Heel-TASTIC!

My CRACKED UP HEELS need some serious help!

Follow me for a second, I'm going to get to the reason I MUST take care of my crack-a-lackin' feet:

I was in Walmart with my boys looking for pj's for Pajama Day at school. Will and Wes were Out. Of. Control.  They both like to hide in the racks and it drives me crazy! I looked like a mom who had completely lost control of her wild banchee boys and others were starting to take notice. I grabbed a pair of $4 pj bottoms and a $2 t-shirt and told them we were "Leaving...NOW!" Oh...just wait til we get in the car...

We started leaving the boys clothing area. That's when I ran into June. She is one of the most beautiful and gracious ladies that I have the privilege of calling friend. I have learned so much from her - especially in the kitchen. I saw her and told the boys to hang on a second while we chatted. Of course they continued their running around as I tried to make up excuses for their behavior..."Oh, they had a lot of sugar today at school", "I think Wesley is getting sick", "Paul is out of town and they're both really tired..."

June and I were talking away and I thought I felt something at my feet. I ignored it because our conversation was getting really good. About 2 minutes later I felt a pinch at my heel and I turned around- only to find my 5 year old - laid out flat as a pancake on the WALMART FLOOR and he was ever so diligently PICKING THE DEAD SKIN OFF MY HEELS!!! He hopped up so fast when he noticed I saw him and I'm thinking, here comes the "mommy please don't be mad at me speech" but, NO. Instead, he proudly displayed for June and I, the handful of skin he had collected!!! He had been at it for a while. "Mommy, look how much I got!" I was MORTIFIED. Beyond imagination. This proved to me that mothers really can tune ANYTHING out. June laughed and leaned down to Wesley and she said, "Wesley, I'll bet your mommy would love you to help her with that at home".

We had a good 'ol fashioned family talk that night and Paul told the boys they could rub my feet and shoulders but not in public. And, never to pick at me again!

So, I started Heel-tastic tonight and I'm going to post a before and after picture once they get purty again...hope it's sooner than later!

Mo' Money guest writer - Paul Richardson :)

About three weeks ago my wife came home from the grocery store and freaked me out! She told me what the grocery bill was before she employed her coupon strategy. It was a much bigger number than I was used to hearing. She always saves a criminal amount of money at the grocery store, but I immediately thought, ‘There’s no way she saved enough to make up for that kind of damage.” I was wrong. My wife had walked out of a grocery store saving 75% of her original total.

It is becoming a bit ordinary at our house for her to come home having saved triple digits. That’s right, $100 or more. I’m a very proud husband, but not of just the numbers she puts up week after week. You can find plenty of people that have coupon strategies (all inferior to this one of course) What I am most proud of is the heart of why she does this.

Angela and her friend (and now business partner)  Dana Reagan started Clipsy Chicks around a year ago in a home. They had been couponing and sharing notes, and some friends invited them to come share what they had learned with other ladies. They put it in the form of a presentation, targeted at the women in the room, and they were a hit. Just by word of mouth and a series of invitations they have now spoken more than 40 times to hundreds of women in churches, business, and retreat centers. It’s just been word of mouth, because they are just that good, and because what they are teaching works.

They had two things at the heart of this that they really wanted women to understand. Whether or not they are talking to women who are Christ-followers this is part of the message you will get:

• This is about stewardship. There is no reason to blow money at the grocery store that can be saved. You can carve money (lots of it) out of your budget right now. Think about your monthly grocery bill. Do you have any idea how much you spend? Whatever it is, cut it in half (at least). Now, what would you do with that much more money in your pocket every month without working a single extra hour outside the home?
• Anybody can do this. Both Angela and Dana have teacher’s hearts. They want to see everyone that they encounter have success. They have created a system of shopping and saving that is easy to mimic, along with tools that you can use to start saving money right away.

On Thursday night, March 31st at 7:00pm (that’s this week by the way) the Clipsy Chicks will be at West Ridge Church dropping some knowledge that you can use right away. You are welcome to come, but it would be even better if you registered in advance. You can click here to do that.

Everyone Belongs,

Paul

Things I'm lovin' - Part I

I pulled out this tablecloth last week - it makes me so happy! It's so vintage. It's a hand-stitched heirloom from Paul's family. It looks like it popped right out of an anthropologie catalog. yay! 

My front door wreath has had a spring makeover. My sweet friend Lauren gave me this wreath last year. And I usually just copycat her when she changes hers out. :) The fern is fake - $2.50  and the little bird - good heavens is he sweet or what - was $2.50 also.

My new converse sneaks! Paul got these for me on clearance at Marshalls. LOVE them!

I've got a thing for coin purses. Especially the kind with the ball clasps. This one is so handy on my keychain. There's probably 25 frequent shopper tags on there. But I keep change and a tube of carmex in my coin purse at all times. 

More to come...

Lent is not in your pockets.

Our family had a sit down discussion Sunday night about Lent. The boys thought we were talking about the white fuzz found in your pockets. "No,  not, "lint", Lent." They have reached an age where they are starting to understand the events that lead up to Easter. Lent begins 40 days before Easter starting on Ash Wednesday and ending on Good Friday/Holy Saturday (differs with denominations).  Some people give up TV, sugar, food, smoking, meat, etc. As a family, we wanted to observe this time together. There is something very meaningful about the number 40. Think of Noah and the 40 days and nights of rain. Jesus spent 40 days in the desert, the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.. I don't know the significance of the number, but I would like to research it more.

I knew what I should give up for Lent and actually started on Monday. It's music. I am a music nut through and through. If you saw my itunes library you would see literally every genre represented. However, last week, my youngest was singing the words to Ke$ha's song Tik Tok!!! Now, he didn't hear that one at home, probably at school. However, I want to play music that will get THAT ONE out of his head. So, for the next 40 days, it's worship music only in this house. I have already noticed in the last 2 days that our home is more calm and the boys are talking nicer to each other.

We asked the boys to think of something they could give up during this time to remember the sacrifice made for them. For Wesley - PlayStation3. Will - he's not concrete in his decision yet, but it will probably be his daily treat from the jar after school.

In the times Paul and I have observed Lent, we find that we are less distracted and more open to God's direction for our lives. It's a good time to clean the clutter out of our homes and minds.

BTW-I have found some incredible music on itunes to fill my home throughout this season. There's some great music for kids too - not at all cheesy. And I don't have to worry about the lyrics. :)

Do you observe Lent? If so, what do you give up during this time?