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Shared Apr 10, 2013 comment

30 Day House Cleaning Challenge: Project #10

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 10, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

During the month of April, I’m encouraging my readers to participate in a 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge (read more here, if you missed my announcement about this challenge last week). Every week day morning at 9 a.m., I’ll post the daily project and every evening around 6 p.m. EST, I’ll post an update and link-up.

April 10, 2013 Project

Your project for today is to deep clean the living room.

Here’s what I’m planning to do:

Set the timer for 20 minutes and pick up and put away all items that are out of place. (Bonus: find 7 items to get rid of.)

Dust the furniture, wall-hangings, and knick-knacks.

Wipe down the baseboards.

Vacuum/sweep the room. (Bonus: use an attachment on the vacuum to vacuum around the baseboards and vacuum the furniture.)

Clean fingerprints on the windows.

Bonus: Spot-clean the carpets and walls.

You’re done!

You can follow along with my list — or do whatever constitutes “deep cleaning the living room” to you. There is no one right way to do this.

Then, come back here at 6 p.m. EST and I’ll show you pictures of my cleaning accomplishments for today and have a linky so you can link up yours, too!

Join in the Chatter

::Want to blog about this challenge? If you’re blogging through this challenge with me, be sure to leave your link to your direct post on the daily check-ins. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge Pinterest Group, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.

::Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? I’ll also be sharing some of my cleaning pictures on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #Cleanin30 to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!

photo credit

Shared Apr 9, 2013 comment

30 Day House Cleaning Challenge: Project #9 Update

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 9, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

During the month of April, I’m encouraging my readers to participate in a 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge (read more here, if you missed my announcement about this challenge last week). Every week day morning at 9 a.m., I’ll post the daily project and every evening around 6 p.m. EST, I’ll post an update and link-up.

How did your Project #9 go?

So, I told you I was planning to clean the girls’ room. And I totally was.

Until I walked into my closet.

Ahem.

Remember how I told you that I really need a Put-Er-Away-Er? Yes, here’s definite proof that I wasn’t joking, was I?!

After lots of reorganizing, going through stuff and finding things to get rid of and moving other things to where they are actually supposed to reside — like in the basement and elsewhere in the house! — my closet is actually fairly presentable again.

And I even vacuumed it. 🙂

Join in the Chatter

::Want to blog about this challenge? If you’re blogging through this challenge with me, be sure to leave your link to your direct post on linky below. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge Pinterest Group, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.

::Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? I’ll also be sharing some of my cleaning pictures on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #Cleanin30 to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!

Shared Apr 9, 2013 comment

A Quick & Easy Method for Freezing Fresh Herbs

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 9, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Ever buy a bunch of cilantro when you only need a small bit for a recipe? Or do you plant an herb garden that always overproduces?

Here’s a very quick & easy way to freeze those fresh herbs for later use:

Wash, remove stems, and chop the herbs.

Put roughly 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon of the chopped herbs into ice cube trays (I didn’t measure; I just plopped some into each cube). Fill the ice cube tray with water and freeze.

Remove cubes and place in an airtight freezer bag for up to two months. To use in recipes, just pull out the necessary amount of cubes and add to your soup, stew, sauce, etc. If need be, thaw first and then add to your recipe.

How simple is that? It’s a great way to preserve fresh herbs — and to not let any go to waste before you have a chance to use them!

Shared Apr 9, 2013 comment

Be Discontent… With the Status Quo

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 9, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Recently, Jon Acuff shared the following on his blog:

A few months ago, Dave Ramsey celebrated 20 years on the radio. That is the equivalent of 834 regular years.

Radio is that tough, that cut throat, and that difficult. Suffice it to say, 20 years is an incredible accomplishment.

During a Q&A session, someone asked Dave a question. They said, “What was the moment you realized that you had arrived?”

Dave’s answer surprised everyone in the crowd. Without missing a beat, he said, “We haven’t arrived yet. There’s still so much we need to do. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”

Dave Ramsey leads a company of hundreds. He inspires millions through his radio show, books, websites, and courses every single week.

Yet, he clearly doesn’t feel like he’s made it. And I think there’s a lesson here for all of us.

We should never, ever feel like we’ve arrived. There are always many more things we can learn, many more ways we can improve.

The day we feel like we’ve “arrived” is the day we begin to die as a person.

Always be looking for ways to grow as a person. Constantly challenge yourself to move a little bit further outside your comfort zone.

Learn new things. Try new recipes. Take a class on a new-to-you subject. Read widely. Meet new people. Ask questions. Challenge yourself to run farther or workout longer. Engage in thought-provoking discussions.

Never be content with the status quo. You were made for more.

What’s one new thing you’re trying or learning right now?

photo credit; photo credit

Shared Apr 9, 2013 comment

30-Day House Cleaning Challenge: Project #9

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 9, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

During the month of April, I’m encouraging my readers to participate in a 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge (read more here, if you missed my announcement about this challenge last week). Every week day morning at 9 a.m., I’ll post the daily project and every evening around 6 p.m. EST, I’ll post an update and link-up.

April 9, 2013 Project

Your project for today is to surface clean your bedroom(s).

If you have multiple bedrooms in your house, you can choose whichever one most needs a good surface cleaning. I’m planning tackle the girls’ room today because it needs some work!

Here’s what I’m planning to do:

Set the timer for 20 minutes and pick up and put away all items that are out of place. (Bonus: find 7 items to get rid of.)

Pull out any items under the bed that don’t below under the bed and make the bed (wash sheets/bedding, if needed).

Vacuum/sweep the room. (Bonus: use an attachment on the vacuum to vacuum around the baseboards and vacuum under the bed.)

Clean fingerprints on the windows.

Bonus: Spot-clean the carpets and walls.

You’re done!

You can follow along with my list — or do whatever constitutes “surface cleaning the bedroom” to you. There is no one right way to do this.

Then, come back here at 6 p.m. EST and I’ll show you pictures of my cleaning accomplishments for today and have a linky so you can link up yours, too!

Join in the Chatter

::Want to blog about this challenge? If you’re blogging through this challenge with me, be sure to leave your link to your direct post on the daily check-ins. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge Pinterest Group, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.

::Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? I’ll also be sharing some of my cleaning pictures on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #Cleanin30 to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!

photo credit

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

Click here to sign up!

Shared Apr 8, 2013 comment

2013 Goals: March Update

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 8, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

While I didn’t cross off any goals in March, I did make some good headway on a number of goals. Those little bite-sized chunks that I’m tackling on a daily and weekly basis will add up over time!

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

Here’s my list of 25 Goals for 2013 and an update on how I did in March:

Personal Goals

Read through the Bible in a year using this plan. {I’m on track with this so far.}
Run in at least one 5K race. {We signed up for one in June — yay!}
~~Complete the Couch to 10K program.~~
Memorize Romans 1 and 2 with Jesse. {This has been slow going, but I almost have the first 10 verses from Romans 1 memorized.}
Wake up by 6 a.m. and exercise, shower, and dress by 8 a.m. every day. {Still working on this! The Early to Rise Challenge really helped!}
Read 150 books/ebooks {See my list of 48 books I’m for sure planning to read here — I’ve read 46 books/ebooks so far in 2013, so I’m on a good track to hit my goal!}

Marriage Goals

Read 3 marriage books.
Finish reading through the Psalms together as a couple.
Have overnight stay (sans children) at least every other month. {Jesse & I went to the Killer Tribes conference together in March.}
Go on at least one date per month. {Done in March.}

Mothering Goals

Continue memorizing together from the Grace and Truth memory book.
~~Ice-skating lessons for all three children during the first quarter of 2013.~~
Swimming lessons for all three children during the summer.
Finish at least 37 read-aloud books. {We’ve finished 16 books so far this year, so we’re on a good track here.}

Ministry/Friendships/Extended Family Goals

Weekly accountability meetings with a friend.
Get together with friends for a playdate or lunch at least once a month. {Done once in March.}
Continue being involved in our local church, couple’s group, and blogging accountability group.
Continue with weekly get-togethers with both sides of our extended family.

Financial Goals

Use a portion of the proceeds from my next book project to fund a well project.
~~Fund our Child Survival Program for 2013.~~ {Done — yay!}
Buy a new bedroom set.
Invest in another rental property.

Business/Blogging Goals

Release two new ebooks.
~~Attend one speaking conference.~~ {I attended the She Speaks Intensive in January.}
~~Finish and submit the manuscript for my next book.~~

photo credit

Did you set goals for 2013?

If so, tell us how you’re doing in the comments or leave a link to your blog post update below. Let’s encourage one another to live lives of intention and purpose!

Shared Apr 8, 2013 comment

30-Day House Cleaning Challenge: Project #8 Update

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 8, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

During the month of April, I’m encouraging my readers to participate in a 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge (read more here, if you missed my announcement about this challenge last week). Every week day morning at 9 a.m., I’ll post the daily project and every evening around 6 p.m. EST, I’ll post an update and link-up.

How did your Project #8 go?

We clean our floors on a very regular basis, so today’s project wasn’t too much of a challenge — and truthfully, I skipped some of the floors because they didn’t need to be cleaned (it also helped that we were out of town all weekend and came home to a clean house!)

Each of the children are responsible for vacuuming one room of the house each day. Silas vacuums his room. Kaitlynn vacuums the girls’ room. And Kathrynne vacuums the living room.

Silas thinks that vacuuming is really cool.

He’ll often beg to vacuum more rooms… which I’m happy to let him do!

This is the typical homeschool aftermath in the kitchen every day. And actually, this was after Kathrynne had already cleaned up most of her stuff and Kaitlynn’s stuff.

At least there’s a lot of creativity and work going on… er, that’s what I try to constantly tell myself as the messes multiply during the day! 🙂

Kathrynne and I worked on the kitchen together. She’s always willing to help out whenever I’m working on a project and is my child who is a very focused, hard worker.

At 8 years old, Kathrynne is such a great girl. She loves all things related to LEGOs, spies, and adventure — and Jesse and I are thrilled to see her personality and interests blossom.

Even though many of her interests are much different than mine, she and I are really close — sharing lots of laughs and deep discussions throughout the day. I love her so much!

Kathrynne swept the dirt into piles and I went around with the dustpan and swept up the piles.

{Why yes, those are my pajama pants! I gave myself a PJ Day today after our busy weekend in Cincinnati. It’s nice to have a “down day” every now and then. :)}

The end result.

Join in the Chatter

::Want to blog about this challenge? If you’re blogging through this challenge with me, be sure to leave your link to your direct post on linky below. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge Pinterest Group, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.

::Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? I’ll also be sharing some of my cleaning pictures on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #Cleanin30 to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!

Shared Apr 8, 2013 comment

This week’s menu plan {It’s the perfect week for some chocolate-themed baking!}

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 8, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I think I’m on a chocolate baking kick this week (what’s new?!) Can’t wait to get to baking — and eating. 😉

Here’s our plan for this week:

Breakfasts

Oatmeal, Cereal, Eggs, and/or Fruit

Lunches

Mac & cheese, fruit
Snack-y lunch
PB&J, carrot sticks, apples
Cheese quesadillas, carrot sticks
Leftovers x 3

Snacks

Fruit/veggies
Popcorn
Whole Food No Bake Cookies

Pinterest Experiment {I’ll share how this goes later this week!}

The Easiest Loaf of Bread You’ll Ever Bake

Freezer Cooking {I’ll share how this goes later this week!}

Whole Food No Bake Cookies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Bars
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Quick Bread
Freezer-Friendly Pizza Dough

Dinners

Dinner with extended family
Mexican Chicken Lime Soup, fruit, tossed salad
Bean & Cheese Burritos, fruit, veggies
Build Your Own Haystacks, fruit, rice
Black Bean & Corn-Topped Potatoes,
Homemade Pizza, fruit, veggies
Dinner out

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

Shared Apr 8, 2013 comment

10 goals for this week

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 8, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It was so wonderful to meet many of you at the Cincinnati Homeschool Convention this weekend! Thank you for coming to my sessions, coming up to the booth, and taking time to chat with me. I was blessed by each of you who did!

Last week’s goals

Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals

1. Read 20 pages of Rascal by Sterling North aloud to the children. ~~Finish reading Paddington Abroad with Kathrynne, read three chapters of Life With Lily with Kaitlynn, finish reading The Adventure of Laura and Jack with Silas.~~

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

Personal Goals

3. Memorize Romans 1:9-10.

4. Exercise five times. {I failed miserably at this one!}

5. Finish reading ~~Uneclipsing the Son~~, A Charlotte Mason Education, ~~Sleep: It Does a Family Good~~, One Question, and ~~The Chance~~.

Homemaking Goals

~~6. Follow the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge.~~

7. Work on embroidery project.

Business Goals

~~8. Tweak & practice my talks for the Cincinnati Homeschool Convention.~~

~~9. Speak at the Cincinnati Homeschool Convention.~~

10. Finish all my book edits per my editor’s suggestions.

This week’s goals:

Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals

1. Read 20 pages of Rascal by Sterling North aloud to the children. Read four chapters of Paddington at Large with Kathrynne, read four chapters of Life With Lily with Kaitlynn, read four chapters Little House Christmas Stories with Silas.

2. Write a love note to Jesse.

Personal Goals

3. Memorize Romans 1:9-10.

4. Exercise five times.

My book stack for this week

5. Finish reading: One Question, While We’re Far Apart, 24/6, Start, and When the Game is Over It All Goes Back in the Box.

Homemaking Goals

6. Follow the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge.

7. Work on my embroidery project for at least 30 minutes.

8. Try three new homemade cleaning recipes.

Business Goals

9. Finish tweaking recipes for my new recipes page.

10. Finish all my manuscript edits per my editor’s suggestions.

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 Apr 8, 2013 comment

Free samples in my mailbox: Venus razor, Nescafe Memento samples, Gevalia K-cups, book by Randy Singer, plus more!

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 8, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

We got a few fun free samples in our mailbox last week:

::Free book by Randy Singer from points accredited through Tyndale Rewards

::Free Venus razor

::Free GUM product samples

::Free Nexcare samples and a coupon

::Free Nescafe Memento samples and a coupon

::Free Nivea for Men sample

::Free Gevalia K-Cup samples

What freebies have arrived in your mailbox this week?

By the way, if you want to start getting great freebies in your mailbox, just start signing up for the freebies I post every day that interest you. Within 4-6 weeks, your mailbox will start filling up with great freebies!

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

Click here to download!

Shared Apr 8, 2013 comment

30-Day House Cleaning Challenge: Project #8

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 8, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

During the month of April, I’m encouraging my readers to participate in a 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge (read more here, if you missed my announcement about this challenge last week). Every week day morning at 9 a.m., I’ll post the daily project and every evening around 6 p.m. EST, I’ll post an update and link-up.

April 8, 2013 Project

Today’s project is to sweep and vacuum all floors in your house.

If you have family members who can help, divide this up so that it’s a bit more manageable. If you don’t have anyone who can help out with this and you’re short on time today, just focus on sweeping and vacuuming the most trafficked areas of your home.

Come back here at 6 p.m. EST and I’ll show you pictures of my cleaning accomplishments and have a linky so you can link up yours, too!

Join in the Chatter

::Want to blog about this challenge? If you’re blogging through this challenge with me, be sure to leave your link to your direct post on the daily check-ins. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge Pinterest Group, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.

::Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? I’ll also be sharing some of my cleaning pictures on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #Cleanin30 to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!

photo credit

Shared Apr 6, 2013 comment

How to Save Money on Music Lesson Curriculum

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 6, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Rachel from RachelWojo.com

Keeping fresh and interesting music in front of my piano students has been very important to me over the years because it keeps them interested in playing. I believe this is true for any instrument.

As a veteran piano teacher of 20 years, here are three ways I’ve recommended to families to save money on music:

1. Recycle books.

If you have more than one child taking lessons, holding on to books and using them over again is a great way to save money. The average cost for the curriculum I typically use is $20 to $24 per curriculum level. Theory or notespeller books cannot be used over again, but it is a great savings to reuse lesson, performance, recital, or any other extracurricular books.

Another tip for book recycling is to check with other parents and students to see if they have the book you need. Some communities will hold music book swaps in their local libraries and this is a great way to get new music or the lesson books you need.

One more tip in book recycling, perhaps you have two children in the same level at the same time. Instead of marking in the book, use a simple $0.99 notepad to record each student’s lesson assignment. This practice enables two students to use the same book without confusion. The assignment book can also serve as a practice journal.

2. Inquire about any discounts for which you may be eligible.

Many curriculum companies offer discounts to teachers when they purchase music. Also music stores often offer a discount to teachers or parents of students in certain qualifying programs. It is important to ask retail companies about their policies and be sure the cashier knows you are a teacher or parent.

Sometimes publishers offer special programs or incentives — like an 80% discount on Christmas music after Christmas. Be sure that you have entered your name on their mailing list as a teacher or parent so that you can receive up-to-date information.

3. Download free sheet music.

Though copyright laws dictate the freedom of publishing music, many people do not realize that there is some music considered to be “public domain” and therefore, free for distribution.

One of my favorite free level-appropriate piano music websites is Gilbert Benedetti’s site at the University of Pittsburgh. His site also contains free theory lessons and free guitar music.

Another great free easy music site is EasyByte.org, though you will need to have a basic understanding of skill levels for this site as the levels are not marked on the PDF files.

What tips do you have for saving money on instrument lesson music?

Rachel Wojnarowski is a wife, mom to 7, blogger, and piano teacher. She and her husband, Matt, enjoy caring for their busy family, whose ages span 22 months to 21 years and includes a special needs daughter. Rachel leads community ladies’ Bible studies in central Ohio and serves as an event planner and speaker. She enjoys running and she’s a tech geek at heart. Reader, writer, speaker and dreamer, you can find Rachel on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and of course, on her blog!

Shared Apr 5, 2013 comment

30-Day House Cleaning Challenge: Project #5 Update

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 5, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

During the month of April, I’m encouraging my readers to participate in a 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge (read more here, if you missed my announcement about this challenge last week). Every week day morning at 9 a.m., I’ll post the daily project and every evening around 6 p.m. EST, I’ll post an update and link-up.

It was such a good day here in Cincinnati at the Midwest Homeschool Convention! I’m loving having my family with me on this trip and it’s been amazing to get to meet so many of you. {See a picture from this morning’s session here.}

Before I left, I cleaned my bathroom… which was in great need of some cleaning. 🙂

(I really need to come up with a good solution to having a big gallon jug on the countertop that I use for my twice daily saline rinse. I welcome any suggestions or ideas you all have. I’m sure there’s a great solution, I just have yet to figure it out!)

Love this verse taped to my mirror from Ann Voskamp and Holly Gerth. Such a great reminder!

Looking in my shower, it looks like I might be a shampoo hoarder. Don’t ask why there were two empty bottles of shampoo/body wash at the bottom of our shower.

So much better!

Join in the Chatter

::Want to blog about this challenge? If you’re blogging through this challenge with me, be sure to leave your link to your direct post on linky below. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge Pinterest Group, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.

::Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? I’ll also be sharing some of my cleaning pictures on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #Cleanin30 to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!

Shared Apr 5, 2013 comment

4 Ways that Being Organized is Helping Me Save Money

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 5, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Post written by Carrie

I think it was the time I went to the store and realized I left my coupons at home. Or maybe it was the day that I paid my bill late and incurred a late charge. Maybe it was mailing a present in the mail and having to pay extra to get it shipped in time. Whenever it was… I finalized realized I was throwing money out the window by not being organized.

It is amazing how much money we can let slip through our figures by not being organized. So, my goal is to plug up these holes and start saving money — here’s how I’m planning to do just that:

1. Get a good system for paying your bills.

I now do my bills once a week. I do automatic bill-pay which lets me choose the day to pay them. All my bills are listed on a spreadsheet.

I sort them by which paycheck or child support payment the bills will be paid with. I keep a full year on my spreadsheet so I can look back and see what expenses I had last year at this time.

2. Get control of your coupons.

I love to coupon. It is a huge rush to get to the check-out and realize that I’ve saved over $50, and it’s great to come home with free food.

But I needed a system that would work better. I had the big binder, but it was just too cumbersome. I decided to try switching to the envelope system. I keep the labeled envelopes in my tote bag.

No longer do I have to worry if I forgot my coupons. And if things get too stressful, I give myself some grace and just shop at Aldi.

3. Keep track of appointments, birthdays, holiday gifts, etc.

This is another area in which I struggled. I have always had a calendar book which I used to keep my appointment. The problem was I didn’t look at it every day.

Now, before I go to bed, I check it over to see what the next day will bring. Then if I need a form filled out for the school, I have it ready. If I need to go to the doctor’s office, I make sure I have my list of medications updated and in my wallet.

4. Streamline your life.

I’ve been reading a lot of great books on streamlining your life, saving money, and organizing. It is amazing how all these areas can tie together.

If you streamline your life, you will be more focused and organized. You won’t waste money buying things you already have.

For example, I have five boys and I spent hours sorting through all their old shoes. I have over 40 boxes of shoes!

Now when one of the little ones needs a bigger size shoe, I just go the closet and retrieve it. It saves me a trip to the store, which streamlines my life, it saves me money by not buying another pair, and it makes it easy to find the shoes in one quick look. This is just one area in which I’ve been working and I have many, many more to go.

Carrie is a single, working mom of five wonderful boys who lives in Pennsylvania.

photo source

Shared Apr 5, 2013 comment

30-Day House Cleaning Challenge: Project #5-7

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 5, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

During the month of April, I’m encouraging my readers to participate in a 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge (read more here, if you missed my announcement about this challenge last week). Every week day morning at 9 a.m., I’ll post the daily project and every evening around 6 p.m. EST, I’ll post an update and link-up.

April 5, 2013 Project

With the weekend coming up tomorrow, today you get to choose your project from the list. You can either surface clean the living room and kitchen, clean a bathroom, or clean your interior windows.

Or, if you have a lot of extra time and energy, you can choose more than one project. Just promise me you won’t aim too high and then end up feeling disappointed with yourself if you don’t get it all done, okay?

I decided to clean our bathroom, since I didn’t get to it on Tuesday. {I already did my project on Wednesday as I’m at the Midwest Homeschool Convention today!}

You can see step-by-step instructions on how to surface clean your living room and kitchen here. Or, step-by-step instructions on how to clean the bathroom here.

Come back here at 6 p.m. EST and I’ll show you pictures of my cleaning accomplishments and have a linky so you can link up yours, too!

What project are you planning to tackle today?

Join in the Chatter

::Want to blog about this challenge? If you’re blogging through this challenge with me, be sure to leave your link to your direct post on the daily check-ins. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge Pinterest Group, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.

::Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? I’ll also be sharing some of my cleaning pictures on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #Cleanin30 to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!

photo credit

Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List

FREE Summer Bucket List!!

April 10, 2013 Project

Join in the Chatter

Join in the Chatter

The day we feel like we’ve “arrived” is the day we begin to die as a person.

What’s one new thing you’re trying or learning right now?

April 9, 2013 Project

Join in the Chatter

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

Personal Goals

Marriage Goals

Mothering Goals

Ministry/Friendships/Extended Family Goals

Financial Goals

Business/Blogging Goals

Did you set goals for 2013?

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Breakfasts

Lunches

Snacks

Pinterest Experiment {I’ll share how this goes later this week!}

Freezer Cooking {I’ll share how this goes later this week!}

Dinners

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

April 8, 2013 Project

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1. Recycle books.

2. Inquire about any discounts for which you may be eligible.

3. Download free sheet music.

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1. Get a good system for paying your bills.

2. Get control of your coupons.

3. Keep track of appointments, birthdays, holiday gifts, etc.

4. Streamline your life.

April 5, 2013 Project

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