Train Up Tuesday: PLAY!

I know most of us are overwhelmed by Christmas cleanup. Did you wake up the day after wondering...where on earth are we gonna put all this stuff?! I declare, even when we as parents tighten things up and give only what matters most, kiddos still seem to receive more than we (or they) can imagine!

Of course, we need to tidy up and get back to "normal", but while you are doing that, don't forget to take some time to play with your little ones and enjoy the season. They won't be little much longer. Besides, how can you resist playtime when you have little ones dressed for the part? ;-)


Hope your days have been "merry",
Ashlie

Take a Deep Breath

This past Saturday, my mom and I had our annual Mother/Daughter bake-a-thon and made a varity of cookies and decorated a gingerbread house with my two boys. Well, let me clarify that she and I decorated while they vied for the candy to eat during the process. I always have the camera within arms reach and happened to look back at previous year's cookie baking extravaganzas and it made me smile. Our tradition was making lasting memories and I love to watch how the boys interact with their grandmother. It's a special bond. Family is precious.

The past two weeks I've been working like crazy, running more errands than I thought were humanly possible, buying gifts, wrapping gifts, giving gifts, addressing Christmas cards and working on the perfect menu for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (I'm cooking for both this year!). I've made list upon list, checked each more than twice and at the end of each day, fall into bed exhausted beyond belief.

Today I officially started my Christmas vacation and as I had a few minutes to spare (so rare - it must be nap time for the kids!) I took a deep breath and realized I needed to slow down the pace. Things have been a blur and I don't want the busyness to impair my enjoyment of what the season truly means. I want my memories to be precious and lasting - not a 'blink and it's over experience' as I'm removing ornaments from a tree I feel I just put up.

So here is my deep breath: I'm going to enjoy family time - even if it means dinner is less extravagant and served on paper plates. I'm going to let my sons choose a bedtime book that is super long to read so we can enjoy it together and not rush through it. I'm going to let the dishes sit in the sink so we can drive around and look at Christmas lights together after dinner. I'm going to opt for gift bags for the remaining gifts that need wrapping. I'm going to relax with my husband on the couch after the kids have gone to bed and I'm going to listen to whatever he has to say, without interruption of folding the laundry and putting away scattered toys.



I love the institution of family that God created and I want to enjoy one of His most perfect gifts to me - my husband and children.

Proverbs 18:22 “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord.”

Psalm 127:3 Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him.

Take a deep breath with me and let's enjoy the Christmas holiday together.

Merry Christmas!

Love,
CC

Train Up Tuesday: The 12 of Christmas

Only a few days left until Christmas! I know you are all super busy, even if you aren't into the over-commercialization and big spending.

That being said, I hate the idea of giving you another "project", but I think this one could be worthwhile to all the readers and ultimately could adjust your Christmas focus just where it should be...on the Christ.

"The Twelve Days of Christmas." Not sure what you think of it. I know the origins and meaning of it vary. Some people think it's those last 12 days before Christmas; actually it starts Christmas day and goes through the New Year week. One thing is for certain...the lyrics are LOOooonnnggg and easily confused ;-D (Is it 11 lords a leaping or 11 ladies dancing...or neither?).

I am a new subscriber of a great magazine - "The Old Schoolhouse". Evidently, each year they write an article on the 12 Days of Christmas. This year, however, they opted to write a wonderful article on how your family can celebrate the 12 names of Christ! Without stealing what they have written, perhaps we can come up with some great ways to teach the importance of those Precious Names to our children:

1. Wonderful
2. Counselor
3. The Mighty God
4. The Everlasting Father
5. The Prince of Peace
6. Emmanuel (God with Us)
7. A Savior (Christ the Lord)
8. Jesus
9. The Lamb of God
10. The Light of the World
11. The Good Shepherd
12. The Alpha and Omega

So, have at it. In the comments, choose a number(s) and submit an idea for teaching the principle to our families. Perhaps it's a song, searching Scriptures, a unit study, craft, activity or something beyond!

Anxiously awaiting and hoping your Christmas is wonderful,
Ashlie

Marvelous Monday: Party Cheese Ball

Ladies,

I have another very special introduction to make! Our friend, Caroline (aka Happy Four), has agreed to share some of her many talents with us. She's an avid reader and is going to share some book suggestions and reviews with you in the future. In addition, she has excellent budgeting tips, baking ideas (my daughter LOVES her chocolate pops), craft and decorating ideas. I think you'll find that you lover her gentle heart just as everyone who meets her quickly finds.

As you're finishing last minute Christmas details, you may have some cooking left to do for THE big weekend. This is such a CUTE idea!!!! Without further ado, heeeerrrreeee's Caroline...

This is such a wonderful time of the year as we prepare our hearts to celebrate the day our Savior was born. Amidst all the excitement there seem to be parties galore and lots of details we have to accomplish. This afternoon my family is attending a little Christmas party and we are to bring something to share.

This cheese ball only took me 2 minutes to make and is a yummy appetizer to share with others.

Ingredients:

2 packages (8 ounces) Cream Cheese, softened (regular or 1/3 reduced fat)

1 package (8 ounces) Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce

4 slices of bacon (cooked and crumbled) - I omit this from my cheese balls

Crackers to serve on the side

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and roll in three balls (large, medium and small).
Place on a platter in the refrigerator for an hour before serving.

I use a carrot for the nose, pretzels for arms and raisins for the eyes, mouth and buttons, but you can also use peppercorns. It is not necessary to have a hat, but since I had oreos and large marshmallows on hand my boys asked me to give him a hat.

This recipe can also be rolled in nuts of your choice and in the shape of one or two cheese balls and freezes beautifully!

Luke 2:13, 14 (KJV)

"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

Happy Hookum Holidays! The winner is....

We've drawn our giveaway winner using random.org. The winner of the fun HOOKUM game is:

Entry #4-Melanie Dorsey!!!!!

Melanie said:
I know this would be fun because I was smiling just watching the video. It would be a great addition to our "Double Date Night" fun! Last time we played girls against the guys and we girls won. Maybe...just maybe the guys would beat us girls in Hookum. I'd love to win it and find out.

Congratulations, Melanie! I'll email you to get your address and Joe will be sending you your very own game!

Thank you all for playing. Don't forget Joe has extended a 25% discount plus free shipping to Roof with a View readers. If you need a last minute Christmas gift, make your purchase today and I bet you would get it in time! Just visit www.playhookum.com amd use the code: 25DISCOUNT

Stay tuned b/c Amy is going to do our next giveaway in a couple of weeks and it might jumpstart those New Year's resolutions. :)

Love ya'll,
Hannah

SAHS: Christmas Crafts!

Are you looking for some crafty activities to do with your kids before Christmas? Look no further than Roof With a View! Here are two crafts that are preschool/elementary-age friendly and require very little materials.

Craft #1 - Marshmallow Snowman

Items needed: pencil, foam board, school glue, several bags of large marshmallows, gum drops, black construction paper

Take a half sheet of foam board and draw the outline of a snowman (think three circles on top of each other). Draw and cut out a top hat from the black construction paper. Starting with the head of the snowman, drizzle a good amount of glue in the circle and smear around with your fingers. Starting along the outline of the circle, place marshmallows side by side. Work your way to the center of the circle, nestling the marshmallows in together.

After all three circles are complete, glue gum drops on for his eyes, nose, mouth and buttons. Put glue on the back of the hat and glue at the top of the snowman. Allow to dry several hours before propping up to display.

Craft #2 - Paper Plate Angel (Fun story about this one: my husband and I teach preschool Sunday School at church and this past week our parent helpers were CC and her husband. The curriculum gave us a very difficult craft for the day, so CC came up with this darling angel!)

Items needed: white paper plate with scalloped edge (translation: cheap paper plate), scissors, glue stick, gold doilies, marker/crayon, some sort of cotton ball/stringy material for the hair

Cut four wedges out of the plate to form the head, wings and skirt of the angel (see picture). Have children draw on the face of the angel (we did use eye stickers here). Cut one doily in half, then cut ONE of the halves in half again (you should have three doily pieces now). Put glue on the angels wings, then paste down the two small doily sections. Paste the larger doily piece onto the angel's skirt. Paste hair onto angel. Voila! A darling little angel!

Have fun celebrating Christmas with your little angels (pun definitely intended!). Allow their excitement about the season to infect you!

Love,

Amy

Thrifty Thursday:: Step 4 Plan Your Trip & Shop

Step 1:: Collect Coupons
Step 2:: Organize Coupons
Step 3:: Budget

Now that you've completed steps 1-3 it's time to plan your trip and shop. This is where you get to see your hard work pay off and really slash your grocery budget it half! It's the fun part. It's the natural high you get when you spend $25 and save $50. It's when people ask you to shop for them. It's when the cashier asks, "How'd you do that?!?". Ok, enough rambling, let's get started:

1. Understand your store coupon policy. The most important information to know is:

• Do you double/triple?


• Do you accept competitor coupons?


• Do you stack store and manufacture coupons together?


• What is your BOGO policy?


• Is there a coupon limit per day?


• How many coupons do you accept for like items? (Another words, how many boxes of cereal can I buy in one transaction?)


• Do you have a reusable bag credit?

For easy reference, here is a list of common grocery stores in the South East. Click on the name to view their coupon policy.

Harris Teeter
Bi-Lo
Kroger
Bloom & Food Lion (same company)
Lowes Food
Target

2. Know where to find the lowest price.

• Most stores are on a 6-8 week sales cycle. Items will hit their rock bottom price once during this time. Buy enough to get you through this period so you have a "Stock Pile". Never pay full price again!


• How do you know if it's the lowest price? Use Practical Tool: Price Grid. Click here to see how to use the tool.

3. Create your shopping list.

• Grocery sales begin every Wednesday. Tip: You can access the ad early online through coupon websites.


• Match sale items with coupons to maximize savings!


• Generate a shopping list. Use Practical Tool:: Grocery Store by Aisle. Click here to see how to use the tool.

• Pull coupons from your coupon binder or box, OR clip them from your filed inserts.


• If you need something that is not on sale, search a coupon database to see if a coupon exists for that product. This should be a rare occurence because you should have most items in your stock pile


• Coupons are rare for fruits, vegetables, and meat so stock up when they're on sale. Think freezer! Use Practical Tool:: Freezer List to view a list of how long items can be frozen.

4. Shop.

• Use a clipboard to hold your lists.


• Ask for a raincheck. If an item is out of stock simply request a raincheck from customer service which allows you to purchase the product at the sales price when it's back in stock. Advanced Tips: Shop at the end of a sales cycle to look for itmes out of stock. Also, hold onto the raincheck until a "super doubles" or "triples" promotion to maximize savings.


• Hand coupons to cashier five at a time. This prevents anything from being missed.


• Never go over your budget for the sake of a deal. It will come again! Use cash and stick to it!


• Your ultimate goal is to save as much as you spend. For example, if you spend $50 you should save $50.

Wednesday In The Word

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It has been a long while since I wrote to you and I am glad to share with you today. I have missed you and pray for you often.

I have been struck by the common plight of many women this Christmas season. You know what I mean...there is not enough time, not enough money, too many parties to attend, too many presents to buy. This past week I have seen five women in different stores at the cash register have their credit card denied. I know a women that had a check bounce. I know people that have been embarrassed by their children as they try to finish those last little details. Certainly all these events add to the stress we already feel during the month of December.

I am not trying to be "Debbie Downer" because there are many events and traditions that surround Christmas that are enriching. Today, I went to my granddaughter's first Christmas performance and it was delightful. I am just saying that we try to cram a lot into an already packed schedule during the Christmas season.

Sometimes we lose perspective or I'll admit that I do. One scripture and person in scripture really helps me as I try to keep all the days of December in perspective.

Luke 2:19
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

The word pondered is the word that changes my life. In the middle of Mary's perplexity over what she had been told (she was going to bear God's son) she didn't have a break down, she didn't panic or question. The scripture says she pondered it in her heart.

What would it be if we injected into our days of December an element of pondering. You may say what should I ponder?

Ponder:

The greatness of a God that sent his Son to this earth and then had Him crucified so that you would have a full life.

The real meaning of what Christmas is all about.

The ability to love people as much as God did by sending His Son.

The ability of a God that is able to meet any of your needs today and always.

The magnitude of a God that loves you so much that he knows every hair on your head.

I am praying for each one of us that we take some time to ponder instead of stress over all the "stuff." We have a Mighty God that will hold us up~over the stuff that we find so distracting.

I love you,
Glenda

GIVEAWAY: Happy Hookum Holidays!

At a loss for a Christmas gift? I've found one for you!!!!

Background: I have a great friend dating allllll the way back to my high school days named Britt. It so happen's that Britt's hubby, Joe, has come up with a brainchild. It's a game called Hookum. In Britt and Joe's family Christmas Card, I received a VIP card w/ a great Hookum discount and it seemed a great solution for a hard to buy for family member which also happens to LOVE games. I ordered it promptly and it arrived lickety split.

What is Hookum? This video sold me (by the way, the beautiful blonde Hookum champ is sweet Britt).


We are sooooo excited that Joes wants to let The Roof in on part of all this Hookum hubbub. He would like to host a giveaway! Joe says:

It’s that time of year again. The trees are lit. The stockings are hung. The presents are…oh yeah, the presents.

Your kids are easy. Your friends don’t really need anything. But what to buy for the man in your life? His list is generally short and expensive…not very helpful. Why? When a man recognizes something he needs, he buys it. So you have to think of something that, A) he hasn’t thought of, and B) he will enjoy just the same.

Luckily, we’ve found just the thing. It’s called Hookum. And it is the perfect gift this holiday season. For husbands and boyfriends, it is inexpensive, easy, and novel. Perfect for a man cave or entertainment area. But here’s the best part about it: it’s fun for just about anyone!

Hookum takes a ring toss game born in the Caribbean, makes it multiplayer, and adds a triple dose of excitement. The goal is to swing your ring onto your hook. And while that sounds simple, it is tantalizingly difficult.

Hookum expands to over two feet tall and easily collapses to stow out of the way. It’s great for parties and entertaining. Just leave it out and people will gravitate to it. It sets up in seconds, it doesn’t require a huge investment of time and it can be enjoyed by just about everyone.

Around the holidays, we’re always looking for reasons to get together with family and friends. Hookum is often the centerpiece that allows us to gather for a little competition and a big laugh.

Want to try Hookum? We are giving RWAV readers a special discount: Visit http://www.PlayHookum.com and enter this code to get 25% off + FREE shipping! [25OFFCOUPON]

Ladies, we know you love a deal so if you want to be sure to get your Hookum in time for Christmas, don't delay taking Joes up on his generous offer! In the meantime, be sure to enter the giveaway to win your very own.

Giveaway guidelines:
We're going to keep it simple and clean. Comment on this post. Equal chance. Fair and square for all. Hurry to enter because we'll announce the giveaway on Sunday so maaaaybe you'll get your Hookum in time for your holiday entertaining.

Also, something you have to look forward to tomorrow is Wednesday in the Word with GLENDA!!!!! Please be sure to welcome her back so she'll staaaaay back. :)

A special thank you to Joe Parrish for hosting our giveaway. Glenda, can't wait till tomorrow!

Love ya'll,
Hannah

And the Winner is...

As promised, we are announcing the winner of the "One Wintry Night" book (mentioned last week).

This year's winner (because this is looking to be an annual thing!) ;-) is.....

The Barbee Family!!!

whose comment was:

"I have checked this book online, based upon a recommendation I got from a friend. I would love to win this."

Could you post your email for me so that I can email you for address information? I'll delete it from the comments as soon as I get it from you! :)

CONGRATULATIONS again! I know your family will love it as much as mine!

-Ashlie

Training Up Tuesday: Christmas Ornaments

Here is a fun Christmas activity to do with your children. When I taught preschool, we made these each year at Christmas time and I've made these a few times with my own children. It's an easy project to do with them. Just make sure they know that they are not edible! They smell very good and they do resemble cookies, so it's tempting to little mouths:)

Apple Cinnamon Ornaments

1 Cup Apple Sauce

1 Cup Cinnamon

1/4 Cup Glue

*Mix the ingredients together. The mix will be runny at first, but let it sit for approximately 5 minutes. Then roll the mix into a ball:

*Roll out flat, as you would with cookie dough and cut shapes with Christmas cookie cutters:

*Place on a cookie sheet to dry. (as you can see, one of my children added a pumpkin and dog bone cookie cutter to our Christmas ones!). Take a straw and poke a hole all the way through the dough while it's still wet. Then place ornaments in a place where little hands can't get them and let dry overnight:

*Once the ornaments are dry, tie a ribbon through the hole and hang up on a tree or garland. We placed them on our kitchen tree:

*Enjoy!! These ornaments smell SO good!

Marvelous Monday w/ Women of the Roof!

Hey ya'll!

Since we don't have the pleasure of visiting around one another's trees over Christmas coffee, oooooohing and ahhhhhing at each other's festive decorations, we thought we would bring our homes to you! Over the next couple of weeks, we hope you will enjoy glimpses of our Christmas trees, favorite Christmas decorations or any other Christmas concoction the ladies of the Roof happen to conjure up. So, get in your comfies, pour yourself a cup of coffee or hot cocoa, nestle up by the fire and make yourself at home.:)

First, welcome to the living room of CC (aka the musing foodie). ooooh laaaa laaaa. Isn't that tree gorg?!? I love the lighted tree skirt!
Now, let's move on into our Donna's dining room. This is one of her all time fav Christmas decorations. It is a Sterling Silver 12 Days of Christmas ornament tree. Isn't it beautiful?! She also has a kid's gumdrop tree that I bet we could twist her arm into showing. :)
Won't ya'll come on over to Glenda's abode and enjoy her living area decorations!?! This picture doesn't do her big peppermint tree justice. It is beautiful and gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling all over. This area is COZY and beckons for a Christmas tea party!
Let's move on into Angela's kitchen to refill our cups and gather round her PRESH Starbucks tree. Who woulda thought of such an adorable idea!?!? Leave it to, Ang! Think she likes Starbucks? Sooooo creative.
Now, come on over to the home of yours truly and enjoy our kid friendly tree. This pic is way fuzzy cuz I quickly snapped it with my phone so I'm not sure if you can tell the lights are red and white but they are. I'm loving the red and white theme that it seems the ladies of the roof have going. Great minds...:) Side story: see the polka dotted tree skirt? I loved this thing until I realized a MAJOR grammatical error on the monogrammers part that I can't believe I didn't notice sooner. We had it embroidered with our last name which should read "The ___s." However, it reads "The ___'s." Ahhhh, it drives me bonkers. Think I can dethread the apostrophe without wreacking havoc?

Here we have Amy A's tree which I believe wins the award for being put up the earliest (like November 1st or something...OK. not really the 1st but not long after). Isn't it purdy?!?!
And here is one of Amy A's favorite ways to decorate for Christmas. She thought of this all by her lonesome. Use ornament hooks to hang Christmas cards from the garland on your stairs. How smart is that?!?! Happy Monday, ya'll!!!!! Stay tuned for more Christmas fun with the ladies of the Roof.

Love,

Hannah

Stay at Home Saturday: WHO feast!

Last night my family had THE best time as my parents hosted a Who feast incorporating all the fun from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. EVERYONE got into it and I'll admit the adults might have REALLY gotten into it. If only I could post the pictures of my mom and dad in full costume but that would be serious blackmail and I promised...Here are some pics I CAN post.

There were Who placecards for each of us.

Even the dishes had name cards!

Just one of the costumes...our resident Cindy Lou Who in full costume The set up
The Who Feast Menu

Roast Beast Sandwiches (Barbecue)

Who Hash (Scalloped Potatoes)

Who Pudding (Corn Casserole)

Dessert-Grinch Green Pudding (Vanilla pudding colored w/ green food coloring)

We concluded the festivities with our All Star Who (my dad) reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas and then drove to see Christmas lights b/c a local home happens to have their yard lit w/ Whoville. It was all so fun. I would recommend your family, young and old, giving it a whirl. I guarantee a great time.

Now, here is your Savory Smackerel for this Saturday. Who Pudding (aka Paula Deen's Corn Casserole). This is a paaaarrrrrrtttttaaaaaayyyyyy in your mouth. I promise you will love it and it's a perfect Christmas side dish.

Ingredients

1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8-ounce) package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter. Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with Cheddar. Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.

Happy Saturday!

Love,

Hannah Lou Who :)

Free-for-all Friday: Making a List...Checking it Twice!

If you’ve made your list and checked it twice, you might be pondering what to get those who are super nice. TEACHERS! Don’t forget them, as they are instrumental in helping mold our children. In being a huge blessing and pouring so much into what they do, I feel they need and deserve to be remembered around the holidays. Amy A and I send our kids to the same preschool and as Room Moms, collaborated on a ‘Favorites List’ that we put in a fun little survey form and solicited the teachers with. Asking teachers about their favorite things, we then put a fun little Christmas letter together for the parents of our respective classes to aid in some helpful shopping tips. After all, what teacher wants nuts they are allergic to, chocolate if they’re on a diet or a candle and lotion scent that give them a headache? Explaining in our letter that gifts weren’t mandatory but that this was merely a collection of helpful hints should the shopping spree wave hit, the letters have proven a successful venture in years past and I know this Christmas will be no exception.

Feel free to adopt this for your teachers as well – we asked them the following:

Favorite Color
Favorite Restaurant
Favorite Dessert
Favorite Salty Snack
Favorite Candy
Favorite Grocery Store
Favorite Hot Drink
Favorite Cold Drink
Favorite Scent
Favorite Store
Allergies/Aversions
Hobbies/Interests
Birthday

Budgets are different for every family, and where some can afford a restaurant gift certificate, another can put together a meaningful basket of a favorite drink, package of candy and salty snack for $5 or less. It’s the thought behind the gift that really matters – not the amount spent. Include a meaningful message in an attached card and you have yourself the perfect gift.

Have fun spreading some Christmas Cheer!
Love,
CC

Dear Abby...

Ladies!

Sometimes we just have to help our sisters out and today we have the opportunity to do just that. Did you never knew RWAV could also serve as "Dear Abby?" iI's time to put your advice "pants" on so we can ALL be Abbys!

Anonymous is calling for help:
I am planning an eco-friendly baby shower for my sister, and, trying so hard to think of different things to do. Anyway...... I came up with a wishing well where each guest will be asked to bring one organic jar of baby food, but I don't know how to present it in invitations or at the shower? I searched and searched the internet and could NOT find anything to help, hoping you ladies can!!!!!!

Come on, you classy, RWAVers. Tell our sister your creative ideas. Never know~we may be able to help you out in a pinch one day, too!

Thrifty Thursday:: Step 3 Budget

Step 1:: Collect Coupons

Step 2:: Organize Coupons

Now that you've collected your coupons and have them organized it's time to shop! Right?? No! Before you step foot in a store you need to set a budget. More than creating one, you need to learn how to stick to it! Let's get started:

1. Budget each paycheck. Create a simple budget so that you will know where every cent is going. The best budget is an honest budget! Don’t write things down that you hope will happen or you wish was the expense.

2. Use cash. This is the only way to guarantee your budget has a "stop sign".

Pick categories. Choose categories from your budget that you will manage with cash. For example, you won't use cash for select bills (such as a mortgage, car payment, etc). BUT, you should use cash for your variable expenses.

Keep it simple. For our family, we choose to use cash for Groceries/Toiletries and Entertainment (date nights, family fun, etc). We don't include Fuel because I don't want to leave my kids in the car while paying. Practical, right? We could break down our cash categories even further (clothes, gifts, hair, etc) and that works for some people. We choose to track those occasional purchases in our Miscellaneous category. Why? We aim to be calculated spenders and anything like that should be planned. Thus, we track these expenses in Mint.com which easily rolls unused funds from month to month. For example, if you didn't use $30 budgeted for Auto Maintenance then it rolls that surplus to the next month.

Be calculated with your purchases. Using cash forces you to become an aware shopper! If my total is $55 and I only have $50 cash then I kindly ask the cashier to de-scan something from my order. Embarrassing? The first time, yes. Now, no way. When I get in the car I'm so happy I stuck to my guns and didn't go over my budget. Hello, Stop Sign!

Schedule your cash. If you have a fixed paycheck first thank the Lord for your job and His blessings! Then, plan to get cash out on that same day your family gets paid. For us, that is every two weeks.

Organize. I started with plain white envelopes and wrote the category name and budget amount on the front. For example, Groceries/Toiletries $150. Simple. You could also use Dave Ramsey's envelope system. I've since upgraded to a cute wallet. Totally up to you. Just find a way to keep your money separate.

One final note, give yourself some grace. It will take a couple months to perfect the system. You may need to change some figures and add or remove an envelope or two. I can promise that if you stick to it you will SAVE! I know from experience.

Wednesday in the Word: Our First Noel

First off, I want to give a BIG shoutout to our A+, #1 designer, Jaime Beitler. Don't you love the Christmas love she has added to spice up the Roof?!! She's the best and we love her. :) Thank you for the eye candy, Jaime!!!! I know you will be blessed by her sweet story below that is a testimony of keeping the main thing THE main thing. You are precious, Jaime. Thank you for sharing your heart and talents with us.

Our first Christmas as husband and wife is one we'll remember our entire lives. Soon after marrying in July of 2007, we moved to Colorado as my husband was beginning his masters program at Denver Seminary. We felt strongly about getting through his schooling debt free and had enough in our savings to do just that. But it was going to be tight! I've never pinched so many pennies in my life! I shopped at 4 different grocery stores, cut coupons, and streeeeettcched every meal into as many as possible! When Christmas rolled around, I realized we would have very little to spend on decorations or presents for each other. Instead of bemoaning the sparse Christmas before us, we decided to make the best of what we did have. I found a wreath and two stockings on sale. We hung both above our fireplace and believe it or not, we enjoyed the teeny tiny amount of Christmas we were able to gather. On the 23rd of December, we decided to go tree shopping, certain we would find some deals so late in the month. We weren’t disappointed! We found a beautiful tree for only $15! Our next issue became decorating the tree (don’t the expenses add up quickly?!). Instead of buying throw away ornaments, we decided to invest in three special ornaments that we would keep and cherish our whole lives. When all was said and done, we had very little to decorate with, but every piece meant so much to us.

The best present was from God Himself, when He blessed us with a beautiful mini-snow storm on Christmas day. We were able to sit and watch the flakes fall so peacefully as we sipped hot chocolate and laid around in our pjs all morning. We took a long walk in the afternoon, enjoying the solitude and utter beauty of a nearby 800 acre state park laden with freshly fallen snow. Instead of ripping into expensive packages, we spent long hours praising God for His faithfulness in our lives. As the New Year rolled around, we found we didn’t miss the “stuff” we might have purchased if we had more money- and we are still able to look back at that Christmas as our favorite one so far.

There is much to be learned in economic times such as we are facing. When we clear away the clutter that money can buy, we recognize the best parts of our life cost nothing at all. Time spent with loved ones engaging in real conversation, sharing hurts and triumphs is worth more than gold. Spending an evening with your family recalling all the ways God has blessed you will draw everyone closer together. If you are facing a lean Christmas this season, I encourage you to lead your family into a season of thanksgiving and remembering all that God has done in your life. We all know Christmas truly should revolve around the birth of our living Savior, and what a better time to start celebrating just that? Find ways to worship our amazing God and celebrate the small blessings, and you’ll feel as if you’ve had the richest Christmas yet!

He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure. Isaiah 33:6

Train Up Tuesday: The Best Way to Find What You've Lost

So, today, my husband and I found out THE best way to find something you've lost...

Nope, it's not retracing your steps, or looking in the "last place" (you know, because you usually "in the last place you look"....um, who continues to look after the looking in the "last place" if they've found it by that point?).

The BEST way to find something you've lost, is to buy another one to replace it! It's almost a sure thing that you WILL find the "original" about 5 minutes after you bring the new one home. Case in point, I could NOT find my "One Wintry Night" by Ruth Bell Graham this year when going through my Christmas and Advent things. I was so agitated! I had all the ornaments for our Jesse Tree that we decorate based on this book, so I had to postpone starting that....until last night, after asking my sweetheart to buy another copy. He gave it to me first thing upon arriving home and said, "Ya know, we'll probably find the original in about five minutes."

Before bed last night, we read it, and then opened our special ornament box to place a snowflake (for Chapter 1) on the Jesse Tree. Low and behold, in the bottom of the box (that I DID open about a week ago and kinda glance through, I promise!) was our original copy of our beloved book. Sigh. We were all very happy about it.

And YOU should be happy about it, because.....

I'm giving the new copy away to one of YOU lucky readers :)

AND....

EVERYONE has equal, fair opportunity to win it because everyone only gets one entry. No extra entries for FB liking, tweeting, blogging, etc. Just a fair chance for all you ladies ;-) Sound good?

You can still share the excitement with your pals and family so they can try to win, too (hey, maybe they'll give it to you if they win and you don't) ;-)

So, just leave a comment on today's blog post. That's it. You have until 12 midnight (EST) on Monday, December 13th to enter. We'll draw a lucky winner then and announce next week.

Be sure to check out last year's mention of this book for a peek at some BEAUTIFUL illustrations: "One Wintry Night".

Marvelous Monday:Taking Control of Holiday Get Togethers

Ideas for kids:
For the past three years I have done a Christmas Cookie play group for my son. Well, every year I am cleaning up sprinkles all season long and not to mention the icing that creates a nice film over my kitchen floors. I had to ask myself is the 5 minutes of kid fun worth months of cleaning up remnants? Not really is the answer! This year I am taking a different approach and thought I would share. I am going to make these fun hot chocolate cupcakes and the kids can have another kind of fun for 5 minutes, eating them. This way I am done with the wrapping of cookies, cleaning up of cookies, and distributing of cookies at this play group. I may even get to talk to some of the moms. Here is the fun recipe from one of the magazines I bought from tanga.com. (This is a great place for discount magazines and I have loved the 4 holiday editions I got this season to inspire me to be a better mom by being better to myself. ):Sweet Holiday Cakes

Ideas for Adults:
We are hosting a Regift White Elephant Party. This is where everyone brings a regifted item with no tag of who it is from and then we draw numbers and take turns picking up the presents and deciding if we want to gamble at a new regifted item or take anothers that has already been rewrapped. This makes no hardship on yourself to bring 2 new gender friendly items. The game really is a funny joke to see who can get the worst gift and not the best:White Elephant Game Rules

The second thing is to only serve dessert and provide all the food yourself. My husband and I host multiple parties through the year and the last one we hosted, everyone left with half full dishes and I thought...these women probably spent that afternoon making these items and it was total food overload. I know I get to talking so much sometimes I forget to eat:) Providing the food would cut down on the returning of dishes that get left and the discussions of who is leaving what. So that our guests truly have a relaxing time as a guest at this party, my husband and I will have a date night the weekend before and make all of our favorite desserts.

Ideas for Family Gatherings:
Allllll along the line in my 11 years of marriage, family gatherings have included food. What a nice treat it would be to meet out somewhere for dinner instead of a home.

OR

If there are kids galore, another fun idea would be a play house such as Monkey Joes. The kids can gather in the game area and the adults can actually talk. To make this even better, instead of swapping gifts with all the kids, tell them this IS the gift. You will have cut down on time shopping, wrapping, and traveling with gifts. Build-a-Bear is another fun idea as well (Build-A-Bear).

Have fun celebrating with friends and family. I hope that these suggestions can make for a better holiday season for all MOMMIES!

Love,
Imogene

SAHS: Part 2-Christmas Decorating

Be sure to enjoy Catherine's Savory Smackerel, Russian Tea, on our 1st SAHS post! While you're sipping away with her, maybe you want to begin decorating, decorate a little more or even put on your finishing touches.

I wanted to remind you of this Christmas post from last year because it includes some of my favorite Christmas DIY ideas. Click here.


Most recently, my 3 year old and I put Imogene's great decorating idea from here to use and made this wreath for my daughter's bedroom door from some balls that we found in the dollar section at Target. It's the perfect wreath for a children's bedroom door and it only cost $2 (we already had the wreath in our Christmas decorating box). Thanks for the idea, Imogene!


Happy Decorating and Happy Saturday!
Hannah

Stay at Home Saturday: Depends on how you look at it...

Ever since the gigantic green recycle bin got delivered to my home, I’ve been a recycling lunatic. So much so, I crammed too much into it this past week and the recycle truck spilled half of the contents on the street. Lovely.



The high school boy who bagged my groceries got a little too enthusiastic in his bagging capabilities and put 27 too many cans in a PLASTIC bag that ended up ripping as I took it out of my trunk. My foot has a nice gash on it where the yams landed. Lovely.



There is a lizard that has taken up residence in our garage and he scares me out of my mind every time I walk to the passenger side of the car. Lovely.



The icicle lights decided to burn out in the very middle of the strand after they were hung above the garage. We don’t even look like the Griswald’s at this point. Lovely.



My one year old got into the Whoopie Pies I bought from the school bake sale and ate all of them. My refrigerator and child are now chocolate and cream covered. Lovely.



But you know what else? I baked a hot blue cheese and bacon dip as a surprise for my husband and he loved it! Every time we turn on the Christmas lights on the tree, my boys squeal with delight. I discovered some cooked and shredded chicken in my freezer that will cut my dinner preparation down exponentially and I found my Russian Spiced Tea Mix recipe of which I have all the ingredients happily sitting in my pantry. My four year old got a great report from school (not to mention he actually sang and did a few of the hand motions in the preschool choir musical), all of the socks that have been doing a disappearing act were discovered stuffed behind the baby’s crib and I have enough garland to decorate the mantle without having to make an additional trip to the craft store. Our family Christmas photo was captured just before the batteries in the camera died and I might have the next award winning Apple Danish recipe sitting on my kitchen counter.

No matter how I choose to look at my day, God is good and I am blessed.

Here’s a little recipe to warm your heart as you look back on your day:

Russian Spiced Tea Mix
½ c. instant tea mix
¾ c. sugar
7 oz. jar of Tang
1 three ounce package of presweetened lemonade mix (Wylers or Country Time)
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. ground cloves

Mix all of the above ingredients together and store in a sealable container so your child can’t open it as he hurls it across the living room. Add 2-3 teaspoons to a mug of hot water and enjoy.

Love,
CC – the musing foodie :)

Free-For-All Friday: A story of HOPE

You may remember this post when our Karen shared the raw emotion at the beginning of her grief~one week after her second miscarriage within a year. Many of you responded to her story. Last night, she shared this post which is the rest of the story. I want you to please watch it and join the Lims in praising God for His faithfulness! Their story is such a beautiful picture of HOPE. Thank you for sharing it with us, Karen. We love you!

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.em Jeremih 29:11

The Lim Family Adoption Story

Thrifty Thursday:: Step 2 Organize Coupons

Now that you've completed Step 1:: Collect Coupons, you need a place to put them. If you can't find a coupon, you can't save money. Organization is essential and there are 3 different options I recommend. I've done them all and will give you the pros and cons of each. Let's get started.

1. Choose a Method. Keep in mind, all of the below methods work. There is not a right or wrong choice. You need to consider your personality and be realistic with how much time you want to spend on coupons. Here's my summary:

• I would recommend the Filing Inserts method! I've used it since January 2010 and find it to be quick and efficient. It is perfect for someone with a very busy schedule (that's most of us!), a single parent, or work out of the home parent.


• I used the Coupon Box method for six months and enjoyed having all of my coupons with me when I shopped. However, clipping every coupon was time-consuming and I didn't find the occasional clearance deal worth my time.


• I started with the Binder method and used it for six months. I was a beginner and thought this was the way to "do it right". While it was nice to have my coupons at one easy glance I quickly became overwhelmed. The process to cut, file, and fit them in the baseball card holders was too much. Plus, if I got behind a week (or two or three) I dreaded the looonnnggg catch-up.

Remember, if you can't find your coupons you can't save money. Choose one that will work for you.

2. Create Divider Tabs. Use Practical Tool: Divider Tabs with Sub Categories. The tabs are in order by store aisle and make finding coupons a breeze! Do it right the first time and you're done.

• Binder- Divider tabs on filing tabs, subcategories as labels on baseball card pages.


• Box- Divider tabs on index cards, subcategories on envelopes.


• Filing Inserts- Divider tabs for your small coupon organizer where you put cut coupons that don't get used. Forget the subcategories.

3. Clip Coupons.

• Binder & Box- Click here to see the easiest way to clip multiple inserts.


• Filing Inserts- Clip only the coupons that correspond with your shopping list. (Step 4:: Plan Your Trip & Shop covers this in detail).

4. Keep ALL Coupons.

• A store sale and coupon can discount an item to be free or have overage ("money maker"). Even if this is not something you would normally purchase, you can try it or give it to charity.


• US military families stations overseas are able to use expired coupons on base for up to six months after the manufacturer's expiration date.

Live Webcast

OK, all you shoebox packers!

If you want to see what happens to your shoebox after you drop it off, hear some TOP NOTCH Christmas music from none other than the Tommy Coomes Band and maybe even shed a tender tear after hearing real life Shoebox stories, be sure to join us for the LIVE webcast tomorrow (Thursday) morning at 10 am online here. It's the Operation Christmas Child Community Celebration comin' to ya live from the Charlotte, NC shoebox processing center. If you keep your eyes peeled, you just might spot a familiar face or two AND your very own shoebox. Maybe you remember this face in the video below from here? See you at 10!