There were 53 entries in last week’s necklace and earring set Sparrow Fund giveaway. The winner was Jerusha of Hands Full on Purpose. I was delighted to see that she, like Kelly, has recently adopted a child from China! When Brad and I lived in China, we spent at least one Saturday each month at […]
Archive for the ‘Fun’ Category
Posted in 
Necklace & Earring Set Giveaway Deadline Extended Through Cyber Monday!
November 26th, 2011 
Jessica Have you entered my Sparrow Fund Necklace & Earring Set Giveaway yet? If not, hurry up and post your comment at the bottom of this post or last Monday’s post by Kelly Raudenbush. Tell me which design you like the best on The Sparrow Fund’s Etsy page. That’s it! Easy peasy. If you want to […]
Guest Post: The Sparrow Fund (And A Giveaway!)
November 21st, 2011 Jessica I was simply searching for an African doll. That’s all. After adopting our daughter from China, we felt called to do something specifically to give support to adoptive families. So, in the spring of 2011, we launched The Sparrow Fund to give grants to adoptive families specifically for pre-adoption counsel, medical reviews of their referral, […]
Q & A Wednesday: What can I do with all these free magazines?
November 9th, 2011 Jessica After reading my Freebie Friday! posts, you’re all starting to wonder: What does she do with all of those free magazines? Does she really read all of them? First of all, as a former art teacher, I never pass up free magazines unless they have inappropriate pictures in them. You can do all kinds of […]
Q&A Wednesday: How can I find FREE activities in my town?
November 2nd, 2011 Jessica There are many ways to find free or inexpensive activities to do in any town. Whether you live in a big city, or in the middle of nowhere, there are free things to do. Here are a few suggestions for where to start looking: The Newspaper: Check out the community pages or classifieds (and sometimes […]
A Frightfully Frugal Halloween
October 31st, 2011 Jessica On Saturday evening our family got dressed-up for Trunk-Or-Treat at a local church. As usual, we tried our best to find creative ways to save money for the holiday. Naomi’s Cinderella Costume: Naomi’s dress was hand-me-down from another family, and the same dress she wore last year. I bought a $0.25 tiara at a yard-sale […]
10 Things I Learned From My First Attempt at Freezer Cooking
October 28th, 2011 Jessica “I have been following Money Saving Mom® for over a year now, and I have long been curious about the concept of Freezer Cooking. As I was creating my meal plan for this week, I looked on Crystal’s website for some Freezer Cooking Recipes. It was then that I realized that her recipes were not […]
DIY Halloween Window Painting
October 27th, 2011 Jessica Two years ago I was asked to help paint the windows of a store-front at Christmas with some friends. So when I saw these windows on Pinterest, I figured I could try a little “DIY” painting on our windows instead of buying decals or yarn. Materials: Step-Ladder Window-Cleaner Dry-Erase Markers Picture (of what you want […]
Q&A Wednesday: How can I decorate my home inexpensively for autumn?
October 26th, 2011 Jessica When you move into a new place, or eyeball your old place, you may be wondering the same thing I was. Seasonal decor isn’t exactly high on our budget priorities right now. So I was really excited when I spotted some fall leaves leftover from my teaching days! There were four strands, so I laid […]
Simply in Season: Acorn Squash with Sausage Stuffing
October 22nd, 2011 Jessica One of my favorite cookbooks is called Simply in Season: Recipes that celebrate fresh, local foods in the spirit of More-with-Less (compiled by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert). I love that it encourages readers to purchase locally-grown foods when they are in season, decreasing food costs and waste while increasing healthy diets and support […]
