Archive for the ‘Gift Giving’ Category

What I’ve Been Up To For The Last 6 Weeks & How My Goals Are Changing

I looked at the calendar today, and realized that it has been 6 weeks since I last posted to my blog!  I could blame the fact that I substitute-taught for several days in March and April, or the fact that Brad went on a mission trip to Mexico for Spring Break, or even that my […]

14 Ways to Make Easy Money Using Swagbucks

One of my favorite ways to make easy money is by using Swagbucks.  Today I checked my Swagbucks account, and found out that I have earned 15,873 Swagbucks over the lifetime of my account.  For every 450 Swagbucks I earn, I purchase a $5 Amazon gift card.  So I have earned 35 Amazon gift cards, […]

A Painted Box for Kristy’s Birthday

My sister’s birthday and anniversary are the same week, so this year I decided to do something special for her and her husband. I found a large unfinished box in our garage that had moved with us many times over the years. I penciled in the words using Calligraphy and a ruler. Then I carved […]

How To Be Generous When You’re Just Scraping By

Last November I read 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excessby Jen Hatmaker, and I loved it.  I highly recommend that you all read it.  However, it is not the kind of book one can read without acting on it.  Shortly thereafter I was watching The Muppet Christmas Carolwith my kids (a family favorite from my […]

Handmade by Kayla Holmes

As many of you know, my husband is an Area Director for Young Life.  Through Young Life, we have many friends.  So when word got out that I was pregnant with our third child, Kayla Holmes asked my husband if she could make me a car seat cover. Kayla asked me to look at her […]

De-Cluttering: Trash It, Sell It, or Donate It

Recently I read Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider, and I really enjoyed it.  I love to purge, simplify, and organize.  I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that keeping a home clean and organized is an endless job–especially when you have children!  I keep our home clear by classifying clutter as “trash,” “sell,” or […]

Celebrating Birthdays on a Budget

Most of the birthdays in Brad’s and my families are during the winter or summer months.  This means that we are buying a lot of gifts from June to August and December to February.  When you’re trying to “live like no one else,” it can be difficult feeling like you cannot give gifts or throw […]

Happy Mother’s Day! DIY Handprint Flowers

For Mother’s Day this year, I decided to try some of the adorable crafts that I’ve been seeing on Pinterest.  I put both kids in aprons, covered the table in newspaper, and painted their hands with acrylic paint.  I made three prints of each child’s hand, and some were definitely better looking than others!  I […]

Toddler Tuesday: Orange Tree Painting (Thank You Note)

Recently our next door neighbor, Mr. Parker, showed up at our door with a very large bag full of oranges.  The vast amount of fresh fruit (citrus and otherwise) and vegetables is one of our favorite things about living in Northern California.  I decided that as a thank you, Naomi and I would revisit the […]

Tithing Through the Hard Times

“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first-fruits of all your produce.”  Proverbs 3:9 When I was a child, my parents decided to give us a weekly allowance.  Five dollars seemed like a lot back then!  But my parents had some stipulations.  A dollar must be placed in a “Savings” envelope, a dollar […]

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