Five Things We Learned This Month

The beginning of January, I wrote This blog about starting our 31 Days of Zero Spending without any expectations. Though our month is almost over, we will continue to do this randomly throughout the year and there are many lessons we will carry with us as a forever change. Here is my take on this month.

Five Big Things We Learned in the 31 Days of Zero Spending (some we knew, but had light shed on them in a new way):

1. When we take away convenience, we find something much better! We made beef jerky in the dehydrator last week and made a yummy marinade. It called for a lot of worcesterchire sauce, we ran out, so I made my own. It was so much better than the store bought stuff. We truly loved it so much that I made more to fill the bottle back up. I also made chili powder as we ran out of that, too. So good!!!

My daughter had a birthday party she attended, so she made lots of cards, gave her own toys and made a bracelet for her friend. She planned this gift for over a week and it was much deeper and far more heart felt than anything we would've went and bought.

2. We learned the true power of preparedness. We learned that at any given moment in time, we can well survive for months - even with our slew of kids! We love canning, freezing, and keeping our pantry stocked and it paid off! We had very balanced meals every single night. We had lots of sandwiches for lunch, but breakfast and dinner was always well done! Prior to this month, our canning and such was more for the yummy factor, but we learned how needed it could be.

3. We learned the love of a community. Dan and I are blessed financially, so this 31 Days was not a form of getting on track in that area, but it didn't matter to our dearest friends! From friends offering to buy dinner, to waiting to pay for something until February, to buying a coffee and getting us gift cards to take a night off of cooking. Seriously, so blessed to see that we have friends who understand and love us enough to support our decisions - as crazy as they are! :) To those of you who supported us full fledged, we appreciate you. To those who will be doing this, please tell me so I can pass on that support and love!

4. We learned that we live in an amazing area with a lot to offer for FREE! When we go places for fun, we usually spend LOTS of money for our family to get in places. We had our very first weekend with Dan last week where he wasn't working or we weren't traveling, so we HAD to do something. Getting online and looking at the QC Events Page we realized there is really so much to do for FREE! We wen't to the John Deere Pavilion, the Icestravaganza, we did a craft at the Figge Art Museum and we walked the Sky bridge. So simple and so fun and so free!!! :)

5. We learned the love of contentment. We learned the power of not getting what we want, but taking joy in it anyways. The first few weeks were the hardest for the kiddos as they "needed" clasps for their rubber band bracelets, one "needed" batteries for her Furby, etc, etc. There were many nights I "needed" a bowl of cereal and a few mornings where I "needed" a coffee. There were many days where we "needed" a certain ingredient because we wanted to have this certain meal. We learned a lot in the terms of pointing out how blessed we are even when we don't get what we "need". Everything we truly needed was here all along, it just took a few weeks for us let go of our wants.

So, what our hopes were when we began, God provided every single one of them and then some. During this month we also learned the power of divorcing our phones. We have a basket that sits on the kitchen counter and our phones do not leave that basket. We learned that living simply is overly satisfying and just enough. Not a single day going through this have we complained about anything. Not a single day did we want to take the easy way out. Satan tried, but God defeated!

Another fun advantage was the fact that we saved extra than normal and that savings is more than enough to pay for our son's braces that he's getting in a couple weeks. That's awesome, huh?!

This month was challenging at various times, but I assure you, the blessings have far outweighed the temptations. Plus, those temptations have taught all of us self control on a whole new level. They have taught us another form of gratefulness. We make desserts often and we didn't have much this month, but when we did, it was much more loved and appreciated from everyone.

The most important thing in the way we live is that we have contentment by focusing on the eternal, not the temporal. Whether we have money to save or not, whether we are able to keep our pantry stocked, whether we live in a circle of giving believers, whether we live in a huge home or small one, whether we never have a financial concern or we battle one every week, we are to focus on the eternal, not the temporal. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 says, "Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit. For we have brought nothing into this world and so we cannot take a single thing out either. But if we have food and shelter, we will be satisfied with that."


We all will be taking what we learned and carrying it through as a daily walk of life. I'm so grateful that God laid this on our hearts and I'm so glad we came out far happier about these "little things" than when we started. I would truly encourage everyone to go through a period of Living Simple so we can Simply Live. Go ahead, give it a go!

31 Days of Zero Spending

Today was our first day of zero spending. I actually wanted to run into the store as I needed tissue paper for a gift, but resorted to using wrapping paper from my basement. So it begins...

I stumbled across this blog about spending zero! At first, I read it and ignored it thinking it was not feasible. I kept thinking about it! I then shared it with my husband! Of course it went just as I expected - he loved the idea! I seriously think he would've got up and started dancing if it wasn't presented to him as a guest was making his way to our door.

So, we are going through the month of January with zero spending. Just to clarify, this is zero spending outside of necessities. If you are interested in doing this now or another month, I'll go over our necessities and what made the cut!

Exceptions:

• Tithing
• Bills
• Milk, bread, eggs
• Diapers
• Gas
• Christian concert and home party already planned
• Animal food
• Toiletries

We will not be buying any additional food until we use up everything possible in our pantry. We have a lot of food (and I'm sure most of us do) that we don't use. We either don't feel like it or get bored with it. Either way, we will be using up everything in our pantry. As far as meats go, we have enough for a year as we get whole hogs and beef from our farmer friends. If you don't have a stock, I would suggest going shopping or put food into your exceptions.

We will not be eating out or going shopping. We will not be getting paper towels when we run out or syrup and ketchup when it is gone. I will not be buying a Starbucks after I drop my boy off to see his birth mom every other week or that creamer I love :( 

Our goal this month is to reflect on how little we truly need and how blessed we really are. We hope to save more than we normally do and clean out our pantry. Our kiddos are excited and so are we. We are not doing this because we secretly have spending issues or because we got our credit card statement. Haha. In fact, we don't use credit cards and are very good at saving. We simply want to live simply :)

If you want to take this challenge, then I would encourage you to sit down with your spouse and figure out your necessities. If you already have something planned (like birthdays, etc), then do as you see fit. We just set a budget for said events.

I am really excited to get this going and hope we stay strong throughout. I know I will need to get creative with meals to completely use what we have, but it will be good :)  So, here goes 31 Days of Zero Spending. 1 down, 30 to go :)

That's Weird!!

Yesterday, I found myself at a Heath Foods Store, called Greatest Grains on Earth, looking for some Brown Mustard Seeds to make Mustard for my family! While I was there I found some Chia Seeds. These sweet little seeds have had me searching for quite some time!!!! Packed full of protein, fiber and healthy fats, these seeds are tiny, but pack a super punch!!! You can add them to smoothies, bread, rolls, granola bars (or mustard...unless that's too weird).  You can research their benefits by clicking HERE, Fox News explains them perfectly!

Another, what I feel, secret that I found was Organic Bananas!!! I had to eat one right away, mainly because they looked horribly intimidating to me because I've been brainwashed to thinking bananas are actually bright yellow, so my brain kept thinking something was wrong with these. The first bite was firm and delicious! My husband is NOT a banana eater, but he LOVED these!!!! The taste was incomparable to a non-organic banana! I'm not sure what all those companies are doing and what I've been eating all these years, but they are not bananas.

It made me want to research these little fruits and find out what makes the taste and color so different! What I found was shocking! I mean, I always knew they had "stuff" on them, but never to the extent of what I found!

By eating Organic, this is what you're saving from entering your body: (In order by most to least percentage in a single banana) Below info was found HERE.

• 63% Thiabendazole (Toxin can cause Developmental or Reproductive problems and is a probable Carcinogen)
• 26% Imazalil (Toxin can cause Developmental or Reproductive problems and is a probably Carcinogen)
• 7.4% 5-Hydroxythiabendazole
• 4.2% Azoxystrobin 
• 2.0% o-Phenylphenol (Known Carcinogen, Causes Developmental or Reproductive problems and is a suspected Hormone Disruptor)
• 1.5% Pyrimethanil (Suspected Hormone Disruptor, Possible Carcinogen, Slight Bee Toxins)
• 1.1% Oxamyl oxime 
• 0.4% Chlorpyrifos (Contains Neurotoxins, Hormone Disruptor, and has High Bee Toxins)
• 0.3% Myclobutanil (Causes Developmental or Reproductive problems and Hormone Disruptor)
• 0.2% Bitertanol (Hormone Disruptor)
• 0.2% Carbendazim (MBC) (Hormone Disruptor, Slight Bee Toxins and Possible Carcinogen)
• 0.1% Carbaryl (Contains Neurotoxins, Causes Developmental or Reproductive problems, has High Bee Toxins, Hormone Disruptor, Probable Carcinogen)

To sum it all up, in every banana, you are putting 7 suspected Hormone Disruptors, 5 Developmental or Reproductive Toxins, 4 Known or Probable Carcinogens, 2 Neurotoxins and 2 Honeybee Toxins (which mainly effect the environment) --->> How CRAZY is that!!??!! All these pesticides don't even account for the amount of radiation in our fruit (radiation is to keep our fruit nice, bright, yellow and appealing! Is it really that important to peel a bright yellow or dingy yellow banana??)

I understand that buying Organic isn't feasible for everyone as it is a little pricier, but if you can...DO!! Those toxins are just bananas, what about strawberries, apples, carrots, lettuce!!! We wonder why our children are hitting puberty sooner and why Cancer is running around like a Terrorist!! We can change our lives and our children's by distilling healthy eating habits in us now!!

If you can't buy ALL Organic, here is a list of FRUITS from Highest to Lowest Pesticide Load:

• Peaches
• Apples
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Grapes
• Pears
• Raspberries
• Plums
• Oranges
• Tangerine
• Cantaloupe
• Lemon
• Honeydew
• Grapefruit
• Watermelon 
• Blueberries

VEGETABLES from Highest to Lowest Pesticide Load:

• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Green Beans
• Hot Peppers
• Cucumbers
• Cauliflower
• Mushrooms
• Winter Squash
• Tomatoes
• Sweet Potatoes

As far as MEAT goes, I would recommend getting meat from a farmer who raises their cows free of antibiotics, no added hormones or human growth hormones. These animals are typically raised more ethically and humanely as well.

My curiosity sparked with a single banana and it led to so much more! I'm grateful that I purchased that banana and I cannot envision buying another non-organic fruit or feeding it to the ones God has entrusted me to take care of!! Some things, I won't be able to help, but this I can!!

Now that you know, what are you going to do??

Homeschooling Fun with Homemade Puffy Paint

Homeschooling holds a very special place in my heart. I love the moments of Ahaa! I love being able to spend time with my children and actually raise them. I love seeing improvements in their school work. I love that my kids know that whole milk makes better art than skim milk. I love seeing the look on their faces as their artwork comes out of the microwave! I love that my kids have a relationship with our mailman, water guy, Fed Ex and trash people. I love that we go on atleast three field trips per month and my kids are seeing the world around them. I love homeschooling my family!

Today was another fun experimental journey. We created puffy paint. I have had this recipe for quite some time. (Not sure where I got it from) I didn't have the ingredients as marked below, but thought I would try it anyways. I used all-purpose flour instead of self-rising flour, but it still worked nicely (not as nice, but still rised enough to make my kids grin from ear to ear).

Today myself and my kiddos created some puffy art!


It is really quite a simple recipe...and fun, too!

Ingredients for Puffy Paint:

--> 1T Self-Rising Flour
--> 1T Salt
--> 1 1/2 T water (just enough to make a paste)
--> Food coloring of your choice (just a few drops will do it)

Mix the flour, salt and water until it forms a paste. Too much water will make it watery and project will not turn out puffy! After mixed, put in food coloring until desired color. Paint your pictures as you normally would, then place each piece of artwork in the microwave for 45 seconds.

As you see in the picture above, I put each color in it's own bowl with it's own paint brush. I like this idea because the glass bowls all have lids and I can store them for a couple of days to use. They just loved the texture.



Painting with my children and teaching my oldest son his Roman Numerals today has been amazingly peaceful. I know that my children are really looking forward to tomorrow's craft...Flubber :)

Do you have any recipes to share? I would love to hear them...and try them, too!

I did splurge...$1.00 for a Moolatte

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moth and dust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." ~Matthew 6:19-21

The above verse was what I woke up to this morning. God didn't stop there, He had more in store...

I normally don't watch a lot of tv, but this afternoon I flipped it on and it happened to be on Fox where The Desperate Housewives of Orange County was on. I watched it for about 10 minutes before I could no longer stand to see it. Here's what I witnessed...

A lady was having a birthday party on a private ship which her husband rented for her and had all of her friends as well. They were giving gifts as I witnessed her opening the gift from her husband...to my surprise it was a Rolex, but not a simple, ordinary Rolex... No, this one was laced with diamonds around the band, inside and out of the face, etc. Of course the price was announced and it cost over $40,000.00. This one was to replace her previous Rolex which "just" had diamonds on the face...

I couldn't help but think throughout that conversation, with looks from friends of jealousy and excitement that I felt bad for them. I mean $40,000.00 on a watch...

I'm not saying that I don't splurge, I mean I did just buy Velveeta shells n cheese and a shirt from the clearance rack at Old Navy, and a Moolatte at DQ for $1.00...Haha. It was Mocha flavored in case you're wondering.

I just find it SO important that we think about our money before we use it in a senseless manner. If all you're doing is thinking or worrying about money, that's a sign that it has control over you. Money itself is not sinful in nature, but what we choose to do with it can be. I'm not perfect in this by no means, there are many things that I purchase that I could live without. I do, however, find it important to enjoy a little something here and there. God gave us money to do good. What we give is because of Him that we're able. Just because you have the money, doesn't make what you're spending it on "right"...just a thought.

As part of homeschool we designate a finance lesson once a week and we talk about how we earn money, save it, tithe it, spend it. What its purpose is and what what God intended with it. To see my 6 year old son take all of his "spending" money from his jar, stick it in his pocket and take it to church for offering is one of those teachable moments. It may have been a pile of change, but it was all he had. Reminds me of a story... Teach your kids, its never too early to start!!

I pray that you hear this post with encouragement. Whether you are doing 'all the right thing's financially or have gone off the deep end and spend like theirs no meaning just because you can or maybe you've made the commitment to make wise choices and are still trying. Whatever phase you're in, I hope this blog post gives you just a little more encouragement to make it a little longer. The rewards speak for themselves. If you need help getting started in gaining financial wisdom, visit: for budget forms, saving tips, etc.


"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moth and dust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." ~Matthew 6:19-21