2 big to-do's crossed off my list + more! {5 Things I'm Loving This Week} and more...

Here's What's New 2 big to-do's crossed off my list + more! {5 Things I'm Loving This Week} Simply Tuesday: Rest, a slowed-down pace, and being authentic about our struggles 5 Quick Fix Dinners to Save You Time and Money :: 2 big to-do's crossed off my list + more! {5 Things I'm Loving This Week} 1. Guilt-Free Friendships I love this girl something fierce! She rearranged a lot of things in her schedule to make breakfast with me work while I was in Indy. And then she spent the whole time pouring and pouring and pouring into me. She has so much going on in her life right now and she's speaking at TWO conferences this weekend, but she made time to love and listen well. She is such a beautiful picture of what authentic relationships look like. At one time during the conversation, I apologized for not being a better long-distance friend. She looked at me sincerely and said, "I believe in guilt-free friendships." She doesn't just say those words; she lives them out 100%. Love you, Lisa-Jo! 2. Makeup So, since I've been sharing more videos recently, a bunch of you asked if I could please, please, PLEASE do a hair and makeup tutorial. I feel like the last person who should be giving tips on this, but because I'm all about helping a girl out, I stepped out of my comfort zone and shot a video on it. It's super real-life and will probably make you smile… or at least just feel less alone. You can watch it here. I've been loving experimenting with different kinds and types of makeup looks thanks to YouTube tutorials and Amazon credit from Swagbucks. 3. Two Big To-Do's Crossed Off My List! This week, not only did I get a brand-new TN driver's license, but I also finally applied for TSA Pre-Check. Both items have been on my to-do list for way too long and I waited until kind of the last minute to get them done. My license is expiring really soon and we'll be in South Africa when it expires so this week was one of the last chances I had to get it done - especially since I knew it would likely take half a day at the DMV to get it done (and yup, it was 5 hours total from the time I checked in online to the time I actually made it out the door with my new license!) We applied for the TSA Pre-Check awhile back but then had to go have the sit-down meeting at the airport office during the window of time that our application was valid. We tried multiple times to make it to the airport with enough time before flights to actually go to the TSA office, too, and it just wasn't working out every single time. It feels so, so good to have gotten these things done - especially since the TSA Pre-Check will likely save me at least an hour or two (or more!) of waiting in airport lines every single month. 4. My Little Scrambled Egg Maker "How many scrambled eggs would you like today?" he's asked me multiple times the past few weeks. And then 20 minutes later, he delivers this to me in my office or at the kitchen table or wherever else I am (if I'm not in the kitchen with him overseeing, someone else is as he's still too young to use the stove all by himself.) This boy loves to serve his mama and it never ceases to melt my heart. (Also, moms of littles: let this picture encourage you. All those hard days and all that hard work is going to pay off!) 5. This Intensely Focused Child See that intense look on her face? That's how she approaches most of life. I love her old soul and the fact that she constantly analyzes life and belief systems and philosophies and won't take "just because" for an answer. Though there are days when, as her parent, it would certainly save me a whole lot of time if she just accepted things at face value instead of needing to dig deep and try to understand why!! I love how she's so perceptive and intuitive and can look past what some would consider "rough edges" and see so much value and worth in people. She came with me to Indy this week and was not only such a great traveling companion, but also such a big help to me. She loved getting to meet some of you and told me that one of her favorite parts of the conference was, "getting to talk to all the adults!" What are YOU loving this week? Tell us in the comments. :: Simply Tuesday: Rest, a slowed-down pace, and being authentic about our struggles Okay, so I'm way behind on getting the Simply Tuesday posts up. I was in Indianapolis the past two days so I could speak at MomCon yesterday. Since all my health stuff in the last few weeks, I had to focus all of my energy the past few days just on speaking and interacting with attendees. I had hoped to have a little extra in the tank to write a few blog posts, but I just didn't. I had a few things pre-scheduled and my wonderful assistant helped post some other things, but other than speaking and engaging with attendees, I pretty much spent the rest of the time sleeping or resting! photo from Once a Month Meals {It feels so weird to not be able to go full-steam like I usually can. I usually juggle a lot and have a lot of irons in the fire, but right now, I am having to majorly pace myself in order to not overdo it. While it's been hard for me, it's been so good for me. I'm learning to really slow down, to focus on the most important priorities, and to let a lot of other things go. I'm learning to listen to my body, to give myself enormous amounts of grace, and to relish and savor rest.} I did get to see Emily Freeman in person at MomCon and do a quick video with her about her book. Watch it here. Three of my favorite quotes from the last two sections of the book were: #1: "I think I recognize in myself a hesitancy to admit my struggle for fear it will incriminate me, branding me as a woman who has a beautiful life but doesn't appreciate it." This section of the book really resonated with me as honestly, it was hard for me to blog about my health struggles the last few weeks as they felt so small an inconsequential compared to other people's much, much bigger trials. I didn't want to be branded as a woman who has a beautiful life and is totally not recognizing it. At the same time, though, I had to remind myself that many other people are probably in a similar situation. By me sharing how I'm walking this out, I realized I might be able to encourage others who feel like they are struggling from something that also seems "inconsequential" in the grand scheme of things, but that is really bogging them down and discouraging them. I felt like maybe my honest sharing would help someone else feel like they weren't alone. #2: "…I remind myself that relief will neither be found in continuing to chase an ideal of my productive self nor in shaming myself for my inability to get everything done." Neither chasing after perfectionism nor speaking shaming messages to myself is going to be a healthy way to live. #3: "Small things don't always turn into big things. But all things begin small, especially in the Kingdom of God. Acorns become oak trees. Embryos become President. Life starts with a breath. Love starts with hello." I thought this was the perfect paragraph to end this series with as it was a beautiful reminder to me that those little "small" things are often the start of something that can end up being very life-transforming. So it's important not to overlook them, not to view "small" as negative, and not to spend life missing the beauty in small while chasing after what we think is big and great. Small is almost always where it starts. I know that I'm giving you almost zero notice on this (unless you watch my Periscope show - then you already know this because I shared it a few days ago!), but I'm planning to start blogging through Nourished: A Search for Health, Happiness, and a Full Night's Sleep on Monday. The book is split into 5 sections, so I'm planning to share about one section each week day. That's the plan at least… life might happen and I may need to roll with the punches. We'll see! :: 5 Quick Fix Dinners to Save You Time and Money Guest post from Jessica Fisher of Good Cheap Eats: I don't think anyone sets out to have a crazy day; they just happen. Cars overheat, pipes burst, and dinner plans crash, and occasionally burn. A comforting meal - and a home cooked one at that - can save the day, especially when that meal is a quick fix dinner. Yes! You can redeem the day! Check out these five easy meals that can come to your rescue any night of the week: 1. Quesadillas Cheese and tortillas offer such comfort, particularly when stuffed with your favorite fillings and dipped in your choice of salsa, sour cream, or guacamole. While the classic cheese version is good enough on its own, consider tucking in chopped, cooked meats, sautéed vegetables, and your favorite cooked bean. You can even veer off Mexico Way and fill your tortilla with other flavor profiles; Pizzadillas or melted Brie, turkey, and apricot jam work just as well. 2. Breakfast for dinner I don't know about your house, but the folks around here do a veritable happy dance when I serve pancakes, eggs, bacon, and hash browns for supper. It's so easy and everyone loves it. No wonder those hobbits planned a second breakfast on purpose! 3. Quick Chicken Saute Bags of frozen chicken pieces are a must-have in my freezer. Not only can I pull out just the number of pieces I want, but they also cook quickly. Heat a little oil in a skillet; add the chicken and your favorite spice blend. In just a few minutes you've got a delicious protein to toss on salads, pasta, rice, or vegetables. (It sounds too good to be true, but my husband raves when I make chicken this way. Ha! He thinks I've done something "special", but little does he know that nothing could be easier!) 4. Soup While it's true that long-simmering soups can be rich in flavor, you don't need to cook soup a long time to achieve equally delicious results. One of the extra beauties of Soup Night is that soup is very forgiving and can be made from whatever you have in the pantry or vegetable crisper. It's a great way to use up leftovers, too. 5. Rice and Beans Our family credits rice and beans for helping us get out of debt. It has also proven its worth as a delicious, quick fix dinner. I mean, Chipotle charges six bucks for one burrito bowl, right? You can feed the whole family for the same! Dressed up with cheese, sauteed vegetables, and your favorite salsa or guacamole, it's a great meal that fills you up in no time. Hungry for more? My cookbook, Good Cheap Eats Dinner in 30 Minutes or Less, holds over 100 easy dinner ideas that will help you beat the clock without breaking the bank. You can also grab the free month of meal plans and grocery lists that goes with it. Jessica Fisher loves Jesus, European travel, a 52-year old carpenter, and the crazy life of mothering six kids. She is the author of four cookbooks and multiple to-do lists. You can find her sharing delicious ways to act your wage on Good Cheap Eats. For a peek into her homeschooling, globe-trotting, debt-free living life, check out her parenting blog, Life as Mom. You received this email because you are registered on www.moneysavingmom.com with the email address panatllc1.kate@blogger.com. If you believe this has been sent to you in error, you can easily unsubscribe here. 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