At the end of the week, I begin planning the following week of meals for our family. I have shared a few posts on how we meal plan and what we prefer to eat. You can check them out here…

1.Meal Planning Tips

2.Balanced Eating

3.Dinner Meal Plan

I thought I would share our “staple” items that I usually buy every week or keep on hand.  Of course we stay stocked on items such as condiments, baking necessities, etc, however I do not need to purchase any of those items on a weekly bases. I will make note on my phone when something runs out to purchase when needed. We are very minimal in general so we don’t have much food that is wasted or unused. Here are some of our favorite foods to keep on hand!

What are your go-to grocery items that you always stock up on?

Only a few items pictured

Produce

• Bananas
• Apples
• Seasonal Fruit
• Carrots & Shredded Carrots
• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Onion
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Sweet Potato

**Additional produce depends on meal plan

Cold Items

• Milk
• Almond Milk
• Eggs
• String Cheese
• Greek Yogurt
• Pickles
• Frozen Fruit
• Frozen Veggies (steam bags)

Dry Items

• Squeeze Packs
• Bars (all three of us)
• Crackers or Veggie Straws
• Croutons
• Zevia/Flavored Water
• Sweet Treats
• Trail-mix
• Beans

 

Blessings,

Jac

I recently had a few days where I just felt like I was in a funk for no particular reason. I had no motivation to exercise, take care of the house, or be productive in the ways I wanted to. The best way I can describe it is just feeling “blah”. I was talking to my husband about it and it made me think about how many of us experience those “off” days, weeks, months, or even seasons. I think it is totally OKAY to have those moments in life, and sometimes necessary to move forward OR slow down.

Today I wanted to share the ways I get myself out of any funk, and what has worked well for me. I would love to know any ways that help you!

1.Allow Yourself Time

I think it is so important to allow ourselves to feel what we are feeling. Give yourself the grace and the time to go through it, but also realize you will have to make the choice and actions to get out of it. Set a time frame for yourself if it is more than a day long and follow through with it.

2. Acknowledge 

Acknowledge what you are feeling and let your loved ones know. It is important my husband knows it is nothing on his end or anyone else. He is way more understanding when I communicate it clearly and is eager to help.

3.Create Small Wins

Create small wins for yourself that will jump start your motivation. It could be something as simple as making the bed. Allow yourself to feel successful and it will snowball into more.

5 Tips To Stay Motivated

4.Exercise

It is amazing how good you feel after a workout. I have never regretted exercising, and it always boosts my mood and helps me to regain focus and clarity.

5.Go Outside

Breathe in the fresh air, enjoy the sunshine, and go outside!

6.Tackle One Thing At A Time

After you have experienced small wins, start tackling one thing you want to get done at a time. Don’t overwhelm yourself with 1,000 “to-dos” in a day or a week. Keep things simple and realistic! Prioritize what is most important.

7.Do Something For You

Do something that excites or inspires you! It could be something as easy as getting a coffee at a local shop. Create joy within yourself by doing something that makes you happy.

8.STOP Making Excuses

Once you decide you are over being in the funk, don’t allow yourself to continue making excuses. You are in charge of YOU!

 

Hope some of these are helpful the next time you are feeling “off”!

Blessings,

Jac

I recently had a girls weekend with some of my good college friends. As I was driving I couldn’t help but think of how blessed I was to have friends to plan weekends with, as well as how important and valuable that time together was. Our group of friends has tried to get together every couple of months to catch up and spend time with one another for the past 9 years. Even though we are spread out to different cities, and in different seasons of life, we still make an effort to stay connected.

Becoming a parent gives you a whole new perspective of things. Even though leaving my son was extremely hard for me in the first year, I now look forward to and crave that time with my girlfriends. I appreciate it on another level and understand just how important it is. I also think it is beneficial for our son to see us live a balanced life where we make ourselves a priority in different ways.

I wanted to share ways we have been able to stay connected over the years, especially if it is something you are wanting to implement with your friends!

• Alternate the places so it is fair for everyone
• Alternate the main coordinators/hosts
• Give advance notice
• Keep it simple/budget friendly (unless it is meant to be a big trip)
• Extend the invitation to everyone
• Use resources you already have (ex: parents homes, lake homes, etc…)
• Plan the next weekend after the last visit so it is in the calendar (ex: we already have an April weekend date)
• Create any easy yearly traditions (ex: college weekend, lake weekend, etc..)
• Take advantage of life events to all get together (ex: weddings, showers, birthdays)
• Find additional ways that aren’t in person (online bible study with weekly meetings, once a month catch up video dates, prayer lists/requests)

What are some ways you stay connected with your friends? I would love to know! 

Blessings,

Jac