The Tree Topper

Hubby and I returned from our weekend away rejuvenated and refreshed.  It was so nice to get away together and even nicer that it happened to fall right around our eighth anniversary.  We did, however, miss the kids so much that we came home early on the last day.  Baby girl did great, I was a bit worried having never been away from her.  The boys had a blast as well, Grandma B spoiles them and even though I stocked the fridge with all their favorite fruits and veggies, her donuts and cupcakes won out.  That's ok, what are grandparents for if not to spoil their grandkids. I did remind her though, that she wasn't able to send them home after sugaring them up, she paused for only a brief second and the grandma in her won out! (My parents do the same darn thing!).

          So Thanksgiving is passed and it's on to Christmas!  Yay!! My favorite time of year. Sure it's crazy and and every store you go into from here to New Years will be packed, but there's so much more to it.  I was thinking about that tonight as we decorated with the kids.  My boys really got into the tree decorating this year, even to the point of being upset when all the ornaments were on!  The night went from Christmas decorating to an all out wrestling match with Daddy, his two boys and baby girl!  I was recording it so I was immune from the attacks, it ended with daddy calling a truce.  If the boys broke it they forfeited all their presents and if Daddy broke it he had to buy them the 3DS they want.  Amazingly we had a pieceful bedtime.
         When The hubby and I got hitched a few years back, his wedding present to me was a few bags FULL of Christmas decorations. I have to admit my barely twenty-one year old, incredibly immature self was a bit disappointed. I had envisioned diamonds for my other fingers. After all, their were nine left.  My disappointment was short lived and I was won over by how cute and Christmassy our very first apartment looked.  If you don't count college dorms ( I use the term 'dorms' loosely) this was our very first place away from our parents and those Christmas decorations helped make our apartment feel like a home.  This was especially hard for me since my family was two states away.  The one thing he didn't buy was a tree topper.  This we were to do together.  It was so special to be picking this out with him. We didn't have a whole lot if money, so we needed something on the cheaper side yet still nice and have meaning.  We found the most beautiful Cross.  Of course the cross Christ was crucified on looked nothing like this one, but we wanted that symbol atop our tree to remind us the real reason we celebrate.  We use Christmas Day to celebrate that tiny babies birth, but so many people leave Him in that manger.  At least until Easter.  We need to remember every day that that baby grew up, walking in the perfect will of His Father; He came to this earth to die for wretched sinners like you and me.  He didn't have to, but He did.  I no longer have to fear death because Jesus is my victory; yes I will die, but I will be immediately made alive in Him.

       I love to see my children's face when they receive gifts, the way they light up is priceless. The only Gift that my children really need is Jesus.  Toys and games are fun for now, but an eternity of hellfire awaits them if they do not have Him. I know, what a terrible thought, but it's the absolute truth.  I pray God gives them the gift of salvation more than I pray for anything else.
  I look forward to this joyous season.  As my babies get older activities such as baking cookies and wrapping presents are much more fun.  It's nice having little hands to help.  We have plans to make all sorts of yummy and fun goodies together, and involve some friends and family in the fun also.
My oldest said to me today ' Mom why is daddy working so hard so we can have presents?  We don't need presents we just need to spend time together '  I replied that he's right and we will be spending a lot of time together.  Quickly he responded ' but two or three presents would still be ok!'  Oh how I love these little monsters!

Guest Post: "Frugal Holiday Shopping," by nina the mom

Thanks Melissa & Annette for inviting me to post today!

First, a little about me.

I am a stay at home mom and wife… and boy do I love it!

We have a 13 month-old son, Little Guy, as well as another little boy who will debut sometime late January 2013.

My husband {Handsome} and I are dedicated to living well and debt-free, which can be difficult in this day and age,
especially on one income, am I right?

We just moved to Sunny Island, Washington from Retirement Community, Idaho.  {Quite a change, but we love it!}

I have a passion for all things crafty, cooking, baking blogging, and organization… not that I’ve
mastered any of these things, but I
like learning, bettering my household, and as a believer being a good steward of the blessings in my life.

Today I am sharing about frugal holiday shopping, as well as announcing the Grand Opening of nina the mom’s Etsy store!

Since Handsome and I both like having nice things, I have taken on the role of bargain hunting,
even (and especially) in my every day shopping.

I am very purposeful in planning purchases, researching online, and not settling for
less. {Settling for less is the downfall of being frugal. Don’t settle, friends!}

I don’t take the time to clip every coupon I see, mainly because I find that coupons
don’t save me much money.

It can be a real drain on my time to clip, print and keep coupons for things that
aren’t an AMAZING deal.  {So, I don’t.}

Christmas is just around the corner and we all know that Black Friday is THIS Friday.
We have a pretty specific budget when it comes to buying gifts.

We love to buy gifts for others, but honestly it can be a huge financial burden. 

So, we look at our finances and decide what we can spend and budget accordingly.

Since we like to get our loved ones the nicest, most thoughtful gifts we can afford,
I use a few tricks to help me find the best deals, that way we get the biggest
bang for our buck.

First of all, Black Friday is a crazy shopping opportunity.

Let’s start off by taking some tips from Old St. Nick…

Come on, you know.  Make a list; check it twice.

Start with that list.

Planning is the key to frugal shopping!

It will deter you from frivolously spending money just because things are a “good
buy.”  Remember we’re buying thoughtfully, not randomly.

So BUDGET!  
Figure out what you can afford to spend, then brainstorm about what you’d like to buy for people.  {Don't leave off items just because they aren't quite in the budget, you never know what you might be able to find on sale!}  I usually have a few ideas for each person, which gives me flexibility in my shopping to get something I think they will enjoy for a great deal.

Now checking it twice. 

Let’s start with those store ads: 
Most stores have had their Black Friday advertisements out for a while.

Black Friday is a website has just about every store's Black Friday ads.

They have the normal prices of each item next to the Black Friday deal, so you can
see how nice of a deal it actually is.  {and if it’s worth getting up at 4am to save $2}

You can compare prices of different stores and make a wish list of the things you
really like.

Lots of stores will be having Black Friday sales online, so check those out to see if
you can snag free shipping, skip the masses, and stay in your jammies a
little longer.

Now take your list and get to browsing online:

I have a few frugal sidekicks that I turn to first when shopping online.

TheFrugalGirls.com

NoMoreRack.com

I love The Frugal Girls!
Their website is full of all kinds of specials, and I love to open their daily emails!

You can check out great photo deals (free prints, photo books, and photo gift deals).  They have a coupon database and lists of current specials on just about anything.

It’s amazing; it’s genius… I wish I had come up with it.

No more rack is pretty awesome, too. They work similarly to Overstock, so when the stock
runs out, it’s gone.

They offer free shipping on your first purchase (woohoo) and charge $2 for every
item after that… not too shabby!

REMEMBER when you’re shopping online that you can usually add a promo code to make your
purchase even cheaper.  I always Google “Wherever
Promo Code.” Usually retailmenot.com has a good stock of coupon codes.  I almost always find one for free shipping or a percentage off of my purchase.

Places like Walmart and Costco have great online deals and offer free or super cheap
shipping on lots of items.

I adored Costco for free shipping on baby diapers when Little Guy was really little. 
Because who wants to take a newborn to town, much less Costco?

AND, my dear Washingtonians, who doesn’t LOVE skipping a trip to Costco when
the Canadian dollar is worth so much??
{I went to Costco last Sunday… I’ll just say that I wish they could also ship boneless, skinless chicken breasts to my house.  If they could do that and throw in one of their turkey ciabatta sandwiches, I don’t think I’d ever step foot into a real-life Costco again.}

The great part about online shopping is you can browse without pressure to buy anything, "wander" without catching that hacker’s cough, or even change out of your yoga pants!

If you want to skip the Big Box Store route, it’s always fun to make things for people.
Who doesn’t love something homemade?
It just screams “I love you so much that I spent hours making this just for you!!”

You can find lots of tutorials online for just about anything.  {Pinterest and Youtube are great resources.}

And, if you’re not in the craftiest of moods, you can always buy a handmade item for
someone else.  I’m talking craft fairs and Etsy.

If you haven’t heard of Etsy, what rock have you been living under it’s a place
online where people have individual stores to sell their homemade items.  I think there are some great finds, so check
it out. Etsy.com

{Most Etsy shops will even make special orders.}

I opened a new Etsy shop this year, but since becoming pregnant I have
neglected it so much. {shame… I know}

I did manage to sell at a few craft fairs, which was a hoot.

Starting today, I am hosting a Grand Opening Black Friday sale, and you should check it out!  Everything is on sale!

I specifically specialize in crocheted items, and have sold specialty baby hats
to several photographers.  {What is cuter than a newborn?  Snuggle them up in a cozy
elf hat, stick ‘em in a basket, and you’ll know.}

I stock hats in 3 styles: “Frosty Weather” (which is a cozy beanie), “Gnome” (with a pointy top), and “Elf” (with a long tail).  These hats are made with very soft, thick yarn (Lion Brand Hometown USA).  They are available in 50 colors and in every size from newborn to adult.  I can make them in single colors, multi-tone and for $2 you can add a bow, buttons or “cubby
ears.”

I also make “Buttonable Petite Scarves.”  These
are great for moms like me, who don’t want to be strangled by their baby with a
long, flowing scarf.  They are made with
the same Lion Brand yarn and you can choose how many buttons (1-3) you would
like on the end.

My shop also features adorable baby onesies (available in premie-24 month sizes).

For the boys, I have “Little Man” onesies that have been remade with a bow, neck tie,
or vest and tie.  For the little ladies, I have “Ballerina Baby” onesies that have an adorable, ultra-soft tutu attached around the waist.

As we all prepare for holiday shopping, whether this week or in the weeks to come

remember these simple tricks to make a list {and check it twice}, be creative and most of all, be joyful.  We have so much to be thankful for.

Y       love. love. love        

Nina the mom

My new obsession... HOME CANNING!

I love love love home canning! It's only my second year canning and it has been such a great experience with a lot of work, a little failure, and quite a bit of success. I wish I could enthrall you with tales of Grandmotherly wisdom and advice that I learned when I was knee high to a grasshopper but, alas that is not how my story goes. Don’t get me wrong I adore/adored my grandmothers and they did give me great advice just not about canning. They were city girls... one could barely cook at all. So when I decided to start "putting up" aka canning our garden harvest I was on my own. luckily I wasn’t really alone... thank you internet, bloggers and you tube! Be careful though there are some really unsafe recipes and advice out there. I always refer to my Ball Blue Book and other reliable recourses. there are two types of safe canning, hot water bath canning and pressure canning. You can only use hot water bath canning with high acid foods like fruits, pickles, and tomatoes (with added acid). pressure canning must be used with low acid foods like beans, meat and most veggies (unless pickled). at first I was a little scared... I didn't want to kill my family and friends with botulism! Hearing the little pinging sound of my first jars sealing quickly quelled my fears and I was hooked. I recently just canned my first jars of chicken breasts and chicken stock.

It is a great feeling knowing exactly what is in my canned foods and saving our garden fruits and veggies for all year long. I hope this post inspires you to start Conning soon, trust me you'll love it! <3 Annette If you have any questions please feel free to ask… I’ll try to answer the best I can :)