Fancy But Frugal

My challenge for February was to get a monthly dose of being pescatarian (vegetarian + fish). I eat meatless almost every day for lunch and several times a week for dinner and always wondered what it would be like to do it full time. On top of that, Jon and I both got blood tests results back in January and were instructed to eat less red meat, so this seemed like the perfect challenge for February. So, what did I do? I ate only vegetarian (not vegan) and fish in February. I had to think ahead/out of the box for cooking and ordering food, but overall it wasn’t that bad. My only cheats happened a couple times when friends graciously hosted us for dinner. I wasn’t going to abstain from the delicious, heartfelt meals they cooked for us - that would be rude! What happened during this month?: ·         -I craved sugar/sweets. I’d already been having issues with hypoglycemia for a couple months - this means I don’t have enough blood sugar, which can lead to d...

This year I'm going to try something new. I always research healthy habits to try but never fully follow through, so each month this year, I will challenge myself to a new healthy habit - like a monthly dose of medicine. When the month is over, I’ll write a #Monthlydose blog about how it went and what mental, physical, and emotional effects the new habit provides. First up: the ever-popular Dry January . I love (and I mean LOVE) a happy hour with friends or a nice bottle of wine with dinner, but it’s happened a little too casually and frequently lately. So I decided to try dry January, which means no alcohol all month and is traditionally used to detox from holiday eating and to start the year out healthier. Honestly, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. It helped that I was busy at work, sick for a week, and that my husband was supportive and participated too. I also had several friends that were doing Dry January, so I had support and accountability, which is su...

I’ve been through a dry spell lately and am struggling with having faith in NYC. I've been saving this blog, and it seems like a good way to start the new year.  No matter your belief system, we can all be a better friend. A wise person recently told me “If you’re a Christian and see a friend in need, it isn’t enough to be empathetic; offer to help.” How simple and true. I’d like to think that simply sharing in people’s emotion is enough. Chat on the phone (i.e. text) for a few minutes, say something nice to cheer them up, and move on.  Except it’s not enough.  I'm not saying that words mean nothing; sometimes the right words can save a life, but often, actions speak louder than words . There’s a huge difference in saying “I know how you feel, I’m sorry.” vs “Friend, how can I help? What can I do?” I can think of a great example from my own life. My adventure-loving aunt and uncle (the ones who taught me to love travel) had just boarded a cruise in Singapore. F...

“Everything that kills me makes me feel alive.” – One Republic Over the last 6 months, the most important thing I’ve learned is how naturally detached I am from God. Simply by being born, my very own nature innately and consistently chooses to turn away from God and focus on myself. How heartbreaking. My heart is an idol factory , always on the lookout for ways to make myself feel valued, loved, and worthy. If I take my eyes off Christ for a second ( which, let’s be honest, happens about 37,892 times a day ), I begin looking for the next best thing, trading in His promises for a cheap, temporary fix. Why does it feel so natural to chase these other things (idols, sins, gods)? How could my heart do this to God over and over again? In the wise words of One Republic, “everything that kills me makes me feel alive.” How true is that? Seeking ourselves often provides an immediate, exaggerated spike in self-gratification.   We feel alive and better than ever; endorphins pumpin...

It was November 2017 and we still hadn’t chosen a Christmas vacation... Madeira and Galapagos Island were top on our list, but we hadn’t pulled the trigger yet. Then one night as we were cooking dinner, Jon says “I've always wanted to visit Scandinavia. What about that for Christmas?” Me, a southern girl who notoriously hates winter, ever so gently reply:  “ HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAH . Good one”.  Silence.  I look at him: “Wait, you’re serious?” My budget bug has definitely rubbed off on Jon over the years. He was searching for flights and came across dirt cheap tickets to Sweden and, yes, he was serious. We dropped the conversation, started eating tacos and went on with our night. Over the next few days, I did some research into why on earth Jon desired to go to (practically) the North Pole in -9 F weather and saw things I'd never imagined. Dogsledding, igloos, snow mobiles, northern lights . It was a literal winter wonderland. ⛄❆ I was starting to warm ...

I'm going to try something new and write devotions, as they come to me and as the Lord leads. Welcome to my first one, as featured on my dear friend ' s  website:     http://www.holygroundsonline.com/devotions _________________________________________________________________________________ What is your cup full of?  Life was alright: my job was going well, my marriage was great, and I had just started a well-known ministry program at my church. Then, out of the blue, my faith was rocked. I got a call on my lunch break that my hard working and faithful Dad’s business was robbed… while he was there. He blocked them into a small area while police arrived, and they were arrested. No one was hurt, but they did get away with some of his belongings before the arrest. I was devastated. You see, my mom passed away when I was 15 and he’s all I’ve got. He’s always been healthy and in my eyes, he’s invincible. He got saved a few years ago and watching his d...

Strict Budget, two toddlers, and 6 months pregnant .... sounds like the perfect time for a Disney trip! Believe me, I never considered going to Disney World with my family until the kids were older and until we had plenty of extra cash. But, my 3-year-old daughter is captivated by Disney princesses, and my 2-year-old is in love with Mickey & friends. I wanted them to enjoy the magic of Disney World before they realized the magic wasn't...well...100% true. Plus, my youngest was finally potty-trained, and 2-year-olds and under get in free at Disney Parks… but with only one household income and long days in the theme parks, I knew this trip would require a lot of planning. First, I had to pick the perfect time to go. I researched and found this awesome tool called Disney World Crowd Calendar ( link ).  I've heard that September, October, and February were the least busiest months to go.  February was out of the question for us because our baby is due in January, ...