Awesome post!

Read this post from The "Cent"sible Sawyer about Stockpiling vs Hoarding. It is awesome and really speaks on the mindset I've adopted lately in my couponing/freebies efforts.
I've posted about this thought before but it's worth mentioning again. I really do feel God has led me to couponing so I can help His people.
I think it is totally OK to have a stockpile on hand of items frequently used. But I shake my head when I hear about those with stockpiles taking over nooks and crannies in their house.
I'm not tooting my horn or anything but providing as an example that with coupons and sales and freebies and all, it is so easy to help those in need.
I've adopted a save and give mindset as well. What do I need with five extra tubes of toothpaste when I can give them away and later take advantage of future sales, if I need them? Or boxes of cereal and cans of soup that I can stockpile and give?
Through my efforts (mostly with the help of wonderful blogs about sales, coupons, freebies and the like) I have been able to give Christmas gifts; help my mother who recently lost her job; give to our church food pantry; give toothpaste and toothbrushes to a woman ministering to women in a prison in another country; and give personal care items to a group collecting for local homeless shelters.
Again, I am not tooting my own horn but saying it is so easy to give. And we should because we are called to. Jesus called us to reach out to the poor, the sick, the needy, the orphaned and widowed, the ones who are thirsty or need clothes, the ones who are imprisoned and forgotten.
We cannot be greedy, especially if we have the opportunity to help those in need during these economic struggles. So I thank God for all His blessings. And the many people who are eager to share freebies and deals!

Homeschooling update

We wound up taking this week off due to C being out of town and having an unexpectedly busy week.
We are at "V" so we will focus on vegetables and volcanoes. I also finally got the materials I wanted for a lesson on Trains so we'll be doing that as well.
S still enjoys homeschooling. She really absorbs the materials. I am amazed by what she picks up.
I've been thinking ahead to summer. I am considering working on Spanish with her as well as reading.
Earlier this week I ran in to some teachers from a local elementary school. I asked what kids need to know by kindergarten. Here are some things: count 1-20, shapes and colors, some letter recognition and if they can print their name, that was good.
I am amazed and a little worried. S can do all of those and more! And with a year left before she can go into Kindergarten, she will be learning even more!
The school rep I spoke to recommended bringing S in for a screening to see where she is at. She also recommended we work on rhyming books because I guess rhyming is supposed to help kids with reading.

First haircut!

M got her first haircut this past Saturday, only I'm just now getting around to posting anything about it.

I was worried she would freak out at the salon but she hung in there. It was an uncertain start at first...she did not want to greet our stylist, who is our neighbor and mother of our babysitter.

But M warmed up a bit and, as long as she knew I was by her, she was OK. She moved around a bit but our stylist said she is used to moving targets! :)

It's a cute little 'do. It fits our M.

Stockpile

So now I know why I've been led to couponing!
Yes, I feel led. Over the years, I tried to do the couponing thing with little success.
However, since last year, I've really been caught up in it. The deals are super great. Add coupons to sale items, plus double coupon days, and WOW! I've gotten some great steals! (This week I had an awesome time at Walgreens and Pick N Save/Copps.)
But I have acquired quite the stockpile of groceries, as I figured would happen. I mean, how can you pass up steals?
The question of what to do with all those groceries is pretty easy to answer: donate it. Seriously, what do we need with a dozen boxes of cereal or cans of soup or tubes of toothpaste?
There are plenty of people in need. We are so blessed that we can buy the food and items we need. And, with coupons, I can get even more, which we can share with those in need. How can we not??
God is so good. He has placed on my heart a greater desire to give and pointed me in a direction in which we can give.
This afternoon I filled three large grocery bags with food from the stockpile to take to our church for its food pantry. I will also be donating household and health products (all that shampoo, toothpaste and feminine products!) to a local radio station that is collecting items for area homeless shelters. If you want to find out more (including a full list of items for donation) visit Family Christian Radio. Cleaning and personal care items such as laundry/face/body soaps, hair and dental care products, facial and bathroom tissue, diapers, deodorant, first aid items, lip balm etc. are needed. Collection dates are March 7-31.

Bummer!

In case you couldn't tell from past blogs, I love to get freebies in the mail!
I love to try a product so I can make a decision on whether I want to buy it in the future. And the coupons that come with the product are a bonus! I also love when the freebie is a coupon for a full sized free item.
But what stinks is when you can't enjoy those free samples because of poor packaging.
Today was the third time in a couple months that I have been met with a ruined sample because of poor packaging or whatnot.
Today a sample of microwave popcorn came in. I was surprised and then disappointed when a kernel of corn fell out of the main envelope. And then, upon inspection of the product itself, there was a small hole in the actual microwave popcorn bag, with another kernel ready to slip out!
My enjoyment of a free sample of mini rice cakes (shipped in a sturdy cardboard box) was thwarted a month ago because the bag was open.
And another free sample (a medicine) had been crushed and was leaking out of its package!
Oh well. The items came with coupons so I can still get some savings to enjoy them.

Spring cleaning?

The cleaning bug seems to have hit me, although I would not necessarily call it Spring Cleaning.
I think it all began with a corner in our master bedroom. Since we moved here over a year ago, there has been a pile of stuff in a corner in our bedroom. Mostly it's all my stuff: a box containing various freelance magazines, the shoes I wore in our wedding, the wedding proofs binder and various items; and then a pile of more magazines and clippings and other odds and ends. Plus there were a couple other boxes stacked near the corner.
Anyway, it had all been there for a "while." :) And, truth be told, it was blocking access to my dresser drawers. I'd have to move something aside if I needed something. I think, for the most part, I stopped using those drawers for everyday things. :)
Well, I finally decided it was time to tackle that mess. And that led to other things that have been lingering around for a while. I'm not saying our house is a mess but I do have relatively organized chaos....piles of things that make sense to me. :) And most are tucked away, like in a corner or a pile under the coffee table in the family room.
Well, now it's time to straighten up those areas, more for my peace of mind, I think.
And it's nice to be able to see a cleared up spot.

Day 5

Our Five Day Hunger Challenge ended today.
The last couple days were uneventful. Rice, beans and oatmeal actually grew on me but, admittedly, the same choices got boring. Another sign of how spoiled we are!
But the food was not that bad. I got the knack of cooking. I even enjoyed cooking for the most part, although at the end I really didn't get as creative, instead focusing on the meals I knew the family would eat. But I could see adding them to our regular diet.
While this experience did help me to understand how poor people in third world countries live, it also really showed how here in the U.S. we are very spoiled. Do we really need so much variety like in cereal or soda choices? Why do we have to have the fastest gadget and yet not be satisfied?
We rely on keeping up with the Jones, from our type of home to fashion. We have all sorts of wants and gimmes. We are comfortable in our own shells.
I do feel guilty for being born in a country of plenty. But I also am thankful for the many blessings God has given me and I definitely want to share those blessings.
I want to serve! I want to reach out to those in need. Jesus commanded us to feed the hungry, give a drink to the thirsty, invite a stranger in, clothe the needy, look after the sick and visit the imprisoned. "Whatever you did for the least of one of these brothers of mine, you did for me," he said.
Cursed are those who do not follow His commands. (Matthew 25:31-46.)
Many people don't want to step out of their comfort zone. Gone are the days when neighbors called, visited or chatted freely. We live in neighborhoods and yet are strangers to those around us. We go about our lives and don't want to make eye contact with the person walking down the street.
But God has given us gifts; gifts we can use to help his Kingdom. We need to be wise with our gifts (as we learned last night from Veggie Tale Lord of the Beans). Those gifts can be used to follow Christ's commands. Maybe you have the gift of prayer. Then pray for the poor and the hurting. Maybe you are artistic. Then you can make get-well cards for children in the hospital. Maybe you have a servant's heart. Then you can help in a soup kitchen or other ministry.
We can travel to another country or reach out locally. Whatever it may be, God has many opportunities for us.
I am eager to see where He wants me to go.