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Shared Apr 11, 2015 comment

4 Ways to Make Fun Money Without Getting a “Real Job”

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 11, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Miriam:

Getting a job (or a second job) isn’t always feasible… especially for parents.

Fortunately, there are many ways to bring in some additional income without leaving your kids to daycare, sitters, or nannies all the time.

1. Swagbucks and Bing Rewards.

If you are just looking for a little bit of fun money to spend, Swagbucks and/or Bing Rewards are the way to go.

Searches, videos, and surveys can earn you small gift cards to places like Amazon.com, Target, and Starbucks in just a few weeks.

2. Babysitting.

If you are already caring for children at home and aren’t too overwhelmed, consider babysitting for another family. Done regularly, this kind of work can really add up.

3. Mystery Shopping.

This is a bit more involved, but signing up to do this a few times per month can easily get you $50 or more. You just need a Paypal account in order to receive the payments.

4. Online Surveys.

Typically, the points received from taking these surveys take a long time to accumulate. But you can earn some fabulous rewards.

I once earned a $20 Amazon gift card; it took a while, but refusing to check on my points totals for several months made it seem much faster!

There are many other simple, creatives ways to earn a little extra fun money without getting a “real job”, so i’d love to know…

How do you earn fun money?

photo source

Shared Apr 10, 2015 comment

Brigette’s $55 Grocery Shopping Trip + Weekly Menu Plan for 6

Published: by Brigette on April 10, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Since I got such great deals on bulk produce this week, I decided to keep the rest of my grocery shopping pretty simple. We still have eggs leftover from last week, and I will be using milk and meat from my freezer stash. I went ahead and stocked up on cheese even though we still have some and don’t actually need it right now. It was a good price, I had wiggle room in my budget – and there is no such a thing as too much cheese, right? 😉

Sawyer’s Produce

(We will be eating lots of strawberries and grapes over the next week, and then freezing or dehydrating the rest. This is ALOT of produce – much more in real life than it looks like in this picture!)

16 1-lb pkgs Strawberries – $10.00

18lbs Green Grapes – $12.00

4 2-lb bags of Green Leaf Lettuce (these are huge bags!) – $5.00

Total: $27.00

Walmart

2 32-oz bags of Baby Carrots (price matched Aldi @ $0.69/each – fantastic price for the big bags!) – $1.38

2 huge heads of Cabbage (price matched Aldi @ $0.99/each) – $1.98

1 24-oz container Cottage Cheese (price matched Bi-Lo) – $2.69

1 32-oz container Half and Half (price matched Food Lion) $1.97

1 32-oz container Egg Whites – $4.44

1 bunch Bananas – $1.11, plus receive $0.25 back from Checkout 51 – $0.86 after rebate

Total: $13.32

Harris Teeter

10 bags of Shredded Cheese – $13.00

1 box Reeses Puffs – $2.50, used $0.75/1 printable (doubled) – $1.00 after coupon, plus receive $0.25 back from Ibotta – $0.75 after coupon and rebate

1 box Honey Nut Cheerios – $2.50, used $0.50/1 printable (doubled) – $1.50 after coupon, plus receive $0.50 back from SavingStar – $1.00 after coupon and rebate

Total after Coupons and Rebates: $14.75

Weekly Grocery Total: $55.07

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Oatmeal and Strawberries x 3

Toast and Eggs (Veggie Omelettes for me) x 2

Cereal x 2

Lunches

Baked Potatoes with Cheese, Grapes x 2

Build-Your-Own Tossed Salad Bar, Strawberries x 2 (I plan on eating a tossed salad everyday for lunch since we have so much lettuce to use up!)

Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwiches on Easy Whole Wheat Bread, Baked Carrot Fries, Fruit

Leftovers x 2

Dinners

Three Cheese Baked Spaghetti, Tossed Salad with Homemade Dressing, Dill Bread

Chicken Gravy over Brown Rice, Steamed Broccoli, Tossed Salad, Easy Whole Wheat Bread (I will make a double recipe)

Egg Roll in a Bowl, Brown Rice, Fruit Salad

Homemade Cheese Pizza (meatless), Tossed Salad, Carrot Sticks

Ham and Potato Soup (using this recipe and subbing ham instead of hamburger – we still have a lot of ham in the freezer from a friend), Leftover Dill Bread, Tossed Salad

Leftovers x 2

Snacks

Coconut Almond Crunchies, THM Shakes, Strawberries, Grapes, Carrots, Strawberry Oat Muffins

Shared Apr 9, 2015 comment

Do you have questions about how to make money blogging?

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 9, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

As I was writing my next book about how to start your own business, it got me to thinking about how many mistakes I’ve made as a blogger and how much I’ve learned over the years when it comes to how to make money blogging.

I never would have dreamed 10 or 15 years ago, that I’d someday be making more than a full-time income through blogging. I never would have imagined even 7 or 8 years ago, that the income we’d be earning through our online business would be enough to support our family, support our team, and allow us to save and give generously.

There is so much possibility nowadays to make a good income online and to enjoy the flexibility and freedom that working for yourself on your own time frame brings. And I have a passion to share the knowledge I’ve learned with others.

Which is why I’d like to do a weekly post with tips and tactics I’ve learned for making money online. If you want to find a way to quit your job, work less, or be able to save and give more, I’d love to help you.

So, I’d like to open up the floor: What burning questions do you have when it comes to making money blogging or making money online? Leave a comment on this post or shoot me an email (crystal @ moneysavingmom.com) and I’ll do my best to start answering as many of these as I can in the following weeks.

Want some step-by-step help to get started making money blogging? Check out this post where I walk you through how do just that.

Shared Apr 9, 2015 comment

“How we’re living for just $200 per month — all summer long!”

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 9, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’ve been so inspired by Lori from Moms By Heart over the years. Her post today on how their family of seven is paying for housing, utilities, water, garbage, cable, and internet for just $200 per month is really impressive.

Read her post all about how they are making RV living work for them and how they made the transition to this lifestyle over the past few years.

Shared Apr 9, 2015 comment

What two words would you write in a note to your younger self?

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 9, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I saw this question on Facebook earlier today and really pondered it for awhile. What would your answer be?

Mine would be: You’re enough.

Stop chasing after people-pleasing, perfectionism, and performing. Just be you. Be all that God called you to be. Exercise your gifts and talents. Don’t wish you were her or try to be her. Learn from her. Be inspired by her. But don’t compare yourself to her.

Because you’re not her. You’re you. Embrace your talents and passions. Own the gifts you’ve been given. The world needs your gifts, your skills, and your talents. The world needs you.

Your turn. I’d love to hear what your two words (or four words — or however many words you need!) in the comments!

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Shared Apr 9, 2015 comment

Wheat Bread Machine Recipe

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 9, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

This easy homemade whole wheat bread will delight your tastebuds and likely be an instant hit with your entire family. It’s a great beginner recipe as it’s almost foolproof!

If you love homemade bread fresh from the oven, you HAVE to try this go-to bread recipe! It is healthy, super easy, and can be thrown together in less than five minutes if you use a bread machine.

You will love making this Wheat Bread Bread Machine Recipe

Guest post from Brigette Shevy

There’s nothing like homemade bread fresh from the oven! While I love baking and trying new recipes, this is my standard go-to recipe. It is healthy, super easy, and can be thrown together in less than five minutes if you use a bread machine.

I normally use all whole wheat flour (I grind my own using hard white spring wheat), but you can use any combination of white flour/ bread flour/whole wheat flour. I’ve even been known to throw in some other flours on occasion and make it multi-grain! The dough is extremely versatile and can be used for dinner bread, sandwich bread, rolls, and buns.

If you’ve never made bread before, this is a fabulous recipe to start with!

Bread Machine Whole Wheat Bread Ingredients

1 c. plus 1 T. warm water
1 T. coconut oil
1 T. other oil (vegetable, canola)
2 T. honey
1 t. salt
3 c. whole wheat flour
1 scant T. instant active dry yeast

Easy Whole Wheat Bread Recipe Variations and Substitutions

OIL: You may use any type of oil for this recipe, however, we highly recommend that you use coconut oil. I have made this recipe hundreds of times over the years, and the coconut oil absolutely does make a difference (especially if you are using all whole wheat flour). It makes the bread soft and light. I used to use various dough conditioners (wheat gluten, citric acid, etc), but found I didn’t need them anymore once I started using the coconut oil.

FLOUR: Store-bought whole wheat flour tends to be denser and not rise as much as freshly ground wheat flour. If you use store-bought wheat flour, I recommend doing one cup white or bread flour (or more) to two cups whole wheat for a better finished product. Another option is to add a couple of tablespoons of vital wheat gluten to the dough.

How to make this Whole Wheat Bread Machine Recipe

1. Put all ingredients in the bread machine, in the order listed, or in the order recommended by your bread machine model (I have a Zojirushi model).

2. Run the dough cycle (my bread machine has two dough cycle options, and I use the shorter one – 45min. total).

3. When the dough is finished, shape it into a loaf and place in a greased 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch pan, OR shape into rolls/buns and place them on a greased cookie sheet.

4. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes.

5. While dough is rising, preheat oven to 350ºF.

6. When the oven is preheated, bake bread for 30 minutes for bread (cover bread with foil after 15 min. to prevent over-browning), or 11-13 minutes for rolls.

7. Let the bread sit for 10 minutes after coming out of the oven, then remove the bread from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

8. Store in sealed bags at room temperature, or freeze for later.

How to make this Whole Wheat Bread by hand

1. In a large bowl, stir together 1 ½ c. flour, yeast and salt.

2. In another bowl, mix water, oils and honey until coconut oil is melted.

3. Add wet ingredients to dry and beat with a hand mixer for 1-2 minutes (or knead by hand for 10 minutes).

4. Gradually stir in additional flour by hand until the dough forms a ball.

5. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, adding additional flour as necessary.

6. Let rise in a greased bowl until double (approx. 45-60 minutes).

7. When the dough is finished, shape it into a loaf and place in a greased 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch pan, OR shape into rolls/buns and place them on a greased cookie sheet.

8. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes.

9. While dough is rising, preheat oven to 350ºF.

10. When the oven is preheated, bake bread for 30 minutes for bread (cover bread with foil after 15 min. to prevent over-browning), or 11-13 minutes for rolls.

11. Let the bread sit for 10 minutes after coming out of the oven, then remove the bread from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

12. Store in sealed bags at room temperature, or freeze for later.

Tips for making the perfect Bread Machine Whole Wheat Bread

Be sure to add the ingredients in the order called for (wet ingredients first) or your dough will not mix well.

Also, give your dough plenty of time to rise so your bread will be light and fluffy!

If you like a softer crust, brush the bread with melted butter immediately after it comes out of the oven.

Storing Whole Wheat Bread

Eat as much as you can when it’s still fresh from the oven!

However, if you have leftover, store it sealed bags or food storage containers at room temperature. This bread also freezes wonderfully if you want to make a bunch at one time. You can even slice it before you freeze it, which makes it really easy to just pull out one or two slices later on.

Whole Wheat Bread in Bread Machine FAQs

Why is my bread machine wheat bread so dense?

Dense or heavy bread is often the result of not kneading the dough mix properly. Another cause for dense whole wheat bread is because whole wheat flour has less gluten then bread flour or even all-purpose flour, and gluten is what allows bread to be soft, fluffy, and elastic, yet still maintain a good structure. You could try adding 1 T. of Vital Wheat Gluten to your dry ingredients when you mix the dough.

Is it cheaper to use a bread maker or buy bread?

Making bread from a machine is marginally cheaper than buying it, as long as you eat bread frequently enough to offset the cost of the appliance — which will cut into your bottom line for a while! That said, homemade bread has a higher nutritional value, so you can weigh those “costs” as well when deciding if making and eating homemade bread is worth it for your family.

Can I use regular flour in a bread machine?

Yes. While most breadmaching recipes call for bread flour, you should easily be able to substitute all-purpose flour for any of your favorite recipes. Or, like we’ve done here, swap in whole wheat flour!

Recipe

Whole Wheat Bread in Bread Machine

Author Brigette

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Rise Time 1 30

Equipment

Bread Machine

Ingredients

1 cup warm water
1 tbsp warm water
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp salt
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp instant active dry yeast

Instructions

Put all ingredients in the bread machine, in the order listed, or in the order recommended by your bread machine model
Run the dough cycle.
When the dough is finished, shape it into a loaf and place in a greased 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch pan, OR shape into rolls/buns and place them on a greased cookie sheet.
Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes.
While dough is rising, preheat oven to 350ºF.
When the oven is preheated, bake bread for 30 minutes for bread (cover bread with foil after 15 min. to prevent over-browning), or 11-13 minutes for rolls.
Let the bread sit for 10 minutes after coming out of the oven, then remove the bread from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
Store in sealed bags at room temperature, or freeze for later.

Notes

If you have a 2-lb bread machine, you can make a double batch of this dough. Just be sure to bake it in the oven (not the bread machine) as the instructions state.

Nutrition

Love this recipe?

Make sure to share and save it on your favorite platform below!

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Shared Apr 9, 2015 comment

Gretchen’s Target Shopping Trip: Spent $3.11 for 7 items!

Published: by Gretchen on April 9, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Target Shopping Trip

1 Purex Power Shot – $3.99, used 10% off Cartwheel coupon AND $2/1 printable AND $1/1 Target printable – $0.59 after coupons

2 Easter M&M’s – Marked down to $1.59 each, used 2 $1/1 coupon from the 3/22 RedPlum insert AND $1/2 Target printable – $0.09 each after coupons

2 cans Del Monte Pineapple Chunks – Marked down to $0.68 each

2 Horizon Sandwich Crackers – $3.49 each, used 10% off Cartwheel coupon AND 2 $1/1 Target printable AND Buy One Get One Free printable – $0.49 each after coupons

Total after coupons: $3.11

Shared Apr 8, 2015 comment

A Day In My Life: When my plan didn’t end up happening, but that was okay!

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 8, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

So, I promised you all I’d post about A Day in My Life on Monday evening… and well, it’s Wednesday morning and I’m just now getting around to getting the post done. Such is life some weeks, right? 🙂

The last few days have been very full. Full of wonderful times as a family. Full of wonderful times with friends. And full of many other responsibilities that have been more important than blogging.

But I finally have a quiet morning to write and finish this post!

Monday morning started bright and early. We’d had a busy Easter weekend and I woke up early to try to get caught back up on things. It didn’t really end up happening, but it was a nice idea. 🙂

After my Bible reading and blogging time, the kids got up and ate breakfast and then got started on their Daily Lists. I loved how Kaitlynn creatively decorated her list with sticker paper. That girl is all about beautifying every part of life and she inspires me!

The kitchen wasn’t in complete disarray, because Jesse had stayed up the night before cleaning it up for me. He knows that a clean kitchen is one big way to show me love, so multiple times per week, he offers to clean it up for me.

Silas was working on the letter “S” today. This curriculum is very basic and a lot of review for him right now, but it’s been good to reinforce all the letter sounds and how to correctly write each letter.

After cleaning up the kitchen and helping Silas with his school, I set to work cleaning up the rest of the house. I laughed as I realized how much Easter had spilled into our house! (It actually sparked some deep thoughts for me — which you can read here.)

After the kids did their chores and got started on their independent work, I worked on picking up the rest of the house and on the laundry. I had hoped to get all of the massive pile of laundry done, but I only made a dent in it before my time was up and it was time to have Morning Time with the kids.

After Morning Time, the kids asked if the could play with playdough and do the Word Searches that Miss Tam had given them in their Easter baskets.

They all sat at the kitchen table and helped each other on the Word Searches for quite a long time.

I especially loved watching the girls help Silas find the words in the Word Searches.

While they finished up Word Searches, I chatted with Jesse, did a little more housework, and then handed off the homeschooling reins to him and headed out to run on the treadmill, take my shower, and get ready for the day.

The afternoon at the office space was filled with phone calls, emails, taking care of some business projects, working on some blog posts, and answering comments. Before I knew it, it was 5 p.m.!

The day before, our friends, the Hodges, had discovered we’d never gone to Chuy’s to eat before. So we planned a dinner date there with them and then we invited a few other families to join us.

So I met Jesse and the kids there and we had a FUN evening of good food and lots and lots of laughter and good talks.

When we got home, I spent some time working on a project with Kathrynne that she needed to finish up, we put the kids to bed, and then I did a little more blogging before crashing into bed… without finishing up the laundry OR writing this Day in My Life post. Oh well, it was a good day and there’s always tomorrow (or Wednesday!) for writing blog posts and finishing up laundry! 🙂

~~Just for fun! Leave a comment and win this stack of books!~~

~~Want to win this stack of books + some fun goodies from The Tulle Box + a $50 iTunes gift cards? Just leave a comment on this post. I’ll choose and post a winner later this week.~~

The winner of this giveaway is: meghanbergunzi@ You should have received an email with details on claiming your prize.

Shared Apr 8, 2015 comment

You don’t need more of anything to be more content…

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 8, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

No matter how hard life is right now, remember that no one can take away your ability to choose your attitude in the middle of your difficult circumstances.

Choose joy. Choose love. Choose gratitude. Choose hope. Choose courage.

Shared Apr 7, 2015 comment

My 10 Goals For This Week + My Progress on Last Week’s Goals

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 7, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Last week, we made some fun memories prepping for and celebrating Easter.

On Friday, our friend, Tam, invited us over to decorate eggs and have lunch with her.

As you can tell, the kids had SO much fun coming up with all sorts of creative ways to color their eggs and I felt incredibly grateful for the gift of friends who love my children like this. It’s a beautiful thing!

And then, Tam and her husband, Brent, invited us and some other dear friends over to celebrate Easter. She had made Easter baskets for all the kids and a special Easter egg hunt — complete with specially marked eggs for each child with notes they had written to each child, money, and candy.

I’m blown away by the way these families have loved us and welcomed us here in TN since we’ve moved. It’s humbling, heart-warming, and it teaches me so much how to be better friend and to love others well.

We were so blessed by attending our church’s Good Friday Service. You can read more about it here.

Then, Sunday dawned a beautiful day! Not only was it a time for celebrating the true meaning of Easter, but we also loved the opportunity to serve in our church’s café together. We had fun shopping for food and supplies on Saturday and then we all worked together to get up and around and out the door by 7:30 a.m. in order to be at church in time to serve at all three services.

We opted to go for use-what-you-already-have-in-your-closet Easter Dresses this year. (Kaitlynn wanted to wear her green dress, Kathrynne didn’t care, and I looked briefly but couldn’t find a dress that I liked enough to actually pay money for!) I didn’t even realize until we all got dressed that morning that all of us girls were wearing green and polka dots!

{I was kind of proud of the fact that I watched a YouTube tutorial for this Dutch Braided Bun hairstyle and actually pulled it off… As a girl who typically can never replicate anything from a YouTube video without a major fail, this is pretty epic!}

Here’s an update on how I did on my goals last week:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

~~1. Decorate Easter eggs with the kids.~~

~~2. Write a love note to Jesse.~~

~~3. Continue working on developing the habit of obedience in our home~~ (I attended the Laying Down the Rails workshop at the recent homeschool conference and it’s really motivated and inspired us in our parenting. We’re choosing the habit of obedience to implement in our home for the next 6-8 weeks. Just a week of working on this and it’s already made a big difference. Watch this video here for a snippet of the workshop.)

Personal Goals

~~4. Exercise at least 5 times.~~

5. Finish at least two books.

~~6. Listen to at least two inspiring audios/podcasts while working/driving.~~ (I’ve recently been challenged to do a better job of using those little cracks of time throughout the day to fill my mind up with good things and things that make me think and analyze life.)

Local Ministry/Hospitality/Friendship Goals

~~7. Research how to make the best coffee with the new commercial coffee machine we got for our church’s café.~~

~~8. Host a Dessert Night at our house.~~

Business Goals

~~9. Outline/write 3 substantive blog posts for next week.~~

~~10. Finish all final edits for the Make Over Your Mornings course.~~

This week’s goals:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

1. Take the kids on a field trip to the Nashville Zoo.

2. Write a love note to Jesse.

3. Continue working on developing the habit of obedience in our home (I attended the Laying Down the Rails workshop at the recent homeschool conference and it’s really motivated and inspired us in our parenting. We’re choosing the habit of obedience to implement in our home for the next 6-8 weeks. Just a week of working on this and it’s already made a big difference. Watch this video here for a snippet of the workshop.)

Personal Goals

4. Exercise at least 5 times.

5. Finish at least two books.

6. Listen to at least two inspiring audios/podcasts while working/driving. (I’ve recently been challenged to do a better job of using those little cracks of time throughout the day to fill my mind up with good things and things that make me think and analyze life.)

Local Ministry/Hospitality/Friendship Goals

7. Have a lunch date with a friend.

8. Have friends from out of town over for dinner.

9. Finish reading a friend’s manuscript & writing an endorsement for it.

Business Goals

10. Outline/write 3 substantive blog posts for next week.

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.

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

Click here to download!

Shared Apr 6, 2015 comment

Help! Looking for the reader who wrote this comment!

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 6, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I have kind of a crazy request, but I’m trying to track down the reader who emailed me this tip about Cooking Clubs in 2008. If that was you or you know who it was, could you email me?

All You magazine would like to use the example in their print magazine, but I need to connect them with the reader so they can get written permission to use it.

If you didn’t write that comment, but you have participated in a Freezer Club or a Cooking Club and you’d be willing to share about your experiences and possibly be quoted in All You magazine, can you email me, as well?

My email address is: crystal @ moneysavingmom.com

Thanks so much!

Shared Apr 6, 2015 comment

How I Made Money Redecorating My Home

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 6, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Jennifer of The Intentional Mom

I love the change of seasons because it provides me with the opportunity to dress up my home in a whole new way as I accessorize with the colors and themes that each new season brings.

This past year, I found myself getting bored with the same accessories, but with a tight budget, there was just no wiggle room to allow for anything new, no matter what kind of deal I could find.

Determined to still make this happen, I decided to weed out decorations that I was tired of in hopes of selling them to earn the extra money that would allow me to turn around and buy some new and “new to me” things, too.

My plan worked like a charm!

I went to town weeding out things that I didn’t love, and if I hadn’t displayed it during the prior season, it went, too. At first it was hard, but as I got going, it was rather freeing to clear things out. I got rid of some cool wall sconces and a Pottery Barn wrought iron wall decoration in addition to candles, flowers, tablecloths, and pictures.

I sold some of these things in my garage sale, others I sold on Craigslist, but the bulk of what I sold was done on Facebook garage sale pages.

It took some time, but over a few months I had sold it all, leaving me with a little cash to play around with. Altogether, I had $174 to spend on new treasures!

In looking for new decorations, I knew the kinds of items and colors that I was looking for. With this in mind, I just waited patiently until I found things on Craigslist, the Facebook garage sale sites, and in stores that I got on sale and combined with a coupon.

I scored some amazing deals. I got a huge amount of “bang for my buck” when I bought someone’s former bridesmaids bouquets of artificial green and pink hydrangeas, orchids, and some greenery along with a bunch of tulle. I paid just $20 for over 75 stems altogether plus the tulle! I used what I needed in three different arrangements and then turned around and sold the extras I had left.

Among my other treasures were some handmade rustic items like a dining room table decoration with jugs, a large FAITH sign, and a fun hanging picture frame for a grand total of $40. I bought a new picture for my bathroom and some other hip vases and things, but the most amazing purchase was two brand new chevron chairs from Kohl’s for $25 each on clearance with a sale and Kohl’s cash during the holiday season!

Over the course of about six weeks, I had everything I needed and wanted. With all of my selling and buying done for now, I still have about $32 left over to spend on some new things for this upcoming summer or fall.

Had I never purged my home of the old things, I wouldn’t have had the resources to give my home a whole new look. The old saying, “out with the old and in with the new,” paid off for this frugal girl in a major way!

Jennifer is a busy, homeschooling mom of seven who enjoys keeping a home, living a frugal and active lifestyle, and loving the little and not so little people in my life. My mission is helping other moms find contentment in living intentionally every day over at her blog, The Intentional Mom.

Shared Apr 6, 2015 comment

My Monday Morning Plan + Today’s Cleaning Project

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 6, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Good morning! I hope your day is off to a great start!

After a full and wonderful weekend, my cleaning project for today is to just get our house back in order and to get back on top of our laundry. I let both slide in favor of time with friends, family time, memory-making, celebrating Jesus at church, and taking time to just rest.

Here’s my plan for this morning:

Bible reading/journaling
Blogging/Business work
Breakfast/Morning Time — start a load of laundry
School with Silas
Morning chores/pick up the whole house — switch the laundry
Get girls started on their independent work
Fold & put away the laundry — wash bedding
Run/shower
Ready to go — lunch made — head to work at our office space
Tonight: finish all laundry, remake beds, & go to bed with a clean house! 🙂

This evening, I’ll share a post about how our day went and give you an update (with pictures) on my progress on our house and the laundry pile. 🙂

Need some motivation? Check out my post on 10 Ways to Make Cleaning More Fun.

Want to join me? Leave a comment to let us know you’re participating! If you have time, tell us what your morning plan is, too.

Shared Apr 4, 2015 comment

The Top 8 Most Popular Posts From This Past Week

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 4, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

A Day In My Life: Flooded Bathrooms, Leaking Ceilings, and Entrepreneurial Kids

When You Feel Like You’re Failing at Everything (6 Things to Do)

Make 10 Organic Freezer Meals From Costco in 60 Minutes

How to Make a Homemade “Latte” in Less Than 2 Minutes

How a Family of 4 Happily Lives in a 700 Square Foot Home

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Shared Apr 4, 2015 comment

There will be no coupons in Sunday’s paper

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 4, 2015 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Just a heads up! Since tomorrow is Easter, there will be no coupons in the Sunday paper.

Enjoy your day with family — and don’t worry about having to collect, clip, or sort any coupons! 🙂

Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List

FREE Summer Bucket List!!

1. Swagbucks and Bing Rewards.

2. Babysitting.

3. Mystery Shopping.

4. Online Surveys.

How do you earn fun money?

Sawyer’s Produce

Walmart

Harris Teeter

Weekly Grocery Total: $55.07

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

Snacks

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You will love making this Wheat Bread Bread Machine Recipe

Bread Machine Whole Wheat Bread Ingredients

Easy Whole Wheat Bread Recipe Variations and Substitutions

How to make this Whole Wheat Bread Machine Recipe

How to make this Whole Wheat Bread by hand

Tips for making the perfect Bread Machine Whole Wheat Bread

Storing Whole Wheat Bread

Whole Wheat Bread in Bread Machine FAQs

Whole Wheat Bread in Bread Machine

Equipment

Ingredients 1x2x3x

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

Love this recipe?

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Target Shopping Trip

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Here’s my plan for this morning:

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Ingredients