From My Heart

We’ve been homeschooling our kiddos for the past 2.5 years, it’s been an amazing journey and season of life.  The past couple of years have been wonderful, we’ve loved the opportunity to speak life into our children’s hearts, to see the first of many accomplishments, and the freedom that comes with making our own school/work schedule.

However the past 6 months haven’t been the same, we’ve been hanging onto the homeschooling lifestyle with white knuckles and making it work, for better or worse.  The truth is, and it’s tough to admit, I haven’t been able to enjoy the kids as I should be.  Between work, keeping up our home, finding a church, and learning our new community here in Bend (without any family nearby) we’ve been flat-out overwhelmed.  Now don’t get me wrong, I adore being a mom but being a teacher just isn’t in the cards for me, I struggled week by week for over 2 years to find a normalcy to our school day.  Mr. Frugal took over teaching this year and I’ll admit he did a MUCH better job than I had done, but still it wasn’t flowing and we couldn’t find a happy rhythm.   We tried several different methods, took breaks to reevaluate, and kept finding ourselves in the same boat.

We always said we’d take it year by year and as the Lord leads we’ll follow, I never expected to make a change mid-year but the timing is right and things have fallen into place.   When the thought came to mind of public school, I panicked.  I started to imagine every worst case scenario there could be about sending the kids to school, I was making myself sick with worry.  I’ve been there for everything and the thought of not being there to catch them when they fall (literally or not) was almost too much to bear. I prayed, a lot.  I cried, a lot.  Then as I’ve experienced in the past a rushing peace swept over me and I knew the decision we were to make was going to be a good one, the kids are going to thrive.

So we enter yet another new season of life, and once again I’m excited to see what’s in store.  Does this mean we’ll never homeschool again?  Absolutely not, we’ll keep on our year by year method as long as we need it.  I wanted to share this because I know that there is a stigma out there about one way or the other being the “right” way to do things.  I wanted to encourage you that every family is unique and there is no such thing as the one right way to do things.   Keeping the family’s needs as a whole in perspective, this is the decision we’ve come to.

Of course I missed the crazy good Lands End Backpack deals, oh and I just have to share this really funny story that happened a week or so ago…

I was out shopping with Tyler, my almost 6 year old when I heard him say “Hey mom, look!  They have tiny suitcases for sale here!”  I turned to see what he was talking about, and about died laughing as a few other moms were nearby – they were lunchboxes.  My kids will have many new experiences coming at them it seems!

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I’ve been reminded lately that how easy it is to forget, and to forget very important things at that.  We simply cannot allow ourselves forget the mighty ways God has worked in our lives in the past or we risk becoming dependent on ourselves again.  God wants to be at work continuously and in mighty ways, but we have to get out of the way and let Him do what He does best.  Do you have dreams and goals for your future?  We do, big ones.  However we made a mistake over the past couple of months; as we set out a plan to accomplish our goals we planned to work only with the limited resources we currently have in view and in hand.  Our God is so much bigger than that!

So with that thought in mind, I’m sharing this series of posts that chronicle our journey of faith as a family mostly as a reminder to myself that God has brought us so very far and I’m eager and anxious to see what He has in store for us now!

Part 1: How TFF started and where we are at today…

Part 2: How TFF started and where we are at today…

Bringing you some hope today…

Bringing you some hope today (…continued)

Our BIG announcement…

I can be all things to all people…

Thank you for allowing me a space where I can share deals and to share with you what I’m passionate about – saving money.  Today though, thank you for allowing me to share from my heart.

I’d love to give you an opportunity to share how God has worked in your life, so please feel free to share your story in the comments section.  By sharing and reading each other’s stories I pray that we will be inspired and encouraged to once again put our dreams and goals in the hands of Jesus and allow Him to run wild with them.

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I feel like I’ve come a long ways since these posts here and here.  Remember the time where I talked about how crazy difficult it was to find a balance between blogging and managing my family?  God has been merciful and gracious to me and my family over the past 2+ years.  Where I was weak and incapable, he carried me and most importantly my family.  It feels as though a huge burden was lifted from my shoulders.  The sad part is that it wasn’t a burden I was meant to endure, it’s one I chose to carry myself.  Maybe you’re carrying the same burden?  The “I can be all things to all people” burden.  Have you carried the burden that never allows you to utter the words “no” or “help” before?  I lived there for quite some time recently.

So what’s changed?  I simply stepped back and decided to LIVE in the present and accept the fact that it would mean someone somewhere wasn’t getting the best of me – but my family is, always.  I asked for help and we met a wonderful lady here in Bend that has really become a huge source of relief for us, helping a few hours per week with the day to day tasks that we were falling behind on.  Most importantly though my perspective changed when I came to realize that I simply couldn’t do it all and that it was ok to say no.

A big part of that freedom came for me when we moved to Oregon, we had almost zero obligations outside of TFF and our children/home.  It’s very interesting to take a step back and start from scratch, re-writing your daily schedule.  Chooseing carfully what your family will participate in and what you’ll say no to.  If you’ve ever been in this same position, moving to a new town or state you’ll understand.  It’s been very refreshing for us to say the least!

The fact is though that it doesn’t have to take a out-of-state move for these changes to happen.  If you’ve found yourself at your wits’ end I want you to know that it is possible to find peace and to find balance in life.  I was taught for many years that balance was elusive and that it was a pendulum of sorts swaying back and forth as your focus shifted from area of life to another.  However I don’t necessarily believe that anymore – sure there will be seasons of life when you have to devote more time to one area than another but that doesn’t mean your family has to sacrifice.  It’s a choice I had to make – put my husband and my children first and then with what’s left ask the Lord to help me stretch my time, energy, and finances to meet the needs that MUST be met and let the rest just be.

We’re coming up on a new year, will you continue to stretch yourself way too thin as I did for too long?  Will you continue to carry the  ”I can be all things to all people” burden?  Just try it, let it go and see how it feels!

Now you must know I am so very thankful for all of you – our readers, because when I’ve let TFF slip a bit and not allow it to be the focus of my attention you all have been faithful to visit our blog and support us.  When I take hours off at at time on random days to romp around the forest with my children, you let me know that it’s ok and that you aren’t going anywhere.  So for that, I say a big HUGE thank you.     

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I’ll be honest, I’ve been slacking with labeling and filing my Sunday Coupon Inserts.  I think this seems to happen every few months and then I get caught up.  Today though I had some help, Morgan a very sweet local gal came by to help me whip my *still in boxes* office into shape.  If she doesn’t know how to use coupons, she will soon!  (Hi Morgan!)  Do you ever fall behind on your coupon organization?  Do you ever just want to quit using coupons altogether?  I think that’s totally normal and exactly what our stockpile is for, so we CAN take those breaks.

My office…

Speaking of breaks, Awana.  It’s our saving grace right now.  Having just moved to Bend and not knowing a single person, nights out with Mr. Frugal is pretty much a thing of the past.  That was until Awana at least!  All 4 of our children are old enough to attend, they’re absolutely loving it and it means TWO WHOLE HOURS kid-free each Monday night for us.  This my friends has been an incredible blessing to us.

So I know you’re wondering what we did tonight during our 2 hour break.  Well the first 30 minutes was spent running back to our house for their forgotten Awana Bucks.  You see I cleaned out their bags tonight and decided it would be wise to leave those at home so they weren’t lost.  Of course tonight is the night when they could spend them to buy toys for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes, so back home we went.  My poor Haley was almost in tears when we arrived back at Awana.  She didn’t know we were coming back with the Awana Bucks and her time at the store had already started, she thought she was going to miss out on shopping for the children we had been talking about all evening.

Then Mr. Frugal and I dart over to Starbucks (my second office) to catch up on emails and find the really good deal on this American Girl Book Set.  We spent some time gathering our thoughts over a warm cup of coffee for me and hot chocolate for Mr. Frugal – he despises coffee.  It’s true, crazy huh?  Then from there we went up the road to Goodwill in search of laptop bag for him.  You see I’ve been carting BOTH of our laptops in my bag, and well it’s a pretty purple bag and he’s not to keen on carrying it himself.  Then I saw it.  I had to have it. The lovely coupon rack pictured above, it’s perfectly sized and easy to use and hopefully Morgan will approve.

When we arrived back at Awana to pick up the kids, my son Tyler (5 years) began to tell me about all the items he purchased with his bucks.  Then he went into a rant about the lack of deals at the Awana store and how everything seemed to be overpriced.  I’m trying hard at this point not to laugh.  Then he said “I spent all of my bucks even though I think I could have gotten better deals at Target, but they don’t take Awana bucks.”  Aw, gotta love the little frugal kids.

So that’s a peak for you into our day today (and my uber hot date night with Mr. Frugal!). I won’t go into details about our unexpected guest this morning and our crazy mad dash to get the house in order.  I won’t tell you that our kids almost missed out on a full day of school because mommy needed help washing windows and shaking rugs.  Ah the life of a homeschooling work at home family is never dull.

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As I type Mr. Frugal is picking up Grandma, she came up on a train from CA overnight last night and will be staying the weekend with us.  The kids have been dying for this moment for weeks.

Thank you for following our journey and supporting our family as we made this huge move – it’s been a good thing for us in more ways than I can count even if we had a rough start. Oh and I’m loving how close everything is – ALL of the stores I shop at are within a 5 minute drive!

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Photo Credit: Pinterest

It sure feels like we’ve been under attack these past couple of weeks.  From my Grandpa Jack passing away, hospital stays, to new tires, dwindling savings,  to my son swallowing somthing potentially dangerous I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed.  I asked for prayer last night on my personal Facebook page and my freinds showered me.  I woke this morning with a fresh perspective, one that I hope I can keep with me for more than a few hours.  That’s the key isn’t it?  Reminding yourself of the peace that the Lord gave and not allowing it to dissapear.  It’s a choice I believe.

Anyhow, I’m writing this because I don’t believe our trials are meant for us to endure alone.  I believe there is a reason and purpose that we experience what we do in life and it’s rarely for ourselves – it’s for someone else.  It’s so we can be used by the King.  This morning I’m reminded of the many fires we’ve gone through – the Refiner’s Fire.  It appears it’s time for another “Refiner’s Fire”.  It did seem like it had been quite some time and sadly, when that happens we start to depend on ourselves and less on God.  I remember from the last time it was HOT but He is a Master at what He does and only beauty can come from His work.

So today if you’re in the fire, you’re not alone.  I’m thinking and praying for you as well.

You  know what I love about TFF?  It’s a space where I can share deals and what I’m passionate about – saving money.  But, it’s also a place where I can share what’s on my heart.  Thank you for allowing me to be real from time to time here.

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It struck me last night at church that everyone remembers exactly what they were doing the morning of 9/11 – not many things unite an entire country like that.  We all remember exactly where we were and what we were doing, vividly.  Do something today.  I’d encourage you, especially if you have kids to do something today that will help them to grasp the gift we have in freedom.  Freedom as Americans and freedom as children of God.

We were very newly married and I was pregnant with our first child.  I can remember the uncertainty.  The feeling of absolute loss of control.  Some of that was good.  It reminded me to depend on my Creator for my very existence.  Life is full of uncertainties, each breath we take is a gift.  My thoughts and prayers are with the families still mourning their losses.  We will never forget.

Where were you?

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If you have $9 and a basket full of samples, would you consider helping out the victims in Joplin?

I often post freebies and samples here on TFF and the hope is that these items will bless and meet the needs of your family.  However there also comes a time when because of these freebies and samples we are able to bless others.  It’s not always easy, trust me I know it’s painful at times to see your stockpile dwindle but just imagine yourself having lost everything, literally everything.  It becomes much easier to part with your stuff.

We  had the kid’s dive into the toiletry closet and grab items to donate.  We gave them complete freedom to give as they felt led, and it was such a blessing to see them go through and find things they thought the people of Joplin might need.  They discussed why a certain item might be needed and why another wouldn’t be.  Then they went through our school closet and pulled out markers, crayons, and other items that they thought the children might need and enjoy.

My husband also dove in and gave from his stockpile of razors, etc.  Then with mad Tetris skills, Mr. Frugal strategically packed the boxes. When all was said and done we had stuffed 3 priority boxes (approximately $9 each to ship) full with everything from my daughter’s American Girl books to necessities like OTC medications and deodorant.

The kids were overjoyed to be able to do something to help.  We’ve been hearing about and reading about the devastation, just feeling so helpless here in sunny CA.   This was a very tangible way that we could give back.

Would you like to help?

Melissa, a Money Saving Mom reader who lives very near the destruction, is helping with the relief efforts and she and I communicated yesterday about specific ways you all can help those in great in need in the Joplin area. Her husband’s ministry (Mustard Seed Global Fellowship) has teamed up with The Bridge (another local ministry) to form a shelter and supply distribution hub.

They can use all of the extra supplies you can send including the following:

::Non-perishable Food (most are without electricity and gas, so sending food that doesn’t need to be cooked is especially helpful)

::Toiletries (deodorant, shampoo, soap, body wash, razors, shaving cream, toilet paper, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc.)

::Towels

::Clothing

Please send the items to:

The Bridge
3405 S. Hammons Blvd
Joplin, MO 64804

They will distribute them to those who need them most.

Be sure to package your items securely. Wrap any bottles or items that might leak in plastic, to prevent spills in the box. If you are sending towels or clothing, please send items that are in good condition.

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The devastation is absolutely horrific.  Listening to screams and cries of surviving victims that lived through the tornado in this video made it all the more real to me.  I sat crying just thinking about all the other cries that went out, yet didn’t survive. I’ve received emails from readers who have lost friends and loved ones.  It’s absolutely heart wrenching.

How can we help?

I emailed Crystal at Money Saving Mom and she has been in contact with a few readers who are on the ground in Joplin.  Many of us have a large supply of toiletries that we could pull from to donate.  I’ll be putting together a box today and shipping via a priority mail.  If you get a flat rate box for around $8.00 you can fill it with quite a bit with no extra charges for weight.

Melissa, a Money Saving Mom reader who lives very near the destruction, is helping with the relief efforts and she and I communicated yesterday about specific ways you all can help those in great in need in the Joplin area. Her husband’s ministry (Mustard Seed Global Fellowship) has teamed up with The Bridge (another local ministry) to form a shelter and supply distribution hub.

They can use all of the extra supplies you can send including the following:

::Non-perishable Food (most are without electricity and gas, so sending food that doesn’t need to be cooked is especially helpful)

::Toiletries (deodorant, shampoo, soap, body wash, razors, shaving cream, toilet paper, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc.)

::Towels

::Clothing

Please send the items to:

The Bridge
3405 S. Hammons Blvd
Joplin, MO 64804

They will distribute them to those who need them most.

Be sure to package your items securely. Wrap any bottles or items that might leak in plastic, to prevent spills in the box. If you are sending towels or clothing, please send items that are in good condition.

Thank you Crystal for giving us a tangible way to help.

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This weekend is pretty much as exciting as it gets.  First Friday night I’ll get to see Francesca  Battistelli LIVE in concert at the Design 4 Living conference.  Then the next day I’ll be speaking!  Amongst some very talented women, I was asked to speak at 2 breakout sessions. I’ll be sharing about TFF and giving them a peak into the world of couponing.  They expect 1,200 women to attend the conference!

Would you like to download the same flyer I’ll be handing out tomorrow?  Well guess what, you CAN!  Here is the TFF Coupon Tips PDF, feel free to print a few for friends.  It has my Top 5 Coupon Tips, where to find coupons, info about the Online Coupon Class, and a little bit about me.  It’s double sided so, just stick the paper back in the printer and print on the second side, fold it in half and you’re ready to go!  Please note the actual PDF file is a bit large, so it may take a minute or two to fully download.

If you’re planning to be at the conference, I’d love to meet you!  I wish I could say what I’ll be wearing, but I have tried on 10+ outfits yet to find out.

Thanks Abe for your hard working the flyer!

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On Good Friday all of creation groaned.  The sacrifice Jesus made is beyond anything I can imagine.  I can remember vividly when the reality of what God did through Jesus hit me.  I’d been a believer for many years, but when this thought came into my mind it tore me to pieces.  God gave his ONLY begotten Son.  My son was five at the time, and the very thought of him being punished for something he didn’t do made me ill.  However that thought brought to life what Jesus did for me in a new way, one that will never leave me. It seems so simple, but it was such a profound moment for me.  I’d be crushed if my child had to undergo any sort of torture at all.  Let alone for something he didn’t do and even worse if it were FOR something I did wrong!  Yet that’s exactly what Jesus did for us, to the point of death.

Praise the Lord the tomb was empty and we are new creations!

The past couple of years for my family has been a roller coaster of emotions, challenges, and huge moments when all we could do was rely on the faith we have in our God.  The first year was excruciatingly painful at times, I desperately cried to the Lord to bring us through to the other side of our journey.   This year we’re there and we’re looking back with our jaws dropped open, in awe of our God.  He is faithful, He knows us intimately, loves us unconditionally, and craves to bless us.

The song above came into my life 2 years ago and I haven’t stopped using the lyrics as a prayer.  I can remember using it as I cried out to the Lord in desperation when everything in my world felt as if it were caving in.  I shouted the words in celebration when the Lord provided in a mighty way for our family.  In my weakness and in my strength God was beside me and he heard my cries.

I realize that not all of my readers are Christians or believe in God at all for that matter.  However we are committed to always being clear that the driving force behind The Frugal Find and why we do what we do comes from our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  In everything we do we want to glorify and honor HIM!

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