Money Saving Mom®

I haven’t had a chance to post A Peek Into Our Week posts the past few weeks. So I thought I’d do a recap of February, instead. It was fun to review the month and see so many different things we did and tried and learned and experienced!

We started a Daily Morning Time in late January and it’s become one of my very favorite times of the day. We all gather before lunch to sing, read from a few different books (we’re reading from Aesop’s Fables, The Children’s Homer, Portraits of Integrity — a book on how historical figures demonstrated character qualities, plus our current read aloud), and review our memory work.

My kids’ excitement over spending this time together blesses me so much! These are the homeschooling and mothering moments I will forever hold in my heart and cherish. And homeschooling moms, I cannot recommend the concept of daily “Morning Time” highly enough. It has breathed such fresh new wind and life into our home and family.

Watch the video here to get a peek into our Daily Morning Time. 🙂

We had our very first Say Goodbye to Survival Mode one-night event in Mississippi and were thrilled that over 140 people showed up — especially because the church that hosted it was in the tiny town of Purvis, MS!

The women in Purvis were amazing! So warm, friendly, gracious, and welcoming. I was incredible blessed and encouraged to be there. Thank you, all, for having me!

{Our next Say Goodbye to Survival Mode one-night event will be on June 20, 2015 in Acworth, Georgia — right outside of Atlanta. I’d love to get to meet you there!

There are a number of other churches and groups very interested in hosting a similar event in other areas of the country, so stayed tuned for more details on where all we’ll be holding these events in the coming months! In addition, if you’d like to bring this event to your church or women’s group, you can find more information on how to do so here.}

While I was in Mississippi, Jesse took the kids to a fun Movie Night at our church. They were supposed to wear PJs and had popcorn, movie candy, and this fun photo booth!

As the kids get older and we’re training them to be able to help with more and more chores, I just can’t believe how much of a difference it makes in our workload and how much cleaner our house stays — without me having to do much work at all!

Moms of littles: keep on and know that one day soon, your hard work is going to pay off and you’ll be working yourself out of job… Don’t give up!

This was a fun surprise to get in the mail in February! My first book, The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget, got published in Chinese. It’s my first time to have a book translated into another language and it feels rather surreal!

Our little kitchen helper… This guy’s heart to serve blesses me so much! There’s rarely a cooking job that he’s not anxious, excited, and willing to help with.

My kiddos bought this bear for me for Valentine’s Day. And it just makes me so happy!

Every time I look at it, I smile… Not because I’m a big stuffed animal person, but because I know that so much heart and love for their mama is represented by this gift.

As a mom, I often make mistakes and have to ask forgiveness, but I’m so grateful for my children’s forbearance with me and their willingness to love me despite my shortcomings. God is good.

We took a trip back to Kansas for 5 days (and it was so busy the whole trip that I failed to get one single picture!). We came back to TN to a blanket of snow on the ground.

This might not look like much snow, but in TN, this was a LOT of snow — and it ended up mostly shutting down the city for 5 whole days. There was a thick sheet of ice underneath the snow and, because the temperatures were so cold, it took days for things to finally thaw out.

We ended up staying home all day for five whole days because all of our activities were cancelled and the roads were icy. So we just stayed put.

I’m usually a homebody, but I ended up feeling quite cooped up after a few days — especially because it was so cold that I just wanted to stay cozied up under a blanket all day long. So then I had troubled motivating myself to get up and clean the house, which meant that it quickly got messy!

Someday, I’m going to miss the days of busy little people in my house who leave a trail of books, craft odds and ends, papers, stuffed animals, and random scores from claw machines behind in their wake. (My kids are actually claw machine pros — studying techniques on YouTube videos and constantly perfecting their abilities. Cracks me up since it flies in the face of my minimalistic, frugal nature. But they LOVE it, are so good at it, and they can usually get quite a lot for just a few of their quarters. So I just go with it since I figure there are many much worse vices and, in most all other respects, they are usually really great at money management!)

One of my favorite times of each day is the quiet morning hour before the house is awake. My routine is something like this: light a candle, spend time in God’s Word, go through the the current #SheReadsTruth study, and read a few chapters from the current devotional/spiritually encouraging book I’m reading.

This is my fuel and foundation for the day. A few years ago when I only had babies and toddlers, this wasn’t possible (I was doing great to get in 5 minutes of Bible/prayer most days!). Moms of littles: know that someday you will actually be able to have a consistent daily quiet time!

For now, just soak up the season you’re in, pray while you’re cooking or nursing or changing diapers, listen to the Bible and uplifting music on your phone throughout the day, and sneak in moments here and there to refresh and encourage your heart!

It only took me about five hours of frustrated failed attempts and watching multiple YouTube videos, but I finally perfected the seed stitch! And now I’m working on making a head wrap for the cold winter days we’ve been having here.

It feels so gratifying to have learned a new skill, even if I’m a v-e-r-y slow learner. I love challenging myself to try different things and never grow stagnant as a person. I’m a better wife, mom, friend, writer, and business owner as a result.

Kathrynne was feeling a bit under the weather one day a few weeks back so Silas volunteered to make her one of her favorites: boiled eggs. With my supervision, he boiled them, rinsed them, peeled them, and then served them with a smile.

When my kids take initiative to serve their siblings it’s one of the best momma-gifts there are!

My bedtime routine is even more enjoyable than my morning routine. Here’s how it usually goes: clean up the kitchen with Jesse while our kids get ready for bed, snuggle with the kiddos/chat and then tell them goodnight, make myself a cup of herbal tea with cream, take my pills/vitamins & wash/moisturize my face, write out my to-do list for the next day, and then settle into bed with a good book or to watch an episode of Downton Abbey with Jesse and work on a knitting project.

I don’t always follow this perfectly, but I’ve found that even a loose before-bed routine followed consistently makes such a difference in our home. We all reap the benefits — not only in calmer evenings and better sleep — but it paves the way for a more peaceful morning the following day.

One afternoon last week, I had to opportunity to do some filming with Kelsey Humphreys for her upcoming online TV show.

Every time I sit in front of a camera or stand on a stage, I’m reminded of the fact that God often chooses those who are least qualified so that He is glorified. I ran away from opportunities like this for years out of fear and insecurity.

I still struggle with feeling afraid and not good enough, but I’ve learned that when I step outside my comfort zone and say “yes!”, I get to see God show up and do great and mighty things on my behalf. What He can do through broken vessels who are willing to be obedient to His call — even when it feels so scary! — constantly amazes me!

Speaking of stepping outside my comfort zone, I spent too much time last week putting together 14 different outfits for the 14-day course we’re filming this coming week. This is a minimalist’s nightmare — especially because it involves the trying on of many different outfits and attempting to piece together as many varieties as I can from what I already own.

I’d probably rather be slowly piercing my eyeballs with a burning stick. However, part of running a business is dealing with dreaded details like this. And so, I persevere in the spirit of pursuing a high-quality finished product and not utterly boring fashionistas worldwide with 14 days of the same outfit. 🙂

In February, I read the book The Adrenal Reset Diet and committed to doing a better job of eating a high-protein breakfast evening morning, getting more sleep at night, and not drinking coffee after noon. So far, these simple changes are making a great impact.

We tried out Sarah’s idea to use Daily Lists to help my kids stay on task in February. The kids were fairly resistant to the idea at first, but after a little convincing and encouragement, they seemed to have a complete change of heart. And then, they’ve ended up loving it and it really has seemed to help them stay motivated and focused!

As a bonus, they’ve needed a lot fewer reminders from me on what they are supposed to be doing or encouragement to steer them back on course. We’ll see how it plays out long-term, but I’m really loving the idea so far! The kids get so much done, the house is staying so much cleaner, and everyone is happier all around. I highly recommend this idea!

TOP 3 POSTS FROM FEBRUARY:

• Dear Exhausted Mom of Littles…
• Why I Can Never Complain About Doing Dishes or Cooking Again
• 50 Shades of Frustration

Want to get a peek into my every day life or hear about things I’m learning, trying, or mulling over in my every day life? Be sure follow my personal account on Instagram here.

The Creative Recycler shows you 3 Ways to Get Cash for an Unwanted Gift Card. Do you have any suggestions to add to her list?

Psst! Don’t forget to sign up for Swagbucks so you can earn free gift cards, too!

Christa at Brown Sugar Toast has a great post up with 4 tips to get great deals on clothes.

Also, don’t forget to sign up for Swagbucks and you can earn free gift cards to use at stores like TJ Maxx and more.

It’s been a rough week for me as a blogger.

While it’s usual for me to get at least a few fairly critical comments and emails on a daily basis, for some weird reason, this past week I was pummeled with criticism and harsh comments.

I was called names. I was told I was a terrible mother. I was told I am disobeying God. I was told I am dishonoring my husband. Even, my kids were called names I can’t repeat.

Most of these comments never made it out of moderation, but I still saw them. And with each one, it was a little like being stabbed with a knife unsuspectingly.

Because here’s the truth: bloggers are people, too.

We aren’t some object to hold up and throw stones at because we don’t have feelings.

As bloggers, we often share personal things on the internet and I know that when we do this we are opening ourselves up for questions and critique. However, this doesn’t mean that we are immune to discouragement or that comments that attack, belittle, or rip us apart aren’t hurtful.

Over time, I have developed fairly thick skin, but this past week, when the comments and emails kept coming from random places over even more random things, I felt beaten up and beaten down.

I questioned why I was doing this in the first place. Wouldn’t it be easier to close up shop? Wouldn’t it be safer and less exhausting to just stop blogging and speaking and writing?

I certainly considered it this past week.

But then I realized that reacting like that would be the epitome of cowardice. Because the definition of a coward is: “One who shows ignoble fear in the face of danger or pain.”

Anyone can be a coward. Here’s how: You just stick with things so long as there is no danger, pain, or hurt. When anything uncomfortable or hard comes your way, a coward balks and runs.

Yes, it’s simple and easy to be a coward. But there’s little joy or fulfillment. You never get to experience the rewards of hard work. You never get the thrill of jumping outside your comfort zone. You never get to know what it’s like to punch fear in the face.

So instead of cowardice, I’m choosing the exact opposite: I’m choosing courage. I’m seeking to sift out the truth from the lies. I’m continuing to check my comments and read my email and write those blog posts and say “yes!” to those opportunities that are stretching. I’m praying for wisdom and surrounding myself with wise counselors and cheerleaders.

Courage isn’t easy or simple. It means willingly facing the difficulty and danger. It means putting yourself out there. It means that you are risking getting hurt.

But it’s worth the risks for the rewards you’ll reap. Will you join me?

When you want to run away from that thing you fear, choose courage instead.

When you want to back out of that thing that scares you, choose courage instead.

When you want to wimp out of something you know you should do, choose courage instead.

When life feels overwhelming and you just want to give up, choose courage instead.

Choose courage, not cowardice.

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