What I've Been Reading Lately

1. When Mercy Rains by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Review coming soon on this one.  I read this last fall when it came out, and it was fantastic, so I'm reading it again!

2.  Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

This is my current devotional; my mom gave it to me last year, and I did not read it consistently at all, but I am trying to read it every day this year!  I love it so far!

3.  Dave Ramsey's Complete Guide to Money: The Handbook of Financial Peace University

You may seen me mention Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University in another post, but if you haven't, here it is.  The hubby and I are taking the class at our amazing church, and this is the book that goes along with the class.  It has been really eye opening so far!  I'd highly recommend it!

4.  Thicker than Blood by C.J. Darlington

I found the Kindle edition of this book for FREE on Amazon.  One of my favorite things to do when I need a new book is to peruse the Top 100 Free Books in the Kindle Store!  This was a great Christian fiction novel about two sisters and their reconciliation.




I love reading, but I really don't have time to do much of it these days.  I try to sneak in a few minutes here and there when I am waiting in the car or wake up early (which rarely happens) or when I am in the kitchen waiting for water to boil.  But nevertheless, here's what I've been reading lately!  All great books as far as I'm concerned!

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Our Weekly Paleo-ish Menu {February 1st}

Sunday - Chicken Fried Rice

Dinner @ HOME Group

Monday - Naked Breakfast Burritos

Tuesday - Grilled Chicken Shawarma with Israeli Salad

Wednesday - Chicken Salad with Tomatoes, Spinach, & Cottage Cheese

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Salmon, Collard Greens, & Asparagus

Saturday - Kitchen Sink Frittata

Sunday - Leftovers for Lunch

Dinner @ HOME Group


Lunchbox Ideas - Lettuce wraps, egg salad, quiche cups, salads

Find previous meal plans here.

Follow Elise Harvey {Harvey Ever After}'s board Weekly Menus at Harvey Ever After on Pinterest.

**Linking up at I'm an Organizing Junkie for Meal Plan Monday**

This post contains affiliate links.

Sticking to the Budget when it's the Last Week of the Month

It's not easy sticking to a budget.  In fact, more often than not, by the end of the month, I find that I haven't been able to stick with it.  "We're over the food budget, but we're out of milk."  So, I run to the store and get milk...along with a few other items, of course.

With the New Year, however, comes resolutions and such.  One of ours is to not just make a budget every month, not just pay off the credit card in full every month, but to get our family in a better financial position and to create better financial habits.  Especially by the time we move this summer.  

I'm already a nerdy couponer, so making a budget is fun for me.  But like I said, sticking to the budget is often hard.

Three weeks ago, we started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University course at our amazing church.  Total Money Makeover, here we come!  We are excited for February because we already have our budget put together, and we are feeling good about what we can start accomplishing when it comes to paying off student loans, adding to our savings for a down payment on a house, etc.  

But this last week of January has been a struggle.  We're talking rice and beans.  Except that rice and beans aren't Paleo.  We've had some big expenses that while we knew were coming, are still big expenses.  We were already over on our food budget for the month, which I mostly attribute to the adjustment to the Paleo diet.  (Meat and produce can get expensive!)  So I made a menu based on what we had in the pantry already to keep expenses down for the week.  And I knew that no one in our house would be in any way excited about the menu for the week - cabbage soup, chicken marinara with zucchini noodles, leftovers, boring sack lunches, etc.  But I stuck to the menu.  But even sticking to the menu doesn't work when you can't predict how many eggs your husband and kids are going to eat and how far the leftovers will stretch.  

So, skip to yesterday, Saturday, January 31st.  Our fridge was bare with the exception of a few leftovers from the night before, fruit, and condiments.  No milk, no eggs.  Just bare.  But I was determined not to even set foot in the grocery store.  So we made oatmeal for breakfast, but without the customary milk.  And we finished off the leftovers for lunch.  And then it was dinnertime.  Uh oh.  

But instead of panicking, I checked the fridge again, checked the freezer, and realized that we had just enough ingredients to make chicken fried rice.  Rice, 4 chicken thighs, a few fresh carrots, a head of broccoli, some frozen veggies...that's it.  Plus just barely enough teriyaki sauce, oyster sauce, etc.  (We used the ends of about 4 different bottles of sauces to get enough to cover the rice.)  

We made it!  It would have been easy to say, "We've already failed this month, let's just stop trying until next month."  It would have been so easy to swipe the credit card at the grocery store or a restaurant to get us through to the next month's budget.  But instead, we used what we had on hand to get through the end of the month.  And I have to say, I'm so proud of us - my husband and I.  It feels great to start February this way.  

Happy Sunday everyone!

photo source

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Roll Call List of Free Printable Chore Charts

Back to School Chalkboard Checklist from The 36th Avenue

5- and 7-Day Charts from Money Saving Mom

Chore Chart from The Gilded Pear (includes :( for bad behavior)

Boy and Girl Themed Chore Chart from Pinch a Little, Save a Little

Superhero Charts from Arian's Studio

What and When Chore Chart from Amy J. Delightful

My Responsibility Chart from Coupons are Great

Striped Chore Charts (4 Color Schemes Available) from Everyday Cheer

Dots Chart from Leah Remillet

My Chores for Early Elementary Kids from Tiny Sidekick

Patterned Chore Charts (8 Designs Available) from I Should be Mopping the Floor

Ages 4-10 Themed Chore Charts from Free Printable Behavior Charts

Ages 11+ Themed Chore Charts from Free Printable Behavior Charts

Bright Colors Chore Chart from Te Amo Charlie Designs

Vintage Chore Chart from The Vintage Mother

Daily Routine Checklist from A Bowl Full of Lemons

Ladybug Chore Chart from Hello, Cuteness!

Kawaii Kids' Organization Kit from Creative Mamma

Bunting Chore Chart from Beautiful Mess

School Days Chart from A Helicopter Mom

If you have a printable chore chart, please contact me, 
so that I can add it to the roll call list!

Our Weekly Paleo-ish Menu {January 25th}

Sunday - Kitchen Sink Frittata

Dinner @ HOME Group

Monday - Honey Balsamic Chicken Tenders with Italian Roasted Cauliflower

Tuesday - Cabbage Soup

Wednesday - Homemade Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Chicken Marinara with Zucchini Noodles

Saturday - Kitchen Sink Frittata

Sunday - Leftovers for Lunch

Dinner @ HOME Group


Lunchbox Ideas - Lettuce wraps, egg salad, quiche cups, salads


I just can't get rid of this nasty cold, but at least the rest of the family is feeling better!  Admittedly, we fell off the Paleo wagon again this week, but I'm going to continuing planning Paleo menus each week, and I know that one of these weeks, we will get through an entire week as a Paleo family!  I am also trying to stretch the budget a bit next week since we are on the last week of the month, so I picked the cabbage soup again because we liked it, and it's cheap!

Recommendations on thermoses?

Find previous meal plans here.

Follow Elise Harvey {Harvey Ever After}'s board Weekly Menus at Harvey Ever After on Pinterest.

**Linking up at I'm an Organizing Junkie for Meal Plan Monday**

This post contains affiliate links.

Our Weekly Paleo-ish Menu {January 19th}

Sunday - Breakfast Burritos

Monday - Roast with Salad

Tuesday - Honey Balsamic Chicken Tenders with Italian Roasted Cauliflower

Wednesday - Chicken Marinara with Zucchini Noodles

Thursday - Southwestern Chopped Salad

Friday - Paleo Nachos from Here or Here

Saturday - Kitchen Sink Frittata or Homemade Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

Sunday - Leftovers for Lunch

Dinner @ HOME Group


Lunchbox Ideas - Lettuce wraps, egg salad, quiche cups, salads


We have been battling a nasty cold virus this past week, so the Paleo menu went out the window.  We've been drinking lots of juice from the juicer, but otherwise, it hasn't been a super healthy week.  I'm hoping to get back on track this week, but honestly, I'm still pretty under the weather!

I also really need to purchase a thermos so that I can send hot lunches to school for Miss Coco.

Find previous meal plans here.

Follow Elise Harvey {Harvey Ever After}'s board Weekly Menus at Harvey Ever After on Pinterest.

**Linking up at I'm an Organizing Junkie for Meal Plan Monday**

This post contains affiliate links.

Our Weekly Paleo-ish Menu {January 11}

Sunday - Naked Breakfast Burritos for Lunch

Dinner @ HOME Group

Monday - Cabbage Soup

Tuesday - Roast

Wednesday - Chicken Marinara with Zucchini Noodles

Thursday - Lemony Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry

Friday - Paleo Nachos from Here or Here

Saturday - Kitchen Sink Frittata

Sunday - Leftovers for Lunch

Dinner @ HOME Group


Lunchbox Ideas - Lettuce wraps, egg salad, hot dog (no bun), quiche cups


Last week's Taco Pie was a success as was the Stroganoff with Cauliflower Rice, but the leftovers of the stroganoff were not too popular.  And I hate throwing away leftovers, so I may put this recipe on the back burner for now.  We had tons of leftovers from the beginning of the week, so we were actually able to eat from those several days and still have a few leftover for the beginning of this week.  My zucchini got put in our garage freezer and when temperatures hit -22 wind chill last week, they froze, so we ended up having regular spaghetti noodles instead.  So, I'm trying the chicken marinara again this week, but with zucchini.

I also really need to purchase a thermos so that I can send hot lunches to school for Miss Coco.

Find previous meal plans here.

Follow Elise Harvey {Harvey Ever After}'s board Weekly Menus at Harvey Ever After on Pinterest.

**Linking up at I'm an Organizing Junkie for Meal Plan Monday**

This post contains affiliate links.

Our Weekly Paleo-ish Menu {January 4th}

Sunday - Cheesy Cauliflower Soup for Lunch (from the Cheesy potato soup recipe, but subbing cauliflower for the potatoes)

Dinner @ HOME Group

Monday - Taco Pie

Tuesday - Stroganoff with Cauliflower Rice

Wednesday - Cabbage Soup

Thursday - Roast

Friday - Chicken Marinara with Zucchini Noodles

Saturday - Kitchen Sink Frittata

Sunday - Naked Breakfast Burritos for Lunch

Dinner @ HOME Group


We are trying to go full-time Paleo now.  Yikes!  I still haven't found enough recipes that we actually like to fill a menu, so we'll just keep experimenting for now.

Find previous meal plans here.

Follow Elise Harvey {Harvey Ever After}'s board Weekly Menus at Harvey Ever After on Pinterest.

**Linking up at I'm an Organizing Junkie for Meal Plan Monday**

This post contains affiliate links.