Wow! Don’t miss this great FREE offer!
From January 4th-5th, you can stream Apple TV+ completely free! This deal is valid for everyone and is a great time to check out all their shows.

100 Creative Ideas for Frugal Fun with Kids!
Published: by Gretchen on | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
Wow! Don’t miss this great FREE offer!
From January 4th-5th, you can stream Apple TV+ completely free! This deal is valid for everyone and is a great time to check out all their shows.
Published: by Sarah on | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
This Pioneer Woman set is so pretty!
Walmart has this The Pioneer Woman Clara 20-Piece Gadget Set for only $15.88 right now! It’s regularly $37.16.
Choose free in-store pickup to avoid shipping costs. Or shipping is free on orders over $35 (or sign up with Walmart+ to get free shipping on all orders, no minimum!).
Valid for a limited time only.
Click here for more Walmart deals.
Published: by Crystal Paine on | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
In the past week, I’ve hinted around at my word for the year in my top 4 favorite books post and in my goals post. Did you guess what you thought it was?
The word actually came to me in November, but it scared me and I honestly was hoping another word would pop up instead. But nope, that word kept coming back to me again and again.
I mulled it over and I asked Jesse for his input. I told him that it felt like it was the word I was supposed to pick, but also that it felt daunting to me.
Ever have that happen? Where you known in your heart of hearts you’re supposed to say yes to something or try something or step out and move forward with something or commit to something… but that something feels a little (or a lot!) intimidating. Like, you know it’s going to require you to make changes that aren’t easy but will ultimately be really good?
That’s me with my word of the year this year. The more I sat with it, the more I knew it was the right word, even though I know to walk it out is going to require some changes… but these will ultimately be really good changes.
What is the word? It’s… unplugged.

Yes, you can chuckle that someone who makes her livelihood online and words full-time running an internet business is choosing the word “unplugged”. Like I said, it’s going to stretch me to live it out. But, I really believe that it’s going to be impactful in a way that just might completely change my life!
First off, the inspiration for this word came from reading both The Unplugged Hours: Cultivating a Life of Presence in a Digitally Connected World and Reconnected: How 7 Screen-Free Weeks With Monks and Amish Farmers Helped Me Recover the Lost Art of Being Human.
As I was reading each book, it’s like my heart and body took a big exhale. I want to experience the richness of life that is waiting for me when I fully unplug and focus on what’s right in front of me.
Of course, since I have an internet business, I can’t just do away with my phone and my computer — and I have no desire to do so! But I do have a deep longing to spend some time completely unplugged every day.
For me, unplugging will mean that my phone and my computer are turned off and put away for chunks of the day. I want to live more untethered to the internet and the only way to do that for me is to completely shut down and put away screens for sections of the day.

Choosing a word is one thing. But just choosing it isn’t going to change anything. Instead, you need to design a plan to help you live out your word.
So, in addition to setting monthly goals for unplugged time, I have devised a plan to make it happen. The past few months, I’ve done a good job of not getting on my phone for the first hour of the morning (I try to just not even look at it except to turn off my alarm and that is it).
Instead, I go on a walk and watch the sun rise, I read my Bible and a few pages from a devotional and some inspiring books, and I get myself and the kids ready for the day. I try to not look at my phone until all of this is done. It has made such a world of difference in my days when I start my mornings like this!
But I’m still struggling with my evenings. And I know it’s because of being online. I get sucked into “doing just one more thing” for work or “just a few more minutes of scrolling”… and we all know how that usually goes. Which means that I’m not winding down well in the evenings and have been struggling with going to bed early.
So the challenge with choosing this word will mean that I need to be more disciplined and proactive in developing good habits and setting good boundaries for my phone and computer in the evenings.

I talked with my business coach, Alli Worthington, last week about how conflicted I was feeling about my evenings and how I’m struggling to shut things down and go to bed earlier. She gently pushed me to consider if I really needed to be online in the evenings at all.
After some resistance, I finally realized she was right. So I’m putting this out here publicly that my Word of the Year is Unplugged and that this is how I want to live this out because my hope is that it will motivate me to actually follow through with my goal to be unplugged at least two hours before bed.
My plan is to have a strict policy to not turn my phone or computer on after 8 p.m. I will shut them down and have them in the other room. Then, instead of scrolling or finishing work in the evenings, I’ll spend time with Jesse and/or the older kids and take a bath and read and get into bed by 9:45 p.m. to 10 p.m.
I know that this will make a big positive difference for my days and my life — but it will be a big challenge to follow through with this. So that’s why this word scares me and that’s why I’m putting this out here publicly. Because I need all the accountability I can get!
Do you have a Word of the Year for 2025? If so, let us know what it is in the comments!

Let me help you set, track, and actually accomplish your goals this year!
Published: by crystal on | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
Update: This giveaway has now ended. Congrats to Lana, Tara, Sharon, Sharry, and Crystal on winning! We emailed you about how to claim your gift! To everyone else, we have more giveaways coming your way soon!
Happy New Year! To say thank you for continuing to show up here, we’d like to gift five of you a $50 Starbucks gift card!

We’re doing a giveaway for FIVE $50 Starbucks gift cards! Enter as many ways as possible to increase your chances of winning:
1. Go follow us on Facebook and leave 3 comments on your favorite deals we’ve posted to our Facebook page recently. Leave a comment on this post saying you did so.
2. Go follow our @msmdeals Instagram account. Leave a comment on this post saying you did so (or letting us know that you’re already a follower!)
3. Sign up for our hot deals newsletter. Leave a comment on this post saying you did so (or letting us know that you’re already a subscriber!)
4. Join our Facebook group. Leave a comment on this post saying you did so (or letting us know that you’re already a member!)
5. Leave a comment telling us what kinds of deals/content/posts you’d love to see here as we move into the 2025 new year!
That’s it! We’ll pick five of you at random from the comments on this post to win a $50 Starbucks gift card and notify you by email.
Giveaway ends Thursday night, January 2nd, at midnight. Good luck!
Giveaway is not sponsored and the gift cards are personally provided by Money Saving Mom, LLC. No purchase necessary to enter the giveaway. Three winners will be selected at the end of day, January 2, 2025 and be contacted by email.
Published: by crystal on | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
Wow! Don’t miss this HOT deal to score a FREE $20 Sephora purchase after cash back from BeFrugal! {Sponsored by BeFrugal.}
BeFrugal.com — an online cash back site — is offering our readers a special deal to get a FREE $20 Sephora purchase after cash back! And it’s a GREAT time to take advantage of this with free in-store pickup as a last-minute gift idea!
Here’s how it works:
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Valid through December 31, 2024.

Let us take the work and stress out of holiday gift-giving and make it easy for you to stick to your budget!
Published: by Crystal Paine on | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
Yesterday, I shared my top 4 favorite reads from 2024 and on Saturday, I shared the 40 Books I Read in 2024 (I made a page with all of them in my Amazon if you’d love to see all the covers at a glance!) Today, I’m sharing my promised list of books I want to read in January.
If you saw my post on my goals for 2025, you’ll know that I’m doing monthly goals instead of yearly goals this year. So I didn’t set an overall reading goal for 2025, but I am planning to set monthly goals.
For January, my goal is to finish 6 books. However, I picked out more than 6 books in case I finish some of them early and need some extra reading material (too many good books and never enough time to read them all, right??). If I don’t get all of these finished in January, I plan to add them to my February stack.
At the end of each month, I plan to share reviews on the books I finished that month + my book stack for the next month, so since many of you have begged for me to bring back my book posts here on the blog. I’ll also be sharing more in real-time what I’m reading over on Instagram stories and on the podcast and in my personal email newsletter.

I’m also hoping to finish Word Before World, the devotional I’m reading in the mornings as part of my Bible Reading time (I am going through the She Reads Truth studies again this year).
For those who ask when I read: I always have a few books going at once and I read a few pages to a chapter of a Christian inspiration book + a business book every morning. Then, my goal is to read at least 30 pages of a some type of more fun reading in the evenings before bed — memoir, fiction, etc. But that didn’t happen much in 2024. My big hope in 2025 is that my goal of unplugged evenings (more on that in my Word of the Year post!) will help to facilitate more reading!
What are you planning to read in January? I’d love to hear!
Coming tomorrow: My word for 2025 and how I’m planning to set things up to live it out!

Let me help you set, track, and actually accomplish your goals this year!
Published: by Crystal Paine on | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
Athleta — one of my favorite places to get quality leggings — is having a crazy good sale right now that matches Black Friday pricing! You can score an EXTRA 30% off sale prices, making for some super duper RARE discounts on their leggings!
I LOVE Athleta leggings. They are so comfortable, fit so well, and have held up after being washed again and again and again! I have two pairs that I wear on repeat and usually wear them at least a few times every week! Highly recommended!
Here are just a few of the best deals you can get on leggings during their Semi-Annual Sale…
Get these Salutation Stash High Rise Cargo Leggings for just $24.48 after extra discount (reg. $119)! Choose from two colors.
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Shipping is free on orders over $50 for rewards members (it’s free to join)!
Published: by Crystal Paine on | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
Yesterday I shared the 40 Books I Read in 2024 (I made a page with all of them in my Amazon if you’d love to see all the covers at a glance!) I promised you that today I’d share my Top 4 Favorite Books from 2024.
I chose these 4 titles based upon which books most stuck with me, most challenged me, and the ones I found myself talking about and recommending after I read them.

Through the Eyes of the Lion — While I’ve never experienced the loss of a child, I felt this book was packed with practical encouragement for anyone who has found themselves feeling gutted by grief and brokenhearted. It is the story of the Lusko family losing their 5-year-old daughter right before Christmas as the result of an asthma attack.
It is heartbreaking and honest, but also infused with hope and points to Jesus again and again. I really feel like every Christian would be personally inspired by reading this message of walking though horrific circumstances without losing your faith in Jesus. It also helped me have a tiny window into what it would be like to lose a child and how to walk well with someone who is going through this devastation.
Nothing is Wasted — In 2015, Davey’s wife Amanda and their unborn child were murdered. In this memoir, he shares more about what it was like to walk through that horrific loss, the real and raw emotions he felt, and how changing his perspective from bitterness to compassion gave him the ability to forgive the perpetrators.
He candidly discusses his initial rage and the complexities of forgiveness – both of others and himself, taking through the challenges of rebuilding amidst deep loss, including the unexpected closure of the church he and Amanda founded. Through it all, Davey shares how he felt God’s presence even in the darkest moments.
One of the most impactful parts of this book for me was when Davey shares about how empathy for those who caused him unimaginable pain and stepping into their stories transformed his perspective on grace and redemption. His insights are a powerful reminder of God’s ability to bring beauty from ashes, reshaping our understanding of suffering and resilience!

I was so honored to get the opportunity to meet Davey this past year and interview him on my podcast. His episode was one of the most-loved episodes I shared on the podcast this year and I would highly recommend it! Listen here.
Slow Productivity — I savored this book slowly (the title alone makes you want to be sure not to fly through it!) and it resonated with me at a deep level. I will be mulling over the suggestions for years to come. It’s already challenged me to rethink the way I set up my days and weeks (especially in light of one of the big premises of the book which is to do fewer things!) and it’s also really made me think about the best way to set up our business and systems.
It was so simple and yet so profound. If you are a business owner, work in any sort of profession, and/or struggle with finding your worth in productivity or feel like crossing things off your list and packing your days as full as possible is what “productivity” is, definitely consider reading this book!

The Unplugged Hours — This was one of those books that will likely challenge and stick with me for a very long time. And it was one of two books that inspired my word for 2025 (more on that in a few days!). I especially loved how the book felt inspiring and doable, not guilt-ridden or legalistic! It made you want to unplug more because of how it would enrich your life and relationships not unplug because you felt like you must or you should or that all technology is bad.
Inspired by this book, I set the goal of unplugging 1000 hours over the next year and to enjoy a more untethered life. I’ll share more what that’s going to look like in my Word for 2025 post!
By the way, I got to do an Instagram Live with the author of this book all about The Unplugged Hours. It’s very worth listening to/watching if you have a little time! Go here to listen.

What were your top reads from 2024? I’d love to hear! Tell us in the comments!
Coming tomorrow: My Book Stack for January and my reading goals for the next month.

Join our FREE habit tracking challenge!
Published: by Crystal Paine on | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I read 40 books in 2024. While that was my lowest number of books read in a year in a long while, I’m going to celebrate it because there were a lot of things I chose to prioritize over reading this past year. And 40 books in a year is still nothing to be disappointed about. Plus, I read some really great books!
Tomorrow, I’ll share my top 4 reads from 2024, but today I’m sharing the list of all the books I read…

Memoir: Out of the Depths, Sunlight Burning at Midnight, Nothing is Wasted, Still Standing, Resilient, Saving My Assassin
Spiritual Inspiration: Through the Eyes of the Lion, The House That Jesus Built, I Want God, Words With God, The Gift of Limitations, Liturgy of the Ordinary
Motherhood Books: Unlimited Motherhood, Expect Something Beautiful, Habits For a Sacred Home

Fiction: Only the Beautiful, The Women, The Warsaw Sisters
Devotionals: Car Line Mom, Momma Moments with God, Embraced
Read aloud to the kids: Little House in the Big Woods, Farmer Boy, The Biggest Story Bible Storybook

Nonfiction: Slow Growth Equals Strong Roots, Really Very Crunchy, House Rules, The Unplugged Hours
Business: From Strength to Strength, Slow Productivity, Win at Work – Succeed At Life
Christian Nonfiction: You Are Not Behind, When Doing it All Is Undoing You, Fighting for Family, Lovin’ With Grit and Grace, Life is Messy – God is Good, Now and Not Yet, Tired of Being Tired

Not shown because I just finished them: Reconnected and The Hope of Heaven
I finished both of these on our trip to Kansas for Christmas so I didn’t get them shown in the pictures I took before we left!

Speaking of which, this was my first year to keep all the books I read on a bookshelf. Usually I donate or give away most books after I read them, but this year I thought it would be fun to keep them so I can see a visual reminder of everything I had read this year. Here’s my bookshelf with all the books!
Do you know how many books you finished in 2024? Have you set any reading goals for 2025?
Tomorrow, I’ll share my top 4 reads from 2024 (any guesses which books I’ll choose??) and then on Monday, I’ll share the books I plan to read in January!

Join our FREE habit tracking challenge!
Published: by Crystal Paine on | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
Yesterday I shared my 25 goals for January. In that post, I mentioned one of my goals was to learn to make some new-to-me things and that I’d tell you more about this today!
In 2024, I set a goal to learn how to make sourdough bread. I am so thrilled to report that not only did I learn how to make sourdough, I feel like I really became proficient at it.
And then I went on to learn how to make sourdough pancakes, sourdough waffles, sourdough English muffins, whole wheat sourdough, and sourdough bagels.

Inspired by my sourdough success, I also tried my hand at making fermenting kombucha, sauerkraut, and water kefir. I wasn’t a huge fan of the kombucha or sauerkraut, but we loved the water kefir and I made many batches of it!
I also perfected French Bread and Overnight Artisan Bread this year!

These successes in the kitchen gave me the idea to set a goal to try to become proficient at 12 new-to-me things in 2025. Most of these are food related, but not all of them area.
I polled my audience on Instagram to get ideas for things I should learn and then took there ideas, thought about what would inspire me most and what were things I’ve really wanted to learn to do. From all of that, I picked 12 things I want to learn in 2025. My goal is to focus on one area per month.

Here’s my list:
1. Making Homemade Focaccia (using my sourdough)
2. Making Homemade Yogurt (I’ve made this in the crockpot before, but I want to learn how to make it in the instant pot and find a recipe that we all love!)
3. Making Homemade Vanilla (can you believe I’ve never made this before??)
4. Making Homemade Noodles
5. Making Homemade Mozzarella Cheese (This one honestly feels the most intimidating from my list!)
6. Making Nontoxic Candles
7. Making Homemade Croissants
8. Making Homemade Pretzels
9. Making Homemade Silver Dollar City Cinnamon Bread
10. Making Homemade Lotion
11. Making Homemade Hamburger Buns

I have a few other things I want to learn/try: like making sourdough bread with mix-ins, making chocolate sourdough bread, and making homemade soap again. But I’m going to start with the list above and then if I feel like I’m proficient in the thing I picked for each month, I can add something else that month to try that’s not on the list if I want to!
I’ll be documenting what I’m trying and learning and experimenting with over on Instagram stories in more real-time and then sharing some of the journey here in posts on the blog!
What are you hoping to learn in 2025? Tell us in the comments!
Coming tomorrow: The list of all the books I read in 2024 + my top 4 favorites!
P.S. Just for fun, I thought I’d share a post from 2012 where I set this same goal. Unfortunately, I didn’t do a great job of following through that year — a lot of it had to do with me picking things I wasn’t really excited to try, choosing a specific month for each so then I felt boxed in, and also it just being a season of my life where I was traveling so much and exhausted so much of the time. Really hoping for better success this coming year!

Let me help you set, track, and actually accomplish your goals this year!
Published: by crystal on | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
Update: This giveaway has now ended. Congrats to Calshondra and Anna on winning! We emailed you about how to claim your gift! To everyone else, we have one last BIG giveaway coming up this week, so stay tuned!
To celebrate the holiday season and to say THANK YOU for being here, we’ve been doing a FUN 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway! And we’re going out with a bang with today’s final giveaway! But keep an eye on our website, because we plan to continue giveaways in 2025!

For the final giveaway this season, we’re giving away TWO $500 Amazon gift cards!
Here’s how to enter: It’s super simple! Just go follow us on Facebook and leave 3 comments on your favorite deals we’ve posted this week. Leave a comment on this post saying you did so.
That’s it! We’ll pick two of you at random from the comments on this post to win the $500 Amazon gift cards and notify you by email.
Giveaway ends Sunday night, December 29th, at midnight. Good luck!
Giveaway is not sponsored and the gift cards are personally provided by Money Saving Mom, LLC. No purchase necessary to enter the giveaway. Two winners will be selected at the end of day, December 29, 2024 and be contacted by email.
Published: by crystal on | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
If you love Brooks running shoes, be sure to shop this sale!

Woot is having a big Brooks Running Shoes sale with prices starting as low as $49.99! Hurry — styles and sizes are selling fast!
Shipping is free for Prime members. Valid for a limited time, while supplies last.
Published: by crystal on | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
Need a new first aid kit? Don’t miss this great deal!
Amazon has this Travel First Aid Kit (275 Pieces) for just $9.97 right now! Discount should come off automatically, but if not, you can use code 34KOXEUI at checkout.
This is a great deal on a highly-rated first aid kit! Perfect to use for travel, in the car, hiking, and more!
Sign up for a free trial of Amazon Prime to get free two-day shipping (and possibly one-day or same-day shipping!) with no minimum. If you’re not sure Prime is worth it, read this post for some helpful info to help you decide! And don’t forget you can sign up for Swagbucks to earn free gift cards to use on Amazon deals!
Published: by Crystal Paine on | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
In 2025, I’m changing up the way I set goals. Instead of setting yearly goals, I’m going to set monthly goals. Every month, I’ll be sharing a list of my new goals for the coming month and an update on how I did on the goals from the month before.

I felt like this approach would allow more flexibility for the unexpected and the unknown that this coming year might hold. It also gives a fresh start at the beginning of every month. And it will allow me to tailor goals to the month and what I might know it might already hold (meaning some months I know I’ll have more time and space than other months).
To categorize my goals, I’m using alliteration and five areas that I feel are where I want to prioritize and be intentional with my time and energy:





I’m creating a tracker to track my progress on these goals every day. I used the Strides app last year and it worked well for me, but since I’m doing monthly goals, I’m thinking of trying a physical tracker and will see how that works.
Have you set any goals for 2025? If so, I’d love to hear what they are! Tell us in the comments.

Let me help you set, track, and actually accomplish your goals this year!
Published: by crystal on | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
Don’t miss this HOT offer for a FREE Crayola Crayon Set!
Top Cash Back is offering a $16.96 rebate on a the Crayola Ultimate Crayon Collection purchased from Walmart, making it free!
Here’s how to get your free Crayola Crayon Set:
1. Head here for the special Walmart offer and sign up for a new Top Cash Back account.
2. Purchase the Crayola Ultimate Crayon Collection for $16.96. Choose free in-store pickup to avoid shipping costs.
3. Within 21 days, your Top Cash Back account will be credited with $16.96 — enough to cover your purchase!
4. After you receive the $16.96 payment in your Top Cash Back account, you can choose to transfer it to your bank account or request a Paypal payment.
This is for new Top Cash Back members only. If you are already a member, you are allowed to sign up another adult in your household.
This deal is valid through January 1, 2025 — or while supplies last.

Sign up below and I’ll only email you when I find a really fantastic deal!
And I'll send you 1 to 2 daily emails with the best hand-picked hot deals as they become available!