Abby's Inspiration for the day...and new freebies

 Aren't kids amazing? As I watch my own four develop into the young men and woman that God created them to be, I am in awe that He would let me be part of the process. Abby recently filled out a scholarship application. This was her reply to "Discuss a situation that had an impact on your life and how you will change because of it:" (that's not the exact ? but you get the idea):

Until the last year I felt that I was cursed to live an entirely trial-less, and hence, completely boring, life; I longed for the romance of struggles and near death experiences. I devoured books in which fearless heroines conquered real and imaginary battles. True, I knew that it would never be as glamorous as a storybook when the battle was actually being fought, but I longed for trials anyway – a way to prove myself to the world – a way to prove myself to myself.


I got my wish. Dreams of Romance came to life in stunning color as my family and I were hurtled into a cement highway divider at sixty-five miles per hour. I looked down at my blood-soaked hoodie and saw a tooth fall out of my mouth. Lovely. It was at this point that I realized some “diabolical scribbler” (to borrow a term from Inkspell) had intervened and destroyed my romantic ideals. Bold and powerful female champions are not supposed to wear dentures.


Recovery was somewhat arduous - the worst part was realizing that this was what I had wished for and that it had somehow gone wrong. Struggling to recover although I knew that my life would never be the same was not particularly encouraging. The exploits I had imagined did contain pain; however, the pain was overshadowed by the guarantee of a somewhat cliché happy ending. Even if the ending was not happy, at least some condolence could be garnered from the poetical “feel” of the situation. There was no poetical “feel”, I decided, in being in a car wreck.


I realize now that attitude was my problem. Of course I was incapable of seeing the beauty in my situation- I didn’t want to see it. I had set my mind on a certain ideal of romance – a particular aspect of a very diverse and subjective issue. I saw beauty only in things that I was convinced were beautiful. To me, a car wreck could never contain beauty.


But it could. I have now come to recognize that there is a sense in which all trials have a certain glory. And it is not always the sufferers that make them glorious. In my case the beauty came from the love that was shown to our undeserving family by people who had no reason to wish to help us. There is no marvelous quality in suffering itself, but suffering is made marvelous when it is aided by love or endured for love. The suffering that I endured was a perfect frame for the picture of love that was given to me in the days and weeks following the wreck.


I always knew that people suffer everywhere, and I always slightly envied the stories they could tell, stories that would move people to tears and action. I now know that true beauty is found in love, not suffering, now that I have realized this, I too must act.

Isn't that great? Hope she made your day like she did mine!! The picture is of her and her (FABULOUS) surgical team when we went back to visit the hospital one year post-wreck.

If you are a member of http://www.vocalpoint.com/, there is a new sample for Pantene out. Vocal Point gives GREAT freebies, sometimes full size products to test is exchange for your opinion on them. I recommend your taking the time to be a member!

Click here to get a sample of Dove men's body wash: http://see.walmart.com/dove/dove-men-care/?advrtid=WMTUnilever01_UNI_11371_DoveMensBWisn180x150

Almost Easter...first Good Friday, but then...Sunday's a coming...(have you heard that sermon???)

Free shampoo and Bible on DVD

Beautiful sunny day here in NC...in spite of the tornado...really brings it close to home! Get all the freebies you can, even if you can't use them, and share with those in need!

Click here for some Dove hair care samples: http://www.dove.us/#/haircare/free_sample.aspx

Click here for a narrated Bible on DVD: http://bible-life-inspiration.com/dvd.html

http://www.6pm.com/ has up to 60% off on adidas, skechers and converse right now....(my son wants a pair for his birthday and this is the best price I have found!
Don't forget that the free $39.00 photo book deal at http://www.picaboo.com/ ends 3/31!!

Got my free sample of Beneful dog food yesterday, and a rebate check....oh! And before I forget, if you got your Bahama Breeze card and don't have a restaurant near you, word is that Olive Garden accepts them...but I'd call first!

Happy Freebies!!

What's for breakfast?

Hellooooooo....anyone out there??? Haven't had many comments lately.....

So you know what I have for dinner (at least I report on most of them), but what does breakfast consist of at the Cliff household? Here's Tricia's weekday morning routine: The alarm goes off at 6 am. I am NOT a morning person. Mike hits the snooze 2X, which gives me 18 more minutes to face the reality that it is indeed time to get up. At 6:18 then, Mike nudges me in the ribs and I sit on the side of the bed and put in my eye drops. I had lasik surgery 10 years ago, and while it is by far the best money I have ever spent on myself, it causes me to have dry eyes...but just in the mornings. Then I head for the kitchen. (I haven't spoken yet.) I unload the dishwasher and set the table. I make sure the kids lunches are ready to take  (they are packed the night before, sometimes by me and sometimes by the kids) and then I make breakfast, which is a family-style sit down affair (by the time I'm sitting, I am awake enough to talk without being grumpy) except on Saturday, when everyone does their own thing 'cause Mama is yard-saling...and whichever child is with mom gets a fast food sausage biscuit as a treat!

Here is a sample of our menu...made almost exclusively from scratch: pancakes, waffles, granola, oatmeal, cream-of-wheat, grits, eggs/sausage, eggs/toast, muffins, biscuits or cold cereal...all served with a glass of milk and juice if they want it.  Cold cereal, while easy, is by far one of the most expensive breakfast foods you can serve.. unless bought with double-coupons on sale, of course. You can cook bacon and eggs for less. So while I dislike mornings, it is worth it to me to get up and actually cook breakfast. Oh, and days that I have to be at work at 7 am are the cold cereal mornings!

What a weekend! Tornados touched down in our little city last night, but thankfully we are all safe at our house.  Not massively extensive, but it is for the folks whose homes were destroyed!!

Saturday am Abby and I hit the yard-sales. Didn't find much this week...however, my daughter struck gold again. She had been wanting a "skirt hoop" that goes under a long dress to "poof" it out...found 3 of them for 50 cents each!!

Saturday night we had our school fund-raiser auction. We are having one at our church next month. These are great places to get good deals and support a worthy cause! We got two beautiful, brand new 5X8 wool rugs, one for $35 and one for $80. Also got a full size page in the year book for $80--normal price $250.00. (This if for my next year Sr....it is traditional at our school to buy a page or part of a page to honor your Sr...mama loves you, Abs:) And this on top of a great meal and fun times. Thanks to all the HPCA parents who work so hard to make this happen!!

And last night Norman Geisler delivered as expected. Great presentation!

Check out the dollar deals at Staples this week and stock up on office supplies:
Wescott 7′ Straight Handle Scissors, $1

Staples Comfort Stick Ballpoint Pens, $1
Staples Hype Highlighter, $1
Staples Black and White Composition Book, 100 sheets, $1
Staples 5.5 x 4.25, 200 sheets, $1
HammerMill, paper, 500 sheets, $1
HP Everyday, 4×6 photo paper, $1
Scotch Magic Invisible Tape, 3 pk, $1

Coldwater Creek is offering 60-70% off everything sitewide! This includes the outlet area of the site!! The sale is through 4/1 while supplies last.


60% off use code 60SALE  70% off use code WHH5226

Click here for a free Special K protien bar: http://www.specialk.com/register/offer/protein-shake 

Heading out to fill the bare fridge and pantry! Happy Shopping!

Sunday Video... Sara Groves...get the kleenex first

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSdP6PqsbJY

Lots of good deals at the big three drug stores this week...go to http://www.southernsavers.com/ and clik on the link of interest. I've been so busy this week I haven't had time to shop!! Only spent $52.00 at Wal-Mart last Monday, now, like old mother hubbard, the cupbord is bare!!

Stinky Dog with dandruff...arggghhh!

They're cute...they're fluffy...they're loyal....they're "man's best friend"....but even them the best of them SMELL LIKE A DOG. Dog's just stink. So what's an owner to do? We own a little mutt named Jack...he looks like a "Benji" dog. Since we didn't want to harm his delicate self-esteem by calling him a mutt, we made up a breed: he's a "Western Highlands Scottish Curl-Tailed Terrier." Yep, that's Jack. He's a good dog. Obedient, smart. He just STINKS--and it drives me crazy. He also gets doggy dandruff. I took him to the vet and paid the big bucks for him to tell me the dog has allergies and so....I bought the expensive shampoos. I tried lavender baby shampoo. I tried rinsing him with diluted vinegar after his bath. I bought expensive food. I gave him Benadryl and fish oil tablets. I bathed him more frequently...and then less frequently.  He still stinks. But ultimately, these two "homespun remedies" that I found online helped more than anything else:

I mix a few drops of tea tree oil in a quarter cup of Head and Shoulders Shampoo. It has totally kept the dandruff in check and cleared up the red flaky skin. It doesn't look like a snow storm when he shakes. It also makes him smell tolerable for a few days at least. Then I found this recipe: mix equal parts of regular listerine (no special flavored kind), lanoline based hand cream and water. Shake well and keep in a spray bottle. This also makes him smell better and shines his coat up a little. I spray it on right after his bath and then try to remember to spray it on again every few days after his bath. Make sure you massage it down into their skin.

 Happy doggy days!!!

Are you from the triad and free this Sunday evening? Come hear Norman Giesler, international apologetics conference speaker at Fatih Baptist Church, 5744 Mendenhall Road, Archdale, NC 27263 6-9pm. Free Conference...great speaker!!

Free Magazines!!

OK...I have sites for you that offer totally free magazines. I'm a magazine junkie...sometimes I just don't want to get into a book, and a magazine totally fits the bill.

The picture on the left is from No Greater Joy ministries. Now I have to say that I don't agree with all these people promote, but they have some good articles on child-rearing, homeschooling, homesteading and "natural" remedies. Go to http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/ and click on the magazine link.

I'm also somewhat of a conservative/political/economic junkie. We have read Imprimus for years. It is a publication of Hillsdale College. Go to http://www.hillsdale.edu/ and find the Imprimus link. Great read.

And then check this out: http://www.allmags4free.com/ They have a bunch of regular mags to sign up for...all for zip!!! Sweet!!

And one more site: http://freecatalogs.blogspot.com/ just in case that wasn't enough.

Just a fair warning, I didn't look through every magazine they offer, so if something is objectionable, I apologize in advance.

Happy Reading!! Hit those yard sales tomorrow!!

The big bad "B" word

There just seems to be a major lack of freebies lately...then again, I've been working a lot and haven't had as much time as I would like. So, I've been digging around for good articles on budgeting...and this one has some great advice:

Article: Living Within Your Budget - Free Reprintable Article


Living Within Your Budget
by Chemain Evans

Having a budget and living within it are two different things. There are always things that we want (or need) and credit is so easy to get. This article will discuss ways to help you establish good budgeting habits.

First, determine why you want to budget. You need a pretty good reason or you won't feel obligated to do what it takes. Do you want to get out of and/or stay out of credit card debt? Or save for a new car or big vacation? Whatever it is, you need a reason so that you won't be enticed to overspend. Write down your reason or goal where you see it every day.

Second, examine your spending. Are you tracking your expenses often enough? If you aren't looking at your expenses every few days, you probably have no idea how much money you have and where it is going. Spend a few minutes each day or at the end of the week updating your records instead of saving it all for the end of the month (or tax season).

Third, recognize why and where you are overspending. Look at your expenses and see where you've crossed the line. Did you have a large, unexpected medical, house, or automotive expense? Does this happen frequently? Establishing some short-term savings can help cover these expenses when they occur.

Begin thinking of things in terms of what it costs you over a long period of time, such as a year. For example, if you pay $3/week to withdraw money from your ATM, that's over $150/year. Instead limit withdrawals to twice a month (or less) and that's over $75/year in your pocket!

Below are some other ways to reduce both mandatory and discretionary expenses:
•Increase your car insurance deductible to $500.
•Check around for better car insurance rates.
•Conserve utilities when possible.
•Consolidate your credit card and other consumer debt into a home equity loan and then cancel the cards, cut them up, and don't apply for new ones.
•If you are renting, try to buy a house; tax advantages for paying home loan interest often make it cheaper to own than to rent.
•Eat out less; brown-bag your lunch; find less expensive places to eat.
•Find cheaper entertainment (rent a movie instead of going out to one).
•Consolidate errands to use less gas.
Limit grocery shopping to one day a week; shop at more than one store for groceries, if time permits.
•Shop around for a better long-distance calling plan or cell phone plan.
•Borrow books from the library instead of buying them.

Some find it necessary to go to a cash-based system. This is sometimes called the "envelope method." It involves cashing your paycheck and depositing only what is needed to write checks for bills or to cover bills that are automatically withdrawn from your checking account.

The remaining cash is divided into envelopes marked for expenses such as food, gas, etc. Once the money in an envelope is gone, to make any additional purchases you either have to shift money from another envelope or wait until you get paid. This really helps to develop discipline.

You may eventually find that there are no more places to cut and you need to increase your income. This doesn't necessarily mean getting a second job, although that is a possibility. Below are some other ways to increase your spendable money:

First, take a look at your tax return. If you're getting anything but a small return, you're letting the government earn interest for itself with your money. You probably wouldn't let anyone else do that! Consider raising your exemptions. You can acquire a new W-4 form to fill out from your Human Resource department or manager.

Second, save or invest wisely to obtain dividends. This is money that you don't have to work for! It's money working for you.

Third, acquire new skills that can help you get a promotion, or even a new job. Get your GED or college diploma, if you don't have one. There is a lot of financial aid available, and you may even be able to attend college for free.

Fourth, consider starting a home-based business. There are a host of tax deductions for home businesses, not to mention the extra income that may come from just a few hours a week. Although a home-based business is not for everyone, you may enjoy it enough to turn it into your next career!

Living within your budget is possible, but you must have a good reason to motivate yourself. Track your expenses often. Cut expenses and/or increase your income if you need to. Decide to make changes and do them today.



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© Simple Joe, Inc.

Chemain Evans is a quality control specialist for Simple Joe, Inc., makers of the popular Simple Joe's Expense Tracker PC software. Expense Tracker is a quick and simple way to keep track of your expenses and stay within your budget. Expense Tracker is ideal for tracking personal, business, home and club expenses.. This article may be freely distributed as long as the copyright, author's information and an active link (where possible) are included.