Saturday, March 4, 2023

Why We Stopped Fostering and more...

In this week’s episode of The Crystal Paine Show, Jesse and I share why we made the decision recently to close our home (at least for the next year or two) to fostering. It was a really difficult decision to make — and it wasn’t the decision we ...
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Intentional finance. Intentional family. Intentional business.

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Why We Stopped Fostering

In this week’s episode of The Crystal Paine Show, Jesse and I share why we made the decision recently to close our home (at least for the next year or two) to fostering. It was a really difficult decision to make — and it wasn’t the decision we were expecting to make right now. But we spent a lot of time praying and had a lot of conversations and are grateful for the clear direction God gave us and the peace we have.

While the need for foster families is so great right now, we also know that loving and caring for our six children is our highest priority — despite our heart to make a difference in the lives of children in foster care. The beautiful thing we’ve learned the past few years is that there are many ways to make a difference without actively fostering.

In this episode we talk about decision-making, prioritizing, and why there are seasons for saying yes and seasons for saying no and both can be a good thing. This process of making this decision is part of what I talk about in my new book, The Time-Saving Mom: How to Juggle a Lot, Enjoy Your Life, and Accomplish What Matters Most and I close out the podcast reading a section from it.

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In This Episode

[00:36] – We are sharing about a difficult decision we made recently.

[02:23] – But first, what has been saving my life lately?

[07:57] – The story behind our decision.

[10:32] – Two of our daughters will soon be graduating.

[11:50] – Our three little ones need a lot right now.

[14:45] – Our family is currently not equipped to meet DCS’s needs of us taking in teens or large sibling groups.

[17:25] – We talk about celebrating someone’s yes and someone’s no.

[20:53] – I segue into my new book.

[21:51] – I read a section from the introduction from my book.

   
 

Brigette’s $109 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

My older sister, Brigette, shares her shopping trips and menu plans every week! You can go HERE to see all of her weekly menu plans and you can go HERE to read all about her family!

Aldi

2 gallons Milk – $4.54

1/2 gallon Almond Milk – $2.69

1 large tub Organic Spring Mix – $4.89

1 English Cucumber – $0.99

1 bunch Bananas – $0.99

4 pkgs frozen Broccoli Florets – $3.80

1 pkg Romaine Hearts – $3.99

4 cans Green Beans – $2.32

2 loaves Sandwich Bread – $2.58

1 pkg Hamburger Buns – $1.29

1 tub Ground Beef ($2.49/lb) – $15.55

1 pkg Perdue Chicken Breasts (about 3.5lbs), reduced – $7.37

1 pkg Pepperoni – $2.99

1 16-oz Deli Meat – $4.49

2 dozen Eggs – $6.20

1 24-oz carton Cottage Cheese – $2.29

3 16-oz pkgs Shredded Cheese – $8.37

1 jar Dijon Mustard – $1.45

1 jar BBQ Sauce – $1.65

2 boxes Crispy Rice – $3.58

1 box Rice Squares – $1.89

1 5-lb bag Flour – $2.15

1 bag Tortillas – $1.99

1 jar Pasta Sauce – $1.45

Total: $89.50

20lbs of Apples from our favorite roadside stand – $20.00

Grocery Total for the Week: $109.50

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Oatmeal, Cereal, Yogurt, Cottage Cheese, Apples, Toast

Lunches

Deli Meat/Cheese Sandwiches, Peppers, Apples

PB and J Sandwiches, Cucumbers, Oranges

Leftovers x 3

Dinners

Meatloaf, Baked Potatoes, Broccoli, Tossed Salad

Date Night Out (kids eat Macaroni and Cheese, Green Beans)

Pepperoni Pizza, Tossed Salad

Taco Salad, Rice

Chicken Gravy over Rice, Green Beans

Spaghetti (using ground venison sausage), Tossed Salad, Biscuits

Pulled Pork Sandwiches (someone from church gave us several packages of pulled pork), Broccoli

Cut your grocery bill!
Want to cut your grocery budget? Go here and sign up (it’s free!) I’ll send you my 10 Easy Ways to Cut Your Grocery Bill By $50.
   
 
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