Frugal Friday: Time management and bargain-hunting
Since we're discussing Time Management right now, I thought this question would be great to address for Frugal Friday:
I just bought your Supermarket Savings 101 and I love it. But I don't know if I am a little too gung-ho about this. I am not feeling overwhelmed. I have all these folders organized in my favorites folder and blogs marked in my Google Reader. I have forums to help me and sites to visit.
It just seems like there are so many places to find deals and some sites have things that others don't. Some post more frequently than others.I guess I am looking for a way to simplify this so it is not so overwhelming. You said you take about 45 minutes a week and at the rate I am going, it will be hours a week checking blogs and forums.-Jessica
When you are first learning to shop frugally, it can be a bit overwhelming, especially if this is a completely new way of thinking. Here are my recommendations:
1) Start slowly. Don't try to cut your grocery bill in half tomorrow. Instead, set a very reachable goal for your grocery budget for this month. Once you've achieved that goal, then gradually try to shave off a little bit more and then a little bit more. Challenge yourself to improve at a pace that isn't too slow so you see no progress happening, but also isn't too fast so that it frustrates or burdens you.
When you are just beginning, pick one or two areas to work on at a time. Perhaps you have a CVS store nearby, make it a goal that you will spend the next 2 months learning how to shop there and get all of your deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and soap/bodywash there for free (there are a lot more things you can get free there, but we're going slow, remember?). Start here to learn how to do that.
Once you've cut out that part of your budget and feel comfortable with CVS-ing, then move on to something else, say learning Walgreens or Target, using more coupons at your grocery store, or making two items from scratch which you would normally buy pre-packaged.
Whatever you pick to work on, enjoy it and don't stress over it. Stretching your budget should be an exciting challenge, not a huge drudgery.
2) Keep it simple. There is a tendency to want to read every forum and blog out there for fear we might miss some great deal. The truth is, most of us do not have that kind of time on our hands. Plus, time is money; if we waste a lot of time scouring deal websites only to come up with minimal savings to show for our hours of internet browsing, we really aren't saving money.
I encourage you to pick a few forums or blogs that you generally find the best deals for the stores you shop at and use those as your resource. Set a time once or twice a week in your schedule to peruse through these and choose which deals you want to do and add these to your grocery list. (I normally just copy and paste deals I find straight into a WORD document and then use that to compile our grocery list and menu.)
3) Set parameters. Not only do I recommend that you have a set grocery budget and only bring cash (and a calculator!) with you to the store to make sure you follow your budget, I also would highly encourage you to budget your grocery-list-making time and your bargain-shopping time.
When you are first starting out, you might allot 1-2 hours per week to searching for bargains, scouring the ads, clipping and organizing coupons, and making your list. As you become more adept, I'd shoot for 45 minutes to an hour maximum for grocery shopping strategizing. Have a set day and a set block of time, if possible. Or split it up into 10-15 minute increments over a few days.
I also recommend that you limit yourself to one to two bargain-shopping trips per week. Bargain shopping can be a great way to be a better steward of your family's income, but it should never consume your life. If you are running around all over town multiple times per week to get great deals, you need to step back and examine your priorities. Like I've said before, if your home and family is suffering for the sake of a good deal, it's not a good deal. Set parameters and stick with them!
I'd love to hear from others on this subject: How do you wisely steward your time when it comes to frugality? Do you have a method which works for you to effectively and efficiently save money and take advantage of great deals? Tell us about it! ------------------------------ Join in Frugal Friday! Have a tip, resource, idea, or thought related to frugality? Post about it on your blog and then come back here and share the link with us below. Remember to keep it family-friendly. Thanks for participating.
Voddie Baucham: "Christians will not win the culture war until they remove their children from Government Schools."
(This post was supposed to be This Week in Books: Week 3 - I kind of got long-winded in the first review, though!)
Jesse and I watched the two-DVD set, The Children of Caeser by Dr. Voddie Baucham this past Sunday. Like we have found all of his materials to be, these messages were thought-provoking and Scripturally-sound.
Dr. Baucham's thesis is that Christians will not win the culture war until they remove their children from Government Schools. I know this is a touchy subject and I've made a lot of folks upset in the past with how dogmatic I am that Christians should have no part in the government school system. However, I would challenge any Christian to give me a Scriptural basis for sending young children away from their parents for eight or more hours a day to be indoctrinated by a system which is anti-God. You can search the Scriptures high and low, but it isn't there.
If we don't have a Biblical basis for why we do what we do, how can we call ourselves Christ-followers? As parents, it is our responsibility before God to train up our children. We are called by God to shape their world view. How can we do this in our children's formative years if we are barely even spending any quality time with them at all? Devoid of parental involvement and oversight, peers, humanistic teachers, the media and modern entertainment industry, and a variety of other forces will gladly take our place.
I know that those last two paragraphs were really strong, maybe blatantly over-the-top strong for some of you. Please know that it is not my intent to offend, but to really encourage you to think Biblically, to use Scripture as your Guide for all of life and practice.
And lest you homeschoolers think you get off the hook in this post, let me say a few words to you: It is not enough for us to just pull our children out of the public school system or to remove wrong influences. No, we need to be filling our children's lives with the good, the wholesome, the God-honoring.
Sometimes I think we become complacent in thinking that as long as we avoid humanistic philosophies or corrupt peers, our children will be okay. We wrongfully assume that being a homeschooler means our children will automatically turn out alright.
I've been around homeschoolers long enough to know it doesn't work that way.
As parents we must be ever vigilant. We must constantly be praying for our children, constantly modeling a God-honoring life before them, constantly pouring into them God's Truths, and most of all, to be raising our children to be Godly adults.
My goal as a parent is to work myself out of a job. I want to raise my children up to submit to my authority so that they learn, at an early age, to submit to God's Authority. I want to train them to make wise decisions now with my guidance so that someday they will look to the Lord for guidance.
Jesse and I pray without ceasing that our girls would love the Lord with all of their hearts. Yes, we want to protect them from the evils of the world. Yes, we want them to be pure. Yes, we want them to be wise and discerning. Yes, we want to see them succeed in life.
But all of that is not enough - all that is meaningless, in fact - if they do not love the Lord with all their hearts. Homeschooled or public schooled, it really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, if they are not sold-out, impassioned soldiers of the Cross of Christ.
And so yes, we feel very strongly that God has called us to homeschool our children, but it goes so much deeper than academic education. We are called to train up these precious little ones that God has given us to be shot out as well-equipped arrows - to pierce through the sin and darkness of this world, to mightily impact our culture for the glory of God.
Related: If you are unfamiliar with Voddie Baucham, I highly encourage you to listen to this sermon and also, if possible, to buy a copy of his book, Family Driven Faith. It was by far one of the best books I read in 2007.
Also finished this week:
Healthy Habits - 20 simple ways to healthier living. Simple ideas and a quick read. I was challenged to make more of an effort to cut back on sugar consumption.
Sweet and Sugar-Free An All-Natural Fruit-Sweetened Dessert Cookbook - Lots of great-looking recipes, some which I've added to my list to try soon. Definitely worth checking out if you have a sweet-tooth but are hoping to cut back on sugar.
Exodus - I am so enjoying reading straight through the Bible again! And reading around 4 chapters per day seems to be the perfect length. I have been amazed, once again, at just how normal the heroes of the Bible are - falling into sin, struggling again and again - and yet God used these very human people for His great glory!
[Note: I'm closing comments to this post because I know this is a hot topic and I don't have the time or desire to moderate a debate on the subject right now. I do encourage you to examine your own life and your own family's decisions and actions in light of Scripture, as this DVD series has caused me to do. Feel free to email me privately if you have any comments.]
If you live in the Kansas City area and would be interested in getting together for fellowship and encouragement with other Christian moms and women who read this blog, please email me. I'm working on putting together a blog-reader meetup and would love to have you join us!
If I don't know you already, please introduce yourself and include your blog link (if you have one).
You've melted our hearts, you've showed us depths of love we didn't know we were capable of, you've taught us in a brand-new way just how much our Heavenly Father loves us.
Being a mom has been the most wonderful experience and the hardest experience all wrapped up in one. Seeing you grow, seeing you mature, seeing you learn to obey, hearing you say "I love you, Mama." Those memories are one of the most precious and priceless ever to a mother.
You keep us laughing with your crazy antics. We just never know what a day might hold with you around.
You've grown into such a big helper and you bless me everyday by going out of your way to share your toys and special treats with us. You are proving yourself faithful in the little things and someday I trust God will allow you to be faithful with much.
Thank you for your heart to serve and give -- especially to your little sister. Your tenderness and compassion towards her often brings tears to my eyes.
The weight of responsibility to train and raise you in the ways of the Lord is sometimes overwhelming. You've stretched me beyond what I thought I was capable of and taught me more about self-sacrifice than I've ever known. The sleepless nights, the tiredness, the messes, those all pale when I look into your eyes and see you smile. Or when you look up at me and say, "Hey Mama, you're butiful." And when you come and tell me that you want to love Jesus with all of your heart, I know that it's all worth it.
Happy Birthday, my precious Kathrynne. I'm privileged to be your Mama and I pray everyday that you may continue to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, that, as your name means, you would be a pure vessel to bring glory to the Lord with your life.
I know your goal is to get up at 5 am. May I ask what time you generally go to bed? How many hours of sleep do you usually get a night? Do you and Jesse usually go to bed around the same time?
I usually get 6-7 hours of sleep but sometimes only 5 (bad I know, but I work from home when daughter is sleeping and HAVE to get my work done by deadlines). I find that I just generally feel pretty tired all the time and especially feel sleepy in the early afternoon. I've never been able to nap and now don't have the opportunity as I must work when daughter is having quiet time.
Maybe I will have to give the Supermom vitamins a try as I don't see my work schedule and mothering schedule changing anytime soon :) -Kathy
Lest anyone gets the wrong impression, let me re-iterate that I am not some wonder-woman who requires only a few hours of sleep at night! I do like to be efficient, but I have learned quickly that being well-rested is one of the most important things in enabling me to be a good manager of time.
It is easy to think that one way to add in extra hours to our day is to just skip sleep. I have learned the hard way that if I don't get plenty of sleep for more than a few days, I am not a nice person to be around, nor am I productive. Instead, I'm a grouchy, walking zombie.
And this doesn't make for a cheerful, efficient manager of my home, let me tell you!
So, by making a commitment to get up early, I've also had to re-learn the habit of going to bed early. I am almost wondering if this is as important or maybe even more important than getting up early. This has been difficult for me as I like staying up late and can easily burn the midnight or 2 AM oil. But by knowing that I am much more productive when I get up early, I've been working to discipline myself to also get in bed early.
I've found that the only way I can consistently get up before 6:00 AM is to go to bed by 10:00 PM. In fact, I try to be in bed by 9:00 PM. I don't usually make it quite by then, but by shooting to be in bed by 9:00 PM, it guarantees that I am working towards heading in that direction which, in turn, means I go to bed at a decent hour.
What has worked out best for us at this season of our lives is for our whole family to go to bed around the same time (usually around 9:30-10 PM). We eat dinner, spend some time as a family, have our family worship time together, get the girls ready for bed and then go to bed ourselves. In the mornings, Jesse and I get up early and we let the girls sleep in. This gives us some quality family time at night and then some one-on-one couple time in the morning.
I usually wake Kaitlynn up with me when I get up (normally around 5 AM, sometimes a little later if I've been up with one or both of the girls in the night) and I nurse her while I read the Bible and pray. She sits close by while I do my exercise routine and then I put her back to bed. Jesse and I then have some time to spend together before he leaves for the contract job he's currently doing and then I have around two hours to shower, start laundry, and do an hour of computer work before the girls get up.
I know many moms put their young children down by 7:30 or 8:00 PM. That's great if that's what works for your family. I've found that if I put the girls down much before I go to bed, I have a tendency to get busy working on projects once they are asleep and then I forget to look at what time it is and pretty soon it is past midnight. This throws everything for a loop because if I go to bed at midnight or 1 AM and then try to get up at 5 or 6 AM, I am not well-rested, which means I don't function well during the day, which means I'm much less productive.
I've also found that I am much more efficient in my time usage when I get up early than I am in my time usage when I stay up late. For some reason, I normally accomplish much less when working from 10-midnight than I do when working from 6-8 AM. I know that's not the case with everyone, but it is certainly the case with me.
I share all of this not because I think that every family should adopt a schedule like ours. Let me repeat what I've said a few times in this series: This is just what works for our family at this season of our lives! But my hope in sharing this is to motivate everyone to think about adapting their schedule to what works best for their family. And to keep adapting things as your needs or situation changes.
We'll talk more about home management schedules in a later post in this series, but today I want you to consider the basic structure for your day:
-Is it conducive to the current needs of your family? -Is it allowing you to get adequate rest? -Are you maximizing your peak performance times (i.e. the time(s) during the day when you are most efficient and productive?) -If you are married, is it allowing you to be available to meet the needs of your husband and enabling you to be a cheerful and calm help meet?
And specifically for Kathy, I just want to encourage you to see if maybe there is anyway you can rearrange your schedule or cut something from it so that you are able to get more sleep. The SuperMom vitamins are great and I highly recommend them, but they don't replace adequate sleep. Talk to your husband, talk the Lord, and I'll pray that you are able to get some good encouragement and direction.
If anyone else would like to share what structure works for their day or any thoughts or encouragement for Kathy, feel free to chime in.
A reader sent me the link to this blog with this note:
The basic synopsis from what I understand, is that the wife, Tricia, who has cystic fibrosis, was preparing to hopefully have a double lung transplant when she discovered she was pregnant with their first baby. Because of complications related to the pregnancy affecting her lungs/breathing, her Drs. ended up taking the baby via c-section at 24 weeks, 5 days.
Tricia was placed on a vent at the same time and has not been fully awake since giving birth (they are keeping her sedated). I have really been blessed by reading their story--they are Christians and a beautiful testimony of faith and confidence in God's plan for them. The blog is written from the husband/dad's perspective, as he divides time between his wife and baby girl in the hospital.
I checked out blog and could hardly pull myself away. You can't help but be touched by this dad's blog and his love and commitment to his wife and daughter.
I'm hosting a Recycled Fabric Swap in February and though it might be of some value to your blog readers. I start the swap package and it is mailed through a list of people, everyone taking fabric out and putting fabric in. It's a fun way to exchange fabric with only having the cost of flat rate postage. Details are here.
My friend Rebecca wrote and asked:
I was wondering if you know what happened to the Women at Home University website. Some friends and I started a book club about a year ago and we were using the lists on that websites for book ideas. About a month ago I went to look for more ideas and couldn't the site. I am really wishing I had printed all the lists out and not just two of them.
Anyone know or does anyone have a list of all the books recommended? If so, leave a comment or email me.
We gave away an apron from Marie-Madeline Studios a few months back and it was so popular that they have graciously offered to give away another apron, this time their brand-new Chic Sisters full-apron!
They sent me one of these aprons and let me tell you, I love this apron. It is so versatile, beautiful, and practical. It's perfect for everyday cleaning or for hostessing a ladies' tea.
I can't speak highly enough of this new company started by a mom and her four daughters. Each item is carefully handcrafted by one of the seamstresses in their family. Their products are not only feminine, cute, and unique, but they are incredibly well made. Their dedication to producing high quality goods with the utmost attention to workmanship is every bit true.
Marie-Madeline Studio offers a selection of ready-made handbags and shoulder bags, diaper bags, aprons, skirts, corsages, lavender sachet pincushions, paper goods. Plus, they also offer a variety of made-to-order items.
To enter to win the Chic Sisters apron shown above:
::Come back here and leave a comment telling me which product you like best. (Be sure to leave your name and either your email address or blog address so I can contact you if you win.)
::This giveaway will be open through Monday of next week. After that, I will close comments, randomly choose a winner, and post the winner next Tuesday.
::This giveaway is only open to residents of the U.S.
And it's Monday! I hope you are all rested and refreshed and ready to hit the ground running!
1) Refresh Your Spirit
Begin today with the Lord. Brew yourself something delicious to drink and sit down for a few moments of quiet before the Lord. Pray, read and meditate on Scripture, ask the Lord for His blessing upon your day, and commit this day to Him.
If you have a moment, share with us what special encouragement you received from the Lord this morning.
2) Tackle your Morning Routine
Once you've committed your day to the Lord and spent some time communing with Him, attack your morning routine with a smile! If you don't have a morning routine, details on creating a simple routine are here. Our morning routine is here.
Remember, put your routine in writing and display it somewhere you'll see often. You want it to be ingrained in you like clockwork.
*Project:Share your morning routine on your blog (once you've finished it, of course!).
3) Take Time to Plan (5 minutes)
Once your simple morning routine is finished, if you've not sat down to make a short to-do list for today, take time to do that now. A few minutes of strategic planning before you begin your day can not only help you to be much more productive, but it can also save you a lot of time.
If you are married, I encourage you to ask your husband if there is anything you can do for him today. If he mentions anything, make that your top priority to accomplish today. Keep your list it to ten items or less. Number the items in order of importance and tackle the first one. Don't move on to #2 on your list until #1 is completely finished.
*Project: Post your list on your blog and cross things off as you finish them! Let's help keep each other accountable. Remember, though, to see your list as a guideline, not a slave master. The list is meant to help you not be aimless or purposeless as you go throughout your day. If other things come up which are more important, be cheerful and flexible.
4) What's For Dinner?
Do you know what you're having for dinner? If so, do as much preparation work for it as you can do by noon. This makes our day go so much better and our late afternoons run much more smoothly.
*Project: Post your dinner menu on your blog so we can all be inspired!
5) Do Something! (10 minutes)
We're working in the kitchen today! Light a candle, put on your apron, turn on some uplifting music, and then set the timer for ten minutes (this job might take a bit longer, though!) and get busy! I'm going to be wiping down the countertops and the outside of the cupboards, cleaning the table and chairs, doing a quick clean of the microwave and refrigerator, and straightening some of the cupboards and drawers.
If your kitchen is spotless, pick another area of your home which needs some work and get busy!
Project: Post pictures of your kitchen cleaning progress on your blog.
Bonus Project: If you have extra time, I encourage you to cook or bake something special for your family today! Involve your children or other family members and make a double batch for the freezer. It's so helpful to have a well-stocked freezer on evenings when you're short on time or for the unexpected guests which stop by!
I'll post what I did for this challenge along with pictures in a separate entry later today.
Graphic from AllPosters.com ------------ Would you like to join us in this "Making Your Home a Haven" Challenge? Just do one or more of the challenges listed above or something else related to "making your home a haven" and post about it on your blog. Come back here and leave your link below so that we can be inspired!
The same week that marks the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Fox News reports another story, a story which is in complete contrast to all that Roe v. Wade stands for.
Expectant mother Lorraine Allard learned the devastating news that she was in the advanced stages of liver cancer when she was four months pregnant, according to the Daily Mail.
Allard, of St. Olaves in the U.K., had a choice: Delay treatment to save her baby, or terminate the pregnancy to save herself.
She chose the former, waiting until the fetus was viable before scheduling a Caesarean section.
"If I am going to die, my baby is going to live," Allard told her husband, Martyn, according to the Mail.
The baby came a week early and Allard, 33, gave birth on Nov. 18 to a healthy but premature boy she named Liam.
Exactly two months later, Allard died. She'd begun chemotherapy just after her son's birth. But in the end, it was too late.
Doctors believe Allard had bowel cancer that had gone undetected for years, eventually spreading to her liver. She realized something was wrong after she began suffering from stomach cramps, and tests revealed that her liver was covered with malignant tumors, the Mail reported.
"The doctors said they couldn't do anything because she was pregnant," Martyn Allard, 34, told the Mail. "She told them straight away they were not going to get rid of it. She'd have lost the will to fight."
The courageous and selfless mother was able to get out of bed and hold her tiny son several times beside his incubator before her death. Liam is the Allards' fourth child and first boy; his sisters are Leah, 10; Amy, 8; and Courtney, 20 months.
"Lorraine was positive all the way through," Martyn Allard told the paper. "She had strength for both of us. I can't begin to describe how brave she was. Towards the end we knew things weren't going well, but she was overjoyed that she had given life to Liam."
I don't know all the circumstances surrounding this situation, but I couldn't help but think what a beautiful picture this mother's sacrifice was of what Christ did for us. He gave His life so that we might have Eternal life.
"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." 1 John 3:16
Though we might not actually ever face a situation like Lorraine did, we all have opportunities every day to die to self - to encourage our weary husband when we feel completely drained, to get up in the middle of the night with that crying baby when we are already exhausted, to reach out and lift up a needy person when we ourselves are struggling.
When we look at the Cross, how can we not rejoice in opportunities to follow in Christ's steps and say "my life, for yours"? Death brings life. Dying to self, even in little ways, can bear exponential fruit.
"Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." John 12:24
Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes, and accept Thy will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all, utterly to Thee to be Thine forever. Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit. Use me as Thou wilt. Send me where Thou wilt. Work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost, now and forever.
- Betty Scott Stam, missionary to China who was martyred with her husband by Communists in 1949
Frugal Friday: Balancing frugality, health, and nutrition
I'm not sure if you've ever written about this topic but, if not, I'm interested in hearing how you stay on budget while feeding your family as much organic/natural food as possible. I am really trying to move into the direction of organic foods and finding coupons for those can be a challenge. -Johanna
Great question, Johanna! We all want to save money, but I think most of us also care about the health of our families, too. You do often "get what you pay for" as much of the food that is cheap is just that - cheap. It's food laden with artificial who-knows-what and chemicals galore.
How do we seek to strike a balance between saving money on groceries while at the same time buying healthful foods? Well, our family doesn't do it perfectly by any means and it's something we're constantly working towards improving at, but here are a few things which have worked for us so far:
1) Plan a menu and a grocery list and stick with it.Seriously. If you just do this one thing, you'll cut back on many needless trips to the store, trips through the fast food lane, extra time, extra stress, and extra headache. Just do it. (For more helpful ideas in this regard, download a copy of my podcast.)
2) Plan your menu based upon what nutritious foods are on sale. Again, it's really simple to pull out the store flier and consult it when doing your menu-planning (look online for it if you don't get it delivered in the newspaper).
3) Look for mark-downs and re-vamp your menu at the store to accommodate any great finds. If your store reduces produce and other healthful items on certain days or at certain times, learn to shop then. Get savvy at thinking up menu revisions and alterations on-the-spot based upon what great reduced items you find. Remember, though, that no matter how great the sale, if you're not going to use it before it goes bad, don't buy it.
4) Cook from scratch. Eliminate as many processed foods from your diet as you can and you'll not only save a lot of money, you'll also eat much healthier. Baby-step your way away from reliance on processed foods. Start reading labels, start experimenting, have fun with it!
Think about what processed foods you consume a lot of and start coming up with ways to make them from scratch. Instead of pop tarts, make up a big batch of homemade waffles and stick them in your freezer. Instead of potato chips, make up homemade crackers. And on and on.
Start looking for inexpensive alternatives for processed foods you normally eat and then slowly begin incorporating it into your diet. I cook in big batches and freeze things whenever possible as this is a lot more efficient and it's really nice to know my freezer is stocked with healthful "convenience" foods! 5) Keep it simple and stick with low-cost wholesome ingredients. Lower your food costs by sticking with recipes that have fewer, inexpensive ingredients. A lot of our meals contain staple ingredients like dry beans, barley, and brown rice. It's amazing what you can do with beans and rice and vegetables. I'm not kidding. My husband says I really should write a cookbook on 101 ways to serve beans and rice since I've gotten so good at creatively sticking them in so many meals. 6) Cut back on meat and dairy. I know some people really have an issue with this so I won't say much beyond the fact that if you do a little research, you'll come up with plenty of more nutritional and cost-effective ways to get adequate protein and calcium without consuming large amounts of meat and dairy. (See my article on "How to keep meat from breaking your budget.")
7) Scrimp where you can so you can splurge on what's important. We don't eat all organic at this point, but we have opted to buy only hormone-free meat, milk, and eggs. I'm hoping to incorporate more and more organic into our diet in the future, but at this point, we've decided that avoiding hormones in meat, and buying hormone-free organic milk and farm-fresh free-range organic eggs from a local dairy are our priorities for spending extra on. Since we've cut back on our consumption of these items and have lowered our food and household product costs through ways mentioned above and through couponing and shopping at CVS, it has given us wiggle room to afford to "splurge" in areas where we especially want to buy high quality.
8) Think outside the box. Plant a garden, barter with friends, join a co-op, buy in bulk, check out farmer's markets and CSAs... start looking for creative sources for inexpensive high quality ingredients and you just never know what you might stumble upon. Any time I find someone who is also interested in healthful eating in our area, I try to always pick their brain on what their food sources are.
9) Always be looking for ways to improve. We aren't where we hope to be in regards to healthful eating, but we've come a long way. I'm constantly trying to study and learn more, try new things, find less expensive sources for high quality foods, and learn to make more wholesome recipes in order to depend on fewer processed ingredients. One of our goals for this year is to grow more of our own foods and to buy more produce locally.
10) Do your best and trust God with the rest! I think this is the most important point to be stressed. No matter how well we do, we can always find someone who is doing it "better." Instead of comparing ourselves to someone else or allowing other people to dictate what we do or don't do, we need to seek the Lord for our own family. We should strive to do the best we can with the time, resources, and ability we have, but then we need to trust the Lord with the rest.
What I've shared above are just some ideas of things which have worked for us. Maybe they will be helpful for you, maybe they won't. I encourage you to seek the Lord and your husband for direction.
11) And finally, enjoy the process! I have to end with this because I think it is vitally important to remember. Have fun being creative and frugal in feeding your family a wholesome diet; don't stress over it. Do it for the glory of God and find joy in serving your family by the meals you plan, shop for, cook, and serve!
"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31
Join in Frugal Friday! Have a frugal tip or idea to share with the blogosphere? Post about it on your blog and then come back here and leave your link below. Remember to keep it family-friendly and to link directly to your post, not your blog home page. Have fun!
Missed the first posts in this series? Start here.To begin this series on time management, I want to start with what I believe is the number one thing which has made the most impact in enabling me to be more effective in managing my time.
What is it, you ask? Well, get ready to let out a collective groan because my number one time management tip is:
#1. Get Up Early.
I know that's probably not what you wanted to read. You'd like to hear about some planning system or resource or vitamin or something - but the last you probably want to hear about is getting up early.
Most of us mothers already find ourselves tired as it is. We work very hard all day long and often fall into bed exhausted at night. We often get up multiple times per night and morning seems to come way too soon. The last thing we want to consider is missing out on more sleep.
But before you all decide perhaps this series is something you'd rather not read, hang with me for a moment and let me tell you about how much of a difference getting up early has made in my life.
Let me start by saying that I completely understand what it's like to feel like I already get too little sleep as it is and getting up early is the last thing which would help me. I was right there with you three years ago. I was trying to adjust to multiple late night feedings, recovering from pregnancy and birth, learning how to care for a newborn, shouldering the enormous weight of responsibility that being a parent brings, all the while we were struggling to make ends meet and my husband was in law school.
If anyone had an excuse for not getting up early, it would be me, or at least I sure felt like that. "Just five more minutes of sleep" became ten minutes and then an hour, and before I knew it, it was 9:00 a.m. or later and I was groggily trying to pull myself out from the comfort of the covers already incredibly behind and needing to do 100 things.
This went on for about six months until I finally realized things were not working. I was waking up behind, I was going to bed behind, and then I would wake up even more behind. I was overwhelmed, I was stressed, and I wondered how on earth mothers managed to have more than one child.
I knew something needed to change so I decided to start examining what my biggest obstacles in the day were. And my number one obstacle was getting around late in the morning and then being behind all day.
So, even as tired as I was, I determined to begin getting up early again. I had almost always gotten up before 6:00 AM before I got married so I knew I was capable of it; I just had to will myself to do it again!
You know what? After a few months of getting the hang of it again, I actually started to really like early rising. Not the actual getting up, mind you, but once I'd actually gotten up and gotten around, I loved how much I was able to accomplish in the morning! And usually once I was up, showered, and dressed, I really didn't feel any more tired than before.
The benefits of early rising have been amazing! Truly, as it says in Gaining Favor With God and Man, "There is gold in the morning hours."
Not only did I find myself getting so much more done in those first few hours of the morning and then this productivity spilling out to my whole day, I also realized that getting up early enabled me to have a fruitful and encouraging quiet time with the Lord in the mornings. And there is no better way to redeem our time than to begin our day by committing it to the Lord.
I love this quote by John Piper:
"I earnestly recommend that it be in the early morning, unless there are some extenuating circumstances. Entering the day without a serious meeting with God, over His Word and in prayer, is like entering the battle without tending to your weapons. The human heart does not replenish itself with sleep. The body does, but not the heart. We replenish our hearts not with sleep, but with the Word of God and prayer."
Another unexpected benefit has been that I have found I want to go to bed early at night. In fact, I rarely stay up after 10:00 PM anymore whereas a few years ago, I was doing good if I got to bed by midnight. So I've actually been getting more sleep and feeling more rested by getting up early! And I've found that I'm so much more productive early morning hours than I ever was in the evening hours. It's definitely been one of the best changes I've implemented in the last few years.
In all saying all this, though, let me be quick to point out that early rising is something which has worked well for me. While we definitely know that Scripture condemns slothfulness and many Scriptures encourage early rising, I can't tell you what is right for you in your situation nor make a hard and fast rule as to what is a "Godly" hour to get up at! There are seasons of life when rising early might not be possible or recommended (such as when you are pregnant and requiring more sleep, when you are recovering from illness, when you have a newborn, etc.). You need to decide what works best for your individual family and circumstances.
That said, if you're sleeping in just because you tell yourself you're not a "morning person" and yet you're struggling with time management, let me highly recommend you just try getting up 30 minutes or an hour earlier for three weeks and see if it makes any difference in your effectiveness. You just might be surprised!
How do you train yourself to wake up earlier, especially for those of you who tend to be "night owls"? Well, here's what worked for me in redeveloping this habit:
1. Determine to get up early at least 5 mornings a week for three weeks. 2. Go to bed early the night before. 3. Set your alarm and make yourself get up when it goes off. 4. Do not get back into bed. 5. Make yourself a cup of tea or coffee. 6. Read God's Word and commit your day to the Lord. 7. Exercise. 8. Take a shower and get dressed to your shoes. 9. Enjoy a head start on the rest of your day!
Now, you don't have to follow that list exactly by any means, it's just what has helped me be consistent in early rising. Having a plan, executing the plan, and knowing that it will make my day go much more smoothly is a huge help in motivating me to get up early in the morning.
What about you? Do you get up early? If so, what helps you to consistently get up?
To be continued... Graphic from AllPosters.com --------------- Would you be interested in writing a guest post on time management or do you have a short time management tip to share? Email me.Have you purchased your copy of The Time Management Toolkit yet? If not, be sure to do so today! It will only be $7 for a few more days.
The author covers when to start your baby on solid foods and the best foods to introduce first, how to prepare your own baby foods, a two-month full menu for food introduction, and recipes for the family which your baby can also eat.
There were also a number of healthful recipes for the whole family and in-depth information on making bread from whole grains. The last chapter included tidbits of wisdom from older women on journaling your baby's life stories, raising children in the Lord, using cloth diapers, and a few other helpful ideas.
Most of the book was made up of information I was already familiar with and I found some of it to be a bit disjointed (the last chapter especially). I also would tend to disagree with some of her thoughts on the introduction of solid foods (I know I'm in the minority, but so far, we've opted not to introduce solid foods until closer to a year with both of our girls. Call me a "crunchy" breast-feeding mama!). But overall, this book would be a good resource for a young mom who isn't familiar with making your own baby food from scratch or for a mother who wants to encourage her family towards more healthful eating.
Just for fun: What have you been reading this week? Any recommendations to send my way?
Also, for those of you who are moms: I love to hear when you introduce(d) solid foods to your babies. Early? Later? Am I in the minority here as far as waiting to introduce solid foods until closer to a year? (Just as a little reminder, this is just a light-hearted discussion about what worked for you and what you chose to do. As always, comments which are questioning or criticizing myself or other commentor's choices in parenting decisions will be deleted.)
"How on earth do you do you manage to be a wife, mom of of a baby and toddler, homemaker, while at the same time blogging, writing, bargain-shopping, and so forth? What's your secret?"
As I've mentioned before, up until I had children, I thought I was a pretty organized person and could really pack a lot into a day. However, becoming a mom really threw me for a loop. For the first time, I realized that I wasn't all that organized and I was a very-easily-side-tracked person. Adding a child into the mix who was constantly needing this or that and forever creating interruptions showed me just how far I had to go in the organization department.
I spent the first six months of motherhood trying to figure out what on earth was wrong with me; I just couldn't seem to get anything done. I felt I was spinning around in circles with the endless pile of dishes and laundry piling up higher and higher. My neat little schedules and to-do lists seemed to be forever trumped by a crying baby or a dirty diaper. I well remember counting it a major accomplishment if I took a shower and got dressed before noon.
Finally, I realized that the only way things were going to improve were with God's help and some serious effort on my part. And so I set out on a journey to figure out how to become more organized so that I didn't flounder through motherhood barely keeping my head above water, but so that I was purposefully living and thriving to the glory of God.
This series on time management will chronicle what I've learned in the past almost three years of mothering and how I've learned to be more efficient, to manage my time (and thus my home!) more effectively, and what has worked for me. Putting these things into practice has kept me sane and made adjusting to having two children so much easier. In addition, it's enabled me to be able to accomplish much more than I would have ever imagined and to enjoy life, as opposed to living in constant chaos and stress.
I'm no super woman at all; we definitely still have those occasional days when our house is a mess, the girls and I never make it out of our pajamas, and dinner is McDonald's. But, by the grace of God and learning and growing over the last three years, those days are becoming a rare exception.
Have I "arrived" yet? By no means! I still have so much to learn and look forward to continuing to mature and improve and learn in the years to come. My hope in writing this series is not to in anyway lift up myself - I'm just another mom who is very far from perfect! - but I want to share some of the things I've learned so far in hopes that I can encourage some of you young moms and young women with what has helped me.
In addition to sharing what I've learned and am learning, at the end of the series, we'll be hearing from a number of other women on what works for them as far as time management. Not all of the advice given will be practical or beneficial to each individual situation, but I hope that overall, you will be able to glean some encouragement, inspiration, and ideas for being a better steward of the time God has given you - for His glory.
"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."
Graphic from AllPosters.com --------------- Would you be interested in writing a guest post on time management or do you have a short time management tip to share? Email me.Have you purchased your copy of The Time Management Toolkit yet? If not, be sure to do so today! It will only be $7 for a few more days.
The generous folks at Vision Forum have once again decided to bless the socks off of one of my blog readers and give away a $100 passport to be used on any of their products.
Through January 31, 2008 a number of their products are reduced by 20-40% so this would really give you exceptional bang for your buck! If I had to pick something to recommend to you to spend your $100 on, I'd recommend the Entrepreneurial Bootcamp CD series. I know I've mentioned this a few times the past two weeks, but I'm listening through this right now and soaking it up. It has been incredibly inspiring, thought-provoking, and practical.
You also know that I love their newest book, Passionate Housewives Desperate for God. If you've not gotten a copy and you are a wife and mom or hope to be one someday, you need to run there and buy one today. It's highly encouraging plus it's 20% off right now! Read my review here.
To enter to win this $100 passport:
:: Visit Vision Forum's website, browse around, and pick out some of your favorite products.
:: Come back here and leave a comment with your name and tell us what you'll buy if you win the $100 passport. (Please make sure to leave a blog address or email so I can get in touch with you if you win!)
:: Bonus Entry! Post about this contest on your blog with a link to this giveaway post and then leave a separate comment below with the link to your blog post mentioning this contest and you will receive two entries into this giveaway!
:: This contest will be open until next Monday (January 28, 2008) at noon. I'll randomly choose and post a winner later on that day.
:: This giveaway is open to any entrant from around the world. One entry per person, except in case of posting it on your blog which allows you two entries per person.
On a day which marks the tragic legalization of abortion, I wanted end on a positive note and share two beautiful testimonies of mothers who chose life. I've posted both of these before, but they are so touching that I wanted to share them again. Whether or not you've seen them before, I encourage you to take time to read the first story and then watch the video.
In Memory of the Woman Who Chose Life
Forty years ago, a very courageous woman chose not to abort her baby.
Unlike many unwed mothers, this woman had been previously married. She had born sons and daughters. She had helped to raise a family. But now in her forties she found herself divorced and with child - the fruit of a brief immoral relationship.
If she was like other unwed mothers facing the challenges and stigma of an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy, she probably suffered from fear and disappointment. And I can only imagine the pressure she felt to try to erase the embarrassment, to end the physical discomfort, and to avert the potential shame and rejection she would experience as she faced her own legitimate children and extended family with the news that their mother had conceived a child with a married man.
Sometimes it is difficult for us to comprehend the magnitude of the toll the abortion holocaust has taken in America over the past 35 years. When one says that over 50 million children have been slaughtered by legalized abortion since January 22, 1973, the numbers just don't seem to register. Below is a map of the United States of America indicating the number of states that would have their populations totally wiped out if war were to come to our shores and 50 million people were killed.
Mothers, wives, grandmothers, single women, young women, and every other person who reads this blog, stop right now. Take a moment to stare at that map and let the horror of this atrocity which is happening to innocent lives every single hour sink in.
50,000,000 people. Killed. In the name of choice. In the name of convenience. In the name of no other options.
As Christians, let us not just be distraught at these horrific numbers, let us be motivated to step up, step out, and make a difference.
Let us stand up for truth even if it means we are ridiculed. Let us speak out against this atrocity, even if we are belittled and mocked by friends and neighbors.
Let us stop adopting and embracing a worldly view of children which sees them as bondage instead of the wonderful blessings they are. Let us cast off this mentality which wants to limit one of God's most precious gifts in marriage - the gift of life - in favor of what is convenient, what is easiest, what fits into our schedule, what we can afford.
Let us train up our children to love the Lord, to love His Word and His commands, to live in purity instead of promiscuity, and to fully comprehend the value of life - life that begins at conception.
Let us step out of our comfort zones to reach out to these mothers who have no hope. Let us hug the hurting, give to the needy, comfort the overwhelmed. Let us be the hands of Christ to those who only know sin, suffering, and pain. Let us show them a better way.
Let us make a difference in this sin-sick world for the glory of the Lord!
Abolishing the heinous act of abortion must begin with me.
[Please note: This video is not for young viewers and contains graphic content - graphic content which the adults of America need to wake up to and understand.] My husband had me watch this last night. I am beyond words. It tore me up. How can any parent allow their young daughter to go through such a nightmarish experience? Where are the feminists who say women, young women especially, should be given choices and options? This young girl most certainly wasn't given a choice or even information. How can society condone this sort of experience as "a woman's choice"?
My heart is breaking... breaking for the thousands of women who go through this experience, who think that abortion is the right choice, who have to live with the guilt, the pain, the misery - for the rest of their lives.
My heart is breaking for the thousands of young women - little girls - whose parents aren't protecting them enough to keep them from getting in a situation where they would find themselves pregnant in the first place, little girls whose parents then don't give them any other option but going to an abortion clinic.
My heart is breaking for the millions of babies who were mercilessly slaughtered, many even when they are viable.
My heart is breaking when I see my little daughter look up into my eyes and say with gusto, "I love you, momma" and I can't help but think of the millions of children whose lives were cut off before they could ever utter those words, whose parents will never experience the thrill and joy of hearing those precious words.
My heart is breaking for the thousands of couples who would love to have children of their own and can't and yet they patiently wait and try and pray while millions of children are brutally murdered of their own parent's volition.
My heart is breaking that I can't do more, more to save these precious children, more to help those parents who think killing their child is in their best interest, more to save young girls from ever having to go through such horrific experiences as the 14-year-old girl on Bill O'Reilly's show.
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
Are you struggling with finding enough time in your day to get everything done? Do you always feel hopelessly behind?
Don't lose heart! Our friends from Homeschool Radio Shows, the Erskine family, have put together a brand-new resource called The Homeschooler's Time Management Toolkit.
This invaluable package of ebooks, software, and audio is packed with hints, tips, and ideas for getting more done in less time. It includes seven ebooks filled with strategies and techniques for regaining focus, staying on track, managing your home, prioritizing, and making the most of your day. Plus, there is bonus family time management software included and an audio seminar on "Keys to a Peaceful, Productive, and Purposeful Home Life."
Whether you are a homeschooler or not, I think you can benefit greatly from the information included in this kit. Best of all, for this week only, Jim Erskine has offered a very special offer for my readership - you can get this entire toolkit for only $7!
That's an exceptional price and you'll want to snatch this up while you can. Get your own copy today for ONLY $7 by clicking here.
Find motivation, inspiration, and encouragement to reduce stress, get organized, and be a better steward of your time.
---------------------- Since my inbox has been overflowing with questions on the subject of time management recently, I've decided to devote this week of blogging primarily to the subject of making the most of the time God has given us.
I certainly have a lot left to learn in this area, so if you have a great time management tip or helpful resource you'd like to share, please email me. I'd also love to have a few guest posts on how you wisely manage your time and encourage your family to do the same.
My hubby is home from work today so I'm taking the day off from blogging for a fun family and catch-up day. I have lots and lots of things swirling around in my head to be blogged about so make sure and check back tomorrow!
We'll resume our regular Making Your Home a Haven Monday feature next week. Speaking of which, Monica has a very uplifting post on the subject with ideas of how she is blessing her family and others today while on bedrest. Go check it out!
Have a wonderful day encouraging and blessing those God has placed around you!
Instead of my usual frugal fare this week, I'm posting a fun little list that my husband found for me on the You Know You Are a Dave Ramsey Fan If... Facebook group. Since I know not everyone here is a Dave Ramsey-junkie like us, I re-did the list a bit to make it more universally understood by us frugal zealots (though, being a "Dave Ramsey-junkie" and a "Frugal Zealot" should probably be synonymous!). So, here, in no particular order, is the You May Be Too Frugal If... list. Enjoy!
You May Be Too Frugal If...
...the value of your car doubles every time you fill the gas tank!
...you buy a soda and immediately start calculating how much money you would have in 30 years if you had put that $1.00 into a Roth IRA.
...you scrape the soap scum off of the side of your tub to make a "new" bar.
...you think "I wonder if there's a way to reuse toilet paper."
...you do a cost per pound analysis on the tomatoes from your garden.
...you've filled up on leftover Hamburger Helper before going out with friends and only ordering iced tea.
...you clip coupons for $0.25 off at the $1.75 cleaners!
...you rinse out a paper towel and lay it on the counter to dry for use again later.
...you see furniture on the side of the road and you realize it's in better shape than your own.
...you price compare thrift shops for the best bargain.
...you enter a store and see no clearance racks and immediately walk out.
...your sons ask for a ROTH IRA for Christmas.
...you can spend less than $3 dollars at Wendy's and feed two people.
...you are eating off a card table because you would rather put your money toward a fully-funded emergency fund.
...you have a panic attack when you see someone spend money on toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, deodorant or aspirin.
...you catch yourself saying "what a rip-off" because a sale is only 75% off.
...after breaking your little toe, you ask your husband, (while crying from the pain) to check with the Urgent Care Center to see if they are cheaper than the emergency room at the hospital.
...you take off the labels off tin cans and use them for writing paper to save money.
...you cut off your hair to save on shampoo and conditioner.
Come on, 'fess up, have any of you done any of these? And I'd love to hear your own additions to this list. Maybe someone else could write up a You May Be Addicted to CVS Shopping If... list. Or how about a You May Use Too Many Coupons If... list?
------------------- Join in Frugal Friday! Have a frugal tip or idea to share with the blogosphere? Post about it on your blog and then come back here and leave your link below. Remember to keep it family-friendly and to link directly to your post, not your blog home page. Have fun!
I am constantly amazed at the creativity of a two-and-a-half-year-old
I had to share a funny story that happened this morning, but first I have to give you a little background...
My parents gave us all of our old home movies on DVD for Christmas and Kathrynne has just loved watching these movies of when my siblings and I were little. She especially loves the one which has movies of when my brother, Dustin, was a baby. She's fondly dubbed that DVD the "movie of Dustin" and frequently requests to watch it.
Now, on to the story...
The past two days have been sort of helter-skelter and, as a result, we've not followed our schedule very well. I woke up and resolved this morning that we wouldn't deviate from it today and proceeded to tell Kathrynne excitedly that today we were getting back on the schedule.
She's taken quite a liking to this schedule thing and asks me throughout the day what is next on her schedule to do. She's usually really happy to follow whatever I tell her.
But today, instead of cheerfully following the schedule like usual, she decided she really, really wanted to watch that "movie of Dustin". Determined to not get off track, I explained to her that it wasn't on the schedule right now and told her instead it was time for her to do her tracing sheets.
She enjoyed those for awhile but then came back and asked again if she could watch the movie of Dustin. I again calmly explained wasn't on the schedule and told her she could watch the reading video in just a few moments as that was next on the schedule.
She then looked at me inquisitively and said, "Where's the schedule, Mama?" I motioned to where it was on the table, not thinking where this would be leading. Next thing I knew, she had pulled up a chair, and pen in hand was crossing things off the schedule print out, just like I do everyday.
After a few moments she looked up and said, "There it is, Mama. See right there."
She proceeded to point very specifically on the next time block and pronounced, "It says right there to watch the movie of Dustin."
Props for creativity in getting your own way, my daughter, but you forgot that Mama can read!
Since we're discussing Time Management right now, I thought this question would be great to address for Frugal Friday:
. It was by far one of the best books I read in 2007.
