Goodplans

A Whirlwind Season of Life

2011-08-10T11:47:00.000-05:00

The house is strangely quiet today. Even the air conditioner, which has churned almost continuously this summer with the record breaking heat, is silent. My productivity is at almost zero. No household appliances have been set to work this morning, no shipments have been processed, no deals have been made.

This is margin. Rest. Stillness.

I sit at my desk and look around, amazed at the amount of chaos that has occurred in my home over the last few weeks. Half-done projects abound. Household tasks have been sadly neglected, and inventory seems to have taken on a life of it's own, creeping into almost every room of the house.

Yet inside, I am peaceful. These are just things. Circumstances. Results of doing business on the fly while trying to help my last child at home get settled in to the dorms of her university across town. And it's okay.

It's interesting that during this hectic, sometimes chaotic, season of life, my business managed to break all previous sales records. Without my constant presence, but with my full attention when I chose to work on it. Is this how George Washington managed to be on the banks of the Potomac leading his soldiers, and at the same time keeping track of how many nails were being used to build each of the new buildings going up on his estate back home? Interesting.

I find we have a greater capacity to be productive when we give our lives in service to the Lord, and let Him guide our daily activities, and choose His ways of doing and being right. This week's reading recommendation for success in business is the book of Proverbs, which teaches how to do just that.

Take some time each day to study and meditate on the Word of God concerning how to do things His way. The payoff from study of God's Word is so much greater than any other book that could every be recommended. It should be a daily part of the life of someone searching for real success!

This Book of the Law...

2011-08-01T10:48:00.000-05:00

Now that I've established my belief that God is for us and not against us, it makes sense to tell you that I don't believe that that is enough. Shocking statement, isn't it? But , I believe that statement is the truth. Here's why...

Joshua 1:8 says, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."

The responsibility for your success lies with YOU, not with God.

Religion delays results but faith is now. Your success depends on you, on the words you speak, on the choices you make, and even by the friends you choose. You are able to make your way prosperous financially, physically, mentally, emotionally and relationaly by being a DOER of the Word, and not a hearer only.

For business, the doing of the Word involves practicing what is 1) right and 2) just and 3) fair. It means not only looking out for our own interests, but looking out for the interests of others. It involves an understanding that a business based on a benevolent free market provides a service or good at a fair, competitive price so that the transaction benefits both the buyer and the seller. (For a biblical understanding of benevolent free market, read the Uncle Eric series by Richard Maybury.)

For example, my first business, a logistics tracking service, provided an opportunity for me to serve another business by providing manpower to schedule delivery details to the importer of goods from foreign countries to their buyer's chosen destination. I negotiated fees up front, signed a contract, and began working all within a few weeks. The client was happy to pay me a percentage of each delivery's value as the cost of doing business. I was willing to work for the amount he suggested, and because I was able to work from home, I kept my overhead costs very low and earned a high margin of profit.

But it was still work.

That's part of the key to success. God's model of prosperity is that we first believe He is for us, (which is hearing), and then we do what He said, (which is the doing). This model works for every area of life. But, YOU have to work it!

So, are you getting the picture? God wants us to be successful in every area of life, including business. It doesn't matter the kind of business. It only matters that YOU FOLLOW THE MODEL for successful business. It means being a person of good character, integrity, and understanding. It means believing that God gives you insight into His plan for your life, direction for walking out His good plans, and creative ideas for doing business that, as Bill Winston says, "will outrun your counterparts!"

To be that person, you have to hear God's Word, and you have to purpose to develop your own character and personality. Another little, but powerful, book that I recommend is The QBQ, by John Miller, and the companion volume, Flipping The Switch, which both teach leadership by personal accountability. I found them very helpful in gaining an understanding of my own strengths and weaknesses, and in developing the mindset of leadership by servatitude. They are very small volumes, easily read in an afternoon and likely available from your public library.

Purpose from now on to do find out what is right, just and fair according to God's Word, and to do that, even if it appears that it costs you. God is the God of Justice, and rewards those who strive to do what is good in His sight. Right-eousness and justice are the foundation of His throne! If you do what is right in His sight, you will be successful!

I'm Still Walking!

2011-07-23T15:03:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe it's been a year since I've posted on this blog. During that time, there have been some signifigant changes in my life. I've graduated my last child from our homeschool academy, started my second business, and worked through some of life's toughest challenges with some of my closest friends.

I've been tutoring, working, learning, and growing in understanding of the great calling our Father God has placed on His sons and daughters. More than anything, I've come to understand that our job as Christians is to be the mature ones in Christ.

I've had many opportunities to teach the things I'm learning myself, and have decided to document some of them here in an effort to utilize today's technology to help me accomplish some of what others are asking of me. So, if you are one of those who has asked me to teach, these next posts will be for you!

My life began to change a few years ago, when my thinking began to change. After all, "as a man thinks in his heart, so is he." Look it up in Proverbs.

The catalyst to my paradigm shift came after reading this small book, Acres of Diamonds, by Russell Conwell, so if you want to know the "secret" to my success, begin here. And really look up the Scriptures that I post. Write them down in a notebook. Commit them to heart. Think about them, and speak them to yourself, especially when standing in front of a mirror.

And if you really follow through and read the book, post a comment so I know you are going to be doer, and not a hearer only, and I will continue posting in this series on The Good Success spoken of in Joshua 1.

The Word of God will change your life forever, if you will let it.

Kellogg's $10 Catalina Fuel For Schools

2010-07-28T16:20:00.000-05:00

There's a Fuel For Schools promo right now, and here's how I shopped it today:

Get a $10 Catalina coupon on your next grocery purchase of $10 or more, Coupon printed at checkout...when you buy any 10 Kellogg's, Keebler, Sunshine, MorningStar, and/or Eggo products. (3.8 oz or larger, Mix or Match) Purchases must be made in one transaction. Offer valid at participating retailers during select dates between 7/28/10 and 8/14/10.

There are also the $5 off 5 Keebler and Kellogg's item coupons in the ad. One deal per customer per day at the Haskell, OK store. I had done this a week ago, and still had one $10 catalina left. Today I purchased this:

5 boxes Blueberry MiniWheats, 5 for $12 - $5 in-ad coupon
5 TownHouse Crackers 5 for $12 - $5 in-ad coupon
One Crest toothpaste $1.99 - $0.75 MQ on any (doubled to $1.50)
3 Avocados on sale for $1
1/2 Gallon Milk $2.05 - $2 MQ wyb 5 Kellogg's cereal
One Pound Round Steak $2.90 - $2 printable found here
Minus the $10 I had from last week

For a total of $7.50!!! Plus I got a $10 Catalina off my next order, so I can go back and do it again tomorrow.

Out Of This World Waffle Recipe

2010-07-10T13:26:00.002-05:00

My friend, Shannon, introduced me to the healthful properties of coconut oil, and I've been working on incorporating it into daily lives. I was surprised by it's many beneficial uses, and have been experimenting with substituting it recipes we enjoy.

I will start out by warning you that the following recipe is dangerous and addictive. Eating a whole batch of waffles in one sitting is not healthy or beneficial in any way, and one should never make this recipe while home alone. There, I've done my duty and warned you all!

With that said, my family has declared these to be the best waffles in the world. They are easy to make, and the recipe can be adjusted to any type of wheat flour you desire. I prefer a combination of hard and soft wheat, but these can also be made with straight whole wheat or, dare I say it, straight all~purpose flour. I have not experimented with non-wheat flours, but if you do, please let us know how it turns out and I will reprint that information with a link to this post.

Lisa's Out Of This World Waffles

2 1/2 cups flour (any kind or combination of wheat flours)
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups milk (can use fresh or sour)
3/4 cup melted coconut oil, or vegetable oil

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir. Combine eggs and milk in seperate bowl and whisk together. Add to flour mixture, then add oil. Stir with a whisk or beaters just until all ingredients are moistened. Cook in preheated waffle iron. Keep warm in low degree oven until ready to serve.

You can also cool and freeze these yummy waffles, then re~warm in toaster or oven. They are truly delicious.

Linking up to Beauty & Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday

An Eye For Details

2010-07-08T14:32:00.000-05:00

I love barn doors. For a while, I've had good plans to make our shed door look something like the picture above. I think the project was a little frightening for my hubby, because even though I talked him into painting the door last summer, he just would N.O.T. tackle putting the trim on the door.

So I did.

Here's the door when we started, 11 months ago... Ahem.

Then he became frustrated becase after a coat of pink, yes, pink paint, ( he went and purchased it without me!), he had to paint the door again. But, alas, I digress. So I convinced him to purchase another color, and this was the final red. To give him credit, he did get the new paint for free since the pink also started peeling right away. Maybe that was a blessing in disguise.

Please excuse the hole in the door, with a rope latch. Someone likes to rig things.

Anyway, after the final red paint was applied, I think he was afraid to mess with the project any more, or he was sick of it. I was MY idea, anyway, not his. So it sat like that through the winter, and the spring, and we were well on our way into summer when I finally had enough.

I hauled out the miter saw, the drill, and all the hardware and trim boards, which were primed and painted last summer. And I did this:

And it makes me happy every time I look at it. I still have black, decorative hinges I purchased at the Re-Store that I might add, but I'll have to wait for the weather to cooperate so I can touch up the paint first.

What do you think? Huge difference, huh? And, it cost next to nothing to do.

Happy July 4th & a Recipe

2010-07-03T18:51:00.000-05:00

Make these quick and easy bars then get out of the kitchen and enjoy the day!

Nut Butter Bars. They are so easy and no baking required. Great summer snack.

2 tbs Coconut Oil ( can use canola oil)

1/2 c Honey

1 1/2 c of Nut Butter ( I used Cashew Butter)

Heat in a sauce pan till melted. Add 3 cups of Old Fashion Oats. Mix in what ever extras you want. Ex: Raisins,Chocolate Chips,and etc. I used organic sun drops.Press into a prepared 9x9 pan. Put in refrigerator. Let cool . Then sliced into bars.

Enjoy.

More Pallet Projects!

2010-07-03T14:48:00.001-05:00

Looking for something to do on a rainy Saturday afternoon? Need a cozy place to lay and watch the fireworks tomorrow? Well, here you are, a project to finish in an afternoon...

Pallet Loungers! Can you believe it? I'm amazed at what people are doing with pallets ~ which are basically free wood, when you can find them. Here's a great tutorial on how to make these beautiful pallet upcycle creations.

Craigslist is the best source I've found, but businesses are often looking for free pallet disposal, so keep a watch out. I wonder what these finished beauties would sell for?

Here's a pallet planter made on the same Shoestring blog. Adorable! But the most impressive project by far is this pallet house! Here's the link to the full story in a magazine.

And you could decorate the outside of your pallet house with these pallet garden boxes and planters!

It just goes to show that if you set your mind to work, you will be rewarded for your efforts.

Now go create!

Use What You Have

2010-07-03T01:21:00.000-05:00

I've been working on a few outdoor projects this summer, in addition to the never ending list of things of things I want to do inside my house. One of my favorite projects so far is this potting bench, which I just finished. Here's what it looked like before, just after I picked it up:

Excuse the black hose lying in the background! I picked that from the neighbor's trash that morning, and hubby purchased a $1.82 hose repair coupling the next day to fix a little damage. Two seconds later I had a nice new~to~me, heavy duty hose to replace one that always seemed to kink. But I digress...

On the potting bench, every board on the upper and lower shelves had to be reattached and I had my ~~lackey~~ husband cut a new brace and shelf to replace the warped one that came with the piece. I did all the reinforcements myself, and tightenen all the fasteners and bolts. (Take note of that drab red door in the background, because it got a facelift this week too, but that's another post.)

I added a hose reel to one side, and cup hooks across the front of the new cedar shelf, to hang tools, keys and implements. I really enjoyed working on this project, and it inspired me to google potting benches to see what others were making. Here are a few noteworthy projects you might be able to make using what you already have around the shop...

I loved this fabulous Pallet Potting Bench from Digginfood.com... What a great idea, and pallets can be found pretty much all the time for next to nothing. I know I have enough lumber behind the shed to make several of these, and I bet they'd sell on Craigslist... I report back and let you know for sure. ;-)

Here's another from Re-nest...

And don't even get me started about all the amazing buildings and fences made from pallets on this website. Seriously, I need a truck! I'm now planning an addition to my storage shed after seeing how easily this went together.

Inspired yet? If not, just know that I reworked and sold this potting bench in a week's time, and on my own schedule. Use what you have to get what you need. It just makes sense!

Sunset Big Book of Garden Designs ~ A GoodPlans Book Review

2010-06-13T23:28:00.001-05:00

Every spring, library books full of flowers find their way to my reading table. I've enjoyed pouring over Sunset's Big Book of Garden Design this year, so much so that I have added it to my wishlist of books to own.

The pages of this book overflow with inspirational photos and drawings of all different sorts of gardens, including color and theme gardens, plantings for water conservation, and specific areas of the front and back yards. I've added a few new beds, renovated a couple of others, and purchased more than ten new species of perennials after studying the beautiful photos included in this publication.

Because I've enjoyed many Sunset books over the years, I was excited to find that they have a fantastic website. I know what I'll be doing this week during my computer time!

Photo creditst: Sunset

What Can I Say?

2010-06-11T21:05:00.000-05:00

Life has interrupted my blogging! We've been doing alot of this:

And some celebrating of this:

And after a week's worth of work, there's a whole lot of these empties on the back porch:

I do have some projects in the works, and am taking pictures as I go. In the meantime, please be patient with me, and I'll start posting on a more regular basis, I promise!

I did discover a great blog for furniture rehab, and the pictures will inspire you to get to work. The blog is Miss Mustard Seed, and I just L.O.V.E. the pictures, links and how-to's. Be sure to check them out!

11 Hours With God

2010-05-05T10:42:00.000-05:00

On Monday morning, May 3, 2010, Carman woke up very ill. She had gone to bed early the night before, which is highly unusual for her. She has always been a night owl, but because we have been so busy with school finals and prom, we didn't think much about it.

Just after 1 AM, I awoke to hear her calling for me. She was nauseated and experiencing strong pains in her abdomen, on the lower right side. She began vomiting, and for the next two hours, could not hold down any liquids. She also shuddered uncontrollably, not with chills, just shuddering throughout her whole body.

During that time, we layed hands on her and prayed together, commanding the sickness and symptoms to go from her body.

I checked the internet several times for a list of symptoms of appendicitis, but her symptoms did not clearly indicate this illness. Also, as the first two hours passed, and she threw up repeatedly, her abdominal pain steadily decreased to the point where she was in almost no pain.

Her symptoms seemed more like a stomach flu. She had no fever, her pains lessened, and her countenance lifted. She became more herself, cheerful and peaceful. But I did not have peace.

As I was asking the Lord what to do, the Holy Spirit reminded me that Carman has a high tolerance for pain. The vommiting and shuddering were clear indicators that she had been in severe pain, so we decided to take her to the hospital to be checked, just in case. It was about 3:30 or 4 when we left.

By that time, she felt so well that she didn't think she needed to go. She even told me that she would go, "just because I wanted her to", but that she did not think it necessary. By the time we packed a bag, got dressed, and loaded her in the car, her pain was almost completely gone, and there were NO SYMPTOMS in her body.

When we arrived, the doctor pressed and pressed on her abdomen, back and sides, looking for something other than the appendicitis. She was no longer nauseated, had basically no pain, and was very chipper. After they ran the blood work, they ordered a CT scan because the white blood count was high.

We were laughing and talking, listening to ipods, and visiting with each other, when they finally came to take the scan. She had to drink the barium liquid, which she found quite disgusting, then wait one hour before the actual scan. Afterwards, we were told there was another one hour waitng period before the results would be ready.

Within 45 minutes the doctor came back in and said Carman would need surgery. They notified the surgeon on call, and said that he would be in to speak with us shortly. He never came. Soon, a different surgeon, a Spirit-filled Christian from Church On The Move, came in to examine Carman and speak with us. We were never told why we got this surgeon instead of the other one, but we believe it was by God's design. As he examined her, he said her symptoms were "unimpressive", and that he needed to take a look at the CT scan for himself.

He came back a few minutes later and said that she, indeed, would need to have her appendix removed. He seemed surprised as well, because of the lack of symptoms.

He had another emergency appendectomy to perfom before Carman's, and said that surgery should last about an hour. It was after 7 AM by this time. They started Carman on a saline IV, but other than Pepcid and Regulan, which they gave her as a precaution before the Barium liquid, they didn't have to give her ANY meds; no pain meds or antibiotics were ever needed before the surgery!

About 8:45 the tech came in and started the pre-op checklist. They wheeled her to surgical waiting by 9 AM, and at 9:15 we were asked to leave and they wheeled her into surgery.

At 9:45, only thirty minutes later, they said the doctor was ready to see us. We met him in a private waiting room, and he said she was finished and could go home later that morning, or early afternoon. The entire procedure took less than 30 minutes, and was a completely textbook case!

We were able to see her at 11 AM, and she was awake, smiling, and drinking water. By 11:45 AM, they had her out of the bed and walking to the bathroom. Just after noon, she was dressed and in the wheelchair on the way to the car.

Other than being tired from the pain meds, and three small incisions covered with band-aids, she is completely well.

It was only by the leading of the Holy Spirit that we knew to take her to the ER. If we had gone by our own understanding of her symptoms, we could be telling a very different story. Thank God for the power of the Holy Spirit, working in the lives of believers!!!

John 16 says, "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and making it known to you."

We rejoice in our Father's faithfulness to us!

A GoodPlans Book Review ~ The Money Answer Book by Dave Ramsey

2010-04-29T17:06:00.001-05:00

If you've been a reader of this blog for any lengtrh of time, you should already know that I'm a huge Dave Ramsey fan. The principles Dave teaches have changed my life in seriously positive ways, and I was excited to see The Money Answer Book come up for review with Thomas Nelson's BookSneeze!

Here's a little about the book from TN:

This question and answer book is the perfect resource guide for equipping individuals with key information about everyday money matters.

Questions and answers deal with 100+ of the most-asked questions from The Dave Ramsey Show—everything from budget planning to retirement planning or personal buying matters, to saving for college and charitable giving. This is Dave in his most popular format—ask a specific question, get a specific answer.

Now, here's what I think:

I really enjoyed reading this book. I never thought of having a "no matter what" list until I read this. Dave's principles are clearly outlined in the pages of this book, and if you've not been a listener of his radio show, this book is a great first resource to own to become familiar with his thought processes.

From an outline of the Baby Steps, to the Debt Snowball worksheets to insurance planning, and straight through investing, this stratagem is a proven method for debt freedom and wealth building. If you're looking for a quick and easy read that is also a source of clear financial wisdom, order this book today!

To read more from Thomas Nelson's product page click here. For a sneak peek inside the book, go here.

In exchange for this honest review Thomas Nelson has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

BOGO French's Mustard at Target!

2010-04-20T22:12:00.000-05:00

The Lynn Lane Target has the bonus packs of French's mustard shown above, and if you go here, you can print coupons and get the whole scoop on the deal! Enjoy! Thanks, Totally Target!

Book Review ~ Nelson's Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts

2010-04-19T14:09:00.000-05:00

One of the best ways to get free or super cheap books is to provide reviews for companies and authors. My wise daughter, Carman, has been doing this for a few months on her site, A Sequence of Continuous Delights. Because of her encouragement, I'm now reviewing for BookSneeze!

There is no greater wisdom on this earth than Scripture, so getting to review free Bibles and Bible study materials is very exciting to me because of the multiple benefits! Free books + God's wisdom = a win/win situation!

Here's a summary from Thomas Nelson's website:

Book Description

Beautiful full-color maps and charts illuminate the Scriptures.

This updated edition of Thomas Nelson’s popular Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts has everything your customers need to visualize the events, places, and people in the Old and New Testaments. The resources include:

* New, full-color, high-resolution maps and charts.

* Downloadable PDFs of maps and charts for presentations and classes.

* Tables, charts, and diagrams that organize Bible information for ease of learning and memorization.

* Historical articles providing insight into Bible times.

* Introductions to each book of the Bible.

Perfect for small-group leaders, Bible school teachers, and anyone curious about biblical times or wanting to locate key events from Scripture, Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts provides a visual overview of the Bible in its entirety.

I've been studying along Hebraic lines of Christianity for many years now, and I enjoyed the charts and maps in this book because I could get a better picture in my mind of places and the timeline of events. It would take many years of study to exhaust the resources packed into this resource!

I'm providing a link to the book’s Thomas Nelson product page, and a link that will allow readers to preview the book.
Thomas Nelson, through BookSneeze, provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for reveiw.

Facing a Challenge

2010-04-16T10:43:00.000-05:00

All my best intentions to post more regularly have taken a back seat to finishing the school year strong, and keeping up my responsibilities here at home. Thank God for Proverbs 31 Amplified, which reminds me that I can't take on new responsibilities that cause the neglect of my present duties!

So, here's a little sneak peek at what I've been doing since my last post...

I was one of three sponsors for the ropes challenge course activity for some of our juniors and seniors. The humiliation of wearing the harness and helmet is so small compared to the thrill of getting to have this great experience with such a fantastic group of young people!

Yup. I climbed it. A 55 foot verticle wall is nothing for this homeschool mom! I did it!

After conquering the elements on the big blue tower, we took a 100+ foot zipline to the bottom! It was such a blast! Challenge courses make great homeschool field trips!

Note to self: Next time, make someone take pictures of me actually doing some of these things, instead of me always being behind the camera!

Surprisingly, I wasn't very store the next day. So that day, we did some of this:

Yes, we've been taking dance lessons! My daughter is going to prom in a few weeks, and for the last five weeks or so, we've been going once a week to learn ballroom dancing. She asked me to join her in the lessons, and I have for most of them. The foxtrot is my favorite, followed by the rumba. They've also learned West Coast swing, which I've not practiced much. It's all great exercise, too, which is a bonus!

What have you been up to this week?

Clearing Clutter Progress!

2010-04-12T09:17:00.000-05:00

Big Give Count & A Sneak Peek

2010-04-07T11:36:00.000-05:00

My final count from yesterday's Cleaning Out the Clutter challenge was 47 items gone!!! I'm excited to once a gain be making progress towards simplifying my home. So far, I've given 117 things away so far this year! I going to attempt to hit 300 before the end of April, so stay tuned and keep me accountable.

I attacking the kitchen next, and here are some before pictures of what I'll be cleaning:

As you can tell, I really needed this cleanout! It is humbling to expose ~~your~~ my cluttered home, but in a good way, because it gives me incentive to keep cleaning. I also watched two full episodes of Hoarders on A&E online last night, just to give myself more perspective on what can happen when I refuse to let go of my stuff!

If you haven't checked your mail yet, you might be surprised like I was to find a free $5 gift card from Walmart. I don't know what I did to get this, but I'm hoping they do this often!

Pray for me as I continue to tackle the kitchen! Laughing all the way...

Clearing the Clutter: Does This Count?

2010-04-06T19:34:00.001-05:00

Let me start out by saying:

I'm going to be real here. This has been a difficult few days.

As part of our commitment to becoming debt free, we sold our camper. ((Insert sad face here.)) Since we didn't owe anything on it, it was nice to be able to instantly reduce our debt by several thousand dollars, but it still hurt to let it go. Oh well, life goes on.

MoneySavingMom is doing a Clear Out the Clutter Challenge, and since I've been a little lax in my purging for the year, I decided to join in. I'm including my totals in my Big Give as well.

Here's my blurry before picture of a neglected area in my den:

Since we don't have a garage, we keep our deep freeze in our den, and this area catches all types of homeless clutter. I removed 13 items including the upholstery cushions I will be listing on Craigslist tonight. I also sorted many items from our camper, which were deposited in front of the freezer.

I keep the blue box all the time, and purpose to fill it with giveaway items once a week. This round will go to the Goodwill unless I decide to have a garage sale. And, if I do, maybe I should use that money to take some photography classes. It's been a rough picture day!

Wave goodbye!

Free Crest Toothpaste @CountryMart!

2010-04-02T16:57:00.000-05:00

CountryMart has the 4.6oz Crest toothpaste varieties on sale this week for $0.99. There's a $0.50 P&G coupon from the Sunday paper, which will double at CountryMart making the toothpaste FREE!!!

Hasbro Coupons Reset!

2010-03-30T22:35:00.000-05:00

If you missed the Monopoly printables, they have been reset. You can get the Monopoly Deal card game for free or nearly free at Walmart with coupons found here.

There's also a BOGO coupon for My Little Pony toys, which are BOGO at Toys R Us tomorrow, making them free as well... See Jane4Girls blog for more info.

These make great stocking stuffers!

Kellogg's Catalina Deal ~ Free Milk!

2010-03-30T15:41:00.000-05:00

I stumbled upon a fabulous deal at Reasor's today! Many of their Kellogg's cereals are marked down, including the Blueberry Shredded Wheat, (one of our fav's) to $2.50 per box.

They also have many boxes marked with $1/1 peelies, which brings the cereal to $1.50 per box. If you have the Calendar rebate forms like I do, purchase 10 boxes for $15.00 plus tax, and send your receipt for a $10 rebate!

But wait, it gets better...

With every 3-4 boxes you buy, you get a Catalina for a free gallon of milk, any brand, any flavor, up to $4.19!!!!!

So I purchased:
10 boxes of cereal for $25.00
Used 10 $1/1 peelies      -10.00
OOP                                 $15.00
Sent off rebate              -10.00
Total cost of cereal        $ 5.00 for 10 boxes!!!
Plus got Catalinas for 3 gallons of milk free!!!!!

Catalina offer ends 4/10/10 and would probably work at CountryMart also, since they usually run the same Cat deals. Have fun shopping!

Hot! Free Blue Bunny Ice Cream Novelty

2010-03-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

Look for this Spring Essentials flyer at your local grocers to find a $1/1 coupon on any one Blue Bunny Novelty. These are available at Wal-mart for $1/1 and the coupon did not beep when I tested it yesterday!

Yippe! Free ice cream just in time for summer!

Book Review: Going Gray, Looking Great!

2010-03-28T23:03:00.001-05:00

Over spring break, we were blessed to be able to take an spontaneous trip to Florida. We made the decision, packed and arrived at our destination within 48 hours!

During the picture taking process, I realized just how much gray I can't see in my own hair! At first, I was distressed at my realization, but I'm so opposed to damaging my hair and my health with the coloring process that I needed to find a way to bolster my resolve not to color. This book did the trick.

With information ranging from the best types of hair care products for grays, to the best hairstyles, colors for clothing and cosmetics, it didn't take long for me to realize that this transition to gray is just another season in life to be embraced and enjoyed! Even rooms are going gray this season, per Martha Stewart!

I was please to find a corresponding website by the same name, Going Gray, Looking Great! With so many beautiful friends like Sister.Faith and the Penless Writer who have made the switch, I'm encouraged to continue in my natural state, and move into the phase of "unfading glory..."

The Gospel ~ dunamis

2010-03-21T18:50:00.000-05:00

⁹ And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9, New King James Version)

Landfall in Pensacola!

2010-03-19T13:10:00.000-05:00

One of the things we've done on this trip is scout out local beach style architecture. My friend, Cindy, loved this subdivision, and we stopped in for a few pics. Enjoy!

Johnson's Beach

2010-03-17T19:14:00.000-05:00

My daughter and I were blessed to be able to hitch a ride to Pensacola with friends, so we have spent a week visiting the beach and the Naval Air Station.

Johnson's Beach in the Pensacola/Perdido Key area is absolutely beautiful and we have thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm currently reading The Contemplative Mom by Ann Kroeker, so this is the perfect spot to savor every page.

We've done alot of walking on the beach, collecting treasures and getting exercise in the beautiful sunshine.

There are lots of picturesque spots on the beach...

Apparently we have an earlier spring break than most of the East Coast, so the beaches are not crowded at all! Hope if you're on break this week, you're having as much fun as we are!

My Household Control Journal

2010-03-16T13:40:00.000-05:00

In my last post, I covered the goal setting and planning tools I use around my home, with a promise to reveal my Household Control Journal.

Accused of being a control freak from time to time, for alot of people I'm also the go-to person in a pinch, so I guess there are trade-offs to being organized and keeping up with one's own life!

It's imporant to be prepared, especially in case of an emergency, and it is convenient to be organized in your everyday life. That being said, a Household Control Journal can become a behemouth in about 2 seconds, so think about it's purpose before springing into action to make your own! FishMama and FlyLady have their own, each with a specific purpose in mind.

Here's mine...

Decorated with calendar artwork, my three ring binder has been the perfect set-up for my Household Control Journal. I also have a Daily Control Journal, Medical Control Journal, a Financial Control Journal, and a History-of-this-House Control Journal, but I'll have to cover those one at a time!

~ K.I.S.S. it!

The purpose of a control journal is to tame the documents of life, so Keep It Simple, Sister! Mine includes the following categories in this order:

Emergency Contacts ~ one page for basic names, phone numbers, addresses

Emergency Plan ~ a "read this first" plan that says what to grab and what to leave in case of a major emergency (fire, disaster, evacuation, etc.)

Perscription Information ~ I hole-punch the papers from the pharmacy with our scrip info and put them right into the binder. Easy to replace a perscription this way, since it contains all the dosage and technical information.

Personal Phone Book ~ form pages to fill in, rather than writing on the backs of envelopes and little scraps of paper here and there!

Business Phone Book ~ also filled in form pages.

Online Account Information ~ lists of who I do business with online, usernames and passwords can be included for non-critical accounts. This can be a great timesaver!

Rewards Program Statements ~ hotels, grocers, airline miles, etc.

Rewards Program Cards ~ in baseball card holders, especially helpful to keep the wallet from getting overloaded!

Bulk Food Ordering Information ~ I keep the most current list of what I ordered, so I'll remember what I purchased, and what the prices were compared today's costs.

Pantry/Freezer Inventory ~ usually taken every six months, spring and fall.

Current Calendar ~ again print free from internet or software

Chore Charts ~ my scheduled household chores, and kids chores if applicable

Vehicle Records ~ maintenance records, description information, etc.

Maps ~ local, state, and emergency maps in sheet protector pockets

Disaster Information ~ evacuation plans, triage information, etc.

Catalogs ~ bulk food catalogs, and mail-order only company catalogs, in the back pocket.

That's it in a nutshell. Remember to keep your journal simple, tailor it to your needs, and use it! The best made organizers do nothing if left on the shelf. I position mine close to my desk/computer space, so I can access it easily, I make a conscious choice to use it.

I does not contain my weekly shopping lists, daily goals, lists of errands, etc. because that's not the purpose.

Plan to update the journal regularly, and write a reminder on your Family Calendar to check for needed updates every so often. Purpose to establish the habit of using your journal on a weekly basis or daily basis at first, and eventually it will be a lifelong habit with a very positive effect on your life!

Wednesday Walking: Making Plans and Setting Goals

2010-03-10T18:35:00.000-06:00

Several days ago I had a dream, and I heard these words, "The purposes of God always outlast the plans of men." Today I found that in Scripture!

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21

If you have plans that have gone by the wayside, it might be the greatest thing that ever happened to you! Now God's plans can prevail!

Does that mean we don't plan or set goals? Absolutely not! We just plan with flexibility and a realization that life requires adaptation!

Here are some tools I've used over the years to help with my planning and goal setting:

The Family Calendar:
I purchase the large desk variety every December, and every activity that affects the family is written on this calendar. It hangs on the wall in the kitchen and when making plans it is the first place I go! (Hint: Make sure you can access yours while on the telephone.)

They aren't expensive; in fact, this year I found mine at the Dollar Spot at Target!

The Household Control Journal:
I had never even heard of a control journal until a few years ago, and never knew anyone who used them until I became a homeschooling mom. These homemade or premade binders can contain all the basic information needed to run your home. They can be as simple or complex as you need. I've found over the years that the more simple I keep my journal, the more I will use it.

FishMama told about hers here.

FlyLady explains her system here.

And, in my next post, I'll give you a close encounter with my own!

My Personal Journal:
I've always been a fan of journaling, because I've always had something to say. (Just bein' real here!)

I prefer to use spiral bound journals because they can be folded back on themselves, and my pen can be tucked in the binding. My journals are filled with precious thoughts, hopes and dreams written over the last 20 years, and they are the place where my life has been planned and revised again and again.

If you are not in the habit of keeping a journal, here are a few tips to get you started...

In the morning, spend a few quiet moments organizing your thoughts on paper. Include the date, how you are feeling physically or emotionally, and what your goals are for the day.

Write down any Scriptures or inspirational quotes that are on your heart, and explain why these things inspire you.

Capture those cute expressions, first words, or humorous little events your children are experiencing throughout the day. These are great to go back to when they're grown and about to leave the house, and they can be used in scrapbooks, and notes you write to your children as well.

Keep a list of answered prayers and prayer requests.

Journal your household spending, personal expenses, and other costs to track where your money is going.

These are just a few of the things I do to stay organized and keep focused on my goals. What tricks or tips do you use to stay on track?

The Gospel ~ dunamis

2010-03-07T14:25:00.000-06:00

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. (Romans 1:16, New King James Version)

Blog Tour: One Million Arrows by Julie Ferwerda

2010-03-02T16:11:00.001-06:00

About the book:

Will the world change our children...or will our children change the world? Time is short and lives are at stake. Right now, God is inviting our families to become part of a bigger story—a vision that will engage hearts to make a radical difference. One Million Arrows is an inspirational call to raise our kids to impact their culture, community, and world for Christ. If we want our kids to discover their purpose, if we want them to live with passion for the Kingdom, if we want our family to go down in His-Story, accept the mission...and leave a mark for eternity.

My review:
OMA is truly an inspiring book that challenges readers to change their way of thinking, to embrace a God-centered, goal-oriented approach to parenting, and to living everyday life. Through countless examples of arrows working throughout the world, Julie inspires her readers to believe that triumphing over the sway of culture is not only possible, but is happening every day across the globe.

For 16 school terms, I have taught my children at home with what Julie calls the "holy ambition" of raising arrow children for God. As a veteran home-educating mom, I understand the joys and pitfalls of this type of parenting. It's not for the weak, or those who shrink back from a difficult task. Raising arrows requires hard work, and the inspiration from reading OMA left me challenged to finish this leg of the race with focused intensity of purpose, to launch my last arrow into her God-given future.

One idea in the writing that touched me deeply was the concept of broken branches, those people who, because of circimstances, have become disconnected from their own family trees. Through the difficult seasons of my own life, I have held on to the belief that I am part of the family of God, no matter who accepts or rejects me in this life.

Sharing that truth with others suddenly became more important through the reading of One Million Arrows, because, beginning with Chapter One which you can read here, Julie reminds her readers of those who are lost, wandering, and alone, especially the orphans throughout the world who know neither the love of God or the true love of family. One Million Arrows by Julie Ferwerda inspired me to action. If you are willing to catch the vision, and accept the mission, it could change your life.

Visit the One Million Arrows How to Order page for full details as well as information about church, ministry, and bulk orders. OMA provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

HOT! David Dollars Unlimited $20 Sports Vouchers for Walmart!

2010-03-01T15:12:00.000-06:00

DAVID® Seeds is making it easy to support your home team this season. Simply collect any combination of 14.5 oz. DAVID Original Sunflower Seeds or 16 oz. DAVID JUMBO Sunflower Seeds totaling 20 bags. Then mail in the completed DAVID Dollars Offer Form along with your 20 empty bags, and we’ll send you $20 DAVID Dollars to spend on anything from the sporting goods department at Walmart.

Whether it’s with your home team, or your team at home – collect and save!

For more details and official terms and conditions of the offer, see the printable DAVID Dollars Offer Form.
Offer valid through August 31, 2010.

And you can go here to print a coupon for $1 off two packages!

The Gospel

2010-02-28T16:28:00.000-06:00

3Praised (honored, blessed) be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)! By His boundless mercy we have been born again to an ever-living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4[Born anew] into an inheritance which is beyond the reach of change and decay [imperishable], unsullied and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,

5Who are being guarded (garrisoned) by God's power through [your] faith [till you fully inherit that [c]final] salvation that is ready to be revealed [for you] in the last time.

6[You should] be exceedingly glad on this account, though now for a little while you may be distressed by trials and suffer temptations,

7So that [the genuineness] of your faith may be tested, [your faith] which is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold which is tested and purified by fire. [This proving of your faith is intended] to redound to [your] praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) is revealed.

Holland Hall BookFair This Saturday!

2010-02-24T23:07:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Shelly for sending me the tip about this great bookfair!

From the Holland Hall Website:
The 50th Anniversary Holland Hall Book Fair will be Saturday, Feb. 27, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. This Holland Hall tradition attracts thousands from Tulsa and the surrounding region. It features tens of thousands of used books with a huge selection of rare books, children’s books, games, puzzles, stuffed animals, CDs, videos and DVDs.

The fair will be in the Middle School building on the Holland Hall campus at 5666 E. 81st Street, between Yale and Sheridan. Admission is $1 per person.

Preparations for the Book Fair are ongoing throughout the year, with volunteers spending long hours sorting, labeling and pricing items for the sale. Over 200 volunteers are on hand the day of the event to assist with sales.

For more information about the Book Fair, please call 918-481-1111 or visit www.hollandhall.org/bookfair.

My Note: If you never been to this sale, you don't know what you're missing. I've gathered many bargains here over the years, including Pampered Chef Stoneware pans for $0.10 each! I also found American Girl clothing that I purchased for under $5 and resold for $60. It's a really great sale.

Method Laundry Soap at Target

2010-02-23T14:11:00.001-06:00

Go here to print a $2 coupon for Method laundry soap. On Monday, I saw these on clearance at the BA Target, by the pharmacy sor $7.xx. ~~There are also $4 internet printables that were available earlier in the week, if you were lucky enough to get them.~~ Sadly, I was not!

I hear these are also on sale at Target, but have not confirmed the prices.

ETA: I've heard the $4 printables don't work for this bottle of laundry soap, but I'm not sure why. Still checking, but wanted to give everyone the heads-up! If you have information on this, please drop me an email or post a comment.

The Gospel

2010-02-21T09:32:00.000-06:00

We've been struggling against sickness, and nurse mom has been busy comforting, teaching, and serving ~ thus, no blogging! Priorities, right?

We believe that physical divine healing is a gift from God that was purchased through the sacrifice of Jesus. We're standing on His Word, and here are some of the tools we use to help us remember the Promises.

Our favorite healing cd is Covered By The Blood, by Billy Joe and Sharon Daugherty. I don't know what we would have done over the years without this wonderful reminder of God's Word.

My favorite healing MP3 is from Andrew Wommack Ministries. It is available as a free download from this link. I just loaded this on my iTouch, and listen to it at night when I'm falling asleep.

Several years ago Keith Moore's Healing In His Wings cd came across my path. I love this cd, and it also is available free online at this link.

1 Peter 2:24 (New International Version)

24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

Wednesday Walking ~ Dealing With Dishonesty

2010-02-17T17:50:00.001-06:00

²⁰ He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will be destroyed.
(Proverbs 13:20, New King James Version)

Today's wisdom comes from Parenting Today's Teens with Mark Gregston:

"The latest “Report Card on the Ethics of American Youth” (by the Josephson Institute of Ethics) shows that teens are lying more often, and more easily, than ever.

Dishonesty may seem like a minor issue in comparison to other adolescent problems like drug abuse or sexual promiscuity, but it is a vice that parents should never ignore or allow to creep into the teen’s lifestyle.

Dishonesty is rooted in an attitude of disrespect; disrespect for others, for authority, and for your family’s values. It won’t go away with the mere passage of time. It will reappear at significant stress points in your child’s life, and that can land them in real trouble. So, deal immediately with every instance of dishonesty today, and you’ll be avoiding bigger problems tomorrow."

To hear the podcast, follow this link. If you're dealing with being dishonest yourself, you can have a fresh start. Ask the Lord to deliver you from lying and dishonesty, and make a choice to be truthful, especially with those who care for you.

Walgreens Coupon MatchUps 2/14 to 2/21, 2010

2010-02-14T20:07:00.000-06:00

It seems like a really slow week at Walgreens unless there are some hidden deals that will pop up later in the week. Here are the best deals I've found so far, other than Moneysavingmom's recap here.

There's a Kleenex Catalina deal starting on the 22nd, so be on the lookout for the coupons:
Kleenex products (60ct or larger):

Buy 4, get $1; Buy 5, get $2; Buy 6 or more, get $3 off your next shopping order.
All items must be purchased in one shopping order. Limited to product in stock. No cash back. Offer expires 3/21/2010.

And don't forget that the monthly Catalina deal on Three Musketeers continues. The details are here.

The Gospel

2010-02-14T19:43:00.000-06:00

Isaiah 64:4 (New International Version)

4 Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides You, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.

P&G Coupon Savings

2010-02-13T19:23:00.000-06:00

From the ThankYouMom.com website, you can receive over $100 worth of P&G coupon savings by mail when you buy $50 worth of P&G products. All the details can be found here and the printable form can be found here.

Sony Reader Giveaway!

2010-02-12T23:35:00.000-06:00

Check Bookroom Reviews for all the details and good luck! Better hurry, the giveaway ends on the 13th.

I'm A Winner!

2010-02-12T22:46:00.000-06:00

If you don't believe me, just look here...

Thanks, Tyndale!

Hot! $0.50 DeliCuts Lunch Meat

2010-02-11T17:14:00.000-06:00

$0.50 DeliCuts lunch meat at CountryMart!

Check the Healthy Living/Savings display at the entry for a flyer with $1/1 coupons on Carl Buddig DeliCuts lunch meat. Use with 2/$3 packages in the meat section at Coweta CM and you can get REALLY cheap lunch meat today! Won't last long, so hurry if you want in on this deal. They had 4 varieties at 2:30 today.

CountryMart Coupon Match-Ups 2/6 to 2/14, 2010

2010-02-11T09:32:00.000-06:00

Here are the best deals for the week!

Ragu Spaghetti Sauce 2 for $3

$1/2 Healthy Living Savings book
= $2.00

Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes 2 for $4
$1.50/2 internet printable found here
= $2.50

NyQuil or DayQuil Liquid or Gels $3.99
$2/1 1/17 Red Plum insert (RP)
= $1.99

Betty Crocker Cookie Mix $1.78
.40/1 D 2/7 GM
= $.98

McCormick Chili Seasoning .69cents
$.25/2 D 1/24 RP
= .19cents each

McCormick Grinders 2 for $3
$.25/1 D 1/24 RP
= $1/1

Tide Stain Release $5.29
$3/1 1/10 RP
= $2.29

EarthGrains Bread $2.18
$0.55/1 Any Earth Grains product, 2/7 RP
= $1.63

Wednesday Walking

2010-02-10T19:53:00.003-06:00

^{The Pioneer Woman Cooks!}

²⁰ He who walks with wise men will be wise,
      But the companion of fools will be destroyed.
       (Proverbs 13:20, New King James Version)

Every Wednesday, I'll  be posting about someone with whom I've been walking. It might be through books, movies, or a personal relationship that I've been spending time with these wise men and women, and I'll share a bit of the wisdom I've gleaned from my time with them. Today's wise one is Ree Drummond.

I've been reading over at Ree's place and if you need a laugh, you should probably spend a little time with this self described "desperate housewife who channels Lucy and Ethel." We had a fantastic sammy for dinner tonight, thanks to Pioneer Woman. You can find the recipe in that sammy link, and a bunch like it in her cookbook.

If you're looking for a fabulous Valentine's Day gift for a special woman or mother, (hint, hint), this is one she is sure to appreciate for years to come. Guaranteed. Really. My husband said the sandwich was one of the best I've EVER made, and we've been married for 22 years...

Life After The Pantry Challenge

2010-02-09T12:44:00.002-06:00

Since the Pantry Challenge, I've been more creative in my cooking, mostly because I was inspired not to spend more than I need to for nutritious foods. Since we have a small family, I don't need to do the OAMC or bulk cooking like some bloggers, because for us, it leads to waste. It's just not MY mindset.

I did learn that I need to branch out a bit, and utilize my at~home days to experiment a bit more with new recipes. I was also inspired to use my small appliances a bit more. I have a Bosch Compact mixer, and need to use it more often, so today I made the most delicious Bran Muffins I have ever had!

I tweaked a Raisin Bran Muffins recipe I found here. Here's my version:

Fiber One Raisin Bran Clusters Muffins

1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup ground Flax seed

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder

3 cups Fiber One Raisin Bran Clusters cereal
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions ~

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp sugar,cinnamon and Flax. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl (I used my Bosch bowl), combine cereal, milk, egg and oil. Let stand about 3 minutes or until cereal is softened. Beat well. (Flakes and clusters were still distinguishable after beating about 2 minutes.)

Add flour mixture to cereal mixture and stir just until combined. Scoop into lined or greased muffin cups. Sprinkle evenly with topping.

Bake approximately 25 ~ 30 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.

I told my picky eater they were Cinnamon Muffins, and she approved, so no problems passing these off to the children! They are moist and I believe they will freeze well, which is great since my muffin tins are not bakery sized, and the recipe made 18 muffins.

Hope you enjoy them!

This post shared with Jen...

Contadina Printable Coupon

2010-02-08T23:00:00.001-06:00

I'm loving the useful printables being offered lately! Here's another great one.

$0.75/3 Contadina Tomato Products

Walgreens Deals 2/7 to 2/14, 2010

2010-02-07T19:24:00.002-06:00

If you are doing the $4 Kotex rebate I mentioned in this post, here's a deal (still a decent price without the rebate: $1.50 or $1 for 2 packs):

Kotex, MM
TOTAL: $2.50 (or $3) MM
SALE: 2/$6
MQ: $1.50/2 (IP) or $2/2 (1/10 SS)
AD Q: n/a
RR: Buy 2 get $3RR
MATH: $6 - $1.50/2 (or $2/2)Q=$4.50 (or $4) - $3RR
= $1.50 (or $1)-$4 rebate
= -$2.50 (-$3 with insert Qpn)

There are coupons on Smartsource.com for $5/2 and $2/1 John Freida Root Awakening Hair Care (excl. trial sizes). I think that makes the John Freida a pretty good deal:

John Freida Root Awakenings Hair Care, GDA
TOTAL: $3 for 3 bottles
SALE: Select John Freida Hair Care products (Root Awakenings is pictured) 3/$15
MQ: $5/2 Root Awakenings IP, $2/1 Root Awakenings IP
AD Q: N/A
RR: $5 RR when you buy $15 worth of John Freida Hair Care
MATH: $15 - $5 IP - $2 IP = $8 oop, Earn $5 RR = $3/3

Nabisco Ritz Crackers, .02 MM
TOTAL: -$0.02
SALE: $0.99
MQ: $2/2 Nabisco crackers, any
Printable (IE)
AD Q:
RR:
MATH: $0.99 X 2 = $1.98- $2/2 = -$0.02MM

It's being reported that there are 2 sets of IVC coupons available at Walgreens. They would look like black and white copies of coupons, and would be located at the front coupon stands.

If you're looking for candy bars for Valentine's Day, here's a potential deal. I've been told Mars Muskateer Bars were producing RR's and if you buy 3 you get $1RR and if you buy 4 you get $1.50. Here's the Catalina info:

"Buy Any 3 Muskateers Products During Purchase dates 1/25/10 - 2/21/10:
Buy 3 get $1 RR or Buy 4 Get $1.50 RR"

Dove Men's Printables can be found here, combine them with Dove Men's Bodywash deal for a moneymaker!

The Gospel

2010-02-06T23:07:00.000-06:00

Psalm 78:4-8 (New Living Translation)

4 We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.
5 For he issued his laws to Jacob;
he gave his instructions to Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
to teach them to their children,
6 so the next generation might know them—
even the children not yet born—
and they in turn will teach their own children.
7 So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
not forgetting his glorious miracles
and obeying his commands.
8 Then they will not be like their grandparents—
stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful,
refusing to give their hearts to God.

Book Review: Get Motivated by Tamara Lowe

2010-02-06T17:48:00.000-06:00

Photo Credit

Tamara and her husband, Peter Lowe, have been producing business seminars for many years. Over that time, she has worked with thousands of individuals and used her skills to identify patterns of human behavior. Those personality qualities have been broken down into six categories. Each person fits three of the six. After taking the online test, my results show that I am a PSE: The Chief. What does that mean? Take the test and be sure to include my email address so I can see your results as well! *isupply at cox dot net*

The purpose of this book is to empower the reader to identify not only their own character traits and weaknesses, but also the traits and weeknesses of those with whom they interact. Through this understanding, the reader can then communicate and relate to their family, friends, and peers using styles and techniques to which they easily respond.

For example, because I am a teacher, it is important to me to be able to not only communicate clearly to my students, but to understand and make connections with them so that I might have the opportunity to inspire, empower and motivate them to achieve their full potential. It is not enough to simply teach my students facts or information. As a leader, I must inspire them to take that knowledge and apply it in every day life. Tamara teaches that "extensive information" alone is not enough; we must also inspire "appropriate action."

That is, I believe, the definition of wisdom.

Knowledge rightly applied is our goal, and GET MOTIVATED! is a wonderful resource from which to draw understanding. With chapters covering business, family life, and parening, this book applies to more than the boardroom, and should be required reading for new parents, teens, and recent college graduates especially.

Reading portions of this book caused me to recognize characteristics in myself that I can utilize to become more focused, resourceful and goal-oriented. My main reason for reading this book was to develop relationship skills to resolve conflict with personalities other than my own. I believe there is a degree of understanding that comes with reading, but in my case, I need to take notes, study them, do worksheets, and role play to really apply what I have read. If you are a note-taker, plan on writing in this book!

I would love to see Tamara Lowe develop more interactive online resources to help apply the principles found in this book, especially for parents and teachers, and parents who are teachers! I personally found that information to be the most valuable, probably because that is my chosen profession.

CountryMart Coupon Match-ups 2-3 to 2-9, 2010

2010-02-06T15:48:00.000-06:00

It's a lackluster week for sales at CountryMart! There are a few deals worth mentioning...

Lemons or Limes 4/$1 are cheaper than Aldi's this week.

Taco Bell Seasoning 2/$1

Taco Bell Salsa $0.99 after coupon
use -$1/1 Taco Bell Home Originals Salsa or Salsa con Queso, Any - All You, February 2010

Dole Greener Select Fresh Salad 2/$1 after coupon
use -$1/2 Dole Salad Blends from Healthy Lifestyles Savings flyer on display at door

If we get Dawn coupons in the Proctor & Gamble inserts tomorrow, it might make for a good deal ont the dish soap on sale 10/$10. We'll see tomorrow!

I'm Here!

2010-02-06T13:56:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted in several days because my daughter and I have both been battling illness. I hope to have the CountryMart match-ups posted this afternoon sometime. Thanks for your patience!!!

My Big Give & a Blessing Bag

2010-02-03T16:53:00.001-06:00

Remember when I posted about my participation in Amy's Declutter Challenge? Well, I'm working a little bit every day towards my goal of giving away 730 items. I didn't post last week, but I gave away another 12 items, which brings my total to 35 given items as of last week.

This week, I've been busy cleaning bookshelves and have another 16 books to give away, plus a box of items for the Goodwill which counts for another 10 items, which brings my total to a whopping 61 items!

One of the ways I remember to give consistently is to keep a "Blessing Bag". It's a concept I invented last year because my friend, Fay, and I are always exchanging books, buying little gifts for each other, and sharing garage sale deals when we find them. Plus, she keeps me stocked in fresh eggs from her local source, and I "repay" her with free groceries I find.

I wish I had a bag like this to use for my Blessing Bag...

In the meantime, we use a heavy duty cloth shopping bag that was gifted to me by another friend. We see each other once a week, and usually trade the bag at that time. It's been fun to see how creative we can be in what we give. Last week, I gave her a pair of ceramic French Country figurines I have had in my den for years. I know they'll look fab in her house, and I can't wait to look for them the next time I'm over.

We do have an understanding that anything the receiver doesn't want can be regifted to someone else we might know, and no one has hard feelings if that happens. It just makes it easier to give things that way!

I'd love to hear if you have a way you like to share or give on a regular basis, maybe through a club, or your church, Biblestudy, or local group of friends. I'd also like to hear of any blog giveaway experiences you've had. I haven't done a giveaway on my blog yet, but I'm thinking about doing so in the near future, and would love to hear comments or thoughts on the subject!

(Edited to add: I just read some of the linky posts over at Amy's and had to go clean out a kitchen drawer! So, add 9 more items to my total ~ now I'm at 70!!! Whoot.)

Yancey's Fancy Cheese & Mahogany Potatoes

2010-02-02T22:03:00.000-06:00

Part of bargain shopping is keeping an eye out for items that will be going on clearance. Since I live in a very small town, our local grocer is easy to visit a few times a week while I'm out for other things. Last week, I was able to find a great deal on my favorite Yancey's Fancy Cheese, Roasted Garlic. Regularly $5.49, this cheese was half price, plus the cashier was training another employee and told her the price was $1.74 instead of $2.74 as marked.

They rang up 4 before we all realized what had happened, and the trainer didn't want to void the order, so she rang them all at that price! Talk about being in the right place at the right time. Anyway, I also had $0.50 coupons, which doubled, and paid with a gift card so I spent zero OOP for this tasty cheese!

Now, I'm sure you're wondering what I'm going to do with all that cheese...

One of my favorite places to eat is Mahogany Prime Steakhouse. If you're ever in the Tulsa area, you really need to check them out. The menu is a little pricey, but for a special occasion or tax deductible business meal, it's completely worth it. We always order their Au Gratin Potatoes, and I've created a recipe similar to theirs. Here's my version of Mahogany's Au Gratin Potatoes.

4-5 large Russet potatoes, baked and cooled
1-2 pints heavy cream
salt & pepper to taste
smoked Cheddar cheese, grated
butter

Grease a casserole dish with spray. Slice the potatoes in1/4 inch rounds. Pour small amount of cream in dish, then layer in potatoes; sprinkle with cheese, and season with salt & pepper. Repeat with remaining ingredients, dotting in small bits of butter. End by pouring small amount of cream over top. Cream should almost cover all other ingredients. Bake at 350 until golden on top.

Don't blame me if you become addicted to this recipe. It's pretty much a heart attack in a dish!

I like to use the Smoked Cheddar Cheese from Swans Dairy in Claremore, Oklahoma, but it's not available year round. You can order the cheese during the cooler months from that link above. When I can't get the smoked cheese, the Yancey's Roasted Garlic makes a wonderful substitute.

If you like Yancey's Fancy Cheese, be sure and write the company to let them know. I did, and received several coupons, a note pad, and some recpies from their fabulous customer service rep. If you haven't tried Yancey's, you must! It's delish!

Walgreens Deal Round-up

2010-01-31T22:03:00.000-06:00

There are great deals at Walgreens this week. For the basics, you can start with MoneySavingMom. Now, if you really want to get busy shopping, here are a few scenario deals you could do...

From the Walgreens Forum of Hot Coupon World. Go here to see all the deals and links for printable coupons!

"I'm not sure if you have any RRs to begin with, so I'll go on thinking you're starting from scratch. It's best to do smaller transactions to bring your total OOP down. Any RR you get should be rounded to closest $ so Vitamin Water wll be 2.00 and the Blink would be 8.00. Since Wags considers RRs to be MQs you may need fillers.
Scenerio 1:
9.98 x 2 Advil PM
-4.00
--
5.98 + tax OOP get $5 RR

Scenerio 2:
7.99 x 1 Blink
1.99 x 1 Vitamin Water Lip
-----
9.98
-1.50 Blink Q
-5.00 RR from Advil
-----
3.48 + tax OOP get an $8 and a $2

Scenerio 3:
20.00 x 2 Joint Juice
.50 x 2 Small fillers, but can be lower and just using for rounding out
------
20.50
-10.00 BOGO IP on Joint Juice
- 2.00 RR from Vitamin Water
- 8.00 RR from Blink
------
.50 + tax OOP (or around there) get $10 RR

Scenrio 4:
20.00 Pepsi deal without Qs
-10.00 RR from Joint Juice
-------
10.00 plus tax get $10 RR

Scenerio 5:
7.99 x 1 Blink
5.99 x 1 Scalpacin
1.99 x 1 Vitamin Water Lip
-----
15.97
-1.50 for Blink
-1.00 for Scalpacin
10.00 Pepsi (or Joint Juice) RR
------
3.47 OOP + tax get back $8, $6, $2"

Be sure and watch for Physician's Formula on clearance, and don't forget about all the rebates I listed in this post.

She Shops, She Scores!

2010-01-29T08:05:00.004-06:00

I haven't found the "rich people's" Goodwill yet, but I do like to shop my local thrift stores for great finds, just like Jen who is hosting a Frugal Fashionista Fashion Show and I'm linking up! I could probably find ten outfits in my closet from Goodwill, but I'll stick with one of my most recent and very favorite purchases, my "muppet coat."

It is a beautiful winter white Talbots size XL in like new condition. I probably wouldn't have looked twice at this jacket, but I've been following Jen's posts on fashion, and unique details are one of the things she says to watch for, so I tried it on, and loved it.

I paired it with a soft white tee, my daughter's scarf and a pin from my jewelry cabinet, dark jeans and brown shoes.

Then I found the headband (I show in the pocket), and the colors reminded me of this...

I love the rosette headband!

The fine net detail was perfect for the event to which I wore this outfit, a wedding rehearsal which I coordinated! Of course I couldn't wear this to the wedding, since I coordinated that as well, and didn't want to risk getting something on my $5.49 jacket!

And remember my post about Ann Kroeker and her excellent book, Not So Fast? Well, I was excited to find her book, The Contemplative Mom, at the Goodwill last week for $1! Talk about doing the happy dance. I was thrilled, and saved myself $8.99 over the retail price.

I also picked up:

The Other Side of Love by Gary Chapman, still has the $12.95 sticker on back!
Avoiding Deception by Sharon Daugherty
and Hidden Keys of a Loving Lasting Marriage by Gary Smalley

Each of them were $1 at Goodwill, except the Chapman book, which was just $0.50 at the library! I frequent both places looking for books to use, and to resell. I've spent $0.50 on a paperback library book before, and sold it for $15 at a homeschool bookfair!

Some people flip houses, but I prefer much smaller investments because they fit my lifestyle at the moment!

Tostitos Catalina Deal At Walgreens

2010-01-28T07:53:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, I found some "buy 2 bags tostitos, get a free dip" tearpad q's at Walmart in Coweta. I took several to Walgreens and did the following deal:

Tostitos chips and dip

TOTAL: $5 for 6 chips & 3 dips

SALE: $2.50 ea

MQ: buy 2 Tostitos chips get a free Tostitos dip (not salsa, see db for more details)

Register Reward: 16, buy $20 in PepsiCo, get $10 RR

MATH: 6 chips ($15) + 3 dips ($7.50) - 3 mq (-$7.50) - $10 RR = $5

If you don't use Walgreens Register Rewards program, you need to learn. I had Register Rewards from another purchase, so I used those to purchase my chips for $4.xx and got back a $10 Register Reward (Catalina coupon that prints at the end of the transaction) to use on my next purchase!

Crest Toothpaste $0.50 at CountryMart!

2010-01-27T22:50:00.000-06:00

CountryMart has Crest Baking Soda & Peroxide Whitening, 4.6 oz. on sale for $1.50 unil mid-February. Use the $0.50/1 coupon from the latest Proctor & Gamble coupon insert. Double coupons make this $0.50 a tube plus tax!

CountryMart Coupon Match UPs 1/27 to 2/2, 2010

2010-01-26T23:41:00.000-06:00

Check the display by the Meat Department for:
JetPuff Mini Marshmallows $0.79 each
Tearpad on display has $0.50/2 coupon which doubles!
Final Price is $0.29 each wyb 2!

Coupons up to $0.50 will double at CountryMart, so keep that in mind when looking for deals. Coupon or rebate in red.

Peter Pan Peanut Butter 2/$3
-B2G1F All You Magazine, January 2010 in-store version
-ConAgra Rebate (see link for details)
-Peter Pan Peanut Butter, Any Jars - 01-10-10 SS $0.50/2

Campbells Chunks Soup or Chunky to Go, 2/$3
-$1.50/3 printable plus many insert coupons from 1-3 and 1-24 SS

Ragu Spaghetti Sauce, 2/$3
-$1/2 Healthy Lifestyles flyer found at CountryMart on display

Colgate Toothpaste, select varieties, $1.89
-$1/1 Colgate Total Enamel Strength, Adv Whitening, Adv Clean, Or Adv Fresh, Any 4.0 Oz. + - 01-17-10 SS

Sure Original and Invisible Deodorant, 2/$4 (If Sure For Men is included)
-$1.50/1 Sure for Men Anti-perspirant & Deodorant - 01-24-10 SS $1.50/1

Healthy Choice Soups, 3/$4.00
"Pick it Up in the Pasta Aisle" Mail in offer, rebate offer, form required, check here

Solo Places, Bowls Cups, 2/$4
-$1/1 Solo Cups, Plates or Bowls, Any - 12-06-09 SS $1.00/1

Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, 2/$4
multiple coupons and possible Catalina deal, B6G$3 OYNO

Earth Grains Whole Grain Pan Breads, 2/$5
EarthGrains 100% Natural Thin Buns or 100% Natural or Double Fiber Bread, buy any save $1 on Produce

Pringles Select Varieties, 2/$3
-$1/4 SuperStack cans, 1-31 RP (came in Coweta's mail today)

BOGO McDonalds Every Friday in Coweta

2010-01-26T10:09:00.000-06:00

McDonalds in Coweta is offering Buy One Get One (BOGO) FREE Quarter Pounders at it's location every Friday from 10:30-11:00. Please check with the location before placing an order to confirm the deal!

Good Deal Alert! Wagoner Walmart Fabric 50% off Today!

2010-01-25T16:20:00.000-06:00

Wagoner Walmart is closing their fabric department and you know what that means! Great deals on fabric including fleece, upholstery materials, and sewing implements which are all 50% off. Hurry over for the best selections. I hear they are very busy! Thanks, Sister.Faith!

A Day Late ~ Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

2010-01-24T22:17:00.002-06:00

My friend Lisa gave me this recipe for restaurant style Chicken Tortilla Soup. It's become one of our most favorite recipes. Since it takes cilantro and Poblano peppers it can get expensive, but watch for sales and stock up on those fresh items when you can.

Cilantro leaves can be cut from stems and frozen whole until ready to use. It's also super easy, although rather invasive, to grow but is mostly a cool weather crop so keep that in mind.

Poblano peppers are also very easy to grow. We ended up with only one plant last year thanks to some hungry gophers, but we still had as many peppers as we could eat fresh, and freeze, with only one plant!

Lisa's Favorite Tortilla Soup
1 cup chopped onion
6 cloves of garlic, minced
4 Poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp. cumin seed
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
Cook above ingredients in hot oil about 5 minutes, or until tender, stirring constantly.

Add the following:
1 1/2 cups (about 3 ears) fresh cut corn kernals
(Use a package of frozen corn in winter)
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 14oz. cans chicken broth (about 3 1/2 cups. I use bone broth!)
1 1/2 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken
2 bunches snipped fresh cilantro

Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered until tomatoes are tender. Serve with:
tortilla chips
shredded cheese
cilantro
sour cream

Kotex Printable Rebate Form, Free Physicians Formula Make-up

2010-01-23T11:51:00.000-06:00

Just found this Kotex Money Back Guarantee (exp 3/20), thanks to Couponing to Disney! Pair this with a Walgreens sale and coupons, and it would be a great money maker!

If you like Physicians Formula products, there are several rebates available for 2010. Print them now, and then match up with a sale for some great free cosmetics. There are also several different peelies to watch for, including a $2/1 Shimmer Strips and $3/1 Organic Wear!

Physicians Formula Organic Wear Make-up Removers Rebate x 12/31/10 pdf

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Mascara Duo Rebate x 12/31/10 pdf

Physicians Formula Bamboo Wear™ Compact, Mirror & Brush Rebate x 12/31/10 pdf

Pantry Challenge Week 4 Progress Report

2010-01-22T23:09:00.001-06:00

Week 4 finished far OVER BUDGET, which surprised me because I thought I would be able to save more this week. Instead, I made several trips to the store because I needed fresh ingredients to make soup with Poblano peppers which I had in the freezer and was tempted by fresh blackberries which were marked down to $0.99 a pint! Affordable fresh berries are so rare in the winter, that I splurged and ended up $10.59 over my $30 budget. Fail!

I was able to make almost all our meals from the freezer and pantry with a few exceptions, and I must admit the homemade waffles with fresh berries and cream were pretty much worth breaking the budget to have! Plus, I shared them with my daughter on a cozy winter morning, which made them even more delectable.

And, speaking of delectable, we had the most wonderful Phyllo Chicken Pot Pie this week, with ingredients I had on hand. Mine was not quite as photogenic as the one below, but probably more delicious since it was made with love and bone broth.

One tip for keeping the budget low while still enjoying fresh foods is to make friends with the produce manager of your local store, and frequent the store when markdowns are being done. Each store has their own schedule, but my store usually has their markdows ready after 2 pm daily except Sundays.

I was able to stockpile three packages of chicken sausages which were $0.99 with coupon. The $0.99 tomatoes were included in the Chicken Tortilla Soup we had tonight (first photo), AND Brushetta which is on the menu for tomorrow, AND a quart of diced fresh tomatoes which are now in the freezer. All that for less than the price of one can of tomatoes. I'll post the Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe tomorrow!

We are down to a few oranges and a pint of blackberries in the fridge, but I have some frozen berries in the freezer, and hope to pick up cheap apples tomorrow. That should get us through to the end of the month with fruits, and we have enough milk and eggs carried over from Week 3.

Total grocery spending for Week 4: $40.59.

This post is linked to:
MoneySavingMom's SuperSaving Saturday
BeautyAndBedlam's Tasty Tuesday
Ann Kroeker's Food on Fridays

Kinestetic Readers? Let Them Eat Cake!

2010-01-22T13:35:00.001-06:00

I received this question from one of my friends: Would you share your favorite children's books?

I know this will sound funny to some, but we loved the Get Fuzzy Comics by Darby Conley. I believe at one time we owned every book he ever published!

They are bite sized, so a kinistetic child can move through them at their own pace. Comics use words and pictures to tell a story, but they are not all created equal. We chose black and white comics, to not overstimulate the reader, and chose to purchase the books so they could be read and reread at our leisure.

We also loved anything to do with whatever interest we had at the moment: Royal Dairies, American Girl books, and Hank the Cowdog, which can be found through most local libraries or ILL. My readers were connection driven, and wanted a story, so fiction books were the better choice for the majority of our reading in the early years. We did choose some historical fiction, especially as the reader matured.

The important thing for us was to be interested in what we were reading, not to read from a list compiled by someone who knew nothing about us. Some people call that type of reading "cake" but I say, let them eat cake. There will be plenty of time for booklists.

Lots of amimal books, and lots of reading in short spirts throughout the day were also key to developing the love of reading. I personally never imposed grade level limits on reading (above or below), and limited the number of books checked out from the library to 50. Yes. I said 50. She could go though that many in a week, looking for something that held her interest until the next library visit.

Did it work? My daughter now reads an average of 130 books a year and has two book blogs. She publishes book reviews for Thomas Nelson, Bethany House, LitFuze, Revel, and Tyndale and is friends with many Christian authors from around the US. She recently moved her clothes out of a drawer in her dresser to make way for her growing personal library!

I'm not bragging; I'm making a point. Don't be concerned about following traditional methods. Pray, and then do what works for your family!

#Savvyblogging: a Twitter Pajama Party Tonight!

2010-01-21T18:52:00.000-06:00

MoneySavingMom and a host of other terrific bloggers have come together to create a new forum for blogger education! I'm excited to be participating in their TwitterParty tonight. Here's the info from MSM:

We're hosting a Savvy Blogging Twitter Party on Thursday evening (January 21, 2010) from 9-11 p.m. EST and you are invited to come.

I've got a cake in the oven, and cup of Chai tea, so I'm ready to go. Hop on over and participate in the fun! Look for me on the TweetGrid. My name is @goodplans, of course! See you there.

Ragu Catalina Deal!

2010-01-21T17:45:00.001-06:00

Head to Coweta CountryMart and pick up some of the Healthy Lifestyles coupon flyers near the registers to do this deal.

Reasor's has a $2.00 OYNO (on your next order) Catalina coupon printing WYB (when you buy) 3 or more Ragu sauces. You can use the in~ad Reasor's coupon plus the $1.00 off coupon from the Healthy Lifestyles flyer for cheap Ragu sauces! Deal is dead. Ended on January 21!

Thanks, Kristi!

Millstone Coffee Deal

2010-01-19T23:52:00.000-06:00

On Kenosha has their Millstone Holiday Coffee blends on sale for $4.99 a 12 oz. bag, and there are $1/1 peelie coupons on the bag as well. They had several flavors including Holiday Peppermint, Gingerbread Cinnamon, and others.

If you need coffee, this is probably a decent price. Not a stockpile price, but not full price either, since they are flavored coffees and usually sell for around $8.00 a bag.

Pantry Challenge Week 4~ Meal Plan Monday!

2010-01-18T21:10:00.001-06:00

It would be nice if I actually had a plan! I've been battling a little health issue, which has interfered with my life, including planning the meals for this week. But I'm not giving up!

Today, we had cereal with milk and hash browns for breakfast. Lunch was baked potato and quiche with salsa, a weird combo, but my dd17 loves baked potatoes and since they have more bio-available potassium than a banana, I let her have them as often as she wishes. She also weighs 98 pounds... I on the other hand, stick with the quiche.

This evening we had a yummy green salad with baked chicken, cottage cheese, and a black eyed pea salad with fresh cilantro. I didn't like it as much as I had anticipated, but my dh likes cilantro, so he'll have the rest with lunches, or crackers for a snack later in the week. I also took a loaf of Panera Asiago Cheese bread from the freezer, and toasted it in the oven to have warm with the rest of a cheese ball.

The Pantry Challenge plan for the rest of Week 4 looks something like this:

Breakfasts
Quiche cups with phyllo dough, fresh orange juice
Homemade waffles with peanut butter and bananas, milk (using my waffle maker!!!)
Bagels with cream cheese, milk or cocoa
Shredded Wheat with milk
Cinnamon rolls with milk, stewed apples
Repeats x2

Dinners
Chili with beans, onions, cheese and fritos, Apple Sticky Bun Bread Pudding (new!)
Spaghetti/Ravoili with tomato meat sauce, parmesan, green salad
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
Cabbage Sausage Stew, bread
Beef and Noodles with English peas, (my new recipe for the week) with Cinnamon Pumpkin Cake

Lunches
Bean & Cheese Quesadillas, carrot sticks with ranch
Green salad with baked chicken, orange slices
Grilled Cheese sammies,
Creamy Mac & Cheese or Creamy Fettuccine (another new recipe!)
Pigs in Blankets (to have with leftover chili)
Leftovers from dinners

I'm going to try my Any Meal Cheese Pie recipe, and make Quiche Cups using phyllo dough I have frozen. I've gotten to the "creative stage" in the Pantry Challenge! I'm out of my comfort zone, and am having to put together things we don't normally eat, but I know I can do this!

Ann asked if I would post my recipe for homemade biscuits, but I have to admit that it is not my original recipe. It came from a Southern Living magazine article written by Deborah Lowery, circa 1987, and the recipe was created by Mrs. Ken Altizer, from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Cloud Biscuits
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup milk

Combine dry ingredients, then cut in shortening. Combine egg and milk, beat slightly, then add to flour mixture, stirring until just moistened. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead 3 or 4 times. Roll or pat out dough to 1/2 inch thickness and cut with biscuit cutter. Bake at 450* for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter, if desired.

I hope you like them as much as we do!

Bone Broth link

2010-01-17T12:07:00.000-06:00

Here's a link from my friend, Shannon, who has a blog called All Things Health. She shares great recipes and thoughts on food and nutrition. Her bone broth description should help you get started with making this wonderfully nutritious food. Enjoy!

Big Give, Bone Broth & What We're Eating

2010-01-16T12:26:00.006-06:00

My Big Give results for the week were pretty exciting! I was able to clean out a little of the pantry, and decided to bless another family with some of my abundance. I also cleared out several clothing items from our closets, and a few odd dishes that really were not necessary. So since the new year, I've given 23 items away!

Sadly, I also broke an antique lamp because my giveaway box had become lodged under the bookshelf where the lamp was sitting. So, my house is actually 24 items lighter, but I'm not counting the lamp in my total since I could only throw it away after the disaster! Needless to say, I was not a happy camper after that little incident, and the 30 minutes it took to clean up the glass from my concrete floors.

As far as the Pantry Challenge, I've done really well this week. We finished off the last of the fresh strawberries from the wedding, but still have plenty of other fruits. One night we had Crockpot Swiss Steak, and I saved half the package of steak to marinate and grill. We also had a turkey soup made with the frozen carcass from Christmas. It stretched into lunches for two days for the whole family! I'll include the recipe below.

We had the steaks I set aside on Friday night with baked potatoes, and steamed cauliflower, and watched a bit of Little Dorrit. If you like costume dramas, keep reading as I have links and news for the latest BBC/PBS films now airing.

My overall spending for the week was $26.34 but the breakdown reveals I actually did quite well. I purchased lunch for myself, my dd17 and a friend we picked up after car trouble for a cost of $8.65. I also purchased 2 gallons of raw milk ($7.50), because my friend was going to the dairy (about 45 minutes away.) I also was given another gallon of milk the same day, so I have enough now for two weeks! Overall, that puts my spending in the $10 range for Week 3! It's my best total yet!

If you're interested in free entertainment, I have great news! In case you haven't heard, Return to Cranford is playing now on Masterpiece, Sunday nights on PBS. If you missed the first episode, you can watch it online here. The second episode will air tomorrow evening. Check your local listings for times!

When it concludes, I believe the new Emma with Romola Garai will begin the following week. We have seen it once already online, and it was excellent. This is another great BBC/PBS movie we will own!

Here's the recipe for Gramps' Chicken Basil Soup and then directions on how I modified it.

Gramp's Chicken Basil Soup
In crockpot, assemble the following:
1 chicken leg/thigh portion or 2 thighs
2 carrots, peeled or scrubbed, and diced
3 cloves garlic
3 chicken bullion cubes
lots of basil, dried or fresh. We like fresh best, leaves only, chopped fine. *
sea salt
pepper
cayenne to taste (about 1/2 tsp. is my preference)
water to cover everything plus two to three cups

Reserve the following:
1/2 cup cooked barley**
2/3 cup cooked rice***

Add ingredients except rice and barley to crockpot. Cook all day on low. Stir in barley and rice about 30 minutes before serving. Can also be cooked on stove.

Now here are my notes and modifications:
*basil ~ I prefer to use fresh from the garden, and because of the bulk of fresh leaves, the measurement is probably about 1 to 1/2 loose cups of leaves. If using dry, use at least 1 Tbsp. crushed, (meaning crush it in your palm before adding to soup!). Let it cook all day, then add more to taste at end, if needed.

**barley ~ I don't prefer barley, but will use it occassionally. Don't add uncooked barley, as the starch will make the soup slimey and thick, like pudding. Not a good texture for soup, trust me.

**rice ~ If cooking on the stove, you can add uncooked rice, and let simmer until the rice is tender. Just make sure you have enough liquids to keep the soup from getting too thick, as rice absorbs 1 1/2 cups or so of liquids for every 1 cup of dry rice. You may also use frozen rice, or leftover rice from another dish and add to crockpot during last hour or so of cooking time.

This is a very "forgiving" recipe and a family favorite here, when served with a crusty bread and green salad.

I used the carcass of my Christmas turkey to make the broth for this soup, by using the Bone Broth recipe that includes a little bit of vinegar to draw the nourishment from the bones. The one I use is actually from Nourishing Traditions, but the one listed above looks about the same. If you haven't made this recipe, you really should try it. It's especially great if you've had any type of illness because the nutrients are bio~available. I make my bone broth in the crockpot for 18 hours, or on the stove for about 6 hours.

Smart Women Are The Best!

2010-01-15T13:25:00.001-06:00

I received the following in an email this week:

"We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me happy, and a piece of chocolate with my friends..

With time, we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies.

So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy.

Beginning today, when I look at my self in the mirror I will think, 'Good grief, look how smart I am!'"

CountryMart Coupon Match~Ups 1/13 to 1/19/10

2010-01-14T18:07:00.002-06:00

There are a few deals worth mentioning this week at CountryMart. Here's the link for the weekly ad.

Campbell's Healthy Request Soups, 10.5-10.75 Oz. Select Varieties. 10 FOR $10
$.40/1 and $.50/1 1/03/10 SmartSource insert

Quaker Grits, Old Fashioned or Quick, 24 Oz. 99¢

**Deal Idea: Buy 5 Quaker Grits @ 99¢ each, total of $4.95

Use in ad coupon for Quaker Products,

Save $3.00 When You Purchase any 5 Participating Quaker Products.

MANUFACTURER'S COUPON. EXPIRATION DATE: 03/31/10.

Total will be $1.95 for 5 boxes!

There is also a $1/1 internet printable (IP) here, but these coupons cannot be used together.

Amish Classics Mini Cheese Horns, Colby Jack or Cheddar. $3.99 Lb.
$.50/1 on 8 oz. from a tearpad

Birds Eye Vegetables, 10-16 Oz. Select Varieties. 10 FOR $10

$1.00/2 from the 12-06-09 SmartSource expires 1/17/2010

McCormick Mexican Seasonings, 1-1.62 Oz. Select Varieties. 2 FOR $1

Rice A Roni or Pasta Roni, 4.3-7.2 Oz. Select Varieties. 10 FOR $10
on any 3 - 01-03-10 RedPlum insert $1.00/3 expires4/30/2010

Pilgrims Pride USDA Grade A Drumsticks & Thighs, VALUE Pack! 99¢ Lb.
$0.55/1 internet printable here print after registration

Cutie Clementines, 3 Lb. Bag. $4.99 Ea.

Fresh Cherries, $3.98 Lb.

Fresh Cilantro, 3 For $1
This is a great deal, and you can freeze cilantro leaves when removed from the stems.

Fresh Cucumbers, 2 For $1

Fresh Jalapeno Peppers, 69¢

Fresh Lemons, Extra Large. 2 For $1

Fresh Yellow Onions, 39¢

Green Bell Peppers, Extra Large. 2 For $1

Green Giant Whole Carrots, 1 Lb. Bag. 79¢ Ea.

Rio Star Texas Red Grapefruit, 2 FOR 79¢

Washington Red Delicious Apples, 99¢ Lb.

My 2010 GoodPlans

2010-01-13T11:01:00.001-06:00

One of the the things I love best about home educating is that we set our own schedule for school, and if we are wise, we recognize limits, observe our own boundaries, and take time to do what is important, rather than what is seems urgent.

Being involved in co-operative classes with other homeschoolers meant that, this year, our semester started on January 4, much earlier than we have EVER started back to school after Christmas break. With the wedding at the end of that first week, there was no way we were going to be able to do school well, so I made the administrative decision to add two weeks margin to our calendar.

The verse God has given me for 2010 is a clear guide and I'm listening. Proverbs 31: 16 says:

16 She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]; with her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard.

With that in mind, and the fact that I had a migraine for two days after the wedding, I've taken some down~time to think about my goals for the upcoming semester, and year. Here are a few things I will be implementing:

1. Simplify! ~ This is an ongoing challenge for me, and one I'm working on in all areas of my life.

2. Give! ~ I'm going to do my own "Big Give" in 2010, as part of the Declutter Challenge hosted by AmysFinerThings. I don't have a garage, or time for a garage sale, so my goal is to give away 730 things from my home during 2010. I know I can do this and I'm excited about the idea. I've added a widget in the right hand column with a counter to track the progress of my giving.

3. Read! ~ With a Lion/Beaver personality, and a love language to others of Acts of Service, I have a hard time justifying taking time to sit and read, other than studying my Bible. I know that this is an area I need to improve, so I am committing to read one book a month from my personal reading list, (all school materials are excluded!).

4. Say NO! ~ My husband was not pleased with my physical condition after devoting so much time and energy to a recent project, and has asked that I ~~take some time away from~~ say "no" when I am asked to help with projects in the future. I don't know how long this sabbatical will last, and he didn't know about the Proverbs 31 verse, so it was just a confirmation that I need to be at home more.

Sabbatical: from Hebrew shabbat, i.e., Sabbath, literally a "ceasing") is a rest from work

What changes are you making this year?

Pantry Challenge ~ Week 2 Update

2010-01-13T00:12:00.000-06:00

We were quite busy last week preparing for the wedding, but still managed to do well with the Challenge. My goal was $30 a week, and I'm happy to say that I finished under the budget, mainly because I was able to stretch what I had cooked to cover several meals.

I must confess that we ate dinner Wednesday at the Bachelorette party, and Sunday's meals were all eaten at the facility, since we were there all day for prep and cleanup before and after the event. School was cancelled Thursday and Friday because of the extreme cold, so we ate leftovers and potato soup with salad, which also lasted several days.

Overall, I spent $20.58 for the week on groceries and a little stockpiling, and $8.77 at ChickFilA for a missions fundraiser in which we participated. I'm very pleased that we were able to stay under the budget!

Tonight, I took frozen turkey bones from Thanksgiving and made a simple turkey and rice soup with basil, the rest of the cheap shredded carrots and an onion. It was filling enough to have with just a few crackers.

For lunch we had green salad with chicken breast I had fixed yesterday. There were a few fresh strawberries left from the wedding, and we had those for dessert after our salad lunch, dipped in a small amount of chocolate. What a treat! We also brought home a little fresh pineapple and a cheese ball from the wedding, and have had that for snacks for the last few days.

What I've been up to!

2010-01-12T23:14:00.000-06:00

Sunday was the big day for my friends Kevin & Chrystal.

We arrived at the empty facility at 8 AM, and with a handful of teenagers and two adults, we transformed the space into this by noon.

My friend Jacquie made this magical winter wedding cake with fondant, truffles and snowflakes.

It was amazing (and exhausting) to be part of such a wonderful event!

I'll be back tomorrow with more pictures and updates on my Pantry Challenge progress.

It's the most wonderful time of the year???

2010-01-09T00:06:00.001-06:00

I'll be busy helping out with final preparations for our friend's wedding, so this will be my last post until Monday, and I have several things to share! First, congratulations to Kevin & Chrystal!

Here's the happy couple freezing outside the BOK the other night when we went ice skating outdoors. Funny to think that next week they'll be lying on the beach in the Caribbean while I'm still here amidst the ice and snow!

But alas, I regress. On to the sales.

We hit Woodland Hills Mall today and there were bargains to be had just about everywhere!

Bath & Body's Semi-Annual sale is going on. Look online because there are probably coupons to combine with the sale prices (up to 75% off...). This could make for some fantastic deals. Of course, there is no more Twisted Peppermint, so I'm not too happy.

JCPenney's has MANY racks of dresses marked down 70% off original prices. I purchase a $90 dress for just over $20 today. It's what I'll be wearing to the wedding, and I was happy I waited until the last minute to look. They had a very good selection in most sizes. Penney's also had lots of shoes on clearance, including boots, so if you need those, go early for the best selection.

One more store we shopped was New York & Company. They had lots of 40% and 60% off, plus BOGO.5 sales. We purchased some cute teen stuff here, which is top secret until after the wedding. Sshhh!

In other exciting news, I've been told by Princess Amy from 918CouponQueen's site, that CountryMart is now doubling coupons up to, but not including $1.00. So, if you have a $0.75 coupon, I'm told it doubles. I haven't tried it for myself, and probably won't be albe to until next week, so if anyone confirms this is true in Coweta, please let me know and I will post it here.

Since I'm so busy, I'm not doing the coupon match-ups this week for CountryMart, but here's the link for 918's match-up page.

And finally, Coweta Walmart has marked down their Christmas to 75% off or more, and I found some really great deals for things like bells to use on the wedding reception tables. HobbyLobby is also doing their Bridal Event this week, with 50% off on all their Bridal/Wedding supplies. This includes the pillow mints that we all use for wedding or baby showers, so if you are planning any type of an event that uses these, now is probably the time to buy them!

Happy Shopping!

Card Sale at Coweta Walmart

2010-01-07T23:05:00.000-06:00

From my friend, Jaime:

"Hey, saw something I have never seen before tonight. Wal-Mart in Coweta has cards on sale. I got those music/talking cards that are generally $5 for $2. Also, several of their other nice cards are $1 and they had any occasion you would ever need. Just FYI."

Thanks, Jaime!

Baby It's Cold Outside!

2010-01-07T20:59:00.002-06:00

We're having temps in the teens, and with tomorrow's high expected to be 11 degrees, I'm glad for opportunities to run the oven to keep the house feeling toasty warm. Tonight's Pantry Challenge dinner was Any Meal Cheese Pie, Garden Salad, and grape juice.

I was in a hurry to get the pie made, so I decided to skip the crust. I'm glad I did! It turned out great, and I really needed the shortcut, as I'm washing and packing all my serving dishes to use at a wedding we are attending this weekend.

I've done much better this week with my $30 budget, and was even able to stockpile a few items.

The Mrs. Renfro Peach Salsa was clearanced at $0.50 a jar, the carrots $0.49 and the peppers were free after coupons. If your store has clearance items that are marked lower than the value of a coupon, and they are leery to give overage, ask if they will adjust the price to the coupon value. I do that with the manager at my local store, which makes him happy and I still get to pay for the item with my coupon. My total for everything above was $1.77. It's a win~win.

Since one person in our family doesn't eat quiche, I also made Pigs in Blankets with homemade biscuits, which will be great reheated tomorrow for lunch. Served with salad and cottage cheese, we have a great high protein meal from what we have on hand. (Use only high quality beef franks. We prefer Kosher.)

Here's the recipe for the pie:

Any Meal Cheese Pie (makes two, but see note at bottom!)

1 medium onion, thinly sliced and browned

1/2 pound ground meat, browned and drained (I used leftover turkey sausage)

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/4 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp sage

2 pie crusts, unbaked (or use a stoneware pan sprayed with cooking oil)

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, (DO NOT SKIP THIS! It really makes a difference.)

1 tsp. salt

1 cup shredded cheese, any flavor

3 eggs, slightly beaten (I used 5 because I skipped the crust & needed a thicker pie)

1 cup milk, any (I used slightly soured milk, too blinky for cereal, but just right for baking!)

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce or Braggs Liquid Aminos (I used Braggs)

Saute the onions and meat. Let cool. Add other ingredients in batter bowl. Spray pan and pour (if going crustless) or pour into pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees until set and golden on top. Serve with salad and fresh orange juice, if you can!

This is supposed to make two bottom crust pies, but to me they are a little thin, so you can add two extra eggs if you want a little thicker pies!

Some Changes To My Blogroll

2010-01-05T23:19:00.001-06:00

One of the

best things about blogging is finding great mentors and inspiration for homekeeping. I just love the fact that any time of the day or night, I can access the wisdom of women who are doing some fantastic things at home!

One of my recent finds, which I consider a treasure, is Jessica at Good(&Cheap)Eats. This blog is filled with delicious recipes, tempting pictures, and sound homekeeping advice, especially for those of us who struggle to serve a varied menu. Be sure to check out this blog in my new Bargain Blogroll list to the right.

I've also added Jessica's FishMama blog, which features great deals similar to MoneySavingMom, ~~who has a great deal on Ivory posted right now .~~ (Nevermind, it sure seems like Alice.com is doing a bait and switch on their products)!

And, Erin over at JANE4girls has added new blog content to include bargains outside the grocery store, so be sure and keep up with her new content as well. It's going to be a fabulous money saving year!

Pantry Challenge ~ Week 2 Plan

2010-01-05T12:51:00.002-06:00

My goals for the Challenge are:
1. To spend a maximum of $30 per week on groceries for the family. (I spent $31.24 total for Week 1.)
2. To try at least one new recipe each week. (I made Cranberry Orange Muffins last week.)
3. To use the small appliances I have. (I used my juicer.)
4. To save all the rebates I receive during the month. (Received 2 last week; deposited into savings.)
5. To send off atleast $50 in rebates during the month. (Sent for $16.00 so far.)

This will be a busy week because we're helping friends with a wedding, and school starts again tomorrow. (Yes, I'm trying to be excited about that one!) The menu I planned is pretty detailed, and I hope I can pull if off. Here's the breakdown:

Breakfasts:
Eggs & bagels with fresh juice (two meals)
Cereal & milk (three meals)
Muffins (two meals)

We always eat cereal on mornings when we have classes away from home. It's easy and we love our Shredded Wheat! Plus with the Kellogg's Calendar Rebate going on right now, eating cereal is free. I may change the muffins to waffles and use my waffle maker. It depends how busy I get later in the week.

Lunches:
Grilled sammies with veggies and ranch (have canned soups to add if needed)
Any Meal Cheese Pie with salad and fresh juice
Swiss Steak with rice
Potato soup with carrots and cheese
Wendy's (on co-op day we have an hour to travel to our next class across town, and this is easy)
Leftovers (from any of the above meals)

Dinners:
Spaghetti with green salad and bread
ChickFilA (for a missions fundraiser we are working)
hamburger rice with carrots
Pigs in a Blanket, steamed cauliflour and carrots, stewed apples or fruit crisp
leftovers on Wednesday (this is Clean~Out~The~Fridge night)
King Ranch Chicken and green salad
Wedding food (which I will not be cooking!)

Several of my recipes are crockpot meals, and I will be cooking ahead when I can. We also have navel oranges, and frozen berries that I will incorporate where I can.

Pantry Challenge Update ~ Week 1

2010-01-04T00:33:00.002-06:00

(picture by goodplans, downtown Tulsa)

I'm glad Week One is over! I proved to myself that we can have nutritious meals from our stockpile and a few fresh items we have on hand. Overall I did pretty well, but I did spend over my $30 goal for the week. Here's the breakdown of my spending, and rebates:

$00.00   3 salsa for free with coupons
$ 6.24   8 Starbucks Christmas blend 10 oz. bags/2 Kashi Go Lean Crunch
$  0.68   1 Cranberry Juice (paid with RR from Walgreens and will get a rebate)
$ 2.66   2 Jello No-Bake desserts/ 1 box crackers (which will be part of a rebate)
$ 3.25   1 Gallon milk
$ 2.56   1 20 oz. Tortilla chips/2 Fuze beverage
$ 0.00   Taco Bell item free Fresco Taco with printable coupon
$ 1.40   Wendys snack while out shopping
$10.40   Bottled water (have some to carry into Week 2)/ ground turkey/ bullion for stew
$ 7.09    1 huge bottle Ranch dressing

$34.24 Total spending for Week 1

(picture by goodplans, Outdoor Ice Skating @ the BOK)

The 8 bags of Starbucks were, by far, the best deal I got this week. They are normally $7.99 per bag, but were on clearance at Target for $1.99 (look for the RED bags!). I had $1.50/1 MQs, which made them $0.49 a bag! Can't pass them up at that price.

The Hidden Valley Ranch was my budget buster, but it's the only dressing dd17 really likes, and it will last a month or more, so it is worth it. I need to find a cheaper way to buy that, or learn to make one that tastes just like the HVR. If you have a great recipe, feel free to forward it to me!

I was able to send for $16 in rebates this week. These included:
$ 3.00 True North TMF, from a purchase earlier in the month
$10.00 Kellogg's Calendar Rebate (this is my 3rd one to send off. There is a limit of 8 per household.)
$ 3.00 GingerAle Rebate NWPN rebate from Hot Coupon World

The cranberry juice I purchased will generate a $3.00 rebate, so I could take that off my total, which would drop my OOP to $31.24, so all in all I think I did really well. I'm going to do my best to stay UNDER $30 for next week, though, for bragging rights and all!

(picture by goodplans)

We even went to the Outdoor Ice Rink at the BOK downtown, and took our own hot cocoa and snack so we didn't spend anything on food while we were out. It only takes a little planning ahead to keep from spending while out enjoying time with family and friends. (That's my good friend, Fay, with me.)

PS: My dd17 knitted my blue hat & scarf for my Christmas gifts. Aren't they cute? Thanks, sweetie!

CountryMart MatchUps 12/30 ~ 1/5/10

2010-01-02T12:36:00.004-06:00

I'm doing a test run on coupon matchups for CountryMart in the Tulsa area. If you sign up at the right to become a follower of my blog, you won't miss out on any of the deals or alerts!

Sale prices are in black, and coupons are in red. Printables mean internet printables and should be linked, or have an address provided. These are not all the items on sale, just things I consider to be CM's best deals for the week. If you find a hidden deal, let me know and I'll post it and give you credit. If you use any of my info, please give me credit and link back to my post! Thanks and enjoy the savings this week!

Sara Lee Bread 2 FOR $4
Sara Lee Soft & Smooth Bakery Products, $1.00/2 1/16/2010 Tearpad

Betty Crocker Corn Muffin Mix 3 FOR 99¢

Old Orchard Juices, select varieties 2 FOR $3
Old Orchard Pomegranate Blend, $0.50/1 NED Hangtag

Del Monte Tomatoes 10 FOR $10

Internet printable, must register, $1/4 cans, rolling exp. date

Dinty Moore $2.39
Dinty Moore Beef Stew, 15oz, 24oz or 40oz. $0.25/1 NED

Wolf Chili 3 FOR $4
Wolf Brand Chili Grocery Product, Any $0.50/1 4/22/2010 Home Mailer

Alexia Snack Chips $2.29
Alexia Crunchy Snacks, Any - Smartsource.com $1.00/1 Rolling

Hershey's Pieces 2 FOR $5
Hershey's Product, Any – Found On Item $0.75/1 6/30/2010 Peelie

Amish Classics Hot Pepper Loaf $3.99 Lb.
Amish Classics Cheese 8 oz or more $0.35/1 12/31/2010 Tearpad

***Deal idea: Buy 8 oz cheese for $2.00
use 1 $0.35 Q, doubled to $0.70
Final Cost: 2.00 - 0.70 = $1.30 for 1/2 pound

Jose Ole Chimichangas or Burritos 88¢
various printables and home mailers
Jose Ole Entrees $3.99

Betty Crocker Potatoes 2 FOR $3
BCrocker Box Any(Except Buds) $0.50/1 5/24/2010 Home Mailer
BCrocker Potatoes, Any Except Buds(BettyCrocker.com) 0.40/1 Rolling

Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion $2.89
various insert and printables

Fresh Green Cabbage 39¢ Lb.

Fresh Kiwi Fruit 4 FOR $1

Premium Washington Gala Apples 99¢ Lb.

Wholly Guacamole 2 FOR $4
Wholly Guacamole Or Salsa, Any (SmartSource.com) $1/1 Rolling

Hobby Lobby Deals

2010-01-02T10:52:00.000-06:00

Just received word from Hobby Lobby that all their Christmas, excluding fabric, is 80% off, so if you need something, hurry in!

Think Big ~ Start Small

2010-01-02T02:04:00.002-06:00

There's nothing like seeing the project you've developed take wings and fly. It's even more blissful when it's your own child who is soaring!

As I announced in this post, we now have two bloggers living in our household. My daughter launched her first blog, ContinuousDelights, about four months ago, and it was an instant success. Her blog design and site traffic alone have proven that she has the ability to make connections and influence readers. She now regularly participates in blog tours for several authors and successful publishing houses!

Blogging about Christian fiction, writing book reviews, and hosting book giveaways has brought Carman such joy that, a few weeks ago, after a moment of inspiration, she introduced her second blog, ChristianBookGiveaways, which will soon surpass the original blog in both readers and site traffic!

As an educator, it is my desire to inspire my daughter to find her voice and blog from her heart. In under four months, my daughter has achieved a level of success that I have not accomplished in almost two years of blogging! I have passed the baton, and she has run with it!

I'm overwhelmed at the maturity and diligence she has shown in launching and maintaining her websites, but I also realize that I have taken her about as far as I have knowledge. She needs a better teacher!

To that end, I'm excited to announce that, because they believe in inspiring people to Think Big, Steaz Tea is hosting a contest through Facebook, in which one lucky winner will be chosen to receive a free conference pass to Blissdom'10 in Nashville, Tennessee.

As the Blissdom website explains:

Blissdom is the premiere conference for women who find and express their bliss by publishing online. Blissdom ‘10, our third conference, is a welcoming oasis in the ever-changing blogging world. Speakers and panels featuring the best blogging, public relations and social media pros will be gathering to mentor new and old friends alike.

Attending Blissdom would empower her with the tools and education needed to take that next step on the path to making her vision a success, and inspire creativity to dream what is impossible and then take the steps to see that vision become reality. To attend the conference together would be such an honor!

Like the founders of the Blissdom event, Steaz Tea understands that using creativity, direction and passion big dreams can be achieved!

We're dreaming big here, and making good plans!

We hope to be blogging from Nashville in about a month! In the meantime, if you're a blogger who wants to enter the contest, here's the link for contest info, but you need to hurry because the entry deadline is January 7, 2010.

Happy 2010!

2010-01-01T14:24:00.002-06:00

Who Is Going Hungry?

2009-12-31T17:35:00.001-06:00

I just read a great article by Wayne Greene, Editorial Writer for the Tulsa World. While I usually don't endorse most editorials printed by the "Tulsa WorldLY" as we call them, this one had some rather interesting facts considering I'm doing the Pantry challenge.

Greene writes:

"One in five Oklahoma children is at risk of going to bed hungry tonight.

In November the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service said that 14 percent of Oklahoma residents are "food insecure," meaning they lack consistent access to adequate amounts of nutritious food. Of those, 5.9 percent are in the agency's most severe level, "very low food secure."

That means Oklahoma is the fourth hungriest state in the nation. "

I really had no idea it was that bad here. And we have such an abundance, even with a limited grocery budget for the next few weeks! So, I've decided that a portion of my savings from the Challenge will go to the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, who according to the article cited above, used a large donation of wonton wrappers to make lasagna, which I had no idea could be done. Talk about creative! (Here's a recipe link to a similar dish that sounds great, minus the pork.)

The menu here for the last few days has been:
Breakfasts of cereal with milk and fresh juice, or homemade pancakes with milk and fresh juice
Snacks of leftover Cranberry Orange muffins or oranges
Lunches of nachos or green salads with turkey
Dinners of homemade cheese/veggie pizza with salads and homemade beef stew with crackers.

We'll have homemade sausage balls tonight along with a cheese ball and crackers I picked up last week, plus fresh salsa (free w/ coupons) and chips and whatever the other partygoers bring.

Have a safe and merry New Year's Eve! I'm looking forward to seeing how everyone did this week with the wrap-up posts coming on Saturday!

Using What You Have

2009-12-29T09:16:00.001-06:00

With the Pantry Challenge in full swing at my house, I'm trying to think ahead and be creative with new recipes. I reread the Use What You Have posts from MoneySavingMom's blog, and found a link for a website that is going to be of great value to me in the coming weeks.

Supercook is an exhaustive website that allows the input of ingredients, and then chooses recipes according to what you have available in the pantry. I'm looking forward to trying it!

Tuesday's menu includes the following:
Breakfast: cereal with milk or pancakes, fresh orange juice
Lunch: cheese pizza & veggie pizza, green salad with cottage cheese
Snacks: nuts and apple slices
Dinner: playing "Survivor" which means we eat whatever leftovers are in the fridge, and since there are quite a few leftovers to finish off, this will not be an issue!

There are several great coupons and rebates that expire on the 31st, so I'm going to use the last of my Walgreens Register Rewards to purchase some of the items, and will probably spring for the rest out of pocket, since I have $30 for the week, and haven't had to spend anything so far.

Goals For The Challenge

2009-12-28T22:20:00.000-06:00

So, I spent the day making an inventory of my pantry, freezer, and fridge. I'm not completely done, but I have a good enough idea to start a basic menu for the next week or so. Since I made playing games this week a priority, I spent part of my inventory time playing Phase 10 with my family, and then visiting with our dear friends who braved the snowy, icy streets to share a cup of tea and a Cranberry Orange muffin. It was time well spent.

My husband is on vacation this week, so the menu for this week will be a little different than for the rest of the challenge, but I have officially begun the challenge anyway, instead of waiting until January 1. This way, I'll already be in the "swing" when school and our regular schedule begin again next week.

My goals for the challenge are:
1. To spend a maximum of $30 per week on groceries for the family. I will still go to the grocery store but my only purchases will be dairy, eggs & produce and water, and anything I can get free with coupons.
2. To try at least one new recipe each week.
3. To use the small appliances I have, or let them go at the end of the month. This includes my juicer, Foreman grill, and waffle maker.
4. To save all the rebates I receive during the month.
5. To send off atleast $50 in rebates during the month.

I'd like to lower my OOP for the per week spending, but I'm leery because we spend on average $7 a week in bottled water, which we purchase by the gallon.

Naked Juice Rebate

2009-12-28T19:06:00.000-06:00

Redplum is currently offering a printable rebate form for Naked Juice, one of my favorite bottled juice smoothie brands. For the form, follow this link. The forms probably won't last long, so print one if you think you will use it.

My Priority Is Purpose

2009-12-28T12:08:00.002-06:00

I've discovered that with a view like this from my living room, I can spend the whole day in the easy chair, thinking about nothing in particular and watching the birds feast on seed from the many feeders we keep stocked. While I know resting is important, sometimes I enjoy it just a little too much!

I've been doing some reading on homemaking, and have decided that joining MoneySavingMom's Eat From The Pantry Challenge for January is just the accountability I need to jump start some purposeful activity during the last of Christmas break.

I started the challenge yesterday, by cooking a pie pumpkin I had gotten free back before Thanksgiving. I used it as part of a centerpiece, through the holidays. I scooped the insides of the fruit, and will make roasted seeds tomorrow, as they have to dry 48 hours before cooking. The three cups of pumpkin puree it yielded are in the freezer, and I put some of the insides and the rind out for the birds.

This morning, I used my Champion juicer to make fresh orange juice, and I salvaged part of the pulp to use in Orange Cranberry muffins. They were delicious, and I felt inspired because I had all the ingredients on hand. If it was that easy to make something new from what I already have, surely I will be able to make a good plan for the next month's worth of meals from the pantry as well! I'm hopeful, anyway!

Here's the recipe I used for the muffins:
Cranberry Orange Muffins
2 1/4 cup flour (I used a combination of oat, whole wheat and unbleached)
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Mix these in a large bowl. Then cut in:
1/2 cup butter
In seperate bowl, combine by wisking:
2 whole eggs
pulp of 2 oranges
2 Tbsp + 1 tsp orange juice
enough milk to make moist but not runny (I used raw milk that was ready to expire)

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry, and stir until moistened. Add extra Tbsp. milk if needed. Fold in:
3/4 cup dried cranberries ( you could use fresh, but this is what I had on hand).

I also added 1/2 tsp of McCormick's Chai Spice, but you could skip this step, or add cinnamon in it's place.

Bake at 350* in greased or lined muffin tins for 20-25 minutes. Makes 18 medium muffins.

You could also add grated orange peel if you have organic oranges, but I didn't so I skipped that ingredient. It would add greatly to the orange flavor. This was a new recipe to me, and the first time I made muffins by cutting in the butter, but I really liked the flavor, so I will add this to my Heirloom Family Cookbook and make these again.

Don't forget to serve them with the fresh orange juice or some aromatic hot tea!

Upcycle Idea

2009-12-27T11:19:00.000-06:00

My friend Rhonda over at If You Do Stuff shared a great idea for reusing Christmas cards. If you're like me, you hate getting rid of your old cards because they are so beautiful. This is a great way to reuse them, and be reminded of the sweet thoughts and welll wishes from your loved ones.

Her post reminded me of this collage I photographed last year at Philbrook's Festival of Trees in Tulsa. (Sorry about the glare!) Anyway, the artist crafted a Christmas tree with bits of Christmas cards and paper, then framed it in a beautifully gilded frame.

It would also be beautiful to cut giant letters from the cards, and use them for banners and garlands.

Finishing my TO-DO lists

2009-12-26T21:29:00.003-06:00

(photo from Country Living)

I had several things on my Holiday To-Do's 2009. I'm happy to say I finished nearly everything, and some things exceeded my expectations!

Rest, relax and have fun! (done, but we haven't played enough games, so I'm making that a priority for this last week of break.)

Make Christmas menu (done and easily implemented with the help of the family! Note to self: assign your maidens their tasks ~ everyone needs to do a part, and everyone is joyfully willing to help.)

Finalize charitable giving plan (done, and much giving has already occurred. Online giving can still happen before the end of the year, so any 501-c-3 organizations you want to bless would love to hear from you!)

Make New Year's menu (not done, but only because New Year's plans are not yet firm!)

Make a baking plan (done. We had oatmeal/chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin pie and orange/cranberry muffins for Christmas Eve & Day treats, and they were great.)

(photo from Country Living)

Purchase pre-lit tree (post holiday! I'm glad I put this on my list, because I would have completely forgotten. I'll need to look on Monday.)

Begin writing Christmas Cards (done. Not only are the Christmas cards done, but I have also just finished the Thank You notes. Being organized really helps make this easy.)

(image from http://justsomethingimade.blogspot.com/)

Mom's Night Out (done)

Get kid's Christmas list (done. Well, sort of. The kids didn't really give me a "list" this year, which is sad. It means they've grown up. But, giving was super easy, because both the girls have developed particular interests and hobbies that make gift giving a joy!)

Choose co-worker gifts (done)

Decide on Angel Tree programs (done)

Make Teacher Appreciation gifts (done. We didn't have to do much this year, because again, the teachers clearly favor certain things like Starbucks coffee, and homemade chocolates, and for the teacher that travels frequently, travel kits make shopping a breeze!)

Make a gift list (done)

Gather ingredients (done. I will need to restock my supply of certain ingredients, like canned pumpkin, which were consumed during this baking season. I was amazed to discover that I only had to puchase one can of pumpkin and almond bark for my holiday baking, because I had such a stockpile of everything else from last year!)

(photo from Country Living)

Make Thanksgiving menu (done. I'm keeping a Holiday control journal again this year, as I have done in years past. Since we used the Williams Sonoma brine again this year, I couldn't figure out how to make homemade gravy with the too-salty drippings. I'll need to figure this out before I make another brined turkey, and I'd also like to find a homemade brine recipe like the WS Apple & Spice brine, which, at $18.50 a jar, is pretty pricey.)

Deals from Jane4Girls

2009-12-26T10:07:00.003-06:00

There are a few deals and reminders from JANE4girls that I thought were worth mentioning today, and you can check them out on her blog. One great deal is the $10/$25 ConAgra rebate available here, but be sure to check all her recent posts. If you don't read Erin's blog regularly, you should put it high on your list.

She's the most amazing budget shopper, and her strategies have saved me hundreds of dollars this year! Save her blog, JANE4girls as one of your favorites and check her posts often!

Thanks, Erin!

Obedience Brings The Blessing!

2009-12-22T22:30:00.000-06:00

(photo from the shabby chic cottage)

I had a private struggle this morning. Actually, it began a few days ago. I had gathered several high value free~item coupons recently, but after using a few of them, I noticed that they said "one per customer:" I was convicted not to use the remainder of them, but really struggled with throwing them away! It probably sounds silly, but I had a real battle with my flesh over obeying what I felt was a clear leading from the Lord.

This morning, during my prayer time, I threw them in the trash. I was still struggling, but decided that obedience with struggling (and admitting that I was having a hard time being willing) was better than not obeying!

I asked the Lord to prove Himself to me today, and to give me a blessing to replace what I felt I had "lost."

He ALWAYS proves Himself, and goes beyond what we could have imagined.

Tonight, we celebrated "family Christmas" with our daughter still living at home, and with our adult daughter who will not be able to join us for Christmas this year. It's always a special time for my husband and I, when we can all be together, since we only have the two daughters and we don't see our older daughter as often as we would like.

We decided to eat out because our plans were in flux until the last moment. I didn't mind, as I knew the restaurant had a fireplace and I was hoping we would be able to sit near there to enjoy our meal.

(last two photos from getty images)

We arrived at the restaurant to find that the room with the fireplace was completely unoccupied! We asked for and received a table in meeting room, where the light from the fireplace, Christmas tree, and a few wall sconces cast a cozy glow. The wait staff provided excellent service, and even blessed us with complementary desserts after our delicious meal!

It was as if the room had been reserved for us alone.

The manager even came back to check on our meal, and make sure everything was to our liking. She said that they thought the meeting room was booked for tonight, but realized that the room was actually reserved for tomorrow night! We had the room to ourselves for the whole evening.

We had amazing favor and a truly special evening together. I'm sure it's something my family will never forget!

Thank You, Lord, for the blessing of Your favor! Thank You for proving Yourself to me once again.

New Perspective

2009-12-16T09:45:00.000-06:00

There was a real lack of beauty in this home office space before. I was utilizing what I had, and really had no inspiration to guide me. Without vision the people perish, you know. So when I saw what Nester had done with her new space, I knew I could do something similar.

I started by selling what I had, and made $140 towards my new furniture. I kept watching Craigslist, and found the table, chairs and buffet (pictured near the end) for $150, so my net cost for those items was a whopping $10. Easy peasy.

I still had the problem of finding a printer stand, and when the china hutch showed up on CL for $65, I knew it would be functional and beautiful in the space, so I made a call. The woman who owned it said she would deliver it, (an almost 2 hour drive!) for $20! That had to be God!

I think the furniture is beautiful, and it matches this room, which is primitive and cozy.

One of the main reasons I needed to make a change was that I had no place to effectively study my Bible. I'm a book person, and have loads of commentaries, translations and also use my computer, so I needed something functional.

Now, what I have is functional AND beautiful! The idea of using a table like a partner's desk where people can sit face to face is fabulous! Remember this post? It's also beautiful.

One of the things I love most is that the whole family likes it. We've had opportunity to sit together to work on projects, and there is room for everyone. Best of all, we don't have to clear the table so we can eat dinner! I love that.

Even the hateful cat seems to approve!

Did I mention that when the china hutch was delivered, the woman offered me $50 for something she liked from my house, so my hutch was $35 out of pocket and delivered? That brings my final cost for the transformation to $45!

Isn't God amazing?!

Make It Do or Do Without?

2009-12-15T14:19:00.001-06:00

One of my goals on my Finishing List 2009 was to put my den and office area back in order. Remember this saying:

The beauty of the house is order...

If order is the qualifier, my den hasn't been very beautiful lately! In fact, I've been pretty ashamed of the clutter that accumulated , BECAUSE MY ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT would kick in, and I would hold on to things that I knew I could sell on Craigslist to make a little money. But I just didn't HAVE THE TIME.

After being reminded that there is beauty in order, I immediately set out to make beauty a priority! It started with prayer, because I had issues with holding on to stuff. So I asked the Lord to help me "be rutheless" in cleaning out my stuff and I asked my husband and daughter to pray for me as well.

Next, I read several books by Lauri Ward, who has a blog with a "use what you have" focus. Her books are now listed in my Bookshelf 2009 (in the right hand column beside this text!), so you can check them out from your local library. Of the four books I read, my favorite by far was Home Therapy, because it showed the before and after layouts, and explained why things didn't work in the original configuration, and how to identify or fix the issues by simply rearranging with strategy. Visit her business blog here to view before/after video of her work. It's quite impressive to see strategy at work.

One of the issues I discovered was that some of my furniture was not functional, especially in my office area. Sometimes you can't make it do, nor can you do without... So, I got busy searching Craigslist and came up with an inexpensive solution. I replaced my desk and printer stand, and added a storage piece and bookshelf to better serve my needs.

Did I mention that this all took about three weeks, during which time we celebrated Thanksgiving and finished our preparations for finals in school??? Now you know that I've been really busy! But, I think when you see the pictures in my next post, the results will prove to have been worth the effort.

Here's a sneak peek for the next post...

Creative Worship!

2009-12-09T14:57:00.002-06:00

2009-12-01T17:23:00.000-06:00

Bookshelf 2009

Trade Secrets, Ward

Use What You Have Decorating, Ward

Downsizing Your Home With Style, Ward

Home Therapy, Ward

Inside the Secret Garden

Night Light for Parents

Tasha Tudor's Crafts

Tasha Tudor's Garden

Helen Keller's Teacher

Mere Christianity

PB Dining Rooms

PB Living Rooms

PB Bedrooms

PB Office

PB Storage & Display

PB Home

How To Be A Jewish Mother

Simple Abundance

Sense & Sensibility

Emnity Between The Seeds

The Giver

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Pride & Prejudice

Northanger Abbey

Emma

Persuasion

Bible

Visions of Sugar Plums (I mean table desks...)

2009-11-30T23:58:00.000-06:00