Update: Flourish August 2018 8-30

August has been a fantastic month!!!

A bathroom remodel, two trips, all of the memories. It has been amazing! 

Here is where I am on my 18 for 2018...

In Progress
1. Write Daily
2. Learn German
3. Use a Daily Gratitude Journal
4. Use a Daily One-Sentence Journal
5. Make a go of my blog
7. Daily Devotional
8. Read 60 Books (I just finished number 34)
12. Send regular updates to family and friends
15. Work out 2-3 times a week
16. Remodel Bathroom (Due to my travel schedule, the bathroom is still in progress. We just need to paint, do some finishing work and put up the finishing touches like hooks and the towel ring.)

Updated
10. Adopt. We have decided to start by fostering and submitted an inquiry to the state.

Complete
6. Become a Travel Agent!
9. Buy a Shed!
11. Create my perfect planner!

13. Travel to a New Place!

14. Complete 2 Whole30s/100 Days to Destin!

Still to come...
17. New Bedroom Carpeting
18. New Kitchen Flooring

In Progress
3. Do Something New Every Month
5. Purge and Organize Entire House
7. Meditate Daily
14. Celebrate Small Holidays
16. Be Better at Sending Birthday Cards
17. File Monthly
18. Wash Car
22. Go to the Zoo Monthly
23. Gallery Wall in Hallway (Almost Complete)
24. Mask Thursdays
25. Go to 4 Major Concerts/Plays and 2 Community Plays
28. Text a friend everyday
29. Maintain Whole30 Lifestyle
31. Take More Baths
32. Weekly Power Hours
33. Organize Recipes
34. Digital Declutter
36. Visit Florence Three Times

Complete
1. Buy a Purse
6. Have Septic Take Serviced
8. Have Dryer Vent Cleaned
9. New Living Room Curtains
12. Take Chris to visit Owen
15. Update Dish Rags
20. New Mattresses
26. Go to a Dermatologist

Still to Come
2. Remodel Office
4. Volunteer Twice a Month
10 Girl's Weekend with E
11. Girls Weekend with T & G
13. Decorate Front Area
19. Update Bath Mats
21. Go to Frist 6 Times
27. Colonoscopy (Scheduled!!!)
30. Get more Involved at Women's Club
35. Plan a Weekend Getaway with Chris 

What will September bring?

We will be finishing the bathroom and gallery wall, I will be traveling to Akron with my mother-in-law and I will be working on growing my travel agent business.

How is your year going? Have you made any changes to make your life easier or better? Share below!

Kitchen Tip Wednesday: Make Crockpot Meals Even Easier

Weekends tend to be difficult for me. There is no routine, we go into many weekends without a plan. Since we don't have a plan, I leave my planner closed on a counter. Because my planner is closed, it usually occurs to me as we are pulling out of the driveway for Mass on Sundays that I was supposed to start a slow cooker dinner.

This week, while I was working in the kitchen, I had an epiphany. I should set out the slow cooker, non-perishable ingredients and recipe for my meal the next day!

Sunday, I did not forget to start the slow cooker! I was amazed!

I'm going to toss in a bit of a recipe review here too, because the meal was that good.

Slow Cooker Beef Tips over Rice
by Southern Bite

Saturday night, I set out my slow cooker, bullion cube, gravy mix, cream of mushroom soup and my recipe.

The next morning, I pulled out the stew meat, chopped green bell peppers and onions.

Then, I started assembling the meal.

Seven hours later, we returned home, made the rice and broccoli and dinner was done.

We loved this recipe and it is being added to our family favorites!

Let me know if you try it and how you like it!

Going to the Beach: Breakfast Planning and Ideas

I don't know about you, but breakfast is my favorite meal of the day!

I love eggs, bacon, pancakes, waffles, hash browns, crepes, muffins and more!

My strategy for meal planning at the beach has changed drastically over the years. One year, we went to the grocery the day we got there and bought everything we needed for the entire week. Don't do that. Another year, we did two big grocery runs and while that was better, don't do that.

This year, we are going to go to the grocery every other day.

Here is my strategy:
1. Choose Three "family breakfast" meals and make a grocery list for each meal.
2. Make a grocery list of breakfast basics (cereal, fruit, eggs, etc).
3. Before our first grocery trip, decide what our breakfast for the next two days will be and pull the lists for those meals.
4. Repeat for each subsequent trip...but make sure to check the fridge before leaving!

Here are some of my favorite "family breakfast" menus!

1. Scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes and fruit
2. Blueberry Coconut Banana Bread, breakfast sausage, and fruit
3. Sausage Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole and fruit
4. Frittata, hash browns and fruit

How do you plan for breakfasts at the beach? What are your favorite breakfast foods?

About Me

Two years ago, I left my job at a non-profit to embark on this homemaking journey. It has not been an easy ride. I have felt lonely and discouraged a lot of the time, but recently, things have been on the upswing. I am excited to share a little of my life and my journey as a homemaker.

Chris and I on a pirate ship in Grand Cayman

Here is the truth. I am a bad homemaker. I am improving, but cleaning is not my forte. I also hate shopping. I had a bit of depression that started a few months after I left my job and I really struggled to feel better. When I would start to feel better, I would get overwhelmed and fall back into the depression.

With some of my best friends

This is going to sound like a piece of propaganda, but in October, I did a Whole30 month and that was honestly the turning point. I learned more about food, I became a better cook, I felt better, my energy increased and my depression lifted. Then, I found the wonder of the YouTube cleaning video and the YouTubers have really kept me motivated and taught me a lot!

So why should you stick around?

I want to create a place to motivate you, lift you up and chat about homemaking. If I find a new cleaning hack, try a new recipe, go on a trip or find a great product, I will share it. And I want to hear your opinions too! Let me know if you have a recipe or a product you want me to try and if it is something that will work for us, I will try it!

So, who am I?

I grew up in a small town. I am a college graduate. I have been married for 11 years to my college sweetheart. We have not been lucky enough to have children yet, but we are researching our adoption options. I worked in the non-profit and retail industries until a couple of years ago when I left my job to become a homemaker.

One of my favorite pictures from our wedding day

Why did I leave my job?

We always planned on me leaving my job when we had kids, but since that did not happen, we decided it was time. Both of us were working exhausting full time jobs, usually with a lot of overtime, and with me staying home, I could focus on our house and family more.

Being a homemaker has given me the freedom to be where I needed to be for my family. I was able to be present when my best friends parents died, when my mom had cancer, when my grandmother died, and to help my mother-in-law with her medical appointments and home maintenance.

What do I love?
I love reading, TV, movies, and travel. I love to do puzzles and DIY home decor projects. I love cooking and baking.

In a cave on our Honeymoon

After my Whole30, I have cut a lot of gluten and dairy from my diet. I am still trying to reduce those even further. I had sugar completely cut out, but it has crept back in and I am working on cutting that out again.

Lexi. She is 18 years old.

Other facts: I love the Outer Banks. I have a cat named Lexi and a turtle named Harvey. I am obsessed with Disney. I hate peas and birds.

Me and Donald at Chef Mickey's at Walt Disney World's Contemporary Resort

I am excited to start sharing!

My feet in the Pacific Ocean for the first time!

Follow me on social media:
Instagram: @adventureswithjennie
Pinterest: belle717
Facebook: Coming Soon!