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Shared May 4, 2016 comment

My Completely Honest Rocky Mountain Oils Review + Get 10% Off!

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 4, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Looking for reviews of Rocky Mountain Oils or wondering if they’re worth trying? I’ve fallen in love with this brand of quality essential oils!! (And be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for a coupon code!)

Be sure to read about why I’ll never sell essential oils. And you can see all my other honest product reviews here.

{This post is sponsored by Rocky Mountain Oils and contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. Read our disclosure policy here.}

My Experience With Essential Oils

As you’ve probably heard me mention many times in the past, I love using essential oils. I love using them for cleaning, for diffusing, for helping me feel more calm, to help me feel more energetic, for aches and pains, and for warding off sickness.

I don’t sell them and I’m not brand loyal, because I like various oils from different brands. It’s fun to be able to pick and choose my favorites from among many brands — because there are so many great brands out there!

When Rocky Mountain Oils contacted me about trying out some of their essential oils, I was super excited to try out a new brand of oils — especially one that I had already heard great things about. For the past few months, we’ve been trying out a number of different oils from them and I have to say that I’ve been super impressed with this company and feel like I can wholeheartedly endorse them.

Tip: Do you struggle with anxiety? Try mixing a few drops of each of these oils with a little coconut oil and rubbing them on the bottom of your feet at night. I love this blend of oils!

Why I Love Rocky Mountain Oils

If you’re looking for really honest reviews of Rocky Mountain Oils, I’m here to tell you I’ve really grown to love this brand of essential oils! And here’s why…

1. They Offer High-Quality Oils

Rocky Mountain Oils, founded in 2004, is a leading non-MLM purveyor of 100% pure, natural and authentic essential oils, expertly crafted blends and nutritional products.

Their mission is to improve the quality of life for each customer by delivering only the best premium essential oils and proprietary blends on the market, which is rooted in their S.A.A.F.E. Promise. All of their oils are 100% pure, are tested for purity and potency by a third party lab, and are free of synthetics and fillers.

2. They Have a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee

Rocky Mountain Oils also offers a 100% Guaranteed Satisfaction of Quality. They give you 90 days to use a product, and you can receive a full refund if you’re not 100% satisfied — even if the bottle has been opened or used. I love that! I’ve also been very impressed with their customer service.

3. They Offer Great Prices

Since they are a direct-to-consumer company, they are able to provide pure essential oils and supplements at a value-rich price. There are zero start-up fees or minimum purchases, and their pricing averages 50% less than that of many other essential oil companies. They also offer free shipping on all orders!

My Favorite Rocky Mountain Oils

My Top 2 Favorite Oils So Far:

Immune Strength – This blend supports a healthy Immune System. The spicy scent is so great for the diffuser. In fact, we loved how it smelled so much that we went through a whole bottle in just a few weeks.
Tummy Rub – This is a blend of popular oils used to assist the digestive system. Oh my goodness! This stuff WORKS! Both Jesse and I have used it multiple times over the past month when our stomach has felt queasy or upset. And every time, within 15 minutes of rubbing it on our stomachs, we felt worlds better.

Some of their other bestselling essential oil blends include:

Breathe Ease – The top blend for supporting the respiratory system.
Purify – An amazing synergy that helps neutralize bad odor. Can be diffused to keep the home smelling fresh, or added to homemade cleaning products.
Feminine Aid – Their popular blend used to assist in hormone regulation. Oils in this synergy have properties that support the endocrine system. Can be used by both male and females!
Relieve Me – One of their top blends for assisting with muscle aches and pains.
Lavender (Hungary) – Lavender is regarded as one of the top 10 oils anyone should have. Hungarian Lavender has a sweeter scent that customers prefer over the Bulgarian Lavender, which has an herbaceous scent.
Sacred Frankincense – Sourced from Oman, this variety of Frankincense is a must have for customers looking to get the best quality of Frankincense available on the market.

Rocky Mountain Oils Coupon Code

Want to try these oils at a discount?

Use coupon code 10%OFF at checkout to get 10% off your entire purchase!

Go here to shop the entire Rocky Mountain Oils Collection.

Have you ever tried these oils? I’d love to hear your reviews of Rocky Mountain Oils in the comments, if so!

Shared May 4, 2016 comment

We Paid Cash: A Swing Set

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 4, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

A testimony from Lena

9 years ago (when our oldest child was only 16 month old), we purchased a used swing set from a friend of a friend. We knew it was something that she could grow into and would get lots of use out of, as well as her 3 siblings who followed in the next few years.

It was worth the great price, but the swing set was definitely starting to show its wear. It was starting to rot and wobbled so much that it made me nervous when all our kids were on it.

We decided to look into purchasing a new, stronger set. However, after lots of research and shopping I couldn’t find a pre-made set with everything that we wanted for less than $2,000 — and we were not willing to spend that much!

As a family, we decided to start saving for this large purchase — and here’s what we did:

We put all our loose change and $1 bills in a jar. When it was full we would each take a guess at how much was in it before taking it to the bank.
We had a rummage sale and set all of that money aside for the play set
We took our time and shopped around for the best deal.
We built our own to save money.

Once we had the money, we did some more shopping and finally found a hardware and instruction kit at a big box home improvement store. We decided to purchase the kit online by using a discounted gift card (purchased from GiftCardZen.com), a cash back rewards program, and the store’s free shipping offer for a total cost of $145.

Another home improvement store regularly has an 11% off everything sale, and that was where we went to purchase all of our lumber and screws.

It took us about a week to build the play set with much of it getting done in the evenings after supper. Our four kids helped us measure, cut, and screw everything together during that time. Then I stained the whole thing and we were ready to enjoy it!

It’s a comfort to me knowing that this play set is SO much stronger than the previous one — I know that it will last us a good long time.

In the end, the whole thing cost us just under $700, with a little over $300 of that being saved in our change jar!

The kids were proud knowing that they had played a big part in saving for, and building the set — and we were thrilled at how much we were able to save by being willing to take the time and effort to build it ourselves.

Lena lives in a small town with her husband of 11 years and four children, whom she homeschools. They’ve been debt-free for 3 years and loving it! They love to share their story and encourage others who are seeking financial freedom.

Have you saved up and paid cash for something — large or small? Submit your story for possible publication here.

Shared May 3, 2016 comment

I finished 10 books last week (yes, for real!) + my top 3 favorites

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 3, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

As you may have noticed, I’ve not read as much as I usually do this year. And many of you have wondered where my book posts have been and have asked me to please write more about what I’ve been ready.

The truth is, I just haven’t been reading as much. I’m still reading a little every day — but that means I’ve only been finishing a few books per month, if that.

Some of my lack of reading as much has been because life has been full of a lot of other good things and building real-life relationships, some because I’ve been really allowing myself to savor just a few books instead of reading multiple books at the same time (like I usually do), and some is because I’ve been challenging myself to explore and try new things this year.

But on vacation this past week, I finished 10 books in 4 days (it’s amazing how much reading I had time for when I was unplugged!) and I remembered how much I love reading and how much I’ve missed it. As a result, I decided to cut back on a few more of my online work hours to make more time for reading.

I’ve already cut back on work time a lot this year, but being completely offline and unplugged for 4 days inspired me to see if I can cut back even more — especially if it means I can fit in more reading time by doing so!

Of the books I read last week, here were my top 3 favorites:

Scary Close — I loved getting to spend time with Don and Betsy on the Israel and Italy trip and Don referenced this book a few times so I knew I had to read it. I ended up really loving it and being inspired by it. If you struggle with authenticity in relationships and trusting people, I think you’ll find it inspiring.

The Happiness Dare — As a result of reading this book, I’ve been taking The Happiness Dare — and wow! It’s been SO good to go through my days looking for the happy.

Savoring Slow — This book resonated with me so much in my Year of Rest. I’m going to be scoping through it over the next week and would love for you to join me!

Here’s my book stack I chose for this week! I’m really excited about these titles as they’ve come highly recommended to me by different people. {We’ll see how many I get through this week! I am going to limit myself to just reading two at a time and not starting a new book until I’ve finished another book.}

My Current Book Stack:

What are YOU reading right now? Any great book recommendations for me?

Shared May 2, 2016 comment

I almost missed out on this amazing opportunity!!!

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 2, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Flash Sale Alert! This Bundle is Back For 2 Days Only (June 1-2, 2016)! If you missed it when it was available before, this is your very last chance to get it!

On Saturday, when Jesse and I got back into town and were all unpacked, I had a chance to download a copy of the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle. Oh my goodness! I was kicking myself that I hadn’t downloaded it before our trip so I could have enjoyed reading all of the amazing ebooks and going through some of the courses while we were gone!

This Homemaking Bundle is a goldmine of great resources (over 93 ebooks & ecourses + bonuses!) — and tomorrow is the VERY LAST day you can get it!

To be honest, I hadn’t really paid close attention to it since we were busy with prepping for our trip. In fact, I hadn’t even looked at the salespage or looked to see what all was in the Bundle.

So I was SO glad I took the time on Saturday to download a bunch of the resources and sign up for the courses, because I would have missed out on all of these amazing resources — that are at an amazing price through midnight tonight.

Maybe you are like me and you’ve been busy and haven’t really paid attention to the Homemaking Bundle Sale thinking it wasn’t for you or feeling like you didn’t really have time to investigate whether it was a good deal. Or, maybe you’ve been thinking about getting it but you’re on the fence as to whether it’s worth the investment.

(If you are not in a financial place to purchase the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle, will you do me a huge favor and just skip this post? The last thing I want to do is to encourage you to buy something that you can’t afford.)

For the rest of you, I wanted to share 9 reasons why I absolutely LOVED the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle — and why I think it’s very worth the price ($29.97):

Reason #1: When You Purchase, You Get a FREE Year-Long Subscription to RightNow Media

RightNow Media is, according to Matt Chandler, the “Netflix of Christian Bible Study.” There are over 10,000 sermons, Bible studies, conference presentations, interviews, and much more from many speakers whom I just LOVE — like Francis Chan, David Platt, Mark Batterson, Jen Hatmaker, and many, many more!

But that’s not all, the RightNow Media Kids section offers unlimited access to an enormous library of entertaining and educational Bible-based content just for kids. There are What’s in the Bible? videos, VeggieTale movies, Adventures in Odyssey movies, and so much more!

A subscription to RightNow Media is usually only available through a local church (because the costs are so expensive — up to $699 per month for larger churches!), so if your local church doesn’t offer this, getting a year-long subscription to RightNow Media is a HUGE bonus of downloading the Homemaking Bundle.

Note: In order to access this bonus, after you purchase the Homemaking Bundle, login to the portal and go to the Bonus section and sign up for the free subscription to MollyGreen.com. You’ll get access to RightNow Media as part of signing up for that bonus!

Reason #2: When You Purchase, You’ll Get FREE Access to the Cozy Minimalist Mom Course

I already sung the praises of The Nester and this course, but I couldn’t help mention it again! 🙂 This course is so simple, but it’s packed with helpful advice and wise encouragement. I especially love that it’s coming from a mom who has three boys and who has survived and lived to tell about it.

This course has 10 videos that teach her Core Concepts (and I promise, so much of it will be stuff that you’ve not read in other Organized Home type books!) + 10 videos with a young mom. It’s a very balanced course that offers practical perspective no matter what ages or stages your children are at.

The course is self-paced and you’ll get access to all the videos and projects as soon as you sign up for it. This course itself usually retails for $29 — the price of the entire bundle!

Reason #3: When You Purchase, You Get to Choose a FREE Craftsy Class of Your Choice

I feel like there’s so much value in constantly learned and growing as a person. I don’t ever want to become stagnant. And that’s why I’m always trying new things, reading new books, and attempting to learn new skills.

When you purchase the Homemaking Bundle, you get a FREE Craftsy Class of your choice — up to a $40 value! There are 24 difference classes to choose from on topics like: Cake Decorating, Food & Cooking, Gardening, Knitting, Slip Covers, Photography, Sewing, and more.

With the Craftsy class, you can learn a new skill or improve in a skill you already know — from the comfort of your own home on your own time table. You might end up turning this skill into a part-time business or just use it as a way to bless others or refuel your own tank. The cost of one of these courses is usually $40 — $10 more than the cost of this entire bundle!

4. When You Purchase, You’ll Get Access to Beautiful Coloring Pages

You know I love me some adult coloring! So I was really excited when I found out that there are 3 different downloadable adult coloring books included as part of the Homemaking Bundle.

I already printed out some of the pages and am excited to start coloring them!

5. When You Purchase, You’ll Get Access to Tsh Oxenreider’s Upstream Field Guide Course

I’m pumped about this because I’d been wanting to go through Tsh’s course! I love Tsh’s blog and have learned a lot from her over the years. I guess it was a good thing that I waited, because it meant I got a GREAT deal on her course — as in, it’s part of this bundle!

Here’s the information on the course:

If you feel overwhelmed by all the messages about how you should live your life, then join me as we paddle upstream to calmer, deeper waters.

It’s time to leave behind our culture’s expectations and find out who you are, and what your purpose is. It’s time to pick up your paddle.

Wherever you’re coming from in life, you have an inner map to guide you on your best path. It’s meant to give you courage, determination, hope, and a strategy. It makes paddling upstream a whole lot easier. Let’s unearth that map.

I already signed up for the course and started in on the first lesson and am very impressed with it, as I was sure I would be!

This course is usually $59, but you can get the Upstream Field Guide course + the entire Homemaking Bundle for just $29 — through the end of today only!

6. When You Purchase, You’ll Get Fantastic Work-At-Home Resources!

I receive many emails from women wanting to find a way to earn an income from home. I also receive many emails from moms who have a home business and are struggling with figuring out how to juggle everything.

The good news? This course has ebooks to help you with both. I’m especially excited about Abby Lawson’s book, Building a Framework: The Ultimate Blogging Handbook.

If you’ve ever thought about starting a blog or you have a blog and you want to figure out how to make it more successful, you MUST read this book. It’s one of the best books on blogging I’ve ever read!

These resources may be some of the most valuable resources in the whole bundle. Why? Because they might teach you ways to earn 5-10 times what you spent on the bundle — every. single. month. Now that’s what I call a good return on your investment!

7. It Will Save You Money on Gifts For Others

One of my very favorite things about the Homemaking Bundle is that you are allowed to gift any resources or bonuses you don’t plan on using or reading. Yes, you read that right! So if you only are interested in 10 of the ebooks, 2 of the courses, and 2 of the bonuses, you can give all the others away!

You could use these as gifts for a friend’s birthday or an upcoming special occasion. You could split them up as gifts for multiple friends. Or, you could just share them as a way to bless someone who is interested in healthy living.

The bonuses would especially make great gifts! When you purchase the bundle, you’ll get a FREE $15 Credit to Hope Ink PLUS 2 FREE 8×10 Art Prints and a FREE Mrs. Meyer’s gift set from Grove Collaborative — both items that would make great gifts!

If you used three of the bonuses/ebooks as gifts for friends for upcoming occasions, that could pay for the cost of the bundle itself — because you wouldn’t need to spend any money (but the cost of shipping) on gifts for those three occasions!

8. You’ll Get FREE Motivated Moms Chore Planner + a Sweet Life Planner

If you love printable planners or are looking for a really great chore/household planner, you are in for a treat! When you purchase the Homemaking Bundle, you’ll get access to both the Motivated Moms Chore Planner + the Sweet Life Planner.

I’ve used and loved the Motivated Moms Planner in the past and wholeheartedly recommend it if you’re looking for a planner that will tell you exactly what you should do on what days and make it very simple to keep your home and life in order!

9. It’s a Risk-Free Purchase With a Money-Back Guarantee!

If you are still sitting on the fence right now wondering whether or not you should take the plunge and buy the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle, here’s why you should: it’s a risk-free purchase.

That’s right! There’s a 100% money-back guarantee on it for up to 30 days! So if you purchase it and then decide it’s not as helpful as you’d hoped or that it’s not worth the price you paid, you can get a full refund — no questions asked.

So what are you waiting for?

Through tomorrow at midnight only, you can get all of these items listed + much more (93 different ebooks, courses, and printables total + some cool bonuses) for just $29.97 total! This huge library of resources has something for pretty much everyone! It covers homemaking, mothering, DIY-ing, your marriage, organizing, budgeting, making money from home, plus much more!

Ready to purchase? Just click below…

Want to learn more? Read more about this amazing bundle here.

P.S. Remember, this offer ends tonight (June 2, 2016) at midnight! Get it while you can!

(Note: The links in this post are affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.)

Shared May 2, 2016 comment

9 Traits of Highly Frugal People

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 2, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Erin of The No Drama Mama

There are a lot of misconceptions about what it means to be “frugal”.

Many people have the misconceptions that frugal people are “poor” or “cheap”. Of course, frugal people CAN be poor and/or cheap, but they can often be very generous — and even well off!

And in my opinion, the difference between HIGHLY frugal people and others is that they don’t announce it to the world. While others may think frugal people have a love or lack of money, what they actually have is RESPECT for it.

Here are 9 character traits of highly frugal people:

1. They Persevere in Hard Times

It’s not that frugal people live worry-free lives, it’s that they know how to pick themselves up and keep moving forward instead of getting mired down by their current financial situations.

When we lost two cars in the same week, I was worried for a few minutes, but my thoughts immediately shifted to, “What’s the next step?”

Life is going to throw curveballs without warning so we’ve got to have our catcher’s mitt on all the time. Highly frugal people know it makes no sense to dwell on our current situation when we need to get busy finding a solution and moving forward.

2. They Have Thick Skin

Even though I’m a sensitive person by nature, I truly have a thick skin when it comes to other people’s opinion or perception of my family’s finances. My husband was shocked when an acquaintance indicated that he thought we were in financial need.

Highly frugal people are used to people thinking they are poor or cheap when in actuality, highly frugal people are often in a better financial situation than most of their peers.

3. They Care About the Little Things

While friends may scoff about using coupons or returning our soda bottles to the store, highly frugal people know that the little things matter. It’s not about saving pennies, it’s about respecting all the little ways we can use our money wisely to pursue our larger financial goals.

While others may not understand how small savings can add up to financial success, highly frugal people know that when you watch the ounces, the pounds take care of themselves.

4. They Have Multiple Plans

Highly frugal people have budgets, debt repayment plans, and goals written down. They always have their eye on the bigger picture and like to track their progress.

5. They Learn From Their Financial Mistakes

It’s not that highly frugal people haven’t made financial mistakes, it’s that they vow never to make the same mistake twice.

While others may be steadily racking up debt, highly frugal people are cutting up their cards, reading books on personal finance, and finding side jobs to pay off their debt. They remember the stress and burden it causes and use it as motivation to never let themselves be in that situation again.

6.They Wait for What They Want

Whether it’s waiting to buy a house, a car, or even new clothes, highly frugal people don’t just run out and purchase what they need the instant they need it. Instead they wait, save, shop around, and analyze all the options.

When my husband and I decided to have a third child, we knew we’d need another bedroom so we started saving to renovate our house. We also purchased some of the materials two years before we started any of the renovation that would turn our basement into our new master bedroom. We were able to pay all cash and incur no debt simply by waiting a little longer for what we wanted.

7. They Are Willing To Stand Out

While some are splurging for the latest and greatest cell phone, highly frugal people are rocking their phone with a pre-paid plan from three years ago. If you’re extremely frugal you might not even have a cell phone at all (GASP!).

I have personally been mocked by young children for not having a cell phone, but since I work from home I know people can call me on my landline or simply wait to talk to me if I’m out. I would rather use that money to pursue our goal of becoming debt-free.

8. They Find Inspiration in the Past

My grandmother is still the biggest influence in my life, years after her passing. She taught me so many valuable life skills and is the biggest inspiration for my frugal lifestyle.

While the rest of society is pursuing newer and “better” methods of doing things, highly frugal people are finding inspiration from past generations. We’re learning to sew, grow our own food, use things up, and upcycle our outdated things, all in an effort to save money for the things that are truly important to us.

9. They Are Vigilant of Spending

I think of myself as the warden of our family finances, nothing goes in or out of our bank account without me knowing about it. I know what bills are scheduled to come out, and I check our account online every single day.

Highly frugal people don’t like to overdraw accounts or be blindsided by unexpected expenses. Being vigilant and having a budget isn’t the prison some people think it is. It actually gives you the freedom to decide when and where to use your money.

If you’re a highly frugal person, you’re in good company. There are many successful frugal people living all around you… because there’s a good chance they don’t live in mansions, they might live in YOUR neighborhood.

Erin Johnson a.k.a. The No Drama Mama can be found writing about faith, family and frugal living on her blog The No Drama Mama when she’s not caring for her three adorable kiddos. This “tell it like it is” mama has NO time for drama, so forget your perfect parenting techniques and follow her on Facebook or Twitter for her delightfully imperfect parenting wins and fails. Her work can also be found on Mamapedia, Worshipful Living, and Hudson Valley Parent magazine.

WANT TO SAVE $100 FAST?!Join the FREE 14-Day Savings Challenge!

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Shared May 2, 2016 comment

Because I need the reminder…

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 2, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

A little note I stuck on my Time Blocked To Do List today. Because I need the reminder.

In the midst of the mundane and the messy, we can so easily forget the truth: God is good. All the time.

And that’s a reason for choosing joy. For wringing the happy out of ordinary days. For smiling.

We don’t always have a choice when it comes to our life circumstances and situations, but we always have a choice when it comes to our response and our attitude.

Choose joy. Choose happy. Choose to smile. God’s goodness is all around us — if we’ll take the time to stop and notice.

From If: Trading Your If Only Regrets for God’s What If Possibilities.

Shared Apr 30, 2016 comment

I’m BACK (and yes, I fell madly in love with the ocean!!)

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 30, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’m back! And I just have to say: Our 4-day, kid-free, completely unplugged trip was EPIC. Beyond epic, truthfully!

It was the first time we’ve been away from the kids for more than 24 hours in more than 3 years and it was the first time I’ve been completely unplugged for 4 days in, well, YEARS!

We swam, we biked, we walked miles and miles on the beach, we enjoyed amazing food, we had deep discussions and heart-to-heart conversations, we laughed until we cried, we teased each other, we talked about hard stuff, we got sunburned, we sat quietly together and soaked up the beauty, we read by the pool, we tried local restaurants, and we decided we need to do this at least once a year.

Also, what surprised me the most was how much I fell madly in love with the beach and the ocean. I’ve not really been to the beach in years and because this trip was kid-free and because I didn’t have any responsibilities and because I was completely unplugged, I got to just savor the ocean. And oh my goodness, I couldn’t get enough of it.

I wanted to sit by it. I wanted to wade in it. I wanted to watch it. I wanted to walk the beach. And as soon as we got home, I realized how much I missed it.

Now I’m trying to convince Jesse that we need to set a goal to buy a rental house somewhere near the beach that we can rent out part of the month and then drive to and stay in for part of the month. Never mind the fact that our next goal was to save up to buy a house here in the Nashville area… I’m all like: let’s just skip ahead of that and save up for property near the beach. 🙂

Needless to say, the trip was a success — and we’re already looking forward to when we can make something like this happen again. I think we’ll make it a standing goal for each year from here on out!

A HUGE thank you to our very good friend and employee, Brian, who insisted we go on this trip and who insisted that he watch our kids while we were gone. And a BIG thank you to Meg who took over running the blog, social media, and my email inbox while I was gone. You both are the best!

Shared Apr 29, 2016 comment

5 Principles We Follow That Make a Big Difference in Our Home & Family

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 29, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

This was originally published in April 2015.

My husband and I have been married for over 13 years and in those years, I’ve learned and grown a lot.

The first seven years of our marriage were especially hard. We survived the last semester of undergrad, infertility, law school, then three babies in five years, multiple job changes, job loss, starting multiple businesses, moving multiple times, financial struggles, marriage struggles, postpartum depression… and more.

I struggled to figure out how to do this wife thing, this mom thing, this home business thing, and this homemaking thing. There were many rocky seasons and rough patches.

There were many days when I never made it out of my PJs (well, truth be told, I still have a few days like that here and there!), I always felt incredibly behind, I rarely ever got enough sleep, and the house was often near disaster.

In the past five years, I’ve made huge strides in my organizational skills, my personal self-discipline, and in setting up more structure and routine for our days. There are 5 principles we follow that have helped us to find our groove, simplify our lives, and have better order in our days:

#1: Touch It Once

As I talked about yesterday, instead of moving papers and piles and clutter and stuff around from place to place, I’m a firm believer in touching things once.

If you pick it up, use it and put it away. If you get it out, put it away. If it’s trash, throw it out. If it’s a dirty plate, don’t just set it in the sink, rinse it out and put it in the dishwasher.

By dealing with dishes and trash and junk mail and papers immediately, you save yourself so much time in the long run. {If you missed my post on this principle, read it here.}

Now if I could just implement a Touch It Once system for my laundry, we’d be all set! 🙂

#2: Everyone Pitch In

If you are a member of our family, you are required to be an asset to our family. We want to raise our kids to be responsible adults, so that means we are working on training them to pitch in and carry their own weight as part of our family.

One way we do this is by having Non-Paid Chores and Daily Lists. Our kids know that this is what is expected of them and that there are consequences when they don’t do what is expected of them.

By all pitching in and working together, it makes our home run much more smoothly and it means that no one person is having to tackle the majority of the work involved in keeping our home clean and orderly. “Many hands make light work!”

#3: Pick Up Twice A Day

This simple principle has made a world of difference in our home. I’m not exactly sure when it started, but I don’t plan to ever discontinue it!

Basically, in a nut shell, we aim to have our whole house picked up and company ready twice a day — this means all the main rooms all picked up, the kitchen cleaned up, the laundry started, the bathrooms clean, etc.

We usually have a household clean-up time right after breakfast when everyone does their morning chores, I work on the kitchen and laundry and oversee/inspect the kids’ work. Then, after dinner, we all work together to clean up again — this time with Jesse either overseeing the kids’ chores or helping with cleaning up the kitchen.

#4: Stick With a Budget

From the beginning of our marriage, we’ve lived on a strict, written budget. This has simplified our lives, made decision-making so much easier, helped us in our communication as a couple, given us greater financial traction than we could have ever dreamed, and allowed us to be able to fulfill our heart passions to be givers.

If you’ve never had a written budget before, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Some people think that it would make life miserable. On the contrary, we’ve found that it simplifies life so much — we don’t have to worry that spending money in one area is going to hurt our ability to spend in another area because we’ve already pre-determined and designated money for all of our budget categories. In addition, it cuts down significantly on impulse purchases!

#5: Shop Less

The less you own, the less there is to clean, dust, and pick up. We don’t do much shopping — except mostly for groceries and some online shopping for necessities like clothes and household items.

Before heading out to shop, I encourage you to really ask yourself why you’re shopping. Do you have the money to buy the item? Can you make do with what you already have? Is there a better use for that money?

It’s long been said, “If you’re not content where you are, there’s a good chance you’re not going to be content where you think you want to be.” So instead of focusing on what we don’t have, for years we’ve made it our practice to focus on what we do have and to bloom right where we’re planted.

It’s amazing how this goes such a long way in curbing the “I wants” and the need to run out and buy something just to to buy something. Plus, the more we stay out of the stores, the less we are tempted to think we need to buy things we didn’t know we needed or didn’t know even existed!

What principles help YOU simplify YOUR home? I’d love to hear in the comments!

Want some practical help with setting up your day for success? Be sure to grab a copy of my brand-new online course, Make Over Your Mornings.

This 14-day online course includes videos, a workbook, and step-by-step projects and is designed to help you revolutionize your productivity, streamline your routines, invest your time in things that truly matter, and find more joy and peace in the process.

If you’ve ever wished that you could figure out how to get more done, have more organization in your life, and find time to spend on things you love, the Make Over Your Mornings Course is for you. Find out more about it here.

Shared Apr 29, 2016 comment

I may be fan-girling and geeking out just a wee bit…

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 29, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Okay, so you all know that I’m a HUGE fan of the Sorta Awesome Podcast. I’m super picky about podcasts and I only regularly listen to a few, but one that I always make time for is the Sorta Awesome Show.

So when I was emailed to ask if I’d like to be a guest, I may have squealed. I also may have immediately gone to tell my husband because he needed to know STAT about this very important thing. And I may have fan-girled on the show.

Truly, it was such an honor to be asked to be a guest on the Sorta Awesome podcast and I loved getting to share very personally about a number of things, including:

my background and journey to blogging (including some of my own history that I don’t usually write about publicly)
how passionate I am about South Africa
personality types and how I’ve been wondering if I really am an INTJ
why dry shampoo is changing my life
some of the most difficult aspects of Periscope & why I almost didn’t start scoping
Plus, things we splurge on and things I will never pay full price for.

Go listen to the episode here.

Shared Apr 29, 2016 comment

Brigette’s $70 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan

Published: by Brigette on April 29, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Aldi

Honey Wheat Puffs – $1.79

Corn Flakes – $1.49

Crispy Oats – $1.19

Honey Nut Oats – $1.19

4 dozen Eggs – $3.56 (this wasn’t an advertised price, so I was super excited to find this!)

5lb Ground Beef – $9.95

Pie Crusts – $1.49

Radishes – $0.99

3 cartons Egg Whites – $5.57

2 bunches Bananas – $1.44

Strawberries – $1.49

24-oz Pasta Sauce – $0.99

4lbs Red Grapes – $3.96 (My 5-yr old has been asking for grapes for weeks, so he was thrilled :))

2 bags Baby Carrots – $1.98

2 cartons Orange Juice – $3.38

Pineapple – $1.19

Dijon Mustard – $0.99

Cottage Cheese – $2.29

Cream Cheese – $0.99

Milk (not pictured) – $2.55

Total: $48.87

Harris Teeter

10 8-oz bags Shredded Cheese – $13.60

8 cans Green Beans – $2.96

Total: $16.56

Ollie’s

(We were at Ollie’s where the children were buying birthday gifts for Eirik. I looked at their spice selection like several of you had suggested, and was impressed with their prices and selection. Thank you! I didn’t actually NEED any spices – although I ended up with a few “fun” purchases – but I will definitely be returning for future purchases. :))

Cinnamon Extract – $0.99

Raspberry Extract – $0.99

Paprika – $0.97

Mediterranean Sea Salt – $1.99

Total: $4.94

My favorite “purchase” of the week: a friend is out of town this week, and gave me her CSA crate to pick up her share of fresh strawberries and vegetables. There were several kinds of lettuce, asparagus, kale, spinach, broccoli, and two large tubs of strawberries. Everything was excellent quality (and you can’t beat free! :)), so I want to check into prices as it’s something I’d love to do.

Grocery Total for the Week: $70.35

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Cereal x 4

Homemade Cinnamon Swirl Bread, Strawberries, Eggs

Oatmeal x 2

Lunches

Cheese Quesadillas, Carrots, Pineapple

Almond Butter on Rice Cakes, Strawberries, Carrots x 2

Veggie Omelets, Toast, Grapes

Baked Potatoes with Cheese, Bananas, Green Beans

Leftovers x 2

Dinners

Cabbage Rolls, Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus, Cottage Cheese Pie (birthday dinner)

Hamburgers, Homemade French Fries, Tossed Salad, Grapes

Chicken Mozzarella Pasta, Homemade French Bread, Tossed Salad

Ham and Cheese Quiche, Roasted Broccoli, Applesauce Muffins

Taco Salad, Mexican Rice, Pineapple

Leftovers x 2

OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!

Click here to download!

Shared Apr 28, 2016 comment

My Simple System to Eliminate 99% of the Paper Piles

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 28, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

This post was originally published in April 2015.

Recently, one of my friends who comes over to our house frequently commented about how she can’t figure out how we don’t have pile of paper anywhere. She wanted to know how on earth I accomplish that and what systems I have in place to maintain that.

At first, I told her I wasn’t sure; I just didn’t like piles so we didn’t have them. But being the analytical person I am, I spent some time thinking about it over the next few days.

Are there systems I have that I just don’t realize I have? Are there things I do on a regular basis to tame the pile monster?

I thought about it for quite awhile and slowly realized that I DO have systems. However, they have been in place for so long that I do them without thinking about them. I guess those are the best kind of systems, aren’t they? The ones that just happen without you thinking about them.

So, here are my systems and how you, too, can eliminate 99% of your paper clutter:

1) Find Out Where the Paper Is Coming From

Start paying attention to where the paper piles are coming from. Are they school papers your kids are bringing home from school? Is it bills? Is it mail? Is it newspapers?

Figure out the source of your problem and see if there’s anything you can do to cut down on some of the inflow. For instance, can you automate your bills with online bill pay? Could you throw junk mail out in the outside dumpster before you even walk in the house? Could you cancel a subscription to the newspaper if it’s just piling up and not really being read?

2) Stop Hanging Onto Anything You Don’t Absolutely Need

Very few papers really need to be saved. Ask yourself: “If all my paper piles were all burned up in a fire tomorrow, what would I desperately wish I had saved?”

Only save those really meaningful papers and get rid of the rest. There’s no sense in letting things that don’t matter to you take up residence in your home and personal space!

3) Implement the “Touch It Once” Policy

If you’ll stop to really pay attention, I bet you spend time each week moving paper piles. And you probably let them bog you down, too.

Here’s the truth: I rarely touch a paper that comes into our house more than once. For real.

I’ve determined that I just don’t want to spend hours of my life moving a pile from one place to another place, so instead, I institute the “Touch It Once” policy for all papers that come into our house. In almost 99% of the cases, this completely eliminates paper piles.

Here’s how it works for me: When a piece of paper comes into our house, be it bills, kid’s papers from their activities, a magazine, an invitation, there are one of four things that will happen to it when I have it in my hand:

I either Trash It, Scan It (and then trash it), Display It, or File It.

Pretty much every single paper can fall under one of these categories. And doing one of these four things guarantees that it doesn’t become the start of a pile.

Practical “Touch It Once” Examples:

Some examples of specific kinds of papers and how I deal with them:

Ads: These are trashed immediately — as soon as I go through the mail. You can pretty much always find all ads online. I may glance through them and might jot a note on my Google Calendar about a sale or a reminder of something in them and then I trash them immediately (or, stick it in the recycling bin if you recycle).

Kid’s Artwork: I either display artwork on the fridge (I rotate these display regularly. When I take one down to rotate in another, I take a picture if it’s something I want to remember and then toss it), mail it to grandparents or our Compassion children, or take pictures of it on my phone so I have a record of it and toss it. If it was something really special — such as a very touching note or beautiful picture, I’ll store it in our Keepsakes & Mementos tub.

Bills: Pay immediately and then scan and shred. If possible, switch to online bill pay so that you don’t even have to worry about remembering to pay bills.

Invitations/Notices/FYIs: Immediately make a note on your calendar of all the details you need to remember — times, due dates, details, etc. If you want to save the invitation for some reason, pin it to a board that’s designated for this purpose or display it on the fridge. Be sure to regularly cull these things on display, though. More than a few on display and you’ve sort of created a “Display Pile”!

I make notes in Google calendar of all events and details and then will put a reminder a few days before if I need to buy a gift, write a card, make a dessert, etc.

Cards/Letters: Want to know the truth? I don’t keep very many cards and letters from people. This might sound incredibly unsentimental of me, but the reality is that I’d have boxes and boxes of cards with signatures if I kept all the cards I’ve received in my life. So my rule of thumb with cards and letters is to ask myself, “Will I wish I had this in 25 years from now?”

If the answer is, “Yes!” than I’ll put it in our Keepsakes & Mementos tub. If not, I just toss it. You could also scan cards and letters to have an electronic record of them.

I dare you to try the Touch It Once System for two weeks just to see if it makes a difference. If you hate it, you can always go back to piling. But you might find, as my husband did, that it saves so much time and effort and keeps your office, countertops, tabletops and more much, much cleaner!

What are YOUR best solutions for dealing with paper clutter? I’d love to hear!

Start your day well and set it up for success with these 15 simple tips!

Shared Apr 26, 2016 comment

15 Ways to Start Your Day Well

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 26, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Want to set up your day for success? Taking time the night before to do things like lay out my clothes and put together a to-do list can make SUCH a big difference in my day.

Here are 15 things I try to do every morning that help my day go better:

1. Make My Bed

I’ve found that when I make my bed, something is signaled in my brain that says the day has started and that it’s going to be a good day. When I walk past my bed during the day and see that it is made, my heart does a little flutter, and I feel like I’m in a good place. It’s like starting your day with a little win!

Need some motivation to make your bed every morning? Watch this.

2. Pray and Read God’s Word

If I want to be able to give to others, I have to be intentional about filling myself up and replenishing my own supply. I don’t want to be completely drained and tapped out — or giving my family and friends the leftovers. One of the best ways for me to do this is by spending time in God’s Word.

I love the studies from SheReadsTruth.com. Over the years, I’ve also enjoyed The Daily Light, My Utmost for His Highest, and Jesus Calling for devotionals.

3. Count My Blessings

Each day, after I have read my Bible, I take time to write in my gratitude journal. I remember the wonderful things that God is doing in my life and some of the things He has done in the past. I love to use my gratitude journal because I can read over it later on. Every day, there is something that you can be thankful for, you just have to take time to pay attention to it!

4. Breathe and Spend a Few Minutes in Quiet

Our souls need a quiet space to breathe. I try to find a few moments in the morning to be completely silent and let my mind be quiet. Here’s what I’m learning: when I take the time to be still, it allows me to process through things, think more carefully, pay closer attention, give myself space to feel, heal, and breathe.

5. Read a Chapter From a Good Book

Maybe you are saying, “I don’t have time to read a chapter each morning!” That’s okay! Sometimes I don’t either. But I always try to begin each morning with reading at least a few pages from whatever non-fiction book I’m currently reading.

A few pages might not seem like much, but it adds up over time! And it’s a great way to start your day with good inspiration and to get the creative juices in your brain churning.

Related: My Top 10 Reads From 2015

6. Exercise

Even it if it is only 5-10 minutes, a little bit can make a big difference when it comes to exercise. Getting your heart pumping will help you to have a whole new outlook on life. It makes me feel more energized and ready to take on the day!

7. Eat a Healthy Breakfast

I used to skip breakfast all the time. I would actually go for half the day without eating at all. It wasn’t healthy for me and I would wind up feeling shaky.

Those few minutes I would save by not eating would cost me because I couldn’t focus and be productive. Not only that, but by the time I would sit down to eat, I’d usually be so hungry that I’d reach for foods that weren’t very nourishing.

The best thing you can do for yourself is to take the time to eat a healthy breakfast. Make a plan. Make it a priority. Then, make it happen!

Related: 8 Make Ahead Breakfast Ideas

8. Dress For the Kind of Day You Want to Have

Ask yourself, “Do I want to have a lazy day or a productive day?” There is nothing wrong with having a day where you stay in your comfy pants, but that shouldn’t be the norm.

Dress for success. If you want to get a lot done, wear something that helps you feel motivated, professional, happy, and focused.

9. Make a Plan

Every night before I go to bed, I map out what I plan to do the following day. This helps me to stay focused. I just look at what the next thing on my list to do is, and do it.

If you don’t start out with a simple plan, you’ll likely spend your entire day walking around, putting out fires, and not getting much done.

10. Turn on Music

I have fallen in love with Amazon Music. Apparently I’ve been living under a rock or something because, until recently, I didn’t realize that Prime Music was free for those with a Prime Membership.

I’ve been listening to music almost every morning. Each day, I get up and decide what I’m in the mood for and then turn it on! It’s a great way to immediately lift your spirits!

11. Stay Hydrated

Usually, when you get up in the morning, you’re going to be dehydrated. The first thing you should do when you get up is to rehydrate yourself by drinking some water. When you’re well hydrated, you’ll feel more energy and you’ll function better!

12. Smile at Someone

Take the time to smile at someone. It is a free gift that you can give to anyone in the world. It is also a gift that you can give yourself, because people will probably smile back at you. This is the perfect way to lift someone else’s spirit as well as your own.

13. Do Something For Another Person

What is one little thing that you can do for another person? One thing that I like to do is text a few people every morning and say something encouraging.

When I know someone in my life is having a hard time, a simple text will cheer them up and let them know I care. Plus, when you focus on others and serving them, it helps you to stop thinking about yourself and your own problems and discouragements.

14. Sing!

I don’t know what it is, but when I sing, I can’t feel grumpy. I just can’t! Try it and see if it works for you, too! Even if you don’t sing well, turn on a song you like and sing! I bet you’ll feel lighter and happier when you’re done!

15. Tackle The Hardest Thing First

It is amazing what a difference it makes to tackle your hardest thing first. When you don’t feel like doing something in a day, go ahead and get it out of the way. I find that it takes burden off of me and helps me to have more of a spring in my step and more productivity the rest of the day.

Related: Eat That Frog

What helps YOU start your day well? I’d love to hear!

Shared Apr 25, 2016 comment

How to Be a Better Friend Today

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 25, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

If you recall, my friend Mackenzie and I scoped on friendship awhile back. I’ve had several follow-up questions from that scope with people wanting me to expound more on friendship.

Today, I want to share 4 ways to be a better friend today…

1. Take Initiative.

Don’t wait for the other person to show up and do something for you. So much of the time, women feel lonely and left out, like nobody is inviting them to be a part of anything.

You have a choice in that moment to be self-defeating and live under the lies that you’re unlikeable and that nobody will ever want to be friends with you. This will prevent you from ever opening yourself up, letting people in, or taking initiative.

Good friendships require taking initiative, but don’t wait for the other person. Send that text, write that email, or invite that person into your home and life.

When I meet someone whom I feel some synergy with and see the possibility of a friendship with, I try to take initiative to invite that person into my home or even just out for coffee. There’s no long-term obligation with that. Sometimes it won’t be a great fit, but sometimes it will turn into something meaningful and beautiful!

Don’t wait for others to come to you. Go to them and take the first step. Look for ways to bless them first!

2. Ask Good Questions.

People are desperate for community. They want people to really care about them at a deep level.

When you take the time to look into someone’s eyes and listen, that means the world to them. Show people you care by giving them your full attention and fully engaging in conversation.

When you ask good questions in response, it shows that you care and that you’re interested in them. Sometimes you may really love someone but feel that you don’t share much in common. That’s a perfect opportunity to ask questions and learn about someone who is different from you!

There is SO much to learn from people who live different lives and have different viewpoints. I like to ask questions like:

“How can I be a better friend to you?”
“How does that make you feel?”
“What is the hardest thing you’re going through right now?”
“What do you most need right now?”
“How can I encourage you?”

Just recently, I was with a group of women that I’m getting to know. We went around the group and answered these types of questions openly. This helped transform the small group into true, authentic community. It prevented us from hiding and just showing up superficially without forming relationships. Good questions often facilitate friendship.

3. Find the Good and Praise It.

How are you celebrating others right now? People love to know that what they do matters. Find the good. Celebrate it, praise it, and affirm it.

I think everyone at their core has a desire to be noticed, affirmed, celebrated, and to know that they matter. It doesn’t take a whole lot of time or money to notice something about someone and then verbally affirm that.

Think about how you can celebrate other people in simple ways. Maybe it’s just sending a quick text to celebrate someone. Words of affirmation can mean the world to someone!

4. Learn Their Love Language.

Learning the love language of those in your life is SO important. You can feel like you’re pouring your love out to someone, but if it’s not in the way that makes that person feel most loved, there may be miscommunication. Once you know what someone else’s love language is, it really helps you to be able to demonstrate love in a manner that means the most to them.

For instance, my dominant love language is Words of Affirmation. It means the world to me when Jesse tells me how much he appreciates me and how proud he is of me. This speaks love to me much more than buying something for me does.

My husband’s love language is quality time. When he feels like I’m busied, hurried, and not fully engaged, he feels unloved. I’ve had to learn over time how important it is to love him well in the ways he feels most loved.

I’m not great at giving gifts, but I try to put forth that effort when someone’s love language is gifts. If you don’t know someone’s love language, simply ask someone what makes them feel most loved!

Related Posts:

I’d love to hear from you: How do you intentionally seek to develop and foster deeper friendship? How have other been a good friend to you?

P.S. If you’re struggling with friendships, I’d highly recommend reading the book, Safe People.

Shared Apr 23, 2016 comment

5 Things I’m Loving This Week (+ an important note about next week)

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 23, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

1. Fresh Flowers — For Just a Few Dollars!

This picture is clear evidence of this whole new savoring life and slowing down transformation in my life: On the weekends, I’ve been leisurely walking to the store, picking out a $3-$5 bouquet of flowers, and then coming home and salvaging all I can from last week’s flowers and putting together some freshened up arrangements for around the house.

It makes me happy all week long to see these around the house and it’s a simple way I can cultivate beauty in our home, while also giving my soul space to breathe.

2. Launching Make Over Your Evenings

This week we accomplished a HUGE goal for this year — we launched my brand-new course, Make Over Your Evenings!! This was my only business goal for the year, so it was pretty exciting to have it D-O-N-E!

We worked so hard on this course and I am so thrilled with the finished product — and also so honored that thousands and thousands of you have already bought it and begun it. Thank you SO much!

3. Dusting Off My Bike For the First Time in a Long Time

After my poor bike has sat neglected for, um, maybe TWO years, I dusted her off tonight and took her on a 40-minute leisurely ride with Kathrynne and one of her neighbor friends on Thursday evening.

It was such a relaxing way to end a l-o-n-g and full week filled with prepping for our big Make Over Your Evenings course launch.

4. Brown Sugar Biscuit Twists

We celebrated the end of a long and full week and gearing up for a very full and busy weekend by taking a “Sabbath Day” on Friday. We went to bed early, slept in, and had a slow and leisurely morning.

I surprised the family by making Brown Sugar Biscuit Twists for a late breakfast. These are a family favorite and we’ve not had them in a long while. Yummy!!

5. Kaitlynn’s Figure Skating Competition

Kaitlynn competed in four events at the Skate Nashville Competition this weekend. It’s so fun to see her confidence building and her love and passion for this sport start to come out more and more and overcome the nerves of competing.

She pours her heart and soul into this sport and I just love watching her blossoming as a skater and an individual through the hours she spends on the ice every week. {You can watch a little clip from her short program here.}

An Important Note About Next Week

So you know how I only set 4 goals this year? And you know how one of them was that my husband and I would go on two overnighter trips without our kids?

Well, we were able to work out a bunch of details and plan a trip for just the two of us for 4 entire days beginning Monday morning through Friday morning this coming week. We are SO excited as we rarely ever get away by ourselves!

And I’m even more excited because I finally have a great team in place who can cover for me while I’m gone. Which means… drumroll… that I’m leaving my computer at home and plan to be 100% offline while we’re gone.

I’ve never, ever done this on a trip that I can ever remember. Even if I go offline for some of the trip, I always have my computer with me. So it’s a pretty big deal for me!

My team will make sure there are deal posts going up here and on Facebook like usual, I’ve pre-scheduled content pieces for every day of next week, but I won’t be around the comments section nor will I be on social media at all.

I’ll be back sometime on Friday, and while I’ll miss you all, I honestly cannot WAIT to have four whole days to just get to hang out with my husband! See you on the other side!

What are YOU loving this week? Tell us in the comments!

Shared Apr 23, 2016 comment

My Top 7 Favorite Books for Moms

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 23, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Want to encourage a weary mom this coming Mother’s Day? Or just need some inspiration and motivation for your own mothering? Here are 7 of my favorite books for moms:

Surprised By Motherhood by Lisa-Jo Baker

My friend, Lisa-Jo Baker, is one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met. She just oozes with love and grace. And she’s hilarious, too.

I loved her book, Surprised By Motherhood — and it’s what actually turned my life upside down and inspired me to fall hard and fast in love with South Africa.

Seasons of a Mother’s Heart by Sally Clarkson

I’ve been so blessed by Sally’s life and her books. She’s inspired me so much as a mother to enjoy my children, nurture my children, and give them a love of beauty and learning.

I had trouble picking just one of her books to put on this list here, but I finally decided on this one as I think it was my favorite of hers. It’s a great read for homeschool moms!

Pocketful of Pinecones by Karen Andreola

I adore Karen Andreola’s books. She inspires me as a mom, she encourages me to really invest in my kids, and she motivates me to raise kids who love life and learning.

In this fiction book, she really encourages homeschool moms with practical ways you can weave learning and the love of learning through all of life. There is a followup book, Lessons At Blackberry Inn, that I also enjoyed.

Desperate by Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson

Okay, so I chose just one more Sally Clarkson book… because I couldn’t help myself. 🙂

If you’ve ever whispered the words, “I just can’t be a mom today!”, this book will encourage and uplift you. Sarah Mae and Sally have a passion to encourage and build up struggling weary mamas and they do just that in this book.

Parenting the Wholehearted Child by Jeannie Cunnion

I usually stay far away from any book that remotely resembles a system or method of parenting. Because I truly have come to believe that there are no one-size-fits-all plans.

At any rate, I was hesitant to start this book because it fell under the “parenting book” genre. But I’m so glad that I did because it was one of my favorite reads and challenged me in a deep level as a parent.

Don’t Make Me Come Up There by Kristen Welch

Kristen is an incredibly gifted writer who knows how to communicate spot-on truth in a laugh-out-loud-funny manner. Some of her stories in this book were so good I immediately had to go find my husband and read them to him and then we both busted up laughing together. 🙂

Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic

I really enjoyed Loving the Little Years. It’s not a book with lots of practical, hands-on advice, but it’s a book the deals with the heart issues we moms face.

I didn’t agree with the author on all points, but I loved how these book challenges moms to really delve down to the heart of the matter. As the author says, “The state of your heart is the state of your home.”

Encouraging Articles for Moms

What are YOUR favorite books on mothering? What books would you add to my list?

P.S. You may have noticed that I’ve been doing more book round-ups lately. I plan to continue to do more of these in the coming weeks and would love to hear from you: what topics would you love for me to share my favorite books on? Leave a comment and let me know!

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8. They Find Inspiration in the Past

9. They Are Vigilant of Spending

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#1: Touch It Once

#2: Everyone Pitch In

#3: Pick Up Twice A Day

#4: Stick With a Budget

#5: Shop Less

What principles help YOU simplify YOUR home? I’d love to hear in the comments!

Aldi

Harris Teeter

Ollie’s

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

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1) Find Out Where the Paper Is Coming From

2) Stop Hanging Onto Anything You Don’t Absolutely Need

3) Implement the “Touch It Once” Policy

Practical “Touch It Once” Examples:

1. Make My Bed

2. Pray and Read God’s Word

3. Count My Blessings

4. Breathe and Spend a Few Minutes in Quiet

5. Read a Chapter From a Good Book

6. Exercise

7. Eat a Healthy Breakfast

8. Dress For the Kind of Day You Want to Have

9. Make a Plan

10. Turn on Music

11. Stay Hydrated

12. Smile at Someone

13. Do Something For Another Person

14. Sing!

15. Tackle The Hardest Thing First

What helps YOU start your day well? I’d love to hear!

1. Take Initiative.

2. Ask Good Questions.

3. Find the Good and Praise It.

4. Learn Their Love Language.

I’d love to hear from you: How do you intentionally seek to develop and foster deeper friendship? How have other been a good friend to you?

1. Fresh Flowers — For Just a Few Dollars!

2. Launching Make Over Your Evenings

3. Dusting Off My Bike For the First Time in a Long Time

4. Brown Sugar Biscuit Twists

5. Kaitlynn’s Figure Skating Competition

An Important Note About Next Week