30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 2

Yesterday I wrote about how much our lives have changed since A. was born. One way that I knew was going to be tough for me would be the amount of sleep I would get for quite a while. I need like a lot of sleep. I’ve always been one of those people who would sleep 9 hours a night to be fully functional. Needless to say, I haven’t been getting 9 hours of sleep a night for the past few weeks. At first it wasn’t so bad. I was hyped up on adrenaline and A. slept for hours on end and I could take naps. And G. was getting up with me every time that A. woke up and helped put him back to bed so I could go right back to sleep after A. ate. But as time went on, G. couldn’t keep up with being up all night and being at work all day as well. And since I could nap during the day, I told him he needed to stop getting up all the time with us and that I would wake him up if I needed him. Then, A. stopped sleeping as well during the day, became quite a bit fussier, and my naps disappeared. (I’m told that the first few weeks of a newborn’s life is truly a honeymoon period and that this is completely normal) After 6 weeks of only getting 3 hours of sleep in a row at most, I was running on empty.

 And then, A. went 7 hours between feedings, and I got 6 hours of sleep. I feel like a new woman-my tank is full again. I so am thankful for God’s perfect timing.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 1

A couple of years ago, my dear friend Heidi did a Blessings Calendar. I was inspired by the idea, but not nearly as creative or as crafty as she is! So this year, I'm committing to recognizing the blessings in my life by doing 30 days of thankfulness. Today is Day 1. I am so very blessed and thankful for my family. A few weeks ago, our beautiful baby boy was born, and our lives have been forever changed. G. is a wonderful husband and father, and A. is everything we could have hoped for. I am blessed indeed!

Coupons

I am not an extreme coupon-er. I do however, put effort into saving money for my family. And that means using coupons. I'm always surprised to hear people's responses when I tell them I do coupons. They range from....."I don't have time for that" to "Oh, I eat healthy. Coupons are only for processed foods" to "In the end, they don't really save you money. You end up buying more or buying things you don't need." Really? I don't have more time than others; I work, I volunteer, and spend time with friends and family. We also eat healthy, don't buy junk food, and don't have closets full of useless items. And we save about two thousand dollars a year using coupons and sales. That's right folks, thousands.

Here's how I do coupons. It does take me about 1-2 hours more per week. Since I usually save over $100 per week, I think that is time well spent. And let's face it- most of us watch at least that much TV each week that we could cut out if needed.

I use a website that helps me make my lists of what to buy. GroceryGame and CouponSense are a few websites out there, however there are others as well. You pay a small fee, usually $10-$15 a month for the website service. The website matches items on sale in a store, with store promotions, and then with manufacturer coupons as well. That way you are saving the most money on items because you are receiving discounts from all of possible sources. And, I don't have to figure it out. The websites show you exactly what coupon to cut out, and what the final price will be of the item after using the coupon. They even usually tell you whether it is a great buy, or if you might want to wait and buy it at a different time because the price is just "okay". The key is to buy in multiples when an item is on sale and you have a coupon. That way you are stocking up when it is super cheap, and won't run out and have to buy it later when it is more expensive. The websites also track fresh produce, meats, and other items that are a great deal to buy that week, but don't necessarily have a coupon to go with it.

Another benefit of using the websites is that you don't have to cut all the coupons out or worry about organizing your coupons. I simply pull the coupon inserts out of the Sunday newspaper, and file the inserts in an accordion file by week. The websites tell you which week the coupon you are wanting to use is in, and then I simply pull that coupon insert out and only cut out the coupon I need. This is a huge time-saver. I also limit myself to a few stores each week, even though some of the websites will give you lists from 5-10 stores, depending on the area you live.

Since the key is to try to buy in multiples when you can, you will want to have multiples of the same coupon. I order 2 Sunday papers to be delivered to my home. That way when an item is free, or very cheap I can get at least 2 of them and stock up. The websites usually recommend 3 papers each week. Often you can receive a discount on ordering the paper through the websites or when you order multiple Sunday papers, so it is much cheaper to do home delivery instead of buying the paper at the store.

Here's an example of a shopping trip I had at one store this week......

CVS Shopping Trip:

3 Jumbo Packages of Huggies Diapers - Regularly priced $11.50, on sale for $8.99. I had 2 $3 and 1 $1.50 manufacturers coupons from today's paper. Then, I had two CVS store coupons for $1 off Huggies, $3 CVS ExtraCare Bucks, and a CVS store coupon for $3 off a baby purchase of $15 or more. So far, my savings are $7.50 in store sales, $8 in store coupons, and $7.50 in manufacturing coupons.

Then, there was a store promotion to receive a $10 gas gift card when you purchased $30 of eligible items. These promotions are usually for a total price before you apply your coupons. So, 3 Jumbo packs of diapers brought my total to $26.97. I added an Airwick Freshmatic starter kit that I had a $4 off manufacturer coupon, bringing me above the $30 I needed to be able to receive the $10 gas gift card.

Although it sounds complicated to read it, the website I use told me exactly what to do and what coupons to use. Plus, I already knew what CVS store coupons I had.

At the end, this is what my savings looked like:

$15 in store discount savings

$8 in store coupons

$11.50 in manufacturer coupons

$34.50 in total savings

Subtotal - $14.46

That included a $10 free gas card. So you could also look at it like I got all of the items for $4.46 after paying for $10 worth of gas. Pretty good for about 100 diapers and an automatic air freshener.

I only purchased things I would use, none of the items involved processed foods, and it only took me about 45 minutes make my list, cut my coupons, go to the store, and come home. Happy shopping!

Habits

It's been a while since I've posted anything. The beginning of a semester is always a hectic time for people who work in schools. And it is amazing to me how quickly I always fall into bad habits when I am on a break from school. For example, going to sleep on time. I have to wake up by 5:30, at the latest to get to work in the morning. And I need a lot of sleep, so that means an early bed time for me. But during school breaks, I quickly fall into the "staying up late, sleeping in late" routine. And I rationalize it. It's not that big of a deal. I'll just go to bed on time a night or two before school starts. I deserve to have fun once in a while. Rationalization aside, every year I find myself back at work after a break, exhausted cause I couldn't fall asleep early because I'd gotten into the bad habit of staying up late.

"Bad habits are like a comfortable bed, easy to get into, but hard to get out of." Not getting enough sleep is a fairly innocent example, but there are many bad habits we fall into quickly that are not so innocent. Ultimately, our habits define us. Stephen Covey says, "Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character". Whoa. My habits express my character. I don't like many of my habits. They are ugly. They are lazy. They are self-centered. They are not things that glorify Him, or actions that would allow others to see Him in my life.

So, as Horace Mann says, "Habit is a cable; we weave a thread each day, and at last we cannot break it." One thread at a time. One day at a time. One prayer at a time.

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Mathew 5:16

Talk To Me Tuesday - a little late....

Hickstionary's TTMT topic this week is:

What's a verse you are leaning on right now? (Could be an all time favorite but doesn't have to be.)

A verse that I am leaning on right now is Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

This has always been a hard one for me. I seem to need to understand why things happen the way they do; why people behave the way they do. That is probably why I studied psychology in college. I want to understand....and in my own life I have a need to plan, and control. So I lean on this verse reminding myself to place my trust in Him.

To the Rescue....

G. and I tend to be fairly last minute people. It usually works for us. I like to think that I plan further in advance than he does, but let's be honest....I'm a procrastinator. The one thing that doesn't work for me is when we decide....spontaneously....to attend a social gathering where I'm supposed to "bring something to share". Ughhh. I'm not a good cook.....I try-and sometimes succeed-but overall, cooking is not a strength of mine. And, there is enough of the perfectionist in me to want to bring something fabulous that other people will enjoy. So yesterday, when we decided to attend a New Year's Day BBQ, I scrambled around and found this deliciously simple recipe.

Ingredients:

1 box Jiffy cornbread mix

1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies (drained)

1 cup shredded cheddar/monterey jack or colby-jack cheese

Directions:

Prepare cornbread mix according to directions. Fold in green chilies and cheese. Cook according to mix directions.

*You can also use any cornbread recipe you usually use and just add in the green chilies and cheese.

Not only were they absolutely delicious, they took no time at all to make and didn't require a trip to the store. Perfect for anyone who makes spontaneous decisions...or procrastinates on deciding what to bring to a social gathering.

We had a wonderful time at our friend's BBQ. They actually buried an oven in the ground with all the BBQ meat in it and then dug it up! It was delicious. Party was complete with hayrides, a huge bonfire of Christmas trees, and firecrackers.

We finished up the evening at our house playing board games with some friends of ours. Perfect way to start the new year- good food, fun, and friends.

New Beginnings

Anyone who knows me knows that I. Hate. The. Rain. There aren't many things that I feel strongly enough to use the word "Hate", but rain is one of them. I'm always grateful that I live in Arizona where we have 296 days of sunshine each year, but sometimes I think that makes it even worse. I'm so used to the good days, that when it does rain, it's worse. It's not the rain so much as the gloomy, dark, damp, cold, and worst of all, the gray. I find myself feeling sad, lethargic, despondent, tired..............hopeless. I dread rain and everything that comes with it.

Today I'm reminded of the miracle that comes with the rain. Although it might seem to go on forever, eventually a light spears through the dark clouds, brilliant and beautiful.

Water falls, nourishing all of its surroundings and provides soothing song.

A soft, peaceful glow encompasses the land, breathtaking in it's beauty.

And every living thing is washed clean, fresh, nourished. Renewed.

Our lives follow this same pattern. We find ourselves in a dark place. Maybe something tragic has happened, or we have lost something or someone dear to us. Maybe we are struggling with something, or feel our prayers have been unanswered. Maybe we feel lost or like no one cares. Regardless of the reason, eventually the dark will end. His light can cut through the darkness, filling our lives with brilliance. His voice will surround us, nourish us, if we listen to Him. He will bring beauty and peace out of the pain, and provides us with joy..... with hope. He washes us clean, leaving us refreshed, and renewed................

If we let Him. If we seek Him instead of turning away from Him. If we embrace the dark times and depend on Him to lead us through it, instead of stumbling our way through on our own.

"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him." - James 1:12

God has a plan for us, for me. One that is perfect, even if I don't understand it. He will give me what I need to get through each day. I don't have to know how to get to next week, or next month, or next year. It is enough to get through today.

It is a new year, a new beginning. A time to be refreshed, to start over, to be renewed. A time to reflect, and take action.

"How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has given you?" - Joshua 18:3

I'm not waiting.......I will take possession of what the Lord has given me. I will embrace the rain.