Happy Friday from Greenville, SC! Mom and I are enjoying a quick getaway with the girls and I must admit, I haven’t minded being away from the house which is currently dusted in a thin layer of drywall residue.

I’m hopeful this is the final push to having our home projects complete. In the kitchen we extended the ceiling over an odd angle that used to exist and are getting ready to install backsplash and the hood. Then it’s finalizing the cabinets and paint. I’m starting to be able to see the finish line!

It’s been a fun week around here, as most of the schools are on spring break. So while we’ve been doing math and reading, we’ve then skipped out to see a movie (Arthur the Dog was fantastic, though we all left in tears), visit our friends with baby chicks to hold, and go roller skating, too. That spring energy where everyone wants to get out and play is in the air! But before we ease into the weekend, let me share with you the top five on my mind this week…

One: Newsletter

I did it; I finally started my weekly newsletter! It goes out Monday mornings. Think of it as a personal note where I tell you what’s going on in life, a focus of the week, share my weekly meal plan with recipe links, blog posts you might have missed, discount codes, and more. I’m really encouraged by the positive feedback I’ve received. If you want to receive the newsletter, join the conversation here. You can unsubscribe at anytime.

Two: Sports Bra

An IG friend recommended this three pack of budget-friendly sports bras to me when I asked for recommendations a few weeks back and I’m really liking them! They offer good support for high impact exercises without feeling suffocating, the lining/padding doesn’t come out in the wash, they have a simple and cute design, and did I mention the price is fantastic?

Three: Grocery Math

While riding in the car with my friend the other day we were chatting about feeding our families- quality, cost, convenience, etc. She mentioned she didn’t know how I kept my cart costs so low so I had to admit my biggest challenge in feeding my family: extreme efficiency. Sounds like a good thing, right? Sure, we waste almost nothing, BUT by Thursday, we are almost completely out of food. Like to the point where the kids eat a large carrot and a Brazil nut as a snack. That’s not necessarily bad, but it’s also a little extreme, all as a result of the mind games I play with myself over budget and efficiency.

She shared her mental grocery math with me about if she spend $250 a week on groceries, so $1000 per month, that equals out just shy of $12/meal for 4 people, or $3/meal per person (as they eat 99% of meals at home and are a family of four). She said she often spends more than that, but it’s still a huge win in quality of food and price over getting food out. That really resonated with me and has me noodling over my methods.

Four: Tween Girl Clothes

Another big thank you to IG! I took the girls shopping the other week and found it really challenging to find stuff for Hailey. She’s 12 and at 5’3″ she’s caught between girl sizes and adult sizes. So many people recommend Altar’d State. We don’t have that store so I ordered a few things online and recommendations are correct; it’s fantastic!

We were after dresses in particular and H picked this one. She got a size small and it fits her perfectly and she loves it. It’s that perfect appropriate style but more grown up looking than kids clothes. She put the dress on and wouldn’t take it off, which is not usually like her. HUGE win!

Five: Three Recent Meals

• Mississippi Pot Roast over Mashed Potatoes
• Burger Bowl with romaine, roasted potatoes, pickled red onion, avocado, and pickles.
• Taco Bowl with romaine, salsa, guac, sour cream, Daily Harvest grains, and ground beef.

Have a WONDERFUL weekend! <3