Just Where Is "Afar?"


"She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar."


I have addressed this topic on here before, but it is a season of my life where it bears revisiting. I thought it would be fun to revisit it togetherJ  The Proverbs 31 Woman brought her food from afar.  I really am not sure what that means in the context of the time in which she lived.  I know that putting food on the table was hard work.  It meant growing it yourself or walking to the market and spending money, as wisely as possible, to provide nourishing meals for the family.  What does that look like today?

Pretty much the same I suppose.  We drive to the market rather than walk, and we have many more options than she had.  I am pretty sure we have many more unhealthy options mostly.  I could write a whole post about how you should coupon, grow your own food, and make everything from scratch.  However, I know for a FACT that is not always possible.  Some of you work outside of the home full-time, which I did for over 10 years.  Some of you, like me, still work a job at home other than your regular home keeping and mothering duties.  I was thinking it would be more helpful to list some ideas, and you choose which ones work best for you and your family during the season you are in right now.  Remember, the idea is to provide the most nourishing meals possible for the least amount of money possible.  Ready?  Try some of these on for size.

·         Have a stockpile of fast, not too bad for you meals that you can turn to on nights when cooking is just not in the cards.  This could be for nights when practices, ball games, or working late just do not allow for a full meal.  Pinterest is a great resource for these.  One of our favorites is grilled sandwiches with fruit or a salad.

·         Utilize the crockpot.  Again, there are tons of resources available, but Pinterest really is great for this too.

·         If you need to pick something up, try the deli at the supermarket.  It is cheaper than a sit down restaurant and much better for you than fast food.   You can buy an entrĂ©e and sides al carte, or sometimes the meat and three type deals are enough for more than one person to eat from.

·         Do consider gardening if you can find the time.  The Bundle of the Week this week is all about how to do this frugally, in little space, and efficiently. (I don't do this, but it has always been on my bucket list and I am excited to read this bundle!)

·         Consider a CSA.  Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is something my husband and I are considering giving a try.  The only thing holding me back is that I am unsure exactly how well it will fit in our budget.  My biggest eater, my son, is a struggle when it comes to veggies anyway, and I don't want to have so much we can't finish.  Look around for local ones and see if any would be a good fit for your family. If you can't garden, this is a great alternative, and we are leaning heavily towards giving it a try at least once. 

·         Cut back on the amount junk food you keep at home.  If it isn't there they will not eat it.  You will save money and they will be forced to eat what is there ( hopefully healthier alternatives) or go hungry.  I have done this, and do not get me wrong.  There is plenty of unpleasantness that goes with it at first.  This is especially true of the first time the 8 year old does not have a selection of potato chips to choose from for an afterschool snack.  (Yes, I am that mom.  No, I never said I was perfect, lol. )

·       Coupon and look at sales if you have time.  If you do not have time, don't sweat it or feel guilty.  Do the best you can.  Pay attention when you shop so you recognize a good price with you see it, and make an effort to spend the least amount possible on the best quality food possible.  .

Do you guys have more tips for us?  Let us know more about your "afar" in the comments or drop us a line on Facebook.  Also, if you do utilize Pinterest, I would love to have you join me here.   One last thing, the Bundle of the Week link above is my affiliate link.  It costs you nothing extra, and if you do purchase a bundle I get a small cut. If you are not comfortable with that just go to bundleoftheweek.com and check it out.  They have a new bundle each week, so be sure to sign up for emails.

Now, go find your "afar."






The Great Homeschool Debate

Do you homeschool?  I don't, and I said I never would, but now I really want to.  My husband and I are on different sides of this so I have no delusions that I will get to do this with any of my children.  My reasons for wanting to do so are many, his reasons not to are many, and all of our reasons either way are understandable and reasonable.  This is a hot topic so please feel free to weigh in in the comments!

 Fact is however, I have my baby girl home with me for one more year.  She attends a great program two days a week, but due to the fact that she knows all letters, the sounds they make, all numbers, and she is beginning to sound out words as well as do simple math problems, I feel she needs more.  We simply cannot afford the 5 day a week Pre-K programs in the area, so I am going to do homeschool preschool  3 days a week, with a new baby, while working from home. Yikes! 

I am looking at a lot of different options.  If we had another computer I would do abcmouse.com.  I have heard GREAT things about them.  However,   I don't see a separate computer in our future, so I am also looking at the ABEKA Pre-K curriculum. 

What do you suggest?  I know several out there have homeschooled Pre-K before.  Any helpful tips or tricks? 










Ahhh Spring... and New Life Everywhere!


As spring begins to awaken here in middle Tennessee (at least the weather man says it will tomorrow,) I feel like I am coming back to life myself.  I broke my foot just before Thanksgiving, requiring a cast that stayed put through the holidays.  That put a major crimp in my decorating, shopping, baking style not to mention regular housekeeping.  The cast came off in early January and life was good again.  In late January (January 29th to be exact) we received news that a bonus bundle of joy was headed our way. "Whoa" and "Yay" were my two reactions, respectively. 

That was until this third little munchkin kicked my mamma booty.  Don't misunderstand…the "Yay" was still there, but it was muffled for a bit by the swirling in my stomach and my head.  I barely felt bad at all with my other two, at least not to the point that it affected my life any.  By the beginning of the 6th weeks this little booger had me where I could barely get out of bed!  Yikes! Work wasn't done, housework wasn't done, and basically not much was done at all.  I got everyone fed, there was no rotten food lying around anywhere, and my youngest got her CF treatments.  That was it.

So now, Spring is here, and with it comes that oh so joyous second trimester.  It is time to get some major work done to make way for summer fun, and time to whip this poor pitiful house back into shape.  Here is what I need from you guys.  I need help. Your best ideas for cleaning and organizing from any source you have.  Do you have a routine?  a schedule?  Let us in on it.  Maybe the rest of us can find something that works for us as well :) 

 

Leave ideas in the comments or even leave links to your own post on the topic or to your related Pintrest board in the comments.  Go!










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