Tuesday, March 27, 2018

10 Ways I'm Taking Care of Me Right Now and more...

Mamas, sisters, ladies… actually, all y'all: you need to make time to take care of YOUk. I know that there are a hundred other things pulling you in three dozen other directions. But you're not going to be able to […]

Intentional finance. Intentional family. Intentional business.

Photobucket

10 Ways I’m Taking Care of Me Right Now

Mamas, sisters, ladies… actually, all y'all: you need to make time to take care of YOUk.

I know that there are a hundred other things pulling you in three dozen other directions. But you're not going to be able to show up well for your life if you don't show up to take care of you.

Taking care of you will look different for different people in different seasons. And it’s looked vastly different for me in my different seasons of life.

But I thought it might be fun (and hopefully helpful) for me to share 10 ways I’m taking care of me right now (remember, that I’m in a season of life where my kids sleep through the night and are very independent and now they mostly just need me to have long conversations with them and take them places!):

  1. Making 7+ hours of sleep a priority. And taking a nap on the days when I get less than that amount.
  2. Drinking a gallon of lemon water every day.
  3. Starting my day with exercise, prayer, and Bible reading (I actually figured out a way to combine the three — I read my Bible while I do my walking warm up on the treadmill and I pray while I run.)
  4. Scheduling time for fun and downtime everyday.
  5. Making sure I spend at least a few hours hanging out with a friend once or twice a week.
  6. Eating a big salad everyday.
  7. Drinking decaf/herbal tea instead of coffee.
  8. Guarding my schedule so that I have time to be alone and recharge through quiet.
  9. Having a few truth tellers in my life who regularly check-in with me to make sure I'm not overloading my plate (something I am prone to do).
  10. Paying for help — with the business and with our home. This allows me to work full-time and run a successful business, while also freeing up the time to have space to nurture myself, my family, relationships, and other areas I'm passionate about.

Most importantly, I'm learning to give myself a lot of grace. To not be too hard on myself when I fail, when I disappoint someone, or when we have rough patches. Nobody does it perfectly and nobody has it all figured out!

    
 

Gretchen’s $51 Grocery Shopping Trip and Menu Plan

Dillons

2 bags Kroger Potato Chips – Marked down to $0.25 each

1.94 lbs Bananas – $0.95

2 American Beauty Spaghetti – $0.49 each

4 cans Green Giant Green Beans – $0.49 each

1 Think Thin Bar – $1, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

1 Kroger Cottage Cheese – $0.79, used $0.40/1 e-coupon – $0.39 after coupon

2 Green Apples – $0.80, used $0.25/1 Ibotta rebate – $0.55 after coupon

1 PopChips Nutter Puffs – $2.49, used $4/1 Checkout 51 rebate – Free plus overage after rebate

2 Ragu Pasta Sauce – $1.29 each, used $1/2 printable – $0.79 each after coupon

2 Chobani Flip Yogurt – $1.25 each, used 2 $0.50/1 printable that was emailed to me – $0.75 each after coupon

Used $0.25/1 Ibotta rebate for any receipt

Total after coupons and rebates: $6.65 

Aldi

1 dozen Eggs – $1.44, used $0.15/1 Checkout 51 rebate – $1.29 after rebate

1 pkg Chicken Breasts – Marked down to $2.07

1 bag Mandarins – $2.49

1 Unsweetened Applesauce – $1.89

2 Cantaloupes – $0.99 each

1 pkg Flour Tortillas – $0.99

1.83 bag Green Grapes – $1.81

1 Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate – $1.19

1 pkg English Muffins – $0.99

1 Half & Half – $1.99

1 bag Green Peppers – $1.49

2.92 lbs Bananas – $1.28

1 loaf Bread – $1.49

1 bag Potato Chips – $1.79 (I bought these before I went to Dillons and saw the marked down chips.)

1 pkg Chewy Granola Bars – $1.49

1 Grape Jelly – $1.39

1 pkg Oyster Crackers – $0.79

1 gallon Milk – $1.88

1 Sour Cream – $0.95

1 bag Frozen Peas – $0.79

1 lb Butter – $1.99

1 Cucumber – $0.49

1 bag (16 oz) Cheddar Cheese – $3.29

1 Spiral Ham – $6.88 ($0.95/lb)

1 pkg Chocolate Chips – $1.69

Total after rebate: $44.37

Total for both stores: $51.02

Menu Plan for This Week

Breakfasts

English Muffins and Eggs x 2

Toast x 2

Cereal x 3

Lunches

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Veggies, Grapes x 2

Mac & Cheese, Mandarins

Cheese Quesadillas, Steamed Peas, Fruit

Cheese, Crackers, Veggies, Fruit x 2

Leftovers

Dinners

Out to eat (I’ll be gone on a girl’s overnight so my husband and kids are eating out!)

Venison Roast, Biscuits, Carrots, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Sliced Cantaloupe (We’ll be having company for dinner!)

Oven Baked Ham (I’ll be freezing the leftovers to use in casseroles and breakfast dishes the next several weeks.), Homemade Bread, Green Beans

Spaghetti, Spinach Salad (using leftover spinach from last week), Banana Muffins

Dinner with Lifegroup

Chicken Fajitas, Rice, Fruit Salad

Bring-Your-Own-Meat Grill Out with friends here (Everyone is bringing some meat to throw on the grill and a side dish. I’ll be grilling chicken and doing chips and chocolate chip cookies.)