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Work-At-Home Position Available: WordPress Tech
Our friends at Blogelina contacted me tonight to let me know what they have some paid work-at-home internship positions available. Here’s what they say about this opportunity:
Here at Blogelina, we’re excited to be adding to our team again! We’re looking for a couple of motivated, organized, savvy people to work with us in providing top WordPress support and services to our readers and clients.
Our WordPress Tech positions will start on a trial basis at 10 hours/wk. – for 1 month. At the end of the month, there could be potential to increase your hours if you would like to! Our internship compensation is $10/hr.
The Tasks We’re Looking For Help With Are:
- Basic WordPress Setups
- Blogger To WordPress Transfers
- Basic WordPress Design Tweaks
- Offering Amazing Customer Service To Our Clients
Requirements:
- Some Experience with WordPress.org
- Familiar with Domains/Hosting
- Preference Given To Those With Some Experience with html and css coding
- Preference Given to Those Familiar with Studiopress themes
Think You’d Be A Good Fit?
While we definitely plan on offering some on-the-job training, please be sure to review our requirements above before applying. Complete the following form and we’ll be in touch with you if you’re a candidate!
The Process
We’ll select the top candidates from the entries we receive. We’ll let you know you’ve been selected – and we might ask you a few more questions. Then we have a small challenge for each of the chosen candidates to narrow the results down to our final hires.
Fill out the form here to apply for this job.
How to Visit Legoland on a Budget
Want to visit Legoland in San Diego? Don’t want to spend a lot of money? Check out these tried and true tips for enjoying Legoland on a budget from Jessica over at Life as Mom.
6 Things We Rarely Spend Money On
Recently, I wrote a post on 6 Things Our Family Has Chosen to Splurge On. This post was one of the most-read posts I’ve shared the past few months and many of you asked if I could do a follow-up post listing things we don’t spend money on.
So, today I present you with the flipside post — 6 things we rarely spend money on:
1. Kid’s Clothes
I’m constantly asked how we save money on kid’s clothes and, to be honest, this is an area where we keep things really simple. My kids could care less about brand names right now.
They do have their own unique styles, but they willingly wear pretty much whatever I find for them on used clothing sites or through online deals. In fact, I can’t remember them really ever complaining about not having certain kinds of clothes.
It probably helps that we homeschool (i.e. they don’t feel left out or less than that they don’t have whatever is the current “hit item” or “hot must-have” item that everyone at school is wearing/talking about). I think it also helps that Jesse and I both are really simplistic when it comes to clothes and we wear the same things over and over again. So they pretty much follow suit.
{A few of Kaitlynn’s favorite pieces from our free Schoola order!}
So the truth is: in the past two years, we’ve gotten most of our kid’s clothes used from Thred Up and Schoola using credit that I’ve earned by sharing deals here.
You might be thinking that that’s not really fair since I do have a blog that a lot of people read and you don’t have a blog. Well, I bet you have some mom friends who would be excited about the current deal from Schoola where they can get $15 in FREE credit + FREE shipping just by signing up.
Sign up and share your referral link with friends and they can get free clothes shipped for free and you can get $15 in free credit for every person who signs up and orders! Score!
We also sometimes use our Amazon gift cards earned through Swagbucks to supplement kid’s clothes purchases — especially if I’m not able to find the right size, etc. on ThredUp or Schoola.
2. Snack Foods
Other than tortilla chips and Greek yogurt or yogurt tubes, we buy very little other prepared snack food. Instead, we usually make our own snack foods.
Some of our favorite quick and easy snacks are cheese quesadillas, popcorn, Energy Bites, hardboiled eggs, and fruit. I also try to have at least a few snack items pre-made and frozen all the time — whether that’s muffins, Banana Bread, burritos, cookies, or Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches.
We save a lot of money by eating mostly homemade snack foods. And as a side benefit, homemade is almost always healthier, too.
3. Professional Pictures
Confession time: We almost never get professional photos taken. I know, I know, that probably makes me a “bad mom” by some people’s standards, but it’s just never been a priority to us.
We do take lots of pictures and I try to document our daily lives on this blog, on Instagram, and on pictures I save on my computer. I prefer the real-life pictures that show some of the mess and chaos over staged pictures in a studio.
The few times we’ve gotten professional pictures done, it’s been so. much. work to get everyone looking presentable and smiling in pictures. The whole experience felt exhausting.
Plus, I’ve not really been too happy with the final results. So, for now, I’m just happy to mostly stick with taking pictures on my own camera and phone.
4. Nice Dinners Out
We budget for eating out once a week — which is definitely a luxury but something that we really enjoy. However, it’s usually an inexpensive meal at Chili’s, Chipotle, Cracker Barrel, or Chick-fil-A.
I can’t think of a time when we’ve taken the kids to a fancy restaurant and Jesse and I usually only going to a nice restaurant maybe once or twice a year, if that.
I’d rather stretch our eating out money as far as possible, instead of spending it all on one dinner every other month. 🙂
5. Movie Tickets
Going to the theater to see a movie is also a very rare occurrence in our family. I’d say we probably take the kids to 1-2 movies per year and Jesse and I probably go see one ourselves maybe once a year.
Some of the reason is that it’s expensive, some of the reason is that Jesse and I don’t get babysitters very often, and some of the reason is that we’re so picky about movies that it’s hard to find a movie we think would be worth seeing in the theaters.
Plus, while I love good movies, I usually find it more relaxing to enjoy them all snuggled up together on our L-shaped couch with blankets and popcorn. And when it cost us pretty much zero out of pocket to do so (thanks to free Redbox codes, free Amazon Prime movies, and other shows that are available free online), it just always seems like a better option than going to the theater.
The last movie I saw in the theater was Unbroken and that one was definitely worth paying to see in the theater.
6. Household Furnishings
You all know how minimalistic I am at heart and how much I just plain don’t care when it comes to furniture and decor. I mean, I like clean and uncluttered and I like fresh flowers, but other than that, I care much more about functionality and practicality than I do about how nice something looks.
So over the years, we’ve spent very, very little on home furnishings. The majority of our furnishings have come from Craigslist or have been given to us.
We have kids and we live here all day, every day, so wear and tear is inevitable. Because we’ve paid very little out of pocket for most of our furnishings, I don’t have to worry about something getting ruined or stained or ripped or nicked.
What about YOUR family? What are some things you rarely spend money on? I’d love to hear your list!
5 Thoughtful Mother’s Day Gifts That Won’t Break the Bank
Guest post from Asheritah of OneThingAlone.com
You’ll find plenty of great Mother’s Day ideas online, but so many of them require either a hefty sum of money or a complicated project that often results in glue gun scars, broken nails, or Pinterest fails.
If you’re looking for a thoughtful gift for your mom, your friend, or a subtle hint to drop your spouse, here are 5 gift ideas that won’t break the bank (or a nail):
1. Captured memories
It’s always good to be reminded of the good times on hard days. Pick special photos and put them to use. Place a photo in a larger frame with matting to look extra special. Make photo tile coasters or coffee mugs.
If you’re like me and can’t seem to find special photos (because you avoid the camera whenever possible), try to sneak in a picture together before Mother’s Day or find one on her Facebook page.
2. Date in a box
Pack a simple dinner in a picnic basket and give it to your friend (with an offer to babysit her kids, if applicable) for a surprising done-for-you date.
After days or weeks of constant mommy duty, what a relief to relax and not have to worry about dinner or the kids.
Here are some fun picnic basket ideas to get you started.
3. Encouraging quote cards
Write your favorite quotes or Bible verses on little cards and give them as a practical but encouraging gift. This is a give a mom friend the pep talk she needs to keep going.
4. Easy shoulder rub
Sometimes all a mama needs is five minutes to shut her eyes, lean back, and have a friend ease the tension from her shoulders.
Your friendship level will determine whether it’s a good idea to offer this or not, but if you don’t think it would be well-received, a 30-minute professional massage, while more expensive, will rarely be turned down.
5. Everything chocolate
When all else fails, a box of fine chocolates may hit the spot. You can make these easy chocolate truffles or cake balls (keeping some for yourself, of course), or pick up a box at your grocery store.
Whatever you gift you choose, remember it’s the thought that counts.
Your Mom and girlfriends will be pleasantly surprised that you remembered and made time to say, “You’re special to me.”
What are your favorite Mother’s Day gifts to give to others?
Asheritah helps overwhelmed women find joy in Jesus on her blog and through her books & art. She welcomes old and new friends to OneThingAlone.com to share a cup of tea and together pursue a relationship with Jesus. Also, she offers ready-to-print Scripture cards that might make a great Mother’s Day gift idea.
Shared Apr 29, 2015
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Gretchen’s Target Shopping Trip: $29.95 worth of products for $10!
Gretchen’s Target Shopping Trip: $29.95 worth of products for $10!
Target Shopping Trip
Transaction #1
3 Maybelline Mascara – $3.99 each (Buy 3, Get $5 Target gift card)
Used 3 $2/1 printableTotal after coupons: $5.97, Received $5 Target gift card
Transaction #2
2 pkgs Pull-Ups – $8.99 each
Used 2 $2/1 Target printable
And used 2 $2/1 printable
And used 5% off Cartwheel couponUsed $5 gift card from transaction #1
Total after coupons and gift card: $4.28
Total for both transactions before coupons and gift card: $29.95
Total for both transactions after coupons and gift card: $10.25
5 Reasons I’m Glad We’ve Chosen to Not Have Many Toys
I was doing a phone interview for a magazine yesterday and the interviewer asked me how to save money kid’s toys. I get that question a lot and it’s hard to know how to answer.
Because the truth is: we don’t really have many toys at our house.
When our first daughter, Kathrynne, was a baby and a toddler, we lived in a little basement apartment, so there wasn’t room for many toys. We had a little basket of toys she’d been given from grandparents and friends and that was it.
After our second daughter, Kaitlynn, was born, we continued to just stick with the small basket of toys. It was somewhat due to my minimalist nature, somewhat due to the fact that we didn’t have money to buy toys, and somewhat due to the fact that our girls seemed to find plenty to do without many toys.
I thought that might change as they got older, but even with adding our third child to the mix, it never changed. And so, our kids are now 10, almost 8, and almost 6, and we have very few toys at our house.
I never really realize we don’t have many toys at our house except for when we have guests over who have little children. They’ll ask where the toy room is or where the toys are and I’m not sure how to answer. Because it’s not that we are anti-toys; it’s just not been something my kids have been all that interested in.
Yes, we do have a few toys: we have outdoor toys (like balls, bats, rollerblades, rip sticks, and bikes), we have board games and card games, we have LEGOs, we have a few stuffed animals that are special to our kids, and we have lots of arts and craft supplies. But other than maybe a few odds and ends here and there in the kids’ room, we don’t really have many other toys.
No one in our house seems to miss the lack of toys. Our kids are constantly on the go: creating art, engineering new LEGO puzzle boxes, helping cook in the kitchen, reading, playing games, listening to audiobooks, teasing each other, playing with the neighbors, making up contests and competitions, challenging each other to learn new tricks on the rip stick or trampoline, practicing their sports techniques, exercising… they rarely lack for ideas and inspiration.
After I got off the phone with the interviewer yesterday, I started thinking about how glad I am that we chose to keep things simple from the get-go, because it’s really benefited our whole family to not have many toys.
Here are 5 reasons why not having many toys has benefited our family:
1. It Has Encouraged Our Kids to Be Creative
Not having a lot of toys has encouraged our children to become more creative.
Kaitlynn is constantly working on new arts and crafts projects — whether that’s painting or a DIY recipe for lip gloss or practicing her sewing skills or writing notes to other people. Almost every day, it’s a new idea and she’ll often spend a few hours creating and tweaking and experimenting. I love to see what she comes up with — and how she never lacks for ideas using what we already have on hand.
Kathrynne is continually working on building and dreaming up new LEGO Puzzle Box designs. She loves to watch videos on YouTube of Puzzle Boxes that others create and then she takes their ideas and tweaks them to be her own. She’s also currently working on some long-term business ideas and is studying, experimenting, learning from other people, and developing skills to help her with these business ideas.
Silas loves to help me in the kitchen and work on math skills (he will do lessons and lessons of math in a day — just for fun!) He also loves to make simple LEGO creations.
2. It Has Simplified Our Life
Not having many toys not only means we don’t have to mess with figuring out toy storage solutions, but we also don’t have to spend as much time cleaning up — since there really aren’t any toys to clean up.In addition, we have more room since we don’t have to have a closet or area devoted to housing toys. Plus, we don’t have to worry about missing pieces, broken parts, and battery replacement.
3. It Has Inspired Our Kids to Use What They Already Have
One thing we’ve noticed is that when there aren’t many toy options, our kids will play with the same item over and over again — using it in many different ways.
For instance, a simple box could serve as a counter for their “store”. The next day, it’s a car. The next day, they’ll cut windows in it and decorate it and make it into a house for their stuffed animals.
I’ve also noticed that, because there aren’t a lot of toys to choose from, it seems to help them focus on a project or idea for a long time without being distracted.
4. It Has Cut Down on Discontentment
Now, let me be clear, we still have discontentment issues going on at our house. But I feel like fewer toys seems to lend itself to fewer requests from kids to upgrade to something new or have something that their friends or the neighbor kids have.
It also helps that we encourage our kids to earn money by doing Paid Chores and then they are able to spend that money on fun things — usually more LEGOs, arts and craft supplies, or something similar.
5. It Has Encouraged Our Kids to Develop New Skills & Be Entrepreneurial
Because there are few toys and a lot of room for creativity, our kids are constantly learning new things — new craft skills, reading new books, learning how to play new games, studying subjects that interest them… every week, they are trying new things and learning new things.
All three kids also love to discuss and scheme entrepreneurial ideas — and then to have us poke holes in their business plans (kind of Shark Tank style). Yes, we may be weird, but we all LOVE this kind of stuff. Writing business plans, calculating profits and losses, and analyzing how to make an idea more profitable are all part of our regular conversations.
One of my greatest hopes as a parent is that I’ll raise lifelong learners. Kids who are curious about life, constantly want to challenge their minds, and see all of life as their classroom. I think having fewer toys has really helped encourage this in them so far. And I’m so grateful!
Note: Please know that I’m not advocating that every family needs to do what we’ve done. Maybe having lots of toys has been a great thing for your family. I can’t say what will work for you, I’m only sharing what we’ve done, why we’ve chosen to do it, and why I’m glad we have. As always, do what works for you!
Gretchen’s CVS Shopping Trip: Spent $2.46, Get $5 ECBs!
CVS Shopping Trip
I had ECBs that were expiring and I wanted to use them up before my CVS wouldn’t take them. This wasn’t my best shopping trip to CVS but I was happy to come away with at least $5 ECBs for next time. 🙂
3 Colgate Mouthwash – $3.79 each (Buy $10, Get $5 ECBs)
Used 2 $2/1 coupon from the 4/12 SmartSource insert (I only had 2 of these.)2 Emerald Trail Mix – $1 each (Only one of these made it into the picture.)
Used 2 $0.50/1 printableUsed $7 ECBs from previous shopping trip
Total with tax ($1.09): $2.46, Received $5 ECBs
We Paid Cash: A Delivery and One Week in the Hospital
A testimony from Reelika
Having a baby is always a miracle and a real blessing for entire family. But with all this excitement, huge lists of medical and delivery expenses come, as well.
I was in a hospital already three days before my son was born. I always knew I wanted to have a private family room and not to share the room with three other women and their babies — yes, this is how it is here in Northern Europe. The shared room is covered by health insurance, but the private one is not.
I never knew I’d have to stay in a hospital that long. But due to an emergency c-section it totaled up to a week and the cost of a room was calculated based on the number of days I stayed there.
The total cost of staying one week in a delivery room was almost my full monthly salary. But I paid it fully in cash!
Here is how I did it:
- I set my mindset earlier that a new life should not start with a debt.
- I did my homework and found out the potential expenses of a delivery room. I estimated the stay in a hospital up to five days.
- Once I found out about my pregnancy, I created myself a weekly savings plan for the delivery room.
- I learned to say “no” to many invitations that would have cost me too much money.
- I prioritized and focused on things that matter the most.
- I opened another savings account specifically for the baby and delivery costs. I had a portion of my money automatically transferred from the checking account to the savings each time I got paid.
- I took advantage of reading many educational books about finances and business as I also majored in.
- I made some extra income with freelance consulting.
- I decided to increase my emergency fund. I also went through my closets and sold any clothes I didn’t need anymore.
- I got used to the new lifestyle of living below my means.
Although I had saved a lot, the delivery room still cost more than I estimated. But since I stayed in a hospital longer due to the emergency c-section, I treated the situation as an emergency as well.
I decided to pull 15% of the delivery costs from my emergency fund and pay the remaining 85% with my savings. Just like that, my delivery and one-week stay at the hospital were paid off with cash!
Reelika is a working mom, entrepreneur, Christian, philanthropist at heart, financial management lover, travel enthusiast, and baking fanatic. She blogs at Financially Wise On Heels about personal finance and entrepreneurship.
Have you saved up and paid cash for something — large or small? Submit your story for possible publication here.
I rarely do this, but I’m wholeheartedly endorsing this…
The past few days, I’ve talked about the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle and told you about some of the resources and why I think it would be beneficial for your family.
Some of you have been hesitant about purchasing and you’ve emailed in or commented with questions. It makes me so happy that you are carefully considering your purchasing and not just jumping in and buying something because it seems like a good deal.
I am here to help you spend your money in the wisest manner possible. I turn down many opportunities on a daily basis to promote things because I only want to promote the best of the best here.
If you are not in a financial place to purchase the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle, will you do me a huge favor and just skip this post? The last thing I want to do is to encourage you to buy something that you can’t afford.
Why I’m Endorsing the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle
For the rest of you, though, I want you to carefully consider whether purchasing the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is a good deal for you.
As I told you earlier this week, I am very careful about what I promote here and turn down thousands and thousands of dollars in paid opportunities each year because I want to pick and choose only the very best stuff to promote here. And I believe with all my heart that the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is worthy of being on my “very best stuff” list.
I want to share 9 reasons why I can rubber-stamp this deal and stand behind it:
1. It Will Teach You How to Cut Your Grocery Bill
Most people think that feeding your family healthfully is going to mean you have to majorly increase your grocery bill. But that doesn’t have to be the case. With resources like the Frugal Real Food Meal Plans, Happy Mom, Healthy Family Meal Planning Workshop + Cookbook, and Grocery University, you’ll learn practical ways to feed your family well — without breaking the bank!
Value: These resources by themselves are regularly priced at more than the cost of the entire bundle. So even if these are the only three books you read/courses you take, it will have been worth buying the bundle. Plus, the tricks and tips you learn for saving money on wholesome food will likely end up paying for the bundle in savings over and over again!
2. It Will Help You Learn a New Skill (FREE Craftsy Class of your choice!)
I feel like there’s so much value in constantly learned and growing as a person. I don’t ever want to become stagnant. And that’s why I’m always trying new things, reading new books, and attempting to learn new skills.
So, I have to be honest: One of the things I was most excited about when it came to this bundle was the FREE Craftsy Class of your choice — up to an $80 value! There are classes on Cake Decorating, Food & Cooking, Gardening, Knitting, Paper Crafts, Photography, Sewing, and much more.
I ordered one of the digital photography classes as this is an area I really want to improve in. I have glanced through the online class and been very impressed with what I see so far and I can’t WAIT to dive into it.
Value: With the Craftsy class, you can learn a new skill or improve in a skill you already know — from the comfort of your own home on your own time table. You might end up turning this skill into a part-time business or just use it as a way to bless others or refuel your own tank. Whatever you end up doing with the skills you learn from the online class, I have to say that I think this is one of the best bonus offers of this bundle!
3. It Will Give You Step-by-Step Help to Feed Your Family Better
Do you want to help your family eat better and feel better but you’re just overwhelmed by all of the information out there? The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle comes with hands-on help ebooks like the Your Grace-Filled Journey to Real Food, Supermarket Ninjas, and Supercharged Food for Kids.
Value: These 3 resources mentioned are (again!) worth more separately than you’ll pay for the entire bundle. And the money you could potentially save on doctor’s visits and medication could be substantial. But not only that, think of the gift you’ll be giving your family by helping them live healthier lives!
4. It Will Inspire You to Exercise & Take Better Care of Yourself
Do you wish you could find a to follow through with all your great intentions when it comes to exercise and taking care of yourself? The Homemaking Bundle comes with a FREE $80 credit to the online Healthy Moving Class — a class designed to help you restore your natural physical alignment and take better care of yourself.
But that’s not all! It also comes with two high-value courses — The Healthy Home (a $95 value) and A Parent’s Guide to Natural Remedies (a $99 value). Both of these courses will help you find ways to have healthier homes and healthier lives.
Value: These two natural living courses and the Healthy Moving Online Class are regularly priced at $260 total — that’s almost a tenth of the cost of the entire bundle! So even if you only use one of these three things and that is the only resource from the entire bundle that you use, it will be worth paying $29.97 just for that one resource!
5. It Will Help You Cut Your Monthly Budget & Save More
Wish you could have some hands-on help to cut your budget and put more money in savings? Help is here! The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle offers multiple books and courses, including the 21 Day Savings Challenge, Become a Frugalista: Money-Saving Secrets for the Frugal Family Manager, Build a Budget that Works, and How To Save Money: A 21-Day Challenge To Save $500/Month that will walk you step-by-step though how to use your finances more wisely and put more money in the bank.
Value: Spend $29.97 to learn how to save a few hundred dollars per month? That’s what I call a deal! {Note: some of you really amazing frugal folks might already be doing everything outlined in these books… if so, you can always request a full refund — see below.}
6. It Will Give You Practical Advice for Earning Money From Home
I receive many emails from women wanting to find a way to earn an income from home. I also receive many emails from moms who have a home business and are struggling with figuring out how to juggle everything.
The good news? This course has ebooks to help you with both. How to Blog for Profit (Without Selling Your Soul) is one of the BEST blogging books out there and I can’t recommend it highly enough, How to be a Work at Home Mom will give you some very practical ideas on how to set up a successful business, and How She Does It will help you figure out how to actually balance and juggle working, homemaking, and being a wife and mom.
Value: These three resources may be some of the most valuable resources in the whole bundle. Why? Because they might teach you ways to earn 5-10 times what you spent on the bundle — every. single. month. Now that’s what I call a good return on your investment!
7. It Will Save You Money on Gifts For Others
One of my very favorite things about the Healthy Living Bundle is that you are allowed to gift any resources or bonuses you don’t plan on using or reading. Yes, you read that right! So if you only are interested in 10 of the ebooks, 2 of the courses, and 2 of the bonuses, you can give all the others away!
You could use these as gifts for a friend’s birthday or an upcoming special occasion. You could split them up as gifts for multiple friends. Or, you could just share them as a way to bless someone who is interested in healthy living.
The bonuses would especially make great gifts! When you purchase the bundle, you’ll get a FREE $15 Credit to Hope Ink PLUS 2 FREE 8×10 Art Prints, a FREE Kids Discovery Box from Green Kid Crafts (note: this is a subscription offer so you’ll need to cancel after you receive the first shipment!), a FREE Stylish Spring Scarf from Deborah & Co., and a FREE book of your choice from Tyndale Rewards.
Value: If you used three of the bonuses/ebooks as gifts for friends for upcoming occasions, that could pay for the cost of the bundle itself — because you wouldn’t need to spend any money (but the cost of shipping) on gifts for those three occasions!
8. It Will Give You New Recipes & Help You With Menu Planning!
If you are looking for recipes, encouragement, or inspiration for how to cook, bake, freezer cook, and menu plan when you have food allergies or you’d just love some menu-planning inspiration, this bundle is bursting with help!
You’ll find a plethora of ideas in the ebooks like No Cook Freezer Meals, Gluten Free & Grain Free Breads, Batters, and Doughs, The Healthy Breakfast Book, Treat Yourself: Real Food Desserts, 7 Simple Steps to Better Grain-Free Baking, Gluten Free Aldi Meal Plan, and more!
Plus, this bundle comes with a FREE 90-day subscription to the She Plans Dinner Menu Planning service.
Value: You won’t have to scratch your head and throw up your hands in despair wondering what you’re going to cook or bake. These ebooks will come alongside you and help you to feel like you can do this! You’ll find new recipes to cook, freezer meals to make, and lots of tried and true gluten-free recipes!
9. It’s a Risk-Free Purchase With a Money-Back Guarantee!
If you are still sitting on the fence right now wondering whether or not you should take the plunge and buy the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle, here’s why you should: it’s a risk-free purchase.
That’s right! There’s a 100% money-back guarantee on it for up to 30 days! So if you purchase it and then decide it’s not as helpful as you’d hoped or that it’s not worth the price you paid, you can get a full refund — no questions asked.
So what are you waiting for? Click below to purchase your Ultimate Homemaking Bundle while there’s still time!
P.S. Remember, this offer ends tonight (April 27, 2015) at midnight! Get it while you can!
OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!
Click here to download!
5 Must-Read Books from The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle
Confession time: I stayed up way too late last night reading books I downloaded as part of The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle. There is so much good stuff in this bundle — and I wanted to highlight 5 of the books that are my favorites so far.
{By the way, this sale ends tonight at midnight so today is your last chance to get all 99 of these resources for just $29.97! Go here to read more about The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle and why I’m highly recommending it!}
How to Blog for Profit Without Selling Your Soul is written by my friend, Ruth Soukup, who I think is positively brilliant — a term I don’t use lightly. The way she thinks and processes just blows up my brain.
She’s always experimenting, testing, tweaking, and strategizing. And she’s freely shared the resulting lessons and light bulb moments with me.
All I can say is “wow!” Because what she’s figured out really works. Case in point: by implementing the Pinterest strategies Ruth has shared with me, I have increased my site traffic by over 500,000 unique visitors per month!
Yes, I told you she’s brilliant! 🙂
Her ebook, How to Blog for Profit Without Selling Your Soul, is hands down the BEST blogging book I’ve ever read. It’s comprehensive, but not overwhelming, and packed with amazing information.
I love, love, love Tsh and her blog. She’s a huge inspiration to me in so many areas.
And her ebook, One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler, is fabulous. I read it over the course of a week and a half as I was doing my warm-up and cool down on the treadmill before my morning run. I enjoyed the book so much that I had trouble getting off the treadmill every day because I just wanted to keep reading. I guess that’s not a bad problem. 
As you probably well know, I love the concept of breaking things down into bite-sized manageable pieces. And Tsh’s ebook does just that. It gives you 52 bite-sized steps you can take to become more efficient, streamlined, and organized.
You know those things you always say you want to do someday? Like planting a garden, switching to natural cleaners, composting, setting up a system for paper clutter, organize your photo collection, learning to cook from scratch, setting up menu plans, planning regular date nights, or regularly turning off technology? Tsh gives you the tools, motivation, and encouragement you need to slowly make those positive changes you’ve hoped to make. And she makes it simple and doable.
Now I have to tell you: Tsh suggests that you pick one project per week for a year–thus the 52 projects. However, I’d suggest to maybe slow the pace down a bit and just pick one project every other week or once a month. That way, you can really take your time and let the changes really sink in before moving onto something else.
If you are struggling with balancing work and family, I think you’ll find this book by my friend, Anne Bogel, very insightful! From the Amazon description:
In How She Does It, author Anne Bogel unpacks these trends in family & work culture, and gets to the core of HOW you can make your work goals fit into your unique family situation.
Inside, you’ll find the personal success stories of 30 women who found – by playing to their unique strengths– solutions that really work for their families.
How She Does It will show you how to:
• Explore options for the shape of your work life, and plan ahead even before there’s a husband or kids in the picture.
• Abandon old limitations on home life demands leftover from previous generations.
• Embrace this changing landscape where it’s easier than ever to find time to work and be there for your family.
• Squeeze in more work hours without increasing childcare.
• Overcome common barriers like a tentative husband or a seemingly inflexible boss.
• Set priorities for your personal, budgetary, and family goals.
• Create a plan for your unique family situation.
• Adapt your work and family rhythms to the changing seasons of life.
• Meet other women like you who have walked the path of blending work and family–and succeeded.How She Does It is the roadmap you’ve been looking for – packed to the brim with the creative solutions, encouragement, and resources you need to make a plan that works in the actual, every day life of your family.
Project Organize Your Entire Life: The Quick Start Guide is packed with step-by-step encouragement to simplify and organize almost all areas of your home and family.
Stephanie is encouraging, realistic, and down-to-earth. Plus, she gives you ideas that you can tweak and adapt for your own family’s situation. There are also links to printable forms and lots of helpful articles and resources at the end of each chapter.
Okay, so this isn’t a book, but I still wanted to highlight it since it’s out product and all! 🙂
Grocery University is a 2 hour, 19 minute audio course that will teach you everything you need to know about making the most of your grocery budget, regardless of whether you’re new to bargain shopping or have been a super-shopper for years.
This original, in-depth course goes deeper than anything you’ve ever seen before and will have you stretching your grocery budget further than you ever thought possible! It’s produced by my good friend, Carrie Isaac, a mom of five and owner of Springs Bargains.
In this course, Carrie has taken her years of experience teaching live seminars and developed a comprehensive strategy that’s proven to reduce your grocery budget. Carrie produced this course in 2010 and sold it successfully to thousands of people. This past year, we bought the rights to the course from her, updated some of it, and are offering it as one of our products.
10 other books I read and found very helpful, too:
- Controlling the Spin Within – short, but highly motivational.
- Your Simple Home Handbook – I loved this step-by-step guide to simplifying your home.
- 12 Days of Christmas for the Hurting – so uplifting for those struggling.
- DIY Breakfast Station – such a fantastic idea. I want to try this ASAP!
- Drowning in Clutter? Don’t Grab a Floatie…Drain the Ocean – excellent advice for cutting clutter.
- 50 Frugal Dates – lots of great ideas.
- On the Road to Joyful Motherhood – great encouragement for weary moms.
- 10 Things You NEED to Know About Essential Oils Before You Buy – well-written & educational.
- How Do I Get It All Done?…and Still Have Time to Enjoy It? – motivational and inspiring.
- Simply Dressed: Inspiration to Dress for the Everyday Ordinary Days – great advice for simplifying & beautifying your wardrobe and for getting dressed in something other than yoga pants every day!
Grab all of these ebooks + 84 more ebooks, printables, and resources for just $29.97! This offer is only valid until midnight tonight.
Go get your copy of The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle here.
How I Simplified Our Home and Became More Content
Guest post by Sarah
Over the course of the last year, my husband and I have completely rewritten our life plans, moved away from the city we thought we would retire in, said goodbye to our best friends, gave away 1/3 of our possessions, and downsized our living situation from a 2600 square foot home to a 900 square foot apartment as we pursue this new dream.
The biggest surprise for me in this whole journey has been how much I’ve loved downsizing!
Here is what I have learned in the process:
1. I only own what I love.
In cutting down on our possessions, we asked a lot of questions. Did the item have great value – was it of high quality, an investment that we made? Did the piece have great sentimental worth – were we tied to it because of family history or special memories? Did the item serve a specific purpose – does it serve a necessary function in our home?
If an item met certain criteria, we kept it. If not, it was donated.
2. I don’t need as much as I think I do.
Because of this process of downsizing, I realized I had accumulated so much stuff without even realizing it. Our basement was filled with boxes of decorations and extra clothes and anything I wanted to hold on to “just in case I need it one day.”
But now, without these extra items, I realize that I am still content and still can live a full and joy-filled life because life is not made full by material possessions.
3. I opened up room in my life for things that mattered.
I am no longer worried about that season’s trends or decorations or the fact that I need a better mail organizer.
My heart is less tied to material possessions and is now more available to the little gifts that I see in our moments and sprinkled throughout our days.
4. I gained perspective.
It’s so easy to compare yourself against advertisements or movies or even your neighbors and friends, thinking you need more and more to keep up. But when I looked at our possessions with a different perspective, I saw how very much we have and that we actually are very well taken care of.
Once I silenced the driving need to keep up with friends or commercials, I have been able to find contentment with what we already have rather than being discontent with what I wish my life looked like.
The process of simplifying helped me to clean out our home yes, but even more so it helped bring about a new way of thinking for us.
Now we are much less apt to buy something without truly evaluating if it is worth it to us or if it is just a purchase to satisfy a short-term desire, and we have found much more contentment through no longer buying into the belief that we always need more.
Sarah is a mountain-loving, dark chocolate-eating, Frank Sinatra-listening, owie-kissing, truth-telling, freelance writer who seeks out a passionate life with her husband and two kiddos.
Shared Apr 25, 2015
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5 Things You Should Do Every Single Day — Even When Life is Stressful
5 Things You Should Do Every Single Day — Even When Life is Stressful
Are you in a period of life where it just feels like everything is overwhelming and out of control? Like you just have too much to do and too little time?
But you try as hard as you can to cut some things from your life and schedule and you just can’t come up with anything to cut?
Maybe you have a newborn and a toddler. Maybe you’re in the midst of a personal crisis.
Maybe things are really stressful at your job. Maybe you’re caring for a special needs child or an aging relative.
Maybe it’s a thousand other things…
I get it. I really do.
Some days, some months, and some years, life is just very exhausting and stretching. Sometimes, you just wish you could find a way to run away to a very quiet, clean place where you don’t have to worry about bills or work problems or kid’s struggles or health issues or any other things that can weigh us down in life.
If you’re in a season of life where you are feeling overwhelmed or if you would just love to find a way to have a little more order and structure in your life, I encourage you to develop the habit of doing these five things every single day.
They might seem so simple — and they are! — but if you’re not doing these on a daily basis, commit to making them non-negotiables for 3-4 weeks and see if it makes a difference for you.
1. Write a Short To-Do List
If you don’t have a plan, there’s a good chance you’ll live life just spinning your wheels and putting out fires. Pre-determine a few top priorities for each day and write these down on your to-do list.
I suggest no more than 5-7 items on your to-do list each day, otherwise, you’re probably setting yourself up for defeat and frustration.
2. Make Your Bed
Truth be told, this is something I’m still working on myself. However, I’ve been much more committed to making this a priority after watching this video. (Yes, go watch it. I’ll wait for you!)
Isn’t it amazing how such a simple thing can make such a big difference? 
3. Get Dressed in Something That Makes You Feel Great
Anne Bogel and Dear Abby Leigh have both written on the importance of “dressing for the life you want to have” and I think there is a lot of truth in this. When you put a little effort into how you dress, it can impact your entire day.
I want to write more in-depth on this topic soon as making dressing nicer a priority in my life in the past six months has actually made a huge difference in my productivity and overall outlook on life.
I’ve found that I get more done, I feel more energetic, and I just feel happier. It might almost sound weird, but I dare you to try it.
4. Do One Load of Laundry From Start to Finish
So, this is also something I’m still really working on. And I need about five more years of success before I should be preaching about anything laundry-related. 🙂 But what I can tell you is that by by following through and finishing all the parts of laundry every single day, I’ve experienced incredible freedom this past week.
I honestly had no idea how much being 3-5 loads behind on laundry all the time was dragging me down.
5. Keep Your Kitchen Clean
When my kitchen is clean, it feels like my whole house is pretty much clean. When my kitchen is messy, the rest of my house can be clean, but it will feel like the whole thing is a wreck.
Maybe I’m the only person who is this way, but I can’t encourage you enough to develop a system for keeping your kitchen clean. Just at least try it and see how you like it!
What works for us is to make sure the kitchen is completely clean twice a day. At night before bed, I load and start the dishwasher, wash/dry/put away any larger items that won’t fit in the dishwasher, and wipe down all the countertops and table.
In the mornings around breakfast time, I unload the dishwasher, re-load it with breakfast dishes, and wipe down/clean up anything that needs to be cleaned. Throughout the day, as we use plates/cups, we rinse and stick them in the dishwasher — which means that, for the most part, our kitchen always looks pretty clean.
And a clean kitchen makes me so happy!
Bonus: Take 5 to 15 Minutes to Do Something for YOU
Carve out a little time each day, if possible, to do something that fills you up. Whether that’s reading or napping or chatting with a friend or journaling or texting a friend or gardening… whatever it is, take time to refuel and refresh yourself so that your tank is not depleted.
But Wait! Is This Really Realistic?
Now, you might have read through all of those above and thought, that’s great, but I just don’t have time to implement any of that right now. Well, I wanted to show you a practical example of how you could accomplish all of it with minimal time and work each day.
So here’s an example of a morning and evening routine that wouldn’t require much extra time and effort but would allow you to accomplish all five of these things every day, plus more:
Example Morning Routine
- Get up, make your bed immediately, and make coffee (unload the dishwasher while the coffee is brewing).
- Spend 10 minutes journaling/praying/reading while you’re sipping coffee.
- Start a load of laundry.
- Do 10 minutes of quick exercise (maybe a YouTube video workout or a walk or run around the block).
- Shower, get dressed in something you love, do your hair and makeup.
- Switch the laundry from the washer to the dryer.
Example Evening Routine
- Load the dishwasher, start it, and wipe down all the countertops.
- Fold and put away the load of laundry you washed and dried in the morning.
- Lay out your clothes for the next day.
- Take 5-15 minutes to do something you love.
See? It doesn’t have to take hours of time!
Just being a little more intentional with your morning and evening routines to make sure you accomplish these important daily tasks can not only help you feel more organized, it will keep your house cleaner, and probably help you feel a lot less stressed.
What items would be on YOUR Daily Top 5 List? I’d love to hear!
Want some practical help with setting up your day for success? Be sure to grab a copy of my brand-new online course, Make Over Your Mornings.
This 14-day online course includes videos, a workbook, and step-by-step projects and is designed to help you revolutionize your productivity, streamline your routines, invest your time in things that truly matter, and find more joy and peace in the process.
If you’ve ever wished that you could figure out how to get more done, have more organization in your life, and find time to spend on things you love, the Make Over Your Mornings Course is for you. Find out more about it here.
Weekend Giveaway: $50 Lilla Rose Gift Certificate (5 Winners)
Who needs some new cute hairstyle options that only take a few minutes to pull off? If that’s you, you’ll want to check out this giveaway today…
Have you heard of Lilla Rose? Lilla Rose is the maker of the popular and unique Flexi Clip. The Flexi allows you to achieve some beautiful hairstyles in a very short amount of time.
We got a sample of the Flexi in the mail and Kaitlynn immediately asked if she could borrow it from me. She’s had all sorts of fun using it to create adorable hairstyles.
Here’s an example of the kind of hairstyle Kaitlynn did with her hair (no that’s not her — she’s sick in bed this weekend, otherwise I’d have her model some of the styles she came up with!).
This weekend only, Jessica, a consultant with Lilla Rose, is offering a giveaway for 5 $50 Lilla Rose gift certificates to use on anything on her site.
Jessica is a homeschooling mama to 4 little ones and she emailed and said: “Lilla Rose has been an amazing blessing to me and my family – not just financially but giving ME something to focus on and regroup when I needed some downtime.”
There are 7 different sizes of the Flexi — one to fit every type of hair! These clips are flexible, durable, and stylish and they come with a one-year warranty! Head over to this website for some videos on styling your hair with Flexi Clips.
Lilla Rose also offers cute, adjustable headbands, hair sticks, heavy-duty bobby pins, you-pins, flexi-ohs, and badge clips. We got to try out the adjustable headbands and the heavy-duty bobby pins and Kaitlynn and I have had so much fun using them. They are a great way to quickly dress up a boring hairstyle!
Create an account (only if you don’t already have a consultant) to be notified of sales and news on the limited edition Flexi of the month (FOTM). Also, follow Jessica’s Facebook page for specials and giveaways!
April’s Flexi of the Month is the Tulip Field — see above. It’s only available while supplies last.
Interested in earning money from home as a Lilla Rose consultant? You can start your Lilla Rose business for $50 and it requires no monthly requirements or quotas, no fees or hidden costs! If you have questions on becoming a consulting, you can contact Jessica here.
Would you like to win a $50 gift certificate to Lilla Rose? Click on the graphic below and type in your name and email address. Five winners will be chosen and posted next week. Please note: The gift certificate does not cover tax or shipping/handling. This giveaway ends Sunday, April 26, at 11:59 pm, CST.
How I Paid $550 for $3,700 Worth of Braces
Guest post from Marie
At nearly 14, my son’s last baby tooth had finally fallen — I was filled with elation but also dread. We always knew he would need braces (we’re talking major orthodontic help) as he was born with a snaggle of slow-growing teeth and was missing an adult canine tooth.
It’s a genetic trait several family members share, and they have all ended up with partial dentures as adults.
Fortunately for my son, dental implants are now the norm, but they start at about $3,000 per tooth. How was I, a divorced mom, going to pay to straighten out what was there, and plan for what will come?
Saving Up
I started putting away $10 a week since my boy was 10, giving me more than $1500 so far. Working for a coupon company, I cut every corner I could and put any excess into braces and college funds. My work insurance also paid a portion of orthodontics.
By January of this year I’d saved up $2,000; but braces tend to run $3,500 and up in my area, and he’d need more than the norm. He’s a good-looking kid but refused to smile and it broke my heart. It would only get worse as he entered his teen years. I had to do something.
Seizing a Deal
The answer came unexpectedly a few weeks ago when I attended a fund-raiser for a new magnet middle school. I went as a favor to a friend who was selling her jewelry in a booth. I was surprised by the number of handicrafts and silent auction items.
I promised myself I’d steer clear of beauty products and artisan clothing – wants instead of needs – and then I came upon the most unusual “deal” I’d ever seen: $3,700 worth of metal braces from an orthodontist whose son attended the fledgling school.
Doing My Research
A deal like this would not be worth it if the orthodontist had a bad reputation. A quick survey of attendees who knew him and a Google search on my phone showed he was a respected professional with no complaints filed against him. I had to do this. The opening bid was $500. I held my breath and bid the next allowable amount: $550 — and I won!
A Deal Waiting for Me
Sometimes you have to spend money to save money, whether it’s grocery stockpiling or buying in bulk or a pre-sale price. This fell into the latter category for me. Even if the $3,700 didn’t cover all the work he needed, it would lighten the load.
When the initial appointment time came around, I was nervous. What if my son needed so much work my $3,700 and insurance would be just a drop in the bucket? I did not want to use credit with a high interest rate to pay it off.
A Pleasant Surprise
It turned out the orthodontist, a kind man, works with families with small budgets and even works on a sliding scale with families receiving public assistance. I didn’t fall into that category but he agreed to honor the auction deal. My son gets a full set of braces next month and all adjustments until the work it done.
Planning Ahead
Yes, he will need a retainer with a false tooth until he is old enough to get the implant, and that step of the journey will run at least $5,000. Insurance will pay part of that, if I have the same coverage in five years. To be safe, I will continue to save and should be able to afford it, and my son will be able to afford to smile again.
Marie Hickman is a TV journalist turned savings writer. She and her son live a fun, frugal life in Palm Harbor, Florida. Follow her on Twitter at @MrsHickman777.