Happy Tuesday, friends! Hope your week is off to a swell start. Today I wanted to take a moment and introduce you to my friend Marci–a southern lady who happens to be very handy in the kitchen and writes a lovely food and fitness blog that you should check out. She blogs all the time, features fabulous recipes and is easily one of the sweetest gals around. Please join me in giving Marci a very warm welcome!

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One of my favorite parts of the week is going to the grocery store on Sundays. I try to get all my shopping done for the week in one day, and here are some tips of how I do it. It does involve planning, but not to the extent that I write down five days of dinner menus.

A little background–I only have to feed two people, and my husband eats lunch out and some dinners out too. When planning and buying, I pay attention to expiration dates or overbuying so things won’t spoil.

How to get your grocery shopping done in one day for one week:

1. Have an old-fashioned list. I keep a list going all the time in the kitchen. Make sure you add things that you run out of right when you run out of it! Jot down new foods to try from things you read. Then at the grocery, stick to your list. It will keep you from overbuying. However, there are some days when I like to browse the aisles and look for new things to try or produce that is in season.

2. Think about your week. Do you already have plans to eat out? Are you packing your breakfast every morning or will you have time to eat at home? Same with lunch. For me, I always pack breakfast and a snack, and my lunches are similar within a week or I eat dinner leftovers. Keeping lunches similar keeps your grocery bill down. Buy a bag of cherries one week and then mixed berries the next. Use pantry items to change it up, or buy turkey and alternate in tuna or beans for salad protein.

3. Get to know your grocery store. The annoying part of wanting certain brands or fresher produce is going to multiple grocery stores. However, I can be in and out of a grocery store quickly because I know where things are and what each store may or may not carry.

4. If you go to multiple grocery stores, go to the one that will be cheaper first. By this I mean that I will look for produce at an everyday type store before Whole Foods because I know it will be cheaper. If the quality is poor at store #1, I’ll get it at Whole Foods.

5. Use Costco (or any big box store)! My weekly trips to the grocery are for what we need for the week. We leave our cleaning supplies, some freezer items, dry snacks and waters to buy in bulk every six weeks or so.

6. Plan to make use of your Sunday afternoon. Every Sunday, I hard-boil six eggs to use for breakfast or chopped into tuna salad or on a salad. Sometimes I bake chicken to have for a few days. Sometimes I bake muffins to freeze for breakfast. And then I make dinner for Sunday night with plans to have leftovers for Monday lunch or Monday night. Or if I make chicken, I will use it in a different way during the week.

7. Plan a basic dinner. It doesn’t always have to be about creating a recipe! You just need things on hand to satisfy the carb-protein-vegetable ratio, in my opinion. For instance, sweet potatoes, vegetables to roast (brussels sprouts, broccoli, squash, zucchini, mixed peppers) can always be paired with canned baked beans, 90-second rice, grilled chicken or your protein of choice for a well-rounded meal. I eat more exciting than that a lot of the time, but sometimes that is good enough.

8. The freezer is for more than ice cream and ice. Use your freezer to store baked goods then defrost in the refrigerator overnight for breakfast. You can cook soups ahead and defrost before work for dinner that night, and let meats thaw all day. Planning is the hard part. If you make the decisions ahead of time, all that’s left is to execute when you get home at night.

RECIPE: Here’s a banana nut muffin recipe that is great for using up old bananas before you throw them away. Freeze them to grab on the go. Perfect for a working lifestyle!

While I’m out gallivanting around Las Vegas, I figured I’d have my dear friend Allyson stop by for a quick Q&A session. We go way back and she’s the sweetest lady around. Please join me in welcoming her to LaurieSteiner.com!

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Hey everyone! Just a little bit about me so you know who the heck this girl is Laurie asked to guest blog today! I live in Springfield, MO but come here by way of many different places. I graduated high school in Roswel, GA outside of Atlanta and moved there from Dallas, TX where I lived for 12 years. Laurie and I actually met when we were quite young at a camp in Texas where we thought we might be related… only to find out we were in fact not! I ended up at Indiana University where I graduated with a degree in journalism and a minor in history and political science. I started working first in Atlanta, GA as the assistant director of the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and after two years took my dream leap to Washington, D.C. I worked at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in a number of capacities there in marketing and event planning, and it is through one of my jobs at the Chamber that I met my now husband at a conference in L.A. It’s a great story, but way too long to put here. After a year of long distance dating, I packed up my life in D.C. and moved to a smaller town in the Midwest. We live “out in the country” right outside the city limits of Springfield and here I am today. Married, 2 dogs and searching for that dream job!

Allyson and husband Chris on their honeymoon

Q: From marriage and relocation to starting a new job and your current job search, you have experienced many milestones in the past year. Tell us more about them!

A: The past year and a half have been a whirlwind! I moved to Springfield, MO from Washington, D.C. (quite the change) to be with my then boyfriend, turned fiancé, turned husband! He is amazing and although its been difficult adjusting to life in Springfield, he has helped make it that much easier. I spent the first 6 months in Springfield looking for a great job and finally found one at the Springfield News-Leader as a promotions coordinator, working with organizations on events we were sponsoring, special events, and marketing. It was fantastic. I loved the job and the people I worked with until one dark day in December when I got the dreaded call into my boss’s office… our corporate offices were slashing my position across the country.  So here I am again, searching for that fantastic job once more!

Q: Of course, single life is drastically different from marriage. How has your life changed since you got married?

A: I am definitely more responsible. Fiscally, my husband is a lot smarter than I am so I have learned to be smarter in my spending habits. He and I both love to spend, but whereas I tend to be more adventurous with my bank account, he is a little more conservative. Joint bank accounts sure make a girl honest! I also tend to not go out as much. We love the piano bar in town and some of the great restaurants, but my days of dancing and staying out until after midnight are long gone. Apparently getting married makes me an old lady, but I’m loving a “simpler” life. It’s perfect!

Q: You recently worked for a newspaper. Since you are now in the process of looking for a new job, are you hoping to stay in the same industry? If not, what are you searching for?

A: I worked for the paper in the marketing side. I wouldn’t mind a great marketing job, but my dream is to be in the non-profit/development/fundraising/special events field. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do and have done quite a bit in my first few years in the professional field. I would love to one day become a development director for a non-profit!

Q: Congratulations on joining the blogosphere! What made you want to start a blog of your own?

A: I’ve always wanted to start a blog but have never had the time or knew exactly what I wanted to talk about. My life, in and of itself, isn’t too exciting. But when I started having to live on a budget and find new, inexpensive ways to do things in order to keep life “normal” I realized I wasn’t the only one out there like that. Thus, the idea for the blog was born. I have some time now since I’m job searching and realized it was a way to keep me productive and sane at the same time!

Q: What are some of your current passions?

A: I love sports. I’ve always been a bit of a tomboy like that. I love the Indiana Hoosiers, Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Braves.  My husband loves the fact that he can sit and watch football with me, and sometimes I can even outlast him in front of the TV on game days! And I love my work. I’m one of those people who puts 110 percent into everything I do, which is why I won’t settle for just a “job” right now. I hate working on something I’m not passionate about. It’s not fair to me or to those I am working with.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

A: Haha, my husband saw this question and immediately said “with 2 kids running around.” So let’s go with that. In 10 years I’d love to see myself with 2 kids and in a great job, hopefully as development director of a fantastic non-profit. By then we will have had time to travel with and without the kiddos and spend lots of time with family and friends. So much can happen in 10 years. It’s so hard to imagine. Ten years ago I was a second semester freshman at Indiana University, pledging a sorority. Who knew where my life would have taken me!

{In lieu of Mid-week Mumbles…}

In the warm spirit of the holidays , Brittney asked if I would guest post on her blog while she plays hostess to family and friends. I invite you to head over to Lamidge.com to read today’s post on “Twinkle Lights & Bread Bowls.”

Cheers and happy holidays!

Megan is a 20-something Virginia girl living with her boyfriend in Portland, Ore., where there never seems to be enough sunshine or closet space (but there’s more than enough coffee, beer and wine to make up for it). You can find her here and here (in 140 characters or less), where she writes about things that she thinks are pretty awesome–but that no one else probably really cares about. You can also find her here,where she posts pretty pictures.

You guys have heard me mention her a few times (such as here, here and here). So I figured, wouldn’t it be nice to actually hear from the lovely lady herself? Friends, I give you… Megan.

- L

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When I graduated college, property management degree in hand, I packed up and moved myself from Virginia to Texas, excited to start the next chapter in the Rest Of My Life. Like many college grads, I thought I had it all figured out. I had a great job lined up, one with a built-in career path and the potential to do great things, and I was on my way. But over the next few years, despite my awesome friends (Hi, Laurie!), and my family of co-workers, I started to feel like something was missing–I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

Convinced that it had something to do with my surroundings, my boyfriend and I packed up and moved to Portland, Oregon, in search of Answers. But it wasn’t long at all before I realized that now there was more than something missing–there was something wrong. I was always stressed out, I woke up in the morning dreading work, and I spent weekends–even vacations–riddled with anxiety over the impending return to a job that I didn’t enjoy. There were some other contributing factors to my unhappiness, the details of which I won’t share, but it always went back to one thing, and no matter what I did I couldn’t quiet that nagging voice in my head that said, This is not what you’re supposed to be doing.

It was an unhappiness that filled–even consumed–every part of my life. I felt like an empty shell of a person, like I had become something I never wanted to be. I was a zombie. And when my family came to visit, they looked in my eyes and saw it, and suddenly it became real. It was no longer something I could ignore, or try to hide. I knew what I had to do, but I was afraid of it. I was afraid of letting people down, of stepping off that path that had been laid out in front of me and going in my own direction. I was intimidated, and I felt trapped. I was smack in the middle of what’s lovingly referred to as my Quarter-Life Crisis.

I knew that, with the economy in the state that it’s in, now was not the time to leave a well-paying job with no plan and no fall-back, but I also knew that if something didn’t change, and fast, I was going to lose my happiness, my relationship, and even part of myself–all things that I was not willing to sacrifice for any job, especially one that wasn’t making me happy. But on top of that, I also knew that life doesn’t wait for the economy to turn around. Life doesn’t wait for the Ideal Situation to fall into our laps, and I didn’t want to miss out on life for waiting. I was unhappy in a job that didn’t inspire me, didn’t excite me, and didn’t motivate me. And the truth is, I’m just selfish enough to want that for myself, and still young and naïve enough to truly believe that I can find it.

It took a lot of encouragement and yes, therapy, to convince me that it’s okay to not settle for the status quo. It’s okay to want more out of life than just any old nine-to-five job that pays the bills.

So I gave five weeks’ notice (five!)–long enough to wrap up a few projects (note to self: NEVER. AGAIN.)–and on October 8th I packed up three years’ worth of cubillectibles and brought them home, where I have no desk, no job, and no paycheck for the foreseeable future. Crazy? Perhaps. Happy? So far.

So what’s next? That’s a very good question. For right now, I’m in a phase I’m calling “self-exploration.” I’m diving into myself, exploring my options and interests to figure out what it’s going to take for me to be my Best Self. My Happiest Self. My Whole Self.

To help me figure out where to go from here, I need to figure out me. So I’m taking online classes in Web Design through Portland Community College, but I’m also using this transition period to focus on developing healthy habits and shifting my priorities. I’m working on putting myself in a better place, so that next time life throws me an unexpected curveball, I’ll be a little better prepared to swing. I’m taking control of my own happiness, my own definition of success, and making a conscious effort every day to take another step closer to where I want to be. I’m taking pictures, I’m writing, reading, learning, and most importantly, I’m laughing. For the first time in my life, I finally feel like I’m in the driver’s seat, and I’m making my choices based on what I want, what’s best for me, and not what I think someone else wants or expects me to do.

I have no idea where I’ll be six months, a year, five years from now–and I’m okay with that. I’m a little nervous, but mostly I’m excited about the opportunities that I know will come my way, and I’m excited about having the ability to be open to them. After all, isn’t that what our twenties are for?  This is when we learn who we are and what we want out of life–so why wait?

As you know, Ashley and I recently swapped blog posts. Well, I realized that I never shared my post with all of you!

When you get a moment, I’d love for you to check out the post I wrote for Ashley’s Going Like Mad blog. Titled “Landing Your Dream Job,” this post was 110 percent inspired by a recent conversation I had with my gal Megan about life and career changes.

Landing Your Dream Job

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

- L

As previously mentioned last week, this next post comes from Ashley Erickson of Going Like Mad. Please join me in welcoming Ashley to my blog. Ashley’s post gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse into her life, passions and the day-to-day experiences she has as an editor.

First, here’s a little bit about this lovely lady.

Ashley currently lives in Austin, Texas, but was raised in Southern California (which helps her appreciate the low cost of living in Texas even more).  She is currently the Texas regional editor for Competitor magazine and also works for a software company.  Social media addict to the core, her most memorable blogging accomplishment was being featured on the cover of opensalon.com.  On her blog, she talks about all things editorial and her struggle with the treadmill as she trains for her first 5K and eventual marathon finish.  Find her on Twitter where she shares her adventures around town with her hideous ankles (her words, not mine).

Now, ladies and gentleman… I give you. Ashley.

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Living by the Editorial Calendar
Ashley Erickson

I find my inspiration in my friends, family and in some of my favorite writers.  But, that still leaves one more form of inspiration: my planner.

I have been living by the editorial calendar since college.  I started as an intern for the San Diegan, a local San Diego publication that I spent 30 some hours at a week while taking classes full-time.  Balancing classes and fact checking and proofing took some getting used to, but with an annual publication time is not completely of the essence.  Then I moved on to a literary agency, where I was able to take my work home (willingly) and got to edit a 350-page manuscript (the only one I’ve ever edited).  That took a lot more time to tackle than the 100-word posts I was used to checking over, but the sense of accomplishment after still is with me.  My last internship was with Competitor, where I went in for 10 hours or so a week in the mornings before classes (that I may or may not have skipped more than once).  So, I did have a little bit extra to manage during the typical frantic schedule of a college student, but I got through.

Now, things are a bit different.  I have a full-time job at a software company alongside of my contract position as Texas regional editor of Competitor (i.e., the rags to riches/intern to editor tale).  My life is all about balancing editorial with my full-time work with my full-time boyfriend.  I cram them all into one calendar and voila.

It is all about organization.  First, I start with the issue of the month.  The issue is planned out on a spreadsheet and I literally highlight each article in whatever colors I am feeling that month (usually yellow means: YAY IT’S WRITTEN and red is: UGH AFKJDAKJ$@O#IU).  After I plan and re-plan and write and re-write, my full-time is next.  Luckily I just got the job at the software company and now have a more flexible life.  Because then there comes my boyfriend who it is pretty guaranteed I am with when I am not doing the other two schedules.

Schedules and to-do lists may seem silly sometimes, but they work.  Crossing items off of your list can bring more accomplishment than originally thought.  The first step, though, is to get a planner that you’ll want to use–that you will be excited to write in and look at.  If you are a writer, you will probably inevitably turn toward getting a Moleskin one (which I was unable to find at my time of purchase, which I still resent Barnes & Noble for).  The most important step is to carry it with you everywhere–because you can do much more with a planner than just write down your schedule.  You can write down your thoughts and random musings, keep track of names and phone numbers and even keep memorable quotes.

Let it be your inspiration as you live your own calendar.  I live the editorial calendar and the sales consultant calendar and the girlfriend calendar and I try to do it with style.  With my pink planner by my side.

I’m excited to announce that I will soon feature a guest post by lovely Texas editor Ashley Erickson. Not too long ago, Ashley and I discovered each other on 20 something bloggers and hit it off right away. She has recently taken on some new endeavors and I’m very much looking forward to hearing what she has to say. Please be sure to give her a warm welcome too.

In the meantime, follow what Ashley’s up to on Twitter.

Stay tuned!

- L