Meal Planner and Grocery List Printable

A helpful printable I created a few years ago to help with meal planning and grocery shopping.  Plan your meals, scan your cupboards and make your list to take to the store.  I removed the customization from the top of the document but ours has "Adam, Kristen & George"  and then I date the week as well.   Since I'm new to printables, I thought I would share this one first and see what people think!

I'd love to hear your feedback and what you like/don't like and what would make this better.  If you also have other ideas for printables that would make your life easier, let me know as well!

XOXO

Kristen

How We Cut the Cord ...and Still Watch Our Shows!

When we moved into our new house we went through a lot of changes and learned to adapt (umm... we do NOT have air conditioning or a furnace.. HUGE adjustment).  So when we found out that our internet plus cable was going to be close to $200 we had to make a decision whether or not it was truly worth it to have cable.

I started researching online, polled friends and family, and had a lot of conversations with Adam on what we should do.  He ultimately pays the cable bill so really this came down to him.  After a lot of research, a lot of maneuvering, we were able to cut the cord and both win by using streaming services.   Since we started doing this I have had a lot of people ask me how we make it work..

Here's how!

First things first, the ONLY reason we were able to accomplish much of this was through the help of friends and family.

Select your streaming device - we went with the Roku 2 (because we do not have a Smart TV).  There are a ton on the market, Apple TV, Roku, Fire Stick, etc. This is your first step in cutting the cord.  From there we found the following ways to watch TV and not miss our favorite shows!

1. We worked with our local cable company to purchase the internet package that allowed us to hookup our Roku to the local network.   This provides us with our local tv channels: NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox.  We live in Woodville, between Eau Claire, WI and Minneapolis, MN.  Because of this, we get Fox Eau Claire and Fox Minneapolis = Packers Football (Eau Claire).  Adam's wish accomplished.

2. Netflix.  Each Netflix account allows multiple users, my brother gave us a login and we are able to watch shows on Netflix (Fuller House for me and Making of a Murderer for Adam).

3. Many channels require a cable login.  Since you can have multiple users on one account, we created our own login to access cable using Adam's parents cable account.  It doesn't impact them in any way and allows us to access the shows/channels we want to watch. Total win/win.

4. Hulu - I pay $8/month to have Hulu.  It's pretty much the equivalent to a DVR.  I get many different networks (ABC, NBC, CMT, CW, TLC, etc) AND I can watch shows the next day if i missed them the night before.  I caught up on SO many shows this way.  I love HULU, totally worth $8/month.

5.  Sling TV - Beta Version.  Sling purchased the rights to Fox Sports.   So we get FS1, FS2, and FSlocal, which for us is Fox Sports North.  FSN = Twins Baseball.  My mission was accomplished.  However, this one does come with a cost.  It's $20/month for Sling TV.  Other channels that come with Sling include HGTV, AMC, FX, Univision, etc... One of their greatest promotions (for us) was that if you purchased 3 months in advance you get a free Roku 2.. So we now have 3 of them that work on all channels.

6. Amazon Prime - If you have Amazon Prime, you can also stream videos on Roku as well.  We simply linked our Prime account and are able to watch Multiple shows (Downton Abbey!!).

7. And last, Roku has a TON of channels built in that you can access. Again, full transparency we are able to access all of these because we have the cable login - however there are some "Free" channels that do not require you to login.

While this may seem complex, it's something we have learned and has entirely grown on us since we started a year ago.  When we turn our TV on, it's as though we never cut the cord. I get to watch almost any show I want and without the crazy expense of cable.  My total bill per month is $28 and we may not keep Sling over the winter and re-subscribe next spring when baseball starts again.

XOXO

Kristen

Building Blocks - Building Fun!

Thinking back when I was growing up I absolutely loved to build with Legos, wooden blocks (remember those great blocks with the little letters on them?), and lincoln logs. Now that George is getting old, we absolutely have so much fun building. He LOVES building big towers and all sorts of other things (sometimes I think we have more fun building!). (Disclaimer: This post contains sponsored material and I am compensated for purchases).

One of the oldest and most reliable toys that children have played with for centuries is the simple wooden block. It's versatile, safe and most of all fun. While standard wooden blocks are still fun, there have been major innovations and advancements in technology to bring us to where we are now. The Tegu blocks are an awesome modern twist on a classic toy. These blocks may look simple at first glance, but only when you start to play with them do you realize truly how awesome they are. Tegu blocks come with tiny magnets embedded in the blocks, which means that kids of any can create structures they only ever dreamed of. And with plenty of options, there's a perfect Tegu set for any family!

What Moms are Saying About Tegu

Christina is a mommy of three who shares fun activities for kids on her YouTube channel, The Purple Alphabet. During her video review of the Tegu blocks, she says "It really encourages your child to think creatively... you're gonna get a lot of use out of these over the years." "Bought these for my 6 year old grandson for Christmas and we now call his creations "the work of a City Planner. " The different shapes and structures take on the look of city skylines with random items like trees, bridges, etc. Geometry was never so much fun." -Deborah F. "My first reaction was "these are pricey!" but they were highly recommended to me so I gave it a go. Now I can tell they will be loved for years. My 3 year old loves stacking them and clicking them together and a part. I even have fun playing with these and I'm an adult. They are high quality and the colors are great." -Summer H.

The Social Impact

Not only are Tegu blocks fun, but they have a social impact. The business was founded in Honduras with the idea of helping out a country with an unemployment rate of above 30%. Local Hondurans are regularly hired and receive opportunities for growth and leadership within the company. If that weren't enough, with every purchase of a Tegu product, the company plants more trees or funds a whole day of school for a child without access to education.

 

With a product this fun and a company that is so caring, it's hard not to love Tegu, and the products listed here are only the beginning! Be sure to check out the full Tegu catalog to find out which one is right for you.

Classic 40 Piece

Create amazing structures and wonderful memories with the classic Tegu block 40 piece pack. Coming in four styles (tints, natural, jungle, and Nelson), the classic Tegu pack is the perfect purchase for kids who want to experience as many combinations as possible.

What's included:

• 40 Magnetized Tegu Blocks in seven shapes
• Large storage box
• The Tegu Story booklet filled with build ideas and the Tegu story

On-The-Go Sets

This Tegu pack is perfect for families who are constantly on the go. Available in four sets, these Tegu mini packs come with their own carrying case to make sure you don't lose any of the pieces.

What's included:

• Six magnetized Tegu blocks
• High quality carrying case
• Building ideas

Classic Wood

This set is perfect for more retro-minded families. The classic wood Tegu package includes 22 slick wooden blocks that can be used to create tons of different wooden structures and shapes.

What's Included:

• 22 magnetized blocks in four shapes
• Storage box

To celebrate, Educents is offering FREE SHIPPING with code DISCOVER16 through Thursday, June 30th. Note it's one time use, on orders over $49  educents.com/#upnorthmama

XOXO

--Kristen