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When Reaching Your Financial Goals Means You Don’t Look Like Everyone Else

6 years ago my family and I began our financial journey.

6 years ago I read a book that inspired and challenged me. I passed it along to my husband right before he got on a plane, he read it, and returned from his trip inspired and challenged. What was this inspiring and challenging book? The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey.

Prior to those 6 years, we were responsible with our money. We were being thoughtful about how we spent and saved, but we didn’t have any solid financial goals. Then something changed and we became focused, unified, and determined…

*I’m excited to be guest posting over at The Budget Girl! You can read the rest of the post there. I hope our story encourages you!

Until next time,
Charissa

Our Simple Morning Routine

I always love reading about other families’ morning routines. I find them interesting and inspiring. Today I want to give you a little glimpse into our simple morning routine.

morning routine

Wake up
My 3 children (ages 10, 8 & 4) wake up anywhere between 5:30 and 7:00am. Sometimes one is up at 5:30, and the other 2 wake later. Sometimes they are all up early or all up late, if you want to call 7am “late”.

Cuddling on couch/reading/breakfast
The first few moments of the morning are usually a slow waking process. We might cuddle a bit on the couch. My oldest usually reads. I then begin making breakfast. All 3 don’t eat together, so 2 will eat while 1 rests on the couch; then the 3rd eats while the other 2 relax on the couch.

Get Dressed/Brush Teeth
Because we pick out clothes the night before, getting dressed doesn’t take very much time. The kids brush their teeth after getting dressed.

Chores
My oldest daughter and my son each have 3 chores they complete daily. 1 of their 3 is a morning chore, so they complete that chore before heading to school. My daughter empties the dishwasher, and my son takes out the recycling.

Playtime
If things have gone well and there is a little time left, they have some playtime together. My 4 year old is especially fond of this time since she is an only child during school hours.

Out the door
We grab their lunch boxes, add them to their book bags, and they head out the door to wait for the bus.

Now it’s just my 4 year old & me.

Book time
I like to start our time together with some reading. We snuggle on the couch, and read 3 or 4 books. (Most recently she is on a Cinderella kick.)

Work time/tablet time
I try to work on my blog and tasks related to that in the morning, so after I finish reading to my daughter, I make myself breakfast and do some work. She enjoys watching some of her PBS favorites on the tablet.

Out of the house/playtime at home
Some mornings we head out of the house, and sometimes we hang at home and play. By 11:30 she is eating lunch, and we start getting ready for afternoon preschool.

Some mornings are harder than others because (I know, hard to believe) we don’t always wake up in good moods. I do find, though, that this super simple routine helps us move beyond our grumpy moods and make our way through the morning with general ease. I also find that our evening routine positively affects our mornings. There are no perfect mornings, but I am thankful I get to start the day with my 3 children and our simple routine.

What about you? What does your morning look like? What time do your kids generally wake up? Leave your comments down below. I would love to hear from you!

Until next time,
Charissa

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The 5 Tasks You Should Do Before You Grocery Shop

Grocery shopping is a once a week occurrence in our home, but it is the tasks that happen before grocery shopping that impact the trip the most.

Here are the 5 tasks you should do before you grocery shop.

5tasks

Take Inventory. Open your refrigerator, your cupboards, and your pantry, so you can take stock of available items. As you look through these areas you will not only notice what you need, you might also possibly gain inspiration for meal planning.

DSCN5701

Clean Out the Fridge. While taking inventory of your fridge you can also use this time to toss out any unwanted and spoiled items. Last week’s chicken dish shoved in the back corner? Toss it. Moldy carrots in your vegetable drawer? Toss them. I don’t like to waste food, but we all know that some items don’t get used and go bad. Take this opportunity to make some space in your fridge before you come home with a pile of new groceries.

Meal Plan. Since you took inventory you have a better idea of what’s available to you, ingredient-wise. Use the items you do have available, the sales you find in your local store flyer, and any recipes you have or find to create a basic meal plan for the week.

mealplan

*If you want to read more about meal planning, you can find all my previous posts here. I promise, it’s easier than you think.

Make Your Shopping List. Now that you know what meals you are cooking for the week, you can create your shopping list. Don’t rely on your memory when it comes to shopping in the store and don’t use the store as “inspiration” for meals. A list keeps you organized and on-task.

Search for Coupons. I used to do much more couponing than I do now, but I still try to save money when I can. I usually have a few physical coupons found in a local circular. Sometimes I print a few coupons. I definitely use a lot of online coupons. I often shop at a store that has their own online coupons, so I always browse their app and click coupons before heading to the store.

*Have you tried Ibotta? You can scan your receipts and receive cash for certain purchases. Click my referral link to receive your $10 welcome bonus!! https://ibotta.com/r/dkcywic

Once these 5 tasks are done you can head to the grocery store knowing you have done the necessary prep work.

What about you? What tasks do you do before heading to the store? Leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you!

Until next time,

Charissa

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Spring Picture Books

Happy Spring!

The calendar might say it’s spring, but where I live it is in the 30s today. All the more reason to dive into spring-themed picture books!

Today I am sharing 4 picture books that celebrate spring.

Spring Picture Books

(This post contains affiliate links, so thenotsobusymom receives a very small commission if you make a purchase through the links.)

SPRING An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur
This author has written an acrostic book for each season, and I think we have read them all! This book is poetic, uniquely descriptive, and filled with sweet illustrations.

Butterfly House by Eve Bunting
This book tells the sweet story of a young girl who rescues a caterpillar and creates a home for it to live in while it makes its transformation. It’s also a lovely generational story about a grand daughter and her grandpa. The last page includes instructions on how to raise a butterfly of your own.

Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert
Waiting for Wings is another butterfly story for the spring. This book is very colorful, and the story is simple. I couldn’t help but think of Eric Carle books (in particular, The Very Hungry Caterpillar) as I read this one.

Mama, Is It Summer Yet? by Nikki McClure
After spring comes summer, so perhaps spring (for some) is just a lot of waiting for an even more beloved season. That seems to be the theme of this story by Nikki McClure. The child in this story repeats the same question and her mom responds with a “not yet” and some descriptive words about spring.

I shared these 4 books with 2 of my children and asked them to tell me which one was their favorite.

My almost-4 year old’s favorite was SPRING The Alphabet Acrostic because of the “babies” (humans & animals) that were mentioned on a couple pages. My 10 year old’s favorite was The Butterfly House.

If it’s warm where you are, grab one of these books and soak in some sunshine while you share a story that celebrates spring!

If it’s not warm, well, you can still grab one of these books and perhaps do a little make-believe.

What about you? Is it spring-like where you are?

Until next time,

Charissa

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The 1 Household Chore I Try to Do Every Day

Some days I’m tired. Sometimes my kids are sick. I have days when most of my morning is spent outside the home. Many times my day does not go as planned.

In the midst of these types of situations (and more) there is 1 household chore I try to do every day.

householdchore

(This post contains affiliate links, so thenotsobusymom receives a very small commission if you make a purchase through the links.)

Every day I try to do 1 load of laundry.

Each morning I start a load of laundry while my kids are eating breakfast, and we’re all getting ready for the day. Later that morning I move the laundry to the dryer, and I fold it then (or certainly by the end of the day).

Why?

I try to do 1 load of laundry every day for 2 main reasons:

It’s a good way to stay on top of the laundry situation. And we all know laundry is definitely a situation!
If I get to the end of the day and have accomplished no other household task, I can feel good about having at least completed this 1 thing!

Maybe number 2 is a little bit of a mental game I play with myself, but I truly like knowing that even if my day “falls apart”, I did a load of laundry.

More Thoughts on Laundry

Everyone has to find their own groove. I like to share my tips and ideas, and I also like reading about other laundry routines. Ultimately, we have to do what works for our families.
Listening to a podcast, audio book or music is a great way to pass the time while folding laundry.

(my most recent “listen”)

These mesh bags are my favorite things to use on delicates and “hand wash only” items. In fact, I wrote a post about them. (Yesterday, we washed my daughter’s Duplo legos in them.)
Drying racks come in handy, too. Because we heat our home with a wood stove our clothes dry quite quickly on our drying rack!

Yes, laundry is never-ending, but doing a load a day brings some sanity and satisfaction to my life.

What about you? What is the 1 household chore you try to do every day?

Until next time,

Charissa

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Doing But Not Overdoing

doing

This life we live involves a lot of doing. We do for ourselves. We do for others. We do big, and we do small. Maybe I should be a little more specific.

Life involves making choices, serving people, tending to our homes, taking care of our bodies, having a job, solving problems, and making friends. In any given week we may find ourselves making an appointment, reading a book, cleaning a floor, washing the dishes, visiting a friend, attending a meeting, making a meal, folding laundry, taking a walk, and shopping for groceries. Most on this list are things we have to do; some are things we want to do. Life involves a lot doing (as it should), but sometimes we do and do and do until we overdo.

Doing can quickly lead to overdoing. We want to be involved in our community but end up signing up for one too many committees. Being involved in our children’s school and it’s programs is important to us, but then we over-commit. We want our child to be well-rounded, but then we find that every evening and most Saturdays are filled with time in the car racing here and there.

Sometimes we overdo because it’s all we know. Sometimes we overdo because it’s what everyone around is doing. Sometimes we don’t even know we’re overdoing because we can become so easily accustomed to living this way.

Signs You Might Be Overdoing

You’re tired. Do you get to the end of the day completely exhausted?
You’re cranky. Are you easily frustrated and quick to snap at those around you?
You keep getting sick. Have you found that you are getting sick more frequently?
You are easily bothered by requests from others. Does a simple request from a friend or acquaintance frustrate and annoy you?

You might be tired, cranky, sick, and bothered by requests for a number of different reasons, but if one or more of these things are happening (with frequency) there is a chance you are overdoing.

Doing But Not Overdoing

I will always encourage you to do. The not so busy life is not about being lazy or sitting back and watching life pass you by. It’s not about being self-centered, only caring about you and only you.

I will always encourage you to do, but I will not encourage you to overdo. A life of overdoing gets messy and tiring. A life of overdoing is chaotic and crazy.

Let’s do this life…but let’s not overdo!

What about you? How have you kept your self from overdoing?

Until next time,

Charissa

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