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Christmas in July
Hobby Lobby has their Christmas products out. It’s full on summer and there are nutcrackers in the center aisle. Crafters may love this, but the rest of us sure as heck don’t. This summer I’ve also noticed several Christmas in July sales at furniture stores, clothing boutiques, and Bath and Body Works. (candles, anyone?) That Elf graphic crossed my news feed yesterday…22 weeks til Christmas! Ya’ll (I’m borrowing authority from southern mamas using this word) it’s July. Settle down. At 11:37 pm when my body was tired and my brain was loud, it struck me- I’m also preparing for Christmas this July. The difference is that I’m doing it financially, not…
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Sinning Like David: Progression
David was a Man After God’s Own Heart. The OT hottie warrior prince who wrote poetry, played the guitar and battled like a beast. David showed mercy to Saul (his murderous king and father-in-law), fought for the honor of his men, led with humility, and exposed his heart with vulnerability. He sought wisdom and deep relationship with God, and he foreshadowed Jesus. But he was also a dirt bag cheater who knocked up his one night stand and had her husband killed to cover it up. The Sunday School kids know this story. Check out 2 Samuel 11 if you need a refresher.
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Leftovers: 10 Ways to Make Them Awesome
Leftovers- boring, bland, beige, reheated. Roast beef for three days because that’s what you made in the Crockpot on Wednesday. For years, I slopped them on a plate like a 90s sitcom lunch lady, nuked them, and spiced them up by adding Ranch. Bleh. Now I make a plan for leftovers. Fun fact: they don’t have to suck. Not only do they not have to suck, but you can plan for them to be awesome.
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Bible Study: Lace up your tennies
Guys, I hate exercise. Everything about it is terrible. Racerback tanks, sports bras, sweat, cramps, burpees. Bleh. I’d honestly rather clean the bathroom than lace up my tennies. My entire life I got away with this attitude and could still zip my jeans and rock a sleeveless dress. Then I had a baby. (She’s worth it, but she rearranged some things on her way.) Arm jiggle and muffin top forced me into a new chapter of habitual exercise. And you know what? It’s not the worst. I’m no longer feeling weak and ineffective. In fact, I’ve never felt stronger or more physically capable. Anticipating doing something difficult was the biggest…
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Budget 301: Maintain Me
If this were Netflix you could skip the recap (which was a fantastic idea by the way), but since this isn’t Netflix let’s just do a quick review: in Part One of this three-part series we defined what the Budget is and why it matters. Part Two helps you analyze your financial situation and actually create a first budget. See, wasn’t that so fast? In the final piece of this budget trilogy, you’re going to establish that budget habit and get into maintenance mode. It’s amazing how quickly you can make financial progress when executing a solid plan. You’ve got this.
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Budget 201: Get in Gear
Quick recap: In Part One of this three-part series we did an overview of why The Budget is so important (answer: stewardship), dispelled The Budget’s nasty reputation, and identified what The Budget actually is. We also laid out a few action steps. I’d love to know if any of you decided to track your spending and expenses, took a hard look at any debt, or defined some goals! Assuming that you did one or more of those things, now is the time to put your newfound information to good use. This month is the first month of the rest of your financial life! This month you’re going to bring a…
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Meal Planning: Taking the Angst Out of Dinner
You stare hopelessly into the refrigerator’s abyss. Mustard, pizza from last week, milk of questionable character. Close the door. Look around. Open the door again- nothing’s changed. No miraculous discovery to answer tonight’s question: What’s for dinner? Fifteen minutes of rummaging through cupboards and the freezer…and the winner is…takeout. Again. Sound familiar?
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Quiet Time Matters
A friend recently told me how romantic it sounds to wake early, cozy up with a steaming mug of coffee, and take time to read God’s Word in the quiet hours of the morning before anyone else is awake. She also told me that’s not how it works at her house. For her, it’s after the baby has gone to bed, after the dinner dishes are done, maybe in the bath because that’s where she can get a moment on her own. I used to get up at 6:30 and enjoy that quintessential morning with Jesus, and I loved it (“you sound like a grandma,” a coworker once told me). …
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Budget 101: Yes You Should
Let’s talk about The Budget. No, I did not just swear at you. It’s going to be fine. In so many households, “budget” is a dirty word. It denotes deprivation, poverty, and Ramen noodles. Friends, it does not have to be this way! The Budget is a valuable and frequently misunderstood tool in your belt. Today we’re going to lay the groundwork for an effective, long-lasting budgeting habit. We’ll talk about why The Budget is so important, what The Budget is not, and what The Budget is. At the end I’ll give you some clear, boots-on-the-ground action steps.
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Cookie Quest 1.0
“Chocolate chip cookies should be the worst cookie you make,” says my husband. To my face. While I’m awake and can hear him. And he says this unapologetically as if it were a perfectly natural statement to make to the woman who just baked 2.5 dozen cookies for him (and me, let’s be real). Granted, I had also just whipped up a batch of Breakfast Cookies, a healthy concoction held together with banana and almond meal whose only resemblance to actual cookies is the shape, so he was feeling a bit deceived at the time. My initial reaction was of the “What on earth is the matter with you my…
