Meal planning

Feeding seven people everyday doesn't just happen.

Feeding seven people everyday on a budget certainly doesn't just happen.

It all takes a great deal of planning!

 

Budgeting, price book, lists and meal plans. It takes work!

 

I think the most important one of those to saving money and sanity is meal planning.

 

In my family binders food section I have printed out weekly calendars. On each one, I plan out our meals for the week. How do I go about this task?

 

First of all breakfast!

Sunday is always cold cereal. Wednesday is always oatmeal.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday we rotate pancakes and scrambled eggs. Occasionally we do french toast if we have some bread that needs used up.

 

Lunch.... well, we don't do lunch really.
We have a large snack.

Yogurt, fruit, raw veggies, cheese sticks, lunch meat, hard boiled eggs and sometimes pretzels or crackers are available for everyone to pick from during snack time. The kids usually have a bit of everything while I have a salad topped with some left overs.

 

Dinner is where I really reign the budget in and the real planning happens.

 

First, I look at the schedule. If we have a crazy day going on, crock pot is probably the best bet. If we don't have much going on that day (at least by our standards) one of our much loved more complex meals can be thrown in the mix!

 

Second, look at what we have! What's coming in from the garden? What's in the freezer? What's already on hand?
I tend to sock up on whole chickens and ground turkey when they are on good sale.

 

Third, what's on sale now?

 

Some basic rules of feeding the masses that I employ to cut costs.....

 

One meatless meal each week.

 

One rice based meal each week.

 

Potatoes as a side at least 2 times a week.

 

No red meat, only chicken and turkey with occasional bacon or sausage.

 

Buy in bulk.

 

Stock up when you find a good sale.

 

Little to no processed snack foods.

 

Currently our grocery budget is $600.

The goal is to cut it down to $400.

 

I'm going to cut meat two more times a week, continue to hunt for bean recipes we enjoy and resume making our bread. Plus, the garden and chickens and goats!!!

 

One thing we do that is not budget friendly, is that we eat mostly organic. This is one thing where I believe that the extra expense is worth it. Organic foods are more regulated, I have a hard time with the idea that consuming pesticides and other chemicals is safe, I tried the switch out of desperation when Dakota was diagnosed with numerous food allergies and asthma, which I have seen real improvement in!

Called to homeschool

I'll admit it... I used to think homeschooling was crazy and only for people with an unimaginable amount of patience. That thought of homeschooling didn't change until last year when I was facing the idea of my oldest child entering school.

 

I looked into the school districts around me. Poor grades. Huge behavioral issues. Drug issues (in elementary school!). Wepons being brought to school. Bibles are on the "contraban" list. One third of the kids in the district we live in can't read by high school.

 

I was less than impressed. My oldest is pretty bright. In most areas she was past the kindy curriculum they presented. The more I looked the more discouraged I felt. How was she going to learn all she is cappable of in these schools?

 

I prayed. A LOT. I begged God to show me how to make sending her to the private school our church runs work. Because I viewed that as the only other option.

 

In stead, over a few weeks the Lord worked on my heart. I suddenly saw all the ways I teach my children, with great success, on a daily basis. God worked in my heart. It snuck up on me. I prayed for an answer and when I closed that prayer, I knew that I needed to homeschool my children.

 

I was scared but determined. I also set the bar pretty low for our first year. Hoping to succed at 2 hours a day three times a week. Many weeks we have surpassed that... some days we do six hours in one day! Some times we accomplish nothing at all for a week.

 

 

Every evening I make a list of what we should ideally accomplish the next day.

 

The list is almost always too long. Realistically there is no way to get it all done.

 

Through out the day I prioritize what gets done when and IF something gets done. I make it easy using this system.

 

Level 1: NEED TO: Basic feeding, hygine, child and animal care.

 

Level 2: HAVE TO: bible, church, "stinky chores" (dishes, laundry, trash), volunteer/charity work

 

Level 3: SHOULD DO: sweeping, vacuuming, errands, picking up, good wipe down of kitchen

 

Level 4: WANT TO: school, mopping, tub/toilet

 

Level 5: COULD DO: windows, matching socks

 

I don't think I've ever gotten to level 5... I've handed the sock box over to the kids and my grandmother washes my windows every 6 months because she tells me how horrible they are.

 

Some people ask why I set my priorities this way. My answer is that I think about things in the grand view.

 

Will math or housekeeping skills serve them better?

Will faith serve than better than housekeeping skills?

Will being able to dress themselve allow more time to serve the Lord?

 

I think most people understand level 1. I think I lose most people when the bible comes before chores, school or anything else. We live our life according to this acrostic:

 

JOY

 

Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last

 

Beyond basic feeding and care, every choice is measured against this acrostic. Following this pattern brings us joy because it follows the Lords plan!

 

I challenge everyone to live a life of JOY!

 

Speaking challenges... The grocery challenge! For February, our grand total was $573. Not the $400 goal, but closer than the $600 budget!

 

and for those curious how homeschooling has been going... Alex started out in kindy work in October, she's now on to first grade and reads at a second grade level. Baillie was doing pre-k work and is finishing up kindy while reading at a first grade level. Cheyenne who wasn't even doing school in October, has mastered most kindy skills and has picked up all beginning reading skills. Basically, they're THRIVING!

 

Prayers like Hannah

This is going to be hard for me to write... it's something very personal to me... it's something raw for me...

 

In 1 Samuel we learn Hannah's story. How she ached for a son. How she wanted nothing more than to bare a child. How she cried out to the Lord, pouring out her soul to Him.

 

I may have 6 children, two of which are sons, but I feel Hannah's sorrow. I ache for another child. I want so badly to bare another child to raise for His glory. I cry out to the Lord. I pour out my soul to Him. Hannah's hurt is real to me.

 

Some days I feel contentment in moving on to the next season of service to the Lord. A season no longer filled with morning sickness, sleepless nights, diaper changes and cereal under the high chair. Heck, some days I look forward to everyone being a bit more independent and new adventures for the Lord can come our way.

 

But other days, like today, the hurt feels fresh and raw. As I watched the baby dedication at church this morning, I was so happy to see women I love, families I adore and a couple people I don't know well, dedicate themselves to raising their sweet little blessings for the Lord. Promising to bring up those Treasures for His glory. At the same time, I cried for myself, I cried for my children who beg for another sibling, I cried for the hurt I feel.

 

I love my children, I value each one of them. That doesn't change that I love motherhood, I love pregnancy, I love the newborn age, I love watching the kids excitement of welcoming another sibling, I love seeing them grow, I love teaching them, I love waking up with feet in my face, I love baking birthday cake at 2am, I love snuggling on the couch singing Amazing Grace in the middle of the night because someone had a bad dream and I deeply love sharing the gospel with them and seeing them share it with others. I love it all.

 

To have something you adore ripped away from you by someone elses choices is not easy to come to terms with. I don't know if the Lord would have ever seen fit to bless me with another child, but I know that the chance was torn from my hands. I struggle with unforgiveness for that at times, but mostly....

 

I pray like Hannah

 

I find myself falling to my knees in the shower, in the kitchen and even in the deep piles of unending laundry. I cry to Lord for the children I feel He's placed in my heart but not my womb. I beg Him to find someway to bless me again. I weep for all the things that are coming to an end to quickly.

 

Whatever the Lord places in your heart, pray like Hannah.



Managers of the Home

As mothers and wives (for those of us blessed to maintain that title) we are called by the Lord to be managers of the home...

We are called to keep our children in order, our husbands supported, our fellow Christians uplifted and our homes in order.

We are not called to do it all ourselves!

 

We are MANAGERS.

Managers know how to run every aspect of their operation, but they don't do it all themselves.

They delegate and oversee.

 

I expect most people will not see eye to eye with me on this. It doesn't seem to be the norm and my children are quite young. Many assume that somethings fall to the children because I am a single mother, this is not so. In fact, my expectations for my children have not changed since their father left.

 

Children of all ages can and should be expected to help with household responsibilities to some degree. We are after all training them in the way they should go, and unless you plan on handing them a large trust fund, the way they go will probably not involve a maid, chef and personal assistant to find every lost item. Also, I am not raising children, I am doing the best I can to raise educated, well manner, capable and responsible adults. I think that should be one of the main objectives of parenting!

 

At this point delegating chores is actually more work than doing it myself most of the time. It requires a great deal of patience, teaching and supervision. One day this investment will pay off knowing that I am sending my children out into the world fully capable of handling the day to tasks that are inevitable.

 

What tasks do I delegate to different ages you ask? Good question!

 

First off, if I give someone a job to complete it's expected to be done all the way, right away and the first time. This is then rewarded with a sticker on our chore chart. As adults we're rewarded with the satisfaction of a job well done and sometimes we treat ourselves in other ways. My children have a sticker chart and earn rewards for a full row of stickers.

 

Here's some examples of chores different ages may begin learning or be expected to know... this does vary from child to child depending on their temperment.

 

1 year old... begin learning to pick up toys, keep food in kitchen, laundry to the basket and I generally let them help with any task I am accomplishing.

 

2 year old... should know: all the above and to clear own dishes from table after meals
Begin learning/helping with: laundry (helping with age appropriate asspects), wiping up messes, putting away other things (dishes, laundry, ect. they should know everything has a home)

 

3 year old... should know: all the above and how to dress themself

Begin learning: pet feeding, sorting trash/recycling/compost, wipe down tables/counters, vacuuming, bed making

 

4 year old... should know: all the above and be able to handle brushing hair and teeth with minimal supervision

Begin learning: more asspects of laundry, helping with meal prep, washing windows and mirrors

 

5 years and up... should know: all the above and be able to assist younger siblings (teaching is a great way to solidify learning!)

Begin learning: more details of each task and the reasons behind it, sweeping & mopping, dish washing, getting fitted sheet on mattress and continue adding new skills as the chance arises

 

They don't do each of these jobs everyday, they are responsible for their own personal care as they are capable and 2-3 chores per day depending on what we're doing for the day. They are expected to know how to do things though... If I ask one of my oldest 3 to sort laundry, I expect them to carry out the task. They are capable and knowledgeable.

 

Teaching responsiblity is not something to leave for later in life. The patterns we carry out in life are set at an early age. As parents we can do our children a great disservice by not putting some responsibility on their shoulders and showing them the value of hard work.

 

If you never teach them to work hard when they are young, how can you expect them to work hard as adults?

Keeping things ship shape

I am not a naturally organized person. Being a single mother with 6 kids, 15 animals, homeschooling and running a business requires organization.

 

In came the family binder to the rescue! This book has become vital to the day-to-day operation of our family and if anything were to happen to me, all important information is in one location.

 

I have my binder set up with the follow sections:

 

Time
Money
Food
People
House
Garden/Animals
Phone
Recipes
Random

 

I will devote a post to each of these topics over the coming weeks and months, but right now I want to talk about the house section.

 

This section contains maintnace and repair records, decorating ideas, storage inventory and cleaning schedules and lists.

 

The first 3 are fairly straight forward.

 

I am a list maker. I like lists, I love crossing things off my lists.
I start everyday by making a to do list for the day.

My to do simply lists the rooms to clean and any extra tasks or errands that I need to accomplish.

In my family binder under the house section I have my master list for each room. Each list contains every task that needs to be accomplished for that room to be cleaned.

 

I have placed each of my master lists in to a plastic page protector which allows me to check them off with a dry erase marker and reuse them.

 

These lists have been invaluable to me during times of sleep deprivation, complete exhaustion, child training, asking for help and general forgetfulness. Things are not over looked or incomplete. No one can say they didn't know that needed to be done. No time spent explaining what needs done when there is an offer for help. No wasted time or paper writing the list out each time.

Modest Means...

Modesty.

 

I know for some this issue can get rather heated so I will say this: I do not claim to have all the answers on any topic. I read my bible, pray and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Somethings are clearly stated in the bible, some are a matter of conviction.

 

Modesty matters.

 

You think God doesn't have an opinion about what you wear? It took Him an entire book to convey His opinions on things that matter to Him. He's your heavenly father. FATHER. Father's care what their sons and daughters wear!

 

Modesty should matter to our brothers and sisters in Christ too. If for no other reason than it matters to Christ himself!

 

It's about respecting yourself, those around you and the Lord.

 

Self respect. If you dress in a "sexy" exposed manner, that's what you've lowered yourself too. You've advertised a cute package, but since it's all out on display how much attention is being paid to what matters? When you see a woman in a mini skirt do you want to know about the latest book she read? Does a shirt-less man make you curious if he's funny or kind? Rarely, they sell themselves short by showing off the surface so no one has to dig deeper getting to know them to find something appealing.

 

Respecting others. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are to lift each other up and help each other along our walk with the Lord, as well as serve as an example to the secular world of Christ and the church. If the church was full of plunging necklines and mini skirts, that's a lot of temptation to sin! That's setting up your brothers in Christ to think lustful thoughts! Many will argue that women shouldn't to cover up because men can't control themselves, consider it this way: if you know someone has an issue, say alcoholism, do you place a bottle of liquor in front of them, pour a shot, talk about how great it is and expect them to resist the desire? NO! You don't have alcohol around them, you help them stay away from it because you want to lead them AWAY from temptation not to it! The same is true for how we dress. You never know if someone you pass on the street has issues with being faithful to their spouse, pornography, lust or anything else. Seeing a woman dressed provocatively or a man baring him flesh many be enough to plant the seeds of sin in someones heart. Why would we do that to each other? We should do all we can to build each other up and help limit temptations that may cause others to stumble.

 

Respect for the Lord. He tells us to lift each other up and not lead each other to temptation. He tells us that a woman is created to her husband and a man for his wife, by showing off what God created to be shared with your spouse, you're telling Him you know better.

 

What modesty means for us... this is that conviction part, where I claim no definitive answer, I just follow the leading of the Holy Spirit for my family!

 

The definition of modesty has evolved in our house. It started out meaning you didn't run around naked as a the day you were born and continued to carry on my objection of risque toddler apparel.

 

Slowly this has changed, most dramatically in the last year.

 

We don't always meet our own definition because finances are tight and sometimes our wardrobes aren't as full as we'd like, but what we strive for is....

 

*no offensive logos, sayings, pictures, messages. This is a matter of opinion on my part what is "offensive".

*no sleeveless tops

*bottoms cover to below knees

*can not see down top, even when bent over

*girls/women wear skirts, never pants

*polo shirts prefered for boys

 

Those are the standards we strive for. They may not look like the person next to us at church or on the street, but that's where the Lord has led us. My hope is that in sharing this that you will listen to where the Holy Spirit is leading you in this matter.

 

 

Homestead update: We got 6 chicks today! 3 Aracauanas and 3 Rhode Island Reds. Today was also the first attempt at mating Adam and Eve (rabbits), so we may have cute little  bunnies on the way! I also found 2 Nigerian Dawrf goat does that I am 99% sure will be coming home with me in 4-6 weeks.



Be fruitful and multiply

Our family homestead plans are underway!

 

We've begun starting some seed indoors. Just trying to get an early start on some early crops.

 

As weather permits we've been working outside. This week the first raspberry plant went in the ground. Rock removal from the front garden bed has begun. The area for chickens has been planned out. There have been many trips to the farm store for things we need as things get underway.

 

This week we also welcomed 4 new additions to our family!

 

Patch is our guinea pig. He was an unplanned adoption. He has a leg that was injured and didn't heal well. Clearly not a profitable homestead animal, but the kids are enjoying him none the less.

 

We also welcomed 3 rabbits to the homestead!

 

They're all Satins. Adam is our buck. He's so sweet and good with kids.

 

Eve and Sally are our does. I can not tell them apart, but the two oldest girls claim they can... once I go pick up another cage and separate them, I'll be able to tell much better who is who!

 

Something tells me in no time there will be some serious multiplication around here!

 

We're aiming for zero waste, natural and hopefully organic farming. Right now the animals bedding is made up of shredded paper from our own recycling bin as well as my grandparents. We also offer all the animals greens in addition to their pellets. The greens go faster than the pellets, go figure!

 

We also want to provide our animals with a good quality of life. Patch spends hours running around the living room and getting snuggled by one child or another. Once I get the rabbits nails clipped, we'll be handling them daily to show them love and keep them friendly (until their clipped only I will be handling them.) After some deliberation, I've also decided to create a rabbit run in the back yard. Two actually, a smaller one for Adam and a slightly larger one for Eve and Sally. I want them to have plenty of time to exercise and play! While I get the run set up, they'll enjoy time out of their cages when I can supervise them.

 

 



Feeding the Five Thousand

Okay, so I'm not feeding 5,000... but on shopping day it sure feels like it as I push and pull my carts through the store. Yes, that says CARTS. Usually two, occasionally 3, pretty sure 4 is in my future.

 

I keep a fairly well stocked pantry.

I shop sales and stock up.

I have a price book.

I coupon when it helps.

I keep to a $600 a month food budget.

 

My full but none too glamorous pantry.

 

And I'm challenging myself to cut that down to $400. I'll be sharing that journey here on the blog. I'll share the tips, tricks, ideas and recipes I try out. The good, the bad, the stupid and the extreme.

A $2 Difference

All too often I hear people say that they want to make a difference, but they don't have the time, money, talents, knowledge, resources or whatever they think it is they need to make a difference in the lives of those around them.

 

Truth is, making a difference is not about grand gestures, huge actions or large donations. Those things are great and always appreciated, but making a difference has far more to do with small choices you and I make every day. You never know what small choice you make is going to impact someone either.

 

Tonight I made a small choice. It made a visible difference for someone. It only cost me $2 and 3 words.

 

Being as tomorrow is Sunday and as it is we're rarely on time for church, I stopped at the gas station to make sure we had enough gas to get to church. I decided to say the scary words "fill it" which is always a bit scary.

 

$78

 

Deep breath and remind myself that at least I have $78 to fill my tank, God is good to me. As I'm thinking this I pull 4 twenty dollar bills out of my wallet and hand them to the attendent. I've watched him from the comfort of my warm van, running from pump to pump helping impatient people who have all been rude to him while he works in the cold, rain and wind to pump their gas. I remind myself it's a thankless job, we rely on them but don't appreciate them.

 

When I let go of those 4 bills, I smiled at this weary looking man. "Keep the change."

 

He looked stunned. After confiming I was sure, he smiled and thanked me before dashing off to help another car.

 

$2 and 3 words.

 

That's all it took to make a difference. I didn't end world hunger or cure cancer. I did remind a man that he is appreciated. I did spread kindness. I did show my chidren that small, selfless acts can bring a smile to someones face.

 

Stop waiting for some grand moment to make a difference.

Make a difference RIGHT NOW.

 

Open your eyes and ears. See and hear the world around you! We live in a world of hurting, broken people. There are 100 chances every day to make a difference right where you are, with exactly what God gave you.

The Homestead Dream

A few years ago the idea of a homestead sounded like some cute far off dream... I was after all, living in a tiny 2 bedroom apartment with management that refused to allow planting anything consumable "for health reasons." Looking back, it was probably a good health move not to eat anything grown on that property and to move!

 

After many rollercoaster ups and downs, I've come to realize how vitally important a homestead can be! Even when income gets low, there would still be food, medicinal herbs and probably some extra to barter or sell. Of course, even backyard homesteading wouldn't pan out in the apartment I moved into after my husband left... I tried... I got a dozen TINY potatoes and 1 bell pepper the size of a plum! Everything else flopped.

 

Yet another reason to enjoy our new house. Not only do we have a house that will save us money each month compared to horrid little apartment we were in. We now have a backyard and a front yard, both of which are rather large!

 

LET THE BACKYARD HOMESTEADING BEGIN!!!!

 

Photo courtesy of Starjewel's Pictures                                    

 

Now my dreams can become realities. I can plant, harvest, can and preserve to my hearts content and sell some for profit!

 

The wheels are already turning as I think about and plan out my goals for the homestead start up this year.

 

I hope to accomplish:

 

Planting 2 apple trees, 2 blue berry bushes and at least one raspberry vine (there's already wild blackberries out back)

Herb pots on the front porch

Begin a medicinal herb patch

Plant a wide varriety of produce to consume fresh, sell and preserve

 

 

I'm also going to talk to my landlord (since sadly we're still renting) about rabbits and chickens. Both are allowed inside the city limits, I just need her approval. I'd like to have 3 or 4 chickens just for eggs and 2 rabbits to breed and sell, possibly get the oldest girls into 4H.

 

Other things I plan to look in to this year are city bylaws reguarding dwarf goats, ideas for utilizing the creek out back, and learning how to save seeds from heirloom produce.

 

I hope everyone enjoys following us as we embark on a much anticipated journy to becoming backyard homesteaders!