Works for Me Wednesday- "If you don't look, you don't buy"

A good policy that works for me is "If you don't look, you don't buy". I have used this policy many times when Nathan and I are wanting to save up for something special or simply want to practice being content with what we have. If I don't go into stores like Hobby Lobby, TJ Max, Marshalls, Kirklands, or browse the clothing, craft, and home decor sections in any of my favorite stores, I don't spend money on things that I don't need. I have found that when I frequent these stores or any other place that is fun to shop, I can ALWAYS find something that I really want. The more I stay out of stores, the less likely I am to want or think that I need something.

Have you ever noticed how if you browse a store, you suddenly feel like you don't have much or really want this or that? You magically forget about all of the things that await you at home and suit you just fine. I know that I am blessed with the financial means to purchase far more than I need and I am thankful for being able to enjoy decorating, crafting, and fun new clothes. I just don't want to fall prey to this constant cycle of wanting.

I am not saying that it isn't okay to treat yourself or want something new. What I am speaking of is the way browsing suddenly makes us want. The problem is the motivation for wanting. So, if you find yourself in the same position (some of you may not ever have this problem), try out this policy for a week, a month, or maybe even a couple of months. It WORKS FOR ME.

On a side note, I have found that it also helps me to allow myself to want something, but to have to wait for it. If after a period of time (I often try to wait at least a month), I still really want the same items, I will make a plan to purchase just these items, not to browse the entire store.

Learning...

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. " (Philippians 4:12-13)


Not to fear.

To Pray.

To Trust.

To Have Peace.

Updates...
COMING SOON!

Works for me Wednesday

I came across this fun blogging idea on another blog that I enjoy reading and I thought I would share some of the things that work for me with my family and friends. Feel free to join me!

Meal planning works for me! The thing most of you already know about me is that I am a planner. I love to plan because for me personally it makes my day to day life more enjoyable by eliminating stressful situations. I usually start planning next week's meals by around Wednesday or Thursday because I go grocery shopping on Friday for all the food we need for Saturday through Thursday of the next week. I also keep a running grocery list on a chalkboard hanging in my pantry. Once I have my meals planned out for the following week, I complete my grocery list and ensure I have all of the ingredients for my planned meals.

Some of you may be wondering what we do for breakfast and lunch. Well, for now, I am able to simply cook enough dinner for us both to have left-overs for lunch. So, whatever we eat for dinner, we also eat for lunch the next day. I am very thankful that Nathan enjoys left overs as much as I do. Sometimes I will mix it up by making simple sandwiches for us like tuna or turkey and cheese. As for breakfast, Nathan loves eating one egg, one peice of toast, and two peices of turkey bacon almost every morning. On Saturday, I cook pancakes instead of toast :). I often eat peanut butter toast, raisin bran/fiber one, or Nathan's special. As you can see, we I try to keep our meals pretty simple!

There are several benefits to meal planning. One, I have found that meal planning and sticking to my grocery list saves me time and money at the grocery store. Two, it also allows me to plan meals where I can use fresh ingredients for several meals, which eliminates waste. For example, this week, I made fajitas Monday and homeade pizza Tuesday. I purchased three peppers (they can be expensive) and a bag of shredded cheese to be used for both meals. I used half Monday and I used the other half Tuesday. Third, I am able to plan our meals according to sales, which again SAVES US MONEY (are you seeing a pattern here?). Lastly, we eat out less because we know we have "healthy" meals prepped for the evening.

So, are you convinced yet? If you aren't a natural planner, it may seem a bit odd, but just try it out. IT WORKS FOR ME!

Some of our close friends gave Nathan and I this chalkboard as a wedding gift. I keep it on the kitchen counter so Nathan always knows what to expect for dinner :).

This large chalkboard hangs on the wall of our pantry. I keep our grocery list, my to-do list, workout progress, and other fun lists on it without having to display it to everyone.

My meal plan for this week:

Friday-Dinner Party for Dasha: Hamburgers and Hotdogs

Saturday-Date Night: Using Gift Cards from our sister for a night out

Sunday-Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Monday- Fajitas

Tuesday- Homeade Wheat Pizza

Wendesday-Chicken Alfredo Pasta

Thursday- Talapia and Rice

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Learning...

"She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night." (Prov. 31:17-18)

This week, I really enjoyed listening to this podcast regarding marriage and our call from the King to serve our husbands and families! To listen, click on the following link-http://www.goodshepherdcc.org/ministries/women/momtomom.htm, then scroll down to the little audio box on the bottom and click on the message from Alan Hlavka.

My Love

I must admit that I am not too big on "Valentines Day", but I do like to take the day to think of how blessed I am to have my best friend, my leader, and my love. I know that most of you know Nathan because the majority of my blog readers are close family and friends, but I feel the need to tell you all about how wonderful my partner for life truly is and how grateful I am to have him. I have been blessed beyond measure with a man who I trust to lead me and our future children throughout life. To some he may look like the ordinary man, but to me he is extraordinary. It is funny how whenever I explain Nathan to people, I always leave the conversation feeling so proud of how God created Nathan. In his very nature, he builds me up.

Nathan is my Mr. Steady! For the most part, he does not worry, stress, or carry guilt. I am so thankful for these qualities because I have the tendency to do all three of those things and he often reminds me that there is no place in our lives for those things. Nathan also has a great job that he absolutely loves. I have the pleasure of being supported by a man who has an incredible work ethic. He works hard, he is a man of integrity, and he pours into a business that he truly believes in. Even when times are tough at work, he is diligent and thankful for his position. He is also honest and tells it like it is, which is why I trust his guidance. In addition, Nathan has always shown me love that is not dependent on my behavior or role. His grace towards me has taught me so much about forgiveness. He believes that it is his role to support me and and our future family physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I am excited that it is my role to be his "help meet" for life through thick and thin.

I feel like we can't be thankful enough for the ones we love. So if you read this and felt a bit bored, know that I was completely jazzed (Isn't this a great word?) to write it!

Updates:

We took a couple of pictures last weekend so I thought I would include them in this post. We really need a recent picture of us together, but this is the best we could do for now.

Our valentines day was a lot of fun! As soon as we woke up, we made a big breakfast together. Nathan gave me a sweet card and informed me that I had a couple gifts on the way. I was shocked when he said that one of them was a camera (we have been looking for a replacement camera since I broke mine on our honeymoon and Nathan finally found a good deal on one) and a dress that you can wear several different ways. I can't wait until they arrive. After breakfast, we went to watch our kids from "The Linc" compete in a local wrestling tournament. This turned into an all day (and night) event, but we thoroughly enjoyed it. We were so proud of the kids! They are new to the wrestling scene, but they did great. It was so fun to cheer them on. After the meet, we planned on getting some take out Chinese food and playing monopoly, but we ended up joining Nathan's sisters and his brother-in-law for dinner. It was a great end to our evening.

Have a great week!

Learning...

In the past year, I have constantly been reminded that I have so much to learn. I thought I would share some of the verses and resources I have been learning from lately.

And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. (Genesis 2:18)


For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
(2 Timothy 1:7)


And 'whoever will be the greatest among you, will be the servant of all.' (Mark 10:44)


"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." (Philippians 2:3)


"It is good to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your loving kindness in the morning And your faithfulness by night" (Psalm 92:1-2)


I cannot say enough about this book. I highly recommend it!
http://www.createdtobehishelpmeet.org/



OTHER UPDATES:
I have really been slacking with giving my family and friends updates on all of the exciting things we have been experiencing lately. I guess I will just try to give you all some highlights. I wish I had pictures to match the highlights, but we haven't even picked up a camera for months. We took two pictures before church this Sunday, but I haven't uploaded them to my computer. We will try to do better in the future.

* Nathan traveled with work for a good portion of the month of January. I spent a lot of time with Natalie and other friends. I decided that I was going to have a good attitude about him having to be out of town a lot during the month. I just kept telling myself how thankful I am that my husband has a good job that he loves, especially in this economy. This certainly paid off and it was over before I knew it. Now he is back home for months and I am enjoying every moment of him being beside me in the evening.

* Natalie, Brent, and I hiked to three caves which is only about 20 minutes away. We were not able to enter the caves, but we had a great time.

* We had a girls night at my house while Nathan was out of town. We watched a cheesy movie, ate popcorn, and discussed home schooling until for a good hour, so of course it was a lot of fun.

* My friend Melinda had a cookie exchange at her house. I made 80 cookies, one dessert, and an enormous pot of soup on a Saturday morning, but I really enjoyed getting together with friends. I left the exchange with 70 great tasting cookies!

* I waited for weeks to find out if I would get into a class that I had to have in order to start my clinicals in the fall and on the last day of registration, I was able to get into the class I needed! Praise God! I have been advised that I will be able to finish my clinicals and thus my entire masters this summer. The only catch is that I will need to work an absurd number of hours in order to do so. If I am able to do my hours at the Linc this won't be a problem, but if I get sent to one of the local hospitals, I will not be able to complete the hours and keep my position at the University. Nate and I are praying about this often.

* Nathan and I have started to play monopoly on occasion. Board games are so much fun. I am on the hunt for another fun game for two.

* We are in the middle of "health week" at the Linc. We are teaching the kids about good hygiene practices, their bodies, nutrition, and exercise. On Monday, I had the kids trace their entire bodies and we discussed the many functions of our amazing bodies. They had several questions and we were able to discuss some important issues that our kids are facing.

I know I left a lot of things out, but this is the best update I can give you at this time.

Decor on a budget, gotta love it!

Nate has done a lot of work on the outside as well.


Those two sitting chairs were a great find at $15 each. I used my left over drape fabric to recover them and now they look great!

The Kitchen nook. This is a good picture of the drapes. With the help of Wanda, I sewed all six 11 ft drapes for this room. I think they look great!

The Kitchen. Thanks to Dasha, the decor above my cabinets looks great!

I have to use that small step stool to reach my top shelves. Just in case you were wondering.
I couldn't leave these out. I made these hanging plates out of old silver trays that I found at the Thrift Store.

This is not a great picture of the dining room, but you get the picture.

This is the enormous entertainment center our good friend Brent built us as a wedding gift. We came home from Jamaica to find this in our living room. I think it is incredible that Brent built this and put it up in our house by himself. We love it!

This is a wall collage in the making. Don't be too tough on me Dasha. Everything but 2 items on this wall came from a thrift store and I love that about it:)! Besides, isn't a collage supposed to represent the people who live in the house? If that is the case then thrift store finds are perfect.

Sorry to say, but Nate and I are horrible at taking pictures. I wish I had fun pictures of Christmas, our trip to the beach, Tess's birthday party, or even our short trip to Atlanta this weekend, which were all WONDERFUL, but we didn't think to take even a single shot. Just know that I had a fabulous Christmas break with family and friends, full of fun and relaxing moments. I am truly grateful for each and every day of the break! It was simply perfect!

My mom and Dasha have asked me several times to send/post some new pics of the house, so I thought I would post a few for their viewing pleasure (and maybe yours). As most of you know, I love to decorate, but I don't like to spend money! It has been so much fun looking for good deals, doing DIY crafts, and rummaging through thrift stores to make our house a home.

I always have a project in the works. Speaking of, my front bathroom should be finished soon. I love the wall color and am so excited to see how my cabinet glaze turns out. I will have to post pictures of the finished product and the rest of the house at some point. Don't hold your breathe, it might be awhile :).

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

On thanksgiving night, I decided that it was time to decorate our Christmas tree (I had put it up with the kid's the weekend before, but we got a bit sidetracked and never placed the ornaments on it.). Nathan's mom was gracious enough to borrow me some of her things, which made it all the more fun! I had so much fun decorating the house for Christmas and talking to my family for over two hours. I had to show you all some pictures of the finished product ;). Don't you just love Christmas!

The past two weeks at the Linc have been full of Christmas celebrations! Santa came to visit, we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus, we decorated Christmas cookies, made christmas ornaments, and today the kids are going to see the local lights. We've had more families give to the children then we could have possibly imagined. One family donated a pair of pants, a top, a pair of pajamas, and a toy to every child. A children's baseball team donated each child two balls. Another organization donated two large tubs full of winter coats, hats, and gloves. Plus, several families have decided to provide the children's mothers with gifts for the children to open on Christmas morning. It has been so awesome to watch as people have freely given to the kids. It is truly one of the greatest gifts to be able to see people pouring out love (a love that I believe comes from Christ) on these children day after day. This semester our volunteers have just blown me and Natalie away. They are amazing servants and I appreciate each person and family who has decided to do their small part in making a difference in the lives of this group of children.

This weekend we are having an "Old School Christmas Party" at our house with some friends. The attire is going to be old school christmas sweaters and our entertainment is going to be a real game (like the old school version where people bring random (cheap) stuff) of dirty santa. Bring on the Christmas spirit! Isn't Christmas such a wonderful time of the year!

Today is my last day of work and the Linc for 2 weeks! Thank you Jesus for my school schedule! I can rememember when I used to work in the Microbiology lab in Texas and I didn't even get Christmas off. Unfortanately, holidays did not cause people to stop being sick and so I would often work straight through the holidays. I try to reflect on those times so that I never take my days off for granted. I already have big plans for my fabulous Christmas break. First, I plan to paint one of my guest bathrooms. My lovely sister-in-law recently gave me some nice choclate brown paint and a cream paint and dark glaze for my cabinets. I am super excited about covering the blue walls that I thought I just had to have only a few short months ago. A big thanks to Nathan for being so understanding of my need to play. Secondly, we plan to take a long trip to the beach for some rest and relaxation!

There is only 1 reason why I would wear a man suit (a.k.a. Tux) ... Love for my Brother

This weekend Nathan and I traveled to Nebraska (with walking pneumonia I might add...another story in and of itself) to be a part of my oldest brothers wedding! He is the last of my siblings to get married. All 4 of us got married in the past 16 months, so we we were super excited to experience the final wedding for the Foreman family! They had a very traditional wedding in the Lutheran church in Syracuse, Nebraska. The ceremony and reception were fabulous! We had a great time hanging out with the whole family! My mom, Nathan, and I even each got a one hour massage from my aunt Deb who owns a spa in Omaha...it was wonderful! The kids were SO much fun. I miss them SO SO much! More pictures to come of us and the lovely kidos.


I am very happy that Mark and Rachelle found one another and I continue to pray for their marriage!

As some of you may have guessed, my brother asked my sister and I to be his "bestwomen". Whil a tux wouldn't be my first pick, it really didn't matter because it was his day and no one really cared what we looked like anyway! Once we got over the whole tie and vest thing, we actually had a great time in them. We laughed most of the day!

"Bestwomen"- yes, people were very confused!
Me and my brothers new baby, Colton.

This is more like us. Odd enough.

Nate was such a big helper all weekend. He is the man!

Rachelle, Mark, and my mom. Her dress was very pretty!My mom and baby Colton (we had to put his PJ's on him at the reception, he got really sleepy.)