The Intentional Home

Overstock.com Deal

2012-02-25T10:03:00.000-05:00

Here's a great deal! Eversave is offering a $24 voucher to Overstock.com for only $12.

Overstock.com

Spring Savings:$12 for $24 worth of bedding and bath, furniture, décor and more from Overstock.com

You have until Mon, Feb 27, 11:59pm to purchase the voucher

Overstock has great prices and they only charge $2.95 flat rate shipping. Overstock is where we bought out 8 dining room chairs.

Do note that the links above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission. I will always tell you when links are affiliate links as required by the Federal Trade Commission. But do know that I only post about deals/products that I would buy/use personally. I only share what I would be excited to tell my in real life girlfirends about (which many of you are!!)

5 for Friday

2012-02-24T11:16:00.008-05:00

Happy Friday! And what a beautiful Friday this is, wow! Jonathan and Daniel jumped up and down and cheered when I told them they could wear shorts and t-shirts today. I am sitting here now with all our windows open.

It's been a while since I have done a 5 for Friday post; my goal is for this to be a regular feature every Friday. So I am starting back today. Here's 5 things I wanted to share with you:

1. I so want to be a part of The Color Run in Charlotte, NC. I don't run, but it is only a 5K (3.1 miles). I could work up to that since the run isn't until October.

Every kilometer you get doused with a new color. Oh what fun! I love color! What fun pictures these would be to hang on a rec room wall!

Anyone up for forming a team and taking a road trip on October 27? Registration is opening soon. Looks like it is about $30 per person if we form a team. We could take along our hubbys and kids. I'll take your family pic, if you take mine! And if you are not local, they have Color Runs in 20 cities; you can form your own team!

2. On The Intentional Home Facebook page this week, I mentioned that I want to make homemade, natural cleaners and asked if any of you have done so. On Pinterest, I have pinned homemade recipes for Liquid Hand Soap, Tub & Shower Magic, Dishwashing Detergent, Laundry Detergent, and Carpet Stain Remover. I went out this week and got all the ingredients and will make the cleaners this week. And try them out for a week and then let you know if they really do work (I have that post planned for March 8. . yeah, I try to be an intentional blogger too).

So I was excited this morning when I saw Amy's post over at Centsible Saver: What NOT to Buy at the Grocery Store. She says that one way to save even more money is to not buy anything that your grandmother or great-grandmother would not have spent her precious household money on. Such items include paper napkins which I have done, paper cups and bottled water which I have done, and laundry detergent. Amy makes her own laundry detergent too and has the complete cost breakdown on her blog. I am excited to try her recipe and the one I pinned to see what works the best and what is the most economical.

3. Want to make extra money on your kids' clothing?? Want to get some of the finest, gently used clothing from the best children’s specialty shops and boutiques for your own kids? The Monkey Exchange, my sister's upscale children's consignment show is coming up next week: Wed, Feb 29-Friday, March 1. The show is held at North Hills Club Ballroom. Click here for all the shopping details and info about consigning.

4. Easter is April 8 this year! If you are in charge of school Easter Parties, church Sunday School lessons, or just want to be intentional this year about teaching your kids the true meaning of Easter, all my memorable and fun ideas (like the Egg and Spoon Race and Easter Story Crescent Rolls) can he found by HERE.

(a cute button that says Kids & Chores is suppose to go here.

My Anna made it for me but I do not know her picnik username and password.

I'll have to add it when she get home from school.)

5. Next week, every day I will be sharing about Kids & Chores, a 6 day series! I am so excited as I need to refocus on this area of my home, especially with my younger two boys. I would love to know what you would like to see covered. I would love for you to shoot me some questions. I would love for you to share with me what is working and what is not working in your home. This series would be so much more fun with your input and knowing that I am giving you something you really could use in your own intentional home. Leave a comment or shoot me an email.

You got anything you want to share with me or with other intentional women? Shannon emailed me this week letting me know that Kroger has some great deals this week (good til Sat, 2/25). Fuji apples are 77 cents/lb. Carrots are $1 for a 1 lb bag. And there is a Kellogg cereal deal where you combine sales + manufacturer coupons + store coupons +gas card deal. You have anything you want to share? Talk to me about homemade cleaners, Easter activities, The Color Run (have you been?), and Kids & Chores. . I love to hear from you!

Meal Planning & Freezer Cooking Class in Raleigh this Monday

2012-02-23T13:18:00.003-05:00

Come learn how to save money, time, and sanity at my Meal Planning and Freezer Cooking class this Monday, Feb 27.

The class is held in my home in Raleigh from 7-9:15pm. I do not know which I want more of. . money, time, or sanity. What about you?

Not only will you learn how to maximize your savings, but you will learn how to transform that hectic, rushed, stressful dinnertime into a time to come together and connect, a peaceful gathering, a time to bless and enjoy your family and friends. Really!

My goal is for you to go from overwhelmed and frustrated to empowered and confident, to equipped when you hear that question, “What’s for dinner?”

We’ll cover:

-How to inventory your stockpile. I'll take you on a tour of my stockpile. But don't worry, if you are not a couponer and do not have a big stockpile, you will still benefit from this class.

-How to organize the stockpile and shop from it

-Crock Potting, Freezer Cooking, Batch Cooking, Once a Month Cooking

-What freezes and what does not and the best way to wrap food to avoid freezer burn

-How to keep fresh produce from going bad so quickly

-Sale Cycles and more details on that price book (what is the target price you should aim for for certain items)

-And the best part: how to build sweet memories around the dinner table and perhaps a trick or two to get the kids to eat what’s put in front of them. But even if you do not have kids, there will be plenty of “secrets” shared to make your dinner table a fun and special place to gather

I’ll also share:

-My weekly meal planning worksheet and make sure you leave with plenty of copies

-My favorite websites and resources

-Everyday emergency recipes

-Tricks and Tools of the Trade

-And more!!

Here is what others are saying about this Meal Planning & Freezer Cooking Class:

Your planning sheet and grocery store list that I got at the meal planning class have been a huge help for me. I have such a great stockpile of meat that I now cook most of my meals from what I have on hand. These tools have been great! Last month, I was able to save $100 MORE from our grocery budget and I can't wait to see what I save this month! –RB

Just wanted to say thank you for the information shared at the meal planning class last night. I am still trying to process it all but am so excited to be able to implement several of the ideas into my crazy life ASAP. With a 2 ½ year old and 9 month old, I feel very blessed to have this information now because I know that our “stress/ excitement” level is only going to go up as they grow up. -MH

Thank you so much for all you do! Your Deals to Meals class was such an encouragement to me (and to my family!) Not only do I have meals planned for this week (using your easy handout), but I also spent 30 LESS minutes in the grocery store! Thank you so much. I'd recommend this class to anyone! -BC

Thanks so much Su! My husband and I have a 9 month old so I was really interested in all your ideas for kids and trying food. I also liked your ideas for sharing around the dinner table as well. -SK

Thanks for the great class! The meal planning and grocery list worksheets were worth every penny of the class charge. -MR

There is stil room in the class Monday night. Class fee is $20. If you would like to come, just shoot me an email at susoutter {at} bellsouth {dot} com and I will get you on the class list and send you all the details.

I believe this Meal Planning and Freezer Cooking class is even more valuable than my couponing class. Everyone loves to save a buck and our culture values money. Unfortunately, connecting with family and friends over dinner is not high on our culture's priority list. But just like we are different with our grocery shopping, let's be different with how we fill the tummies in our house. You can so do this!!

Are Family Vacations Worth It?

2012-02-22T14:26:00.009-05:00

Super tired kids and hubby are off to school, the washing machine is working hard, a van load of stuff has vomited all over my living room and I am sitting here processing this past weekend, wondering: Are family vacations worth it?

This weekend, we took our annual family snowboarding trip.

Is all that planning, packing, and preparing worth it?

We spent the large part of Saturday morning just making sure all 5 kids had snow pants, gloves, hats, long underwear, boots, and warm socks that fit. Saturday afternoon was spent running to Walmart for a pair of long johns and running to a friends to borrow a pod since kids AND luggage do not both fit in a our Toyota Sienna anymore. And then that night was spent packing bags and coolers and more bags and more coolers and more bags and more bags.

Is the time off work worth it? Is an inbox of a hundred emails and the feeling of being behind worth it? Is all the laundry worth it?

What about the long hours in the car? What about the long hours of kids fighting in the car? I thought family vacations allowed families to connect and bond? Does fighting and me yelling, "No talking for the next 20 minutes!" constitute connecting and bonding?

What about the broken computer screen and the broken handle to the van's trunk? Like a family vacation is not a gigantic expense to begin with. Not only the cost. .but now the inconvenience of having to work on the kids' computer again and having to climb through the van to get things out of the trunk. . .until money and time can be found to fix both.

Sidenote: I did not lose it on either occasion. I was calm. I explained that both were accidents. I explained that both were problems that money could fix. And that we should be thankful that we did not have problems that money could not fix. I told this to the kid who broke the computer screen and the one who broke the trunk handle. . and to myself like 20 times. But I did not scream or lose it. Those of you who read about my snowman Christmas ornaments know what a victory this was for me!

And what about Rob thinking he was still 18 and snowboarding so hard that he passed out and had to spend over an hour in the first aid room with tubes hooked up to his nose? And then Daniel (our adopted 7 year old from Ethiopia) freaking out when he saw Rob pass out and fall because he had already lost one Daddy and was scared he was losing another one? Are these the memories the parenting magazines are talking about when they speak of family vacations?

Taking a family vacation is not easy. The word vacation is suppose to be synonmous with rest and relaxation, right? I honestly think I work harder on family vacations than I do at home. I work hard getting there. I work hard while we are there. And I work hard when we get back.

So are family vacations worth it? Well. . .

Is the time and expense worth it when Jonathan (who stays in the lodge with me while Rob and the 4 older kids snowboard) says to me over and over, "I love you Mom. I like it being just you and me." Oh yes.

Jonathan and I bring crafts and DVDs and books and gummy bears and quarters for the ski lodge's arcade room. Look at that genuine smile and that twinkle in his eyes!

And is the stress and effort worth it to see Daniel's face when he sees snow for the first time? Or when he gets on a ski lift for the first time? Or when he goes down the mountain without falling? Oh yes!

Or what about when we were all walking back to the van after a full day snowboarding and Daniel says out of the blue, "We are the Best Family Ever" and Rob chimes in, "Yeah, we have the best family ever!" And then all the other kids start hollering and yelling, "Soutters!"

Oh yes. Some things are worth the effort and time and expense.
Intentional women know which things are and which things aren't.

I so enjoy browsing all the posts and sharing my posts at the linky parties so generously hosted at:

The Better Mom
Women Living Well
SomeGirl's Website
Joy in this Journey
A Pause on the Path
Serenity Now

Make Money at CVS this Week

2012-02-14T12:31:00.000-05:00

I just made $3.10 buying 8 deodorants at CVS.

Here is the deal if you want to do the same.

Buy 8 Speed Sticks for $1.99. Any Speed Stick or Lady Speed Stick are on sale this week (til Sat, 2/18). See page 10 in the CVS flier.

The total will be $16. Use 4 of the BOGO coupons from the 1/29 SS and that will take $8 off. So your grand total will be $8. Now I used 2 ECBs from last week and got my grand total to $6 plus tax ($6.90). But even if you do not have ECBS from last week, this is a great deal!!

And then I got back $5 ECBs at the register.

But I also sent in the Mail-In-Rebate found in 1/29 SS where you get $5 when you buy $10 in Colgate-Palmolive products in the same transaction. If you need one of these, let me know and I will stick one in the mail to you.

So I spent $6.90 real money and got back $10. So I made $3.10 buying 8 deodorants. If you do not have 2 ECBS from last week, you will sepnd roughly $9 and get back $10. . so make a $1 and get 8 deodorants for free.

I love when you can combine SALE+ COUPON+ DRUGSTORE PROGRAM (like ECBS) + MIR.

BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM

4 BAMS = HOMERUN!

Harris Teeter Super Doubles 2/15-2/21

2012-02-14T09:03:00.003-05:00

Harris Teeter's Super Doubles starts tomorrow, Wed 2/15 thru Tues 2/21!

Super Doubles is when HT doubles coupons with a face value of $1.98 or under. So $1 coupons are worth $2 and $1.50 coupons are worth $3 during Super Doubles.

Here are some deal lists to help you plan your shop:

Centsible Saver

Southern Savers

WRAL's Smart Shopper

And since I just had a coupon class and this may be some readers' first Super Doubles at Harris Teeter, let me repost my Top 10 tips for a Successful Super Doubles Shop. And those of you who have been couponing for a while, let me know if you have any pointers you would add.

1. Super Doubles starts at 7am on Wed. Even at the 24 hour stores, Super Doubles starts at 7am.

2. The policy is 20 coupons per day PER HOUSEHOLD. So no more 2 shops at 2 different stores on the same VIC card, or one on your card and one on your hubby's card (that is if they are both linked to the same phone # and address). HT has changed their computer to allow one shop of 20 coupons per day per household.

3. Remember 3 identical coupons can be used per transaction; just like normal. And only 2 of the exact same INTERNET PRINTABLE coupon can be used per transaction. HT only accepts 2 internet coupons per manufacturer product per visit per day.

4. For you beginners. . don't stress about super doubles too much. There are tons of great deals every day of the week with just regular doubles.

5. I go early the first day of super doubles in order to get the stuff I really want because I know it will be in stock then. I go at 6:40 and I am in line at 7am when the cash registers start super doubling.

6. If you go in expecting that some items will already be gone during super doubles, you won't be too disappointed. But most stores are good at restocking, so ask when they expect to have more of the item in.

7. You do not need a raincheck if the item is out of stock. A raincheck guarantees the sale price, not the fact that they will super double a coupon. So in most cases, it is best to just go back later in the week when it is still super doubles and pick up the item. My store is usually restocked by Sat am. Ask the manager when they expect to be restocked if they are out of an item.

8. I usually do not focus on any deals with coupons that are less than $1 face value. HT will double those coupons on a regular basis so I focus on the $1 and over coupons . . .the ones that wouldn't double normally.

9. The coupons that are $1 off 2 items. . . they sometimes do not multiply right during super doubles. . the coupon multiplies to the full price of one item. So if one item is more than the super double coupon amount, you are ok. But if one item is less than the super double coupon amount, I would not expect it to double. Now you can take your receipt to customer service and explain the above to them and they will give you some money back. . but is that worth the time and hassle, perhaps?

10. Can you use 2 coupons for BOGO items since you are "buying" 2 items? The official policy at HT (now, it has just recently changed) is that you can only use 1 item on BOGO items. But you can easily get around this by only buying one item. . it rings up 1/2 price and then use one coupon. But that is a pain to do so many separate transactions. . . but if your HT is enforcing that rule then that is how you would be able to still get a good deal.

4 Ideas to Help Raise Truly Beautiful Girls

2012-02-09T12:38:00.020-05:00

We watched the below Youtube video as a family last night. This video, part of Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty has been around for a while, so perhaps you have seen it. But it is so worth watching again and reminding yourself of the truth.

If you are reading this post in a reader, click on the title of the post to go to my actual blog to view the video; it's only 1 min, 15 sec long.

Girls today often face mixed messages about themselves. Who are we kidding? We 20, 30, 40 year olds often face mixed messages about ourselves, eh? A truly beautiful preteen, teen, 20, 30, 40 year old doesn't fall prey to society's demands.

Rob and I try hard to be proactive in helping our daughters (who are now 14 and 11) decipher the messages our culture, media, advertising, and even their peers are communicating to them about their value and beauty. One proactive strategy was to watch the YouTube video above.

After watching the video we processed with our kids (the boys too) and let them share their reactions. They were shocked and quickly connected with the power of what they had seen. We asked questions like:

How do you think commercials like this make women feel about themselves and their beauty?
Would you want others to see this video?
What do you think women can learn from this video?
What do you think makes a girl beautiful?

Here are 3 other proactive measures we have taken to raise truly beautiful girls:

1. We (especially Rob) communicate regularly to our girls

You are beautiful. You are a princess. You deserve to be treated well.

from 2010, when my girls were 12 and 9

Most importantly, we communicate that we and God love them very much. We often tell our kids we love them no matter what and that "There is nothing you can do to make Daddy (or Mommy or God) love you less. And there is nothing you can do to make Daddy (or Mommy or God) love you more." We usually say those exact words as we are turning off their lights at bedtime.

Sidenote: My Daniel who we adopted from Ethiopia at 7 years old and has only been home for 7 months was recently in time out. When I went in his room to talk about why he was being punished, I hugged him and said those words in the quotes above. And tears just started flowing from his eyes. Tears of repentance, maybe? Tears of relief, perhaps? Or were they tears that only the truth can bring?

2. When Brooke was 4, I made her this scrapbook page. It is still one of her favorites. My Brooke is my girl who has always had a tendency towards glitter and fashion and high heels and big earrings and still does. . which is all ok as long as she understands that her true beauty and true value lie much deeper which is why I made this reminder for her.

Can you read the quotes on the page? Here they are, they make for some good conversation starters with your kids:

Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important.

Real beauty never tries to draw attention away from someone else.

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who frears the Lord is to be praised.

-Proverbs 31:30

That which is striking and beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful.

I have never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful.

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.

Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

-1Samuel 16:7

Make up and hairstyles can help make you pretty but they can never make you beautiful.

Some people no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty-

they merely move it from their faces to their hearts.

Do you have any favorite quotes on beauty? I'd love to hear them and make another scrapbook page for my girls.

3. I shared my girls' bedroom before and how they wake up to this message on their mirror:

And recently, I found this on Pinterest and want to print it out and frame it or transfer it to a canvas and hang it in my girls' room. Perhaps we can also do that on our Craft Day.

via Pinterest

My oldest is in high school now. Daily Anna comes home with stories of guys talking publicly about girls' bodies. She recently had a guy come up to her in school and try to kiss her. I just listened (horrified inside!) knowing how important it is to let my girl process and give words to her feelings.

After awhile (holding myself back from calling the principal or her Dad), I asked her how that made her feel. And you know what my Anna said? She said, "I'm glad it happened to me, a girl who has enough self-respect to stick up for herself and say no, than it happening to a girl who doesn't feel good about herself and would just let him kiss her."

I was shocked. And right there, thanked God for showing me the fruit of proactive parenting and the fruit of being intentional about raising girls who know where their real value and real beauty come from.

We got this friends. Let's raise a generation of truly beautiful women. Let's raise a generation of men who know and value real beauty. I sure would love to hear your parenting ideas on this subject.

I am sharing this post at the below linky parties. If you are looking for some good reading on similar topics I blog about, click on a link below:

The Better Mom Mondays Link Up
Teach Me Tuesdays/Growing Home's Homemaking Party
Women Living Well Wednesdays
Proverbs 31 Thursdays @ Raising Mighty Arrows
Hearts 4 Home Thursdays at Our Simple Country Life
Thought Provoking Thursdays @ SomeGirl's Website
No Ordinary Blog Hop
Serenity Now's Weekend Reading Link Up

My Lowes Food Super Doubles Shop

2012-02-08T08:59:00.003-05:00

Just got back from Lowes. I was at the one on Strickland at 6am when it opened. I beat the cashier to work. I was the only shopper in the store.

I got all the below for $26.31. I saved $56.23, a savings of 68%. My sister and I like to count the number of items we got and divide that into how much we spent to see what we spent per item. So I got 24 items and my total was $26.31 so I paid about $1.10 per item (the bag of apples counts as 1 item). $1.10 is even less than what a pack of gum normally costs ($1.39).

Here is a breakdown of what I got:

The FREE items were the water, yogurt, gum, and napkins. (You who just took my class last week could go and try to get these items!) I could not find the Eat. Think. Smile. Baked Granola Bars that were supposedly FREE with coupon. Did any of you find these? Do tell me where.

Read more here: http://blogs.newsobserver.com/centsiblesaver/good-deals-list-for-super-doubles-at-lowes-foods#storylink=cpy

The Boca Burgers are on sale this week for $2.99 (usually $4.25) and with the $1/2 coupon you coould get 2 packs for $4, less than what you would normally spend on one pack.

Pink Lady Apples are on sale for 98¢/lb which is a great price. You have to buy them in 5 lb bags so I ended up getting 13 apples for $4.65

The 4 tomatoes were on sale for $1.50 which is a good deal.

The big boxes of General Mill cereals are on sale for $3.49. I bought 3 and used the $1/3 coupon. I also bought the Fiber One cereal for $4.29 (ouch!) and used the 75¢ coupon. So I got 4 boxes of cereal for $11.26 BUT then I also used the $4/4 Lowes Food coupon which is in their flier and got the 4 boxes for $7.46. . so about $.187 a box which since they are big boxes is not too bad. Not a great price though. . .I would only get if you need need cereal or you will be one super hero mom for bringing home Lucky Charms and Cinnamom Toast Crunch (a rarity in our house and a will be gone by this afternoon).

And we just plain needed the banana peppers, bagels (although they were BOGO), and the bananas.

And did you know for each reusable bag you bring in and fill with groceries, Lowes will take 5¢ off your total.

So how did you do? Send me totals and pictures. . or upload them to The Intentional Home Facebook page. Were you impressed with Lowes Food Super Doubles? Are you going to go back and do another shop this week? Or are you going to wait until Harris Teeter's Super Doubles next week? Tell me what you are thinking.

Lowes Food Super Doubles Tomorrow: ALL the Details!

2012-02-06T17:21:00.027-05:00

I posted this on The Intentional Home Facebook page yesterday morning. Have you liked The Intentional Home on Facebook yet? I tend to post time sensitive info there. . also I post there when my days are full and I have little time on the computer. So you may want to go on over and like The Intentional Home?

But here's the news:

Starting tomorrow, Lowes Food will run Super Doubles, Wed 2/8- Tues 2/14. This is the first time ever that Lowes has done Super Doubles. The grocery store business is a competitive one and Lowes is gonna see is Super Doubles helps. There is no word on whether Super Doubles will be a regular thing at Lowes. . . they are going to wait and see how this week goes.

Lowes did put out a Super Double Coupon Policy. The policy is the same as Lowes' normal daily double coupon policy except that instead of 4 indentical coupons, you can only use 3 indentical coupons. So it looks like the same policy we are used to following at Harris Teeter Super Doubles. And speaking of Harris Teeter, Harris Teeter will be running Super Doubles next week, Tues 2/15- Wed 2/21. Should be a fun 2 weeks for us, eh?

So now is the time to get those $1 and $1.50 coupons organized because at Super Doubles coupons with a face value of $1.98 or under. $1 coupons are worth $2 and $1.50 coupons are worth $3 during Super Doubles.

Here are a few deal lists I have found around blogland. Please let me know if you find any other good deal lists that are helpful.

Centsible Saver

WRAL's Smart Shopper

Moola Saving Mom

My Coupon Teacher

Super Doubles at Lowes starts when the doors open tomorrow. For some Lowes that is 6am, for others that is 7am. To find out when your Lowes opens, click here for store hours. And be sure to let me know how you do!

My Favorite Harris Teeter Deals, good til 2/14

2012-02-04T18:20:00.009-05:00

Just got back from Harris Teeter and this weeks' grocery bill was only $52.41. I saved $84.68, a savings of 62%. If you ever need help figuring out the percentage you saved, see this post .

Wanted to share my favorite deals. These deals will be good til Tues, 2/14.

1.Franks Hot Sauce or BBQ Sauce or Buffalo Wing Sauce is on sale for $1.67. Use the 75¢ coupon from 1/22 SS and get a 12 oz. bottle for only 17¢. I bought the Buffalo Sauce (never tried it; I usually get just the hot sauce) so that I could make another batch of CrockPot Buffalo Chicken.

2. Kettle Potato Chips (all kinds. . I got Seat Salt and the Jalapeno) are on sale BOGO so that makes then $1.84. Use the $1 coupon from 1/29 RP and get them for 84¢ a bag. Perfect when all these teenagers descend on my home. When my house is full of teenagers, I always remember:

If your children spend
most of their time
in other people's houses,
you're lucky;
if they all congregate
at your house,
you're blessed.

3. Furmano Tomatoes. . the large 28 oz cans are on sale BOGO so that makes them $1 each. Use the 50/2 coupon from 1/29 RP and get them for 50¢ a can. I have a great Crock Pot chili recipe to share with you that uses a can of these. I will try to share that this week.

So you who took my coupon class this past Tues, you could go try the coupon thing at Harris Teeter and see if you can indeed get 84¢ chips and 50¢ diced or crushed tomatoes. You should have the coupons for these deals since they came out last Sunday.

4. Orville Redenbacher Popcorn is on sale B2G3. So buy 2 at $3.59 a box and get 3 free. So that is $7.18 for 5 boxes, but use 2 of the 75/2 coupons from 1/22 SS and it makes it just 84¢ a box.

5. I wanted to get the Solo Cups but they were out of stock. They are on sale BOGO which makes them $2. Use the 75¢ coupon from 12/4 SS and get a pack of cups for 50¢.

What deals did you get at HT this week??

Random Rumblings

2012-02-02T13:05:00.031-05:00

Just wanted to share with you a few things that are rumbling in my head and heart.

1. I dream of hosting a Craft Weeked like Meg, over at the blog Whatever (which by the way is one of my favorite blogs for crafty inspiration; you gotta go check out the pictures on her blog. Just click one of those 2 links above).

Actually, I do not like to cook or make beds; I like to create. . . so I think I would have an all day craft Saturday. I dream of a group of ladies making their own In This Home paintings

in the perfect color combo for their living room and using their own handwriting

And we would stay up late and create a flock of little fabric birds in all these fun colorful fabrics I have been collecting

and we would make a colorful bunting. . .all those cute crafts I have pinned onto my Crafts for Me to Make Pinterest Board (you can find the source for those birds at that pinterest link).

Would you want to come? A girls' day of paint and mod podge and fabric and color and laughing and creating?

2. It has been 4 months since I have had a Coke.

Sept 29th I stopped drinking my 2 liter a day (I know! Don't say a thing.)

The post over at Small Notebook titled How I Broke a 30 Year Caffeine and Soda Addiction got me thinking. I have had that post bookmarked for over a year and finally did it.

I will have to share more later, but you know, I really do not miss it. I can say that now that I am 4 months in, but those first 10 or so days, I thought there was no way.

3. Rob and I have a date tonight. I am counting down the hours.

My favorite dates are the ones at our house by ourselves where the kids are elsewhere, but those do not come around often. Date nights have become a necessity instead of a luxury, now that the kids are older and stay up just as late as we do now. We budget them in now and try to get a date night on the calendar every other week.

What do ya'll do for date night?

5 for Friday

2012-01-27T07:52:00.025-05:00

Happy Friday! 5 things I want to share with you:

1. There will be 4!! coupon inserts in Sunday's paper. 1 Smart Source, 2 Red Plums, and 1 P&G. You may want to make sure you pick up a few extra copies.

2. In this Sunday's coupon inserts, there will be a coupon for 3 free bagels at Brugger's, good on Feb 9 only in celebration of Bruegger's birthday. Another reason to get a few more copies of this Sunday's paper.
3. My new blog design is almost done. . if you are getting this post in email, click the title of the post to come over and have a look. I hope to take you on a tour next week when all is up and ready. In the meantime, if you find something that does not work for you, please, please let me know so I can get it fixed. My hope is the new design will enable you to find things better. . .like the homemade taco seasoning recipe I get so many emails about. (So now, you would look under the label "Meal Planning", scroll down to "Recipes", and then scroll thru my recipes OR you could just enter "homemade taco seasoning" in the Search Box on the right hand sidebar of my blog).
4. Remember when I posted here about how Purex was giving away 20,000 subscriptions to Better Homes and Gardens? Well, I won! Did any of you win too? The email letting me know I won got sent to my spam folder, so check yours.
5. Last night, I shared about couponing at Bayleaf's Heart to Heart Women's Ministry (do they not have the cutest logo, H2H with the hearts on the H's?). I shared for 30 minutes on 3 myths of couponing, my 3 secrets of couponing, and 3 ways to go deeper and learn more about couponing. The ladies of Bayleaf made the room feel so special. . .each table had a white table cloth and in the center were coupons and play money and then on top of the coupons and play money in the center was either a play cash register or a play shopping cart or a brown bag of groceries or a bank of money. It was sooo cute and built up the excitement. I wish I had brought my camera. I'd love to come to your group if you are ever looking for a speaker.

New Resource for Couponers

2012-01-23T11:04:00.008-05:00

I received an email from a blog reader about a new resource for couponers over at Coupon Mom. I have been wanting something like this for quite a while and now Coupon Mom has it. I just had to share with ya'll.

Coupon Mom has added a new feature where you can type in an item (like "mascara" or "cereal") and it'll show you the best deals across ALL stores in your area for that item!

For instance, I typed in mascara and it showed me that I can get it for $4.49 at CVS or $5.37 at Harris Teeter, etc, etc. but I can also get it for 84¢ at Target.

Some items didn't get any hits which means no store has that item on sale this week.

You can create your own little list (by checking the checkbox next to the item) and then print it or email it to yourself - and it organizes which items are at which stores.

This is a great resource to find out which store has the best deal on the items on your list that you just have to have this week.

Here's how you get to the new feature:

1. Sign in at Coupon Mom; it's free

2. Click "Grocery Deals by State" (in top bar in between "Printable coupons" and "Drugstore Deals/ National Deals")

3. Click "Choose Your State Here"

4. Scroll the list of states and choose NC

5. A box comes up with a choice of choosing your store from a list OR a Search box with the caption to search for items across all stores.

10 Quotes to Inspire You to Be Intentional

2012-01-23T08:25:00.017-05:00

You rarely have time for everything you want in this life,

so you need to make choices.

And hopefully your choices can come from

a deep sense of who you are.

-Mr Rogers

What you are today is what you are becoming.

You are today what you have been becoming.

Each day is a little life, and our whole life is but a day repeated.

If you don't plan your day,

someone else will be happy to plan it for you.

God has a wonderful plan for your life. . .and so does everyone else!
the above orange thru blue quotes are from

Elizabeth George's book A Woman After God's Own Heart

We women have a lot to learn about simplifying our lives.

We have to decide what is important

and then move along at a pace that is comfortable for us.

We have to develop the maturity to stop trying to prove something.
We have to learn to be content with what we are.

-Marjorie Hinckley

ecuted.

How can you hit the target

if you do not know where you are aiming?

Progress is born out of rhythm, routine, regularity….set times.
-Ann Voskamp

Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you to live intentionally?

I'd love to see it and add it to my list.

5 for Tuesday

2012-01-17T08:38:00.011-05:00

Hi! How are you?

This was suppose to be a 5 for Friday post. . .but with kids having 1/2 day on Friday and then no school yesterday, I was not on the computer as much as I wanted to be.

Here's 5 things I want to share with you:

1. Mail In Rebates aka MIR. As I was blog surfing, I found Amanda over at Simple Saving Savvy. It appears every Monday, or every other Monday, she posts a Rebate Roundup.

Her recent rebate post shares how to to get money back for Keebler, Neutrogena, Vicks, Physicians Formula, Science Diet and more.

What a great resource to save even more money. I will be checking in often because Sale + Coupon + MIR means even more savings! than just Sale + Coupon.

2. This weekend, I made this Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken from My Kitchen Apron. A girlfriend sent me the link knowing that I like a good crock pot meal.

picture taken from My Kitchen Apron

I love that this recipe uses only 3 ingredients: 3 lbs chicken breasts, 12 oz. Buffalo Wing Sauce (whatever brand you have in your stockpile), and a package of Ranch Dip mix (the powder). Oh and then later, you add 2 T. butter. You do not even have to defrost the chicken. . you just throw it in frozen. You can check out the full directions here. We served it on sub rolls the first night with a slice of melted cheese and on top of tortilla chips the second night. The kids LOVED it.

3. Classes in my home are finally starting back up. I so enjoy having ya'll in my home. There are 3 classes already on the schedule. Click the title of the class for details if interested and shoot me an email if you want on the class list.

This was a class in my home back in 2009. Those in the picture, you still couponing?

Here are my upcoming classees:

Couponing 101 on Tues, Jan 31 from 7-9pm

Meal Planning & Freezer Cooking on Monday, Feb 27 from 7-9:15pm

Home Organization and Decor on Tues, March 13 from 7-9:30pm

4. I have been preparing a teaching for a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group in Cary. I am so excited. I am going to be sharing the 10 obstacles to running an intentional home and then 10 solutions to those obstacles. . .a new teaching for me!

a reminder I made for a friend to be intentional

I tell you every time I develop a new teaching, I go thru a major learning curve. Most of MY obstacles to running an intentional home are in MY MIND, such as "If I cannot find a solid 2 hour chunk of time to clean the house then I can't do it." Instead of taking advantage of the 15 minutes I do have. Ugh.

I'd love to hear what your biggest obstacle is to running an intentional home. . .I wanna see if I have included it in my list of obstacles and solutions.

5. My Christmas tree is still up. Someone please tell me I am not the only one.

My Favorite Harris Teeter Deals: 1/11-1/17

2012-01-11T22:48:00.003-05:00

Wanted to share my favorite deals at Harris Teeter this week. These deals will be good til Tues, 1/17.

I just got back and I spent $42 and saved $55. I think this week is better deals than last week's Super Doubles.

Here are my 10 favorite deals this week:

1. Bird's Eye Steamfresh Frozen Veggies are on sale BOGO. That makes them $1.24. Use the 50¢ coupon from 1/8 SS and you get them for 24¢ a bag! I use these to make Crockpot Vegetable Soup. . so yummy the kids eat it.

2. Nabisco 100 Calorie Snacks are on sale for $1.49. Use the $2/3 coupon from 1/8 SS and get them for 82¢ a box! That is 6 packages of 100 Calorie Snack Packs for 82¢. That is about 14 cents a bag.

3. Colgate Toothbrushes and Colgate Toothpaste are on sale BOGO so that makes them $1.50 each. Use the 75¢ coupon from 1/1 SS and get them for FREE! Great food pantry donation item.

4. Finish Automatic Dishwasher Detergent is on sale BOGO so that makes them $2.89 a box. Use the 75¢ coupon from 1/8 SS and get it for $1.39 a box. There are also 75¢ coupons inside the boxes. I have gotten it cheaper, but we were almost out so this was a good enough price for me. . .and I have gotten spoiled with these little tablets.

5. Kleenex Cool Touch is on sale BOGO so that makes them $1.30 a box. Use the 50¢ coupon from 1/1 SS and get them for 30¢ a box.

6. Planter Nut Bars are on sale for $2.50. Use the 75¢ coupons from 1/8 SS to make them $1 a box.

7. Smart Balance Peanut Butter is on sale for $2.50. Use the 75¢ q from 1/8 SS to get it for $1 a jar. My HT was out; I am hoping to go back this week and get some.

8. Smart Balance Spray (like Pam) is on sale for $2.50. Use the 75¢ q from 1/8 SS and get it for $1. My HT was out of this too, but should be restocked soon.

9. Starkist Tuna Pouches are on sale for $1. Use the 50¢ coupon from 1/1 RP and you get these for FREE! Great items to donate to the food pantry!!

10. Eat Smart Chips are on sale for $2.50. Use the 75¢ coupon from 1/8 SS and get them for $1 a bag!

Did you see any other good deals at HT this week?? Do tell me!! Cause I am going to go back to stock up again. . . these are great items for the kids' lunch boxes and to give to the food pantry.

My Favorite Harris Teeter Deals: 1/4-1/10

2012-01-05T11:47:00.008-05:00

Harris Teeter's Super Doubles is going on now, Wed 1/4 thru Tues 1/10!

If you missed my post with links to deal lists and a link to tips for a successful super Double Shop, click here.

I went last night and the shelves were stocked. Below are my favorite deals for this week. Deals good til Tues, 1/10:

Smart Balance Milk is on sale for $3. Use the $1.50 q from 11/20 SS and get if for free.

Tampax 20 count are $3.89. Use the $1 q from 1/1 PG to take $2 off and then there is also a $1 evic coupon so that makes the total 89 cents.

Tampax Pearl are on sale for $3.99. Use the $2 q from 1/1 PG and the $2 evic coupon and pay only 99 cents.

Always Pads are $3.79. Use the $1 q from 1/1 PG to take $2 off and then there is also a $1 evic coupon so that makes the total only 79 cents.

If you need help using evic coupons, click here.

Sargento Shredded Cheese is on slae for $2.00. Use the $1/2 q from the Penguin tearpads and you get a bag of shredded cheese for $1 (normally $3.69).

And thanks so much for all the info about my computer. I will continue to compile it all here in the comments section so you can see the advice of others. Looks like I have to get a completely new computer. Ugh.

Harris Teeter Super Doubles 1/4-1/10

2012-01-04T14:14:00.002-05:00

Harris Teeter's Super Doubles is going on now, Wed 1/4 thru Tues 1/10!

Super Doubles is when HT doubles coupons with a face value of $1.98 or under. So $1 coupons are worth $2 and $1.50 coupons are worth $3 during Super Doubles.

If this is your first time shopping Super Doubles, you will want to check out my Top 10 Tips for a Successful Super Double Shop.

Below are some deal lists to help you plan your shop:

Centsible Saver (the new News & Observer blog, taking the place of Taking Stock). I like checking out this list because all the deals Amy lists are deals we can get here in the Triangle. She uses our coupons we get here in the N&O and she uses the prices off our local HT shelves.

The Deal Scoop I like this deal list because you can organize the list by insert, price, or aisle. Also Mary Ellen is from NC so her inserts are mostly like ours.

Are there any other deal lists you find helpful? I know if you google Harris Teeter Super Doubles 1/4, many sites come up. Please share what site has your favorite deal list.

And let me know how you do!! I have not been shopping yet because I have been wrapped up with my computer.

My computer is in the shop; it has a major virus. Oh, so back up your pics and documents on your computer. I did not and am so scared I am going to loose everything. How do ya'll back up your stuff? Just on a flash drive or do you have an external hard drive or do you use some online backing up service. . do share with me. But because my computer is in the shop, I am not online as usual. I am on the kids' computer and I am not fast on it. So just know that. . and know that it may take me a few days to respond to your emails.

Free Fitness Class Tomorrow!

2012-01-03T07:38:00.000-05:00

My computer has a virus. . .so I am on the kids' computer. All my notes and pictures are on my computer and I am not nearly as fast on the kids' computer so that means no new year's posts on the difference between intentions and intentional or why I make my kids write Chirstmas thank you notes or "my word" for 2012. That will all have to wait til my computer gets fixed. . .oh I hope it can be.

But I do have a heads up about a free fitness class to share with you!!

Do you want to start out the 2012 year with a jumpstart to losing weight, toning up, or just improving your health in general??

Come for a FREE fitness class taught by my sister, Jenny McClendon who is liscensed Physical Therapist and has been a fitness instructor and personal trainer for 18 years.

Class is

Wednesday, Jan. 4 from 10:45 - 11:45am
at Hayes Barton Baptist Church Gym (1800 Glenwood Ave)
Bring a water bottle and pair of handweights (if you have them).

All ages and levels welcome! I will be there and trust me, I am at the bottom. But remember we intentional women do not compare ourselves to others. . .this is simply a tool to taking care of ourselves and making ourselves better. The class really is non-intimidating.

And if you like the class, you can then sign up for a 6 week session that starts Monday, Jan. 9. You can pick a Monday or a Wednesday or BOTH. Fee is only $45 for one day, and $90 for the two days (for the whole 6 week session). Or not, no pressure.

Make sure you tell Jenny, you heard about the class from me and The Intentional Home. And sidenote: Jenny is into couponing just as much as I am so she is always up to talking about the latest deals before class!

Hope to see you there!

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-23T14:10:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas from my home to yours.

May Peace reign in our hearts, minds and homes this week.

May we enjoy.

May we have realistic expectations.

May we slow down.

I will not be blogging while Rob and the kids are home.

I will be be back Tues, Jan 3. See you then. Merry Christmas!

Harris Teeter Deals: good til 12/27

2011-12-22T10:13:00.005-05:00

Wanted to share my favorite deals at Harris Teeter this week. These deals will be good til Tues, 12/27.

Here are my 6 favorite deals this week:

1. Vanity Fair Napkins are on sale for $1.99. Use the 65 cents coupon from 10/23 RP and get them for 69 cents!

2. Nabisco Triscuits and Wheat Thins are on sale BOGO so that makes them $1.94. Use the 75/2 q from 11/13 SS and get them for $1.19 a box. Do note you have to buy 2 boxes to use that q.
3. Smart Balance Spreads and Sticks are on sale BOGO. That makes the spreads $1.50. Use the $1/2 q from 11/20 SS and get the spreads for just $1. You have to buy 2 to use that q. The sticks end up being $1.50 and there is a coupon for $1 off the sticks in 11/20 SS making them only 50 cents.

4. Margaret Holmes Canned Vegetables are on sale 5/$5 so $1 a piece. Use the 75/2 coupon from 12/4 SS or December All You magazine and get them for 25 cents a can!! I love to use the Triple Succotash in my Crockpot Vegetable Soup. This is also a great item at a great price to donate to the food pantry.

5. Krunchers Potato Chips are on sale for $2.50. Use the 75 cents coupon from 9/11 SS and get them for only $1!

6. Davidson Eggs are on sale for $2.49. Davidson had sent me some coupons. . I posted about that a while back. So I had a $2 off 2 dozen q makng them only $1.50 a dozen. Good deal if you got mailed that coupon.

Did you see any other good deals at HT this week?? Do tell me!!

Cheap & Good Stocking Stuffers at Rite Aid!!

2011-12-20T19:21:00.002-05:00

Went to Rite Aid tonight to pick up a prescription and did a little shopping! I was so excited about the deals I got. . .great and cheap stocking stuffers!! These deals are good til Sat, 12/24.

Mentos UP2U gum is on sale for $1. Use the $1q from 10/9 SS and get a pack for free. Have 4 coupons, get 4 packs free. Have 10 coupons, get 10 packs free! There is no limit since this is just a sale + coupon transaction. I got 10 packs. . 2 for each kid's stocking. At my Rite Aid, this gum was not at the front of the store; it was on the candy aisle.

Orbit Gum is on sale for $1, but you get $1 UP back so essentially it is free. Limit of 3 packs.

Kleenex is on sale 5/$5 (gotta buy 5) and there is a coupon for 50/3 in the 12/4 SS which makes 5 boxes $4.50 or 90 cents a box. . . not a great deal, but better than $2.29 a box and we were in need.

And then this deal is the one I am super excited about: Arm & Hammer Spinbrushes are on sale BOGO. They are normally $9.49. You have to buy 2. One rings up for $9.49 and one rings up for $0. There is also a UP Rewards deal that when you spend $10, you get $5 +UP Rewards (Limit 4 deals).

SO what I did was buy 8 Spinbrushes/Replacement heads. So $9.49 x 4 = $38. I used 8 of the $1 qs from 12/11 SS and 10/23 SS to get the total down to $30. I got back $15 in UP Rewards since I spent $38 (that is three $10. . so I got three $5 UPs back). These UPs have too be used later but it is really like getting the toothbrushes for $15. And then I will send in the mail-in-rebate that was in the 12/11 SS insert: Buy 8 products, get $10 rebate. So I really got 8 battery toothbrushes for $5. So that is 63 cents a piece!!!!!

I do have one $1 Spinbrush coupon left over and 2 of those rebates (buy 2 products, get back $2 or buy 3 products, get back $3 or buy 5 products, get $5 or buy 8 products, get $10) so if you need a coupon or the rebate form. . email me and you can stop by and pick them up. You will need to do this deal by Saturday. .otherwise I would have snail mailed them to you.

And one more thing. . do not go to the Rite Aid in Sutton Square on Falls of the Neuse. . I bought all their toothbrushes. There are 7 of us. So I bought 7 toothbrushes, one for each of our stockings and one replacement pack. My little boys are gonna love the light up toothbrushes. . .they light up and flash for 2 minutes so when the light goes off they know they can stop brushing.

Did you got to Rite Aid this week? What deals did you get? Let me know if you do go!

Driving around looking at Christmas Lights!

2011-12-19T16:07:00.002-05:00

I have sweet memories of Christmas Eve night driving back home from my grandmother's house (she was in Raleigh too) looking at the Christmas lights and counting Christmas trees. The rule was Dad was not allowed to pull into our driveway until we had counted 100 trees.

Rob's parents for many years used to pile all the grandkids in the van and drive around town looking at Christmas lights. Rob's dad would map put an entire route with the last "light" always being the "HOT NOW" lights of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. This went on for many years until there were too many grandkids to fit in the van.

My neighbor forwarded the above photo to me.
Made me laugh. Do note these are not pics of the addresses I list below.

Do you have sweet memories and traditions that revolve around driving around town looking at Christmas lights? Do tell.

Rob and I plan to take our kids out this week (thanks to all the addresses you sent me which are listed below). As we drive around, we are going to talk about how the lights remind us that Jesus is the Light of the World (comes from John 8:12). And we will also talk about how Jesus wants the Light of Jesus to shine through our hearts to others (Matthew 5:14-16). We will talk about how to do this. Driving in the car, as well as holidays, we have found to be prime time for teachable moments.

Here is the list you Intentional Home blog readers sent in. These addresses are in the Raleigh, NC area:

1. 2216 Abbey Lane, Raleigh 27613 which is in Stonehenge neighborhood in North Raleigh, just off Creedmoor Rd. This one address got sent to me over and over! This guy's lights are choreographed to music that plays on your car radio! The lights turn on at 5pm and turn off at 10pm. Lights last til Dec 26th. There is also a 2nd house practically in sight from 2216 Abbey Lane. This 2nd house is at the end of Abbey Lane on Sleepy Creek Rd.

2. Woodspring neighborhood at Falls of Neuse and Whittington Dr. Drive down the tree lined entry and it is the 1st house on the left. This light display has been tied to a radio station the last few years.

3. Springdale Gardens neighborhood has a competition every year, but the Victorian house on Springdale Drive is always lovely. You can get to it from either Leesville or Strickland.

4. On Christmas Eve, Summerfield North neighborhood off Strickland Rd does a neighborhood luminary display. Lots of house are decorated as well.

5. Lake Myra Christmas Lights, located between Knightdale, NC and Wendell, NC at 6601 - 6605 Lake Myra Rd. Wendell, NC features a light show operated by three neighbors. The entire scene is computer controlled and sychronized to music on 100.1 FM. There are over 150,000 lights, lots of aerial effects including shooting stars,fireworks, and snow machines. Over 100 ground effect displays.

Admission to the light show is free. Lights are on from 6-10pm Sunday - Thursday and 6-11pm on Fri and Sat. Santa is at the show from 7-9pm on Saturdays.

6. Planter's Walk neighborhood. You can park and walk along a trail filled with thousands of beautiful lights. You can see the trail from Clay Hill Drive in Knightdale.

Shannon who is doing the acts of kindness countdown to Christmas day told me that the evening her family goes to look at lights, their act of kindness will be to leave their favorite house treats . . .or maybe a few dollars toward their electric bill! Imagine if we all left a little note and a few dollars thanking the owners of these houses for making our Chirstmas special! Oh how we would give back and make their Christmas special.

And speaking of lights, one of my and Rob's first fights was whether to put colored lights or white lights on the Christmas tree. Oh if we only knew then what we now know after 18 years of marriage :) I'll let you guess which one I wanted and which one we now have :)

if you are getting this post in email or reader, you may want to click the title of this post and come to my actual blog and answer my little poll question:

Do you have white lights or colored lights on your Christmas tree?

Intentional Acts of Christmas Kindness

2011-12-17T23:27:00.004-05:00

I wanted to share with you another fun Christmas idea that imparts to our kids an awareness of others and helps them look for opportunities to help, give, serve, and love.

Shannon shared with me how this year she wanted a more service-minded approach to her family's Advent calendar. Usually Shannon's family's "countdown to Christmas day" consists of an activity of the day. . .something simple like making hot chocolate or something more elaborate like decorating cookies. But this year she wanted activities that were more about others than themselves.

So this year, Shannon's Advent calendar activities were all about sharing small acts of kindness. Shannon numbered envelopes 1 thru 24 and inside each envelope she wrote an "act of kindness activity" that the family does together. . .such as take dinner to a family in need or leave a treat for the mailman.

Shannon shared that she found many of her activities at:

Katherine Maries' blog
Robyn's blog Mix Mingle Glow.
Kristina's blog A Faithful Walk

Shannon also found cute cards you can hand out at the blog tsj photography.

Shannon kept it simple. . .the activities are written on small pieces of paper, tucked in numbered envelopes, and thrown in a " recycled cookie tin that is too rusted to put cookies in" (those are her words, not mine). It is very loosely done, nothing fancy.

And I LOVE that!! Because honestly, I would have gotten too hemmed up scrapbooking and crafting the envelopes and pieces of paper and finding the perfect bowl that I would never have gotten around to actually doing the countdown with my kids. I would have spent all my time making something like this:

from the blog Just a Girl
click here to read last year's post
where I talk about this Advent jar

or this:

from Katherine Marie's blog

Intentional women know what to focus on and know what not to focus on. Intentional women know what to major in. . and know what to minor in. And sometimes I mix those up.

This year, Shannon did not have time to make her countdown list of activities all fancy. Perhaps next year she will upgrade, perhaps not. But either way, Shannon is right on. Her countdown to Christmas does exactly what she wanted. . . helps get her kids' eyes off themselves and onto others (oh that is so hard especially this time of year!!).

Shannon is making Christmas meaningful. And putting the activities in pretty scrapbooked bags, or in a lovely apothecary jar, or in a rusted old cookie tin all accomplish the same goal.

Now Shannon did email and told me that she recommends keeping a secret master list so you know what activity the kids are going to pull out that morning. Nothing like "Take Dinner to a Friend in Need" when you have not done any menu planning. Or "Leave a Treat for Mailman" (thinking you will have your baking done by #15 and you don't) and then having no treats.

All over blogland they are calling this Random Acts of Christmas Kindness (RACK or RAK), but I see nothing random about this at all. It is very intentional. It is a very intentional way to make Christmas mean something more than just presents and sweets and parties.

Tell me how do you help your kids get their eyes off themselves this time of year? Got any ideas to share with us?

The Good Deed Manger = Loving & Serving Others

2011-12-16T11:59:00.001-05:00

Does Santa and the presents and all the parties distract your kids from the real meaning of Christmas?

Does the longer than usual to-do list distract you (like it does me) from the real meaning of Christmas?

If we want to make Christmas meaningful for our children (and us!), we need to be intentional. It take time and planning to keep Jesus in Christmas.

Last year I shared some ideas to help us be intentional about teaching our kids the real reason for Christmas. If you weren't around last year, you may want to check out:

5 ideas to help your children focus on the real meaning of Christmas

7 ideas to help make the nativity the center of Christmas

3 more ideas to draw you closer to the miracle of Christmas

BUT I wanted to share some NEW ideas this year! You blog readers sent me some ideas I have never heard of.

Below is one fun Christmas idea that helps impart to our kids an awareness of others and helps them look for opportunities to serve and love others.

Molly and her kids (ages 7, 6, and 3) are doing a good deeds manger this year which is an idea taken from Audrey Nickel of St Luke's Episcopal Church in Durham, NC.

Molly created a manger by wrapping a shoe box with wrapping paper. If you wanted it to look like a real manger, you could wrap the shoe box with brown construction paper and then use markers to make the paper look like slats of wood (draw lines, knot holes, etc.)

And then beside the manger, there is a bowl of hay/straw. Or if that is too messy for you, you could have a bowl of brown or yellow pipe cleaners (to represent straw).

Every evening at dinner, Molly and her family talk about the good deeds they've done during the day. For every good deed done, a person gets to place a handful of straw (or a few pipe cleaners) in the manger.

This reminds me of how Rob often announces at dinner, "Tomorrow at dinner, we are going to go around the table and answer the question: How did you make Jesus smile today? And you need to come with an answer." Letting your kids know you are gonna ask that question helps them be aware of opportunities to serve and love up on others thruout the day. Mom and Dad have to answer the question too come the following evening.

Same with the straw. . .the kids knowing that they get to put straw in the manger for each good deed they do helps them be aware of opportunities to serve and love up on others. (simple things like saying "Yes, Mam" or clearing the table and putting the dishes in the dishwasher without Mom asking count!!)

One day, Molly and her kids got intentional (there's my word) about this thing and went out looking for ways to love people. They paid for people's coke:

And paid for people's car vacuum:

They returned shopping carts in parking lots:

They picked up trash at the park:

And Molly's little daughter really wanted to buy the Salvation Army man a coke. Molly emailed me and said:

This good deed manger is such a fun and memorable way to seal the business of "doing love" into my children's hearts. The good deed manger has been great this year and we will be doing this every year from now on. This is such an effective tool for putting structure around "love in action".

And then on Christmas Eve, Molly and her kids place baby Jesus in the manger. The soft bed they have built with their good deeds is their gift to Jesus.

Now do not get all bummed that you did not start something like this on Dec 1. You can still do it!! You can do it this week leading up to Christmas. Or me. . .I am just going to wait until school is out and do it Thurs and Friday. Or if this is too much this year, how about pinning it for next year (sidenote: if you need an invite to Pinterest, email me and I will send you one).

We intentional women know that having an imperfect plan in better than having no plan. It is totally ok that we did not start Dec 1. What matters is that we are intentional about sowing truth in our kids' hearts. . that we make Christmas mean something more than just Santa, presents, and parties. . .that we teach our kids how to think of others.

Make sure you come back tomorrow for ANOTHER idea like this that helps impart to our kids an awareness of others and helps them look for opportunities to serve and love others. This post was getting a little long. . so come back tomorrow when I'll share another blog reader's idea.