No, Virginia, There's NOT a Santa Clause

This is a repost from 2010. Thought it beared repeating.

See these?

 

image credit

They're important to us.

And my husband and I take them very seriously.

I think (in my very personal opinion) the one thing most Christians take for granted is lying. God says lying is just as bad as killing! (please don't send me angry comments for saying this) And one of those lies is something that continues to be perpetuated with every generation... telling our children the lie of Santa. 

image by Norman Rockwell

Not only would WE be sinning by telling a lie, but we would be teaching our CHILDREN to sin and we would be taking the focus of CHRISTmas away from CHRIST.

Why would we discipline our children for lying to us and then turn around and lie to them? It makes no sense, but Christian parents everywhere are doing it. 

YES - we want our children to have the "Spirit of Christmas"... but not through a lie. We want them to rejoice in knowing that at that time of year God sent Christ into the world and made a way for all of us to receive eternal life. Doesn't that sound a little more magnanimous than getting presents from an old, overweight man? 

If our children see a movie about Santa we take the time to explain to them (as many times as it takes) that he is a fictional character, just like other movies. That it is based on a real man but that he went to Heaven a long time ago. We give presents, but it is done to remember the gifts that were given to Christ.  

For those interested, here is the origin of "Saint Nick" from http://www.stnicholascenter.org:

The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to the those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.

Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled and imprisoned. The prisons were so full of bishops, priests, and deacons, there was no room for the real criminals—murderers, thieves and robbers. After his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. He died December 6, AD 343 in Myra and was buried in his cathedral church, where a unique relic, called manna, formed in his grave. This liquid substance, said to have healing powers, fostered the growth of devotion to Nicholas. The anniversary of his death became a day of celebration, St. Nicholas Day, December 6th (December 19 on the Julian Calendar).

There is also the story of the Christkind (or Kris Kringle) that comes from Martin Luther, which is celebrated in Eastern Europe.

I cannot help but look at both of these men - Bishop Nicholas and Martin Luther - and think that they would be gravely disappointed in us in knowing that their sacrifices and earthly works (meant to bring glory to God) are overshadowed  by Jolly Old Saint Nick.

So please join me in overcoming myth to celebrate Christ. Let's put our children on a road to recovery and teach them what we would have them live by

OWS Demands in Layman's Terms

With all of the Occupy stuff going on (or should I say "people illegally camping on and destroying public property at the expense of local business owners, while costing local government $$$ in cleanup") there has been a lot of confusion in what they actually want... so I just wanted to break their agenda down into layman's terms for us all.

1) They chose to go to school, knowing full well what the expenses would be, accepting a loan based on the lender's terms, AND NOW WANT THEIR DEBT ERASED.

2) For those that have not taken the time to learn a trade, they want minimum wage to be increased so that they can HAVE THE SAME INCOME AS PEOPLE WHO HAVE STRUGGLED AND PUT FORTH THE EFFORT TO IMPROVE THEMSELVES.

3) After signing all of the papers to purchase a house, reviewing the costs with a lender and completely understanding that if they cannot make payments, their house will be foreclosed on, they want to KEEP THEIR HOUSE IN SPITE OF THEIR IRRESPONSIBILITY. And even though EVERYONE is struggling in this down-turned economy (even business owners who have to layoff a small percentage of employees in order to pay the remaining ones) they want all layoffs to stop, possibly tanking the entire business, but they would KEEP THEIR JOB AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHERS.

4) Repeal racist and xenophobic English-only laws... I really have no idea what this refers to. Every law in the US is in the best interest of every AMERICAN. The law doesn't care what race or nationality you are - they are simply written FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

5) We are to open our borders completely to other countries, EVEN THOUGH MANY WANT TO TERRORIZE US, KILL US, AND ABUSE OUR MANY GOVERNMENT SUPPORT SYSTEMS. People who are in the US illegally (against the LAW) are to be REWARDED FOR THEIR LAW-BREAKING WITH COMPLETE AMNESTY.

6) Create a universal health care system, EFFECTIVELY RUNNING ALL PRIVATE HEALTH CARE OUT OF BUSINESS (removing most of their business and forcing them to raise their prices so high that no one can afford them) AND EITHER LOWERING THE STANDARD OF HEALTHCARE OR LOWERING THE WAGES OF ALL HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS (why would anyone work so hard and attend school for so long if the end result isn't worth the effort?) SO THE GOVERNMENT CAN AFFORD TO PAY FOR EVERYONE.

7) Regulate campaign financing, so that EVERYONE PAYS FOR EVERYONE CAMPAIGNING, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT WE PERSONALLY SUPPORT THEM.

8) Institute a negative income tax that taxes the very rich up to 90% of their income, SO THAT THEY'RE UNABLE TO SUPPORT THE COMPANIES THAT MAKE ALL OF THAT MONEY (and the workers that come with the companies), REWARDING THEM FOR ALL OF THE HARD WORK, EFFORT, INGENUITY, INTELLIGENCE, AND SACRIFICE IT TOOK THEM TO MAKE THAT MONEY. Oh... and those taxes will support people that have extremely low incomes SO THAT WE CAN CHOOSE TO WORK LOW HOURS OR AT A LOW SKILL JOB AND STILL MAKE WHAT MORE HARD-WORKING PEOPLE DO. Awesome.

9) Pass far stricter environmental protection and animal rights laws BECAUSE WE DON'T ACTUALLY NEED NATURAL RESOURCES AND ANIMALS REALLY ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN PEOPLE. We currently have fantastic laws to protect resources that have been depleted (not to mention we're not allowed to touch most of them that are plentiful) and it's ILLEGAL to harm domesticated or endangered animals - I suppose they want everyone to be a vegetarian... ?

10) Allow workers to elect their supervisors, because WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF MONEY LEAVES AND CANDY RAINDROPS. I only have sarcasm for those who don't choose to live in the real world.

11) Lower the retirement age to 55 and increase Social Security benefits so that WE CAN BE LAZY, DEPENDENT, UNWILLING TO PROVIDE FOR OURSELVES, AND A COMPLETE WASTE OF LIFE (in my humble opinion) WHEN FULLY CAPABLE OF WORKING.

12) Create a 5% annual wealth tax for the very rich. REALLY... AGAIN? SO THAT'S 95% OF THE WEALTHY'S WAGES?

13) Ban the private ownership of land... I can only assume this is out of jealousy. As in, if I can't have it, no one can. Or maybe they just got bored making their demands and decided to get a little creative. Who knows. We own land. JUST TRY AND TAKE IT FROM ME.

14) Make homeschooling illegal. Even though homeschoolers notoriously outperform public school students, have higher moral and familial values, and become more productive members of society "RELIGIOUS FANATICS USE IT TO FEED THEIR CHILDREN PROPAGANDA." WHICH IS NEVER WHAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS WOULD DO... Hello Obama worship. I teach my kids about God. You teach them about everything but. Let's just leave it at that.

15) Reduce the age of majority to 16. BECAUSE WE NEED MORE IRRESPONSIBLE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS SUPPORTING, THE WEALTHY ARE FUNDING, AND OWS APPLAUDS.

16) Abolish the death penalty and life in prison. We call for the immediate release of all death row inmates from death row and transferred to regular prisons. I ACTUALLY AGREE WITH THIS ONE. EXCEPT INSTEAD OF PRISON, LET'S MOVE THEM TO YOUR HOUSE, GIVE YOU A GUN, AND SEE HOW LONG IT IS BEFORE YOU USE IT. Psychopaths and serial killers cannot be reformed with punishment. And unless you're going to give up some of your hard earned minimum wage or taxpayer money to fund them being in prison, to the electric chair it is. If you take lives for pleasure, what right do you have to your own?

17) Release all political prisoners. Where? In China? South America? Oh, the US? I sincerely hope they're not referring to terrorists. Or perhaps Bradley Manning, the traitor. AGAIN, TO YOUR HOUSE THEY GO.

18) Immediate withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan. I actually understand this - from the viewpoint of someone who has never served in the armed forces. Taxpayer money that could be going into their pocket is going over to help people in another country that live like heathens and really just keep fighting amongst themselves for a chance at 72 virgins. EXCEPT THAT THOSE BEING FORCED TO LIVE IN THOSE CONDITIONS ARE ACTUALLY ASKING FOR OUR HELP. OWS would know that if they didn't only watch CNN and MSNBC. AND WE'RE HELPING THESE PEOPLE ESTABLISH A WAY OF LIFE IN WHICH THEY CAN BE FREE TO WORK AND PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES WITHOUT ENDANGERMENT. But they wouldn't care about that, right?

19) Abolish the debt limit. HA! Who cares, right? It's not your money. But how will the government support you if there's no money? SOMEONE'S A LITTLE CONFUSED.

20) Ban private gun ownership. SO THEY CAN TAKE MY LAND AND MONEY? Don't worry - I homeschool, remember? That means we believe in God... so I won't kill you. Shoot you in the leg maybe...

21) Strengthen the separation of church and state. BECAUSE GOD SCARES THEM. THE THOUGHT OF ANYONE BEING SO MORAL AND USING THOSE MORALS TO DETERMINE THEIR FATE WITH A MORAL LAW SCARES THE PANTS OFF OF THEM. But if we're going to really separate ALL churches, they'll have to give up all the other religions they're allowing in schools. JUST TO BE FAIR.

22) Immediate debt forgiveness for all. That sounds fantastic. A clean slate for all. Until a year from now when they're in over their heads again and I'm still debt free. IT'S ABOUT RESPONSIBILITY. WHAT KIND OF PERSON ARE YOU IF CANNOT HONOR YOUR DEBTS? KEEP YOUR PROMISES? Gambling addicts have this problem too... but their loan sharks beat their knee caps in.

23) End the "War on Drugs". Does this mean stop arresting drug dealers? Legalize drugs? Close down the DEA? MORE MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS AND FREE-REIGN USE OF DRUGS?

24) And their SHINING JEWEL - Repeal the Taft-Hartley Act (which monitors unions and prevents them from abusing their power) and unionize ALL workers. There really aren't adequate words... but I'll try. For starters, they want to TAKE AWAY THE PERSONAL RIGHT AND LIBERTY OF EMPLOYEES TO CHOOSE FOR THEMSELVES WHO THEY'LL ALLY THEMSELVES WITH. They also want to unions to have the power to make any kind of demand that they want to without any regulation, ESSENTIALLY HOLDING COMPANIES HOSTAGE - NO WORKERS/PROFIT WITHOUT ALWAYS GIVING INTO THEIR DEMANDS.

And that's it. I sincerely hope this helps you have a better understanding of this group of young people and their humble requests.

I Wear a Cape

Superheroes are something from our imaginations... they are fanciful imaginings of indestructible beings we have always wanted to believe in - people of unmovable morals and an endless depth of caring for the human population.

And the super powers aren't that bad either.

We create these amazing, impossible creatures because we truly want someone that can protect us from everyone and everything without ever betraying an ounce of exasperation or lack of love.

This want begs the question: who is your child's super hero?

 image credit

Do they only believe in graphic novels and comic illustrations? Or do they tout Mommy and Daddy as the force du jour? 

I believe that we look to God for all of these qualities, but you cannot only assume that your child will do the same. God created the family structure in the same way we, Christ, the church and God are structured. We're told that a wife is married to her husband the same as Christ is married to the church. So what are the children? They are the unsaved of the church and they need to know that Christ will allows be there for them. What they learn from us determines how they will respond to Christ.

When they're truly hurt and in pain, do you comfort them and let them know everything is still right with the world? When their big sister/brother wallops them with a bat, do you jump right up and discipline the antagonist so that your child knows you will always protect them? When their Sunday School teacher insists that your child did something wrong, do you defend them without remorse (and then discover the truth in private/discipline as necessary)?

Do you set right the wrongs? Do you have an impenetrable moral code that never falters with laziness? Let your children believe in you and never doubt that you will come to their rescue.


Are you your child's real-life superhero or are they blindly searching comics for a pretend one?

Your child wants you to believe in them and defend them in every possible way. You are their GUARDIAN - trusted with the protection of their minds, hearts and bodies.

Put on a cape and let them know that a pretend superhero on paper could never compare to the HERO they have in life. Then be tickled to Georgia when you hear them telling their friends that you change into a costume every night and go save the world.

And be content in your heart with the knowledge that they'll have an understanding of how God can have an eternal and infallible love for us.

A Free Donation

I often wish that I could do more for those that do without.

We pray plenty (also free by the way)... but we normally don't have any extra money to donate or goods that we can spare to give away.

And yet I still want to show my children that we don't just talk the talk. Action means a lot and lends a lot to your testimony. And a giving heart is precisely what God wants us to have.

Believe it or not, there is a solution for a us women.
  
Our hair.

Yes, you heard that right. Our HAIR.

 now you see it

There's an organization called Locks of Love that accepts donations of hair for those that have none.

 now you don't!

Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 21 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. We meet a unique need for children by using donated hair to create the highest quality hair prosthetics. Most of the children helped by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. The prostheses we provide help to restore their self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers.

They require a donation of 10 inches or more - other requirements can be seen here.

I was able to visit a salon (Great Clips) that cut and styled my hair for FREE and then sent my donation to Locks of Love for me. Talk about full service! Try calling ahead to your salon and see if they also offer this service! Who's going to turn down a free haircut???

Please consider giving this one small thing that costs you absolutely nothing. Join me in helping these children regain a sense of normalcy and dignity.

I'm Not a Keeper of My Friends, the Neighborhood, or my Church

I'm a Keeper of the Home. MY home.

Which is why I've been absent.

I've been focusing on MY family and taking a break from the internet. Facebook updates were relegated to my tablet or phone when I had the opportunity. I haven't been reading any blogs (unless they came in email format). I haven't read the news in over a month. No funny youtube videos. And certainly no perusing Target or Amazon online for sales.

The result is that after a short break for summer (and my stepson visiting) we're back into our homeschool schedule, the house is finally clean (on a somewhat regular basis), and I feel a lot calmer and well organized at the end of the day (very certain those two go hand in hand).

God didn't direct me to be a keeper of anything outside of my home and I needed a reminder of that. And yes, I believe that the internet is a way for us to leave our homes (and responsibilities). Now the beast is tamed and I'm thankful that the Holy Spirit worked so hard on me to see this.

God has a perfect plan for us women and the family structure - if we just follow it, everything will perfectly coalesce.

Have you taken an internet fast?

What Your Doctor Won't Tell You About the Pill

In a slight deviation from my normal topics, I'm writing about something that I consider very serious.

First, none of this will carry any weight with you unless your definition of a living child is not the exact moment an egg is fertilized in the fallopian tubes. I have several verses and pure science to back that up but that's another post. If you do not believe this to be true, you will get absolutely nothing out of this post. Go about your day.

Second, yes, I'm aware that the birth control pill has several other horrendous side effects and that there are tons of other types of birth control, but today I'm focusing just on the pill.

 

Image Credit

Like salvation, before I could believe, I had to have a clear understanding of the facts. I was a bc pill user for quite some time before finding out the facts that not one single doctor had given me. As with everything in life, I'm the only one to blame for accepting something without finding out the facts first. And the second I discover facts that do not coalesce with my beliefs, it is my own fault if I don't implement change.

So here's the deal... There are four types of pills:

Combination
   Monophasic
      Alesse, Beyaz, Brevicon, Demulen, Desogen, Levlen, Loestrin, Norinyl, Ortho-Cept, Ortho-Cyclen, Ortho-Novum, Yasmin, Yaz
   Biphasic
      Jenest-28, Mircette, Necon 10/11, Ortho-Novum 10/11
   Triphasic
      Ortho-Novum 7/7/8, Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Tri-Levlen, Tri-Norinyl, Triphasil
Minipill
   Micronor, Nor-QD (norethindrone), Ovrette
Extended Cycle/Continued Use
   Seasonale, Seasonique, Lybrel
Emergency Contraceptives (not the "day after" pill)
   Plan B, Plan B One-Step, Ella

EACH AND EVERY ONE of these pills uses three methods to prevent "conception":


1) Preventing release of eggs from the ovaries (ovulation)
2) Increases cervical mucus, making it harder for sperm to reach the uterus
3) "Alters" the lining of the uterus, making it less "receptive" to an embryo.

My issue is with #3.

And no, you don't need to take my word for it. These are from the websites of a pill from each category (mircette did not have information on their website, theirs was taken from emedtv.com):

Ella 

Mircette 

 Nor-QD

Ortho Tri-Cyclen

Ovrette

Seasonique

 Yaz

 You may see some vague and/or scientific words to confuse the subject, but make no mistake - a fertilized egg is being prevented from attaching itself to your uterus. What all of these are saying is that if the first two don't work, you assuredly won't get pregnant because your uterine wall (endometrium) will be thinned and unreceptive to a fertilized egg. A fertilized egg requires a thick lining to attach to and that lining also becomes a part of the placenta and provides nutrition to it. 

Those that would argue against this would say that if "breakthrough" ovulation were to occur, that your reproductive system would kick into action and thicken up the uterus lining. However, there is no concrete evidence to support this and as far as I'm concerned, the risk is simply not worth the "reward".

That's my two cents. Now go have some common sense, do your own research and make up your own mind.

Where do all the FREEbies come from???

I don't know if you've noticed, but I LOVE free stuff. I mean, really - if I can get it for FREE why pay for it?

Plus getting free things in the mail is like my birthday every day!

So what's the secret?

Time. Seriously.

You need a facebook account and time to look through e-mails a lot.

Here are several ways to get some sweet free stuff:

1) Go to the product website and write to the company in their Contact Us feature. Either politely ask for a coupon or tell them how much you love their product. The FREE Michelina coupons below were sent to me because I very honestly told them that I want to try their snackers and would like to know if they had any coupons.

2) Join product insider groups. I follow The Krazy Coupon Lady, Deal Seeking Mom, and Money Saving Mom on facebook and they usually alert me to insider groups accepting applicants. All you have to do is tell your friends about their new products and they send you FULL size products. As a Coffee-Mate insider, I got to host a Coffee-Mate party and below is my Frito Lay welcome package!

3) Those facebook updates again - the same ones above let me know when products will be giving away free samples on their facebook page or their own website. These are usually limited time offers so you have to act fast!

4) Join BzzAgent - you get to try out free full-size products and all you have to do is tell your friends about them. It's really that easy.

5) Join House Party. You get HUGE boxes full of goodies and you get to have get-togethers with your friends and share the wealth. Again... really that easy. I'm getting ready to host a Velveeta Cheesy Skillets party right now.

6) Get e-mail updates from freebie blogs like Shop4Freebies and Woman Freebies. These are normally samples and not full products, though.

Hope this helps - enjoy your freebies!

Couponing 101: Part 4

This one is so easy it's going to knock your socks off. Or your flip flops if you're not a sock wearer. I'm not. A sock wearer, that is. Spring rolls around and Old Navy supplies me with an endless assortment of colors in flip flop style. Putting them away in fall may be one of the hardest things I do...

Did I mention I tend to ramble? : )

Numero Quatro:

BE IN THE KNOW. The Dish. The 411. 

I subscribe to several blogs via e-mail so that I can peruse the deals at leisure. The sign up link is usually on the right side of the page at the top. And it's free. Just sayin'. There are tons more out there - these just happen to be the ones I follow. They usually have the same deals posted and vary only slightly (but it's that slightly that sometimes brings in the great deals).

The Krazy Coupon Lady

Money Saving Mom Food Lion (and other regional stores) deals HERE.

Deal Seeking Mom

Coupon Connections

This Frugal Life

For limited-time coupons or when I'm on-the-go/homeschooling, I've 'liked' couponing pages on facebook. Then I discreetly check my phone when it buzzes during school and not-so-discreetly give a huge WHOOP!! and run to the computer to get a free full-size product. I really wish I was kidding... And I hate to admit it, but I've liked so many manufacturer pages on fb to get coupons that I now receive most deals ahead of the couponing blogs. Here are the facebook pages I follow (you'll need to already have a facebook account to like these):

I Heart Kroger

A Frugal Chick

"Cents"able Mom

Coupon Beat

Stockpiling Moms

Coupon Pro

You can also go like the fb pages of the blogs I mentioned earlier - blogs usually have an 'f' link at the top right for their fb page.

The Military, Living Overseas and a Failed Marriage (AKA Part One)

I visit a lot of blogs and often get frustrated that there simply isn't enough information to judge what kind of people they are... or even what kind of Christians they are (not that I'm JUDGING... but I do like to know who I'm talking to).

As I was recently having this thought, I realized that I'm a little sparse in the info area.

So here is the slightly stylized, very abbreviated story of me.

I apologize if it seems like you're reading the exploits of a mentally deranged person (these are supposed to be uplifting and encouraging, after all!) - it gets better I promise!

ADULTHOOD

 A year after graduating from high school (in Panama City, FL!) I joined the Air Force, following in my father's footsteps. I was immature, immodest, conceited, arrogant, stubborn (that one may still be in the house), and generally just not very educated about the world at large. In short, I was a teenager. 

After finishing basic training in San Antonio, TX my dad said I had a mouth like a sailor. But I had finally learned how to properly run (after throwing up a few times) and follow orders (after crying a few times).  I hear the Air Force basic training is pretty nice compared to the other services.


Then I went to technical school in Biloxi, MS where I almost didn't learn how to work on computers. Did but almost didn't. Halfway through I became much more concerned with my social life than I should have been. Just to give you a picture of how very self-focused I was.

When I completed tech school, I was assigned to Kunsan (koon-sahn) Air Base in South Korea. WHAT?!?! Yep. South Korea. I was shocked too. And I quickly found out that if you do not have a solid moral system in place, you won't keep your head above water.


Suffice it to say that I don't remember most of my first year there. Or adequately recall the names of all of my "boyfriends". I am not proud of that year and I deeply regret how I spent it... drinking, smoking and much worse stuff. I cannot ever take it back but I can and have learned from it. It's very obvious now that I was not at all prepared to be in charge of my own life... Parents: take this as a warning to prepare your children and not shelter them! (I still claim complete responsibility though)


My second year in Korea was much calmer after I became completely disillusioned with these vices (except smoking) when I witnessed my friends' drunk cavorting while I was on call (could not drink). Someone licked a floor. It was not funny. It was gross. And like me, they probably didn't even remember what they did. (that's only one example... much worse things happened).

I may have stopped all of the idiocy but everyone remembered it and, to them, I WAS still that person.

Mind you - I still dressed scantily, smoked, and hung around the same people. I spent more time in the gym, at work, and volunteering but mistakes cannot be erased just because YOU say they are.

REAL ADULTHOOD

Towards the end of my tour there, I met a complete stranger, had a handful of dates with him and felt very loved because someone treated me nicely without wanting more. He asked me to marry him and I said yes. 

Can we collectively slap our hands to our foreheads? *SMACK* Annnd done.

We came back to the states, got married, had a horribly honeymoon (don't ask) and he went back to Korea for the rest of his tour while I went to my next assignment at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, TX.

It did not go well from there. 

Apparently, you cannot actually get to know someone in a matter of weeks. The older me can look back and see that I was just at fault as he was. The younger me is wanting to make a list of everything he did wrong. He left and I have not seen him since. It took a year to get a divorce because I could not find him. Divorced.

I am forever going to be a divorced person now and I am grieved that I am a horrible example to those who know me on  how to resolve marital issues. I cannot express enough how much that distresses me. I don't want people to believe that if at first you don't succeed at marriage, try try again. If I had been this person then, it may have worked out. It's not about who they are - it's about who you are! (this does apply to abuse, obviously)

This concludes Part One, but stay tuned for Part Two... it gets really steamy. 

Kidding! But don't worry, it's only uphill from here!

Couponing 101: Part 3

When I think back to before my couponing days I feel so embarrassed.

I was NOT fulfilling my role as a Proverbs 31 woman, wife, or mother.

It makes me cringe to think of the overspending I was doing by cooking just whatever I wanted to, buying things that were full price and without coupons, going OVER-budget with that spending... Now I'm saving us money off of our normal budget AND getting about 1/3 more in groceries and personal care items than I was before. Who WOULDN'T want to do that???

Now I know the feeling of happiness that comes with pairing a $1/2 coupon with a BOGO sale. Oh yes, the sweet smell of a deal... 

If you're a SAHM, then you likely have time to do this. If you're not a SAHM... you're probably not reading my blog. In the rare chance that I've reeled one of you in (cue evil plan music), YES, you CAN do this. I watch most of the deals on my phone (e-mail and facebook) and only go to the computer when I need to print coupons out.

I'm not saying that the desk is a lovely sight... or that all of my coupons are perfectly cut out and organized... but I'm still able to get er done. : ) That was for my Arkansas family that may be reading, btw.

So here's #3... HAVE A SYSTEM.

 Click HERE for image credit and an AWESOME tutorial on making your own pantry checklist

1) Budget.

- Have a SET amount (and be surprised when you come in UNDER budget!)

- Grocery shop when you're paid, not throughout the paycheck (you'll only get what you need) Stick to the list goes along with this.

- Control the cash flow

--- I've heard that taking cash in an envelope helps women take more note of what they have to spend. (I don't do this but hey, whatever works.

--- After I make a list of every SINGLE item I'm getting, I calculate the deals, coupons, and regular prices to ascertain what can be spent at each store. At the top of each grocery list (I normally go to FOUR stores!) I write the dollar amount I have to stay within... at the end of shopping, I add up what is in my cart (taking note of the cost as I go) and have even had to remove a few items! When I first started the whole couponing thing, I made a list of most things I buy and went on a price-finding mission to fill in that list with the prices at each store. Not fun, but it has helped me IMMENSELY!

NOTE: I have an awesome hubby who is willing to give up half of a Saturday every other week with me so that this can take place. If you are not in this lovely position, don't give me stink eyes.

2) Meal Plan

- Create a plan that lasts through an entire pay period (or longer, if you're adventurous)

- Base your plan on what's in your pantry, stocked up items, and deals of the week. If chicken quarters and bbq sauce are on sale, have bbq chicken! If you have tons of frozen veg stocked up, plan two meals a week with veg! If there's a box of rice-a-roni that's about to expire, use it now!


- DO be crazy and plan theme meals, breakfast for dinner and leftover nights.

- DON'T be a micro-manager and plan out the minute details of every bite that goes in your mouth. You'll stress yourself out!

-- Keep essentials for pb&j, grilled cheese, hot dogs, mac&cheese... on hand and you can mix it up for lunch. You know, playing it off the cuff... living on the edge... 

-- My children are all under the age of 6 so don't know to complain yet that I only give them fruit and milk for breakfast. HA! Fooled them! : D We do a hot breakfast on Saturday and cereal on SONday and a random day with muffins so it's not boring. Again, whatever works for you...

3) Eye-ball Your Pantry

- Create a list of items that you constantly use (every time I go shopping, I pick up a different stock item (flour, sugar, rice, cornmeal...).

--My list is laminated and backed with magnets, stuck to my fridge at this very moment. Whenever I get ready to go shopping, I refer to it to make sure I'm including everything.

 -- You can put little boxes on it and mark off items with a dry erase marker when you're running out of them, if you're so inclined.

- Watch for deals on those items specifically.

--- If toilet paper, toothpaste, paper towels, etc. are on your list of stock items, you would wait for a deal to come up then buy as many of that specific item as you can (not all in one trip, mind you... know your limits!)

Hope this has helped you... come back soon for more!

Couponing 101: Part 2

This may seem like the simplest thing in the world but people STILL aren't doing it!

BUY GENERIC!!!

Great Value is the Wal-Mart generic brand

(I do not own this image)

-- Buy generic items for everything that you can (unless you NEED Folgers like I do)... food, cleaning supplies, baby needs, paper goods, personal care... it goes on. They may not be in as expensive packaging and the diapers don't have that Huggies elastic strip, but they do the job and save you money!

-- Only use name brand coupons if they make the price lower than the generic (you'd be surprised how often they DON'T).

-- Often private labels like Krogers and Food Lion go on sale (while Wal-Mart generic does not). When canned vegetables are on sale for $0.40, I call that time to stock up!

If you're still having issues with buying generic, take a moment to evaluate the emphasis you place on image and esteem. A Walgreens brand diaper will catch just as much as a Pampers or Huggies, but it costs a fraction of the price. It IS possible to live within your means, save money, and present an orderly and well-disciplined image (which is more important than a costly one, I assure you). The next time you go to the store, compare the cost of name brand and generic milk, cereal, paper towels, french fries, mustard... and ask yourself if it's more important to be surrounded by status symbols or to assist your husband (you are a HELP MEET) in providing for your family?

Couponing 101: Part 1

New to couponing?

Not sure where to start?

Want to see hundreds of dollars melt off of your grocery bill?!?!?

 Image Credit

I regularly see around $250 in savings and I have a growing stockpile and a full pantry.

Yep, I'm amazed too.

It's possible and it's nothing like the Extreme Couponing show on TLC.

Start here at The Krazy Couponing Lady with her Beginners section. She's Joanie from that same tv show but she's real, helpful and quick to admit it if she's wrong.

Come back tomorrow for more tips!

Still Alive! ... And Menu Planning

So... I *may* have disapeared for a while. It was for the best. I needed a break from the blog world to be a little irl (in real life).

And now I'm back a little more capable of managing my blog time!

Monday - DiGiorno pizza & sides (go here for a $2/1 coupon on facebook) I was lucky enough to pair two $4/2 coupons with a sale at Krogers!

Tuesday - sloppy joes and fries (Hunts sloppy joe sauce $10/10 and ground beef $2.99/lb at Food Lion - seeing a trend here?!?!)  : D

Wednesday - cinnamon rolls (They were on sale for $0.98 at Krogers and I had coupons!)

Thursday - Pioneer Woman's colby-bacon chicken sandwiches

Friday - tuna casserole, baked potatoes (YES that's TWO carbs!), crescent rolls (wait, that's three carbs... more for me!) ... crescent rolls were also $0.98 at Krogers

Saturday - Black-eyed pea gumbo and cornbread

Sunday - leftovers

Monday - DiGiorno and sides

Tuesday - P-Dub's chicken nuggets, homestyle mac & chz (try adding some Philly cooking creme in this!), vegetables

Wednesday - cinnamon rolls

Thursday - pasta and red sauce (sauce on sale at target for $0.95), salad, crescent rolls

Friday - hamburgers and fries

Saturday - bbq chicken, rice, corn on the cob (with guacamole and chips)

Loving the Freebies

I'm becoming addicted to freebies. My name is Susan and I love freebies.

It started with blog giveaways... I just kept winning them!

And then I discovered House Party. At www.houseparty.com you sign up for parties - if they choose you, you only have so long to register for that party to lock it in, then they send you a lot of free stuff to keep and hand out to your friends.

Which led me to Coffee-Mate. I was signed up for their newsletter and I received an e-mail asking if I wanted to sign up for a themed party night. They're doing a promotion for Free Flavor Friday. Awesome.

So they sent me a Game Night Kit, with a poker set and Cranium and tons of coupons for free Coffee-Mate creamer. I invited friends over and we got to drink coffee, play games, eat snacks and one lucky person walked away with a brand new poker set. And it was all FREE.

In this economy they're doing that? Coffee-Mate is my new best friend. Not that I wasn't already loving their Coconut creamer.

Coffee-mate Special Edition Coconut Creme, 15-Ounce Units (Pack Of 6)

The moral of this story? Sign up for e-mail newsletters of  your favorite products.

Quiet Time Books (OR Mommy-gets-some-sleep-while-driving-16hrs Books)

 (May take a while to load - is pretty photo intensive)

I cannot take credit for these awesome books.

I mean... I made them. But I didn't originate the idea or even the individual designs.

I found each page from different places all over the web and the full credit goes to those creative moms (and MY THANKS for the sleep I got while driving from Virginia to Arkansas for CHRISTmas).

You'll need:
Felt in multiple colors
Fat Quarter
Velcro
Buttons, shoelace, yarn, embroidery thread...
Hot glue gun


Cover

For the cover, I used fat quarters (on sale for $0.99 at Joann's). Fold it in half lengthwise, right sides together. Sew all the way around, leaving a small opening for turning. Trim corners, turn and slip stitch opening closed.

Slip Stitch Illustration

Image Credit

I was in a hurry when I was doing the covers (the night before our trip, as usual) so the velcro got hot glued on. I would recommend white velcro, but I had already overspent my Joann's budget so I used what I had. : ) Thank the Lord for husbands who budget. I also hot glued the cover to the binding so the girls wouldn't keep "misplacing" it.

Pages

Each page was one sheet of felt - I put a thin line of hot glue around all the edges and folded it in half to seal. 

Book for 2 yr Old

   Stick people (holder hot-glued) 

Can you tell we're Rapunzel fans?

Color Matching (yes, that's supposed to be a palette)

Notebook Coloring page

(has a strap of felt wrapped around notebook, glued to page)

Baby hand not included.

Town with Car Garage

 Barn with Animal Finger Puppets

(was all sewn with a blanket stitch and took FOREVER)

Book for 4 yr Old 

More Stick People

Picnic (velcros on) - the only one I haven't finished - still needs a fork, knife and cup

 

Funny Face Man (already missing some eyes)

velcros on

 Kitchen with Counting Cupcakes

Coloring

Numbers

Purse with Goodies 

(fastens with button, blanket-stitched)

Book for 6 yr Old

Weaving

Tying Shoelaces and Buttoning Flowers

Girl with Dress-up Clothes - just don't look at her face... or hair.

(has several more outfits... somewhere)

More Stick People

(LOVE the colors and eyes Evie did)

Heart Tic-Tac-Toe

 Coloring Page

Girl with Yarn Hair

(in hindsight, should have done full-face girl with hair that could be braided)

Binding

For the binding, I stacked all of the pages together [with all additions (notebook, crayons, car...) inside] and measured for width of binding. I cut this out from a scrap piece of felt. Then I put a line of hot glue down the inside seam of the pages and added them one-by-one to the binding, starting at the very edge. I had a bit of extra binding on one of the books but I just trimmed it off. 

This was one of the most FUN projects I've done and it just didn't get boring because I was always doing something different.