tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-358689492024-03-18T03:15:13.162-05:00Sacred MommyhoodEverything is sacred....even the ups and downs of MommyhoodCandace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.comBlogger416125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-33654720090388338642021-05-08T15:42:00.002-05:002021-05-08T15:42:31.826-05:00Funeral Service for Our Beloved Daughter, Charis Noelle<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b7PPJxGsRCc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-78088499373479334012019-02-25T17:07:00.000-06:002019-02-25T17:07:16.463-06:00Grocery Haul #2 (Costco, HEB, Walmart)Under budget grocery haul for family of eleven! Thanks for watching!<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dqtBluIyNu4" width="560"></iframe>Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-27442229534726253182019-02-18T19:20:00.003-06:002019-02-18T19:20:30.327-06:00Fried Potato Tacos (Video)Another great video contributed by my parents! We grew up eating these and they're so good! Give 'em a try!
Please don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe! Blessings!<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MsHiBEh_yUw" width="560"></iframe>Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-65473475201010559782019-02-18T19:18:00.000-06:002019-02-18T19:18:06.543-06:00A Valentine's Day Gift UnboxingI was absolutely giddy over this gift! It was truly made for me!<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/It0wnFJbBaE" width="560"></iframe>Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-33598028400774767932019-02-18T19:16:00.001-06:002019-02-18T19:16:23.150-06:00Easy Taco Soup (Crock Pot)My dad not only edits my videos, but he also contributes recipes on occasion. This one is from my parents. Enjoy!<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wic-YjO80Dw" width="560"></iframe>Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-34817086904446728572019-02-18T19:13:00.003-06:002019-02-18T19:13:29.559-06:00Quick and Easy Meatball Stroganoff in the Crock PotBy the time we get home from church on Sundays, the kids are hungry and ready to eat! This is one of those meals you can start in the crock pot before you leave, and will be ready by the time you get home. Win!<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VSV8PIIawSM" width="560"></iframe>Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-67089076529715379182019-02-18T19:08:00.000-06:002019-02-18T19:08:34.868-06:00Large Family Grocery HaulCome along as I shop at Costco, HEB, and Walmart to feed our large family for two weeks. Check back regularly for many more hauls to come!<br />
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Please don't forget to like, comment, and SUBSCRIBE! Blessings!<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TMaQ2cQeppU" width="560"></iframe>Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-14639677977304695472019-02-18T19:05:00.000-06:002019-02-18T19:05:09.078-06:00Two Week Menu Plan and Shopping Lists (Video)A quick overview of how I currently menu plan.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/baxQTWuMqlM" width="560"></iframe>Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-78456641921886347542019-02-18T18:44:00.001-06:002019-02-18T18:44:30.086-06:00A Music Festival and a MilkshakeIt's times like these that I am thankful for the ability to document our lives on YouTube. I'm new to this type of social media, but I know years down the road, I will be so glad to have moments like this on video. Come check out my channel. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe!<br />
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Blessings!<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qoqa0pj_ROY" width="560"></iframe>Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-69866562507416580502019-02-18T18:38:00.000-06:002019-02-18T18:38:11.321-06:00Organizing Busy Schedules Sacred Mommyhood joins YouTube. Watch how we keep our busy lives in order when everyone is going in different directions sometimes. Centrally located in our main living area, this jumbo calendar helps to keep us on track!<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2GLlnw-juCc" width="560"></iframe>Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-32827140249388668202019-02-18T18:30:00.003-06:002019-02-18T18:38:57.944-06:00How to Make Easy Artisan Bread (Video) Years ago, I wrote a blog post on how to make this delicious Artisan bread. Well, now here it is on video. Come check out my channel on YouTube. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe!
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Blessings!<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yYBNS9A0GoA" width="560"></iframe>Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-36535744251633297972019-02-18T18:27:00.000-06:002019-02-18T18:27:15.058-06:00Sacred Mommyhood Joins YouTube!My dad and I teamed up to start a YouTube channel. I film our large family life and he edits the videos. Pretty good set-up, right? And, my parents even contribute a recipe video once in a while to keep up with regular content.<br />
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Come and check us out and don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe!<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D8qiR0I_PXI" width="560"></iframe>Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-72697393444600626612015-05-04T13:51:00.000-05:002015-05-04T13:51:48.878-05:00Birth Story of Anna FaithSince I haven't updated the dusty ol' blog in months, I'll begin with my pregnancy! The pregnancy went very well. Morning sickness was manageable and it lasted until about 21 weeks. Once I was past that, the pregnancy flew by! I felt great up until the last couple of weeks where I felt the general fatigue and heaviness of being <i>very</i> pregnant! Overall, for experiencing my first pregnancy in my 40s, I felt great.
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This photo was taken at 27 weeks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0e-deRUZP7tA0xggJ9pUT7pA1WMD9jkh_pmVMGR-4z9O9_opEjf3JRmVVlHOcC39821hNJ7kfQ-GolHVubiDHvA00AnKlxWQogr-Gzfa2GTeCQzRWJ9Ty6qJO1-agD-T5XdafsQ/s1600/27+Week+Pics+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0e-deRUZP7tA0xggJ9pUT7pA1WMD9jkh_pmVMGR-4z9O9_opEjf3JRmVVlHOcC39821hNJ7kfQ-GolHVubiDHvA00AnKlxWQogr-Gzfa2GTeCQzRWJ9Ty6qJO1-agD-T5XdafsQ/s400/27+Week+Pics+023.JPG" width="261" /></a></div>
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About five days before the birth, I had my 39 week appointment. At this appointment, we discussed our desired plan. Since I dilate early, have issues with postpartum hemorrhage, and I feel strongly about having my own doctor deliver my babies, we decided to schedule an induction. For me, this means breaking my water. The plan was for me to come in at 5:30am on Monday, April 20th. Though I loved the idea of getting as close to the due date as possible, I was a little nervous about not making it another five days, and missing my doctor. <br />
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Three days later, on Saturday, contractions began in the evening. They didn't hurt at all, but were coming regularly. I decided to get into the bath to see if they would slow down. They did, so I pretty much stayed in bed and rested. <br />
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The next day, Sunday, the very same thing happened. Except this time, the contractions were more consistent and a few were uncomfortable. I again, got into the bath and then went to bed. But they kept coming. I prayed that God would allow me to make it just a few more hours so that I could get to the hospital when my doctor would be on duty. There are a few doctors in the practice who may not be as open to some of my birth wishes. In addition to that, if I were to have an emergency situation arise, I prefer to have my own doctor make critical decisions on my behalf. In the end, however, I knew that I would have to trust God with whatever direction the birth would go.<br />
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After several hours of debating whether or not to go to the hospital, contractions finally slowed down. We went to bed, and then got up at before dawn to arrive at the hospital at 5:30.<br />
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After we checked in, we were told I would be delayed because a string of women came in during the night with ruptured water bags, so the rooms filled up. We decided to walk a bit to try and get things going again. Contractions started up at about 9am. Around that same time, the staff decided to put me in a pre-op room to at least get things going until a room opened up. I tested GBS positive, so I would need antibiotics before delivery. They put me on the monitors, got my IV going, and started antibiotics. The contractions kept coming and they were getting more consistent and stronger. Each time I had one, I could feel my bag of water bulging. I was concerned that my water would break on its own before getting into a room. Normally, I would gladly want my water to break on its own, but for this birth I had decided to have an epidural. As with Grace's birth, and the concern of postpartum hemorrhage, I opted for the epidural so that I could avoid general anesthesia if an emergency arose. And since I had made that decision to have an epidural, I was not the least bit interested in feeling the pains of labor AFTER my water breaks. lol I wanted to get to my room, have the epidural, and <i>then</i> have my water broken! It's funny how once that decision has been made, all my mental toughness just disappears. Ha!<br />
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It was now nearing 11am and still no room. At this point, a sweet friend of mine who was with us went to tell a nurse that I was no longer an "induction", that I was IN labor! Shortly after that, a room was ready and things got moving quickly. Within the next half hour, I was settled in my room, received my epidural, and had my water broken at 12:15. I was already 5 centimeters dilated at that point. <br />
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<i>Whew! We made it!</i><br />
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Immediately after my water was broken, I had several good contractions. But after a while, they started to lessen in intensity and get farther apart. Darn epidural! It has a way of slowing things down sometimes. We were diligent to try different positions to get baby into a good position. A couple hours later, I was 7 centimeters. I was encouraged that progress had been made despite contractions slowing down. At that point, I told the nurse that I have very fast transitions, and that all I need is one or two good contractions and I will be complete. We had a lull in contractions, so we just waited. And sure enough, I had one really good contraction and suddenly felt "that" pressure. I asked my husband to get a nurse to check me. I was complete! Hooray!<br />
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I ended up pushing for a half hour, which is very unusual for me. But the doctor said the baby's head still needed to turn a bit. I remember laughing at how hard I had to work compared to previous births where pushing lasted only minutes.<br />
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Our beautiful Anna Faith was born at 3:29p, April 20, 2015. She weighed 8 lbs 4 oz and was 20 3/4 inches long. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rlOQ30xgK-AgT7Jvc0ajuTcNNrih3q_8txl8b7zz0nk9MPtREDCcGBGXBi6RweVWZ0wjfyzgq6e_TEKqLBXvHdpAv2tTkFCvRuBHxG6y2sbgfy9PtHQ-IGTT3cQ9V6JEaF3_fw/s1600/Anna+Born.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rlOQ30xgK-AgT7Jvc0ajuTcNNrih3q_8txl8b7zz0nk9MPtREDCcGBGXBi6RweVWZ0wjfyzgq6e_TEKqLBXvHdpAv2tTkFCvRuBHxG6y2sbgfy9PtHQ-IGTT3cQ9V6JEaF3_fw/s400/Anna+Born.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The delivery went smoothly and I had no immediate bleeding issues. Since I have a history of postpartum hemorrhage, I have to have pitocin immediately following the birth. This aids my uterus in contracting properly to avoid excess bleeding. All was well for the next eight hours.<br />
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Greg and I were just settling in for the night, and suddenly the bleeding started up in earnest. Greg went to get the nurse, and there began the well-versed rounds of uterine massage, manual sweeps for clots, injections, and more pitocin. It was very painful. I remember thinking how glad I was that I had had the epidural during labor, because all of this after "stuff" is like a second labor. Ouch! <br />
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The nurses were amazing! They ended up calling the L & D nurses who are more experienced with hemorrhages, and they worked diligently to get things under control. A short while later, I was back on track and extremely thankful for the skill and wisdom of these nurses.<br />
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Amazingly, my blood pressure never dropped, and all my blood work came back normal. What a praise! <br />
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After a two-day stay, it was time to go home! This photo was taken as we were waiting to be discharged.<br />
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Here is our little darling at one week old!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZSbQgCZFlgnJ0IgsOtdJMYGqSZDKTl53XnWKOY55iur43qOcZhJn-sI2kE4dKDn7dz3_0bja2wy9v6npTrAtj5dTTh2eKx3K1LnjIgq7ZsahvVEWQjncxiRoYchQO9OkhHy48A/s1600/Anna+One+Week+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZSbQgCZFlgnJ0IgsOtdJMYGqSZDKTl53XnWKOY55iur43qOcZhJn-sI2kE4dKDn7dz3_0bja2wy9v6npTrAtj5dTTh2eKx3K1LnjIgq7ZsahvVEWQjncxiRoYchQO9OkhHy48A/s400/Anna+One+Week+008.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Our oldest baby girl (22) with our youngest baby girl! :)<br />
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We are so grateful for Anna, our 11th child. Never in a million years would I have thought we'd have eight daughters! Our three boys handle all this "girl madness" quite well. They are sweet brothers! :)<br />
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I hope this birth story wasn't too scattered and poorly written. My goal was to get it up quickly, or I probably would never get it done due to.....life! I was going through my drafts, and seeing that I have tons of them waiting to be finished. Maybe someday I can get back to blogging, but for now, life is bursting at the seams and I don't want to miss it!<br />
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Blessings!<br />
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<br />Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com118tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-62548675004164370322014-07-25T06:12:00.001-05:002014-07-30T10:33:07.538-05:00I'm Alive and Kicking(Tap, tap, tap...) Is this thing on?<br />
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Well, hello there.....<br />
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It's hard to believe it's been six months since I have published anything here. A lot has happened since January. And as such is life, there have been joys and there have been sorrows along the way. If you follow me on my <u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sacred-Mommyhood/257003350994198?ref_type=bookmark">Facebook page</a></u>, you've caught some of these events since I've tried to stay somewhat active over there. But it's time to catch up here.<br />
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Let's begin with the birth of my first grandchild waaay back in March. I've lost any hopes of winning "Grandmother of the Year" by taking this long to show off my grandson. Cheyenne and Nathan had a beautiful baby boy, who is now (gulp!) four months old.<br />
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Allow me to introduce you to Gregory John...."Grey" for short. Just look at him donning all of his sweet freshness!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">March 4, 2014</span> </div>
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Fast forward four months, and here is my precious sunshine now! Isn't he the most handsome baby boy ever? </div>
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We are enjoying life as grandparents. We are especially thankful to live close enough to get to snuggle Grey often. Our younger kids are tickled to be aunts and uncles, so they tend to want to smother him constantly. There are no shortage of arms willing to hold him around here.<br />
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Shortly after my daughter had Grey, we found out <em>we</em> were expecting another baby. But rejoicing turned to sorrow when I miscarried not long after finding out. God's peace was abundant and we rejoiced that He had created another soul for His purpose.<br />
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By mid March, sorrow came again when we left our church of seven years. I won't go into detail here as to why, but it was a very difficult time for us, as well as for the church family. Just recently, the church closed its doors permanently. Our hearts hurt for the people, but we trust God will lead and guide them as they search for a new church home. We have since found a new church home, and we're slowly trying to find our place there. <br />
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Joy came again when we learned in late April that we were once again expecting. I felt really good about the pregnancy and looked forward to meeting our sweet new bundle in January 2015. But as the weeks went on, I felt "too good" and wondered if things were okay. My suspicions were confirmed at our first ultrasound. Our precious baby had no heartbeat. We were devastated, and the time waiting to miscarry was difficult. My body just wanted to hang onto this tiny soul. And my heart did too. I miscarried at 9 1/2 weeks. My heart goes out to those women who suffer losses much later. This one was hard for me, so I can only imagine the pain of a later loss. But in God's goodness and faithfulness, His grace was sufficient, and he carried me through my second miscarriage in a row. <br />
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Before the miscarriage, our daughter, Celeste, came home from college for the summer. It was so good having her home, and a comfort to be able to share our loss with both of our big girls here. Our time with Celeste was short but sweet. She came home mid June, and in mid July she headed to Uganda for the third time. She loves Uganda and the work she's able to do there. She's exploring the possibility of going back long term next summer. It will be interesting to see where God leads her in the future concerning Uganda.<br />
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Here, she is working with a ministry called Sole Hope. They wash children's feet and provide shoes for them.<br />
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Celeste returned home from Uganda, and then five days later, returned to Tennessee to start a job before school begins in August. We miss her already and look forward to seeing her at Christmas. As quickly as the days fly by, Christmas will be here before we know it!<br />
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In these six months, we have also celebrated six birthdays. Amelia tuned 3 in March, I turned 41 in May, Ethan turned 8 in May, Celeste turned 19 in June, Seth turned 13 in June, and my hubby turned 43 this month. In between all the joys and sorrows and birthdays, we've been busy living life as usual. Homeschooling, cooking large, cleaning, piano lessons, piano recitals, state competitions, swimming, meeting needs, trips to Sea World, and raising 8 kiddos, 13 and under (with no big girls at home anymore) have pretty much worn me out! <br />
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I <em>have</em> managed to write a few things over these months that I hope to post in the coming weeks. If you're still with me, thank you! I hope you have been doing well, and look forward to hearing from you. Blessings!<br />
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<br />Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-52238956099146681382014-01-26T14:51:00.001-06:002014-01-28T12:48:59.094-06:00My Recap of the Homeschool Moms' Winter Summit (and why you MUST come next year)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/smockityfrocks">Photo Source</a></u></div>
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I can't even begin to tell you what this weekend has meant to me. I had <em>really</em> needed some time to refresh, be encouraged, and just <strong>rest</strong> (I even ordered room service one night...aahhhh).<br />
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<em>And that's exactly what I got this weekend at the Summit.</em><br />
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I was encourage. I was challenged. I was loved and pampered. And I laughed harder than I have in a long time. The speakers were phenomenal and had so much wisdom to pour into us. There were skits that had us in tears from laughing so hard, and worship music that pierced our hearts and prepared our minds. There was an unspoken support among strangers, who quickly became friends. There was good food, and myriad door prizes. But most of all, there was a room full of incredible woman, all with the same goals to be better wives, better moms....and with humility and grace....to be the kind of women who run into the arms of our Creator, trusting that He has equipped us for this mighty task of homeschooling. I am still soaking in all I have heard and learned!<br />
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Here are a few nuggets of wisdom I left with......</h3>
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><strong><em>"Require...don't Remind." Cheryl Lange</em></strong></span><br />
When you've trained your children in an area, there's no need to keep reminding them. Let the consequences do the talking!<br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><strong><em>"Don't seek the answers...seek the Knower." Roxanne Parks</em></strong></span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">We often spend a lot of time seeking answers on our own rather than just going straight to the Knower!</span><br />
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<strong><em>"Righteous over right!" Cheryl Lange</em></strong><br />
As I'm reminded in Judges 21:25, we are prone to do what is right <strong>in our own eyes</strong>. Choose righteousness (and humility) over <em>right</em>!<br />
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<strong><em>"We impress people with our strengths, but connect through our weaknesses."</em></strong> <span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Can't remember who said this)</span><br />
Isn't this the truth!?! We connect with other moms SO much more, and on a deeper level when we can be real and honest about our weaknesses. The honesty of these speakers was absolutely beautiful!<br />
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<strong><em>"A negative attitude will become a filter through which we see our own family." Brandy Ferguson</em></strong><br />
Whew......enough said!<br />
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<strong><em>(Paraphrased) "We all have the same amount of time in a day....I have the same amount of hours in a day as Donald Trump. It's how we choose to use those hours that make the difference. What is stealing your time?" Lisa Pennington</em></strong><br />
Such an important question to ask ourselves. It's easy to be pulled into those things that keep us from using our time productively. We must pay attention to those time stealers (electronics, social media, phone, etc.). Even though those things may be good at times, they're often the biggest culprits for stealing valuable time in our already busy day.<br />
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<strong><em>"Motherhood is a marathon. Embrace your race, stay the course, run with purpose, and finish strong." Brandy Ferguson</em></strong><br />
Don't compare your race to other moms'. Embrace YOURS, which God has uniquely created for His purpose, and has equipped you to run!<br />
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Some fun photos, now sweet memories</h3>
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My name tag was ready for me.<br />
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<u><a href="http://themarathonmom.com/">Photo by The Marathon Mom</a></u></div>
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We were greeted with a beautiful table, topped with pampering gifts and snacks.<br />
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<u><a href="http://themarathonmom.com/">Photo by The Marathon Mom</a></u></div>
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LOVED getting to know my roomie, Heather from <a href="http://sprittibee.com/">Spritti Bee</a><u>.</u><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sprittibee/12125562406/">Photo by Spritti Bee</a></div>
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This is what a homeschool mom looks like when she wakes up. ; )<br />
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<u><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sprittibee/12144348584/">Photo by SpittiBee</a></u><br />
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The Imperfect Homeschool Mom skit.....the FUNNIEST skit I've ever seen in my life! I laughed so hard, I cried! I really hope it's made into a YouTube video soon!<br />
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<u><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sprittibee/12137917235/">Photo by SprittiBee</a></u>
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After two years of cyber friendship, and writing for <u><a href="http://themarathonmom.com/author/candace">The Marathon Mom</a></u>, I finally got to meet and hug my dear friend, Brandy!<br />
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<u><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sprittibee/12141565144/">Photo by SprittiBee</a></u></div>
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I am already thinking about next year and making plans to budget my expenses. And you can do the same. If you put away <strong>just $25 per month</strong>, you will be able to cover: <br />
<ul>
<li>Early registration</li>
<li>Hotel for <strong><em>two</em></strong> nights (even less if you share with 1-3 friends or stay one night)</li>
<li>Food (Saturday lunch is provided) </li>
<li>Buy a couple of books</li>
</ul>
Did I mention the <u><a href="http://embassysuites3.hilton.com/en/hotels/texas/embassy-suites-san-marcos-hotel-spa-and-conference-center-SNMESES/index.html">Embassy Suites</a></u> serves a FULL hot breakfast for FREE? And not this "continental breakfast" stuff! I'm talking omelets made to order, bacon, sausage, potatoes, biscuits, pastries, juice, coffee, and a whole lot more! It's a beautiful thing, y'all!</div>
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<strong><em>You will be so blessed, encouraged, and refreshed. Please don't miss it! </em></strong><br />
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To keep up with the unfolding plans for next year, "like" the <u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Homeschool-Moms-Winter-Summit/242820272446772">Summit FB page</a></u>. Or you can go directly to the website......<u><a href="http://www.homeschoolwintersummit.com/">Homeschool Moms' Winter Summit</a></u>.<br />
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You can read what other moms had to say about the summit too.<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.smockityfrocks.com/2014/01/texas-homeschool-moms-winter-summit-2.html">Smockity Frocks</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thepenningtonpoint.com/2014/01/summit-beauty/">The Pennington Point</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.joyfulsocksmom.com/2014/01/keeping-it-real-reaching-for-simplicity.html">Joyful Socks</a></li>
</ul>
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<strong>Are you with me?</strong></div>
Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-90397020534167902332013-12-22T10:52:00.000-06:002014-01-17T10:55:48.039-06:00A Treasury of Christmas Quotes<div style="text-align: center;">
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<u><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/26963648@N05/8443148438/in/photolist-dS6kSN-93PQ39-dCZa63-b1TyiV-aFHq5P-8Xb6H8-dE2ChJ-dtUy6h-aM2Bp8-95McBv-b1JbEP-dE1N3V-943kWG-8XXL3H-88WV3z-94o6cS-b1oVKZ-b1QNjH-dKuL7k-dDXE9o-hyQwFs-93yzad-8Xu6ZV-aYYqA8-94feYM-dtUxv5-dtNYQ8-dtNYZx-eCHrfL-bTpvkv-gtg3me-dEiTSf-dDYRd7-dDUEov-94idvk-brXo64-94AFpS-dDbcnz-dE7nv3-dDRHyT-8RAaP9-8ZAtYn-7YRXHG-7YNJmP-7YNJRc-94tBHt-dAtdyd-94KEc9-aZzMzn-e8q84y-dDcdmf">Photo Source</a></u>
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<em><strong>Joys of the Incarnation</strong></em></div>
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<strong><em></em></strong> </div>
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<em>“Most sensible people say that adults cannot be expected to appreciate Christmas as much as children appreciate it. But I am not sure that even sensible people are always right; and this has been my principle reason for deciding to be silly — a decision that is now irrevocable. It may be because I am silly, but I rather think that, relatively to the rest of the year, I enjoy Christmas more than I did when I was a child. My faith demands that such be the case. The more mature I become the more I need to embrace the joys of the incarnation. The more mature I become, the more I need to be but a child”. </em><br />
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~ G.K. Chesterton</div>
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For the full treasury, head on over to <u><a href="http://themarathonmom.com/a-treasury-of-christmas-quotes.htm">The Marathon Mom</a></u>.</div>
Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-76120130927275024162013-11-27T12:24:00.000-06:002013-11-27T12:27:37.292-06:00Creating an Advent Tradition<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/poppinsgarden/3071463199/" title="Advent candles 2008 by Poppins' Garden, on Flickr"><img alt="Advent candles 2008" height="375" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3242/3071463199_0b1662ed35.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8661403@N05/3071463199/in/photolist-5Fq414-5FqQjL-5FyHro-5FGAC6-5GbQRp-5GqFuN-5GNSj4-5HQCx6-5J87Cj-5JxSsb-5JAaKM-5KMViL-5L4NTK-5L4P2X-5L4PaR-5L92JL-5LRH7F-5LVVxd-5Mkfiq-5Q9o1H-69WiET-69WjdH-6a1tyw-6a1tJU-6a1u2S-7j9xzE-7j9K7Y-7ja8sj-7jmKsG-7jZVA9-7kTPnn-7nucUF-7nM7aV-7opRWs-7oAjK9-7picvw-7pt4DL-7qdhmZ-7qWhQi-7r1cH9-7uVnp2-7wK89x-7wNVj5-b1o5PV-8XPbLw-935fsJ-aRBeVc-dzLFN9-8ZdbZv-dAgDBG-dyDdyy">Photo Source</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">O</span>ne of our favorite things to do this time of year is to celebrate the Advent season.<br />
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<h3>
What is Advent?</h3>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>The word <b>Advent</b> means “coming” or “arrival.” The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent. Thus, Advent is far more than simply marking a 2,000 year old event in history. It is celebrating a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ whereby all of creation might be reconciled to God. (<a href="http://www.crivoice.org/cyadvent.html">The Voice</a>)</em></div>
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For the past decade or so, our family has been reading three wonderful Advent books that have become our family tradition, and have been permanently imprinted on our children’s heart.<br />
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Read the full article at <u><a href="http://themarathonmom.com/creating-an-advent-tradition.htm">The Marathon Mom</a></u>.Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-71776456534384208262013-10-24T12:30:00.000-05:002013-10-24T12:30:59.139-05:00Balancing Hormones Naturally {for Moms}<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95162055@N02/8674773502/" title="Women’s Hormonal Detoxification and Balancing Program by My Health Sanctuary, on Flickr"><img alt="Women’s Hormonal Detoxification and Balancing Program" height="265" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8260/8674773502_c2c2e25673.jpg" width="400" /></a>
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<i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95162055@N02/8674773502/in/photolist-edytWo-d77NdQ-fu2iug-bB6Qse-gdjW4B-9f2XUu-bUPzcZ-fH31Fy-d3CUH3-8BTkRw-7DehaJ-cMT9g5-gboxTt-dQZue3-9RJsN4-ev9vq6-ev9uxD-fbKCdk-fxuPpd-99h6t4-99h6sc-8odpDD-8odpAk-8ogzWC-8odpMM-8odpJz-8ogA5L-fqVWq1-fuCmwM-fupTUe-f4hxF6-8ogzTs-8odpUx-8ogAfQ-cJbfph-f8poRV-fLQPZ2-fLQNAp-daW9CQ-d3CU1w-fHhiak-fM8oA3-fvfnFf-fHyUTE-fHhsAx-gc6cht-fHyYyG-ajqyAu-7DnAxz-bB8kfm-frVt1D">Photo Source</a></i><br />
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When I was a youngin', pregnant with our first child, I remember teasing my husband one day, quipping that '<em>wasn't he glad that I didn't cry at the drop of a hat like those other pregnant women</em>?'<br />
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I didn't experience hormonal issues back then. In fact, I didn't until my sixth pregnancy. Near the end of that pregnancy, I began feeling angry for no apparent reason. I realized then that I was experiencing the dreaded hormonal shifts that I had only heard other women talk about. Even still, it wasn't too bad, and it was usually short lived.<br />
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Each pregnancy following, I would experience those irritable and angry feelings a little sooner in the pregnancy than the one before. It was getting worse. Those shifts were so unpredictable in my third trimesters that I knew I needed to do something about them or else my poor family would suffer. Or tie me up and throw me in the closet.<br />
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Read the full article at <u><a href="http://themarathonmom.com/balancing-hormones-naturally-for-moms.htm">The Marathon Mom</a></u>.Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-24823847785845109002013-10-06T16:38:00.000-05:002013-10-13T13:08:09.121-05:00How to Make Sourdough Starter<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cathysly/7508995928/" title="sourdough starter: blogged by slycat54, on Flickr"><img alt="sourdough starter: blogged" height="331" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8163/7508995928_874e23cfb0.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/64040177@N08/7508995928/in/photolist-crxyT3-eDGhhA-9nRNQ7-fKDrag-beERPn-dXYyt3-dqmr39-dBYVQT-dqmibK-aTu46x-aKKrXp-dqmifT-ajTJ8b-ePK3Fv-ePWtGd-ePWtS9-ePWtKS-ePWtEG-ePK3zH-ePK3BD-ePWtJ5-ePWtP1-ePWtzo-ePK3Un-ePWtMb-aKKrCV-aKKryp-aKKrtZ-aKKrKg-eKfou4-eJDT6Q-eJDT7j-eJDSJA-dkQzCj-dkQxKc-fe9urq-arE8bd-aKKrRk-8AMKiu-9ofG7X-dW6Qpp-cb399s-8DuQnQ-aWUJ9p">Photo Source</a></span><br />
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Have you ever wanted to make Sourdough bread, only to realize that you need a starter? The starter is what gives your bread that classic sourdough taste. Mmm!<br />
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It's easy, but does requires a little patience. It's worth the wait!<br />
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<h3>
Sourdough Starter</h3>
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In a large bowl, dissolve 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 pkg) active dry yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water.<br />
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Then stir in:<br />
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2 cups warm water<br />
2 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour<br />
1 tablespoon sugar or honey<br />
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Whisk until smooth and cover with a cloth, napkin, or coffee filter. Let sit at room temperature for 7-10 days. I told you it required patience. ; ) I usually go for the whole 10 days. Be sure to stir your mixture 2-3 times a day. Oh, did I forget to mention you have to babysit your starter?<br />
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After the 10 days, transfer your starter to a jar and cover with cheesecloth, napkin, or coffee filter and secure with a rubber band around the jar. Do not cover tightly with a metal lid.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dhorst1/5018833326/" title="Up Close Side Shot of Sourdough Starter by dhorst1, on Flickr"><img alt="Up Close Side Shot of Sourdough Starter" height="240" src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4146/5018833326_b576aa18c5.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49592239@N08/5018833326/in/photolist-8DuQi5-991iE2-991iVD-994rgN-bj91pD-bgyfPT-9fRk8W-bxGbKk-7CUVkQ-9rXALR-crxyT3-eDGhhA-9nRNQ7-fKDrag-beERPn-dXYyt3-dqmr39-dBYVQT-dqmibK-aTu46x-aKKrXp-dqmifT-ajTJ8b-ePK3Fv-ePWtGd-ePWtS9-ePWtKS-ePWtEG-ePK3zH-ePK3BD-ePWtJ5-ePWtP1-ePWtzo-ePK3Un-ePWtMb-aKKrCV-aKKryp-aKKrtZ-aKKrKg-eKfou4-eJDT6Q-eJDT7j-eJDSJA-dkQzCj-dkQxKc-fe9urq-arE8bd-aKKrRk-8AMKiu-9ofG7X-dW6Qpp">Photo Source</a></span><br />
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<strong>To use your starter</strong><br />
<br />
Bring desired amount to room temperature. Use in favorite recipe.<br />
<br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>Replenish your starter each time you use it by adding</strong>:<br />
<br />
3/4 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour<br />
3/4 cup water<br />
1 teaspoon sugar or honey<br />
<br />
Stir well. Let stand at room temp for just one day, and then store in refrigerator until next use. It's a good idea to "feed" your starter once a week by adding equal parts flour and water. If you're not using the starter often enough, you may need to discard some of it each time you feed it just so you don't end up with an enormous amount of starter.<br />
<br />
I know it sounds like a lot of work, but it's really not. And the yummy taste of homemade sourdough is well worth it. If you really want to be adventurous, and improve the health benefits of your sourdough (by pulling yeast from the air), find out more <u><a href="http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2010/03/05/food-for-thought-health-benefits-of-sourdough/">here</a></u>.<br />
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*<b>Troubleshooting</b>: If after 5-7 days your starter is no longer bubbly, or it has a layer of water on top (hooch), don't worry...you haven't killed your starter yet. Simply feed it by transferring about a cup and a half of your starter to a clean bowl, and add to it a cup and a half of flour, and 2/3 to 3/4 cup of water. Mix and let sit at room temperature for a couple of hours. You'll have a revived starter!<br />
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<h3>
Do you make your own starter? What is your favorite sourdough recipe? Please share a link in the comments.</h3>
<br />Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-15366852336264739062013-10-04T06:43:00.000-05:002013-10-04T21:05:59.825-05:00The Homeschool Moms' Winter Summit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
I am so excited about the upcoming Homeschool Moms' Winter Summit. Last year, I won a ticket to the conference in Oklahoma and was looking forward to attending. I even had a ride lined up with my friend Lisa from <u><a href="http://thepenningtonpoint.com/2013/01/homeschool-moms-winter-summit-recap/">The Pennington Point</a></u>, but I wasn't able to attend. It turned out, my daughter had a very important piano competition that happened to be the same weekend. I had to give up my ticket, that I pray blessed another mom. Oklahoma is a long way from San Antonio, TX. But I'm SO excited to announce.......<br />
<br />
<strong>The Summit is expanding to Texas! </strong><br />
<br />
The Texas Homeschool Moms' Winter Summit will be in <strong>San Marcos, Texas</strong> at the beautiful Embassy Suites on <strong>January 24-25, 2014</strong>. <i>Woot</i>!<br />
<br />
And to kick off The Summit's maiden voyage in Texas, we are having a giveaway for fellow bloggers to help spread the word!
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<h3>
<strong>We would like to give away a Summit pass PLUS your hotel stay.</strong></h3>
Here's how you can enter to win a trip to The Homeschool Moms' Winter Summit:
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 13px;">Write an awesome blog post about The Homeschool Moms' Winter Summit by Friday, Oct. 11th. Be sure to mention the date and place of the Texas Summit!</span></li>
<li>Include the button above.</li>
<li>Include links to <a href="http://www.homeschoolwintersummit.com/" target="_blank">The Homeschool Moms' Winter Summit website</a> and <a href="http://www.homeschoolwintersummit.com/texas-summit/registration/" target="_blank">registration page</a>, and the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Homeschool-Moms-Winter-Summit/242820272446772" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>.</li>
<li>Encourage comments BECAUSE ONE COMMENTER WILL WIN A SUMMIT PASS, TOO!</li>
<li>Link back to this post so others can enter too!</li>
</ul>
When you have published your post, come back here and submit your link. The Summit team will choose one blogger to win a room and a Summit pass based on the following criteria:
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<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 13px;">Creativity of post</span></li>
<li>Number of comments</li>
</ul>
<h3>
See you on January 24-25 at The Homeschool Moms' Winter Summit in San Marcos, Texas!</h3>
<!-- start InLinkz script --> <script type="text/javascript"> document.write('<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.inlinkz.com/cs.php?id=325624&' + new Date().getTime() + '"><\/script>'); </script> <!-- end InLinkz script –> Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-42096317630027939242013-08-27T11:05:00.002-05:002016-07-17T20:35:01.947-05:00A Message to the Weary Homeschooling Mom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8eWhuCrMpoZgnRygCLMv50gJfmBLUITkYAm1PpxponXITSKFgaqH1XfkFvMyB1J5k0b6bzEgB5G1CiudNb_XnuYXnn3rTnfdjtIBjCzesALUr7U4uK25InhI49lGKR9DVmC6oDA/s1600/Weary+Mom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8eWhuCrMpoZgnRygCLMv50gJfmBLUITkYAm1PpxponXITSKFgaqH1XfkFvMyB1J5k0b6bzEgB5G1CiudNb_XnuYXnn3rTnfdjtIBjCzesALUr7U4uK25InhI49lGKR9DVmC6oDA/s640/Weary+Mom.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
Recently, I've had the opportunity to talk with other homeschooling moms who are struggling in some way or another. As rewarding as homeschooling may be, it's also one of the hardest things a mom will do. And oftentimes, we wonder if we're doing enough for our children.<br />
<br />
As a veteran home school mom, I've encountered seasons of success; when my days are full of learning, we're keeping to our schedule, and I can see visible progress. But I've also encountered seasons of wilderness, when we've barely gotten by, and when the school days seemed more frustrating than joyful.<br />
<br />
Many circumstances contribute to the wilderness seasons: New baby, illness, many littles, husband's unpredictable schedule, morning sickness, the list goes on.<br />
<br />
But in order to keep our minds and hearts focused on this very important and rewarding task......<br />
<br />
Read the full article <u><a href="http://themarathonmom.com/a-message-to-the-weary-homeschooling-mom.htm">here</a></u>.Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-30950159640203233912013-08-08T14:47:00.001-05:002016-07-17T19:18:44.486-05:00Surviving the Government Furlough: Finding Additional Income<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Previous articles in the series: <u><a href="http://www.sacredmommyhood.com/2013/07/surviving-government-furlough-and-how.html">Intro</a></u>, <u><a href="http://www.sacredmommyhood.com/2013/07/surviving-government-furlough-slashing.html">Slashing the Budget</a></u>, and <u><a href="http://www.sacredmommyhood.com/2013/07/surviving-government-furlough-gods.html">God's Provisions</a></u><br />
<br />
<u></u><br />
Now that we have slashed the budget, it's time to look for ways to bring in extra money to supplement what is lost during the furlough. There are so many ways to bring in extra cash, it just requires a little creativity and willingness! Some of these suggestions are obvious, but others may spark an idea. I hope this serves as a valuable resource for you.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Here are some things to keep in mind as you try to find additional income</h4>
<br />
<h3>
Pray </h3>
As I mentioned in my previous post, begin with prayer. Ask God to open up opportunities to earn extra money and be ready for Him to answer. Ask Him to provide during this time, and trust that He will. Never underestimate the power of prayer!<br />
<br />
<h3>
Family meeting </h3>
I know I mentioned this before as well, but come together as a family and brainstorm ways everyone can help out. Perhaps the kids can pull weeds for the neighbors, or sell ice cream or lemonade to the community. Older kids can bake and sell their creations. Again, including the whole family gets everyone on board and makes it a team effort. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Spread the word</h3>
If you're looking for work, let people know. Tell your church family, your community, your family that you're looking to earn extra money to make ends meet. You'll be amazed by what comes up simply by spreading the word. <br />
<br />
Our neighborhood has a wonderful email loop, so I let our neighbors know that we were looking for work. God provided, and continues to provide for us right here in our neighborhood. My husband and oldest son have been providing lawn care services and staining fences. My daughter and I have been baking and selling bread. The convenience of staying in the neighborhood has been a blessing! <br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Be humble. No job is too small</h3>
My husband is a well respected Fire Inspector. He has a great job. He could easily have an arrogant attitude about what jobs he will and will not do. But thankfully, my husband is more concerned about providing for his family than he is about pride. All these small jobs have added up to making ends meet. If we had just sat around waiting for "something better" to come around, we would have missed out on the blessings that have come from the work God has provided, not to mention the income. <br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
Here are some practical ways to bring in more income</h4>
<br />
<h3>
Get a second job</h3>
This is a no-brainer, but sometimes people just aren't willing to work longer hours and relax less. But in hard financial times, it's just necessary! If your schedule allows, look for a part-time job to supplement your income. Here are some possibilities...<br />
<br />
Freelance writing - writergal.com and textbroker.com are good places to start<br />
Proofreading - freelancer.com offers proofreading jobs<br />
Pizza delivery<br />
Newspaper delivery<br />
Tutoring<br />
Cleaning houses<br />
<br />
<h3>
Become a consultant</h3>
If there is a salesperson in you, try your hand at these jobs. These are feasible jobs for stay-at-home-moms who want to host fun parties while bringing in additional income.<br />
<br />
<u><a href="http://new.pamperedchef.com/join-us">Pampered Chef</a></u><br />
<u><a href="http://www.marykay.com/vmessersmith/en-US/BeABeautyConsultant/Pages/Default.aspx">Mary Kay</a></u><br />
<a href="http://www.mysilpada.com/kari.sprotbery">Silpada</a><u> </u>- sell artisan-made fine sterling silver <br />
<u><a href="http://frontrangescentsabilities.com/2012/01/20/how-to-sign-up-for-wholesale-prices/">Young Living Essential Oils</a></u><br />
<br />
<h3>
Reduce bill payments</h3>
If you've got credit card bills, loans, or medial bills, ask to temporarily reduce your payments just until furlough (or your situation) is over. If you have the money, then make the full payment. But reducing outgoing money gives you some leeway, and allows for extra income when it's really needed.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Blogging</h3>
I'm so amazed at what bloggers can make these days. If you have a love for writing, or have a special skill or talent, blogging may be a fun way to bring in extra cash. When we were planning my daughter's wedding, I blogged full force to bring in extra wedding money. Since then, I've cut way back due to time and other priorities, but I still manage to bring in a little extra money from the blogging I'm able to do.<br />
<br />
Here are some resources to help you get started:<br />
<u><a href="http://www.escalatenetwork.com/publishers/?referral_id=3688">Escalate Network</a></u>-Product or company advertising....earn money per conversions.<br />
<u><a href="https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/">Amazon Affiliate</a></u>-Earn commission on products people buy through your Amazon links or widgets.<br />
<u>Google AdSense</u>-Monetize your blog with ads<br />
<u><a href="http://izea.in/r1828">Social Spark</a></u>-Write blog posts for a particular company or product and earn money<br />
<br />
<h3>
Refinance your home</h3>
Depending on your current rate, this could add income by lowering your mortgage payment. We were able to refinance when the rates dropped, helping to reduce our payments by a couple hundred bucks. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Sell stuff</h3>
Anything. School curriculum, book, clothes, furniture, toys, baby items, extra vehicles, etc. Look around and find what you don't need or want. Sell items on Craigslist, Ebay, yard sales, FB yard sale community pages, homeschool co-ops, classifieds, anywhere! We love to take our gently used clothing to resale shops for store credit or cash. Try places like <u><a href="http://kidtokid.com/">Kid to Kid</a></u>, <u><a href="http://uptowncheapskate.com/">Uptown Cheapskate</a></u>, <u><a href="http://www.clothesmentor.com/">Clothes Mentor</a></u>, or <u><a href="http://www.platoscloset.com/">Plato's Closet</a></u>. Check your local area to find out if these, or places similar, exist in your area. <br />
<br />
I recently learned that you can <u><a href="http://www.gnwrecycling.com/recycling-ferrous-metals">sell scrap metal</a></u>. Seriously! You can take your old appliances and a whole host of other metal items and sell them to recycling centers. Check your local listings for recycling centers near you.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Sell homemade breads or other goodies</h3>
If you enjoy baking bread or other goodies, ask to sell them at church, work, or a co-op group. When we were raising money for my daughter's mission trip to Africa, our church and homeschool co-op group allowed us to sell bread. We made a few hundred dollars. Currently, my daughter and I are selling bread to our neighborhood. We may offer freezer meals soon. <em>Maybe</em>.<br />
<br />
One of my friends, who is also in the midst of furlough, is selling breakfast tacos and freezer meals to her husband's co-workers. They have brought in quit a bit of money, thus surviving the furlough. Get creative and don't be shy!<br />
<br />
<h3>
Offer a class</h3>
Whether you sew, bake incredible bread, or you're a talented artist, offer classes in your home. Choose a day of the week and come up with a price (which includes supplies) and spread the word via the Web or flyers. If you have a special skill, there are others out there willing to pay to learn it!<br />
<br />
<h3>
Mow lawns</h3>
Amazingly, this has been our biggest source of additional income during the furlough. I simply advertised to our neighborhood, and another close by, that my husband was available for lawn care services. We received multiple calls, three with ongoing weekly service. My husband and son have enjoyed working together, building their relationship while helping to provide for our family. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Child care</h3>
This is always a good source of additional income. If you want to provide childcare long term, you may need to check into licensing laws in your state. But if you want to offer temporary services, give a shout out to your friends and neighbors!<br />
<br />
<h3>
Trade for services </h3>
My good friend, <u><a href="http://frontrangescentsabilities.com/2013/07/25/a-skeptic-turned-believer/">Kim</a></u>, reminded me that trading for services has helped them while her husband is looking for work. When I was preparing for my second home birth, my wonderful midwife allowed me to do some office work for her to reduce the out-of-pocket expense of a home birth. This is an area where you can really be creative. If there is something you want or need, offer a service in return. You can offer a piano teacher with small children childcare in exchange for lessons, if you have a friend who works on cars, trade house cleaning for car repairs. Really, sky's the limit on this one. If you have a talent or skill, offer it in exchange for something you need.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Clinical Trials</h3>
Each person will need to decide for themselves whether or not this is an option. But I do know that you can make a lot of money by participating in clinical trials. Just be sure they are second round trials or beyond. Meaning, they have already done at least one round of testing so that you're not a first round guinea pig. Just Google "clinical trials in (name of city)" to find out if there are any studies in your area. Here is a <u><a href="http://www.wwctrials.com/study-participation/current-studies.html?gclid=CN3uz5HN7rgCFShp7AodSBgA2w">sample of studies</a></u> and money to be made in our area.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
Final thoughts to keep in mind</h4>
<br />
<h3>
Accept help</h3>
Sometimes it's hard to let others know about our struggles. Trust your friends, family, and church family to help in your time of need. Graciously accept help when it's offered. Don't be stubborn or embarrassed. A true community is one that reaches out and helps one another. It's the way it's supposed to be. Sometimes we lose sight of that in our pride and desire to do things in our own strength.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Don't incur new debt </h3>
This bears repeating. Opening up new credit accounts or maxing out the credit card does not count as additional income. It's just more debt! Sometimes it's easier to just charge for your needs rather than working a little harder to earn the money. I understand that sometimes life just doesn't allow one to go out and earn extra money, but exhaust every other resource before resorting to adding new debt. <br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Has this been helpful? If so, please consider sharing on FB, Twitter, or Google+. What ways have you made additional income? Please share!</strong><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*This post contains affiliate links</span>Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-89218825854645575122013-07-29T10:41:00.000-05:002013-07-29T10:41:08.625-05:00Summer Spinach and Artichoke Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGd231EfxnYVm19p-GN2HIkbz2JCXftRVeE8jMam1BTm8aIKKs9DxYJyMFzfT-7sL54X7Z_InLdG0vruVJKCyaCoimgvBW2zVcAgd8302jAKyn3Jrk8j5wpg942YkzS-DMMqDx1w/s1600/spinach+salad+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGd231EfxnYVm19p-GN2HIkbz2JCXftRVeE8jMam1BTm8aIKKs9DxYJyMFzfT-7sL54X7Z_InLdG0vruVJKCyaCoimgvBW2zVcAgd8302jAKyn3Jrk8j5wpg942YkzS-DMMqDx1w/s400/spinach+salad+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
Skip the oven heat and whip up this beautiful summer salad.<br />
<br />
It's healthy. It's fresh. And it's absolutely delicious! It has become one of our family's favorite meals. It's also a perfect dish for entertaining or taking to a Sunday potluck. Your family and friends will love it.<br />
<br />
It's versatile, so feel free to change up ingredients and make it you own!<br />
<br />
Grab the recipe over at <u><a href="http://themarathonmom.com/summer-spinach-and-artichoke-salad.htm">The Marathon Mom</a></u>. Be sure to print it or Pin It!<br />
<h3>
</h3>
Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-81470114649891724202013-07-26T20:42:00.000-05:002016-07-17T19:24:11.092-05:00Surviving the Government Furlough: God's Provisions Already<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We're a couple of weeks into the furlough, and I am bursting at the seams to tell you how God has already been providing for our family. My next furlough article will talk about some of these things below individually, but as I was thinking about <strong>all</strong> <strong>the ways God has provided already</strong>, it needed to be its own post!<br />
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<h3>
Earnings from odd jobs we've completed (no job is too small):</h3>
<ul>
<li>Fence staining - $200</li>
<li>Yard work for neighbors - $100, plus two ongoing contracts.</li>
<li>Baking and selling homemade bread - $10 (so far...more to come)</li>
</ul>
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<h3>
Savings:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Grocery savings - $100 - I was able to shave off $100 this shopping trip (I shop twice a month). If I do it again, I will meet my monthly savings goal of $200.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>Airplane ticket - $100 - I will need to fly back home after dropping my daughter off in TN for school. A one-way ticket was pretty pricey, so I watched it for several weeks, hoping it would drop. It did drop finally about $40. Later that evening, I decided to go ahead and purchase the ticket at the $40 less price. To my astonishment, it had dropped again.....by $100 from the original price. I bought that ticket faster than a hummingbird's wings can flap!</li>
</ul>
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<h3>
Unexpected money:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Additional scholarship money - $500 - I received an email letting me know that Celeste's school was able to secure $500 more in scholarship money for her.</li>
</ul>
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<h4>
That's a grand total of $1010 in savings, earnings, and unexpected provision in two weeks! </h4>
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<em><strong>Praise God, from Whom ALL blessings Flow!</strong></em></div>
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<strong>How has God been providing for your family (whether furloughed or not)? Please share!</strong></div>
Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35868949.post-22544695979921295912013-07-23T07:33:00.001-05:002016-07-17T18:55:38.997-05:00Surviving the Government Furlough: Slashing the Budget<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Read Part 1 <a href="http://www.sacredmommyhood.com/2013/07/surviving-government-furlough-and-how.html">here</a>.<br />
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The first step in surviving the furlough is to take a look at your budget and see where you can reduce spending. Our budget is already fairly tight, so this will require even more sacrifice on our part.<br />
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Thankfully, the Lord prepared us a bit in advance. We knew the furlough would eventually catch up to us, so we worked hard to pay off debt. Currently, we have no car payments and no credit card debt. Other than our mortgage and typical expenses (food, utilities, gas, insurance, etc.) we only have two fairly large medical bills that we are slowly paying off (portion insurance didn't cover). <br />
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Compared to the average family, we're in pretty good shape I think. But we're a large family living on one income, so this monthly loss <em>will</em> hit us hard. In addition, our daughter is leaving for college, so we will have ongoing tuition payments to make. I realize this will hit other families harder than ours. Some have lost jobs completely, and some may lose their homes. My heart aches for them, and we are continually praying for all those affected. <br />
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Every family will face different challenges and have different priorities during the furlough. Our priority is keeping up with our mortgage, feeding our family, keeping the lights on, and getting Celeste off to school. Everything else is negotiable. <br />
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Here are the things we have already implemented:<br />
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<h3>
Pray</h3>
Pray for God to show you areas in which to cut back. Some things that we think are necessities really are not. Depending on your financial position, you may need to <em>dig deep</em> to cut back. Ask God to show you what is <em>truly</em> needed and what is not. Ask Him to provide extra work if that is what it will take to stay afloat.<br />
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<h3>
Have a family meeting</h3>
Our kids love family meetings. It's a great way to get all family members on the same page. Discuss ways that <em>everyone</em> can pitch in to reduce spending. Perhaps a little one can be in charge of making sure lights have not been left on. A family meeting also lets the children know that life may look different for a while. Less activities, less eating out, and whatever else you will need to cut back on. Including your children will make them feel like they can make a difference, and prepare them for changes.<br />
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<h3>
Get rid of cable</h3>
Contrary to what most of the world thinks, cable is not a necessity. You may think that getting rid of it won't help, but <em>every little bit helps</em>. We only have basic cable for $19 a month. However, by the time you add the taxes and fees, and the second box rental fee, $19 has turned into $40. We will keep Internet, but cable is going bye bye! We do have Netflix, and plan to keep that for the time being.<br />
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If you have one of those deluxe cable plans, you could save big in this area!<br />
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<h3>
Cell phones</h3>
Making changes here will depend on whether or not you have a contract. We have a TracFone, so we only spend about $30 every 2-3 months. We only turn on our cell phone when we're out of the house, and we don't carry on long conversations on the cell phones. If you have an expensive plan, try to reduce the plan if possible. Usually, companies are willing to work with you if you explain your situation. It's worth a try...you may be able to save here.<br />
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<h3>
Turn up the thermostat two or three degrees</h3>
We are already pretty conservative when it comes to the air conditioner. We are a 78 degree family in the summer. But due to the furlough, we've cranked it up two more degrees. Sometimes we feel a little warm, but that's okay. We can feel a little uncomfortable to reduce our energy bill. But when you think about it, if it's 95-100 degrees outside (we live in south Texas), 80 degrees inside is not bad. <em>We're good</em>! <br />
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If you need to conserve energy in the winter, obviously you would want to turn <em>down</em> your thermostat.<br />
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<h3>
Trim the grocery budget</h3>
You can really save in this area if you tend to buy a lot of convenience foods or name brand items. Even though it takes more time, <strong>making meals from scratch will save hundreds of dollars</strong>. <u><a href="http://www.sacredmommyhood.com/2011/09/menu-planning.html">Create a menu plan and grocery list</a></u> and stick to it. Seriously, the amount of pre-made, pre-packaged food I see in people's carts makes me want to take them by the hand and tell them there's a better, less expensive way. Don't get me wrong, I'm not judging at all! I buy my kids corn dogs and potato chips. If you can afford it, have at it. But so often, folks <em>can't</em> afford it, but just aren't willing to do the leg work required to save money. If you struggle to get meals on the table, and resort to convenience foods, maybe <u><a href="http://www.sacredmommyhood.com/2012/01/getting-meals-on-table-with-ease.html">these tips</a></u> can help.<br />
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If you're a bulk food buyer, be sure you're comparing unit prices. Sometimes, buying name brand bulk items can be more expensive than buying the generic non-bulk items. Just because an item is sold in bulk, doesn't mean it will be cheaper. Check unit prices always!<br />
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We spend about $1000 a month on groceries for the 11 of us. This includes paper products, toiletries, and diapers. I think I can reduce this by $200 a month. We have a small emergency stockpile of food that we can pull from, and I can easily cut out some things we don't <em>need</em>. In fact, I just did our shopping for this two week pay period, and I shaved $100 off the bill. I shopped from the stockpile first and came up with some of our least expensive meals, and created a new menu. And then I just passed on some frivolous grocery items that I usually get but don't need. <br />
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Here are some additional grocery saving tips:<br />
<u><a href="http://themarathonmom.com/feeding-a-large-family-healthy-meals-on-a-budget.htm">Feeding a Large Family on A Budget</a></u><br />
<u></u><br />
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<h3>
Potty train the toddler</h3>
This of course will not apply to everyone, but I added it because I had been putting off potty training Amelia. She's been ready for a while now, but I pretty much just didn't feel like doing it. Nothing like a furlough to light a fire under me. And voila! She's <u><a href="http://www.sacredmommyhood.com/2011/12/my-tips-for-successful-potty-training.html">potty trained</a></u>. That's 30 bucks a month back in our pockets. Okay, so maybe our mortgage lender's pocket, but having a roof over our head is sort of important. Who knew potty training could be so life-changing! ; )<br />
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<h3>
Make less trips in the car</h3>
This is another area in which we can really save considering we drive two large, gas-guzzling vehicles. We try not make frivolous trips as a rule, but now we're more cautious about where we choose to go. Aside from my husband going to work, piano lessons, and or bi-monthly shopping trips, we're pretty much sticking around the house. There's plenty to do around here, plus we have a neighborhood pool, so it's all good. <br />
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The best thing you can do is figure out what you're spending on any given trip. You may be surprised to find you're spending more than the trip is worth. You can calculate the cost of your drive <u><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_5946650_calculate-cost-drive.html">here</a></u>.<br />
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<h3>
Reduce payments if possible</h3>
As I mentioned above, we have two fairly large medical bills on which we make monthly payments. My husband contacted the billing departments, told them of our situation, and they reduced our payments by<em> half</em> until furlough is over. If we are able to make our regular payments, we will. But this gives us some flexibility if we fall short.<br />
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Whatever your bills are, call the companies and tell them your situation. In most cases they will work with you as long as you are sending <em>something</em>. Just be aware of your credit card interest rates, making sure they don't increase with that smaller payment.<br />
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<h3>
Don't incur new debt</h3>
It's tempting to open up new credit accounts or take on new loans as a means to survive. Don't do it! It may save you now, but could put you in a worse position later down the road. Years ago, we took on a Deed for Contract home. It sounded like a good thing at first, but we quickly learned it was nothing more than glorified renting with all the responsibilities of home ownership. So when our house payment skyrocketed and the air conditioning until went out in the brutal heat of August while I was 7 months pregnant, we turned to accepting credit card offers to survive. It took us YEARS to pay off all that debt. The blessing was, however, that we have never taken on credit card debt since!<br />
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Here are <u><a href="http://www.sacredmommyhood.com/2011/11/8-tips-for-surviving-economy-crunch.html">more ways to reduce the budget</a></u>. Come on back soon for the next post in the series: Finding Extra Income.<br />
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<h3>
How have you reduced your budget? Please share any additional tips you may have!</h3>
<br />Candace/Chloehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17709423499023732598noreply@blogger.com12