Today I have a guest post for you! I hope you enjoy it.
It is that time of the year. The time we come together with our loved ones to devour the main course of the day. Turkey!
Well, for many of us Thanksgiving is all about the food, fixings, and family.We then wish each other a Happy Thanksgiving and depart.
Yes, it feels good to celebrate with family and friends. But I want you to pause for a moment and reflect. Deeply reflect on all the great things that God has done in your life all year long.
Here are some ways in which you can purpose to immerse yourself in the spirit of Thanksgiving:
Stop comparing yourself to others
It is human nature to look at another person and admire their life. Usually, this will leave you devastated about yours.
As Christians, the Bible tells us in Matthew 6: 25-34 to worry about nothing because our heavenly father knows our troubles and will take care of everything.
During this Thanksgiving season, leave it all to God. It will give you peace of mind. It will also fill you with gratitude.
1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Be present
The next time you want to think about 2019, 2020, or even 2034…don’t! It is a time to reflect at everything that is happening now.
Look at the people around you. Your loved ones. Look at nature outside. All of it.
My beautiful family and our dog surround me.
This way, you have something for which to give thanks. We often tend to focus on planning the next steps in life that we do not enjoy the moment. Ephesians 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Journal
If you do not keep a journal,it is time to start.
I have a 5-Minute Journal that I note down the wins of the day and everything for which I am grateful.
As a Christian, I make a point to count my blessings each day. You too can start. When you count your blessings you automatically tune your soul to give thanks to God.
Psalms 103:2 reads;
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
You can seamlessly nurture the spirit of thanksgiving if you do not let a day pass by without looking at God’s work in your life
You could be undergoing financial hardship. Or your loved one is sick. Maybe your marriage is falling apart. You know the thing that is troubling you.
Finding sunshine on a stormy day is difficult. Trust me, I know.
Say a prayer to God thanking Him for all of it. Hope will fill your heart as Romans 12.12 urges us to “rejoice in hope; be patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.”
It is our faith in such situations that show the greatest act of thanksgiving.
Be generous
You do not have to be a millionaire to help others. Everything matters in the eyes of God. The most important thing is that you do it with a pure heart.
This Thanksgiving season is not only the time to celebrate with friends and family but also to share with others.
You can volunteer at a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter. You can also invite someone who is lonely to celebrate with your family.
You do not have to give out material things as a show of generosity. You can share a smile and cheerfulness. Let your loved ones know that you cherish them. Compliment your neighbor.
Do anything in your capacity to show that you are grateful for what God has granted you.
Final thoughts…
When you give thanks, you will be content and fulfilled.
Anxiety, anger, depression have no place in your heart. Thanksgiving means that you acknowledge and trust God’s intentions in your life.
Let us now give thanks and enjoy this precious season. Happy Thanksgiving!
Psalm 95:2-3 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
Author: Peninah Nabwire
I’d like to thank Peninah for reminding us that Thanksgiving should be done more than one day a year. As Christians, no matter what we go through, we have so much to be thankful for!
Song of Solomon is a beautiful book written to describe the treasured relationship of a husband and a wife. Both a husband and wife should desire to keep themselves pure for each other. When each spouse treasures the other as their very own secret and beautiful garden marriage is a beautiful picture of our Lord and His church, the Bride of Christ.
Song of Solomon 4:12 A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.
King James Bible
What is a garden inclosed?
A garden inclosed regarding the way a woman dresses will keep her body covered so that men will see her not as an object but rather, a lady. In today’s world women are heavily objectified as something sensual and not as the beloved and cherished people that God created them to be. A woman that does not want to be treated in a disrespectful manner should carry herself as lady. The modesty of a Christian will keep their garden from spoil.
What are our dress guidelines for our dress?
Well this is certainly where things get a little more difficult. Some denominations are very extreme and others are very liberal. I will tell you what my guide lines are and why I have them.
Cover the entire thigh. Yes, I cover my entire thigh on the beach, even when it’s hot, even while at home. This comes from Exodus 28:42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach: Here we have God’s thought on what a naked leg is.
Wear feminine clothes. I personally believe this means no pants, jeans (especially skinny jeans) or shorts. I know this is not popular but I do have my reasons. Please understand that you may disagree without being ugly about my personal conviction. In a culture filled with gender identity issues, I don’t want people to have to guess my gender when they see me from a distance. I want to enjoy being feminine just the way God created me.
Deuteronomy 22:5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God.
King James Bible
3. Wear slips and clothes that can not been seen through. It is so difficult to find clothes that are made of fabrics that can’t be seen through in the Florida sun. I have a large supply of camisoles and slips to help keep everything modest. Proverbs 31:21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. The clothes describes here are thick and darkly colored to keep in body heat and consequentially can not be seen through.
4. Wear high neck lines. Wearing a high neck line will prevent anything in a woman’s garden from showing if she needs to bend or stoop.
5. Wear looser fitting clothing. Have you ever wondered why some men have silhouettes of women that are very shapely? Obviously there is nothing we can do about a man who has chosen to be fleshly but we do not have to encourage the behavior toward ourselves. Form fitting clothing leaves very little to the imagination.
Do all these rules mean we can’t wear cute clothes?
Absolutely not! Jane.com has some very cute clothes that are feminine and I’m so excited to share their sale with you! These deals are perfect for the modest Christian lady! There are some cute Tunics for fall layering, hoodies, and dresses that can be dressed up or worn casually. Educator Tees are also on sale for your favorite teacher!
This post contains affiliate links below to Jane.com Labor Day Sales. This means any purchases made through these links will earn me a small commission for sharing with my readers at no additional charge to you. Thank you for your support! I couldn’t keep this site up without you.
Hope you enjoyed learning a little about Christian Modesty
My hope is that you now have some understanding of modest apparel. Dressing for the King and for my husband has been very freeing for me in my personal life. I hope that even if you disagree with my personal standard you can see that it is possible to buy cute clothes with modern design and still keep your body covered.
Mom and Lifestyle Bloggers, Pinterest is your friend! Here are my top 5 reasons you should use Pinterest if you’re not already.
Today Buffer did a webinar on Pinterest with Leon Lin and Aaron Ru hosted by Brian Peters. This was a very informative webinar that all bloggers in the mom and lifestyle niches can learn a lot from.
I never really intended to write a blog on blogging but, I found this information so helpful today, I felt I just had to share. I learned so much but these are my top 5 reasons mom and lifestyle bloggers should use Pinterest.
Below are the main principles I took away from that interview.
1) Pinterest is FOR creatives! I knew this in the back of my mind before I ever became a blogger. How did I know this you may ask? Well, I have been using Pinterest for personal use for years! What did I use it for? IDEAS. Pinterest is the perfect platform for a mom looking for inspiration. I went there to have my creative juices stimulated by other creatives.
2) Pinterest doesn’t use your friends or relatives likes to guide their recommendations for you. INSTEAD, Pinterest uses YOUR boards and likes to base recommendations for you. Wow! What a concept! I got to thinking about this and Face Book is a little more like peer pressure. They are usually giving you things like, “Hey, your friend Crystal likes this, maybe you should too.” This is not necessarily a bad thing since I am also interested in a lot of things my friends are interested in. However, Pinterest is more for individualism and personalizing to your actual tastes. Both media platforms have their place for sure but, Pinterest has a more personal feel.
3) Moms use Pinterest! Before I began blogging, that’s exactly who I was.; a mom using Pinterest for creative ideas! In fact, the interview alluded to almost 80% of Pinterest users being moms! First time moms, home school moms, working moms, veteran moms, all types of moms us Pinterest. If mom blogging is your niche, THIS IS WHERE YOUR AUDIENCE IS!
4) Another thing the interview brought up was, 1 in 2, (50%) of Pinterest users come there with an intent to purchase. Fashion and lifestyle bloggers as well as mom bloggers can use this to their benefit. Views and clicks are great encouragement to continue making great content. However, conversions that help earn the income needed to spend all your time creating is also very important.
5) Evergreen content is truly evergreen on Pinterest. I know from using Facebook myself, after just a few hours, anything posted on the feed is bumped way down. On Pinterest people often save your creative works AND return to it several times. They may even share with their friends and family who will in turn save and return. The life of content feeling “fresh” on Pinterest can be 6 months or more! Other platforms may give you only 3 days of traffic.
Buffer is a great resource! Especially for those bloggers who are just getting started. I highly recommend that you follow Buffer and see if you can get the replay of this webinar. It was amazing.
Pinterest Best Practices
The new guide to best practices on Pinterest was also released. Leon Lin and Aaron Ru both expressed that Pinterest is for the creator. They also recommend you pin daily but definitely not less than once a week. Go ahead and get a business account and use the analytics tool to help you. Do use the group boards for collaborations with other bloggers or social media influencers.
Pinterest No No’s
Don’t be spammy. No one likes a person that is self centered and only cares about themselves. Not only does Pinterest respect you as a creator, they also respect you as a curator. Help them find the good stuff and pin that too! As a Christian, I like the idea of a tithe, for 10 pins you pin, make 9 other peoples and yours the one. Don’t over pin though, 20 pins a day may cause you to look like a robot.
The biggie for me on group boards was, don’t expect these to help your traffic. The guys at Pinterest will start docking for non collaborative group board pinning! Use it as intended Leon Lin stressed, for collaboration!
No Giraffe pins! Users don’t like these they said. They take up too much space and make it difficult to browse on the phones.
Conclusion
Pinterest has success when you have success. Their goal is give creative content to their users. Pinterest wants great creators! Let them help you by using their tools as intended.
So, let’s take this knowledge, apply it, help each other, and get creating!
Thanks so much for reading!
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my top 5 reasons to use Pinterest? Leave a comment below and let me know if this helped you.
I enjoy hosting Mother’s Day Tea parties just as much as I do attending them. Are you looking forward to this Mother’s Day? Have you thought about making memories with your loved ones with a tea party?
Hosting a Tea Party can be a wonderful way to make memories with your friends and family. If you’ve never hosted a Tea Party, don’t be intimidated, it can be a lot of fun once you a few parameters set.
This post contains affiliate links for your convience. These links do not increase the prices for you but they do help keep the content free on this site. Your support is greatly appreciated if you choose to purchase from these links.
Picking a Theme!
A Mother’s Day Tea Party can be informal and simple or it can be a grande affair, also known as a “High Tea.” Some Mother’s Day Tea’s are a mix of the two with an informal or whimsical theme with a fancy dress. I personally LOVE big hats so I like to go with either a formal theme or a whimsical mix. What can I say, I’m a Texan, bigger is better right? Hahaha.
When considering a theme I like to think about weather conditions we are likely to have. Since I live in Florida it’s often humid but I’m really partial to a garden theme anytime the weather is good! Perhaps the fact that we often eat indoors daily makes the idea of a garden theme that much more alluring. I do suggest selecting a location that has some sort of shelter to offer a back up plan if you select an outdoor garden theme.
Song of Solomon offers a great garden theme if many of the guests to be invited are single. Song of Solomon is one of my favorite books of the Bible and I really love this theme for a formal affair. Gardenias are a particular favorite for me when I choose this theme. Since Song of Solomon also speaks about riding in the chariot with the King, I really like to embellish the decorations as much as possible and over emphasize the flowers.
An Alice In Wonderland theme is great for mothers with smaller children that would like to attend a special event with mom. This theme is excellent for both indoor and outdoor facilities and offers a wide array of dress to guests. Hats can big and tall or short and small. This theme also allows for mix matched tea cups and saucers, napkins, tables, chairs etc. I really enjoy hosting this type of tea party as well since the sky is truly the limit!
Another theme I like is the Proverbs 31 woman. I usually read over this passage and select a few features that tie in with it. For example, I use the color red in the decorations since verse 10 mentions her price is far above rubies and verse 21 says that her clothing is scarlet. Since this passage really demonstrates the high value of the famous Proverbs 31 Woman, I like to use this theme for a formal “High Tea” to honor a special lady such as a pastor’s wife, a very special grandmother, or another lady considered to be a “pillar” in the church. Fine tapestries are also mentioned so I like to use all cloth table cloths, napkins, and make a nice drapery area for photos.
Themes can be easy and simple too. My daughter and I once did a small little tea party for just the two of us during nap time of the boys. We had cucumber sandwhiches and pecan sandies with her princess tea party set. We made good use of her Disney Cinderella costume as well. Since normally I’m a huge stickler for food being only in our kitchen, we broke the rules and took the food up to her room!
When planning your theme don’t force an idea you can’t get excited about. If the stress takes the joy out of planning your mother’s day tea party, go simple and small. Afterall, the main purpose of the tea is to build and strengthen relationships and memories! Perfection is not required.
Guest List
Choosing who to invite is pretty important! I’ve had a tea party as small as my daughter and myself and as large as 30 or so ladies. Your tea party can be any size.
Would you like to have some quality time with just your own children? Would you like to have a generational tea party with your granmother, mother, and daughter? Is honoring a lady in your community or church on your mind? Answering these questions will help you to determine how large your guest list will be.
When making your guest list you will also need to keep a date in mind. If your guests work outside the home on weekdays, you’ll need to keep this in mind for the best attendance. In my circle of friends, quite a few of us work from home or outside the home on Saturdays so, weekends are not always the best option for a tea party.
It’s also important to think about Mother’s Day traditions in other families as well. Perhaps many of your friends go out to eat on that day at the mother’s favorite resturant or maybe they take a weekend trip to hike at the national park. Whatever the case may be, you’ll need to try and anticipate as much as possible from your guests to get the best attendance.
Location
Your location should match up with your theme and guest list. Some locations may require a large purchase of catered food or rent for the location. If your location will require a deposit or food purchase, you’ll need to make sure your budget allows for it.
Try to select a location your guests will be excited to visit such as a tea cottage, a beach house, or a country cabin. Take time to talk to friends that may be property owners or realtors that can help you find a hidden gem.
Also consider the distance from where your guests live to the location. See if you can find a central location that will make the drive time as equal as possible. If you do find a perfect place tucked out in noman’s land, consider offering a car pool! At least this way if they get lost, they are still all together. Hahaha. (It’s taken me a long time to develop what little sense of direction I do have! Thank the Lord there is now GPS)
Tight budgets may find a nice little church will offer a room for a tea party. Even a nicely kept public park can make a nice area for a tea party, especially with the Alice in Wonderland theme! If you do choose to go with a public park be considerate of music selections and clean up well before leaving. Some of my most fond memories come from parties we have done at a local park.
The Food
Planning the food can be the biggest challenge for the do it yourselfer! However, I find this part to be very enjoyable despite the challenges. Pinterest can be a great tool for ideas but, I’ve taken the time to round up some great ideas from my fellow bloggers for you as well. If you’ve choosen a location that provides catered food you may still get to make some decisions about what exactly is served. I hope these ideas help you to decide even if working with a caterer.
A formal or High Tea should be a full meal. Here are a few ideas!
When selecting teas, you want to be able to offer a variety of flavors. I always serve a black, white, and herbal blend of tea at a mother’s day tea. I usually also pick a really out of the ordinary tea such as a chocolate. My personal favorite teas are the fruity blends such as blueberry anything. Ask your friends if they have a favorite or if there is a type they’ve wanted to try!
My favorite local tea shop is K & G Blended Teas. They have wonderful hand blended teas. My favorites from them are the African Honeybush Sangria and the Wild Card tea. Their Chia teas are wonderful too!
Budget
When possible I really like to cover the entire tea party cost myself however, that’s not always feasible. If you’ve got money set aside for a tea party, look at your theme, guest list, location, and available decorations and see what you will need to plan for. A tea party for six in your grandmother’s back yard may not require the same expense as a luxury hotel conference room for 80 ladies.
A few years ago there was the sweetest and most adorable little tea cottage in our local area that could seat about 28-30 people at one time. Several ladies from our church felt this would be a great venue however it required a minium purchase agreement in order to rent the entire space. We had a meeting with all the ladies in our church and discussed doing a dutch treat tea party that year. The service was so wonderful that we did it another year as well! Sometimes the perfect venue is worth guests paying their way.
If you’ve decided to use a location that will require you to service both the food and decorations you will need to consider the costs of these in your budget as well. When my friend and I hosted a tea party at our church, we looked for decorations at thrift stores, yard sales, and craft fairs. Another good idea is to see if anyone you know has tea pots, linens, flowers, tea cups, or other decorations you can borrow. Several older ladies in our church has tea sets that had been boxed up in the attic for years! Asking for the use of these items really thrilled these ladies.
There is also the potential of teaming up with a local women’s shelter and donating some or all of the proceeds to them. Many businesses will be willing to sponser your event to help the community. You could have monetary donations, decorations, and even food donated for the use of a non profit mother’s day tea to benefit a women’s shelter.
The Dress! Big Hat or Small Town?
Personally, I’m a tradionalist and absolutely love to wear a cute dress to a Mother’s Day Tea Party. Something about a dress just makes me feel classy and boosts my self esteem. Just add a touch of lipstick and a matching pair of shoes and you can conquer the day in a beautiful dress!
This is the lowest price I’ve found anywhere on this cute flowing skirt.
Adding a big hat is, as you already know, my personal icing on the cake. I love to make my own hats! Of course you can always buy your own Kentucky Derby style hat and even enjoy the hunt for it. However, I’ve found it much more economical to purchase summer hats like these here from Jane.com and then embelish them myself to match my dress. If there is a Peacock owner in your area you may be able to find your own feathers there much cheaper than hobby stores.
Summer hats from Jane.com to embelish for your mother’s day tea.
Time To Ivite Your Guests
Well, now that you’ve got some great ideas on food, teas, decorations, themes, it’s time to get that guest list down on paper. Once you’ve got your list made up create some invitations to match your theme. There are several places to choose from, Etsy, Canva (this is what I use), and old fashion card stock. If you don’t have time to press or decorate the old fashioned card stock, Canva may be your best bet. Etsy also has awesome options if you’ve got room in your budget.
It’s a good idea to put out a feeler or save the date by word of mouth to your guests so they will know to expect an invite. Many families are very busy in the spring and they appreciate a little heads up to reserve the day. I like to send out my physical invitations at least 7 days in advance but not more than 2 weeks or they may get lost.
Happy Mother’s Day Tea
I really hope that you’ve enjoyed this post and have some great ideas for your next Mother’s Day Tea Party! Have you hosted a Mother’s Day Tea of your own? Do you have any great ideas to share? Please comment below and let us know! If you’ve found this helpful save it to Pinterest.
One of my friends told me years ago that a new quality hair cut can do more for you than a new quality outfit. Her reason for this was that you have to wear your hair everyday but you can always change your clothes tomorrow. I don’t know about ya’ll but a new hair cut gives me a fresh new lease on life!
If you’re feeling in a bit of a rut, a new hair cut may just be what you need. As a mom and a wife, I find myself taking care of others easily. However, taking time for me isn’t something I always prioritize and I certainly should. Not only can haircut give you a new style but, it can also provide that pampered self care we need to keep us from burn out.
Fancy Salon or Not Salon?
What did you last spend at your Salon? The last time I went to a Salon to get a color treatment and a hair cut I paid over $150 and spent more than 4 hours in the chair. Now, I know that the cosmetologist deserves her fair share and a good one is priceless! However, making the time and money every 4 to 6 weeks isn’t easy for a busy mom either.
What if I told you that you could get Salon quality hair color for less than half the price you see in the Salon? No, it’s not going to Wal-mart and doing a DIY at home either! You’ll still get to sit in a Salon chair, have someone wash your hair, and all that.
Cosmetology Schools Serve the Public
My friend had only been working on the floor of her school’s salon for about 3 days when I made a bold and brave move to book an appointment for a hair cut and color with her. Yes, there is some risk with treating yourself to a spa day at a school, they are students after all. Everyone has to learn their skill at some point though and hair can grow back.
I must admit, I was a little fearful about how things would turn out. I had been cutting my own hair for the past 3 years though, it was time for a little pampering! As I sat down in the chair, we began to discuss ideas of how I’d like the haircut to look when finished.
Now just to be safe, I set the parameters for my haircut pretty long. If this is your first time with a stylist and especially if they are a student, play it somewhat safe. I left the layers of my hair long enough to be able to recover if needed. There is always a trained teacher watching and able to fix most student errors.
The color goes on.
With the color, I let my friend pick. She knows me pretty well and what I would like and since part of the purpose of the haircut was to also pamper, I let her take the stress of picking the color. If you don’t know your student stylist well enough to feel comfortable with this, talk to their teacher about ways to have fun with color! My friend has a great teacher with a great eye for color. I would have been very comfortable with anything the teacher selected as well.
That’s a lot of plastic!
Waiting for the color to take I had time for girl talk. In the next chair there was an older lady getting a perm and she was a hoot! This had been a long morning with so much long hair so, I took time to eat here too.
Since I’m getting this done at a school, it can take more time than a regular Salon. We all had such a great time it didn’t feel any different to me than waiting at a regular Salon. Also, it’s been my experience that stylists at Salons will book several people at once and work on different sections of each person’s cut and color at a time. By doing this the stylist doesn’t waste so much time while waiting 25 minutes for my color to set however, it does seem to slow them down a little as they transition each person to the next stage. Waiting for the teacher approval is not really much longer than the usual switch around.
The Outcome!
And it’s done!
So, what do you think? Pretty good for a new student! I was very pleased with both the cut and the color of my hair. In fact I was so pleased that I’m going back next week for a root touch up!
The price was great too. I paid a mere $5.00 for the haircut itself and $25 for the hair color. I love that she covered the grays that were starting to pop up but kept most of my natural color. Taking the length off also made my head feel lighter. I had no idea I was carrying around so much weight.
Conclusion
Don’t be afraid to try out a school near you for your next budget friendly hairstyle! If you really like color but can’t justify the expense of a regular Salon, this is a great way to play with hairstyles. The students really love working on “real” customers too. It brightens their day.
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Are you looking for a project the whole family can enjoy during spring break?
It’s March and that means spring break is around the corner. Children with idle time on their hands can get into mischief. For this cause, I like to get a project together for us to work on that is both productive and enjoyable. A 3D printer involves math, creativity, and fun!
This Christmas I purchased my husband a 3D printer that we could build ourselves. He and the boys had a great time putting it together in just one afternoon. We bought ours from Banggood.com and the only issue we had was, they sent us a European plug. Thankfully, my husband doesn’t let go of useful things and we had an extra to put in place.
Cute little 8th notes 3D box.
Trouble shooting and calibrating!
Once we had the printer set up, connected properly, and powered up, it was time to test it out. The kids had some great hands on education; trouble shooting the feed line and the arm that moves up and down. The base plate was a little tricky as well. In fact, the balance was so touchy the first print we made were little grips that go on the base screws that help both balance and ease of adjustment.
Next we had to get the filament feeding into the printer properly and then find the perfect temperature for our filament type. The kids mostly observed here since the nozzle can get pretty hot! Different types of filament require different temperatures to melt and re solidify properly. The filament we have had the most success with to date is PLA.
Hobby or Addiction?
We are really enjoying 3D printing. My husband designed a scale model of an automatic transmission and went crazy on printing organizational stacking boxes. I’ve printed a cool box shaped like music notes! The youngest boy is now working on modifications for Nerf Blasters that will help the arrows fly more straight.
Honesty, the more we print, the more ideas we seem to have! I’m excited to have found a company to order filament from. We have been using this PLA from MakerGeeks. MakerGeeks have been really awesome to work with. They have a great customer service team with real people that respond quickly. They also have the best Quality Control! They test every batch of new filament and make sure that it has a proper hold.
The SecRET!!
We actually love MakerGeeks so much that I just signed up for their monthly service. My husband’s birthday is coming up and I’m thrilled to surprise him with his first monthly box! Shhh, don’t tell! I will be sure to write a review and let you know how it goes. Want your own 3D filament box? They ship out the 25th of each month so sign up if you’d like!
I am truly grateful for this award given to me by whatifweallcared and to the Lord. Please take a few minutes to look over her blog, she has some great stuff over there as well. On to my answers, here we go!
1) What is your first memory of writing?
Well, my very first memory of writing is probably not the best but I will share it and yes, you can laugh, at my expense even! I was just nearly 3 years old and my mother came into the room and I was writing on the walls. Suffice it to say, she was not happy! My next most memorable memory is when I got a perfect score on a creative writing assessment test in the 5th grade. I’ve always enjoyed writing, for me it’s like orchestrating a beautiful waltz or classical piece of music; it takes time but when done correctly it is beautiful.
2) What is your favorite writing style?
This is really tough for me, I suppose if I had to only pick one I would go with descriptive. I absolutely love to dig into something, dissect it and reconstruct it in a more poetic term than the dry textbook style of expository but I think a spicy expository is fun too.
3) Do you write in only one color or use many colors?
Well I enjoy writing with many different colors especially in my journals. I find it helps to break apart the days so they are easier to read later.
4) Who has inspired you to write? How?
I’ve always enjoyed writing and I think my mother saw a little bit of a “natural” talent so to speak and she encouraged me to make words dance on a page. I went through a time as a young adult where I realized something was wrong in my life and knew I needed something else and put the pen down for awhile. After I met Jesus, my life changed through salvation first and then by daily reading of the King James Bible; the slumbering strings of authorship began to vibrate down in my soul. All my motivation for writing comes from God now although as I will share more later, my great grandmother (Agnes) and my great great grandmother (Emilie) each wrote the story of their lives for future generations. I’m sure that their bravery has given me a little nudge as well.
5) What is your favorite medium for your writing? When did you realize this?
I most enjoy to write the old fashioned way with a pen and paper although, I have never used an ink well. I’d love to do that one day. I mostly find myself writing on a laptop because it is faster. I loathe dictation because I need to see my dance and arrange the players correctly, I don’t visualize this well therefore dictation is not my friend.
6) What book have you read more than twice? What keeps bringing you back for more?
Starting in fourth grade until the time I was saved at age 19, I often read Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me Margret. I read this book because I felt I had a lot in common with the young 6th grade girl. My mother went to church and played piano and always took us children, but my father never went. I don’t have a single memory of him inside a church. Once I found the answer through faith in Jesus alone, there was no need to read that book and I swapped it out for the King James Bible. I LOVE this book (the King James) as it speaks to my soul, refines my thoughts, and teaches me daily. Psalm 118:23 This is the Lord‘s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This book quenches my soul!
7) Where do you do the most writing? Is there a certain feel to that place?
I do the most writing in my office at home. It’s more of an office nook. There is either a feel of clutter and chaos if I don’t control the ever increasing influx of paper or there is a solace that comes from the Lord. I much prefer the latter and hate it when I do things that lead to the former (and looking at my desk, I’m well on the way there! Ah! I need to fix that asap! lol)
8) If you could have unlimitedtraffic yet write about anything at all, what would you concentrate on?
If I could have unlimited traffic I would probably continue with the way I write. I do want to produce good content that is helpful for people, women in particular but I also want to share my heart, specifically as the Holy Spirit leads. I don’t want to get caught up in “what do they want to hear” and leave out things that are needful.
Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
James 2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
9) What would be the toughest topic for you to write about?
The toughest topic to write about is always Christianity. Any time you open this box there will be, well, shall we leave it there? If you try to live right, not accomplish it mind you, someone will get upset and it may be your best friend or it may be a stranger but, someone will voice some sort of concern.
10) Have you ever thought of walking away and taking a lifelong journey around the globe while you write about your adventures?
Oh yes, I absolutely would love to spend a year or more in travel. If the Lord will choose to provide, I’ll go anywhere He will take me. Well, maybe not the moon. I don’t think I want to break orbit.
Jeremiah 27:5 I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.
I’m going to emphasize I have made the earth…. and have given it unto whom…. and ask him to let me stay on earth until it’s time for heaven. 😉
Alright, there ya have it folks, those are my answers. Hope you enjoyed getting to know me a little better. Now it’s my turn to nominate. Here we go!
RULES
Create a new post thanking the person who nominated you, link their blog. Include award graphic.
Answer the questions provided.
Make a new set of 10 questions for your nominees to answer.
Nominate 5-10 recently followed bloggers and share your post with them so they see it.
My Questions
Describe your morning routine.
Who was the last person you gave a compliment to?
What is your favorite way to save money?
Who is your favorite fictional character?
What is your favorite resource for new bloggers?
If you had an all expense paid vacation, where would you go?
What is your blogging niche and how did you choose it?
What do wish to achieve with your blog?
What quote inspires you?
If you could travel back in time to a Historical event, what event would you choose?
Ok, I think I’ve learned a lot about linking posts and doing the picture. Ya’ll check out some of the new bloggers I’ve listed here. I can’t wait to read everyone’s responses! Here’s to killin’ it in 2018!
I would like to thank Whatifweallcared for her nomination for the Liebster Award. I’m so very excited! I just started and I’m overwhelmed with the support I’ve received here. I didn’t even know the Liebster award was a thing much less the honor to be nominated. 😀
I would also like to give thanks to the LORD for giving me inspiration and courage to put myself out here in the world of blogging and write for him.
Thank you all for reading. You’re a huge blessing to me!
This post may contain affiliate links. These links help support this website at no cost to you. I will never recommend products that i myself do not use.
Hello,
Thanks for stopping in today! Are you still thinking about New Year Resolutions? Maybe you’re trying to forget about that already because you are so tired of hearing the word “resolution”! It almost never fails that people make a resolution about money or weight this time every year. A lot of people avoid these because they just don’t enjoy them and thinking about them makes them unhappy. Face it, when you make a list of “fun” things to do, calorie counting and budgeting aren’t usually up in the top ten list are they? Its down right hard to stick to a resolution that doesn’t excite you and for a lot of people, if money does excite them, it’s because of something negative like debt, poor budgeting skills, or in some cases just the lack of upward job mobility.
Well, what if I told you that I may be able to help you not think so negatively about money? Now before you get all upset, I’m not saying fall in love with money, just stop assigning a negative emotion to the physical “money” that we use in our society. Really, money itself is an inanimate object that doesn’t have a positive or negative emotion or character of its own, we assign the traits we want money to have to money! Let that sink in just a minute. Money is not alive, it has no feeling of its own and it can not choose how to be used, you give it life by what you do with it.
For those of you starting off with a budget, there are many things on the market to help you. Like anything, it takes practice and I still haven’t perfected documenting every single cent right away. I use the Everydollar app on my phone and computer and DH has it too so we can sync all our spending. However, budgeting is really a whole different post from what I am trying to get to. Likely, when you start your budget though, you will find a lot more month and a lot less cash on the paper. My friend over at “whatifweallcared” (https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/73348879/posts/1722430001) blogged about how she recycles her money and it got me thinking about the things I do to make our money stretch a little farther out each month. This is where today’s post comes in, what if you could recapture some of the money you are already spending? Well, I’m here to show you how! I absolutely LOVE to “recycle” and “reuse” the same money I know I have to spend anyway.
Do you shop online regularly? Perhaps you too are Prime for life you are so addicted! Well, there is something you can do to save on that Amazon purchase.
BeFrugal is a website that will help you recapture some money you spend on Amazon. They will give a rebate for certain Amazon categories like “Prime Pantry” and many others. Once your purchase is confirmed and the waiting period is over, you can request the money be sent to you via check, a direct deposit into a US bank, PayPal, or an Amazon store credit. If you choose the Amazon credit they usually add another 1% bonus to your cash value! Amazon is not the only store they have either. There are 100’s of stores. You can look alphabetically or just type in the store you are looking for into the search bar. I’ve also earned cash back from Kohl’s, Sears, and Walmart with them. I’ve been using them since October and I’ve gotten a little over $18. What I like about BeFrugal is the variety in the way I can be paid. Since I do use Amazon a lot the extra bonus for choosing that method is nice. I also like that you can redeem once you hit $25 in confirmed money. Sign up through my link and we both earn a bonus! Just click and begin to save! https://www.befrugal.com/referral/?ref=WDJNDZL
Ebates is another website that helps to capture money. I’ve used Ebates a lot longer but I’ve only earned about $9.25 from them. They seem to have a lower reward than BeFrugal but they also pay out at $5.00. Another thing that can be a down side is they only pay out every 3 months. This is done instead of the wait period that BeFrugal has. Let’s face it, if everyone starts returning the things they buy, they may loose money if they pay out too soon. Ebates just makes it clear you’ll get a “big fat check” as they call it every quarter instead of showing you the different confirmation dates that BeFrugal has. It’s really up to you which is best, you can do what I do and see who has the largest percentage at the store you are buying from, you can go with a known pay period of every quarter, or you could choose to get the cash as soon as you hit $25. Ebates only pays in two ways, a check sent by mail or PayPal. Each website has deals with different stores that may offer double cash back days or bonuses for sharing your link. Right now, Ebates has a bonus that will give you a $10 bonus for signing up with my link and if you spend $25 at any of their stores, I will also get a $15 bonus! If you think Ebates and quarterly checks is the way to go for you follow my link and sign up! ebates.com/r/DJTODD8
Not an avid online shopper? Not to worry! I have you covered, listed below are my favorite in store ways to recover that hard earned cash.
iBotta is an app for the phone that I am crazy about! If you use coupons at the grocery store, you need this app! You can use your coupons in store and then submit your receipt and get a rebate on some of the same items. I use this app every week when I shop. Sometimes they have a rebate on “any item” all you have to do is submit the receipt. I always cross reference (well, let me say I attempt to always) the sales flyer with my iBotta app and then plan meals around those things. If I can get a hold of coupons, even better! If not, I feel good knowing that I’ve done what I can to redeem the fragments I can of money I had already spent. Probably my favorite perk about iBotta is the team building! They give bonuses for recruiting others and for redeeming the products. For instance, if your team redeems a total of $10 and you personally redeemed 8 rebates of a specific product (not the “any items”) then you will get a bonus awarded of $1 extra. Sometimes they have mid-week bonus or holiday ones. They also have rebates off of websites like Amazon, Jet.com, and Boxed. I prefer to have my iBotta money redeemed with PayPal and redemption starts when you reach $20. They also have Venmo as an option and multiple different gift cards! Want to help build my team and start yours? This incentive pays you $10 for signing up with my link and gives me $5 in return for helping you find a way to recapture your own money. https://ibotta.com/r/ojhbeov
CheckOut 51 is much like iBotta but they don’t have a referral code for me to share and they don’t offer team bonuses when we redeem together. Just go to your app store and search and they will send you a paper check when you reach $20. I have gotten lots of coffee rebates here and though I certainly don’t use it as much as iBotta it’s a nice Christmas boost to be able to request this check at the end of the year. You can request it earlier but since it takes me longer to reach the minimum I decided to just let it sit until Christmas and use it for all the unexpected things that come up in life during that busy season.
ShopKicks is an app on the phone that allows you to earn points even if you don’t make a purchase! You can earn points by walking into stores like CVS, Target, Publix, Walmart and more with your app on your phone. Many of these places even have public wi-fi so you don’t burn up all your data (in the event you aim for those T-Mobile kickbacks or the google Fi data refunds like me). You can also earn products for scanning items in the store even if you don’t buy them. If you choose to buy, even better, double up your points. I’ve been using this app since late October 2016 and I’ve almost got enough for a $25 gift card. Right now if you choose to sign up with my code, we both get 250 bonus kicks when you walk in to your first store! How great is that. Download the Shopkicks app to your phone and use code: JOY831917 to start earning your gift cards.
FetchRewards used to be MobiSave but the developers decided to go to a point based system that allows you to redeem them for gift cards. When my friend got married this November, I redeemed a $10 gift card to Bed, Bath and Beyond to purchase her wedding gift. I do miss the near instant cash back I was able to get from MobiSave but the selection of products was also much more limited. FetchRewards give points for both specific products that you purchase and specific brands that you use. I like this because I may not buy a certain product but I will buy that brand so I will at least earn some points. Right now FetchRewards will give 1,500 bonus points to you with my code and match the bonus for me too! Download the app to your phone and use code: VB4TX
How about you? What ways to you save money? Please share them below, perhaps I can learn another way to help stretch our income too.
I really love to study words. Properly selected words fitly spoken can calm a troubled soul and reach deeper than any physical help we can give at times. I suppose, since I’m also a King James Bible lover, the “Old English” or sometimes called “The King’s English” really stirs my heart. When I saw the word “winsome” I just had to write about it today!
The word “winsome” means having an appealing or attractive appearance or character. This word hit it’s peak in use around the turn of the 20th century in 1900 and had a steady decline thereafter. Lately the word seems to be gaining a little steam, but certainly no where near it’s 1900 hay day. Perhaps the “vintage” and “nostalgia” movements gave the word a little juice as of late. Google is such an amazing tool, I’m not sure how on earth I was raised without it. 😉
Merriam-Webster says of winsome: generally pleasing and engaging often because of a childlike charm and innocence. This got me thinking, perhaps the word was used most in 1900 because our nation as a whole was in it’s childhood seeing the world from a new perspective. We were no longer “rebel colonies” but a force to be reckoned with in a new and advancing world of technology.
Are things really so different now? Our nation is older and we have our problems but we still have some winsome attributes. One of which is our inability to stop improving. In the 1900’s Henry Ford was revolutionizing the way we travel despite a lack of paved roads. He was determined to see a horseless carriage improve lives nationwide. Now we have the revolutionary Elon Musk determined to make electrical cars a reality. He faces the problem of lack of charging stations instead of roads but like Ford, he is determined to impact the future to improve the lives of those that will come after him.
Another winsome characteristic we still possess as a nation is our gift of charity. Americans give not only their finances, but also their time. We may not agree on how to give as a nation whether it be through the government arm or through local non profit and churches, but most Americans do agree to be a giver in some aspect of life. Everyone likes to be around a cheerful giver!
Political unrest? You bet, we have it just like they did in 1900, Americans are torn over the current President and in 1900 conspiracy and assassination attempts also reigned. Faces, names, and countries have changed but the same old games are still at play world wide. It’s amazing how we can study history and still repeat much of it. Here is a little article comparing 1900 to now, hope you also enjoy it. http://www.genealogy.com/articles/research/76_life1900.html
The biggest difference I feel between the days of using the winsome and our current day is attitudes and the general lack of church. I feel like in 1900 the American people pursued making the future better not of lack of contentment but rather out of good will towards others. Life in America was still difficult with most travel being done on foot but the people were optimistic and took true enjoyment in small pleasures. Dish washers, clothes washers, air conditioning, and even music were luxury! We now expect all of these things to be easily found in our homes and our attitudes nationally seem to have shifted towards an entitled self willed brat who is more loathsome than winsome. Perhaps as Psalm 106:15 says, “And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.” we were given all we ever asked and now our heart, mind, and eyes are so filled with clutter, we lost what was important to our soul. Perhaps this is why hundreds of churches close in America every year and we can not start enough new ones to keep up with population growth. Did America loose it’s winsome attributes when we stopped using the word? Or did we stop using the word because we no longer wanted to be winsome?
Let’s have the attitude of gratitude and not allow things we can’t control steal our joy and instead, take our talents and use them to make our little area of influence whether online or in town a better more winsome place to be. It can be a great year in 2018 if we let it.
Well, those are the thoughts I pondered as I meditated on the word, winsome.
Until next time-
Davi
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