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Shared Dec 5, 2012 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 18

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 5, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome back to the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified} series!

From November 5 to December 7 (skipping the week of Thanksgiving), every weekday morning at 9 a.m. EST, I’ll be posting the day’s assignment and then every evening at 7 p.m. EST, I’ll be posting my progress and pictures, along with a link-up for you to share your progress and pictures, too.

Day 18 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life! Get your free copy of SarahMae’s ebook, Frumps to Pumps, if you need more motivation in this.}

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and vacuum the main living areas of your home.

::Vacuum your carpeted closets. Sweep or mop the floor in those closets without carpet. Remove all items from the closet floor and get rid of clutter, trash, and items that don’t belong in that closet.

Take pictures of your accomplishments and blog about them, if you’d like. And then come back here at 7 p.m. EST to share your progress posts or tell us about your accomplishments in a comment.

Shared Dec 4, 2012 comment

31 Days of Giving on a Budget: Charity Begins at Home (Day 5)

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 4, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to December’s series on 31 Days of Giving on a Budget. In this series, I’ll be sharing inspiring stories from my readers and posts with practical ways to give — even on a limited income.

If you have a Giving on a Budget story to share of a way you or your family has given to others this year or this holiday season, please email me your story and a picture to go along with it, if possible. I’d love to hear it and possibly share it during this series!

Guest post by Alison from Experimental Wifery

When I taught third-grade, I wanted to help my students give something wonderful to their families for the holidays. I didn’t want to encourage half-hearted art projects or cheap, poorly-made presents; my options were limited.

In the end, I assigned my students to spend thirty minutes each night doing something charitable for their families in lieu of homework for a week. They came up with wonderful and creative solutions they loved to share with the class.

One student watched her younger brother brush his teeth so he wouldn’t develop more cavities. Another read to her little sister while her mom cooked dinner. One young woman bragged that she went to bed a whole thirty minutes early one night—which was probably just what her mother needed.

My students took the lesson about charity to heart. During the rest of the year they started canned food drives, wrote letters to soldiers in Afghanistan, and mentored other students on their own initiative. These young girls were already generous, but after they had seen the difference just a little bit of thoughtfulness can make in someone’s day, they wanted to share that generosity with as many people as they could.

From those eight- and nine-year-old girls, I learned that charity really does begin at home. So, especially this time of year, my husband and I try to set an example for our toddler of doing things for each other out of love.

I’ll help my husband carry out the recycling. Later, he’ll give me a short rest to unwind from the day. Our son is even beginning to get the idea himself, freely blowing kisses and giving hugs when it seems like one of us is upset.

Giving to others is a beautiful idea, but sacrifice and charity for strangers can’t make sense to a child who doesn’t see sacrifice and charity at home. Thanks to my third graders, we discovered that a spirit of giving within your family is the one of the greatest gifts we can give to our children—and the world.

Alison blogs about learning to be a better woman and wife at Experimental Wifery. She also teaches English part-time at the Brookewood School in Kensington, MD.

Shared Dec 4, 2012 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 17 Update

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 4, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

If you missed the Day 17 assignment, you can read it here.

We had another great day today — and my alarm clock actually worked this morning, unlike yesterday! 🙂

I chose to clean out the cupboard right next to the fridge as it is the cup that has become a sort of dumping ground for all sorts of odds and ends in the past two months.

I took everything out and wiped it out.

Guess what I found while cleaning out the cupboard?!? 🙂

Much better!

While I was cleaning out the cupboard, Jesse was teaching the kids how to play Scrabble, with the new game board that we just got from Groupon deal. I sense that there are going to be some rousing Scrabble matches in the near future at our house based upon how the game went down tonight! 🙂

How did you do on Day 17? I’d love to have you share your progress and success with us so we can be inspired. Either post a link to your blog post below or leave a comment with your update.

Shared Dec 4, 2012 comment

Frugal Homemade Christmas Potpourri — In Less Than Two Minutes!

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 4, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I pulled out oranges for lunch yesterday and found that they were unfit to eat… apparently they’ve been hiding in my fridge drawer for longer than I realized.

The idea struck me almost immediately: I could whip up some homemade Christmas potpourri with these!

Within two minutes, I had some delicious-smelling potpourri simmering on the stove. It made our whole home smell ridiculously good — like I’d been slaving away in the kitchen all day.

In fact, when Jesse got home, he took one whiff and said, “What smells so good?” I kinda hated to disappoint him and tell him it was likely mostly just the potpourri, not some amazing delicacy I’d cooked. 🙂

Homemade Christmas Potpourri

2 oranges (or the peel from 4-5 whole oranges — no need to ruin good oranges if yours aren’t past their prime like mine!)
1 teaspoon cloves (ground or whole)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2-3 cups water

Cut the oranges in half or fourths, put them in a medium saucepan, sprinkle the spices over them, and pour the water over the spices and oranges. Simmer on low four 4-6 hours. Make sure to check the saucepan occasionally to see if you need to add more water. You could probably also make this in a small crockpot, but I’ve not tried it yet.

Want to fancy it up a little? Try this version!

Shared Dec 4, 2012 comment

3 Ways to Simplify the Holiday Season

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 4, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Feeling frazzled and stressed over a long to-do list for December? I’m over on MomLifeToday talking about three ways to simplify the holiday season.

Here’s a snippet of my post:

December can be a busy, frantic season full of last-minute shopping, parties, baking, gift-wrapping, recitals, and get-togethers. While these things can all be memorable and special, it’s important that we not lose sight of what’s most important at Christmastime: celebrating the birth of our Savior and savoring the moments and memories.

Here are three ways to help you streamline your life and responsibilities so you can enjoy Christmas more this year:

1. Pare down your gift-giving.

Evaluate your gift list: Do you really need to give a gift to your uncle’s neighbor’s dog? I’m pretty sure Fido will survive just fine without another fancy chew toy, so save your money and use it to buy gifts for those you really care about or want to bless.

Creating limits for how many gifts you buy helps to simplify things. I know some families who give their children three gifts in three different categories (such as: something to wear, something to read, and something fun)…

Read the full article here.

WANT TO SAVE $100 FAST?!Join the FREE 14-Day Savings Challenge!

Click here to sign up!

Shared Dec 4, 2012 comment

Sign up to possibly be a beta tester for ChorePro

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 4, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

My brother-in-law is launching a new app called ChorePro and he’s currently looking for some moms, dads, and caregivers to beta test the new app before it hits the market in early 2013.

Here’s more info from him:

What Is ChorePro?

ChorePro is a mobile solution for managing household chores that provides easy chore management for the parents, and a rewards system for the kids. Get rid of those cluttered paper charts stuck to the refrigerator and use your mobile phone to manage chores and simplify your life!

Parents easily create chores, setup a schedule, and assign points. Chores will then be listed on a handy preview screen, showing exactly which chores have been completed, and which ones are still left undone. As chores are completed the kids earn points, which can then be redeemed for rewards. The rewards are setup by the parents, and are fully customizable.

How Do I Sign Up to Be a Beta Tester?

ChorePro is currently in development. It will be available for iOS in early 2013, but we are currently looking for early beta testers who are willing to test out the app and provide feedback on it! If you would like to possibly be chosen to be a part of the early beta program, please fill out our survey here.

Or, to sign up for updates, and to be notified when ChorePro is available, sign up here.

Shared Dec 4, 2012 comment

A Handmade Christmas: Pinecone Clusters

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 4, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

BrownSugarToast.com shows you how to make handmade Pinecone Clusters.

Have you blogged about a Handmade Christmas idea? Submit the link through this form here and we’ll consider sharing it as part of this series during the next 4 weeks!

Shared Dec 4, 2012 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 17

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 4, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome back to the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified} series!

Day 17 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life! Get your free copy of SarahMae’s ebook, Frumps to Pumps, if you need more motivation in this.}

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and do a quick-clean of your bathroom. Need specific directions? Read this article on How to Clean Your Bathroom in 15 Minutes.

::Clean out and reorganize at least one or two of your messiest kitchen cupboards. If you have time, clean and reorganize your pantry (if you have one).

Take pictures of your accomplishments and blog about them, if you’d like. And then come back here at 7 p.m. EST to share your progress posts or tell us about your accomplishments in a comment.

Shared Dec 3, 2012 comment

31 Days of Giving on a Budget: Teaching Our Children To Be Gracious Receivers (Day 4)

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 3, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to December’s series on 31 Days of Giving on a Budget. In this series, I’ll be sharing inspiring stories from my readers and posts with practical ways to give — even on a limited income.

If you have a Giving on a Budget story to share of a way you or your family has given to others this year or this holiday season, please email me your story and a picture to go along with it, if possible. I’d love to hear it and possibly share it during this series!

Guest Post by Angi from SchneiderPeeps

With Christmas just around the corner I have been thinking about not only giving but receiving. Many moms have said that they want their children to realize that this holiday season is about giving not getting. And I totally agree with that.

But I’ve been thinking that part of giving is receiving, not in the sense that if I give you something then you have to give me something, because giving is not necessarily reciprocal. Rather, I’ve been thinking about the fact that if everyone is giving — which most people are this time of year — then someone is receiving. Most likely those “someones” are our children.

My children are wonderful givers, I have seen my son (10 at the time) give his only coat to another boy who was “needier” than my son was and my children are always wanting to make something to give to someone. They truly get joy out of giving.

However, we also want our children to be wonderful receivers. Not just to say “thank you” and write a thank you note (although those things are important), but we want them to feel great joy when receiving a gift, just like they do when they give. We don’t want them to feel guilty or unworthy when they receive a gift (or a compliment), to feel like they need to reciprocate, or to feel that any “strings” are attached.

What We Want Our Children to Understand About Receiving a Gift:

We want them to see that it is God who provides for us and if someone gives us a gift, we should be thankful to God, first and foremost.
We want them to treasure the gift and more importantly the giver.
We want them to see the giver’s heart and not just look at the gift.
We want them to realize that no one “has” to give them a gift but that they want to give the gift.
We want our children to feel special when they receive a gift.

No Hard and Fast Rules For Our Gift-Giving

We don’t have any hard and fast rules about the gifts that we give to our children. We just kind of take each year as it comes. Some years we’ve done family gifts, some years we’ve done individual gifts.

We also don’t have any rules about what others give our children (other than common sense appropriate stuff but most people who give gifts to our children know what we value and are respectful of that). Part of this is that we don’t want our children to have an entitlement mindset when it comes to gifts. We also don’t want them to be disappointed that they didn’t get a certain item. If there’s no expectations then there’s no (or at least not much) disappointment.

I asked my boys and they said that they are happy with the way we handle our gift-giving toward them. They like being surprised. They like that we get to have a holiday where there’s no gift giving stress in our home. They have also seen that the things that were so very important for their friends to have wind up in garage sales a year or so down the road.

What We Teach From New Year’s to Thanksgiving is What Matters Most

I think this realization is so important to make the leap from the gift being about the item to the gift being about the person giving it. This idea of being a gracious receiver may be one of the best gifts you can give your children.

It will also help them be content with the things that they already have and the things they are given. It can help them to not look and compare what God has given others to what God has given them. It can also help them learn to be happy, not envious, of their friends when their friends receive more than them.

So while I know that this time of year can breed ungratefulness and greed, I am going to make a conscious effort to help my children learn to be gracious receivers, by enjoying what God has provided for them through others.

I also think that it is not necessarily all that important what we try to teach our children about giving and receiving from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. It’s what we teach them from New Year’s to Thanksgiving that will make the greatest impact.

Angi is a pastor’s wife and mom of 6 children who spends her days homeschooling, crafting, gardening, playing chauffeur, keeping chickens, trying to learn how take better pictures and blogging at SchneiderPeeps.

Photo credit: Big Stock Photo

Shared Dec 3, 2012 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 16 Update

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 3, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

If you missed the Day 16 assignment, you can read it here.

We had a great and productive day today — even though my alarm clock didn’t go off and I never made it out of my lounge pants! When I woke up and realized that somehow my alarm clock had failed to go off, I just decided to not let it defeat me, like it sometimes has when I’ve overslept. Instead, I revamped my morning schedule, skipped my long morning run, and tried to make the most of the day that was left.

And the positive attitude worked wonders because while I didn’t get everything done I’d hoped to do today, we got the important things done, and I spent quality time with each of the kids.

But tomorrow, I think I’m setting like three alarms, just in case… because I really do find my days run so much better when I get up early, exercise, and get showered and dressed before the rest of the household gets up! 🙂

Oh and I got my vents cleaned, too:

How did you do on Day 16? I’d love to have you share your progress and success with us so we can be inspired. Either post a link to your blog post below or leave a comment with your update.

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

Click here to download!

Shared Dec 3, 2012 comment

10 Weekly Goals

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 3, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

This week’s goals:

Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals

~~1. Finish reading A Way Through the Sea with Kathrynne, finish reading The Imagination Station: Book 8 with Kaitlynn, and read two chapters of Cameron Townsend aloud to the children.~~

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

~~3. Close on our rental property.~~

Personal Goals

4. Finish Erasing Hell by Francis Chan, Anything by Jennie Allen, Pocketful of Pinecones by Karen Andreola, and The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury.

~~5. Listen to one hour of Made to Stick.~~

6. Do 4 days’ worth of the Couch to 10K program.

Homemaking Goals

~~7. Follow the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home plan & blog about it.~~

~~8. Finish 25 more rows of the scarf I’m working on knitting~~… and maybe even finish the scarf? {Finally!}

~~9. Make at least two new recipes.~~

Business Goals

~~10. Fly to Arkansas to spend time with my friend Tricia Goyer and do some radio recordings with FamilyLife.~~

Last week’s goals:

Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals

1. Start a new book with Kathrynne and Kaitlynn. Read two chapters of Cameron Townsend aloud to the children.

2. Go on a date with Jesse.

3. Write a love note to Jesse.

4. Have a playdate with friends.

Personal Goals

5. Finish Erasing Hell by Francis Chan, finish For the Children’s Sake, Ocean’s Apart, and Note to Self.

6. Listen to one hour of Made to Stick.

7. Do 4 days’ worth of the Couch to 10K program.

Homemaking Goals

8. Follow the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home plan & blog about it.

9. Start an embroidery project.

10. Make at least two new recipes.

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 Dec 3, 2012 comment

This week’s menu

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 3, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Breakfasts

Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets, Pancakes, Cereal, Eggs, and/or Fruit

Lunches

Pancakes, eggs, fruit x 2
Snack-y lunch
Mac & cheese, veggies, fruit
Cheese Quesadillas, oranges, carrot sticks
Corn Chowder, Olive Garden Bread Sticks
Leftovers

Snacks

Fruit/Veggies
Cheese/Crackers
Hard-boiled eggs
Healthful Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

Freezer Cooking

Holiday Bark
Cookie Dough Bites
Best Brownies

Dinners

Dinner with extended family
Taco Soup, Corn Chips, Veggies, Fruit
Corn Chowder, Olive Garden Bread Sticks, veggies, fruit
Steak, mashed potatoes, Olive Garden Bread Sticks, fruit
Ham & Bean Soup, Biscuits, Veggies, fruit
Dinner out
Dinner with extended family

What’s on your menu this week? Share details and/or your link to your menu plan in the comments.

Shared Dec 3, 2012 comment

A Handmade Christmas: DIY Magnetic Notepad

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 3, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Whisk It Together shows you how to make a handmade Magnetic Notepad.

Have you blogged about a Handmade Christmas idea? Submit the link through this form here and we’ll consider sharing it as part of this series during the next 4 weeks!

Shared Dec 3, 2012 comment

Reader Tip: How we lowered the interest rate on our mortgage — just by asking!

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 3, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Chris emailed in the following tip:

Up until a week ago, we had about 10 years left on our mortgage at 4.125%. We were quite happy when we got the 4.125% rate a couple of years ago, but I’ve been noticing rates dropping even lower.

I called the credit union that holds our mortgage and asked if there was anything they could do for us (keep in mind we have always been on time with our payments and have an excellent credit score). Just like that, they offered to drop the rate to 3.125% — all we had to do was sign the paperwork and send it back in the postage paid envelope!

I can’t figure out why on earth the credit union would agree to drop our interest rate for no fee — and I don’t think every mortgage situation would be this simple — but I guess this goes to show that it certainly never hurts to ask! -Chris

photo credit

Shared Dec 3, 2012 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 16

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 3, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome back to the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified} series!

Day 16 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life! Get your free copy of SarahMae’s ebook, Frumps to Pumps, if you need more motivation in this.}

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea and create a list of weekly goals. {I’ll post my list and a link-up later today.}

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and quickly pick up your house and put things back into order after the weekend.

::Clean your vents. If you have floor vents that can be removed, remove them and wash them in warm soapy water. Vacuum/clean any dirt or grime around the floor vent area and replace the vent. Use a vacuum attachment and/or a wet rag to dust/clean your other vents.

Take pictures of your accomplishments and blog about them, if you’d like. And then come back here at 7 p.m. EST to share your progress posts or tell us about your accomplishments in a comment.

2hr Cleaning Checklist

2hr Cleaning Checklist

FREE DOWNLOAD: 2-Hour Cleaning Checklist!

Day 18 Assignment

Homemade Christmas Potpourri

1. Pare down your gift-giving.

WANT TO SAVE $100 FAST?!Join the FREE 14-Day Savings Challenge!

What Is ChorePro?

How Do I Sign Up to Be a Beta Tester?

Day 17 Assignment

What We Want Our Children to Understand About Receiving a Gift:

No Hard and Fast Rules For Our Gift-Giving

What We Teach From New Year’s to Thanksgiving is What Matters Most

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

Breakfasts

Lunches

Snacks

Freezer Cooking

Dinners

Day 16 Assignment

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