tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58271547509403608372024-03-12T23:51:53.993-04:00Two Wongs Make A RightRachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-70103295950399585192023-06-24T12:20:00.002-04:002023-06-24T15:34:45.574-04:00Trailmanor Makeover!<p>At 9, 7, and 4, our kids are at the perfect ages for camping adventures! We've been to RV showrooms and walked through lots of beautiful campers with big slideouts and fun bunkrooms. They were just all so heavy and, most of all, expensive! While talking to my mom about it, the discussion turned to the 2006 Trailmanor that's been covered in her driveway for YEARS. I remember seeing it sitting there, but didn't think much about it. My mom said we could not only use it, but give it a little makeover. I was sold! The bonus is that my dad, who went home to Heaven in February of 2022, would be so thrilled to know he had his grandkids enjoying it. He always enjoyed taking us camping when we were younger. </p><p>The first order of business was getting a car that could tow π€£. We already had our Honda CR-V paid off and while it was a great car, we needed to upgrade if we were going to haul a camper. We sold it and used the funds to pay off the rest of our mini van and were on the hunt for a bigger car. We ended up with a Nissan Armada and drove the 5 hours up to my mom's house in Virginia to take the camper to a repair place to get it checked over. Surprisingly, it was in great shape and just needed a few things fixed. We brought it home and got right to work. </p><p>*spoiler - this was a lot more work than Rachel expected*</p><p>We took down the numerous curtains, valances, and their metal rods and filled holes. We also removed the padded borders that held the mattress in place so we could replace them with stained wood. The carpet and peeling linoleum on the floor also came out. I don't think carpet is ever a good idea in an RV! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewcfwTjtF-ZEa_Xljg8wzcuqzDVD5utdw6dN8xGBuQNTDV8x7ArSDOIjKcefY7EoWJnXO841xxY1MQGfB-77XlsydeaIuPZG0dgTV7aXkZr5zrgSYiJ-3Q5Ydfa6c73GkTT_t9CXe0ItBNJc1EfDfLiZeSKkdd0gqzRbbNgJgh2Oltf9PG6nBFeaAPq0/s4032/50C5B68A-4923-4902-9B9B-2505F02D0631.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewcfwTjtF-ZEa_Xljg8wzcuqzDVD5utdw6dN8xGBuQNTDV8x7ArSDOIjKcefY7EoWJnXO841xxY1MQGfB-77XlsydeaIuPZG0dgTV7aXkZr5zrgSYiJ-3Q5Ydfa6c73GkTT_t9CXe0ItBNJc1EfDfLiZeSKkdd0gqzRbbNgJgh2Oltf9PG6nBFeaAPq0/w480-h640/50C5B68A-4923-4902-9B9B-2505F02D0631.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then we mixed up some TSP and warm water and wiped down everrryyyything. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAiwrIgKgSFZZFNj0qf6PaiAYJykKTpaN6hehgAI15lMJtWNQGf3RyD0xJYYL73kzSvQSgohrp_5TBhPucz2sP9Dg1cTMtrDNXJxr2-86sErbu8l8TzQBOI8Lwg1K7TLRDy7dGuRPU9Ngxfn4KLNCjirSBnLaX59JhKEJoRKlbwspVuIBqJGATppHBm4/s3088/B711EEAC-4980-4F61-8DB9-92A31EF37C58.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAiwrIgKgSFZZFNj0qf6PaiAYJykKTpaN6hehgAI15lMJtWNQGf3RyD0xJYYL73kzSvQSgohrp_5TBhPucz2sP9Dg1cTMtrDNXJxr2-86sErbu8l8TzQBOI8Lwg1K7TLRDy7dGuRPU9Ngxfn4KLNCjirSBnLaX59JhKEJoRKlbwspVuIBqJGATppHBm4/w480-h640/B711EEAC-4980-4F61-8DB9-92A31EF37C58.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>The biggest task by far was painting everything! I didn't realize before-hand how big it would be and just assumed it would be quick because of the small square footage. I laugh at my naive former self now! At the same time, paint made the biggest difference. I primed using <a href="https://www.acehardware.com/departments/paint-and-supplies/primers/primers/1422039?store=14308&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqNqkBhDlARIsAFaxvwy9kPk8pwFa_W_wrIR16xwd7xSP489MMf8DXHuw3pFrdsP4A9hw42saAnrGEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank">STIX bonding primer</a> after seeing a full-time RV renovator recommend it. It was fine, but I probably wouldn't use it again. When I painted our kitchen cabinets we used Zinsser oil-based primer, and while it had a stronger odor, I feel it had better coverage. <div><br /></div><div>It took two full coats of the primer on the walls and three coats on the wood sections to prep them for paint. Working around homeschooling and other life events, it took a number of days to get everything primed, but what a difference it made! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3ORuliMRD_yxP2pPm_SVc2frEPCTGhuVvADHSGWOZukuD4WDWy-HefZ7Nc5BGGmcVDL5M_3zmRn1c9tryxkBoTesJM6PKwlx-kFDDBBOJMSu_EsE-PQhX9ce5QoYzvIPyeMP0GdIHOXzB2Qm3LTtZ9A8yoVNi-L06Og0ALHyByEgRAzkbTgZ-8LupMA/s4032/D4788502-8FC4-48BA-8420-FBB0DF7DB2AE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3ORuliMRD_yxP2pPm_SVc2frEPCTGhuVvADHSGWOZukuD4WDWy-HefZ7Nc5BGGmcVDL5M_3zmRn1c9tryxkBoTesJM6PKwlx-kFDDBBOJMSu_EsE-PQhX9ce5QoYzvIPyeMP0GdIHOXzB2Qm3LTtZ9A8yoVNi-L06Og0ALHyByEgRAzkbTgZ-8LupMA/w640-h480/D4788502-8FC4-48BA-8420-FBB0DF7DB2AE.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We wanted to spend as little money as possible on this update (you'll see this theme multiple times) so I decided to spray paint the faucets. Since the Trailmanor folds down, you can't get fixtures that sit higher, and to change them out apparently requires taking out the water heater. Paint it is! We cleaned them up and then taped and sprayed with a matte black primer and paint in one that works on multiple surfaces. We'll see how they hold up!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_eaw0pxO_Hixz3gizyKYofnVvHL8x4NYFNMBfGsMpT_I3dBfJZSGXLJ9MbiLoNFsDoVSgyzUjTfg23CQRrWoP-DT48e6zCC8ihItNykIx-K4LkpNSalmr8f7VNk3OgadXfk32xSSb04Yi1rIF-owH-w-KrSGEogMgJWfYcy52YDEuLulCHsINZVlkeE/s4032/72223E16-5A42-4F36-A93E-7240EAB9F523.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_eaw0pxO_Hixz3gizyKYofnVvHL8x4NYFNMBfGsMpT_I3dBfJZSGXLJ9MbiLoNFsDoVSgyzUjTfg23CQRrWoP-DT48e6zCC8ihItNykIx-K4LkpNSalmr8f7VNk3OgadXfk32xSSb04Yi1rIF-owH-w-KrSGEogMgJWfYcy52YDEuLulCHsINZVlkeE/w480-h640/72223E16-5A42-4F36-A93E-7240EAB9F523.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHAiDIm-BI3q6PlkgfwTKEl9ev2-r2GeAvVEUqlwJQPxPl3Biss1t7Xz-Z3MWEDMnPWKjyfRuXPHCg6xqqdNJO_PC06Ju5cfYQQCs13fCRLQrU0Fle5iVYwAG6ovyeqacvZnIJnh6A_PmCZ5eZPukelyWudj7iOYbKkaHRbPs-aVdrN1ByqSU37xm8FM/s4032/B8B20EA4-4B3B-4EDB-8F2E-C778BA48991C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHAiDIm-BI3q6PlkgfwTKEl9ev2-r2GeAvVEUqlwJQPxPl3Biss1t7Xz-Z3MWEDMnPWKjyfRuXPHCg6xqqdNJO_PC06Ju5cfYQQCs13fCRLQrU0Fle5iVYwAG6ovyeqacvZnIJnh6A_PmCZ5eZPukelyWudj7iOYbKkaHRbPs-aVdrN1ByqSU37xm8FM/w480-h640/B8B20EA4-4B3B-4EDB-8F2E-C778BA48991C.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next it was paint! A friend of ours works at ACE and let us know that they had a whole section of "oops" paint they can't sell and if any of it could be adjusted to fit our needs, we could have it. Most of it didn't work for the colors I picked out, but one dented gallon can was untinted so we scooped it up and tinted it to our wall color, Simply White by Benjamin Moore. (This color was also used on the few upper cabinets we had.) We also bought a sample can of Toasted Poppyseed by Kilz and a quart of Pewter Green by Sherwin Williams to use in a few places in the camper. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After feeling like I was painting my life away with a white color, I decided to take a pause and paint the bottom of the dinette benches in the Toasted Poppyseed. It gave me the boost I needed to keep painting the walls and ceilings π Once I finished painting all the walls, it was time to move on to more of the fun stuff!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAySJXCk_oeKG04QZP8usk9skmO1-elCi8ZAfbhUb2gxjzs_WATpLfBYYaBC1AQ_BdVifsDAvGiIwXjn1xZLHf2zvvOWFJ4YgR11mMXatnn6-Kr58KXrT_HcJET9Y-5T_UOIajdosb5Y59kMr0thznvz0w1yRlKBQ6S5Og46MD7nKGFzmZrihinLC5ufI/s2399/IMG_7675.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2399" data-original-width="2399" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAySJXCk_oeKG04QZP8usk9skmO1-elCi8ZAfbhUb2gxjzs_WATpLfBYYaBC1AQ_BdVifsDAvGiIwXjn1xZLHf2zvvOWFJ4YgR11mMXatnn6-Kr58KXrT_HcJET9Y-5T_UOIajdosb5Y59kMr0thznvz0w1yRlKBQ6S5Og46MD7nKGFzmZrihinLC5ufI/w640-h640/IMG_7675.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For the "backsplash" in the kitchen area, I wanted to do vertical shiplap. We bought <a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/7-32-in-x-48-in-x-96-in-White-Nickel-Gap-Shiplap-Panel-WSP5548/308169642" target="_blank">these panels</a> from Home Depot and my husband cut them to size to go in a few sections. We ended up buying two sheets and had some left over. We took the fire extinguisher off this end section (it's still close by - don't worry!) and put a piece of shiplap there instead. I love the little pop it gave the cabinet!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-xxe8IROJo6JhXugmCjEw7V8fmnj5cIOlvkT49tQe5xMUGsZ2fEu6mOZrJGuglI-keGf9_en6HAQ26XzUI3Wg0auUH8CQBP96cszdp57GPOwg5Ez7q_yK16X0K4EbqKxHOmm3_THYRga9N93gAuJ25FbhYvJx5R2N6VrXEPfODbm_PzONRNbCQuE1T8/s4032/19955332-0449-40AD-9A5B-3646F24FA2CD.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-xxe8IROJo6JhXugmCjEw7V8fmnj5cIOlvkT49tQe5xMUGsZ2fEu6mOZrJGuglI-keGf9_en6HAQ26XzUI3Wg0auUH8CQBP96cszdp57GPOwg5Ez7q_yK16X0K4EbqKxHOmm3_THYRga9N93gAuJ25FbhYvJx5R2N6VrXEPfODbm_PzONRNbCQuE1T8/w480-h640/19955332-0449-40AD-9A5B-3646F24FA2CD.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BgxG9EKcaYExNtFGLDWk-wNZRpunQkfP0MDj4KMZxK9j468YRtsXwzvyy5bAAeXSN8LMk1pxmP43I-MxfE-wvVec0aUZVDPS0KFnyuNLi0BiAkFF0i5-llPjTz8bswjAue4wgfXIWnXIQDSohwGkD6miZjkhEZhW0eYpjpR_YIzApKgDxjN5-K4togU/s4032/A68D2294-2916-433A-85E1-B3F78D74019E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BgxG9EKcaYExNtFGLDWk-wNZRpunQkfP0MDj4KMZxK9j468YRtsXwzvyy5bAAeXSN8LMk1pxmP43I-MxfE-wvVec0aUZVDPS0KFnyuNLi0BiAkFF0i5-llPjTz8bswjAue4wgfXIWnXIQDSohwGkD6miZjkhEZhW0eYpjpR_YIzApKgDxjN5-K4togU/w480-h640/A68D2294-2916-433A-85E1-B3F78D74019E.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Clarence put some along this wall around the window as well as on the walls by the sink behind him. In the first photo, you'll see a couple black speakers on the cabinet on the far end of the camper. We didn't feel the need to use those, so Clarence removed them and used some left over shiplap to fill place over the holes. It worked perfectly! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While Clarence was busy putting up the shiplap, I was back to painting π This time it was the cabinet doors. It took me a whole day just to wipe them down (TSP again), sand, and prime them. After painting my kitchen cabinets, I swore I would never do it again, but here we were haha. The coverage for the green was really nice and mercifully I only needed two coats...which would not be the case with the Simply White later....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The bases on all the lower cabinets were painted green next, both in the bathroom and the kitchen. It felt soooo good to actually have some color on those cabinets! <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07N1CR9B3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">These</a> were the new pulls we ended up putting on the doors and drawers. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRnDZTZ645MbjAkkOe_yDZ3H4YOCOVnK-WhblPz1lldUd3H4_NDFf5KsEdgHzOy0q0jAz6EtETmpOB9-OM8iNyLUQyOzaDr6ufgkFSP6DELKubtMGkO7IlaNXtrUCd8eS9EF6akB1ebjenawd4XrexJO35Nuy3elL4QAdmQCr3vl-l32oMevmnpER4tM/s1125/IMG_7676.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1052" data-original-width="1125" height="598" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRnDZTZ645MbjAkkOe_yDZ3H4YOCOVnK-WhblPz1lldUd3H4_NDFf5KsEdgHzOy0q0jAz6EtETmpOB9-OM8iNyLUQyOzaDr6ufgkFSP6DELKubtMGkO7IlaNXtrUCd8eS9EF6akB1ebjenawd4XrexJO35Nuy3elL4QAdmQCr3vl-l32oMevmnpER4tM/w640-h598/IMG_7676.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Around this time, I started putting Simply White on the upper cabinets....it took about 2 million coats. And that's only a slight exaggeration. I'm not sure if this is true of all white colors, or if this specific coverage was just really thin, but I'm SO glad I didn't do all the cabinets in white!! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was losing my mind and decided to play with the counter top update. All the counters were a blue laminate of some kind. There is one removable drawer cabinet which had a different, brown-based pattern...not sure why they were different, but neither color counter worked! To save money, I bought some marble contact paper and wanted to practice on the removable cabinet first. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmSIOyJMqjEx2_haMAioHjJ_zK8TDzo59t-CaQKlXe2AtdU16mQlktHy2wTaNRpAm0-IhO-HPT_OZR-owNF0gBGkkfbRd9CsDOWP1B5OdKz3jIVhXPIh2R-QV-FUiaUNwZwUSgt5UD7tLQYFo6-WGGfRpPwBNYo9NyPZKYZkU2Wo7YX9D9W2faUuncziA/s1952/501296EA-1F56-41A0-837E-D60F19A74FDF_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1952" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmSIOyJMqjEx2_haMAioHjJ_zK8TDzo59t-CaQKlXe2AtdU16mQlktHy2wTaNRpAm0-IhO-HPT_OZR-owNF0gBGkkfbRd9CsDOWP1B5OdKz3jIVhXPIh2R-QV-FUiaUNwZwUSgt5UD7tLQYFo6-WGGfRpPwBNYo9NyPZKYZkU2Wo7YX9D9W2faUuncziA/w368-h640/501296EA-1F56-41A0-837E-D60F19A74FDF_1_201_a.jpeg" width="368" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It looked so much better! It gave me the motivation to finish painting the white cabinets. Then I headed back to the camper and started adding the contact paper to the counters in there. It was then that I realized a few issues with the paper. It wasn't the best quality and was looking scratched and bubbled once applied. It also didn't stick to the underside of the counter well, so I had to use a staple gun to get it to stay. Finally, the coloring on it was just really cool, where the rest of the white in the camper was a warm white. I paused to decide what I wanted to do and pivoted to work on other projects instead. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The bathroom walls fold down and the hinge was broken by the camper mechanic, so we pulled the wall out while we waited on the new hinge. Since it was inside and I could easily work on it at night, I went ahead and applied <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09QQ6P9XK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">our bathroom wallpaper </a>to the wall. We had taken down the original mirror in the camper and I found another one with a shelf off Facebook Marketplace for a fraction of the cost online. It was a metal gray, but I spray painted it with the same black paint I used on the faucets. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-n5HkPbZTTRRIi1FJJXzX9u75Orqnqm2ySZw9Y4ePGdwL_T_fqWORIEtvgma8CoT5VC2UKgP4YkhlBLHFYzOmSPrqW8UoX7CIijp_jG8LpCVBoKHoRx9HU0u1haUixvwBcjCke60B_yZ62-9Vfj7Wm-XQjl_DbYcBiK2m_XEI8iJHVT_hU9W3C9beXM/s4032/BD6621F4-9A32-4EF2-9EEC-B27055592A84.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-n5HkPbZTTRRIi1FJJXzX9u75Orqnqm2ySZw9Y4ePGdwL_T_fqWORIEtvgma8CoT5VC2UKgP4YkhlBLHFYzOmSPrqW8UoX7CIijp_jG8LpCVBoKHoRx9HU0u1haUixvwBcjCke60B_yZ62-9Vfj7Wm-XQjl_DbYcBiK2m_XEI8iJHVT_hU9W3C9beXM/w480-h640/BD6621F4-9A32-4EF2-9EEC-B27055592A84.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It looked quite larger than I thought....this would come back to me once we had the wall in later. In the meantime, Clarence replaced all the ceiling lights with <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VTPYHZC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">LED ones</a>. Simple upgrade that made a big difference!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next was putting the wallpaper on the bathroom walls! It went on pretty easy, until I got to the end and ran out of full sections that matched. I had two square areas that didn't have matching paper. Thankfully, the pattern was busy enough that I could choose some leftover scraps that were a close enough match and no one is the wiser π Here is before...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl4miu6Gp7rrptUKXVCQmIBzsqzVf2jsKxMRK4YA3gYAezPcN3j5-5gXk7o2RLqzt93GnzWr5mLgsvnAR-eQYm6SYvW6Xo5Dz-5_OzhaQTzJqt2jiBEBVovakTWdV2eAOwSWjQOBWzx7YOIE7yi-vpm-b07-z9LlUCJXnu20uMOfYLBLQg-pS539mMaEo/s4032/FA68CAD8-16FA-498C-BBB7-8A98706A12A0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl4miu6Gp7rrptUKXVCQmIBzsqzVf2jsKxMRK4YA3gYAezPcN3j5-5gXk7o2RLqzt93GnzWr5mLgsvnAR-eQYm6SYvW6Xo5Dz-5_OzhaQTzJqt2jiBEBVovakTWdV2eAOwSWjQOBWzx7YOIE7yi-vpm-b07-z9LlUCJXnu20uMOfYLBLQg-pS539mMaEo/w480-h640/FA68CAD8-16FA-498C-BBB7-8A98706A12A0.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgto-nV31TDytBs5a_aqRaN5Uae6kPjvgeqXiRep0OJC5qqDbNtx017W1bvCS8RPPiJaLAC5KYuRXCJCHpilY2vBALZHriB7ifkIqvxH7GV8Op7hbrU6MyO9jxK6thFEvoU-UepF0uUONmAuVdTfq7rfsk69D1JFAUZjTHRA7AdYBRf_40Eom4GUahANhM/s1124/IMG_7677.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1123" data-original-width="1124" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgto-nV31TDytBs5a_aqRaN5Uae6kPjvgeqXiRep0OJC5qqDbNtx017W1bvCS8RPPiJaLAC5KYuRXCJCHpilY2vBALZHriB7ifkIqvxH7GV8Op7hbrU6MyO9jxK6thFEvoU-UepF0uUONmAuVdTfq7rfsk69D1JFAUZjTHRA7AdYBRf_40Eom4GUahANhM/w640-h640/IMG_7677.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiVvq-DPntrC_fgPWm_3Kj6wAEyWv6ZDRTT2ioDCGA5bfhVZM_PLp-AjSWb-5XIHZzYkNJReHtYGq7FdamfYzFdAENvLaiFvSEpOTN_WRK2Y-XqXWdDng1qjFx8X_2MHtzHJrYDcwZ6j93rwNGCL-qTcFbGaMLDwvv7sC3p7FmKAjQLZjM3vjCdB7IlbI/s1525/IMG_7678.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1525" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiVvq-DPntrC_fgPWm_3Kj6wAEyWv6ZDRTT2ioDCGA5bfhVZM_PLp-AjSWb-5XIHZzYkNJReHtYGq7FdamfYzFdAENvLaiFvSEpOTN_WRK2Y-XqXWdDng1qjFx8X_2MHtzHJrYDcwZ6j93rwNGCL-qTcFbGaMLDwvv7sC3p7FmKAjQLZjM3vjCdB7IlbI/w472-h640/IMG_7678.jpg" width="472" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've heard mixed reviews on wallpaper in RV's because they can fall off with the difference in temperature. One person recommended putting a line of caulk all around the edges of the paper to help hold it on, so that's what we did. We also bought some lattice pieces at Lowe's for another project in here, so I had Clarence cut a piece to size, I painted it white, and we placed it on the end of the wallpaper to create an ending point/border where the bathroom wall ends. This is a screenshot from a video with painter's tape still on, but it gives you an idea of what I mean.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjMMfJlHVsuJAISrbCzwUsXZCsK4kFnxXG9qwd7DL-Pqo8FUpTY7UnalLtma8-gkibrfUXSyhzgBejMFNeQ7EHgqTyN02BdAyQEs_zp6GCt3-wVid0asLRphen-CMDcwZ33ofsPv7speUpcAimb4Zfavp1bI1tFC_4Hqpv01afy1DcO2wEctkzTmFiAg/s1284/IMG_7679.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1284" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjMMfJlHVsuJAISrbCzwUsXZCsK4kFnxXG9qwd7DL-Pqo8FUpTY7UnalLtma8-gkibrfUXSyhzgBejMFNeQ7EHgqTyN02BdAyQEs_zp6GCt3-wVid0asLRphen-CMDcwZ33ofsPv7speUpcAimb4Zfavp1bI1tFC_4Hqpv01afy1DcO2wEctkzTmFiAg/w560-h640/IMG_7679.jpg" width="560" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We also used a lattice trim piece on the other side of the bathroom wall. I felt that it made more sense to have your eye travel in one line instead of wallpapering the bottom section of this wall, so we just added a trim piece instead to finish if off.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVgRSvkaQBljLbe5pkhdvdQpArZw1914xTcWwNAvPLk1LRsqLA64JaAYOvx_f5Q8rPzajYIpqZpiEsElOqM5FOnqEEMinJiMoAB07whouXSjTmYtIp35IX6zzxLDlv384f-OuN-NSEfQYDBNXiujm-ysDRWSi2QNnpWpNgOdIziujfWQqD8-9hA-Yb88/s1591/IMG_7680.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1591" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVgRSvkaQBljLbe5pkhdvdQpArZw1914xTcWwNAvPLk1LRsqLA64JaAYOvx_f5Q8rPzajYIpqZpiEsElOqM5FOnqEEMinJiMoAB07whouXSjTmYtIp35IX6zzxLDlv384f-OuN-NSEfQYDBNXiujm-ysDRWSi2QNnpWpNgOdIziujfWQqD8-9hA-Yb88/w452-h640/IMG_7680.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of the biggest things to figure out was the curtains! Because the Trailmanor folds down, everything has to be flush against the wall. I didn't want to have to take down the curtains every time (there are 7 of them!) but I saw someone share magnetic black curtain rods. They just put small black metal plates on the wall and the rods could easily go up and down. We figured that could be the kid's job when we set up and tear down. However, curtains are expensive! I bought this <a href="https://www.target.com/p/striped-fringe-shower-curtain-off-white-threshold-8482/-/A-54048358?preselect=54048358" target="_blank">$20 shower curtain</a> from Target and while testing in the camper I realized it would make great curtains if we cut it up! Of course that would mean I would have to pull out the sewing machine I hadn't used in 7 years and remind myself how to use it again π. Still, I couldn't beat the price! I was able to make all the curtains for the camper from 2 shower curtains, so $40 total! Unfortunately, the metal plates would not stay on the wall π I even tried putting liquid nails on them to give them more strength, but they would continue to fall off. Time to problem solve! We already had to do something different for the large window over the kitchen/dinette because it was wider than any rods. We ended up buying a cheap dowel, staining it, adding eye hooks to the top of it, and then hooking them over picture hangers attached to the wall. So far this has worked great, so we decided to do that for the rest of the curtains as well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkCJcocStof9SUBBBnqanHBvT7-Rp75s5QeNm1sK7x8p6vD0XhGRk3XILp1kAd2ClkNqxn0fL_umLpiYXnC5vNrqDN0ABdJYKsqZNWu-zot3X1pnuzEnyF6N6OFu9joVXf8N8hAxEAy_ddH1oNNF-GYATTdHxCRGbg-tsVKtQN7Fj5ZegF3g7kpiifejQ/s4032/A4EE1EBA-6527-4ABD-8D3C-7A1D3BA4F23D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkCJcocStof9SUBBBnqanHBvT7-Rp75s5QeNm1sK7x8p6vD0XhGRk3XILp1kAd2ClkNqxn0fL_umLpiYXnC5vNrqDN0ABdJYKsqZNWu-zot3X1pnuzEnyF6N6OFu9joVXf8N8hAxEAy_ddH1oNNF-GYATTdHxCRGbg-tsVKtQN7Fj5ZegF3g7kpiifejQ/w640-h480/A4EE1EBA-6527-4ABD-8D3C-7A1D3BA4F23D.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next, was the floor! Sometimes saving money takes a lot of extra time. That's what happened with our flooring. I randomly popped in a Habitat for Humanity ReStore and found one clearanced box of laminate flooring that I loved! I hadn't measured the floor, but thought "It's such a small area, one box is probably enough". Oh Rachel...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was not enough. And I bought the last one. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So we started looking at other options and figured we would just eat the $30 we spent on the first box. Then on a whim, I stopped by again to see if they got any more and got talking to one of the associates and she said one of the other stores on the other side of town might have it. They had exactly 2 boxes left which would be just enough for what we needed! It was a Christmas miracle in April. I don't remember the name of the flooring, but honestly I couldn't find it online before I scored the final two boxes, so your best bet would be to visit a Habitat ReStore if you have one near one. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqX24ou5gtbPWB9usxC2vR0NuZ5oIgFlOhoojvWMsEYh35Q_43hKY68hOYhnbWKMeKJhbkQ3MesDRytfOGkmY1RcbsEprBju9BmkC35NweEw6AbFVmrTUzKtOLLyxHwMiZ1L7_pydNsCb-rF0-jR8--SkdvYFuKop2j6jxtiqJcURL8vNWodkIv-VHrII/s4032/IMG_7169.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqX24ou5gtbPWB9usxC2vR0NuZ5oIgFlOhoojvWMsEYh35Q_43hKY68hOYhnbWKMeKJhbkQ3MesDRytfOGkmY1RcbsEprBju9BmkC35NweEw6AbFVmrTUzKtOLLyxHwMiZ1L7_pydNsCb-rF0-jR8--SkdvYFuKop2j6jxtiqJcURL8vNWodkIv-VHrII/w480-h640/IMG_7169.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Clarence got them installed in one day, except for the bathroom. We weren't taking out the toilet, so getting out the old vinyl was a bit hard. Clarence was able to cut it out finally, but we didn't know there would be a big piece of plywood underneath. Because of that we bought a box of marble peel and stick from Floor & Decor to put in there, but realized we would have to sand off all the dried glue first in order for them to stick. While we were about to do that, we discovered we actually <i>could</i> put the wood floor in there on top of the plywood, which we thought wouldn't work at first. Clarence then had the task of making lots of little cuts and getting it around the toilet that stayed in place. That was not an easy job, but he finished it perfectly! Then he cut some quarter round for the whole camper and I painted it so he could install it and make everything look complete.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since we painted all the bathroom walls white, I wanted to do something different with the door to the bathroom. I saw someone on Pinterest share how they added lattice trim (which you can buy cheaply at Lowe's) to a door to dress it up. I had Clarence cut down some pieces and add it to the door. I caulked the edges and then painted the doors black. I had to buy another sample paint of the Toasted Poppyseed for this since I didn't quite have enough to cover fully. They turned out so good!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW37N6CTeV8-T2-_JHd44-_oUhbtjZm5qMSpy9hBvQ_vujuYof9qwApdklesh8qrUF4q_1TXG0Ydd6ri-iynfJX6iDdstc6AaelzZjkA0TQX8E99kgIf3B4VXCxmQIu31jRL0zurklOGjBgZL-5uOZHsfBtX2taiR4dmag2z2aSCctzqH-eTkYkNNM-Pc/s1778/IMG_7684.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1778" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW37N6CTeV8-T2-_JHd44-_oUhbtjZm5qMSpy9hBvQ_vujuYof9qwApdklesh8qrUF4q_1TXG0Ydd6ri-iynfJX6iDdstc6AaelzZjkA0TQX8E99kgIf3B4VXCxmQIu31jRL0zurklOGjBgZL-5uOZHsfBtX2taiR4dmag2z2aSCctzqH-eTkYkNNM-Pc/w404-h640/IMG_7684.jpg" width="404" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid62BOy1JcWZJ_ZBdDZ9he9V6cOAfofgZEpsOqwjRUZnjMK3_IhEIB76dOjt8FnvZaB5wk2lcPro_8J6TvHAwRirSMxVBFUBtxUXb16cE0oc08Cmh6P9D84BJdaU01s9vqySe9CvCQ5mZc0mzJJQ-YxHEc_KYM5_3yrfB0Ar7B7Kge8TS7U8g1pUgY35U/s1794/IMG_7686.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1794" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid62BOy1JcWZJ_ZBdDZ9he9V6cOAfofgZEpsOqwjRUZnjMK3_IhEIB76dOjt8FnvZaB5wk2lcPro_8J6TvHAwRirSMxVBFUBtxUXb16cE0oc08Cmh6P9D84BJdaU01s9vqySe9CvCQ5mZc0mzJJQ-YxHEc_KYM5_3yrfB0Ar7B7Kge8TS7U8g1pUgY35U/w402-h640/IMG_7686.jpg" width="402" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The brown handle was bothering me, so I grabbed a little black rub and buff and updated it. Quick fix!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A couple more cost savings....I wanted to put wood blinds on the two windows on the ends of the camper. Who knew how expensive they were?? I ended up finding someone selling some on marketplace for $20 a piece and they were the perfect color!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also saw where someone updated their Trailmanor and added a light fixture over the table. I loved that idea, even if we had to take it down when we traveled. I'd seen carcabaroad on Instagram use rechargeable light bulbs in fixtures that weren't hard-wired, so knew we could do that. The camper did come with a couple flush-mount lights above the table, but they weren't working for some reason. I did a lot of looking around for an inexpensive light fixture and was not having any luck. While at Hobby Lobby one day, I saw a rope basket that I thought would be perfect turned upside down and made into a light! We just needed to fasten a place for the rechargable bulb to attach to and a way to hang it. My husband used rope and cut a small hole in the screen of the window on the ceiling and tied the rope to something more sturdy in the window. Then we just used a carabiner so that we can easily attach the fixture to the rope when we need it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgM3jOqJ-wwGwkDqv5JoVPrvMVUf0DfTufVOJUW15LU2MPi23C0Yn2hXSssOwum21Z1r67sH4iTkBFMy2EGB4BEIAnwWK2wUQJHxu_NQkk_NVsxO2Yh_Tb02Svr9j42eO0OJ93ddNB6OtUetgCCRmbR_wZVnt3d2crqBkEPqoeYIVWtm4Uw4xzPFt7jk/s4032/C9F28379-35A4-4F64-94DF-EA838852CE45.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgM3jOqJ-wwGwkDqv5JoVPrvMVUf0DfTufVOJUW15LU2MPi23C0Yn2hXSssOwum21Z1r67sH4iTkBFMy2EGB4BEIAnwWK2wUQJHxu_NQkk_NVsxO2Yh_Tb02Svr9j42eO0OJ93ddNB6OtUetgCCRmbR_wZVnt3d2crqBkEPqoeYIVWtm4Uw4xzPFt7jk/w480-h640/C9F28379-35A4-4F64-94DF-EA838852CE45.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Remember the counters? Well after a lot of thinking and searching the internet, I discovered <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khIuVus2sis" target="_blank">this tutorial</a>. She basically used paint, craft paint, a feather, and rags to create a marble look on her counters. I already had primer and paint leftover (which would prevent the issue of the whites not being the same shade), so I only had to buy a few supplies. I think I spent maybe $15? It took a little bit of trial and error and I ended up doing a few layers of the watered down paint on top to tone down the pattern, but I'm super happy with how it turned out! I did three coats of the polycrylic on top, so I'm hoping it will last for awhile! This was a super inexpensive update that didn't had a bunch of weight, but updated the counters so nicely!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCT7W0hB0xEel_j6EvkAPtw__to0YJtXTgq0WTWUX5eZhcs2gc4aPQ3xbuyJlyrZVxoWyB40Z01_KZs1RHoDTA48D9lTdU47KN0v-zGvECbTU49_grh8rG2cQ8D4h93uou9tn9MzTQN8SoM7r1tjH06TO6QY372cxqAe9QdhU2mGnR1VGWHMelObC2cs/s1056/IMG_7687.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="1056" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCT7W0hB0xEel_j6EvkAPtw__to0YJtXTgq0WTWUX5eZhcs2gc4aPQ3xbuyJlyrZVxoWyB40Z01_KZs1RHoDTA48D9lTdU47KN0v-zGvECbTU49_grh8rG2cQ8D4h93uou9tn9MzTQN8SoM7r1tjH06TO6QY372cxqAe9QdhU2mGnR1VGWHMelObC2cs/w640-h504/IMG_7687.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The dining table was the last big headache to figure out. It was an orange tone that just didn't match to anything else. It wasn't solid wood, so sanding it and restaining was not really an option. I tried to do some white washing and stain anyway, just to see what would happen. Nothing was helping, so we ended up using more of the lattice pieces as a border and then using thin slabs of pine to fill in the inside portions of the table. We could then stain them how we wanted. It did add a little bit of weight, but the pine is thankfully a light wood and the pieces are thin.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdi7hV6CaepPYXAKCjymlCPobHnjnrfEgCwcAeeBI2cHNFWOHLwcPnnj-1oD1ZxjGZcp5RXXCCGSSl4sc7foxYOfT5Ph-MgDyg4_LW7QIwM2XtCDTRjMDL_m_m89Hl5kEhjlmBe79YJ43zyJJMgzc5hN8INwiTyWHnRp82_4uvSHvke01Shivbn8Ukl7U/s1718/IMG_7689.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1718" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdi7hV6CaepPYXAKCjymlCPobHnjnrfEgCwcAeeBI2cHNFWOHLwcPnnj-1oD1ZxjGZcp5RXXCCGSSl4sc7foxYOfT5Ph-MgDyg4_LW7QIwM2XtCDTRjMDL_m_m89Hl5kEhjlmBe79YJ43zyJJMgzc5hN8INwiTyWHnRp82_4uvSHvke01Shivbn8Ukl7U/w420-h640/IMG_7689.jpg" width="420" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Remember the mirror I bought that looked big? Well, once the wall was in and we tried to hang it, we realized that it came out too far and down and was in the way of the sink/faucet. So I found <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BGS5JTX3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">this mirror</a> on Amazon and it's a perfect fit! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qGURbmeYzCUdjEab4_AeGbGAMfCl0RE5JtSBejzBdZz2K1mZYmEqKr929dzX_Iuu3rCywF7bVx2mr98vvV-HhuGHrTJzI7cG14CtP3I8BLRf4cklFHX4u3GPcFWGdxt3otVDHh-fd3uD3l88S4K-TDls_ph4Tj_FclX7eET9vUXV0gP9_BeeZEESlkI/s4032/CD81D596-43A4-4590-9250-36C38AFCB8E2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qGURbmeYzCUdjEab4_AeGbGAMfCl0RE5JtSBejzBdZz2K1mZYmEqKr929dzX_Iuu3rCywF7bVx2mr98vvV-HhuGHrTJzI7cG14CtP3I8BLRf4cklFHX4u3GPcFWGdxt3otVDHh-fd3uD3l88S4K-TDls_ph4Tj_FclX7eET9vUXV0gP9_BeeZEESlkI/w480-h640/CD81D596-43A4-4590-9250-36C38AFCB8E2.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had seen people use Beddy's bedding for campers because of it's ease. I wanted to do that, but hoped to find someone selling theirs so we could save some money. Well, I found two of the exact color I wanted for about half the price! Unfortunately it was in Tennessee. Instead of paying for shipping, it just so happened that my pastor's wife was headed there during spring break to visit some friends so she was able to pick them up for me! We have the "Morgan".</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All in all it took just over two months to complete the camper. We are so happy with how it turned out and are excited to take it out. In fact, our first camping trip away from the house is tomorrow! Here are some final before and afters. Let me know if you have any questions of anything I might have missed. I'll post some links to other thing I bought at the end. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4XwfRsrlVTC0etoNZRRxEvDY39hIuQE72gFWGMaxK4zWZjBjYCABVfrxocIVlFYufmuXGZ0HcM46fFNvjBsKpyjfGMoApvHYvzvKMXvrw9JIqQKo3KCG2sYv0E848mfRlMJLY3GlWoK9E5CkD5iBO_0n7zeFUYBTLQSZvTbVJS73wS8heYIb7AO4TVY/s4032/34D3CD8D-9382-4149-B019-70F74D85F11D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4XwfRsrlVTC0etoNZRRxEvDY39hIuQE72gFWGMaxK4zWZjBjYCABVfrxocIVlFYufmuXGZ0HcM46fFNvjBsKpyjfGMoApvHYvzvKMXvrw9JIqQKo3KCG2sYv0E848mfRlMJLY3GlWoK9E5CkD5iBO_0n7zeFUYBTLQSZvTbVJS73wS8heYIb7AO4TVY/w480-h640/34D3CD8D-9382-4149-B019-70F74D85F11D.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKErkzcr-qNtixy6XTMiKaDQlP0jknPeSAU05zgGXFHC3szcFKKftXVQYkW57LuVzdo77rhS1Daj6LPMPvB-RTc_xI130Ohm4P472tvxGB8ZiIlPwZrD7USTLKmS166pcMfD8vJsHLSqdIP4Rm0OA750KO8GmNXBN48qaqJVWvw_6kaGVp65YZEnWbCw/s4032/9DE2FB1A-0345-4750-AECF-41D9DFB9E4E4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKErkzcr-qNtixy6XTMiKaDQlP0jknPeSAU05zgGXFHC3szcFKKftXVQYkW57LuVzdo77rhS1Daj6LPMPvB-RTc_xI130Ohm4P472tvxGB8ZiIlPwZrD7USTLKmS166pcMfD8vJsHLSqdIP4Rm0OA750KO8GmNXBN48qaqJVWvw_6kaGVp65YZEnWbCw/w480-h640/9DE2FB1A-0345-4750-AECF-41D9DFB9E4E4.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB4S_VUCikhHxd8Oxd9ZzhbTJzOJGPvOCqGJXasqzzHtXXv_Xvoja9stirMBmeKLzEPO9EAD77W-A_m-2hMf_-U-2d8i42h86Jurgx0_NW9qMmlX_gqJfDI3-dguSPbeNS34u9sqEQCB5N_5_Kw_LqBPc8tiKapJkD4EN5-fUITMXWmSfdbCymrwR9nps/s4032/46CD0082-9C42-450A-86F4-12D74C0D3790.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB4S_VUCikhHxd8Oxd9ZzhbTJzOJGPvOCqGJXasqzzHtXXv_Xvoja9stirMBmeKLzEPO9EAD77W-A_m-2hMf_-U-2d8i42h86Jurgx0_NW9qMmlX_gqJfDI3-dguSPbeNS34u9sqEQCB5N_5_Kw_LqBPc8tiKapJkD4EN5-fUITMXWmSfdbCymrwR9nps/w640-h480/46CD0082-9C42-450A-86F4-12D74C0D3790.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpM4GoZ80AvLc23HQc8-oq2Y5CRF_59dTZ4N9gwuy7yv1aab0Y2N_HjNsd7X_Xsem1rPhK6MLfRIjPl1jQS2l98Z5JlkB4JCm0TA7QuLlaFho6Eae4znFgz8FtHQN1n-K_99o_yezFDC1EghbkzfuhicOGGrJUEv3lC6B5dgnLxl18iua83q7H33RZoM/s4032/77CCB09A-BC61-42BC-BCBB-FF906F20BA90.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpM4GoZ80AvLc23HQc8-oq2Y5CRF_59dTZ4N9gwuy7yv1aab0Y2N_HjNsd7X_Xsem1rPhK6MLfRIjPl1jQS2l98Z5JlkB4JCm0TA7QuLlaFho6Eae4znFgz8FtHQN1n-K_99o_yezFDC1EghbkzfuhicOGGrJUEv3lC6B5dgnLxl18iua83q7H33RZoM/w640-h480/77CCB09A-BC61-42BC-BCBB-FF906F20BA90.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi38ugMyCRT8zxov9NWcTw4gXlCTIYd93zN-4t16RUKGPk0zYPYr64HASkLWAYaltYSbl2ehPlem8_Z7k5d0ivV5sxeyvX22oEI5z0HbqDLB8KMsvXMkF7txjBDHvLUDbEpyqV5sT1y8ASgtYw_1hRMkz66VwzVO392Cahtwm8Tk60CoVJzzQZSeQfyLog/s4032/49D7C525-5E79-4B98-BF63-51C236E06D1D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi38ugMyCRT8zxov9NWcTw4gXlCTIYd93zN-4t16RUKGPk0zYPYr64HASkLWAYaltYSbl2ehPlem8_Z7k5d0ivV5sxeyvX22oEI5z0HbqDLB8KMsvXMkF7txjBDHvLUDbEpyqV5sT1y8ASgtYw_1hRMkz66VwzVO392Cahtwm8Tk60CoVJzzQZSeQfyLog/w480-h640/49D7C525-5E79-4B98-BF63-51C236E06D1D.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJFgHm6DoKge1cYYr1CsEzZCUVF5-ndjrjsN0eu_sJ0L405sK_4AkEphJwXt5-yusLyNHOkPEukdKJVG7Fz5KrFLvr7M9ea3HZPRtzy2WveyLLufK_so4DjAafcQ-rzLkllhnZ4ZkrmPpsboWK6TOhYwPIIMz3udEq7ZaGpVoDtA6z8y1kkKaSFk4BW0/s4032/7A0DDD03-D310-413C-9CCE-3428A0E9C60F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJFgHm6DoKge1cYYr1CsEzZCUVF5-ndjrjsN0eu_sJ0L405sK_4AkEphJwXt5-yusLyNHOkPEukdKJVG7Fz5KrFLvr7M9ea3HZPRtzy2WveyLLufK_so4DjAafcQ-rzLkllhnZ4ZkrmPpsboWK6TOhYwPIIMz3udEq7ZaGpVoDtA6z8y1kkKaSFk4BW0/w480-h640/7A0DDD03-D310-413C-9CCE-3428A0E9C60F.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The light from the door way is kind of blowing out the color in the photo above. The cabinet under the sink is the more true color.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4D6rMbJNBQ6EMVdVZ6Kqv9k8La6UXicBrzXt7R7-KqmeWX1_Ox8p-5pLVALCLSQMhg1QdaBMhviQ1GvJRGw8WfBFUzDJlqPbaSURI8EHl-RyIR64DhQEeB5kKh4rPoZB83KyeatlVphQ4qwGRIv8Tsyr9r8AtikvYL4QM0_gaQfsSxRv8oMqlwrMmEkU/s4032/50C5B68A-4923-4902-9B9B-2505F02D0631.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4D6rMbJNBQ6EMVdVZ6Kqv9k8La6UXicBrzXt7R7-KqmeWX1_Ox8p-5pLVALCLSQMhg1QdaBMhviQ1GvJRGw8WfBFUzDJlqPbaSURI8EHl-RyIR64DhQEeB5kKh4rPoZB83KyeatlVphQ4qwGRIv8Tsyr9r8AtikvYL4QM0_gaQfsSxRv8oMqlwrMmEkU/w480-h640/50C5B68A-4923-4902-9B9B-2505F02D0631.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq9algYztrHnmjjghjuWzTw_vBsevbYydkGtHDTJWSsBU69gCfvB3C3KttQhsyHkBME4FT56gWq72yDEeE-xNuBhijbeWSTNGFFRoDzYD7a6NR_5p5Qy-Qw6voz3ZwKvzbpqsT4Qbxp4Jb_j48tuZINbH9f7GN39qsSlZjaC67vsK2qOHdhrV_nQPzUN8/s4032/A603FB19-0635-47C1-848C-840FFCCD97FC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq9algYztrHnmjjghjuWzTw_vBsevbYydkGtHDTJWSsBU69gCfvB3C3KttQhsyHkBME4FT56gWq72yDEeE-xNuBhijbeWSTNGFFRoDzYD7a6NR_5p5Qy-Qw6voz3ZwKvzbpqsT4Qbxp4Jb_j48tuZINbH9f7GN39qsSlZjaC67vsK2qOHdhrV_nQPzUN8/w480-h640/A603FB19-0635-47C1-848C-840FFCCD97FC.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1Q2h9w6LDcupLu5NAjzCO3BZHxvhJliPbWTBeu_jSr6htM-76TGG_lR5jEdn5SsLWBs_Tj-YxBp-fy1MlaK6sVsZJ6AQQyuBfzSk7XVgayuKB8HG-6BE4CCsqwG0B-DfxxTubRsvFATHgeF5eJ8AGFbPL_rtV77E4c0DYHb7_hw_8kv3oBtQ3_7coZI/s4032/B21F0FAC-D763-4178-90FD-0B12B7C639E2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1Q2h9w6LDcupLu5NAjzCO3BZHxvhJliPbWTBeu_jSr6htM-76TGG_lR5jEdn5SsLWBs_Tj-YxBp-fy1MlaK6sVsZJ6AQQyuBfzSk7XVgayuKB8HG-6BE4CCsqwG0B-DfxxTubRsvFATHgeF5eJ8AGFbPL_rtV77E4c0DYHb7_hw_8kv3oBtQ3_7coZI/w480-h640/B21F0FAC-D763-4178-90FD-0B12B7C639E2.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><p><a href="https://www.hobbylobby.com/Home-Decor-Frames/Storage-Organization/Wall-Storage-Organization/Balcony-Three-Tiered-Wood-Wall-Shelf/p/81073111" target="_blank">Wood Shelf in Kitchen</a> - Hobby Lobby</p><p><a href="https://www.michaels.com/product/7-cream-scallop-pattern-vase-by-ashland-10708818?michaelsStore=6001&inv=11" target="_blank">Utensil holder</a> - Michaels</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09KPLW5TZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Utensils</a> - Amazon</p><p>Black cutting board was Target but I found at resale shop</p><p><a href="https://www.target.com/p/2-39-x-3-39-textured-border-stripe-area-rug-railroad-gray-hearth-38-hand-8482-with-magnolia/-/A-76845057?preselect=76845057" target="_blank">Rug</a> - Target</p><p>Black <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Black-38-Ounce-Eco-Friendly-Recycled-Plastic-Dinner-Bowl/737975914?athbdg=L1102&from=/search" target="_blank">bowls</a> and <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-10-Inch-Eco-Friendly-Recycled-Plastic-Dinner-Plate-Black/427852505?athbdg=L1600&from=/search" target="_blank">plates</a> - Walmart</p><p><a href="https://www.hobbylobby.com/Spring-Shop/Kitchen-Picnic/Serveware/Acacia-Wood-Elevated-Tray/p/81106434" target="_blank">Wood Tray</a> - Hobby Lobby</p><p>Green pillows - Ross</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BCKWLTCJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Sconces</a> - Amazon</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-6530278244903861282021-08-02T21:43:00.005-04:002021-08-02T21:43:45.004-04:00Kitchen refresh is done!<p>Welcome to my 2021 post! (Because I'm averaging one a year π)</p><p>I am so excited to say that our kitchen is finally DONE!! *besides a couple tiny things, but I'm calling it good enough to share*. I'll share the links at the bottom of the post in case you're interested.</p><p>We started this last October when I got a crazy idea to paint our cabinets by myself. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the cabinets the way they were, but it just wasn't my style. I wanted something lighter and brighter (especially since our house is surrounded by beautiful mature trees and gets dark in the summer with all the leaves out). I knew I wanted white quartz counters, so I told Clarence I would paint the cabinets myself to save $$. Thankfully, a friend of mine from Arkansas does this for a living and has an <a href="https://diycabinetpainting101.com/">AMAZING tutorial </a>that I'm so thankful I had! It is under $50 and worth every penny if you're thinking of painting cabinets yourself! </p><p>Here's where we started. Again, everything was fine, just felt dark. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h0GE0Ae_BYc/YQiHpD2JZqI/AAAAAAAACwA/yqFpXSYYc4Yb_pg11EX5BCzDluUtBNlswCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_3210.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h0GE0Ae_BYc/YQiHpD2JZqI/AAAAAAAACwA/yqFpXSYYc4Yb_pg11EX5BCzDluUtBNlswCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_3210.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Now, this is how it looks....</div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8EE5cBiZHRI/YQiH8fr0whI/AAAAAAAACwI/i3z3m9NX8rghafZhbsLVR1bGerlDlPjygCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_6615.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8EE5cBiZHRI/YQiH8fr0whI/AAAAAAAACwI/i3z3m9NX8rghafZhbsLVR1bGerlDlPjygCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_6615.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />It's really hard to photograph in the summer bc of the tree cover, but doesn't it feel so much brighter? After a lot of swatches, and painted poster board, and indecision, I finally went with was Silvermist by Sherwin Williams. It's a gray, green, blue, depending on the light. I thought about doing white, but just wanted to go with something a little different. Classic middle-child decision. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D4XD3GOWV7Q/YQiItHSAOCI/AAAAAAAACwQ/PbKQd8LPC_E5iVxKWKrticSka4iSejH5gCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_3209.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D4XD3GOWV7Q/YQiItHSAOCI/AAAAAAAACwQ/PbKQd8LPC_E5iVxKWKrticSka4iSejH5gCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_3209.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LG4JweuYHCs/YQiIy6S87QI/AAAAAAAACwU/XvgkES4uW2guTOBlVaVmXb0iGXmM28ezgCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_6614.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LG4JweuYHCs/YQiIy6S87QI/AAAAAAAACwU/XvgkES4uW2guTOBlVaVmXb0iGXmM28ezgCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_6614.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div>One of the things we did that I'm really loving, is added a frosted glass vinyl to the back of the two glass cabinets. We have kids which means lots of colored plates that don't really look amazing on display. πThis solved that issue! <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oML3sbuzRlg/YQiJQe1FjnI/AAAAAAAACwg/KVYv5nRT_RgfGVaIN0-e0Va7a9P2CQH2gCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_3208.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oML3sbuzRlg/YQiJQe1FjnI/AAAAAAAACwg/KVYv5nRT_RgfGVaIN0-e0Va7a9P2CQH2gCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_3208.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />Another small change that made a big difference? Taking down that big microwave cabinet. It came out and down so far, that the counter space underneath it was all but useless. We really lacked useable space over there, so down it came. It seemed like a simple solution until the wall behind was covered in holes and damaged drywall. We attempted to fix it ourselves....it did not go well. πDrywall is such an art. We ended up bringing someone in and paying them a few hundred dollars to fix it. Then we had a huge space between the cabinets for MONTHS before we finally got around to putting the shelves up. Real life DIY.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Cj-ZbcuHPuU/YQiKK2lLK8I/AAAAAAAACwo/Y4U7eNxkSp8xzXNuqBur9AqV3eFlxPpBgCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_6613.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Cj-ZbcuHPuU/YQiKK2lLK8I/AAAAAAAACwo/Y4U7eNxkSp8xzXNuqBur9AqV3eFlxPpBgCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_6613.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UAWtg7gF23s/YQiKS1SzTTI/AAAAAAAACws/AKZrdDkc0X0FOt0etWY55Hbq3fohn76NQCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_6617.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UAWtg7gF23s/YQiKS1SzTTI/AAAAAAAACws/AKZrdDkc0X0FOt0etWY55Hbq3fohn76NQCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_6617.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sooooo much better! We also had to get creative with an outlet that is behind the framed art. Turns out, the microwave needed to be plugged in there because it was on it's own breaker and it would trip anytime we tried to run it and something else. So, we plugged in a extension cord, cut a hole in the bottom of the shelf for the cord to run through, attached it to the underside of the cabinet and now it sits behind the microwave. Unless you look underneath (or behind the frame) you would never know!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of the biggest changes came on the other side of the kitchen. We took down the upper cabinets in the photo below so we could replace the counters. Once they were down, it seemed so much more open, so I decided to change it up totally! We used the backsplash to tile the wall and then put open shelves over top. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IuQlzAdNWSY/YQiL4AOv5fI/AAAAAAAACw4/fs3zAMyofuYeAYvA9iZsVlBqDRZIw8sfACLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_2764.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IuQlzAdNWSY/YQiL4AOv5fI/AAAAAAAACw4/fs3zAMyofuYeAYvA9iZsVlBqDRZIw8sfACLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_2764.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mDYWeUjuD9g/YQiMID5er5I/AAAAAAAACxA/ADbjAAL23NMDFzjjL4XZOVY50YeCusqzACLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_6631.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mDYWeUjuD9g/YQiMID5er5I/AAAAAAAACxA/ADbjAAL23NMDFzjjL4XZOVY50YeCusqzACLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_6631.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Before we tiled, Clarence attached three metal brackets for each shelf to the studs in the wall. We then cut the tile around those poles. Clarence bought a piece of pine at Lowes that was 12ft long and 1ft deep and had them cut it into two long pieces. Then, he had the crazy job of trying to get holes drilled in the wood to match *exactly* with where the poles were already in the wall. It was not an easy process, but he eventually made it work! Once we slid the shelf on, we realized the tile cuts showed π€</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6Ap0vyPVGF8/YQiaSfYwuAI/AAAAAAAACyk/CR5uJ-F-RnEuMCvbyjmFQM3n9vzEEm9wwCLcBGAsYHQ/tile%2Bcut.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6Ap0vyPVGF8/YQiaSfYwuAI/AAAAAAAACyk/CR5uJ-F-RnEuMCvbyjmFQM3n9vzEEm9wwCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/tile%2Bcut.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Well, it was too late to go back now, so we bought a small piece of trim, stained it to match the shelf, and placed it along the back to cover the gaps. You can barely see it now. Ahhh the joys of DIY haha. <br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-j6hmfUPo9lI/YQiMSzEfU4I/AAAAAAAACxE/Fs0Ffs0Q7yYEidgByDB2asOce5wqKXh1wCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_3206.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-j6hmfUPo9lI/YQiMSzEfU4I/AAAAAAAACxE/Fs0Ffs0Q7yYEidgByDB2asOce5wqKXh1wCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_3206.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h-mlLOa51DY/YQiMXisbRZI/AAAAAAAACxM/9mWPFH-nqVgU-YNPfj4_uVxKRVpMtICBgCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_6626.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h-mlLOa51DY/YQiMXisbRZI/AAAAAAAACxM/9mWPFH-nqVgU-YNPfj4_uVxKRVpMtICBgCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_6626.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mom life. The play kitchen has a prominent part in our kitchen still. πWe also took down the wine rack at the end of the peninsula cabinet and left it open. I still need to figure out what I'm going to put in there. It may be time to finally buy those Magnolia cookbooks I've been wanting! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7gwz7F2tX_I/YQiNEcxmaUI/AAAAAAAACxY/1FHbwt0rmRwEXzbf__6RdNgDV9Jy-eSDgCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_3207.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7gwz7F2tX_I/YQiNEcxmaUI/AAAAAAAACxY/1FHbwt0rmRwEXzbf__6RdNgDV9Jy-eSDgCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_3207.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3xXXnowOGl4/YQiNH7u9I4I/AAAAAAAACxc/1Yk565PobVIAKRuDSteFSRRcR4KuFk5eACLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_6620.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3xXXnowOGl4/YQiNH7u9I4I/AAAAAAAACxc/1Yk565PobVIAKRuDSteFSRRcR4KuFk5eACLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_6620.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WAYlTTDX_7o/YQiNSIQIBRI/AAAAAAAACxg/ZQBeATOzZM0QvpNI2xjZWefibXwCR2WOwCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_3205.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WAYlTTDX_7o/YQiNSIQIBRI/AAAAAAAACxg/ZQBeATOzZM0QvpNI2xjZWefibXwCR2WOwCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_3205.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-L_7kLCrV7RE/YQiNifaM4aI/AAAAAAAACxw/4OU5OTO0ObohLZlv1S84S2kaW4Tl2-MlQCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_6629.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-L_7kLCrV7RE/YQiNifaM4aI/AAAAAAAACxw/4OU5OTO0ObohLZlv1S84S2kaW4Tl2-MlQCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_6629.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The play kitchen clutter isn't doing me any favors, but I don't even care, because it's such a huge difference! Soooo many hours spent prepping, and sanding, and painting. I will be 100% honest, it was SO MUCH work and I have no desire to do it again, but at the same time, I'm so proud that I did it all by myself! It was <b>completely</b> worth it. We ended up spending about $400 to paint versus paying $2-$3k for a professional to do it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We also upgraded our sinks and faucets.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DRxn_A76REU/YQiOJy7_cSI/AAAAAAAACx4/CJbzk9X03IEWK8_cTeFUee7DxWZhb6mswCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_5186.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DRxn_A76REU/YQiOJy7_cSI/AAAAAAAACx4/CJbzk9X03IEWK8_cTeFUee7DxWZhb6mswCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_5186.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-clLYxm-C7O8/YQiOQPjBLcI/AAAAAAAACx8/SqXRQg9XEY4YsIS_DbJ77AblBoG8LjGBACLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_6632.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-clLYxm-C7O8/YQiOQPjBLcI/AAAAAAAACx8/SqXRQg9XEY4YsIS_DbJ77AblBoG8LjGBACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/IMG_6632.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Bye drop-in, two basin sink!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J-Z_bTbr7Zk/YQiOVAZ9LGI/AAAAAAAACyA/o8yoEQbCeaIlE9N0Kjl3k_B42ek9eIQ6ACLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_5191.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J-Z_bTbr7Zk/YQiOVAZ9LGI/AAAAAAAACyA/o8yoEQbCeaIlE9N0Kjl3k_B42ek9eIQ6ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/IMG_5191.JPEG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hello undermount beauty!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q9mxyOA5xoI/YQiOiDQDWQI/AAAAAAAACyI/J021LYPZthouynMa9T7cqUjEWvBxkHQQQCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_6633.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q9mxyOA5xoI/YQiOiDQDWQI/AAAAAAAACyI/J021LYPZthouynMa9T7cqUjEWvBxkHQQQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/IMG_6633.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Let's see one final look:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D1KAK6Yg-34/YQiOuZcJSSI/AAAAAAAACyQ/CkJIk4_mDBgw6kNHBJSySXsQQeA1JDCYQCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_2712.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1101" data-original-width="2048" height="344" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D1KAK6Yg-34/YQiOuZcJSSI/AAAAAAAACyQ/CkJIk4_mDBgw6kNHBJSySXsQQeA1JDCYQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h344/IMG_2712.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MhuTN8lMf6g/YQiOyoBFLbI/AAAAAAAACyY/HFO2phFl6YwvoFjretfwMLkjVtzoRSVHwCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_6630.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1177" data-original-width="2048" height="368" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MhuTN8lMf6g/YQiOyoBFLbI/AAAAAAAACyY/HFO2phFl6YwvoFjretfwMLkjVtzoRSVHwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h368/IMG_6630.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now for some more nitty-gritty details (for anyone who is attacking their own remodel and would like more info or if you're just curious). #1 absolutely purchase <a href="https://diycabinetpainting101.com/" target="_blank">Kayla's tutorial</a>!!! She gives you a complete supply list, step by step videos, access to a FB group with other people doing the same thing, and is always available to answer questions. Ask me how I know. π</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Take it step by step. It's much easier than looking at how much work you need to do and getting overwhelmed! I actually split our kitchen up into two sections. The U-shape I did back in the fall (which I would recommend if you're painting outside, bc doing it the summer with a respirator was so HOT!). I ran out of weather to continue, so I finished the peninsula and other cabinet this summer. It was <i>really</i> helpful to split up the work, though I did kind of dread having to do it all over again haha. Our kitchen was big, so it worked well this way, but if your kitchen is smaller, you could knock it out in one big chunk. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you have kids, I did a lot of work during naps or on the weekends. We took advantage of a lot of outside play and some movie time too. They also heard lots of "don't touch the cabinets!" π</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We got our quartz counters from <a href="https://www.granitetopdesigns.com/">Granite Top Designs</a>. They had, by far, the largest selection locally and was priced well too. We ended up getting Shadow by Prism Quartz which has a really pretty marble look to it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For backsplash, I fell in love with the Bedrosian Cloe Tile in White, but it was on backorder everrryyywhere. Through Houzz stalking, I discovered that Equipe carried the same tile in their Artisan Collection. Same manufacturer, different distributer. I was able to find it that way in stock and I really love it! It has slight variation in color and with the white grout, looks so beautiful! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our good friend, Mike, who has tiled many times offered to come help us get started since we were tiling newbies. Tile saw in tow, he was such a huge help and sacrificed one of his July 4th weekend days to lend a hand! It took us the better part of a day to tile the whole kitchen (and movie marathons for the kids). The next day we spent grouting and caulking. Between the two, we both preferred tiling! It made such a difference in the kitchen; really making it look finished. Changing out the hardware was also a nice change, making it feel more updated. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All in all, we probably spent close to 7k on our update (almost 5K of that going to the counters). Spacing it out over the better part of a year really helped out (as did the stimulus check ;)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It feels so good to be done! I'm really proud of how much we were able to do ourselves, and how much brighter, happier, and more "us" it feels! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are some links to the things we used. Let me know if I missed anything! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Blanco-442554-BLANCO-Undermount-Metallic/dp/B0794WT69G/ref=sr_1_13?dchild=1&keywords=blanco+metallic+gray+sink&qid=1627953998&sr=8-13">Kitchen Sink</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/Glacier-Bay-Vazon-Touchless-Single-Handle-Pull-Down-Sprayer-Kitchen-Faucet-with-TurboSpray-in-Matte-Gold-HD67798W-114405/313599235?cm_mmc=ecc-_-STH_OUT_FOR_DELIVERY-_-V1_M1_CA-_-Product_URL&ecc_ord=WJ31843404">Kitchen Faucet</a> (wait for it to go on sale; we got it for $100!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/Glacier-Bay-Dorind-4-in-Centerset-2-Handle-High-Arc-Bathroom-Faucet-in-Matte-Gold-HD67110W-604405/313824367">Bar faucet</a> (matte gold is no longer available. We found one on ebay)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Bar-Sinks/24857/subcat.html?featuredproduct=31424570&featuredoption=57493397&ci_sku=36142115-000-005&cnc=US&cid=277924&type=pla&targetid=aud-411985025504:pla-314090756878&track=pspla&gclid=CjwKCAjwr56IBhAvEiwA1fuqGhAgoK-hduMfukLhFuRuYxQbyrL8zuP7zXTP4DO4aII_9grDm7uJPRoCg64QAvD_BwE">Bar sink </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hardware - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Brass-P29523Z-CZ-B-Cabinet-Champagne/dp/B085VKLS34/ref=pd_ys_c_rfy_rp_m_58_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B085VKLS34&pd_rd_r=R9KKQY6HP6AD1XHZFRA0&pd_rd_w=4LCRD&pd_rd_wg=k9kwU&pf_rd_p=5d61ee21-c9c1-4f53-887e-8583c213529a&pf_rd_r=R9KKQY6HP6AD1XHZFRA0&psc=1&refRID=DAK6C0W5AHDPFBXPH0YH" target="_blank">knobs</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085VKPJVJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">pulls</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08RW3845M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Sconce Lights over shelves</a> (scored them BOGO) We did the "magic light trick" for these. They have puck lights inside and are not hardwired.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://floorzz.com/products/equipe-artisan-collection-2-5-x-8-wall-tile-white?variant=32523911757890&currency=USD&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google+shopping&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&adpos=&scid=scplpshopify_US_4714977919042_32523911757890&sc_intid=shopify_US_4714977919042_32523911757890&gclid=CjwKCAjwr56IBhAvEiwA1fuqGjJ6MZqMd8EnVE7yFaJehLzWny8S23MWv-AfYmQL9SCpWq1hcVrdQBoClLUQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Backsplash tile</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://floorzz.com/products/equipe-artisan-collection-5-x-8-jolly-trim-white" target="_blank">Trim pieces for tile</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Black-Solid-Floating-Bracket-Supports/dp/B08SL7JVBX/ref=pd_ys_c_rfy_rp_m_58_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B08SL7JVBX&pd_rd_r=V9G3RZP043QKJTKHQZJ6&pd_rd_w=7tVIW&pd_rd_wg=gGcUF&pf_rd_p=5d61ee21-c9c1-4f53-887e-8583c213529a&pf_rd_r=V9G3RZP043QKJTKHQZJ6&psc=1&refRID=HJ13R8ZRYEEA4HRFNGQ7" target="_blank">Floating Shelf brackets</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /></div></div></div></div></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-2459993628335316322020-02-09T20:12:00.000-05:002020-02-09T20:12:13.561-05:00Laundry Room RedoOur laundry room is finally finished! For years I've wanted to update this space to be much more functional for our family. We love having a mudroom (especially since we adopted the asian mentality of taking your shoes off when you come in the door), but the space was just not working for our needs. There was no place to take off or put on shoes, and the open shelving above the washer/dryer just became a dumping ground for junk. It's like a junk drawer but all over your walls....not pretty. Here is what the space has looked for over the past 5 years...<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ESjXxRiUok0/XkChRe62aMI/AAAAAAAACIw/EGDSx-jJiH0EqT37lAdpbWg1tNBRKjh1gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_3246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ESjXxRiUok0/XkChRe62aMI/AAAAAAAACIw/EGDSx-jJiH0EqT37lAdpbWg1tNBRKjh1gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_3246.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SdIRy8jPSUE/XkChdPpjD_I/AAAAAAAACI4/bemK_rdp2oQDeJFHzHrjgx2IyaQrhVaCACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SdIRy8jPSUE/XkChdPpjD_I/AAAAAAAACI4/bemK_rdp2oQDeJFHzHrjgx2IyaQrhVaCACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_2012.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I know, it was a totally sexy space. It's way sexier now; take a look:</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cXW6D8Yxqxw/XkChw_cNQcI/AAAAAAAACJM/HgyL4b0DrocjiyqKUjEpGgvNahOA7hRXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_2512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cXW6D8Yxqxw/XkChw_cNQcI/AAAAAAAACJM/HgyL4b0DrocjiyqKUjEpGgvNahOA7hRXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_2512.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aVMOU2a9cPE/XkChw072voI/AAAAAAAACJQ/Ro2mwBw-Rh0XQp8I9hB-hyurn35C6vYnACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_1444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aVMOU2a9cPE/XkChw072voI/AAAAAAAACJQ/Ro2mwBw-Rh0XQp8I9hB-hyurn35C6vYnACEwYBhgL/s640/IMG_1444.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Oh man, I love it! It's not just functional, it's pretty! The mudroom wall has to be my favorite...and it was all built by my talented husband! As usually happens, I gave Clarence a few inspiration pictures and he made it happen. He started with the bench along the bottom so we had somewhere to sit and put on our shoes. He had to custom build it according to the measurements of our wall (my math-deficient mind doesn't even want to think about it). Baskets beneath hold our shoes. Then he added pre-made shiplap above that, and more cubbies for storage on the top. We already had those baskets, so he wanted to make the cubbies specifically for them. Once we went to install, we realized it was way too high, so he had to lower it and build molding to help it reach the ceiling. It looked pretty strange to me until we got the "stay awhile" sign for a white elephant gift at Christmas and it fit in that space perfectly!<br />
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The framed art was an 8 year wedding anniversary gift from Clarence. It tells our love story by year and is printed on linen (The 8 year traditional gift). It was such a sweet and thoughtful present!<br />
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On the washer/dryer side, I knew I wanted some cabinets we could close to hide all of our stuff. We ordered a few unfinished cabinets from Home Depot and I painted them "Weekend" by Magnolia Home. It's such a gorgeous, bold color which I felt this room needed. We stained a few boards to match the mudroom bench and ordered some black brackets to hold them up.<br />
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It makes me so happy to walk in that room now! It's pretty, clean, and SO MUCH more functional! Here are our sources and total breakdown:<br />
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Wood: Clarence used a lot of stuff he had lying around, but spent about $100 additional<br />
Wall paint: Moonshine by Benjamin Moore. Had on hand (since 2015 haha)<br />
White paint for cubbies: had on hand<br />
<a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/ARAUCO-9-16-in-x-5-1-4-in-x-8-ft-Radiata-Pine-Nickel-Gap-Ship-Lap-Board-1186659/300803794">Shiplap</a>: $80 (there are def cheaper ways to do this, but Clarence wanted to go for ease)<br />
<a href="https://www.target.com/p/medium-felt-basket-with-stitching-dark-gray-10-5-x14----project-62--8482-/-/A-53775679">Grey Baskets</a>: $63.57<br />
<a href="https://www.target.com/p/stay-awhile-sign-cream-hearth-hand-8482-with-magnolia/-/A-54172205">"Stay Awhile" sign</a>: Christmas gift<br />
<a href="https://www.containerstore.com/s/storage/decorative-bins-baskets/water-hyacinth-storage-bins-with-handles/12d?productId=10029541&country=US&currency=USD&utm_source=tcscompshop&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=google&cid=cse%7Cevergreen%7Cstorage+%3E+decorative-bins-baskets%7Cgoogle%7C%7C%7Bcampaignid%7D%7C%7Bproduct_id%7D%7C%7Bdevice%7D&gclid=CjwKCAiA-P7xBRAvEiwAow-VaYuzjQwZHYD1xlxUSkJ2xfunvBj3rjTnzdg_58BxEzEvauKW24emORoCFUQQAvD_BwE">Top Baskets</a>: had already<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H9644S7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1">Black coat hooks</a>: $16.99<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0755FKBYD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1">Rug</a>: $66.77 (now priced 39.99!!)<br />
<a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/Easthaven-Shaker-Assembled-18x36x12-in-Frameless-Wall-Cabinet-in-Unfinished-Beech-EH1836W-GB/303490276">Unfinished cabinets</a>: $188.68<br />
<a href="https://www.acehardware.com/departments/paint-and-supplies/interior-paint/wall-paint/1780949">Magnolia paint</a>: $20 for a quart<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QFM6R7D/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1">Black brackets</a>: $46.96<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DN87VZ6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1">Gold cabinet hardware</a>: $15.89<br />
<a href="https://www.potterybarn.com/products/pb-classic-schoolhouse-rod-pendant-milk-glass/?catalogId=84&sku=6379492&cm_ven=PLA&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=Lighting%20%3E%20Pendants&cm_ite=6379492&gclid=CjwKCAiA-P7xBRAvEiwAow-VaVZ5EUqlfa9ndfYRUbftfm8Ei88dnq9hVyK6ApE5DWA9HOZQYazU1hoCiIEQAvD_BwE">Schoolhouse light</a>: $20 at Pottery Barn Outlet<br />
<a href="https://www.michaels.com/36in-laundry-co-enamel-wall-sign-by-ashland/10610343.html?cm_mmc=PLASearch-_-google-_-MICH_Shopping_US_N_Decor_N_N_N_N-_-Decor&Kenshoo_ida=&KPID=go_cmp-1673382940_adg-66057885798_ad-324283646108_aud-385702998888:pla-509541983666_dev-c_ext-_prd-10610343&gclid=CjwKCAiA-P7xBRAvEiwAow-VabnA54-JGLKA9NeI1AHwFu0O64c8XlvWwsvdMqO6M6jA0JifijEQVBoCFksQAvD_BwE">Laundry sign</a>: $23.69<br />
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Total spent: $642.55<br />
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This is actually the first time I've added it all up. It's not bad for an entire room, but I'm also thankful we did it slowly over about 3 months to stretch the spending out. Overall, I'm super happy with how it turned out. Let me know if I missed anything you wanted more information on!<br />
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Up next? Abel's room (once we move the girl's in together).<br />
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-67478675706267084692019-05-19T13:37:00.000-04:002019-05-19T16:24:26.832-04:00Arden's Home Birth I never dreamed of having a home birth. It was not something that was <i>ever</i> on my radar. In fact, I didn't think I was the kind of mom who would do the whole home birth thing. I've had multiple people say "you're so brave" when they found out we decided to have Arden at home, but now I truly believe any low-risk mom is not only capable of it, but would love the experience!<br />
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Our decision started as a financial choice; our original provider required 100% payment by 36 weeks and was unwilling to work with us on a payment plan. With a high deductible to hit, there was just no way we could swing it without putting in on a credit card (not an ideal scenario). We started looking at other options and since I had Haven and Abel naturally and was low risk, we thought "what about a home birth?" I'm SO GLAD we did!<br />
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Halfway through my pregnancy when we started considering a home birth, my <a href="https://juliebyers.com/doula/">doula</a> suggested we meet with midwives, including <a href="https://www.hatchedathome.com/">Carrie of Hatched</a> to ask questions and get a feel for what making the change would be like. Clarence and I talked afterwards and decided to go for it. Here are a few things, for us, that make a home birth totally worth it:<br />
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<li>More personal care. I was not just a number in an office. I met with Carrie personally for each of my prenatal appointments and was never rushed in and out. She took time to get to know me and chat about life. Not only that, I knew she would be the one there to deliver my baby. It would not be a guessing game when it was time to deliver. Additionally, I have her phone number and am encouraged to text or call any time I had a question or concern!</li>
<li>Being in your own home is so nice! I did not have to pack a hospital bag, endure a painful ride in the car to a hospital, stress about being sent back home to labor longer, get hooked up to multiple tubes/IV's, experience pressure to intervene if things weren't moving at a certain pace, etc. I loved the benefit of everyone coming to me! I was comfortable at home, had anything I wanted at my fingertips and could roam about the house in whatever way felt best during labor.</li>
<li>I had a small group of people there supporting me and my birth. They weren't there dictating what I needed to do, but allowed me to labor and then assisted me whenever I needed it. It felt so intimate and personal.</li>
<li>I got to move right to my bed after Arden was born and start right in on those newborn snuggles. Walking a few feet is way nicer than getting in the car and driving 30 min home. </li>
<li>Statistically, home births for low-risk women have lower rates of cesareans (5.2% as opposed to 31%) without an increase of adverse outcomes for mothers or babies.</li>
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Ok, let me get off my home birth soap box and actually tell you about Arden's birth!</div>
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Like all of my kids, #3 took her own sweet time coming. Though at 8 days past the due date, she was still the earliest! I went into labor around 3am on Sunday, April 28th. I'd had some contractions off and on over the past week or so, including Braxton Hicks, but these were falling into a regular pattern and I knew it was time. I was going to have a baby today! I texted my birth team to let them know and continued to time the contractions. Around 6am, I was starting to feel some fear and anxiety. The baby is coming....oh crap, I have to do this again. There's literally no turning back. There's only one way she's coming out. I asked Clarence to wake up (he's lucky I let him sleep that long π) and told my doula I was ready for her to come and help support me too. </div>
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I walked around, swayed, and worked through the contractions for a little over an hour. Shortly after my doula arrived, my friend Tiffany came to pick up my kids. She had so graciously offered to take them to her house whenever I went into labor. Her kids are my kid's best friends, so I knew they would have a blast and were in good hands. I definitely didn't want them around so I had to hear "mommy, mommy, mommy" constantly while I was trying to labor. Not to mention, I didn't want to scar Haven, my sensitive child, for life. π</div>
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Around 7:30am, my midwife arrived and checked to see how far I was dilated. She didn't say anything right away and I walked back out of the room with whispers behind me. I told Clarence, "She's probably telling them I'm a zero". Come to find out, when she first checked, I was only dilated to 1cm, but as soon as she touched my cervix, I opened up to 5cm! </div>
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The next few hours are mostly a blur. I spent a lot of time in the birth tub, moaning through contractions and trying to stay relaxed.<br />
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(photos by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/eternalinstantsphotography">Eternal Instants Photography</a>)</div>
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I got out a few times to go to the bathroom or lay in my bed, trying to find the most comfortable position.<br />
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Around 10:30am, I was standing and swaying when I felt a tremendous amount of pressure and a huge push. I yelled "she's coming" but then things backed off again right after I got back in the tub.<br />
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I spent the next few hours laboring in about the same way, in and out of the tub. Around 12:20pm, I got back in the tub and leaned forward into Clarence for support.<br />
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During a big contraction I felt a "pop" and knew my water had finally broken, which was followed immediately by a lot of pain as Arden quickly descended into position. I just remember gripping Clarence's arms and screaming as my body took over. My birth team later said they were very surprised at how quickly it happened at the end, because I wasn't showing any signs of going through transition, but as soon as my water broke, her head was crowning. </div>
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There was a small break before another contraction came and I screamed as her head was delivered. Thank goodness for that small sense of relief for being done with the head portion! There was another short break and I remember asking what to do because when Abel's head was born, I was told to stand up immediately so the rest of him could be delivered. I'm not sure why that was, but was almost expecting the same during this labor. Carrie, our midwife, told me to just wait for the next contraction and then push. That's exactly what I did, and to the sound of my lion roaring screams at 12:28pm on April 28th, Arden Le En Wong was born! Her Chinese middle name means "Joyful Grace". (Fun fact: Arden was born on what would've been her great-grandmother's 100th birthday. This is the same grandmother I got my middle name from)<br />
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It's hard to even explain the rush of emotions that come over you. My baby! She's here! I did it! It's over! I never have to go through that again! haha. There is so much joy and pride and strength. </div>
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Despite Arden being super active while inside me, she had a super short cord. Since I delivered on my knees in the birthing tub, she was behind me. I had to climb over the cord so I could sit down and hold my baby for the first time.<br />
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She had so much hair, and hearing those little cries made every second of pain absolutely worth it! We sat in the tub together while we waited for the cord to stop pulsing and then Clarence cut the cord and took Arden so I could move to our bed.<br />
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We were able to have a special time of prayer over her and thank God for a healthy delivery.<br />
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I had a second degree tear (same as with my first two as well. I found that it's not that uncommon to tear in the same place as before since scar tissue doesn't stretch) and after delivering the placenta, being sewed up, cared for, and the house cleaned, our birth team headed out. (Oh, let me not forget the torture of having my uterus massaged!! π³π©) I had some bleeding that seemed to have stopped, but my midwife told me to keep her updated if it continued. Over the next few hours, I was continuing to pass a lot of blood clots. By around 5:30pm, my midwife suggested we go to the hospital because she was not comfortable with how much I was still bleeding so long after delivery. While Clarence was helping me to the car, I felt super light-headed and remembered Carrie saying that if I felt feverish or like I might faint, to call for an ambulance. Clarence helped me get seated while he called for one. I still felt fine (once seated) and was not overly concerned, but knew it was better to be safe than sorry. </div>
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Clarence followed the ambulance with Arden in our car, while super-friend Tiffany picked our older kids back up and took them to her house again. Once at the hospital, it was believed that I had a vaginal hematoma which burst my original stitches and was causing the bleeding/clotting. They sewed me up (again!) which was a real treat and then strongly suggested I have a blood transfusion of two bags because I had lost a decent amount of blood. We agreed and after a horrible night of sleep, headed home at 7am the next morning. </div>
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Though I would've preferred to stay at my house and <b>not</b> make a trip to the hospital, I'm thankful that we took the precaution and went and got everything fixed. The multiple needle pokes, second suturing, and extended recovery time were not easy, but are much preferred to the alternative and I'm thankful to those who helped me get well. I think the 5 days of bedrest and unexpected weakness were the hardest things for me. I was used to bouncing back pretty quickly after the other two births, and this was definitely not the same experience. I'm so thankful for a husband who took such good care of me and the rest of the family! He even took all three kids out by himself multiple times that first week! #rockstar<br />
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I am so glad we had a home birth and it was a great experience! My bleeding afterward had nothing to do with being at home and I would absolutely do it again (but I won't because we are DONE). I believe birth can absolutely be a positive, natural, empowering thing and that home births should not be feared. </div>
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So that is the <u>novel</u> of Arden's birth. We are so thankful that our family is now complete! </div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-67887202725502132432019-05-08T17:09:00.000-04:002019-05-08T17:09:03.134-04:00Arden's Nursery RevealHave you seen this meme? It's one of my husband's favorites.<br />
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As much as it makes me laugh, and is so true in regards to various situations with multiple children, it's not true for nurseries in our house. I just can't help myself, I love decorating for each new baby's room.</div>
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We decided to move Abel and Haven in together temporarily and let Arden have Abel's room during her baby/waking in the night months. We wanted to spend as little as possible switching the boy room into a girl room so I needed to be a little creative. We decided to keep the walls navy blue and I found a beautiful floral wallpaper from Spoonflower that had navy it in. That was our only splurge in the room and we just applied it to one wall. </div>
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This was our first time working with wallpaper and it was a bit of a challenge. Mostly dealing with the window. You were not supposed to trim it until it was applied, but the paper was thick, so getting it to lay flat around the window without trimming it was next to impossible. It is definitely not perfect, but thankfully the pattern is busy enough that it covers our mistakes. #smallvictories</div>
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We were able to reuse multiple items in the room. The glider we bought from Walmart before Haven was born, so we've definitely gotten our money worth out of it! The small pink side table was in Haven's room, but is a better fit in here for now. We are also reusing the crib and it has held up well since we bought it for Haven's nursery more than 5 years ago. We bought the rug from Rugs USA back when we were decorating for Abel's room, so that was another reuse. </div>
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The curtains we bought from Walmart and I love the ruffle that adds a sweet feminine detail. The drum light I found on Facebook marketplace for $25! It is Pillowfort from Target and never used. It goes perfectly in here! I was so glad to finally get rid of the ugly ceiling fan that was there. Sayonara! </div>
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The framed art was also pulled out of Haven's room and was a serendipitous match to the wallpaper! There are various Bible verses that I love to display to remind my little ones who God says they are. </div>
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I found the lamp base at the thrift store, and grabbed an inexpensive frame from Target to finish it off. </div>
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I also decided to reuse the crib skirt I made for Abel. Waste not, want not :)<br />
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I had my heart set on buying her a name sign to hang above the crib where the name is cut out of wood and has a 3D effect to it, but after seeing the cost, I decided to make something myself. It doesn't have the 3D effect, but we saved a bunch of $$! We bought a <a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-in-x-2-ft-x-2-ft-Pine-Edge-Glued-Panel-Round-Board-682527/202017012">large, raw wood round</a> from Home Depot for $11, painted it white, and then added the name with help from my Silhouette. All in, it probably cost me around $15...instead of $100 plus. I was also able to add her Chinese name on the sign which is an added bonus. Don't mind the anchor holes we have yet to fill in from the sign that we hung there for Abel...<br />
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The book ledges were also a "reuse". Clarence made them for Haven's nursery and they've actually been in a closet for years since we moved to South Carolina. They are perfect in this space and I hope it will instill a love for reading in her. The little floor pouf I made for Haven's nursery. I actually haven't resewn the top closed...I should prob get on that. The little laundry hamper is from Aldi. </div>
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<span id="goog_815857440"></span><span id="goog_815857441"></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b7MwLpIZZio/XNM7VJFnnkI/AAAAAAAAB0I/T6ejQiRIzt4AlUwODx8-eyQJPstZ4DXxACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_5846%2B3.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b7MwLpIZZio/XNM7VJFnnkI/AAAAAAAAB0I/T6ejQiRIzt4AlUwODx8-eyQJPstZ4DXxACK4BGAYYCw/s640/IMG_5846%2B3.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The dresser was given (!) to me by a friend who didn't need it anymore. We painted the drawer fronts pink ombre colors for Haven's nursery (you can go back and find that reveal to see how it looked). When we were expecting Abel, we sanded them down and stained them and bought new hardware. We decided to just keep it the same for Arden's room. Why make more work for us then we need to? The mirror above the dresser is from Target, as are the two little planters. Dollar Spot FTW! The alphabet art was also pulled over from Haven's room.<br />
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That's it! I'm really happy with how it turned out with just a little money spent. Clarence also built a closet organizer with a center tower and we were able to put a strip of leftover wallpaper in the back for a fun pop of color. We will probably move the two girls in here when Arden is bigger so we can enjoy the beautiful wallpaper for longer.<br />
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Now on to the next room! (Don't tell Clarence)<br />
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Wallpaper: <a href="https://www.spoonflower.com/wallpaper/7137786-genevieve-floral-by-crystal_walen">Spoonflower </a><br />
Curtains: <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Pioneer-Woman-Chambray-Ruffle-Pole-Top-Curtain-Panel/338759371">Walmart</a> (now on sale for $10!!!)<br />
Pom pom pillow cover: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073D3Z3BJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1">Amazon</a><br />
Pink polka dot crib sheet: Crate & Barrel (no longer for sale)<br />
Round mirror: <a href="https://www.target.com/p/round-decorative-wall-mirror-wood-barrel-frame---threshold--153-/-/A-50302584">Target</a> (was $39.99 when we bought it)<br />
Drumshade: FB marketplace (<a href="https://www.target.com/p/ceiling-lights-aqua-pillowfort-153/-/A-50183672?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&CPNG=PLA_Furniture%2BShopping_Brand&adgroup=SC_Furniture&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9010661&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1247068&ds_rl=1246978&gclid=CjwKCAjw_MnmBRAoEiwAPRRWW_yXSUKV779B297LNI3ZieYr_H5uVyX-xR4Es6yii-HH5URqZjnBCRoC42cQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds">similar</a>)Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-77576674985685902472018-08-20T13:27:00.001-04:002018-08-20T13:27:51.456-04:00Weekly Meal Plan for 8/20/18Sorry I never got around to sharing our meal plan last week. It was just a crazy week and I didn't get around to blogging about our meals. I'm sure all two of you were devastated! Here are some of the meals we ate:<br />
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<a href="https://dashingdish.com/recipe/sausage-and-potato-cheesy-egg-bake">Sweet Potato and Sausage Cheesy Egg Bake</a> with fruit<br />
<a href="https://www.craftymorning.com/white-chicken-enchilada-sour-cream-sauce-recipe/">White Chicken Enchiladas</a> with green beans<br />
<a href="https://www.budgetbytes.com/spinach-lasagna-roll-ups/">Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups</a> with salad and garlic bread<br />
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This is a pretty easy week; here is what we're eating!<br />
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<u>Monday</u>: Baseball Game</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Clarence works at Fluor which sponsors our local baseball team. The work departments rotate sitting in the Fluor box and we scored some tickets for tonight! They will have food, so we'll eat dinner there.</blockquote>
<u>Tuesday</u>: Out<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I will be leading a MOPS Table Leader Training this night and will just grab some food for me and the kids on the way over there. Clarence is going to Haven's preschool for a parent/teacher meeting and will grab his own dinner and pick up the kids after he's done. Hopefully they will be entertained by a movie on the ipad while I lead the meeting. #parentprobs</blockquote>
<u>Wednesday</u>: <a href="https://life-in-the-lofthouse.com/ranch-chicken/">Ranch Chicken</a>, <a href="https://thefoodcharlatan.com/roasted-sweet-potatoes-and-brussels-sprouts-recipe/">Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts</a>. Total for meal: FREE<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This was actually a meal we were supposed to eat on Saturday, but we forgot about a friend's birthday party, so we saved it for this week. The chicken has been frozen from the week before and I'm praying the brussel sprouts hold out! </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I'm also taking dinner to a friend of mine who had a baby recently. We're making this <a href="https://life-in-the-lofthouse.com/baked-sweet-and-sour-chicken-with-fried-rice/">Fried Rice</a> recipe and adding diced, cooked chicken.</blockquote>
<u>Thursday</u>: Crock Pot Chicken, Roasted Carrots and Broccoli, Mashed Potatoes. Total for meal: $6.09<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Full chickens were on sale at Aldi for .79 a pound so I grabbed one and will cook it in the crock pot. It's a decent size so there should be plenty leftover to use in other meals. I knew my price was lower this week so I splurged on a Bob Evans refrigerated mashed potato package πI'm splitting the broccoli and carrots with another meal.</blockquote>
<u>Friday</u>: <a href="https://www.recipezazz.com/recipe/ground-turkey-cabbage-stir-fry-22838">Ground Turkey and Cabbage Stir Fry</a>. Total for meal: $3.78<br />
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<u>Saturday Lunch</u>: Out<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
We are going hiking with friends and will probably grab lunch afterwards.</blockquote>
<u>Saturday Dinner</u>: <a href="http://www.eatgood4life.com/teriyaki-chicken-with-vegetables/">Teriyaki Chicken w/ Veggies and Rice</a>. Total for meal: $3.20<br />
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<u>Sunday Lunch</u>: Leftovers<br />
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<u>Sunday Dinner</u>: Small Group<br />
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<b>Total at the store this week: $36.96</b><br />
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Also bought: mixed veggies, hot dogs, two boxes of fruit pouches, two containers of fruit cups, kefir, strawberries, bread, "healthy" ice cream (like Halo Top) I wanted to try, honey graham bears (the kids have been asking for months, so I finally said yes).<br />
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-39440062836061419022018-08-06T14:58:00.002-04:002018-08-06T14:58:37.398-04:00Weekly Meal Plan for 8/6/18Another week, another round of meals! For some reason, this week came together pretty easily. There are definitely other weeks that I spend what feels like hours trying to come up with a plan. I much prefer the easy weeks π<br />
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<u>Monday</u>:<a href="https://mixandmatchmama.com/2016/01/bacon-spinach-quiche/"> Bacon and Spinach Quiche</a>, Salad. Total for meal: $2.64</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Using pie crust and spinach from last week. I have some eggs, but had to buy more. Aldi was out of the bacon I usually buy, so I had to get a more expensive one. Not cool, Aldi.</blockquote>
<u>Tuesday</u>: <a href="http://www.thegarlicdiaries.com/garlic-butter-chicken-thighs/">Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs</a>, <a href="https://damndelicious.net/2014/07/12/parmesan-zucchini-corn/">Parmesan Zucchini and Corn</a>. Total for meal: $1.31<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Finishing up the chicken thighs I bought last week. We used half of the package and threw the rest in the freezer to use this week. </blockquote>
<u>Wednesday</u>: <a href="https://dashingdish.com/recipe/10-minute-black-bean-corn-quesadillas/">Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas</a>, Spanish Rice. Total for meal: $2.59<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This is a delicious meat-less meal if you're trying to bring your monthly food budget down!</blockquote>
<u>Thursday</u>: Date Night!<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Kids will be eating chicken nuggets (I had some already), mac and cheese, and mixed veggies. Cost for meal: $.62!</blockquote>
This weekend I'm headed out of town to Hilton Head Island for the leadership training for our MOPS group. I'm so excited to spend a few days away with these ladies as we prepare for our new year starting in Sept! Here's what Clarence and the kids are having:<br />
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<u>Friday</u>: <a href="https://life-in-the-lofthouse.com/baked-sweet-and-sour-chicken-with-fried-rice/">Chicken Fried Rice</a>, Fruit. Total for meal: $1.30<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
We like the fried rice recipe in the link above, but will dice up some chicken (which we had leftover from last week and is in the freezer) and add it to the dish. I also already had onion and soy sauce. Red grapes were on sale for $.89 a pound so I grabbed some and they'll have that on the side.</blockquote>
<u>Saturday Lunch</u>: Leftovers<br />
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<u>Saturday Dinner</u>: Bangers and Mash and Broccoli. Total for meal: $5.38<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Bought a package of brats and the refrigerated/microwavable Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes. We had a package of frozen broccoli leftover, so he can heat that up as well. Super easy!</blockquote>
<u>Sunday Lunch</u>: Leftovers<br />
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<u>Sunday Dinner</u>: <a href="https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/bacon-chicken-bake/d019af6d-f3c8-4788-b49e-4e17ece8164e">Bacon Chicken Bake</a> and Asparagus. Total for meal: $7.34<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I'll hopefully be back to share this with the fam, cause it sounds delicious. I bought chicken breasts on sale for $1.49 a pound this week and have a ton leftover to use for the next few weeks. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I'm going to make my own alfredo sauce, omitted the mushrooms cause I don't like them (sorry everyone else in the fam), and will dice and cook some of the chicken I bought on sale. We'll have plenty for Monday lunch leftovers!</blockquote>
<b>Total at the store this week: $59.51</b><br />
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Also bought: 3 boxes of tissues, apple juice, granola, an adorable preschool workbook for Haven, croutons, cereal bars, milk, rice, garlic salt, avocado, ranch dressing, flour, tub of yogurt, kefir, bananas, cantaloupe, and bread. I also got Haven a few things on her list for preschool: disinfecting wipes, gallon ziplock bags, and a box of tissues.<br />
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Even though I was over this week, there were a lot of extras, so I'm completely fine with the total!<br />
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So that's what we've got going on this week. What about you??<br />
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-8770087052498413832018-07-30T13:30:00.001-04:002018-07-31T08:55:38.700-04:00Weekly Meal Plan for 7/30/18<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm taking food to a couple friends this week, but was still able to stay right on budget, thanks to Aldi!</div>
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<u>Monday</u>: <a href="http://www.wheelndealmama.com/homemade-shepherds-pie-easy-freezer-meal/">Homemade Shepard's Pie</a>. Total for meal: $6.23</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm making extra of this meal and taking some to a friend who recently had surgery.</blockquote>
<u>Tuesday</u>: <a href="https://www.thisgrandmaisfun.com/chicken-cordon-bleu-casserole/">Chicken Cordon Bleu</a> and Zucchini. Total for meal: $0<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
We had family movie night Friday night and I just didn't feel like cooking, so we ate Arby's instead. #truelife. Since we didn't eat this dish last week, we'll eat it tonight.</blockquote>
<u>Wednesday</u>: <a href="http://emeals.com/meal-plans/budget-friendly/emeals-budget-friendly-family-plan.pdf">Chicken and Rice Soup</a> and Rolls. Total for meal: $6.30<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I'm doubling this and taking it to a friend of mine who recently had a baby. </blockquote>
<u>Thursday</u>: Pork Chops, Rice, Green Beans. Total for meal: $.38<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I'm going with some MOPS friends to the Rachel Hollis "Made for More" documentary and having dinner ahead of time. We had some leftover pork chops from this past week, so Clarence will whip those up with some rice and green beans for him and the kids. </blockquote>
<u>Friday</u>: <a href="https://www.eatwell101.com/chicken-potatoes-with-garlic-parmesan-cream-sauce">One Pan Chicken & Potato w/ Garlic Parmesan Spinach Cream Sauce</a>, Salad. Total for meal: $7.39<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Whenever Aldi has chicken thighs on sale for .79 a pound, I grab it! I splurged for the baby potatoes which are more expensive, but I have some leftover heavy cream in the fridge I didn't have to buy, so that evens out, RIGHT??</blockquote>
<u>Saturday Lunch</u>: Out!<br />
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<u>Saturday Dinner</u>: Spaghetti, Broccoli, Garlic Biscuits. Total for meal: $4.62<br />
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<u>Sunday Lunch</u>: Leftovers<br />
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<u>Sunday Dinner</u>: We are going to the local baseball game with some MOPS families so we'll eat there. Nothing like eating out twice in a weekend....π<br />
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<b>Total at the store this week: $49.71</b><br />
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Also bought: a package of chicken nuggets, cereal, bag of frozen hash browns, hot dogs, peas, tub of yogurt, apple juice, bananas, strawberries, bread, and a couple disposable containers for my friends food.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-43078865483579358682018-07-23T13:49:00.000-04:002018-07-23T13:49:45.405-04:00Weekly Meal Plan for 7/23/18We had a great time with family this weekend! I'm one of 5 kids, so when we're all together with our kids, it is loud and crazy and I love every minute :) Can you tell which of the five of us are siblings??<br />
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Now that we're back, I guess I have to make sure we have food to eat. Dang it. Here's our meal plan for this week.<br />
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<u>Monday</u>: <a href="https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/one-pot-ten-minute-beef-and-broccoli/0772e7cd-bc87-4dee-ad63-0cd0d3733cd5">One Pot Beef & Broccoli</a>. Total for meal: $5.88</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I have a frozen bag of riced cauliflower I'm going to use for this dish. I'm also splitting the broccoli with Thursday's meal. We subbed ground turkey for beef. This is the first time we've made this meal so we'll see how it is...</blockquote>
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<u>Tuesday</u>: Chicken Spinach Bake with Garlic Biscuits. Total for meal: $3.80</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">I'll use some chicken leftover from last week</span></span> to bring down the cost of this meal.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">3 chicken breasts cooked and cut into pieces</span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">8 oz penne pasta</span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">8 oz chive and onion cream cheese</span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Frozen spinach (as much as you would like,
thawed and drained well)</span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">15 oz can of Italian Style tomatoes (basil,
oregano, and garlic, I believe)</span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">1 tsp salt</span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">1/2 tsp pepper</span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">mozzarella cheese</span><br />
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Preheat oven to 350. Cook noodles and chicken.
Mix together, pasta, chicken, spinach, cream cheese, tomatoes, salt, and
pepper. Top with cheese and bake for about 30 minutes.</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<u>Wednesday</u>: <a href="https://www.bigbearswife.com/tuscan-white-bean-soup-with-ham/">Ham and Bean Soup</a>. Total for meal: $4.32</div>
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<u>Thursday</u>: Broccoli, Onion, and Goat Cheese Quiche with Fruit. Total for meal: $4.00</div>
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I'm going to need to buy a pie crust because Aldi doesn't carry it except for during holiday season. I got this recipe from my friend Louisa and put it below. She actually sent me a recipe for the crust, but I'm lazy so I'm just going to buy one ;)</blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1 onion, cut into half rings<br />Olive oil<br />5 eggs<br />About 1/3 of a carton of whipping cream<br />S and P<br />About half a head of broccoli cut into small florets</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1 4oz/125g package goat cheese </b></span></blockquote>
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</blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> To make the filling:</b></span></blockquote>
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<div>
<div class="m_357924492927472555MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1. Place the oil in a pan and heat gently, add the onions and cook gently until they are browned. This may take about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool<u></u><u></u></b></span></div>
<div class="m_357924492927472555MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2. In a bowl mix the eggs, cream, S and P<u></u><u></u></b></span></div>
<div class="m_357924492927472555MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u></u> <u></u></b></span></div>
<div class="m_357924492927472555MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>To assemble to quiche:<u></u><u></u></b></span></div>
<div class="m_357924492927472555MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1. Preheat the oven to 400F<u></u><u></u></b></span></div>
<div class="m_357924492927472555MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2. Roll out the pastry in a 8" quiche pan, taking care to fit all the corners</b></span></div>
<div class="m_357924492927472555MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3. Place the caramelized onions in the bottom, then place the broccoli pieces evenly around, and in between dot large knobs of goat cheese<u></u><u></u></b></span></div>
<div class="m_357924492927472555MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>4. Carefully pour over the egg mixture and sprinkle the top with cheese (if wanted)<u></u><u></u></b></span></div>
<div class="m_357924492927472555MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>5. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until slightly browned and puffy</b></span></div>
</div>
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<u>Friday</u>: <a href="https://www.thisgrandmaisfun.com/chicken-cordon-bleu-casserole/">Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole</a> and Zucchini. Total for meal: $4.36</div>
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Using the last of the chicken from last week to cut down on cost. </blockquote>
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<u>Saturday Lunch</u>: Leftovers</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Haven and I are going to a friend's baby shower today, so we'll leave the boys home to eat leftovers for lunch :)</blockquote>
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<u>Saturday Dinner</u>: Garlic Herb Pork Chops, Wild Rice, Edamame. Total for meal: $5.61</div>
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Just bought the pork chops and pack of wild rice. I already had edamame in the freezer. </blockquote>
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<u>Sunday Lunch</u>: Leftovers</div>
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<u>Sunday Dinner</u>: Out</div>
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<b>Total at the store this week: $50.50</b></div>
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<b>Also bought: Fruit pouches, 6 yogurts, Kefir, eggs, strawberries, peaches, juice bowls, raisins, mac and cheese, bananas, bread.</b></div>
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-2938415351176388592018-07-16T21:15:00.001-04:002018-07-16T21:16:03.539-04:00Weekly Meal Plan for 7/16/18This is a short week for us because we'll be spending time with my entire side of the family for the weekend, but here's what we have for the days we'll be home. Three meals for a little over $6. Boom!<br />
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<u>Monday</u>: <a href="https://www.momontimeout.com/20-minute-skillet-chicken-and-spinach-parmesan/">20 Minutes Skillet Chicken and Spinach Parmesan</a>, Mashed Potatoes, Mixed Veggies. Total for meal: $2.50</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This is called "use what is in the fridge/cabinets". I had a little bit of mozzarella, spaghetti sauce, and spinach, so just bought chicken for the main dish. I bought a family package for $5.70 and used part for this meal, part for tomorrow, and will have more for next week. I also had three potatoes I used to make mashed potatoes and finished off the mixed veggies from last week.</blockquote>
<u>Tuesday</u>: <a href="https://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/one-pan-cheesy-chicken-broccoli-rice">One-Pan Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice</a>, Fruit, Crescent Rolls. Total for meal: $3.50<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Bought broccoli and chicken, everything else I had on hand. </blockquote>
<u>Wednesday</u>: Date Night! Grilled Cheese, Pretzels, and Fruit for the kids. Total for meal: $.20 for the amount of bread I'll use.<br />
<br />
We leave Thursday to spend time with family and will come back Sunday. We'll help with meals and also eat out some, so a smaller total at the store is great!<br />
<br />
<b>Total this week: $25.73</b><br />
<br />
Also bought: apple juice, 2 kefirs, tub of yogurt, strawberries, milk, avocado, bananas, bag of apples, edamame, goldfish<br />
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-75856481361924380322018-07-09T13:28:00.000-04:002018-07-09T13:28:18.953-04:00Weekly Meal Plan for 7/9/18So, something amazing happened to me recently that never happens...I won a contest! A local organization <a href="https://yourmilkshoppe.com/">Your Milk Shoppe</a> was giving away a weekend in a cabin at a local lake and I won!! Our good friends, Chris and Louisa, from our small group are going to stay with our kids this weekend while Clarence and I get to go spend time together at the cabin. I am so excited!! And so thankful for our friends who our kids love! So our meals do not include whatever food Clarence and I need to take for the weekend. We will try to spend as little as possible though.<br />
<br />
I'm shopping through Walmart Grocery Pickup this week because a friend of mine used my code for $10 off her order, which also gave me $10 off of mine. <a href="http://r.wmt.co/jraSh">Here is that code</a> in case anyone else wants to use it for their first order.<br />
<br />
I'm still getting a handful of things from Aldi.<br />
<br />
Here's what we've got going on:<br />
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<u>Monday</u>: Sloppy Joes, French Fries, Asparagus. Total for meal: $0</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We had some leftover hamburger buns from our cookout we need to quickly use and Clarence's friend gave him a can of chili, so we're gonna make it a meal. We have french fries in the freezer and asparagus we didn't make for dinner Saturday that we'll also use.</blockquote>
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<u>Tuesday</u>: <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/sausage-spinach-rice-bowl">Sausage Spinach Rice Bowl</a>, Watermelon. Total for meal: $1.54</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm going to split a pound of turkey breakfast sausage for this meal and a breakfast meal I'm doing this week (I'll post below). I'll add more spinach and more rice so it will feed all of us. I only had to buy sausage and spinach for this meal. We had everything else.</blockquote>
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<u>Wednesday</u>: <a href="https://diethood.com/one-pan-maple-mustard-chicken-and-potatoes/">One Pan Maple Mustard Chicken & Potatoes with Green Beans</a>. Total for meal: $7.57 </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Doesn't this sound delicious? I'm going to throw some green beans in there too for a full meal. I'm also doubling this to take to a friend of mine who recently had a baby so that total is for both of us. I bought chicken drumsticks for .69 a pound at Aldi. It was only $3 for enough chicken to feed two families!</blockquote>
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<u>Thursday</u>: <a href="https://whattheforksfordinner.com/tex-mex-taco-pie/">Tex Mex Taco Pie</a>, Mixed veggies. Total for meal: $7.51</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Not the healthiest of meals or the cheapest, but I was trying to find a way to use the rest of the tortillas I bought for a breakfast meal and this sounded interesting. I couldn't find the jalepeno cream cheese, so I got regular.</blockquote>
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<u>Friday</u>: Ravioli, Broccoli, Garlic Bread. Total for meal: $2.84</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Clarence and I will leave before dinner, but we have ravioli I bought last week along with spaghetti sauce in the fridge. I bought some steamable broccoli and garlic bread to round out this easy meal.</blockquote>
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<u>Saturday Lunch</u>: Frozen Pizzas and Salad. Total for meal: $6.06</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Another easy meal. We didn't eat the pizza I bought last week because I forgot about a baby shower we were going to. They can eat it today and I bought one more and a salad.</blockquote>
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<u>Saturday Dinner</u>: <a href="https://easyfamilyrecipes.com/chicken-zucchini-casserole/">Chicken Zucchini Casserole</a> over Rice. Total for meal: $8.50</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This sounds really yummy and I'm sad I don't get any. I'll have to get an update on how it is and eat it again sometime soon when Clarence and I can eat it too. I just had to buy chicken, pesto, and zucchini. I had everything else. </blockquote>
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<u>Sunday Lunch</u>: Grilled Cheese, Veggies Straws, Fruit. Total for meal: $1.00 for bread</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Another easy meal so our sweet friends don't hate us :) We might be back, but planned something easy just in case we're not. </blockquote>
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<u>Sunday Dinner</u>: Small Group Leaders Meeting (dinner provided)</div>
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Here are the few new breakfast meals we're trying in an effort to be better about eating breakfast daily!</div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><u>Tex-Mex Egg and Sausage Tacos</u></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">1/2 lb lean ground turkey breakfast sausage</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">4 large eggs</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">1/4 tsp salt</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">1/4 tsp pepper</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">8 corn tortillas</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">1/2 cup refrigerated salsa</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Cook sausage in a nonstick skillet over</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">medium-high heat 5 to 6 minutes or until</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">browned and crumbly. Drain; return to pan.</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Whisk together eggs, salt, and pepper. Add egg</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">mixture to sausage. Reduce heat to medium;</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">cook, without stirring, until mixture begins to set</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">on bottom. Cook, stirring constantly, until eggs</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">are thickened and set. Meanwhile, warm</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">tortillas according to package directions. Serve</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">egg mixture in tortillas with salsa.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><u>Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Banana Smoothies </u></span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
4 large bananas, cut in half<br />
β
cup all-natural creamy peanut butter<br />
2 Tbsp unsweetened baking cocoa<br />
1 cup 1% low-fat milk<br />
1 (5.3-oz) carton fat-free plain Greek yogurt<br />
1 1/2 cups crushed or cubed ice </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Process all ingredients in a blender until<br />
smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Pour<br />
into 4 glasses.</blockquote>
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<b>Total at the store this week: $61.68</b><br />
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Also bought: 2 boxes of fruit pouches, spreadable butter, muffins, kefir, mac & cheese, puffs, paper towels, strawberries, olive oil, bananas, grapes, 2 small yogurts, 1 tub of yogurt, granola, sliced cheese, salsa, eggs.<br />
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</style>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-50350954216798139422018-07-02T14:32:00.002-04:002018-07-02T14:32:40.718-04:00Weekly Meal Plan for 7/2/18Let's get right to it! Here is our meal plan for this week:<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xYIx97-ei6k/WzpqkMSOATI/AAAAAAAABgM/egpIlOJcCxkcBWDJWNYMPOQEbkLIjL4LACLcBGAs/s1600/Aldi%2Bmeal%2Bplan.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="940" height="335" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xYIx97-ei6k/WzpqkMSOATI/AAAAAAAABgM/egpIlOJcCxkcBWDJWNYMPOQEbkLIjL4LACLcBGAs/s400/Aldi%2Bmeal%2Bplan.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<u>Monday</u>: <a href="https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/262061/one-pot-ground-beef-stroganoff/?lnkid=usspnt">Beef Stroganoff</a> and Green Beans. Total for meal: $0<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Yes, this was supposed to be eaten last week, but Clarence has an inability to follow a meal plan when I am not here, so it didn't get fixed. π No worries, we'll have it tonight! </blockquote>
<u>Tuesday</u>: <a href="https://gimmedelicious.com/2017/10/03/creamy-garlic-parmesan-chicken/">Creamy Parmesan Garlic Chicken</a>, Rice, Roasted Broccoli. Total for meal: $4.72<br />
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<u>Wednesday</u>: Cookout! Total for meal: $9.90<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
We are having friends over for a cookout. Everyone is bringing their own meat and we're providing the buns, toppings, plates, drinks, and a few sides because I couldn't help myself! I bought a watermelon and some corn to grill.</blockquote>
<u>Thursday</u>: <a href="https://www.cookingclassy.com/cheesy-chicken-enchilada-soup/">Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup</a> and Tortilla Chips. Total for meal: $4.18<br />
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<u>Friday</u>: French Toast, Bacon, Fruit. Total for meal: $3.34<br />
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<u>Saturday Lunch</u>: Frozen Pizza. Total for meal: $2.69<br />
<br />
<u>Saturday Dinner</u>: Bacon Carbonara and Asparagus. Total for meal: $3.94<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Clarence doesn't really follow a recipe when he makes this but <a href="https://damndelicious.net/2014/03/29/spaghetti-carbonara/">this one</a> sounds good. He also uses heavy whipping cream and adds peas. </blockquote>
<u>Sunday Lunch</u>: Leftovers<br />
<br />
<u>Sunday Dinner</u>: Small Group Leaders Meeting (dinner provided)<br />
<br />
<b>Total at the store this week: $59.61</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Also bought: 2 packages of fruit bowls, kefir, parsley, cinnamon, paprika, diapers, 4 individual yogurts, tub of yogurt, fruit pouches, apple juice, milk, string cheese, 2 packages of ravioli, Strawberries, Bananas, veggie straws.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-38029916031946485172018-06-25T14:20:00.000-04:002018-07-02T14:32:48.226-04:00Weekly Meal Plan for 6/25/18So, this week I increased the budget a little bit. I've been trying to be better about the breakfast we eat. The kids and I are notoriously bad about eating a good breakfast. I'm sure they follow after me, but neither seems to have a big appetite in the morning (though Abel is starting to change). I bought 3 months of the <a href="http://emeals.com/invite/rachel-wong">eMeals</a> breakfast meal plan and we are trying a few of the recipes this week. I didn't go crazy because otherwise that would affect our budget even more. I'll share the breakfast recipes at the end of the post.<br />
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<u>Monday</u>: <a href="https://www.number-2-pencil.com/one-pan-chicken-burrito-bowls/">Burrito Bowls</a>. Total for meal: $3.00</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We actually make this a vegetarian meal and cut out the chicken. There are enough flavors that it's still a really good dish! I already had onion, and spices.</blockquote>
<u>Tuesday</u>: Pasta in a Bag. Total for meal: $0<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This just keeps appearing every week on the meal plan haha. We're actually going to use it this week! Clarence and I have a date night tonight, so I'll make this for the kids to eat. </blockquote>
<u>Wednesday</u>: Rotisserie Chicken, <a href="https://thefoodcharlatan.com/roasted-sweet-potatoes-and-brussels-sprouts-recipe/">Roasted Sweet Potato/Brussel Sprouts</a>. Total for meal: $9.19<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
We are having a couple friends over for dinner tonight, so I grabbed a rotisserie chicken to cook in the crock pot. This is more cost-effective when there is a better sale and you can use leftover chicken for other meals, but not bad to feed four adults and two kids! Also, we tried this side dish when my parents were here a few weeks ago and it was so good; you've got to try it!</blockquote>
<u>Thursday</u>: <a href="https://thenovicechefblog.com/2016/05/meatball-bombs/">Meatball Bombs</a> and Frozen Veggies. Total for meal: $5.39<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I bought a pound of grass fed ground beef and will use half to make meatballs for this dish, and half for Sunday night. We were going to eat broccoli with it, but Aldi was out so we bought a pack of asian blend veggies instead.</blockquote>
<u>Friday</u>: Church event. Free!<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I am actually headed out of town for the weekend to attend a technology-free weekend at a lake nearby, headed by <a href="http://agap.life/">A-GAP</a>. I'm looking forward to a free weekend to disconnect and spend some time with God and other women! Clarence will be with the kids for the weekend and our church is hosting a hangout at a local park, so he's taking them to that. </blockquote>
<u>Saturday Lunch</u>: Out<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Not my problem, I'm gone. Muahahahaha! Actually, Clarence offered to just figure out lunch with them.</blockquote>
<u>Saturday Dinner</u>: Sausage, Spinach, and Sweet Potato Skillet. Total for meal: $6.88<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I actually just noticed the chicken sausage was apparently mislabeled, so I might take that back and get a less expensive sausage for them. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This meal was on the breakfast emeals plan, but sounded good and perfectly suitable for a dinner.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>12 oz pkg fully cooked chicken sausage links, sliced<br />1 Tbsp olive oil, divided<br />10 oz pkg frozen diced sweet potatoes (we will use real and cook them first for longer)<br />1/2 cup thinly sliced onion<br />1/2 tsp dried thyme<br />1/8 tsp salt<br />1/4 tsp pepper<br />5 oz pkg baby spinach </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Cook sausage in 1/2 Tbsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 4-6 minutes or until browned. Remove from skillet; keep warm. Add 1/2 Tbsp oil to skillet. Add potatoes, onion, thyme, salt, and pepper; cook 8-10 minutes or until tender. Stir in sausage and spinach. Cook 1-2 minutes or until spinach is wilted and sausage is thoroughly heated.</i></blockquote>
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<u>Sunday Lunch</u>: Leftovers<br />
<br />
<u>Sunday Dinner</u>: <a href="https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/262061/one-pot-ground-beef-stroganoff/?lnkid=usspnt">Beef Stroganoff</a> and Green Beans. Total for meal: $6.28<br />
<br />
<b>Total at the store this week: $74.13</b><br />
<br />
Also bought, Eggs, tub of yogurt, pack of diapers, 4 individual yogurts, honey, riced cauliflower, sliced almonds, two boxes of fruit pouches, apple juice, 2 avocados, 2 kefirs, raisins, ranch dressing, milk, canned fruit cocktail (a Haven request...), chicken bouillon, bag of peaches, bread, lunch meat, blueberries<br />
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Here are the breakfast recipes we're trying this week:<br />
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<b><u>Blueberry-Peach-Oat Smoothies</u></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>1 cup old-fashioned oats</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>2 cups 1% low-fat milk</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>2 peaches, cored and chopped</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>1 (4.4-oz) pkg blueberries</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>1 1/4 cups fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>2 Tbsp turbinado sugar (omitting this)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>1 tsp ground cinnamon</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>1 cup crushed ice (or use cubed)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>Combine oats and milk in a bowl; let stand 10</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>minutes. Process oat mixture, peaches,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>blueberries, yogurt, sugar, and cinnamon in a</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>blender until smooth, scraping sides as needed.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>Add ice; cover and pulse until smooth. Pour into</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>4 glasses.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Fresh Blueberry Parfaits </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">with Coconut-Almond </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Granola</span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>2 Tbsp maple syrup</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>1 Tbsp olive oil</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>1/2 tsp ground cinnamon</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>1/4 tsp salt</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>1/4 cup sliced almonds</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>1 cup old-fashioned oats</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>3 Tbsp unsweetened flaked coconut</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>2 cups fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>1 (4.4-oz) pkg blueberries</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>Preheat oven to 325Β°F. Whisk together</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>syrup, oil, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt in a large</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>bowl. Stir in almonds and oats. Spread in a</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>single layer on a parchment paper-lined rimmed</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes or until lightly</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>browned, stirring after 10 minutes. Add coconut</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>to pan; bake 5 minutes. Cool. Layer . cup</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>yogurt, 2 Tbsp blueberries, and 2 Tbsp granola</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>in each of 4 glasses. Repeat layers once.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>Note: You can make the granola ahead, cool</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>completely, and store in an airtight container up</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>to 5 days.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><b><u>Broiled Peaches with </u></b></span><b style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium;"><u>Walnut Crumble and </u></b><b style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium;"><u>Honey-Vanilla Yogurt</u></b></div>
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<b style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium;"><u><br /></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>1 1/2 cups fat-free plain Greek yogurt</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>2 Tbsp honey</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>1/2 cup walnut halves</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>1 Tbsp butter, divided</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>β
tsp kosher salt</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>4 peaches, halved and pitted</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>Preheat oven to 350Β°F. Stir together yogurt,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>honey, and vanilla in a bowl. Process nuts, 2</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>tsp butter, and salt in a food processor until</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>finely chopped. Spread on a rimmed baking</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>sheet. Bake 6 to 10 minutes or until toasted.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>Remove from oven. Increase oven temperature</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>to broil. Place peaches, cut sides down, on a</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>broiler rack or baking sheet greased with 1 tsp</i></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>butter. Broil 3 minutes; flip and broil 1 minute.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>Sprinkle peaches with toasted nuts. Serve with</i></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>Honey-Vanilla Yogurt.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>Note: Make walnut crumble ahead of time;</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>store in an airtight container until ready to</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><i>serve.</i></span></div>
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</style>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-13691049633549110592018-06-18T11:49:00.000-04:002018-06-18T11:49:09.981-04:00Weekly Meal Plan 6/18/18Today's meal plan brought to you by....15 min! That's all the time I had to throw this together before running out the door. It's one of those days where I just don't care about planning our meals. Can't this be someone else's job? :) I guess not, so here we go....<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Nz15JqmPOnE/WyfOvdQLcaI/AAAAAAAABe4/NhHCcVpPR4MmF-dvgvxeWoaJ-i8XEarygCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Aldi%2Bmeal%2Bplan%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="335" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Nz15JqmPOnE/WyfOvdQLcaI/AAAAAAAABe4/NhHCcVpPR4MmF-dvgvxeWoaJ-i8XEarygCK4BGAYYCw/s400/Aldi%2Bmeal%2Bplan%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<u>Monday</u>: <a href="https://www.skinnytaste.com/kalyns-stuffed-cabbage-casserole/">Stuffed Cabbage Casserole</a>. Total for meal: $1.38</div>
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I'm going to half this recipe. I already had cabbage, ground beef, brown rice, and the seasonings. </blockquote>
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<u>Tuesday</u>: <a href="https://damndelicious.net/2017/10/17/slow-cooker-creamy-garlic-chicken-and-veggies/">Creamy Garlic Chicken and Veggies</a>. Total for meal: $8.69</div>
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I could've cut down on the cost of this meal by buying cheaper potatoes. I got the bite sized yellow potatoes and it won't give me any leftovers. If I had bought a big bag of potatoes and cut them myself, it would've been cheaper and I would've had extra, but the potatoes looked gross and smelled bad so I passed. </blockquote>
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<u>Wednesday</u>: <a href="https://lowcarbyum.com/mexican-zucchini-and-beef/">Mexican Zucchini and Beef Skillet</a> with Fruit. Total for meal: $3.29</div>
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I'm using half of the ground beef from last week for this meal (split with Monday). Oftentimes we cut down on the amount of meat listed in the recipe so that it helps us stretch our dollar further. If there is a good amount of other ingredients, you don't really miss it.</blockquote>
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<u>Thursday</u>: Chicken Nuggets, Mac and Cheese, mixed veggies. Total for meal: $1.75</div>
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Clarence is at a meeting tonight, so mommy is being lazy. I had the mac and cheese already. I base the total on how much we'll use. We obviously won't eat the whole bag of nuggets. </blockquote>
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<u>Friday</u>: <a href="http://www.plainchicken.com/2014/02/chicken-bacon-tomato-alfredo-skillet.html">Chicken Bacon Tomato Alfredo Skillet</a> and Salad. Total for meal: $7.48</div>
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I had the pasta and am splitting some of the other ingredients with another meal, which brings cost down. </blockquote>
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<u>Saturday Lunch</u>: Friend's Birthday Party</div>
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<u>Saturday Dinner</u>: My husband's office is having a 4th of July party we'll go to. Dinner is provided.</div>
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<u>Sunday Lunch</u>: Leftovers from Friday's dinner. That makes me feel better about the total :)</div>
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<u>Sunday Dinner</u>: Small Group Leader's Meeting. Dinner may not be provided, but if not, we'll just grab something on the way.</div>
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<b>Total at the store: $46.59</b></div>
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Also bought apple juice, muffins, two boxes of pouches, 4 yogurts, 2 kefirs, milk, cereal bars, grapes, cookies.</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-29109759326622793842018-06-11T11:08:00.000-04:002018-06-11T11:08:02.084-04:00Weekly Meal Plan for 6/11/18One way that I save money is by "shopping" from our cabinets. There are weeks where we may not use all of something I bought, so I <i>always</i> try to come up with meal plans based off what we have first. Then after that, I'll look up meat prices that are on sale at Aldi and try to plan off those. There are definitely weeks that our cabinets are bare by the time I go to the store (since I try to only buy what's on my shopping list), and this method doesn't work, but sometimes it's a great way to save some $$.<br />
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This may seem pretty like a pretty obvious tip, but I was <b>terrible</b> at this kind of thing when I first started living on my own. I was incapable of looking at an item I had in my cabinets and planning a meal around it. So if that's hard for you too, know you're in good company. It gets easier! This week I'm using a lot of what we have already.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-05zsMvW3NO8/Wx6Gl2QKfiI/AAAAAAAABec/MKwV9nUxbt4MfXmsAqA624SnEBOb1nO6wCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Aldi%2Bmeal%2Bplan%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="335" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-05zsMvW3NO8/Wx6Gl2QKfiI/AAAAAAAABec/MKwV9nUxbt4MfXmsAqA624SnEBOb1nO6wCK4BGAYYCw/s400/Aldi%2Bmeal%2Bplan%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<u>Monday</u>: <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/alvinzhou/one-pot-chicken-spinach-bacon-alfredo?utm_term=.fc6xOyXVv5#.nhZO09aDRk">Chicken Spinach Bacon Alfredo</a> with crescent rolls. Total for meal: $3.04</div>
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I've made this once before, but was not super impressed. This time I'm only <i>kind of </i>following the above recipe. I had some alfredo sauce leftover from a dish I made last week, so I'm going to use that instead of following the recipe for one. I'm also putting in some leftover rotisserie chicken from last week and splitting the bag of spinach with tomorrow's dish. I already had pasta and will toss in a bag of bacon pieces instead of cooking bacon.</div>
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Tuesday: <a href="http://itsmysideoflife.com/2012/06/white-beans-and-spinac/">White bean with spinach and sausage soup</a> and peaches. Total for meal: $2.07</div>
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We had this meal not too long ago, but it's a good fit to split the sausage and spinach with other meals this week (I'll make a smaller portion of the soup). Clarence has a meeting tonight, so this will be good and easy for me and the kids to share. I had a can of diced tomatoes in the cabinet as well as some canned peaches. Using what we have! </div>
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Wednesday: <a href="https://www.savorytooth.com/fried-cabbage-potatoes/">Fried Cabbage with potato and bacon</a>, fruit. Total for meal: $1.56</div>
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Using up the rest of the bacon and some potatoes we had from last week, so all I had to buy was a cabbage and it was HUGE, so I'll just use half of it for this meal and save the rest for next week. Oh and the rest of the cost was the grapes.</div>
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Thursday: <a href="http://brittanyspantry.com/2017/01/chicken-bog/">Chicken Bog</a> and green beans. Total for meal: $2.11</div>
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The name of this dish leaves something to be desired, but the recipe sounds good! Thanks to my friend, Liza, for sharing this one. I'm halving this because it sounds like it makes a TON. I'm using some rotisserie chicken from last week and half of the kielbasa I'm splitting with Tuesday's meal. I had rice, onions, butter, a can of green beans, and Old Bay seasoning.</div>
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Friday: Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Zucchini. Total for meal: $4.67</div>
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I bought a 2 pound package of ground beef that was on sale for $2.69 a pound. I'll use half for this meal and save half for next week. I rarely do a meat-heavy dish like this, but we haven't had meatloaf in a long time and I was craving it (this is my mom's recipe). We'll use the rest of the potatoes we had leftover from last week.</div>
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1 pound ground beef<br />1/2 cup quaker rolled oats<br />1/2 cup ketchup<br />1 egg<br />1 diced onion<br />salt to taste </blockquote>
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Mix the ingredients together, shape into a loaf and bake at 350 for one hour or until browned.</blockquote>
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<u>Saturday Lunch</u>: Leftovers</div>
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<u>Saturday Dinner</u>: Neighborhood cookout! Total for meal: $3.50</div>
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Every year, one of our neighbors hosts a cookout in their yard. Everyone brings their own meat and a dish to share. I bought us some burgers and buns and we already have hot dogs (which Abel will want). I will need to make a dish to share, but haven't figured out what yet.</div>
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<u>Sunday Lunch</u>: Pasta in a bag. Total for meal: $0</div>
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I bought this last week for lunch on Saturday when the boys were gone, but we ended up taking my mom to our favorite restaurant in Greenville (<a href="https://adams-bistro.com/">Adam's Bistro</a>), so we'll eat it for lunch today instead.</div>
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<u>Sunday Dinner</u>: Church small group leader's meeting. Free dinner.</div>
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This was in the plan for last week, and the leaders suddenly had to go support a sibling who lost their full-term baby after trying to get pregnant for four years. It's absolutely heartbreaking and I can't imagine their range of emotions right now. Please pray for them! </div>
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<b>Total at the store this week: $37.27</b></div>
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Also bought kefir, fruit pouches, grapes, 6 yogurts, strawberries, mac and cheese (always good to have one hand just in case...), cantaloupe, and bread.</div>
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I love how using what's in the cabinet can drastically lower the grocery budget! And those individual meal totals make me feel so happy! What's on your meal plan this week?</div>
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-41927695554664459492018-06-05T11:40:00.000-04:002018-06-05T11:40:07.864-04:00Weekly Meal Plan for 6/4/18We have more visitors this week! Clarence found out about a Porsche event in Atlanta, mentioned it to my dad, and suddenly they have tickets and are going. It's on Saturday and they're taking Abel and my two nephews that live in Virginia. My mom will stay here with me and Haven, so we'll have to do something fun, just the girls :) My parents and nephews are coming Thursday and leaving Sunday, so we've included them in the meals. Here's what we've got going on this week!<br />
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<u>Tuesday</u>: <a href="https://whoneedsacape.com/2012/11/easy-crockpot-mongolian-beef/">Mongolian Beef</a>, Rice, Roasted Carrots. Total for meal: $0</div>
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This was a meal we were supposed to have last week, but we forgot our realtor was having a customer appreciation event at a local water park and provided dinner, so we pushed it to today.</div>
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<u>Wednesday</u>: Hamburgers/hot dogs, mac and cheese, green beans. Total for meal: $.63</div>
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We had a cookout on Saturday with some friends at our house and have leftover hamburgers, hot dogs, and buns, so we'll eat them tonight. Don't be jealous of our sides ;)</div>
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<u>Thursday</u>: <a href="https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/ranch-pork-chops-potatoes-sheet-pan-dinner/">Ranch Pork Chops and Potatoes Sheet Pan Dinner</a> with salad. Total for meal: $8.61</div>
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Money saving tip: Originally I saw that assorted pork chops were on sale for $1.99 a pound at Aldi this week and planned on buying them. But once at the store, I realized I could actually pay less by buying the thin sliced boneless pork chops. Even after accounting for the bone weight, the one I got is probably a little less meat overall, but I could save about $2 doing it this way and we'll have all the meat we need. I also bought whole baking potatoes because they were much cheaper. It's more prep, and I'll probably have to roast them for a bit before putting in the pork chops, but I'd rather pay less and work more.</div>
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<u>Friday</u>: Rotisserie Chicken, <a href="https://thefoodcharlatan.com/roasted-sweet-potatoes-and-brussels-sprouts-recipe/">Roasted Brussel Sprouts/Sweet Potatoes</a>, Rolls. Total for meal: $7.38</div>
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Whole chickens were on sale for .59 a pound so I got the largest one I could find which will hopefully feed all of us! I'll bake it in the crock pot, which we've done before and it's super easy. The recipe for the side sounds delicious too. We'll see if my nephews eat it ;)</div>
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<u>Saturday Lunch</u>: Garlic Chicken Pasta in a bag. Total for meal: $3.29</div>
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The boys will be gone, so there will just be three of us, and this is as easy at it gets. A meal in a bag that you dump in the skillet. Yes, please!</div>
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<u>Saturday Dinner</u>: <a href="https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/bacon-chicken-bake/d019af6d-f3c8-4788-b49e-4e17ece8164e">Bacon Chicken Bake</a>, Broccoli, Fruit. Total for meal: $8.37</div>
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Boys are back! I had a little bit of frozen chicken breasts left I'm going to make work. I'm omitting the mushrooms and making my own alfredo sauce. My mom can't have eggs and the store bought alfredo sauce at Aldi had egg in it. I'm going to follow <a href="https://therecipecritic.com/the-best-homemade-alfredo-sauce-ever/">this recipe</a>. </div>
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<u>Sunday Lunch</u>: Out. The family might join us for church and lunch. But if they end up leaving before-hand, we'll still go out to eat.</div>
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<u>Sunday Dinner</u>: Small Group Leader Training at church, dinner provided!</div>
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<b>Total at the store this week: $58.06 </b></div>
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We're over our $50 goal, but since I'm providing dinner for 4 adults and 4 kids on Thur, Fri, and Saturday nights, I'm still more than happy with the total!</div>
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Also bought: 2 fruit pouch boxes, sticks of butter, cinnamon rolls, two boxes of fruit bowls, cereal bars, milk, 7 yogurts, muffins, steak fries, orange juice, strawberries, 2 apples, raisins, eggs, bananas, and bread.</div>
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I'm always blown away by the amount of food I can get for around $50 at Aldi!!! Shopper for liiiiife.</div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-9075891459504375412018-05-29T08:53:00.001-04:002018-05-29T10:55:28.875-04:00Weekly Meal Plan for 5/28/18Another week, another round of meals to plan.<br />
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We have quite a few "events" this weekend, so it was a little easier to plan. I also had a friend use my Walmart Grocery Pick up referral code which gave her $10 and gave me $10. That's always nice for the budget :) Since it's supposed to be raining all day today, I put my order in last night so I didn't have to take my kids out in the rain. #winning<br />
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<u>Tuesday</u>: <a href="https://www.popsugar.com/food/Broccoli-Chicken-Fettuccine-Alfredo-Recipe-38676819">Broccoli Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo</a> and Watermelon. Total for this meal: $2.96<br />
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I already had some chicken and broccoli I bought last week and ended up not using, so I didn't have to buy those. We had a side of roasted carrots and broccoli scheduled for a meal, but we had so much leftovers from other meals, we ended up not using that, so I'll use both this week. My mom brought some watermelon we didn't finish so we'll eat some of that too.<br />
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<u>Wednesday</u>: Date Night! The kids will have grilled cheese, pretzels, and peaches. Total for this meal: $1.08<br />
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<u>Thursday</u>: <a href="http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/slow-cooker-cream-cheese-chicken-chili-472700">Take dinner to a friend</a>. Out with kids. Total for friend's meal: $7.63<br />
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Clarence has a work meeting this week. I'm going to take a friend of mine dinner (also threw in a bag of dipper chips and carton of Strawberries) and then the kids and I will just grab something for dinner on the way home.<br />
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<u>Friday</u>: <a href="https://whoneedsacape.com/2012/11/easy-crockpot-mongolian-beef/">Mongolian Beef</a>, Rice, and Roasted Carrots. Total for meal: $11.48<br />
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Thanks to my friend, Liza Anne for this recipe! We had the carrots and rice already. We don't have hoisin so I'm trying to decide if it's absolutely necessary for this recipe haha. This is a more expensive meal than I'm used to, but since we had a $10 off code, I splurged :)<br />
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<u>Saturday Lunch</u>: Leftovers<br />
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<u>Saturday Dinner</u>: Cookout! My dad and Clarence built an amazing playset for my kids and we invited some friends over to "break it in" and eat together. Hopefully the weather will hold out bc it's acting like we live in the pacific northwest the past few weeks....<br />
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We are providing the meat and our friends are bringing the sides. I haven't bought the burgers and stuff yet, but will swing by later this week to get them.<br />
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<u>Sunday Lunch</u>: Our MOPS group is having an end of year picnic at a local park, so we'll be going to that for lunch.<br />
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<u>Sunday Dinner</u>: <a href="http://www.momadvice.com/food/aldi_meal_plan4">Creamy Chicken Burritos</a> and Asparagus. Total for meal: $4.87<br />
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It's meal #6 on the link above. We had tortillas I really need to use and already have chicken and salsa as well.<br />
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Monday is our last MOPS of this season *cries*, so I also planned for Monday's dinner since I can't often get to the store on MOPS days.<br />
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<u>Monday</u>: <a href="https://life-in-the-lofthouse.com/sloppy-joe-squares/">Sloppy Joe Squares</a> and mixed veggies. Total for meal: $7.29<br />
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I had some leftover tomato sauce I'm going to use instead of ketchup. We've never tried this dish, so we will see how it is!<br />
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<b>Total at the store this week: $36.18</b><br />
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Also bought 2 cascade action pacs of 85 count that was clearanced to $5 for some reason!!<br />
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Keep sharing your recipes with me! I love getting new ideas for my family :)<br />
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-84355331731124685072018-05-22T13:13:00.000-04:002018-05-29T10:54:11.551-04:00Weekly Meal Plan for 5/21/18If you saw my updated meal plan last week, my parents ended up not coming and postponed until this week (not that the weather is cooperating). So I tried to push some things to this week and force some meals from what we had in the cabinet. It was not easy since I don't impulse buy most of the time, but we made it work! Some of the meal below might look familiar because they were originally posted last week. Here it is:<br />
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<u>Tuesday</u>: Chicken thighs, creamy pasta, zucchini. Total for this meal $0</div>
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Monday's meal was included in last week's plan. I'm using the four remaining chicken thighs from last week. We also kept some of the creamy spinach sauce we used with the chicken thighs from next week and will mix that in some pasta we already have. We're using the zucchini we bought last week.</div>
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<u>Wednesday</u>: Sandwiches, veggie straws, fruit. Total for this meal $.50</div>
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This is our final night of MOPS until the fall, and we're running low on our eat out budget, so I'll make some sandwiches and take chips and fruit as well. The cost above is the bread I bought. Everything else we had.</div>
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<u>Thursday</u>: Out to Monkey Wrench Smokehouse!</div>
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<u>Friday</u>: <a href="http://itsmysideoflife.com/2012/06/white-beans-and-spinac/">White bean with spinach and sausage</a>, crescent rolls. Total for this meal $1.65</div>
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I was able to hold on to everything from last week and only had to buy crescent rolls. I miss when they were only $.99 a piece...</div>
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<u>Saturday lunch</u>: Frozen pizza. Total for this meal $5.38</div>
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<u>Saturday dinner</u>: Burgers/hot dogs, sweet potato fries, grilled zucchini. Total for this meal $.99</div>
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We threw the sandwich thins in the freezer and kept the meat and sweet potatoes, so I just had to buy more zucchini which was on sale for a dollar!</div>
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<u>Sunday lunch</u>: Fish, green beans, fruit. Total for this meal $3.67</div>
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I had to buy more green beans and a bag of mandarin oranges (this was a painful, expensive purchase that Haven really wanted), but the fish we had from last week.</div>
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<u>Sunday dinner</u>: Small Group! We are going to buy some fried chicken and everyone else will bring sides.</div>
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<u>Monday Lunch</u>: Chicken breasts, roasted carrots and broccoli. Total for this meal $6.75</div>
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I'm not sure we'll use all of the frozen chicken breasts I bought, but included the whole total just in case. We have carrots left over, but I did buy the broccoli.</div>
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<u>Monday Dinner</u>: <a href="https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/tex-mex-ground-turkey-and-rice-skillet/">Tex Mex Ground Turkey and Rice</a>, Salad. Total for this meal $6.81</div>
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I'm actually leaving out the corn and tomato sauce cause I'm not sure they would be good for my mom. Same for cheese, though people can add it to their own if they want.</div>
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<b>Total at the store this week: $52.38</b></div>
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Also bought: meatballs, bbq sauce, and grape jelly (to make something to share at MOPS on Wednesday), apple juice, cereal bars, hot dogs, milk, olive oil, peas, heavy whipping cream (to make ice cream from our DateBox), mac and cheese, peaches, apples, string cheese, four yogurts, 2 fruit pouch boxes, bread, eggs, bananas. </div>
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-87687264996424377762018-05-15T13:47:00.000-04:002018-05-29T10:54:20.552-04:00Weekly Meal Plan for 5/14/18<span style="color: #cc0000;">EDIT: Because the weather was calling for rain over the weekend, my parents decided to come next weekend instead of this weekend. I had already gone to the store, so I've had to adjust our recipes and you'll see the changes in red. I tried to save as many of the recipes for my mom as possible.</span><br />
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I had a mild panic attack at the store today when I saw my total. Ok, not really, but I did spend much more than usual. Most of that due to the fact that my parents will be visiting us Wednesday-Sunday, so more people = larger food budget. But, I wanted to share with you guys the total, because sometimes your week may be a bit different, and your budget gets out of whack, and that's ok. It's just life. We can do the best we can with the budget and don't sweat it if we're a little off here or there.<br />
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Here's what we're eating this week:<br />
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<u>Monday</u>: Crescent Chicken, mashed potatoes, zucchini. </div>
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This was actually on the meal plan for this past Saturday night, but after spending hours outside painting our deck, my husband just really wanted a cheeseburger (who does he think he is, an American??), so we ended up going to Wendy's instead. </div>
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<u>Tuesday</u>: <a href="http://www.adishofdailylife.com/2015/12/creamy-pasta-with-ham-and-peas-recipe/">Creamy Pasta with Ham and Peas</a>, Garlic Bread. Total for this meal $4.58</div>
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I had the garlic bread already and will try to split the ham steak I bought between this meal and another. </div>
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<u>Wednesday</u>: Chicken Thighs, Roasted Radishes and Carrots. Total for this meal: $5.29</div>
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I've mentioned previously that my mom has some food sensitivities, so I wanted to make sure while she's here that we're eating things that won't affect her health. </div>
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One of my friends, Rachel, asked me if I wanted some radishes and swiss chard she had. I've never tried either (oops), but am always down for free food! I'm going to use the radishes and roast them with some carrots for a good side dish (hopefully)! </div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">We ended up using the frozen pizza I bought this week instead bc I wasn't feeling well and didn't cook.</span></div>
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<u>Thursday</u>: Out to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/monkeywrenchsmokehouse/">Monkey Wrench Smokehouse</a>. Yum!!</div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">We ate the Taco Salad scheduled for tomorrow night and I saved half the ground turkey for a different meal. </span></div>
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<u>Friday</u>: Taco Salad. Total for this meal: $7.21</div>
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Ground Turkey<br />
Brown Rice<br />
Black Beans<br />
Salsa<br />
Leafy Greens (we're using fresh spinach) </blockquote>
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Combine turkey, brown rice, and black beans and place on top of leafy greens. Add salsa to top. </blockquote>
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This is about as easy as it gets, but nice and healthy! I got this recipe from fitness challenge after Abel was born, and we still have this from time to time, because it's so good. For one serving, these are the amounts they suggest: 4 oz ground turkey, 3/4 cup brown rice, 1/4 cup black beans, 1/3 cup salsa, 1 cup leafy greens. </div>
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We have some leftover white rice in the fridge, so Clarence and the kids will probably finish that off and the rest of us will eat brown rice. </div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">I'm making the meal from Wednesday night tonight. I will probably use <a href="https://www.seasonlycreations.com/baked-chicken-thighs-with-creamy-garlic-spinach-sauce/">this recipe</a> so I can use up the rest of our spinach. Will sub in milk for the heavy cream. I'll put half of the chicken thighs in the freezer for a future meal.</span></div>
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<u>Saturday lunch</u>: Fish, Green Beans, Fruit. Total for this meal: $5.15</div>
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I actually have a women's brunch at my church this morning, so probably won't be too hungry at lunch time (which is a shame cause I love fish....not really). Everyone else will enjoy this meal though!</div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">I'm trying not to make another trip to the store yet, so we'll use the other half of the ground turkey and a couple sweet potatoes to make <a href="http://www.primaverakitchen.com/ground-turkey-sweet-potato-skillet/">this dish</a>. Should still leave plenty of sweet potatoes to make fries next week. And we'll use the green beans.</span></div>
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<u>Saturday dinner</u>: Hamburgers and hot dogs with sweet potato fries and grilled zucchini. Total for this meal $8.81</div>
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We're grilling out! If the weather cooperates, my dad and Clarence are supposed to be building our playset this week/weekend. I doubt Clarence is going to want to cook out after working hard, but looks like we're already committed haha. Aldi has grass fed ground beef for $3.99! That's what we'll use since my mom can tolerate that from time to time. We also grabbed the whole wheat sandwich thins which are a healthier alternative!</div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">I put the sandwich thins in the freezer and the meat will hold, so we'll save this for when my parents are here. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">I was really struggling to pull one more meal from what I have in the cabinets and then Haven said she wanted grits so DONE. We'll have cheese grits, crescent rolls, and fruit. Thanks, Haven!</span></div>
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<u>Sunday lunch</u>: <a href="http://itsmysideoflife.com/2012/06/white-beans-and-spinac/">White Beans w/ spinach (and swiss chard) and sausage</a>, crescent rolls. Total for this meal: $6.82</div>
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I'm going to add in the swiss chard Rachel gave me with some fresh spinach as well. I also bought some of Aldi's "never any" chicken sausages which has no added hormones or additives. That way my mom can eat this dish too. It might be a bit hot out for soup, but this one is really delicious!</div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">I'm going to save this meal for my mom next week. Tonight we </span><span style="color: #cc0000;">will</span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> use the zucchini I bought and pair it with a box of mac and cheese and chicken nuggets we already have.</span></div>
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<u>Sunday dinner</u>: We're going to our local baseball game (weather permitting), so will figure out dinner while we're out. </div>
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Monday: <a href="https://happybrownhouse.com/ham-egg-and-cheese-breakfast-casserole/">Ham, Egg, and Cheese Casserole</a>, Fruit. Total for this meal: $6.38</div>
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This is a MOPS day, so I went ahead and planned for dinner so I won't have to worry about it on the day. </div>
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<b>Total this week: $82.52</b></div>
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Also bought apple juice, take and toss sippy cups, diapers, cereal bars, popcorn, 2 boxes of mini muffins, peaches, 2 fruit bowls, mac and cheese, american cheese slices, pretzels, 8 yogurts, grapes, strawberries, puffs, frozen pizza, 2 apples, bananas, bread.</div>
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I grabbed some stuff for lunches this week since we likely won't have leftovers from dinner. Big thanks to my friend Linh for dropping off some kefir she got on some super sale!! We didn't have to buy any this week. :) </div>
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-75012344489850734622018-05-08T14:14:00.000-04:002018-05-08T14:15:37.130-04:00Weekly Meal Plan for 5/7/18Oh man, Aldi really got me with some impulse buys this week! But I don't feel too bad since I was under budget the last two weeks :) It'll all even out in the end!<br />
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Here is what we have going on for our meals!<br />
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<u>Monday</u>: Rotisserie chicken, frozen potato/green beans packets. Total for this meal: $0</div>
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I bought these items last week, so it made for a cheap and easy dinner! I cooked the whole chicken in the crockpot (I think it cost $3.30 or so on sale last week) and will use some of the leftover meat for two other meals this week.</div>
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<u>Tuesday</u>: Hot Dogs, Mac & Cheese, Frozen veggies. Total for this meal: $0</div>
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Another night of "shopping" from what we have. I had half a bag of frozen veggies from when I did fried rice last week so we'll finish that off. Clarence has a meeting, so it's just me and the kids. God bless them for not saying a word when we do something easy like this when daddy is not home. </div>
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<u>Wednesday</u>: <a href="http://pointlessmeals.blogspot.com/2014/05/oven-roasted-sausage-and-vegetables.html">Oven Roasted Sausage and Vegetables</a>, strawberries and bananas. Total for this meal: $5.14</div>
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I've shared this recipe before and we eat it pretty often. It's so easy and delicious! We already had potatoes and onions. My parents are passing through town that night so they'll be joining us. Since my mom has some dietary restrictions, I'm going to make a separate pan for her with a couple sweet potatoes I have leftover instead of regular potatoes. I'll still do the veggies and she'll bring her own "approved" sausage. </div>
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<u>Thursday</u>: Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli. Total for this meal: $3.04</div>
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I have a church events team meeting this night, so Clarence is going to just cook some noodles we already have, toss in some leftover rotisserie chicken and jarred alfredo sauce. I also bought some broccoli he can boil and add as well. </div>
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Friday: <a href="https://www.dashingdish.com/recipe/mini-mexican-pizzas">Mini Mexican Pizzas</a> and salad. Total for this meal: $6.33</div>
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I did also buy some sour cream and croutons, but didn't include them on the total since we'll just use a little. Instead of refried beans, we're going to add black beans. I already had salsa, taco seasoning, and cheese.</div>
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<u>Saturday Lunch</u>: Leftovers from dinner last night</div>
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<u>Saturday Dinner</u>: <a href="http://comfyinthekitchen.com/2011/02/crescent-chicken/">Crescent Chicken,</a> Mashed Potatoes, Zucchini. Total for this meal: $2.30</div>
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I'm using the rest of the rotisserie chicken for this meal as well as mashed potatoes I already have and the last two zucchini I bought this week. This will not win any awards a for healthy meal, but it works to fill tummies!</div>
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<u>Sunday Lunch</u>: Clarence booked us for a Mother's Day Brunch and the food looks AMAZING! I'm so excited!</div>
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<u>Sunday Dinner</u>: Small group. I'm making <a href="https://www.skinnytaste.com/kalyns-stuffed-cabbage-casserole/">Stuffed Cabbage Casserole</a>. Total for this meal: $4.74</div>
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I already had leftover cabbage, onion, rice, and cheese. </div>
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<b>Total at the store this week: $58.37</b></div>
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I know my meals seem cheap and my total at the store doesn't reflect that πThat's what happens to your total when you impulse buy! </div>
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Also bought: Chicken nuggets, two boxes of organic frozen fruit and veggie bars, popcorn bites, grits, aluminum foil, puffs, two kefirs, milk, avocado, two bags of yogurt raisins (they used to carry these and then stopped. My kids love them so when I saw them, I had to grab a couple!)</div>
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I've successfully fed my family for another week! Success!</div>
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-46259651663467136362018-04-30T11:26:00.002-04:002018-05-08T14:15:44.099-04:00Weekly Meal Plan for 4/30/18This is another short week for us. We are headed to Virginia for a friend's wedding this weekend, so mama is happy to not have to plan a whole week of meals :) Our meals are super pork-heavy, but we love pig! Here's what we've got going on:<br />
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<u>Monday</u>: Bacon Carbonara, peas, garlic bread. Total for this meal: $2.91</div>
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I had parm cheese, eggs, heavy whipping cream, and garlic bread already. I'm splitting the package of bacon with another meal this week. </div>
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Clarence makes this and doesn't follow an exact recipe, but this is generally what he does:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Cook half a pound of bacon. Drain some grease, then fry garlic in the rest of bacon grease. Add in 2 cups heavy cream and bring to simmer. Add in salt and some parmesan to taste. Add back the bacon and noodles and mix. Take off heat and crack an egg into it and mix</span></blockquote>
This is one of my favorite dishes!<br />
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<u>Tuesday</u>: Chicken Tacos and salad. Total for this meal: $2.38<br />
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I'm using some chicken I had leftover from last week that I will put in the crock pot with some taco seasoning and salsa (both of which I have already). Once cooked, we'll put it in some taco shells (also have already) with some shredded cheese, avocado, and sour cream. I did buy the cheese, but we'll use so little I'm not counting it in the total.<br />
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<u>Wednesday</u>: <a href="https://www.savorytooth.com/fried-cabbage-potatoes/">Fried Cabbage with Potatoes and Bacon</a>, Fruit. Total for this meal: $4.13<br />
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If you've got picky eaters in your house and want to get them to eat some cabbage, this is a good recipe for it! It's got starchy potatoes and fatty bacon, so it may negate some of the goodness of the cabbage, but it's delish, so oh well! I'll only use half of the bag of potatoes (if that), so will save some for next week.<br />
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<u>Thursday</u>: <a href="https://www.skinnytaste.com/oven-fried-breaded-pork-chops/">Pork chops</a> with frozen veggies. Total for this meal: $4.36<br />
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I had the veggies in the freezer already from last week, so all I had to pay for was the pork.<br />
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<b>Total at the store this week: $30.17</b><br />
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Also bought kefir, bananas, fruit bowls, bread, cheese, apple juice, two chicken stuffed with broccoli and cheese for us to eat with our lunch today (we have leftover rice and fruit too), and a whole chicken. The chicken was on sale for .59 a pound this week which made it $3.32 for the whole thing. I'll put it in the crock pot next week and make a couple meals out of it.<br />
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-8599300751447614892018-04-24T15:32:00.000-04:002018-05-08T14:15:50.953-04:00Weekly Meal Plan for 4/23/18This is gonna be short and sweet folks. Sorry for the delay, but busy week, MOPS Monday, blah blah blah. We finally got to the store today...in the rain...but we did it! We will actually be out of town this weekend, so the meal plan is short, but here it is...<br />
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<u>Monday</u>: We ate out bc we had no food and I hadn't been to the store. Real life.</div>
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<u>Tuesday</u>: Baked Ravioli, broccoli, garlic bread. Total for meal: $5.67</div>
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I got this recipe from the Instagram stories of a mom in Georgia I randomly follow. She's a mom of 5, so she knows what it means to put together easy meals and this one definitely is! We had pasta sauce and cheese in the fridge, so I didn't have to buy those.</div>
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1 bag frozen ravioli<br />
1 jar tomato sauce,<br />
1 bag shredded cheese<br />
optional: ground beef, sausage, ricotta, spinach, Italian herbs, mushrooms, etc (whatever you might want to add)</blockquote>
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Preheat oven to 350. Spray 13x9 dish and spread thin layer of sauce on bottom. Arrange one layer of frozen ravioli, top with thin layer of sauce and layer of cheese. Layer ravioli, sauce and cheese until all is in dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 min. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes uncovered.</blockquote>
Wednesday: Mini Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, zucchini. Total for meal: $6.26<br />
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I don't normally use my entire pound of meat for one dish, or at least not have it be the star, but since this is a short week and I knew we wouldn't spend the $50, I splurged a bit :) This meal also comes courtesy of the Instagram mom from Tuesday's meal. I should really send her a thank you note!<br />
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1 pound ground beef<br />
1 egg<br />
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I'm going to use rolled oats bc I like my meatloaf with oats)<br />
2 1/2 tablespoons of worcestershire<br />
Brown sugar<br />
Ketchup </blockquote>
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Preheat over to 350. Mix ingredients and make into 6 large balls. Spray muffin tin with nonstick spray. Put each mini meatloaf in and sprinkle with brown sugar and ketchup. Bake for 30 min or until done in the middle and browned on the edges.</blockquote>
Thursday: <a href="https://life-in-the-lofthouse.com/baked-sweet-and-sour-chicken-with-fried-rice/">Chicken Fried Rice</a>. Total for meal $1.50<br />
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I already had chicken, rice, onions, and soy sauce. I've shared this recipe before. It's easy and good. I'll just saute the chicken instead of doing the way it's done in this recipe (though we have done it this way and it's delish!) Clarence is going on a men's hike starting Thursday morning and coming back Sunday afternoon. So we are making dinner easy and then heading to Georgia on Friday to spend the rest of the weekend with my brother and his family.<br />
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<b>Total spent at the store: $39.64</b><br />
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Also bought: two bags of frozen veggies to use in future meal, apple juice, cheesy potatoes, fruit pouches (3 boxes), garlic, mac and cheese, kefir (2), juice smoothie, oats, strawberries<br />
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What's on your meal plan this week??<br />
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-1215325844744451172018-04-16T14:44:00.000-04:002018-05-08T14:15:59.979-04:00Weekly Meal Plan for 4/16/18Happy Monday! I wanted to hop on and share our meal plan for this week. I'm glad to hear this is helpful for people! And I love to hear your recipes so keep leaving those in the comments!<br />
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<u>Monday</u>: Date Night! This means the kids get the leftover chicken nuggets in the freezer, a box of mac and cheese in the cabinet, and the leftover zucchini from a few days ago. Total for this meal: $0</div>
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<u>Tuesday</u>: Breakfast for Dinner. Sausage and Egg Skillet, Biscuits, and fruit. Total for this meal: $4.00</div>
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No real recipe for this. Brown a pound of breakfast sausage and drain the grease. Then add in however many eggs you'd like and scramble in the pan with the sausage. Salt and pepper to taste.</blockquote>
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<u>Wednesday</u>: Out. This is the night for the evening Seacoast group I lead, so we'll grab something quick and eat before we set up the room.</div>
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<u>Thursday</u>: <a href="http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/foil-pack-chicken-and-broccoli-dinner-15/194728">Foil Pack Chicken and Broccoli</a> with rice. Total for this meal: $5.64</div>
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This total is not exact, because I know I won't use all of the ingredients I bought for this dish. I found a 5 1/2 pound package of chicken breasts with a $2 off sticker, so picked those up and I'm sure they will stretch to multiple meals. </blockquote>
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I usually omit the stuffing mix in this recipe. I also bought bacon pieces in a bag instead of cooking bacon.</blockquote>
<u>Friday</u>: <a href="http://www.kevinandamanda.com/spicy-sausage-pasta/">Spicy Sausage Pasta</a> with peas. Total for this meal: $4.17<br />
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This meal is delicious! You could used diced tomatoes instead of rotel if you want to cut out the spicy part of it. We have pasta in the cabinet I'll use. </blockquote>
Saturday Lunch: Leftovers<br />
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Saturday Dinner: A friend is having a BBQ at her house that we'll be going to<br />
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Sunday Lunch: <a href="https://www.nospoonnecessary.com/honey-ginger-garlic-chicken-carrot-noodle-bowls/">Honey Garlic Ginger Chicken Carrot Noodles Bowls</a>. Total for this meal: $3.60<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I already have carrots and many of the pantry staples, so didn't have to buy too much for this recipe</blockquote>
Sunday Dinner: Small Group<br />
<br />
<b>Total at the store this week: $55.47 </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Also bought: pancake mix, hot dogs, fruit bowls, fruit pouches, kefir, milk, yogurts, ranch dressing, muffins, string cheese, veggie straws, popcorn, bananas, cantaloupe, puffs, grapes, and goldfish.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-69246635114444415852018-04-08T16:03:00.000-04:002018-04-08T16:08:14.643-04:00Weekly Meal Plan for 4/9/18Tomorrow morning we have MOPS, and it's hard to get to the store on those days, so I decided to do Walmart Grocery Pick Up again and just grab it on the way home from our MOPS meeting. I had a $5 credit from something they messed up last time, which I was happy to use! So here is our meal plan this week:<br />
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<u>Monday</u>: Rotisserie Chicken, potatoes, frozen veggies. Total for meal $4.23</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Unfortunately you can't buy the cooked rotisserie chickens through the Walmart Grocery app (boo), so I bought a raw chicken and will cook it, seasoned, in the crock pot. I have a couple potatoes leftover from last week I'll throw in with it and will just heat up a bag of frozen veggies as well. I'll use the leftover shredded chicken for two other meals this week, so split the cost between them.</blockquote>
<u>Tuesday</u>: <a href="http://www.primaverakitchen.com/ground-turkey-sweet-potato-skillet/">Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet</a> with Zucchini. Total for meal $4.94<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I'll save half of the sweet potatoes and use them early next week. Using mozzarella from last week.</blockquote>
<u>Wednesday</u>: <a href="https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/garlic-ranch-chicken-pizza/">Garlic Ranch Chicken Pizza</a> and salad. Total for meal $7.41<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
We love this pizza! It's delicious! I already have mozzarella and everything I need to make the sauce. </blockquote>
<u>Thursday</u>: <a href="http://www.kevinandamanda.com/bacon-avocado-grilled-cheese/">Bacon Avocado Grilled Cheese</a> and french fries. Total for meal $2.18<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Still eating that huge bag of fries they upgraded us to on my last Walmart Grocery run. Already have bread and cheese for this dish.</blockquote>
<u>Friday</u>: Out<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A singing group I was in while in college is having their 40th reunion event tonight, so we will go to that at my alma mater, North Greenville University. </blockquote>
<u>Saturday Lunch:</u> We will be at the Greenville Zoo this morning helping man a table for the Chinese immersion school the kids will be going to, so we will either pack a lunch or grab something from the concession stand.<br />
<br />
<u>Saturday Dinner</u>: Chicken Spinach Bake with Garlic Bread. Total for meal $5.78<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #373e4d; font-size: 12pt;">3 chicken breasts cooked and cut into pieces (will use the rest of the rotisserie chicken)</span><span style="color: #373e4d; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">8 oz penne pasta</span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">8 oz chive and onion cream cheese</span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Frozen spinach (as much as you would like,
thawed and drained well)</span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">15 oz can of Italian Style tomatoes (basil,
oregano, and garlic, I believe)</span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">1 tsp salt</span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">1/2 tsp pepper</span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">mozzarella cheese</span><br />
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Preheat oven to 350. Cook noodles and chicken.
Mix together, pasta, chicken, spinach, cream cheese, tomatoes, salt, and
pepper. Top with cheese and bake for about 30 minutes.</span></span></span></blockquote>
<u>Sunday Lunch</u>: Leftovers from last night<br />
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<u>Sunday Dinner</u>: We have tickets to the Greenville Drive (local baseball team), so will eat dinner there or on the way home.<br />
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<b>Total at the store: $35.98</b><br />
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Also bought: 2 kefirs, milk, muffins, tea, sugar, doritos (cause sometimes you just have a craving)<br />
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Lower total this week, but we will also have to eat out three times. We do have an eat out budget each month that we use, so it shouldn't affect our grocery budget, but it may be higher another week so it should balance out.<br />
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827154750940360837.post-33213642484028348602018-04-02T14:39:00.000-04:002018-04-08T16:05:06.893-04:00Weekly Meal Plan for 4/2/18In case you think I have some superhuman love for meal planning...I honestly HATE it. It is the bane of my existence. Especially since we're on a budget. But, alas, these tiny humans (and husband) need to be fed, so it's a necessary evil. I had a particularly strong hate for it this week, so don't expect too much. If you're still willing to forge ahead...here is our meal plan this week π<br />
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<u>Monday</u>: <a href="https://momfoodie.com/homefried-kielbasa-and-potatoes-recipe/">Kielbasa</a>, potatoes, and onion with roasted brussel sprouts. Total for meal $3.84</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The recipe linked is mostly what I do. I usually leave my potatoes in larger slices, brown in the pan, and then simmer with a top on until they cook, stirring occasionally. This is a meal my mom made growing up and is one of my favorites!</blockquote>
<u>Tuesday</u>: <a href="https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/beef-and-noodle-casserole-recipe/">Beef and Noodle Casserole</a>, green beans. Total for meal $3.10<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I had sour cream, cottage cheese, tomato sauce and cheddar cheese in the fridge already.</blockquote>
<u>Wednesday</u>: <a href="https://www.melskitchencafe.com/smoky-lentil-and-potato-soup/">Smoky Lentil and Potato Soup</a>. Total for meal $4.49<br />
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<u>Thursday</u>: <a href="https://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/one-pan-cheesy-chicken-broccoli-rice/">One-Pan Chicken Broccoli and Rice</a>. Total for meal $4.29<br />
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<u>Friday</u>: Meatball Subs with Fries and Strawberries. Total for meal $3.00ish<br />
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<u>Saturday Lunch</u>: Skillet Meal in a Bag. Total for meal $3.29<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
As you can see, I always lose steam on planning once the weekend rolls around π</blockquote>
<u>Saturday Dinner</u>: <a href="https://kalynskitchen.com/easy-recipe-for-baked-pesto-chicken/">Easy Baked Pesto Chicken</a> with Pasta and Peas. Total for meal $6.58<br />
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<u>Sunday Lunch</u>: Leftovers from last night's dinner.<br />
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<u>Sunday Dinner</u>: Small Group. It's our week to prepare something and I have no idea what we will do, but I'll figure it out later. #dontknowdontcare<br />
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<b>Total at the store: $58.19</b><br />
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I had to buy quite a few cabinet staples, so it's higher this week.<br />
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Also bought: Bread, mac and cheese, 4 hand soaps, apple juice, fruit snacks, 2 stuffed chicken breasts for lunch today to go with our leftover pasta and broccoli, sponges, yogurts, butter, fruit pouches, jelly, peanut butter, parmesan cheese, kefir, ketchup.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990692727873848357noreply@blogger.com0