I used to do a weekly post with a peek into the past week + lots of links. Many of you have missed this, so I’m bringing it back for 2026! I’ll be sharing some pictures and highlights from the past week + what I’m reading, watching, and listening to. I will also share links to posts or other interesting things I don’t want you to miss.

We let David pick out what he wears every day — it’s part of giving him ownership and responsibility in as many areas as we can. Yesterday, he decided he wanted to wear my coat with his pants. We laughed so hard and he wore it around for a bit!!

I’ve been eating this breakfast on repeat. 2 eggs, 1/4 cup egg whites, 1/4 cup cottage cheese all scrambled together with fruit, cottage cheese, and sourdough on the side — 45 grams of protein to start the day!

I drove to Lebanon, TN on Friday to have a lunch date with Kathrynne (the office she works at is there!).

I don’t recall every going to Lebanon before and we loved their downtown square area!

We ate at Town Square Social and it was delicious!!

How cute is this restaurant??

We also went to this little bookstore and bought some used books.

They also had a big cart outside with free books!!

We bought some amazing cupcakes and bread pudding at Polly Sparrow Bakery!

I tried to get some great deals at Barnes & Noble this week, but instead this is what happened.

David is really interested in the coffee maker right now and helped Jesse make coffee this week. He has been so intently paying attention and soaking things up and is just learning so much right now!

Top Instagram Post of the Week

This one went viral this week.

Books I Finished This Week

Radically Restored: How Knowing Jesus Heals Our Brokenness – Stephen has an incredible story of being raised by a dad who was very abusive but also a preacher and he shares really openly about how this impacted him and led to a life of drugs and alcohol. But then, Jesus got ahold of his heart and radically changed his life. This is a powerful story of redemption and forgiveness that really touched me deeply. I was honored to get to interview him on my podcast — that episode goes up this week! Stay tuned for it!

What I’m Listening To

This week, I started listening to the audiobook recommended by a follower — Under the Magnolias (only 2 hours in and am engaged but have no idea where it’s going to lead!) — and also this podcast by Alli Worthington on Vision Over Resolutions.

What I’m Watching

I’m continuing to watch When Calls the Heart during some of my afternoon work time that I can easily do something else while working. I’m almost finished with season one (I’ve never watched the show before… can you believe it?) and am enjoying it, which has surprised me since it’s such a different show than the kind I usually enjoy!

We also watched The Pilgrim’s Progress with the younger kids this morning because we stayed home from church due to their sickness and it opened up so many doors of great discussion!

In Case You Missed It – Posts From This Week

A Day In My Life – Welcome to a peek into my life! On Thursday, January 8, 2026, I chronicled my day on Instagram stories. So many people loved it, that I wanted to share it here on the blog, too, for those who missed it. See all the pictures and details and links here.

Gross vs. Net Income: Why It Matters (And How to Calculate It the Simple Way) – Understanding the difference between gross vs. net income is essential for budgeting. In this simple guide, you’ll learn what gross and net income really mean, why the difference matters, and how to calculate each the easy way.

How to Save Money FAST: Real, Doable Steps for Busy Families – Saving money doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. In this post, you’ll discover easy, realistic ways to save money fast and keep more cash in your pocket starting today.

65+ Frugal Date Night Ideas (FREE Printable List!) – Some of our favorite date nights over the years cost almost nothing and are the ones we still talk about. That’s why I created this FREE printable with 65+ cheap and free date night ideas — to help you connect, laugh, and make memories without stress, complicated reservations, or a big budget.

My first Sam’s Club shopping trip in *years*! – I never expected to get a Sam’s Club membership again, but after a few years of you all telling me that I really, really should check it out because I could save money by having one, when the $20 Sam’s Club membership offer came up, I decided to go for it! Check out this post to see what deals I found!

This Week’s Podcast Episode: My Fun List for 2026

The week’s podcast episode is a follow-up to the episode where I shared why I’m not setting goals for 2026, and if you haven’t listened to that one yet, I recommend you do so first because it gives some important context for everything I’m sharing here.

Today, Jesse and I give you a peek into my “fun list” – the low-pressure, no-fail, creatively inspired approach I’m taking this year instead of traditional goals, and I am sharing how it’s already reshaping my life just eight days into 2026 (as of when we recorded this)!

I talk about the various ways that I have been learning to exist without constant urgency. Years of nonstop goal-chasing left my nervous system overworked, and letting go of that pace has forced me to ask, “Who am I without projects defining my worth?”

I share how sitting quietly, arriving early, and simply having space between tasks has actually been strangely calming and unexpectedly healing. We also dive into some very practical examples: everything from decluttering and organizing our home, creating better systems for the spaces which we already have, helping our kids take more ownership, to discovering joy in cooking, exploring new crafts like watercolor and embroidery, and simply enjoying small daily rituals like tea, walks, movies, and shows!

Along the way, I also reflect on how my fun list allows me to enjoy life without pressure—no measuring, no stress, just inspiration.

Listen in here as I share how I am approaching social media differently this year, letting Instagram be a life-giving place again, and how I’m enjoying reading fiction for the sake of enjoyment, not just achievement. I really hope this episode inspires you to experiment with your own fun list, give yourself permission to slow down, and find joy in both the small and creative moments of life! And if you have ideas for me to add to my Fun List, let me know!

Tell me about your week! Anything interesting happen? Did you read any good books, watch any good shows, or tackle any project?

   

I never expected to get a Sam’s Club membership again, but after a few years of you all telling me that I really, really should check it out because I could save money by having one, when the $20 Sam’s Club membership offer came up, I decided to go for it!

It was so easy to get the $20 membership online! It just took a few minutes to do. Then, you just go to the membership desk in-store and get your official Sam’s Club card. I added Jesse onto my account for free, too!

I went on my first Sam’s Club shopping trip on Thursday night around 6:15 p.m. and I decided that was a GREAT time to shop because there was hardly anyone at the store! The lady at the customer service desk told me that it was almost empty but many times throughout the week, the store will be packed with people!

I felt pretty proud of this card! Like, I’m official or something! (Years and years ago, Jesse and I had a Sam’s Club membership because we had our merchant account — the account that allowed us to accept credit cards from customers for products — through them and one of the perks of that was having a membership. We didn’t keep out membership once we switched to another merchant account.)

I asked my audience to share what deals they highly recommend buying at Sam’s Club in this post, and one of the number one items suggested was the rotiserrie chicken! It’s just $4.98 so I absolutely grabbed one up!

This was really an exploratory trip for me to familiarize myself with the store, compare prices, and see what deals I found. I only had about 20 minutes to shop, but since there was hardly anyone at the store, I was able to make it through the majority of the store. I’m looking forward to going back again soon — likely this coming week — to search more thoroughly for deals and see what great prices I may have missed the first time!

I was really excited with the deal on cottage cheese — 3 lbs for just $5.88!!

And of course I had to stop at the free sample machine and get a free sample!

I also picked up some Bare Chicken Bites. We love these and this price was a little less than the best deal I can get at Kroger on sale!

The price I was most excited about was the Greek yogurt deal! We go through a LOT of Greek yogurt, especially since it’s one of David’s favorite foods and he usually has a big bowl at least once a day. You could get 3 lbs for $4.76! Aldi has a tub half this size for $3.76, so this is definitely a great deal!

I also picked up a 10-lb bag of sugar because we were almost out for $7.88. Here’s everything I bought above — my total (with tax) was right above $40!

Overall, I was so happy with the deals I found and that was just in 20 minutes! Now, I will say that there were a lot of items that weren’t good deals compared to what I pay at Aldi or Kroger. In addition, I see where it would be easy to get distracted with all of the sales on clothes and appliances and who knows what else they have in the middle section (I didn’t go there!) and end up spending WAY more than you would just shopping at a grocery store.

However, if you are careful, intentional, and strategic, I think you can definitely save money by shopping at Sam’s Club — and that the $20 membership fee will quickly pay for itself and then a lot more in the savings!

What are your honest thoughts? Do you have a Sam’s Club membership? Do you save money by shopping there? I’d love to hear!