Summer Sanity Savers: 10 great ideas for you to implement this summer

What are some of the ways you keep yourself sane during the summer when your kids are home all day? I absolutely love the ideas on this list. 

You can read more about this list at: http://www.jillsavage.org/summer-sanity-savers/

being a mom boss: the ultimate flexibility to put my family first

"Thanks for taking me to VBS today, mom. At first I was nervous but then I really liked it. Thanks for always doing fun stuff with me."
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What a great day. I think first it started out positive because of my planning and mindset and made a choice at each challenging moment to respond with love and grace. But it's also great because I got to spend time seeing my daughter's faith grow and spend time investing into almost 40 3-5 year olds today.
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To think that with the flexibility of my coaching, I was able to do VBS in the morning and then work this afternoon in between playing in the pool and inside with Addie. A schedule based on my needs and those of my daughter and family.
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Corey umped for a Jr High game this morning, prepped his field, and then had a game to coach. Addie is already asleep so she hasn't seen him since 7:30 this morning. 😟 Someday soon he will have his summers "off" for real and it will be because of my job as a Beachbody coach.

fitting my job into my life, not scheduling my life around my job

I hear from so many people that they have NO TIME to be a coach. I used to think so, too!! I've learned that you CAN create an income by using the little nuggets of your day. 

I listened to personal development on my drive down to the baseball game. I drank my Shakeology instead of having candy and a hot dog at the game. And I've been checking in with my challengers in between customers at the concessions stand. Not a huge time commitment, just bits here and there! 

If you've seen my posts and wondered even a little bit what coaching might be about, like or comment to this post. My team is hosting a free, no strings informational group this week to answer any/all questions you have about this coaching thing I do.

What's your love language?

How do you express love and caring to your spouse (or anyone for that matter)?
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My husband has enough to worry about while he's gone for 12 hours a day teaching and coaching. The last thing I want to do is greet him with a "honey do" list as soon as he gets home. I do my absolute darnedest to accomplish things on my own during the day so that I don't bog him down when he's home for family time. 
A less secure man would see my pulling these big (thicker than my arms, easily 20 feet long) broken branches to the street from our backyard as me taking his "manly responsibility" from him.
It's a good thing we both rank very high on "acts of service" as a love language, because he will see me doing this and know it comes across as a caring gesture.

Monday sweat therapy

Let me be honest with you: I AM STRUGGLING!

• I have had graduation parties which means temptation getting the better of me...
• busyness as an excuse and skipping my workouts...
• Addie getting into a new schedule which threw me off of my schedule...
• family things causing stress...

I feel pulled in 1 million different directions and didn't know what to do. Before my workout I was talking to a friend and I was holding back tears, so I just went downstairs and pushed play. I let my workout be my therapy and my stress relief.

It didn't give me any answers but what it did give me was a good sweat session, burn in my muscles, and cleared my brain. I know now that I can refocus and tackle one thing at a time. Workouts are my therapy; they are my drug; they help me get through the day and feel strong and clearheaded. I never leave a workout feeling worse than I did before I started.

What's your therapy? What's your drug? I can guarantee it does not work better than a workout because what other therapy or drug also changes your body for the better?

June 6 is the start date for my next group and I NEED YOUR HELP to stay focused and stay strong through the temptations and craziness that summer brings. Who wants to join? I'll support you and you'll support me and we will succeed together.

If you are reading this after the fact, please contact me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/boeknowscleanliving to see when my next accountability group starts!

Struggles make you stronger

WHAT IS ONE STRUGGLE THAT MADE YOU STRONGER? *Transformation Tuesday*

          I want to share with you part of my story that has nothing really to do with my physical journey at all. I went into grad school directly after graduating college because the job market was bad and I (fortunately) was able to attend with a tuition waiver and a stipend from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 2 years later when I graduated the job market was still bad, so I moved to Iowa where Corey had been teaching for 2 years. In this small town area there were no jobs related to my field and every entry-level job turned me down because I was “overqualified”.
          The only job I did get was through Corey’s school as a 1-on-1 aide for minimum wage, and the next year I got my sub license and worked while I was pregnant. Subbing work was slow also, but it got us used to living on 1 income before Addie was born. I have always wanted to be a stay at home mom, and since I never really became involved in a job/career out of grad school, it was an easy transition to stay at home and we were already used to living on only Corey’s income. That doesn’t mean living on a teacher’s salary is easy, but we are used to it.
          I used to think that because I couldn’t find a job to put my master’s degree “to use” that I was a failure. But those setbacks really just set me up for being a stay at home mom, and then about 2 years into staying at home I joined the Beachbody family as a coach to get a discount on Shakeology and to turn my health around. 2 more years later and what started as a way to save money has now turned into a purpose to help people change their lives through health and fitness, a way to bring an in an income, AND I still get to stay at home. heart emoticon 

          My point is... In the THICK of it... Your life may seem out of control... it may feel like everything is going wrong... You might be struggling... Financially, spiritually, emotionally, and physically... But THE TRUTH IS... it may just be the thing needed to create your AMAZING future!!! Stay strong... Have faith! Everything is going to turn out just how God intends it to!

Hospitality vs. The "Perfection Infection"

What do you see here? Deep down, I see a couch with hidden Kirby hairs and one that desperately needs to be shampooed.

In years past, I would have let my "perfection infection" drive me nuts and would have deep cleaned not only the couch but the whole house before hosting Addison's birthday party. And if I couldn't get it all done before people came over, I would have been upset. Not to mention very difficult to deal with as I was doing all of the cleaning.
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This year I took a different approach and did what I could, asked Corey for help (which he gave and I'm so grateful for), and the rest I just let go and focused on enjoying the people that came to the house and enjoying the celebration.
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While reading one of my books "No More Perfect Moms" the author brings up this question: Is our resistance to hospitality and allowing our fears to control us an act of selfishness? Do we care more about how we feel then how our hospitality may make the other person feel? I can guarantee that no one at the party mentioned the fact that my couch would look nicer if it was shampooed; and if anyone thought it at least they didn't say it, so thanks for that!
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I am learning that perfection is an unrealistic standard, and maybe just an organized reality and a welcoming heart and spirit is more important than a house that looks like it came out of a magazine. Hospitality is our opportunity to be Jesus to those around us and it is an extension of our hearts. ❤
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Offering hospitality puts the emphasis on others and strives to meet their physical and spiritual needs. I love a part from my book said: your hospitality should make people feel REFRESHED, NOT IMPRESSED when they leave your home.
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Do you struggle with extending hospitality to others? I hope that sharing this with you can empower you to replace fear with courage, insecurity with confidence, and judgment with grace. And invite people over to be part of your reality- no unrealistic expectations or perfection required.

Why I became a Beachbody coach

The moments captured in THIS picture are part of why I became a Beachbody coach. I was not doing Addie's future self-image and self-esteem any favors by sitting on the couch, loafing around letting anxiety, depression, and laziness rule my life.

I was not doing my family's financial future any favors either. While it's always been my dream to be a stay at home mom, tight finances have been a result of that dream. 

Enter Beachbody. My friend Toni saw in me the potential to be happy and healthy again. She knew I could push myself and was willing to do that for me when I wasn't doing it for myself. She is also a stay at home mom and found a way to balance family life with building a debt-crushing business in her free time, WHILE staying fit and healthy, too!

Being a stay at home mom has a lot of responsibilities, but whatever your job may be, there are down times in your day when you're watching tv or scrolling Facebook. I've learned to take those mindless activities and turn them into a way to help pay bills and be my own boss. 

She doesn't do it every day, but I love when Addison joins me for a workout. On days like today, the calorie burn is the least important thing on my mind. ❤Giving each other winks and thumbs up, "boo-yah" and fist bump, talking about the latest Lion Guard episode, teaching her pointers when she is excited to join in, and quality bonding time over a habit I hope she continues long after we have the chance to do this together.

What kind of legacy will you leave as a result of your habits and lifestyle? I am looking for ladies who can see themselves in who I used to be, and want to see themselves in parts of who I am now. Because I'm not the only person whose life has been changed by becoming a Beachbody coach, and I won't be the last. But it is up to YOU if you join me in being the author of your own future and being in the drivers seat of your physical and financial health.

If you'd like more information about joining my team to see where we go in 2016, please comment below and I will get in touch with you.

Dealing with anger toward your children in a Godly way: God's timing for my personal development reading

          Sometimes your kids can give you big reality/gut checks. When Addie and I were talking before nursing last night, she said in a sad but serious tone "Mom I want you to apologize for spanking me." Now to clarify, it wasn't a spanking but I yanked her towel down off the ring in the bathroom pretty quick in frustration from her not listening to me and it got her hand in the process.
          But, I was frustrated and lost my cool and that's the truth. It's tough when your kid points out a fault you already know. But if I'm going to set a good example for her, I need to show her how to apologize and ask for forgiveness when she does make mistakes. So I apologized and we talked how you can sin when you are angry or if you don't listen to mommy that's a sin too.
          She responded by saying "I don't have sins anymore. God took them and made a hole in the ceiling and flew up to Heaven with them and now they're gone." 
          Then we prayed together. I went first to show her how to say I was sorry for my sin and ask Jesus to help me do better next time. Then she folded her hands, closed her eyes, and prayed an apology and asked Jesus to take that sin away.  We both apologized to each other and forgave each other and made a commitment to (me) take a deep breath first when frustrated and (her) listen to mommy the first time.
          I am so humbled by her innocence, growing faith, and the refreshing honesty she gives me on a daily basis. She is such a blessing from God for my own faith and that pesky pride.

          Fast forward to today. I was reading my personal development while Addison was at school. It was totally God's timing for me to read this chapter today out of Anger: Taming a Powerful Emotion by Gary Chapman. This book is such a blessing. I highly recommend it to everyone.

          Do you ever find yourself letting your anger get the best of you? It's not a sin to be angry! It is a sin to act wrongly because of our anger. We have a responsibility as parents to stop the cycle of not being able to handle our anger effectively and to teach our children to be in control of their emotions.

Did your job give you a raise last year? Mine did!

          I did some number crunching today and my jaw dropped. My 2015 Beachbody income was 3 TIMES what I made in 2014!! Can you say that about your 40+ hour a week job? This is the type of job where the sky is the limit. Nothing is guaranteed, but if you work hard you will be rewarded! I took part in several trainings, applied what I learned, and have a daily "Power Hour" of items where once I am done, I can shut my computer lid if need be and spend the rest of the day with my daughter. I never thought that the 2.5 hours twice a week that Addison is in preschool would be such a blessing but it has made a huge difference in my business and I am usually able to squeeze the most important things for my business into those mornings.

          Some months this income paid for gas and groceries, some months it paid for a splurge of a gift, this summer it paid for our trip to Kansas City, and other months it provides much needed savings for our emergency fund/debts. Every month, though, it paid for our Shakeology and then some. Which is more than enough for us!!

          How am I able to accomplish this without letting the tv raise Addie and the house fall into disarray? I don't need to work full time hours to create an income as a Beachbody coach. In fact, I joined as a coach simply to get a discount on Shakeology and to hold myself accountable to MY OWN fitness journey. I share that with you, and invite you to join me.

          To learn more about what it takes to be a Beachbody coach, please like/comment/message me because my team is hosting a free sneak peek this week that will answer all of your questions. Now is the perfect time to take control of your own health and fitness and to earn money while you're at it! 

          To keep Corporate happy: "Beachbody does not guarantee any level of success or income from the Team Beachbody Coach Opportunity. Each Coach's income depends on his or her own efforts, diligence, and skill."

Common Objections to Becoming a Beachbody Coach or Purchasing a Challenge Pack

Common Objections to Becoming a Beachbody Coach or Purchasing a Challenge Pack

I'm here to talk to you a little bit about Beachbody coaching and objections. Everybody has an objection- trust me; I've heard them all because I had them too! My friend worked on me for quite a while before getting me to sign up, and I wanted to share with you some of the objections I had before signing up because I hear them all the time now as a coach when I approach other people. Getting objections from other people is frustrating and to be honest, it kind of breaks my heart because I had them and I broke through them; I had faith in my friend that she would not be steering me wrong and I'm so glad that I listened to her because my life has changed in so many ways once I finally put the objections and the excuses aside and took a chance on myself to not only change my fitness but also financial future by becoming a coach.

I’ll get to specific objections to being an “active” coach later, but first I want to talk about what people say to getting a challenge pack or sale bundle. One of the top objections I hear all the time is “I don't have the money” Oh my goodness, I totally felt that way too! I'm a stay-at-home mom, my husband is a schoolteacher and we are paying off 2 sets of private college tuition: it is tough! I did not think that we had the money either at first. Fortunately, my husband and I work from a budget so we saw on paper what our income was and we kept track of what we were spending every month and we decided to prioritize our health and instead of paying money to go to the doctor, we decided to try to prevent some sickness. If we took away one or two times of going out to eat for a month, or some of the extra things that we were spending money on that we really didn't need to be buying, we could we could swap those out for Shakeology and a challenge pack. I really don't miss all that extra stuff but we have felt the benefits of Shakeology and it's been a year and half of drinking it every single day. I would not spend that money every single month if I didn't feel the health benefits and know that it is worth it, because trust me, I could totally be using that $100+ a month to get ahead on our loans, or go out to eat a couple more times in a month, and just enjoy other things like to the movies. But I'm so glad that I'm healthy and I think that you'd find that too, but you've got to take that chance for yourself.

If you are not sure that you want to sign up and it's a lot of money to put on the line, guess what? You can try the program, you can drink the entire bag of shakes and if you're not happy with the results you got or how you feel, you can get your money back even after you drink them! Now that is a money back guarantee one hundred-percent; there's really nothing to lose at that point when you know that you can drink them and still get your money back if you're not happy. That's how much faith that Beachbody has in the products that they put out.

Another thing: maybe it might take a couple months of saving to get yourself signed up- that is fine! Maybe you can sell a few things- my husband and I sell stuff on Facebook and eBay all the time to make room for our fun purchases. Or maybe you can say “Let's invest in ourselves this year for Christmas. Let's not get each other gifts, let's get each other a challenge pack.” It'll be a gift that lasts a lot longer.

If you still can’t swing it to continue Shakeology monthly even after looking at your budget or selling things- I totally understand! You could drink half a shake a day (your bag will then last 2 months) or split a serving with your spouse every day. You're still going to get those extra nutrients; maybe not a full dose but it's still going to make a difference in your day. We drink half a shake a day too: you my husband and I are not at the point where we can afford two bags a month but we've still seen changes in our health and our lives just from drinking half a shake a day. What I’m trying to say is that if you make your health a priority, then you'll find a way to make it work.

Now, onto some things people think about becoming a coach and why they wouldn’t be able to do it or be good at it. People always say: “I don't have the time” and I did not think that I had the time either. Even as a stay-at-home mom I was busy doing other things, but how much time do you spend watching TV a day? I know most people now have a DVR, so what you can do is DVR your favorite show ahead of time and then fast forward through the commercials. Your hour-long show just turned into 40 minutes and you now have time to fit in that half an hour workout, especially if you watch more than one show a night! Half an hour is such a small percentage of your day, but it's going to give you so much more energy and it’s going to make you feel so much better.

Another thing I hear a lot is “I don't have the time to be a coach.” Well, you can dedicate as much time or as little time as you want into being a coach, especially for those Beachbody coaches that work full-time and have family events too. That is not my situation since I'm stay-at-home mom, so I have a little more time during the day to reach out to people. The most successful coaches use something called a “Power Hour” and that is where you set your focus for one hour to do the things for your business like inviting people everyday and spending time catching up with people. Let’s be honest: everyone scrolls on Facebook!! I scroll on Facebook; you use Facebook during your lunch hour; you log on after you get home from work or before bed. Why not take that time scrolling on Facebook and instead of just mindless scrolling, focus on connecting with people and having conversations. It's not posting sales on your wall and selling to people all the time. It's just building relationships and with that, an opportunity to present Beachbody to them should come about naturally in your conversation. If you're posting about what you're doing for your health and fitness to your wall daily, people are going to see it and they might ask you about it or a chance for you to you invite them to your accountability group or to the coaching opportunity might come about naturally as you are talking.

Another excuse I had before signing up as a coach was that being a coach scared me! I was not at my goal weight or body; I was not a picture of health. I thought, “I'm not perfect. No one is going to want to look at me as an example to follow.”  But honestly what I’ve found is that is the opposite! Almost every day I get a message saying “the fact that you're posting every day about your workout inspires me.” Perfection does not inspire people- it doesn't! When you see those “perfect” people in the magazines or on TV, that doesn't really inspire you. It almost makes you feel bad about yourself because you're not that perfect.

Guess what? I have stretch marks and I still have areas on my body I'm not happy with or would like to change but I work out everyday, I share my struggles, and the fact that I'm not feeling it someday and don't want to work out but I choose to press play and I choose to post about it, that's all I'm doing! As a coach, I’m trying to show people that I take that one extra step of SHARING and that is what gives other people motivation to try and what inspires them. A sales pitch or an advertisement does not inspire people; being relatable and being honest is what it takes to be a coach.

Still another objection I had is “What will people think of me?” I didn't really want to put myself out there. I got to the point where holding back/not sharing as much or being honest in my posts was affecting my relationships. So many of our relationships now are cultivated through social media because we do not live close to a lot of our friends and family. My best friend lives in Wisconsin so obviously I don't see her very often at all but I share on social media with her and I message her daily, so if I wasn't being truthful in what I posted online our friendship wouldn't be real. I got to a point where I stopped caring what other people thought about me because I can't control what anyone thinks about me; all I can control is myself and my reactions to people. If they don't like what I post, then they are free to unfriend me, unfollow me, block me, whatever. I don't need their negative energy bringing me down anyways! I'm going to share who I am and if you like that, that's awesome and you are the kind of person that I want in my life being friends with me. I got past being embarrassed and being scared or knowing what to post as a coach. I just post who I am and the people who identify with that are the people that I’m going to want to partner with me in accountability groups and to be on my team as coaches. You’ve heard of the idea that “like attracts like”: you put out there who you are and the people that want to follow you will follow you!

Those are a lot of hesitations that I had before I started as a coach and now that I'm on the other side, I wanted to tell you that you're not the only person with objections: I get messages with them all the time. Those are just my experience having overcome those objections and I hope this has helped you realized that you don't have to be perfect and you don't have to know everything. We have trainings available and however you much time and energy you want to devote to this business to creating financial freedom for your family, or just saving $20something a month on your Shakeology and working on yourself and you may be referring a friend once in awhile that's totally fine! Being a coach on whatever level you choose is fine with me. I hope this post helps with some of the objections you may be having right now and if you have any questions, please let me know!

A new meaning to "business casual" wardrobe: working toward financial freedom in my pajamas

If you showed up to your next business meeting looking like this, would you still have a job?



I was:

-still half asleep

-in my pjs

-sporting bed head

-feeding my daughter breakfast

-with my best friends

-following my own daily schedule

-GROWING MY BUSINESS!

          Intrigued? As a Beachbody coach, I set my own hours, I work with who I want to, I am PRESENT for my daughter, I am growing personally, I keep myself accountable for my own fitness, I earn a paycheck, and I partner with other people who want to do the same!

          We paid for our hotel stay from our recent road trip entirely from my coaching income without having to sweat it coming from my husband's teaching salary! But you know what? In the past, we haven't been able to take road trips or vacations without my parents...because they paid for everything for us. Like...we didn't even have extra money to leave a tip on the dinner out that they would buy. Granted, I love my parents and I love being spoiled by them and they love spoiling us (my mom's love language is most definitely gifts)...but as a 29 year old I want to be able to pay for things myself and have that pride of doing things for my daughter without having to always say "Grandma bought us that."

          Before we had Addison, I would pick a reservation at the CHEAPEST place I could find when Corey and I had to travel. I have nothing against hotels that at least have clean sheets and warm rooms for $70 a night, but with a 3 year old I want something a little bigger, more amenities, and things that make traveling less stressful. I discovered the Drury Inn in Kansas City. They include *everything* in their stay! 2 hot meals a day (really good ones), popcorn and pop in the lobby, wifi, parking, fitness center, and they are walking distance to Kauffman Stadium which is where we went for our recent trip. You can't find that in a hotel for $70 a night! You do pay for those premium perks, though. Before Beachbody I would have never even dreamed of  spending over $100 a night for a hotel, or staying more than 1 night in a row! But thanks to a couple hours of dedicated time daily building my business over the last year, I've been able to enjoy the fruits of my labor. We are still in debt for student loans and on a tight budget, but having a bit of breathing room for fun stuff like this makes all the difference in the world. And I know that I will continue moving up from here.

I have been so blessed by the coaching opportunity and if you're not on board, you need to be! Please reach out to me and share with others if this post resonated with you or if you know someone who could benefit from this opportunity.

Beachbody does not guarantee any level of success or income from the Team Beachbody Coach Opportunity. Each Coach's income depends on his or her own efforts, diligence, and skill. See our Statement of Independent Coach Earnings located in the Coach Online Office for the most recent information on our Coaches' actual incomes." In addition, please provide prospective and current Coaches with the link to the Statement of Independent Coach Earnings, http://tbbcoa.ch/TBB_SOICE

T25: can you really see changes in 25 minutes a day for 5 days a week?

Winter 2014

 

          As I'm doing #throwbackthursday throughout my fitness journey inspired by Beachbody, I have come to the late fall/early winter of 2014 and my first taste of Shaun T. I am not a huge fan of cardio because I always flash back to times as a kid being overheated or feeling like my heart was going to beat out of my chest or about to pass out from overexertion. Granted, during those times I was not in shape, but those memories still affect me today. I was looking for something new and was really intrigued by T25 being only 25 minutes a day and 5 days a week. Something being 10 weeks long was a big change for me because PiYo was 8 weeks and the 21 Day Fix is obviously 21 days long.

          I started T25 in late October and finished at the end of December. I continued using the 21 Day Fix meal plan with the portion control containers but did allow more leeway for fun holiday indulgences. I HATE feeling deprived...that makes me want *whatever it is* even more! Plus I am learning to focus on the scale less and less so I knew it wouldn't be the end of the world if I gained a pound or 2 over the holidays. But WOW Shaun T makes you WORK in those 25 minutes and I was a sweaty, smelly mess after pretty much every workout. The calorie counts on my Garmin Vivofit were really high for being only 25 minutes. That's what cardio will do for ya: burn calories! 

          T25 comes in 2 rounds: 5 weeks of Alpha (your foundation) and the 5 weeks of Beta (when the moves get harder and some weights/resistance band are incorporated into the workouts). There is also 4 weeks of Gamma *sold separately* that focuses on strength. I am actually redoing T25 and adding Gamma to it now in July 2015 so I will add a post about Gamma when I finish it. Alpha, being the foundation, is a great introduction to fitness. There is a modifier to make the moves low impact because there is a LOT of jumping and even my knees needed a few weeks to get over their creakiness when doing the moves. I love how Shaun builds up to a difficult move through a progression. He doesn't have you start out doing a high knee run: first you march, then slow jog, then fast. Every move is taught in a progression. My daughter Addison learned the word "focus" during my time doing T25. The workout is actually called Focus:T25 and many times a workout you will hear Shaun telling you what the focus for a particular move is, or to keep focused, etc. So this workout has been dubbed "the focus workout" by Addison.

          I know the difference between 25 and 30 minutes is not that much, but in a heart-pumping workout....5 minutes is a huge difference! I loved that I could get in a super sweaty workout in less than half an hour and still have time for holiday preparations. Since I had only done shorter calendars before, the workouts got a little stale after 5 weeks. Especially because you do each workout 1-2 times a week. There are 5 workouts in each phase, but Friday is a double day so you'll do a workout twice in one week. I ended up mostly doing 1 workout Friday and the other workout Saturday and taking Sunday off. Personally, having 2 days without a workout starts me on the slippery slope of then skipping again Monday...and having to get back on the wagon.

          The biggest difference I saw in myself after 10 weeks of T25 was my core. It was like every move in the workouts secretly activated my core. I maintained my weight, which isn't bad considering I did this during the holidays and did let myself indulge a bit. I lost 1.5" total, with a tiny bit coming from my thighs, hips, and waist. My picture, I think, shows the best transformation. I think my core strength changed the most, and my endurance for cardio did too. So I may not have become a Shaun T groupie, but I did love this workout and if you need a kick butt workout (almost all of the workouts require no equipment) in less than half an hour, this is the one for you!

Strawberry Picking: a fun family activity centered on a healthy food

          Have you ever been strawberry picking? We just went Saturday- it was the first time for any of us. We went to Getting's Garden, located outside of Sheldon, Iowa (http://gettingsgarden.com). It was so much fun. It's an amazing opportunity to teach my daughter where her food comes from and also make fun family memories.

          I thought it was so cool how many strawberries were on each stem: big red ones next to tiny green ones, and a few flowers mixed in that haven't even started growing their strawberries. I love being in nature and seeing God's wonderful creation.

          As my husband I were prepping some of our freshly picked strawberries for the freezer yesterday, I got to thinking: how do other people prep their strawberries? Growing up, my mom would just chop the top off to get the green off. I got a huller in grad school because I thought it was the most novel invention. In reality, you have to shove it in there, wiggle it around, and almost scrape it to the side as you lift it out in order to actually get the stem and leaves off. Who wants mushed strawberries and to do that much work just to get the stem off? We picked 2 flats worth of strawberries and I found that the stems came off super easy just pulling with my finger. Sometimes I used my thumbnail to get right at the base of it. My daughter Addison (3 years old) could even do it.

          So I decided to try all 3 methods next to each other. What can I say...I needed some excitement in those oceans of strawberries. ;) One thing I am always conscious of is waste. I try not to waste or throw away anything unless absolutely necessary. Cutting the stem off leaves quite a bit of waste, the huller is a little better, but just pulling it off wastes no edible part of the strawberry at all! Not to mention that you don't need to use any tool but your own fingers! This is something your young child can do with you and you don't need to worry about knife safety or anything. We ended up prepping 47 cups worth of strawberries, so cutting the top off of each would generate a lot of waste! Pulling the stems off just left a heap of green. 

          Now I've got 47 pre-portioned bags of cut strawberries in my deep freezer to add to our Shakeology each morning. (To those who might think it's funny I am worried about waste but still used plastic bags...we reuse them MANY times before throwing them away. There are some conveniences I still use but it's not like I had any other way to store almost 50 cups of strawberries.)

So tell me: 

Have you been strawberry picking?

How do you prep your strawberries?

I'd love to hear from you to see if this idea has occurred to you before!