Day 4 here. We did a spontaneous trip to TX Friday/Saturday that I was SURE would throw me off, but it didn’t! Friday morning I just had a coffee with my homemade cashew creamer, and for lunch before we hit the road I had a bowl of my bone broth veggie soup with a few simple mills black pepper crackers (I know crackers aren’t really in the “spirit” of Whole 30, but they are compliant, and I’m not cracker addicted or anything, so I wasn’t too worried about it). We took said crackers, a bag of mixed, raw nuts, some Chomps beef sticks, and almond stuffed olives for snacks in the car. Picked up a Starbucks in the afternoon and did a blonde espresso latte with coconut milk (no syrup or anything of course). It was pretty good actually. When we arrived at my niece’s in TX, they had a fajita spread. Had fajita beef/veggies, along with some guacamole and pico de gallo. It was super yummy. So much flavor I barely cried about not being able to eat one of the giant, homemade flour tortillas. Saturday on the way home we grabbed unwiches (sandwiches wrapped in lettuce instead of on bread) from Jimmy John’s - just the roast beef with no mayo or cheese added, but jimmied up so it adds a little oil/vinegar, some onions peppers - really makes it tasty and satisfying. Got another of our Starbucks on the way home. When I got back home I had a bowl of my soup again. So far this morning, coffee with homemade creamer (made a fresh batch this morning), and about to make scrambled eggs with avocado and salsa on top. I’ll probably have the darn soup again for a late lunch (thank goodness it’s delicious), and I’m either doing coconut lime chicken for dinner (I never did make it the other day - just ate leftovers), or homemade spaghetti sauce with cauliflower gnocchi from TJs. I will do up a big batch of boiled eggs today, gonna make a batch of avocado mayo, and maybe some hamburger patties to have some “burgers” on lettuce leaves for lunches the next couple days. I also have a bunch of sweet potatoes prepped, so I need to make something to throw on top of those as well.

It’s not really a strict recipe, but this is the general idea. This serves 2. It reheats fairly well, so sometimes I just make this amount for myself so I’ll have some a day or two later without much work! 2 T coconut oil in a skillet dice up 2 pieces firm fruit (apple, pear, etc. - pear is my favorite) put the fruit and 1/4 or more cup chopped nuts in the pan to sauté for a few minutes After 3-4 min, add 1/2 cup coconut milk (the canned one), 2-3 T unsweetened coconut flakes, and some dried fruit (I never put the dried fruit because I try to keep the sugar content down to the fresh fruit only) Add preferred spices (I LOVE cardamom, so I do that and ginger, but if you do apples, you can do cinnamon and nutmeg, or whatever you like) Simmer another couple minutes with all the goodies then put in a bowl and (optional) top with some additional nuts and fresh fruit/berries (if desired - again, I rarely add the additional fruit, but I almost always top with some raw pistachios).

I didn’t participate in this thread last year, but just saw it pop up. I started a Whole 30 thread to see if anyone might be doing that during January. I haven’t really gained or lost. I tend to hover at 130 eating whatever I want and not really exercising (not proud of that). However, I know better about a lot of the foods I’ve been eating, and I also really want to be hovering around 120 instead. I’m 5’3 1/2 and it’s where my clothing all fits and feels most comfortable. I REFUSE to buy new clothes. So I’m just kicking off the year with a Whole 30 to sort of reset myself, then figuring out where I really want to go with my diet from there. I don’t necessarily want to eat paleo because I’d prefer to limit my meat (I do only buy local, free-range or grass-fed meats though), but I also don’t want to go vegan because I don’t want to make up for it with a lot of gluten/soy. It’s not that I need a label per se, but I do a lot better when I have a plan to follow - helps me when I’m looking for recipes and things like that. Anyway, I guess the main thing is, after Whole 30, I want to stick to pretty much a Whole Foods diet that limits (not eliminates) dairy, grains and meats, and pretty much eliminates any refined sugar. I really just want to increase my veggies a LOT, have healthy fats, very little grain, and lean protein. Whole 30 just helps me with all the cravings and it breaks me from sugar completely.

Well, guess not...

If there’s already a thread, I couldn’t locate it, but thought it might be fun to share meal ideas, and also just whine and commiserate as we go through withdrawals. I’ve done a couple before, but my eating habits just got progressively worse late last year, and I have to do this and then stick with something really close to it 80% of the time. Day 1 here. I had coffee with some homemade cashew creamer I sweetened a bit with dates (just can’t do coffee without a teeny bit of some sweetener, and dates are okay) Breakfast was a warm fruit/nut bowl with some diced fresh pears, little coconut oil and some coconut milk, chopped raw walnuts, cardamom and ginger seasoning (all warmed in a skillet) then put in a bowl and topped with raw pistachios. Having lunch right now - seasoned hamburger patty with sliced cherry tomatoes and half an avocado sliced, on 2 slabs of iceberg lettuce “bun.” Dinner will be either coconut lime chicken, or some leftover veggie soup I made with some homemade beef bone broth. For snacks if I need any in between, I usually grab a few almond stuffed olives or a handful of nuts. No other drinks besides water. I have some things prepped in the fridge and freezer. I would normally have a couple boiled eggs (I usually do a dozen in the instant pot on Sunday for the week) and maybe a handful of nuts or some scrambled eggs with avocado and salsa, but I wanted to use my fruit while it was fresh.

I’m not a huge fan of soy. I eat miso soup occasionally, consume some edamame here and there, and eat tofu every now and again, but I’ve never been able to stomach soy milk. I’m not vegan, but I do avoid most dairy due to intolerance. I make a lot of homemade nut milks. Just finished a yummy batch of cashew creamer for my coffee as a matter of fact! I think the jury is still out on it in relation to how much it affects us, but feel that is the case with a lot of things lately. I think moderation would be key, and I’d avoid GMO soy for sure.

I have an old Wii I’m trying to connect for my dgs to play when he’s at my house. He’s had an iPad for a long time, but has never had a game system. I wanted to try the Wii instead of buying something until I see if he likes it. The problem is, I’m having trouble getting the wireless controller to work because I think a piece might be missing (it has batteries). I’ll probably pick up a couple wired ones, and see if the system works, but IF it doesn’t, I’m looking for suggestions for a game system to get him that’s good, but won’t break the bank. I don’t know much about the ones that have been out the last 8-10 years honestly, so I’m just looking for suggestions. Thanks.

Diffusers and essential oils.

I was just jumping in to say I have a Kitchen Aid that is awesome. Of course, I haven’t had a dishwasher in 25 years, so maybe my definition of awesome is skewed a little.

Thank you for all the suggestions!

Looking for a really good recommendation for iPad apps that drill math facts. My grandson is using 2nd grade R&S math, and he just needs something fun to really reinforce his facts. His sister is in R&S 1st grade math, and I’m sure she’d enjoy one as well. Thanks for any recommendations.

I was actually just looking at a map and was thinking about Amelia Island too; just because it’s a little closer to Kingsland. The thing is, with my dd living in GA for at least the next 4 years, we will likely do St. Augustine quite a bit. I was just reading an article about it being a great place to take kids also, and I will be traveling to GA with some of my older grandkids rather often I’m sure. The trolley looks super cool, and I know it’s something they would love to do! This trip would likely be more for the beach, but it’s gonna be October, so I doubt it’ll be quite as crowded as usual anyway (and we’ll likely be there on a weekday). I know if dh and I go, we would probably drive into town for dinner and a drink after the sun sets.

I would, but I definitely tend to err on the side of, “they don’t have to suffer, so why let them?” Will it be more difficult for your son to do it now, or watch the dog deteriorate further and possibly come home to him dead at some point? If he has been a wonderful, loyal family pet for 16 years, he deserves to have some dignity at the end. I think planning it and being able to say goodbyes, while ending his suffering, would be the most humane thing to do for him.

Wondering if anyone lives there or near there (or has vacationed there a fair amount), that could recommend places to stay near the beach, good places to eat, fun things to do, etc. When we help move my dd and her family to GA next month, we are considering staying there a night or two before my husband heads home and leaves me to help unpack and decorate the new house. I’m thinking St. Augustine because it’s within an hour or so of where their house is, but the beaches look like they’ll be nice (we are used to the panhandle/Gulf, so I know it’ll be different, but I still need some pretty sand/water). I’d love some input!

Thank you all, and congratulations Gardenmom! Our excitement has been a little dampened by a raging stomach bug that has hit most of the family, including the siblings of the new baby. Dd is trying to just nurse the little one a ton, and keep her distance as best she can. I know I’ve never seen so much vomit as I have these last few days, and I’m certainly feeling like my turn is coming...

I'm now Granny to the Spectacular Seven!! My oldest had baby #3 (her first son), Wednesday morning, after a fast and furious labor where she was right on the verge of being unable to stay at the birth center due to prolonged rupture of her membranes. She sure knows how to work under pressure! Little guy was pretty teeny - 6.2, as he had a marginal placement of his cord on the placenta (her first baby had this also, and was also very small - second baby didn't, and was 1+ pounds heavier, even though she was born early). All is well though, and little guy is nursing like a champ - sure he'll catch up quickly!

I believe parents and other family can book through an agent. I helped a family early last spring with their stay when their daughter was competing.

I am a Disney Travel Agent. There are a lot of perks to using my services (especially for Disney newbies), and they are totally free. I have a FB page specifically for my business, but I see a LOT of friends’ Disney pics and would love to find a way to let people know what I do without being that person who is always promoting their business on FB. The thing is, I don’t HAVE to plan someone’s trip down to the minute, but I can do as much or as little as they’d like and it costs nothing. It’s just that it would really help me if I could book more trips - just to advance myself to where I make a little higher commission, get a few more perks, etc. What is a good way to promote/share that without being annoying?

Great ideas thus far! In winter, I feel like I can do better - soups (and dh is fine with no meat as long as they’re flavorful - I make a LOT of soups in the winter), beans and homemade cornbread, chili, etc.

This would probably work for dh for sure. Honestly, it was recently deboning 2 store-bought rotisserie chickens for my daughter (and they were from Whole Foods) that made me decide I may never eat chicken again. It really grossed me out for some reason. I do get these for my husband though, and if only he is eating it, it’ll likely make him 3-4 meals.

We went about $5K over on our remodel, and we have to quickly tackle this cc. I want to reduce my grocery bill as much as possible. I know there have been a million threads on this in the past, but I’m looking for your best budget recipes. I’ll take veg/vegan and non-veg/vegan (I’m eating more veg/vegan because I will generally only eat local, grass-fed meats, and that’s just not in the budget at the moment. My husband doesn’t care, and is gonna want meat most days, so I’ll have to do some meat recipes for him). What I’m planning to do is make a weekly menu with 7 inexpensive meals and use the leftovers from the meat meals for his lunches or a second night’s dinner. On those nights, I’ll just eat something else. I appreciate any ideas you have. I’m hoping to cut my grocery budget to around $400 from $600, and that will include our toiletries and cleaning supplies. I think I can do it, but I just need ideas and a plan. ?

I appreciate all the advice. I really do. I've talked more to her, and I think we will survive this. I'm still gonna be praying she finds something better overall, but as long as she is being a good parent to, and taking care of, my grandkids, I'm just gonna have to suck it up. I get it. It's hard, but I really am working on it.

Thanks everyone! This is definitely on my short list of places to travel with my kids/grandkids - we just loved that little town. Unfortunately, this is when we did our WA-Louisiana trip a few months ago with a 3 week-old and a couple boston terriers, so we didn’t really get to experience anything other than the inside of the (very nice BTW) La Quinta Inn. Oh, and we did get some yummy Mexican food! I think my older grandkids would love it, especially my dinosaur obsessed grandson!

I was wondering if you could still do everything in spring or fall. It was most definitely hot when we were there! I just know some places like that basically shut down at certain times of the year, and I didn’t know when that might be for Moab.

Have you done it as an only destination trip? If so, how long were you there? I’m just wondering how much time you could fill doing things in that area. Also, what time of year? Is it pretty much a summer-only place, or are things open and active there more of the time? If so, what? We stayed a night there on our trip from WA to Louisiana, and I absolutely LOVED the place. It’s definitely on my list of places to take my kids/grandkids, but I don’t know that I’d want to do it in mid-June again. Just wondering what the tourist “season” is around there, and if there would still be plenty to do off-season.