Prudent Wisdom

About Me ~ The Ice Breaker

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:54:00 +0000

I am;

ME ;-) and no one else!
a very fragile spirit, I can cry at the drop of a hat
a true Sagittarius, just Google it ;-)
a mother of 3 handsome men in training, for God's glorious army of courageous warriors,
a firefighter's wife to my soul mate, the man of my dreams and the hero of our hearts,
a preschool teacher, at our home Church
a follower and lover of Jesus Christ,
a forgiven sinner,
a saint who sins ;-)
a daughter from the 2 greatest parents ever
a sister to my little brother that I love!!
a granddaughter to 4 even greater grandparents
an aunt to many nieces and nephews that are not descendants of my brother
the best friend you will ever have, because I will tell you when those jeans make you look fat
the worst friend you will ever meet because I will be too busy to cook you dinner when you are ill
My name is Dana ;-)

I love blogging and connecting with others but a lot of times it consumes my precious family time, which is why I believe God connects me with those closest to me rather than across the globe. Although I am honestly longing for that pen pal in a far off country. Hopefully one day they will find me ;-)

My hubs and I have had quite the journey in our marriage and love sharing our testimony with others, because through our trials we gained triumph and now have the greatest marriage we never imagined. Because of that we LOVE sharing our journey!!

Our 3 boys are complete gifts from God being that 2 out of the 3 are birth control babies =-0 But I can NOT imagine my life any other way and uncontrollably laugh at the day we (my hubs and I) vowed against having children. Being a parent gives me everything to talk about ;-)

Through this blog you will discover so much more about me from my ~~heroic~~ lifestyle of being a firefighters wife to being fully involved my children's life and the childcare events at our Church. Yet I must warn you I am a spontaneous writer therefore each post is a surprise =0)

None the less I am glad you stopped by and stayed long enough to read about me. I pray you'll come again ;-)

Will I see you at Blissdom?

Momentum

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:09:00 +0000

This weekend was the best and most spiritual weekend I could have ever imagined. I know my last post I relayed how devastated I was not to be at our nephews Navy graduation and though my heart is still sore for not being able to be apart of that, the Lord did more than heal that wound with the experience He gave me instead.

It was experience that I have NEVER experienced before........

Lisa Harper was our speaker during a women's event called Momentum at our Church. If you have never listened to Lisa speak before I totally recommend checking out her website. She is funny, hilarious and speaks directly form the heart. Sharing her story with us was truly inspirational!!

As Lisa was speaking, on the last day of our event, she was sharing with us a vision of dancing with our father, Jesus Christ. As she spoke we were to close our eyes and envision what we think Jesus would look like today...... khakis? polo? button shirt with a suit jacket? crocks? etc..... Then she guided us through the step of looking at his feet and placing ours on top of His, just as a little girl would when she danced with her daddy.

Usually I am looking around around the room, at this point, to see who actually participates in these things but this time I participated =0) with out looking around!

So there I am in my vision, looking down at the feet of Jesus Christ. I imagined them extremely clean being that He has been walking around on the streets of gold instead of the desert sands for quite some time now ;-) Though I can't imagine Him in anything other than sandals, yet I did imagine Him wearing a button up shirt with a suit jacket and a pair of khakis, lol. He was quite handsome and being that He is my daddy we shared the same brown eyes, dark brown hair and He of course still had His trademark beard ;-)

As I approach Him, I place one foot after another on top of His and just as I reach to hold His hand I looked to my right, where I saw Him again, only this time it was not me He is dancing with....

My friend Leslie.

She flips her short red hair around and looks right at me and says "look, look at me, I'm dancing, I'm dancing with our Father" Then she twirls around and around. She is more beautiful than I have ever seen her, she is wearing white, a beautiful very stylish white gown, her smile is brighter than ever and she is glowing, just beaming with happiness. She always had a grand smile and ever so often she would crinkle her nose when she got really excited about something......that is what she did every time she would look my way while dancing with our Father.

I know that it was just a vision, because Leslie passed away less than a month ago, but it was unlike any other vision I had ever imagined. It was so real, I didn't want to open my eyes, so I stood there watching my friend dance with Jesus, our Father, as long as I could. I knew I wasn't going to be able to compose myself much longer and I also knew at that very moment; this is why I wasn't suppose to be in Chicago. This is where I was suppose to be. This is what Jesus wanted me to see.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this day, thank you for blessing this day that you have given us. Thank you for giving me peace with the tragic loss of our sweet Leslie, thank you for giving me the very glimpse of confirmation that this situation was, and is, entirely in your hands and that you have never forsaken any of us during our time of confusion. Dear Lord, I pray that you can bless others the way you have blessed me, especially those that are still struggling, Lord, I pray that you can give them the peace that the are so longing for. Father God, it is only you that can heal such a wound Lord, and I pray that you have mercy on their anguish, heal the broken hearted, binding their wounds, Father God, comfort those that still mourn. Lord, I pray that you show them the joy in your Glory that shines bright on the path that you have paved for those that follow and trust in you.

Lord, again I thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

In Christ name I pray,

AMEN!

Psalms 31:9 O' Lord have mercy on me in my anguish. My eyes are red from weeping;
my health is broken from sorrow.

Psalms 147:3 He heals the broken heartened, binding up their wounds

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted.

John 14:27 I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart! And the peace I give
is not fragile like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid.

John 14:18 No, I will not abandon you or leave you as orphans in the storm-I will come to

you

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble.

Psalms 30:5 Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.

Finding My Bliss

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:27:00 +0000

So in the beginning I was just trying to play along with all of the "EEEEEKKK"ing and "SQUEEELLLL"ing that every other woman on Twitter was tweeting about Blissdom, but now as the time gets closer and I read all these fabulous blogs, the "SQEEEEEEL"ing and "EEEEEEEK"ing are starting to consume me. Yes I have the small blogger syndrome and am not sure if I will fit in this enormous crowd, especially since I am still unsure of my niche.....unless there is a niche category for inconsistency?? <-if that even makes since?

Look around, there is nothing fancy about his place but it is mine ALL MINE and I do take great pride in that =0/ I haven't been here as long as I have been blogging due to the fact I began on Myspace <- does that even exist anymore, lol. Needless to say when I left Myspace (on bad terms) I left blogging =0(

Until some friends of mine mentioned that they missed my posts, which made me feel good =0) but it was those (bad terms) critics that kept me shying away =0( Then a friend of mine begged me to just write about my savings, being that we had 5 kids between us and not enough quiet time to talk about it face to face ;-) So I found Blogger and began to write again, however I was only writing about my savings and I was only worried about my friends not my stats. Yet over time it was like I directed everyone in a different direction, away from here......long story short that isn't my niche, though I LOVE to write about How I Save and will continue to do so ;-) but I want to do more =0/

When I heard about Blissdom (again) I knew this was the opportunity I had been praying about. The opportunity to break out of my shell and begin the write from the heart (again) about me and my thoughts, about what I love, what I have been through and what I am going through. I have tried to walk away from this blog but the Lord has shown me the abilities this blog has in order to allow his glory to shine brighter.

He has introduced me to Amy Gross at Moms Tool Box and Darlene at Time-Warp-Wife who have lead me to many others like Candace Cameron Bure. I know the Lord has lead me to Blissdom and I know that Blissdom will help me find my Bliss and I can't wait to tell you all about it........in less than 2weeks from now, EEEEEKKKK ;-)

It's Official ~ He is a Sailor!!

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:37:00 +0000

I have prayed for this day for almost 2 months now. My son had his hope high for this day and I worried so much about disappointing him. However with deep thought and much prayer by many, I know now that in Tennessee is where I am suppose to stay =0( yet it doesn't make me feel any better.....

Today my precious nephew graduates from Navy training and Oficially become a US Navy Sailor<- still unsure of his politically correct position. GO NAVY!!!

I will never forget when he and his siblings came to stay the weekend with us. He is the oldest of three but that weekend he was the oldest of 4 and being their ages are so far apart, he was bored out of his mind. This was the year that my hubs became a firefighter and our oldest nephew was truly intrigued by that. We lived close to the hospital and it was pretty typical for the family to run to the front yard when we would hear life flight fly over our head.

Just as I was telling my hubs we needed to find something that interested our oldest nephew, we felt the vibration and started to hear the helicopter coming. Immediately my son ran to the door to go to the front yard, the others had no idea what was going on. As I was explaining it to the other little ones, our oldest nephew poured out the questions and lit up like the 4th of July. I looked at my hubs, he looked at me and off they went. To the hospital to watch life flight land.

My hubs came back and was on cloud nine. He said that he had never seen him so excited before. They got close enough to actually see the patient being transported even talked to a few of the paramedics (not from the aircraft though) Our oldest nephew was tickled to death and took great pride in telling the little ones what it was like.

That was the last weekend they stayed with us =0( Ever since that day my hubs and I have prayed over him and have asked God to give him a path of great rewards. He is so amazingly smart and knows just the right questions to ask in order to gain more knowledge about something. We knew that it would have to be with God's guidance to get him to see just how wonderful he was and the extremes he could go to once he realized his own expectations.

Needless to say when we got word he was going into the Navy we were so thrilled and even more so when we learned he was going into the medical field....yep paramedics ;-) Though my hubs has encouraged him to take advantage of the training and take it as far as it well stretch. Last we heard he was changing his interest to Doctrine =0)

We learned all this in December and did what ever we could to save the money to be there on his graduation day. However due to some unforeseen circumstances not only are we not there but I have yet to mail any of the letters I have written him =0( Don't know why but I trust that He does.

So this morning as I sit next to my blue candle I imagine what it would be like to hug him; has he put on more weight? what about those skinny arms? do they now have meat and muscle? what does he look like in his uniform? has he made a lot of friends? does he regret it? is he excited? I so wish I could hear him talk about all that he has been through and what he expects from here on out. What about the ceremony; was it elegant? do they take great pride in what the are doing for these young men? or are they putting on a show? how many people are there? how many are graduating? Oh the agony of not being there =0(

Though regardless of our presence our oldest nephew is now a Navy Sailor and we couldn't be more proud of him!!!!

How I Save ~ Stocking My Reserve

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:25:00 +0000

Several years ago back when the world was coming to an end as we knew it, I learned the importance of having a well stocked pantry. Remember Y2K? Well remember those crazy people that were stocking up on can foods and water? Well, I was on one of those crazy people.....SERIOUSLY!

Not only was my pantry well stocked but so was my attic, my utility room, my garden and my wood shed. I took notes and printed of so many papers on how to live like Grizzly Adams I knew I would survive with my hubs on bare minimum.

Obviously the world did not end on January 1, 2000 but within that month I became pregnant and forgot all about my stockpile. However 5 months later I was put on strict bed rest, due to complications in my pregnancy and was not able to work till well after the pregnancy was over. Still forgetting about my stock.

A month after we brought our bundle of joy home the strain of one income was starting to hurt. My hubs was pushing wrenches in a small town which wasn't a whole lot, our heat was going out and Christmas was just around the corner. I had one more surgery to go before I could go back to work but even then I had already closed my salon =0(

Then my cousin was coming to see me and informed me she wasn't bringing me flowers, she was bringing groceries instead. I broke down in tears because I really wanted flowers but I knew I could no longer hide my struggles from my family. Besides she knew me better than anyone ;-)

While she was there she was teaching me how to buy my meat in bulk and then separate it into portions before putting it into the freezer.As I saw my freezer begin to fill up I remembered my stockpile that was still in my attic. I told you I forgot about it =0/ After my hubs brought down every single box we were able to live off our Y2K stash for 6months. That's right 6 months.

From that day forward I strive to make sure that my pantry is WELL STOCKED. I fail a lot but we never go hungry!

However with so many crazy stockpilers I refuse to use that word any more, instead I would rather call it a Reserve;

Your reserve is basically your store and who doesn't want well stocked store. My reserve is the reason that I buy so many news papers. I buy my items in mass quantity at rock bottom prices while the sale trend is running, so that when the sale ends I am not stuck with buying the items at premium prices. By stocking my reserve I barely run out of things to carry, eliminating frequent runs to the grocery store for "odds and ends".

But The Grocery Game, Inc. does all that math for me ;-)

Sale trends are run by category, therefore it often takes up to 12 weeks to get a well rounded stock pile =0( Most sales go on for 3 weeks at a time and some sale trends are categorized seasonally. Building up an adequate reserve takes time and will only happen over period of time being that not every item will be on both reserve and need lists for your family at the same time. Which then leads to the very reason to stockpile coupons.

Collecting an abundant amount of coupons allows me to stock my reserve more efficiently, allowing me to donate more than I ever have before to food organizations such as our Church food pantry, school activities and most of all families that I know personally whom are struggling. In accordance to an officiant Reserve you should have 1 item per family member. Buying at rock bottom prices allows me to buy for each of my family members and 1 to donate, hence the reason for 6 newspapers. Being that I have a family of 5 I buy 6 newspapers a week giving me 1 coupon per family member and 1 to donate.

**This is also the most frugal way to achieve an adequately stocked reserve rather than running to your local warehouse stores buying in gigantic bulk.

Some things to consider

The size of your stock pile and the amount of space you are able to provide for your reserve. Places include empty cabinets, pantries closets and or even basement/attic spaces. This may not be such an issue in the beginning but as your stock pile grows your space will also shrink. BUT DON'T OVER DO IT!!

The types of items your family will use, paper products, cleaning products and non expiring products are obvious yet foods with expiration dates can be more difficult. Consider your family's eating habits, will the 20 boxes of Cheerios purchased be eaten before they expire or will rule of thumb be more officiant (1 per family member)? Although this can be an issue in which you are able to be more generous and donate soon to expire items before the official expiration date, or in my case I usually give as eatable gifts ;-)

**WARNING**

Stocking your reserve can become addicting to some therefor you must set limits in being true to yourself and respectful to your family! Remember if you become overstocked simply donate or even produce a "care giving" basket for a loved one. Don't over do it!!!!

I mentioned earlier a "need" list and a "reserve" list; to get started on your own reserve you can not start blind or your family will starve until you get stocked. Therefore you must have a "need" list that contains all your necessities for your family (enough to get you by) and a "reserve" list that contains items at a rock bottom price(for instance less than $5). Set yourself a strict budget and then separate it into 2 categories; category 1-Need List and category 2-Reserve List. Once your reserve starts taking shape you will notice your need list getting shorter and shorter =0) Eventually you will be able to set your weekly menus out of your reserve rather than running to the store last minute.

And that is How I save =0)

......Continued

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:40:00 +0000

Well......Yesterday I told you about my ambition for attending Blissdom this year, along with all the praying and hoping it was where I am suppose to be. I also confessed my silly antics I mimicked in order to coincide with wishful thinking =0/

Today I am able to continue the post with this announcement..................

I AM BLISSDOM BOUND!!!!!!

Yep that is right, it has all worked out to where I am able to attend Blissdom this year, right in my own home town. Yet I am still looking for a sponsor =0(

I AM SOOOO EXCITED!!!

Did I mention I am excited??? This will be my first blogging conference =0)

Why am I sharing this with you? Because I expect this conference to answer all my blogging questions I have had, to encourage me to stick with this awesome, yet therapeutic hobby and to show me how to make Prudent Wisdom more than a hobby. Making it more enjoyable for you to read and worth sharing with your friends.

Thank you so much to all of you that have stuck with me from the beginning, you have come through so many changes with me and I appreciate you, as I do all my readers, however more changes are to come ;-)

So sit back and watch my Bliss unfold =0)

There's No Place Like Blissdom....

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:02:00 +0000

There's no place like Blissdom, there's no place like Blissdom, there's no place like Blissdom, there's no place like Blissdom.

Blissdom has been on my radar since the last time they were in Nashville, which I think was only 2 years ago?? Well as you know they are back in Nashville and yet again I didn't think I was going to be able to attend due to financial reasons. That is why I searched for a sponsor and desperately chased #blissdom around the twittersphere, just praying that something would work out.

Today out of desperation I tried twitching my nose like Tabitha Stevens but that didn't work =0( I was starting to feel invisible on Twitter.

So while I was cleaning my house I started to have this conversation with God, trying to figure out what it is He is wanting me to do with this blog being that it is He that has shown me the many things that CAN be done yet I can't quite understand HOW to do it =0/ I just knew Blissdom was my answer......... I started clicking my heals together like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz.............yes my children thought I had lost it ;-)......hoping that would land me a ticket.

Then out of now where I start getting help and encouragement from fellow Blissdom friends. Others were searching for tickets as well helping each other get the word out for everyone. Yep that is the kind of atmosphere I love being in and want to stay in =0) I am so excited to be a part of this stream.

Seems I wasn't invisible after all =0)

TO BE CONTINUED....................(PRAYERFULLY)

How I Save; Click, Print, Go

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:30:00 +0000

Ok, now hold on to your seats because I am about to give you some Crucial, Exciting and VERY important information.....

BUT........

First......

Let me tell you a tidbit about myself, that some of you may not already know =0)

I must confess that.....I.....HATE SHOPPING =0( and when I say hate I mean H-A-T-E. No doubt! I would rather get teeth pulled than to have to actually spend time in a grocery store or a clothing outlet .

I LOVE saving $$$ and I LOVE getting a great deal but I absolutely HATE SHOPPING!!

Make since to you? My hubs either ;-)

However I have a Savings Grace and that Savings Grace is the vital key to how I save so much. This vital key can also help you and I have no doubt that this too can be your Savings Grace.

What am I talking about?

Why The Grocery Game of course ;-)

Have you ever played The Grocery Game or even heard of it??

Well I am about to tell you ALL about it =0)

What is The Grocery Game?

The Grocery game is a fun and exciting site that can help you save 67% or more on your grocery bill each month. It is a web site that posts a list of items at their rock bottom prices at grocery stores in your area matched with manufacture coupons found in most Sunday papers, on the web and even in that store each week. The Grocery Game has an exclusive database that is able to track coupons and sales both advertised and un-advertised.

Does it cost?

Yes it does =0( but not for the first 4 weeks =0) However with the amount of money that I have been saving I am able to include the amount of my Sunday papers each week ($10.50) with the amount of my bi-monthly membership ($20 every 8 weeks) into my total grocery budget and will STILL be saving over 67% on my grocery bill each trip.Therefore it is ABSOLUTELY WORTH EVERY PENNY!! Especially since you don't have to work at it, all you have to do is click, print and go. It's like doing your shopping at home so all you have to do is get it at the store ;-)

How does it work?

First you sign up here at The Grocery Game, Inc. so you can see what I am talking about and then I will explain the rest. If you don't mind I would appreciate it if you use my e-mail address Dana@prudentwisdom.com as your referral. Thanx so much ;-)

Now, when you sign in you will be given 4 weeks free, with in these 4 weeks I recommend that you take advantage of having every list available to you. You will see this option on the top left under Comparison Shopping At, like so

The Grocery game also gives you the ability to price compare your favorite stores, with even more guarantee to be buying your products and the best price available that week.

Once you have the lists you are interested in, you can start clicking the items you want. Once you click the check mark you will then be given the location to find the coupon that matches with that sale item;

**Notice in this pic The Grocery Game is telling you; At Publix General Mills Fiber One Cereal was originally $4.45 but is on sale 2 for $5 and you can find a $.75 coupon in your Smart Source insert from the January 1st newspaper. Being that you can stack coupons at Publix there is a $2 coupon found in their weekly ad, allowing the grand total of this item to be FREE**

(Click for Couponing Lingo)

Just a few pointers....

Be sure you familiarize your self with the rules linked to each store in order to gain the best satisfaction with that grocer. Not all lists are released on the same day, due to different sale dates and to make sure ALL unadvertised deals are accounted for, you can see the dates highlighted on the calender. If your theme is different from mine you can change it to your preference. You can also create filters by clicking Show/Hide....I myself hide everything that doesn't have at least 60% savings ;-) By changing your sorting you can list everything by savings, final amount, or alphabetical order by description<~this is the best way to price compare ;-) Let me know if my color coding helped with the picture below ;-)

How do I make it work?

Well now here comes the easy part...for me. I shop mostly at Kroger's because our Church is involved with the Kroger's Cares Program and that is the only way our budget can make Church Camp work, plus I will eventually show you how to rack up those Gas points ;-) So that is my #1 list, I also pay for the Dollar General list (because of their fabulous $5 off $30 and $5 off $25 that they periodically print out at the end of their receipts) and of course the Publix list (because they have FABULOUS sales. These lists over lap on Tuesdays and Fridays therefore those are my shopping days ;-)

Log in to The Grocery Game, Inc.
I first click on Kroger's and get my grocery list started
then I check with Publix (to check out their deals)
and then I check Dollar General (to check out their deals)
finally I list everything by description to make sure either store doesn't sell an item any cheaper ;-)
click on collect coupons
pull out my binders and start stacking my coupons by store
then I click print
and out the door I go

The hard work is already done before I even get to the store. I have my coupons on hand and my list neatly printed tucked into a small coupon organizer that I keep in my purse at all times. I organize this one by store with a few extra pockets for restaurant coupons ;-)

Now how simple does that sound??? Try out The Grocery Game, Inc. for your self and let me know what you think.

Also if you need a more detailed description about how to navigate on The Grocery Game website comment below and I will be glad to abide ;-)

Next week I'll share how I stock my reserve and donate, donate, DONATE. Donating is the BEST part of saving so much money on your groceries!!

Till then =0)

Congratulations....

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:30:00 +0000

....to Amber P!!!!!

Her entry was the entry drawn for my first give away ;-)

She won my favorite coupon organizers shown here

in my Coupon Organizing Post.

Thank you so much Amber for subscribing to

Prudent Wisdom!!

Resolutions...Declarations ;-)

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 07:24:00 +0000

This year for 2012 I decided not to make the traditional New Year's Resolution list. I was just going to break them anyway, so why bother....right? Well some friends started posting "words" for 2012; basically summing up your resolutions into one word.....REALLY? Yeah, I believe I would still be setting myself up for a let down =0/

Seriously I know me and these things NEVER work. However 2011 was a pretty fantastic year for my hubs and I; we crawled further out of debt without throwing the "D" word around, we became more accountable in our marriage, we found ministry in our hearts that we never knew existed, and we learned that we are not the ones truly in control so there is no need to grip the wheel at all. For nothing in 2011 was planned by me ;-) I fell in love with being a preschool teacher, a childcare provider, a mother of 3 and most of all I fell in love with being a submissive wife. Everything I fell in love with was nothing that I ever liked before.

Therefore rather than make a list of things I want to do I am going to raise my hands and fall willingly for the things He has for me to do. Yet there are some things I feel that the Lord laid on my heart to do that I could have done a little better such as;

Being more of an early bird instead of a night owl; Being a firefighter's wife, it is hard to find that alone time with my hubs. We often find ourselves catching up during late night hours and sometimes it is over a pot of coffee, which I am sure is not healthy. Therefore I am curious as to weather or not having that pot of coffee during breakfast hours, with just the 2 of us, may be better for our health and a better start to our day?
EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE; I will have more on this subject later ;-)
Set a computer time; If I am not catching up with my hubs in the wee hours of the night I am catching up on my blog, blog reading, e-mails, twitter, facebook and etc. Often enough if it is not when the boys are a sleep it is when they are bouncing off my walls which reeks havoc for my parenting skills =-0
Read More!!! I haven't read as much as I use to and I believe it is making me lazy ;-) I tried the whole Chronological Bible thing last year and failed. This year my hubs is coaching me along ;-) Not only do I need to finish that challenge but I need to read up on how to raise a teenage boy AAAHHHHH!!!! Not only will this help me grow closer to the Lord but closer to my oldest son who needs me more and more.
Blog ALL about it; I have said it too many times before, I feel the Lord has laid this blog in my lap to use it as a tool for His Glory. This is the part where I feel that I have failed by not giving it more than I should. Not because I am lazy or have too much to do but because of fear......I will explain this later as well ;-)

Ok that's it, I know looks like a resolution list to you yet I'd rather we call it a....Declaration ;-)

Blissdom'12 Sponsorship Opportunities!

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:46:00 +0000

I am so excited about new opportunities coming up for Prudent Wisdom in 2012. One opportunity in particular is my most favorite of all and that is the Blissdom Conference!!!! I have to shout every time I say it ;-) Surprisingly enough it is going to be held right here in Nashville Tennessee over at the magnificent Opryland Hotel. Being that this conference is here in my home town this year, it would be crazy for me to miss it!!!

However I am seeking sponsorship to help with the cost of attending.

Sponsorship??

Yes, Sponsorship!

Only because it is truly a win-win situation; you help me get to Blissdom, I help you advertise your brand/product. That simple ;-)

Let me first start by explaining WHAT Blissdom is, then I will tell you WHY you should sponsor me, HOW to sponsor me and last but not least WHEN to sponsor because there is a deadline.

What is Blissdom?

Blissdom is an annual blogging/social media conference for women. It is an environment where we are able to go learn, support and encourage each other. Mommmy bloggers, business bloggers, other writers and marketers alike come together in order to gain fresh perspective and cutting edge developments.

Why Should You Sponsor?

Like I stated before sponsorship is a win-win situation. It is a great way to get your brand in font of hundreds of savvy and creative women, as well as readers and subscribers of Prudent Wisdom. Here at Prudent Wisdom alone we have 346 Twitter followers, 111 Facebook fans, 56 subscribers, up to 30 page views a day and we keep growing =0)

How Can You Sponsor?

As a sponsor you will have the opportunity to share in this experience with one of the following packages;

Premium Sponsorship Package-$300

3 months of advertising in the "Sponsors"section located on the right of this post with a 125x125 px button
2 featured blog post
Mentions and links in ALL blog posts related to my Blissdom experience
10 Tweets
5 Facebook posts

Standard Package-$150

2 month of advertising in the "Sponsors" section located to the right of this post with a 125x125 px button
1 featured blog post
Mentions and Links in ALL blog posts related to my Blissdom experience
8 Tweets
3 Facebook posts

You can pay with PayPal or business check. I will of course provide you with a receipt for your own business records.

PLEASE NOTE**Due to Blissdom guidelines there are a few things that are NOT included in either of the packages;

Business cards, flyer and/or product handouts at the conference
A-frame signs, buttons, funny hats or neon signs worn at the conference

However if you have other ideas for sponsorship I'd be happy to hear them ;-) Each product/brand is unique and I'm open to suggestions ;-)

When Should You Contact Me?

Right now!! =0) If you are interested in not only helping Prudent Wisdom grow but reaching your brand/product out to new/potential readers contact me here

To maximize your exposure, sponsorship requests are needed to be in by February 1st

If you have any other questions you can contact me here as well ;-)

***UPDATE ~ Due to the popularity of this conference tickets are now sold out, however I am on a waiting list and am keeping my eyes wide open***

How I Organize and My First Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:35:00 +0000

Today I am going to show you the fastest and easiest way to clip those coupons, especially if there are a lot of inserts.

I separate my booklets together like so
Then one booklet at a time I stack each page in their identical stack
Once all pages are together I start cutting one stack at time, all 6 coupons at once ;-) (Yes I cut out EVERY coupon)
Then I file my coupons like so<<~~ click to see how I organize my coupons

Complete organization is the key!! So once you have read my Coupon Organization post come back to enter my FIRST GIVEAWAY

Go ahead I will wait.......

.................................

OK the inserts that I use for my internet and other manufacture coupon binder they no longer sell =0( or at least I have yet to find anyways.

However I have 5 left that have NEVER been opened!!

And these will be the prize of my FIRST BLOG GIVEAWAY!!!

Just use the widget to enter below and I will announce the winner in my next How I Save post!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank You!

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:59:00 +0000

Thank you for your understanding, prayers and support during my "time out". The past few weeks have been rough but I am making it through and will restart "How I Save" this Monday right where we left off.

See you then ;-)

Time Out!

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 03:40:00 +0000

I apologize but at this time I must take a break from my blog in order to mourn the loss of my very dear friend.

I welcome prayers that you send our way, her family is truly suffering and this week is going to be hard for all of us.

She is survived by her hubs and 2 beautiful children. I will tell you about her magnificent smile at a later time, right now I need to be with my family..

Thank you for your understanding!

Printable Coupons

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:42:00 +0000

Coupons.com

Baby

$5.00 off on any can of Enfagrow Powder

$5.00 off any large tub of Enfamil formula

Books & Magazines

$2.00 off the January issue of Essence magazine

Foods

$0.50 off HORMEL NATURAL CHOICE Deli meat

$1.00 off 2 NABISCO snacks (not single serve)

Health Care

$10.00 off any OneTouch Meter

$2.50 off On Cold-EEZE Cold Remedy ORAL SPRAY

Home Entertainment

$3.00 off Walk the Line on Blu-ray™

$3.00 off Slumdog Millionaire on Blu-ray™

$3.00 off The Last of the Mohicans on Blu-ray™

$3.00 off Independence Day on Blu-ray™

$3.00 off The Usual Suspects on Blu-ray™

$3.00 off I Don't Know How She Does It DVD

$3.00 off Crazy Heart on Blu-ray™

$3.00 off A Fish Called Wanda DVD

$3.00 off Some Like It Hot on Blu-ray™

Household

$1.00 off 2 Green Works products

Personal Care

$1.00 off any (1) LISTERINE Antiseptic Mouthwash

$1.00 off any (1) o.b. product

$1.00 off any LISTERINE for Kids product

$1.00 off any (1) LISTERINE WHITENING Rinse

60% off ALL Frames + 40% off ALL Lenses

$1.00 off any REACH Floss Product

Pet Care

$1.50 off ten cans of Purina ALPO Dog Food

Toys and Games

$5.00 off one CATCH PHRASE OR TABOO

$3.00 off one JENGA or CRANIUM BRAIN BREAKS

$5.00 off one PICTIONARY game Hasbro

RedPlum

SAVE $2.00 on any ONE (1) Garnier Moisturizer

SAVE $3.00 On any ONE (1) Garnier HerbaShine Color Creme

SAVE $1.00 on ANY Beano® Product (30ct. or larger)

SAVE $2.00 on ANY 90ct FiberChoice® product

SAVE $0.75 on any ONE (1) Newman’s Own® Lite Salad Dressing

SAVE $7.00 on NATURE'S BOUNTY® Co Q-10 Ubiquinol

SAVE $1.00 on any TWO (2) PURE PROTEIN® Bars

SAVE $2.00 on any TWO (2) MET-Rx® BIG 100 or Protein Plus® Bars

Collecting Coupons

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Now there are thousands and I do mean thousands of resources you can research in order to attain coupons. You can load digital coupons onto your loyalty cards, print coupons with your home printer and clip coupons from inserts found in your local paper. Here are some of my favorite resources;

Digital Coupons
(you can also visit Kroger.com to load to your Kroger card)

Printable Coupons

Clip-able Coupons

* RED PLUM

* SMART SOURCE

* P&G

*GM (GENERAL MILLS)

A lot of your grocery stores such as

PUBLIX
FOOD LION

have an array of store coupons. Most store coupons are located at the front of the stores as well as inserted in your local papers. Publix, I have found, has the most store coupons; they have a green flyer, a yellow flyer that are distributed once a month found at the front of their stores and often have other store coupon booklets located throughout the store. Their green flyer can also be found monthly in your local paper.

**Note; Store coupons can be used in conjunction with manufacture coupons, this is called stacking.

Once you have your eye out for coupons you will start finding them in more places than you ever imagined. You can find them at your local pharmacies, in the isle at your favorite grocery, in the magazines at your doctor's office, and even printed on the inside of the box of your favorite products.

HOMEWORK

Start collecting your coupons this week from your local papers, register your loyalty cards with the digital websites listed above and start printing your favorite coupons from the websites I have also listed above (I will post the newer coupons as they come out) Then next week I will show you how I organize all this money ;-)

**Note; I only load e-coupons that are over $.75 because the DO NOT double, other wise I only load as I go**

Crayon Initials

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:30:00 +0000

This project was inspired through Pinterest. I have often racked my brain on how anyone could get the crayons so perfect and then, I figured it out! All it takes is 3 easy steps, that is after you get your crayons in order ;-) I bought 5 packs for 5 projects =0) These were Teacher gifts for some very special teachers!

STEP #1

I searched for an easy font I could use with out any frustrations ;-) and added the fancy lettering for the teacher's name, being my handwriting stinks =0(

STEP #2

Breaking the crayons was half the fun ;-) then it was glue~n~paste =0)

STEP #3

Frame your master piece =0)

New Year Printables

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 05:04:00 +0000

Here are some new printables to start your New Year off right ;-)

Reading The Bible Chronologically

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:19:00 +0000

Last year I attempted to read the Bible chronologically using my Chronological Bible but sadly enough I did not succeed in this challenge =0( How ever this is a new year with new challenges and new attempts containing more ambitions than ever before ;-)

I have more support this time around....more technical support that is ;-) I have my Chronological Bible, my Smart phone, YES there is an app for that ;-), my study Bible with this reading plan as my bookmark and my friend Trish who is blogging the journey over at Reading The Bible in 365.

I am super excited that my hubs is on board again this year too!!!

I encourage you to Subscribe to PrudentWisdom.com by Email so that each post is in your inbox at the start of your day ;0)

How I Save

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:44:00 +0000

After sharing my totals from 2011 I got lots of interest on "how I do it", from all over. So I thought I would help you start your New Year of right by reviewing and updating a few of my older posts explaining exactly HOW I DO IT ;-) I am going to share every little secret that I have and explain each step from one to the next, breaking it up into a 4 part series.

This "HOW I SAVE" series is broken up into 4 parts so that as I go, you can also follow. I will be giving you tasks to completely before the next post and this will also give me more availability to answer any questions you may have. Being that this series is titled "How I Save" that is exactly what I will be talking about how I save, there are hundreds of ways you can save money and thousands of data you can collect but I save my way, the way that best works for me. I am positive that this can/will work for you as well, therefore I will be sharing EVERY detail ;-)

I encourage you to Subscribe to PrudentWisdom.com by Email so that each post is in your inbox before you leave for work each morning ;0)

Made With Love~Silhouette

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 07:30:00 +0000

I couldn't necessarily post these things before Christmas, now could I ;-)

I made these silhouettes for our children at preschool as a Christmas gift to their parents. I remember my teachers making one for my mother as a Mother's Day gift when I was in preschool.......oooh soooo many years ago =0/ However Technology has drastically changed the course of this invention with; photo printing ;-)

That is right NO MORE begging the children to be still, forcing them to turn their heads while shining a flash light right on them just so you can trace their shadows with out messing up! All you have to do is take their mug shot instead, lol ;-) Take a picture of your child facing side ways and then print it off onto a regular sheet of paper. Don't use your fancy photo paper and as long as your background is not dark, you don't have to even use color.

After it is printed place your photo on top of an appropriate size of black vinyl (or what ever color you choose) and then trace your child's silhouette with a pen or pencil using a justified amount of pressure. It is as simple as that! ;-) Then cut out your pattern, peel your vinyl and then place your silhouette onto a white paper. In this case I used white foam board from the dollar tree, glued red ribbon around the trim and then added a polka dotted bow as the finishing touch.

TADA =0)

Love Challenge~Day 30

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Today's Challenge:

Lift up grace before his face. Think of at least one thing that you have been "giving signals" over and then have pouted over because he didn't get the signal. Offer him grace. Don't assume he is ignoring the "signal." Go to him and make known the mystery of your will and do it with kindness, not in an accusatory or belittling tone.

Then look for God's hand in a situation that you are not particularly happy to be in. Think of at least one thing that you do for your husband with "a sour attitude" and turn that sour attitude into sweet submission trusting that God's hand is at work in him and in you and in your marriage.

Love Challenge~Day 29

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Today's Challenge: Prepare your husband’s favorite meal with dessert. Set the table nicely and enjoy a wonderful time of fellowship with your husband at the family table. Pull out the best dishes and light a candle! Ask him how his day was. Make eye contact. Surprise him by playing “footsie” with him like when you were dating. Set the mood for the rest of the evening at the dinner table.

Love Challenge~Day 28

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:38:00 +0000

I can not tell you how many times I have heard a couple say that they found each other after reconciling. What I mean by that is after all is forgiven they actually sat down and talked.......talked about their dreams, about their heartaches, about their fears, even their hopes and goals in life. As if they had never met before they learned something new about each all over again.

Just because you have been married for as long as you have been alive doesn't mean that your spouse still has the same dreams he once had. Life changes causing reality to come into practice shifting those wants and needs, those goals and dreams.

Even if you are a newly wed this challenge still pertains to you ;-) Seriously sit down and talk =0)

Today's Challenge:

Find a time in the next week to sit and dream together. Find out what your husband’s dream vacation is, or where he’d love to live someday. Get silly and find out what his super power would be if he could have one. Then find out what his dream evening would be and see if you can plan it for him as a surprise. There’s something amazing about having your spouse fulfill a dream! Whatever you do, take some time to shut out the problems around you and simply dream together.

Better Than PayDay

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 04:00:00 +0000

Well I know that it has been WAY to long since I have posted about my personal grocery savings but I wanted to assure you that I am still saving and pinching my pennies, so much so that tonight I added it all up.

I came across this program from the The Grocery Game, Inc. and have used it my entire savings life. I love it!! All I have to do is enter my OOP and the amount I saved then PRESTO it calculated my cumulative savings/spending for me.

I copied the program several times in order to keep track of each grocery store. Being that I narrowed my running to 2 stores I deleted the others =0/

Here is my Krogers savings;
Groceries valued at $3,167
Actual OOP $2,064
Savings = $1,102

That doesn't look like much but when you add the fact that the totals include GAS AND DIAPERS it looks AMAZING ;-) I didn't really keep up with my gas receipts this year but that will be my goal for next year being that there is even more savings to be included just because I use the gift card system at Krogers ;-)

Here is my Publix savings;
Groceries valued at $1,458
Actual OOP $687
Savings = $771

That looks better but I must admit that I don't shop at Publix anymore only because of my Krogers Cares card, if Publix came up with something like it would become my second home ;-)

My GRAND total looks something like this;

Groceries valued at $4,624
Actual OOP $2,751
Savings = $1,873

WOWZAS!!!!!!

***Remember these totals are for a family of 5 and include Gas, diapers, toiletries and cleaning supplies as well as many donated items***

These totals indicate 3 months I went without grocery shopping. Yep that's right I said 3 months WITHOUT ;-) Through the entire summer the only time I was caught at the grocery store was to purchase milk, bread and the occasional gas cards and diapers =0)

My goal is to save even more, spend even less and gain a more valuable reserve in 2012