Check out this list of 15 Super Easy Go-To Meals from Over the Big Moon.
Summer Bucket List
Classic View
Grid View
5 Simple Tips for Saving Big on Back to School Expenses
School is starting really soon (or has already started!) and that means there are probably a number of different things you need to purchase — from school supplies to clothes for your kids for fall and winter to electronics and more.
Here are five simple tips to help you save big on those back to school expenses…
1. Create a Budget.
You knew I was going to say this first, didn’t you? But it’s imperative to start by knowing how much you have to spend.
Without a budget, you won’t have parameters for what you have to work with and there’s a good chance money will just slip through your fingers like sand.
I always recommend that you consider using a cash budget. Why? Because this gives you instant self-discipline: when the money’s gone, the money’s gone!
If you don’t really have any money to work with at all, is there something you could sell to drum up some extra cash? Could you cash in some of your points on Swagbucks for gift cards you could use toward school supplies? Could you sell last year’s wardrobe that your child outgrew to fund this year’s wardrobe?
Also, consider having a swap meet with your friends to swap school supplies and clothes. Bring what you don’t need/no longer use and swap it with others.
2. Identify Needs vs. Wants.
Once you’ve determined your budget, then you need to take a hard look at what you can realistically afford in that budget. If money is especially tight, focus on the most important items first.
If your child desperately needs new shoes because the only ones they have are two sizes too small, that’s a high priority. Start with what is a true need versus just a “would be nice to have” first.
This is a great conversation to have with your children to help them understand what a need is and what a want is. It’s not wrong to spend money on wants, but help your child learn how to prioritize needs first. This is a valuable lesson for them to understand and grasp at an early age and will benefit them all their life.
3. Compare Prices
Use an app like Flipp (it’s free to download!) to price compare all of the best deals at local stores in your area. Then, either hit the store with the most deals or, stop at Walmart and price-match all the best deals at your local stores.
To do this, just check the ads, make a list of local prices, take these to Walmart, and tell your cashier what local prices you’re price-matching on the items you’re purchasing. Walmart’s corporate coupon policy says you don’t need an ad in order to price-match, however, I usually bring the ads with me in case there’s any issue or confusion about what the price is. {Flipp makes it really easy to price-match at Walmart because you can have all of the ads right at your fingertips!}
4. Buy Used.
Thrift stores, yard sales, consignment sales, and online sites such as ThredUp can be a treasure trove of bargains on back to school clothes for kids. You have to dig, but if you are patient, you can find incredible deals.
One of my favorite ways to find good deals at thrift stores is to go on the dollar days. Not all thrift stores have them, but it’s definitely worth checking into to see if your local thrift stores offer fill a bag for $5 or $1 days. Also, sign up for your thrift store’s email list to be notified of when they are having special offers and sales.
We’ve gotten amazing deals at consignment sales over the years, too. If you have extra time and energy, you can volunteer or sell at a consignment sale and you’ll usually be able to get first dibs on the deals — and possibly better pricing, too.
I’d highly recommend reading this article on how to stockpile clothes by shopping at yard sales. If you want to be even more strategic, check out this article on How to Shop Yard Sales for Free.
For more suggestions on how to maximize your consignment sale shopping experience, check out this article on Saving and Making Money With Consignment Sales and this article on How Selling on Consignment Works For Me.
5. Buy Extras.
When looking at the back-to-school sales, don’t just buy what’s on the required list from your local school. Buy extras of things such as glue, crayons, paper, notebooks, markers and other items you use on a regular basis around your home.
These sales are a great opportunity to stock up on office and craft supplies we use on a regular basis—all at the cheapest prices you’ll be able to get all year.
In addition, because many teachers have to pay for some of their classroom supplies out of pocket, how about buying extras of the great deals and donating them to your children’s’ classroom or purchasing them for a local family who is struggling financially?
How do YOU save on back to school supplies?
This post is underwritten by Flipp — an app that brings all of the weekly sales fliers from your local stores to the digital age in a dynamic and personalized way, and aggregates all your favorite circulars onto one digital device for access anywhere, anytime.
With Flipp, busy parents have seamless access to their favorite weekly ad fliers from their favorite retailers – and all the savings of each weekly circular right in their fingertips – without lugging around paper or cutting coupons!
What sets Flipp apart from other circular apps is that users can search by retailer (local groceries, larger big-box stores), or search for specific items (backpacks, notebooks, clothes, cereal), or even search for a specific savings amount, and they can create shopping lists to start the shopping experience beforehand or in the store right on their digital device.
With Flipp’s new shopping list feature, shoppers can quickly find the best deals for their weekly essentials. Once they’re in the store, users can easily check off items from their list – built right into the app! – to ensure they pick up everything they need (and also stick to their list!).
Download Flipp on iTunes or Google Play.
Live each day as though there might not be a tomorrow…
Yesterday evening she asked me, “Could we jump on the trampoline together tomorrow?”
I’m not much of a trampoline person — especially now that I’ve had kids and my bladder isn’t what it once was! — but it was a simple request and I told her yes, of course we could.
I put it on my daily list for today so that I wouldn’t forget and I’m so glad I did because it was one of the first things she talked about when she got up this morning.
“Mom! You remember what we’re going to do this afternoon, right?”
I showed her that it was right there on my list for the day and she just beamed.
We went about the morning: chores, projects, tasks, to-do’s. We have a busy week this week with filming for my book launch tomorrow, mid-year meetings with my executive team on Thursday, an event in San Diego on Saturday, and then gearing up for our fall schedule to begin next Monday.
So I had extra tasks today and was feeling just a little bit frazzled over everything that needed to get done. I had a chiropractic appointment and some errands to run this afternoon and was looking forward to a few hours of quiet by myself.
But as I got ready to go, she asked me if she could go with me. I could tell that the extra time with Mom would be really good for her — especially since I knew the rest of this week was going to be full.
So, I set aside my plans for some quiet time, and told her that if was was ready to leave in 15 minutes, she was welcome to come.
She excitedly hopped in the car with me and her enthusiasm never waned the entire afternoon. She was talkative, all smiles, and just kept mentioning how much she loved being with me.
When we got home, we worked together on pulling weeds from the gardens, cleaning out the car and garage, and finishing up some projects around the house. We laughed and joked as we worked and we got a lot done in a short amount of time.
I had some business projects I really needed to finish so I was just about ready to open up my laptop and get started on them, when she came up to me with a big grin on her face and said, “Are you ready??”
I had to think for a second to figure out what she was referring to and then I remembered my promise to jump on the trampoline with her. Honestly, at that point, I was just ready for some peace and quiet and to charge through the rest of my business and blogging to-do list for the day.
But I knew that she’d been looking forward to our trampoline time all day long, so I mustered up some excitement and enthusiasm and went out to jump on the trampoline.
We ended up having such a fun time. We laughed. We chased each other around. We played Crack the Egg. We tried to out-do each other in various jumps. And I got in a really great workout for the day.
After my 33-year-old body had gotten thoroughly worn out, I told her I was going to head inside. She said, “Thanks so much for playing with me!”
And then I went inside and saw this devastating news on Facebook.
And my heart went into my throat.
I have known Paul and Tiffany through blogging for many years. They’ve shared many deals with me that I’ve posted here, Tiffany has guest-posted here, and Paul has helped us with compiling the Walmart deals for a long time.
I’ve not ever met them in real-life, but I feel like I know them through their blogs and through our email interactions.
And there are no words to describe just how much I hurt for them.
We never, ever know what tomorrow holds. Don’t wait until it’s too late to say those “I love you’s”, to take time to play with your kids, to ask forgiveness, to be a “yes” mom, to jump on the trampoline, to set aside the to-do lists to be present… live each day as though there might not be a tomorrow.
P.S. If you would like to help Paul and Tiffany, there are a few different ideas of ways to do that here.
Shared Aug 10, 2015
comment
What I Did on my Unannounced Blogging Break (and a really big goal we hit this month!)
What I Did on my Unannounced Blogging Break (and a really big goal we hit this month!)
Did you miss me the past few weeks?!? I missed you all!
Okay, well I wasn’t really “gone”. I mean, I’m the only one who hits publish on all the posts here on my blog and the main person who runs my Facebook Page and Twitter, so I was here every day posting deals and guest posts and responding to comments. And I posted some real-life peeks on Instagram.
But I took an unannounced break from writing content pieces and the usual features here for the last few weeks. Why? Well, mostly because I just needed a break.
I wanted to take a few weeks to step back and evaluate where this blog is headed, plan the next six months, re-evaluate what is and isn’t working, tweak our schedule for the fall, and just take some time to be quiet and process.
It’s easy to fall prey to the “rat race” of producing content and not take enough time to step back, stop and evaluate, and make sure that I’m headed in the right direction. So I’ve been trying to be more intentional about having time to be still, to carefully and prayerfully discuss things with my husband, to fill up my soul so I can give out to others, to pray, to journal, to be creative offline, and to savor life.
The break was good for me. I have some fresh direction and perspective, we’re tweaking some things on the back-end, I’m cutting some things to allow room for new things, and I feel re-inspired and re-fueled with many new content ideas for the fall.
Also, I feel really settled. About blogging. About priorities. About what’s most important. And about who I am as a person and blogger.
The break wasn’t just all goal-setting and long talks and planning for the future, though. No ma’am.
Here’s a little peek into what we did on the blogging break:
We went to Family Camp in Michigan — and I may have exercised some of my inner child on the water slides and blob in the lake. 🙂
I attended the Storybrand Workshop, along with some other amazing people and learned so much from Donald Miller.
We played Bean Boozled with friends. You must stop right now and go watch my friend Tam’s skunk jelly bean video. It’s a classic. 🙂
Kathrynne and I traveled to Houston for me to speak at the homeschool conference there. And she was pretty stoked that we ended up getting upgraded to first class for FREE!
We traveled back to Kansas to surprise my parents for their 40th Anniversary. Read all about the surprise we planned here.
My sisters and I ran a 5K Color Run with two of our daughters.
We spent almost a week at Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas with all of my extended family.
And last, but certainly not least, WE MADE AN OFFER TO BUY ANOTHER RENTAL HOUSE and it was ACCEPTED!! {We celebrated with a trip to Dollar Tree — pretty much our family’s favorite store. Because, of course!}
Investing in another single-family home to rent out is something we’ve been researching, investigating, praying about, talking about, and saving for for many months. So this was a pretty big deal. In fact, it was one of our biggest goals for 2015 and by far our biggest financial goal.
To be honest, it’s hard to know how to share this kind of news. Part of me is so thrilled and excited and I want to share our good news with you all because you’ve been following our journey and you’re like family to us.
The other part of me wants to just quietly keep it to ourselves lest it come across as gloating or is frustrating to those of you who are really, really struggling financially right now.
Need encouragement tonight? Read the story behind this picture here.
I know what it feels like to not know how you’re going to pay the rent this month. I know what it feels like to wake up and wonder if you are EVER going to find a way to get ahead financially. I know how hard it is to not have an extra quarter to spare when so many around you are spending money like water.
I know what it feels like to only be able to buy what’s almost free with coupons at the grocery store, to not be able to pay even thrift store prices, to re-wear and re-use and re-purpose, to wonder how you’re going to be able to buy diapers for your soon-to-be born child because carving out even $10 extra dollars per month is not something you can imagine figuring out how to do on your teeny-tiny budget.
10 years ago, I would never, ever in my wildest dreams have imagined we’d be in a position to have the wiggle room to save up and pay cash for even one house, let alone be in the process of buying our 3rd house to rent out. Back then, I was just trying to figure out how to stretch $17 or $20 to cover all our groceries that week and praying that our car would start when I needed it to.
So yes, I share this news with a humble heart that hurts for those of you who may be in that really, really tight place. And I hope our story inspires you instead of discouraging you.
Keep at it, keep making those short-term sacrifices, keep stretching your money, keep thinking outside the box, and don’t give up hope. You don’t know what the next 10 years may hold for you!
By the way, for those who may be wondering:
This rental house is in Kansas. We have a really great property management company we work with there. They’ve been managing both of our rental houses in Kansas for us.
We tested the long-distance renting thing out this last year while doing a ton of research and investigation to decide where we’d invest next. We decided to stick with Kansas because we love our property management company, houses in Kansas are much less expensive than in this area in Tennessee, and the rental market is really hot in the areas we’re purchasing in. So far, it’s been a really, really good experience for us so we’re going to continue on with it!
Some of you have wondered why we are renting in Tennessee and not buying a house here. There are multiple reasons, but the main one is this: We’ve talked/looked/thought over this long and hard over the past year and the reality is that houses in the area we live in right now are about 2.5 times the cost of what they are in Kansas.
We can buy almost 3 houses in KS for the price of one in TN and then rent them out at a price that is almost double what we’re paying in rent now. So for the price of one house in TN, we’re able to invest in rental homes that cover the cost of our rent + net us a good profit every single month — and that’s including repairs to the rental homes and costs involved when tenants move out.
It’s unconventional, I know, and we haven’t ruled out buying a house in TN someday, but for now, renting has been a great option for us.
So that’s what’s been going on with us this past month. What about you? What have you been up to recently? I’ve missed you all and can’t wait to get back to regular blogging and conversations here with you!
19 Time Management Tips for Mom Bloggers
Guest post from Tanya of Blogelina.com
Have you ever followed a blog and wondered how a mom can possibly manage to find the time to run a successful blog on top of everything else that goes into being a mom? I know I have – and so I set out to find some answers!
It has been an honor for me to be able to interact with so many amazing blogger moms, and get their insight into how they manage working from home and family life!
My Biggest Take Away…
It’s really a simple concept – but one that I fail to do so often… Write down what I need to do.
So many of these mom bloggers said that the most important thing that boosts their productivity is making a list for each week and each day of what they need to accomplish that day. Having your tasks written down (and even better – prioritized!) will give you so much focus as you make choices throughout your day on how to spend your time.
Here are 19 other time-management tips from busy blogging moms!
1. Integrate Family Life With Work Life
I’ve heard of that concept before: instead of trying some time for both, it makes sense to try and integrate the two commitments one into another…
Here’s an example: When my child was a few months old, I spent a ridiculous amount of time outside (because she slept best there), so I purchased the smallest laptop I could find and worked outside.
It was both healthy and enjoyable. I still have good memories of that time and by the time we got home, I had some of my work items done.
I learned to work while she was crawling around paying attention so that she didn’t hurt herself. I’ve learned to work in my car while my husband was driving us to a family trip. I have developed lots of little habits that made combining motherhood and work actually enjoyable.
I haven’t missed a day of my kid growing up thanks to that. Yet, I was also following my passion and building my business online! – Ann Smarty, InternetMarketingNinjas.com
2. Use Your Early Morning Hours – And Don’t Over-do it!
I get up at 4 a.m. every single day (even on the weekends!) Those early morning hours are always my most productive, and by the time most people are getting started, I’ve already put in almost a full day of uninterrupted work.
I am a firm believer in written goals — yearly, monthly, weekly, and even daily, and then having those goals posted somewhere I can refer to them often. Writing them down makes them real, and once they are real I can’t ignore them.
The biggest thing I am working on right now when it comes to time management is learning to say no, and letting the people I trust — my husband and team — help me make decisions on where to focus my time.
I have a habit of overloading myself and wanting to say yes to every opportunity, but becoming more vigilant about guarding my time has allowed me to stay focused on the big picture. At least most of the time! -Ruth Soukup, LivingWellSpendingLess.com
3. Watch For Time Zappers.
I’m all about streamlining processes. Whether I’m cleaning my bathrooms or working with my blog’s social media, I try to use systems that make the most of my time.
One big way that I keep my life uncluttered is to limit my time on social media. I know that, especially as a blogger, being on social media is a must, but I’ve found that if I’m not careful, it can be a huge time zapper, too.
I like to use timers. I set a timer for a set amount of time on social media and find that this really keeps me on task. I’m much less likely to end up on some tangent that ends up eating an hour of my day. – Tanya, Blogelina.com
4. Have Dedicated “Blogging Hours”.
Hands down, my top time management tip for mom bloggers is to have dedicated “office hours.” I have found that designating time to work helps me live in the present moment and get a lot more done — whether it be writing, managing the business part of my blog, or completing a load of laundry.
When I first started blogging, I worked in the cracks — in little snippets when my girls were napping or watching a movie or after they had gone to bed. While it was necessary during that season in my life, working “in the cracks” of life is not sustainable long-term.
When I stick to regular office hours, I am a better business owner and a better wife and mom. -Erin Odom, TheHumbledHomemaker.com
5. Use A Good Task Management Program
The best thing I have ever done to wrangle the issue of time management was to install a task management program (my favorite is Nozbe, but anything you like will do). I am able to enter tasks for projects and for reoccurring daily items, but the biggest plus is being able to get stuff off of my mind.
When I think of something that needs to be done, I don’t stop and do it. I simply add it to the list. This frees me up to think about the important things, without losing track of all the little details. -Kim Sorgius, NotConsumed.com
6. Create A Weekly Plan.
My best time management tip is to create a weekly plan. Schedule a time every weekend to decide your top goals and priorities for the upcoming week (self-care, family time, home management, business projects, appointments, etc.) and then schedule those tasks into your calendar.
Every night before you go to bed, review your goals and plans for the next day and then refer to them throughout the day as you work.
Having a plan relieves stress, increases your productivity and ensures that you are living your true priorities. – Kimberlee, ThePeacefulMom.com
7. Plan For More Time Than You Think…
Time management is no easy task to master with children. You always have to expect the unexpected and buffer your schedule accordingly.
The first thing I ask myself before accepting any blog work is, “How long will it take me to reasonably complete this project?” Then I add a few extra hours (or days) to ensure I can deal with the last-minute school project or tummy ache and still make my deadline. -Barb Webb, RuralMom.com
8. Batch Your Tasks
Be more productive by time chunking. In short, do like tasks together.
For example, instead of preparing one blog post from start to finish and then moving on to the next, spend one chunk of time outlining multiple posts at once. Then, carve out another chunk of time to flesh them out, and another to edit them.
Prepare your images all at once, create your social media promos at once and so forth. Think assembly line – a picture of efficiency. – Amy, AmyLynnAndrews.com
9. Delegate (aka. Don’t Try To Do It All!)
Working together for the good of the whole is a great family lesson to teach at home. This is what delegation is all about – dividing up the work to share the load.
As moms we often feel we have to ‘do it all’ which is a complete lie and will exhaust us. Determine what other family members can contribute and allow them to participate in making your house a home! – Susan Heid, TheConfidentMom.com
10. Use Your Smartphone
Take advantage of that tiny computer in your pocket!
When you get home from running errands and the kids are miraculously asleep in their car seats, when your teething newborn wants nothing more than to be rocked quietly for the next ten hours in the rocking chair, when one kid’s coloring and the other’s quietly playing with his Legos. That’s your golden ticket to knocking out a quick blog post on your smartphone’s WordPress app!
It may not be a post that’s perfectly tweaked for SEO, but it can help keep you from going ten months without writing a thing. -Steph Calvert, HeartsAndLaserBeams.com
11. Freedom@Will
Finding and keeping focus while being a stay at home mom can be extremely difficult. My quick “get in the zone” tip, is to ensure you have a prioritized daily to-do list (make this the night before). That way, when a free moment hits, you can jump right to it.
My second favorite tip is to use Focus@Will! It is designed to get you focused immediately, which allows you to tackle that to-do list in just a portion of the time. You may even complete your list before nap time is over – then you’re left with a few precious moments to yourself. Enjoy them! – Jillian, BabyDoodah.com
12. Prioritize.
Make a to-do list that prioritizes by urgency. Start with your top 3 tasks that must be completed and then any additional tasks can be carried over to another day if you don’t get to them the first day. – Janel Case, AMomsTake.com
13. Don’t Be Too Hard On Yourself!
My number one tip for time management is forgiveness.
Never be so hard on yourself about not getting everything you wanted to get done in one day that it stresses you out and sets you up for a bad day the next day.
Be proud of every little bit you get done in a day and approach each day with a smile. You get a lot more done when you are in a good mood, trust me. -Eschelle, Mumfection.com
13. Eliminate Distractions (As Much As Possible)
One of the most important time management tips for me is to focus in on what I am working on at the moment. The top thing that kills my productivity is distraction.
I close all browsers that don’t pertain to that task and I turn off all notifications on my phone. It is amazing what I can get done when I am focused on one task at a time! -Kelly Hancock, FaithfulProvisions.com
14. Jot Down Memories In Your Day Planner
As a busy working mother of two, I find it nearly impossible to keep up with a baby book or scrapbook similar to what my mother created for me. Still, I think that kind of memorabilia is really important.
So, I’ve started jotting down whatever I would typically add to a baby book directly into my day planner or online calendar. It is so much easier to sit down once every six months (or even once a year) to add all that has been compiled.
It removes the guilt of not keeping up with something I cherish as a mother and takes mere seconds to do. -Karri-Leigh Mastrangelo, DirtyLaundryandDirtyDiapers.blogspot.com
15. Use Apps To Manage Your Social Media
A lot of my blog traffic comes from social media platforms, and scheduling those shares is important. However, I often get “sucked into” scrolling through Facebook or Twitter, or checking my email.
I now do all of my scheduling through apps or plugins (I use Ahalogy and CoSchedule) and try to focus only on the task at hand (no tabs open with any other websites or email). I also do this when writing blog posts. Otherwise it’s too easy to get distracted! -Ruth, VivaVeltoro.com
16. Learn To Count Backwards
If you struggle with being punctual, counting time backwards is an excellent way to get where you need to be on time. Start with the time you need to be somewhere and continue to subtract blocks of time for each individual activity that needs to happen before you get there so you know when you need to leave.
For instance, things like getting dressed, stopping for coffee, going to the bank, finding parking, texting a friend, etc. Most people make the mistake of not allocating enough time for these types of activities so be generous and give yourself buffer time too.
The more realistic you are with your time budget the more likely you are to be on time! -Laura, Orgjunkie.com
17. Schedule Specific Tasks Each Day
To manage my blogging time efficiently, I set up times for different tasks.
For instance, from 8 a.m.-9 a.m., I go through my emails and reply as needed. From 10 a.m.-11 a.m., I work on pending blog posts. I take a break for an hour or so, then for the next hour, I take photos for upcoming projects (this happens to be the time with the best lighting at my house). I take a quick lunch break and a short walk, then get back to the grind!
I break up the afternoon by hours, making sure I take a break in between tasks. I do my social media promotion, check and reply to emails emails again. -Jennifer Regan, EightyMPHMom.com
18. Get The Kids Involved!
When it comes to cleaning the house get everyone involved, have fun, and make it a contest so that the time files. With more people working it will get done faster. For example I will give each of my children a taste and yell go to see who finishes first. We always crank up the music and have fun!
When it comes to blogging, set aside specific times like work and focus on what you need to do to get it done. This lets your children know when mom is working, let her focus. When she is not working it is time to play!
If you have older children get them to help out when you can, for example I have my children do their own laundry which cuts down on what I need to do. -Colleen, ShibleySmiles.com
19. One Final Tip:
Consider taking Crystal’s Make Over Your Mornings Online Course! You will be amazed and encouraged to see how just a few little tweaks to your day can completely change your outlook on life; and how productive your day can be.
What Time Management Tips Do YOU Have?
Tanya Peterson earns a full-time income working from home as a blogger. She blogs at Blogelina.com where she follows her passion to help other moms build money-making blogs. Her popular online class, Profitable Blogging For Beginners, has helped hundreds learn what it takes to start and maintain a successful, profitable blog. While blogging on the side, Tanya is also a homeschooling mom to four little ones, loves hosting gatherings in her home, and just recently has become obsessed with her new hobby – chalk paint!
How to Make Homemade Healthy Gatorade
12 Easy Meals to Make When There’s “Nothing” to Eat
How to Save Money on Makeup
Guest post from Laura of Life as a Loewen
I’m a girlie girl. I enjoy having my hair look cute and makeup on, even if it’s not totally perfect.
As a mom of 3 little ones, I don’t have much time to primp… but just as Crystal said that getting dressed in the morning does wonders for her attitude and productivity in her Make Over Your Mornings Course, I think the same is true for putting a little makeup on.
I’m no beauty blogger, but I do love feeling and looking put together, with minimal effort (and cost) to match my lifestyle.
Here are some ways I’ve found to save money on cosmetics, so that you’re not pinching every penny just for a swipe of lipgloss:
1. Know what colors look good on you.
Before you can go about purchasing the cosmetics, it’s important to know what colors will be flattering for your particular coloring. What you see on someone else won’t necessarily look right on you, so it’s important to do a little research to save you time and money.
You can take fun and easy online quizzes, like this one, that direct you to some great choices for your personal coloring, skin concerns, and look you’re trying to achieve.
TIP: most quizzes like these will ask if you have cool or warm undertones, which is key in discovering which colors work for you. Looking at the underside of your wrist, if your veins appear blue, you have cool undertones. If they appear green, you have warm undertones. And finally, if you see both, you’d be considered to have neutral undertones.
I have fair skin, dark brown hair and blue eyes. I now know I can’t wear all the same colors that my olive skinned, brown-eyed friends can wear.
When I embrace how I was made and work with it, I can find shades that are much more flattering on me and waste less money constantly purchasing makeup that seems a little “off” on me.
2. Set up a date.
With a professional, that is!
Many cosmetics places are more than willing to help you find just what you need, whether it’s the right mascara formula for your lashes or a total beauty look; the beauty professionals at a lot of makeup counters/stores are trained to help you look your very best.
When I was looking for the perfect shade of bright red lipstick, I went into a Sephora store and asked a lady working there to help me find it. She was super nice and helpful, and gave me multiple options to try on, while giving me honest feedback if a shade of red wasn’t quite right for me. I ended up purchasing a lipstick that I felt really good in, and it only took a few minutes of my time!
3. Keep practicing
I’ve found that watching beauty bloggers’ videos online is super helpful in learning new makeup tricks or how to put together complete makeup looks. I take what I want from them and then leave the rest.
Pretty much all makeup brands have articles and videos online that will help you learn things like how to do a smokey eye or apply lipstick so it lasts all day.
Using these tips and tricks, the key is to keep practicing! You’ll feel more confident with the makeup you do have as well as the color and formula choices you’re making, thus enabling you to spend a lot less on your makeup!
TIP: While the jury’s still out about this, I’ve found that primer seems to help my foundation look more streamline and stay on longer, and a bit applied to my eyelids, along with some concealer, really helps keep my eye-shadow in place.
You don’t need to spend a fortune on expensive makeup to look put together, but it will help if you’re armed with some knowledge to work within the budget and life you have!
Laura is a mama of three littles {and in the adoption process}, delighting in the Gospel of grace. Attempting to be genuine and raw, Laura seeks to find the humor in everyday life. She shares her journey through faith, motherhood, and marriage at LIFE AS A LOEWEN blog. Passionate about issues of social justice, and always up for a Motown dance party, Laura seeks to live with spirited intentionality.
How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck
I was honored to be interviewed by U.S. News & World Report about How to Stop Living the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Life.
Here’s a snippet:
For Laura Jones, it wasn’t a lack of savings that led to her living paycheck to paycheck. In fact, the 38-year-old Lawrenceburg, Indiana, resident had been diligently putting money away in her retirement account. However, when she lost a job, she realized her money was out of reach, and frugal living became a necessity.
“We tell people to put money into [retirement] accounts where you can’t touch them,” Jones says, “but [I’ve learned] you still need an emergency fund.” Jones eventually landed a job selling insurance and was able to put away enough in an accessible savings account for a year’s worth of expenses but not before going through a period of stretching one paycheck to the next.
People may end up living paycheck to paycheck for a number of reasons. They could be forced into the situation by events outside their control, or it could be the result of financial choices they made. Either way, it’s not an enjoyable way to live. Here’s how to get out of the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle and on a comfortable budget.
Read the rest of the post here.
How Choosing Gratitude is Changing Our Home
The following is a testimony from Deana of Redeeming the Days
I have always lived life with unbridled positivity.
For the past thirty-one years, I’ve prided myself in the fact that I can find a silver lining in just about any situation. That’s why the last six months have hit me so hard.
Back in late January, after much prayer, my husband and I realized a long-time dream of adoption when we adopted our fourth child through our state’s foster care system.
As we prepared to welcome our new son, I was sure that I could find a silver lining amidst all the hurt our new son had experienced in his seven years. Yet, as soon as he walked through the door, I struggled. The emotional grief of the losses he bore were heavy. And it wasn’t easy to help him carry those griefs.
It was hard to find the silver lining to his gray clouds of loss. Before I knew it, my usual positivity was nowhere to be found, and I felt emotionally down.
It’s been a difficult climb out of that valley, and I doubt that I’m completely out yet, as there is plenty of grief still to walk through with our little guy. But one day, during my daily check of MoneySavingMom.com, I saw where Crystal wrote about her Gratitude Journal and how much that daily discipline had affected her life.
I decided to give it a try. Every day, I would write everything I was thankful for in my journal. Little by little, I began to notice that instead of feeling down so much, I was intentionally looking for things during the day that I could write in my blessing journal. The tough things of my day just weren’t shining as brightly against all the blessings I had.
The practice of the Gratitude Journal has been a lifesaver.
As I got to thinking about how much I had benefited from the Gratitude Journal, I began wondering if my kids would enjoy it as much as I did. I didn’t want to invest much into the idea, just in case they hated it, so I went to the grocery store and bought them each a fifty-cent composition book. Every morning they start our Bible Time writing their blessings in their Gratitude Journals.
I had no idea how healing the practice would be to my children, but every day, each of them spend about 15 minutes working on their journals, writing, drawing, and counting their blessings.
The other day, I almost couldn’t contain my heart when our adopted son shared his blessings and said, “I am thankful for my mom and dad and my brother and sisters.” That was truly a special moment that would not have happened without our Gratitude Journals.
My positivity is no longer unbridled. It is forever tainted with the hurt, loss, and grief that my son has experienced and that my family and I now are very much willing to help him carry.
Through the practice of daily gratitude, I’m learning that even suffering isn’t all bad. Through life’s struggles, we learn qualities like perseverance, endurance, and trust. And we learn that God is always good, no matter what.
Deana is wife to Tim, and a homeschool mom to four beautiful children. She loves bird watching, front porch-sitting, and time spent in God’s Word. She writes about homeschooling, adoption and foster care, and her faith at her blog, Redeeming the Days.
OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!
Click here to download!
Buy a 2016 Planner, Get a 2015 Planner for FREE!
If you couldn’t get the coupon code to work when I posted this earlier, I’ve fixed the link and the coupon code should be working and is valid through Monday, August 10, 2015.
If you’re looking for a beautiful and easy-to-use Daily Planner for a homemaker/mom, you’ll want to check out this giveaway. This Daily Planner is versatile and it helps a homemaker to organize her days and duties.
Created by a mom of six (Sue Hooley) who wanted a planner that offered a lot of flexibility. I was very impressed with the sample planners Sue sent me and I think many of you will love these, too.
Sue understood that a homemaker’s day can rarely be scheduled and structured the same as the one before, nor can every task fit neatly into the time-slot allotted by other planners. Since her first publication in 2010, thousands of homemakers have benefited from the daily planner.
The Planner is spiral bound for easy use and the cover is laminated for durability. Two pockets included. It has seven sectional tabs:
- An overview of the year by month.
- Two-page spreads for entries each month.
- Two-page spreads for entries each week. This allows you to sketch out an entire week, day by day.
- A section to enter projected tasks.
- A section to enter specific projects.
- A section to keep a listing of personal contact information.
- A perforated shopping list section allows you to take the list with you.
Buy a 2016 Planner, Get a 2015 Planner for FREE!
Right now, if you purchase a 2016 Planner, you’ll get a 2015 Planner for free! That way, you don’t have to wait until January to start getting organized!
Use coupon code MSM48 to get an additional $1 off your order!
How We Save $3800 Per Year
Do It Yourself: Burlap Produce Bags
SchneiderPeeps.com shows you how to make homemade burlap produce bags.
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.
Making Over My Mornings… As a Night Owl!
Are you a night owl who wants to make over your mornings but doesn’t want to be told you need to get up early to do so? Have you been considering buying the Make Over Your Mornings Course but been scared that I was going to guilt you into trying to get up earlier?
If either of these things describes you, be sure to read April’s post on how she’s Making Over Her Mornings… As a Night Owl. Here’s a snippet:
I get up between 7 and 7:15 these days, but that is not always the case. Right now, Alan is in graduate school, so he keeps later hours than our norm.
I’m one of these people who has to stay awake until everyone goes to bed. I can’t help it. I do.
Since Alan stays up later right now, I do too. I’ve tried to build myself schedules that did not allow for my sleep needs.
Last year, I thought that in order to be a successful home school mom and blogger, I needed to wake up every morning at 6 am. And I turned into heavy-eyelids-unhappy-snappy Mommy.
No, thank you. I couldn’t even finish my day. I’d spend from 2 to 4 every afternoon just sort of laying on my bed and staring into space the whole first nine weeks of last school year!
Gradually, I realized that if I want to be a good mom, I need to sleep until 7.
Read the rest of the post here.
I’d love to meet you in San Diego on August 15, 2015!
Our team is so excited to be bringing our one-night Say Goodbye to Survival Mode event to San Diego on August 15, 2015!
This evening will be encouraging, inspirational, and actionable. I’ll be sharing from my heart and giving you practical steps to take to:
- Stop living life feeling stuck, exhausted, and overwhelmed
- Determine your most important priorities & find time to invest in what really matters
- Break free from the lie that whispers “I’m not good enough”
- Move past loneliness and build authentic friendships with other women
If you could use a boost to live with more intention, joy, and purpose, you won’t want to miss this special one-night event!
San Diego Say Goodbye to Survival Mode Event Details
When: Saturday, August 15, 2015 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM (PDT)
Where: Canyon View Church of Christ, 4292 Balboa Avenue, San Diego, CA 92117
What: A night of encouragement, laughter, inspiration, and getting to meet other local MoneySavingMom.com readers. Plus, I’ll be sticking around afterward to get to meet and hang out with everyone who comes!Go grab your tickets here. And invite a friend, too!
Psst! We have a special group rate for those who’d like to invite a group of women to come.
Any questions? Submit them here and we’ll be glad to answer them for you!
And if you’re planning to attend, be sure to RSVP on the Facebook Page here and then share the link with others you think would love to attend, as well.