Budget Friendly Healthy Meal Planning

The beginning of this new year kicked off a healthy eating lifestyle as well as a no spend month. Well, if you know anything about healthy food you know....
$$$$$
Why oh why can't the cheap-o ramen noodles that I love so dearly be good for me?

After a couple of weeks I feel like I've got this eating healthy while sticking to a budget thing down and wanted share the method to my madness in hopes of helping some you achieve this as well, because who DOESN'T want to eat healthy and save money?

That's what I thought. 

The absolute BIGGEST component of me both eating healthy and saving money at the grocery store is PLANNING! I'm a planner by nature {can I get a woot-woot from my Type-A-Twin, Erin?} so I actually enjoy sitting down and meal planning / couponing each week {and prepping my meals as well}. If this sounds like torture to you, just trust me, it's not that bad and is SO worth it! 

I grocery shop on the same day every week, Friday. This alone has helped because I know I only need to plan / buy food / budget for 1 week's time. This also allows me to plan on the same day every week, Thursday. Getting in that routine makes it more likely that I'll actually follow through. 

I do ALL of my grocery shopping at Target. I do this for a couple of reasons:

1. Target is the bomb.com

2. They have EVERYTHING 

3. Red Card Red Card Red Card!

4. Online Coupons

5. CARTWHEEL

A couple of notes on that....

1. We have a Target DEBIT Red Card. Charging groceries to a credit card kind of defeats the purpose of trying to get out of debt, which is the whole reason to have a no spend month. Target offers a free Red Card that links to your bank account and simply auto-withdraws from your account. You get the benefits of 5% off every purchase but don't need to rack up more debt! Win-Win my friends, WIN FRICKIN WIN. 

2. If you don't know what Cartwheel is, get on your phone and download the app NOW. It's essentially Pinterest for Target coupons. I know, mind blown. You just save the coupons you want to use, they scan your phone at check out and BAM! Additional savings! 

3. You can combine Cartwheel, Target's online coupons, Target Weekly Ad coupons AND your Red Card. YES! YOU CAN!

So, with that knowledge, here's what I do every Thursday.

1. I create a word document and add a table for a week's worth of breakfasts, lunches, dinners & snacks. Then I'll go through and enter meal ideas. I will usually hit up Pinterest at this point to get ideas and inspiration, especially for our dinners. I also jot down ingredients Jason wants to make his lunches, anything Kenley needs for her lunches, and anything else we NEED for the week {toothpaste, toilet paper, etc.}

2. Once the general plan is set I visit Target.com to search for coupons. If you haven't done this before, here's how to find coupons:

Click on the "Weekly Ad" link towards the top right of Target's home page. 

 Then scroll about halfway down the page {past the weekly ad} and you'll find the link for "Coupon Savings".

 This will bring you to the page where you can search and print coupons based on the categories on the right. It also shows your coupons and your savings!

SO easy! 

3. I will then visit Cartwheel and search / browse / pin all the coupons I can. 

*NOTE! It's taken me a long time to refuse the urge to buy things simply because of a coupon. Instead I will only print & pin coupons I actually need for the meals I plan. 

4. Next up, I tweak the meal plan based on the coupons available. If there's a great deal on steaks - I throw in a steak dinner or whatever. I simply do what I can to save on an item but remain healthy. 

5. Once my coupons & meal plan is finalized I write out a grocery list noting any coupons I have so I am sure to remember when shopping. I have also found that organizing my shopping list by aisle {yes, I know Target that well} helps cut my shopping time down by a ton!

6. I email myself the grocery list so that I have it on my phone and can pull it up while shopping. 

7. Then, I shop for groceries buying ONLY what is on the list. Target is FAMOUS for sucking you in and making you THINK you just have to have that Valentines Day themed mini-bucket from the Dollar Spot. I don't care if it's on sale for $0.50, if you don't NEED IT to survive, you don't buy it. 

8. Finally, you check out, save a butt load of money and eat healthy delicious meals for a week.

REPEAT. 

I'm sure this seems a little psycho, but honestly, I cannot express to you how much this has helped me meal plan, eat healthy, save money on groceries AND cut down on shopping time. Some extra effort on the front end more than pays off when I see the money I've saved on food and the pounds I've lost!

Baby Talk :: Family Friendly Food.

Happy Tuesday mamas....it's time for another edition of BABY TALK!

Here's the rules:
{1} Write a post on ANYTHING baby related...pregnancy, parenting, products, stories, advice, you name it!
{2} Grab this button and put it somewhere, anywhere in your post!

<div class="BUSY-BEE-button" style="width: 250px; margin: 0 auto;"> <a href="http://fawver.blogspot.com"> <img src="http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/r529/knfawver/baby-talk-button_zps829f6bd6.jpg" alt="BUSY BEE" width="250" height="250" /> </a> </div>

{3} Publish your post on Tuesday!
{4} Come back and enter your post in the super neat link-up tool found at the bottom of every Baby Talk post.
{5} Check back and read the other blogs who have linked up!

Easy as pie!

-----------

Today I am once again linking up with Julie + friends for their Kid Test, Mom Approved link up party. 

I've talked A LOT about feeding Kenley, but what's one more post? Right? 

In case you missed the previous posts, you can get caught up here: 

Breastfeeding

The End of Breastfeeding
Starting Solids

What to Feed My Baby, When?

DIY Baby Food

Since I've already kind of covered the bases, I thought today I'd share a typical meal plan for Kenley now that she is 9, almost 10 months old. 

Kenley is still drinking 5 formula bottles / day - which in just over two months we get to be done with! WAHOO! I am so ready to be done with formula and introduce cow's milk. Other than that Kenley is all about solids. She has been introduced to pretty much all of the foods she is allowed to have {no cows milk, no eggs and very little sugar - which is my request}.

So here's what a day in the life of Kenley looks like. 

6:30-7:00am - 5oz bottle when she wakes up. 

9:00am - Yogurt for Breakfast. Her favorites are YoBaby & Gerber. 

9:30am - 5oz bottle before morning nap. 

12:00pm - Lunch which usually consists of oatmeal cereal, cottage cheese & some sort of fruit mix - either one of my purees or an applesauce-to-go squeeze. She'll usually have a bottle around this time as well.

2:00ish - Snack time! Kenley is obsessed with the little Yogurt Melts but also loves veggie puffs, lil crunchies and wagon wheels.

3:00pm - 5oz bottle before afternoon nap

6:00pm - Dinner! Dinner time is so much easier now as Kenley will usually just have a teeny portion of whatever Jason and I are having. For example, last night she had a turkey meatball (cut up of course), some whole grain brown rice and broccoli. If Jason and I are eating something I don't K is ready for I will usually give her a homemade veggie puree, some black beans and some rice cereal or some avocado. I think black beans and avocados are her favorite food right now, which makes her Mexican-loving-mama extremely happy.

7:30-8:00pm - BEDTIME! After her bath and before she goes to bed Kenley has one more 5oz bottle. 

I couldn't be more proud of the good eater that Kenley has become! Not only does the kid eat A LOT but she really loves everything she tries. For now I'm keeping her away from sugary foods and juice because she has her whole life to enjoy sugar. For now I want her to continue to love healthy fruits and veggies! 

So there you have it! I'd love to hear what you other mamas are doing for baby food & schedules. I'm always curious to hear what works well for other families and get new ideas!

And before I go, I want to wish my dear friend Carolyn a HAPPY DUE DATE!

Let's get that little Beebo out of there! 

Weighing In: Part 3

Somehow it's already July and we are in the heart of summer! It's also been nearly 8 months since I had my baby girl, which means it's due time to check in on my post-baby weight loss journey. I'd say it's going OK. Of course the weight isn't just flying off like I'd hoped and wished but I'm making progress to get back to where I was (and hopefully am getting closer to not scaring people in a swimsuit...yikes!)

a girl (and my husband) can dream....right?

I have changed my diet to include mostly protein, fruits and vegetables with some light carbs and dairy mixed in. I'm calling it the sorta-yeast-free-gluten-free-dairy free-esque diet that still allows me to eat my favorite foods. I've heard some people refer to it as the 80/20 diet...eat great 80% of the time and enjoy the not-so-good-for-you foods that you love {within reason of course} 20% of the time.When I do this, I feel great! I feel lighter, have more energy and find that I am full and satisfied AND am losing weight. I am still counting calories on MyFitnessPal {<---add me if you use it!} to ensure I'm not going way over and try to aim for around 1,200-1,500 calories a day. The hard part is just sticking to this and not letting a "cheat" day completely derail me. Instead of feeling guilty I just need to get over it, move on and get back on track.

I've been using Meal Planning methods each week to help keep me organized and expedite the grocery shopping experience. I spend a little time each week setting up my meals using a super simple excel spreadsheet. I look at our calendar to see what we have going on for the week and plan my meals accordingly, usually leaving the weekends open for either leftovers or dinners out. For example, here's my plan for this week:

	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
BREAKFAST	Grande Nonfat Latte, Fiber One Cereal & Skim Milk	Low-Fat Chai Latte, Fiber One Cereal & Skim Milk	Low-Fat Chai Latte, Fiber One Cereal & Skim Milk	Low-Fat Chai Latte, Fiber One Cereal & Skim Milk	Low-Fat Chai Latte, Fiber One Cereal & Skim Milk
LUNCH	Broccoli Salad	Broccoli Salad	Broccoli Salad	Broccoli Salad	Broccoli Salad
DINNER	Teriyaki Chicken & Pineapple Skewers w/ Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice	Dinner w/ Kari & Ryan!	Chipotle Twice Baked Sweet Potato	Whole Wheat Pasta, Broccoli & Light Alfredo Sauce	Spinach & Feta Turkey Burger w/ Greek Salad	Alex & Lina’s Party!
SNACK	Cottage Cheese & Apple Sauce	Pistachios	Cottage Cheese & Apple Sauce	Pistachios	Cottage Cheese & Apple Sauce

 I get all of the ingredients I will need to make myself breakfast, lunch and two snacks each day. Then I will get all the ingredients for 4-5 dinners and Jason and I can chose what we're going to have from those options each day, the other couple days we will either eat left overs, go out for dinner or make up meals using random ingredients we have. I also do all of my food prep on the weekends so that everything is ready, organized and easy to grab during the chaotic workday mornings.

Sometimes it feels like so much work but I found that when I've planned ahead and have my meals set I don't cheat. It's when I don't have food in the house or a lunch prepared that I tend to go off the deep end.

I am now less that 5 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight, so I'm more motivated than ever to stick to eating healthy! My next goal is to up my workouts. I've been doing great at going for daily walks but I need to increase the strength training with some yoga or a Jillian DVD at home. 

After almost 8 months post-baby, here's my weight loss stats:

Total weight gained: 34 pounds

Weight loss goal: 42 pounds

Total weight loss: 30 pounds

Pounds to go: 12 pounds

{HOLLER!!!!!}


See my other Weigh In posts here:
Weighing In
Weighing In: Part 2


Tell me....what are your secrets to losing the last few pounds and keeping them off?

Weighing In: Part 3

Somehow it's already July and we are in the heart of summer! It's also been nearly 8 months since I had my baby girl, which means it's due time to check in on my post-baby weight loss journey. I'd say it's going OK. Of course the weight isn't just flying off like I'd hoped and wished but I'm making progress to get back to where I was (and hopefully am getting closer to not scaring people in a swimsuit...yikes!)

a girl (and my husband) can dream....right?

I have changed my diet to include mostly protein, fruits and vegetables with some light carbs and dairy mixed in. I'm calling it the sorta-yeast-free-gluten-free-dairy free-esque diet that still allows me to eat my favorite foods. I've heard some people refer to it as the 80/20 diet...eat great 80% of the time and enjoy the not-so-good-for-you foods that you love {within reason of course} 20% of the time.When I do this, I feel great! I feel lighter, have more energy and find that I am full and satisfied AND am losing weight. I am still counting calories on MyFitnessPal {<---add me if you use it!} to ensure I'm not going way over and try to aim for around 1,200-1,500 calories a day. The hard part is just sticking to this and not letting a "cheat" day completely derail me. Instead of feeling guilty I just need to get over it, move on and get back on track.

I've been using Meal Planning methods each week to help keep me organized and expedite the grocery shopping experience. I spend a little time each week setting up my meals using a super simple excel spreadsheet. I look at our calendar to see what we have going on for the week and plan my meals accordingly, usually leaving the weekends open for either leftovers or dinners out. For example, here's my plan for this week:

	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
BREAKFAST	Grande Nonfat Latte, Fiber One Cereal & Skim Milk	Low-Fat Chai Latte, Fiber One Cereal & Skim Milk	Low-Fat Chai Latte, Fiber One Cereal & Skim Milk	Low-Fat Chai Latte, Fiber One Cereal & Skim Milk	Low-Fat Chai Latte, Fiber One Cereal & Skim Milk
LUNCH	Broccoli Salad	Broccoli Salad	Broccoli Salad	Broccoli Salad	Broccoli Salad
DINNER	Teriyaki Chicken & Pineapple Skewers w/ Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice	Dinner w/ Kari & Ryan!	Chipotle Twice Baked Sweet Potato	Whole Wheat Pasta, Broccoli & Light Alfredo Sauce	Spinach & Feta Turkey Burger w/ Greek Salad	Alex & Lina’s Party!
SNACK	Cottage Cheese & Apple Sauce	Pistachios	Cottage Cheese & Apple Sauce	Pistachios	Cottage Cheese & Apple Sauce

 I get all of the ingredients I will need to make myself breakfast, lunch and two snacks each day. Then I will get all the ingredients for 4-5 dinners and Jason and I can chose what we're going to have from those options each day, the other couple days we will either eat left overs, go out for dinner or make up meals using random ingredients we have. I also do all of my food prep on the weekends so that everything is ready, organized and easy to grab during the chaotic workday mornings.

Sometimes it feels like so much work but I found that when I've planned ahead and have my meals set I don't cheat. It's when I don't have food in the house or a lunch prepared that I tend to go off the deep end.

I am now less that 5 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight, so I'm more motivated than ever to stick to eating healthy! My next goal is to up my workouts. I've been doing great at going for daily walks but I need to increase the strength training with some yoga or a Jillian DVD at home. 

After almost 8 months post-baby, here's my weight loss stats:

Total weight gained: 34 pounds

Weight loss goal: 42 pounds

Total weight loss: 30 pounds

Pounds to go: 12 pounds

{HOLLER!!!!!}


See my other Weigh In posts here:
Weighing In
Weighing In: Part 2


Tell me....what are your secrets to losing the last few pounds and keeping them off?

The Weekend Baby!

Every Friday, Jason and I proclaim "It's the weekend, baby!" 

In our Schoob voices. 

For those of you who haven't experienced the "Schoob Voice"--it's basically a higher pitched more annoying version of baby talk that we use to talk to and about our dog, Bailey. 

It's very strange and we realize this, but I love that we are weirdos. 

Anyways, this weekend was amaze-balls. 

This past weekend was the one and only weekend of the ENTIRE summer (and fall for that matter) that neither me nor Jason had one single thing on the calendar. 

BLISS. 

I got to sleep in and snuggle with this goofball.

I spent some time at the pool.

I did a little shopping and found a dress for my baby shower, shoes for the weddings I am in this fall, some jammies for baby girl, a Coach make-up bag that I am going to use for miscellaneous stuff in my diaper bag, and some maternity undies and spanks, which I was not thrilled about buying but I have a lot of surface area to cover, so it was necessary. 

I did a crap ton of laundry...I'm talking sheets from both beds, towels and all of our clothes!

Bailey and I went on a couple of walks.

I started up meal planning again...

and went grocery shopping and got all of my breakfasts, lunches and snacks portioned out for the week!

And, there was a whole lotta this action goin' on:

I LOVE the Olympics!

 Hope you all had fab weekends too!

Time for Another Checklist.

IT’S JULY! Can you even believe it?!

I swear my life is flashing before my eyes!

It’s time to look back at June’s goals and see how I did:

-Walk at least 45 miles.
I knew this was a lofty goal, but I am so proud of myself for accomplishing it! I set a goal for myself to walk 250 miles during my pregnancy and knocking off 47.22 miles this month definitely got me closer!
I'm just under halfway there!

-Swim/Workout in the pool 5 times.
You all know I love the pool, so this one was not hard to accomplish. Every time I was at the pool I made sure to swim some laps and do my own little pool aerobics routine. If felt great AND I was even sore a few times.

-Go to the gym for toning 8 times.
I'm giving myself a half completed for this one. Not going to lie, I only went to the gym twice this month BUT I have been doing my weight routine at home. Not sure if I did it 8 times, but I did make an effort. AND, I went to yoga twice this month. So I didn't quite accomplish what I wanted, but I tried.

-Meal Plan.
I shared my psycho preggo meal plan HERE and as crazy as it is, it has been a huge help! I've been doing great at sticking to the plan. I haven't been the best at putting everything into MFP these past couple weeks, but I have been sticking to my planned meals.

-Put together yearbooks.
Didn't spend one minute of this month doing this. I really need to get on it though so I'm not suddenly five years behind.

-Budget, Budget, Budget.
I wish I could say we dominated this goal this month, but unfortunately we did not. It wasn't as bad as last month but we still have some reeling in to do! 

As for this month's goals, 

there is so much to be done in these last 4 months before the nugget arrives in November, so I’ve decided to use my monthly checklist as a way to keep track of all I want to accomplish before baby’s grand entrance. It’ll be an ongoing list over these next few months but my hope is to get as much done now while I’m feeling awesome, so that when I’m huge and uncomfortable I can just lie around, eat ice cream and get massaged {that’s what automatically happens in the third trimester, right?}.

NON-BABY:

-Plan Christina's Bridal Shower & Bachelorette Party

-Print & Frame stadium pics for our bedroom

-Get new lamps for bedroom

-Go to yoga 4 times this month

-Figure out gallery wall for above the fireplace
-Put together family yearbooks

BABY:
-Reveal the gender of the baby to friends and family!
-Finish registering
-Decide on a name
-Register for Prenatal Classes
-Register for tour of the Birthing Center at the hospital
-Take prenatal classes
-Tour the Birthing Center at the hospital
-Find a pediatrician
-Buy a mom car
-Figure out maternity leave
-Figure out childcare
-Figure out baptism
-Enjoy a babymoon with my man
-Find baby shower outfits
-Get hostess gifts for my baby shower hosts
-Get maternity pictures taken
-Get pregnancy massage {this IS happening at some point}
-Get some nursing bras
-Baby proof!
-Pick out birth announcement
-Develop a birth plan
-Study up on newborn vaccines to determine what’s right for baby F
-Purchase any important items remaining on registry
-Baby laundry
-Figure out baby’s “Coming Home” outfit
-Figure out baby's newborn photo shoot outfit(s)
-Get all hospital paperwork in order
-Prepare “phone tree” for news of baby’s arrival
-Pack for the hospital
-Create labor playlist (yes, I need music and yes, there will be a playlist)
-Reach goal of walking 250 miles during pregnancy
-Finish the nursery!!!

∙Find mobile

∙Get bedding

∙Get art for the walls

∙Buy & hang window valance

∙Convert dresser to changing table

∙Get throw pillows for bed

∙Organize drawers and closet

*A lot of this was stolen from a great checklist I found HERE!

Now that I see everything I need to do listed out, I have decided to quit my job and quit blogging and dedicate 100% of my time to preparing for the baby.

Yeah, just kidding. 

I hope you all have a wonderful and SAFE holiday!

God bless you and America!