And $360 later...

Nope, no new bookshelf or decorative piece to show off...although I do have some of that for later. Just groceries.

Yep, that's it folks.
Every few months, all the "stars" align and we need diapers, garbage bags, and other big cost items all at once. You know the ones, right; Olive oil, toilet paper, or maybe more than one recipe calls for nuts and you didn't notice until you were on that aisle?

Our normal weekly grocery shopping is more like $120 or something. It varies. We go to Aldi's a lot now that we have one close and it saves us a bundle, but when we need certain things we can't find there, we opt for HEB. This time it was Walmart--I HATE walmart--but we needed a whole lot and the kids wanted to bring their shopping money. That meant the opportunity to shop with only Bubzy in the cart since the older two would be on the toy aisles. We always spend more time and money than we plan when we go there.

It's actually been surprisingly long since we've had one of these BIG shopping trips and I think it's because of something I've been trying.

1. Whatever happens to be on the list, I go ahead and get extras of the pantry items that I use a lot. It's really great to look at my normal cookbooks and find a recipe that I seriously only need the meat and fresh produce. Score!! This has been happening a lot lately, since I've been grabbing extra cans, dry goods, pastas, favorite snacks, etc.

2. When I see a recipe I've never tried before, but I really want to, I put ONE pantry item on the list that I know I don't have or have never used. I keep with that one recipe until one day, whala, I have everything but the fresh stuff. Time to try it out!

3. I've been buying the fresh stuff for about 4 days worth of recipes, rather than all of them. I go ahead and plan two weeks of "menus", but I only get the pantry and freezable stuff for those recipes that I'm going to cook a little later. I wait on the fresh stuff for those meals and just list those items on a "get later" mini list. The mini list has stuff like fresh herbs that I'll need for next weeks roast or the bell peppers that I'm using for a recipe at the end of the week. Then, when I get to that time when I start needing the fresh stuff, Josh just picks up a few quick things from the store on his way home--usually the day before I'll need them. He usually gets the rest of the list at that time. It has saved many a veggy and herb from being wasted when it goes bad the day before I need it or the fresh rolls go moldy. This has saved us a bundle since we used to waste so much fresh produce!

Moving: Collection of Posts

Left: Our Old House

Right: Our New House that we moved into Summer 2013






I've got to admit...I don't like moving one bit. Well, maybe I like getting into a new house, but the whole process just isn't fun to me. Nevertheless, I've moved several times and have developed ways to make each move a little easier on ourselves. These tips are the ones I go back to because they worked for me. Everyone moves a little differently, so take what works for you and forget the rest.


Looking for more pictures/details? I've linked all of my moving posts below!

• Start packing in little spurts as soon as you know you'll be moving. I've found it's better to pack 1-3 boxes every day than to crash and burn a month before my departure date. The thing is, I always have more to do right before the move than I think, even if I have been preparing all along. And when that time comes where things just seem to come out of the walls, I sigh a sigh of relief that I'm not also packing the many, many boxes I'm finished with.
• Set up a packing tub full of the things you'll need as you pack around the house. My tub gets messier as we move closer to moving time, but it's always in one place. Where's the scissors? In the packing tub. Where's that permanent marker? Check the packing tub. I just hate looking all over the house for things right when I'm ready to really start working, and the packing tub cuts down on this quite a bit. You only have to find where you set the packing tub last time you were packing, not the scissors, tape gun, trash bags, markers, etc.
• Get nice sturdy, easily carried boxes and label them all the same way. We love Barnes and Noble boxes! They were the perfect size to carry heavier items and they weren't too cluttered with ads and words. Plus, they were free. And, I don't spend a lot of time labeling. I use a simple black permanent marker, a notepad, and pen. No fancy notebook set-up for this gal.
• Don't think you're stuck with only boxes. For example, "packing" blankets and stuffed animals away in big recycle bags places them out of daily use so they won't mess up the house while you're showing it, but still gives you access to padding for big breakables when they get packed later down the road.
• De-clutter like you've never de-cluttered before. Always keep a donate bag and trash bag handy. Anything you get rid of doesn't have to be packed at all--and believe me, that's worth it. Moving is expensive and tiring no matter how much or little you have, but the less stuff the better!  Every truck load to the trash means a truck load less on moving day. Every van load to the thrift store or donation center means that much less in the moving van. Little stuff takes up lots of space when it's all packed for a move. However, there are a few things I would hold off de-cluttering until after you move.
• Lighten your workload and schedule as much as you can before starting to show your house.
• While you're packing, ask yourself often, "If I can live without this in a box for 6 months, do I really need it?" Sure, there will be plenty of things you will want to keep that can be packed; keepsakes, the majority of your books, etc. But, be discerning. Don't pack stuff just because you can. Get rid of more than you think you can.
• Be willing to let go of plans if they don't work or you feel God tugging you in a new direction.
• Even when everything seems to be about moving, don't forget to leave it all behind you and go spend some time with your family doing something fun!
• When un-packing, don't think you have to find the perfect spot the first time. Assign homes to things in a logical manner. As long as you can find them comfortably, you will be able to find and use everything you need and it will stay neater. You can take your time to find a permanent home for things as you settle in and get in a routine. There will be things you learn about your house (like that there's a really convenient trash can right above a great spot for the cutting board) that you won't think of right away. Allow yourself that discovery time before finding permanent homes for your things, but don't leave stuff in boxes. Boxes are the least convenient spot for anything to be usable.

Are you moving or thinking seriously about it? Here, you'll find links to my moving related posts. Plus, at the bottom of this page I've posted a link-up party where you can find all sorts of moving stories or advise.

BIG NEWS!!! Like 2500sqft. type of news! (The house we ended up buying was 3000spft!!)
Choosing a Builder and Initial Goals
Series On Moving
A Weekly Moving Schedule
Prepare For Imbalance
Guilt Free Decluttering
Gentle Decluttering with Children
Moving Supplies
Not Just Boxes
Big Changes to Market Our House
Chaos to Calm in 2 Hours: Whole House
Life Showing Your House
Poor woMan's Way to Pack Stem Ware
When the Move Isn't Smooth
Quick and Easy Box Labeling


Moving Challenges:
Challenge 1: Reducing Your Laundry Load
Challenge 2: Small Kitchen Clutter
Challenge 3: One Tub O' Stuff
Challenge 4: Stuffed Toys, Pillows, and Bulky Blankets
Challenge 5: Attack Something Scary


Our New Home Updates (First Plan):
Our Land! --this plan didn't work out
Pouring the Foundation
Sidewalks, Driveway, and Bunking in the Living Room
Letting Go: A Touch of Sad News

Where We Moved:
The Countdown is HERE!
Renting an Interim House
We're Moved In!
Welcome to our New Home!
New Shelves in the Kid's Playroom

Other:
Before Buying An Older House
Staging a Low Revenue House

Staging a Low Revenue House

Sorry I haven't been writing often. We're on the last 6 weeks of this really long move. I'm not only trying to stage this house for my parents to get it on the market, I'm also trying to make it through the final 6 weeks of school when we're a little behind.

I thought I'd stop by and share the finished den area with you. I only spent about $25 on it since I had all but the rug and mirror--and I bought those at a thrift store.



Before:

After Staging:

 





A Low Revenue House:

Some people spend thousands of dollars staging a house for market, but when the house for sale is a third of what an average house costs these days, you don't have thousands to spare. So, what do you do?

Most of the time you stage it yourself. So, here's a few goals to keep in mind.

1. Choose the best feature in the room and tie everything to it. In my parent's den it was this gorgeous stove and brick back-lay. We arranged the furniture in such a way to highlight it's beauty, and that in turn dims some of the other not-so-pretty features.

2. Use as much light as possible. My parents had a family friend come and repair the lighting in this room which made a huge difference. Then, the use of reflectives and lamps helped bounce that light around. Features that aren't your favorite, like these wood panel walls, can look a whole lot better with a little light. (My parents cleaned them spotless to make sure they didn't reflect dust!)

 

3. Choose furniture that makes the room flow nicely. This may not be your nicest furniture, either. My brand new leather couches would have overwhelmed this room, blocked the stove, and made the room look horribly dark. I chose my antique, low-lying furniture for it's lightness and square edges (that mimic the edge of the red brick).

4. Add some warmth and coziness to the space. A $10 thrift store rug and some flower arrangements I already had, brought the room to life. You don't need to hide the flaws--they're going to see them anyway. What you want is to sell home, warmth, and livability. You want them talking about the way they could fit their den furniture in here, instead of guessing that this room could be used as extra space to store stuff. You want them falling in love with the fireplace and the thoughts of Christmas's future with family around it, not the inevitability of a new floor. Sell that life can happen IN THIS house right now! You can be comfortable as soon as you move in, even if you do want to replace the floors and paint the walls.

5. Use your very best! I packed almost all of my stuff in storage for this move, but I kept out my best decor for this project. Don't make the mistake of decorating to match what "starter" families will have on hand to decorate. Don't think, 'well they're not going to have nice paintings, so I may not want to "overdo" the space'. First of all, you never know. Second of all, sure--most people looking here are looking for a starter home--but they have dreams, too. Show them the home's potential. Sure, you may not have all this starting out, but you can do this! A nice mirror here, a bouquet of flowers there, and a warm rug and you can have HOME right now. You don't have to wait until you have three kids and move to a nice suburb to have the life you want. You can make this your home.

6. It's more about a feeling than about walls and floors. It's nice when you have the money available to paint all the walls (if you do, it's really important to do this) and to re floor anything that needs it. My parents were able to paint the non-paneled walls and had new carpet put in the bedrooms. They also put a nice wood-like floor in the halls and living room. This went a long way, but then the budget money ran out. Any more, and they weren't making what they needed.
But, remember when this happens, that a home is not about walls and floors. It's about family! Think about what every family needs to feel at home. A clean kitchen, an uncluttered space, a comfy and clean place to sit around and chat, a kitchen table to eat around, a clean and crisp bathroom that smells nice, and a cozy bed to climb into at the end of the day. Focus your attention on these and you have it made! Create these spaces to the best of your ability. Tell a story through your furniture.

What do I mean by tell a story? I mean, show them how they could live while they're here. Look here in the den. See, that hutch fits nicely by the stove and we can all sit around relaxing together in any weather. In the mornings the kids could eat their cereal and still see the cartoons before heading off to school. In the evenings I could cook and still be able to chat with the family as they sit at the table with homework. Oh, and this little bedroom would be the perfect office space and later we could use it as a nursery. Show them through furniture and decor placement how they could use this house to their advantage. Help them see it as a home, with life and food and help them hear the chatter around the fireplace and the smells of a nice candle going in the master bedroom. Help them to FEEL at home here.

7. Ignore what you can't change. Oh yes, you change what you can, but then let it go. Don't try and find a way to camouflage the air unit sticking through the wall. Just ignore it and likely they will too. My dad reminded me when I tried to hide the window unit in the master that everyone in this neighborhood was likely to have one.

Well, that's it. That's what I did with this room. And I'll try and have more pictures up of other spaces soon.

Linking Up to some wonderful blogs:



A Bowl Full of Lemons

The Debt Free Decision that Saved My Life

Our settlement is finally paid, and even though we didn't sue, we still got enough to pay for all of our closing cost on the new house and other needs like a rental! So, for those who are new readers, I'm republishing this bit of a post...the story of the debt-free decision that literally saved two lives--mine and my unborn child!

Two Lives Saved!

The unthinkable happened. It would change my life for good. A drunk driver hit me.

For years I had been driving a little Saturn because we were determined to remain debt free from anything that wasn’t life threatening. But I was pregnant and we were about to have a family too big to FIT into the cars we had. We had $2600 saved in the bank. We were determined to stay under that, but what in the world could you pay cash for that would run, had air, and was big enough for our family without going over $2600? Not much.

It was an enormous brown full size custom van. This van was huge! And I believe with all that’s in me that it was because of our wonderful, marvelous God that it was the only vehicle to meet our criteria that we could afford. A drunk driver collided into the driver’s side of that big ol BEAUTIFUL van right under where I sat! Did you get that? Only a couple months before, I would have been 3 feet lower. Think about that for just a minute. And this driver was not going 30 miles an hour. It was on the intersection of a freeway and when he collided into me it pushed that 2 ton van up off the ground and over 2 lanes, a median the size of two lanes, pancaked a speed sign and landed on the opposite side of the median. How fast do you think that was? I’m not sure. But fast.

I was 6 ½ months pregnant. Little Joshua is fine--Praise God!

I wasn't actually sure at first. It took a full hour before I felt any movement at all. When I saw the burst of flames and the orange glow surrounding me, I felt no pain. It didn't touch me and the heat felt only like a warm fireplace too close. My glasses had flown off my face and I couldn't see much, but tried the door on the other side. It wouldn't budge--I don't know why--possibly I just couldn't see well enough to grab it well. I didn't even think about my purse and iphone I left in the van. I jumped over the tv console, jabbing my head on something above and not noticing until I reached the hospital. I jumped from the side doors and landed about 5 feet away from the van. Glancing back, the flames had already reached where I had sat.

A gentleman ran toward me and I yelled toward him that I couldn't see where I was going. He grabbed my hand and put his arm around my waist and led me about 30 feet away. As soon as I sat down, something from inside the van exploded! The flames quickly escalated and bellowed high above the two overpasses.

God saved my life…and He did it with the first vehicle we bought without paying debt!!!

The car I had been driving was tiny. That kind of high-speed impact in a low-sitting light-weight vehicle would have killed me or my baby, or both. But! But God knew what we could not and used our obedience to buying a vehicle without using debt to save our lives.

Little Miracle:

In the midst of this huge miracle, there were a lot of little miracles, only one of which I'm going to share with you here.

My iPhone, during the wreck, flew out the side window opposite me. The heat from the blast melted the case and bits and peices of it. I thought I had lost it along with my purse and it contained lots of pregnancy pictures and pics of my kids. This was before iCloud. The iPhone was clearly ruined, but Josh decided to plug it in anyway, since that part didn't appear damaged. Amazingly, everything loaded right onto my computer!

I had lost my purse, carseats, a book, my glasses, my gps, and a few other things...all replacable, but the only non-living irreplacable thing, my pictures, were saved.


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Titus 2 Tuesday

No T.V., Day 1

So New Year's Eve arrived and everyone finished their favorite show's season. Abby had to try extra hard--she watched like 6 hours a day, lol. She finished the last season of Saddle Club-a really cute show that's become her favorite. I finished the last season of Bones that was available on Netflix. I can't wait for Season 8! I'm dying to see Temperance on the run as a fugitive. Josh, on the last day finished his season of Top Gear. Abram really didn't have any he was finishing--he just watched a lot of Transformer reviews and the like, and traded off with Abby on the last few days watching different things.

The clock struck midnight--and the confetti fell. It is 2013 and the end of the world didn't arrive--I'll have to say, though I didn't think anything of it, the Mayan craze did inspire some pretty good movies. I get all the titles of them mixed up, but my favorite was the one about the big boats (Noah's ark like) where they held a lottery. Anyway, back to midnight. We were at Josh's parent's house and NO, we didn't walk up to their t.v. and push the off button! That would have been so rude. We finished our visiting and watching the confetti fall on a bunch of excited who-knows-whos, as Bubzy seemed to get a second wind and danced around the living room.

Fifteen minutes later, after a night of games and fun, I walked back home with Bubzy to nurse him to sleep. I got home and the first thing I did was reach for my iPad to watch a few YouTube videos for entertainment! I caught myself and didn't. It wasn't upsetting, just a little Ah-man-ish. So, I stared at the beautiful boy nursing in my arms and we both fell asleep. The rest of them walked home a little later.

So, January 1st really came the next morning, when we woke up a little late. We all almost turned on the t.v.! Every one of us said, "Ah Man". So, I fixed my coffee and watched as Bubzy started his Barney "I love you, you love me" dance and pointed to the t.v. I promise I'm not making that up. Abram went straight to playing with real transformers instead of watching reviews, right after breakfast. Abby sat staring at a wall for a while feeling a bit sorry for herself--I think she wrote a woe-is-me song. About an hour into being bored, though, she up and started making a sheet tent with our dining room chairs. Josh and I got into an argument out of pure boredom. Then we got up and made a room-wide sheet tent!

We SO tricked the kids! We asked them if they wanted to help us clean up in the den. Then we started sneaking sheets past them. I'm surprised they didn't catch on, but we finished before they did. When they discovered it, they went ballistic! Coolest tent EVER!! They spent the night, gathering up all the new presents to play with while they were there.

(My normal lens broke :( so my pics had to be really far away and were really hard to get right. Sorry.)

First observations of no t.v.:

• Every song they hum is from a show! Oh my gosh. Seriously heard Barney, Saddle Club theme song, and Transformer noises all day long. I'm going to turn on some real music today and get that in their heads instead.
• WAY messier house!! With no t.v., every toy they can find is out in their reach within seconds.
• Pain can be felt a lot more. I have back pain and without a zone-out available, I noticed it a lot more.
• Games become a lot more desirable. I played Battleship with Josh and Abby before we went to bed.

A Touch of Sad News

The house we're building will very likely not be ours. It is done...and our house is not sold. There are ways to work around it, which a lot of people do, but we're just not those kind of risk-takers. I can handle not getting what I wanted, but I can't handle the stress of two mortgages and hoping that the house sells before we go broke. That kind of scenario just makes the pit of my stomach ball up and ache. I want stability and peace. Not risky.

Am I worried? Surprisingly...no. I can't explain it. I have a real peace about this that just boggles my mind and I think it's a change that's happened in me.

I grew up moving often--I'm talking by the time I was 15 years old we had moved 13 times, only one of which was within the same town. I changed schools nearly every year! My DREAM is to settle. I mean, once I move into a house I want that to be IT. I want to retire there if you catch my drift. And I thought that this house was going to be that settling place until it really worked it's work on Josh and I. Josh is so stressed out here he can't hardly think straight. And I think that's where the change in me came in. It's just not about me. It's about them. I want a place now that will make my family happy. Yes, I have wants and needs too, but the bottom line is...I want a place that will make life easier and better for my family where they are NOW. I think I was seriously looking at houses thinking about retirement. At 34. With three kids, none of which have hit their teen years. Homeschooling.

So, I look at this house we've built--and it's gorgeous--but I'm just not sure it fits the bill. Then, after all of this falls through, and they start taking pictures to market the house we designed, we get to looking on HAR (realtor website of Houston). Oh my goodness. We could get SO much more house for the same or less money if we bought a 5-10 year old house!! The possibilities start flying and it makes me even more at peace about the house we built not being ours.

The most important part of all this is simple. If God doesn't want us there...then we don't want to be there. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is Love and God is Good, by His very nature. So, why if this didn't work out would I be sad? If this wasn't where He wanted us, and we forced it into happening, we'd be missing out on God's best and that mystery awaiting us is so much better--I just know it is.

I started this blog to teach people how to live a debt free lifestyle (a lifestyle where a mortgage and possibly a cheap car are your only debts). I didn't know it when we started building this house that this opportunity would come up to teach this aspect of it, but here it is.

Do you want to live a lifestyle of freedom from debt? Then don't get attached to possessions...especially before you even own them. I have a feeling that a lot of debt in our society is mainly this very thing. People get attached to a picture in their head of how things are supposed to work and when they don't, they force it using debt or "creative financing" or some such other way of making things happen their way. I think these people are potentially putting themselves in chains that can hold them captive for a very long time. I think they also miss out big time on what God had planned for them. What would it have been? What will it be for us? They might never know. I can't wait to find out!

In our sermon on Sunday the preacher was teaching about how God doesn't punish us, but that the principle of sowing and reaping is still going strong. Usually when people think God is punishing them, it's really a weed they planted in their garden that's now really hard to pull out (my own paraphrase). How incredible that such a sermon would come right after we had made the big decision to allow things to play out God's way and not to grip onto what we thought would be ours. It's like God was standing right there, invisible but present, saying this is a bad seed you could've planted and good for you that you didn't. It could've been a doozy of a weed.

I know this is bound to hit hard on a few people. We made a choice that I hope others who have a choice in the matter will also make. But please...I am not here to judge those who've already made that kind of decision. First of all God doesn't turn into another person when you make a bad decision. He still blesses and helps anyone who seeks Him get back on their feet. God is full to the brim with grace as we've experienced time and time again when we've fallen back into bad habits, financial or not.

So...does anyone want to see the finished product? It's not going to be my house, but I designed the choices I had to reflect me...so I'm still proud of it anyway.


The front elevation really reflected my personality for Southern simplicity. A front porch, old-fashioned-like shutters, simple without being boring. And I love the light color brick I chose. I also purposefully chose a door with an oval and laid a curved sidewalk to offset the square house. Most Cervelle homes didn't have a lot of charm because of the boring elevations. With limited choices, I think I did well.

I love the Maple, but if I could've afforded it they would've gone to the ceiling. Also, I chose the best granite they had, but there weren't any that I loved. We even completely left off the tile backsplash because we were going to put in our own after moving in.

I do love the sink. And here you can see a close-up of the color combinations. My dream granite would be lighter and swirly.

The carpet we chose wasn't too light so it would hide stains.

We went with laminate in the bathrooms to save about $700.

I did like the open floorplan.

Final picture in front of fireplace. We had been taking one here through the whole process and figured we should at least complete them. I have to have a fireplace in the next house!

Oh, and I'm in love with this door. That will likely be a priority in first changes if we get an already built house.

I selected the red pavers to draw out the red in the brick. And, of couse, a porch. I would be a wee bit sad if the next house doesn't come with one. And, though simple, I love the wide shutters. Few people in the neighborhood had them.

So, what do you think??

Save Big Time Money This Christmas!

Are you sick to death of the yearly shopping rush to buy everything on time? Or maybe the credit card bill that increases right before the new year? Or the "Black Friday" lines that wrap around the store just so you can save big on just one or two items?

I fell victim to the Black Friday rush the first few times I really paid any attention to it. I thought it was a great idea until I saw the lines wrapping around stores, the parking lots jam packed with crazy people just trying to find a spot, and the rudeness that seemed prevalent in hot spots.

Last year I decided there must be a better way to save money at Christmas time. I thought long and hard about it and even prayed about it. We certainly didn't have bookoos of money to spend on presents, but I still wanted a great Christmas morning for my children. Then the idea came to me, like a "ta da" moment. I buy my clothes used, I buy my decor used, why in the world not buy some of my presents used, too?

Let me tell you, people--I am HOOKED!!

Oh, I know what you're bound to be thinking. Used for Christmas?! But...but...what about the list? What about getting something shiny and new? What about...SANTA?! I know because I was thinking the same thing. But God! It's so nice to have new things once a year. LOL. I do whine to God every now and again.

But I want to share with you what a difference it made in my Christmas.

I felt God tugging on my heart to just try it. And when I would feel sorry for myself, I heard God whisper, "Who's this all about anyway?" I had to admit, all of my Christmas's, at least since I've been a grown up and been in charge of the giving, have been plain miserable. I had a list in front of me a mile long and I rarely shop at all, so just the thought of finding these things and making it all even wore me plum out.

I knew Christmas was supposed to be about Jesus, but I was way too busy for that. And the sad thing was, it was also taking just a bit away from Thanksgiving. (If I was going to get up that early, I better cut my visiting short and get to bed!) I hated Christmas time. I really did. I loved Christmas Eve and morning, but the preparation was so exhausting that it took away from what Christmas was supposed to be about.

So, how does that change, except maybe some saved cash, when I thrift store shop instead? I had no idea!

It was simply amazing!! I pulled in the parking lot to my nearest Thrift store and sat there a minute looking at my children's letters to Santa. How in the world was this going to work? I had never even thought about praying before I walked through a store at Christmas time to go find presents. But, right there in that thrift store parking lot, that was my very first thought. God. If my children were going to open presents and find awesome things under that tree, it would be God, not me, who did it. I prayed. And not just a little, "Oh please don't let the bathrooms be too crowded this year" kind of prayer. I let God know that I knew that if my kids were going to be delighted with what they found on Christmas morning, it would be because of Him.

Then I prayed for specifics, especially the Barbie house Abby had her heart set on. That right there brand new was over $100! She also wanted a baby doll car seat, but I didn't think much of that, those were cheaper. I finally went in, shopping after I spent time in prayer.

I shopped with searching eyes, seeking out ideas that might work. Ideas started flooding. A baby doll stroller that Leah wanted, we found at the very first stop! She had been talking about getting it for months, and there one sat, almost like new. I called my mother-in-law to make sure it was right. Then, around the next bin I stumbled on an Ikea high chair for just a few dollars. I hadn't even thought to put that on the list even though little Joshua had been needing one. On it went, one little find after another.

I probably visited about 6 or 7 thrift stores that day, thanking God after what I walked away with and praying before entering a new thrift store. And all along the way, praying hard that we'd find a Barbie house.

The last thrift shop I went in that day held my treasure--a big ol' High School Musical Barbie doll house with a broken window. I was seriously holding back a squeal of delight! And when I got it for $5, I just about cried--actually, I did, I just waited until I reached the car first.

Only one problem. I was expecting this to be her Santa gift and it had a broken window. God had a solution. As I was walking around the thrift store, glancing here and there for ideas, I saw them. I big huge row of old car seats. My first thought was, I hope people check the expiration dates. A car seat that's expired would be totally useless...unless it was for a doll. The thought just whacked me right in the head. Why not buy her a real car seat (they were like $5!) that would fit one of her big dolls instead of those dinky play ones?

Once I did all of my thrift store shopping, there were just a few things that I needed to fill in from normal stores. I had spent more time with God than ever on Christmas shopping and found things I never expected to find. It was so much fun and so exciting, I'll never stop doing it!!

So, do you want to see some pics from our last Christmas?

Oh, did you notice all the used stuff?? No! Me either. We just noticed all the smiles and laughs and wrapping paper flying everywhere. We noticed the orange juice served in fancy glasses and the sleigh bells off of Santa's sleigh. We noticed all of the squeals and jumping up and down, and we noticed all the extra hugs we were given. But not once did we sit down and think about half of the stuff being used!

Last year I was a little nervous about how it would be received, but this year I'm looking forward to it all. I can't wait to find all the treasures God has prepared in advance for us to find. I hope you will consider trying this out this year.

Linked Up with some of my favorite Blogs!!

A Bowl Full of Lemons

Simplicity, looking back

The following is an old blog post I wrote that I thought you'd enjoy reading. I think it's from 2008. Here's a picture from back then, too (If you are looking for Making Space Mondays, it posted yesterday night):

I think to some extent all of us dream of a simpler time, when schedules weren't so rushed and people weren't so hasty about everything, when daddies took the time to read the Bible to their families every night and mommies took the time to set the table for a home cooked meal. I know I do! And I keep pushing that dream aside for when I move to the country and have land, or when I have more energy to cook and clean, or when I have enough money and time to organize all this clutter...and on it went, excuse after excuse. The Simple Life always in my dreams and always just beyond my reach!

I have tasted of this Simple Life, which makes it all the more aggravating that I'm not there yet! When I was a child I moved A LOT!!! But we settled for a three year period of time in a blink-and-you-miss-it town called Capitan, NM. It was the longest I had stayed in one place and I still call it my hometown. What wonderful memories of exploring the outdoors and stepping on cactus with our bare feet and going to the small town post office to see if your name would be called (the town was so small, we didn't have an address, so people would write to us using just our name and Capitan, NM).

I am starting to learn, however, that Simplicity is a state of mind and not a place. It's not about living on your own land, or even having your own yard (we don't), or baking homemade bread every week for your family, or decorating in a certain way. It is about a Slower Pace, about being Content with what you have been given, about taking hold of what the Lord has Blessed you with and making the most of it. Paul says in Philippians 4: 11, "Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am". This is what I desire to learn, to be content with where God has placed me, and work hard at molding and building it into a beautiful home.

But don't misunderstand the word 'contentment'. Contentment doesn't mean being idol or staying in the same position. It just implies a peace of mind about where you are in the journey toward where you're going. I know I have a ways to go before reaching that place called There. No, baking bread every week is not the definition of a simple life, but if you know how and have the opportunity, by all means, bake homemade bread. If you must work outside the home out of necessity, don't lose heart, make the best of it, but pray the Lord makes a way--it is good to be at home with little ones. If you don't have a yard, don't go into excess debt just to get one, but do get your children outside as much as possible--the sun is warming to your soul. Let's not look at what we don't have. Instead, let's make the most of what we do have, and head in the direction we want to go.

Thanks for looking back with me! I hope you enjoyed. -Tabitha

Making Space Mondays, Link Party #9

My sister and her son are HERE--yay! The guest bedroom was such a dungeon before and I really wanted to clean it out and make it feel welcoming for her. She'll be buying a bookstore near us and is staying here until all the paper work is finished and the little apartment attached is cleaned out.

The challenge was in keeping myself from spending any money at all since we'll be moving soon and I'm not making in purchases for the house until we get there. I pulled things from different rooms and mainly just cleared the room of all the mounds of clutter. Judging by that room people could've guessed we had lived here forever!

Here are the results. It could've been a lot better if we could've painted first, but the whole back of the house is going to be done soon so it would've been wasted effort.

Like it? So what have y'all been working on? I would love to see your guest bedrooms along with any other spaces you've been working on.

Gathering Moving Supplies

 It's only been two and a half years since we moved into what I thought was going to be my forever home, and just look at how dusty that lid is!! Well, looks like there's one more move to find forever on this side of heaven, so I'm glad I kept my supply box. It was a little on the messy side, so it needed a bit of revamping.

 So, here's what's in my Moving Kit:

• Big Trash or Recycling Bags
• Zip lock bags, various sizes
• Spiral Notebook
• Twist-Tie bags, large and small
• Extra grocery bags (for other people's stuff as I find it)
• Clorox Wipes
• Shower Head(s) to replace my expensive ones
• Sticky Notes
• Index Cards, 3x5
• Pens
• Fragile stickers
• Medal rings to hold index cards together
• Twist-Ties
• Scissors
• Tape Dispenser, Heavy Duty (WORTH every penny!!!)
• Extra packing tape
• Floor Plans to New Home (if available)
• Packing Paper (I don't like newspaper)
• Permanent Markers

 Also, I take along a my cleaning basket, with Scrubbing Bubbles, Windex, Endust, lots of cleaning rags, and Magic Erasers. I deep clean as I go, so I'll only have to do what's left and upkeep after packing.

 Oh, and my laptop. That's a must! I type out a basic inventory of what's in each box so that I can find it easily. I detail things like book titles, but most of the time the inventory looks more like Abby's dress-up clothes and accessories, plus my wedding veil. I'm talking very basic.

 I load it all in my freshly cleaned tub and I'm ready to start. The white drawer bin is for peices of sets found along the way or lost and found items. That way, I can add them to their proper container when I find it or at least know where all the little missing things will be after I move.


You wanna know my secret to GREAT, FABULOUS, AMAZING Boxes?????????!!!!!!

Barnes and Noble!

Yep, People, Barnes & Noble has the best FREE boxes ever!!!! Just take a look! They're all the very same size, they're pretty free of word clutter, and if they're strong enough to hold books...well, you get the idea. Oh, and really quick, too. If you are trying to get boxes from your local grocer...where every Tom, Dick, and Harry are also trying to get boxes...than you may be in for quite the wait. I call Barnes and Noble and usually pick them up either that same day or the next.

Aren't my boxes beautiful!!??? SOOOOOooooooo much room to write and absolutely NO color to distract the eye from what you want your moving buddies to be reading. And, did I mention they are the perfect size? It's like they were meant for books, lol! Oh, and I have a TON of books, too. Perfect size and weight for the normal person, too.

So, it's a packing we will go...a packing we will go...Hi ho the dairy-o, a packing we will go.