Intentional Living
November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days (Day 9)
As I was reflecting back on the many amazing blessings in my life I realized that don’t let those around me know how much I truly appreciate them enough. The idea of participating in a “thankfulness” challenge for the month of November was started a few months ago when I purchased cards for my family to send out for the Thanksgiving Holiday (see the picture of the front of the card below).
It is my wish to show my gratitude to the people I interact with day to day. For the month of November I am planning a 30-30-30 Challenge. It is my goal to say thanks in 30 ways to 30 people for 30 days. Each day I plan to do at least one activity expressing my thanks to one person every day for thirty days.
Day 9
Who: Cousins
I grew up in a big family and a lot of extended family members. Family get togethers (like for the Holidays) usually consisted of a house / yard full of people from tiny babies to the grandparents. The best thing about being part of a large extended family is you always have someone to play with since all your cousins would come to the family celebration too. I am thankful for the many cousins in my life. Some of them I am closer to than others but I am grateful for each one. Today, I mailed out some “I’m Thankful For….” cards and sent Facebook messages to several letting them know I was thankful for them.
Day 8
Who: Grandparents
I am thankful for the grandparents in my life. It has been a real privilege not only having a relationship with all of my grandparents but all 4 of my great grandmother’s when I was growing up. I have many wonderful memories with my grandparents. Today I sent out the “I’m Thankful For….” cards and sent emails letting them know I was thankful for them.
Day 7
Who: Friends
Do you have those people in your life that you have been friends with for years and they have been an encouragement in your life in the good times and the bad? These are “true blue lifelong friends” who in many ways are like a sister or brother. Whenever you get together you pick back up like you seen each other just the day before when in reality it has probably been several months or in some cases years. Although I am thankful for technology because it makes it easier to stay in touch even though there may be many miles apart. I am thankful for the blessing of these special friendships. Today I mailed out “I’m Thankful For….” cards and sent messages to several others.
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
Groceries from Ingles & BiLo
It was a whirlwind of a week with the girls off two days from school, elections, and numerous unexpected activities. Despite the busyness I was determined to give you a grocery update this week (thanks for bearing with me). I even remembered to take pictures this week!
Jake has been in Charleston for some work meetings, so we are looking forward to spending time with him this weekend. I did manage to get a lot of projects done (just not necessarily things that I planned to do). Do you ever have weeks like that? Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.
Ingles Groceries:
- $13.04 at Ingles for 2 containers Fresh Strawberries (marked down), 1 bag Lenders Bagels (sale), 1 (5 pound) bag Fresh Grapefruit (sale), 1 bag Fresh Bananas (marked down), 1 container Fresh Potatoes (marked down), 2 loaves Laura Lynn Bread (sale), 1 bag Fresh Spinach (marked down). (Everything I purchased at Ingles was either on sale or marked down or I had a coupon. All the produce was marked down some as low as 99 cents as you can see from the bright green stickers.)
BiLo Groceries:
- $2.48 at BiLo for 1 container Southern Home Butter Spread (This was on sale and it is about the only reasonable priced butter that we have found that is made out of soy instead of dairy since we have a family member not eating dairy right now. I also received an additional 5 cent discount for bringing my own reusable bag.)
Groceries from KMart
KMart Groceries:
- $6.00 at KMart for 6 big bags Smart Sense Wavy Potato Chips (I cannot remember the last time I found plain potato chips on sale for $1.00 recently. With all the upcoming events and activities these will come in really handy! Actually, I purchased them on Thursday and that same evening I used up one bag when a group of friends came over at last minute.)
This week I spent $21.52 on groceries. I went under on the budget this week, YAY!!! I was happy to get some produce deals and stock back up on a few items we were needing to replenish in our fridge and pantry. Hopefully next week we can come under budget and November will be a better month for us!
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.
November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days (Day 8)
As I was reflecting back on the many amazing blessings in my life I realized that don’t let those around me know how much I truly appreciate them enough. The idea of participating in a “thankfulness” challenge for the month of November was started a few months ago when I purchased cards for my family to send out for the Thanksgiving Holiday (see the picture of the front of the card below).
It is my wish to show my gratitude to the people I interact with day to day. For the month of November I am planning a 30-30-30 Challenge. It is my goal to say thanks in 30 ways to 30 people for 30 days. Each day I plan to do at least one activity expressing my thanks to one person every day for thirty days.
Day 8
Who: Grandparents
I am thankful for the grandparents in my life. It has been a real privilege not only having a relationship with all of my grandparents but all 4 of my great grandmother’s when I was growing up. I have many wonderful memories with my grandparents. Today I sent out the “I’m Thankful For….” cards and sent emails letting them know I was thankful for them.
Day 7
Who: Friends
Do you have those people in your life that you have been friends with for years and they have been an encouragement in your life in the good times and the bad? These are “true blue lifelong friends” who in many ways are like a sister or brother. Whenever you get together you pick back up like you seen each other just the day before when in reality it has probably been several months or in some cases years. Although I am thankful for technology because it makes it easier to stay in touch even though there may be many miles apart. I am thankful for the blessing of these special friendships. Today I mailed out “I’m Thankful For….” cards and sent messages to several others.
Day 6
Who: Siblings
Today I mailed out “I’m Thankful For…..” cards to our siblings and sent texts to several of them. Even though I had my fair share of sibling disputes with my brothers growing up I love them dearly and am so very thankful for them. I am thankful for my sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws too, they are awesome! I am very blessed with wonderful siblings (and their spouses) and appreciate them so much!
Additional Activity: The girls and I spent a couple hours today cleaning and organizing our church’s food pantry. It was a great time of working together, talking about the many amazing blessings we have in our lives, and why it is important to share what we have with others (i.e. giving food to people within our local community). The girls worked hard and cheerfully. I couldn’t have gotten it done as quickly if they hadn’t pitched in and helped. The best part was as we were leaving a lady walked up to us and wanted to know if we had any food. I was able to pull some items from the pantry and share them with her. The girls were excited that we were able to help someone. Although we never know the full situation or the intent of an individuals heart many people within our own community are struggling. I am thankful for moments when the girls can experience situations like these because it really does make a positive impact on the lives of our children.
Travel & Vacation: Leela Palace – Bangalore, India
The Leela Palace in Bangalore, India
Matt and Jen took us to the Leela Palace on the last day we were in Bangalore. You know how sometimes you save the best for last…..well this was it. The Leela Palace was AMAZING! They had every kind of food you could think of to eat from Indian Curry, to Roast, Pasta Bar, Salad Bar, Cheese Bar, Breads, rows of Desserts and so much more. Some of the best food I have eaten, it was delicious and the palace was beautiful. If you are in Bangalore I highly recommend that you check the Leela Palace out!
They had row after row of desserts. It was difficult picking the ones you wanted to try because all of them looked AMAZING!
Yes, that huge beautiful artistic piece in the middle is made up of………..chocolate!
They had a separate supervised play area for the kids. The kids could play, watch a movie, eat, read, run around, play a game or many other awesome activities.
Gorgeous Birds of Paradise flower in their garden.
Even the bugs in India cannot resist a pretty flower!
The Leela Palace such a beautiful place to visit in Bangalore, India
Jake & I in front of the gold elephant on the garden gate at the Leela Palace
One of the large entryways.
It almost looked too pretty to eat…….but I did it anyway and it tasted awesome!
Jake and I were thrilled that we had the opportunity to come visit his cousin Matt and his family while we were in India. It was wonderful meeting many awesome people and eating their tasty food. A lot of great memories were made on the trip. Hopefully, some day in the future we will have the chance to bring the girls with us. I know they would love the adventure!
The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax. Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away. Explore with a good attitude, look for fun, and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories. It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine. Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn. You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!
November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days (Day 7)
As I was reflecting back on the many amazing blessings in my life I realized that don’t let those around me know how much I truly appreciate them enough. The idea of participating in a “thankfulness” challenge for the month of November was started a few months ago when I purchased cards for my family to send out for the Thanksgiving Holiday (see the picture of the front of the card below).
It is my wish to show my gratitude to the people I interact with day to day. For the month of November I am planning a 30-30-30 Challenge. It is my goal to say thanks in 30 ways to 30 people for 30 days. Each day I plan to do at least one activity expressing my thanks to one person every day for thirty days.
Day 7
Who: Friends
Do you have those people in your life that you have been friends with for years and they have been an encouragement in your life in the good times and the bad? These are “true blue lifelong friends” who in many ways are like a sister or brother. Whenever you get together you pick back up like you seen each other just the day before when in reality it has probably been several months or in some cases years. Although I am thankful for technology because it makes it easier to stay in touch even though there may be many miles apart. I am thankful for the blessing of these special friendships. Today I mailed out “I’m Thankful For….” cards and sent messages to several others.
Day 6
Who: Siblings
Today I mailed out “I’m Thankful For…..” cards to our siblings and sent texts to several of them. Even though I had my fair share of sibling disputes with my brothers growing up I love them dearly and am so very thankful for them. I am thankful for my sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws too, they are awesome! I am very blessed with wonderful siblings (and their spouses) and appreciate them so much!
Additional Activity: The girls and I spent a couple hours today cleaning and organizing our church’s food pantry. It was a great time of working together, talking about the many amazing blessings we have in our lives, and why it is important to share what we have with others (i.e. giving food to people within our local community). The girls worked hard and cheerfully. I couldn’t have gotten it done as quickly if they hadn’t pitched in and helped. The best part was as we were leaving a lady walked up to us and wanted to know if we had any food. I was able to pull some items from the pantry and share them with her. The girls were excited that we were able to help someone. Although we never know the full situation or the intent of an individuals heart many people within our own community are struggling. I am thankful for moments when the girls can experience situations like these because it really does make a positive impact on the lives of our children.
Day 5
Who: Parents
Mailed out thank you notes to our parents and called them to talk for a few minutes. I am thankful for the godly parents in my life. Although, they are human like myself they are loving and kind. I have been blessed with great parents.
November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days (Day 6)
As I was reflecting back on the many amazing blessings in my life I realized that don’t let those around me know how much I truly appreciate them enough. The idea of participating in a “thankfulness” challenge for the month of November was started a few months ago when I purchased cards for my family to send out for the Thanksgiving Holiday (see the picture of the front of the card below).
It is my wish to show my gratitude to the people I interact with day to day. For the month of November I am planning a 30-30-30 Challenge. It is my goal to say thanks in 30 ways to 30 people for 30 days. Each day I plan to do at least one activity expressing my thanks to one person every day for thirty days.
Day 6
Who: Siblings
Today I mailed out “I’m Thankful For…..” cards to our siblings and sent texts to several of them. Even though I had my fair share of sibling disputes with my brothers growing up I love them dearly and am so very thankful for them. I am thankful for my sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws too, they are awesome! I am very blessed with wonderful siblings (and their spouses) and appreciate them so much!
Additional Activity: The girls and I spent a couple hours today cleaning and organizing our church’s food pantry. It was a great time of working together, talking about the many amazing blessings we have in our lives, and why it is important to share what we have with others (i.e. giving food to people within our local community). The girls worked hard and cheerfully. I couldn’t have gotten it done as quickly if they hadn’t pitched in and helped. The best part was as we were leaving a lady walked up to us and wanted to know if we had any food. I was able to pull some items from the pantry and share them with her. The girls were excited that we were able to help someone. Although we never know the full situation or the intent of an individuals heart many people within our own community are struggling. I am thankful for moments when the girls can experience situations like these because it really does make a positive impact on the lives of our children.
Day 5
Who: Parents
Mailed out thank you notes to our parents and called them to talk for a few minutes. I am thankful for the godly parents in my life. Although, they are human like myself they are loving and kind. I have been blessed with great parents.
Day 4
Who: Pastors
Dropped off thank you notes at the church office on the way into service.
Travel & Vacation: Heading Back to Bangalore
Look at all that scaffolding around the local water tower….
One of the best parts about driving through a chunk of India is we got to see a lot! Even though it has been several months since our last trip I still think about it often. Driving through India really made me appreciate all the many blessings I have in my life, including, food, shelter, and so much more. I really have more than I really need and somehow that is ok (and even expected) in our culture, yet it bothers me. I hope that I never take all the amazing blessings for granted and learn to share what I do have with others.
Look out shelter high up in the tree. It is used mostly to keep an eye out for wild animals and alert the people in the small villages of danger. As you may remember from an earlier post there are tigers and leopards that roam the jungle near them, see our boat safari and jeep safari.
Loaded down jeep….people hanging off of it and items stacked up high on it.
Large irrigation and water canal coming from the Kabini River and going to the local villages.
Kids playing on their bicycle
Brightly colored house in a nearby village. Many of the homes we seen were painted very bright and bold colors.
Colt walking on the street with all the cars, Mama horse was right in front of this little guy.
On the back of the truck we were following…”PLEASE SOUND HORN PLEASE” One thing about India is you hear a lot of horn honking!
A group of people waiting near the gas station for the public bus to arrive.
Mom and four kids waiting by the side of the road.
Jake relaxing on our ride back to Bangalore.
Now that’s a load full of goods.
People literally find spots on the sidewalk, benches or random places on the side of the road to sleep.
Recently, I read an article in the Bloomberg magazine about a group of people in India taking the food that was given to the poor and reselling it so they could pocket the money. This happened over several years and was several billion dollars worth of food. They had warehouses full of food that literally went moldy and was eaten by animals even though only a couple miles down the street people were starving. This article probably would have never had the impact if I had not gone to India. Several days after reading that article I was still thinking about it. We are very blessed to be living in the United States and have a home, food, and so much more.
Man sleeping on a cement slab outside a vacant building.
Standing room only in this auto rickshaw!
Multitasking…..talking on the phone while riding his bike.
Construction site in India, the wooden poles help hold up the levels of the building.
I was amazed at the amount of liter on the side of the road.
Tarp tents set up on the side of the road.
Family riding together on their motorcycle. It was common to see families on their motorcycles riding through town with a bunch of goods from the market on their laps.
Our trip to India was amazing, shocking, and life changing all wrapped up into one package. I hope I never forget some of the things that made such an impact on me during my time in India. May I appreciate the blessings in my life more and learn to be more generous with those around me.
The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax. Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away. Explore with a good attitude, look for fun, and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories. It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine. Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn. You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!
November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days (Day 4 & 5)
As I was reflecting back on the many amazing blessings in my life I realized that don’t let those around me know how much I truly appreciate them enough. The idea of participating in a “thankfulness” challenge for the month of November was started a few months ago when I purchased cards for my family to send out for the Thanksgiving Holiday (see the picture of the front of the card below).
It is my wish to show my gratitude to the people I interact with day to day. For the month of November I am planning a 30-30-30 Challenge. It is my goal to say thanks in 30 ways to 30 people for 30 days. Each day I plan to do at least one activity expressing my thanks to one person every day for thirty days.
Day 1
Who: Hair Stylist
I needed a hair cut after putting it off for several weeks so I headed to the salon. My hair has a pretty simple and easy cut so it usually only takes a few minutes for a hair stylist. I had never met the person who cut my hair before, but took the time to learn a little bit about her. She has two small kids, ages 2 and 6. For my expression of thanks today I made it a point to give her a generous tip and tell her “thank you”.
Day 2
Who: My Spouse – Jake
I am so thankful for everything Jake does for our family. He works really hard, is an awesome Dad to our girls, and loves me. Jake is my best friend and I am very grateful for him. He takes good care of all of us and I don’t tell him “thanks” enough. Today I gave him a hand written thank you card and a bag of chocolate truffles.
Day 3
Who: Daughters – Brina & Karlie
I am very thankful for my two girls! They light up my world, make me laugh, and help build extra character in my life. It took many prayers and a few tears before God gave these two precious blessings in my life. You can read more about my journey with my Loosening My Grip: Why Can’t I Get Pregnant? series. As a way of saying thank you to the girls I gave them thank you notes and spent time reading some of our current book Little House in the Big Woods together.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
The girls have a four day weekend so I am enjoying a little extra time with them. YAY! Jake was on-call all weekend so we stayed close to home but were able to get some items done around the house. Glad we stayed close to home because he had a lot of calls and work items that needed his attention. Hopefully this week I will be able to tackle more items on my list!
Last week’s goals:
Family Goals
- Read to the girls and have them read to me daily- we missed Halloween night because we were out celebrating
Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforeDaily School Activities & Homework CompletedAttend After School ActivitiesPlan one special Activity with the FamilyCelebrate Halloween with the Family
Personal Goals
- Exercise at least 5 days this week – missed a couple of days
Drink 8 glasses of water each day- Finish reading The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith – working on it
- Reading / listening through my Bible – doing the 90 day plan through YouVersion – faithfully reading through it
Home Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayWeekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week- Tackle Fall Cleaning & Organization Project (Focus – Office / Garage) – made some headway, both were big projects!
Pay all upcoming billsFinishing cleaning up from Community Group Camp out- Put away all the Halloween Items – have everything picked up just need to put them in the container & into the attic
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming (November) blog postsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attention- Schedule November work dates – have a couple days left to put on the calendar
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or LunchWrite and Send Out Community Group Email
Financial Goals
Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4- Payoff the Van – was able to put a little extra on it this month
- Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses (we are trying to build this back up because we had to take some out for unexpected expenses recently.) – working on it (with paying off the van this isn’t our first priority but we are moving forward slowly).
My goals for the upcoming week:
Family Goals
- Read to the girls and have them read to me daily
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
- Attend After School Activities
- Plan one special Activity with the Family
- Spend extra time with the Girls since they have a couple days off school
Personal Goals
- Exercise at least 5 days this week
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Finish reading The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
- Reading / listening through my Bible – doing the 90 day plan through YouVersion
- Vote in the 2012 Election
Home Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Tackle Fall Cleaning & Organization Projects (Focus – Office / Garage)
- Pay all upcoming bills
- Winterize the Garden
- Put printed pictures in the photo album
- Clean Out Fridge
- Recycle old Magazines & update with November editions
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Send out invoices
- Finish scheduling November work dates
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
- Write and Send Out Community Group Email
- Re-organize the Alms & Legs Food Pantry
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
- Payoff the Van
- Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses (we are trying to build this back up because we had to take some out for unexpected expenses recently.)
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.
November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days (Day 3)
As I was reflecting back on the many amazing blessings in my life I realized that don’t let those around me know how much I truly appreciate them enough. The idea of participating in a “thankfulness” challenge for the month of November was started a few months ago when I purchased cards for my family to send out for the Thanksgiving Holiday (see the picture of the front of the card below).
It is my wish to show my gratitude to the people I interact with day to day. For the month of November I am planning a 30-30-30 Challenge. It is my goal to say thanks in 30 ways to 30 people for 30 days. Each day I plan to do at least one activity expressing my thanks to one person every day for thirty days.
Day 1
Who: Hair Stylist
I needed a hair cut after putting it off for several weeks so I headed to the salon. My hair has a pretty simple and easy cut so it usually only takes a few minutes for a hair stylist. I had never met the person who cut my hair before, but took the time to learn a little bit about her. She has two small kids, ages 2 and 6. For my expression of thanks today I made it a point to give her a generous tip and tell her “thank you”.
Day 2
Who: My Spouse – Jake
I am so thankful for everything Jake does for our family. He works really hard, is an awesome Dad to our girls, and loves me. Jake is my best friend and I am very grateful for him. He takes good care of all of us and I don’t tell him “thanks” enough. Today I gave him a hand written thank you card and a bag of chocolate truffles.
Day 3
Who: Daughters – Brina & Karlie
I am very thankful for my two girls! They light up my world, make me laugh, and help build extra character in my life. It took many prayers and a few tears before God gave these two precious blessings in my life. You can read more about my journey with my Loosening My Grip: Why Can’t I Get Pregnant? series. As a way of saying thank you to the girls I gave them thank you notes and spent time reading some of our current book Little House in the Big Woods together.
People appreciate sincere thanks. I want to make a positive impact on the lives of others. As I share my 30-30-30 challenge with you I hope it will spark your imagination and encourage you to share your story too.
In everything give thanks!
– 1 Thessalonians 5:18
