tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22720027973380651222024-03-13T15:34:26.559-04:00Borrowed BlessingsBorrowed Blessings is a personal lifestyle blog sharing home renovation & decor, frugal living and faith. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653578495613811133noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272002797338065122.post-81358861707225116342015-10-02T08:45:00.000-04:002015-10-02T08:46:44.280-04:00Yard Sale Price Tag PrintablesEarlier I shared <a href="http://myblessingsareborrowed.blogspot.com/2015/10/keys-to-yard-sale-success-with-free.html" target="_blank">my best yard sale tips for success</a>. I promised to share the custom tags I made with you. When we're tagging, we usually keep all the tags for each size sorted in small ziploc bags. I have also used a small tackle/organizing box {as pictured}. This worked really well for me!<br />
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I am so excited to share these free printable price tags with you! They're super simple - you can use with any paper you want. I usually use colored copy or cardstock paper. You can cut them with scissors or a paper cutter, just eyeball the size. There's also space to write your name if you have multiple people at your sale.<br />
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For the low price points, each amount has its own document {24 tags per page}. This is so you can print more of just the 25 cent tags without having to print more of all the price tags. Tags for $3-$5 are on one sheet because I don't use as many of these. For amounts over $5, I hand write a tag {I don't have many items above $5}. <br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzvBQAc8fnWHVmdZVWV4Z3BlWmM/view?ths=true" target="_blank">25 cents</a><br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzvBQAc8fnWHYWxVbHhfa3VzaXc/view?ths=true" target="_blank">50 cents</a><br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzvBQAc8fnWHelJyLWM2bHFwUFE/view?ths=true" target="_blank">$1</a><br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzvBQAc8fnWHWjVCUmtwUHBQMTA/view?ths=true" target="_blank">$2</a><br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzvBQAc8fnWHZGFIUDNGak9wVVk/view?ths=true" target="_blank">$3-$5</a><br />
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Feel free to use these for your sale and share with your friends! If you're going to share them, just make sure you link back here. Thank you!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653578495613811133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272002797338065122.post-9212514524744336202015-10-01T23:11:00.001-04:002015-10-02T08:46:09.778-04:00Keys to Yard Sale SuccessEvery year at church we have the Parkview Annual{ish} Mega Sale... well, almost every year {hence the "ish" in the sale name}. I've organized the sale for several years and I have many, many years under my belt as a seasoned yard sale shopper. As Michael and I are preparing for our move, we're trying to pare down our unnecessary "stuff" as much as possible. I am a big believer that physical messes create mental messes, and vice versa... but I'm a horrible homemaker. I think it's easier for me to keep my home organized{ish} when I have less of it to worry about. I don't need the mental stress of so much stuff! We have lots of things in our home that are still completely useful, but just don't get used/worn/watched enough to keep them around.<br />
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As I'm prepping everything for the yard sale, I thought I'd share some of my tips for yard sale selling success with you! These will help you be a better seller and make the shopping experience easier for buyers {which means more sales!}.<br />
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<b>1. BEFORE YOU START: Get your mind right.</b><br />
Why are you having a yard sale? Is it just for the extra cash flow? Are your kids outgrowing clothes and toys? Are you cleansing your life of a bad decor phase? It's important to know WHY you're doing what you're doing. Find your motivation and the whole process will be less painful! For more, check out <a href="http://girlfriendsingod.com/operation-purge/" target="_blank">this great devotional from Girlfriends in God</a>. While a sale is an opportunity to make a little cash, it is also a great time to re-evaluate your belongings and re-focus yourself.<br />
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<b>2. PURGING: If you don't love it, don't keep it.</b><br />
Okay, so I know that sounds fairly simple but it can be tough to put into action. Trust me, I feel you.<br />
---That hideous sweater that you bought for that one ugly sweater party three years ago? Get rid of it. Easy peasy. <br />
---That thing that someone gave you that one time that you never use but feel guilty getting rid of? GET RID OF IT. It's not doing them any favors by collecting dust in your house. Set it free and let it bring joy to someone else!<br />
---Those clothes that you might wear once upon a time when you get back to the size you were when you were 17? Yeah, you should get rid of those. And if you do get back down to a smaller size, you can totally sell your larger items and go buy smaller ones.<br />
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You get the point here. If it isn't bringing purpose or joy to your life, why are you keeping it around? {I'm looking at you, backup dish drainer rack. Seriously, who needs a backup dish drainer rack?! Apparently at some point I thought I did. I'm clearly not doing dishes often enough to go through a dish rack very quickly. That bad boy is going to the sale!}<br />
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<b>3. PURGING: Are you reallllyyyy using that?</b><br />
Okay, so I know I just talked about purging but we're going to talk about it some more! One of the most important keys to a successful sale is having plenty of merchandise.<br />
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There are some things that I think I should probably get rid of, but I'm just not ready to get rid of yet. For instance, we have approximately a million plastic storage totes {who doesn't}. Whatever monster steals socks at some houses steals boxes and lids at ours. I have a collection of boxes with no lids and a collection of lids without boxes - but they don't match. How in the world does that happen?! It's easy to use a box without a lid, but what about those random lids that don't have a box? Michael and I put all of the homeless lids in a big black garbage bag with a note that said "Get rid of on September 30". We put said bag in the garage... but then we got busy with the move and all and we haven't gone through the bag to try and find mates. I went by the other day and added "2017" to the end of the note just for kicks. We obviously won't be moving these to the new house though! Setting things aside with a deadline helps us prioritize things we are on the fence about. Hint: If it sits in the plastic bag for a month or 3 months or whatever your deadline is and you haven't gotten it out to use it, that's probably a good sign you should get rid of it!<br />
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<b>4. SORTING: One man's trash is another man's treasure... but some things are really just trash. </b><br />
There are always items I come across when purging that I don't need, but I also really don't want to mess with putting in the sale. When I find 3 random packs of stickers or some old happy meal toys - I mean, yeah there's a chance someone could show up at the sale and want to buy them, but that's a pretty slim chance. Those little, trinkety items that don't hold much value aren't worth my time and effort to tag {and then un-tag if they don't sell}. They go straight to the "donate" pile. Our church collects shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child every November. These trinkety items and random things are great fillers for the shoebox ministry! By the same token, I typically don't mess with much clothing anymore because I don't have as much luck with it. I usually list it on our local buy/sell/trade site or just donate it to a local non-profit. <br />
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<b>5. PLANNING THE SALE: Find some friends!</b><br />
We have found that we get a great turnout at the church with our sale because we get lots of people together. The more sellers you have, the more the word will spread and the more customers you'll get! A central location {rather than just at a house} also provides more draw for customers. Bonus points here if you can work in a way to help a local organization. Like I said, our sale is at the church. Sellers pay $20 for a yard sale booth. All of the booth rental fees go directly to the church's children's and youth ministries {and we all know they can ALWAYS use a little moolah!}. Also, having a multi-family sale means that you can sell AND buy, all in one spot. It's a win-win, obviously {except for how sometimes I spend a good chunk of my profit}.<br />
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<b>6. TAGGING YOUR ITEMS</b><br />
My parents and I always share a booth at our yard sale. That way, Dad is in charge of the checkout which leaves both mom and me free to help customers or other sellers. This means Dad's pocket ends up with money for two different families. We've tried several methods of tagging items, from colored tags to initials on things, you name it. My favorite method used to be printing my own tags on labels. We used to stick these labels directly on items - which you certainly can do! We have found that the address labels don't un-stick very well, though. Our preference now is to print the prices directly on bright paper or construction paper, then attach to items using masking tape {it removes easily}. Each person in our booth uses a different color paper {and our names are on our tags too}. This makes it easy to total each person's money at the end of the day. These custom tags are super handy - I can print however many I need of each price and I don't have to worry about buying a whole package of pre-printed tags just to get more that say 50 cents. <a href="http://myblessingsareborrowed.blogspot.com/2015/10/yard-sale-price-tag-printables.html" target="_blank">Click here for free downloads of our yard sale price tag templates!</a><br />
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<b>7. ADVERTISE YOUR HEART OUT</b><br />
Okay, so the whole making money at the yard sale thing doesn't really work if no one shows up to shop. Word-of-mouth is the cheapest {uh, free} and best advertising around! We have customers that come to the sale every year because they know we have a great group of sellers and a vast supply of items for sale. I also set up a facebook event for the sale. It's a great way to keep in contact with sellers AND amp up excitement before the sale. In addition the the facebook event, I post graphics and advertising on my personal page and invite sellers, shoppers and friends to "share" the advertising. I also post the sale on local buy/sell/trade sites and facebook. Obviously our main tools are free - word of mouth and internet advertising. We will sometimes put an ad in the local paper as well. Make sure to advertise items that people will be interested in - kids items, tools and furniture are all great selling items for us! Here are some examples of advertisements I've used for the sale:<br />
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<b>8. SETTING UP: Organize for your shoppers</b><br />
One of the main reasons I leave sales are because they don't have items priced or organized. If it's difficult for shoppers to figure out your pricing, they won't buy as much. If items aren't priced, people aren't likely to ask for a price. Make sure EVERYTHING has a price. If it's an expensive item, print out a description or write out some details and attach those. An informed shopper is much more likely to purchase items. For the love of all things holy, please don't use colored stickers with a color coded pricing system. Maybe this is just me, but I hate those darn things. My mother will occasionally use the colored pricing system and it drives.me.nuts. {You know the sales where items have colored stickers then you have to find the "key" hanging somewhere that says yellow stickers are 25 cents, blue stickers are $1, etc?} Colored stickers with a pricing system are fine, but for the sake of the shoppers - write the prices on each of the stickers {pretty please}!<br />
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<b>9. AT THE ACTUAL SALE: Preparation is key!</b><br />
Go into the sale with a game plan. Are you willing to wheel and deal? Is it worth it to take less money but get rid of the item? How long are you going to be at the sale? How many snacks will it take to get you through the long day? It's important to have your priorities here - and by that, I am obviously talking about the snacks. We usually eat breakfast before the sale, get drive thru lunch and have snacks on hand throughout the day. It can be tiring wheeling and dealing so make sure you have plenty of nutrition to make it through the day. Caffeine is your friend here. The more prepared you are for questions, pricing, dealing, etc - the more smoothly the sale will go. Make sure you come prepared with plastic bags, change, an apron/change box for your money, etc. {Keep your money on you if possible during the sale. Not everyone is as honest or nice as you and I.} Make it easy for buyers to figure out what to do, where to go, what the prices are, etc.<br />
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<b>10. POST-SALE: "What you gonna do with all that junk, all that junk up in yo' [sale]?"</b><br />
My friends from the Black Eyed Peas have clearly experienced the frustration of the post-sale conundrum. I always go into the sale with the mindset of emotional freedom from the "stuff": it needs to be gone. After the sale, I will go through and pick out items I want to save. These may be things I was on the fence about selling, high-value items, or things I think will sell later {either in another venue or at the next sale}. Probably 90% of the leftover items, though, go away. Most places have someone who will come pick up your yard sale leftovers for free so you don't have to deal with them! Goodwill, AMVETS and local non-profits are great places to start if you are looking for someone to pick up donations. In our small town, we don't have these larger corporations. We do, however, have a group of boy scouts that have a big sale every year. They will come pick up and load your leftovers and make them go away. We love helping them out and it saves us from having to haul the leftover items anywhere! If I have any high-quality clothing items left, I'll pull those and put them aside for our local clothing ministry. Most of the rest of the stuff just goes to Goodwill {or a similar store} because it's easy to take it all to one place. MAKE SURE YOU TRACK WHAT YOU DONATE! Any items you donate to a non-profit organization are tax deductible! I like to take pictures of my donation so I can remember better what I sent {I make a list as well}.<br />
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<i>AAAANNNND a bonus tip for you from my fabulous mother....</i><br />
<b>11. Have a drink and an advil before the sale starts!</b><br />
Actually, come to think of it - that's probably a good idea before you start purging, sorting and pricing items as well. {This tip is hilarious because it's actually probably fairly useful... but moreso because my mother doesn't touch alcohol, but her advice is to start drinking. Touche, mama dearest... touche.}Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653578495613811133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272002797338065122.post-50498978876329144162015-09-29T22:37:00.001-04:002015-09-29T22:37:49.051-04:00Our $2,500 Wedding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hubby and I have been married just over a year now… we got married on July 4, 2014. We joked that we picked a holiday so neither of us could forget the anniversary… but seriously. Also – how fun is it to have an extra day off work and fireworks every single anniversary?! Score!<br />
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From the day we got engaged to the day of the wedding was 2 months and 3 days {yes, we are certifiably insane, thanks}. We dated for about 4 months before getting engaged… I would not normally suggest that dating/marriage timeline {ha!} but that’s a story for another day. We are both frugal people. Our life goals encompass more than expensive wedding meals and a grand ballroom. When we were planning the wedding, I read that the average couple spends something like $27,000 on their wedding these days. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! That’s just not us. We knew it wasn’t us to spend that kind of dough on one day and it wasn’t us to want some grand soiree. <br />
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We didn’t set a firm dollar amount budget for the wedding… Instead, we tried to keep everything as inexpensive as possible, while still ensuring the wedding experience we dreamed of. If there was an item or activity we really loved, we were certainly willing to splurge on it. If it wasn’t something that made us jump for joy {hello, custom printed napkins?} we gladly struck it from the list or found a frugal alternative.<br />
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I can’t tell you what we spent exactly - I tried to track every penny we spent on the wedding, but when you plan a wedding in 3 months, sometimes every penny doesn’t get tracked. The total cost of the wedding, though, was under $2,500! We also sold some of the décor items after the wedding and made a few hundred dollars back. I think our out of pocket total was probably closer to $2,000.<br />
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Having a frugal wedding means that sometimes you have to think outside the box! It also means you will be doing a LOT of the work yourself. If you’re not comfortable planning, building, scheduling, ordering, etc… this may not be the route for you. I’ve broken down our major expense categories and how we saved money in each. The numbers in each category are rounded up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHKw3yoyHpz-5AGx_4vY3oogBIQNOmm-ACrbzmB3dXDNj60XW1W_7euhha2Q8dkNGJuvMDRroW-jASHaOYf3Spkf5En7TiPp8051LQ2zuG49ZBe-07LTnSQa9VGywH8kzwgI2kZdaX5k/s1600/Wedding+Attire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHKw3yoyHpz-5AGx_4vY3oogBIQNOmm-ACrbzmB3dXDNj60XW1W_7euhha2Q8dkNGJuvMDRroW-jASHaOYf3Spkf5En7TiPp8051LQ2zuG49ZBe-07LTnSQa9VGywH8kzwgI2kZdaX5k/s320/Wedding+Attire.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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ATTIRE {Total spent: $500}<br />
I went to a couple of local bridal shops to try on wedding gowns. Once I found the style I liked, I ordered the gown off eBay. Someone had purchased it new, then never worn it. I got a brand new dress for a fraction of the price! Side note, I also ordered a few cheap {$50 or less} dresses on ebay, but my mom wanted me to have the slightly more expensive new dress {~$200}. A local woman altered my dress so it fit perfectly. I bought the guys’ ties at Kohl’s and Michael’s whole outfit at JC Penney. The groomsmen all wore the tie we bought with jeans and plain dress shirts. The bridesmaids each bought a navy blue dress from wherever they wanted. We had a fairly casual wedding and I’m certainly not a matching-dresses-from-David’s-Bridal kind of bride. I could have saved a little money here by not buying the cheaper dresses at first, but we still didn’t spend $500 total {and I ended up donating the first dresses locally}.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGASTo4wQDIZIax6rnYFF9bNl96QpGtMhd8gasNPtkf1zcb8AXJgktlUEif3BREPn506nLRflv9FzjnzD5Fq4CZXJWeCdcIGiy-MPssbbllVgUrSbUqJhCa1DdBZqq38_C9y3MPeWRI8/s1600/Wedding+Day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGASTo4wQDIZIax6rnYFF9bNl96QpGtMhd8gasNPtkf1zcb8AXJgktlUEif3BREPn506nLRflv9FzjnzD5Fq4CZXJWeCdcIGiy-MPssbbllVgUrSbUqJhCa1DdBZqq38_C9y3MPeWRI8/s320/Wedding+Day.jpg" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the morning of our wedding I believe. Don't leave projects until the day of the wedding. <br />Seriously - what was I thinking?!</td></tr>
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DÉCOR {Total spent: $200}<br />
My mother was a SAINT with the décor. We {and by “we”, I mean SHE} decorated hundreds of glass and tin containers to use as centerpieces and décor around the ceremony and reception. I literally didn’t make a single one. It was fantastic. We bought lots of craft supplies at Hobby Lobby and off local buy/sell/trade sites and made just about everything. The reception tables were covered with brown paper from Menard’s. We used the glass and tin containers, added flameless candles and sat them EVERYWHERE. I was also fortunate enough to borrow some wedding decor from one of my bridesmaids {who got married two weeks before we did}.<br />
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INVITATIONS {$200}<br />
My mom and I made the invitations. We used cardstock from Hobby Lobby. I designed the invitations and inserts. We used twine to tie the reception details to the main invitation. To further save on money, we hand delivered all of the invitations we could. Stamps are expensive, yo!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwnLM-Fim3GlPM3l64O7kAJGaL6ftCwUqHIJJ58TkPdaEvc1q_ycE8UcS28yV-3kKRc27H4JK0p70PUDLc9fCV-Z3yoZR6YPXKdX7hN2qPqNXIuqyKjD6QtOusLKhI1yw4h4YZAcncEro/s1600/Ceremony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwnLM-Fim3GlPM3l64O7kAJGaL6ftCwUqHIJJ58TkPdaEvc1q_ycE8UcS28yV-3kKRc27H4JK0p70PUDLc9fCV-Z3yoZR6YPXKdX7hN2qPqNXIuqyKjD6QtOusLKhI1yw4h4YZAcncEro/s320/Ceremony.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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CEREMONY & RECEPTION LOCATIONS {$450}<br />
We went with local venues for both the ceremony and reception. The ceremony was at our church. We rented a local barn for the reception. It was about a 10 minute drive from the church.<br />
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FOOD {$125}<br />
One of the perks of the reception location was that they let us bring in our own food. We planned our ceremony for 7:30pm so that we didn’t have to serve a meal at the reception. Our immediate family made tons of desserts for the reception. We also had several snacky foods to complete the salty and sweet spread. Honestly, we weren’t missing anything by skipping the meal. Really the only food products we bought were paper goods and beer. Priorities. {And you better believe those napkins were not monogrammed.}<br />
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PHOTOGRAPHY {$425}<br />
My new{ish} sister-in-law Erin is a great photographer! She took our engagement photos, then agreed to shoot the wedding. We definitely saved money over a “professional” here and I loved that we were comfortable with her. She was way more fun than a stranger!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA7sffMxZdJ0-cwoLdPmVENtIcIj69TAauLFfeaDcee2P9ub_QUMtfJjS1GM46Zclr98EbcKam07gFSjeYpgnthqx7DZ9IV-3bX40WqOfxTAgZA-4oBpDJj_P8x3vEuxyWjSdYOa4YF2A/s1600/Friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA7sffMxZdJ0-cwoLdPmVENtIcIj69TAauLFfeaDcee2P9ub_QUMtfJjS1GM46Zclr98EbcKam07gFSjeYpgnthqx7DZ9IV-3bX40WqOfxTAgZA-4oBpDJj_P8x3vEuxyWjSdYOa4YF2A/s640/Friends.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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PEOPLE<br />
I have to take a moment here and point out how much we did NOT do for our wedding. We didn’t order/buy a wedding cake {a friend made it}. We didn’t pay a calligrapher {a friend calligraph-ized our place cards}. We didn’t pay a wedding planner/coordinator {I did all the planning and a friend was the day-of coordinator}. We didn’t buy readymade décor {my mom and I made most of the décor ourselves}. We didn’t hire musicians or a DJ {our family friends are so talented}. I didn’t go to a beauty shop {a friend did my hair}. I didn’t pay a make-up artist {holla to my Mary Kay lady/bestie/MOH}. I didn’t buy an expensive bouquet {my photographer made my bouquet… year, she’s obviously uber talented at… just about everything}. Can you see the trend here? We were able to keep our wedding low budget ONLY through the immense help from our friends and family members! If we didn’t get the chance to say it enough, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for making our day so special! <br />
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<i>If I had our wedding to do over again, I would make a few tweaks.</i><br />
-I would probably start the ceremony a little earlier than 7:30pm {6:30 maybe?}. By the time we got pictures taken and got to the reception, it was pretty late. We had planned to have live music at the reception, but ended up with just the DJ playing. It was a great atmosphere, but I would have enjoyed more time at the reception.<br />
-I would have started pictures earlier in the day. I thought we were starting with plenty of time, but it ended up that we ran out of time and had to cut the time slot for Michael and I’s pictures alone together. We got together with our photographer a few weeks after the wedding and took more pictures of just the two of us. Still, it would have been great to have more photos of just the two of us that day.<br />
-I would take more time off work the week of the wedding to get things ready. I only took off the day of the wedding {a Friday}. I should have taken AT LEAST another full day off work to get things ready. There were little things that didn’t get done that would have been nice.<br />
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That being said, we made such great memories at our wedding! More importantly, it was the start of our marriage. Throughout our engagement {and even on the wedding day}, my mantra was “as long as we end the day married, nothing else matters”. That really kept me focused on the important thing {MARRYING THIS STUD} and helped to minimize my stress levels… I mean, as much as any bride’s stress can be minimized.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVmIaradP3ZgQ6MPMmM4r_KchEji38IjnFzAIzpx8H4W9lNRwIuxc5D_A83bcdFO0L6KlSZOc1BuMJXBWjfIHxa4Vnbyt6rC1fIRezwT9SD-oE3wFlldGmwm0ImzYjEutEzKjGoVoCUM/s1600/Bubbles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVmIaradP3ZgQ6MPMmM4r_KchEji38IjnFzAIzpx8H4W9lNRwIuxc5D_A83bcdFO0L6KlSZOc1BuMJXBWjfIHxa4Vnbyt6rC1fIRezwT9SD-oE3wFlldGmwm0ImzYjEutEzKjGoVoCUM/s400/Bubbles.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am so glad we didn’t do things “just because that’s what people do at weddings”. We truly made the experience our own and I wouldn’t have it any other way! We had some traditional elements and some very non-traditional ones. It was a perfect combination of our personalities and truly ended up being the family-like atmosphere we wanted to share with our guests.<br />
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Looking back, I am so glad we were smart about our finances with the wedding! Our marriage is so much more than a wedding – and I have such special memories from that day {ones that would not have been improved with designer ANYTHING}.<br />
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*Photo credits for the photography here goes to Erin Miller.*Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653578495613811133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272002797338065122.post-59385012427919793392015-09-24T21:40:00.001-04:002015-09-24T22:31:38.510-04:00Rules for dating my son {guest post}My great friend, mentor and Realtor Libby Zeigler recently searched for dating rules for her sons and couldn't find any she liked. Being the creative momma she is, Libby took it upon herself to write some rules to help young women understand the reason for her spiritually grounded {albeit socially backward} dating philosophy. I don't have any kids yet, but I love, love, LOVE the heart that shines through in this article. It is obvious that these parents have put a great amount of love and deep thought into the parameters they have set for their children. I made irresponsible decisions as I teenager that I would gladly take back. Given that I'm not into the whole time travel thing, I pray that my story may shine God's light into the darkness that others may experience. I pray that one day my kids have adults like Libby and her husband Bobby in their lives to support our parenting and boundaries. L & B - you guys are rock stars in my book and proof that strong Christian families are alive and thriving in our often questionable culture. Thank you for sharing this article with the Borrowed Blessings family!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI75DKfpc5mZKh0HFsKHL_5bWXmfZSCD9bOi0VKHutppIh_uLHvDqNGkooRDme-O7RfJ3l5vHvkyHwT8YhzrBFimKM-d_m2BznnA2jExyZw53ni3XOWSfjc1M71q13EwKJiY6GsVgStG0/s1600/Libby+-+Rules+for+dating+my+babies+3b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI75DKfpc5mZKh0HFsKHL_5bWXmfZSCD9bOi0VKHutppIh_uLHvDqNGkooRDme-O7RfJ3l5vHvkyHwT8YhzrBFimKM-d_m2BznnA2jExyZw53ni3XOWSfjc1M71q13EwKJiY6GsVgStG0/s400/Libby+-+Rules+for+dating+my+babies+3b.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
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<b>1. You may not.</b> </div>
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If you are unclear about what this means, let me help: You may NOT date my son. You may NOT think of him as your boyfriend, or refer to yourself as his “girlfriend”. He is NOT your “Hun”, “Boo”, “Sweetie” or anything other than your FRIEND. Don’t even BEGIN to think of uttering the words “Nobody will love you like I do”. . . those words are reserved for the one who carried him in her womb for 9 months, gave birth to him and calls him “Son”. </div>
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<b>2. If you break Rule 1, there are a few things you should be aware of: </b></div>
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*I will find out. </div>
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*I am menopausal, which means I’m a little crazy most of the time. Some days I forget to take my “Let’s Not Kill Anyone Today” pill. You’ve been warned. </div>
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*My son has 2 older sisters who love Jesus, but know how to throw a mean throat punch and are VERY protective of their little brother. You’ve been warned. </div>
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<b>3. If you ARE “The One”: </b></div>
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*You will wait for him until he’s allowed to date – and that’s not going to be until he’s AT LEAST graduated from High School and his father and I are confident in his ability to make solid decisions that honor Jesus and reflect his desire to follow God’s plan for his life. </div>
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*You will NOT encourage him to disobey his parents, sneak around behind our backs and break Rule #1. </div>
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*When the time is right, you will be welcomed into our family with open arms and taught how to throat punch anyone who hurts him. </div>
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*If you are The One, we have been praying for you since our son was born. We will love you as one of our own children. We want ONLY what is best for him, and trust that you do as well. </div>
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*You will get a man who understands what it is to respect authority, patiently wait for God’s best, hasn’t been conditioned to fall in love and then fall out and then fall in love again and then break up and then commit to a girl and then walk away. You will get a man who has a WHOLE heart... not pieces of a heart that’s been broken over and over. You will get a man who can’t wait to experience a lifetime of “FIRSTS” with the ONE he has been waiting for. If you are THE ONE... you will wait... and my son is worth the wait.</div>
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For all my pinterest lovers out there, we also have a graphic to share!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-kNhXdTNK0QYw3zfk5KFAgk7qRIuz-31MFcOqYzqf-YqzYS9upaGTlx277DZ7knZXACxKGDarmWijTK4QbEspKMCK01GFy5FnUONM139yZxT9GTzpieCa67QVfKdWkEuwtozA4Wq0CQ/s1600/Libby+-+Rules+for+dating+my+son+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-kNhXdTNK0QYw3zfk5KFAgk7qRIuz-31MFcOqYzqf-YqzYS9upaGTlx277DZ7knZXACxKGDarmWijTK4QbEspKMCK01GFy5FnUONM139yZxT9GTzpieCa67QVfKdWkEuwtozA4Wq0CQ/s640/Libby+-+Rules+for+dating+my+son+2.jpg" width="516" /></a></div>
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<i>Do you have similar expectations for your kids? Share this great article and make sure to follow me at the top of the page!</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653578495613811133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272002797338065122.post-80981618444114031072015-09-22T15:24:00.003-04:002015-09-23T10:05:39.748-04:00Bargain hunting at Kohl's {with insider secrets and discount code savings!}So, in case you've been living under a rock or haven't visited our blog before, my husband and I are purchasing and renovating our first home. It's super fun... sometimes. The renovation process can be tough at times though {uh, like <a href="http://myblessingsareborrowed.blogspot.com/2015/09/setbacks-perspective.html" target="_blank">when you have to scrape your <i>just</i> stained kitchen cabinets</a>}. I've found that shopping for decor is a fun way to break up the tough moments - and it's a great way to get design ideas! As I'm shopping, I'm trying to only buy the things I really LOVE... we're trying to minimize the amount of <i>stuff</i> in the new house.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJjr-IuSsNq_XKp6dZKgMI71aNjiEO53q4ZZ_QVWyLF8z7qHQ9WzvsNgHdlF5TDVhOZib9q2UWFg0UJZSKlmDi9tmjGo5KwjyuW3H-IxyVpapGsQHUq-B7VV7yxn0mSdMgsehhqSV5DM/s1600/Kohl%2527s+Title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJjr-IuSsNq_XKp6dZKgMI71aNjiEO53q4ZZ_QVWyLF8z7qHQ9WzvsNgHdlF5TDVhOZib9q2UWFg0UJZSKlmDi9tmjGo5KwjyuW3H-IxyVpapGsQHUq-B7VV7yxn0mSdMgsehhqSV5DM/s400/Kohl%2527s+Title.jpg" width="353" /></a></div>
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Kohl's is one of my go-to stores for home decor {and lots of other random things}. Their prices, when matched with coupons, are unbeatable! They are also great about letting you return things even if other stores won't {i.e. you can't find your receipt, you bought the item 10 months ago, etc}. I worked at Kohl's for a few years in college, so I have some insider tips to share with you!</div>
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<b>1. Don't assume things are a good price.</b></div>
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Okay I know I just told you that their prices are unbeatable. The prices are unbeatable, but make sure you shop when those prices are active! Kohl's runs some REALLY good deals, but then they also have some weeks where the prices are not good deals at all. Don't buy something the first time you see it unless you <i>REALLLLLLYYYY </i>love it. Wait it out for the bargain!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV1WQ2DrVAe9xhZniTpMdduBu42LjeF1p4BaoncJFp3TXMuB9Uv7KQJDWOiNM4vZ3T-POB0O0qn0UpveIuEiv3OFbOXJTUZ3OF6xJPBJC5j-Jw2qdpujas2wQx0phSXKlnvbxhKy-8lsg/s1600/Kohl%2527s+Charge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="50" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV1WQ2DrVAe9xhZniTpMdduBu42LjeF1p4BaoncJFp3TXMuB9Uv7KQJDWOiNM4vZ3T-POB0O0qn0UpveIuEiv3OFbOXJTUZ3OF6xJPBJC5j-Jw2qdpujas2wQx0phSXKlnvbxhKy-8lsg/s320/Kohl%2527s+Charge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>2. Apply for a Kohl's charge card!</b></div>
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I am a big fan of all things budget-related by Dave Ramsey... {Dave, if you're reading this please scroll to the next point.} Let me just step out of that Dave Ramsey bubble for a minute, because he does not approve of charge cards. The way to get the <i>best</i> savings at Kohl's is by using their charge card. There are times when you can get equally good deals without one, but typically charge card users get higher percentage discounts. {When I worked there, associates also earned a small bonus for each charge card they got a customer to open. It'll really make your cashier's day if you help them reach their daily goal. This alone is NOT a good reason to apply for the card, but if you're going to apply anyway you might as well help someone's goal!}</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8Ck9xb79BVu5rf6SsbHnEzd8BedKKo2ovuKKmsETYQv0VBs8W5W1aqXt0c5QUoM8FKB6GqecB33O-mHTh_CSWHfPwDlKB0_y_LS7V2ROTwN8hrr6Tu_Xxqv69pO3TjHDypxrzfKYnjM/s1600/Kohl%2527s+App+Deals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8Ck9xb79BVu5rf6SsbHnEzd8BedKKo2ovuKKmsETYQv0VBs8W5W1aqXt0c5QUoM8FKB6GqecB33O-mHTh_CSWHfPwDlKB0_y_LS7V2ROTwN8hrr6Tu_Xxqv69pO3TjHDypxrzfKYnjM/s400/Kohl%2527s+App+Deals.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>3. Use the Kohl's app.</b></div>
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Kohl's puts out LOTS of coupons and coupon codes, so it can be nearly impossible to keep track of them all! When you're ready to shop, open the Kohl's app then check out all the savings under Deals & Coupons! There are TONS of codes here that you may have missed in the huge pile of Kohl's emails. See the graphic above to find the deals on the app.<br />
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<b>4. Sign up for Kohl's emails.</b><br />
Kohl's sends exclusive coupons and discounts to their email members! It's free and easy to sign up. You also get a 15% off coupon when you join {which you can do <a href="http://www.kohls.com/homepage/sale_alert_signup.jsp" target="_blank">here</a>}! This leads me to my next tip....<br />
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<b>5. Use a secondary email address.</b><br />
Kohl's {and other retailers} send a LOT of emails, so I would use a "junk" email for this. If you only have one email address, I suggest setting up a second email address to use for stores and mailing lists. This keeps your primary email from getting clogged up and potentially missing important emails.<br />
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<b>6. Join the Kohl's "Yes 2 You" Rewards program.</b><br />
The rewards program works alongside the charge card and Kohl's email program. You earn points every time you shop (in store and online) then they email you a $5 coupon every time you earn 100 points. Again - don't spend money just to earn their rewards. BUT if you're purchasing an item anyway, you might as well earn some extra rewards! You also get a $5 reward coupon <a href="http://www.kohls.com/feature/rewards.jsp" target="_blank">when you join</a>!<br />
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<b>7. Sign up for text messsages.</b><br />
This is just like the other programs above - another way to get more discounts! Sometimes the email and text coupons are the same, but they sometimes offer a better deal on a different platform. Sign up for all the programs to get the best spread of deals! Text SAVE07 to 54657 to sign up. You also get a 15% off online coupon when you join!<br />
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<b>8. All clearance is not created equal.</b><br />
You might think clearance prices would be the same from store-to-store or online. However, they are NOT! Different stores in the same region price clearance at different times/rates. When I worked at the store in college, we had just opened. Our location always had deeper clearance markdowns than other stores in our area. The stores also typically have much better clearance prices than the website does.<br />
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<b>9. Use all the deals you can!</b><br />
There are some deals you can stack and some you can't. <br />
In store: You can stack as many "dollar off" coupons as you have. This includes Kohl's Cash and deals such as $10 off $30 of kids clothes or $15 off $50 of electronics. You can typically only use ONE percent-off code per transaction.<br />
Online: The website changes how many coupon codes you can use at once. Currently, you can use 4 coupon codes on any one order {including Kohl's Cash codes}. Sometimes at the holidays this number changes.<br />
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<b>10. Use ebates!</b><br />
If you're shopping online, use ebates! It's a completely legitimate way to earn money back on lots of online retailers. I have earned a total lifetime amount of $450 - for real. 450 bones, cash money in my pocket! Ebates also offers extra discount codes. To use ebates, you click through the ebates website to go to Kohl's then shop like normal. Every time you do this, you earn a percentage of your purchase back on ebates {the percentage varies - holidays always have higher percentages!}. Then ebates deposits your quarterly earnings into your paypal account. It's a pretty sweet deal! <a href="http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=tV6lGcpDoGONAVYIEoHChQ%3D%3D&eeid=26471" target="_blank">To sign up for ebates, click here</a>. {Disclosure: This is an affiliate link. I earn rewards for you joining. I wouldn't advise it if it weren't legitimate though. Promise!} Ebates was started in 1999 and has given out almost 19 million dollars in cash back since their inception - daaaang! I also know some people use upromise for cash back into their kids' college funds. I've heard this is a good program, but I have not personally used it.<br />
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<b>11. Online shopping, in store returns.</b><br />
I love online shopping, but returns are a pain in the tookus when you have to pay to mail them back! Kohl's lets you return anything you purchase on their website to any store. I use this regularly when I can't decide between two items on their website - just order both then pick which one you like better in person and return the other!<br />
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<i><b>*****</b></i><i><b>CURRENT KOHL'S DEALS AND PROMOTIONS*****</b></i></div>
Now that you're equipped with all the best shopping tips at Kohl's, I'd love to share some of the current deals with you! I've gotten all of these codes through one of the avenues above {the text message program, ebates, etc}. The deal, expiration date, and promo code for each promotion are listed below. Keep in mind that all of these <i>stack on top of</i> <i>the sale prices!</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.kohls.com/catalog.jsp?N=3000079723&src=AysPbYF8vuM&utm_campaign=329405&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=AysPbYF8vuM&utm_content=7208&utm_term=3&siteID=AysPbYF8vuM-Pfahu9JZhy_VX4rGfyH4YA" target="_blank">Extra 20% off select already reduced items</a> - Expires TOMORROW, 9/23/15 - Promo Code: TICKTOCK<br />
<i>Check out this promo ASAP, it's a 2 day only event! Over FOUR THOUSAND items are reduced plus they get an extra 20% off!</i><br />
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20% off Everything - TODAY ONLY 9/22/15 - LEAVES<br />
15% off $100+ - Exp. 12/31/15 - CATCH15OFF<br />
15% off Nunnbush Footwear - Exp. 10/14/15 - NUNNBUSH15<br />
15% off select Harvest Essentials, Home Decor & Cold-Weather Bedding - Exp. 9/24/15 - HARVEST15<br />
15% off Costumes & Hallowen Merchandise - Exp. 9/23/15 - SPOOKY15<br />
15% off all Seventeen Bedding - Exp. 9/30/15 - SEVENTEEN15<br />
$10 off $30 Women's Juicy Couture Apparel - Exp. 9/23/15 - JUICY10<br />
$10 off $30 Baby & Toddler, Maternity and Baby Gear - Exp. 9/23/15 - BABYSALE10<br />
$10 off $30 Juniors' Suit Separates - Exp. 9/23/15 - WORKWEAR10<br />
Free gift with purchase when you buy: Dream on Me crib, Juicy Couture watch, Escada Joyful fragrance, Guess Girl fragrance, Ermenegildo Zegna UOMO fragrance. {See app "Deals & Coupons" for details.}<br />
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<b>Don't forget your 3% cash back on top of all these deals! <a href="http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=tV6lGcpDoGONAVYIEoHChQ%3D%3D&eeid=26471" target="_blank">Sign up for ebates here!</a></b><br />
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If you enjoyed this information and want to learn more about saving, check out <a href="http://www.myblessingsareborrowed.blogspot.com/2015/09/target-clearance-alert.html" target="_blank">this post about Target's bargains</a>!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653578495613811133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272002797338065122.post-27343641315813044522015-09-18T18:49:00.000-04:002015-09-23T10:04:49.705-04:00How to fence in your yard {a simple, step-by-step guide}You know you love your dogs when.... you spend a sizable amount of money purchasing fencing materials, then spend a ridiculous amount of time building said fence.<br />
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We finished the fenced in backyard last weekend! WOOP WOOP! {Well, practically. We have one more gate to add to the deck, so that doesn't really even count as fence.}<br />
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When we talked about our renovation plans, <strike>we</strike> {I} KNEW we wanted to fence in the backyard, sooner rather than later. Our two furbabies don't have a fenced in yard at our current house so they have to be on the runner to be outside... and that's just no fun! The guys spent 3 days of work on this {1 day with 3 guys, then 2 days of Michael working off and on}. <br />
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<b>1. Shopping.... aka the fun part.... unless your husband is super picky about lumber like mine is.</b><br />
We bought most of the supplies for this project at Lowe's. 2 rolls of chain link fence, 1 box of nails that look like staples {yes, the Lowe's employee will know what you mean when you tell him that's what you need}, 4x4s for posts, 2x4s for gates and around the top of the fence, screws {if you don't have them on hand}, gate hardware, 6" galvanized carriage bolts with flat washers and nuts {ask for help finding these the first time... once you get the hang of their organizing system, it's easy to find the size you need!}, concrete mix.... I think that's it.<br />
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Shopping tip: We picked 12' 2x4s, then had Lowe's cut them in half so they fit in the back of the truck. It was less expensive than two 6' boards - and every little bit counts when you're buying this amount of items! All of your lumber should be treated since it's going outdoors. Also, this is a pretty substantial list. Prepare yourself for a long trip to the hardware store. We spent about 3 hours at Lowe's. {We were getting other supplies as well, but still. It was ridiculous.} And bring the trailer. We debated it, but didn't think we'd end up buying nearly as much as we did. Just bring the trailer.<br />
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<b>2. Mark out posts</b><br />
Measure twice, dig once. Make sure you clear any tree brances that may be in the way, string off your area and make sure your corners are square{ish}.<br />
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<b>3. Dig the holes.</b><br />
My biggest tip on this project? RENT THE STINKIN' AUGER. {An auger is a machine that digs the hole so you don't have to. The one we rented was gas powered and handheld, so you didn't have to connect it to a tractor.} Our local hardware store rents all kinds of goodies, so I started the workday by calling to see if they rented an auger. Thankfully they did! This saved us SO MUCH time and backache for the guys. I think they had fun with the big power tool, too. Most of the holes only took one man to use the auger. They hit rock on one hole and had to use all their muscles together {which makes for a lot of laughter from the wives watching!}.<br />
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<b>4. Add gravel/concrete mix to the holes</b><br />
Once they dug the holes, they added a little gravel to each hole then the posts were placed {the end/corner posts were reinforced with concrete while the other posts were filled in with dirt}. <br />
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<b>5. Put the posts in the holes</b><br />
We went with 4"x4" wood posts. We prefer the look of the wood posts to blend better with our deck. The posts were spaced every 6 feet and buried roughly 2' in the ground.<br />
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<b>6. Attach 2x4s to the posts</b><br />
We had these cut to 6' at Lowe's. Michael trimmed them just a little at the house. They really help make the fence solid.<br />
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<b>7. Attach the fence to the posts</b><br />
After the posts were placed, it was really just a matter of nailing the chain link fence to the posts. This is a 2 man {or woman} job - someone has to stretch/hold the fence while the other one nails it in place. We also attached the fence to the side of the deck at two spots.<br />
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<b>8. Build the gate</b><br />
We built very simple gates - just 2x4s in a rectangle plus chain link material, just like on the other parts of the fence. We used the latches shown for all of the gates. I would NOT recommend them. They're fairly easy to bump and accidentally open {I was sweeping the deck with a broom... the broom bumped the gate at the bottom and the gate opened. Not kidding.}. Michael added a block to ours to secure one of the latches, but we're going to replace the other latches with a more secure option. We'll probably go with a sliding bolt latch... those surely won't bump open!<br />
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<b>9. Add lattice {optional}</b><br />
We had to add lattice along the bottom of the deck... otherwise our little houdinis would go under the deck, out the other side {and probably poop in the neighbor's yard}.<br />
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<b>Total money spent on this project: About $400. </b>{Supplies at Lowe's were about $300 plus $55 to rent the auger and another $20 on last minute items at the local hardware store, then went back and spent a little more again for better gate latches. We opened a Lowe's credit card to save an extra 10% off everything we got that day! We had a truck FULL.} And seriously, with furbabies like this... fencing in the backyard for them is worth every penny!<br />
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<b>Total time spent: Guesstimated 25 man hours</b> {definitely doable in one weekend!}<br />
Day 1: 2 guys all day + 1 guy half day = approx. 20 man hours<br />
Day 2: 1 guy = maybe 5 man hours? {We were working on the deck at the same time so it's a guesstimate}<br />
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This is such an exciting project for us to have finished! One of our dogs is a superstar houdini, so we'll see how long it is before she finds a way to escape. We are all so excited for their new found backyard freedom!<br />
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</script>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653578495613811133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272002797338065122.post-26353567079487917002015-09-15T15:12:00.000-04:002015-09-20T08:53:11.577-04:00Finding God's peace in the midst of life's painI know they say not to cry over spilled milk, but what about crying over scraped cabinets? I haven't shared anything faith-based with you guys lately, but God smacked me in the face with a lesson this weekend and I have really felt it on my heart to share! <br />
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I have been refinishing the kitchen cabinets for our new house. This process has not been a quick one - I started with hours upon hours upon hours of research {ahem, thank you Pinterest}. I cleaned the cabinets {with a few different methods - I really want them to be durable!}, as well as sanded them lightly. Gel stain is all the rage these days, but I couldn't find just the shade I wanted in the gel stain {more on that in another post}. I have ended up using Polyshades, which is stain with polyurethane {a protective coating} already in it. The Polyshades is the color I wanted, but is somewhat finicky to work with - I learned early on that it will leave drips on the backside of the cabinet if you're not suuuuper careful when applying the stain. The first round of staining I did, I didn't know this key fact, so <strike>a few</strike> {LOTS} of the cabinets had atleast a few drips.<br />
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These drips are so much like the sins, guilt and baggage in our lives... I didn't realize when I was working that I was creating such a mess because I couldn't see it at the time. Likewise, there have been times when I made a mess of a situation because I didn't have the forward thinking to see the impact my actions would have.<br />
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I have spent HOURS {and hours and hours} working on these cabinets. I used steel wool and sandpaper to try and remove the small bumps from drips and even tried putting another coat of stain over the top to just cover them up. My mistake was not being cognizant of the fact that the stain was running over the edge. The result was that little bitty pools of stain were forming on the back side, like little stain bubbles. I had learned not to make the mistake, but the result of my mistake was still there. I couldn't make it go away.<br />
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Finally, this weekend - I asked Michael to take a look at the cabinets. He said they looked great but noticed the small mistakes I had made on the first coat of stain. I could tell from his face that he didn't want to hurt my feelings, but that they were noticeable. I had already tried to get rid of this mess and I couldn't do it on my own.<br />
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To really get rid of the mess my mistake created, Michael had to use a scraper. He had to remove the mess as well as some good stuff around it. He had to cut deep to make sure he got all the YUCK out. After he finished scraping, I had to go along and sand that portion of the cabinet before re-staining it with several layers of stain. Finally, the cabinets got fixed... they were healed. The mess wasn't just covered up, but it was revealed and addressed... the cabinets look great now, but it took lots of time and painstaking effort to get there!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQUJc-UIr3wSwgLF19lfuAIGl3HlRDWQ-ouAPgmPI-sY-xC5AZf7GrIJAyJ4bnQyPweqki-SOTU8HviDvo7WTirH3FdI0lU87TF0aZW2UMDe_ob6pWt2xjegehtFWWQxNsuxTpxZwsIQ/s1600/Cabinets+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQUJc-UIr3wSwgLF19lfuAIGl3HlRDWQ-ouAPgmPI-sY-xC5AZf7GrIJAyJ4bnQyPweqki-SOTU8HviDvo7WTirH3FdI0lU87TF0aZW2UMDe_ob6pWt2xjegehtFWWQxNsuxTpxZwsIQ/s640/Cabinets+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As I was working on the cabinets Michael scraped {tears escaping at the utter frustration in the situation}, God really showed His love to me... Have you ever made a mistake and inadvertently messed up, causing yourself or others pain? How often do we carelessly approach situations, knowing the end result may be bad, but continuing on anyway? Whether we knew we were creating a mess with our actions or not, we all carry scars from the sins and heartaches of our pasts. We can try to sand away these scars ourselves... we can try to cover them up {just like I did with the stain}, but the only way for true healing to happen is when God steps in with the scraper. You have the choice to let God in enough to scrape away the pains, the sins, the mistakes of the past - but it is your choice. Pursuing true healing often brings those pains back up to the surface... after all, God has to scrape and scrape and scrape to get rid of all the mess we create. The beauty of the story, though, is that after all that scraping, healing comes! Once God scrapes away our messes, he gets down to the heart of the issue and heals those deep hurts, then re-seals our lives with grace upon grace upon grace. <br />
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It took several coats of stain to re-finish the areas we sanded down, just like God's grace is poured on layer after layer after layer. I've heard the saying "grace upon grace" before but my thought was really - if God is giving you his grace do you need grace upon grace? <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhda9RB4z6-LyUQBsmy9l8D8ThgMG9dCn_zDSUhybFwBLiyzQXivrQtBRWhpifg3b1aHqd1ylNvDWcwalpyZsEH5MjxNyJOb4XpGK2xnCO3s9ST19BFVSW3IhJa6m0hCpTyZI8DM5zz4Wg/s1600/Cabinets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhda9RB4z6-LyUQBsmy9l8D8ThgMG9dCn_zDSUhybFwBLiyzQXivrQtBRWhpifg3b1aHqd1ylNvDWcwalpyZsEH5MjxNyJOb4XpGK2xnCO3s9ST19BFVSW3IhJa6m0hCpTyZI8DM5zz4Wg/s400/Cabinets.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stain upon stain upon stain.</td></tr>
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When you stain a cabinet, it takes several layers of stain to build up the color and the durability of the end product. Putting one layer of stain changes the color of the wood, but it does not produce a finished cabinet. Likewise, one helping of God's grace changes us, but his daily grace upon grace upon grace truly transforms us into beings in HIS likeness.<br />
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If you find yourself frustrated with your progress or your pain, take a moment to put it into perspective. When you step into God's workshop, do so with a prayerful heart, aware of the fact that His healing takes time. This process can be slow; it can be painful; it can seem counterproductive. We may not know just how much scraping it will take to rid our souls of the residue from our actions. True healing and transformation takes grace upon grace upon grace. How incredible that He is willing to invest so much time and love into each of us, scraping and sanding and pouring his grace!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653578495613811133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272002797338065122.post-6658354073235380582015-09-12T00:09:00.001-04:002015-09-23T10:06:19.065-04:00Target clearance {tips to get the best deals}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Normally, I wouldn't be so insistent. However, you need to listen. This is important. Check the bank account, clear out the piggy, go check out Target's clearance section! Before you go, though, make sure you check out my tips and ideas below!</div>
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<b>Tip: Hunt down the deals!</b></div>
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The clearance items were not centrally located when I shopped this week {and they typically aren't}. In some spots, there were end caps or aisles of clearance. The exciting finds {and often the best deals} were still in their normal location. The end caps with clearance are typically at the end of aisles {closer to the exterior of the store}. As you walk down the exterior aisle of the store {so you can see the clearance end caps}, watch the aisles for clearance items! Just look for the red clearance tag like in the photo below.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZTYIjaOFQ33cKXsrtpEf4hV9oZtfgiQg_bXZ2MBkOYhn9MFPlVaKrAp7vqsrp8QjT5bwN8tPkwidh_MhNZM4LonplczaXZDeVwHyf0l8OZdHmwT2IS183QN_vIWtgiJJmPBthnFdotFk/s1600/Clearance+Tags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZTYIjaOFQ33cKXsrtpEf4hV9oZtfgiQg_bXZ2MBkOYhn9MFPlVaKrAp7vqsrp8QjT5bwN8tPkwidh_MhNZM4LonplczaXZDeVwHyf0l8OZdHmwT2IS183QN_vIWtgiJJmPBthnFdotFk/s400/Clearance+Tags.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<b>Tip: Check for further discounts!</b></div>
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Look closely at similar items! Different colors of the exact same item may be priced differently. At Target tonight, there was a 3 tier shelf. In white it was $13.98, but in teal it was $9.98. If you're open to funky colors, you may find a better deal! Also in further discounts - download the Cartwheel app and use it while you're in the store. Cartwheel is an app for electronic Target coupons. I found a laundry basket on clearance {I assume it was tagged because it's a "college" item?}. It was $5 and change on clearance PLUS there was an extra 15% off offer on Cartwheel! {It ended up just over $4!}</div>
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<b>Tip: Think broad categories for seasonal clearance!</b></div>
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You know at the end of the summer there will be school clearance, right? All the normal items - pencils, markers, post it notes will all be marked down to great prices {if they're still available}. There are often lots of items that may be loosely related, but that are also on clearance. For example, many college items are on clearance with the school supplies in early to mid September. I got a great price on a black laundry basket because it was a "college" item. {Don't worry, the basket doesn't know it was a college basket so I think we're good on the self-identity crisis front.} Seriously, dirty clothes are dirty clothes. This wasn't a bright colored, oddly shaped basket. It was a tall-ish, standard size Room Essentials {Target brand} laundry basket. Ring 'er up!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4psl0TRpl4KIP_G1jbuTssJ-sT-QdBZtRYvdSxG1KWGGX6mlBs1JlnwrKwl_1WurNLOccZn7_D9-0Uns7jQmZiJz-QBh3JhoslsQjXsMTqWjhEhyphenhyphen7O2zCvWHcRAMnI4EdTjOrPPV3M0/s1600/Paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4psl0TRpl4KIP_G1jbuTssJ-sT-QdBZtRYvdSxG1KWGGX6mlBs1JlnwrKwl_1WurNLOccZn7_D9-0Uns7jQmZiJz-QBh3JhoslsQjXsMTqWjhEhyphenhyphen7O2zCvWHcRAMnI4EdTjOrPPV3M0/s320/Paint.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>
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I have been to two Target stores in the last 28 hours {for... research}. That's what I told my husband anyway. The stores had slightly different pricing and availability, but overall there are a TON of goodies at great prices! Your stores may {of course} have different items or prices. These pictures and prices are from Greenwood, IN and Columbus, IN. All of the clearance items were 30%-70% off. Some of the current deals I found at Indiana Target stores:</div>
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SCHOOL SUPPLIES<br />
There were some school supplies left at each store.<br />
-Notebooks, highlighters, pencils<br />
-Dry erase boards & markers<br />
-Backpacks & lunchboxes<br />
-Teacher supplies: paint, bulletin board supplies, classroom organization<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HyXZGoAN1yk-BHDQJhZzRH1SnzW5D7dQV5XtbMjhNzlC5_irIlopDBbGsoEwna2qisGKdKsiAhM9Iz2_elCJs-zXjiz2czyx6BPe6FUb0QGxJIHJAs8s3r59nXHn_9GfQQ26WA2j-fY/s1600/School+Supplies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HyXZGoAN1yk-BHDQJhZzRH1SnzW5D7dQV5XtbMjhNzlC5_irIlopDBbGsoEwna2qisGKdKsiAhM9Iz2_elCJs-zXjiz2czyx6BPe6FUb0QGxJIHJAs8s3r59nXHn_9GfQQ26WA2j-fY/s640/School+Supplies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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COLLEGE SUPPLIES<br />
There were a TON of college-ish items on sale! <br />
-Twin and twin XL sheets, comforters, blankets, and more {I found pillowcases in this section for $2 each! SCORE!}<br />
-Laundry baskets<br />
-Rugs {area rugs, bathroom rugs}<br />
-Decor items {pictures, wall hangings, picture frames, pillows}<br />
-Organizational items {shower caddy, bathroom organizers, wall hooks}<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhaDSLQCmvVLG4YWLVD1oxYpLV0t1y2_PH9xZFhD6WrK7h_B2xr6zqW8vl1_VizhOzDszjxL3QdXBeqty43NORlApMEopS_QhwdV9hMxpigwp35xwYuLiSJ5mMq6FyVflpvzjeiipRPic/s1600/College+Supplies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhaDSLQCmvVLG4YWLVD1oxYpLV0t1y2_PH9xZFhD6WrK7h_B2xr6zqW8vl1_VizhOzDszjxL3QdXBeqty43NORlApMEopS_QhwdV9hMxpigwp35xwYuLiSJ5mMq6FyVflpvzjeiipRPic/s640/College+Supplies.jpg" width="448" /></a></div>
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SEASONAL CLEARANCE<br />
-Lawn chairs<br />
-Bug spray<br />
-Hammocks<br />
-Beach/pool stuff<br />
-Indoor/outdoor rugs<br />
-Anything outdoorsy<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqyzPf9WhNZjEac3rCG0R9SzNsm54ddWY6SHLHumnS_2RAnHohb8_hUrA2x3RE6HDAQTFrianCOyseEsfRP01QDoekGjigGybOTbRDETWYuBTaJ1FOgHJilB5l1IbMegEJRddrNG9KzQ/s1600/Seasonal+Clearance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqyzPf9WhNZjEac3rCG0R9SzNsm54ddWY6SHLHumnS_2RAnHohb8_hUrA2x3RE6HDAQTFrianCOyseEsfRP01QDoekGjigGybOTbRDETWYuBTaJ1FOgHJilB5l1IbMegEJRddrNG9KzQ/s640/Seasonal+Clearance.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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OTHER RANDOM THINGS I FOUND ON CLEARANCE<br />
-Kids storage furniture<br />
-Super cute decor {check out the wall station I'm going to hang our dog leashes on!}<br />
-Toys {for 2 legged and 4 legged children}<br />
-Frozen + princesses EVERYWHERE {aka LET IT GOOOOOO}<br />
Seriously, if you have a Frozen fan, get to Target! One of our nieces is Frozen crazy. I got a beach towel, glow sticks, pencils, and a few other goodies - all featuring our favorite ladies Anna & Elsa! These items are mostly under $1 each and make great stocking stuffers. The packages of glow sticks were $.74 each and had 25 glow items in them - SCORE! There were also superhero themed glow stick packs. {And yes, if you're the parent of any of our nieces & nephews, you're probably going to be taking home glow sticks on Christmas. Don't thank me, thank Target!}<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyxUHcN_t_9olSc3ldiScrZ2VOjLpHPDnlkN1jeQXXm7ZPYRavxk2H8xAPWgg1dybaLJLvJ8pJoQhTWPhzBCmksZ7H2Hkb1ppb0LphIenLQjQ0Bd4TeWEogS_yhKfNu-gwD3SUQVQdjY/s1600/Random+Clearance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyxUHcN_t_9olSc3ldiScrZ2VOjLpHPDnlkN1jeQXXm7ZPYRavxk2H8xAPWgg1dybaLJLvJ8pJoQhTWPhzBCmksZ7H2Hkb1ppb0LphIenLQjQ0Bd4TeWEogS_yhKfNu-gwD3SUQVQdjY/s640/Random+Clearance.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Happy deal hunting! As always, I'm big on being frugal. However, I'm even bigger on buying quality products that I love, and that are going to last. {Apparently that's all tied into the Konmari method that's gaining popularity now.} I really just want to avoid buying products that are going to break in a year... or ones I only buy because they're on clearance. That never, ever ends well. Buy things you love! You might as well have a happy space {even if your laundry basket IS depressed because it was meant for a college space}.<br />
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<b>If you enjoyed this post and want to learn more about saving, check out <a href="http://www.myblessingsareborrowed.blogspot.com/2015/09/bargain-hunting-at-kohls-with-insider.html" target="_blank">this post about Kohl's bargains and insider secrets</a>!</b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653578495613811133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272002797338065122.post-58486519207960694472015-09-09T12:23:00.000-04:002015-09-09T12:27:35.373-04:00Our fridge deal!When we talked about <a href="http://myblessingsareborrowed.blogspot.com/2015/09/big-box-renovation-retailers-where-do.html" target="_blank">shopping at Lowe's and Menards</a> last week, I mentioned the incredible deal we got on a brand new fridge! I can't wait any longer to share this with you.<br />
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My goal for appliances {fridge, microwave, stove & dishwasher} was to spend under $1000. We're on a fairly tight budget for renovations and didn't want to blow a bunch on fancy appliances. I <strike>knew</strike> thought we would be buying used appliances at that price point. I was ELATED to find a new fridge and microwave in our budget! {Just for reference, I quoted out appliances at a local store. They were going to cost $2500 before tax. Woh, woh, wohhh. Not happening.}<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_co22kjbUwJ0IYgyO97M5ZPKC2A4CHbTDU5HL0THrcjJtpmHdbD-_zUyKbALKv5aiPDwjaICnXtD1xsfSxTK2n2iU01YbV88ESshOjd9Adc2kpDGpX1jR-smQpDowL0GdzspN_yqk6lM/s1600/Fridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_co22kjbUwJ0IYgyO97M5ZPKC2A4CHbTDU5HL0THrcjJtpmHdbD-_zUyKbALKv5aiPDwjaICnXtD1xsfSxTK2n2iU01YbV88ESshOjd9Adc2kpDGpX1jR-smQpDowL0GdzspN_yqk6lM/s640/Fridge.jpg" width="489" /></a></div>
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Every time we go to Lowe's, I check out their scratch and dent appliances. I don't think I've ever bought one {before now}... in case you didn't know this magical section exists, it does! It's usually at a back or end aisle. In our store, it's right by the doors to go outside to the fencing material and trees {past the appliances and cabinets inside}. There are usually 10 or less appliances. Some have issues that have been repaired by the store, some have damage and some have been used as loaners {while customers had their appliances repaired under warranty}.</div>
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I hate confrontation and don't really like to barter. That being said, for a good deal... I'll do a little talking. There was a Frigidaire black refrigerator in the scratch and dent section that had a small dent on the back rear corner. I had looked at it a few weeks before, so I knew it had been there a while. The original price on the clearance tag was almost $900. The clearance price was $718. {The listing below is the model we were looking at.}</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ad-GBy1ni5fegnQs378HjjAujjJJIIXCOTM6Gw0-bZnGxysCAYFog_K7DMyWZgzaedYJY5T2AXTDpfb2FIpv1s2icLzFmcuUB1cKgdq4dfYZ6pLE-jIWJR4pLbfJBNU4dQJTwtFzt3M/s1600/Fridge+Retail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ad-GBy1ni5fegnQs378HjjAujjJJIIXCOTM6Gw0-bZnGxysCAYFog_K7DMyWZgzaedYJY5T2AXTDpfb2FIpv1s2icLzFmcuUB1cKgdq4dfYZ6pLE-jIWJR4pLbfJBNU4dQJTwtFzt3M/s640/Fridge+Retail.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This fridge had everything I wanted... it was a black side-by-side with water in the door and the textured finish. I showed it to Michael just as a reference point of what I liked, but he said we should ask about it. {I tell you, that man of mine is a gem!}</div>
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A store employee happened to walk by and ask if we needed help. We asked if there was any leeway in the price {since I knew the fridge had been there a while}. He directed us to the appliance department manager. She stood and talked with us for a few minutes. She initially said she could do $600 for the fridge {keep in mind, it's brand new and has a small dent that won't show at all once it's installed}. We looked at the other scratch and dent appliances. I wasn't sure we could fit the fridge in the truck that night, but she wanted it gone. She decided if we would take it the same night she would mark the fridge down to $550. </div>
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She also offered us a Frigidaire over-the-range microwave like the one above for $100 {retail $249}. {The microwave door was broken in shipping and had been replaced by Lowe's, so it was as good as new.} We decided we would take the fridge for $550 and the microwave for $100. As we started to leave to look at lumber, the manager asked if we wanted the 5 year warranty. She said it cost about $100 but had tons of benefits - including reimbursement up to $250 if you lose food from a power outage. {We've had this happen before, so this was a big selling point to us.} We told her we would have to think about it and she said she would mark the fridge down to $500 if we bought the warranty... to which I said "ring it up darlin!". {Okay, I didn't really say that. I totally thought it though. I was BEYOND excited.} </div>
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Lowe's has a credit card that usually gets you 5% off every purchase. They were running a special for 10% off the first purchase. We applied for the card which took another $50 off the fridge, bringing it down to $450! We spent another $100 on the 5 year warranty for the fridge and $90 {with the 10% off} for the microwave. All in all, we got the fridge with warranty and microwave for about $680 {the retail would have been about $1320 - CHA CHING!}. That is a major score in my book! Now I just have to find a stove and dishwasher... as long as I can do that for $320 total, I'll hit my goal of all the appliances under $1000!</div>
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Lesson learned: ASK and ye shall receive! For real though. I figured they'd be willing to take a little more off since it had been there a while, but I didn't think it would be low enough to fit in our budget. You never know until you ask!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653578495613811133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272002797338065122.post-5503188510705011172015-09-06T08:38:00.001-04:002015-09-21T11:04:54.824-04:00How to build a laundry basket sorter {an Ana White DIY project}which could also be known as.... home projects take 74 times the amount of time you think they should.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSndS8qqBtjZWZaWKflLAmEGFMm1NIS0DhFm96F_6u7GGCkAGt6nug1X1fBWbaZEMHGGSpVUPzfs_kCC4XQw9aAiJiEOFS2acZymoxI3j09UrNih0tXWNWweZkOfPB9b67qkx0b6R5kH8/s1600/Laundry+Basket+Sorter+Header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSndS8qqBtjZWZaWKflLAmEGFMm1NIS0DhFm96F_6u7GGCkAGt6nug1X1fBWbaZEMHGGSpVUPzfs_kCC4XQw9aAiJiEOFS2acZymoxI3j09UrNih0tXWNWweZkOfPB9b67qkx0b6R5kH8/s400/Laundry+Basket+Sorter+Header.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
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I've oooohed and aaaaahed over Ana White's website for a few years. She shares highly detailed building plans for any project you can think of - and they're all completely free! CHA CHING! Before we got married, Michael built me a bed. The plan was modified from Ana White and y'all - it.is.gorgeous. {See the plan here: http://ana-white.com/2009/11/plan-love-farmhouse-bed-now-with-arch.html} This is the bed the day we put it together in our room. Ignore the messiness - we were consolidating households. And also, we actually live in our home. It will never, ever get mistaken for a show home... and I'm okay with that. Even with covers all askew, the bed is prettttty incredible. I love the stain color and I know that my husband {then my fiance} worked long, late nights to complete this bad boy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5A_NQ03pMPlXhoDugJDKIetWf-SZOKnjFST-fsEAB1j3qGfMraDUU4n8qbDyAO3MXnleno6DcA8x8mAu4T2IsWqJszrOtywZaBlYAOTnjuB4wCRzGpXpuSHmk2uGtNWt33MJp4EjR-gE/s1600/Bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5A_NQ03pMPlXhoDugJDKIetWf-SZOKnjFST-fsEAB1j3qGfMraDUU4n8qbDyAO3MXnleno6DcA8x8mAu4T2IsWqJszrOtywZaBlYAOTnjuB4wCRzGpXpuSHmk2uGtNWt33MJp4EjR-gE/s640/Bed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have never actually built anything from an Ana White plan, though. I haven't built many things period, let alone whose plan they were from {even though my mom bought me that fantastic pink tool set...}. Don't get me wrong - I have pinned many, many plans... I just hadn't ever gotten brave enough to tackle one. In our current home, the laundry room is basically a closet off the kitchen. There isn't laundry storage in the closet/laundry area, so when I fold the clothes out of the dryer I usually have baskets stacked randomly in the hall/kitchen. When we looked at the new house {and it's humongo laundry area}, I knew I wanted to add a laundry basket sorter like I'd seen on Ana White. The plan for this laundry shelf is that you can make the whole thing from one sheet of plywood {cute AND cost-effective?! yes please!}.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtiioshaSaYvLQv79xZ5XFo__wBPgNJCZFnVtoPFjGq3N1_kfBzccw6G2UYzY5xXxkpoLEwnAOUUAUk4-fClL3ffGsEnGFy82wnBCouJppjYS5zggbR4OsKsUzmtHpky4fHzSWUBwdVnI/s1600/Ana+White+Laundry+Sorter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtiioshaSaYvLQv79xZ5XFo__wBPgNJCZFnVtoPFjGq3N1_kfBzccw6G2UYzY5xXxkpoLEwnAOUUAUk4-fClL3ffGsEnGFy82wnBCouJppjYS5zggbR4OsKsUzmtHpky4fHzSWUBwdVnI/s400/Ana+White+Laundry+Sorter.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Source: ana-white.com</td></tr>
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The plan for the laundry basket sorter can be found here: http://ana-white.com/2012/03/plans/brook-laundry-basket-dresser-4-tall-and-lengthwise. The photo shows three units together. I modified mine to hold 3 baskets {so it's counter height} and to have shelves instead of just wood sliders along the sides. It still only took one piece of plywood. The plan says it is "starter level" - I can now tell you that our definition of easy is apparently different. The laundry basket sorter wasn't particularly hard to build, but it was more complex than I anticipated. <br />
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The basic steps:<br />
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Step 1. Buy one sheet of plywood; cut to size {The Lowe's workers cut it down to roughly 1/4 sheet size so it would fit in my car. Hubby helped me trim down the pieces from there. It was now that I used a chalk line for possibly the first time. Also, I do not wearing suggest shorts and flip flops while you're cutting lumber... just saying.}<br />
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Step 2. Go back to the store for screws when you realize you don't have the right size {okay, hopefully you won't need this step}.</div>
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Step 3. Paint, paint, paint. I decided to try Ace Hardware's cabinet paint in the base white color. It is self-leveling and has great reviews online. I didn't follow the can instructions and skipped the primer. This meant I had to put several coats of paint on to get the finish I liked. I also had to touch up the paint at the end of the project... white paint and dirty hands don't mix well. I used our new basement and spread out the pieces so they could all dry. TIP: Use small wood blocks or painter's pyramids under the wood pieces to avoid the paint pooling. Live and learn, y'all.</div>
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Step 4. Put the pieces together. This thingamabob that holds the pieces together was SO helpful. I definitely need to get some more of those... as soon as I figure out what they're called.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsdBYSpDT4zm4JbAZvgFfbWaJKeE0Faxv3s4hYzPubyirOLV0f0v9ol1-AwFMo19mJR5bzJqd5qwNy6k5HqJrjQHTihdUCF-P3gKi1JN0RjyqY-UhvqCSC1nSRPBLzUT-hWWhpmeBL8M/s1600/Laundry+basket+sorter+%252814%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsdBYSpDT4zm4JbAZvgFfbWaJKeE0Faxv3s4hYzPubyirOLV0f0v9ol1-AwFMo19mJR5bzJqd5qwNy6k5HqJrjQHTihdUCF-P3gKi1JN0RjyqY-UhvqCSC1nSRPBLzUT-hWWhpmeBL8M/s400/Laundry+basket+sorter+%252814%2529.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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Step 5. Touch up the paint {as needed}. It was needed. I'm glad I painted this small project before I painted a more major project with white paint. I'm not huge on white paint.</div>
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This will eventually go in the laundry room, but the laundry room is not finished yet. For now, the laundry basket sorter is in the basement/workshop for extra storage!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653578495613811133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272002797338065122.post-22762296868613327272015-09-03T11:44:00.000-04:002015-09-24T09:24:01.070-04:00Big box home improvement retailers: Where do we shop?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAc5V5kxflPGTMtTESkt8-erDNi8kI2oiZ8K0N-xLGqa3NOmiXwhT3_ySaK__RH_8lrI0o905M2eEWkjii29iG-GMfIMouPonoi0U5Ugf2YVCae92igOFeUTY-K75JBzbwVLTDUV9NkY/s1600/Lowe%2527s+vs+Menards+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAc5V5kxflPGTMtTESkt8-erDNi8kI2oiZ8K0N-xLGqa3NOmiXwhT3_ySaK__RH_8lrI0o905M2eEWkjii29iG-GMfIMouPonoi0U5Ugf2YVCae92igOFeUTY-K75JBzbwVLTDUV9NkY/s400/Lowe%2527s+vs+Menards+2.jpg" width="361" /></a></div>
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There are two major big box retailers for home improvement & renovation supplies in our area {South Central Indiana} - Lowe's and Menards.<br />
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Well, there are sort of three big box stores. There are Home Depot stores in the area, but we don't typically shop at Home Depot. They are farther away than either Lowe's or Menards. Since they are not as convenient, I don't compare their prices or pay attention to their sales.</div>
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That leaves Menards and Lowe's as the two major shopping choices in our area. Menards is slightly more convenient {about 10 minutes closer}, but either is a local option. {It should be noted that "local" here is relative - we only have one truly local option, Bear Hardware. They're super for supplies in a pinch, but are more expensive than the big box stores, which are each a 20-30 minute drive... small town life, y'all - totally worth it!} </div>
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I used to think of Lowe's as a classier, higher quality option while Menards was the more cost-effective store. However, as I shop at each store more I've found that's not always true.</div>
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WHEN TO BUY AT LOWE'S:</div>
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-Lowe's is our go-to store for lumber. In our area, the lumber at Lowe's far exceeds the quality at Menards. There is minimal price difference between the stores, so this is really a no brainer. We always, always go to Lowe's for lumber. Lowe's will cut the lumber for you in store, which is super convenient {my Honda didn't fit a 4'x8' sheet of plywood very well, but by golly they happily cut it down to the sizes I requested}. There are two Lowe's stores within about 30 minutes of us. One location will cut lumber for free, while the other makes one cut free then charges $.25 per cut after that. </div>
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-We recently scored an INCREDIBLE deal on a fridge and microwave at Lowe's! Their scratch and dent {or ding and dent to my husband} area is a great deal spot! Menards has the occasional clearance appliance, but does not carry the selection that Lowe's does {in regular or clearance options}. I'll share later how we got a nearly $900 fridge for only $450!</div>
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-Lowe's customer service is fantastic! I tried to find my husband a saw for his birthday. The Lowe's website had it on sale, but I didn't get it purchased before the sale ended {the website had not listed an end date}. I emailed the Lowe's customer service team. They price matched the previous internet price AND let me add my 10% mover's coupon!</div>
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WHEN TO BUY AT MENARDS:</div>
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-If both Lowe's and Menards have the same exact product, Menards is typically the less expensive option. We're currently shopping for paver stones to put behind our deck around the steps {right now there's just dirt/mud}. While the quality may vary slightly between the stores, the items are basically the same - 11" x 13" paver. The Menards option is less than half the price of the Lowe's option. I think I'm going to use these on about a 8' x 9' area {approx 72 pavers}. I'll spend $71 at Menards vs. $214 at Lowe's. On some items, it's worth it to pay extra for a higher quality item. For me, this is not one of those times. I haven't looked at either one in person yet, but for something that's going to be outside on the ground, I'll gladly save $1.99 PER PAVER, thank you very much!</div>
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-Menards tends to run better sales in my experience. For everyday items or long lists when I don't have time to hunt for deals, I choose Menards. </div>
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-Menards customer service has also been great to us. We purchased a new sink faucet, got it home and installed {and threw away the packaging}. Within a week, the faucet wouldn't work. We took it back in a ziploc bag {I did have the receipt}. Menards refunded our money without hesitation.</div>
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-Menards carries an expanded product line. Lowe's seems to have a greater selection in some departments, but Menards carries dog food, groceries and basic household supplies that I've never seen at Lowe's. It isn't crucial that I buy my cereal and door knobs in the same transaction, but it sure is handy!</div>
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<div>
Overall, we have found fantastic deals and received great service at both Lowe's and Menards. The key to budget renovation is comparison shopping. Most stores will now price match and honor competitor coupons. Happy shopping!</div>
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Note: None of the companies discussed have sponsored this post. Images and logos used are property of their respective owners. Your experiences with your local store may vary from mine shared here.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653578495613811133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272002797338065122.post-72525349959255925902015-09-01T21:25:00.000-04:002015-09-09T10:27:12.641-04:00It's getting real.Y'all. I am so stinkin' thrilled to share some {more} big news with you!<br />
<br />
I have been a blogger {off and on} for several years now. In college, I traveled and kept a blog to update friends and family. Other times I shared coupons, life stories and random musings. As Michael and I have progressed through the home buying process, I have relied heavily on other bloggers to guide me along. Pinterest has been a lifesaver in connecting people with each other - bloggers with readers, newbies with pros, teachers with learners. Social media allows tight-knit communities of people to form in our increasingly techie world. The more I read, the more I appreciated other people {often women} willing to share their experiences with me. As I became more appreciative of other bloggers, I also grew increasingly passionate about documenting our home experiences. Since we finally {FINALLY!} found the home we're buying, I've been sharing the process. I am truly enjoying learning and growing, and my husband sure appreciates that I don't bother him with my house chatter all the time {for real though}. The blog has recently put on its big girl panties as we got a real web address - <a href="http://www.borrowedblessings.net/">www.borrowedblessings.net</a> {go ahead and bookmark that bad boy, you know you wanna!}.<br />
<br />
As blog readership has increased, I have decided to add an exciting element to the blog - sponsored posts. Within just a few days of exploring options, I officially have the first sponsor! AIR HIGH FIVES ALL AROUND! What does this mean for you? Just like always, you'll hear my honest opinions and experiences with products and projects. I may be compensated for some posts and/or receive products in exchange for my reviews. This won't be all the time and sponsored posts will be clearly identified. Let me break that all down for you - there are brands in the renovation industry who want my experience with their products to be shared {I'm going to be compensated to review power tools... IS THIS REAL LIFE?!}. There may also be brands who want to sponsor giveaways for YOU so stay tuned! This is getting real. If you'd like to read details about sponsorship opportunities or read the full disclosure, you can click the link at the top of the page.<br />
<br />
Seriously though, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for sharing this journey with us. We are so incredibly encouraged by your words and prayers. These doors wouldn't be opening without your readership and support.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Most of the things I'm working on now are super glamorous, like when I scrubbed all of the outlet covers throughout the entire house. Or when I removed the outlet covers throughout the entire house.... and found a socket full of ladybugs, which is practically like having a pocket full of sunshine. Almost. Thankfully, the ladybugs were dead {and they were ladybugs, not baby snakes or bedbugs or ....yuck.}. For real though, I unscrewed that outlet cover and ladybug carcasses just started falling out on the floor.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDLfYtkVgxmoEhRQ6R4z_FdNtrmlP-s9cy-jLFdAkAcugn1_xAs6AIa9wsaRNf1h4rllrTlyMKCDOeBNPJn_AIUrbvk3kApYvgI-EERScSXEx-asRa8vThRm1_BPuNUfkcc6BgwmGOZU/s1600/Ladybugs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDLfYtkVgxmoEhRQ6R4z_FdNtrmlP-s9cy-jLFdAkAcugn1_xAs6AIa9wsaRNf1h4rllrTlyMKCDOeBNPJn_AIUrbvk3kApYvgI-EERScSXEx-asRa8vThRm1_BPuNUfkcc6BgwmGOZU/s640/Ladybugs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The sellers of the house have rented it out for the last several years. Since there have been renters, we kind of expect the unexpected.... typically, renters don't treat a home as well as owners do. When we toured the house, there was a mystery piece of plywood screwed to the bedroom wall. We had no idea what we'd find behind the plywood. Our best guesses were that someone made a large hole, then covered it up with the plywood, or that they mounted a TV to the plywood. We removed the mystery plywood and found perfect drywall behind it - woop woop! It looks like they just used it to mount a TV. The light colored rectangle on the wall in the photo is where the plywood used to be. Apparently the renters painted AFTER they hung things on the wall... and just decided to paint around them. It's pretty fantastic {sarcasm}. Thankfully, we were already planning on repainting the walls a different color, so the creative paint job doesn't really matter.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJ0hrpv8M8yV6EF19Vs0PyncII-4P5bbANbiz-2soR-jpnxI72oPwq2qmzEGgSlPQFfn7P2coPIRjCHkrwiz0G-WYULFzJGDQM0gPBJuaSbPuOlK2O8pID5fxqGkyDCSfNhvy421e_Kg/s1600/Myterious+Plywood+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJ0hrpv8M8yV6EF19Vs0PyncII-4P5bbANbiz-2soR-jpnxI72oPwq2qmzEGgSlPQFfn7P2coPIRjCHkrwiz0G-WYULFzJGDQM0gPBJuaSbPuOlK2O8pID5fxqGkyDCSfNhvy421e_Kg/s640/Myterious+Plywood+Wall.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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One of the biggest visual impacts that we've made so far has been power washing the exterior. The house has vinyl siding. When we looked at it the first time, there was dirt, grime and yummy green stuff on the side of the house. "We" {read: Michael, except for the very last bit when I helped} scrubbed and power washed the outside of the house. The whole thing took less than a day and it looks GREAT now! The "after" picture is while he was still working, so the house is wet - but doesn't it look so much better?! He mixed TSP alternative according to the box directions in a 5 gallon bucket, lightly scrubbed it on with a large scrubber, then power washed the exterior clean. Some tough spots took two TSP applications. </div>
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Our next projects to tackle will be more renovation prep, more cleaning and creating a fun space for our furbabies - stay tuned!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJyjtudztt4r6RVC5mibnBBMUjJyk2gKTOudHynMo0gcR3dQZxc-0qSGgTXuG9nLVjSlRxbt0ZPEqmcBHchrveqIi7HjcYOh1bOC8Ep5n4P5T0Z0qx2Na2-YLDpZXw8Z1E0dpW38UVB0/s1600/Home+Tour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJyjtudztt4r6RVC5mibnBBMUjJyk2gKTOudHynMo0gcR3dQZxc-0qSGgTXuG9nLVjSlRxbt0ZPEqmcBHchrveqIi7HjcYOh1bOC8Ep5n4P5T0Z0qx2Na2-YLDpZXw8Z1E0dpW38UVB0/s640/Home+Tour.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I shared with y'all that we are in the process of purchasing our first home. I'm sure you've been sitting around since then wishing you could see pictures... if so, you're in luck! We are planning to do some renovations {partially for necessary repairs, partially preferential changes}. There will {hopefully} be lots of changes coming soon that we will share with you! Keep in mind that we have not done A-NY-THING yet, so if there's any lack of cleanliness, it's not from us... I'm not saying it won't be dirty when we're in it, because let's be real... we aren't show home type people. It'll just be our dirt then {somehow, our dirt seems cleaner than mystery dirt}.<br />
<br />
Since our renovation is on a very tight budget, we'll beg/borrow/buy-at-restore many of the items we can. Our goal is to finish the home with quality finishes at reasonable prices.<br />
<br />
We have renovation plans now, but nothing is really set in stone until we close on the house and start knockin' down walls. If you have some great strike of wisdom, feel free to share it - we'd love to hear from you! :)<br />
<br />
Check out lots of photos of the house by clicking the "Home Tour" tab at the top of the page! Make sure you follow along to check on our progress as we dive into this adventure.<br />
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<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have written a blog in for-ev-er.... and obviously, you've missed reading along... both of you {hi mom!}. Just kidding... I checkout out my blog statistics. Most of my old posts have 25-40 reads each. So, I'm pretty sure that's a solid following...ish.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're not familiar, I've been married just over a year to my better half. We have two fur babies and hope to add some two-legged babies to our family in the near-ish future. We are also in the process of buying our first home! {That's the big news for those of you that were lured here by my tagline.}</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
If you read back through my blog, you'll see that I shared my life {honestly and openly} during a previous relationship. Now that I've gotten into blogging again, I've taken some time to think about removing the old posts. However, I've decided to leave them {for now, at least}. While I am not in the same stage of life I was then, it's a sweet walk down memory lane to see where I've been... and it makes me marvel at the goodness of God even more.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So as for life now? ---Life is crazy {as always} and my blessings are abundant {also as always}. Blogging, for me, is an acknowledgement of the grace of God in my life and an opportunity to share that grace with you. The path isn't always pretty {in fact, I often make it much rougher than necessary}, but it's always an adventure! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'll share my life with you.... my highs and lows, home renovation projects and family adventures. Through it all, I pray that you will find joy, purpose and passion and that this blog would be an encouragement to you along your journey. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653578495613811133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272002797338065122.post-7855511471519567252013-04-18T11:09:00.000-04:002015-09-09T10:29:23.610-04:00The Leib-what?!<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">My oh so sweet friend {and one -
yes one - follower on my blog} sent me the Leibster award... to which I reacted
"awww... what the heck is that?!" Leibster means "kindest,
dearest, beloved, cute, endearing" in German.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">The Liebster Award is a blogger to blogger, peer
award, used to highlight up and coming, smaller, lesser known blogs that are
less than 6 months old and/or have less than 200 followers {less than 200?!
CHECK!}. Liebster is an award that you accept with an intention of paying it
forward. How awesome is that?! When you accept your Liebster, you must
pay it forward and nominate other bloggers that you would like to award.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">So here are the guidelines for the award:</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">1) You must post 11 random things about
yourself.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">2) Answer the questions that the nominator set
for you.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">3) Create 11 questions for the people you
nominate.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">4) Choose 11 new blogs that you love and link
them in your post.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">5) Leave a comment on this post with the URL to
your Leibster post so I can learn more about you!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">So - here we go!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">11 Random Things about me:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Life is
not what I expect... yet I still manage to get to the point every once in
a while where I'm like "don't worry God, I've got this"... and
then God calmly throws something into my life to remind me that I don't
"got this"... Thankfully, God doesn't stress about how many
times we get back to the "I got this" point {otherwise I'd be
toast}!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-My
dreams growing up were to be a junior high cheerleader and a mom.
Thankfully, the junior high cheerleader thing came before the mom
thing! My big life dream/thing I look forward to most is still being
a mom... and being an M-R-S.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-I don't
have any kids of my own {technically speaking}, but people assume I do {Is it the car seat, the
baby puke smell, or the hotwheels in my purse that gives me away?!}.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-I clean
at work waaaayyyy more than I clean at home {maybe if someone paid me to
keep my house clean I would?!}. I especially dislike doing dishes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-I'd love
to drive a small SUV or a good sized truck, but am WAY too cheap to
swallow the cost of fuel in those vehicles! Tank gets 35-40 mpg and
I LOVE that about him!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-My dog
probably knows me as well as anyone. She sees it all. {She
probably only keeps my secrets because I bribe her so well with treats and
trips in the car!} I just got a new furry friend yesterday... His name is Bentley and he is a.dor.able.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-I have
the best mom ever... as I age, I realize just how blessed I was growing up
and respect her more and more every day!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-I'm
stubborn... like realllllly stubborn. God is slowly but surely
softening up some of my rough edges, while still reminding me why he made
me so stubborn in the first place {sometimes it's a huge blessing}.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-I ROCK
OUT in the car... sometimes it's Jesus music, sometimes Country, sometimes
I even throw in a little Kelly Clarkson. {I would NOT want to listen
to a recording of my drive! Haha}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-I have
the BEST intentions to work out and be super in shape... the working out
rarely happens, which means I'm never ever super in shape. I have
recently ordered the Zumba workout DVDs so we'll see how that goes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-I love
the idea of adoption... Actually one of the first questions I ask a guy if
we are dating is whether he would adopt. It's a good gauge of how
similar our views are on a lot of topics.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My 11 Questions from Jos:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1) What is your dream home? A
place of love and of laughter {and with lots of kids, of course}. As far
as the physical home goes... one in the country with lots of space indoors and
out {and a couple extra rooms for visitors}.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2) What is your favorite song and why?
Probably at the moment... <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mmgV6mPvb0"><span style="color: blue;">Blessings
by Laura Story</span></a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaeaayqrzS4"><span style="color: blue;">Need
You Now by Plumb</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3) What do you love most about being a
momma? I'm not a momma yet but spend looootttts of time around kids.
I love the fact that they have the insane ability to make you cherish
some things in life so much more {and totally disregard others}. Your
priorities get reorganized naturally and it's so okay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">4) What's your favorite blog post &
why? Oh, gosh. Way too many to count. I live on Rachel
at <a href="http://rachelmariemartin.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Finding Joy</span></a>. Her posts are roughly as
necessary as oxygen for any momma!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">5) What are your three favorite blogs
& why? Hmm... probably top two are <a href="http://joyfulinchaos.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Joyful in
Chaos</span></a> and <a href="http://www.rachelmariemartin.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Finding
Joy</span></a>. They are the 2 I read most... both uplifting and really
make you think.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">6) What tv shows are must-watch for you?
I don't have cable, so I rarely watch tv shows when they are actually on,
but I love Grey's Anatomy and The Voice!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">7) How long have you been blogging &
why? I have no idea how long I've been blogging... I think it started
when I was traveling in Australia during high school. Why? Hmm...
to stay in touch. to stay sane.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">8) "I'll ------------ if it's the
last thing I do." ...be married to the love of my life and have
babies. {I know I sound like a broken record with the whole
"mom" thing... I can't help it.}<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">9) Favorite decor find of all time?
Hmm I have several things I really like. I received a mirror in a
really cool old wood frame {it was actually an antique cabinet door at one
time} as a gift and I LOVE IT. Also, photography. and quotes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">10) Who's your favorite author?
Does Jesus count? :) Let's be real, though, the bible can be TOUGH
to read and there are other authors I would tend to seek out as well... James
Dobson, Max Lucado {for kids and adult books}, and the occasional romance novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">11) What's your favorite
"homemade" gift? Oh goodness. I don't even know. It
may not technically be homemade but for my birthday a week after the mister and
I met, he gave me a little pottery vase with a whole bunch of sixlets in sleeves.
It was a chocolate bouquet and I loved it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now for my 11 blog nominees (drum roll,
please)... And I may have sort of ignore the follower limit on some of these
because I love them and they are ahhhh-mazing. :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Amanda at <a href="http://imarriedthedeputy.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue;">These
Truths of Mine</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. Ashley at <a href="http://www.writtenonherheart.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Written on Her Heart</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. <a href="http://doeadeery.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Doe
a Deery</span></a> {this was the one I found most recently and am LO-VING
it!}<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">4. <a href="http://www.hooahandhiccups.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Hooah
and Hiccups</span></a> {love that she is SO real. and raw. and honest.}<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">5. <a href="http://www.kristineace.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Kristi
Neace</span></a> {Givin' ya a big ole A-M-E-N on the "10 things your friends
and family will never fully understand about being a police wife"!
Seriously, if there were something stronger than Amen that I could say, I
would... but there isn't.}<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">6. <a href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Life Blessons</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">7. <a href="http://the-life-of-faith.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The Life of Faith</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">8. <a href="http://cleerelystated.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Cleerely Stated</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">9. <a href="http://www.puttingthepencildown.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Putting the Pencil Down</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">10. <a href="http://www.worshiprejoices.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Worship Rejoices</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">11. <a href="http://www.momwithagun.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Mom with a Gun</span></a> {Okay before you get all
"Whoa she's supporting guns? What a crazy woman".... Stop right where
you are. I am not asking for gun debate here. It's a huge topic of debate
that I am not even going to begin to discuss. I do what I believe is
right for me and I'm going to trust you to do the same for yourself and your family.
That being said, if you are going to be a gun-totin'-momma, puh-leeeease
use what's left of those brain cells after your children sucked most of them
out of you... be safe, be smart.}<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">12. <a href="http://applevalleygirl.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Echoes of Laughter</a> {This is actually the real most recently found blog. LOVE her organizational tips!!!}</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My 11 {or 13} questions for you:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. What blogs do you read religiously?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 {& 3}. Have you purchased a home? What advice would you have for a first time buyer?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">4. "I'll ------------ if it's the last thing I do."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">5. What advice would you have for other mommas?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">6. What things have you done that have made major positive impacts on your relationship/marriage?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">7. What is the kindest thing you did today? {Givin' you a big ole air five on that one!}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">8. What has been your greatest accomplishment?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">9. What is your favorite quote? {I'm a quote-aholic}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">10 {& 11}. What are some things on your bucket list? {Why haven't you done them yet?!}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">12 {but sort of 10}. What are you afraid of?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">13 {but sort of 11}. What inspires you?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
Welp, that's it folks! Don't forget to put your Leibster link in the comments
here! And really, I totally understand if it takes a while to find some new
bloggie friends. It took me a month or more to come up with this list!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653578495613811133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272002797338065122.post-9142062242856800272013-03-28T12:08:00.002-04:002015-09-24T09:24:32.888-04:00I can't wait for patience!<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last night as we were vegging at home, Munchkin asked if he could have ice cream {I may have <strike>bribed him into</strike> helped him realize he should be eating all his dinner with a conditional offer of dessert}. Ten seconds after he finished eating dinner, he wanted to cash in on the dessert offer. I told him he could have ice cream, but he had to wait a few minutes. As he was watching the book-turned-movie he had picked at the movie store, I was cleaning up from dinner and trying to accomplish a few things. As I was doing this, he was asking for ice cream... every.two.seconds. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I told him he could have ice cream but COME ON can I please get one thing done... justtttt one??? I kindly informed him that he needed to be patient and could have ice cream once he stopped asking for it. He did really well... for a few minutes... long enough for me to get half of dinner cleared off the table. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">A few short minutes later, though, he exclaimed "I CAN'T WAIT FOR PATIENCE!". I couldn't help but to laugh. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After explaining that patience means waiting, I got to thinking. How often do we ask for something from God... but don't let 2 minutes pass without nagging? "Umm God I don't see anything happening. Are you doing anything? Why hasn't my prayer been answered yet? God? Helllllooooo?" Just imagine the frustration you would feel when receiving this from all of your followers rather than just the one I hear it from! I don't think I'd survive. Seriously, though, I am super guilty of praying and then expecting big things to happen on my schedule the way I think they should happen. Maybe if we quit nagging God to hurry up and get us some ice cream, he'd actually have the time to accomplish something! Maybe if we were patient, God would have the time to remind us that his plans are SO much bigger and SO much greater than ours. I, for one, can definitely relate to this sweet child's exclamation of not being able to wait for patience. Today, I'm going to try and just relish in what God can do when I sit down and shut up for a few minutes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Blessings!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653578495613811133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272002797338065122.post-90446932772736329052013-03-07T16:04:00.001-05:002015-09-24T09:25:06.900-04:00Dear life, whoa.<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, blogspot just told me I haven't posted since October. What the what?! Life happens. And boyyyy, when it happens, it happens! We've been busy to say the least. Since October, Drew got hired as a full time Sheriff's Deputy {aka "LEO" - Law Enforcement Officer}. I have also taken a new job as a full time Office Manager. I love my job, but definitely miss being at home everyday with Munchkin! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We went on vacation in December and got engaged on New Year's Eve. Being engaged to a LEO isn't easy... I mean I know it isn't easy to be engaged period... wedding planning is enough to drive anyone nuts. Needless to say, piling the changing shifts, crazy stories, and constant worries of your fiance being a new LEO on top of the normal engagement stress is just downright insanity. We actually ended up putting a hold on the wedding planning for a bit to just focus on us... preparing for LEO to go to the academy, adjusting to the working full time thing, being engaged, house hunting, and trying to plan a wedding all at once was just too much. We are now in premarital counseling and continuing to learn and love each other a little more each day! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you get sick of hearing about LEO, sorry... a fiance taking a new job can be a big life shift for a family... Having a fiance/daddy take a new job as a LEO takes your life and flips it on its head... and then shakes it a little, just for good measure. There are times when it's a struggle {the LEO's companion thing}. There are times when it makes me proud {like, always}. There are times when it makes me happy {when he helps people}, times it makes me lonely {LEO working nights SUCKS}, and times it makes me crazy {when LEO goes off the grid on duty}. Most of the time {for now, at least}, though, it just changes me. Our schedule changes. Our routine changes. Our parenting changes. Our relationship changes. Our budget changes. Our eating changes. Pretty much everything... changes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks for the support, the phone calls "just because", and the out-pouring of love we've received. Until next time...</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653578495613811133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272002797338065122.post-50487587577613939322012-10-26T14:21:00.000-04:002015-07-29T13:35:29.706-04:00Deals<span style="font-family: inherit;">Are you a deal lover like I am? Does your budget hinge on cutting coupons? Here are some great deals/coupons I've found today!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">facebook.com/bicpenpals --> Click on the "Bic or Treat" to score $1/2 Bic items coupon. You can print this twice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/bathandbodyworks/posts/10151317125395676">https://www.facebook.com/bathandbodyworks/posts/10151317125395676</a> --> This weekend only, get a free mini candle at Bath & Body Works {Have I mentioned I'm a candle addict?!}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.raininghotcoupons.com/hot-chilis-free-jumbo-soft-pretzels-or-parmesan-sweet-potato-fries-free-chips-queso-and-free-dessert-or-appetizer-coupon/">http://www.raininghotcoupons.com/hot-chilis-free-jumbo-soft-pretzels-or-parmesan-sweet-potato-fries-free-chips-queso-and-free-dessert-or-appetizer-coupon/</a> --> Check out this awesome round up of Chili's coupons from Raining Hot Coupons! I'm guessing all of the coupons probably say they can't be used with other offers, so you may only be able to use 1 per visit. Still great deals, though!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653578495613811133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272002797338065122.post-15355113177647015682012-10-26T10:55:00.001-04:002015-07-29T13:35:03.186-04:00The Secret to Happiness... and a Pinterest FAIL.<span style="font-family: inherit;">Alright, y'all. I've found THE secret to happiness. Check that out again... THE secret to happiness?! Yep, and I'm going to give it to you! I <strike>totally suck in the kitchen</strike> am NOT a connoisseur in the kitchen by ANY stretch of the imagination... there is a sign in my kitchen that says "I kiss better than I cook" and I'm sure Hubs would agree with that wholeheartedly! But I have found something even I can master! Drum roll please....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Secret to Happiness</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">{aka Cinnamon Sugar Crescent Rolls}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-1 package run of the mill crescent rolls</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Some cinnamon sugar {mix it till it looks good - I like mine a sort of light brown color, but just add as much cinnamon as you want}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Butter {or margarine or whatever you call that stuff that comes in a tub and is easy to spread}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Pop open the package of crescent rolls.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Unroll all of them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Coat with butter using a knife {use your discretion on the amount... this is kind of trial and error. try starting with the amount of butter you'd put on toast}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sprinkle with Cinnamon & Sugar {again, use your discretion on the amount... when I say sprinkle I really mean dump!}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Roll up into crescent rolls and roll the outside in cinnamon sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Throw in the oven and cook according to package directions.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">That's it. These literally take less than 5 minutes to make and are a HUGE hit at our house! There are 8 crescent rolls in a package. Last night I made these and I ate 4 {or maybe 5, but I was sharing with Munchkin, so I didn't really eat that many, right?!}. The boyfriend and I can EASILY down a tray full in lightning speed. Don't act like I didn't warn you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now on to the <strike>bad</strike> UGLY</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I saw a recipe on Pinterest for Mug Mac... It'll be easy, I thought. I won't have to buy Easy Mac anymore, I though. BOY was I wrong!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I got on pinterest to get the recipe and the link was broken. I decided to wing it {what could go wrong?!}... I grabbed a mug, threw in 1 part macaroni, 1 part shredded cheese, and 2 parts milk. I put it in the microwave for 3 minutes {Easy Mac cooks for 4, so starting with 3 makes sense, right?}. Ummm wrong. 3 minutes later, I had a microwave full of milky cheese, a mug with lots of hardened cheese on it, and some basically uncooked macaroni.... Oh my goodness. But I'm no quitter! I grabbed a bowl, rinsed off the microwave spinny glass thingy, threw some more milk and cheese in the bowl, and set it for 1 minute {I even stayed right beside it}. I might have looked away for 5 seconds, during which time the mac & cheese overflowed.again. Another microwave spinny plate thing wash later and the macaroni was back to cooking. I was determined! I finally got the pasta to cook and not overflow. However, the end product was messy, not at all EASY, and just plain GROSS! Mug Mac? Try Mac FAIL. I think I'll stick to the Easy Mac from now on... I would have added pictures of the process to this post, but simply could not handle any more shame! :) Lesson learned... stick to the Secret to Happiness Crescent Rolls.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653578495613811133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272002797338065122.post-75063468244026493662012-10-26T09:42:00.001-04:002015-07-29T13:34:06.995-04:00All About My Blessings...<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Okay, so I’m new-ish to the blogging thing. Not as new to the kid thing. I’ve cared for kids since
I was one. I take pride in my ability to
change a diaper with my eyes closed while playing hide and seek and organizing
a mass lego-building competition {with hidden educational lessons, of
course}. Don’t get me wrong… I’m no
super-nanny. I have my shortfalls. I despise doing dishes. I have roughly 10 bajillion great ideas pinned
on my oh-so organized pinterest boards but how many of those freezer meals will
you find at my house? Or how many of the
perfect, magazine picture “easy” house updates have I done? Umm… zero.
Of either. Back to the point… I kind of have a knack for the nannying/teaching/leading/tutoring thing. I was blessed by God with
this unfathomable, seemingly inexplicable, insanely HUMONGO love for kids. Your kids, her kids, everyone’s kids. I went to the elementary after-school program
as a kid so that I could watch the director’s daughter. I loved kids that much at a young age that I
talked my mom into paying for me to go to after care to provide childcare for
the employee {yes, I am my mother’s only daughter, and am definitely modeled
after her heart, which may be why she agreed to fund this!}. While I have funny kid stories, my family
finds the most humor in my <s>horrid dating failures</s> somewhat interesting
dating history. I’ve probably dated more
men than you know. I have a history of
going through ‘em like … well... something you go through REALLY quickly! Nevertheless, this past spring, God decided
to <s>bless the men of the greater United States by sending me a man that I
could stand </s>bless me with a boyfriend who already has a child! Shortly after I met
my boyfriend,</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> I met
another man who would also change my life more than I could ever imagine. Munchkin is my boyfriend's {then 2, now 3 year
old} son. Loooooooong story short, Munchkin’s
mommy lives far away. She shares custody
with his Daddy. Fast forward to right
now {6ish months later}. The boyfriend and I have
been SO BLESSED to have Munchkin all the time.
My profession as a Nanny allows me to spend LOTS of time with Munchkin and I
am continually reminded of both God’s greatness and the fact that my mother is
a saint when it comes to patience! In a
matter of months, my role has been changed from
nanny-with-a-way-too-great-love-for-seemingly-random-kids to pseudo-mom. Munchkin’s bio momma is still in the picture and is
great, so I’m not taking over her role.
But what else do you call me other than pseudo-mom when I spend 24/7 responding
to comments such as “I had a bad dream
and need to come get in your bed because I couldn’t reach my milk” at 2am? {We’re still working on the concept of “bad
dreams”, in case you couldn’t tell.}
Moral of the story is, I skipped the first 2 11/12 years of this baby’s
life {which I SO wish I could get back}, but now I’m pseudo-momma and I couldn’t
dream of more. I find myself laughing
hysterically as I go through each day with this insanely vivacious 3 year old. Feel
like ya know me yet? Oh, yes, and we
have some 4 legged friends as well. Kylee is my adopted pseudo-child dog. She’s a
bonafide biffle. Then there’s Miss Kitty
{whom I call Lily}. She’s Munchkin’s cat
{can you guess who named her?}. Kylee and
Lily aren’t exactly what I would call biffles with each other, but they
co-exist for Munchkin’s sake! </span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now
that you know us all, welcome to the family!
I hope you enjoy my musings. They
keep me sane and laughing.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05653578495613811133noreply@blogger.com2