Easy Christmas Craft

Looking for something fun, super cute, and easy to give to someone this year? I got this tree at michaels craft store for 2.50 and then got the balls for .50 cents! The balls came all together with wires that were easy to take apart. I originally was going to get all different colors of buttons and glue them on, then saw these instead. I'm thinking this was much easier. They have all different colors at Michaels! Go on...get crafty!

Some Christmas Cheer

Blog Designs by Jamie is giving away free Chritmas banners until Friday 12am. These are super cute, so hurry on over to here and get your blog ready for the holidays!

Show us what you make day!

I made this diaper wreath for my cousin for her hospital door after she had her baby.
cute. as. a. button.

Once again I'm joining in on Kelly's Korner Show us your life Friday's. This week we are showing things we make/sell. I just started making these last year when some friends and family started having babies. They are quick and easy. I got these plastic buttons from Target in the craft section and just sewed them on! There you have it....Cute as a button onesies!

I heart coupons

Want to score products like this for FREE??

Keep Reading!

After coupons I was able to get all the above products for free....free!! I used to think couponing was for the birds! Way too time consuming! After reading a few different money saving blogs, my opinion instantly changed. It becomes somewhat of an art. If you can take the time to organize you coupons before heading to the store and have a game plan in mind things will go much more smoothly. I like to tackle just one store per day so I don't get too coupon crazy! :) I like to wait until I see items on sale and then use the coupons. Also remember that on most products you can buy the smallest size. So even though you may go through the product faster, you are still getting it for free! Here a few additional tips:

You can download coupons for free to your Kroger card from the following websites:

http://www.pgesaver.com/

http://www.cellfire.com/

http://www.kroger.com/

Kroger is great because the let you use an unlimited amount of coupons. You can also print of coupons and double them with your card coupons from great websites like this:

http://www.coupons.com/

My favorite daily coupon check comes from this blogger who got this all started for me:

http://hip2save.blogspot.com/

She updates her site many times a day with the best deals around. She also store specific coupons and guides along the right side of her blog, and additional tips and deals along the left side under information station. She has started a new video series called Follow me Monday,where she takes you inside target, walgreens, cvs, etc and shows you how to get the most out of your money at each store.

Another money saving blog I follow is here:

http://dealchaser.blogspot.com/

She does not update as frequently as the other blog, however she has a list of her fav money saving blogs all linked to the right of her blog that you can click on it to take you directly to their website.

I hope this is helpful to you all...now go out there and save some money!!

Dave Ramsey Live

A couple things I learned from Dave Ramsey's The total money makeover: 1.) Marry someone who loves numbers, and enjoys taking care of the budget!

(thanks honey!)

2.) Do not display your love for eachother for all 10,000 people to see at a christian financial conference. It's just plain weird!

OK, really here are some key points to remember (BABY STEPS)

1.) Get 1,000 to start an "Emergency Fund"

"68% of Americans could not cover a 5,000 emeregency with cash without having to go into debt for it."

2.) Pay off all debt using the "Debt Snowball" from smallest balence to the largest to help keep you motivated and stay on track. Every time you pay a debt off, you add its old minimum payment to the next debt in the snowball.

3.) Build 3-6 months of expenses in savings. (use money markets b/c the often had no penalty for early withdrawals, and have check-writing privileges)

4.) Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement. "It has been said that Albert Einstein called compound interest the eighth wonder of the world" $100 a month from age 25 to 65 at 12%= 1,176,477!

5.) Prepare for college funding withe an Educational Savings Account funded in growth stock mutual funds. The average college student graduates with $42,406 in student loan debt. We just paid ours off this past year!!

6.) Pay off your home early

MYTH- It is wise to keep my home mortgage to get the tax deduction

TRUTH- Tax deductions are no bargain!

Best option is a 15 yr fixed, and payments should be no more than 25% of your take home pay.

example: a $200,000 mortgage at 6% interest

30 yrs: you pay back the loan amt, in addition to $231,683 in interest

15yrs: you pay back the loan amt, in additioan to $103,797 in interest

cash: you pay 0% interest (wouldn't this be nice!)

7.) Build weath and GIVE

"No one would remember the good samaritan if he didn't have money" Margaret Thatcher

I would highly Dave Ramsey books/events to EVERYONE!! They have a great children/teens series also. If you are thinking about getting married or engaged, this is a must!!!

Monon Center Waterpark

Mya in the lazy river

wanting to be just like the big kids

being brave

Blayn fell half way through b/c he couldn't reach the next rope

Mya made it all the way across

This place was great! It was like a mini wet and wild...my fav place as a child!

It had a few big slides, diving boards, lily pads, a lazy river, and a fun play pool for kids.

I only wish I would've discovered it sooner than this past year!

Family Bowling Night

Mya and Blayn loved it!
hoping for a strike

Praise the Lord for bumpers!

Show us your life...wedding dress edition

Here is the picture we started with
She also made my veil as well
It was a one piece strapless with folded tulle and lace
and little silk and pearl flowers around the bottom of the skirt
She offered to make the bridesmaid dresses as well,
however I chose these from a local bridal store

I hope someday I'll have a daughter that will want to wear it on her wedding day

Today I decided to take part in Kelly's Korner Friday tradition of showing the blog world a little bit about yourself, your home, essentially your life. Today is Wedding Dresses!!! My grandmother made my wedding dress, I was so honored!! I found a picture online and then we went and picked out the fabric and the rest is history. She put a lot of hard work into it!

It was perfect, I'm forever grateful to her!

Back at Little Eden

Little Eden is a week....full of beauty
full of tubing

full of boat trips on the new family boat

full of minnow catching

full of fun long lasting memories that will last us forever!

It hasn't changed a bit

Sights of Sanibel (Mendoza Family Vacation)

Things you won't find on Sanibel: big neon signs, crazy spring breakers, or high-rises. Instead you'll find quite the the peaceful, family oriented, friendly island. With over 17 miles of beaches, 26 miles of bike trails (A.D. made it around the Island one day!) and one main street call periwinkle drive full of chic shops and oh so yummy restaurants. You will always see kids and adults fascinated with sea shells. We found quite the beautiful collection along the shores. The island's east-west orientation acts as a scoop for the tide's treasures. We also enjoyed a fun family kayak trip through the J. N. ('Ding') Darling National Wildlife Refuge, and a breath taking sunset/dolphin cruise through the Gulf of Mexico.

Praise the Lord for vacations and relaxation!

Vintage Finds

This reminds me of Bree Van de Kamp

This desk really has me craving an old victorian house

I would love this chenille blanket to hang over our future baby girl's crib

coral rose earrings

All these beauties can be found on ETSY

Lately I've been obsessing over anything vintage...perhaps it's all these garage sales with people selling this precious stuff for nearly nothing! Here are some of my favorite finds.

Happy Birthday to ME!

My bday was actually the 16th, but I've gotten a little lazy with the blogging lately. We had a great time with my sister Jenae and Scott at the Melting Pot (probably the most amazing place ever!) It's a delish fondue restaurant that you must go visit sometime soon! Trust me, you'll be sorry you waited so long. My mom and the little kiddos also came out that weekend and we had a nice little celebration the night before at Red Robin with A.D's parents as well. If you live around Indy another must for kids is the Monon Center; they have an indoor/outdoor water park area that Mya and Blayn fell in love with. The best part is that it is only $5 a day! I'm looking forward to going back this summer to the outdoor park! Here are some pics from our weekend...

Does this dog look tranquilized??

Today when it was time for Macy's annual vaccines, I slipped her a small tranquilizer in some peanut butter that our vet ever so nicely demanded requested us to give to her before visits. Peta people please don't hate me. I do believe this fear or as our vet calls it "panic attack" Macy has must stem back to the care she received back in Marion Indiana after getting fixed. She had a large hematoma after her surgery and when we took her back to get it looked at the vet tech rushed her back into who knows where and I heard her poor cries for a good 5-10 minutes straight. When she came back I could tell her hematoma had been lanced and drained. The vet didn't even come back and talk to us to tell us what had happened, but only told the tech to tell us that they weren't charging us anything. So ever since then...she has been deathly afraid of the vet, almost like me and the dentist. Back to my point, this stupid tranquilizer does nothing for Macy but give her the look of a drunken dog. She is still crazy at the office and has to be taken to the back, tied down, and put in a muzzle for her blood work/shots. As we were leaving today the vet said "Well at least she is consistently like this". As in consistently their worst dog ever or what did he mean by that? Well I got news for them, her doggy tranquilizers are all out, and we're not refilling them again. She really is a good dog and has never been aggressive toward anyone, besides the vet. So to my poor little Macy, we promise we'll never drug you again!

p.s. Just to clear things up, they don't have to tie me down at the dentist, although I wish they'd knock me out.

Pray for the Freemans

Today my heart is heavy for the Freeman family...Baby Kayleigh was born three months early last June from severe intrauterine growth restriction and preeclampsia. At birth was just over 1lb and only 10 1/2 inches long. She has gone through so many trials in this past year and was getting so close to coming home and now doctors are telling her family she is brain dead. Please check out their blog and pray for this family.

A weekend in Ohio

This weekend I got to do some of my favorite things with all of my favorite people...

Had a camp fire with these little ones
Read books to this one

Took a tour of this 1890's beauty
Took care of this little one
Bath time

Had a special party

for this beautiful bride to be

... took a visit to good old Tiny's Dairy barn (twice) (I love it how you always go there for icecream but end up getting food if you stay long enough...best beef bbq in the world), went to my cousin Kalla's bachelorette party, did some scrapbooking with Hannah, roasted smores over the camp fire with the kids, went to church with the fam, and lastly checked out the new hillbilly yacht for the summer...(pics to come soon). Oh it was good to be home!

Sunday morning rain is falling, steal some covers share some skin

Waking up to fresh flowers

on a rainy Sunday morning

makes me happy

<>thanks baby<>