Well it's been one hell of a month that is to say the least. It's been a roller coaster of ups and downs. I started a new job of which I am completely infatuated with. I love it. It has made me so happy. With that, I have been so busy. I haven't blogged since I started my new job because previously, I would write my blog posts during work hours at my last job! Crazy huh? Now that I have things to do while at work, I've not made time in my personal life to blog. But it is time to come back. So here I am.

Though my new job has been an absolute blessing in my life, I've had other things in my life happen that have been completely devastating. My way of coping with life's hardships is getting on my knees and turning to my faith. In our faith we have temples where we go to worship our God. While there, I was desperately seeking for an ounce of peace to enter into my soul. I came to the realization that love is the only thing that matters in this life. There are so many people seeking for truth and there are so many people that get different answers. Though the answers are different, people connect to it. This causes contention among people as they feel strongly about these different truths. Because there is no 100% surety in "the ultimate truth" it is necessary to just love. And to love deeply. Whether you believe Jesus Christ is your Savior or not, His example really did set the stage for happiness in life. His example was simple. It was and is love.

I believe in love. I believe love is what makes the world go round and love is what creates happiness. Here are pieces of love that have been a part of my life lately.

 Love is making true and deep friendships in everyplace you live.

Daffodils from my boss

 Love is working with people who care.

Love is taking the time to be silly.

Love is appreciating other people's talents.

 Love is spending quality time with your husband's family.

 Love is the closeness of a sister.

My grandparent's house in Park City, UT

 Love is your safe haven.

 Love is the beauty of spring's rebirth.

 Love is waking up early to cheer your family on.

 Love is taking care of those who have accomplished hard things.

 Love is treating your grandchildren.

Love is warm hugs.

I <3 Jimmy!!

Love is finding people who make you laugh.

Love is longtime cherished friends.

 Love is seeing the beauty around you.

 Love is celebrating with people who are dear to you.

sleeping in the car, in the desert

 Love is going on adventures.

Making food for Easter dinner so my grandma didn't have to do it all by herself.

 Love is taking on responsibilities.

 Love is keeping a special place in your heart.

The cutest grandparents ever

Love is having an example of true love.

I love to love others but often have a hard time accepting that people actually love me. Contemplating my life and seeing the ways this world offers love to me has really given me ultimate peace. If you are struggling I highly recommend opening your eyes to the love in the world around you as well as offering love back to the world. 

JUST LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS

"I can't wait until my husband gets a better job with a bigger income so we can be less stressed financially," Ashley said this to me as we talked on the phone the other day.  We live in a world today where this phrase is probably said in the majority of households no matter what the income is.
As I was deciding what I wanted to major in in college I would get lots of advice on what NOT to get a degree in.  "You don't want to be a teacher, they don't make that much money." I heard this statement about half of the majors on my mind and all while I was growing up.  The big message sent to me was "When you grow up, you need to make a lot of money."  Since "growing up" I have discovered a more correct phrase to live by: "Live within your means." It can be difficult and you may have to get a little creative, but the point is that you need to not spend more than you make, no matter what the amount is.

I recently read a blog post that relates to this idea of making a lot of money when you "grow up." It is about our generation (the Y generation) and how we differ from our parents and grandparents in our levels of happiness. The author suggests that the Y generation is less happy because our expectations are higher than our reality.  We expect to have a great "dream job" right out of college. The author also discusses our use of social media has also affected our happiness. He says that people tend to boast more on social media and therefore we tend to see our friends and peers as having more or being happier than the reality. Read the full post HERE.

As I asked Ashley a little bit more about the specifics of her finances I said, "Ashley, you just have to live with the money you are making." I encouraged her to check out Dave Ramsey's book Total Money Makeover because I use it and love it. I use encouraged here lightly.  I in fact got online and put the book on hold for her! Ashley will have to tell you her thoughts on the book in a later post (I can't wait!).  But even if you don't read the book, find a way to live with what you make and be happy! There are lots of other resources out there to help you do this. I have seen tons of blogs and books about living frugally. Another book I started to read was America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right On The Money by Steve and Annette Economides.  They have a lot of the same philosophies as Dave Ramsey but do a few things differently. I just search frugal living in Amazon and there were a TON of titles that came up. How about

Twenty-Five Cent Dinners for Families of Six by Juliet Corson.  Umm, hello YES PLEASE!

Bottom line: Don't buy more than you can afford!!  My hub and I are working on getting out of debt and staying out of debt forever. It feels good to get any amount paid off. I know that we can live within our means and be happy.  A lot of the time, trying to be creative and frugal is like a game.  It's a challenge to try and cut your costs in your bills, groceries and fun money.  What do YOU do to try and save money? Is there a trick or tip that you live by? I would love to hear it so I can use it too. 

EATING HEALTHY

I finally found some more healthy foods and recipes! YAY! Okay remember a couple of weeks ago when I blogged about becoming healthier? Find it HERE. Well I was looking for the best foods to buy, and I finally found some! (And they weren't even at a health foods store! YAY!) Here they are!

All of these foods were found at Costco.

First! If you ever see this logo on ANYTHING you should know that its good for you! Read more about it HERE.

Thankfully I was able to find this Brown Rice Pasta with the stamp! The Ingredients are, Brown Rice, Rice Bran and Water! You can't get much healthier than that! 

A Serving size is 1 cup with 190 calories per serving, 0 calories from Fat. There is less than 1g of Sugar, and 4.8g of Protein!  

Next I found Bread. The Ingredients; Whole Wheat Flour, Water, Whole Grains (Wheat Oats, Barley, Bulgur Wheat, Cornmeal), Wheat Gluten, Brown Sugar and Sugar.  

Each slice is 1 serving. 140 Calories per slice, which I know is a little high, but I will take it considering it really is good, and 15 calories from fat. There are 5g of Dietary Fiber, 4g of Sugar and 6g of Protein.  

 These crackers are also yummy. Notice that they say organic on them. I don't entirely care to buy things that are organic only because of their expense, but since these were the only wheat crackers I could find I bought them. The Ingredients are, Organic Buttermilk, Organic Whole Wheat Flour, Organic Wheat Flour, Organic Canola Oil, Organic Evaporated Can Juice, Sea Salt, Baking Soda, and Kosher Salt. 

8 Crackers equal 1 serving. There are 130 calories per serving with 45 calories from Fat. With 3g of Sugar and 3g of Protein. 

I saved the BEST for last! These chips are seriously delicious! They are so yummy, I love them! This product is also; All Natural, Certified Gluten Free, Certified Vegan, Low Sodium, Certified Kosher, Cholesterol Free Food, No MSG, 0 Trans Fat, No Artificial Colors, Flavors or Preservatives and 18g Whole Grain. 

The Ingredients are; Stone Ground Corn, High Oleic Sunflower Oil and/or Safflower Oil and/or Canola Oil, Brown Sugar,  Sesame Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Quinoa, Sea Salt, and Rosemary Extract. 

Each Serving is about 10 chips. There are 140 calories per serving with 60 Calories from Fat. There are 2g Dietary Fiber, 1g Sugar and 2g Protein. 

This weekend I spent with one of my friends, Nikki Barney, who eats healthier than I do! She made me an incredible dinner and here is the recipe!

Black Bean and Quinoa Enchilada Bake. The Recipe is from Two Peas & Their Pod and can be found HERE. It really was incredible and I suggest you all make it!!