We all need help now and then when it comes to saving money.  I always seem to be low on money right before the holiday.
Here are few tips that I hope will help.
Turn off the television when you are not in the room. The pennies you save can add up over time.
Make your own gifts instead of buying stuff from the store. You can make small crafty gifts or some goodies in a jar which can consist of anything from soup to cookie mix. Follow my blog on Home & Living and I’ll show you how to make some great …read more

It’s that time of year when some of us have family and close friends visit for the holidays. Most of my family lives within an hours drive, but we do have a few relatives who live out of state and spend the night when they do visit.
Don’t be stressed out at the thought of hosting family or friends overnight. I have a few tips to help you make your guests feel right at home.
Make sure to air out your guestroom a few days before. When I say air out I mean just that. Open the windows slightly to let the …read more

There never seems to be enough time in a day for me and I’m sure it is the same for you. I came to the conclusion recently that I needed to set up a time schedule for myself and it really helps. We all need to make the most of our available time in a way that is constructive.
Here are a few tips to help you spend your time wisely.
Create a schedule and stick to it. It will be hard to do at first, but will become easier; make it a habit.
Prioritize chores and activities daily. Do the …read more

School is starting next week.  That means getting back on a schedule, finding our routine again, and instilling some time management strategies.  Let’s face it – getting out of the house on time can be a struggle, especially if you have kids.  Here are a few tips to try that may help your mornings become a bit less stressful.  Remember, all of these may not work for you, but you may find a few to try.

1)  Get the clothes ready the night before.  My daughter is known for her morning issues of deciding what she wants to wear to school.  …read more

I’ve been sharing some pictures of the animals that we have around us.  So far, I’ve shared geese, llamas, and donkeys.  Somehow, I haven’t managed to share the horses or the cows yet. 

This is a shot from the deck in my backyard. Yep, this is what I see when I go outside. They are really that close. Look at the funny expression on this cow’s face. I wonder what he is thinking.

Sometimes when I go outside at night, I can see little eyeballs at the pond. The cows are funny animals. Some mornings there are 50 cows in the pond. They …read more

July 4th is not only Independence Day; it also happens to be my daughter’s birthday.  This year, she turned a big six-years-old.  It’s hard to believe that it was six years ago that I had my first child.  We were fortunate to see the fireworks from the hospital room the night she was born. 

It wasn’t until I saw this picture of her that I realized how much she has changed.  The baby fat is gone from her face and she looks like a first grader now.  In case you’re interested, you can go to Thrifty Mommy to see the things she …read more

I’m sitting here under a blanket trying to keep warm.  The air around me is cool and there is also a breeze from the ceiling fan.
 
As I lie here, I’m wondering how many of you have the same issue as me.  My husband and I differ on what temperature we like our home to be.  We have disagreed on this for years.  He is very hot natured and although I wouldn’t consider myself cold natured, I certainly don’t want the air conditioning at 69F. Brrrr.
I guess it’s easier for someone who is cold natured to put on layers of clothing …read more

I know today is not Wordless Wednesday, but I wanted to share these pictures with you. I was in my children’s bedroom today and spotted some wild geese. They were walking from my neighbor’s pond to the pond in my backyard. I wish I could have taken better pictures, but by the time I grabbed my camera they were almost at the pond.  When I came outside to capture their picture, they started walking faster. lol

It seems as though there are four adult geese and nine goslings.

Looks like the leader said it was ok to get in.

It’s hard to see …read more

As I mentioned last week, my grandmother was in ICU and wasn’t expected to live.  She passed away Friday evening on May 15.  Yesterday we had the funeral service and today the burial. 
Usually when there is a funeral, there are many people to feed.  Throughout the past few days, we have had about 20 family members here at my parent’s house.  As you can imagine, feeding this many people can be extremely time consuming and expensive.  Thank goodness for caring neighbors and church family.

Throughout this week, neighbors and church members have brought over so much food to us.  Each lunch and …read more

The kids were off from school this week for Easter break, so we went out of town to visit my parents.  It’s been a busy week.  Sorry for the sporadic posts.  It’s hard to keep a schedule when you’re visiting.
We just got back home last night and look at what awaits my attention. 

Eeek!  That’s quite a bit of stuff, huh?  Yes, somewhere under that pile is our luggage.  We have luggage, snacks and other food, stuff to plant in the garden, friendship bread starters (more on that later), toys, birthday presents for J, Easter presents for the kids, and lots …read more