Family Fun

  • Book: “Living in Love” by James & Betty Robison

    I recently read the book “Living in Love” by James and Betty Robison who are Co-Hosts on TV’s “Life Today”.  Having a healthy marriage is important to me so I thought this book would give new insights or provide great reminders on ways to strengthen our marriage relationship. I enjoy having a chance to read a chapter or two of a book each day and was excited to check this one out.

    James and Betty Robison grew up in very different family environments, James was the son of a single Mom and Betty grew up in a church going family.  In the book they discussed their backgrounds and how they met.  The book has a unique layout and more conversational.  It shows Betty’s insights and James’ viewpoints by putting a headline at the top of each section.

    Although I have never watched their show I appreciated that they encouraged couples to work on their own hearts first and stop trying to “fix” their spouses.  Both James and Betty recommended praying for your spouse, marriage and family.  Each family member brings a variety of dynamics to the relationship.  They discuss topics that we don’t hear a lot about in our culture when it comes to marriage – selfishness, commitment, trust, communication, and confrontation.  When married couples have solid God centered foundations in place we have more opportunities to grow and work together as a cohesive team.  James and Betty do not claim to know everything but are thankful for God’s hand working in their lives as individuals and as a couple.

    A couple of my favorite quotes from the book:

    “An unhealthy self-focus can show up in marriage in many ways, but the one I observed most frequently is people trying to shape their spouses according to their own expectations.  This is always a mistake.  Instead of trying to change your mate it is best to allow God to shape you.”

    “Trust is built on the foundation of commitment – first and ultimately, to God and then to each other.”

    At the end of each chapter they added a few questions for each couple to answer separately or together.  Overall the book is a great resource to read for those going into marriage or for couples wanting a gentle reminder of ways to build a healthy foundation in their marriage.  If you cannot purchase the book I would recommend checking it out at your local church or community library.  It is a pretty quick read and it never hurts to be reminded of ways to keep the communication open between you and your spouse.

    Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher through the Waterhouse Multnomah.  The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    Another week of doing Groceries $40 for 4. I was able to stock up on some items for our pantry so we should be good for awhile now. Most of the items I stocked up were non-perishable products this week.  A lot of the items we picked up will be great for the upcoming road trips we have this summer!  Below are my grocery shopping adventures for the week!

    Walgreens Grocery Deals!

    Groceries from Walgreens:

    • $2.71 at Walgreens for 2 Pure Bottle Water Packages (24 count each), 4 Sugar Free Strawberry Jello, 1 Sugar Free Orange Jello, 1 Walgreens Cashew Halves, 1 Celsius Ice Tea, 1 Arizona Tea with Blueberry, 1 Arizona Tea with Pomegranate, 1 Arizona Tea with Raspberry, 1 Arizona Tea with Lemon, and 1 Illy Cappucino Coffee Drink.   With upcoming road trips and hot months these will come in handy.  I spent $2.71 but received $5 in Register Rewards back to use on future purchases.

    Walmart, Dollar Tree, and Save A Lot | Riteaid Groceries

    Groceries from Walmart:

    • $0.90 at Walmart for French Bread on Clearance

    Groceries from Dollar Tree:

    • $1.01 at Dollar Tree for 1 loaf of Nature’s Own Whole Wheat Bread

    Groceries from Save A Lot | Riteaid:

    • $21.64 at Save A Lot | Riteaid for 1 Whole Chicken on clearance, 5 packs of Hotdogs ($0.69 each), 1 bag of Carrots, 1 package String Cheese, 1 block of Sharp Cheddar Cheese, 1 can Pringles, 1 package of fresh Mushrooms (on clearance), 2 Ham Lunchables, 1 bag Red Delicious Apples, 1 bag Granny Smith Apples

    I am excited to be doing our Groceries $40 for 4 budget.  This week I spent $26.26 on groceries.  Even though I was under budget I was still able to stock up on a couple items.  Thankfully I was able to keep the amount within reason and I was able to have a extra left over for those weeks when I find a really good deal or go a little over.  I am grateful for the coupons and Register Rewards I was able to use this week on the few items I purchased.

    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.

  • Family Recipe: Grandma Willa’s Peanut Butter Cookies

    Grandma Willa has a delicious peanut butter cookie recipe.  These are great cookies to make for an after school snack or to take with you on a trip or to a picnic in the park.  The best part is they are easy to make and you probably already have the ingredients in your fridge and pantry to put them together!

    Grandma Willa’s Peanut Butter Cookies:

    • 1/2 cup Peanut Butter
    • 1/4 cup Shortening
    • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
    • 1 Egg, well beaten
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
    • 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
    • 1 cup sifted Flour

    Cream Peanut Butter and Shortening together.  Add sugar gradually, continue until mixture is light and fluffy.  Add the egg, sifted flour and baking soda.  Mix well.  Drop mixture by teaspoon onto a cookie sheet.  Bake 10 to 15 minutes at 350°.  Yield’s 4 1/2 dozen.

    Photo by Maggie Hoffman

  • One Stop Plus: 20 Piece Picnic Set 90% Off + Free Shipping ($3.99)

    One Stop Plus has their 20 piece “Woman Within” Picnic Set for 4 normally $39.99 is on clearance for 90% + free shipping for a total of $3.99

    To get the FREE Shipping Use coupon code: RD19755

    Set of 4 place settings in durable plastic & stainless steel, great for your family or as a gift:

    • 4- 10 inch  Plates
    • 4 Knives
    • 4 Forks
    • 4 Tablespoons
    • 4 Teaspoons

    UPDATE (6/2/11): This set is now listed as only 75% Off giving you a total of $9.99.  It’s still available if you want it just not for the lower price it was yesterday.

  • Free Audio Book: “A Place of Healing” by Joni Eareckson Tada

    FREE Audio Book Download

    For the month of June Christian Audio is offering a free download of their audio book “A Place of Healing” by Joni Eareckson Tada.  This audio book is about “wrestling with the mysteries of suffering, pain, and God’s sovereignty”.   If you want to read the book then this is a great opportunity to listen to the book for free when you download it from Christian Audio in June.   Make sure to submit your order by June 30, 2011  to get your free audio book.  Thanks Christian Audio!

  • Fresh & Healthy: Our Garden – A Variety of Fresh Leafy Lettuce, Summer Squash, Cherry Tomatoes, Snow Peas, Pepper, Spinach, Zucchini, & More…Oh My!

    We are loving the fresh vegetables from our garden!

    Here are some of the fresh veggies we were able to eat and share this week:

    Our very first picks of Fresh Snow Peas, Cherry Tomato, Summer Squash and Banana Pepper! Even though it is only a handful of items (including our first tomato of the summer, ha) hopefully we'll have some more coming soon and throughout the rest of summer.

     

    Fresh Garden Vegetables - at least 5 Varieties of Leafy Lettuce, Summer Squash, Zucchini, another Cherry Tomato, Snow Peas, Spinach, Sweet Basil (bagged), and Dill (bagged)!

    What are you eating out of your garden this week?

  • Bass Pro Shops: Free Family Summer Camp Events (Activities / Workshops / Crafts & More!)

    Starting June 4th through July 10, 2011 Bass Pro Shops will be having Free Family Summer Camp Events.

    There are plenty of fun activities, games, crafts, and workshops to participate in at Bass Pro Shops.  Some variations may occur at the individual stores participating in the Free Family Summer Camp Events.

    Free Activities (Tuesdays & Thursdays from 2 PM to 6 PM and Saturdays & Sundays from 12 PM to 4 PM):

    • Free Shooting Gallery
    • Free Shooting Range
    • Free Casting Targets
    • Free Photo (on Saturdays & Sundays)
    • Free S’Mores Cookout (Saturdays – 7 to 8 PM)

    Free Workshops (Tuesdays & Thursdays from 2 PM to 6 PM and Saturdays & Sundays from 12 PM to 4 PM):

    • Archery
    • Bird Watching
    • Shooting Basics
    • Camping Basics
    • Plants & Insects
    • Animal Identification
    • Hiking Basics
    • Outdoor Pets
    • Fishing Basics

    Free Crafts (Tuesdays & Thursdays from 4 PM to 6 PM and Saturdays & Sundays from 2 PM to 5 PM):

    • Camp Scene Doorknob Hanger – June 4 & June 5
    • Camping Photo Frame – June 7, June 9, June 11, June 12
    • Leather Keychain – June 14, June 16, June 17, June 18
    • Paint a Wiggle Fish – June 21, June 23, June 25, June 26
    • Design Your Own Birdhouse – June 28, June 30, July 2, July 3
    • Stamping Fun Animal Tracks – July 5, July 7, July 9, July 10

    To learn more information go to Bass Pro or to find a location near you!

  • Fresh & Healthy: Beautiful Flowers in the Vegetable Garden

    One more reason why I enjoy watching a vegetable garden growing in my yard is the beautiful flowers that bloom right before the plants produce vegetables and fruits.  It is wonderful seeing the beauty of a flower right before the harvest.  Here are a couple pictures showing a few of the flowers currently blooming in our garden.

    Pretty Red Flowers on the Green Beans! Can you see the tiny green bean coming?

     

    Strawberry Flowers and Strawberries Growing in the Garden!

     

    Pretty Purple Flowers About to Bloom on the Beans!