Saving Families Money Since 2007
Should I confess that I have never even been to an IKEA before? Yes, it’s true!
However, after reading this post on 22 Items You Need to Look For at IKEA, I wanted to go just to check it out — because some of those prices were quite impressive.
Do you agree with this list? I’d love to hear what you feel like are bargains at IKEA and also what items you feel like are not worth buying there?
Our three kids are going to Camp in the City this week at our church. It’s run by Pine Cove Camps — an organization our family absolutely loves.
They are having a BLAST! And they are surprising us, too, because they’ve gotten up really early both mornings so far this week, gotten ready to go, packed their backpacks, and made their lunches — all with very little help from us!
As one child in particular usually really struggles to function at all before 8:30 am, this is a pretty big deal at our house! Here’s to hoping it continues the rest of this week!
By the way, how on earth do we have three kids that are all old enough to go to camp? They look so grown up in this picture that it almost took my breath away… So grateful for these three and the opportunity to be their mom.
Jesse and I are not quite sure what to do with ourselves all week long! It’s very, very rare that we leave our kids together, so it’s incredibly weird to think they’ll be gone all day during the day every day this week. We looked at each other and said, “I guess we better start getting used to this since in 12 to 15 more years, this will be our life!”
It’s good to have these reminders that our time to invest in our kids is fleeting and that we want to make the most of every day.
Last week’s goals:
Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals
1. Finish one read aloud book with the kids
2. Write a love note to Jesse.3. Go through and declutter at least two rooms in our house.
Personal Goals
4. Exercise at least 3 times.
5. Finish reading at least one book.
Local Ministry/Hospitality/Friendship Goals
6. Help the kids write notes to Grandma for her birthday.{Of course, they got these written and then I promptly forgot to send them before my trip to VA. :(}
7. Write notes to our Compassion-sponsored kids.Business Goals
8. Prep for speaking at the Virginia Homeschool Conference this weekend.
9. Finish writing a chapter I’m contributing to an ebook compilation project.
10. Read through the entire manuscript of my new book(psst! You can see the cover and read more about it here.)
This week’s goals:
Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals
1. Have a Family Movie Night with the kids.
2. Have an at-home movie date with Jesse.
3. Go out to breakfast with Jesse.
Personal Goals
4. Exercise at least 3 times.
5. Finish reading at least one book.
Local Ministry/Hospitality/Friendship Goals
6. Meet with our church’s Ministry Coordinator about plans for our church’s coffee bar.
7. Write a note of encouragement to a friend going through a difficult time.
Business Goals
8. Prep for speaking at the Acworth, GA Say Goodbye to Survival Mode event this Saturday. (Are you coming? Let me know if you are in the comments! I can’t wait to meet you all!)
9. Launch the Make Over Your Mornings weekly email newsletter (Psst! If you’ve purchased the course, look for this fun, encouraging, and newsy email from me to land in your inbox later this week!)
10. Work on marketing copy and endorsement requests for my new book (You can see the cover and read more about it here.)
How did you do on last week’s goals? What are your goals for this week? I’d love to have you share your progress on last week’s goals and your goals for this coming week in the comments. Of, if you’ve blogged about it, leave your direct link below. Let’s cheer each other on to live purposeful and productive lives! You can download a free customizable weekly goal-planning sheet here.
FeathersInOurNest.com shows you how to make a homemade iced mocha.
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.
I was honored to have the opportunity to record a very authentic and vulnerable podcast on What To Do When You Feel Like Quitting Your Blog. If you’ve ever felt like quitting your blog or something else you’ve poured a lot of effort into, I think this will encourage you.
In this podcast, I share:
Guest post from Jamie of From His Presence:
Do you ever get discouraged when your journey seems slow?
If so, you’re not alone. I struggle with discouragement sometimes when my plans go haywire, or when I run into unexpected obstacles. However, I’ve found several things that really help me kick the blues to the curb.
If you’re struggling with maintaining your courage, these tips might help you too. Here are three sure-fire ways to encourage yourself, no matter how slow your journey:
I am working on getting healthier. But when I look at my long-term goals, like reaching a certain body weight or eating a whole-foods diet, sometimes I feel overwhelmed. Those big goals can seem awfully far away.
If you’re the same way, try celebrating the process, not just the results. Instead of trying to lose two pounds this week, set a goal to just exercise three times. When you do, you’ll feel pumped each time you exercise because you’ve done something to reach your goal.
No matter what your goal is, the process — every workout, every dollar of debt paid off, every shelf organized — will get you there. If you celebrate each small step, it’s easier to stay on track.
Last year, I began keeping a two-page, year-at-a-glance calendar in my planner. In the box for each month, I wrote down all the work I did throughout the month, whether my goals were completed or not.
Keeping this calendar made a huge difference for me all year long! When I felt like I wasn’t making any progress, I looked at that calendar and saw all the work I had done throughout the year. Even when my goals were still far away, it really encouraged me to see undeniable proof of my progress!
If you feel like you’re spinning your wheels, keeping a progress calendar might help you too. When you feel blue, seeing that record of your work can inspire and motivate you again pretty quickly.
If you only make big goals, you rob yourself of opportunities to get pumped up about your little wins.
I like to set small goals sometimes because I just need the inspiration that comes from achieving something — anything! 🙂 If my goal is small, then I know I can probably reach it. And when I do… you guessed it! I feel like a million bucks and want to do more!
So if you’re discouraged, why not allow yourself some small wins? For example:
Anything you do will inspire you, and you’ll feel fantastic just because you made progress! An easy win can make all the difference.
Whether you’re working on organizing your house, getting healthy, building your savings account, or anything else, sometimes we encounter unexpected snags. In difficult times, however, keeping your courage up is half the battle.
Jamie Rohrbaugh is a writer, an encourager, and a lover of Mexican food. Her passion is to inspire and equip people to live powerful lives and to function in their gifts. She blogs at FromHisPresence.com about how to live ordinary life in God’s manifest presence.
Since we’ve had a bad experience with ads on YouTube, I was excited to see this post from Jenae on How to Watch YouTube Videos Safely With Kids.
{Read the story behind this picture here.}
So, I know I’ve not been posting much about books recently. It’s mostly because I’ve kind of been up to my eyeballs in this thing called launching a course and, oh yeah, finishing up my own book.
I’ve still been reading, but I’ve been reading a lot more of my own words a lot while doing edits for the course and my new book and that’s been keeping me from voraciously being able to read as many of other peoples’ words as I’d love to.
But, the good news is that MY NEW BOOK IS ALMOST DONE!!
Yes, for real. Let’s pause for a moment of silence for that. Because, y’all, writing my third book has sort of gutted me. In a good way.
I feel like some of my lifeblood was shed in the writing of it. And while it may have aged me by a few years, it may have caused my eyesight to go down a little, and it may be the cause of why I now have arthritis in my hands, but it was worth it because I’m thrilled with how the final product is turning out.
(When my chiropractor broke the news to me that the pain in the joints of my hands is actually arthritis I wanted to holler out, “But wait, how can that be? I’m only 17!” And then I remember while I might still think I’m 17, I’m actually almost twice that age!! Yikes!)
At any rate, I have the next-to-the-last proof right now and am reading every single word to make sure it’s exactly just so. It is incredibly gratifying to be so close to the finish line with this manuscript.
We’re now in the middle of all of the fun stuff — planning out the marketing campaign, lining up media opportunities, and planning some exciting things for the launch. I can’t wait to share more once September and October roll around (the book hits stores November 3, 2015!)
So all that said, I’m finally coming up for air again and back to reading a lot more of other peoples’ books… and oh how I have missed it!
When I read Lisa-Jo’s Summer Reading List a few days ago, I was inspired to write one of my own. However, I thought maybe it’d be fun to break it up into a few different installments. So for the next few months, I’ll be sharing a post each month with 4 books you should read this summer.
These will be some of my very favorite recent reads, including read alouds our family has enjoyed. I hope it inspires you and gives you some new titles to request from the library this summer. And maybe you’ll even fall in love with them as much as I have. 🙂
4 Books You Should Read This Summer
Hands Free Life
Okay, so I’m sort of jumping the gun on this one since you can’t read this one this summer (unless you got a pre-release copy to review like I did!). But I just couldn’t help myself!
This book spoke to me at a deep, heart level. It challenged me to stop hurrying through life, quit worrying about what other people think, and start savoring the ordinary, everyday moments. I smiled through parts, cried through other sections, and came away from the book with fresh resolve to make each day count — not in more efficient productivity but in more meaningful relationships with others. Highly, highly recommended!
Note: Hands Free Life doesn’t come out until September, but I encourage you to go pre-order it or ask your library to order a copy. And while you’re waiting, be sure to read Hands Free Mama, if you haven’t already.
Me Before You
This book made it in my Top 10 Books I Read in 2014 list, but I had to share it here, too. This was one of the most heart-breaking, compelling, and thought-provoking books I’ve read in a long time. I thought it was very well-written and found it hard to put down. In fact, I read the entire book in one day!
Caveat: This book is not written from a Christian perspective, has quite a bit of language, and the plot line deals with suicide in a very raw form. I didn’t agree with the outcome of the book, but it made me dig deep and think hard… and books that do that are ones I feel are very worth my time.
Dear Mr. Knightley
Ever read a book that you just don’t want to end and when you finish it, you want to meet the characters in real-life? That was this book for me.
The first part of the book starts out slowly, but once I got to about page 40, I couldn’t put it down. Lisa-Jo highly, highly recommended it and now I know why!
It delves into some deeper issues of how past hurts and rejection can wound people so deeply that they hide their real self for fear of further pain and rejection. It’s a beautiful story of healing and redemption and of how to love and reach out to hurting people.
The Cricket in Times Square
This book was a huge hit at our house with all the kids. It starts out a little slowly but quickly picks up into a fast-paced adventure that all of our kids loved.
They would beg me to read extra every day because they enjoyed it so much. And we were very sad when we finished the last chapter.
What are YOU reading right now? What would be on your list of 2-4 books someone must-read this summer? Tell us in the comments!
It was another full week, but such a good week! Here are 5 things I’m loving this week:
I spoke at a homeschool conference in Virginia yesterday and was so, so blessed to get to meet so many wonderful readers! Thank you to those of you who came to my sessions and came up to meet me afterward. Your kind comments and words of encouragement truly uplifted me.
The woman on the left in the picture above came up to me with tears in her eyes and told me that she’d met me at a conference a few years ago, bought my book, and 4 days later, their house burned to the ground. The only books that survived the fire? Their wedding album and my book! She wanted me to sign the somewhat charred copy… How cool is that?
The little girl on the right was utterly precious and came up to me after a talk (where I shared about teaching our kids to be givers) and said she was going to give all the money in her piggy bank away to people who need it!
Both of these stories were incredibly touching to me! Being away from my family at least a few days each month for speaking is always hard, but it’s oh so worth it for the chance to get to meet amazing readers and hear their stories!
I flew home from Virginia this morning and the above picture is what my afternoon looked like. The first thing I did after hugs and kisses? Change into my comfy pants. I would likely live in these all the time if I could! 🙂
Jesse made Baked Oatmeal while I was gone and brought me a bowl of it warmed up and topped with berries and whipped. Pure deliciousness! That man knows how to woo his woman!
{No, my suitcase was not unpacked yet in the picture above… Curling up with a good book took precedence this afternoon.}
Recently, we’ve been having such good conversations with our kids. Oftentimes, they are the result of hard issues and situations — all part of the growing up process.
I’m grateful to have the opportunity to teach, nurture, train, and pour into them. To have these heart-to-heart talks and discussions. Being a part is a big job and sometimes it feels exhausting and overwhelming, but when you get to have deep and meaningful conversations and see your kids soak it up, it makes all the effort worth it.
This week, I had a conversation with a good friend that was really hard. I’d honestly been dreading it for days. I knew I needed to address a situation and bring up a tough subject and I was almost sick to my stomach about it (I avoid confrontation if at all possible!)
I’m so humbly grateful that this friend received my words with grace, listened and accepted the honesty and heard my heart behind it. And it opened up the door for a restored relationship as well as a deepening of our honesty in our friendship.
What about YOU? What 5 things are YOU loving this week? Tell us in the comments.
1 pkg Roma Tomatoes – $0.99
1 Cauliflower – $1.69
1 loaf Bread – $0.99
1 pkg Tortillas – $1.19
1 Half & Half – $1.89
1 dozen Eggs – $1.84
1 pkg Rice Cakes – $1.29
1 canister Raisins – $2.89
3 cans Green Beans – $0.48 each
Total with tax ($1.02): $15.23
Homeland1 Old Orchard Juice – $1.35, used $0.50/1 printable (doubled) – $0.35 after coupon
1 pkg Blue Bunny Ice Cream Bars – $2.85 – used $1/1 printable (doubled) – $0.85 after coupon
2 Hershey’s Chocolate Caramels – $2.09, used $1/1 coupon from the 5/31 SmartSource insert (doubled) and $1/1 printable (doubled) – $0.09 each after coupons
1 pkg Baby Carrots – $0.89
1 Dannon Activia Yogurt – $1.59, used $1/1 printable (doubled) – Free after coupon
1 Suave Bodywash – $1.50, used $0.50/1 printable (doubled) – $0.50 after coupon
1 Old El Paso Refried Beans – $1.79, used $0.50/1 printable (doubled) – $0.79 after coupon
2 Hormel Bacon – $2.49 each, used 2 $1/1 printable (first one doubled) – $0.99 each after coupons
Total with tax ($1.03): $6.19
1 gallon Milk – $2.50, used $0.20 Ibotta rebate – $2.30 after rebate
1.41 lbs Organic Broccoli – $2.66
1 Lettuce – $0.99
1 Kroger Mouthwash – $1.59, used Free coupon that was mailed to me – Free after coupon
2 pkg Tyson Chicken Drumsticks – Marked down to $2.38 and $2.40
2 KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce – $1.25 each, used $1/2 coupon from the 5/17 SmartSource insert – $0.75 each after coupon
2.11 lbs Bananas – $1.24, used $0.20 Ibotta rebate – $1.04 after rebate
2 pkg Strawberries – $1.25 each
1 pkg Raspberries – $1.25
1 pkg Kroger American Cheese – $1
2 Larabars – $1 each, used 2 $0.40/1 printable – $0.60 each after coupons
8 Clif Bars – Marked down to $0.25 each, used 2 $1/4 coupon from Mambo Sprouts Spring Savings booklet – Free after coupons
Items a part of the Mega Sale (Buy 5, Save $5):
2 Clorox Bleach Toilet Cleaner – $0.99, used $1/2 printable AND $0.50 Checkout 51 rebate – $0.24 each after coupon and rebate
3 Oxiclean Laundry Detergent – $3.99, used 3 $3/1 printable – $0.99 each after coupons
2 U by Kotex – $1.99 each, used 2 $1/1 printable – $0.99 each after coupon (Plus received $2 catalina)
2 Edy’s Ice Cream – $2.49, used $1.50/2 coupon from the 5/17 SmartSource insert – $1.74 each after coupon
2 Barbara’s Puffins Cereal – $1.99 each, used 2 $1/1 printable – $0.99 each after coupons
1 Kashi Cereal – $1.99, used $1/1 mailer coupon – $0.99 after coupon
2 Shout Stain Remover – $1.99 each, used 2 $1/1 printable – $0.99 each after coupon (Plus received $1 catalina and $1.50 catalina)
1 Gogurt Yogurt – $1.49
Total with tax ($4.42) after coupons and rebates: $38.99 (and received $4.50 in catalinas)
Total for all grocery items: $60.41
Menu Plan for This Week
Breakfast
Cereal & Juice x 3
Toast & Eggs x 2
Oatmeal x 2
Lunches
Cheese, Crackers, Fruit, Veggies x 2
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Carrots
Tuna Sandwiches, Fruit
Macaroni & Cheese, Fruit Salad
Baked Potatoes with Steamed Broccoli
Leftovers
Dinners
Chicken Drumsticks, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans
Hamburgers, Corn
Chicken & Rice Casserole, Broccoli
Salad Bar, Homemade Bread
Venison Roast, Carrots, Potatoes
Leftovers
Out to eat
Our team is so excited to be putting on a special one-night Say Goodbye to Survival Mode event next Saturday (June 20, 2015), in Acworth, GA (near Atlanta)!
This evening will be encouraging, inspirational, and actionable. I’ll be sharing from my heart and giving you practical steps to take to:
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!
Find out more information about this event and purchase tickets here. We have a discounted group rate for those who’d like to invite a group of women to come.
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.
P.S. Want to have us bring this one-night Say Goodbye to Survival Mode event to your church or women’s group in late 2015 or 2016? We’d love to chat with you about that! Just fill out this form here and we’ll be in touch with more information on dates we have available and how we can serve your church or women’s group.
Guest post from Leah
As a longtime reader of MoneySavingMom.com, I have learned the importance of wisely budgeting to mitigate emergencies. In fact we know that using money wisely can turn an emergency to an inconvenience.
What I didn’t realize is that sticking to a budget also allows me to take advantage of unexpected opportunities.
Earlier this year, the opportunity arose to take a trip to Greece, with a longtime mentor. Now I’d never been out of North America before, let alone to Europe; but I’ve been trying to say “yes” to life’s opportunities. So I considered.
Unfortunately, it was $2,000 for a 10-day trip!
Gulp. Big decision. To make it worse, I had only about two days to decide.
This was not something to be considered lightly, but after some deliberation and counsel, the answer was clear – YES. I said yes to Greece!
It may seem like an impulsive decision to spend $2,000 with only two days to think about it, but honestly, this decision is the fruit of years worth of budgeted living.
I would have never been able to say “yes” to this trip if I hadn’t:
Now I did sell some items on Amazon.com, and I also dedicated some money from my tax return to offset the cost of the trip, but I know that if it hadn’t been for many years of faithful budgeting, this decision never would have been possible.
Seven cities and two countries later, and I caught the travel bug. I can’t wait to go back!
So when you cancel that subscription, or pass by that department store in favor of the thrift store, or choose to purchase your furniture from Craigslist, or check that book out of the library instead of purchasing it new, or when you say “no” once again to something that others consider necessary, just remember that it is for a purpose.
We choose to live intentionally so that we can not only handle life’s catastrophes, but also so that we can live a full life on our OWN terms, not just surviving, but thriving. Taking advantage of every opportunity!
Leah is the oldest of four girls, works in the restaurant development world with a degree in Business Management, and enjoys exploring intentional living. This includes meaningful relationships, CrossFit, long-distance running, good books, and maybe the occasional piece of dark chocolate.
Zaycon Update: I promised you last week that I would let you know what I thought of my Zaycon order, and I have to tell you – I am HOOKED! 🙂 The chicken is so much fresher and better-tasting than what we have gotten used to, and the whole ordering online/picking up experience was super easy, quick and painless (I didn’t even have to get out of my car!).
Obviously, the main attraction for me was the price – it’s hard to beat $1.69/lb for boneless, skinless chicken breasts! You do have to purchase 40lbs minimum, and since it is fresh, it needs to be packaged/frozen/taken care of pretty soon after you pick it up – so it does require a little bit of work. 🙂
If you have a pick-up location in your area, I would definitely recommend it. I know I plan on buying all my chicken this way from now on!
1 16-oz pkg Baby Carrots – $0.99, plus receive $0.25 back from Checkout 51 – $0.74 after rebate
1 8-oz carton Heavy Whipping Cream – $1.89
1 24-oz container Cottage Cheese – $2.29
2 16-oz cartons Egg Whites – $3.98
1 2-lb bag Carrots – $1.19
1 bag Mini Sweet Peppers – $1.99
2 containers Baby Artisan Lettuce – $3.98
2 Avocados – $1.38
1 32-oz tub Nonfat Greek Yogurt – $3.69
1 5.75-oz jar Green Olives – $1.19
2 1-lb pkgs Ground Turkey – $3.88
1 1-lb bag Tilapia Filets – $3.39
1 jar Kosher Baby Dills – $1.29
1 24-oz pkg Vine Ripe Tomatoes – $1.29
2 cans Green Beans – $0.98
1 4-ct pkg Sweet Corn – $1.49
1 head Cabbage – $1.29
Total: $35.83
10 8-oz pkgs Shredded Cheese (B2G3) – $13.00
1 18-ct carton Extra-Large Eggs – $2.95 (YIKES! And this was the cheapest I could get them anywhere this week. Have your egg prices gone up as much as ours have? And does anyone know when the bird flu is going to be over?!)
2 16-oz pkgs Butterball Turkey Bacon – $5.58, used 2 $0.75/1 printable (doubled) – $2.58/2 after coupons
1 16-oz can Mama Francesca Parmesan Cheese (B1G1) – $2.15
2 16-oz pkgs Butterball Turkey Rope Sausage – $5.58, used 2 $0.75/1 printable (doubled) – $2.58/2 after coupons
1 16-oz can Old El Paso Refried Beans – $1.69, used $0.50/1 printable (doubled), plus $0.50/1 Harris Teeter evic, plus receive $0.50 back from SavingStar – $0.31 MM after coupons and rebate
1 gallon Milk – $2.99
Total after coupons and rebate: $26.93
Flower Foods Bakery
8 assorted pkgs of Bread, Buns, and Bagels, reduced – $4.00
Total: $4.00
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Oatmeal and Strawberries (from the freezer) x 2
Homemade Granola x 3
Yogurt (leftover from last week), Toast x 2
Lunches
(My goal for lunches this week is to finish up all the oranges and apples that we have accumulated in our fridge over the last few weeks! :))
Baked Potatoes with Cheese, Oranges, Mini Peppers x 2
Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwiches, Apples, Carrot Sticks x 2
Hard Boiled Eggs, Oranges, Toast
Leftovers x 2
Dinners
Pan Fried Tilapia, Oven Baked French Fries, Corn on the Cob, Tossed Salad
Grilled Hobo Packets, Oranges, Italian Cheese Bread
Homemade Cheese Pizza, Raw Veggie Plate with Ranch Dressing Dip
Sweet and Sour Chicken Over Rice, Cooked Carrots, Apple Slices
Spaghetti Carbonara, French Bread, Green Beans, Tossed Salad
Dinner Out with Friends
Leftovers
Snacks
Smoothies (using frozen fruit from the freezer and fresh oranges), Popcorn, Chewy No-Bake Granola Bars
The following testimony is from Bethany:
Back in 2012, I shared how I saved $275 by digging out my tire receipt, to utilize the manufacturer’s warranty that had come with the tires, when they didn’t last as long as they should have. Today, I thought it was time to share how those manufacturer warranties (not extended or purchased) continue to help me save.
I had purchased a pair of dress shoes back in May of 2014, and as I walked into work 5 months after purchasing the shoes, I suddenly felt a bit unsteady. I lifted my foot and found the heel had started to separate from the shoe.
When I got home that night I sent an e-mail to the shoe company’s customer service group and they advised that I could ship the shoes back to them and they would send me a gift card for the current value of the shoe (I had lost my receipt). Within a couple weeks, I had a $40 gift card in my mail box to the store I had purchased the shoes from!
Worse than a broken heel though, is eggs stuck to my non-stick $52 & $108 sauté pans. I was so disappointed when my sauté pans stopped functioning as they should, and the coating on the $108 pan had started to chip.
We started to look at new pans one day, but then I remembered that these pans came with a lifetime guarantee. Again, a simple email to the customer service department, they validated my purchase (they were able to look it up by my name), I shipped the faulty pans back to them, and within a couple weeks I had a brand new product. $160 saved – thank you lifetime guarantee!
Finally just a month ago my husband purchased a new watch – but every time he put his hand in a wall (he’s an electrician) he would bump the side button and the watch would reset to EST – we are on CST. This was extremely frustrating for him, so he went and bought a different one. However, I remembered that the store we purchased the watch from had a 60-day satisfaction guarantee – and he wasn’t satisfied so I returned it and they accepted it with no issue. This ended up saving us about $35!
Often times, when a product isn’t working anymore, we tend to simply toss it in a junk drawer or throw it out – but I encourage you to think twice before tossing that broken item.
Consider taking a few minutes to write the manufacturer or look up the return policy for where you bought the item. Even if you don’t have the receipt they may give you an in-store credit.
Companies only know a product isn’t working if consumers tell them. I believe that companies who back their product with a lifetime guarantee truly expect their product to last and would want to correct the issue if it hadn’t lasted.
Y’all. I continue to be utterly blown away by your kind comments and emails about my new Make Over Your Mornings course. Truly. We’ve never, ever seen the kind of response and excitement to anything we’ve launched as we’re seeing with this product.
Thank you for your sweet words, for believing in the message of this product, and for spreading the word. I am so grateful to hear how it is changing lives!
Here’s a post that Cara from The Home Learner wrote. You’ll want to click through and read the whole thing — I think you’ll be very inspired!
I’ve been circling. Imagine toilet bowl with me. Yes, it’s felt that bad.
Stress mounting to the point of spiraling out of control, and no matter the amount of know-betters and best-intentions I’ve truly been in constant conflict with myself.
I was going through one of the roughest days I’ve had in a very long time. And no matter how much I could pray through and ask for more faith to trust, at the bottom of everything I was feeling was this demand to know the source – was this a test to make me stronger? Or a temptation to see me fail? Should I beg for mercy, wait, and endure? Or should I fight back, get tough, and push through?
I felt like I was at the fever pitch of what my self-control could handle and yet there was more coming at me than I felt like I could bear. I couldn’t see clearly to the end of the day, let alone the end of the problems.
Guest post from Beth of BethDemme.com
As this school year winds down, I found myself more eager for summer than ever. I celebrated the end of this school year with unprecedented glee.
I love summer because it means more family time, more traveling, and no homework. To avoid wasting the golden opportunity that is summer, we start the summer with specific goals.
Here are my top three tips for setting great summer goals:
Children spend the school year learning what teachers tell them they have to learn. Summer is an opportunity for them to choose their subjects.
For example, last summer my son wanted to learn magic. At the beginning of the summer, he used some his own savings to buy a few magic tricks. He worked on those illusions any time summer boredom threatened. At the end of the summer, his dad and I got a free show!
Service is important throughout the year, but the free-time offered over the summer makes it even easier to schedule family service projects.
Here are some great summer service projects you can do with your children:
Remember to set a learning goal for yourself, too. You’ll probably be in your minivan less and, hopefully, sitting by the pool more. You can use that time to explore your own interests.
I have a few topics I’m interested in so I’ve made a “Learning Plan List.” For me they’re all Bible related, but your list could be anything — a time period you want to learn about, a new genre of books you’re interested in, or even a set of recipes you want to try.
Here’s a great tip — don’t forget about audiobooks! There are amazing books and lectures available in audio formats (check Audible and iTunes). You can put in your earbuds and absorb an incredible amount of information this summer.
By the end of this Summer, your whole family will feel energized and ready for the Fall.
Beth Demme is a mom, public speaker, and sometimes lawyer. She’s all about Learning to Live Loved. You can read more at BethDemme.com.
