Well the first of December was covered with snow...

Okay, so maybe it was, but not here. I just happen to really like James Taylor.

So, we've been really busy here, and I can't believe it's already December 1st. We are doing "light duty" for school. No workbooks (except the 100 Easy Lessons for Josh) till after Christmas, as long as they behave. We instead, will be doing Holiday themed math pages, printable activities, lots of board and card games, baking, reading lots and lots of books together and other Christmas fun stuff! 

I am almost done with Christmas shopping for the kids. I have 2 more gifts to buy for my kids, and 1 for my soon to be nephew Jackson. We have also started some new Christmas traditions in our household, and I really hope to continue them every year. We definitely have scaled back, at least in the amount of money we usually spend, and I am trying to come up with ways to make memories rather than focusing on how much stuff they can get. I want my kids to remember how good it feels to give to others, how good it feels to show love to others around you as Christ wants you to. I also want them to remember to live in a Christlike way all year round, but especially now more than ever. I want them to make memories with each other, so when they are grown with their own families, they will keep Christmas as special as we've tried to with memories-without focusing on the money or the stuff.

So, that being said here are my top 8 ways to make memories with your kids this Christmas and keep the magic alive.

10) Buy Christmas PJs! I still want to get Josh some, but next year, I think I'm going to get each kid a new set of PJ's and wrap them up and give them to each kid on Thanksgiving night. I also have thought about putting some little Christmas themed goodies in a box and wrapping them up (coloring book, crayons, candy canes, etc) and including that giving it to them on Thanksgiving, because no one wants Christmas goodies ON Christmas day once the season is over! I found Jonah some footie pj's at a garage sale for just $2, and I bought Hannah some at Kohls on sale. Hopefully I can get Josh some soon though. I will have to be better prepared for this next year.

9)Get Holiday pictures. This doesn't have to be an expensive thing, or even cost money at all! You can often find promotional deals at local stores that will offer free pictures with Santa to shoppers (no purchase required!) Bass Pro shops does this, and they have a whole Christmas village we plan on going to. But it is a neat tradition to have a holiday picture of your kids (with or without Santa) each year. The one year we didn't do it, I really regretted it. Also, look into Photography studios in your area that offer promotional deals. Many less than $15 for a whole bunch of pictures, some as low as $10! That is a small price tag for precious memories. If you just don't want to fork over the cash though, just get your kids or family all dressed up-be it in dress clothes or those Christmas PJ's- and take a picture by the tree. Take lots and lots of candid pictures and don't let the years pass you by. If you blink, you just might miss it!

8). Adopt an elf. For about $30 you can adopt an "Elf on the Shelf". It comes with a nice hardbound book, collector case, and an elf doll. Or, for a cheaper option, you could use any other elf type doll (there are others out there) or if you are really crafty you can make your own elf doll. There is no shortage of blogs out there, Pinterest pins, or Instagram photos of adopted elves causing chaos, or sneaking snacks. You adopt an elf, and it becomes your family elf. They will visit your family each year as Christmas approaches and stay until Christmas eve to be put away till the next year. The elf keeps an eye on the children during the day, reports back to Santa each night, and returns in the morning to hide in new spot. Sometimes elves are found in the middle of a big mess (not ours yet, thank goodness!) but I've joked saying if we end up with one of those "overzealous naughty elves" we will send it right back to the North pole! So far though, our elf usually just hides  but sometimes she (we named her Candie) is found to have done silly things. She came out a couple weeks ago, so I have been looking online for inspiration but haven't yet been brave enough to have her wreak havoc yet. 

7) Bake cookies. I still remember baking  

Christmas cookies with my Mamaw when I 

was a little girl, and now my mom 

has been passed the torch and is baking 

with my kids and my niece and nephew. It is such a special memory to make. We baked and decorated several dozen cookies. It was a lot of work, but it's something I don't think they will forget as we try to do it every year. They always look forward to it, especially Hannah. And when they are grown and have kids of their own, I will bake cookies with MY grandkids. 

6) Look at lights. There don't seem to be as many houses that decorate for Christmas as I remember from being a kid, but that just makes it more of a challenge. I read of one family recently, that their family tradition is to go to a local light display and eat fast food on the Friday after thanksgiving. We don't go on "Black Friday" but we do go every year, and then we go to CiCi's pizza every year. I happen to really like CiCi's because everyone can get whatever pizza they like and a salad buffet all for a low price. But my husband isn't a huge fan, so whenever we go to look at lights, that is the one day of the year we go to CiCi's since it is so close to the display. 

5. Watch holiday movies together and listen to Christmas music. You know, the ones you loved as a kid. If you have cable Hallmark (which we don't get anymore :/  ) and ABC family have the best Holiday movies, usually. Starting today, ABC Family does the 25 days of Christmas like they do every year, showing Christmas specials every day through Christmas Day. Right now, my kids are watching Mickey's Once upon A Christmas. Some of our other family favorites are Christmas Vacation, Elf, The Santa Clause movies, A Muppet Christmas Carol and the Polar Express. Of course two of my personal favorites are It's a Wonderful Life and White Christmas because I love the old movies! Snuggle up on the couch and drink hot cocoa. Eat some of those yummy cookies you baked. And you don't have to spend a fortune on Christmas cds like when or tapes or records...(haha) like when you were kid. Our local radio station is 24/7 Christmas music now, but if you don't have anything like that where you live, you can listen on Spotify, Pandora, or to radio stations like mine online. 

4)  Color with your kids. Do crafts and art projects. Let them make homemade gifts to give to loved ones  or create a special picture for them. If they are old enough, have them write a letter to a family member who lives far away (or not so far away), just wishing them a blessed Holiday season. Here's some ideas of kid friendly crafts that would make a good gift. Be creative. Use whatever you have around the house-you don't have to spend a lot of money on it to make it special. It will be both a fun memory and teach your children the joy of giving to others.

* Use Popsicle sticks and toothpicks to create a snowflake design, let the children paint it if they like, and then hot glue a ribbon, yard, or pipe cleaner to hang on the tree. 

*Using felt or craft foam, cut out circle shapes for ornament balls. Then, using pom poms, glitter puffy paint, or foam stickers, let them decorate the ornament. Be sure to write the date on the back, and tie a ribbon to attach it to the tree. 

*Make salt dough ornaments. Using a glass, cut the dough out into flat circle shapes and then allow your children to press their hand print into the dough. Then after baking, you can spray it with metallic paint, acrylic paint, or a clear glaze. Don't forget to use a toothpick to puncture a hole in the top of the ornament before baking.  Be sure to write their name, and date on it before glazing or in sharpie on the back after painting.

3) Do a Christmas Countdown. Whether it's an Advent Calendar or something else, it's a great way to create excitement in the days before Christmas. Sometimes it is hard for kids when they know Christmas is coming, to understand it takes time for the day to arrive. This year, a friend made us a Christmas countdown and we've had it hanging for a few weeks now. There are no days on it, but there are little pockets for each one to hold a special treat, candy, or toy. We started last night, and because there are no numbers assigned we will end our countdown on Christmas Eve. Each night, the best behaved kid gets the treat. I am hoping it won't cause any quarrels but rather, will encourage each of them to be on their very best behavior. At the end of the 25 days, on Christmas Eve, the child who was the best kid over all, gets to open a gift early! 

2) Read with them and to them. Let them read to you. That's one of the new traditions we have started this year. Of course, as homeschoolers, we do lots of reading together anyways. But after reading the idea on Pinterest, we have started a Christmas book basket. I will wrap Christmas related books (some new, some old) for 25 days of Christmas and each day the child who was the best helper gets to choose a book to unwrap. Then, we will snuggle under our special "Christmas blanket" and read the book together. Then, when Christmas is over, I will pack them all away for next year. Some of them I bought new. A few of them we already owned, but I still needed several more, so I went to the Goodwill bookstore and was able to get 18 books for about $25! Some are nice hardbound books, some are little board books meant for Jonah, some are paper back picture books. As they get older, I will filter in books meant for older kids and put away the board books for their kids. I think this is a cheap but memorable tradition that will help to foster a love of reading in them. 

1)Teach them the joy of giving and the value of earning money. Another one of the new traditions we've started this year is that they have "money jars" to save up their money. I've told my husband to get a roll of dimes from the bank where he works and for each chore they do, they can earn a dime. For bigger chores they might get 2 dimes!  Of course, if you have older children who can do harder work, you can choose to pay them whatever you like, but each of our kids gets to keep up with their own money cup (which is one of my disposable coffee cup with a lid taped to it). Then they can put their dimes in their jar and a few days before Christmas, we will go to the Dollar Tree and shop for gifts. We will of course, count up all their money and decide who they want to buy gifts for-and they have to buy gifts for siblings and cousins first. This is the first year we are doing this, and I cannot wait to see the joy in their eyes when they see their brothers or sister open up their gifts. I remember doing this as a kid, and saving my allowance for a few weeks and then buying gifts for everyone in my family from the the dollar tree. One year, I bought my Papaw a claw grabber thing, that he could use to reach behind things and grab something with its long arm.  I was so happy to have found gifts that I thought everyone could use, and I can still remember my grandparents telling me that he had dropped his keys behind something and he used the grabber to get them! What joy it gave me to feel like I gave someone something they appreciated and needed! I want my kids to feel that feeling as well, and rather than just giving them money, they will have to work hard and earn it! Oh, and let them wrap the presents too. They like to feel like big stuff, and that's an easy way to give them some responsibility without it being something that is too much for them.

So there you have it. 

Happy Turkey Day!!

So, in keeping with my traditions since I had a family of my own, Thanksgiving is a fun time around here. We have so much to be thankful for! As usual, we are listening to Christmas music (and have been for months, haha) and have the house all lit up. I'm nearly done with my Christmas shopping.
I got a couple things from Kohls this weekend for Josh, and got a couple cds for Hannah. Did you know Family Christian Stores is having some Mega Sales this week. Several cds are already on sale now for just $5-including Newsboys, Jamie Grace, and Toby Mac,  and more will go on sale exclusively this weekend. I got a catalog in the mail a couple weeks ago, and they are going to have some great dvd deals too- lots for just $3. So if you need Christian or inspirational gifts, look no further!

Also, you know I had to hit up CVS yesterday. If you coupon, you know why! If not, you probably missed the bulk of the good deals. On Thanksgiving day last year, they had some spectacular deals, and this year there were no shortage, but they started on Sunday instead. I knew it was coming, so I printed all my coupons ahead of time in preparation. There were several money maker deals where they actually paid me to buy the items, but even without those, you could have gotten over $100 worth items completely free as advertised in their ad. There were several couponing blogs that laid it all out, some with you only spending $6 out of pocket, and getting $100+ worth of items! I know I got matchbox cars, toilet paper, paper towels, playdough, carmex lip balm, a 1.25 liter of sprite, starbucks drinks, glade and airwick warmers, and deodorant, olives, and alot more all free. Oh, and a universal remote! I didn't get all that they advertised though 1) because they were out of somethings or didn't have them and 2) because I just don't buy crap I don't need or don't know someone who can use. There was certainly something for everyone though! I wish I had taken a picture, but oh well!


Anyways, I also got a ton of stocking stuffers for cheap at Rite Aid, and I have about $20 to RA and to CVS to roll over later in the week each, for Thursday or whenever. Last week Rite Aid had large Spongebob candy canes (or Scooby doo)  and Santa skittles  2/$1. I picked up one of each for all 3 kiddos, and the playdough  at cvs for free after ECB this week makes for another good stocking stuffer.

I told the kids this morning that we could have the week off of school if they would all be on their best behavior and help out around the house. We're just going to get some baking done, and do crafting and art projects all week. All the school they have to keep up with is their reading every day.

How to save on Christmas!!

So, most of you know my family is a single income family. I have been a stay at home mom since my daughter was 6 months old. I have done a few things here and there, but when my oldest was a baby, I decided that the trade off of a small paycheck every other week was not worth missing my daughter grow up. I have also been determined not to let me kids go without their immediate needs, but also to let them have fun experiences to remember too. I don't want them to grow up going without so much that they wish I would have worked when they are grown. I do my very best to provide for them in ways that more than make up for my lack of income. I work extremely hard to stretch my husband's paycheck every month.

Just like my mother taught me, I have always prided myself in being thrifty. I cut coupons and stock up on groceries. I shop at no frills stores on the things that I need week to week as well. Another major thing I do is buying used products where I can. I shop at garage sales, consignment sales, and swap kids clothes with friends.  What I'd like to talk to you today about is, how you can stretch your money and make the most of a tight budget for Christmas. We all know that our economy is still in the tank. Many of you are struggling, and the holidays are fast approaching. What's a mom to do? Rather than be tempted to put it all on your charge card (which this can be ok depending on the circumstances) I have some alternatives for you.


1)Go Local. First of all, this may be a budget buster, as shopping in little local boutique type stores tend to charge higher, for their smaller volume of merchandise. However, you can find some really special things if you are looking to splurge. What I would suggest to save $$ though and help the little guy at the same time, is to reach out to individuals you know. Everyone can use a little extra cash this Christmas, and it will help you and your friends both if you reach out to see who can provide goods or services that you need.

Let me explain. You could go to a chain store and buy something generic. You could go to a boutique store and pay a fortune for something unique. Or you could ask around to your friends, family, and on Facebook, to see if anyone might be able to help. Perhaps you know someone who sews and could make some special stockings for your family. Or maybe you have a knitter in your family, and you can get your loved ones matching scarves and hats that will be in their favorite colors. I know several moms who have their own business on the side and I am going to share one of my friend's pages with you in a moment.

I have other friends that sew dolls, bake cakes, tassels for your home furniture, wreaths, and make all kinds crafty items, and a whole ton of other things.
Think about if you have any friends that make things that would be willing to give you a  discount if you buy from them instead of a big chain store. Also, if you are considering hiring a company to cater, clean your house for the holidays before guests arrive, or any other service you need done, reach out to your Family and Facebook friends in the area. I guarantee there is someone who can use the money for their family this holiday season, and they may cut you a break in the price to get your business. Also, I am willing to do babysitting for you if you need to run errands or do some Christmas shopping, or just want to go out on a date with some friends. Just message me on Facebook if you are interested. Consider your own talents and if you can offer your handmade products to your friends for sale. It makes for a very personal gift as well I might add! We always try to buy at least one gift from one of my friends every year, since I know it provides actual families with a little extra cash for Christmas.

My friend Morgan does monogrammed work and I bought this handmade shirt from her for Jonah for Christmas. He's going to be so excited, and I guarantee you my $ meant more to her than it would from some high priced specialty store. Here is a link to her Facebook page, where you can place an order for her very reasonably priced custom made items.
SewIsMe


2) Shop Clearance and Sales. The next time you head to Target or Walmart or whatever your favorite store is, be on the lookout for Clearance items. These items are almost always in perfect condition.Sometimes the box might be slightly dented, but usually they have just ordered an over abundance of that product, or they are making room for the latest model to come in its place. I usually start in the summer time, checking out Target's huge clearance section. Sometimes these products are on the end cap of the aisle. Sometimes they are all mixed in with the other products, and some times, especially with seasonal items, there will be a whole section just for clearanced items. You can find prices 30% all the way to 75% off.

So all of these items were bought at Target on clearance. The Captain American Action figure makes sounds and says various phrases when you push a button, which I know my son is going to love. I also got him a Megabloks set, and a Chuggington Train set. If you didn't already know, Jonah is into trains, cars, trucks, and anything with wheels basically. When we had cable, he watched Chuggington all the time. That, and Thomas the Train were his favorite shows. 

So, how much did I save, you ask? Here's the breakdown:

Captain America: Originally $20, Paid $13 (roughly 30% off)

Megablocks: Originally $21.99,  Paid $10.99 (roughly 50% off)

Chuggington Interactive Railway: Originally $30, Paid $20, (roughly 30% off)

It may not seem like much, but that was 30-50% savings amounted to over $28 dollars in savings, and I only spent a total of $44 on 3 gifts. Because I shop clearance items all throughout the year, I am able to get much nicer items than if I had to budget for full price items. Black Friday may have great deals, but you can avoid those nasty crowds and item shortages if you just shop clearance and sales all year round. Also, to get the most out of your money, it is best to shop for your child's age range rather than only specific products. Be on the lookout for when you see something that is age appropriate, and you think they will enjoy it, buy it and put it back in a closet for the next Birthday or Holiday!

3)Sell and Shop at Consignment Sales. You make slightly more than you'd make at a garage sale, and they sell your items for you, taking usually about 1/2 of what you make. On the down side, it is really alot of work sorting items and getting ready for it. But these sales tend to draw huge crowds that you would never see at a yard sale. Typically, shopping at a consignment sale, items will cost 25-30% of what the original retail prices are. You can score some big ticket items for your kids by buying the ones that are for sale at these events. In fact, this weekend Mommy's Secret Consignment Sale is this Saturday and Sunday in Olive Branch, MS. On Sunday, the majority of items will be half the price marked on the tag. They typically have lots of puzzles, games, and outdoor toys that may be costly if you buy them new.

 4) Consider buying last year's model. Especially with kids who are younger, they may not care if they have the newest, latest model of the toy the like. If they have asked for a handheld video game system, check with your local Gamestop to see what might be a good option for your kid. Tell them your child's age, and interests, as well as what type of games you are looking for. My grandparents recently asked me about getting a handheld video game for my son, and after calling around, I found out that the Nintendo 3DS is the newest model, but they still have new and used original Nintendo DS handheld systems, which were significantly cheaper. Also, they still carry plenty of games that are used as well. You can also purchase an extended warranty even on the used systems for an additional fee. He is just as happy with his Nintendo DS and he still feels like his older cousin who's got the newest latest games! Another thing to remember is that if you buy an older model and older games, and you want to upgrade for them later, those older games will typically play on the newer game systems as long it is a similar model. It does not work the other way though, so you have to have the newest system to play the newest games. If you are ever unsure, be sure to speak to the sales associate to have them explain it to you before you buy. 

5)Check Craigslist or your local Facebook resale group. If you are looking for something specific, but aren't ready to fork over a fortune, look online and price shop as early as you know what you want. See if you aren't able to find a good pre-owned item. Just beware of buying from strangers, be sure the product works right before paying them, and meet in a public place. You never know!

6) Ok, be prepared to keep an open mind on this one. It might take a minute for you to process what I'm about to say, but once you really think about it, I think you will come around. I have two words for you: Garage Sales.

Yes, you heard me. I am proposing that you shop at garage sales for Christmas. Just hear me out though. Think about how much money children's toys cost these days, and then consider just about how much time your children play with something before it becomes boring to them. The idea to this works both ways, though. You can first start by having a yard sale in the mid-fall months to de-clutter your house, and get rid of the toys that your children no longer play with. If they don't play with it now, they won't even know it's gone!  Take that money and set it aside to replace the old toys and clutter with new gifts!

Now, if you don't believe that it is worth it to shop yard sales, you aren't doing it right! My mother taught me the value of a dollar and I work hard to stretch our money. I know realistically, kids don't usually care about the boxes things come in. They just want it to work, and have all the pieces there!

I love going to garage sales and yard sales because you never know what you are going to find. Sometimes you will find great items and sometimes it will just be "junk". But remember, one man's junk is another man's treasure! Check out what I found at a yard sale with my mom this past weekend, if you don't believe me.

Leap Frog English/Spanish guitar $1 ($18 new)

B toys Times Square Activity Cube $1 ($32 new)

Leap Frog Letter Dinosaur $1 ($17 new)

Playskool Busy Basics Swing and Score $1 ($20 new)

Playskool Explore and Grow Musical Gear Center $2 ($24)

So I paid just $6 ( I kid you not!) for over $100 worth of toddler toys! Oh, and that is not including the shape sorter my daughter got for her Jonah for just 50cents!  

You will sometimes hit sales that won't have anything good, and you will just keep on driving by. But many times, you will find something totally worthy of parking your car to have a look. We found this on Saturday, used but in perfect condition, for only $5!!! It is normally $49 at Walmart, but this week, it's on rollback to $39. Either way, that was an amazing deal, and Jonah will love it!

Because I shopped at garage sales and got lucky with some good stuff, I was able to spend a little more (like the monogrammed shirt) on other things, and he will have a great Christmas. The only downside is, now I need to find boxes for them!!

Don't be afraid to make an offer either. If you find something you like, but are short on cash, it can't hurt to offer what you feel like it is worth to you. I stumbled upon a huge box of paperback boxes on Saturday while we were out, and knew instantly it would be a perfect gift for Hannah.  She had marked 10 cents a book, which would be awesome. New these books would be $4-5 dollars each, and used at the Goodwill bookstore, they would still be $2 each! I was thrilled, and immediately started making stacks of 10 books. Eventually, I stopped and just realized Hannah would more than likely like any or all of them. These below are the series books that she had (after I sorted them all out at home). At the sale they were all jumbled up, but I saw Junie B. Jones, Animal Ark, Puppy Pals, Baby Sitter's Club Little Sister books (that I read when I was Hannah's age!), and Hannah loves all these.

 Rather than continue counting till Armageddon comes, I just thought, if she is asking for 10 cents a book, she's ready to get rid of these if someone will use them. I went to her and very politely asked if she would take $5 for the whole box, not really knowing how many were in it. I said I had an avid reader and this would make a wonderful Christmas present as she's trying to build a collection, and these are all series' that she loves. She was very happy to oblige, and I was thrilled to pieces. When I got home, I organized them all. The above is all the series books, and the below picture shows several more books that are mismatched. All but one were in perfect condition!  As a bonus, I found a neat Hello Kitty album that will make a great stocking stuffer. I counted them and after 150 books I lost count! That means even if I bought them at a used book store, I would conservatively have spent over $300. She's going to LOVE this, and it frees more of my budget to splurge on special gifts that I have to buy new.

7) Use your points/rebates/freebies! 

If you haven't already signed up for Swagbucks, do it! I have already earned 2 $10 Dominos Gift cards in the last few months for just using them as my search engine and printing coupons through their site. You can trade in your points for various gift cards like Target, Amazon, and tons of other HOT stores.  

If you have Register Rewards/Balance Points at Walgreens, Extra Care bucks at CVS, or Up+ rewards at Rite Aid, Use them! Check out the ads and if you don't need products for your grocery list, use the rewards like cash to buy toys or gifts for friends and family. In fact, many times these stores have b1g1 deals on hot ticket toys and items to make the deal even sweeter!

Also, if you buy Disney movies, sign up for Disney Movie Rewards. It's completely free. You just use the codes on the inside of the dvd cover and you enter them online to earn points that can be traded in for prizes. I have gotten free DVDs before, and I recently just traded a couple hundred points (took maybe 2 movies to earn).

8)  Barter. Yes, folks, it's time to get creative! If you are crafty and can create something others will find of value, consider making a trade with other crafty creative friends. If you have a talent others lack, consider trading your service for something they need. My husband is great with fixing computers, so we'd be happy to trade computer repair work for something you can make or create that I otherwise would have to pay for.

9) Go homemade. You don't have to be a super skilled craftsman to make this Christmas a memorable one. It's the thought that counts anyways. I have always had more people that I wanted to gift than I could afford, so I always end up making homemade goodies. Fudge, chocolate covered pretzels, buckeyes, and Christmas cookies are always family favorites. For grandparent's take a picture of the grandkids and have each child make a homemade Christmas ornament or frame for their picture.

10)Pass down family treasures. While pulling out the decorations for Christmas this year, I found these little gems that will make perfect gifts for my daughter and will cost me NOTHING!

The Barbie is still new in the (slightly dented) box, but Hannah won't care. I checked online, and this doesn't qualify as a collector's item, but so I see no reason why Hannah can't open and play with it! Also I found my musical carousel horse and I think it will be perfect for her. So it may be worth rummaging through the old things you've put away from your childhood days. You probably have perfectly good toys that your kids would love, and they will be that much more special since someone else with love them as much as you did. Even Dads can join in the search for attic treasure! Perhaps there is some action figures that could use the love of a child. I know when Hannah gets a little older, I will gift to her the antique porcelain dolls I loved as a kid.


So there you have it, 10 ways to save big this Christmas!! God Bless!






UPDATE: Being that it is nearly Christmas, most of the Clearance toys are gone, so if you have to buy new, be sure you compare prices online. Check Target, Walmart, Toys R Us and Amazon to see who has the best deal. Sometimes stores will price match even online prices during the Christmas Season. If their price drops during the season (excluding Black Friday)or find it lower at another store, some stores are offering the difference on a store gift card, and as you know, every little bit counts! And check Coupons.com online for coupons.  I reluctantly bought Jonah a new Chuggington DVD at Target for $12.99 because Jonah would not let go (lol) and then got home and found out that there was a $3 coupon I could have printed! I know for a fact that there are several Barbie coupons out right now, as well as some other toys your kid may have at the top of the list!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas...

Yes, I know it's only mid-November, but it's no secret we've been Christmasing in the Harrison Household since November 1 (and quite possibly even before that). But our decorations went up November 2nd. The tree is up. Let's just say this year, we let the kids decorate again! We aren't done with ornaments, but my plan this year is to have the kids make homemade ornaments each week and put them as the tree as we go. We do have a few up, but it looks much better in person than it does in the photo. We had to buy new lights from Target and decided to go for the new LED lights! They are mini lights with colored covers over them, which is neat! It reminds me of the glass multicolored bulbs my Mamaw had in the 80s with the huge bulbs that got so hot! Well these are really nice because they can last forever and they are cool to the touch. Plus, just a few go a long way because the bulbs are big.

Also, I've got my mantle decorated as well! I've pulled out all my favorite decorations and this year, they won't all fit on the mantle! We also have adopted an Elf on the Shelf this year, and the kids named her Candie. So far she's mostly been hiding in different spots and hasn't done too much crazy yet. She's been found reading a book, "fishing" for the Christmas singing bass on the mantle (so redneck, I love that, lol!) and hanging from the ceiling fans. Oh, there was the time she drew with lipstick on the kids faces but I was clear that I wasn't crazy about that, so she toned it down after that! Haha!

This weekend I hope to finish my Christmas Village on the island in the kitchen, I don't know what I will do as far as decorating in the kitchen otherwise though.

Also, we've been thinking and coming up with some great Christmas traditions. One of which, thanks to my good friend, will be the Christmas Countdown Calender. It's got 25 pockets and each pocket is going to have a special treat, which the kids will have to compete for behavior wise. At the end of the day, the best behaved all around kid gets to choose something from one of the pouches.

Also, something I am very excited about this year new is a book tradition. I've been collecting new and like new books (so far I have 2 brand new Skippy Jon Jones books I got on clearance at Kohls, and a nearly new Little Engine that Could book. ) I need 22 more. Can you guess what I'm doing? I'm going get a total of 25 books and starting November 30th (same day we start the Christmas Countdown) I will have them all wrapped under the tree with a special Christmas blanket in a basket. Each night I will allow the kids to choose one of the books under the tree to unwrap and we will read it together by the tree! Isn't that a great tradition!! I plan on getting some new, but also I'm going to be looking all year round for next year at yard sales or the Good will bookstore for perfect condition hard cover children's books that will build a nice collection for us.

Ok, so now that you know what  we are doing for the Holidays, I have to catch you up on the last several months. We've been so busy with school, church, and everything in between and I don't feel like I've had a chance to catch my breath till just now! We have celebrated three birthdays, Halloween, and Thanksgiving is next week. My sister got married and now we know she is expecting a little boy this spring! I cannot wait!! We are still working with Josh teaching him to read and are slowly but surely making progress. Both the older kids are doing awesome in math, and we have gotten involved again not only with our church small group but with serving in our church. Jacob and I both help with Awana and Jacob is helping with the 4-6 grade boys on Sunday mornings.

We have had some crazy life stuff thrown at us over the last few months, but God has used it to remind us that he is in control and he will provide (and that's all I'm gonna say about that!) for us. Jacob got a position at a new branch 10 minutes from our house, and he's home an extra 3 hours every day! We get to have breakfast and dinner together every night, and have been able to make more commitments. I started keeping Greyson again during the week, which I LOVE, and he is such a sweetie.  Jonah is doing so much better, although he is not perfect, with learning to mind and not being quite so naughty. God has given me more patience to deal with him as well. So no, for us things are not perfect and we are dealing with some things, but we are so thankful for the things that God is blessing us with. I don't feel like we are still wandering in the desert any more, so I am thankful for that.

I have some more posts I plan on doing soon, because there's so much more things I want to share with you, so plan on seeing more blog posts here on out. God bless ya and have a great week!

Can you guess what we did last night at my house? Yep, I have officially jumped on the 'make my own detergent' bandwagon! Sorry the picture is a bit blurry, but you get the idea. Anyways, you know I am all about saving some money, but I had never tried this before. I have been trying to coupon and stockpile more lately, as we are desperate to pinch some pennies! We caught a break on a One Day Sale with our local paper, and they slashed the prices to about 30% off for 'new' subscribers (meaning you haven't had a subscription recently).

I started to get dangerously low on detergent, and was trying to figure out what I should do. The kind we buy, (Xtra, just the cheap stuff) is not on sale right now. And I just wasn't finding deals like I did last winter. See, last Winter I scored 6 huge (119 load size) bottles of Xtra for around $25. That was in February. I haven't bought detergent since February!!! I scored an amazing deal back then and stocked up on a large supply, and have just now gotten down to the bottom of that last container. And we do LOTS of laundry in this house! So, if you do the math it did last me 6 months, we go through 1 bottle of that stuff a month (one very large bottle).

So I guess here was my concern, I wanted to make sure it was really going to save me, a thrifty mama, money. Not just the mom who buys the $15 box of Tide every month. I also knew it was going to require me to venture out into the madhouse that is Walmart, which I despise. Let me be clear, it's not Walmart persay that I don't like. I just don't like the insane crowds and never being able to find anything. Little did I realize...it was the first day of back to school. CRAZY BUSY!!!! That being said, here's how it breaks down.


Oxy clean (generic is fine, yay!) $2.75--optional, but I have 3 messy kids so this was a given!
Borax $4
Purex Crystals $5-also optional. You could use none, or up it to two bottles. Next time I may get a 2nd bottle for more smell.
Arm and Hammer Washing Soda $3.50
Baking Soda $3
2 Fels Naptha Bars $2
Bucket to mix it all in $2
Total Cost: $23.25 plus tax

So after that, it was pretty simple. You have to grate the Fels Naptha bars (you can also use pink zote or ivory, I believe) with the fine end of the cheese grater. It smells really good. Then you just kind of pour everything in and mix together. Be careful when pouring the baking soda and borax, as they tend to have dust fumes. You don't have to wear goggles or anything, just keep your face out of the bucket, and don't dump it in sitting in front of an air conditioner or anything like that. I would think that would go without saying, but you never know.... Also, pour SLOWLY and that will help. I did try to use a spoon to mix it, but eventually I knew the bottom wasn't mixing through so I just used my hands. The neat thing is that if you do use the purex, you can scoop some of the mix up and put it in the Purex bottle since it will be empty. The top has a little round scoop too, that you can pour into, and also, the Sun OXYgen stuff I bought had about a 2 tbsp size scoop. And that's it. That's all there is too it. Supposedly it's HE safe (several of the ingredients specifically say that too) and even though I don't have an HE washer, it's new so I wanted to be super careful.

That's all there is to it! It's supposed to be equivalent to a 6 month supply, so we will see. Each load takes 1-2 tbsp instead of a whole cup of liquid.


Some things to remember:
1) I had a $1 off the coupon for Purex, did not include it in the price, but if you coupon, look for it in your stash! It's a very recent one (think last 2 weeks) so if you haven't clipped lately look there first.
2) I am rounding here. I figured I would have to go to Walmart to buy all the items, and they had them all, right next to each other. I don't remember the exact price to the penny, but I rounded up to the nearest dollar to what I paid. So you'll actually spend less than that probably.
3) The generic version of Oxyclean was in a container twice the size of what I needed, so I cut that price in half for the purpose of pricing this project. I do still have half left in the container, so I won't buy the $5.50 tub of Oxy stuff again till NEXT year!
4)I got a mop bucket, because that was all I could find. I highly reccomend using a 5 gallon bucket if you have one on hand. You will not be able to reuse the bucket though, you'll need to store the remainder of the detergent in the bucket. I had enough room, but a 5 gallon bucket would have made it easier to mix.

Updates Updates Updates!

So, needless to say, it's been a little while since my last blog. Way too long. So I will give you a quick chance to catch up with what all has been happening with us.

Josh is into video games. He's turning 5 next month and asking for plants vs. zombies for his birthday. It's amazing to me to sit back and see this sweet boy having his own opinions forming and whatnot. He's growing up!!! It's so crazy, it's happened so fast.

Hannah is growing up too. She's so much smarter than I would have ever dreamed up, and the concepts she grasped are just way beyond what your average 1st or 2nd grader should understand.

Jonah's just a little troublemaker. Hubs says he just gets bored and then go and misbehaves because he 1)doesn't know any better at all, and 2)he doesn't have anything better to do. If he is constantly having a change of pace, then in very short bursts, he does alot better. But he's got a short attention span unless he is being naughty!

We've started school already. The kids are doing really well, and I'm really actually loving having 2 kids in school vs. having just Hannah. It's been wonderful being able to interact with them and teach them one on one. We are doing some curriculum and some unit studies-specifically we are doing Unit studies on Social Studies.

I am writing again. You guys may not know this, but I've actually been writing things for years, but they've never seen the light of day for the most part. I've got several half finished projects, and things that I just stopped for one reason or another. It's kind of ironic because my grammar/punctuation/etc has become extremely lazy because of the internet, text, typing, and the like.  BUT, I've got something right now I'm working on that I am really very excited about. I am more passionate than ever about trying to figure out where this project is going and what needs to be done, and it's become fresh and new to me again. I have a few things still on the back burner that it just wasn't the right time for, but what I'm working on now, is thrilling to me. It's new, it's a challenge, it's exhilarating, and I'm constantly (for the first time ever, and perhaps that's the difference) working at trying to make it better. I'm researching how to be a more effective storyteller, and using my writing as a vehicle to do something. So, I'm not sure if that makes any sense, but it feels good to say it (or write it) on here for someone, anyone really, to read.

Not that anyone reads this blog anymore, now that I had to make it private, but still. For those of you still hanging on, that's what I've been doing!!

Summer Fun

We have been super busy this summer, and it's only just begun. To be honest, I've never been a big fan of summer time. It's really pretty hot where we live. In July the heat index gets over 110 degrees. Most days, we are stuck indoors and it can be difficult to find things to do with 3 kids to keep us from getting stir crazy in the house. Of course, I would much prefer Fall as a season. It's cool, the colors are beautiful, and I feel like we can get more time enjoying the outdoors. 

So I've pretty much committed myself to year round schooling at this point. Hannah got a full month off from school. She and I both needed a break. This week we are starting back school a couple days a week, and next month, we will start back to our normal schedule. I think when we have school, it does good for us to have something to do because it makes our days pass faster. Jacob is working 2 jobs now, and so some days we don't see him from 6 in the morning till 11 when he's coming to kiss the kids asleep in their beds. It helps us to not think about missing Daddy if we've constantly got stuff to do. So today, I made it my mission to create a fun distraction for the kiddos. Baking!!!

I found an awesome recipe for blueberry muffins. I made so many that I froze some, and they are just as good reheated in the microwave as when they first came out of the oven. I'll share the link for the recipe in a bit. It's not mine, so I won't try to claim it. But it was a super yummy one, and I can't imagine myself making them a different way ever.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/to-die-for-blueberry-muffins/

Tomorrow starts our adventure with money. We are going to play store, and games for the next few weeks and work on memorizing the coins (for Josh) and adding/subtracting money (for Hannah). Hopefully I'll have some pictures to come soon. :D  God bless