If you missed Part 1 and Part 2 be sure to read them here before you read Part 3 below.

5) Recognize That You Can’t Do It All

No woman, no matter how put together she might seem, is superwoman. Every woman has her flaws, shortcomings, and struggles.

Stop comparing yourself to others.

The sooner you stop comparing yourself to others, the sooner you’ll start to find more peace and contentment in life.

You can spend all of your life trying to measure up to someone else. You can fritter away hours of time wishing you had her hair or her figure or her energy or her gifts. But you are not her, you are you.

You have unique gifts, talents, and abilities. You can improve upon what God has given you, you can wisely steward what He has given you, but you cannot change who He has created you to be.

So instead of living life wishing you were someone else, embrace your own uniqueness. Don’t feel guilty if you can’t get up when she gets up, or decorate your home like she decorates hers, or fit into the size of jeans she does, or juggle all the activities and responsibilities she does.

Your life and goals are going to look different from others — and that is completely okay. In fact, if everyone were a carbon copy of each other, wouldn’t life be dull and colorless?

Do the best you can with the energy, gifts, talents, and resources you have in the season of life you are in. And then be free from guilt!

Pick a few priorities and let the other stuff go.

People ask me all the time, “How do you do it all?” And the simple truth is: I only have a few priorities — and I seek to do a good job at those priorities. Then, I let a bunch of other stuff go.

And by a bunch, I mean a bunch of other stuff.

I don’t cook gourmet meals, I don’t host elaborate parties, and I’m the farthest thing from a fashionista.

I don’t sew. I don’t really garden. I don’t head up any organizations or run any committees.

My children are only involved in one extracurricular sport/activity right now (they are all taking ice-skating lessons) and we stay home all day at least two or three days most weeks.

I have a fantastic team of people who help with all the behind-the-scenes stuff for MoneySavingMom.com, I have a full-time assistant, and I have a mother’s helper who comes in one day each week.

So while I might do a good job of reading aloud to my children most weeks, I might accomplish a number of my weekly goals, I might read quite a few books, and I might update this blog frequently, the only reason I have time to do those things is because I’ve chosen to say “no” to a lot of other things that I’ve deemed aren’t priorities in my life right now.

Give yourself grace.

You are never going to be where you want to be. There will always be something undone or left to do. And as soon as you complete one project, there’s another project (or five) that needs to be completed.

Don’t beat yourself up that you’re not as far as you’d like to be. Instead, give yourself grace, and focus on the progress you have made and are making.

Rather than becoming discouraged that you have 12 things left on your to-do list to do and it’s 10:30 p.m., be encouraged that you accomplished three of the things you set out to do today.

When you have a day when it seems like nothing gets done and you just go around and around in circles, remind yourself that tomorrow is a new day.

And remember: Life is meant to be enjoyed and savored not run through at breakneck speed. Take time to stop and smell the roses, even if it means fewer things get crossed off the to-do list!

…to be continued tomorrow

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My great grandmother passed along a love of barbecue meatballs to our family — and it’s a recipe we’ve made over and over again. We love to serve these with twice baked potatoes, homemade rolls, and tossed salad.

And even if you’re not a fan of most freezer meals, I bet this one would work for your family since you freeze it uncooked. No one will likely know that you pulled this out of the freezer to serve for dinner.

Freezer-Friendly Barbecued Meatballs

Meatballs:

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups oats (quick-cooking or old fashioned — can also substitute bread crumbs)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 pounds raw ground beef (since you’ll be freezing this recipe uncooked, you’ll want to make sure the meat is fresh, not frozen)

Barbecue Sauce:

• 2 cups ketchup
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (optional)
• 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine all meatball ingredients and mix well. Shape into one-inch balls and lay on a cookie sheet.

To freeze: Freeze uncooked meatballs on a cookie sheet for one hour. Remove from cookie sheet and transfer to airtight ziptop freezer bags.

To serve: Thaw meatballs overnight (or for 8 hours) in the refrigerator. Put in a greased baking dish and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes. Drain.

While meatballs are cooking, combine Barbecue Sauce ingredients together in a saucepan on the stove. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for two minutes, stirring frequently.

Pour Barbecue Sauce over meatballs and bake for 10-20 minutes longer, or until done.

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.

Did you do any freezer cooking today? If so, I’d love to see the results of your efforts! Link up your blog posts below or tell us about your success in the comments.

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How do you find the strength/discipline to follow through with freezer cooking on a consistent basis? I’ve not disciplined myself to do so as of yet. I do so enjoy reading about your freezer cooking experiences, however. Is it really that well worth the effort? (time saved, easy clean-up after each meal, etc.?) –a reader

Yes, freezer cooking has been so worth it for our family. I wrote a post in 2010 with three specific reasons why I love freezer cooking. And those reasons still hold very true two years later.

1. I spend a lot less time cooking and cleaning up the kitchen.

I no longer have big time blocks in our schedule to do full day or half day cooking sessions, but I’ve found that doing mini half-hour or one-hour freezer cooking sessions works really well for this season of our life. And while I might not be making 20 or 30 meals at a time, by consistently cooking ahead once or twice a week, we always have some meals in the freezer for those busy days when I don’t have time or energy for cooking.

Instead of having to dirty up a bowl to make meatloaf three times in six weeks, I just triple the recipe and make meatloaf once and stick the extra two dinners’ worth of meatloaf in the freezer. If I’m already going to dirty up a bowl, I might as well double or triple the recipe saving me the effort and mess later on in the month. After all, it really doesn’t take but a few more minutes to make two extra batches of meatloaf — and the clean up time is pretty much the same!

2. I don’t have to dread 5 p.m. anymore.

I don’t know about you, but there are some days at our home when life whizzes by so quickly and all of a sudden, it’s 5 p.m. and dinner isn’t even a figment of my imagination. Before I started regularly cooking ahead and freezing meals, I’d be tempted to call my husband and ask him to bring something home for dinner.

Freezer cooking has solved the 5 p.m. “What’s-For-Dinner” panic. If I forget to pull something out earlier in the day, I’ll just pick a meal from my freezer stash that defrosts quickly — such as meatballs. I pair this with some frozen veggies, rice, and maybe a fruit salad. No one even has to know I forgot about dinner until 30 minutes before it was supposed to happen!

3. It’s not a huge undertaking to have dinner guests or take a meal to someone.

When I have meals already made in the freezer, it’s rather simple to bring food to a new mom or have friends over for dinner.

Lasagna casserole, spaghetti pie, and meatballs are great staple meals to have on hand to share with others. Just whip up some Bread Machine Buttery Rolls, make a salad or fruit and maybe some brownies and you’re set! I also like to sometimes make up chocolate chip cookie dough and freeze it so I can quickly make a dessert for friends coming over or to take somewhere.

Knowing the reward that comes as a result of the effort is what gives me the motivation and discipline to follow through with freezer cooking. Well, and it also helps that I have the public accountability of blogging about it and all.

More Helpful Freezer Cooking Articles

Start Where You Are and Learn As You Go

How to Plan a Freezer Cooking Day (and find more ideas here)

How to Cook for Your Freezer When You Don’t Like Casseroles

Can You Have a Freezer Cooking Day if You Don’t Have a Lot of Freezer Space?

How to Store Your Freezer Meals

How about the rest of you? Have you found freezer cooking to be worth it for you? Why or why not?

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Katie and her sons with all of the birthday donations they collected from friends

I was so blessed and inspired by this email from Katie:

I’ve been a reader of yours for years, and you’ve helped me learn to be content with what I have and who I am. I’ve also learned from you the value of living with less “stuff”. With that, for my recent 29th (golden) birthday, I asked friends and family to donate birthday supplies (instead of buying me “more stuff”) to help with my mission to assemble and donate 29 bags for deserving/needy children in our area. The response was INCREDIBLE and my new goal is to assemble 100 bags this year, and maybe double that next year!

This has been an amazing lesson for my children to watch me give graciously and find joy in helping others.

Thank you for planting the seeds of generosity in my heart. -Katie

For more pictures and details on Katie’s story, check out this news story.

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UnsophistiCook.com shows you how to make homemade butter.

Do you have a fun and frugal DIY idea to share? I’d love to hear about it! Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

Learn how to go from financial mess to financial success. Order your copy of my brand-new book The Money Saving Mom®'s Budget today!

If you missed Part 1, be sure to read it here before you read Part 2 below.

4) Take Care of Your Health

As women, we often are prone to take care of everything and everyone else before we take care of ourselves. The problem is, if we do this for months on end, soon we are going to end up so worn down and fatigued that we won’t be able to take care of anyone.

Make your health a priority — even if it means you must say “no” to other seemingly important commitments. In the long run, it will be every bit worth it.

Nourish your body with good foods.

In addition to making sure you’re getting enough sleep, make sure that you are nourishing your body with good foods. I’ve found that I feel so much more energetic if I eat at least one big salad everyday. If I don’t eat one for lunch, I eat one for dinner. Some days, if I’m feeling like I really need the extra nutrition and energy boost, I’ll eat one for lunch and dinner.

I don’t eat all these salads because I always feel like it, I eat them because I know that I won’t like how I feel if I don’t eat them. So I down the greens — and I always am thankful I did afterward.

If you can, chop up some veggies or wash and tear lettuce on the weekends. Then you don’t have to spend a lot of prep time throughout the week. And, you also have fewer excuses for getting in your greens when you make them more easily accessible.

Take your vitamins.

I know, I sound like your mother, but taking a good multi-vitamin can really make a difference in how you feel. I also recommend taking fish oil, too.

There are lots of other vitamins out there to consider taking, but do your research before you just start popping pills. Too much of a good thing can sometimes be just that — too much.

I used to be really, really bad about consistently taking vitamins. Then, I learned a trick: I had to make it part of my routine. Instead of just trying to remember to take my pills sometime during the day, I made pill-taking part of my evening routine.

Now, it’s become such a habit, that I pretty much can’t go to bed unless I’ve taken my pills. And I feel so much better as a result!

Drink lots of water.

Many, many of our physical ailments can be the result of just not drinking enough water. Headaches, constipation, weight gain, leg cramps, exhaustion, and much more can often be related to the fact that one is dehydrated. So before you spend a lot of money on products to help you with your physical problems, make sure you’re getting hydrated.

If you struggle to drink enough water throughout the day, you might find it helpful to track your water intake either online or on your phone — or just on a notebook in your kitchen. You could also fill up a pitcher of water or two bit water bottles before you go to bed at night and then commit to drink all of it by the time you go to bed the next night. You could even set a timer to go off periodically throughout the day to remind you to drink water.

Or, you can do what I do and try to always have a glass of water nearby wherever you are. I’ve found that the physical presence of that glass of water encourages me to constantly be taking sips of it throughout the day. And before I know it, I’ve downed 8 or 10 glasses of water!

Exercise regularly.

If you’re already fatigued, it might seem counterintuitive for me to be suggesting you start exercising. However, instead of exhausting you, exercise can often actually increase your energy.

If you aren’t regularly exercising, set really small goals at first: such as jogging or walking for 10 minutes three times a week. Track your progress on a site like SparkPeople to help you stay motivated. Or, find an exercise accountability partner to exercise with you or to check up on you throughout the week to make sure you’re sticking with your plan.

For those who feel like exercising is such a boring and dull thing, may I encourage you to try some new things? Join an exercise class, try biking, or check out some exercise DVDs from the library. Keep experimenting with different things until you land on something you enjoy.

And if you’re Type A like me, find a way to multi-task so that it feels more productive. I’ve found that I’m much more likely to hop on the treadmill if I have a good book I’m reading during my warm-up walk and a good podcast or audiobook to listen to while I’m running.

…to be continued tomorrow.

What suggestions or tips do you have for simple things a busy woman can do to take care of her health? I’m looking forward to hearing your ideas!

photo credit

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This recipe original came from my husband’s family — and it’s become one of our family’s longstanding favorites, too. It’s so simple to make, it freezes well, it uses inexpensive ingredients, and it’s filling, too.

Southwest Roll-ups

(makes 16 roll-ups)

• 2 cans refried beans (you can make your own Refried Beans with this recipe)
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 2-4 cups cooked chicken, chopped
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 16 tortillas (you can make your own Homemade Tortillas with this recipe)

Mix together beans, salsa, and chicken. Spread 1/16th of mixture onto one tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Fold sides in and roll up.

To freeze: Individually wrap roll-ups in waxed paper, paper towels, or freezer paper and then into an airtight freezer bag (if you are planning to warm them individually). Or, lay unwrapped roll-ups out on a cookie sheet and freeze for one hour. Then, transfer all roll-ups to an airtight freezer bag.

To serve: Heat an individually wrapped roll-up in the microwave for around two minutes, or until heated through. Or, thaw the bag of roll-ups on the countertop for a few hours or in the refrigerator for 8 hours. Bake in a 9×13-inch pan in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through. Sprinkle with more shredded cheese and serve with salsa.

Did you do any freezer cooking over the past two days? If so, I’d love to see the results of your efforts! Link up your blog posts below or tell us about your success in the comments.

Learn how to go from financial mess to financial success. Order your copy of my brand-new book The Money Saving Mom®'s Budget today!

Of the 3,539 entries, the winners of the Well-Planned Day and On-the-Go Planners are:

Teresa (tmbeebe806@)
Melissa (melissa.costanzo@)
Brandy (brandybouch@)
Bethany (bethanyleigh10@)
Angel (angel.britnell@)
Natalie (natwatson@)
Natalia (karalinak@)
Sarah (ordinary.days@)
Leslie (diamondrio25@)
Adriann (sealpup@)
Georgia (georgialeehalley@)
Sandy (lapizlady@)
Cherie (harrischerie@)
Naomi (bergkland@)
Jodi (jknaak@)
Rachel (Rachelecontreras@)
Adriana (besito40@)
Keri (kernaomi@)
Jenna (jenlloyd777@)
Jessica (Nebraskagirl82@)

Of the 4,911 entries, the winner of the Hand Painted Wall Hanging by Carmen Guedez is:

Marie (mariemccarty@)

Each of you should have received an email with further instructions on claiming your prize.

_____________

Are you giving something away on your blog this week? If so, post your link below and let all the readers here know so they can get in on the action! Your giveaway must be family-friendly and no-strings-attached. In addition, to make it easy to navigate, your link must go directly to your giveaway post. Links going to the homepage of your blog or any other part of your blog besides the direct link to your giveaway post will be deleted. Links left solely for the purpose of promoting an affiliate link will also be deleted.

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Are you ready for another week of filling your freezer? This week, we’re tackling dinners.

Here’s my plan for making Freezer-Friendly Dinners this week. Remember that you are more than welcome to substitute any or all of the recipes listed to make this what best fits with your budget and family’s preferences:

Freezer-Friendly Dinner Recipes

Tuesday — Double Recipe of Barbecued Meatballs
Wednesday — Double Recipe of Lasagna Casserole
Thursday — Double Recipe of Pizza Dough
Friday — Double Recipe of Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Monday – Double Recipe of Italian Chicken

Grocery List

(I rounded up on the amounts needed, just to be safe. You probably have many of these items already on hand. You’ll want to double-check that you have the correct amounts, though.)

5 pounds ground beef
5 cups flour
6 eggs
2 cups milk (I’m using milk instead of evaporated milk in the Barbecued Meatballs)
2 cups quick oats or old-fashioned oats
4 onions
2 cups ketchup
1 jar spaghetti sauce
2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes
16 ounces of dry pasta (we prefer rotini pasta, but any kind will work)
2 bottles of Italian Dressing (or your favorite homemade Italian Dressing)
12 chicken breasts (boneless/skinless or bone-in — can also substitute two whole chickens, if you prefer)
Chicken (enough for 4 cups chopped chicken)
3 bags of frozen broccoli (or 8 cups fresh chopped broccoli florets)
4 cups cottage cheese or ricotta cheese (we prefer cottage cheese and it’s typically much cheaper — especially if you can find it marked down!)
16 oz. mozzarella cheese
16 oz. cheddar cheese
2 cans cream of chicken soup (or make your own cream soup)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (or make your own cream soup)
Liquid Smoke, optional
5 cups uncooked brown rice (or white rice)

Staple Ingredients

Salt/Pepper
Chili Powder
Garlic Powder
Parsley
Yeast
Oil
Sugar

Freezer Storage Items Needed

Foil
Plastic Wrap
10-12 large ziptop freezer bags
2-4 glass or aluminum pans (to freeze Lasagna Casserole in, and Barbecued Meatballs, if you prefer.)
Something to label packages with (marker to write on bags, labels, and/or tape)

Click on the “Print This” tab at the top of the list to generate a printer-friendly list. (If you’re reading via email or a feed reader, you may need to click through to the post to print the list.)

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Last week’s goals:

Family/Mothering Goals

1. Finish reading Quest for Truth:Taken aloud to the children. Start reading Spy for the Night Riders.

2. Spend at least 30 minutes everyday doing something fun together as a family.

3. Write a love note to Jesse.

Personal Goals

4. Finish reading Escape from Saddam. Start The Referral Engine.

5. Run at least five times.

6. Listen to 2 hours of The Little Big Things.

7. Write and send two handwritten notes.

8. Sleep for at least 7.5 hours every night.

Home Management

9. Follow my Freezer Cooking plan and blog about it.

Business Goals

10. Get my “to answer” email file all cleaned out.

This week’s goals:

Family/Mothering Goals

1. Finish reading Quest for Truth:Taken and Spy for the Night Riders aloud to the children.

2. Start our summer schedule.

3. Write a love note to Jesse.

Personal Goals

4. Finish reading Escape from Saddam. Start The Referral Engine.

5. Run at least five times.

6. Listen to 2 hours of The Little Big Things.

7. Sleep for at least 7.5 hours every night.

Home Management

8. Follow my Freezer Cooking plan and blog about it.

9. Make Homemade English Muffins.

Business Goals

10. Write one article for another site.

How did you do on last week’s goals? What are your goals for this week? I’d love to have you share your progress on last week’s goals and your goals for this coming week in the comments. Of, if you’ve blogged about it, leave your direct link below. Let’s cheer each other on to live purposeful and productive lives!

You can download a free customizable weekly goal-planning sheet here.

Learn how to go from financial mess to financial success. Order your copy of my brand-new book The Money Saving Mom®'s Budget today!

Ham & Cheese Pockets

Breakfasts

Granola bars
Berry Smoothies, Waffles from the Freezer
Oatmeal
Scrambled eggs, Cinnamon Roll Biscuits, fruit salad
Better for You Banana Bread, hard-boiled eggs, fruit
PB&J With Bananas, Strawberries, and Granola on Tortillas
Egg-in-hole, fruit

Lunches

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches from the freezer
Cereal & Milk
Leftovers x 2
Cheese Quesadillas, carrots, fruit
Salad, Hard-boiled eggs, toast, fruit
Snack-y lunch

Snacks

Fruit/veggies
Popcorn
Chocolate Waffle Ice Cream Sandwiches

Dinners

Dinner with extended family x 2
Southwest roll-ups, steamed veggies, sliced oranges & apples
Homemade pizza, tossed salad, fruit salad
Dinner out
Ham & Cheese Pockets from the freezer, fruit salad, steamed veggies
Chicken, Broccoli, Rice Casserole, fruit salad, tossed salad, Better for You Banana Bread

What’s on your menu this week? Share details and/or your link to your menu plan in the comments.

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iWriter.com is a site that connects writers with websites that are looking to pay for content. If you have writing skills and are looking for extra paid work, this might be something to look into.

It looks like their pay is very much on the low end of the scale (it says you’ll earn up to $15 per article), but this might be a great opportunity to build your writing portfolio and experience, while also earning a little money, too.

Does anyone have experience working for this company? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Looking for more ways to make money writing? Here are three other articles to check out:

How to Make Money Writing for eHow.com

Earn Money Writing for Examiner.com

5 Ways to Use Your Blog as a Springboard to Earn Additional Income

Thanks, Work At Home Market!

Learn how to go from financial mess to financial success. Order your copy of my brand-new book The Money Saving Mom®'s Budget today!

A few weeks ago, a really big box showed up.

Guess what was inside? A gorgeous hand painted wall hanging by Carmen Guedez. And it matched perfectly with our main floor living area decor.

It matched so perfectly, in fact, that you’d think I would have had it commissioned or something. But the funny thing is, I knew nothing about the fact that Carmen Guedez was sending me a wall hanging to review.

You see, Amy sets up the giveaways that run on my blog and she works directly with the companies to decide what will be best for my readers. In most cases, they send a review item for me ahead of time.

Oftentimes, a company will ask me to choose an item to review. But sometimes, a company will just send an item of their choosing. So a surprise box will just show up with a review item in it, which is what happened this time around.

So I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the contents of the surprise box: Carmen Guedez had picked the absolute perfect wall-hanging to send and I promptly fell in love with it.

It’s just perfect, so beautifully done, and matches our family’s style to a tee.

And I’m really, really excited because I get to give away a very similar painting to one of my readers this weekend.

One of you will win the Sunset Garden wall hanging shown above so that your living room can match our living room. Wait, that sounded a little weird. Okay, how about more like so that you can also display a really lovely painting in your home, too?

This Sunset Garden painting by Carmen Guedez is a 48-inch by 24-inch Oil and Acrylic on Canvas painting. It’s 100% handmade original (not a print) and has 1 3/8-inch painted edges (no staples on the sides). It comes with Carmen’s signature on the front and back and also has a certificate of authenticity.

And, if you’re anything like me, I promise you’ll love it!

Special Offer

Subscribe to Carmen’s email newsletter this weekend and you’ll receive a coupon good for 75% off any of her regularly-priced original paintings. Plus, you’ll also get free shipping.

This offer is only good through May 13, 2012.

Carmen paints full-time from her studio in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her paintings have been exhibited in many important museums and galleries, including, the North Carolina Museum of Art, United Arts Council, Visual Art Exchange, Cary Gallery of Artists, among others.

Her artwork has been sold around the world to countries like Sweden, United Kingdom, Spain, Denmark, Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Slovakia, Philippines, Singapore, United States and Canada. And after seeing it firsthand, I totally know why: it’s amazing!

Carmen has a number of paintings on great sales on her site right now, in honor of Mother’s Day. Plus, she’s offering free shipping. You can also follow her on Facebook for more special offers.

Want to win the Sunset Garden painting shown above? Just click on the graphic below and type in your name and email address. This giveaway ends Sunday, May 13, at 11:59 pm, CST.

Learn how to go from financial mess to financial success. Order your copy of my brand-new book The Money Saving Mom®'s Budget today!

Today’s recipe is one that was one of our favorite law school recipes. I haven’t made it since the law school days and had all but forgotten about it until I saw Amy’s recipe for Ham & Cheese Pockets.

Since our budget was so tight when Jesse was in law school, I only made this recipe when I was able to find ham on some amazing closeout price. Every once in awhile, Dillon’s would have it marked down to $0.49 to $0.99 for the small packages of thin-sliced lunchmeat. I usually had a coupon to pair with this deal, so I rarely paid over $0.50 per package of lunchmeat. I could stretch one package to 5-6 Ham & Cheese Pockets and they were a special treat since we didn’t eat a lot of meat during that season of life.

At any rate, since we have more wiggle room in our grocery budget these days, I splurged on thick-cut ham this time around, and these turned out SO good. I can’t believe it’s been such a long time since I’ve made this recipe. It’s definitely something I want to make more often now that I remembered about it!

Freezer-Friendly Ham & Cheese Pockets

Dough:

• 3 cups flour
• 4 Tablespoons dry milk
• 3 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons yeast
• 1 cup warm water

Filling:

• Sliced ham
• Shredded or sliced cheese

To make dough in bread machine: Add ingredients in the bread machine in the order listed and run on the dough cycle. Check about halfway through to see if you need to add a little extra water or flour to make a soft dough.

To make dough by hand: Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in salt, sugar, and dry milk. Add flour and stir until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Dump dough onto a floured surface and knead for around 5 minutes, until a soft dough forms. Add a little more flour, if needed.

To make Ham & Cheese Pockets: Divide dough into 10-14 balls. Roll each ball into a rectangle. Put ham and cheese on half of the rectangle. Fold dough over and pinch sides to seal tightly.

Bake Pockets on a greased cookie sheet at 350-degrees for 15-18 minutes, until lightly browned.

To freeze: Let cool completely. Freeze in airtight ziptop freezer bags for up to 2-3 months.

To serve: Remove desired number of pizza pockets from the freezer and warm them individually in the microwave for about two minutes or until heated through. Or, warm on a cookie sheet in a 350-degrees oven for 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Did you do any freezer cooking over the past two days? If so, I’d love to see the results of your efforts! Link up your blog posts below or tell us about your success in the comments.

Learn how to go from financial mess to financial success. Order your copy of my brand-new book The Money Saving Mom®'s Budget today!

I love my role as a stay-at-home mom, but I am just burned out. I wander aimlessly. I know I need my routines again, I know I need structure, but this once big-time routine-oriented mama is now struggling to get up out of bed. Do you have any advice or suggestions for how I can break out of this rut I’m stuck in? -Chrissy

My heart goes out to you, Chrissy! I am so sorry that you are struggling and feeling so exhausted and burned out. I can’t promise that I have any miracle solutions for you, but I will share some things I’ve learned from my own journey through postpartum depression and burnout two years ago.

1. Make Sure You’re Getting Enough Sleep

Sleep is vitally important to your overall health and well-being. If you’re short on sleep, it can affect many areas of your life — including your moods and motivation.

Make sure you are getting at least 7 hours of sleep almost every day. If you’re up at night with a baby and it’s impossible to consistently get a good night’s sleep, do the best you can do and let anything go that isn’t a necessity so that you can make sleep a priority. You’ll be much more productive and energetic when you are awake if you give yourself the grace to step away from the to-do list and get some shut-eye instead.

Go to bed early. Studies have shown that those who stay up late and get up late are more likely to struggle with depression. I’ve also found that I feel much more rested (and am more efficient the next day!) if I go to bed early rather than trying to stay up and get stuff done when I’m exhausted, only to wake up feeling all groggy in the morning.

Take power naps. If you can’t get a long stretch of sleep at night because your husband works weird hours and your babies are up multiple times throughout the night, try power naps. I used to think I wasn’t a napper, but I’ve found that if I feel tired in the afternoon, lying down and sleeping for just 20 or 30 minutes can really re-energize me for the rest of the day.

Find your sleep number. No, I’m not referring to the sleep number beds, but to your personal number of hours of sleep that you need to get every night to function at maximum capacity. For most people, it will be somewhere between 7 and 9 hours.

Experiment with getting 7 hours of sleep every night for a week and see if you feel rested and energetic all day long. If not, increase to 7.5 hours of sleep for a week. Continue to experiment until you land on what works best for you and then make that number a priority every night, as much as you possibly can.

2. Get Your Thyroid and Hemoglobin Checked

If you haven’t been to the doctor to get your thyroid and hemoglobin checked and other bloodwork done, I recommend picking up the phone and making an appointment today. Many times, what might feel like an emotional imbalance — or what you might think is just some lack of motivation on your part! — is actually a physical issue that can be easily treated and fixed.

3. Fill Your Mind With Good Things

Read God’s Word. If you are a Christian, make spending time in God’s Word and prayer on a daily basis your number one priority. If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a mom, it’s how much I need God — every single moment of every single day.

I encourage you to start your day with at least a few moments in God’s Word and prayer. Take five or ten minutes to pray over your day, asking God to give you strength and grace to face the tasks before you. I also highly recommend reading a good devotional book, along with a passage of Scripture. (I’ve loved Amy Carmichael’s devotionals and am being very blessed by Jesus Calling right now.)

Read good books. Books such as Calm My Anxious Heart or Today Matters, can help encourage, inspire, and re-invigorate you when you feel worn out and lifeless. Even reading just one page per day or listening to three minutes of an audiobook each day can give you a little extra boost — and the motivation to keep on, keeping on. You can see a list of all of the Books I Read in 2011 here and the Books I’ve Read So Far in 2012 here.

Listen to music. When I’m down, I’ve found that music can be a huge pick-me-up. Even if I don’t feel like listening to music, if I turn it on, I usually can’t help but be uplifted. And singing along with some of my favorite songs can also be a big mood-brightener.

Count your blessings. It’s easy to become discouraged if we focus on everything that’s wrong or difficult in our life. However, instead of dwelling on the negative, challenge yourself to think of at least three to five things to be thankful for. It’s amazing how a grateful spirit can change your mood — and even your whole outlook on life!

 …to be continued on Monday

What has helped you overcome burn-out or exhaustion? I’d love to hear your thoughts and tips!

photo credit

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Guest post from Amanda of The Frugal Greenish Mama:

One day while my son was holding my hand I started thinking to myself, “My goodness how he has grown. His hand is nearly the size of mine and he is only four!” Somehow it got me thinking of hands and I thought… wouldn’t it be a great idea to make a family tree using the children’s hand print cutouts as leaves.

I started by tracing Austin’s right and left hands on a piece of paper. Next I did the same for my daughter Addie. I wrote their names in the middle of each print. Then I cut out the hand prints and we matched them up to the photos we wanted to use.

Having the hand prints cut out allows you to move it around the photo until you are happy with the results. You can either trace with a pencil the outline of the hand print or cut the hand print out of the photo around your pattern. I cut a total of six hand prints, two of Austin’s and four of Adalynne’s. This could vary depending on the size of your family.

I used two pictures of each of the children, one for their right hand and one for their left hand. Since Austin’s hand prints are larger, I stacked his photos on the bottom. The photos of Adalynne were on the next tier up.

Then for the top two hand print leaves, I used just my daughter’s hand print since they are smaller and I wanted to overlay a family photo. I had two of the same photo made and cut out my husband holding my daughter and then myself holding my son. We then overlapped the image to look like they were one larger image.

I used a white piece of card stock to start with. Then we simply used a piece of brown card stock to cut out a trunk image. I glued the trunk to the white card stock. I started with the bottom of the tree and using acid free glue, glued Austin’s hand prints in place. Then I added the next tier to our family tree by arranging Addie’s hand prints. For the top of the tree, I overlapped the two hand prints and glued them in place.

Add a simple frame and you have yourself a one of a kind family tree full of memories!

Amanda is a wife and mother of two striving to return to her roots to live a simpler life the way God intended it. She loves to cook from scratch, bake, and craft. She blogs at the Frugal Greenish Mama about her love of gardening, her journey to a more self-sufficient lifestyle and saving money while trying to eat organically.

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These Pizza Pockets, inspired by Amy’s Finer Things and Pocket Change Gourmet, turned out beautifully today!

I doubled our family’s favorite homemade pizza dough recipe for the dough.

Then I cut the dough into pieces.

And rolled those dough pieces into balls.

Next, I flattened the balls with the rolling pin.

When I turned my back someone was making some artistic designs on my rolled-out dough.

Then, I dolloped a little of the filling on.

Sprinkled the filling with cheese

And sealed up the edges with my fingertips.

Ready to go into the oven.

The end result — so yummy and delicious! And my whole family agreed with me that this recipe is a definite keeper.

Freezer-Friendly Pizza Pockets

Dough:

• 2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 Tablespoons oil (I used olive oil.)
• 5 cups flour (I used unbleached, but I think half white, half whole-wheat would also work well.)

Filling:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cup pasta sauce or pizza sauce
• 2-3 cups shredded cheese (I used mozzarella, but I think cheddar or a mixture of cheese would work well, too.)
• Other optional filling ingredients: diced black olives, pepperoni, diced green pepper, and/or diced mushrooms

To make dough: Mix yeast into warm water until dissolved. Add sugar, salt, oil, and flour. Mix well and dump onto a floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes.

To make filling (I browned this while mixing up the dough): Brown ground beef with onion (and green pepper, if desired). Drain. Add pasta sauce and mix together. Add other optional filling ingredients, if desired.

To make Pizza Pockets: Divide dough into 15-20 pieces. Roll pieces into balls. Flatten balls into circles with rolling pin. Dollop a few tablespoons of filling onto dough circle and sprinkle with cheese. Fold over and seal tightly.

Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 500 degrees for 10-15 minutes until browned.

To freeze: Cool completely and store in an airtight ziptop freezer bag for up to 2-3 months.

To serve: Remove desired number of pizza pockets from the freezer and warm them individually in the microwave for about two minutes or until heated throw. Or, warm on a cookie sheet in a 350-degrees oven for 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Recipe inspired by Amy’s Finer Things and Pocket Change Gourmet.

Did you do any freezer cooking today? If so, I’d love to see the results of your efforts! Link up your blog posts below or tell us about your success in the comments.

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Guest post by Sarah Mae

My husband has been dreaming of having a truck since I married him nine years ago. He not only loves the idea of having a truck, but it is actually quite practical for a handyman like my man.

But alas, we had no money to spare for a truck. We shared our used van and a motorcycle my dad gave to him as a gift early in our marriage. We lived on about $300 a month for groceries for our growing family of five, and every spare penny went to paying off school loans and collecting homeschooling supplies.

Did I mention my husband cut up all my credit cards when we got married? Oh, yes he did.

Of course, he had them paid off a few months later through his diligence with our budget and not spending what we didn’t have. There were nights I begged him to order a pizza because it was so much more convenient than cooking up a meal, but he stood his ground. We didn’t have the money, period.

My husband’s vision was that if we could scrape by, save, and not spend what we didn’t have in the bank, we would one day be able to pay off debt and have the opportunity to give more. His goal has always been to be able to be generous givers, but it wasn’t going to be possible if we were in debt.

So he worked hard, and he worked overtime, and he stayed focused.

Eventually, I began to earn some money through blogging, and that money went towards books for the babes while he continued to add whatever extra he made to our savings to plan ahead for the unforeseeable.

We had $12,000 of school loan debt and it felt like we were wasting our time just putting an extra $10 towards it here and there, but over the course of the year he was able to look back and see that we were making progress. I’m telling you, the man was diligent and determined.

I’m so proud of him.

The truth is, had I been in charge of our finances (I was for a while — bad idea), we’d be sunk. I’m the spontaneous “oh, we’ll get the money” type. I’d probably have ten credit cards and piles of debt by now.

Thankfully, that man of mine stayed true to taking care of our family and providing. I love him so much for his steadfastness. Because of his focus and self-discipline, our loans were decreasing and he kept us out of additional debt.

All of this allowed me to buy him a truck!

Wait, back up the truck (funny, no?). How did I possibly have the money to buy my husband a truck in cash?

The very fact that my husband kept us out of debt and paid down our debt every step of the way paved the way for the purchase. Through blogging and writing a successful eBook that led to publishing deals, I was able to use one of my advance checks to buy him the truck (a used truck, mind you).

I never would have been able to do so if we still had debt. By this time, we had paid off our used van and school loan debt. I had the freedom to give him a very special gift, one that I had always wanted dreamed of giving him.

Not only are we out of debt except for our mortgage (that’s next!), but he has his dream work truck and we now have the freedom to give more! It’s wonderful, and I have my husband to thank.

Sarah Mae is the author of several eBooks and two soon-to-be-published books, Desperate (Thomas Nelson) and Having a Martha House the Mary Way (Tyndale). She is the owner of the community site Allume.com and the co-host of the national Christian women’s social media conference, Allume Social. Sarah Mae spends her days homemaking, home-educating, writing, reading, and drinking smoothies (now that she’s given up coffee). Her family embraces life in the beautiful Amish countryside of Pennsylvania. You can find her writing almost daily at sarahmae.com.

Learn how to go from financial mess to financial success. Order your copy of my brand-new book The Money Saving Mom®'s Budget today!

If your family loves burritos, you need to try this recipe. It’s one of my husband’s favorite grab-and-go foods!

We’ve made it time and again since I first discovered it on Amy’s blog.

What I like best about this recipe is that, not only is it filling, but it’s also fast. You can have a piping hot burrito in less than two minutes — straight from the freezer. It’s perfect for those times when my husband wants a late-night snack or some hot for lunch on the weekends.

These are little too much on the spicy side for my liking (keep in mind that I’m also the girl who likes extra mild salsa!), but my husband loves these. In fact, he was so excited I was making them again this week.

Freezer-Friendly Brown Bag Burritos

Makes 20 burritos

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 cans refried beans (you can make your own refried beans)
• 2 cans enchilada sauce (you can make your own enchilada sauce)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup diced onion (you can also use dried or minced onion)
• 1 taco seasoning packet (Amy’s recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon chili powder, 1 Tablespoon garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. I used the taco seasoning packet instead because that’s what I already had on hand and I didn’t have any chili powder on hand.)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 20 burrito-sized flour tortillas (you can make your own tortillas)

Brown ground beef with onions. Drain and add all remaining ingredients except tortillas (and cheese, if you want to sprinkle the cheese on instead).

Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Spoon 1/4-cup of the meat mixture onto a tortilla, sprinkle with cheese (if you didn’t melt cheese into the mixture when you simmered it). Fold sides in and roll up tightly.

To freeze: Wrap each burrito in a paper towel and then in a foil square. (I skip the paper towel part since we don’t buy paper towels.) Put burritos in two airtight ziptop freezer bags and store in the freezer for 2-3 months.

To serve: Pull out desired number of burritos. Remove foil (you can save the foil and reuse it the next time you make brown bag burritos!) and heat a single burrito in the microwave for about a minute or leave the foil on and heat one or more burritos in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes or until heated through.

These can be eaten plain or served with lettuce, cheese, salsa, and/or sour cream.

Recipe adapted from Amy’s Finer Things. Posted with permission.

Did you do any freezer cooking today? If so, I’d love to see the results of your efforts! Link up your blog posts below or tell us about your success in the comments.

Learn how to go from financial mess to financial success. Order your copy of my brand-new book The Money Saving Mom®'s Budget today!

Aldi Shopping Trip

4 packages of tortillas — $0.99 each

4 bags of baby carrots — $0.49 each

7 packages of cheese — $1.79 each

2 cucumbers — $0.29 each

1 package mushrooms — $0.79

1 bag boneless, skinless chicken breasts — $5.49

1/4 boneless ham — $6.67

Total with tax: $34.31

Also shown, 2 cans of enchilada sauce from Dillon’s (I forgot to get these yesterday.) — $1.81 total

Learn how to go from financial mess to financial success. Order your copy of my brand-new book The Money Saving Mom®'s Budget today!