Tag Archives: jillian and emmett

Turn It Up Tuesday – #64

Posted on December 8 by Jillian416 • 3 Comments

Welcome to the 64th week of Turn It Up Tuesdays! We’re so happy to have you here again this week – we had such amazing posts last week! We enjoyed reading them all!

Turn It Up Tuesdays is all about being happy, excited, energetic…and having fun! Link up your favorite posts (old or new) and meet some awesome bloggers in return! Link up your funny stories, DIY posts, recipes, mommy moments — anything at all, as long as it is family-friendly. We want to laugh, be entertained, be inspired, and have a good time!

Thanks so much to everyone that joins us each week and makes this blog hop the best that it could be!

Are you interested in having your blog or website featured on Turn It Up Tuesdays? Do you want to offer a discount to Turn It Up Tuesday linkers?
Then, sponsor Turn It Up Tuesday for a month! Click here! It’s only $5 for an entire month!
We’re accepting sponsors for 2015!

[tweetthis]#TurnItUpTuesday is live! Link up & join the fun![/tweetthis]

Welcome the lovely ladies of Turn It Up Tuesday!

(from the top – left to right)

And welcome our awesome guest hosts for December!

(from the top – left to right)

Interested in being a guest host for the month or becoming a permanent co-host?

Complete the form here! Monthly co-hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis. We’re now accepting guest hosts for January and February.

Here are the Featured posts from last week!

Ce Ce chose Cardboard Tube Snowman Family Craft from The Organized Dream. “This is the cutest craft to add to a 25 days of Christmas crafts list!”

Angie chose Don’t Forget Jesus from Kids in the Word. “Jesus is the most important part of Christmas and even as an adult I practice many of the wonderful suggestions in this post.”

Tina chose Holiday Lunchbox Idea + Jokes #BICMerryMarking #SummerMelon from A Mom’s Take. “What a sweet Holiday Lunchbox Idea!! So simple to make. Small suprises that make your loved ones smile do matter,love Rudolph and the joke.Thanks for sharing.”

Kelly also chose this post. “I always like new ideas for the kids’ lunches.”

Cathy chose Easy Homemade Santa’s Cookie Plate #DIYwithPainters #PaintersMarkers from A Mom’s Take. “I love the simplicity of this precious keepsake! What an awesome idea!”

Rhonda chose Build A Christmas House Out of Twinkies by Home Making Hacks. “I have always loved Hostess Twinkies. Making an edible Christmas House with them will be a fun craft to do with the kids for the holidays, adorable and delicious.”

Chelsea chose 10 delectable christmas cookie recipes from Dreaming of Leaving. “My mouth literally drooled after looking all these delectable cookies! Such cute ideas that make me want to jump in the kitchen and bake!”

Jillian chose 7 Reasons Why I’m Grateful for My Broken Kneecap from Surviving and Thriving in the Second Year of My Divorce. “I chose this post because we often need to be reminded that we should be grateful for even the little things. This posts reminds us that even in a terrible situation, there IS good!”

Tiffany chose 13 Signs You Are Blog-holic… from A Kaleidoscopic Dream. “Such a fun post and definitely on the nose for each sign. I am truly a Blog-holic and I am darn proud to say it!”

Silvie also chose this post. “I could relate to every single one of the things mentioned and it gave me a good laugh. Which I totally needed. I love blogging and wouldn’t stop doing it for anything!”

Laci chose Decor Challenge: Christmas Ribbon Garland from A Dose of Paige. “This is easy and such my style and adds a unique touch to any room that anyone will notice.”

Elaine chose Stuffed Tomatoes from My Lamp is Full. “This stuffed tomato recipe made my mouth water. To me, that is always a sign that the recipe will be great.”

Stacey chose Snickerdoodle Cookies from Luv a Bargain. “My two youngest absolutely love Snickerdoodle cookies! I can’t wait to try this one and add it to our Christmas cookie baking during this coming Christmas season! Thank you so much for sharing!”

Stacy chose NinjaBread Cookies. Not Your Ordinary Gingerbread from The Crafty Side of Sarcasm. “My favorite this week is the NinjaBread Cookies by The Crafty Side of Sarcasm. I love them because ninjas. Is there really anything more to say? :”

Jessica chose Is Your Life an Adventure? from Stuck In Your Rut. “What an inspiring story! It made me re-analyze my life and goals I had for myself but never did. It’s a great reminder for all of us that life is too short and we should make the most of it, even when obstacles get in the way! Thanks a million for sharing!”

Nancy chose 4 Fun Ways to Stay Fit With The Help Of Your Dog from Urban Naturale. “It was visually appealing, great photos, and the tips that she offered were simple and practical.”

Natasha chose Toddler Boy’s Christmas Wishlist from The Everyday Momma. “I must admit, I’m also an addict for buying my son toys, especially educational toys. I love this Christmas wishlist – I may be getting some of the things on this list. Thanks for a great post!”

The post with the most clicks is Things I Said Before I Was a Parent from Crazily Normal.

Stop by and show some love to our featured bloggers this week! I’m sure they’d all appreciate it!

If you were featured above, feel free to share the badge below with pride on your blog or website!

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And the Best of the Best is…

10 delectable christmas cookie recipes from Dreaming of Leaving

Cardboard Tube Snowman Family Craft from The Organized Dream

Show some love to our Best of the Best bloggers this week!!!!

As the Best of the Best, you win free ad space on Epic Mommy Adventures for 30 days! Please showcase the badge below with pride on your blog!

Please send an e-mail to Natasha at 1EpicMommy@gmail.com and she will provide you with all the details for the free ad space!

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So now that you’ve met our sponsor of the month, our hosts and co-hosts, and our Featured and the Best of the Best…

let’s get started!

*Show some love to your hosts and co-hosts simply by following them on social media and leaving a comment so they can follow you back. *Link up as many posts as you’d like! The more, the merrier! *Check out some of the other posts and make some new friends! *Grab the button below and showcase on your sidebar! Invite your fellow bloggers to join the fun!

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Link up your posts, make some friends, and earn the chance to be featured or become the Best of the Best on Turn It Up Tuesday! We will feature the favorite posts each week!

**Disclaimer: Adding your link to this link party gives permission to Epic Mommy Adventures, along with co-hosts, guest hosts, and participants of Turn It Up Tuesday, to share your posts and pictures via social media and as features, roundups, etc. with an explicit link back to the original source.**

An InLinkz Link-up

Interested in reading all of our favorite posts on Turn It Up Tuesdays – past or present? Or do want to know if your post was featured before we go live next week? Follow Natasha Peter’s board Featured on Turn It Up Tuesdays! on Pinterest.

Filed Under: All About Me, Link-Ups

Time Management – What’s It All About?

Posted on November 13 by Jillian416 • 18 Comments

Time management is one of the toughest things to master as a person, but becomes even doubly difficult as a parent whether working outside the home or not, especially a parent of a young child. I’ve struggled with focus and being task oriented for almost my entire life, and I have a lot of hobbies outside of my day job, so having strong time management skills were a MUST. It is because of this need for laser focus, that I started looking into different way to stay on course and meet my goals. I thought that it would be a great idea to share those tips with you in a new series that I’m simply calling Time Management for the Busy Mom.

Let’s be honest, even on some of our best days we struggle to stay focused and on task. One chime from Facebook, a notification on your phone, or a co-worker calling your attention to something other than the task at hand, is enough to derail even the strongest and most focused of individuals. And once you’re pulled off that task, it’s hard to bring yourself back to exactly where you were before.

[Tweet “The dictionary defines time management as the ability to use one’s time effectively or productively, especially at work.”]

I’ve read that it can take you 15 more minutes to get your focus back on track. The worst part? In that time, it’s easy enough for someone else to come along and interrupt what you’re doing. It’s enough to make a grown-up cry!

Believe it or not, there are many, MANY different ways to keep you focused on the end result. Simply doing a search of Google will turn up millions of hits on how different individuals handle their procrastination, and stay focused. Just like with anything, no one way will work for one person – if you try one method and it doesn’t work, I encourage you to try again and not give up! You will find your focus gold and will wonder how you ever survived without it.

Since we as mom’s, whether we work inside or outside the home (this can be SAHMs too), learning how to be focused and have great time management skills will help make your days run smoother and will keep your sanity about you.

Here’s my list of the Time Management Techniques that I’ve tried:

This list is not all encompassing of every possible time management trick out there, but can be used as a guide to find your comfort zone. I will also be covering each item in their own post to provide details on how each works, how I used it, whether it worked or not and some ideas on how you could tweak it to work for you.

Pomodoro Technique
Urgent / Important Lists (Prioritization)
Block Your Time
Creating “Tickler” Files

As I try new or different ones and as I do, I’ll update my post and share those results with you, too.

If you’re looking for some great posts that talk about time management here are some additional options:

For bloggers: Blog Clarity’s post on 25 Tips to Become a More Productive Blogger or Write Better and Faster with One Simple Tip.

For Moms: Time Management Tips for Moms or Time Management: 6 Tricks for Parents to Stay on Track

Your turn!

Have you tried any Time Management techniques before? Did it work, did you feel more productive? If so, I’d love if you shared them in the comments below.

Looking for a quick, easy and FREE way to get your news? Check-out theSkimm and sign-up for your daily email box delivery of the world’s news, plus if you share your birthday, you get it listed at the bottom of the newsletter on your day. It’s like celebrating with thousands of people!!!!

Filed Under: All About Me, Family

Toddler Sleep Regression – Why Your Toddler Wakes at Night

Posted on November 3 by Jillian416 • 16 Comments

Toddlers like babies can have spurts of time when they wake up several times a night. Not knowing what to do, can be frustrating

When you’re pregnant, everyone reminds you to sleep now, because once the baby arrives you won’t be able to do so. Then, once the baby is here, people check-in or offer to watch the little one so that you can catch some zzzz’s. If you’re like me, when your baby was an infant, you were able to exist on very few hours of sleep and not feel like a zombie. You were just used to it, though when it was offered, I took the help!

However, what you may not be prepared for, is that around 18 months your child can revert back to their non-sleeping ways, to what is called toddler sleep regression, leaving you feeling like you’ll never sleep a full night again. It can be frustrating, but there is an end in sight and remind yourself, this, like every other stage it is ONLY temporary.

Why Your Toddler is Waking Again

Around 18 months toddlers can begin going through another round of sleep regression. Some infants and older babies experience sleep regressions at other stages, but when you hit those toddler years, you’re not through yet. It really is too bad that more pediatricians don’t warn parents that this occurs. I had NO idea until it happened to us and I started googling.

There are so many things that could be causing the sleep regression, here’s what to look for so that you can love and support your little one

Out of the blue your sweet sleeping child, will no longer sleep through the night and it is a struggle to get them to nap. Sound familiar? If not, you’re a lucky one! Many parents report that their child was sleeping through the night at 11+ months and then BOOM all of a sudden you’re up multiple times a night with your little one.
Could your child be physically uncomfortable? Such as an ear infection or perhaps their 2 year molars growing in. If so, this could be the culprit for the lack of sleep.
Another sleep disruption could be night terrors.Your child’s brain is growing and developing at a rapid rate, which means their imagination can begin to run wild. If they see a scary image on TV, that could then live on in their dreams and wake them from a deep sleep.
What about at home, are there any major adjustments happening? Did you just move, or did you change day cares? Anything that disrupts a toddler’s normal day to day can really throw them off their schedule, which can lead to lots of unhappy nighttime wake ups.
Separation anxiety has resurfaced. Believe it or not, separation anxiety can hang around until a child is 5+ years old. The fear obviously changes, but it still exists. Around 18 months to 2 years, toddlers can start to worry about being left alone or with a stranger. Again, this can lead to those middle of the night call-outs.
Finally, there may just not be a simple explanation. There are just periods of time that a toddler wakes up and doesn’t want to sleep, you’ve gone through your list (and checked it twice) and nothing fits. This just means that you need be there to love and support your toddler, and hopefully catch some zzz’s on the side.

Losing sleep day in and day out can be really difficult on moods and outlooks on life. Just take a moment and remind yourself that this is temporary and it will pass. Be patient, surround yourself with loving and supportive people, and remember you are not alone.

Stay tuned for future posts in regards to toddle sleep regression regression – How You Can Sneak Quick Naps In and How to Survive Toddler Sleep Regression.

Looking for more information on this subject? Check out this post from What to Expect: Toddler Sleep Regression or Progression?

Your turn!

What other reasons do you have for toddler sleep regression? Please share in the comments below!

Looking for a quick, easy and FREE way to get your news? Check-out theSkimm and sign-up for your daily email box delivery of the world’s news, plus if you share your birthday, you get it listed at the bottom of the newsletter on your day. It’s like celebrating with thousands of people!!!!

Linking up with internationalbloggersassociation.com.

Filed Under: Emmett, Family

Turn It Up Tuesday – #59

Posted on November 3 by Jillian416 • 4 Comments

Welcome to the 59th week of Turn It Up Tuesdays!!! We’re so happy to have you here this week – and thanks for the amazing Halloween posts last week! There were so many great posts to choose from!

I’m really really excited to see your posts this week!! Last week we had SO many to choose from, it was really difficult narrowing down to just the ones listed here. We would love to see YOUR posts!! Please share in the link section below – remember you have a chance to be featured across SO many different blogs.

Let’s continue with some more Halloween and Fall posts this week! I’m sure you have tons more to share!

Turn It Up Tuesdays is all about being happy, excited, energetic…and having fun! Link up your favorite posts (old or new) and meet some awesome bloggers in return! Link up your funny stories, DIY posts, recipes, mommy moments — anything at all, as long as it is family-friendly. We want to laugh, be entertained, be inspired, and have a good time!

Thanks so much to everyone that joins us each week and makes this blog hop the best that it could be!

SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

Silvie from My Silly Little Gang

Through Silvie’s posts, she shares the details of raising my silly little gang of boys and the different things she encounters in her life as a mommy. Including crafts, recipes, and reviews, she enjoys blogging and all the work it entails. It definitely keeps her on her toes, but it’s rewarding for her when she receives a comment from a reader letting her know they enjoy her post. Her goal is to grow her blog into all it can be. As a mommy blogger, she has had the opportunity to work with several brands to review their products or places.

Stop by and check out her blog…it’s definitely a great read!

Are you interested in having your blog or website featured in this spot? Then, sponsor Turn It Up Tuesday for a month! Click here! It’s only $5 for an entire month!
We’re accepting sponsors for 2015!

Welcome the lovely ladies of Turn It Up Tuesday!

(from the top – left to right)

And welcome our awesome guest hosts for November!

(from the top – left to right)

Interested in being a guest host for the month or becoming a permanent co-host?

Complete the form here! Monthly co-hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis. We’re now accepting guest hosts for December, January, and February.

Here are the Featured posts from last week!

Cathy chose Easy Recipe for Pumpkin Cream Cheese Truffles from A Mitten Full of Savings. “Cream cheese and pumpkin…need I say more!? I can’t wait to make these for the holidays!”

Jillian chose How to Make an Infinity Scarf from Little House Living. “I chose this post because I have been seriously obsessed with scarves this Fall season and they can get pricey. This is a much more affordable option to fulfill my need for many many scarves. haha”

Cathy chose Book Page Paper Pumpkin {How to Decorate for Fall on a Budget} from The Domestic Heart. “Shelly has created an amazing paper pumpkin and you can to with her awesome step by step tutorial! Create these amazing paper pumpkins to decorate your home this harvest season!”

Kelly chose Paper Plate Candy Corn Bunting from Typically Simple. “I love easy craft projects and my kids thought this was really fun.”

Jessica chose If I Had A Halloween Party from The Crafty Side of Sarcasm. “How cute! Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I have yet to throw a Halloween party so when I do, I will definitely check in for some of these awesome ideas, especially the take on food!”

Bernadyn chose How Zombies and Screams Gave Me a Mom Moment from Life in a House of Testosterone. “I chose this post because Kim shares how she had a “Mom moment” with her son in an unexpected time and place. I think that for parents, those special moments are important to cherish especially as your children grow older and it sometimes, it becomes harder to find ways to stay close and connected.”

Stacey chose Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars from Platter Talk. “Oh my these look absolutely wonderful! My kids would definitely be asking for more because these are three of their favorite ingredients! LOL! I will be giving this one a try and soon! Thank you so much for sharing!”

Meghan chose 52 Ways You Can Save Money Each Month from Amber Kristine. “As a stay at home mom, we are constantly looking for ways to save money. This post was great as it gave me a few additional ideas that we had not thought of yet.”

Sonya chose Easy Apple Cranberry Chia Seed Jam from A Worthey Read. “This looks like a great healthy jam recipe that is perfect for fall. Apples and cranberries are both in season so this is a great way to use them.”

Elina chose Coffee Filter Crafts | Coffee Filter Wreath from Happy Deal – Happy Day! “The finished project is stunning and she takes you step by step on how to create this unique wreath. I love the flowers she added to it, it gives the wreath a nice pop of color.”

Tina chose All Natural Car Air Freshener from Robyn’s View. “What a wonderful idea, it looks so elegant! A natural air freshner without any chemicals,safe for all the family. Looks great and the car smells great for less!”

Natasha chose 10 Practical Tips For New Bloggers (From A New Blogger) from Tabler Party of Two. “This is such a great post! These are tips that even us semi-newbie and long-time bloggers can take advantage of!”

The post with the most clicks is How To Put A Dresser Back Together from Anastasia Vintage.

Stop by and show some love to our featured bloggers this week! I’m sure they’d all appreciate it!

If you were featured above, feel free to share the badge below with pride on your blog or website!

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And the Best of the Best is…

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars from Platter Talk

How Zombies and Screams Gave Me a Mom Moment from Life in a House of Testosterone

Show some love to our Best of the Best bloggers this week!!!!

As the Best of the Best, you win free ad space on Epic Mommy Adventures for 30 days! Please showcase the badge below with pride on your blog!

Please send an e-mail to Natasha at 1EpicMommy@gmail.com and she will provide you with all the details!

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So now that you’ve met our sponsor of the month, our hosts and co-hosts, and the Featured and the Best of the Best,

let’s get started!

*Show some love to your hosts and co-hosts simply by following them on social media and leaving a comment so they can follow you back. *Link up as many posts as you’d like! The more, the merrier! *Check out some of the other posts and make some new friends! *Grab the button below and showcase on your sidebar! Invite your fellow bloggers to join the fun!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" title="Epic Mommy Adventures" target="_blank"><img src="http://epicmommyadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/200pxturnitup1_zps05216d89.png" alt="Epic Mommy Adventures" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Link up your posts, make some friends, and earn the chance to be featured or become the Best of the Best on Turn It Up Tuesday! We will feature the favorite posts each week!

An InLinkz Link-up

Interested in reading all of the Featured Posts on Turn It Up Tuesdays – past or present? Or do want to know if your post was featured before we go live next week? Follow Natasha Peter’s board Featured on Turn It Up Tuesdays! on Pinterest.

Filed Under: All About Me, Link-Ups

Crock-Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Posted on October 29 by Jillian416 • 10 Comments

Heart-warming Chicken Noodle Soup

It happens every year, the cooler weather hits and I want soup. There is just something so very very comforting about sitting on the couch (because soup just shouldn’t be eaten anywhere but on the couch – haha), curled up in your softest sweatpants and socks, and your warmest sweatshirt, sipping that delicious steaming bowl of soup. Seriously, is there anything better!?

It’s no secret that Fall is my favorite time of year. Just something about it makes me come alive! I recently decided to try my hand at chicken noodle soup, but wanted to make it in the crock-pot because I’m not one for standing over the stove for hours on end. I like to cook, and then let the food do its thing.

I have to admit, this adventure was a success. The soup turned out delicious, and I cannot wait to make it again! It’s filling, hearty and warms you through and through. I highly recommend you run out and get the ingredients today, and make it for lunch all week. It would absolutely make a perfect dinner, too – I just prefer having soup for lunch.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:3]

Your turn!

Do you love Chicken Noodle Soup? What’s your favorite recipe? Share in the comments below!

If Chicken Noodle Soup isn’t your favorite, what kind is?

Looking for a quick, easy and FREE way to get your news? Check-out theSkimm and sign-up for your daily email box delivery of the world’s news, plus if you share your birthday, you get it listed at the bottom of the newsletter on your day. It’s like celebrating with thousands of people!!!!

I’m linking up with Peas and Crayons, join me by clicking here.

Filed Under: Food & Fitness

Turn It Up Tuesday – #58

Posted on October 27 by Jillian416 • 2 Comments

Welcome to the 58th week of Turn It Up Tuesdays!!! We’re so happy to have you here this week – and thanks for the amazing posts last week!

Can you believe that last week we had 298 blog posts link-up and we featured 13 of those posts across over 15 different blogs. That’s a lot of exposure!! You definitely should consider linking-up, we would love to have you!

Happy Halloween!!! The holiday is right around the corner, and it makes me realize that the year has flown by! What are you doing for Halloween? Going to any parties? Dressing up your kids in those adorable costumes? Share them all with us this week – present or past!

Turn It Up Tuesdays is all about being happy, excited, energetic…and having fun! Link up your favorite posts (old or new) and meet some awesome bloggers in return! Link up your funny stories, DIY posts, recipes, mommy moments — anything at all, as long as it is family-friendly. We want to laugh, be entertained, be inspired, and have a good time!

Thanks so much to everyone that joins us each week and makes this blog hop the best that it could be!

SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

Danielle from The Frugal Navy Wife

Danielle is a Navy Wife and Stay at Home mom to 3 (soon to be 4) children age 5 & under! She has learned to save money on a set income & I want to teach you to save money for the things you WANT to spend
it on and not what you HAVE to, like bills! The Frugal Navy Wife provides fellow military wives with recipes, DIY, deals, and money-saving tips, along with homeschooling tips.

Stop by and check out her blog…it’s definitely a great read!

Are you interested in having your blog or website featured in this spot? Then, sponsor Turn It Up Tuesday for a month! Click here! It’s only $5 for an entire month!
We’re accepting sponsors for 2015!

Welcome the lovely ladies of Turn It Up Tuesday!

(from the top – left to right)

And welcome our awesome guest hosts for October!

This is the last week for our October guest hosts…thanks for all you have done to make this month great!

(from the top – left to right)

Interested in being a guest host or becoming a permanent co-host?

Complete the form here! Monthly co-hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis. We’re now accepting guest hosts for December, January, and February.

Here are the Featured posts from last week!

Laura chose Nature Mini Wreaths: Love Inspired from Simple Nature Decor. “I love the simple and adorable idea. This could easily be made with the family or that special time when Mom needs to hide and just be creative. Bringing Nature and memories always inspires me as a Blogger to want to be even more creative.”

April chose 10 Reasons to STOP Breastfeeding from MBA SAHM. “Butterfly turned ONE this week, and to stop nursing has been wearing on my mind a lot lately. There are so many things that are easier with breastfeeding. That said, things are getting more difficult as she’s teething and using me to soothe herself.”

Jillian chose Dollar Store DIY: Easy Owl Banner from Table Decor Ideas. “I chose this post because I am looking for new fun ways to decorate for Halloween outside of pumpkins and skeletons. This is perfect!”

Cathy chose Spiced Apple Cupcakes with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting | Apple Recipes from A Simple Pantry. “Karly creates the ultimate fall sweet treat! A moist apple cupcake topped with a creamy caramel cream cheese frosting with an added M&M on top! This cupcake is the perfect mouthful of fall flavors!”

Meghan chose How to Create An RH Baby Room without Spending the Money from Seeking Lavender Lane. “I want to redo my daughter’s room soon as she transitions to a toddler bed, but I already redid her nursery once so definitely can’t afford another major redecoration! This post gives great ideas on how to decorate affordably and still give you the look you are going for.”

Stacey chose Candy Overload Magic Bars from Annie’s Noms. “OMG! Those look absolutely amazing! I am definitely getting some sweetened condensed milk the next time I go to the store! Maybe even 2 cans, so that I can make a version with nuts, all for me! LOL! Thank you so much for sharing!”

Bernadyn chose Marriage and Money from Trusting the Journey of Motherhood. “I think this post about separating your finances in a marriage is a smart and practical way to keep the marriage more balanced. It may not work for everyone but then again, it may be a great way for some couples to be happier with how the finances are handled in their marriage or partnership instead of only one person having the burden of handling all the financial obligations.”

Jessica chose Couponing: My New Addiction // How I Saved 50% on My Groceries from Mommie and Wee. “I’ve been wanting to try out couponing for awhile. It’s kinda hard in San Antonio becuse the only main grocery store is HEB, but once she mentioned WalMart, I was like, huh?!? Maybe I need to start looking into couponing again and pick up the Sunday paper! Thanks for the tips :).”

Tina chose Painted White Mini Boos from Woods of Bell Trees. “I love this craft. Nice, easy to make and so elegant. I’d love to have them all year around!!”

Sonya chose 3 Mobile Mystery Shopping Apps That Pay Cash from Being a Wordsmith. “This is a great post for anyone looking to make cash from mystery shopping. Kimberly does a great job of explaining how each app works. Along with listing the pros and cons for each app.”

Elina chose Flower Collage Canvas from Sum of Their Stories. “I love this project because she takes you step by step on how she created it. The floral papers she used were beautiful and I love that she used a black marker to draw an offset outline around the petals. It really gives the completed project a touch of whimsy.”

Natasha chose 7 Things You Don’t Get Warned About When You are the Parent of a Toddler from Mum-bo-jumbo.com. “Love this post! All the points are so true – no one can truly warn you about what to expect with a toddler, but sometimes I wish someone would’ve warned me how crazy it is!”

The post with the most clicks is 5 Reasons Why You Must Watch How to Get Away With Murder from Being a Wordsmith.

Stop by and show some love to our featured bloggers this week! I’m sure they’d all appreciate it!

If you were featured above, feel free to share the badge below with pride on your blog or website!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" title="Epic Mommy Adventures" target="_blank"><img src="http://epicmommyadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/200pxturnitupbuttonfeature1_zps09bd5c75.png" alt="Epic Mommy Adventures" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

And the Best of the Best is…

Spiced Apple Cupcakes with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting | Apple Recipes from A Simple Pantry

There’s a tie for second place!

Candy Overload Magic Bars from Annie’s Noms

Marriage and Money from Trusting the Journey of Motherhood

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*Show some love to your hosts and co-hosts simply by following them on social media and leaving a comment so they can follow you back. *Link up as many posts as you’d like! The more, the merrier! *Check out some of the other posts and make some new friends! *Grab the button below and showcase on your sidebar! Invite your fellow bloggers to join the fun!

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Filed Under: All About Me, Family, Link-Ups

The Long Lost Meal Plan

Posted on October 20 by Jillian416 • 1 Comment

Though, I’ve been absent, making our meal plan is STILL just as important!

So, even though I haven’t been around all that much the last few weeks, Seamus and I have continued to meal plan. For us, it is a necessity. When we don’t, chaos ensues, which leads to us eating out WAY too much – which is never good for the wallet or the waistline.

Meal planning has never been one of our favorite activities, because we will tend to go back and forth on what to eat. I’ll suggest something, then Seamus will and the other one won’t want that meal. We would go back and forth and tend to just get overwhelmed with the process. We’d dread Saturday nights!

After WAY too many annoyances when making our meal plan, we decided to change some things up.

We started making the list earlier on Saturday, instead of after Emmett was in bed. This allowed us to avoid the times when we both like to do our own personal work. This is probably the #1 reason why meal planning isn’t such a chore any longer.
We both want “our” meals to be the ones made. However, that sometimes just isn’t feasible – now, instead of pushing for our meal to be the one chosen, we both take it in stride if it isn’t, and we decide to make it the next go round. Because of this we now have more meals in our “master list” and it makes next week’s planning easier because we already have one meal queued up.
We focus our attention on making the list. Previously, we would sit at our desk with our computers open and would BOTH be distracted. It would take ages to the get the meal plan done and we’d just get annoyed. Now, we do it either at the table or on the couch, while Emmett is watching some of his TV. Don’t get me wrong, we do occasionally still have our computers or phones around to look for recipes, but we aren’t doing other things during this time.
We aim to have an arsenal of different recipes or food ideas ready, before sitting down to make our list. It doesn’t always work, and can backfire, if all of the meals you have in mind are turned down by the other person, but this has helped at times.
Institute one scrounge day a week! This is so important, in my opinion, it is one less meal you need to plan for. It leads to savings at the grocery store and savings of your sanity. 😉
And finally, easing up and not taking the whole experience so seriously. There are people who LOVE to meal plan and I am sure that is because they view it as a very relaxing activity. So far, with this new method, things are going A LOT better, and while I cannot say I enjoy making a shopping list, it isn’t quite so unbearable.

Now, on to this week’s meal plan

Sunday: Rotisserie Chicken & Asparagus

Monday: Pork Tacos

Tuesday: Cornell Chicken (Seamus has shared this recipe with me in the past and it is OUT OF THIS WORLD!)

Wednesday: This is our 3 year wedding anniversary, so we’ll be going out for a family meal, since it is a work night. Not sure where we’re going yet

Thursday: Homemade Pizza

Friday: Scrounge Day

Saturday: Fetticini Alfredo Spaghetti Squash (recipe to come)

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs & 2 slices bacon

Lunch for me: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup (recipe to come)

If you’re looking for more meal plan tips & tricks you can check-out My Recipes, Week Night Dinner Arsenal or Cooking Light’s Meal Planner (this one is awesome, you drag and drop your meal choices).

I’m linking up with Laura from Mommy, run fast! and Jill from jillconyers.com – you should join us, there are even MORE meal ideas over there!

Your turn!

Do you enjoy meal planning? What are your tips, if you do? Share in the comments below!

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