Loving Life

  • Creative Kids: Building a Gingerbread House

    Baths are taken, pj’s on, and the Gingerbread house is built! 

    Fun times over the Christmas Season with the family.

    Brina and Karlie love doing fun crafts and activities during the Holiday Season.  When we have the opportunity (get a coupon or kit on sale) we’ll build a gingerbread house together as a family.  The girls are getting old enough to do the majority of the work.  We help get the base set up and they do the decorating.

    If you do not want to use a gingerbread house kit or cannot find one on sale you can make individual mini Gingerbread houses by using graham crackers, white frosting and candies.  The girls enjoy doing both.  You can make the season enjoyable for the kids no matter what your circumstances or budget is this year.

  • Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises (B.L.E.S.S.): 25 Days of Christmas Blessings (Week 2)

    Box of Candy Canes the girls shared with their class at gymnastics 

    We have entered our second week of our 25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. (Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises).  It has been a real joy doing these fun events everyday.  In some cases we get to see who receives our B.L.E.S.S. gift and in other cases we will never know who is on the receiving end.  We pray that whoever receives or finds these gifts will experience joy during this Holiday Season.  Each night we take down the B.L.E.S.S. activity for the next day and read the verse and the activity then pray for those who have and will receive our little BLESS’ings.

    Colored paper ornaments to hang on the Christmas Tree in the children’s wing at the local library

    Here is what we have done so far and a couple pictures to share of our adventures:

    Gathered and donated 105 magazines to a local public library and school library

    • Day 5– Picked out and donated gifts to Country Santa which gives Christmas presents to local children who would otherwise have none at Christmas.  The girls each picked out two gifts to give to Country Santa for another child’s Christmas then we prayed for the kids that would receive these gifts for Christmas.
    • Day 6 – Gave out Silly Bandz to kids coming in and out of several local stores.  I was surprised at the different reactions we noticed while passing out silly bandz from sheer delight to total disinterest.  The girls still had fun doing the activity and sharing with kids.
    • Day 7 – Gathered and donated magazines and a stack of books to a local library and school library.   Both the school library and local library staff were excited to get some new books and magazines.  Our family loves reading so this was a fun activity for us.  We spent about 30 minutes in the local library donating items, picking out books to read, and coloring Christmas ornaments to hang on their Christmas tree.  The lady at the children’s desk was so sweet when the girls showed her the ornaments that had colored for the tree.
    • Day 8 – Bought and gave Candy Canes to all the kids in the girls gymnastics class.  We just started taking the girls to gymnastics about a month ago (we got Groupon deal from a local gymnastics school) and it has been a lot of fun watching them learn not only new skills but seeing them start new friendships.  It has been great getting to know kids (and their parents) outside of school and church that we can be a blessing to as well.
    • Day 9 – Handed out candy canes as we were running errands around town and at local stores.  It was cute seeing the excited looks on kids faces as the girls handed them a candy cane.  The girls loved doing this activity so much I had to remind them not to “rush” to the kids with a candy cane because it could startle the younger kids or their parents if they saw another child charging towards their little one. 🙂
    • Day 10 – We had a blast making and delivering Christmas goodies to our neighbors.  It was nice to spend a few minutes and catch up with the people on our street.  Taking the extra time to reach out to our neighbors has made a tremendous impact over the last few years even on our small street.  One of our neighbors lost their only child right before Christmas a few years ago so this is a tough Holiday for them.
    • Day 11 – Picked out, wrapped, and donated gifts to the Heart of Christmas for kids in our local schools who would not have gifts otherwise this Holiday Season.  Our church coordinates with the school guidance counselor to get information on these kids who are in need (naturally the names of the kids are not given just their sizes, styles, needs, etc…).

    Delivering more goodies to kiddos at another local store!

    One of Brina’s ornaments hanging on the Christmas Tree at our local library

    One of Karlie’s ornaments hanging on the Christmas Tree at the local library.

    A stack of books we donated to the school library.

    A basket full of goodies ready to be delivered to our neighbors!

    One of our favorite verses this week went along with our Day  10 activity. 

     This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. – John 15:12

    Something as simple a sharing a little gift to say “Merry Christmas” to our neighbors has opened many opportunities to interact with them.  I think this verse really stood out to all of us this week because we don’t take the time to invest in the lives around us as often as we should.  This activity was a little longer because we made it a point to spend time socializing with each of our neighbors for a few minutes but we all walked home feeling even more blessed because of it.

    Heart of Christmas

    I am super excited to see how great this B.L.E.S.S. activity is going already.  It has been a true joy sharing with others (many of whom we’ll never meet).  It has been a great experience and I look forward to seeing what will happen with our fun adventures this week.

    Helping local kids by giving fun and practical gifts.

    The main purpose of this activity is to teach our family the joy of giving and sharing to those around us.  I plan to do another update on our fun B.L.E.S.S. adventures next week.  Sometimes it’s the little stuff that can make the most positive impact.  I would love to hear how you are spreading the Christmas cheer this Holiday Season.

    To learn more about our 25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activity and what we have done far check out the links below:

    I have been asked by a number of people for a printable version of the 25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activities, verses, and sheets to handout so here they are for your family to enjoy as well:

  • Song: “Do You Have Room?” by Shawna Edwards

    I heard this song for the first time last week.  It is a beautiful song with a wonderful Christmas message.  The music is peaceful and asks an important question “Do You Have Room?”  Are we making time for what really matters this Christmas Season?  I sometimes find myself getting caught up on all the extra activities and stuff that needs to be done that I don’t take enough time to focus on the most amazing part of this Season.  The phrase that hit home with me was “There was no room for Him in the inn.  Do you have room for Him in your life?”

    Do you have room for the Savior?

    And do you seek Him anew?

    Have you a place for the One who lived and died for you?

    Are you as humble as a shepherd boy, or as wise of men of old?

    Would you have come that night?

    Would you have sought the light?

    Do you have room?

    There was no room for Him in the inn.

    Do you have room for Him in your life?

  • Song: “Tomboy In A Princess Dress” by Suzi Shelton (Music Video)

    Suzi Shelton’s newest music video has been released “Tomboy In A Princess Dress”.  Click on the video above to hear her latest hit.    Her songs are upbeat, cheerful, and enjoyable for kids and parents to listen to at home or in the car!

    To learn more about Suzi Shelton and to enter a GIVEAWAY go to Review & Giveaway: “Tomboy in a Princess Dress” by Suzi Shelton!  The winner of the giveaway will win Suzi’s newest release “Tomboy In A Princess Dress” PLUS 2 more CD’s by Suzi Shelton!  These CD’s would be perfect for your kids or to give as a gift!

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    I was back to my regular schedule for the most part this week.  It was a busy week with a lot of big work projects to tackle.  Jake ended up getting sick this week which took a little extra time but I thankful for an opportunity to help my sweet husband when he is not feeling well.  I am glad he is feeling better and the rest of us seemed to escape the “bug”.  I wasn’t able to get everything crossed off the list but made some headway.

    Here is the update on last weeks goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week – we missed one day this week
    4. Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed) – we had a couple late nights
    5. Do the 25 Day of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activities with the girls this week – it has been an amazing activity for our family and we have experienced a lot of joy giving to others this week

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – I did not do well this week, had a lot of big work projects and Jake got sick
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday and Thursday – I hit it a couple days
    3. Finish reading The 60-Minute Money Workout by Ellie Kay – haven’t had a chance to start on this one yet
    4. Listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper  – listened to it again but need to read the book to get more indepth

    Home Management Goals

    1. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    2. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    3. Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday) – I was a little late a couple night this week
    4. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    5. Start wrapping and send out Christmas Cards / Presents

    Business Goals

    1. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk – if you looked at my desk earlier this week it was scary as I was wrapping up a couple big projects, it is now back under control for the moment which is why I love doing it daily to help stay on top of it
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    3. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    4. Review my 2011 Business Goals and start planning ones for 2012 – did a few more

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    3. Make at least $25 towards my Creative Cash goal this week so I can give more to others.

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Pay off remaining debt – paid a little extra this week, little by little
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – on hold until debt is paid off

    Here are my goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week
    4. Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed)
    5. Do the 25 Day of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activities with the girls this week

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday and Thursday
    3. Finish reading The 60-Minute Money Workout by Ellie Kay
    4. Start Reading and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper

    Home Management Goals

    1. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    2. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    3. Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
    4. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    5. Wrap and send out all Christmas Cards / Presents that need shipped or mailed

    Business Goals

    1. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    3. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    4. Review my 2011 Business Goals and start planning ones for 2012

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Pay off remaining debt
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results

  • Book: “God Gave Us Christmas” by Lisa Tawn Bergren

    I was excited a few weeks ago when God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren went on sale and we could buy this book for the girls with our Amazon Gift Cards I earned from Swagbucks to learn more about how to get started go here.  Our family has a couple other books by Lisa that the girls really enjoy (God Gave us the World,  God Gave Us Love , and God Gave Us Heaven) .  I like that the books encourage the kids to ask questions and gives the credit back to God.  Even though the girls haven’t received this book yet I read it as soon as it arrived and was thrilled to find it was written much along the same lines of the other books we enjoy from Lisa Bergren.

    This is a great children’s book that emphasizes the true meaning of Christmas.  The author created a pretty steady stream of “Questions” and “Answers” dialogue between Little Cub and her parents.  The book addresses some of the most common questions kids will ask around the Holiday Season such as “Who ‘vented Christmas? Was it Santa?”   Although Santa Claus, Frosty, and the other traditional Christmas stories are neat, it is important that our children know the true reason why we celebrate Christmas.

    God Gave Us Christmas is a wonderful book to give as a gift to children.  If you are looking at buying a Christmas book for fun or as a gift this season you should check this one out.  You can also get it from the library to read with your kids.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    It was a busy week but in between appointments I was able to make it to a couple stores.  I was able to stay under budget and stock up on some goodies, including produce and diary products!  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Ingles and Save A Lot | RiteAid

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $10.03 at Ingles for 1 fresh Coconut, 1 container fresh Celery, 1 container fresh Mushrooms, 1 container fresh Cherry Tomatoes, 1 bag fresh Oranges (4 lbs), 1 package Summer Sausage (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance except the summer sausage which was a special treat I bought for my husband this week.  All the produce including the bag of oranges were marked down to 99 cents!)

    Save A Lot | RiteAid Groceries:

    • $22.74 at Save A Lot | RiteAid for 1 bag Bagels, 1 box Poptarts, 1 container Country Crock Spread, 1 box Mrs Freshley Chocolate Cupcakes, 1 container Cool Whip, 1 box Tropical Jr Pops, 2 boxes Yogurt Tubes, 4 cans Cream of Mushroom, 1 container Parmesan Grated Cheese, 1 can Pinneapple Chunks, 1 jar Salsa, 1 two liter Orange Crisp, 1 gallon Milk, 1 bag Carrots, 1 bag Grapefruit (3 lb), and 1 box Cream Cheese.  (All the items were on sale or clearance plus I used a couple of coupons!  The bagels, Mrs. Freshley Cupcakes, Tropical Jr Pops, and Yogurt Tubes were marked down to clearance “special today” prices.)
    Groceries, Household Items, & Other Goodies from Walgreens

    Walgreens Groceries:

    • $0.49 at Walgreens for the grocery items – 4 boxes Baking Soda and 3 bags Chewy Spree Candy.  (The total for this entire purchase was $2.06 including tax for 30 items making it $0.07 per item which is how the 7 groceries items cost $0.49 at Walgreens this week.)
    Groceries from Kmart

    Kmart Groceries:

    • $1.50 at Kmart for 1 box Saltines, 1 pack Orange Gatorade, and 1 box Ritz Crackers.  (Jake ended up getting sick this week so on my way home from a work appointment I stopped by Kmart to pick up some stuff for him.  Thankfully, I had a $5 Kmart Gift Card and all the items were on sale this week at Kmart).
    Groceries, Household, Baby, Beauty and Gift Items from CVS

    CVS Groceries:

    • $0.21 at CVS for the grocery items – 1 loaf Sara Lee Whole Wheat Bread, 1 loaf Sara Lee White Bread, and 1 box Candy Canes.  (The total for this entire purchase was $3.16 including tax for 42 items making it $0.07 per item which is how the 3 groceries items cost $0.21 at CVS this week.)

    This week I spent $34.97 on groceries.  Even though I was only a little under on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on some items at the same time.  I did not anticipate my husband being sick but we had enough flex in the budget and hit the sales to cover the extra expense.  I hope that next week is better week and we can come under budget!

    It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks!  As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me.  I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too.  The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.

    Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances.  Life doesn’t always go as planned.  We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given.  Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life.  A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others.  There is so much more to life than having all the stuff.  We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.

  • Creative Kids: Outdoor Painting Fun

    The girls love their easel and can often be seen drawing with crayons, colored pencils or chalk, but their absolute favorite activity is painting.   When we have a nice day outside and a few minutes we will take the easel out onto the front porch and let the girls paint.  Over the years it is amazing to see their painting masterpieces become even more beautiful and specific.

    Karlie getting started with her painting project on a clean sheet of paper!

    Karlie’s finished artwork

    Paint table complete with a bowl to rinse the paint brushes.

     Paint table complete with a bowl to rinse the paint brushes.

    Brina starting her artwork with a clean slate!  I wonder what she’ll paint?

    Brina’s artwork masterpiece.  A flower blooming on a sunny day with the initials of her entire family.

  • CVS: Spent $3 and $12 ECB’s Back

    Groceries, Household, Baby, Beauty and Gift Items from CVS

    I went to CVS on my way home from an appointment this week.  The CVS had a bunch of cosmetic items marked down 50% to 75% off.  I was able to get the items pictured above for $3.16 including tax and received $12.00 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase.  Today I used some store, manufacturer coupons and ECB’s to help pay for the purchase.

    You can get great deals even without clipping a lot of coupons.  My receipt shows that as of December 6th I have saved over $2,000  at CVS this year (and I don’t even go every week) so you can do it without investing a lot of time into it or being an extreme couponer that empties the shelves.  Over time the savings add up and I have even taken several weeks off here and there while I have been busy or traveling or when our stock pile is full.   All of the items I purchased were on sale or clearance.  Here is what I purchased this week.

    • 1 – Cherry Candy Canes (10 count) for $1.27  (FREE plus overage after ECB’s because the Extra Care Bucks did not print when I checked so I ended up getting $2 ECB’s for this item.)
    • 1 – Ali Deep Brown Brow Definer for $1.19 (on clearance for 75% off)
    • 3 – Lip Smacker Lip Gloss (Clear) for $2.46 ($0.82 each after 75% off clearance, perfect for stocking stuffers)
    • 10 – bottles Confetti Nail Polish for $8.20 ($0.82 each after 75% off clearance, another great stocking stuffer)
    • 11 – bottles Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Polish for $9.02 ($0.82 each after 75% off clearance)
    • 1 – Sally Hansen Fingernail Clippers for $1.37 (after 75% off clearance)
    • 3 – Wet & Wild Mega Silk Glossy Apple for $2.97 ($0.99 each after 75% clearance)
    • 1 – Wet & Wild Mega Silk Glossy Berry Burst for $0.99 (after 75% clearance)
    • 1 – Wet & Wild Liquid Lip Color Coco for $0.99 (after 75% clearance)
    • 1 – Huggies Supreme Diapers Size 1 (40 count) for $9.49 (received a $1.00 ECB)
    • 1 – Sara Lee Whole Wheat Bread for $0.57 (on clearance)
    • 1 – Sara Lee White Bread for $0.57 (on clearance)
    • 4 – American Greetings Cards for (used store and manufacturer coupons and received $3.00 ECBs)
    • 1 – Revlon Deluxe Clipper Set for $2.99 (received $6.00 ECBs)
    • 1 – Revlon Valupak Emory Boards for $3.59 (received $6.00 ECBs)

    Here are the coupons I used on the items.

    • Used $5.00 off $20.00 Coupon from CVS Kiosk
    • Used $0.99 CVS coupon from Kiosk for a free American Greeting Card
    • Used $2.00 manufacturer coupon for American Greeting Card
    • Used $3.00 CVS coupon for Huggies
    • Used $2.00 manufacturer coupon from Huggies
    • Used $1.00 manufacturer coupon from Revlon
    • Used $5.00 CVS Beauty Club Reward Coupon
    • Used $25.99 CVS ECB’s

    I received $12.00 ECB’s back today:

    • $6.00 ECB’s for Revlon Products
    • $3.00 ECB’s for American Greeting Cards
    • $2.00 ECB’s for Candy Canes
    • $1.00 ECB’s for Huggies Products

    Today I was able to save $109.01 at CVS by purchasing these items and using coupons.

    Here are some more up close pictures of the products I was able to pick up.

     

    CVS had a lot of cosmetic items on clearance for 50% to 75% off

    Was able to get 2 loaves of Sara Lee Bread for $0.57 each on clearance!

    When you shop the CVS sales regularly and have ECB’s that you can roll over toward future purchases the bonus ECB’s start adding up (Green Bag Tags and Beauty Club).  As you can see from my shopping trip today you don’t have to purchase a lot to save money when shopping at CVS.  Plus you can use the additional ECB’s you receive towards your next purchase.  You can pick and chose what is best for your family.

    I would love to hear your CVS shopping story for this week!  For those of you who shop regularly at CVS please share how you were able to save this week!  Although the weekly ad sales are similar every family and situation is different so you may have found items better suited to your household.  In your comment please feel free to share a link to your blog article showing us how you were able to save shopping at CVS.

  • Amazon: Melissa & Doug Toys 50% off – $10 each (Today Only)

    Today only (12/8/11) Amazon has a wide variety of Melissa & Doug toys for just $10

    The sale includes Wood Blocks, Food Sets, Puzzles, Educational Toys and more!

    Plus you can get FREE SHIPPING with your Amazon Mom account or Free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25.

    Use your Amazon Gift Cards from Swagbucks for additional savings, to learn how to get started go here!

    Melissa & Doug toys are great gifts if you have any kids left to buy for on your Christmas list.