Pages

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Extreme Couponer {wannabe}

The Coupon Mom website has been a great resource for me. Although I am, by far, an experienced and professional couponer, I am learning to save some money here and there with the great tools that Coupon Mom has to offer. 

Since moving back to the States, our income is a little on the... let's say... skimpy side for a family of 4. We have decided that I will stay at home to raise our kids and homeschool, so this is definitely going to be a financial challenge.... juggling paying for gas (ugh), insurance (double-ugh), homeschool supplies, food... 

Speaking of food, this is where Coupon Mom comes in handy! A sweet friend of mine passed along this jewel of a website. And it's absolutely FREE to use! It basically finds the sales and deals for you, and it tells you where to find the coupon in which Sunday paper to maximize savings. So to really take advantage of deals from month-to-month, you will need to save all of your coupon inserts (Smart Source, Red Plum, Procter & Gamble, et al), writing that Sunday's date with a Sharpie on the cover of each insert. Then you should use a shoe box or something similar to store them in for easy access. Go to this site for 2 great video tutorials!

In addition to listing deals for grocery stores in your state, it also gives you Drugstore Deals for Wal-Mart, Walgreens, CVS, Rite-Aid, Target, K-Mart and Dollar General!

Finally, the Coupon Database is nice if you are looking for a specific item on your grocery list. For example, type in cheese and a long list of different kinds of cheese items appears, each with the coupon's date of release (and in which insert it can be found), the expiration date, a description of the product, the savings value, and the quantity that must be bought to earn the savings. ... Again, this is such an amazing tool - and, incredibly, all for your free usage!

If you're like me and are looking for great ways to save on your family's grocery bill, head over to Coupon Mom!



Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Time for Me & God

Well this is a topic about which I've read a little lately on other's blogs (Confessions of a Homeschooler and Granola Mom 4 God). It is always interesting and encouraging to find out that other people have the same struggles I do. Thinking I am sub-par in the "quiet time" area, compared to other moms who are keeping up with blogs, creating all sorts of curriculum and printables, and raising and teaching more kids than I have... I find that we are all the same when it comes to this real issue of spending time alone with the Lord, studying/meditating on His Word, and praying. It is something I go through in phases, depending on my schedule, the stage in life my kids are in, and even my own "dry spells" and complacency. I have found that if I can come up with (and keep) a schedule that I adhere to almost daily, then I am more likely to have this quality time in the Bible. I love schedules because they help me stay organized, remember what comes next, and give me a visual of what my day should look like.

Within the past 3 months, I have found that the schedule for my Time for Me & God works best after lunch when Lively goes down for a nap. I can put some cartoons on for Cutlet and settle down for a nice hour of relaxation, Bible reading, and communication with my Father. Right now this happens in my room, on my bed. We are still living with my in-laws after returning to the USA from Peru in mid-December. Once we get into our own house (sometime after summer???), then we'll see if my locale changes. But for now, it's great!

I have decided that I will pick a book of the Bible and just go through it, reading a bit each day, and really trying to focus on everything the passage is saying, referring to footnotes and other Scripture to help me gain a better understanding of what is being communicated. Currently I am working through Nehemiah, and it has been absolutely wonderful... with many timely, applicable themes to my life right now. It is a thought-provoking experience, and I am loving it!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Scripture Memory Update

I have to say that I continue to be impressed with a child's mind... and how much it can recall. We have been steadily working on memorizing Bible verses for a few months now, on and off.

These are the verses that we have memorized:
Genesis 1:1
John 3:16
John 1:1
Romans 3:23
Romans 6:23
Romans 5:8


Now we almost have all of Psalm 23 memorized! And the cutest and most precious thing of ALL is that Lively can say it all just as well as Cutlet. I am in awe that a child of 2 years old can regurgitate an entire chapter of the Bible. 


My prayer is that God's Word will be hidden in their hearts, and that the Lord will whisper His Word to them throughout their lives.