He is Alive!

I pray everyone enjoys their Easter and remembers that Jesus died for our sins so that we can be forgiven and live for him in this life and live with him in eternity.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" John 11:25

Inspiring Friday: March 29, 2013

"In calm water every ship has a good captain." --
Grover Cleveland

"Much may be done in those little shreds and patches of
time which every day produces, and which many men throw
away." -- Charles Caleb Colton

"When you get into a tight place and everything goes
against you till it seems you could not hold on a
minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the
place and time that the tide will turn." -- Harriet
Beecher Stowe

"We need a vocation, not just an occupation, and a
vocation is where our 'deep gladness' and the 'worlds
deep hunger' meet." -- Frederich Buechner.

"There is a time to let things happen and a time to
make things happen." -- Hugh Prather

"Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones
we miss." -- F. Scott Fitzgerald

Inspiring Friday: March 22, 2013

"Small opportunities are often the beginning of great
enterprises." -- Demosthenes

"Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul." --
General Douglas MacArthur

"Without courage, all other virtues lose their
meaning." -- Winston Churchill

"I shall allow no man to belittle my soul by making me
hate him." -- Booker T. Washington

"Everybody should do at least two things each day that
he hates to do, just for practice." -- William James

"Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of
listening when you'd have preferred to talk." -- Doug
Larson

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait

I have discovered a healthy, fast and delicious breakfast my kids love! A fruit and yogurt parfait. I buy the big 32 oz carton of french vanilla yogurt so I can use it for smoothies also. Any yogurt will work. Then all you need is your favorite fruits and cereal to top it off.

Ingredients: 
Yogurt
Fruit- we use blueberries and strawberries
cereal

Directions:
Layer the yogurt on the bottom of a cup and top with your one of your fruit.
Put yogurt on top of the fruit and add the other fruit.
Put yogurt on top of that and then top off with your favorite crunchy cereal or granola. (we use honey cheerios)

Gift Giving

Here are some tips for frugal gift giving:

~Set a budget for each gift; whether it is for birthdays, Christmas, weddings, baby showers ect, think about a set amount that you don't want to go over. Keep track of your spending if you are buying more than one item for a person.

~If it is a specific big ticket item ask others if they would like to split the cost.

~Shop around: shop at different stores and look for bargains. Don't leave out thrift stores. I have found some great things with the tags still on especially when it goes to the Goodwill discount store As Is. 

~Look for coupons for stores that you typically find great deals at for extra savings.

~Think ahead: if you find something that is a rock bottom price buy it and tuck it away for future gift giving.

~It shouldn't cost a small fortune to give a great gift and getting out a credit card to pay is not a good or frugal idea. I have learned that there is no reason to go into debt to give a gift from the heart.

Do you have any gift giving tips?

Samples of my recent great finds. The top pick I found the Diesel scarf new with tags for .99 cents (it had a tag that said it was $59) and the baby washcloth lollipops for about .59 cents each both from Goodwill As Is.

The bottom picture is a baby girl Michigan hat on sale for $3 at Meijer. I think the original price was around $20 and the Jacket is from Peebles on sale for about $13 dollars (the original price was $44)

Frugal gift giving is fun, creative and thoughtful and is being a good steward of your money.

TobyMac Lose my Soul

Here is another great song for Saturday! Enjoy.

Inspiring Friday: March 8, 2013

"Many of life's failures are experienced by people who
did not realize how close they were to success when
they gave up." -- Thomas Edison

"A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the
courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to
listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to
be a leader, but becomes one by the quality of his
actions and the integrity of his intent." -- Anonymous

"Listening, not imitation, may be the sincerest form of
flattery." -- Joyce Brothers

"He who grasps, loses." -- Lao Tzu

"What we fail to resolve we are destined to repeat ...
repeat ... repeat...." -- Dick Innes

"It's not the truth that hurts us but letting go of the
lies." -- Unknown

"If you stand for something, you will always find some
people for you and some against you. If you stand for
nothing, you will find nobody against you and nobody
for you." -- Bill Bembach

30 weeks

It is hard to believe only about ten more weeks to go. My wonderful husband found the last thing I wanted..... A brand new in the box Jumperoo from Goodwill for $46 (about half price of what Walmart sells it for) and it matches the fisher price zoo travel swing/bouncer he found at Goodwill for $20. I have the clothes washed and put away. Blankets are ready to go, car seat is clean. I just need to wash the playpen for when baby is sleeping during the day. I also need some breastfeeding bras and cream and maybe stock up on more cloth diapers and try a moby wrap. I plan on using cloth diapers later. I am trying to get some rest while I can. I also plan on making many crock pot meals. I will also need to pack my hospital bag as it gets closer to May.

I am feeling better, my mind isn't as foggy. I am a little tired and sometimes my body aches but other than the occasional Braxton Hicks contractions, I am doing good. I usually take a nap everyday with my spirited 2 year old who is constantly running and getting into everything and is enough to tire one out. But, if I lay down and cuddle him and pop on a movie, he will get a good nap in and I can too.

We are all excited to meet our new addition and spring is around the corner. I am due May 9th and my birthday is May 12th. I wonder if we will share a birthday. Logan, baby and I will be taking some nice walks. I praise God for all my children and pray for a safe and wonderful delivery of our baby boy.

Inspiring Friday: March 1, 2013

"When we have done our best, we should wait the result
in peace." -- John Lubbock

"Sometimes the best helping hand you can get is a good,
firm push." -- Joann Thomas

"Whatever you believe with feeling becomes your
reality." -- Brian Tracy

"Continuous effort--not strength or intelligence--is
the key to unlocking our potential." -- Winston
Churchill

"People who are unable to motivate themselves must be
content with mediocrity." -- Andrew Carnegie

"Don't be afraid to take a big step if needed. You
can't cross a chasm in two small jumps." -- Anonymous