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Shared Jan 25, 2016 comment

Get Up Early Challenge: Day 11

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

Good morning!! It’s Day 11 of the Get Up Early Challenge and today our bed felt so warm and our room so cold, that it took a lot of willpower to get up when my alarm went off.

But I DID… And now I’m reaping the rewards because I just enjoyed some quiet to think, pray, journal, hand-letter, read, and spend time in God’s Word.

Today, I’m challenging myself to be a noticer of beauty. To look for the beautiful. To pay attention to the good. And to savor the little joys in life. They are there… I just have to look, notice, and pay attention — instead of being caught up in the rush of life or focused on the hard, frustrating, and difficult things of life.

I’ll be hopping on Periscope around 7:30 to 7:45 a.m. to share some Morning Motivation encouragement and to some thoughts and insights from Rest Assured. I’d love for you to join me or watch the replay (just download the app and search for @MoneySavingMom).

Are you joining me for the Get Up Early Challenge? If so, leave a comment on this post to let me know how you did with your wake-up goal this morning.

We’re in this together… And if you didn’t hit your goal, that’s okay! Give yourself grace, don’t beat yourself up, and know that you can try again tomorrow!

P.S. Read more about the Get Up Early Challenge here. Need some help and inspiration to use your mornings well? Download Day 1 of Make Over Your Mornings for free (scroll to the bottom of this page to sign up for it!)

Shared Jan 24, 2016 comment

5 Things I’m Loving This Week (the “EPIC” snowstorm edition!)

Published: by Crystal Paine on January 24, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I didn’t get a 5 Things I’m Loving post up last week because I chose to go to bed early instead of stay up and write a post (priorities, eh?). That means I have lots of things to share this week! In fact, I had trouble narrowing the list down to just five things!

After some thought, here’s my list of some of my favorite things right now — what I’m thankful for, stuff I’m loving, things that are making me happy, etc.:

1. Our New Fire Pit

I’ve long wanted one for our patio and was SO excited when Jess surprised me with it. It may be a little cold to roast marshmallows right now, but that didn’t deter us from using it before the freezing temperatures and snow came.

Sitting out by the fire is a the perfect end to a quiet and relaxing day of rest. I think it’s especially appropriate for this Year of Rest as it will encourage me to slow down and savor time with the family more.

2. An Amazing Grocery Deal

This is for sure our best grocery deal scored so far in 2016! I thought maybe the zero was supposed to be another number, but they had a whole stack of them at this price!!

I love me some Kroger markdowns!

3. My Book is in Target & Costco!!!

I never, ever thought I’d have a book in Target. In fact, just a few months ago, someone asked me if my new book would be in Target and I said, “No, I doubt I’ll ever have a book in Target. I just don’t sell the thousands and thousands of copies required for them to consider it.”

And I was content with that. Truly content. I’m just honored to actually have 3 published books — something I would have never dreamed would be the case 10 years ago!

But then, not a week after that conversation, I got an email from my publisher saying that TARGET HAD PICKED UP MY BOOK and would carry it in January!!!!!

So yes, Silas’ face here is pretty much how I feel about this. Surprised. Thrilled. Humbled. Overwhelmed. Overjoyed.

And mostly just grateful. Grateful for the opportunity to write words. Grateful for the privilege of getting to share those words with the world. Grateful for the faith my publisher has placed in me. Grateful for my loyal and amazing readers who have believed in me and in this book.

Grateful that God does abundantly above all we could ever dream or hope or imagine. Grateful that He uses broken vessels for His glory.

Then, this week, Costco started carrying my book. And all week long, people have been posting and emailing me to tell me they saw my book in Costco. A number of people even sent me pictures to prove it, as shown above! 🙂

I’m reminded once again how blessed I am. How amazingly blessed I am. That people take the time to care about me, to cheerlead for me, and to celebrate with me.

In a world filled with so much competition and comparison, this is a gift I don’t take lightly. And it inspires me over and over again to look for ways to care more, cheerlead more, and celebrate others more.

Life is so much more meaningful and rich when we choose celebrating and cheering with others instead of competing and comparing ourselves with others.

4. SNOW!!!

Color me surprised… We woke up to this on Saturday. Yes, even though we weren’t so sure of it ever since moving here from Kansas, it is really possible for the Nashville area to get more than a dusting of snow!

However, they are saying that this is the worst snowstorm they’ve had in 13 years… So this is pretty EPIC for this area!

Apparently, everyone in our area decided that stocking up on meat was more important than stocking up on bread and milk before the snowstorm, as evidenced by this picture my husband took at the grocery store on Saturday evening!! 😉

5. Our New Morning Routine

At the beginning of this year, one of the big commitments Jesse and I made together was to put forth a lot of effort and intention into getting on a great morning routine. We came up with a simple routine, we made some changes in what we did before bed and when we got up to set ourselves up for success, and then we just dove in.

Even though the first few days were hard, I’m so glad we stuck with it as it’s made such a difference in our days. One of the best times has been starting our mornings by sitting down to breakfast as a family and studying God’s Word together after everyone is dressed and ready for the day. This has been such a sweet time and such a great beginning to our homeschool day!

Bonus: This quote — I read this on an “off” day this past week and it made me laugh. It was just what I needed that day. And I thought maybe some of you might need the laugh, too.

What are YOU loving right now? Tell us in the comments.

Shared Jan 23, 2016 comment

Live Your Life on Purpose — free printable adult coloring page!

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

I’m SO excited about this!! Lisa over at CreativLei asked me if I had a quote she could turn into a printable quote/adult coloring page.

And if you know me well, you know that I am ALL. OVER. THAT!

Here’s the gorgeous page she created…

I printed it out immediately and am excited to color it while watching the U.S. Figure Skating Championships with Kaitlynn on TV later today!

To get your free coloring page, just go to her post here and fill out the form to download it. Please note: I had trouble getting the form to work. If you have any trouble, you can leave your email address on her post or contact Lisa through her contact form on her site.

P.S. Lisa has an amazing series called 31 Days to Love Your Lettering. If you’re interested in handlettering, go check it out!

Shared Jan 23, 2016 comment

Free Places to Go With Young Kids

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

Guest post from Emily of Queen of the Wilson Household

Sometimes as a SAHM, I have to get out of the house to keep my sanity. However, I don’t want to spend a lot of money each week just to get out of the house.

During our no-spend week, I got creative about things to do that didn’t cost any money. Some of these activities have now become a weekly tradition. There are plenty of places to go that allow me to keep my sanity and my money!

1. Library

It’s not just for books. The library is a great place to check out movies, music, audio books, and magazines.

Also, ask your library about any free programs that may be available. Our library has an awesome children’s section complete with a play room, a faux front porch with rockers, computers, story and song time, arts and crafts, tables and chairs.

2. Pet Store

If your child loves animals, this is a great place to wander around and look at all of the animals. You could also make the visit educational by talking to your kids about how the fish breath or why the gerbil has chubby cheeks!

3. Park

We love the park because my son can run around, and I can even get a little exercise in too.

4. Pool/Sprinkler

In Florida, public pools are free. However, if they are not free where you live, you can always have a water day at home. You may not go somewhere, but it is still a fun way to get out of the house.

5. Plan an Outdoor Activity

Take a picnic lunch outside or to a park, feed the ducks at a nearby pond, or go on a scavenger hunt around the neighborhood. You could make a list of items to find, or keep it casual and have your child gather as many leaves or special stones as he can find.

6. Visit family or neighbors.

If you have elderly neighbors like we do, they might like a visit. You could bring them a card made by your child to make your visit even more special.

7. Mall Play Area

Indoor play areas are great for little ones to run around and play especially when the weather isn’t the best for being outside.

8. Museums

There are some museums in our town that offer free nights or lower admission rates on special occasions. Call your local museums and ask when they run their discounts.

9. Window Shop

Leave the cash and debit cards behind, and just have fun looking around. Specialty stores are great for window shopping. We love to visit outdoor stores like Bass Pro Shops or Cabela’s and home decor stores like Hobby Lobby or Kirkland’s because they have merchandise we don’t normally see in the stores we frequent.

Where else do you like to take your kids for free?

Emily blogs at Queen of the Wilson Household where she shares encouragement for being a wife and mother, saving money, and topics related to the home.

Shared Jan 23, 2016 comment

Gretchen’s $42 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan

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

Dillons

1 Nestle Splash Water Bottles – $1.99, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

1 Chobani Yogurt – $1.25, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

1 Organic Fuel Drink – $2.49, used $1.50/1 printable AND $1.50/1 Ibotta rebate – Free plus overage after coupon and rebate

2.30 lbs Bananas – $1.36, used $0.25/1 Ibotta rebate – $1.11 after rebate

1 Yoplait Yogurt – $1, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

1 Uncle Ben’s Brown Rice Medley – $1.99, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

1 Trident Gum – $2.50, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

1 Annie’s Mac & Cheese – $1, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

2 Kraft Shredded Cheese – $3.19 each, used $0.50/1 Ibotta rebate – $2.94 each after rebate (I was in a huge hurry at the store and I meant to grab the Kroger brand that was on sale. I didn’t realize until I got home that I had grabbed the wrong brand. Ouch!) 🙁

1 Stouffer Frozen Meal – $3.49, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

Items a part of the Mega Sale:

4 PowerBar – $0.49 each, used $2/4 printable – Free after coupon

2 Frosted Flakes Cereal – $1.49 each, used 2 $0.50/1 printable – $0.99 each after coupons

Total after coupons and rebates: $8.42

Aldi

1 bag Chocolate Chips – $1.79

1 bag frozen Broccoli – $1.09

1 bag Frozen Brussel Sprouts – $1.29

1 bag Frozen Strawberries – $2.09

1 bag Spinach – $1.49

1 bag Italian Salad – $1.49

1 gallon Milk – $2.39

1 dozen Large Eggs – $1.39

1 bag Pink Lady Apples – $2.99

1 bag Red Grapes – $2.78

1 Half & Half – $1.89

1 bag (10 lbs) Potatoes – $2.99, used $0.25/1 Checkout 51 rebate – $2.79 after rebate

1 Cucumber – $0.79

1 Baking Soda – $0.49

3 Grapefruit – $0.69 each

1 Vanilla – $2.19

1 lb Butter – $2.69

1 can Chili Beans – $0.59

Total after rebate: $33.73

Total for both stores: $42.15

Menu Plan for This Week

Breakfasts

Eggs, Spinach x 4

Toast, Fruit

Cereal x 2

Lunches

Fruit/Veggies/Crackers x 2

Baked Potatoes, Cottage Cheese

Spinach/Fruit Smoothies, Banana Muffins

Macaroni & Cheese, Fruit

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Veggies

Leftovers

Dinners

Chicken Noodle Casserole, Tossed Salad, Apple Pie

Chicken Fajitas, Grapefruit

Chili, Corn Chips (leftover from last week), Fruit Salad

Pancakes, Eggs, Bacon

Beef & Gravy over Noodles, Tossed Salad

Poor Man’s Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Out to Eat (using a gift card someone gave us)

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Shared Jan 22, 2016 comment

500 Things Decluttering Challenge: Day 10 (It’s a Comfy Pant Day!)

Published: by Crystal Paine on January 22, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It’s Day #10 of the 500 Things Decluttering Challenge. Today’s assignment was to tackle the laundry room.
Our laundry room is pretty sparse, so I went through our two cleaning products/household products closets.

Yes, we have two. Yes, I know that’s not #KonMari approved. Don’t judge.

I ended up coming up with 30 items we no longer need or use — or that needed to be tossed!! Yay! And yay for a Snow Day so I could wear my comfy pants!!

Today’s total: 30 items decluttered

Total for the entire challenge: 437 items so far!

I’m keeping a running total of all my items decluttered during this challenge as I thought it would be fun to not only do Daily Totals but also Overall Totals.

How many items did YOU declutter today?? Leave a comment and let us know.

P.S. You can read more about the Decluttering Course I’m going through here. If you’d like to join me in going through it in January and get the videos, information, and printables every day, you can go here to purchase and get it for just $5.99 right now!

Shared Jan 22, 2016 comment

How to Earn Money as a Legal Transcriber

Published: by Crystal Paine on January 22, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Amber of ALM Transcription LLC

There are quite a few options to earn money from home as a transcriber these days, but legal transcription is one field that won’t be going away anytime soon.

Compared to medical transcription where you must take a long, expensive certification program, general transcription which pays less, and braille transcription where you need to learn to read and type braille (you can take the course for free), legal transcription is the field of choice for many.

Here are a few things to take into consideration if you are thinking of a career or earning extra money through legal transcription.

Education

While you don’t need a formal education in legal transcribing, you do need to be familiar with transcripts, depositions, and the parts of hearings and trials. Having knowledge of legal terms will be extremely helpful and being able to follow formatting directions is imperative — a difference from general transcription where you are just typing in paragraphs for the most part.

There are online courses that can help you learn the ins and outs of legal transcription. You’ll also want to get your typing up to par in order to earn as much money as possible (you are paid per page, so the faster you complete the work, the more you earn.)

Time Commitment

The best part about being a legal transcriber is that you can set your own hours and work from home. The reality though is that attorneys and court reporters are notorious for not sending work until the last minute, or ordering overnight work because a deposition took place the day before the hearing is scheduled.

The good news is that you earn more money by doing transcripts that are due faster, for instance a normal transcript might pay $1.50 per page if it is due in 7 days and over $5 per page if it is due the next morning. The bad news is that you are going to miss some sleep if you want to take that assignment.

Being able to adjust your schedule as work comes in is important.

Finding Work

Most legal transcribers work for multiple court reporters and agencies in order to get work consistently. Getting in with just one court reporter and doing excellent work for them will usually get your name out as someone that is reliable.

Agencies tend to have tests that you must complete before being considered, these are usually hard audios where the sound quality is poor or there are speakers with hard-to-understand-accents that must be transcribed perfectly. It is extremely important to follow all directions on these tests, especially the formatting.

Other companies also use legal transcribers — like insurance companies that record claim interviews and police departments that record suspect interviews. With the skills of a legal transcriber, you can also pick up general transcription work on the side.

Interesting Cases

Unlike general transcription where you might be typing up an interview, training session, or meeting, legal transcription generally tends to deal with someone’s actual life problems. This could be anything from a divorce and custody issues, to a police brutality case, or even a murder witnessed by someone.

Being able to listen to graphic descriptions of violence, hearing someone that you believe is lying get away with it, and often times not knowing the outcome of the case because you only got part of the audio can be frustrating. There are very few dull moments as a transcriber though, and since you are at home you can yell or roll your eyes, unlike the court reporter that had to listen to everything in person!

Working as a legal transcriber is fulfilling work and will essentially always be needed. Everyday our courthouses are filled with attorneys, and individuals like yourself filing for divorce and other issues.

With court reporters switching over to digital recordings there will be more need for legal transcribers than ever, so it’s a great time to get started — especially if you’d like to make money working from home!

Amber Reynolds is a stay-at-home mom that has built a career as a legal transcriber. She now helps train the team for ALM Transcription LLC.

photo source

Shared Jan 22, 2016 comment

Brigette’s $68 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

Published: by Brigette on January 22, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Aldi

Cabbage – $1.29

Cauliflower – $1.99

10-lb bag Russet Potatoes – $3.49

3-lb bag Sweet Potatoes – $1.79

2-lb bag Carrots – $0.78

2-lb bag Onions – $0.98

3 cans Chicken Breast – $5.07

Mini Sweet Peppers – $1.99

1 pkg Zucchini – $2.49

24-oz Cottage Cheese – $2.29

5-lb bag Grapefruit – $1.49

Spicy Mustard – $0.99

Romaine Hearts – $1.99

Artisan Lettuce – $1.99

Frozen Strawberries – $2.09

3-lb bag Gala Apples – $3.39

3 bags Rice Cakes – $3.37

Bananas – $1.34

Egg Whites – $1.99

Whipping Cream – $1.69

3 dozen Eggs – $4.17

Total: $46.35

Harris Teeter

2 Gerber Graduates – $2.67, used 2 $0.75/1 printable (doubled) – FREE after coupons

10 cans Libbys Vegetables – $5.56, used 2 $1/4 printable – $3.56 after coupons

3 Larabars – $3.00, used $0.75/3 printable (doubled), plus receive $0.75 back from SavingStar – $0.75/3 after coupons

2 McComick Taco Seasonings – $0.67, used $0.50/2 Mccormick Taco or Chili Seasoning Mixes, exp. 2/28/16 (RP 01/24/16) (doubled) – FREE after coupons

10 bags Shredded Cheese – $13.16

4 boxes Uncle Ben’s Rice – $4.00, used $1/4 Uncle Ben’s Rice Products, exp. 3/6/16 (RP 01/10/16 #2), plus $1/4 evic – $2.00/4 after coupons

1 64-oz carton Blue Diamond Almond Milk – $2.50, used $0.50/1 Blue Diamond Chilled Almond Breeze, exp. 3/20/16 (SS 01/17/16 R) (doubled) – $1.50

Nasoya Organic Tofu – $2.00, used $0.75/1 printable (doubled) – $0.50 after coupons

2 Birds Eye Frozen Veggies (Protein and Flavorful) – $2.69, used $1/1 Birds Eye Steamfresh Protein Blends Variety, exp. 2/28/16 (SS 01/10/16 R), and $1/1 Birds Eye Steamfresh Flavorful Variety, exp. 2/28/16 (SS 01/10/16 R) – $0.69/2 after coupons

Total: $22.16

Weekly Total for Groceries: $68.51

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Oatmeal with Fruit x 3

Cereal x 2

Toast and Scrambled Eggs x 2

Lunches

Baked Sweet Potatoes, Cottage Cheese, Bananas

Tossed Salad (with Chicken, Cheese, Fresh Veggies), Apples x 2

Almond Butter on Rice Cakes, Carrot Sticks, Oranges x 2

Leftovers x 2

Dinners

Three Cheese Baked Spaghetti, Homemade Breadsticks, Tossed Salad

Lazy Cabbage Rolls, Easy Whole Wheat Bread

Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Steamed Carrots, Baked Potatoes, Rhubarb Crisp

Soft Tacos, Mexican Rice, Roasted Cauliflower

Macaroni and Cheese (For the kids; Eirik and I have a Wedding Rehearsal Dinner)

Leftovers x 2

Shared Jan 22, 2016 comment

Get Up Early Challenge: Day 10 (I gave myself a Grace Day!)

Published: by Crystal Paine on January 22, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Good morning!!! It’s Day #10 of the Get Up Early Challenge and I gave myself my first Grace Day of this challenge… I was supposed to be speaking at a local event this morning but that got cancelled because of the school closings and the snow. Which meant my entire morning is now free!

Jesse didn’t get back home from being out of town until close to 10 pm last night, so I decided this was the perfect morning to have a Grace Day!

I just got up a little while ago and saw that it really and truly did snow! Now I’m off to have my quiet time and get ready for the day. I’ll be on Periscope for my usual morning show at a much later time this morning — probably 9 am CT. We’ll be doing our Q&A Friday today! I’d love for you to join me or watch the replay (just download the app and search for @MoneySavingMom).

Are you joining me for the Get Up Early Challenge? If so, leave a comment on this post to let me know how you did with your wake-up goal this morning.

We’re in this together… And if you didn’t hit your goal, that’s okay! Give yourself grace, don’t beat yourself up, and know that you can try again tomorrow!

Shared Jan 21, 2016 comment

Why I Set the Goal of Handlettering in 2016 + My 6 Favorite Resources

Published: by Crystal Paine on January 21, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

A few weeks ago, I posted my goals for 2016 and the goal that people have asked the most questions about is my goal to “Spend 5 Minutes Handlettering Every Day.”

Because I’ve been receiving the same questions over and over again, I thought it was high time I write a post to explain more what handlettering is, why I chose this goal, what my end game is with picking this goal, and six of my favorite handlettering resources so far.

What is Handlettering?

Handlettering is basically just perfecting an artistic style of writing. It could be using a pen, markers, a brush, or calligraphy pens. There are a million different variations on styles — and they are all right because handlettering is an art form, not a systematic way of writing.

Why I Chose the Goal of Handlettering

I’ve long admired the beautiful handwritten quotes I see on Pinterest, on walls, Instagram, and on products. But I always felt like that wasn’t something I could ever do, “because I’m not artistic”.

And I let that belief hold me back from even trying handlettering. I was so afraid of not being able to do it, that I didn’t try.

But then I realized how silly that was. If it was something I wanted to do, why should I let the fear of failure keep me from jumping out and attempting to learn something.

Why I’m Putting My Imperfect Out There

So I’m jumping out and getting brave. Not only am I publicly posting this as my goal, but I’m also putting my imperfect progress out there on Instagram and here on my blog.

This is kind of scary for me because I’m a perfectionist, by nature. But I hope that by putting my imperfect out there — and sharing my progress and practice attempts — it inspires you to pick an area of your life to get brave with.

We will miss out on so much in life if we’re always holding back and saying, “I’m not going to put it out there until it’s perfect.”

My Longterm Goals with Handlettering

Truth be told, at first I felt almost a little bit embarrassed to put it out there that I had set a personal goal to do 5 minutes of handlettering every day. When I was thinking about goals, though, I realized this was something that would not only be fun and really inspire me, but it would be something I could use in many different ways.

I can use lettering to write cards to people. I can use it to make signs to put around our house. I can use it to make graphics for social media. I can even use it to write pretty to-do lists every day!

Most importantly, it’s a gift I can give myself: to be intentional about taking time to sit down and quietly focus on creating something beautiful. I also love that it encourages me to exercise a different kind of creativity than I usually am exercising — which I think is a very good and healthy thing to prioritize.

My longterm goal is to practice and improve in handlettering so I can write out quotes in a very artistic form so that these words would inspire myself and others.

My 6 Favorite Handlettering Resources (so far!)

CreativLei — I credit Lisa with first sparking my interest in handlettering… I watched her on scope and was so intrigued that I started to peek into what it was. And little by little, I started to get the itch to try it and perfect it.

Hand-Lettering for Everyone — This book was a Christmas gift from MacKenzie and it’s what really inspired me to set the goal of daily handlettering in 2016 the first place. I had been toying with the idea, but when this book showed up, I knew I wanted to go for it. If you are looking for a beginning book to inspire with dozens of different ideas and handlettering styles, definitely check this one out. I love it! I love how they break things down so it feels so much more doable!

Tombow Dual Brush Pen Art Markers — These are BEST markers! They are pricey, but they work so well and are so fun to use!

LissLetters — Some of my readers recommended I follow LissLetters on Instagram and she’s really inspired. She posts a plethora of handlettering photos and videos and her work is amazing!

The #Handlettering Hashtag on Instagram — There’s a wealth of inspiration by checking out the hashtag #handlettering on Instagram. Many creative folks not only share pictures but short little video tutorials –which I find highly helpful and instructive!

Dawn Nicole — She offers a free online Art & Handlettering Class, too. Check out her Pinterest board here for more inspiration.

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Shared Jan 21, 2016 comment

500 Things Decluttering Challenge: Day 9

Published: by Crystal Paine on January 21, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It’s Day #9 of the 500 Things Decluttering Challenge and today we were supposed to be working in our family rooms.

Since we don’t really have a family room, I decided to spend time in some other parts of the house that need some TLC. So I went through our bedside tables, as well as our DVDs and CDs.

And would you know it?! I came up with 79 items to get rid of!!!!

Today’s total: 79 items decluttered

Total for the entire challenge: 407 items so far!

I’m keeping a running total of all my items decluttered during this challenge as I thought it would be fun to not only do Daily Totals but also Overall Totals.

How many items did YOU declutter today?? Leave a comment and let us know.

Shared Jan 21, 2016 comment

Do It Yourself: A Rolling Kitchen Pantry

Published: by Crystal Paine on January 21, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

DIYpassion.com shows you how to make homemade rolling kitchen pantry.

Do you have a fun and frugal DIY idea to share? I’d love to hear about it! Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

Shared Jan 21, 2016 comment

Get Up Early Challenge: Day 9 (it was hard to get out of bed this morning!)

Published: by Crystal Paine on January 21, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It’s Day #9 of the Get Up Early Challenge and, truthfully, I struggled to get out of bed this morning — even lying there for awhile considering the possibility of going back to sleep!

But I got up anyway… And now I’m so glad that I did because I had such a soul-filling time preparing my heart for the day, reading God’s Word, recounting my blessings, and planning for the day ahead!

I’ll be hopping on Periscope around 7:30 to 7:45 a.m. to share some Morning Motivation encouragement and to some thoughts and insights from The 5AM Miracle book. I’d love for you to join me or watch the replay (just download the app and search for @MoneySavingMom).

Are you joining me for the Get Up Early Challenge? If so, leave a comment on this post to let me know how you did with your wake-up goal this morning.

We’re in this together… And if you didn’t hit your goal, that’s okay! Give yourself grace, don’t beat yourself up, and know that you can try again tomorrow!

Shared Jan 20, 2016 comment

How I Found Time to Write a Book

Published: by Crystal Paine on January 20, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

When my last book came out, many people asked me how on earth I found the time to write a book. That’s a great question!

As many of you know this blog gets 1.5 to 2 million unique visitors each month. If you are a blogger, then you know a lot of work goes into keeping up a website. Because of this, I knew if I was going to find the time to write another book, it was going to take some serious re-arranging of our schedule and my business/work time to make it happen.

Here are 3 strategies I employed that allowed me to find the time to write a book:

Strategy #1: I Made it a Priority

We had decided that writing another book was a priority for me and for our family, so we made the time for it — with some effort and creativity and the support of my family!

If you want to actually follow through with anything, you have to say, “I’m GOING to make this a priority” not “I WANT to do this”. After you have committed to making it your priority, then, you have to look at your schedule and figure out how it’s going to work.

Jesse and I got out our calendar and found a three-month period where I wasn’t going to be traveling much and our family commitments were relatively low. We blocked that entire period off on our calendar and basically said “no” to almost everything during that season.

Strategy #2: I Hired a Ghost Editor

Once I knew when I could take the time to write the book, I hired on a ghost editor. A ghost editor is someone who works alongside you in the writing process.

I worked with my editor on every single section of every chapter. I would write down all of the concepts I wanted to talk about in each section and my editor would ask me a lot of questions about it.

She would send back an outline and some content ideas to me and I would go in and re-arrange things and expand on her suggestions. Then we would talk more about the order, she’d do more tweaks and give more suggestions, and I’d write more content. And on and on it went — through every chapter and every page and every paragraph of the book.

Every step of the way, she would guide me in the process and be there to give feedback, constructive criticism, and encouragement. Having AJ work alongside me really helped me to stay focused and kept me accountable. Not only did she help me come up with exactly what I wanted, she significantly reduced the amount of time I had to spend researching, tweaking, and editing. Best of all, she made the final product so much better!

Strategy #3: I Rallied My In-Home Cheerleaders

It is so important that everyone in your life is on board with the idea of you writing a book. I knew that writing a book was going to take a major commitment on my part, which would impact my husband and kids in a big way, too. So I didn’t say yes to writing it or commit to the timeframe my publishers wanted it written in until I knew my family was wholeheartedly supportive of every bit of it.

Because of their firm commitment to this, they were willing to come up with a pretty unconventional work schedule during the time period when I was writing the book. I would go to bed early and sleep for a while. Then I would get up at 12:00am and work until 4:00am. I’d go back to bed for a while and then get up late and start my day.

The kids and Jesse would get up and around at least an hour or two before me but because Jesse works from home now and took over a lot of the home and homeschooling responsibilities while I was writing the book, it worked for us.

This allowed me to get some quality writing hours in while most of the world was fast asleep and the house was completely quiet and the internet was almost 100% dead. This meant, there were almost no potential distractions and I could fully concentrate on writing.

I don’t necessarily recommend that you try a crazy schedule like this, it was grueling and hard and it took me at least a few months to recover and get back to a really normal routine. But sometimes, in order to hit a goal that you’ve made a priority, you make short-term sacrifices for long-term benefits.

Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List

FREE Summer Bucket List!!

1. Our New Fire Pit

2. An Amazing Grocery Deal

3. My Book is in Target & Costco!!!

4. SNOW!!!

5. Our New Morning Routine

What are YOU loving right now? Tell us in the comments.

1. Library

2. Pet Store

3. Park

4. Pool/Sprinkler

5. Plan an Outdoor Activity

6. Visit family or neighbors.

7. Mall Play Area

8. Museums

9. Window Shop

Dillons

Aldi

Menu Plan for This Week

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

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Education

Time Commitment

Finding Work

Interesting Cases

Aldi

Harris Teeter

Total: $22.16

Weekly Total for Groceries: $68.51

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

What is Handlettering?

Why I Chose the Goal of Handlettering

Why I’m Putting My Imperfect Out There

My Longterm Goals with Handlettering

My 6 Favorite Handlettering Resources (so far!)

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Strategy #1: I Made it a Priority

Strategy #2: I Hired a Ghost Editor

Strategy #3: I Rallied My In-Home Cheerleaders

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