Sometimes you're just sitting around like this...
Snickerdoodles
hello there
Well as normal when life gets busy the blog is the first thing to go in terms of priorities...
Hope you all have been having a wonderful summer. We sure have.
And now I am onto my biggest endeavors...the Fall/Winter Children's resale. This is the event where I sell all of the toys and clothing that our children have outgrown. It takes a lot of time to wash, iron, price, and ready everything. I'm also on the marketing committee where we spread the word about the sale and raise money to give certificates to moms in need to shop the sale and get things for their little ones. I love being a part of it!!!
After that I will be scurrying around to ready our classroom for this upcoming year of homeschooling! This year we are starting Classical Conversations! It's a classical model of teaching and the children will be learning the same thing for the majority of their subjects so hopefully that will really help me in teaching them. Last year some of our days would go until 8 until 5 and it was just getting to be too much! Classical Conversations typically has a co-op type set up you join and go to one day a week but Cal has been accepted into an autism school so with that we opted to just do it at home. I'm very excited! :)
Well that is all that has been going on around here. Hope you all are well and enjoying your summer!
MIA
Hi all! Things here have been zooming by this summer and I hope you have had as great a summer as we have! Things here have been wonderful. We've gone on two trips, one to Illinois and one to Pennsylvania. We've had an evaluation with a wonderful Autism school that we are hoping to get Calvin into. Emma is enjoying a ballet intensive class. We've just been busy.
Anyway, I am so lame I don't even have any pictures to share pulled up or anything. I just wanted to hop on here and let you know I am still alive and living. When life gets crazy the blog is the first thing to go. Hopefully one day I'll figure out how to balance this all!
My goal this week has been to get this house clean! Last week I was preparing for my baby sister's wedding shower my other sister and I threw. The week before we were in Pennsylvania. It's just been a long crazy process that has left our house cluttered and hairy and messy, yuck! This week is operation cleaning up so hopefully next week will be operation school planning!
Hope you all have a great week :)
Anyway, I am so lame I don't even have any pictures to share pulled up or anything. I just wanted to hop on here and let you know I am still alive and living. When life gets crazy the blog is the first thing to go. Hopefully one day I'll figure out how to balance this all!
My goal this week has been to get this house clean! Last week I was preparing for my baby sister's wedding shower my other sister and I threw. The week before we were in Pennsylvania. It's just been a long crazy process that has left our house cluttered and hairy and messy, yuck! This week is operation cleaning up so hopefully next week will be operation school planning!
Hope you all have a great week :)
A Beautiful Mother's Day!
Hello loves! I hope you had a fantastic day Sunday. Hopefully it was full of pampering and being made to feel as special as you are. I know mine certainly was! Words can't even begin to describe how amazing my husband and kiddos are...they did such a great job of spoiling me and making me feel amazing!
Nick let me sleep in (I got to sleep until 9 am!) and then he made me a beautiful breakfast in bed! Then the kids each gave me a bracelet...Emma gave me a rainbow loom one and Cal made me one out of twistie ties...they both are super cute! Emma's came with a note that said something like "I made this for you...if it's not enough just let me know" :)
Nick and I then scraped the house to ready another section for painting (my idea...I wanted to!). Then Emma treated us to a lunch she made! She made lettuce salad with tomatoes and strawberries on the side...she was so proud and did all of it on her own...and it was delicious! Love her and her big heart, that girlie!
Then I went on a run aroung the river in our neighborhood and ended up at the park so I could meet the kiddos and Nick at the playground. I managed to get a ride home too :)
After a shower and getting ready Nick just about had dinner ready. He was amazing putting things together for me!
While he made me dinner he served me fresh oysters on the half shell...yum! They were so good and fresh!
And then it was time for dinner! Lobster, corn on the cob, new potatoes, and shrimp scampi...it was delicious! Amazing! Terrific!
Target Savings on Crayons: Quick Tip
These adorable packs of crayons are on sale at Target for $0.79, regularly $0.99! Cartwheel has a 25% discount on these you can use to save even more. I picked up four boxes for only $0.59 per box...there are lot's of themed boxes with really neat colors! Pick some up and save them for your Easter Baskets like I am doing. Can't wait for Easter and it will be here before you know it! :)
My fancy meal plan
As I mentioned in my last post, we do our grocery shopping on a monthly basis. This month I decided I would make a realistic meal plan (for once in my life) containing meals made out of ingredients that we actually eat and that I know I would be able to actually find in the stores we frequent.
To do this I first posted a question on facebook, asking my friends what their favorite, easy meals were. I got so many ideas. I was able to match the friend to their pinterest page and then to find the recipe they were talking about there. From that I got about 6 recipes.
From there I continued perusing meals on pinterest. The criteria for meals included that they had to be easy to make (super quick or a crockpot meal), contain ingredients I knew we would eat, have as limited processed food as possible, and be available at the discount stores we go to once a month.
I found tons but I was also finding a surprising amount of recipes that call for chicken. While I love chicken as much as the next girl, my husband is not too keen on eating nothing but chicken, chicken, chicken.
So I switched it up a bit with some familiar stand bys I make and I found a couple of recipes from magazines I have.
Here's what I came up with...
Fancy system, huh? I did a column for each meal and then rows for each day. My original plan was to actually have those meals on those days but what I have found is that sometimes we just don't feel like having what is on deck for that day so I switch it around.
Here are some of the ideas I've had for low budget, nutritious foods:
Potato Soup
Tuscan Bean Soup
Corn Chowder
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Crockpot Beef Stew
Crockpot Chicken Cordon Bleu
Homemade pizzas
Meatloaf
Spaghetti Night
Quesadillas
Chili
You can find lots more things I've posted on my Pinterest Page here.
I'm not listing all of my meals this time, maybe some month I will :) But I hope this encourages you to plan meals out, shop wisely to find bargains, and above all have fun with food with your family and feed them well! By having a plan and knowing I have all the ingredients for dinner ready to go, I am a much calmer, happier Mommy.
Some months I do the Once-a-month cooking but I know not everyone is up for it and I can't do it every month. So this is a good compromise for me. Last month was so hurried that I was trying to throw meals together at the last minute and it was horrid. HORRID I tell ya! :) So this month so far has been lots better! Happy planning, friends :)
To do this I first posted a question on facebook, asking my friends what their favorite, easy meals were. I got so many ideas. I was able to match the friend to their pinterest page and then to find the recipe they were talking about there. From that I got about 6 recipes.
From there I continued perusing meals on pinterest. The criteria for meals included that they had to be easy to make (super quick or a crockpot meal), contain ingredients I knew we would eat, have as limited processed food as possible, and be available at the discount stores we go to once a month.
I found tons but I was also finding a surprising amount of recipes that call for chicken. While I love chicken as much as the next girl, my husband is not too keen on eating nothing but chicken, chicken, chicken.
So I switched it up a bit with some familiar stand bys I make and I found a couple of recipes from magazines I have.
Here's what I came up with...
Here are some of the ideas I've had for low budget, nutritious foods:
Potato Soup
Tuscan Bean Soup
Corn Chowder
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Crockpot Beef Stew
Crockpot Chicken Cordon Bleu
Homemade pizzas
Meatloaf
Spaghetti Night
Quesadillas
Chili
You can find lots more things I've posted on my Pinterest Page here.
I'm not listing all of my meals this time, maybe some month I will :) But I hope this encourages you to plan meals out, shop wisely to find bargains, and above all have fun with food with your family and feed them well! By having a plan and knowing I have all the ingredients for dinner ready to go, I am a much calmer, happier Mommy.
Some months I do the Once-a-month cooking but I know not everyone is up for it and I can't do it every month. So this is a good compromise for me. Last month was so hurried that I was trying to throw meals together at the last minute and it was horrid. HORRID I tell ya! :) So this month so far has been lots better! Happy planning, friends :)
Menu Planning Meets Monthly Shopping
If you've read my blog for any length of time I am sure that you have heard me prattle on and on about how we work on a monthly grocery shopping system. I love it. LOVE it! We've done this for years now but now that God has blessed us with a deep freezer I am loving it even more.
The gist of it is that we live in a city surrounded by Amish land so once a month we drive around to smaller country shops run by cute amish families and stock up on groceries...some are salvage stores, some are local butcher shops, some are dented can type places. There I can fill my fridge and freezer with some real beauties of bargains! Seriously, we pray before (as) we go...that God will bless us with what we need. That God will provide for us (and our budget!) through these trips. And he always does. But buying in bulk sometimes eludes me from meal planning. I generally find myself buying general types of ingredients and then later on trying to piece together what I have to make meals. It seems to work super, fabulously well the first part of the month but leaves me with large gaps of missing ingredients for recipes the last part of the month.
Anyway...
The farthest away place we go takes about 45 minutes on the interstate, so it does take some time and gas, but if you are getting a lot like we do then it is definitely worth the trip. Here are some of my all time favorite finds:
5 pounds of Starbucks whole bean coffee for $14.97
King Arthur Organic Whole Wheat flour, 5 pounds, for $1.99
Fage case of 12 blueberry yogurts for $1.99
32 ounces of Chobani vanilla yogurt for $0.50
And the list goes on and on!
Well anyway, I love my bargains but my problem has been the difference that falls between shopping at these places and my meal plans. For example, I've made a menu plan with something like clam chowder, but when I get to my said bargain stores, I can't find any of the ingredients I need. So then I buy some of the ingredients, get home and discover though that I don't have
all
of the ingredients...so I am forced to shop our local grocery store where I pay two to three times more than I should on ingredients, thus cutting into my savings.
So this week, rather than be daring and inventive with my meal planning, I decided to stick with meals containing ingredients I already have on hand or what I know, know, know is at our discount stores. This way I will be able to plan good food ahead of time so I can be on top of my menus and save lots of money.
To get ideas for meals I asked my dear friends on facebook, am perusing pinterest, and am going through the stack of magazines I have on hand. I am going through to plan what I am going to serve for the entire month...breakfast, lunch, and dinner for every day of the month. With only 28 days in February I figure this is a good month to start my new system :)
Wish me luck as I tackle menu planning. And I'd love to know if any of you have any pointers for planning meals or maybe some of you have some amazing recipes to share :)
Look for my next post as I list what I am planning on making :)
Music and Munchies...there's nothing sweeter
This morning Emma had a cough so I kept her in bed to take it easy. I know it was just a little cough...she didn't have a fever or anything (well I guess she did have a touch of a stuffy nose) but to tell you the God's honest truth I am terrified of any of my children getting H1N1 and dying. I know that sounds extreme but, show up with a little cough and I am putting you in bed. Just be warned :)
Anyway, I had a doctor's appointment this afternoon so cough or no cough, the kids had to go to their art classes. Before we left though we stopped to have a little jam session...Emma on the electric guitar and Cal on the drums. They got really hot and heavy into it when I went out to warm up the car. When I came back in you would have thought they were acoustically torturing something :)
two, three, four...In case your noticing, yes I still have the price tag on our drums...don't judge :)
And Emma on the guitar..strumming away on the stand, silly girl. She had to squeeze in next to all of the cookies we are selling for Girl Scouts :)
Anyway, as mentioned earlier I had a doctor's appointment. It was my annual exam..."the lady one" as my husband says :) I hate those appointments, don't you? I have no earthly reason why but the week coming up to it I am terrified for no apparent reason. I think I am always scared they are going to find breast cancer or ovarian cancer, or tell me I have a week to live. Something awful like that. But no lumps were found and no one said "ewww" when the sheet was lifted so I think up to this point I am in the clear :)
In honor of that I picked the little goofies up from art and then proceeded to snuggle up with a chocolate piece, a giant cup of coffee, and a teachers catalog. A successful appointment calls for a little celebration right? And besides they might call tomorrow with news of the death outcome so I'd guess I'd better enjoy things while I can, right? :)
Seize the day, folks, seize the day!
In honor of that I picked the little goofies up from art and then proceeded to snuggle up with a chocolate piece, a giant cup of coffee, and a teachers catalog. A successful appointment calls for a little celebration right? And besides they might call tomorrow with news of the death outcome so I'd guess I'd better enjoy things while I can, right? :)
Seize the day, folks, seize the day!
I Called a Break!
This morning has not been easy for us.
In fact, it's been down right rough.
Except for the fact that I did find that I managed to not yell and scream and rant and rave on and on. Well, at least not very much.
Instead I sent them to their rooms to rest for a bit.
If I'm honest with myself and with the littles, the truth is that it's not just them, it's me too.
Last week I worked out (which I'll proudly tell you I do every week) but this time I did some zumba. With weights which was the new part for me. It was hard but the hard part was that when I awoke the next morning I could barely move. I think I had done something to my back. Well, I know I did something to my back, what it was that I did remains a mystery. Anyway, what basically laid me on the couch all last week also affected our house and the chores and everything else.
And so while I awoke with a great feeling back this morning I also came downstairs to what looked like some type of extreme cleaning reality tv. challenge.
And so it was with this knowledge of me sifting through everything and coming to the bottom of what was bothering me that I knew what I had to do. After several pep talks with myself on how homeschooling isn't always about what's in the books I paused school to have a talk with the kids. And to explain that we are now going to clean everything...together.
At least that was the plan. But seriously, what kid wants to clean the entire day? So I sent the kiddos outside to play in the snow while I had a mad dash around the house, tidying things up.
After lunch it was a lot better. I think sometimes you have to relax the rules in homeschooling to get through the day. School at home doesn't have to be like school in the classroom. The kids learn and thrive outside and getting to be able to move about and not be strapped to their desk all day with their Mommy School Marm hovering over them.
Plus, there's always tomorrow, Lord willing :)
In fact, it's been down right rough.
Except for the fact that I did find that I managed to not yell and scream and rant and rave on and on. Well, at least not very much.
Instead I sent them to their rooms to rest for a bit.
If I'm honest with myself and with the littles, the truth is that it's not just them, it's me too.
Last week I worked out (which I'll proudly tell you I do every week) but this time I did some zumba. With weights which was the new part for me. It was hard but the hard part was that when I awoke the next morning I could barely move. I think I had done something to my back. Well, I know I did something to my back, what it was that I did remains a mystery. Anyway, what basically laid me on the couch all last week also affected our house and the chores and everything else.
And so while I awoke with a great feeling back this morning I also came downstairs to what looked like some type of extreme cleaning reality tv. challenge.
At least that was the plan. But seriously, what kid wants to clean the entire day? So I sent the kiddos outside to play in the snow while I had a mad dash around the house, tidying things up.
After lunch it was a lot better. I think sometimes you have to relax the rules in homeschooling to get through the day. School at home doesn't have to be like school in the classroom. The kids learn and thrive outside and getting to be able to move about and not be strapped to their desk all day with their Mommy School Marm hovering over them.
Plus, there's always tomorrow, Lord willing :)
Just Another Manic Monday...
Well it's 8:30 here on Monday morning and the kiddos are still sleeping. Yes I know I should wake them up, but if they are sleeping their little bodies must need the rest, right? I'm going with that...
As I struggle to wake them up I thought I would give a little update on what we were up to last week and still are :)
Hope you all have a Happy Monday!!!! :)
Birthday Letter to Cal
This is a letter I wrote to our son for his sixth birthday. Hopefully I'm not the only Momma who's dealt with these feelings and someone can relate to me. Love y'all.
Dear Baby Bear:
Today you turn 6 years old. While it is so very, very hard for me to look back and see how fleeting our moments of your youth have been, I can also look back on them with such a warm pride in my heart. For as many obstacles we have faced together, I know there are so many more moments of success you will experience as you get older and spread your wings to fly.
When you were teeny, tiny you would never let me hold you. It was so hard on me as your Momma to not have a snuggling button who wanted to be with me all the time. I had no idea then that that would be just the beginning of the things to come. The challenges we would face together, the triumphs we would soar through...small ones that in the world's eye wouldn't even matter.
Not having a snuggly baby forced me to discover how God made you how He wanted you, not how I envisioned you to be. In truth, You have been the biggest obstacle in my lifetime. And in that, you have been the biggest blessing in my lifetime. And so it is with tears in my eyes that I want to thank you. I hope you can one day look back on this letter and read how what was a struggle to you helped me to be a better person, Christian, and hopefully Mother. And I have you to thank.
Thank you for teaching me the many, many ways to love. Snuggling was how I knew to love a baby. When that wasn't meant to be I sought other ways. You liked to be held away from my body so we could look at things together. Experiencing the sunrise outside your window together was how you wanted affection. Me just being with you in the same room was enough for you to know I loved you. I was here for you. And I wasn't going anywhere.
Thank you for teaching me that someone can know love even though they can't show it. When you were three years old you told me for the first time that you loved me. The tears flowed and I couldn't stop them...didn't want to stop them. And as much as those words meant to me, we both knew before that that you loved me. You taught me that I don't need to hear those words to know in my heart how someone feels about me.
Thank you for making me question God. I know that sounds strange but it is profoundly true. When we first found out you were Autistic my whole world came down. Literally. I couldn't get out of bed. I had family members telling me ways it was my fault. I had people telling me over and over that "God gives special kids to special mothers" and I thought it was crap. Pure garbage. I just remember thinking "why me God?" Why? I questioned why God would want me to be your Mom, how on earth he could ever find me qualified. How anyone could ever think I could do this. Your Daddy reminded me that there is nothing wrong with you, only different. And I slowly began to see how I need to align my view of you to God's, not try to force God's creation into a box I've designed with my worldly, sinner hands.
Thank you for drawing out my inner hidden passion. I can still remember the stinging words of hearing you being called a retard. Of seeing kids not want to play with you on the playground and the tears in yours eyes as you ran to me confused and sad. Of being called a maniac by a friend and your deep hurt you hid inside you. And to this day I still have that passion, that fire in my heart to fight for you. To be your advocate, your friend, your protector from bullies, big or small, in this world that can be so cruel. You were the first one to draw that spark out of me. To "Mommy Honey Badger" someone because they accosted my child. You showed me what I am capable of. What I can be capable of. What we can be capable of. What anyone with a voice and a passion and a cause worth fighting for can be capable of.
Thank you for teaching me that you really are better than everyone else. You may not be able to understand to not stand on the couch but you're the only one I've ever met that can still experience pure joy from standing on a couch every day for three years. You don't know how to filter what you say but you are also incapable of telling me a lie. You don't like evil. You protect your sister. You think it's funny to yell. You're smarter than anyone else I've ever met. You are faster than anyone else. And whatever you decide in your mind you can do, you do. I've never met anyone with the will and determination you have. Thank you for teaching me that my way doesn't have to be the right way. That there are 6 to 11 ways to come to the same conclusion.
Thank you for forgiving me. For that time I faked leaving you at the tennis courts to prove a lesson. For the time I threw all of your toys away. For me telling you I was angry at you for calling me a jerk. I've messed up in some pretty big ways when it has come to being your Mommy. Please know as you read this that I am one messed up, saved only by the grace of God sinner. I don't do everything right. Not even close. And anytime I've hurt you, I've sobbed and cried and beat myself up continuously over it. And I've tried to apologize every time I've screwed up. Please know I love you more than words will ever be able to express. You are a part of me and I am a part of you.
Thank you for now enjoying the snuggles. For begging me to hold you every night: For fulfilling what God knew I needed...another snuggling guy to hold and nuzzle. It may have taken you 5 years to get there but now you snuggle and it is you, and it is me, and it is perfect.
I end this now to go and build you cupcakes and a daniel tiger trolley, and to go celebrate everything that is you and what makes you just so incredible. I love you Baby Bear. Now and forever I will be your Momma. Ugga-Mugga, sweet prince.
Dear Baby Bear:
Today you turn 6 years old. While it is so very, very hard for me to look back and see how fleeting our moments of your youth have been, I can also look back on them with such a warm pride in my heart. For as many obstacles we have faced together, I know there are so many more moments of success you will experience as you get older and spread your wings to fly.
When you were teeny, tiny you would never let me hold you. It was so hard on me as your Momma to not have a snuggling button who wanted to be with me all the time. I had no idea then that that would be just the beginning of the things to come. The challenges we would face together, the triumphs we would soar through...small ones that in the world's eye wouldn't even matter.
Not having a snuggly baby forced me to discover how God made you how He wanted you, not how I envisioned you to be. In truth, You have been the biggest obstacle in my lifetime. And in that, you have been the biggest blessing in my lifetime. And so it is with tears in my eyes that I want to thank you. I hope you can one day look back on this letter and read how what was a struggle to you helped me to be a better person, Christian, and hopefully Mother. And I have you to thank.
Thank you for teaching me the many, many ways to love. Snuggling was how I knew to love a baby. When that wasn't meant to be I sought other ways. You liked to be held away from my body so we could look at things together. Experiencing the sunrise outside your window together was how you wanted affection. Me just being with you in the same room was enough for you to know I loved you. I was here for you. And I wasn't going anywhere.
Thank you for teaching me that someone can know love even though they can't show it. When you were three years old you told me for the first time that you loved me. The tears flowed and I couldn't stop them...didn't want to stop them. And as much as those words meant to me, we both knew before that that you loved me. You taught me that I don't need to hear those words to know in my heart how someone feels about me.
Thank you for making me question God. I know that sounds strange but it is profoundly true. When we first found out you were Autistic my whole world came down. Literally. I couldn't get out of bed. I had family members telling me ways it was my fault. I had people telling me over and over that "God gives special kids to special mothers" and I thought it was crap. Pure garbage. I just remember thinking "why me God?" Why? I questioned why God would want me to be your Mom, how on earth he could ever find me qualified. How anyone could ever think I could do this. Your Daddy reminded me that there is nothing wrong with you, only different. And I slowly began to see how I need to align my view of you to God's, not try to force God's creation into a box I've designed with my worldly, sinner hands.
Thank you for drawing out my inner hidden passion. I can still remember the stinging words of hearing you being called a retard. Of seeing kids not want to play with you on the playground and the tears in yours eyes as you ran to me confused and sad. Of being called a maniac by a friend and your deep hurt you hid inside you. And to this day I still have that passion, that fire in my heart to fight for you. To be your advocate, your friend, your protector from bullies, big or small, in this world that can be so cruel. You were the first one to draw that spark out of me. To "Mommy Honey Badger" someone because they accosted my child. You showed me what I am capable of. What I can be capable of. What we can be capable of. What anyone with a voice and a passion and a cause worth fighting for can be capable of.
Thank you for teaching me that you really are better than everyone else. You may not be able to understand to not stand on the couch but you're the only one I've ever met that can still experience pure joy from standing on a couch every day for three years. You don't know how to filter what you say but you are also incapable of telling me a lie. You don't like evil. You protect your sister. You think it's funny to yell. You're smarter than anyone else I've ever met. You are faster than anyone else. And whatever you decide in your mind you can do, you do. I've never met anyone with the will and determination you have. Thank you for teaching me that my way doesn't have to be the right way. That there are 6 to 11 ways to come to the same conclusion.
Thank you for forgiving me. For that time I faked leaving you at the tennis courts to prove a lesson. For the time I threw all of your toys away. For me telling you I was angry at you for calling me a jerk. I've messed up in some pretty big ways when it has come to being your Mommy. Please know as you read this that I am one messed up, saved only by the grace of God sinner. I don't do everything right. Not even close. And anytime I've hurt you, I've sobbed and cried and beat myself up continuously over it. And I've tried to apologize every time I've screwed up. Please know I love you more than words will ever be able to express. You are a part of me and I am a part of you.
Thank you for now enjoying the snuggles. For begging me to hold you every night: For fulfilling what God knew I needed...another snuggling guy to hold and nuzzle. It may have taken you 5 years to get there but now you snuggle and it is you, and it is me, and it is perfect.
I end this now to go and build you cupcakes and a daniel tiger trolley, and to go celebrate everything that is you and what makes you just so incredible. I love you Baby Bear. Now and forever I will be your Momma. Ugga-Mugga, sweet prince.
Winter Break is Through...
Well that is all that we have been up to here. I hope you are warm and snuggly wherever you are tonight and all is well in your home and heart.
Happy Mondays tomorrow, to all! xo
A little about me...
Welcome to my blog! I am so glad you found your way here and that we get to spend some time together.
If you are new here let me tell you a little about myself...
My name is Lindsay and I am a Mom of two kiddos. I am in the trenches of motherhood and striving to love it rather than complain about it...easier said than done sometimes :)
I am married to my college sweetheart, Nick. An amazing man, he works really hard to provide for our family so I can live out my dream of being a stay at home mom.
We got married in college. Three years later we had our first baby and life seemed to take off! We had our next baby 20 months later and life became even busier. I have a degree in Corporate Finance which now only comes in handy when balancing our checkbook or moving investments around.
We are a homeschooling family which is super expensive! If you are a homeschooler than you can agree and if you aren't a homeschooler you may have never thought of that! While I do it as cheaply as I can, we still have to pay for things that would be free for our kids if they went to a public school. Because of that I also search for deals and coupons, making me a self proclaimed bargainista :) I love finding deals and I hate paying full retail for ANYTHING! :)
Above all, I am a Christian who would be so lost without the salvation and grace God has provided me. God has blessed our family so much and I strive to let everyone know how trusting him transforms our life!
Our life is not perfect. But it is real. I try really hard to not portray a life that seems all puppy dogs and butterflies but a true picture, behind the curtain of kids throwing things, a couple learning to parent, and the rawness that is why we all need grace.
I blog about a lot of things but sometimes not very consistently. I blog about life but my life is not blogging by any means. I blog to remember things and to share our experiences with others in an effort that we may help someone with what they are going through or planning...you'll see blogs on organizing, couponing, our journey with autism, homeschooling, decorating, vacationing...the works!
As a disclaimer please know that any meany-weeny or malicious comments will not have a welcome spot on my blog. I know everyone has their own my opinion but this being my blog I get to make sure this blog makes peace, not war. :)
I hope you enjoy my blog! So glad you could stop by! :)
If you are new here let me tell you a little about myself...
My name is Lindsay and I am a Mom of two kiddos. I am in the trenches of motherhood and striving to love it rather than complain about it...easier said than done sometimes :)
I am married to my college sweetheart, Nick. An amazing man, he works really hard to provide for our family so I can live out my dream of being a stay at home mom.
We got married in college. Three years later we had our first baby and life seemed to take off! We had our next baby 20 months later and life became even busier. I have a degree in Corporate Finance which now only comes in handy when balancing our checkbook or moving investments around.
We are a homeschooling family which is super expensive! If you are a homeschooler than you can agree and if you aren't a homeschooler you may have never thought of that! While I do it as cheaply as I can, we still have to pay for things that would be free for our kids if they went to a public school. Because of that I also search for deals and coupons, making me a self proclaimed bargainista :) I love finding deals and I hate paying full retail for ANYTHING! :)
Above all, I am a Christian who would be so lost without the salvation and grace God has provided me. God has blessed our family so much and I strive to let everyone know how trusting him transforms our life!
Our life is not perfect. But it is real. I try really hard to not portray a life that seems all puppy dogs and butterflies but a true picture, behind the curtain of kids throwing things, a couple learning to parent, and the rawness that is why we all need grace.
I blog about a lot of things but sometimes not very consistently. I blog about life but my life is not blogging by any means. I blog to remember things and to share our experiences with others in an effort that we may help someone with what they are going through or planning...you'll see blogs on organizing, couponing, our journey with autism, homeschooling, decorating, vacationing...the works!
As a disclaimer please know that any meany-weeny or malicious comments will not have a welcome spot on my blog. I know everyone has their own my opinion but this being my blog I get to make sure this blog makes peace, not war. :)
I hope you enjoy my blog! So glad you could stop by! :)
Good Bye 2013 and Good Bye Debt!
Hello there! Happy day after Christmas! Or Boxing Day if you are reading this from Great Britain or Canada...does oh Cananda! pop into anyone else's head when they type Canada? No? Just me? Well then, moving on...
I hope you had the most fantabulous Christmas ever! The kind of Christmas where you feel joy and know how much God loves you by people around your table. We spent Christmas running around or dragged around and I had the flu so it was fun. ahem.
But we felt love, we know we serve a great God and we got so many great gifts! It was amazing! All kinds of cash and fabulous prizes!!!
We were talking and at first we were going to pool our cash (Nick and I's not the kids) to get a new faucet for the bathroom where we are trying to put a farm sink we've had for eva!
But today we were talking and since we don't have enough cash to get the whole things we'd have to spend more (cause faucets don't come in pieces, y'all). And truth be told we've been throwing around the whole Dave Ramsey get out of debt concept for a while. But we just haven't been very active with it. So after a quickie conference in the kitchen (don't you just love those?) we decided to start our debt-paying snowball with that money. We also have money in our checking that we were planning on using to pay things down so we'll use that too. After that on a month to month basis I have no idea what we will do to pay down what we owe. We don't have huge amounts but enough it would be nice to get it paid and just be done, you know?
I am excited to be doing this and hopefully by writing about it it will keep us a little more nose-to-the-grindstone with this. Our hope is to stick at this really hard for 2014 and basically be done by the end of the year. Yeehaw!
I am not sure how gung ho we are getting. I don't know that we are cancelling cable as we are stuck in a contract, and we are in no means getting rid of our car to get a klunker. But I do know we are planning on cutting out eating out, extra spending to try to free up some more cash to pay things down!
Can't wait!
I hope you had the most fantabulous Christmas ever! The kind of Christmas where you feel joy and know how much God loves you by people around your table. We spent Christmas running around or dragged around and I had the flu so it was fun. ahem.
But we felt love, we know we serve a great God and we got so many great gifts! It was amazing! All kinds of cash and fabulous prizes!!!
We were talking and at first we were going to pool our cash (Nick and I's not the kids) to get a new faucet for the bathroom where we are trying to put a farm sink we've had for eva!
But today we were talking and since we don't have enough cash to get the whole things we'd have to spend more (cause faucets don't come in pieces, y'all). And truth be told we've been throwing around the whole Dave Ramsey get out of debt concept for a while. But we just haven't been very active with it. So after a quickie conference in the kitchen (don't you just love those?) we decided to start our debt-paying snowball with that money. We also have money in our checking that we were planning on using to pay things down so we'll use that too. After that on a month to month basis I have no idea what we will do to pay down what we owe. We don't have huge amounts but enough it would be nice to get it paid and just be done, you know?
I am excited to be doing this and hopefully by writing about it it will keep us a little more nose-to-the-grindstone with this. Our hope is to stick at this really hard for 2014 and basically be done by the end of the year. Yeehaw!
I am not sure how gung ho we are getting. I don't know that we are cancelling cable as we are stuck in a contract, and we are in no means getting rid of our car to get a klunker. But I do know we are planning on cutting out eating out, extra spending to try to free up some more cash to pay things down!
Can't wait!