You guys, I can’t do it. I can’t leave you. I’m going through major blogging withdrawals!! The past couple of days have really been a struggle for me, especially reading all of your comments about how sad you are to see me go. I don’t want to go! After much thought, prayer, and consideration, I’ve decided to do whatever I can to keep this blog going. I have worked too hard, learned too much, and been so blessed by this site that I have decided not to give up without a fight! So, if I have to type this from the library, or from a family member’s home, this blog will continue!

Please forgive me for thinking about giving up. I thought it would be the best thing for my family, but I’m sure now that I was wrong. I am just going to have to change the way that I do a few things to make it work better for me. My sister, Sashwhy, will no longer be joining me with this blog. And since it will be only me posting, I’ve decided that for the sake of my family, I will try to only post on Mondays, Wednesday’s, and Fridays. Though, if the occasional deal comes along I’ll have to pass that on to ya ASAP!

I hope you guys will come back to join me as I continue Minimizing Monday’s, Lesson’s From Butterberry Farm, and so much more! Thanks for all of your support!! Glad to be at it once again!! Yay!!

Once again, here is my menu, this time from the July box of Angel Food. I have found that it’s hard to keep strictly to these menu plans, as sometimes items on the menu are substituted for something else. Like my pizza from the last box actually came in the form of generic Totino’s Pizza Rolls. And the mixed frozen veggies were actually just corn. This kinda messes up my plans sometimes, so just remember these are more menu ideas than plans! Most of these are just main courses, and this month’s box has a lot of already prepared meal items, so not too many creative recipes here.

1. Pasta and Meatballs

2. Crock Pot Dinner

3. Hot dogs; Peas and Carrots

4. Beef Fajitas

5. Meatloaf and Gravy, Steamed Broccoli

6. Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Sage Cornbread Crust

7. Chicken and Biscuit Kabobs

8. Mexican Scrambled Eggs

9. Crock Pot BBQ Beef Ribs

10. Chicken Chunks and Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Hopefully most of these items will come as described. I’ve been really pleased so far with the food I’ve been getting. I have to say the breaded chicken breasts have a pickle-ish taste to them though. Has anyone else noticed that?? Anyways, still yummy though. Hope this gives you some meal ideas for next month!

Thanks so much to my friend Joy at A Joyful Keeper for sharing this website; now you can all read this book for FREE! And be sure to check out my book review if you missed it. Thanks Joy!

If you’ve been following along recently, you know that I have been searching for healthier makeup options after learning how toxic a lot of the chemicals are in the cosmetics that we use. I decided to order some samples of mineral makeup just to try. In my searching for truly quality products I have found that up front the makeup seems quite expensive compared to at store products. Once I received some samples, however, I realize that for the amount of makeup that you get, and how little it actually takes to apply, the mineral makeup actually isn’t such a bad deal. Your initial cost will be greater, but the right stuff will last for a very long time.

I decided to order samples from Ulew and Signature Minerals. My Mother-in-law loves mineral makeup, and actually had some to give me that she wasn’t using, so I was also able to try Bare Minerals as well. Here is what I think:

Ulew- Initially I didn’t see the samples available on the website, so I emailed the company and asked if they offered any. I was very pleased with the quick, friendly response, and was surprised when they offered me a couple of extra samples on the side just for my interest. I placed my order, and about 5 days later I received my samples in the mail. I ordered two liquid foundation samples, and also received two free concealer samples. The samples cost me $9.45 shipped which ended up being a lot to me since they were only one time use sample packets. Though I haven’t used the liquid foundation yet (I’m saving them for a good time!), I did try the concealer and found that it works very well.

Signature Minerals- I was very pleased to find on this website that they are offering a FREE Sampler Kit (though you do have to pay shipping). I ordered this customized kit and also bought a small Kabuki brush since you have to use this special brush to apply the mineral powder. They had the best deal I could find on these brushes, and since it didn’t add to my shipping cost I thought it would be wise to get one with my order. I got a Baby Buki Brush, since it was the cheapest at $10. With shipping, the free sampler kit and the buki brush came up to $15.35. So, without the brush it would have only been $5.35.

I received my order in a speedy two days, via UPS. When I opened the package I was very pleased with the generous size of the samples. Honestly, there is enough in these little containers to last at least a month, probably even two (and I am a makeup every day kind of person)! I love how they go on, and how my skin feels when wearing them. Very good deal! And you can order more sample kits if you’d like to try other shades.

i.d. Bare Minerals- Like I said, I didn’t have to buy any of these since my MIL gave them to me (what a blessing!). I haven’t found any samples to order online. You can buy them at various boutiques though and they may possibly have samples to try in the store. I have really enjoyed using these, and the Kabuki brush is a must have for these as well. It does take a little longer for me to get ready in the mornings now, but I think once I get used to using the brush and get more practice I will get faster with the application.

Overall Opinion-

Cons: The downfall to using the powder minerals is that it can be messy. It’s hard not to lose powder from the container because you have to tap a small amount into a lid or something to swirl the brush in before applying. I feel like I’m wasting money every time I lose some powder onto the counter. It also takes longer to apply.

Pros: It feels good knowing that what I am putting on my face every day is actually good for my skin, and not toxic to my body. I don’t have to worry when I pick up my baby that possibly dangerous chemicals might be rubbing off onto his tender little face. I was surprised at the coverage it gives, and I am very pleased with how natural the look is. It only takes just a little powder to go a long way. Though initially expensive (I do have a birthday coming up soon, hint hint, family) I plan on continuing using mineral makeup at least for foundation if nothing else.

If you use mineral makeup, or know of any good deals, I’d love for you to share with us!!

Wow…that’s a lot of L’s

My brain is sadly fried after a week of craziness (cleaning out a very messy garage, scrubbing the basement bathroom (please don’t ask how dirty it was), landscaping our yard, hosting in-laws, throwing my son’s first birthday party and helping my husband teach 2nd grade at our church’s Vacation Bible School), so I thought instead of writing a full-blown post, we could all just share in a little link love!

I’d like to hear from each and every one of you about your favorite blog(s) – pick one or two of your favorite blogs and tell why you enjoy them.

Personally, my favorite blog is Biblical Womanhood . I always find inspiration and encouragement in my role as wife, mother, homemaker and Christian from what Crystal writes. Her exemplary lifestyle and transparent writing is just what I need to be challenged and encouraged.

What about you? What are your favorite "reads"?

Well, we’re at it again! And this time we’re working on the kitchen. If you missed last week’s post on Minimizing Our Closets, make sure you check it out for more de-cluttering inspiration!

I thought the kitchen would be a good next challenge because so many of us have cabinets and drawers overflowing with containers and various thing-a-ma-jiggers that we honestly haven’t used in a long time, if ever. I don’t have a very big kitchen, and I don’t have that much stuff… at least I didn’t think I did, but after a few purging sessions I surprised myself with how much unnecessary stuff I had just sitting around, taking up space.

So, if you are ready to take control of your kitchen cabinets, think Less is More! Less stuff, more room and less time wasted searching for the lid to that one specific container. It’s a good idea to start in one particular area of the kitchen, like a cabinet or drawer, and go through one section at a time. That way each part gets a thorough purging, and you aren’t distracted or overwhelmed. And you may need to do this over several days. It took me two days to completely go through everything, just cause I don’t have time to pull everything out and go through it all with two little ones running around!

When you are ready to tackle your kitchen, you need to have the mindset Do I really need this?. Ask yourself if you are able to function without that particular thing. For instance, I had an egg yolk separator. Seemed like a useful tool. How often have I used it? Once, maybe twice in the past 5 years that it has sat in my drawer! It has been just as easy for me to separate the egg yolk using the shell itself than digging through my drawer to find this “convenient” little helper. And the apple slicer thingy, I always forget I even have one! A knife does just as good of a job at cutting my apples, and it’s multi functional! So, this should be your thinking if you are ready to simplify.

Here’s how to know when to toss it:

• If you haven’t used it in the past year
• If you have more than one (and you don’t consistently use both), or an overabundance
• If there is another tool that works the same purpose
• If you can function without it
• If you don’t think you will use it any more

Things you really don’t need (this may be tough for some of you!):

• more than one plate/cup per family member; spares for company can be kept, but placed out of immediate reach
• a bread maker; you can do the same thing with your hands
• a toaster and a toaster oven; if you have a toaster oven, toss the toaster!
• 20 sippy cups or bottles! Pick three or four good ones to keep, or even less if you can.
• too much silverware; you only need so many spoons and forks!
• tons of plastic storage containers; try to limit them to 5 or 6 (this is my weakness!).
• an overabundance of kid’s plates and bowls; one per kid is enough.
• disposables (plates, cups, forks/spoons, bibs, sippy cups…)
• a billion cookie cutters and/or candy molds

These are the things that I’ve had to get rid of from my own kitchen, so I speak from experience! And I’ve begun reevaluating what I had on my wish list for kitchen appliances as well. I really wanted a bread maker, a yogurt maker, and a KitchenAid Mixer (you know, the super expensive ones!), but I’ve come to realized that I don’t need any of those things. Maybe you will be inspired to rethink what you think you need in your kitchen as well! So, after all of my cleaning here is what I am parting with:

It may not look like it, but after counting it all this came out to be over 100 items gone from my kitchen (and that’s not even counting the silverware)!! All just a bunch of stuff taking up space.

When my husband came home and opened the kitchen cabinet, and then the silverware drawer, he couldn’t believe the difference!

Mission accomplished.

Feeling inspired? Even if you are taking baby steps, we’d love to hear what you are doing to live with less. Let’s encourage each other to be free from all of these things that complicate our lives! To join us in “Minimizing Monday”, simply write a post on your blog about how you have minimized your kitchen (or any other tips, advice or ways that you are minimizing in general) and come back here to leave your link below. We’d love to hear from you!

I’ve been writing lately about minimizing our closets, but just because we don’t need a lot of clothing doesn’t mean we’ll never have to shop for it, and boy do I love shopping for clothes! I especially love a great deal! A while back I decided to limit myself to spending $5 or less per clothing item. That may sound hard to do, or like it would require sacrificing quality or style, but if you know where to look you can find top quality, name brand stuff for Goodwill prices! Here are my favorite places to shop, where finding clothing for under $5 is super easy!:

Kohl’s Clearance Rack- Now, I do not like credit cards, but I have to say that the only one I do have is a Kohl’s card, and I love having it! With a Kohl’s card you get special discounts and offers only good for cardholders. They always have great clearances going on, like 60-80% off, and when I use my card I often have another 15-30% off coupon that I am able to use with my Kohl’s card, not to mention the occasional free shipping code. The key is to pay the card off right away! I love shopping online when I have a free shipping code, talk about convenience, not to mention saving gas money!

Right now Kohl’s is having a great sale going on, and I have PROMO CODES to share!! Here is an example of a deal I found:

This shirt, regularly $16.00. After promo codes and free shipping my total would be only $4.36!

There are lots of other things to chose from, so go now before they are all gone!

Here are the codes for card holders:

15% off- JULYSAVE15 [Exp. 7/22]

Free Shipping- MVC7915 [Exp. 7/21]

Limited Too- Sometimes they have awesome clearance sales, stack those with coupons (and if you’re lucky a free shipping code), and you can really score some great deals! Right now they are having an extra 40% off clearance prices, plus you can use COUPON CODE: 755 [Exp. 07/21] for an extra 25% off. They are also offering $80 in TOO BUCKS (to spend on a future purchase) for every $50 you spend. I don’t see any deals that catch my eye right now, but often they have some good ones, for CUTE stuff too!

I have been fortunate in finding many adorable tops and bottoms on clearance for less than $5 shipped when using codes on clearance deals, so check back often!

The Children’s Place- I love shopping this store online when the clearance deals are good! They usually have a coupon code out, and shipping is a flat rate of $5. So, if you find a lot of stuff on sale, $5 bucks for shipping is worth it compared to the savings in time and gas!

Right now they are having a Monster Sale through the Outlet store online. For example:

This shirt is only $1.99 on sale! Add an extra 15% off to make the deal even sweeter!

Use code: FA78 for 15% off.

Find a lot of stuff on sale and the $5 shipping is so worth it!

So, do you get my point? Are you catching on? This isn’t so hard, is it?! Shopping is fun, and I especially love doing it from the comforts of home! Some other places to find great deals on clothing are:

TJ Maxx

Ross

Rugged Warehouse

Consignment Stores

Yard Sales

Goodwill

ebay (though make sure to consider the shipping charges!)

Craigslist

Freecycle

Notice I didn’t mention Walmart or K-mart. I don’t usually shop for clothing there. Sometimes you can find a good clearance deal, but what I have found is that the prices are still pretty high, the quality isn’t that good, and the style isn’t that great. Nothing against these stores, I just don’t like their clothing.

So, does anybody have any better coupon codes that they can share with us? Do you have a favorite place to shop for inexpensive clothing?? I’d love to hear how you save money on your family’s clothes!

It is such a blessing to me to have so many friends with so many encouraging words. Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement. Tears filled my eyes today as I read all of your comments, and felt such compassion. I am so thankful to all of you for your friendship and support, and great advice. Even if we never meet in person, I do truly consider all of you my friends. I feel better after a day of reflection and prayer. I still don’t know what is going to happen, but my faith is continually restored. Knowing that the Lord is truly faithful to His children is what returns my joy. Thanks again for all of your prayers. I’ll be back tomorrow with a more upbeat post!

Hi everybody. Just wanted to leave a note that I’m taking a break from writing today. I just got a call from the financial assistance person with the doc. office (we are having to pay over $7000 out of pocket for my husband’s broken leg!), and they are being difficult since my husband is self employed. I’m really stressed, and tired. I don’t know what we are going to do. With hubby out of a job now, and me at home, we hardly have any income. Me babysitting every here and there, and an $80/wk unemployment check is not going to pay all of our bills and feed the family. I need to think. I need to pray… and maybe cry a little. Please say a prayer for us.

The letters across the bottom were just printed out from my computer, cut out, and layered over patterned paper. Easy, easy! Much cheaper than stickers too! Here is the poem that is used on this page:

Baby Dedication

Dear God, please bless our baby

Keep watch both day and night

As we raise our little miracle

So precious in Your sight

Please grant to us great wisdom

As we teach this child each day

To follow Your commandments

Your holy will obey

We dedicate this child to you

Our blessing from above

And we thank you Heavenly Father

For Your precious gift of love.

I’m not sure who wrote this poem, but I thought it was cute. Anyone have another cute Baby Dedication poem or saying to share??