28 inch Mom gives birth to an 18.5 inch baby
This lady is my new role model. I love the positive attitudes of this precious family. They had so much faith that God would help them, regardless of what others said.Blessings!

Anastasia Crawling

A Few Ways to Earn some Side Money, to pay off debt, or to save for the future:

1.Ebay- Get rid of stuff you have not used in 6 months or more. Clothing, books, movies, homeschool curricula usually do particularly well on E-bay. Sell items at proper times of the year- seasonal clothing right before the proper season, sell curricula in May or June.Many people are searching for curricula during those months.

2.Host or Participate in a consignment sale. Many of these allow you to get 50-60% profit.

3.Have a yard sale. Sell any of your stockpile stuff that you do not need. (Check your local laws to make sure this is legal in your area.)  Two or three family yard sales usually do really well. Consider selling baked goods at 
your yard sale too, or setting up a lemonade stand for your children.

4. Write an e-book and market it.

5. Create unique crafts and start an Etsy business.

6. Volunteer to be a birth doula, and then as you gain more experience, you can collect a fee. Many doulas make $400-$600 per birth.

7. Teach lessons pertaining to your skills/gifts: (ex.piano, cake decorating, calligraphy, violin, sewing) Tutor in a subject matter that you excel in.

8. Bring samples of baked goods to Hubby's office, and then sell them there, if permitted. Many people stuck in a cubicle would love to savour something scrumptiously homemade. Find other businesses to sell your baked goods to.

For more Frugal Fridays, visit Crystal.

Works for Me Wednesday:
When I clean bathrooms, fold laundry, or prepare supper, I often like to keep my mind focused on learning new things. Quite often, I listen to Dave Ramsey's radio show or to sermons, at Sermon Audio. Sermon Audio even has recorded sermons of spiritual giants such as Charles Spurgeon and George Whitefield. I really enjoy Kevin Swanson's timely talks. I find that this is a wonderful way to "redeem the time" during chore time. Listening to edifying and encouraging speakers truly makes otherwise menial seeming tasks, much more enjoyable. For more Works for me Wednesday ideas, visit Shannon.

Sewing
All I want to do is sew a straight line. I have done it a time or two....somehow, I even managed to sew a tote bag....with pockets. Every time I get my sewing machine out, though, the bobbin seems to get jammed up, and sewing even a simple line, is out of the question. I am not even getting my hopes up to make matching wardrobes for my children, nor am I dreaming of making wedding dresses for my daughters. (ok...maybe just a smidge!) A jam free, simple line, is all I want to make. If you have any tips on keeping my bobbin tangle free, I would love to hear it!

Some things I want to Sew:


Apron
All in One Diapers
Sanitary pads

Homemade Popcorn
My family and I love eating popcorn as a scrumptious snack, especially on movie nights. Buying the bags of kernals can be a healthier alternative; it gives you the choice of being able to season it however you want to, and it is cheaper than most bags of popcorn. To start, I grease the inside of a small paper bag, with coconut oil. Then, I put some kernels in the bag, and fold the flap of the bag down. I usually microwave the bag for 1 minute; but this is one of those things that you have to "play by ear". Then, I usually drizzle some melted coconut oil on it, and parmesan cheese. My dh loves Ranch dressing on his. You could even make a sweet popcorn coating, with some honey and cinnamon. The possibilities are endless with this frugal and delectable way of making popcorn. For more Kitchen Tip Tuesdays, visit Tammy's Recipes.Blessings!

Bible- Continue reading through the Bible, chronologically.

Homekeeping- I am endeavoring to keep up with my basic cleaning schedule. It really helps me to focus on the essentials, and to not be too overwhelmed with household chores. I want to keep it simple, so I can focus on spending more time with my blessings!

Menu Plan Monday:
Monday- Chicken Fettucine Alfredo and corn
Tuesday- Spinach Quiche with Pate Brisee crust.
Wednesday- Lasagna, Salad, and Homemade Bread (for extended family)
Thursday- Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Friday- Pizza
Saturday- Beefy Macaroni

Health

• Continue Walking Away the Pounds exercises, every day. Work way up to three mile walk; if time permits. So far, I have gone from the 1 mile walk to the 2 mile. I never thought that exercising would feel so good!
  
• Take vitamin daily.
• Drink water throughout the day; fill up water bottle before nursing Anastasia.
• Go to bed before 10 pm.

Train them up

• Read to littles for at least 1/2 hour, each day.
• Have them help me more, during chore time.
• Be more consistent on learning time, with Lily.

For more Menu Plans, visit Laura. For more Monday Meanderings, visit Tiany.

How to Avoid a C-Section Video from CNN

I thought CNN did a great job on this video. If only 10% of c-sections are necessary, why are 33% of women getting them?
BT to Tiffany.

Super Savings Saturday
I absolutely loved the incredible deal on Huggies at CVS, this week.I paid $6.82 oop for the following CVS items:

• 2 jumbo packages of Huggies diapers (These were for Stevie, but it is looking like he might not need these, after all!)
  
• 1 package of Pull-ups (This is the first time that I have ever purchased Pull-ups, since this was such a great deal, and they are normally so expensive. Stevie has been making great strides in getting potty trained in the past few days.)
• 2 packages of Cottonelle Wipes
• 2 toothpastes
• 1 Venus Embrace
• 1 Gillette Fusion

I spent $15 in ECBs and got $15 back in ECBs. I am sending away for my Rebates for the Huggies and the Cottonelle wipes. I should be receiving $4 back from them, so in actuality, I only paid $2.82 + a postage stamp, for everything! I love these kind of deals! For more great Super Saturday Savings, visit Money Saving Mom.

Frugal Party Invitations

With the price of postage almost always increasing, just sending out some party invitations can be expensive.Evite is a free website, where you can create invitations to any event, including baby showers, birthday parties, and holiday events. You create a themed invitation with all of the event details, and e-mail them to friends and family. They can RSVP right on your page. It really makes managing this facet of party planning, a lot easier. For more Frugal Fridays, visit Crystal's site.

Getting Fit and Staying Fit
I have noticed that after having three babies, and as I get closer to my 30's, my metabolism is slowing down. (Way down!) I used to be able to eat everything and anything, and never gain an inch or a pound. I got used to that, and so it is really challenging to feel the belly bulge. These precious blessings are worth every residual pound I have gained. It is high time that I eat better and commit to daily exercise, so I will be able to take care of the needs of my husband and children. It can be so difficult to be dedicated to exercising, when there are so many pressing needs, but I truly have felt convicted to do this. Otherwise, I will probably end up being very sickly. Every time I work out and get my heart pumping, the rest of my body feels so good. Sure, sometimes in the middle of an exercise video, I might want to park myself right there on the couch, and give up. But it is time that I am held accountable and persevere through exercise and nutritious living. I need to have a lot of energy to meet the needs of those around me. I have found that the best time for me to work out is, after I have washed the breakfast dishes, and before I take a shower. I really like utilizing exercise videos because they keep me motivated. Sometimes, I just put together my own work out, but it never feels quite as good as when I follow the videos. My favorite exercise video (so far) is Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds. I just returned it to the library, but I hope to own that dvd, one day. I loved how it only took 18 minutes to walk a mile and it was a great cardiovascular workout. I own her Pilates DVD, since it was only $5.00 (with shipping) from Amazon. It is a decent work out, but I would like to alternate with a walking video, every other day. I have found that regardless of the exercise regimen, I just need to get moving. I have recently joined Mom's of Many Exercise Challenge. It is so encouraging to me, and is a wonderful way to hold each other accountable. For months, I wondered why breastfeeding alone, was not helping me to lose weight, and it was frustrating. I have truly felt so much better, since starting the baby steps of exercise. Another motivation, is to be in good shape, should God bless us with another little one. I would love to hear what types of exercises you enjoy, and if you use any videos. I like checking dvds out from my library before purchasing them, to make sure that they are a good fit for me. Blessings, dear friends.

"Walking is man's best medicine." -Hippocrates

My Valentine's Day Gifts
For Valentine's Day, this year, Stephen got me some really creative gifts, in honor of our children. He gave me Lily of the Valley bulbs, a Rubber Duckie in honor of "Stephen Duckless" as I nicknamed him, and a mini-Rose bush, in honor of sweet Anastasia Rose. I love the creativity!
***Lily was so funny, the other day, because she was devastated that her full name isn't "Lily of the Valley". She is so precious!

Caregiver's Marketplace: Free Rebates
While checking out some frugal links, yesterday, I was delighted to happen upon information about Caregiver's Marketplace. Partial rebates are available to "anyone who purchases caregiving products for himself or herself, or a loved one, can enroll in and use the program. Our program is truly for everyone who gives, gets or needs care. "
This works out perfectly this week because Caregiver's Marketplace will give $1.00 for each jumbo pack of Huggies diapers purchased.
This is my ECB deal that I am planning for CVS, this week:
2 size 3 Jumbo Huggies Diapers $9 each
1 Huggies pull-ups $9
2 packs of Cottonelle wipes 2 for $4
Total: $31
With these items this month, you spend $30 and get $15 back. I have three (two dollars off Huggies coupons), and $1 off Cottonelle wipes coupons, and $4 off $20 purchase=
$31-$11 coupons= $20. I will use $15 in ECB and spend $5 oop! I will earn $15 ECB to replenish what I spent.
Then, I will fill out the rebate and send it in to the Caregiver's marketplace, and get $4.00 back. ($1.00 per pack of diapers and pull-ups, and .50 cents per pack of Cottonelle) So it is like paying $1.00 oop for everything, including 2 jumbo diapers and a jumbo pull-ups! ** You must buy 5 items on the Caregiver's Rebate list, to qualify for sending it in for a rebate. These are unlimited rebates, you can get it any time you purchase a qualifying item. This definitely Works for Me.
Bonnet tip to Mommy Snacks.

Finally....The Truth about Population!

It is high time that the truth regarding our declining population growth, is revealed through this movie. Entire cultures die out, when man refuses to listen to God's Word, regarding bearing children. I am also encouraged to see that those who have worked so diligently on this movie, are seeking to get this message into the halls of academia. It breaks my heart that most students have only been presented with a very evolutionary world view, as of late.
BT to Amy.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday- Chicken, Rice, and Broccoli Casserole (I was not able to make this, last week)

Tuesday- Chili

Wednesday- off- sister-in-law cooking

Thursday- Burritos

Friday- Homemade Pizza

Saturday- Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Sunday- Lasagna

Breakfast options: Eggs, Turkey Bacon, Cream of Wheat, Oatmeal, Waffles
Snack choices: Orange wedges, apple slices, cheese and crackers, yogurt

For more menu plans, visit Laura.

The Homeschool Lounge

Tiany has started an incredible website called The Homeschool Lounge. It is a wonderful place to fellowship with other homeschool mothers. It includes live chat, forums on various homeschool topics, and an opportunity to invite friends. I am so grateful to Tiany for all of her efforts in making this wonderful idea a reality. I hope to see you there! Blessings!
**In honor of this new site, Tiany is hosting 2 $25 Amazon gift card giveaways.

Frugal Friday: Gift Closet
In my bedroom closet, I have a special niche where I store a variety of things I have found on sale/clearance, to give as gifts. I keep my "radar" on all the time when I am shopping, and I try to find good deals all year round, for family and friends, whom I give gifts to. Right now, I have several childrens' dvds, two baby dolls, baby shoes, and several other items, on hand. That way, when birthdays and Christmas comes up, I am hoping to not have to go scurrying to find some overpriced gift.I try to stock up on good gift items at clearance times, and especially after Christmas. I also stock up on lotions, razors, makeup, etc. from CVS (which I get for free) with my Extra Care Bucks deals, so I can make gift bags for friends and family. Being prepared has definitely saved me a lot of money. For more Frugal Fridays, visit Crystal.

Six Things About Me

Jennifer tagged me for this fun 6 Random/Interesting/Quirky Things about Me Meme. If you would like to participate, please consider yourself tagged. (Please leave a comment, so we can check yours out.)

1. Here is a scary confession... Before I got married, I had never even made Mac and Cheese! I was scared to learn how to cook. (Now, I actually enjoy it.)

2. I was diagnosed with Atrial Septal Defect (i.e. I had a hole in my heart, the size of a silver dollar, where blood was leaking from one atria, into another) when I was 18. After I graduated high school, the ASD was repaired, via heart surgery. Thankfully, they used non-invasive techniques, so I did not have to have the very extensive open heart surgery.(I had a more mild form of open heart surgery.) My cardiologist said that God willing, I could live to a ripe old age, since I had it repaired.

3. I was an only child for almost eight years;the day my sister was born was one of the happiest days of my life.

4. I feel very happy when I de-junk my house. Getting rid of excess stuff brings me so much joy!

5. I used to pick up anything I dropped with my feet. This is still a useful skill, when my arms are full!

6. When I was younger, my Mom used to make me play outside.(It is rather dull when there is no one to play with.) I preferred reading in my room.

I hope you enjoyed reading these unique and quirky things about me! Have a joyful evening!

Valentine's Day Activities for Little Ones

1. Worksheet for preschoolers Same and Different.
2. Make custom copywork on this Stationary.
3.Craft a darling Heart Mobile.
4.Play a game with these cute Heart Dominoes.
5. Make this scrumptious looking Strawberry Swirl Cake.

What fun crafts are you planning on making for Valentine's Day? For more ideas, visit here for more Works for me Wednesday ideas.
Graphic available here.

A Precious Sight to this Mama's Heart
I put Anastasia in Lily's room while I was cooking supper, and when I peeked in the room, this is what I saw......

Menu Plan Monday

Monday- Thai Peanut Noodle

Tuesday- Skillet Lasagna

Wednesday- off- Family Night with Extended Family

Thursday- Tempeh Chili

Friday- Homemade Pizza

Saturday- Burritos

Sunday- Chicken and Broccoli Casserole (Fellowship Meal at Church) * This is my mother-in-law's recipe and it is the ultimate comfort food!

For more Menu plans, visit Organizing Junkie.

Feminine Product Deals
These deals end today, so grab them tonight, if you could use them/share them with others.


Rite Aid

They are having a deal this week on Playtex Sport Tampons. You can get 2 packs for $7. There are printable coupons for $2.50 off a box here. Use two coupons, and then you pay out of pocket $2. But, it gets even better. Rite Aid is giving a $2.00 mail in rebate for them, so it is like getting them for free.

Walgreens

Walgreens is hosting a deal on their Stayfree products, 2 for $5.00. Print out this coupon for $2.00 off a package. It allows you to print 6 from each computer. If you buy 6 , your total will be $15.00. Your coupons will subtract $12 from the total, so you will get 6 packs for $3.00 out of pocket. This makes each pack only $.50! Stock up and share with your friends. If you know of any ladies who are about to give birth, I am sure they would be elated to hear about this deal! This is about 4 times cheaper than generic. Yippee! Visit Crystal's site for more deal ideas.

Super Savings Saturday
This week, at CVS, I mainly focused on getting the ECB deals where the items paid for themselves. Out of pocket, I spent about $3.00. Not too shabby, but I am really hoping for some new CVS coupons, so I can branch out and get some more stuff.

After much contemplation, I finally decided to arrange my coupons in a binder. I really like the option of just leafing through a few pages to see what I have . Baseball card holder sleeves work really well to hold carefully clipped coupons. Visit Money Saving Mom for more Super Saturday Savings.

Something Heart Melting for you Hardworking Mothers!

Read This! How Beautiful!

Expectant Mothers

I am so excited for my friends who are expecting little ones. Please keep them in your prayers! Many of these ladies are in the difficult first trimester. Dear sisters in Christ, I pray that you have a healthy pregnancy and a blessed birth of your baby. If you are an expectant mama and wish to be prayed for, please leave a comment.


I am due Feb 28, 2010
Emily due April 2010
Laura due May 2010
Shelby due May 2010

February Pictures
Stevie...you never cease to crack me up.... wearing a hood without a jacket; now that is a new one!
Lily is always holding and cuddling with Anastasia. You could never tell how much Lily loves being a big sister, could you?
My three, blue-eyed babies!

Frugal Friday: The Blessing of a Smaller Home
My family and I are blessed to live in a cozy, 1250 square foot home. By today's standards (especially with three children, and wanting more), it might seem quite small, but in many ways, a smaller home is a great blessing to me, at this time in my life. (If you are blessed with a large home, that is a wonderful blessing, too. I am just listing some of the blessings of having a smaller home, since it is easy to miss the blessings it provides.) One thing that has changed my perspective a lot, over the years, is listening to Nancy Campbell's tapes. She proclaims that God desires for our houses to be full and for us to be content. She states that when He sees our homes as overflowing, He will provide us with a larger home. Nancy's daughter, Evangeline, lived in a house with only one or two rooms, and she is one of the most joyful mothers on earth. This was very convicting to me, and made me so grateful for my house, and made my humble home feel like a mansion, to me. I find a smaller home to be quite cozy. We are always surrounded by each other, and cannot simply retreat from one another. I also love not having too much square footage to clean. I have two rooms with hardwoods, one with linoleum (kitchen), and three rooms (bedrooms) with carpet. I am used to my little system for sweeping the hardwoods and for vacuuming the carpeted areas. I love that I can plug my vacuum into one outlet, and the cord can reach all three bedrooms! Woohoo! Being a busy mama with three littles, four and under, I enjoy not having to devote every moment towards cleaning my house. Another blessing of owning a smaller home is that I cannot simply accumulate massive amounts of "stuff". I am constantly needing to go through toys, clothes, books, etc, to get rid of unnecessary things. If I had a larger house, I might keep a little extra stuff around, that I don't need. I am thankful for the dwelling that God has provided. Most of all, I pray that I will use my home for His Glory. In the beginning of my walk with the Lord, I used to worry about not having a big enough house for all the children that God sends. But now I rest in the knowledge that if we need a larger home, He will not fail to provide it. If He does not provide us with a larger home, then it wasn't a need to begin with. I pray that my home will be a haven for loved ones, brimming with Christian hospitality and joy! For more Frugal Fridays, visit Crystal's site.

CVS Withdrawal
Later on, I am planning on getting some of the "freebie" ECB deals for this week at CVS. (I.E. Maybelline Eyeshadow Trio, Garnier, etc.) While planning out my "plan of attack" for my transactions, it is a bit of a challenge without any CVS coupons. Also, the coupons which others say are in the newspaper inserts, are rarely in mine. (For example, my newspaper has a Red Plum insert, but it only has a few coupons in it, and not the ones that other websites refer to.) For those experienced "CVSers", is it normal for no coupons to be released during a period of time? I am really hoping that they come up with some new ones. I don't mind rolling over my ECBs and paying a little cash, but I feel like it is becoming more challenging. If you have CVS experience, I would love to hear your input. Blessings!

Woohoo!
Stephen took his college algebra CLEP exam, this morning, and he passed! Instead of taking the class itself, he just studied the material, and took the exam! The price we paid for the test would not have even paid for the textbooks at our local community college. Stephen has been studying so diligently over the past month for this exam, and I am SO proud of him! Stephen earned 3 hours of college credit in 1 1/2 hours this morning. Absolutely amazing! Way to go, honey, I knew you could do it!

Dangerous Chemicals Found in Baby Lotions/Soaps

This information is very sad to me. Why do so many companies put harmful chemicals in baby products? I highly recommend Dr.Bronner's Baby Mild soap. We purchased a bottle for Anastasia before she was born, and we still have 3/4 of the bottle left. It is the only soap that we use on her; and it is a shampoo and body wash in one. It is ultra-concentrated, so I only use a few drops at each bath for her. Her skin is so silky smooth, afterwards. By the way, I am not an affiliate for this company; I just wanted to pass on to others what is helpful to me. Blessings!

Coupon Mom Tips for Coupon Newbies


Coupon Mom's Website is Coupon Mom .Her tips are really helpful for beginners like myself. I love how she lays out what deals are occurring at each store. Stephanie (Coupon Mom) makes a really great point that if you are flexible regarding name brands, you can often get many items for free. This concept has really taught me to avoid brand-loyalty.My other two favorite frugality sites are Money Saving Mom and I Heart CVS.

Church Tea
Today, we had an elegant church tea, to celebrate the occasion of two young ladies' tenth birthdays. It was an all-girls and women event, and it was a beautiful celebration of biblical femininity. We were to dress in our loveliest dresses and hats. The young ladies who we were celebrating will truly have blessed memories of this occasion. The tables were bedecked with fine china, and gorgeous roses and daisies. We were served a few varieties of tea, pink lemonade, muffins, scones, quiche, finger sandwiches, handmade heart mints, and cake.Lily, Anastasia, and I had a delightful time. Being part of a church which has a vision of true biblical womanhood is such a blessing.