Update: 12 money saving goals of 2012

Alright so the first month of money saving is almost up and I think I have done a pretty good job. So here’s how I have done:

12 Money Saving Goals for 2012
1. Make Laundry Detergent (http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm)
2. Make Dishwasher Detergent ( http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/02/2011-do-it-yourself-experiment-2-homemade-dishwashing-detergent.html)
3. Make Fabric Softener (http://acontentedcommonlife.blogspot.com/2011/08/for-love-of-things-homemade.html)

I made this fabric softener yesterday and it turned out great. My clothes smell great!!
4. Make Baby food (http://moneysavingmom.com/2010/05/freezing-homemade-baby-food.html)
5. Make rice and oatmeal cereal (http://www.homemadeginger.com/2011/02/homemade-whole-grain-baby-cereal.html)
6. Make baby wipes (http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/06/how-to-make-homemade-reusable-baby-wipes.html)
7. Cut grocery bill by $50 biweekly (http://moneysavingmom.com/31-days-to-a-better-budget-series)

I have actually cut my grocery bill by $150 this month!!
8. Spend $0 on K3 curriculum(http://moneysavingmom.com/category/series/15-favorite-preschool-kindergarten-resources?orderby=date&order=ASC)
(http://teachbesideme.blogspot.com/2011/03/learning-alphabet.html)

I have started writing the Bible portion of the K3 cirriculum
9. Learn how to coupon, save $20 monthly (http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/08/couponing-an-investment-in-our-family.html)
10. Buy almost all clothes at thrift shops(http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/06/lessons-learned-from-my-first-thrift-store-shopping-experience.html)

I really had to lay down my pride on this one, but once I did God really delivered. I was able to get almost all the girls spring and summer clothes for $80, where as I was spending $600 a season on Annie-Sarah’s clothes alone. I also bought myself a pair of American Eagle jeans, a gap shirt, a Columbia Shirt with the tags still on it, an Old Navy skirt with the tag still on it, a really cute shirt and a sweater dress for $15.50!!! I was so excited!!!

11. Only eat out 2x a month or less!
12. Take an inexpensive vacation
If I can accomplish these goals we have the potential of saving about $3500 a year!!!! That is motivation enough!!!!

February 20-24- No makeup Challenge

No I haven't fallen off the wagon! I am still doing it!!! I have had sick little girls this week and this is the first chance I have gotten to give you an update. I am actually starting to like the way I look and somewhat haven't cared what others have thought. I know surprising. My husband has been such an encouragement through this challenge and he has told me how beautiful I look! I really like the reaction I am getting from my hubby. God is showing me alot through this. God has also given me alot of opportunities to tell Annie-Sarah that we are beautiful the way we are. She is a lip gloss fanatic, I am not joking, if I allowed she would use 6 tubes of lip gloss a day. Okay maybe not 6, but probably at least 1 tube a day! lol She has been dying to put lip gloss on me and I have had the opportunity to explain to her about my fast and she really seems to understand. She is such a smart little girl.I am so thankful that God has called me to do this because He is showing me that I was beautifully made by Him and He is also using me to show my little girls that they were beautifully made by Him as well. I can do this and intend to follow through with this with the strength that only can come from God.

Day 2 and 3

I have decided that on the weekends that I am only going to give you an update Sunday. I want to spend as much time with my family as possible!

Yesterday (Saturday) and today (Sunday) have been pretty hard days. My skin is going through detox right now, my pores are being cleansed and that means my face is breaking out. If I was not already self-conscious enough before, I now feel like a teenager going through purity. I almost feel as if I need to apologize to people for the way I look. I have been really praying about that and God has convicted me saying, “Who are you to say that my creation is not good enough.” I am not boasting by any means, but my God created me just the way He wanted me to look. I am beautiful in his sight. I am learning to love myself the way I am. God is teaching me a lot through this journey and I am scared and I am loving it all at the same time. I serve an amazing God, who loves me and took the time to knit me in my mother’s womb.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.” Psalm 139:13

Day 1- No Makeup for a Month

Alright I did it!! Here it is, I am exposed! This is what I took like without a lick of makeup on. This has to be one of the hardest things I have ever done. I pray this gets easier as the days go by. Thank you for your responses and support!!! I have a couple of women that have committed to going on this journey with me. I am so grateful.
I am learning a lot about myself already. I am learning that I am so absorbed in the way I look. I have noticed that when people have talked to me today, I have caught myself looking down and putting my hand kind of over my face. How have I made such a small thing(makeup) the ruler of my life? I almost feel like I have to explain to people why I look the way I do. How sad is that, that I feel I have to explain why the Creator of the universe made me the way He did. Who am I to question His work?
I have sent up alot of prayers today. A matter of fact I have been praying Psalm 139:14 quite a bit. I got a little boost of confidence last night when my sweet little Annie-Sarah looked at me and said, "Mommy you look beautiful!" I am so thankful that she has not picked up on our society's belief that we have to look "perfect." I am having to learn to look over comments from students because they have noticed that I look a little different. One K-4 student this morning looked at me and said, " Mrs. Clements are you sick, you look sick?" One of my students said, "Mrs. Clements why are your eyes so red, they don't look good?" That student then remember that I am making a change in my life and said he was sorry that he forgot that today marked the day of a new me. I though that was very sweet and I was glad that he had been listening to me.
If you feel that it is silly that I am this wrapped up in such a small aspect of life, then you might want to reflect on your life and see what silly little thing is hindering you from fully worshiping and surrendering to God. Pray for me today, I need it!

31 Day Challenge

THE hardest challenge that I have ever been presented with was given to me today!!!! Today I was looking through this great resource that our church provides to us, it is a Christian magazine called, Homelife. I was flipping through trying to find a good article to read and came across, “A month without makeup.” When I first read the title of the article I thought to myself, “There is absolutely no way that I could do that!” Well, I should know better than to say something like that because God hears everything and then He challenged me! After I felt that little tugging on my heart I read this sentence in the article that pretty much jumped off the page and slapped me right in the face, “God is interested in our hearts; not our ability to put on a perfect face for Him.” Come on God, really, makeup!!!! I love my makeup!!!! “ Just think about its name-makeup…when you put it on, what are you trying to ‘make up’ for?”

After reading this article I realized that I rely on my makeup too much. I feel like I am a completely different person when I do not have it on. I RELY on it for my confidence, I RELY on it for people to accept me, I RELY on it!!!! Where is my reliance supposed to be? God, who made me perfect! Psalm 139:12 says, “I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully made; wonderful are your works, and my soul knows it very well.” I am not saying that there is anything wrong with makeup, I am saying that there is something wrong when we RELY on it!!! I need to take this challenge, but I am super scared. Like the article in the magazine said I am afraid of 4 things during this fast from makeup:

1. People will react negatively to me and/or ignore me if I’m not wearing make up.

2. Parents of my students will not listen to what I have to say because I don’t look like someone that is well put together.

3. People won’t want to work with me on a professional level because they are disappointed that I’m not better looking.

4. People (particularly women) will think they’re better than me because I don’t look as good as they do.

I would love for more ladies to do this with me! I need the accountability and support! I am a mother of two beautiful girls and I want to be able to teach them by example that they should be happy with the way God made them!

Your prayers and support would be greatly appreciated!

I am going to try to post a picture everyday for 31 days!

Ladies when should I start?

In Christ,

Dawn

www.truecampaign.org

12 Money Saving Goals for 2012

12 Money Saving Goals for 2012
1. Make Laundry Detergent (http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm)
2. Make Dishwasher Detergent ( http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/02/2011-do-it-yourself-experiment-2-homemade-dishwashing-detergent.html)
3. Make Fabric Softener (http://acontentedcommonlife.blogspot.com/2011/08/for-love-of-things-homemade.html)
4. Make Baby food (http://moneysavingmom.com/2010/05/freezing-homemade-baby-food.html)
5. Make rice and oatmeal cereal (http://www.homemadeginger.com/2011/02/homemade-whole-grain-baby-cereal.html)
6. Make baby wipes (http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/06/how-to-make-homemade-reusable-baby-wipes.html)
7. Cut grocery bill by $50 biweekly (http://moneysavingmom.com/31-days-to-a-better-budget-series)
8. Spend $0 on K3 curriculum(http://moneysavingmom.com/category/series/15-favorite-preschool-kindergarten-resources?orderby=date&order=ASC)
(http://teachbesideme.blogspot.com/2011/03/learning-alphabet.html)
9. Learn how to coupon, save $20 monthly (http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/08/couponing-an-investment-in-our-family.html)
10. Buy almost all clothes at thrift shops(http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/06/lessons-learned-from-my-first-thrift-store-shopping-experience.html)
11. Only eat out 2x a month or less!
12. Take an inexpensive vacation
If I can accomplish these goals we have the potential of saving about $3500 a year!!!! That is motivation enough!!!!