• Relationships: Blessings of Good Friends

    Lily - Red & Orange Flower - Mother's Day Gift

    Friendships are a special part of life, and each and every friendship is different.  Some friendships develop and grow when times and places make it easy for friends to be together and share.  Some friendships mature and change and last a lifetime, even when distance and silences exist.  The wonderful part of a good friendship is that it touches your heart with feelings that make every day more beautiful and worthwhile.  – Ben Daniels

    I am thankful for my friends.  While reading the other day I came across the above insert from Ben Daniels.  It was a great reminder for me and might be for you as well.  Hopefully each of us have developed at least a handful of these types of friendships in our lives because they are priceless.  They journey through life with you no matter the amount of miles between you and the time gaps in seeing each other.  With all the technology (cell phones, internet, social media and other) we have the resources available to at least stay in touch to these friends.  Reach out to these friends in your life this week.  Be an encouragement, share some laughs, and invest the time in these friendships.

  • Hero of the Year History Project

    Hero of the Year History Project

     Karlie’s Time Magazine Hero of the Year Project – Thomas Sumter

    The girls did a Social Studies project at school recently about various people in the American Revolution.  They made their own Time magazine “Hero of the Year” cover page and article.  They each picked one person and they did more research about the life of that particular person.  Karlie choose to research Thomas Sumter who was nicknames “The Fighting Gamecock”.  Brina did her research on George Washington who was nicknamed “The Father of His Country”.  Both men were instrumental and influential during the early years of our country specifically during the time of the American Revolution.

    Time Magazine Hero of the Year Social Studies school project

    Brina’s Time Magazine Hero of the Year Project – George Washington

    On the back of each of the girls Time Magazine cover page was the details about the hero and his life.  It was a fun Social Studies project and the girls got to learn a lot of other details about the American Revolution during their time of research.  It is neat to see them get excited over fun school projects.  Both of them really enjoy learning about history!

  • Heart Reflections: His Perfect Timing

    We read a little bit in the book of Esther with the girls recently.  Esther’s words “for such a time as this” not only struck a cord in my heart but in the girls hearts as well.  Have you ever thought about how you have been placed on this earth at this exact time for a specific reason?  During our recent devotional with the girls they asked the question “Why did God chose for me to live today not many years ago or sometime in the future?”

    What a great question, right!?  One that I have actually thought about a lot over the past few years myself too.  God knew us even before we were born (how cool is that)!  🙂  He chose for us to live today, during this time, and at this very moment for a special reason. The problem is often times we don’t always realize or know what that really means for us.  We get so caught up in the daily obligations of life itself we forget that its the little “daily” stuff that can really have a life long impact on the lives of others.  Take our kids for example…feeding their bodies, teaching their minds, and shepherding their hearts now can make a positive impact on many future generations to come.  Will we mess up?  Yes!  That is normal, however, it is important that they know we love them, we make mistakes, and that our hearts aren’t perfect either which is why we need Jesus’ grace, love, wisdom, and forgiveness just as much as anyone else.

    We have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the world, starting with the people around us.  Are we taking the time to share his love, kindness, mercy, goodness and grace to those people we interact with daily as well as those we may only have 1 opportunity to touch their lives?  I am thankful He has allowed me to live today…to have a spouse who loves me, to have these children keep me on my toes, friends who challenge me to do better, extended family who want to be a part of my life, a blog to reach out to people I may never meet in person, and so many more amazing blessings in my life.  Are our lives reflecting Him through our words, thoughts, and actions so that we have many opportunities to make a positive eternal impact?  If not, what do I need to do to change?

    The girls are really thinking lately. We went from Jesus to John the Baptist to (Carmel Hair Coats, Esther, Baptism, Life, Death, Salvation,  Sharing the Good News, Extended Family, Heaven, Praying, what is a Pastor, Faith and maybe even a couple more thrown in there along the way…).  Quite the discussions lately, but I am thankful for their desire to learn and grow.  I pray that Jake and I will have wisdom we need to answer the questions in a way that will only strengthen their faith and make a positive impact on their lives and hearts.  One of  the best parts about reading through a variety of devotional books with them is that it really seems to initiate some good conversations.

  • Book: “Guess How Much I Love You” by Sam McBratney

    I was thinking about some of my favorite books I enjoy reading to the girls.  The book Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney is one I have read to our girls many times.  It is a great book for parents to read to little ones.  The book is about a small rabbit who is asking how much he is loved and comparing the love to things / objects around him.  It helps put “love” in a perspective that our children can understand.  The book is a good reminder to the kids and parent both.  It is important that we show our love and appreciation for our children not only by reading the book to them but in many other ways throughout the week – a hug, listening, spending time with them, and just appreciating them for who they are as individuals.

  • Heart Reflections: Stretching Towards the Sun

    Our family has recently planted a garden.  Since it had been getting cool at night we started the seedlings inside.  Every day I have watched and nurtured those little plants.  Some of the seeds popped up quickly while others never came up.  As I watched the plants growing each one stretched out their leaves towards the light.  Once they were big enough we transplanted them outside in our garden.  Shortly after planting them we had a night of heavy wind, rain, and even hail followed by a frost on the ground a few days later.  Even though it was “safe” for us to plant the garden outside there are still risks and dangers.  Many of the seedlings survived the tough few weeks of new growth, however, some did not make it.  Although, our hope was that every plant would thrive we know that nature will do some natural pruning especially in the weaker plants.  For whatever reason some plants didn’t make it (something caused the undesirable side effect…maybe the roots were too shallow or wet / dry or too much shade / sunny or bugs or a number of other factors) .  On the other hand some plants thrived despite all the challenges they faced.

    While I was thinking about the plants it occurred to me that the analogy can be applied in some ways to our own lives.  We should be looking towards the Son at all times, the one who created us.  We all grow at our own pace, some of us may have sprouted quickly while others are delayed but have a more solid root structure.  Even though life may not be perfect and we may experience seasons of drought, hail, or disease we still have a choice of where to focus our attention.  Once we decide where we will focus our energy we will experience a variety of ripple effects (sometimes the effects are positive and other times they can can be less desirable).  When we are in stressful situations do we continue to grow or do we wither under the pressure of life? We all want to continue growing, thriving and producing a beautiful fruit.   The big step is making sure our root structure is strong and secure.  We do this through continually cultivating a relationship with our Savior.  Yes, this will take our time, energy and nurturing, but in the end it is worth it.  We all want to feel loved, appreciated and valued yet so often we look towards our earthly relationships to provide that fulfillment whether it is through our spouse, children, serving at church or whatever fills that void.  Instead we should look to our creator who made us, never fails, and loves us unconditionally.  As we notice flowers and plants stretching towards the sun, let that remind us of the importance of reaching towards the Son in our own lives as well.

    “Heart Reflections” is a series of thoughts and encouragement that come directly from my heart.  Life has a way of throwing us extra challenges and when our focus is pulled away from what is truly important we tend to feel the pressure of stress in our lives.  This series is created to remind us that we are part of something so much bigger than ourselves.  We don’t have to face the pressure of life on our own.  We can trust that our prayers are being heard.  He alone knows what’s best for us and gives us the appropriate strength to get through each day as it is set before us.

    Photo by Stig Nygaard

  • Team Work at the Family Yard Sale

    Yard Sale Sign - Jake put the arrow on when he staked them on Saturday morning.

    We recently did a Yard Sale at our house.   It was a  success, we even had to thin out the cash box twice during the sale because we were getting so many $1 bills.  I was shocked when we counted up the total at the end of the day, it was the best sale we have had yet!  I am not sure if it was just a great day, beautiful weather, we had the right people, right items, luck, answer to prayer, or a combination.  No matter what it was we were blessed with a great sale.  Our Yard Sale was a one day sale starting at 7 AM (although we always have those early birds which is fine with me) and we ended at 1 PM.  This year it was just our family doing the sale and we made almost $700.  Jake and I sold over $650 and the girls brought in over $15 selling drinks, cookies, and candy.

    It was a lot of work and I am very thankful it is now done so I can get my house back in order again.  Last Saturday was a beautiful sunny day and we had a steady amount of traffic the whole time.  One time when traffic started slowing down my husband checked the signs and one of them had fallen down, immediately after setting it up again the crowds starting coming again.  Our first customers arrived before we even finished setting up. As soon as the signs were up there were people were outside with their flashlights going through the items.

    Our family always enjoys seeing what the first item that sells will be……this year it was a cord for 25 cents.  My husband had a box of electronic power cords for 25 cents each.  The guy later came back and purchased the entire box of cords along with a few other items.  It makes me smile seeing people leave the yard with full bags of goodies and knowing that I don’t have to bring it all back inside!  Not to mention it is wonderful being able to put the extra towards your goals and to have a more uncluttered home.  I haven’t quite master that completely yet but I am getting closer!

    The more Yard Sales we do the more I learn what do to or better yet what not to do.  I grew up in a very rural area in Kansas and my family never had or went to a Yard Sale / Garage Sale / Tag Sale or whatever you call it in your area.  Here are some quick and easy tips that work for us and have made our Yard Sales successful:

    • Get Organized Early – clean out your closets and rooms in advance.  I typically collect items throughout the year and place them in bins marked for “yard sale” so it makes it easier once the time gets near.  After getting out the bins I go through a room a day and collect any items that we are no longer using.  If I have more time I will do another sweep of the house.  As I am collecting the items I go ahead and price them then put them in the room next to the front door so they are ready to take out the day of the sale.
    • Clearly Mark & Price All Items to Sell – we had only a couple items in the $10 to $20 range.  The majority of our items were marked from 2 cents to $1.00 each.  Many of people that come to your sale will want to negotiate so it is important to know in advance what items you are willing to negotiate and how much.  Typically, I will do up to half off the price unless it is one I have specified in advance that I will not do additional discounts (like brand new items from our stockpile).  Mark all items!  One exception to this rule is if you have a bin of similar items to sell you can mark the amount per item on the outside of the container.  A lot of people will pass up the opportunity to buy something they want because they don’t want to ask for the price.  I would rather the items sell then have to drag everything back into the house, to Goodwill or somewhere else afterwards.  If you have a lot of specific items to sell (candles, clothes, gift bags, stuffed animals, etc….) you can sell them for 50 cents each or they can stuff a bag as full as they want $5.  I had a lady buy my entire bin of stuffed animals by stuffing bags for $5 each (you can fit a lot of clothes and stuffed animals into a shopping bag).
    • Plan of Action – having a plan mapped out of where you want items and how it will look.  This will help make the whole Yard Sale run more smoothly and in the end be a success.Group like items together as you are preparing them and know in advance which items you want on the tables, in the front to draw in the crowd, which ones are okay to put on the tarp or hang on the fence.
    • Answer the Important Questions in Advance – Who is in charge of what? What are the kids selling?  Who is putting out the signs?  When are you putting out the signs?   Who will be collecting the cash?
    • How much cash / change do you need to start? We did $70 cash this time and it was a great amount (we had 2 – $10, 4 – $5, 20 – $1, and a roll of quarters).  We used $3 in loose change we had around the house to buff up the cash box a little bit more.
    • Pick a Good LOCATION – we usually do our Yard Sale at our house because we live right off a busy road.  Also, our road is a small half circle and no matter which direction a person comes down it they will drive past our house.  You want it close to a road that gets a lot of steady traffic so you get a continual flow of people.
    • Do a Multiple Family Sale – this is the first year we have not done a multiple family yard sale.  We have had up to 7 families do the yard sale with us at one time.  We even have a software program that tracks how much each family is making and then we divide up the cash at the end of the sale.  If you do it this way and use 1 cash box make sure whoever is entering the amounts knows the program and during the busy times it is wise to have a couple people helping check out.  Otherwise you can do separate cash box per family.  You can share the cost of signs, materials, work, etc…when you do a joint sell as well.
    • Select a Date / Time – pick a good date and time to do your sale.  For example, if it is freezing or raining it will be much harder to have a successful sale.  Consider the benefits of doing a 1 or 2 day sale.  We have typically only done a 1 day sale on Saturday because we don’t have a garage that faces the street where we can leave everything set up for the next day.  Plus, we don’t have to take time off work to have since we only do it on Saturday.
    • SIGNS – the signage is very important!  We make big, bold, simple signs with arrows on them.  The signs are placed at either end of our street with two additional signs one on the highway next to us and another at a busy intersection up the street from us.  Half of the signs are to get their attention and the two at the ends of our street are the most valuable because those are the ones that will get the people onto your street.  Add just enough information to get them to your house, keep it big and simple.  We purchased our signs for 50 cents at the Dollar Tree and I had the girls help me color them with crayons.  Since we already advertised in a variety of other places (see below) we typically put up our signs early the day of the sale as we are setting up (we have done it as early at 4:30 AM and had people at our house within minutes).
    • Advertise – having a number people planning to come before the day of the sell is very beneficial.  Many times these people will be the first ones there and more people are likely to stop if there are a lot of cars at your house (there must be great deals). Here are a couple places to advertise:
    1. Your local Craigslist –  we have great success listing our Yard Sales on Craigslist.  People have driven from over an hour away to attend our Yard Sale because they saw it on Craigslist.  We typically get between 5 to 20 emails a day from people requesting more information on what we are selling so make sure you are ready to respond politely and timely to those requesting information.  I always include a bullet list of items that we are selling to catch the attention of those looking for specific things (for example – Infant Clothes Newborn & Up, NEW Health & Beauty Items, CD’s / DVDs, Furniture, Kitchen Appliances, Books, Computers, Game Systems, Electronics, etc…. and MUCH MORE).  Be honest yet specific to draw the attention of those interested in your items.  Craigslist will allow you to post multiple times the week of the sale – I usually post information about it on Monday, Wednesday, and follow up with one final one on Friday that has our address and directions included.
    2. Newspapers – many newspapers will allow you to list your Yard Sale in the paper for free.  Check with your local newspapers for the details.  Make sure to check out the smaller ones as well because they often will give you more promotional space plus they are in your local community homes and stores.
    3. Hang Fliers – in gas stations or a variety of businesses or community boards in your area.  Many of these places allow you do it for free and it generates additional interest.  Make sure your signs are bright, colorful, and easy to read.
    • Large / Popular Items Catch the Buyers Attention – put large or popular and colorful items out in front (children’s clothes, furniture, exercise equipment, etc….) so people will see them and stop to shop.  Many times if they stop to look they will buy something in addition to the items that first got their attention.
    • Sell Ad-Ons – we have our girls sell drinks, small toys, cookies (see picture below), candy, and re-usable bags.  Here’s what we did:
    1. Candy – 2 cents
    2. Small Toys – 2 cents
    3. Re-usable Shopping Bags – 10 cents (or they can choose the free bags – plastic bags we collected from a variety of stores)
    4. Lemonade – 25 cents
    5. Cookies – 25 cents
    6. Soda Pop – 50 cents
    7. Bottled Water – $1.00
    • Thin Out Your Stockpile – if you shop the sales and use coupons take a moment to put together a bin or table full of items.  We had a variety of new Health & Beauty items, Household items, School Supplies, Crafts Supplies, and more for people to buy.  The largest benefit to having a table with brand new items is that it really attracts attention and brings in the crowd plus it gets people excited about getting a great deal.  Also, pack a basket full of those samples you got in the mail and sell them.  We were selling our samples for 2 cents each and a lady came back to our yard sale to purchase more items for her parents and bought the entire basket full of samples.  We sold the majority of the items on those tables plus people purchased other items at the sale because they were so thrilled to find a terrific deal.  This year we even sold a box full of non-expired food from our pantry, I had duplicates of several items that I didn’t think we would eat in time so I put them out and they were a huge hit as well.
    Brina & Karlie's Tray Full of Individually Wrapped (in "pretty" bags) Cookies for the Yard Sale! Oatmeal Raisin, Chocolate Chip M&M, and Double Chocolate Chip! They did really well with their cookies.

    These are some of the things I have learned over the course of the past few years.  Several people have asked us email them when we have our yard sales because they don’t want to miss it and other people have gone to get extra money or called friends to come buy items.  The repeat customers know what you typically have available and look for it, a couple ladies asked where all my samples were after someone had purchased them all.  It is a lot of work, but with a little extra effort and planning it can be a successful event.   I am thankful for my family because each member pitched in to help make it a great day.  I wish you the best as you plan for your upcoming sale.  Please leave any comments below on ways you have made your Garage / Yard Sale successful.

  • Life Simplified: Set the Timer!

    It has been a really busy few weeks and I don’t anticipate that it will slow down any time soon (maybe in May).  The girls and I will be traveling over their Spring Break so I have a lot to get done before our fun time begins.  If you are like me I want everything to be caught up before I leave on a trip  – bills paid, house cleaned, emails returned, inbox empty, garden planted and weeded,  etc….  however, the “to do” list is generally much longer than the hours available in the day. When I am working on a project I want to stick to it until it is completely finished.  There are major benefits having this personality, however, the downside is that I may get that one project completed but there are 27 other projects that haven’t even been started.

    One of the ways that has helped me stay on task and be more productive (I have been using this a lot lately) is to set the timer.   I have a small timer that I can take with me from room to room.  My timer has been well used the past few weeks, I even lost it for a couple days while getting ready for the yard sale!  I anticipate it will continue to be used in the upcoming weeks as well as I prepare to travel with the kids.  I set the timer for an increment of time to help motivate me and keep me focused on getting the task done.  When the timer goes off that means I am done with that project for the moment and need to move onto the next task (which can be very hard for me at times especially if I am really close to finishing the task I am currently working on).  Here is an example of some of the activities I do during a day with my timer (every day is different so this just an example of activities I set the timer for throughout the day):

    • 30 minutes – Exercise
    • 45 minutes – Quiet Time
    • 10 minutes – Prep for Dinner
    • 10 minutes – Eat Breakfast
    • 30 minutes – Check & Respond to Emails (sometimes I do this 2 to 3 times a day)
    • 60 minutes – Blog Posts
    • 60 minutes – Work Projects
    • 30 minutes – Pick Up the House
    • 60 minutes – Fold & Put Away All Laundry for the week on Laundry Day
    • 30 minutes – Lunch
    • 45 minutes – Homework with the Girls
    • 45 minutes – Make Dinner
    • 30 minutes – Dinner Clean Up and Wash Dishes
    • 15 minutes – Packs Lunches for the Next Day
    • 30 minutes – Clipping Coupons
    • 30 minutes – Matching Coupons with Weekly Ads
    • 30 minutes – Pay Bills & Balance Accounts
    • 10 minutes – Power Clean My Desk (or on some days find my desk)

    If I get to all the tasks that had on my list that day I will reward myself with 30 minutes of “free” time which usually means spending extra time with the family, reading, writing, or something else rewarding yet beneficial.  A lot of times during breakfast or lunch I will spend time reading or answering emails as well.  I have found that days when I work on the computer I don’t get anything done in the house and days that I spend concentrating on home projects I don’t get any work done so as in my attempt to try and balance life a little bit more the timer has become a fun trick that works well for me.  Although the computer work is important I do have some moments when I get sidetracked by a great article or Facebook or something else and before I know it the time has flown by and an hour has passed (same things happens on home projects).  The timer helps me track the time better and alerts me especially when I have gotten distracted from the task at hand. I do not set the timer for family time or family oriented meals and tasks because those are important for the entire family.

    Now if I could only find a way to set a timer for travel time, shopping and waiting to check out, ha!  Although I must say I am becoming a little more efficient in shopping too by only going directly to the items I need and not “browsing” through the entire store.  Not everything works well with setting a timer but there are some tasks I noticed will consume larger amounts of time if I don’t put a time limit on them.

    How do you balance it all as a Wife, Mom, Business Person, etc…?  Do you have other ways that help you stay on task?

    Photo by ellie

  • Giveaway: Book “Speaking Mom-ese” by Lisa Whelchel

    I will be doing a giveaway for the month of April!  The winner will receive the hardcover book called “Speaking Mom-ese: Moments of Peace & Inspiration in the Mother Tongue” by Lisa Whelchel!  As Moms it is difficult finding a moment of “quiet” in our days and I liked how each chapter was short so I could fit it into even a busy day. A friend gave me the book when I was pregnant with the girls and I have read through at least it twice.  Lisa shares insights and stories about her children as well as encourages you as a Mom.  I think it is important even on the busy days to have even a few moments to relax.

    All you have to do to enter this giveaway is sign up to follow my blog (if you haven’t done so already) and leave a comment below by 10 PM EST on April 30th telling us how you follow Blessings Multiplied.  You can get a BONUS entry into the drawing if you leave a separate comment below telling us one of your tips for squeezing in a few moments of peace and quiet into your already busy day!  We love our family but they have a way of keeping us running all day!  On April 30th I will randomly draw a winner from those who have entered the giveaway.

  • Life Simplified: Laundry Day

    For those who don’t know me…….I am NOT a big fan of doing laundry.  Don’t get me wrong , it gets done in our house because I don’t like wearing dirty clothes but doing laundry everyday is almost like torture to me.   Before discovering a system that worked for our household I would delay doing laundry until the last possible moment (ie…someone was out of underwear) then do a huge batch.  The laundry would then sit on the guest bed waiting to be folded and put away.  Many times if you wanted to wear a certain shirt or were looking for clean underwear you had to dig through a massive pile in search for an item.

    Thankfully, we had a season in our life that forced me to get organized in the laundry department as well as other areas.  Several years ago my husband took a contract position in a town an hour and half away from our home.  Since the girls were young and not yet in school the entire family commuted with him on the contract.  The company gave him an allowance for an apartment and we were able to find one less then the amount we were given so we could save a little bit extra.  A couple of the downsides to the apartment being less expensive is that it was tiny and it didn’t have a washer and dryer hookup.  Since we came “home” on the weekends it wasn’t that big of a deal, however, that meant we had to keep track of groceries in two houses plus carting laundry back and forth every week.  During this season in our marriage I learned a lot about organizing and planning especially with living in two places at one time, an apartment during the week and at home on the weekends.  There were several benefits to our family doing laundry only once a week:

    • Less Stress for Mom because once laundry was completed on Saturday it was done for an entire week.
    • More Cost Efficient as far energy, water, and laundry soap.
    • Only 4 Loads of Laundry per week (on a typical week we do 4 full loads of laundry for an entire week:  1 – Sheets & Towels, 2 – Light Clothes, 3 – Dark Clothes, 4 – Whites)
    • Saves Time when I do everything all from start to finish in one day.  The laundry gets washed throughout the day and for about an hour in the evening I take the time to fold, hang up and put away the items.
    • Happy Family – no more digging through piles of clean laundry on the bed looking for underwear or a shirt, etc…. everything is cleaned, put away and ready to be worn.
    • Cleaner Home when the piles of laundry are no longer stacked on our guest room bed or in front of the washing machine our home is neater.
    • Items are Pre-Treated prior to being put in the laundry basket instead of trying to remember which ones to spray when I am putting them into the wash machine.
    • Organized System – having a specific day and task to accomplish enables me to get it done for the week and move onto the other tasks that demand my time and attention

    On the weekend we had to get the laundry done in order to have clothes to wear for the next week so it was a great motivator.   Even though that was several years I still do all our laundry in one day.  I no longer have to get it done on the weekends so currently laundry days are Monday’s at our house.   Everything is washed, folded and put away all in one day.  Since starting this organizational task it has allowed additional freedom in my week plus it has been a blessing to my family.  I no longer dread doing laundry because I know it will be done completely on “laundry day” and I will not have to think about it again until next week.  My family no longer has to dig through piles of clothes looking for something to wear.  It was a win-win situation for everyone.

    Even though that season in our life was difficult balancing the two households looking back on it I realize how many rich blessings and memories were created during that time as well.  It is during the times of stretching and change in our family when we discover new ways to make life more enjoyable for ourselves as well as those around us.  Having the opportunity to look at our organizational system from a different perspective may be all it takes to make it more efficient.

    Do you like doing laundry?  What works for one family may not work for another.  What are ways you use to help make your time doing laundry more efficient?

    Photo by Jon Yu

  • Be My Valentine: Romantic Dinner for Two!

    You have the babysitter lined up for the kids now it is time to figure out what fun excursion to do with your spouse.  Going out to eat at a restaurant is a great option, however, going on Valentine’s Day can mean a lot of waiting in lines.  If you have your heart set on going to a restaurant go to a place where you can make a reservation in advanced or pick a different evening near Valentine’s Day.  As a side note, the point of Valentine’s Day is to spend time together and celebrate with your love ones.  If you do it a day earlier or later it can be an even more relaxing and romantic date to remember.  Since Valentine’s Day is on a Monday this year, try going on Friday or Saturday before Valentine’s Day.  Going near the Holiday but not on the Holiday allows you to get into the restaurant easier and dinner will be more relaxing with better service because you’re not rushed.  It will be less expensive for the babysitter that night since you don’t have to be out as long waiting for a table.

    My recommendation if you want to go out on Valentine’s Days (or any other Date Night) for less go on a picnic with your spouse.  Why is going a picnic a better option:

    • It’s Less Expensive – you can pick up food on sale at the grocery store and make it at home.
    • No Waiting in Line
    • Relaxing Meal Together
    • One-on-One Conversation without interruptions

    Since it is winter time you may ask, how do we do a picnic in the snow?  The last cold picnic we went on together Jake and I found a great spot to park.  We took all the seats out of the van except the front two then put a air mattress in the back part of the van.  We brought a picnic basket full of goodies and a movie.  We had a quiet relaxing meal together, talked, and enjoyed a movie.  It was a great evening full of fun and relaxation.

    “Be My Valentine” is a series of creative ways you can celebrate Valentine’s Day with those you love.  You can make it a special Holiday without spending a lot.  Spread a little extra cheer to those around you this Valentine’s Day!  Surprise your loved ones with a fun and thoughtful gift from the heart.  It is a great time to reflect on sweet memories as well as create new ones with whole family.  May this Valentine’s season be bursting with love for you!