LIFE HACK: How to Ripen Green Avocados

Isn't it the WORST when you snag a bag of avocados and they're all ROCK.SOLID??

Yep.. momma needs her healthy fats, y'all!

So what do you do? Wait a week for them to soften up? Nada.

Let me introduce you to my life hack that will ripen all of your green avocados!

1) Find a brown paper bag

2) Add an apple

3) Add your avocados.

I haven't added more than two or three at a time.

4) Fold up bag and set aside on counter for 24-48 hours. And let the magic begin...

Okay so time to get nerdy and tell you HOW this works.

In this experiment, you can use an apple, banana or tomato! These fruits emit more ethylene gas than other fruits out there. The brown bag is simply a way to the TRAP ethylene gas that ripens these bad boys. 

5) Check on the avocados each day

.. this was after ONE day.

So have no fear of un-ripened avocados the next time you pick up a baggie.

Give this a try and let me know what you think!

Date Night: Dave Ramsey Edition

Date nights, or days, are something I look forward to and cherish each week. It's a chance for me to get out of the house, which is a big deal since I work from home & can EASILY go 5 days with out leaving our Ghoens compound, AND it's fun, quality time with my sweetie. Our date nights are typically pretty simple, but we usually do something twice over the course of a weekend.

Around Christmas time, we felt that God was laying on our hearts to do more and be more proactive with our finances. I've always been pretty frugal, giving & savings focused when it comes to our finances, but we still spend a lot each month of things we don't track (Amazon Prime, lunch/dinner, wine, new gadgets). Although the way we're living is very comfortable and widely accepted as "normal," I'd consider us to be living paycheck to paycheck. Not because we have to, but because we choose to. We make a conscious choice to choose as little or much to save or spend depending on our day to day, week to week or month to month whims. I'm not saying that's bad, but we sensed a need for change.

I'm pretty familiar with Dave Ramsey not just because of his presence as the author of the Total Money Makeover, but also Entreleadership (a personal development book for my business). I'm also an avid podcast listener, so I enjoy tuning into his "channel" and listening to his advice or opinions. I know several people who are in the middle of his Total Money Maker, but figured we were on the slower, "funner" track (insert LOL). 

After asking Nate to learn more, listen in with me & having many, many discussions, we decided that this might be our next step as a family. Financial discipline and PURPOSE.

We sat down and looked at my very organized expenditure list. We discussed our budget for personal spending (groceries, gas, dog food, date money, etc) & did the math.. We were SHOCKED to see the $$$$ that was left over each month that we've been ALLOWING to disappear.

Then.. we did the math on how long it would take to use that money each month (+ the money we won't need in our savings/emergency fund anymore) and snow ball our debt.. "Nate, we could pay off my CAR {that we just upgraded to} in APRIL.... and we could pay off your student loan this year too! ....and have our big kid emergency fund done by next summer or sooner." Our jaws dropped. 

The most convicting part of our conversation was that we could tithe CONSISTENTLY and continue giving as we have been and be just fine. Wow. Just wow. All of those scattered Sundays of giving back to God- because we've actually been selfishly indulging. NOT strapped and stuck at 5%. This is my flesh speaking.. my desperately wicked heart revealing selfish humanity. All this time, we had Jesus on a budget, rather than ourselves.

So we set out to start immediately. To prioritize our finances and map out our game plan. 

1. Jesus

2. Cost of us & dogs living

3. Debt snowball

4. Date night

5. Individual fun money

While this process isn't always easy and stress free.. I feel peace knowing that we're honoring the Lord, focused less on materialistic things & are setting ourselves up for a future of SUCCESS.

"If you live like now one else now, one day you CAN live unlike anyone else.."

Intentionality leads to freedom.

You inspired yet?? Shoot..

Okay. So my post was about date night and you had to read all of this first? Yeah. Sorry I'm not sorry!

So while date night is not high on the priority list in regards to how much it's fed from our budget, it IS high on our priority list in our relationship.

We decided to keep it that way, but get creative! We wanted to spend time together doing lots of things we enjoy, while remembering to keep it simple and enjoy each other more than anything else.

So we came up with our date night jar.

* artwork courtesy of my sweet husband and myself*

 We filled this jar with date ideas that we could do at home or somewhere else. Ideas that cost $ and others that don't. Things that we've been meaning to do, but make ourselves too busy to enjoy.

Each Friday, our plan is to choose one of these and make time to do it over the course of the weekend.. Please note and laugh at the date suggestions that we will not be partaking in until we complete our 60 day challenge (His: Hammer and Chisel// Mine: 22 Minute Hard Corps).

I LOVE this idea because it's simple and special. I love that this is something we can do now as a couple and one day with our .... kids (possibly).

I challenge you to consider a date jar or family fun night jar.. even if you aren't on the Dave Ramsey train. Make your spouse and family a priority and focus on the quality of your time together instead of the bells & whistles #preachingtothechoir .

Until next time, friends!!

DIY Christmas Card: Design for {FREE}

This year, I decided to approach Christmas cards a little differently. In the past, I used various website based companies who offered mega discounts or were available through groupon. Last year, however, my order was EXTREMELY delayed & our Merry Christmas cards didn't arrive until after the New Year.

This year, I got exactly what I wanted, made them from home & picked them up about an hour later for about 15 cents a piece.

Check out this video for a tutorial on how I made these cute, money-saving holiday cards!

Once I picked up these puppies from our local drug store, the hubby helped me package them up in a festive card & envelope combo I found in the dollar section at Target.

And we used this custom stamp I ordered through a vendor on groopdealz.com !

He's the cutest, right??!

Gotta say.. for a total of $11-$12, we lucked out this year!

Coming SOON to a mailbox near you, friends!

Master Bedroom Update on a Budget!

Here's the promised post about our master bedroom update {on a budget}!!

So if you know me well, you know that I LOVE all things pottery barn, restoration hardware, crate and barrel & so on. BUT, as much as I love the looks of their furniture and design, we're just simply not at a place in our life that we can afford that kind of bedroom update.. and if I'm being totally honest, I don't think I could bring myself to pay that much even IF we had the $$.

So let me clue you in on where I HUNT for quality items at a lower price. Just know that you MUST be willing to take your time looking for what you want and do your research on how it's made, but it's so worth it!!

These are my GO TO places to hunt for furniture and home decor!

Ross

TJ Maxx

Target

Groopdealz.com

Overstock

Not only did these stores & sites help us update our bedroom, but the majority of my house the past couple of years!

Here was my original inspiration with a heavy price tag::

Gorgeous, right???

I was envisioning something simple, with clean lines, a little rustic, slightly mismatched & a smidge romantic.

I wanted something I could create with a few pieces and add to over time or swap out bits & pieces as I felt like it.

Here is where we're at now!

I want you to know that wall color can make a HUGE difference in how your room looks- it can make your furniture look different in color and your room appear LARGER.

The house we just recently moved into was built over the summer and by the time we found it, the walls were already painted. I have to say that I'm not much of a tan gal myself, don't love the yellow undertones, but I can work with them! I chose items that would work in the room we have now, with the paint color that was there, but that will also transition into our next home with walls the color I choose- probably a faint grey!

So let's get down to the nitty gritty.

I'm going to show you what we wanted & what we ended up finding!

What We Wanted

(Pottery Barn, $1299, link HERE)

What We Got

(Overstock.com, less than $400, link HERE)

What We Wanted:

(Restoration Hardware, $796 each, link HERE)

What We Got:

(Overstock.com, $139 each, link HERE)

What We Wanted:

(Crate and Barrel, $170, link HERE)

What We Got:

(Overstock.com, $59..plus I got an additional % off, link HERE)

What We Wanted:

(Pottery Barn, $140 each, link HERE)

What We Got:

(TJ Maxx STORE, $40 each WITH shade.. no link,

but they always have a version of the mercury lamps on the shelves!)

What We Wanted:

(Pottery Barn, $249 each, link HERE)

What We Got:

(Target, $25 each, link HERE)

What We Wanted:

(Pottery Barn, $49, link HERE)

(Pottery Barn, $35, link HERE)

What We Got:

(groopdealz.com for the monogrammed case $15

Ross STORE for the faux fur, pattern lumbar and round tufted pillow- all under $12 each)

What We Wanted:

(Restoration Hardware, $159, link HERE)

What We Got:

(Target, $45, link HERE)

What We Wanted:

(Pottery Barn, $49, link HERE)

What We Got:

(TJ Maxx, $10, no link, but they carry

these in store ALL the time)

FYI::The little trinkets like candles, moss balls, picture frames, etc were from TJ Maxx and Target!

Friends, you don't have to dump mega bucks into a room to make it beautiful! Hop on to pinterest or some of your favorite websites to draw inspiration- save photos in one place. Then slowly start looking at other websites for items that compare & look for COUPONS or wait to see if they go sale during a holiday weekend.