TTAH Tuesday #3
Looking to cut back on spending?
OK, this is going to sound simplistic. And it is.
Re-evaluate everything you purchase. Ask yourself these questions:
- Do I really need this item? When I’m not sure, I don’t buy it and see if I missed it. Usually I don’t. There are two benefits to doing this… the first is that it prevents hasty purchases, and the second is that if I eventually think I really need the item, it gives me time to shop around for the best price.
- Can I live with a cheaper, generic substitute? A lot of what we buy – especially for the kids – is store-brand items. They hardly ever notice a difference in quality.
- Can I get this product cheaper elsewhere? (for example, in bulk quantities at BJs)
- Can I live with a different, less expensive form of this product? To give you an example - I like Tide and used the liquid for years. Switching to the powdered form AND buying in bulk saved us quite a bit, with no difference in the quality of laundering.
I have been told (by my mom) that I’m not much fun to shop with. I’ve often found myself carrying something around at the store, only to put it back before I get to the checkout because of question #1 above. It’s true. I don’t buy a whole lot of “extras”. (Oh, and one of my secrets to spending less is to simply avoid Wal-Mart if at all possible). 
But I also think the discipline of spending less than you make is extremely important. And it’s allowed our once-frivolous-spending-double-income-no-kids selves to become a family of five on one income. That’s definitely worth it.
Destruction
I read this recently in a devotional…
“…to a life given up to self-indulgence, there is only one end – destruction.” (F.B. Meyer)
Self-indulgence leading to destruction… I can name a whole bunch of examples of this in people I know. That’s the easy part.
But looking in the mirror is harder. However, when I really look, I can name a whole bunch of examples in my own life. Here’s a few I’m struggling with right now:
- Eating too much = destruction of my health.
- Allowing the anger I feel sometimes to overflow into what comes out of my mouth = destruction of my relationships with those I love.
- Wasting my time on things that are not significant = destruction of the plans God might have for me to do His work.
I have been lacking in self-control in these areas lately. I think one of my problems is that the destruction isn’t evident right away. I think I can “get away with it”. But it’s not true.
So this week I’m working on applying some advice from Paul in Galatians 5. Verse 16 “…Live by following the Spirit.” and verses 22 and 23 because, “…the Spirit produces the fruit of … self-control.”
Are there any areas in your life in which you need to re-commit to following the Holy Spirit’s leading?
TTAH Tuesday #2
Happy Tuesday!
Get out the rolling pins, here’s a fun-for-kids snack or lunch. Not exactly low in calories, but it’s yummy and fun to make. We call them PBB Roll-ups. It’s a new twist on the old peanut butter banana sandwich. Just so there’s no confusion – I did get this idea from a Rachael Ray show. I can’t remember what she called them, so we made up our own name.
Take 2 pieces of whole wheat bread and cut the crusts off. Set them next to each other, overlapping in the middle a bit. Use your rolling pin to flatten them out as flat as you can get them. Spread the bread with peanut butter – as much as you like. Peel a banana, straighten it out a bit, and place it in the middle of your bread. Roll up the bread around the banana. Use a sharp knife to cut the roll-up into slices about 1/2 inch each.
My kids really enjoy helping to make this and they enjoy eating it. Try it and see if it’s a hit at your house!
Busy, Busy, Busy…
Wow, there is a lot happening around here.
First off, the for-sale sign is up! It came (almost) straight from our friend’s now-sold house to ours…
Second, Dave finally got a new car! We went on Saturday to buy it, and we’ll be picking it up Thursday evening. Yay! I’ve been concerned about him traveling so much in his “old” car when it needs so much work. (Hey, anyone know a teenager interested in a cheap car that still runs??)
And third, I’m gearing up for our MOPS meeting tomorrow night. The day before (and day of) the meeting is always busy.
The busyness is ok. It’s all exciting stuff, and stuff that is important. The downside to busyness is that the most significant stuff – the stuff that will really matter in the future like time with our kids- can easily get postponed and forgotten about. I was guilty of this last week.
But with the weather so great this weekend, we did get to the playground a few times and even took a family bike ride. My prayer is that I always remember that my kids will remember a mom and dad who took time for them – not that our house was clean, or what kind of house we had, or what kind of work we did. I pray that I focus on what is eternally significant rather than what is of earthly importance.
How do you find balance between the “important” and the “significant”?
TTAH Tuesday #1
Drumroll, please…
For the first “Try-This-At-Home Tuesday”, I have two words for you. And ladies, this one is for you. (Yep, Men, you may want to move on…)
Schick Intuition.
I got one of these handy razors a few months ago **free** at BJ’s. (Another good reason to get a membership there, but that’s a tip for another Tuesday.) This thing is so cool. It has the soap right on the shaver so you don’t have to soap your legs first! I absolutely love it.
I’m warning you, though, this is not a money saving tip. The soap will run out before the razor is dull. But, since I don’t spend much on myself in other ways (hair, nails, etc.), I figure I’ll splurge for this. I hate shaving, but this makes it so easy that I might actually step it up to more than once a week.
Yes, that sound you all hear is both my husband cheering and any men that might have ignored my previous warning gagging and yelling “too much information”!
Anyways, you might want to try this at home. Your husbands might thank you for it.
Aaahhhh, it’s done!
Our taxes are done and (almost) in the mail. We have never filed them so late before. We are usually almost fanatical about getting them done by the end of February (why let the government hang on to our money any longer than necessary?)
But for some reason this year we’ve procrastinated. I actually feel like I’m doing something wrong by filing on April 14th! Nevermind the fact that probably zillions of people wait until the last possible moment. It was just never ME before!
I actually plugged in the numbers a few weeks ago – and I’ve been waiting for Dave to e-file. That’s our usual system. We both like to have a part in it and it’s a good way to double-check our figures. However, we had a glitch in the e-filing last night and so we are ending up just filing the old-fashioned way, by snail mail.
But they’re done. And I’m relieved. Now I can enjoy “Spring Break”!
Enjoy yours, too!
Ideas for Healthy Living with Kids
Over the past couple of years (with the exception of during my last pregnancy), I have been trying to lose weight. I have been successful, thanks to a program at our church that is focused on developing habits of healthy living.
Both my husband and I come from families with weight issues. I have been overweight nearly all my life. I’ve really wanted to NOT pass on my bad habits to my kids, and so I have also been making some changes in my family’s eating habits as well. Here are some of the things I’ve tried and what’s worked for us:
- Go Whole Grain… I have slowly been replacing our carbs with whole grains. My family has hardly noticed. I’ve always bought wheat bread, but a couple of years ago I found out that unless it says 100% whole wheat, it’s really no better for you than white bread! Some other examples – replacing white rice with brown rice (I’m still working with the kids on this one!), buying whole grain pasta and mixing it with regular, all bread and bagels, etc. I buy 100% whole wheat.
- Start substituting snacks… there are quite a few alternatives out there for kids’ snacks that actually have some kind of redeeming factor (low calories, increased fiber, etc.). I very rarely buy chips… we mostly buy flavored rice cakes which are low in calories. I never buy cookies… when we do have them they are the homemade variety where I can substitute some wheat flour for white flour. My kids really like Quaker Granola Bites – only 90 cal. a pack and they have more fiber than other snacks. One of the keys to controlling the unhealthy snacking is just not to buy the stuff!!!
- Increase consumption of fruits and veggies. It really is true – the more I force my kids to eat veggies, the more willing they are to eat them. We’re getting there… slowly. In the meantime, we’ve found V-8 Fusion juice. There’s a bunch of different flavors, and 1 cup is equal to both a serving of fruit and a serving of veggies. And best of all you can’t taste the veggies in it! We’re also going to try out membership in a CSA – Community Supported Agriculture – this summer. Here’s a link if you want to read more. I’m thinking the more varieties we try and the fresher it is, the more we’ll enjoy those veggies.
- Drink more water. One of my kids loves water, one doesn’t. For the one who doesn’t, I’ve found that flavored, no calorie water works. Remember if you’re increasing fiber with whole grains, you’ve got to make sure you’re getting enough water!
- Control eating – with my oldest child just 7, I still pretty much have control over what they’re all eating. We set limits – one snack in the afternoon (see above about snacks) and if they want anything else it has to be fruit or veggies. When we have a lot of candy – like after Easter, they’re allowed only 1 piece a day. Dessert is not an everyday affair – I might make a dessert maybe once a week.
- Increase activity – I recently got a Leslie Sansone Walk At Home video and the kids love it. When the weather’s nice, we can walk or bike outside. This one is definitely a struggle for our family, but we’re working on it!
Just thought I’d share a few ideas with you. After all, there’s no better time than the present to start living healthier!
Do you have any tips / ideas to share about how to get your family to be living healthier?
One a day…
In preparation for putting our house back up for sale, I’ve made a deal with myself. “I” offered that “I” would do one project each day that is above and beyond my usual tasks. Because I am pretty busy with those said usual tasks – you know, cooking, cleaning, laundry, making sure no one gets badly injured, changing a diaper (or five or six), dropping off and picking up from school, etc., I was glad when “I” offered to work on the items on my get-the-house-ready-for-sale list. So I accepted. Here’s an example of what “I” have accomplished so far:
- rearrange some items to make our space look bigger
- continue to go through our “stuff” and get rid of anything we don’t need anymore
- wash walls
- rake the yard
- redo some wallpaper border in spots that were peeling
- fix a cabinet door – this involved gluing AND hammering – “I” was pretty proud
You get the idea. It’s been nothing but fun and games around here lately!
Funny thing is, we are getting a lot accomplished around here. It’s amazing what “I” can get done when “I” set my mind to it. Focusing on one task a day has made it all feel less overwhelming.
Overall I’m pretty happy with my deal. “I” might have a permanent gig here.
A Bright Spot
Since I’ve been reading “The Five Love Languages of Children”, I’ve been thinking a lot about my kids’ primary love languages. And I’ve also been thinking about whether or not I’ve been communicating my love to them in their language.
When I drop my daughter off at school every morning, we have a special little ritual. We pray in the van first. Then we get out, I walk her to the door, give her a kiss, and say goodbye. Then I go back to the van and get in. Then I look out my window, and she looks out the school door window. Then we point at ourselves, cross our arms over our chests, and then point at each other. I’m pretty sure this is not the correct sign language for “I love you,” but that’s what it means to us.
She has even gotten creative with it. I signed once that I love her and she signed back and then held up two fingers. I understood – it meant “I love you too!”
I have to tell you that this is a bright spot in my days. Some mornings are difficult – it feels like pulling teeth to get everyone ready and in the car. But even in the midst of that, our signal is strong and steady. And so is our love.
I will remember these mornings forever. And I hope she will, too. And I will keep trying to communicate my love to my kids in ways that are special to them.
Does your family have any unique or special ways in which you communicate your love to each other?
