About a bazillion years ago (2003) I was an urban-folk singer-songwriter hell bent on writing and performing songs that drew people together.
I had a little record. I had combat boots. I had a car with a million miles on it. I had ideals.
Somehow, I also had an extremely talented artsy-bass-playing-song-writing-theatre-obsessed husband who was along for the ride.
This is me about then:
Then, one day, shortly before I was set to graduate from Berklee College of Music, I discovered that I was pregnant.
Now, I had been told by doctors that I would never have children. So, I was thrilled. For about 15 seconds.
Then I was terrified. Devastated, maybe.Β This was Not.The.Plan.
Evidently, not-the-plan grew on me. Fast forward 12 years and here I am: the accidental and unsuspecting matriarch of a family of seven. Four girls and one boy, all living together with that same artsy-bass-playing-song-writing-theatre-obsessed husband, in Nashville, TN.
I don’t write songs often anymore. But I’m still hell bent on drawing people together.
This blog is my living room. The place I share stories, and occasionally advice, gleaned from a decade of living a rich, art-filled, big family life onΒ peanuts.
Welcome to Life in the Circus!
Karen
You are all you say and so much more dear Child of my heart! Hugs and congrats.
Tee
Hey I just nominated you on my blog… https://tanglesandtears.wordpress.com/2015/02/02/nominated-for-the-liebster-award/
Katie Corrigan
Your family is beautiful! Thanks for sharing the frugal tips, desperately needed!
Jen
Aw, thanks!
Ili Hernandez
I just found your blog via Facebook and I just can’t stop digging thru your past posts. Thanks for sharing your life with us. π
Jen
Well, shucks. Thanks for reading!
Kristin
I love your blog! I think it’s the most relatable bog I’ve seen. I always feel inferior to those mothers who love to cook aND have these amazing crafty things for their perfect little children!
I too have to feed my family on a tight budget. I would love to see your menu for summer time? Tried to find it on here, but didn’t see it. I can’t wait to try your winter menu out!
Thanks again
Kristin
Jen
Thanks Kristin! You can’t find it because I haven’t posted it yet.
drenda
Would love to read your posts as soon I figure out how to follow you π
Jen
It’s pretty easy, actually. You just enter your email in the “subscribe” box on the right hand side of the blog. If you do that, you get a notification via email everytime I publish a new post. You can unsubscribe at anytime. But no worries, I didn’t know how it worked until I started a blog of my own!
Rachael Allred
Just discovered your blog b/c it was featured somewhere for the $300/month grocery budget. Props to you on that impressive bit of work, but from the little glimpse I’ve seen of other posts that’s not even the best part of your blog! Useful to be sure, but my there are a lot of gems elsewhere. π Thoroughly enjoyed my reading. Thanks for keeping it real! I am always so thrilled when I find people that talk about real life on blogs. You know, versus “pinterest life” or what have you. Not to knock pinterest exactly, because I love it. haha
Jen
Rachael, thank you so much! I also love Pinterest, even if it does make me feel like a total failure. π
I’ll be posting a summer version of the menu soon, so keep coming back.
Amy C
Ahhhh…I just found your blog via a search for “cheap and easy meal planning for large families” ? I’m having one of those moments where you say inside your head…”Why can’t I be more like her?” I am so going to make use of your meal planning suggestions and I look forward to getting to know you through your blog! I’m kind of new at the feeding this big family thing…it all happened by accident or miracle as a blended family…oh so gloriously and messily blended. My husband does a ton of the cooking but I want to be a better steward of our money and help out with the planning, prep and even cooking more. Constantly concerned about and actually running out of money before the end of the month is stressful for all of us. Anywhoo…glad I found you, your blog and another sister in the tribe of motherhood!
Jen
HAHAHAHA! Trust me. You DO NOT want to be more like me. But, I’m glad the menu helped you. Happy budgeting, sister.
Amy C
Adding another comment simply because I forgot to check the button to subscribe to new posts! ?
Brenda
I came across your blog and I do know how you feel. My husband lost his job and was out of work for almost a year. We have two children and we were living paycheck to paycheck at the time. We went on unemployment, food stamps, etc.. It was the most difficult time in our marriage. My husband did have to retrain for another career and we are doing much better now. My advice to you is to love and respect him no matter how you feel (and you will feel resentment and frustration at some point if he is not able to find a job right away) Surround yourself with support and accept help. I know it’s hard because I hated accepting help when my husband lost his job. Just remember, you can give back to others when you both recover. π
It’s only temporary.
Krister
I stumbled on here searching for cheap meal ideas… and feel like I hit the jackpot. I’m a Mom of soon to be 5 kids (#5 is due in January) including a set of twins too… and I’m a violinist/Episcopalian Parish Administrator married to a composer who dreamed of Berkelee but ended up going to a state college (and after reading your Sallie Mae nightmare I’m grateful).
I love your writing, and I’m sorry to hear about Mike’s firing… my 2nd born is a special needs child and after reading about what he did for kids at that school I know those kids lost out big time because of administration’s piss poor decision. I hope things start to look up soon.
Jen
It’s a small small world, full of people who are simultaneously wildly different, and insanely similar. Thank you so much for taking the time to reach out. It made my night!
Amanda Sellers
I love reading your blogs. I am a 22 year old mother of 5 (three boys: 6,4, &2, and twin girls 6mo), and my husband and I are constantly trying to find better ways to budget. My brother-in-law, his wife and 7mo daughter live with us, so dinner and shopping are both sometimes a nightmare. My shopping list (inspired by your post) came down $50 last week! $250 every two weeks. Honestly my biggest problem is trying to find the energy to cook real meals instead of reaching for something quick. So thanks for the help!!
Sharon
Hey there!!
I stumbled upon your blog when I googled “budget family meals”. we are a family of 4: 2 adults, 2 children and we live in Sydney, Australia but I am originally from Singapore. The budget was important this week as I am a piano teacher and I don’t work in the summer as I am finishing a degree in music and prefer to spend the rest of the time with my munchkins. THANK YOU for this awesome blog and I read your bio that you graduated from Berklee! I applied for a scholarship to Berklee about 20 years ago and was offered a partial scholarship and didn’t end up going as I couldn’t afford to pay the rest..haha!! And then when I should have been starting on my BMus, I decided to have my baby instead. Hence, me finishing my degree now..(my kids are 8 and 5)
I will stop by the circus again, it helps to know that are other struggling muso mums out there!! I’d choose my kids and hubby over anything else anyday!!
Sharon x
Whitney King
Hey! I don’t really know what to say other than, thank you for this! So real and honest. If there’s such a thing as a “real” Christian, you’re it! You’ve got the love thing down-pat! Love you!
Seline
Dear Jen,
Like others, I found my way to your circus via the feeding-a-large-family-on-a-budget post. Having recently become alpha female to a pack of five, i.e. mother to newborn twins and a three-year old toddler, which counts as a large family in Switzerland, and post-natal worrying about how we’ll manage (being broke most of the time), I loved that post – and began reading more. Actually, I am now working my way through all your posts and loving it.
I feel like I’ve found a big sister-in-spirit all the way across the web of this wide world; living a little unconventional, on a budget, with more than the standard two children, similar parenting ideals (and issues – as a perfectionist confronted with chaotic reality frequently with a spin towards the dark), but with way (!) more experience. So please let me just say: I love the way you write, the fight you fight & greatly enjoy your blog.
Also, having just read your post on Mary (Dec 2015) as a mother, let me make a recommendation for a terrific read: The Testament of Mary by Irish writer Colm Toibin, in which the elderly Mary reflects the life and death of her son, Jesus. It is superb, I find.
With best wishes & greetings from Switzerland,
Seline
Margaret
Hi Jen,
I found your blog looking for a budget grocery list. Somehow, 30 minutes later, I feel compelled to write to you to tell you that we must be long-lost kindred spirits! π That’s the sign of a truly gifted writer. You connected with me in a way that made me laugh, not take myself so seriously, AND shared some kernels of truth in this crazy world and life that make human connection so important. Thank so much for sharing your wit, wisdom and honesty about your life, parenting, work and financial challenges. I look forward to reading future posts and hope to be able to support you in this endeavor in some meaningful way in the near future! Whatever you do, please don’t stop writing!
Jen
Margaret, Thanks so much kindred spirit!