.

Sadly, we don’t have a Costco close enough for regular grocery shopping (I hear they are the bomb diggety!), but we do have a Sam’s Club and a BJ’s.  When we get a stand alone freezer, we will stock up on meats there or possibly look into purchasing a 1/2 a cow or something like that.

We’ve tried to coupon, however, with both of us working full-time outside the house, we simply don’t have the time or energy to really work the system.

Our summer garden was awesome and we’re planning on doing a winter one as well.  (the perks of living in sunny Florida!), However, if I had a big ole garden like Mavis HERE….hooooooey…that’d be awesome!

Eating healthy is a mainstay in our house.  Not to say we don’t have junk around here, because we sure DO.  Meals however, are pretty healthy and we have a wide variety of healthy snacks for the kiddos to choose from…almonds, protein bars, popcorn, fruits, veggies, raisins, smoothies, nut butter.  We also have one who doesn’t seem to tolerate dairy well, so we’ve got almond milk in the house and some dairy free ice cream as well.

Bottom line, for our family of 6 (2 teen boys and 2 growing tween girls, a triathlete Papa and a Mama always in search of healthier choices) we average $200/week.

So, what are your tips, tricks and average spent on groceries each week.  This inquiring mind wants to know!!

Put on the armor

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An interesting conversation with a 69 -year-old  patient the other day; father to a 17-year-old girl and 3-9 year olds.  (You do the math)  The theme of the conversation was on protecting our kids.  His word:  shielding.

Same day, extremely disturbing article on kids and porn and their exposure to it and how it is corrupting “normal”.  Read at your own risk.  But read it.    Don’t think that because it’s from the UK it doesn’t apply to you.  It does.  I would paraphrase the article, but Martin Daubney says it all….

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yes, please. I’ll take 4.

It was enough for me to shock our 16-year-old by asking if he was looking at porn on his phone.  Then to follow-up with the “have you ever?” question.  Awkward?  yup.  Necessary?  Absolutely.  The end of the conversation?  No way, no how.

 

Our kids are good.  I don’t wish them to be exposed to anything like this.  Ever.  However, I’m realistic and I’d rather be proactive and have the conversations than to let them navigate it on their own.  Talk about why porn is so destructive.  Talk about why we must fight hard against objectifiying women.  The cold hard reality is, we can’t wait for this conversation.  Like drugs, alcohol and bullying, this must be an ongoing conversation.  Shield all you want, but I want my kids armed and prepared…equipped against this battle that threatens their hearts and souls and bodies.

If we can’t be open and discuss the evils in this world, we better build a fortress or prepare for heartache.  It’s a new and scary world out there and as parents, we are called to be involved or reap the consequences.

Ephesians 6:10-18

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against [a]flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 [b]in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 [c]With all prayer and petition [d]pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, [e]be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

***Bible verse, New American Standard Bible version

iOs7 & 7QTs

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Friday is my favorite day of the week and also a day to recap and join in with Jen and Crew to see how everyone’s week has been going.    With this week’s iOs7 update, I thought I’d share a few observations of my 24 hours with it thus far.  By far, NO exhaustive tutorial, just some mere observations as I continue to navigate the changes and have my children school me.download-2

  1. As with the iOs6 update, the update took quite some time to download.  For me it took over an hour (I can’t give you an exact time because I had to leave my precious to go to an open house and went…..GASP…….with NO phone!).  The hour download does NOT count the time it took to back up my phone first and then remove 1.8g of space to allow the download–a frustrating event in itself.
  2. White.  Holy cow.  There is a LOT of white.  Backgrounds that is.  White background in the texting section.  White background in the notes section.  I’m going to have to lower my brightness, it’s a little distracting.
  3. New font.  Sans serif, I believe?  Automatically put in a password protect to get in.  (of course, you can remove it in settings, but I’ve been meaning to do that for awhile….so, eh, nod to the procrastinators).
  4. When I opened the weather section for the first time I saw this:
    Zero info.

    Zero info.  However, in full disclosure, it did load in time and gave the usual info along with an active background of moving clouds or rain…depending on the weather in that area.

     

  5. This little trick via my 16 yo son:  instead of sliding the bar to the left to wake the phone up, touch the middle of the bar and slide UP.  You get this fancy schmancy screen to adjust all kinds of stuff AND…..there is a flashlight already downloaded.  I actually use that.download-1
  6. The camera features are new:  there is a panoramic option, square option, (regular and video also still available) AND some fun little edits AS YOU TAKE THE PICS.  Fun.  Especially if you are a Instagram lovin’, photo documentin’ mom like me.
  7. New ring tones and sounds.  Good to know because you may not recognize your phone ring the first time your phone rings and wonder where that noise is coming from and who’s phone it is.  Maybe.

That’s all for now.  Can’t say I full on LOVE it.  I’m getting used to it.  But here is one last bonus….when you hit the home button twice to close out apps, just tap on the app and slide up.  Poof.  Off.  Just like that.

Now go and enjoy your weekend!!

Road Trippin’ for a Friend Fix

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There lies the season where I miss my friends.    It’s a crazy thing, getting older.  Not as simple to make friends any more.  Everyone is busy.  Everyone has baggage.  And so I remember the plaque that hung in my grandmother’s kitchen from a hundred years ago….(or 40):

Make new friends, but keep the old;

The new are silver and the old are gold.

These friendships have weathered life’s storms:  Cancer, infertility, marriage struggles, divorce, faith struggles, death of a child, children with emergency surgery, financial drain, suicide, depression, alcoholism, prison, poor health, aging parents, death of parents, miscarriage, many children, few children, job changes, bullying, education challenges, children growing up and moving away, children with faith crises, deployment, moving, starting over, making new friends and the list goes…..it is life.  Distance may separate us, however, these life cords forever bind us.

So worth the road trip with my girls to visit these dear friends.  We didn’t get to make ALL the rounds due to end-of-summer craziness and that only makes the argument for another visit and for visitors here.  Life’s too short, make the effort, you won’t regret it.

Rollin' with my homies.

Rollin’ with my homies.

Day 6. Martha. Mary.

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Adoration. Time to rest and recharge.

Adoration. Time to rest and recharge.

I’m Martha.  To the core.  Last Sunday’s reading reminded me to step back and work toward Mary’s take on life.  I get so caught up in what needs to be done:  the feeding, the cleaning, the laundry.  I don’t stop.  It’s time to stop.  Step back.  Take that deep breath.  Our pastor’s bulletin message on Sunday was so right on target with Martha and Mary and how busy our lives are.  That busy-ness leaves us all leaning toward living like Martha with no time to try Mary’s approach.  No wonder we are so tired.  We don’t stop.  We don’t seek.  We don’t rest.  Let’s rest.

Excerpts from our pastor’s bulletin message last week:

Rest is not just good for the soul. It is also good for the body. In our Christian tradition we
believe that the body is something of value. Genuine spirituality is concerned with the care of the
body as well as the soul. Rest is one way that we can accomplish this.
Medical science has demonstrated that the effects of rest are significant, indicating the great
role that rest can play in our physical and emotional well-being. Lack of rest and relaxation is
associated with inattentiveness, inability to concentrate, impulsivity, moodiness, learning difficulties
and health problems. On the other hand, rest, quiet time, and meditation have been shown to have
positive effects on the body. If you must have your blood pressure checked, take a couple deep
breaths first, think of a special place in the mountains or at the beach. Imagine yourself in the arms
of the Lord. These kinds of meditation may help you stay off blood pressure medication and
anti-stress pills.
St. Thomas Aquinas is known of the saint of moderation. He taught that all things in moderation can be good. A little wine, a little food, a bit of time of laughter, etc. are all needed in life. Only
when one or more of these things get out of balance is there sin. I hope that this summer provides
you an opportunity to enjoy time with family and friends, maybe an outing to the beach or a taking in
a ballgame. But, may it also be a time to reorder priorities so that the important things don’t get
forgotten.