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Shared May 6, 2014 comment

Unpacking, organizing, our amazing neighbors, & a Cinco de Mayo party!

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 6, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

As I mentioned yesterday, we’re almost done with unpacking! Yay! Now to just tear down this massive stack of boxes in the garage!

I was highly motivated to get everything unpacked this weekend as I knew that we had a lot of different things coming up in the next few weeks and if we weren’t mostly unpacked, it would likely result in major chaos. And if you know me personally, you know I’m not a person who does chaos well. 🙂

We’re still re-arranging and organizing, but it feels good to have places for most things and most things in their places. And we’re truly loving this house! Since we signed the lease on it without seeing it in person, we weren’t sure exactly what we’d think of it, but we love it just as much as our house in Kansas, if not more. And that’s saying a LOT since we really loved that house!

Most of you know that one of my greatest concerns with moving was my kids. It was hard for them to leave Kansas and their friends and extended family there. But God has answered our prayers for friends and community here far beyond what we could have hoped or dreamed.

The family we’re renting our house from had told the neighbors ahead of time that a family with three young children was moving in, so most all of the neighbors knew we were moving here and were so excited to meet us! That’s Southern hospitality for you!

The kids have welcomed my kids with open arms and within a few days, they act like they’ve known each other for years. It’s a beautiful thing to watch them jump right into this new community.

We continue to be utterly blown away by the warmth and graciousness of everyone in TN! It’s amazing!

Our washer stopped working right before we moved and was irreparable (well, the two repair guys we had come out both said they could possibly fix it, but it would cost us more to fix than it would to replace — and they weren’t even sure they could fix it.) So we bought a new washer here, but it won’t come in until tomorrow.

Some friends here found out about this and insisted we come over to use their washer/dryer. Not only that, but they invited us to stay for volleyball and dinner.

Then yesterday, a neighbor boy whom I hadn’t met yet, saw our moving boxes in our garage, rang out doorbell, and asked if he could break the boxes down for us. I didn’t quite know what to say at these random acts of kindness. He said, “I know you’re new here and I just wanted to help.”

This kind of graciousness is everywhere here. And it is humbling, inspiring, and oh such a blessing to newcomers like us!

We enjoyed our first home-cooked meal in our new kitchen on Sunday. It was fitting that it was one of our favorites: pancakes, eggs, and bacon — yum!

We’re still learning our way around here, but I’m incredibly excited by all the grocery store options and can’t wait to start learning the ropes of how to shop at Harris Teeter, Whole Foods, and more!

Yesterday, I was blessed to get to spend the afternoon with my dear friend, Angie Smith. And then they invited our family to come to a Cinco de Mayo party with some of their good friends.

It was so fun — and we laughed until we cried while the kids tried to break open this very persnickety pinata. Oh the memories!

Sporting my new Under Armour kicks that Jesse bought for me on sale (yes, he’s a keeper — he knows how to work the bargains!) All the color in this photo perfectly expresses how my heart feels today: grateful, happy, and excited about life. Today: Don’t let life happen to you; go happen to life!

Shared May 6, 2014 comment

50 Free Activities

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 6, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It’s easy to get sucked into the idea that fun and entertainment must cost money. However, there are dozens of ways you can have fun without spending anything at all!

Here are just a few of the many ideas we had… feel free to share yours in the comments below.

Fun Things To Do For Free To Build Relationships

1. Write an encouraging email, text, or letter.

2. Invite a friend over for coffee.

3. Bake something for your family or for a friend.

4. Join a small group or Bible study.

5. Pray for someone and then text them to let them know you prayed for them.

6. Find a funny joke/photo & share it with a friend.

7. Invite friends or neighbors to your house instead of going out.

8. Make a meal for a friend.

Personal Wellness Activities That Are Free

9. Take a nap.

10. Read a book you already own.

11. Count your blessings.

12. Do devotions and pray over your day.

13. Give yourself a manicure or pedicure at home.

14. Go for a walk and pick some wildflowers.

15. Go for a bike ride.

16. Make a bucket list.

17. Try a new hairstyle (on yourself or others).

18. Shop your closet & put together a new outfit.

19. Go to bed earlier.

20. Take a hot bath or shower.

21. Do an at-home facial.

22. Bring flowers from your garden into your home (or to a neighbor’s house).

Things To Do For Free: Entertainment Ideas

23. Play a board or card game.

24. Watch comedy videos on YouTube.

25. Have a family movie night with fun snacks.

26. Find free art, music, or educational classes online

27. Have a bonfire and make s’mores or hobo pies.

28. Listen to a podcast or audiobook.

29. Make a variety of playlists and share them with friends.

30. Camp in your backyard (or your basement).

31. Watch the sunset and/or star gaze.

Free Activities:

32. Go to the library.

33. Go to the park.

34. Go to the beach.

35. Go to the library.

36. Go to church (either Sunday services or weeknight activities).

37. Go to a friend’s house.

38. Visit a museum on a free admission day.

39. Go for a hike at a local nature center.

40. Volunteer at a local mission or shelter.

41. Decorate your driveway or neighborhood sidewalks with chalk.

Free Things To Do Today: Home Improvement

42. Organize a drawer or closet.

43. Weed your garden.

44. Have a garage sale (after you declutter!)

45. Deep clean one room in your home.

46. Implement an “eat from the pantry/freezer challenge” and come up with creative recipes.

47. Catch up on the laundry!

48. Wash and vacuum your vehicles.

49. Defrost your freezer.

50. Wash your windows and let the sun in.

Things To Do For Free in the Winter

Have a snowman-building contest.

Try to build an igloo.

Go sledding.

Go snowshoeing or skiing.

Make a hot chocolate buffet at home (with a variety of toppings).

Drive around looking at the lights.

Write letters (or emails) to friends and family.

Visit the library.

Host a board game night at your house.

Learn to knit (there are lots of online tutorials for this!)

Things To Do For Free in the Summer

Go for a hike, a walk, or a bike ride.

Walk a dog with friends or neighbors.

Visit a local park with friends.

Head to the beach (or a friend’s pool).

Sit around a campfire in your backyard.

Invite friends over to run in the sprinklers.

Have a picnic in your front yard with neighbors.

Pick flowers from your garden or the side of the road.

Watch a sunset or sunrise.

Read a good book while laying in a hammock or on the lawn.

Give yourself an at-home pedicure.

More Fun Things To Do For Free

Free Things To Do FAQs

What can you do with friends for free?

There are an endless number of fun things you can do with friends all throughout the year.
Consider going for a group walk or having a picnic in the park during spring. Summer would be a great time to head to the beach together. In the fall, you could set up a weekly game night (board/card games) or Bible study. And winter is a great time for a white elephant gift exchange or an at-home pedicure party.

How can I have fun at home by myself?

Much of this just comes down to your attitude! Even if you are an extrovert, you can still find plenty of ways to have fun when you’re home alone.
Catch up on your favorite books, TV shows, movies, or podcasts (you can even clean, fold laundry, or exercise while listening to podcasts.) Call a friend. Write letters to special people in your life or just journal for a while. Cook or bake a special meal. Take an extra long shower or bath. Take a nap!

What about you?

What do YOU love to do instead of spending money?

Shared May 6, 2014 comment

Reader Tip: Earn By Taking Medical Surveys and Interviews

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 6, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Tiffany emailed in the following tip:

There is a company called Rare Patient Voice that does surveys and interviews for people with rare diseases about their medical care, quality, and services. This is not just for people who have the condition, but also for their caregivers. Each time you fill out a questionnaire or survey, you get a bit of financial compensation.

When you first sign up, you get a $10 Amazon gift card. Then anyone who signs up and puts your name as a referral, you both get another $10 gift card.

I just received $20 because I signed up and then my husband signed up under me. I haven’t taken any surveys yet, so I’m not sure how much compensation you get for each one, but this is really legitimate in what/how much I’ve gotten so far.

The diseases that qualify as “rare” are:

Bleeding Disorders

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Cystic Fibrosis

Sickle Cell Disease

Huntington’s Disease

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH)

Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia (WM)

Lupus

Gaucher

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Hepatitis C

Crohn’s Disease (I’m guessing UC counts as well)

If you think that either you or the person you care for has something that qualifies as rare, you can apply here, and then explain why you think you qualify. (If you do decide to sign up, I’d love it if you put Tiffany Thomas as your referral so I can get credit for it!) -Tiffany

Shared May 6, 2014 comment

Do It Yourself: Homemade Graham Crackers

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 6, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

ServingJoyfully.com shows you how to make homemade graham crackers.

Do you have a fun and frugal DIY idea to share? I’d love to hear about it! Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

Shared May 5, 2014 comment

Ponytails, sweatshirts, and a mother’s love

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 5, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I got onto the elevator with my 4-year-old’s hand clasped in mine. He was so excited to go on a little outing with Mom. I was happy to be spending some one-on-one time with him, too. And it was shaping up to be a wonderful day.

Then I glanced at the two other gals in the elevator with us.

They were so put together. Cute clothes, beautiful hair, flawless makeup… the exact opposite of me.

I’d been running short on time that morning and my attire consisted of a sweatshirt, yoga pants, tennis shoes, a messy ponytail, and no makeup.

Yep, I was the epitome of style. Ahem.

As I began comparing my frumpy looks with these two adorable women, my earlier joy started slipping away.

Why couldn’t I get my act together this morning? Why am I so often resorting to ponytails and sweatshirts? What is my problem? Why can’t I be pretty, cute, and put together like so many other women?

Then I looked down again at the little boy holding my hand. He could care less what Mom is wearing; all he cares is that Mom loves him and is investing in him.

Yes, I want to take a little time to look presentable each day, but spending time on my outward appearance at the expense of moments with my kids is always a choice I will regret.

So you know what I did? I held my head up high, held on tight to my son’s hand, and wore that sweatshirt with pride. I may not ever be nominated for Fashionista of the Year Award, but my kids don’t seem to mind. 🙂

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Shared May 5, 2014 comment

10 Goals For This Week

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 5, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It was a busy and pretty exhausting week, but we’re all moved in and only have a few boxes left to unpack — YAY!

I’m excited to get back to a more normal routine this week! I pretty much bombed my goals list, but I’m going to be okay with that since it was moving week and all. 🙂

Last Week’s Goals:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

~~1. Move!~~

2. Write a love note to Jesse.

3. Read Captured on the High Seas aloud to the kids (while in the car driving to TN).

Personal Goals

4. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-29.

~~5. Exercise four times.~~

6. Finish reading Secrets of Dynamic Communication, The Busy Homeschool Mom’s Guide to Daylight, and Chasing Francis.

This Week’s Goals:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

1. Start our new routine.

2. Get our closet organized.

3. Organize the pantry.

4. Write a love note to Jesse.

5. Finish reading Captured on the High Seas aloud to the kids.

Personal Goals

6. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-29.

7. Exercise four times.

8. Finish reading Secrets of Dynamic Communication, The Busy Homeschool Mom’s Guide to Daylight, and Chasing Francis.

Business Goals

9. Finish tweaks/edits on a new project we’re working on.

10. Answer all the emails in my to answer file (I dumped all non-urgent emails into a file while we were moving!)

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.

Shared May 5, 2014 comment

FREE Activities For Kids (None of Which Involve TV)

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 5, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Carissa of Pretty/Hungry

I am a stay-at-home mom, and I am so thankful for the blessing of being home with my daughter all day long! It has allowed me to witness all her “milestones,” given me time to gently mold her and correct unwelcome behavior patterns, and provided me with millions of memories I get to keep forever.

But when I get together with other moms, the conversation inevitably turns to the nitty gritty day-to-day stuff. It seems all moms want to hear what other moms do with their kiddos hour after hour, day after day. And it makes sense to be curious… because those hours do stretch on sometimes! I often wonder how other families pass the time (ahem… I mean “make the most of it.”)

There are a lot of mommies out there who do an enviable job of entertaining and educating their children throughout the day… all without any help from the TV and on a razor-thin budget to boot. But to be honest, some of them intimidate me!

I’m just not someone who is going to painstakingly dye rice 10 different colors for my children to use for “sensory play.” The suggestion alone stresses me out.

Rainbow Rice hiding in every crevice of my kitchen from now to eternity? No thank you. Stay away from this household, Rainbow Rice!

(By the way, I have the utmost admiration for those of you who do make Rainbow Rice. And those of you who pull out drop cloths and aprons and let your kids cover themselves in paint. And those of you who create baking soda volcanoes, and math-themed Easter egg hunts, and hand-sewn doll clothing . I aspire toward such greatness.)

But if I’m honest with myself, that “really cool” stuff happens maybe twice a month around our house. And it’s not because I’m lazy (okay, maybe it’s a little bit because of that) but mostly it’s because I know my limits. If I stretch myself too thin with projects/goals/scheduled activities, my fuse shortens and my family suffers the consequences. And that’s no good.

So where does that leave us non-crafty moms? Those of us who want to stimulate our children’s minds, invite them to learn and grow, & include them in fun and educational activities around the house, but would rather not resort to Rainbow Rice?

Well, for me and mine, it means doing a lot of activities that are not only fun and educational, but also practical for our family!

If I need to work in the garden, my daughter comes with me to help. If I need to sort coupons and go grocery shopping, it’s an opportunity to teach my little one about budgeting and making wise purchases. If I need to get dinner on the table, I include in her in preparation.

These activities may not be Pinterest-worthy, but they are such valuable learning opportunities nonetheless! And even more importantly, they provide a backdrop for you to spend quality time with your little ones.

Pulling weeds is the perfect activity to promote conversation! I always like asking questions like, “What is one thing you did today that you are proud of?” and “What is one thing you would do differently today if you had a do-over?” These are the conversations that become the building-blocks for your children’s entire life. They are invaluable!

Here’s a short list of some FREE activities I do with my little one.

Take long walks outside (when the weather is nice)
Go to the park — we do this almost every day
Cook & bake — dinner for the family, treats for friends, anything!
Read stories
Bath time
Go to the library
Collect leaves, pine cones, or flowers (depending on the season) to decorate the house
Chores (yup! Laundry and cleaning does NOT have to wait until nap time)
Invite friends over
Work in the garden
Listen to praise CDs and dance/sing along
Exercise! — stretch, do jumping jacks, jump rope, push-ups… my little one loves trying to copy the moves
Run errands — go to the bank, renew vehicle tags… you know, fun stuff!
Memorize scripture — you’d be surprised how young they can start this!

What are your favorite FREE, non-TV activities for kids?

I am a wife, a stay-at-home-mom, and a food blogger! I love the Lord, my family, reading, writing, and cooking. We stick to a strict budget because we are saving up to buy our next home, so I have to get very creative in the kitchen at times. I blog at Pretty/Hungry about food, wellness, and family life!

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Shared May 5, 2014 comment

10 Books I Plan to Read in May

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 5, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

As I shared in January, I’m changing the way I’m approaching my reading goals in 2014. Instead of picking books for the whole year, I’m just choosing books a month at a time.

April was a dud month for me when it came to reading. I was busy with packing up our house for our move and attending/hosting a number of goodbye get-togethers and I just didn’t crack open very many books. In fact, I only read four books: Though Waters Roar, Praying for Boys, His Grace is Enough, and No Cook Freezer Meals.

So I’m going to try to finish most of the books I had on April’s list in May:

10 Books I Plan to Read in May

I also am reading through the Bible using the plan in my Blessing Journal and reading one devotional from Jesus Today every day.

3 Books I Plan to Read Aloud to My Kids

What books are you planning to read in May? Leave a comment and let us know — and then you can come back at the end of May to tell us what you ended up reading and what you thought of the books you read!

Shared May 3, 2014 comment

12 Goals for 2014: April Update

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 3, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Jesse and I spent time really discussing what my focuses should be for 2014 and we nailed down four areas that are my priorities for this year:

Marriage: to continue to invest time and energy to strengthen and nurture our marriage and make it one of the greatest priorities
Mothering: to continue to invest in our children with the goal of teaching them character, life skills, and raising them to be responsible adults
Myself: to make my health a priority and to invest in my personal growth as a Christian, business owner, writer, speaker, and leader
MoneySavingMom.com: to invest time into blogging — not just overseeing the business and my team, but making writing content pieces one of my top blogging priorities

Having these specific areas determined at the beginning of the year is really helping me to prioritize and giving me much clearer direction on when, where, and what to say no to this year.

Here’s my progress for my 12 goals for 2014:

Marriage Goals

1. Read 6 marriage books. (I’ve finished two marriage books so far.)
2. Write 50 love notes to Jesse. (I’ve written 16 love notes so far.)

Mothering Goals

3. Read 40 books aloud to the kids. (We’ve finished five books so far — I’m really hoping to catch up on this goal over the summer!)
4. Finish memorizing Romans 1 together. (We’ve been working on this!)
5. Go through a cooking course with the kids.

Personal Goals

6. Read through the Bible. (I’m on track with this.)
7. Memorize Romans 2.
8. Run a 5K race and go through P90X again.
9. Read 150 books/ebooks. (I’ve read 34 books so far this year.)

Blogging Goals

10. Write 150 substantive content pieces for the blog. (I’ve written 54 substantive content pieces so far this year.)
11. Write 50 DIY/Recipe posts for the blog. (I’ve written 14 DIY/Recipe post so far.)
12. Blog about/participate in the 12 Months to a Healthier You Challenge (I finished April’s challenge.)

Did you set goals for 2014 yet?

If you’ve posted an update on how you’re doing on your goals for 2014, I’d love for you to share your link in the comments. Or, if you don’t have a blog, feel free to just leave a comment with an update on how you’re doing on your goals. Let’s encourage one another to live lives of intention and purpose!

If you’re brand-new to goal-setting, be sure to read my post on How to Change Your Life By Setting Goals.

Shared May 3, 2014 comment

12 Months to a Healthier You: Week 18 Check-In

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 3, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Are you joining us for the 12 Months to a Healthier You Challenge? If so, it’s the weekend and guess what that means? It’s time for our weekly check-in to post our progress.

May’s Challenge:

We’re focusing on developing the habit of cutting back on sugar. I encourage you to set a simple and doable goal for drinking more water and to stick with it.

New to this challenge? Read more details on the plan for this year here.

My Get More Rest Goal for May

My goal for May is to get at least 7.5 hours of sleep every night.

I’m also hoping to keep up with January’s habit of exercising at least 4-5 times every week, February’s goal of eating a big salad at least six times a week, March’s goal of drinking 8 glasses of water every day, and April’s goal of eating dessert once a week.

This Week’s Progress:

I got 10 hours of sleep the first night of this month and a little over 7.5 hours of sleep last night. Yay!

I hit my water goals five out of the seven days, exercised three days, ate a salad five of the days, and had dessert three times. So yes, I’m not hitting all my goals perfectly, but I’m going to celebrate the progress I’m making!

How Are YOU Doing?

Leave a comment telling us how you did on your exercise goals this past week. If you’re blogging about this challenge, leave the direct link to your blog post about the challenge below. Are you on social media? You can also share your progress on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter by using hashtag #12MonthstoaHealthierYou.

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Click here to download!

Shared May 3, 2014 comment

Top 10 Ways to Boost Your Etsy Sales

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 3, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Shannon of Scrapits

Like many stay-at-home moms who are trying to live within a budget, I have tried different ways to supplement my husband’s income while being at home with my children.

I’ve found that there are a lot of opportunities to make money online, especially since I have a product to sell. The products I sell are paper and digital products crafted by me and I have tried selling them on eBay without much success. But several years ago I heard about Etsy, an online marketplace for crafters, and decided to give it a try.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t have much success with Etsy at first either. Slowly but surely my sales have grown and I have learned a few tricks about what it takes to boost Etsy sales.

Here are the top ten tips I suggest to increase your bottom line:

1. Find Your Niche.

There are several categories on Etsy that are completely saturated, and if you try selling in one of them it may be rather tough to get sales going.

What makes your product stand out? How is it different from the other 20,000 results generated from an Etsy search?

Think about every detail of your product and how it’s specific to your target audience. Use this information when creating your titles and description.

2. Offer the Same Item In Two Different Categories

I sell “Day You Were Born” pages and started them out in the Scrapbooking section selling them as Premade Scrapbook Pages. I soon realized that by taking some information out, I could also sell them as “Day You Were Married” pages and offered them as anniversary gifts. This is my most popular item!

Get creative and ask others opinions on how you can sell your products from a different angle.

3. Use Different Tags Than Words Included In Your Title.

Besides using keywords in your title, you can also include “tags” or other keywords at the bottom of your listing. Your listings can be found if a keyword is a tag and not in the actual title, so use different descriptive words as tags that you used in your title. This gives your listing more search results and more opportunities for sales!

4. Offer a Freebie

I offer a free digital product from my store to anyone who shares one of my listings on Facebook or Pinterest. This is effective, inexpensive advertising.

5. Offer More Items

The more items you have listed in your Etsy shop, the more you are going to sell. This goes back to my second tip — think of ways you can tweak an item to make it a completely different listing.

6. Invite Users To Share With Their Friends

Etsy includes Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter icons with each listing. Be sure to enable these and encourage your customers to share with their friends.

7. Promote Through Fiverr.com

I’ve purchased a few gigs on Fiverr.com that were only $5 that brought decent results. If you are going to pay for advertising, I suggest you try Fiverr.com’s Online Marketing gigs.

BlogMentions and Social Marketing are my favorites.

8. Use Better Pictures

A picture is worth a thousand words. If you can capture your product with a nice background that is pleasing to the eye you will get more customers.

9. Answer Questions Quickly

I’ve lost out on a couple of sales because I didn’t quickly reply to emails. Because some of my products are digital, I can make them up and email them right away. I sometimes get requests from customers who need their item NOW and when I quickly respond I usually make a sale.

10. Create A Facebook Page For Your Etsy Shop

This is something I haven’t completed yet, but I’m working on it and know it will improve sales!

If you persistently implement the tips I just shared in promoting your Etsy store, you will see results!

Shannon is a stay-at-home mom married to her best friend. Together they are raising six kids. You can find her Etsy shop here.

Shared May 3, 2014 comment

Weekend Giveaway: Vintage Word Necklace from Creatively Obsessed (13 Winners)

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 3, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’m SO excited about this giveaway — and I think you will be, too!

Creatively Obsessed offers handmade items all designed from upcycled materials.

They take Vintage books, buttons, crystals, and more and re-purpose them to make one-of-a-kind jewelry and accessories.

I especially love their Vintage Dictionary Word Necklaces! You can get them custom made with a word of your choice.

This would make a very unique and treasured gift for someone else. And it could also be a wonderful necklace to purchase as a reminder to yourself of a word that is meaningful to you!

Creatively Obsessed let me choose a word for my necklace and I chose the word “Courage”. It’s a word that has deep meaning to me in my life right now as we’re in a season of stepping out and walking down a path of adventure and many unknowns. I love the necklace and have worn it often since receiving it.

Save 20% Off Any Purchase from Creatively Obsessed

If you’re interested in purchasing a Vintage Dictionary Word Necklace or something else from Creatively Obsessed, you can use coupon code MOTHERSDAY during the entire month of May to get 20% off any purchase.

Would you like to win a Vintage Dictionary Word Necklace? Creatively Obsessed is giving away 13 necklaces this weekend to my readers (randomly chosen words)! To enter, just click on the graphic below and type in your name and email address. 13 winners will be chosen and posted early next week. This giveaway ends Sunday, May 4, at 11:59 pm, CST.

Shared May 2, 2014 comment

Unloading & Unpacking (& we’re blown away by the friendly people here!)

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 2, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Well, I started off this month’s Get More Sleep Challenge with a bang: I got 10 hours of sleep last night! I can’t remember the last time I got that much sleep, but it felt amazing! 🙂

We spent all morning and early afternoon unloading the moving truck. It’s always a little overwhelming to have all your earthly belongings being hauled in at once and dumped in the appropriate rooms. I sort of wished I could wave a magic wand and have everything unpacked and in its place. 🙂

Since the house layout/room set-up is pretty different here than our previous house, we don’t have a basement, and we have fewer rooms/bedrooms than we did in our old house, it’s made figuring out where everything goes a little more interesting! But we’re really happy with what we finally worked out… now we’ll see how it works!

I’m so thankful my youngest sister, Olivia, is here with us through tomorrow. She’s been a huge help. I can’t even count all the boxes she unpacked today or the hours she saved me! We’re going to be sad to see her leave in the morning. 🙁

After about three hours of unpacking, I needed a breather, so Silas and I left to go get lunch for everyone and coffee for me (mama needs her coffee!). That was an adventure, to say the least. I learned which roads were one-way (yikes!), got stuck in traffic, and was ever-so-thankful for a GPS. Navigation in new areas (or even in areas I’ve driven in time and time again!) has never been my strong suit. 😉

We made it back safe and sound and jumped right back into unpacking. A little while later, the doorbell rang. It was a neighbor with a bouquet of sunflowers. She had seen our Kansas license plate and had gone and bought us a bouquet of sunflowers. How amazingly thoughtful was that?!?

She came back a bit later and brought me a little notebook. She shared how they had moved here from across the country a few years ago and it had been so difficult for her. One of the things that had helped her tremendously was to write down three blessings every day. Remembering this, she wanted to give me a notebook and encourage me to do the same. I can’t begin to tell you how much this touched and encouraged me that she had gone out of her way to do this for me!

The doorbell rang again and it was another neighbor. She brought her children over to meet us and, within minutes, our kids had bonded. Pretty soon, they were racing each other on the sidewalk, riding bikes, and talking all things Minecraft. These neighbor children introduced my children to more neighbor children and, by nightfall, my kids have a gaggle of new friends!

Again, this was such a blessing. It warms my Mama heart to see my children connecting so well with other children — especially since they were so sad to move and it was so difficult for them to leave their friends and relatives behind in Kansas.

I had hoped to have almost all of the boxes unpacked by tonight (yes, I kind of set an ambitious goal!) and that didn’t happen (surprise, surprise!). But we did make major headway today and have almost all of the first floor unpacked and set up.

Tomorrow, I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to finish most of the upstairs so that we aren’t living out of boxes on Monday… I’ll let you know if we hit that goal or not! 🙂

Shared May 2, 2014 comment

Homemade Sweet and Salty Chocolate Candy

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 2, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

This homemade candy is the perfect balance of sweet and salty to satisfy all your cravings… however, it can be a bit addicting!

Guest post from Alison of Pint-sized Treasures

In our family of eight, we typically do not buy packaged candy. Instead, we make our own for special occasions or for our traditional Family Night that we celebrate on Fridays.

A couple of weeks ago we decided to create our own candy recipe — something simple, frugal and of course super yummy!

One of our favorite ingredients to use in a fun dessert, snack, or candy recipe is marshmallows. We also love it if we can make an expensive food at home for a fraction of the price. That’s where this candy comes in.

You will love this easy homemade candy!

This recipe only takes a few minutes to whip up (actually, the longest part of the candy-making process is waiting for it to cool!)

The sweet and salty flavors came together like melody and harmony. Each flavor plays its part beautifully in every single bite.

And it’s freezer-friendly! Simply cut the candy into squares and freeze between sheets of parchment paper inside a ziplock bag. It can be frozen for up to two months. Plus, it tastes great straight from the freezer.

The only downsize of this recipe is that it’s hard to stop.

Ingredients for Sweet and Salty Chocolate Candy

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup cooking oil
20 crushed saltine crackers
2 cups mini marshmallows

How to Make Homemade Chocolate Candy

1. In medium-sized saucepan, stir together chocolate chips and cooking oil and cook over medium-high heat.

NOTE: Stir constantly with wire whisk and cook only until chocolate is melted. If chocolate becomes too thick, add a little more oil.

2. Once chocolate is melted, turn off the heat and stir in the marshmallows and crackers. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated.

3. Pour onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and refrigerate until cooled and hardened, about 30 minutes.

4. Cut it into small rectangles for serving or freeze for later.

Recipe

Homemade Sweet and Salty Chocolate Candy

Author Crystal Paine

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Chill Time 30

Ingredients

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup cooking oil
20 saltine crackers crushed
2 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions

In medium-sized saucepan, stir together chocolate chips and cooking oil and cook over medium-high heat.
NOTE: Stir constantly with wire whisk and cook only until chocolate is melted. If chocolate becomes too thick, add a little more oil.
Once chocolate is melted, turn off the heat and stir in the marshmallows and crackers. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated.
Pour onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and refrigerate until cooled and hardened, about 30 minutes.
Cut it into small rectangles for serving or freeze for later.

Nutrition

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Alison is a mom of six kids and writes about parenting, frugal living, crafts and anything mom-inspired at Pint-sized Treasures.

Shared May 2, 2014 comment

Gretchen’s CVS Shopping Trip: Spent $6.51 for $28 worth of products

Published: by Crystal Paine on May 2, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

CVS Shopping Trip

My CVS had all their Easter stuff marked 90% off, so I picked up a few fun items for my guys. 🙂

2 packages CVS Diapers – $6.99 each (Buy 1, Get $1.99 ECBs)

Used 2 $2/1 printable

4 Russell Stover Marshmallow Eggs – Marked down to $0.09 each

1 M&M Egg – Marked down to $0.09

1 bag Sticker Filled Eggs – Marked down to $0.29

Used $5 ECBs (from my Beauty Club Rewards)

Total before coupons and sales and markdowns: $28.55

Total with tax ($0.64) after coupons, sales, markdowns and ECBs: $6.51, Plus received $4 ECBs back

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You will love this easy homemade candy!

Ingredients for Sweet and Salty Chocolate Candy

How to Make Homemade Chocolate Candy

Homemade Sweet and Salty Chocolate Candy

Ingredients 1x2x3x

Instructions

Nutrition

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