Celebrating 15 Years!

Thanksgiving Day, 2014 my husband and I celebrated 15 years! In this world that is no easy task. We have had amazing highs and horrendous lows. We have chosen to push through, lean in, and love unconditionally. Since celebrating our day on the 27th was not really in the cards (the darn family wanted to eat turkey with us, Hehe)we saved our one on one time for the day after.

Doug arranged for an amazing day at Wilson Creek Winery in Temecula (Home of my FAVORITE Almond Champaign), lunch at their grill, and then home for dinner in our PJ’s. I took over at dinner and prepared steamed lobster tail ($21 at Costco for two huge tails) and warmed up side dishes from Thanksgiving Dinner.

1.5 pounds of fresh Lobster Tail

Yummy!

It is funny how things change the older you get. In years past we would have spent lots of money, possibly traveled over night, and measured the days success on that.This year we agreed that all we really wanted was a day together. We have learned in our Horrendous Lows that all we ever need is each other. So that is what we got. At the end of the day, we both agree that this was our favorite anniversary so far.

Hi All! I decided it is time for an RN for Wellness give away! I have a ton of products that I love and that I think every kitchen needs.
One of my favorite items is the Cuisinart Mini Prep food processor. I use it to make salad dressings, chop nuts, chop veggies, and mix sauces. It is easy to clean and does not take up much space in the cupboard.
How to win…. Visit www.facebook.com/jennrnforwellness “Like” my page and in the comment section of the post let me know what you would use your mini chopper for. I will announce the winner on Monday, Dec.1st!!!

Over the last few years I have really struggled with the fact that the Christmas season seems to be coming sooner and sooner each year. I was so agitated at the fact that Thanksgiving was being completely overlooked by the retail world. Christmas decorations go up right after Halloween for goodness sake. November 1st begins the Holiday Season.

So this weekend while having a conversation with a friend of mine about this exact subject I had that light bulb moment that changed everything. I was in the middle of saying that Christmas isn’t for another six weeks and it hit me. Christmas isn’t for another six weeks….
Wait….Six weeks of Christmas! Do you hear me? In a world where it feels like everything is always rushed and there is NEVER enough time I could actually get two additional weeks added to my favorite time of year? When have I ever been able to add two weeks to anything in my schedule. NEVER!

I realized that when we start celebrating now we get more time to enjoy the season. I get more time to talk about Jesus’s birthday to my boys and what that means for our family. I get more time to build gingerbread houses and do Christmas crafts. I get more time to bake and eat Christmas cookies with the boys and listen to Christmas music. I get more time to give back and give back in a big way. I get more time to plan,shop, and decorate. I get more time to reflect on the year and the abundant blessings God has given to me. In a way, I get more time to be thankful. This change of perspective gives us more time to do what we love about the holidays, minus the rush of only a few weeks to try and fit it all in.

Since having children the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas has become one crazy whirlwind of schedules and checking off “memory making” items from the list. I can look back at the last few years and say we did a lot of memory making but to be honest I can’t say I enjoyed much of it. It felt so rushed. I was so tired. We were all so tired. Realizing that we can take six weeks to do these things helped me to pump the breaks and remove the stress.

One of my favorite Christmas songs is O Holy Night. I love this song because of the part that says, O Holy Night, the stars are brightly shinning, It is the night of the dear Saviors birth, long lay the world in sin and error pinning, until HE appeared and the Soul felt its worth. The SOUL FELT ITS WORTH….. I can have six weeks of that!

You know what the craziest part is for me, I don’t lose Thanksgiving at all in this process. I actually gain Thanksgiving. For me thankfulness comes when I am with those I love and doing for those I love.

And so on Monday, November 17th we started a whole new journey as a family… The journey of a Christmas Season that will start before Thanksgiving, include Thanksgiving, and flow through that glorious day of Our Saviors Birth.

The first thing on my Christmas season to do list was Christmas Music! Really loud Christmas music!

While talking to a friend recently it became abundantly clear that I wanted to do a post on celebrating Thanksgiving on a budget. We are constantly bombarded with the message that if we don’t spend a lot and if we don’t have the best; it isn’t even worth it to try. I used to live that way too. If I couldn’t afford to throw a lavish party with all the bells and whistles I wouldn’t throw one at all. I would completely consume myself with all the details. By the time the party came and went I was exhausted, broke, and couldn’t remember why I wanted to have the party in the first place.

After my husband and I found Dave Ramsey and reworked our entire financial situation I realized that my view of the holidays and parties had to change. We now budgeted and paid cash for everything so lavish parties weren’t an option anymore. I had to learn to lean in to who we really were, what we could afford, and what was really important. Ya know what happened when I did that…. I became increasingly happy and incredibly thankful. I was thankful for the time spent and memories made.

You know what else I learned?…. The people that love you and matter most could care less about the minuet details that would of cost you a small fortune and a ton of stress. These people would rather you be a “Mary” and enjoy your party rather then a “Martha” and busy yourself with the details.

So here we are. I have a few budget friendly Thanksgivings under my belt now so I thought I would share a few tips I learned along the way!

Decorations:
Photo Credit: My Heart’s Desire

Decoration’s do not need to be expensive. You can very easily use glassware you already own and repurpose it into a beautiful centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table. This use of popcorn, beans, and peas is a simple way to bring harvest colors into your home. Candles can be purchased at the Dollar Store in almost any shade or size and twine from the garage or your craft bag for the bow. Pinterest is a great place to start; just type in “budget Thanksgiving decorations” and your off. I also love the website www.passionatepennypincher.com, this girl is a genius!

The Menu:
Image from Whole Foods Market

The number one budget trick on meal planning for Thanksgiving or any dinner party for that matter is DO NOT over cook!

We get so consumed with all the yummy recipes that we feel like we need to make one of each. Remember last year when you stuffed yourself so full of food you thought you would puke? I know for me; after cooking all day the last thing I want to do is eat on that food for the next week. We practically have to hide the food in our families bags so they take some home. How about this year you make just enough? I promise you will not run out of food. If you really want to try those recipes why wait for Thanksgiving? How about you make them in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.

When deciding what to cook, make a list of of the Top 5 things you want to eat and stick with it. I know in our house the top 5 are Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, and Sweet Potato Casserole (All these recipes are on this website by the way). I then divide the menu up between family members and we celebrate potluck style.

Gratitude and Thankfulness:

The good news here is as Psalm 100:4 says “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Our price has been paid so the most important part of Thanksgiving is free. Remember to love one another, appreciate your friends and family, and Thank God for the endless blessings.

With Christmas just six weeks away there are things we begin to do in our home to prepare for the hustle and bustle. There are four areas I address this time a year.

Budget:
As many of you know we are Dave Ramsey people. A few years ago we began the total money makeover, paid off $58,500 in debt in 16 months, became FPU leaders and haven’t stopped preaching it since then. When Christmas times comes around nothing changes in our financial world because we plan! Doug and I have found that the best way for us to save for Christmas is to put money away each month directly out of Doug’s check into a savings account. Now if you haven’t done this all year do not worry. You still have time. Here are a few tips to get you on track.
1. Sit down and make a list of who you need/want to buy for.

2. Sit down and calculate how much you can pull aside from each check from now until Christmas to buy those people gifts.Cash shopping only!

3. Go back to the list and decide how much you can afford to spend on everyone on your list.If you do not have enough for everyone on the list see if there are some items you can make or people you may see after the 25th and you could buy their gift at an after Christmas sale.

4. Now make a list of what you want to buy each person and shop with that list. Do not allow yourself to get caught up in the hype and wonderment of Christmas. It isn’t beautiful when you wake up in January in debt and the Christmas dazzle is gone.

5. Set a plan for next year so that when Christmas comes you are ready!

The Menu and the Decorations:
Y’all know I am about clean eating and entertaining. My favorite thing to do is scour the internet for new exciting recipes I can make RNforWellness approved. Planning the Christmas dinner menu, making the list,and putting my shopping day on the calendar helps to relieve the stress of the unknown for me.
I also take time to get my decorations down, go through them and decide what I will use this year, what might need to be tossed, and is there anything I need to purchase using my Christmas budget. If you are like me by the time Christmas is over the last thing I want to do is put away my decorations so they kinda end up shoved in whatever Christmas tub has room. I know it’s not the best plan but it’s the best this girl can do come January 1.

The Advent:
In our home spending time with the kiddos revisiting what Christmas is all about is one of the most wonderful pieces of the holiday season. We have our traditional advent calendar that we do every year but I also like to bring in a new thing that gets everyone excited about the true meaning of Christmas. My boys look forward to what this thing will be every year. Now with the world of Pinterest this is a whole lot easier. There are so many wonderful ideas that other mom’s have done and now all of those ideas are at our fingertips. We no longer have to always reinvent the wheel.

Prayer:
The only way I know how to truly prepare for the Christmas season and all that is wrapped up in the hustle and bustle is to pray. I learned a few years back that if I don’t spend time with God they true meaning of Christmas and the joy that comes with it gets lost in translation.

My prayer for all of you is that my website might be a place you can come to get recipes and ideas for your holiday season. I hope that I can help to lower your stress.

If you are like me; coming up with lunches day in and day out for the kiddos is a nightmare. Aside from homework; packing the daily lunch is my biggest school day dread. I decided to put together a post that gives you a few ideas so that you don’t have to think of new ideas all on your own. Us mom’s need to stick together!! Well here you go!

Homemade Lunchables
Lunchmeat
Cheese squares
1 Tbsp Chocolate chips
grapes or apple slices
Crackers

Wrap Sandwich
Flour tortilla
1/2 Tbsp ranch dressing
1 piece romaine lettuce
2 pieces lunchmeat
1 slice cheese

Soup
Preheat thermos with hot water
Heat soup in a microwavable safe dish to boiling and add to thermos

Leftovers
Preheat thermos with hot water
Heat leftover in microwavable safe dish until hot and add to thermos

Mini Pizza Sandwich
whole wheat english muffin
1 Tbsp tomato sauce
1 slice mozzarella cheese
2 slices canadian bacon
*I recommend toasting muffin first

Cheese and Cracker Box
Cheddar cheese squares
Monterey Jack Squares
Two types of crackers
Grapes

Hardboiled Egg Box
Hardboiled egg
Mini salt/pepper packs
Fruit
Yogurt

Fancy Yogurt
1/2 cup Plain Fage yogurt
2 Tbsp cranberry nut trail mix
6 grapes, sliced
Drizzle of honey
Dusting cinnamon

Hummus Dippers
Favorite hummus of your choice
carrot sticks
celery sticks
Zucchini sticks
pita chips

Tuna Dip
Tuna
1/2 tbsp ranch dressing
carrot sticks
crackers
Cheese squares
Crunchy Salad
Lettuce
Cherry tomatoes
sweet bell pepper strips
Grated cheddar cheese
crumbled tortilla chips
1 tbsp ranch dressing on the side

Grilled Nugget Box
BBQ chicken cut into cubes
potato chips
broccoli trees
Apple slices

Another little time saving trick I do is I pre make a truck load of turkey and cheese and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and then freeze them in ziplock bags. I pull one out the night before, throw it in the lunchbox, and by lunchtime the are ready to go. I PROMISE you they do not get soggy and my kids and husband gobble them up.

*The image above is a Stephen Joseph lunch box. One of my favorites due to their adorable images.

While preparing for a workshop I updated my grocery list and thought I would put the new version on the website. These are items I buy on a regular basis that help me to plan meals and eat with purpose throughout the month.

I generally do not have all of these things at one time but I like to keep a good stock of my staples. I find that for me I need to be able to grab and create on those crazy days where I work both jobs, both kids have soccer, and laundry is taller than the hamper!

Grains:
Whole wheat bread (Orowheat)

Whole wheat bagels

Whole wheat hamburger buns

Sourdough bread

Flour tortillas (any without PHO)

Corn tortillas

Whole wheat pasta

Whole wheat rice

Gaba rice

Harvest medley rice (CalMati rice, wild rice, sweet brown, heirloom red)

Oatmeal

Steel cut Oatmeal

Whole wheat flour

Whole wheat pastry flour

Panko bread crumbs(Whole wheat/regular)

Dairy:
Milk

Butter (no salt, organic preferred)

Sour cream (Daisy)

Cream cheese/Cottage cheese

Cheddar cheese

String cheese
,Feta cheese
,Parmesan cheese

Eggs (cage free, organic)

Greek yogurt (Fage)

Meat:
Chicken breasts

Grass-fed beef

Lean pork

Ground turkey

Shrimp

Salmon

Tuna

Premium lunchmeat (Primo-Vons)

Packaged Items:
Black beans,Pinto beans
,Chili beans

Green chilies

Tomato sauce

Diced tomatoes

Tomato paste

artichokes-marinated

Organic low-sodium chicken and beef broth

Barbara’s cinnamon puffin cereal

Kashi-Cinnamon harvest cereal

Cheerios/Chex/Special K

Condiments:
Organic mustard

Organic Heinz Catchup (No HFCS)

Olive oil

Jiff Natural peanut butter

All fruit jelly

Salsa (Herdez brand)

All natural Honey

Maple syrup

Cane sugar

Brown sugar

Shredded Coconut

Balsamic vinegar

Red wine vinegar

Snacks:
Pretzels (sourdough Snyders)

Pita chips

Lays potato chips

Organic tortilla chips

Pecans,
Walnuts,
Almonds-whole

Popcorn (Kernal)

Nestle choc. chips

Raisins

Granola Bars (Kids Cliff, Odwalla, KIND)

You do not need to just eat meat to get your protein. I love this list by livelovefruit.com. Start by substituting one dinner and 1 lunch a week with a healthy vegetarian option. Gradually increase until you are eating at least 6 healthy vegetarian meals a week (3 dinner/3 lunch).

You will not only feel better but so will your wallet!! Look through my website for some healthy and yummy vegetarian recipes.

The Giving Adventure

After a crazy week of excess and extravagance at the school, my boys had become completely obsessed with what they were getting, what they were eating, and what they were doing to celebrate Christmas. The consumerism had taken over and I was finding that I was repeatedly trying to get the boys to reel in what Christmas is really about. Now don’t get me wrong I am all for a fun week of celebration at school leading up to Christmas break but I wanted to make sure as a family we kept a little perspective.

Over the last few weeks I have been broken and blessed. I almost feel like I have had a schizophrenic holiday season. I have seen unimaginable suffering first hand in my role as a nurse and my newsfeed has been flooded with inspirational stories of giving. I have witnessed true giving with my Operation Snowflake ministry and seen complete selfishness and disregard from people I do life with. I have seen the best of people and been shaken by what I think is the worst in people. The need to refocus myself and my boys with what Christmas means to OUR home became paramount.

I realized that the best way for ME to remember what Christmas is all about is to surround myself with giving. As a mother of two boys I feel a strong responsibility to show them that giving is way more important than receiving. I want them to understand what was given to them on Christmas Day all those years ago. When they think of Christmas I want them to first think of God’s sacrifice on that day.

Doug and I know that giving is our favorite part of the season, but how do you show that to a nine and six year old boy? How do you help them “feel” that feeling you get when you give? The way I became passionate about giving was I first needed to learn how to give. So there lied the challenge! How was I going to teach my boys what it meant to give? I wanted my boys to FEEL it. Really FEEL it and not just go through the motions.

So when I picked my boys up from school on the last day before Christmas break, bellies full of more sugar then any child needs, we began The Giving Adventure! (Side note, I first called my good friend and asked her and her daughter to pray for our adventure. I wanted to make sure I had some arsenal in my back pocket before I tried this with two little boys ;).)

When they got in the car I told them to buckle up because we were going to have a little fun! That immediately got their attention and I began to tell them about the Giving Adventure. I explained that I had filled out two cards. One card from Jake and one card from Luke. Inside each card was $20 and a note that read, “We wanted to Bless you! If you need this Please spend it and if you don’t Please give it away.” I instructed the boys that while out on our errands they would get to choose who would receive the giving cards. I asked them to pray to God for guidance on how to fulfill this VERY important task. They both shut their eyes and “prayed”. When we were done praying Luke, my six year old asked, “Mama how will I know” and I reassured him that he will know. So off we went.

We made several stops and it was so cute to see how nervous they were. They are very generous children but I could tell they felt a huge amount of responsibility. Jake didn’t want to hold the card and he stayed right by my side. Luke stared at everyone as if waiting for a sign. I constantly reassured them and made suggestions on people I thought might be good choices. All my suggestions were shot down.

After making at least three stops we got back in the car and Jake followed by Luke exclaimed I know who I want to give my card to. Jake said, “I want to give my card to my friend Jon” I was surprised and asked why, knowing that Jon was not in need. Jake responded, “because he is MY friend and it would make him happy”. Luke then responded, “ I want to give my card to MY friend Jack!” Same situation here, Jack was not needy but Jack is one of Luke’s very best friends. Luke said, “Jack can buy some nice things to play with”. So off we went to Jon and Jack’s house.

To be honest the whole way I was trying to figure out what I was going to tell their parents. I asked Luke if he wanted to get out and explain the card to Jack and he said, “NO!” Evidently he did not want Jack to know it was from him. He wanted it to be a surprise. When we arrived at Jack’s I got out, rang the doorbell, and explained to his mom what we were doing there. She graciously took the card, called for Jack, and invited us in. I had to refuse because Luke wanted it to be a surprise. We both laughed and when I got back in the car the boys were smiling from ear to ear.

Next we were off to Jon’s. Jake felt differently, he wanted to deliver the card to Jon and explain what it was for. When we arrived at Jon’s house we all got out and went to the door. Jon’s sister answered the door and Jake asked if Jon was there. She invited us in and Jake walked right up to Jon, explained why we were there, handed him the card and then stood back. Jon smiled big, opened the card and said, “WOW! Thanks Jake!” Jake immediately turned the darkest shade of red you have ever seen. Jon’s sister then read the card out loud. Jake said you can keep the money if you need it or if you don’t you can give it to someone who does. Jon immediately responded, “I don’t need it, I want to give it to my cousin!” (Jon is 8) All four of the kids stood there with BIG smiles.

As we drove home my boys were giddy. They were chatting in the back seat about how fun it was and that we should do that again! I of course listened quietly with tears running down my cheeks. I knew that they FELT it. I also realized at that moment that of course they would give to those they love first because that is how we all learn to give. In Luke 2 God gave us His son. We were not strangers we were and are the most important people in HIS life.

When every thing was said and done and we were back home I realized that not only did my children give as God led them but he gave them the Joy in their heart. They have spoken several times in the last few days of the Giving Adventure and asked if we can do it again. Jake said maybe this time he could give a card to a stranger. Success!

I had the most amazing opportunity to meet someone that I not only look up to but someone who has helped change our life for the good. Several weeks ago I received an email asking me if I would be interested in helping as a volunteer at a FPU coordinator dinner in LA. I would need to come to LA, help with set up, assist coordinators as they arrive, and then help with whatever is needed for the remainder of the evening. Now any of you that know me, know I jumped at the chance. Those that do not know me let me share a little back story..

A few years back Doug and I were introduced to the Dave Ramsey financial plan by a friend and we were at a place where we were sick and tired of making good money and living paycheck to paycheck. We purchased the Total Money Makeover book, attended FPU, and the rest is history. We spent the next 16 months working our tails off to get out of debt. At the end of the 16 months we were $58,500 lighter. From the moment we heard about Dave we have never been the same. So now back to the request for me to volunteer, Heck Ya! The least I could do, as a thank you to Dave and his entire team is volunteer my time to thank those who have coordinated FPU’s . Coordinator’s of FPU give other couples like us a chance at a new future.

So I headed to LA, arrived in time to help put gift bags together and meet some of Dave’s amazing staff. I got to work first hand with a girl named Margaret who had just recently started to work with the Ramsey team and was the nicest person you could ever meet. We got to chat quite a bit, they fed us lunch, and treated us as if we were a member of their team. Once the coordinator’s started to arrive we greeted them, checked them in, and helped them feel comfortable. Believe it or not there were people there from my community that I knew and I could not be more thrilled to have gotten to serve them.

Then Dave Ramsey arrived! We got to help him welcome the coordinators in to the ballroom and were given the opportunity to take pictures with him. Then the “show” started. I was able to hear Dave speak, I learned about some new things coming up, and we got to applaud the coordinator’s who received awards for leading multiple classes within their community. Towards the end of the night I had mentioned to Margaret that I had brought my Total Money Makeover book and I was wondering if there was any chance Dave would sign it as a surprise to Doug for our anniversary. Margaret and the team loved the idea and by the end of the night I had my book signed!

I know for some of you this probably sounds crazy but this was one of the best experiences I could ever had. Definitely checked something off the bucket list!