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How To Conquer Your New Year’s Resolutions

by Lauren | Dec 29, 2017 | Food, Home, Momma Tips, Uncategorized

This post contains affiliate links. New Year’s Resolutions

It’s that time of year again! As I sit here with a piece of leftover Christmas English toffee, I bemoan the fact that YES! Again, I have eaten more than planned, become more addicted to sugar, and gotten behind in my workout schedule. Of course, the excuses pile in: we’ve had company, I’ve not been able to cook at home, I’ve been sick, etc., etc.

Why New Year’s Resolutions?

I go through this every year and get ready for a January reset in healthy eating, home cleaning, organization, workout planning, and more. It all boils down to, “What can I do to improve myself in the New Year?” New Year’s resolutions happen for me as the Christmas decorations get put away and months more of snowy winter loom ahead.

But this year it really gets me! I’d been doing so well with meal planning and exercise, loving the ketogenic lifestyle and BAM! Faceplant. Well, it’s time to pick ourselves back up again, make those New Year’s resolutions, create a doable plan, and get at it! For me, it’s all about planning and listmaking, being prepared. By setting goals with simple, doable mini-goals to accomplish along the way, you can conquer your New Year’s resolutions with planning and determination!

Conquer healthy eating New Year’s Resolutions with the Ultimate Healthy Meal Planning Bundle

When it comes to getting meals on the table, are you tired of:

scrambling to make something decent out of what’s in your fridge
resorting to compromise or convenience foods because you’re short on time
battling weight gain and feeling discouraged that the family isn’t eating better
wasting money on restaurants, food that goes bad, and too many last-minute grocery runs
and feeling like cooking is a burden instead of a joy?

I totally get it, because I struggle with those very same things.

But 2018 can be the year you take control of what your family is eating once and for all.

You’ll have a plan that makes it easier to get homemade food on the table, eat in a way that supports your weight-loss goals, make dinner time less stressful (even on those busy days and weeks) and save money by eating at home more (and wasting less).

Here’s the solution you’ve been waiting for…

It’s the Ultimate Healthy Meal Planning Bundle and it’s the busy cook’s answer to eating healthier this year.

What’s in this bundle, you ask? Well, everything you need to make meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking and eating great food easy as pie.

This is how it works:

If you want recipes & meal plans created specifically for the way you eat (Paleo, Keto, vegan, gluten-free, budget-friendly, just to name a few), you can pick the mini-bundle that suits you best and pay just $27.

If you’d prefer to have the whole collection of made-for-you meal plans, organized shopping lists, no-brainer tips, PLUS over 3,800 recipes for today’s most popular ways of cooking and eating, pay just $20 more and you’ll get every single thing in this bundle.

I’m telling you, this makes meal planning so much easier!

Some of my favorite food bloggers contributed, so I really can’t speak highly enough about the quality and value of what’s inside, for less than the price of a single meal out! I have to say, I am super-excited about the Keto bundle. If you’ve read my posts lately you’ll know I’ve started to follow a Keto way of life, although I’ve been waylaid by the holidays. Maria Emmerich is my go-to for cookbooks and amazing recipes, and she’s included a slow-cooker Keto cookbook I’m dying to try out.

Trust me, this is one investment that will pay for itself multiple times over.

Want to check it out and get your own Ultimate Healthy Meal Planning Bundle?

This is how it works:

Visit the website by clicking here and take a quick look at all the yummy food you’ll be making with this package, then click the “Get my bundle now!” button to go through their simple and secure 3-step checkout process.
You’ll receive an email with a login to their online access portal, where you’ll begin downloading all your eCookbooks and printable meal plans.
Use their Getting Started Guide to choose your first meals or find the ready-made plan that’s perfect for you!

The most important detail, though, is that this bundle is available for just 8 days!

After Friday night, January 5th, the sale ends and you’d have to buy all of these products individually.

It’s even backed by a 30-day full money-back happiness guarantee, so you can make sure it’s right for you.

Their customer service is amazing, and they truly want to make sure you’re taken care of and that you love your bundle.

Simplify mealtimes & eat better in 2018 with the Ultimate Healthy Meal Planning Bundle.

Learn more or get your bundle here!

Did you sign up for the meal planning bootcamp?

How to eat healthier feature

Read about it here!

What’s included in the mini-bundles? The full bundle?

Budget Meals

20: 20 Healthy Lunches, 20 Minutes Prep, 20 Ingredients in Total by Lorena Grater ( $9.00 )
4 Week Costco Meal Plan by Andrea Green ( $4.99 )
A Month of Meals from My Humble Kitchen to Yours by Diana Bauman ( $5.99 )
Conquering Your Kitchen: How to Plan Meals, Shop, and Cook Real Food with Confidence and Purpose by Annemarie Rossi ( $4.99 )
Healthy Eating on a Budget by Rachael Condon ( $12.97 )
Meal Plan on a Budget: Feed Your Family for Less than $5 Per Person a Day! by Danielle Reeves ( $1.99 )
Real Food for the Real Homemaker by Elsie Callender ( $9.99 )
Simple Soups: 12 Easy Soups to Stretch Your Budget by Jessica Cramer ( $9.99 )
The Everything Beans Book: 30 Frugal, Nutrient-Packed Recipes for Every Eater by Katie Kimball ( $8.95 )
The Frugal Recipe Cookbook by Lisa Goodwin ( $3.99 )

Freezer / Batch Cooking

4 Weeks of Easy Meal Planning by Brittany Wise ( $12.00 )
Batch From Scratch by Lisa Barthuly ( $9.95 )
Breakfast, Lunch & Family Favourites by Sharla Kostelyk ( $15.00 )
Cook a Week of Meals in 4 Hours by Darren Stehle ( $11.60 )
Freezer Cooking with Milk & Honey Nutrition by Mary Ellen Phipps ( $15.00 )
Freezer Meal Clubs Recipe Book by Amylee Udell ( $14.99 )
Money Saving Mom’s Freezer Favorites: Breads & Desserts by Crystal Paine ( $9.99 )
Prep Ahead Freezer Meals by Alea Milham ( $9.99 )
The Ultimate Guide to Freezer Friendly Meals – Chicken by Angela Davis ( $3.99 )
Throw and Go Meals: Easy Prep for the Busy Chef by Abby Keyes ( $25.00 )
Work Lunch Made Easy: 30 Days of Nourishing Lunches That Will Change the Way You Eat at Work by Ally Milligan ( $15.00 )

Gluten Free

30 Minutes Or Less Gluten-Free Dinners E-Cookbook by Taylor Kiser ( $4.99 )
34 Single Serve Healthy Desserts by Lee Hersh & Linley Richter ( $7.99 )
Allergy-Friendly Breakfast Recipes by Kelly Roenicke ( $9.99 )
Gluten-Free and Family Friendly: Gluten-free, Family-approved Recipes to Please your Palate – and your Budget! by Carrie Willard ( $3.49 )
Gluten-Free 1-2-3 Meal Plan by Tammie Duggar ( $5.00 )
Coconut Flour Muffins, Pancakes + Mug Cakes by Regina Braun ( $12.00 )
Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipes by Elise New ( $2.99 )
Gluten-Free Meal Planning Made Simple by Raia Todd ( $5.99 )
Goodness Me it’s Gluten Free Pasta by Vanessa Hudson ( $7.99 )
Oat Flour Muffins: Gluten-Free Baking The Simple Way by Katy DeDeyne ( $2.99 )

Instant Pot & Slow Cooker

21 Healthy Instant Pot Dinners by Nancylynn Sicilia ( $7.99 )
Easy Instant Pot Recipes by Justine Howell ( $9.99 )
Eat the Clock! Easy Instant Pot Recipes on the Table
in Under 45 Minutes by Kara Carrero ( $8.99 )
Freezer Meal Boot Camp Packs #1 and #2 by Leslie Lambert ( $12.99 )
From Freezer to Crock to Table: How to Make 20 Slow Cooker Freezer Meals in Less than 3 Hours by Karen Petersen ( $3.99 )
Hangry Beyond Belief: A 30 Day Pressure Cooker Meal Plan for the Busy Cook by Jessica Van Slyke ( $3.99 )
Instant Pot Favorites: Healthier Instant Pot Recipes that your Family will Love! by Becca Ludlum ( $7.99 )
Mama and Baby Love Slow Cooker Freezer Meals ( $14.99 )
Master the Electric Pressure Cooker by Marci Buttars and Cami Graham ( $14.99 )
Meal Plan: 20 Slow Cooker Freezer Dump Meals for under $150 by Lauren Greutman ( $5.97 )
Traditional Cooking School’s Pressure Cooker Favorites by Wardee Harmon ( $9.99 )

Keto

30 of the Best Low Carb Recipes by Denise Wright ( $9.99 )
Almost Zero Carb Meal Plan by Ann Moore ( $30.00 )
Keto CrockPot Slow Cooker Cookbook by Stephanie O’Dea ( $9.49 )
Keto Family Cooking by Hillary Moore ( $10.95 )
Low Carb Family Favorite Recipes by Georgina Bomer ( $5.99 )
Low Carb Meal Plan Starter Kit by Maya Krampf ( $9.99 )
Low-Carb Starter Pack: The Complete Beginners’ Guide by Libby Jenkinson ( $12.00 )
The Art of Healthy Eating: Slow Cooker by Maria Emmerich ( $12.99 )
The Keto Family Table by Kelli Becton ( $9.99 )

Meal Planning

Capsule Pantry Blueprint by Elisa Giorgio ( $37.00 )
Clean Mama’s Recipe Binder Kit by Becky Rapinchuk ( $10.00 )
Easy Homemade: Homemade Pantry Staples for the Busy Modern Family by Mandi Ehman ( $5.99 )
Printable Meal Planner by Carrie Lindsey ( $5.99 )
The Art of Meal Prep 2 by Erin Palmer ( $8.99 )
The Ultimate Busy Mom Meal Planning Planner by Jenn Slavich ( $7.50 )
The ULTIMATE Meal Planning E-Bundle for Law Enforcement Families by Rebecca Volpe ( $30.00 )

Paleo / Primal

30 Day Whole30 Meal Plan by Jessica Beacom & Stacie Hassing ( $29.00 )
Curry Night: 20 Asian Inspired Paleo Recipes for Families by Jo Romero ( $7.90 )
Easy Instant Pot Paleo Recipes by Dr. Karen Lee ( $9.99 )
Paleo Desserts & Treats by Jill ( $5.95 )
Well Fed 2: More Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat by Melissa Joulwan ( $24.95 )
4 Week Paleo Meal Plan by Michele Spring ( $9.99 )
Cook Eat Paleo Fast & Easy by Lisa Wells ( $15.00 )
Paleo for One: 45 Gluten-free Small Portion and Weekly Remix Recipes by Vanessa Davis ( $15.00 )
Paleo Mug Muffins by Heather Resler ( $6.50 )
Two-Week Paleo Meal Plan by Irena Macri ( $11.99 )

Quick Meals

101 Simple Healthy Recipes by Natalia Valderrma ( $10.00 )
15 Minute Suppers eBook by Wendy O’Neal ( $4.99 )
15-Minute Soups: Over 55 Recipes to Get You Warm, Quickly! by Christine Pittman ( $3.99 )
30 Days of Healthy Eating by Camille Beckstrand ( $9.97 )
30-Day 20-Minute Real Food Meal Plan by Ruthy Kirwan ( $11.00 )
365: One Year of Healthy Meal Plans for Busy Families by Jennifer Mason ( $17.99 )
Date Night Dinners: A Mom’s Guide to Babysitter Friendly Recipes by Ann Dunaway Teh and Lesley Baradel ( $7.99 )
Fast, Fresh & Fit: 30 Healthy and Family-Friendly Recipes for Busy Lives by Blair Lonergan ( $8.99 )
Got Dinner? Quick & Easy Recipes from The Confident Mom by Susan Heid ( $2.99 )
Nourished in 30 Recipe Book by Krissy Ropiha ( $30.00 )
Quick & Easy Healthy Recipes by Hannie Scott ( $4.99 )
Simple Recipes for Simple Meals by Laura Coppinger ( $6.95 )

Real Food / Clean Eating

Clean Eating: A 28-Day Meal Plan to Reset Your Body, Fight Inflammation, Eliminate Toxins, & Lose Weight Naturally by Kayla Chandler ( $24.95 )
Conquer Dinner: Your Step-By-Step Guide For Getting Healthy, Homemade Dinners on the Table, Fast! by Maryea Flaherty ( $19.97 )
Everyday Sourdough: Recipes for the Everyday Baker by Kelsey Steffen ( $9.99 )
It’s That Easy by Jessica Hylton-Leckie ( $25.00 )
Love Your Veggies by Kelsey Preciado ( $19.99 )
Seasonal Meal Plans by Keri Houchin ( $9.99 )
Simple Clean and Whole Breakfast Recipes by Jennifer Meister ( $19.99 )
Superfood Green Smoothies: 30 Delicious + Easy Recipes to Reduce Inflammation, Balance Hormones, Improve Digestion + Help You Feel Great by Kate Kordsmeier ( $14.95 )
The Breakfast Revolution by Beth Ricci ( $8.95 )
Wellness Mama’s Snack Favorites by Katie Wells ( $9.99 )
The Taste of Eating Clean by Paula Miller ( $4.95 )
The Tired & Hungry Cook’s Companion: Healthy New Year’s Kickoff 3-Month Mealplan Bundle by Kresha Faber ( $25.00 )

Vegan

Easy Recipes For Busy Parents: So Simple Your Kids Can Make The Meals by Adam and Shoshana Chaim ( $7.99 )
Eat Dessert First by Nicole Dawson ( $5.99 )
From Flesh to Fresh: Your Journey to Vegan Living by Sadie Lankford ( $11.00 )
Soups, Stews & Chili – Brand New Vegan by Chuck Underwood ( $9.99 )
The Raw Food Girl’s Chocolate Recipe Book by Tamara Brown ( $6.99 )
Guilt-Free Desserts by Martyna Angell ( $15.00 )
The Ultimate Vegan Starter Guide by Katie Koteen & Kate Kasbee ( $16.00 )
The Vegan Slow Cooker eBook by Adele McConnell ( $18.99 )
Vegan Gluten Free Recipes: Delicious Breakfast and Main Dish Recipes the Whole Family Will Love by Willow Moon ( $2.99 )

Can you conquer your New Year’s Resolutions?

Of course, you can! It’s all about planning, attainable goal setting, and follow through. Do you need a help with your meal planning for healthy eating for you and your family this year? I’m all about ready-made meal plans for my way of life. Click here, right now, for the Ultimate Healthy Meal Planning Bundle. Why am I so excited about it?

I don’t have to take the time to organize and plan it all, it’s just done, and all I need to do is tweak a few things here and there. Then I go buy the ingredients and get cooking! It makes me love cooking again and so excited to provide good, wholesome food for my entire family. Make the first, easy step today towards a healthier, happier, and less-stressed you.

Don’t wait too long! This is all the time you have left and then poof! The opportunity for this amazing bundle will be gone! Click here to get your mini-bundle or bundle before it’s gone for good.

Healthy Meal Planning

How to Make YOU Time in Your Mom Calendar

by Lauren | Apr 21, 2017 | Home, Momma Tips

This post contains affiliate links. Mom Calendar.

For years I’ve dreamed of writing a novel. I took creative writing courses in high school but then didn’t pursue it much in college and immediately after as I was full of other travel, career, and family dreams. Unfortunately, it was not in my business mom calendar. However, as I worked away in the business and then teaching worlds, my love of reading and writing again bubbled up to the surface and called to me. Lauren! You need to write!

What can you do to accomplish personal goals?

So I tried to do what I could. I outlined or wrote a character in my 15-minute breaks. I wrote scenes and small stuff, but again the business of life and two small children intervened. Absolutely, this is still something for which I have a passion. How in the world can I make time to include my personal goals outside of family life? Last year I quit my job to stay home with our two kids, and it feels like there’s never a minute free.

My mind answered me, just do it. First off, make a plan and stick to it. Okay, that’s easy enough. But what’s practical, doable right now step one? For me, step one is simply making a calendar. What are my priorities, carve out time for them in my mom calendar, and stick to it!

Specifically, find time for you! Busy moms have to plan time in a mom calendar to accomplish their own goals outside of the home. Utilize my free printable calendar and set time aside for you, not the kids or straightening the house.

What are your goals?

Are you in the same boat as me? Do you have stories longing to come out but need time and discipline to get pen to paper, or fingers to the computer, to write? What are your goals for yourself? Perhaps take a few minutes and write out some long-term goals, and then go back and write out some short-term, step by step goals to get you there. We could go into goal setting in a series of blog posts, but I won’t go there right now, just do some brainstorming and get the basics down.

Blue planning

Once my goals are written out, my brain immediately thinks, “Okay, that’s great, but where are we going to find time to get all these things done?” If you are a stay at home mom do you have friends, acquaintances, even family, who think you have all the time in the world?

“It must be so nice to have all that free time!”

Free time, really? If you have small children at home you do not have free time. In fact, you can’t leave them alone for more than a minute or so before they climb the cabinets, wander outside, ask if you have any more paint for their wall painting, etc. If you are lucky your child will take a nap, and if you have two or more fat chance they’ll nap at the same time. Then you’re expected to get the house cleaned, plan and prepare fabulous meals, take any older children to all their art clubs, soccer practices, swimming, and bring home the car pool. The truth is there is no peace and quiet for mom to sit around and watch TV, browse the internet, and eat chocolate all day as many people infer.

To be honest, I actually had more “me” time when my kids were in daycare, and I worked my full-time corporate job. Yes, it was busy running from place to place, but there were more times during the day I could actually take a 15-minute break with no demands on me by a small person. Moreover, I could do something like take a walk or read a book for the sheer pleasure of it and not be interrupted. Don’t get me wrong, I love being a mom and loving on my kids. However, a healthy balance can be reached for your personal goals as well as family time.

Mom Calendar Plan

So how do you find time to accomplish your goals? To begin with, I go for the simple and practical: make a schedule and follow it. Make it work. If it isn’t working, move things around on your mom calendar until it does.

Have you watched the movie or read the book About a Boy? The Hugh Grant character Will divides his day into “units” consisting of no more than 30 minutes of time. At the time, as he plans his days this way he may be immature and have a schedule nothing like my own, but I like this idea. 30 minutes of time. I would even make my “unit” equal to 15 minutes. If you have a plan and a purpose, you can get amazing amounts of work done in 15-minute blocks of time.

Does planning time for you include travel? Plan to head to Estes Park, Colorado this summer!

Would you like a mountain getaway this summer? I love Estes Park, Colorado, and I’ve given you the scoop on my favorite restaurants in and around. Because we all like to eat! Have an experience. Try out one of these Estes Park restaurants with character.

Read about it here!

How do you plan your units? A calendar of course.

Maybe I’m just old or old-fashioned, but I really think there’s something to be said for writing out your goals, schedules, and calendars. Put them out there where you’ll see them consistently, and not just on your phone. When I want to brainstorm something I write my topics and ideas out on sticky notes and put them on a poster or my wall so I can move things around and get a visual picture in my head. The same goes for my weekly calendar. It’s not enough to write it out in my giant planner that is a pain to drag around and only gets opened once a day. I need a calendar/schedule I can stick on the wall or fold in half and stuff in my purse. Then I have it when I go out for easy reminders and edits.

If you can do it on your phone that’s great. It’s always with you. I put things like dentist appointments, dinner parties, and birthdays on my phone, but for the week broken down into “units” of time, I prefer paper. I tried a planner, but just couldn’t make it work since I couldn’t stick it on my wall, and it was so large. Then I tried designing my own weekly calendar printable I could just print out once a week, fill in when I could, and print another one next week. The picture above is my current mom calendar. It’s actually a little calmer than usual as we are recovering from Easter. You can see I have some work to do and detail to add!

Weekly Calendar Printable

Here’s what I came up with for myself and have been using. I actually have two different versions I’ll include in the download. First, there’s one with only the hours listed for those who like a less cluttered look, and one with the half hours in case you like those extra lines and encouragement to write small. I actually prefer the on with the half hour. But wait! My Mom Calendar, as I call it, has more than just the hours of the day. It also has places for other items I brainstorm and plan for all the time: meals, the grocery list, and a basic to-do list. Download it just below to purpose and organize!

Ultimately, if you think you can do it, you will. Equally, if you think you can’t, you won’t. Write out that mom calendar, and even if it’s only 15 minutes here and there, put in time for you. What do you want to accomplish? Find a babysitter if necessary. Set short term and long term goals. Make a plan to follow through. Get the help and the support of others.

I struggle to get time during the week, but simple things like going to bed earlier and getting up an hour earlier to write could make a huge difference in my productivity. I have some experimentation and a lot of work to do to get it right! You’ll be hearing more about my scheduling, research on writing stories, and my writing goals in the near future. I hope some of you will join me on this writing journey.

Supplies

I have a confession to make. Yes, here it is: I love pens. Not boring pens, but ink-flowing, colorful, comfortable pens that make me feel creative and happy. Highlighters, pens, and sticky notes are fabulous inspirational planning items, and I highly recommend them. Pick some up at the store or check these links out from Amazon and get your goals set and calendar planned today!

Pens

Post-its

Highlighters

Push Pins

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Get started today!

What are you waiting for? Are you like me and want to flex your writing skills and accomplish that first novel? Do you have fitness and exercise goals? Are you determined to get back into painting or maybe do your masters on-line? Whatever it may be, do it for not just yourself but for your family also. A well rounded you is a happier you and will rub off and make the entire household flow more smoothly.

Tell me in the comments today, what would like to carve our time for? What hidden dreams and goals are just waiting for the right chance to pull out? I’d love to hear about them!