1. Chobani Pineapple Greek Yogurt: Sveta can't get enough of it...and it's got TONS of protein. Thanks to Baba for introducing her to it. Now, if she would only eat other flavors.
2. Couponmom.com has a Walmart Price Matcher Tool. Amazing. You type in what you need to buy and it tells you the prices of that item at competing stores. Then you go to Walmart, buy that item, and tell them it's cheaper at wherever and they match the price. Seriously...Don't pay $3 for milk. Pay $1.49, that's how much it costs at Aldi. Tell the cashier at Walmart...I guarantee it'll work. It's their policy.
3. Reese cups. I can't stop eating the ones I bought for Sveta for Easter. Neither can Barry. Peanut butter and chocolate = best thing ever created. (Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration)
4. My Kindle (thanks mom). I can flip from my Bible to my book, to the dictionary without having to lug all of that around. Plus, I can highlight things without having to remember where I placed the pen I just had.
5. Quiet Time baskets: Just grab a basket, your "supplies" (Bible, journal, etc), and a quiet and fun activity for each of your kids (that's reusable). Place it all in the basket. Then, when you go to have your time with Jesus...they can have quiet time too (if they are old enough, store the quiet time stuff the church gives you, or their Bible, etc here). Sveta has a little pad of paper, stickers, and some flash cards...all in a nifty little 31 organizer thing. The only time she can play with these items is during the "quiet time." LOVE this idea. Has worked well for me for about 2 days...haven't been doing it long. :) (Thanks Kelly for telling Barry about this)
6. Giving my stuff away. I know it sounds strange, but as I go through the house trying to get ready for our garage sale (last weekend of April...come buy it all!!) I have little conversations with myself. They typically go something like this, "I don't need all of this. Oh, but I love that little _______. So and so gave it to me." Or, "It's ok that I have 87 blankets...they were all homemade, or given to us at our wedding...or what if the heat goes out and we need them. Wait. There are people who live without heat, and without blankets. Why do I need this many?" (It's not really 87, but it might as well be).
The best part about my internal dialogue: It makes me truly look at my heart. Am I trusting and loving things more than I care about the poor, the needy, the broken, the abused and abandoned? Wow. Most of the time, yes. I want to keep my homemade hats, and my nice things...more than I want to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Ouch. It hurts, but at the same time, realizing my own selfishness makes me fight against it and place something else in the ever increasing pile of stuff to sell. And, it makes me realize that I must fight my natural tendencies. It keeps them in my face, instead of buried deep down.
And it confirms my desire to not be like Sodom:: "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy." Ezekiel 16:49.
Oh, how I am Sodom so many days. Going through my stuff reminds me that I no longer wish to live like that.
Lord, forgive me for being arrogant (judging others), overfed (both with food and stuff), and unconcerned (living in my own little bubble...not knowing anyone labeled poor or needy).
2. Couponmom.com has a Walmart Price Matcher Tool. Amazing. You type in what you need to buy and it tells you the prices of that item at competing stores. Then you go to Walmart, buy that item, and tell them it's cheaper at wherever and they match the price. Seriously...Don't pay $3 for milk. Pay $1.49, that's how much it costs at Aldi. Tell the cashier at Walmart...I guarantee it'll work. It's their policy.
3. Reese cups. I can't stop eating the ones I bought for Sveta for Easter. Neither can Barry. Peanut butter and chocolate = best thing ever created. (Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration)
4. My Kindle (thanks mom). I can flip from my Bible to my book, to the dictionary without having to lug all of that around. Plus, I can highlight things without having to remember where I placed the pen I just had.
5. Quiet Time baskets: Just grab a basket, your "supplies" (Bible, journal, etc), and a quiet and fun activity for each of your kids (that's reusable). Place it all in the basket. Then, when you go to have your time with Jesus...they can have quiet time too (if they are old enough, store the quiet time stuff the church gives you, or their Bible, etc here). Sveta has a little pad of paper, stickers, and some flash cards...all in a nifty little 31 organizer thing. The only time she can play with these items is during the "quiet time." LOVE this idea. Has worked well for me for about 2 days...haven't been doing it long. :) (Thanks Kelly for telling Barry about this)
6. Giving my stuff away. I know it sounds strange, but as I go through the house trying to get ready for our garage sale (last weekend of April...come buy it all!!) I have little conversations with myself. They typically go something like this, "I don't need all of this. Oh, but I love that little _______. So and so gave it to me." Or, "It's ok that I have 87 blankets...they were all homemade, or given to us at our wedding...or what if the heat goes out and we need them. Wait. There are people who live without heat, and without blankets. Why do I need this many?" (It's not really 87, but it might as well be).
The best part about my internal dialogue: It makes me truly look at my heart. Am I trusting and loving things more than I care about the poor, the needy, the broken, the abused and abandoned? Wow. Most of the time, yes. I want to keep my homemade hats, and my nice things...more than I want to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Ouch. It hurts, but at the same time, realizing my own selfishness makes me fight against it and place something else in the ever increasing pile of stuff to sell. And, it makes me realize that I must fight my natural tendencies. It keeps them in my face, instead of buried deep down.
And it confirms my desire to not be like Sodom:: "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy." Ezekiel 16:49.
Oh, how I am Sodom so many days. Going through my stuff reminds me that I no longer wish to live like that.
Lord, forgive me for being arrogant (judging others), overfed (both with food and stuff), and unconcerned (living in my own little bubble...not knowing anyone labeled poor or needy).
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