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Merry CHRISTmas!! is a post from: Getting Freedom From Debt

I always have so much fun decorating for Christmas–or even just bringing out all the things that have winter written all over them.  Then, after I have everything out and I complain about how much stuff I have, I always find new things to create or add to the collection. I’m sure I’m not alone!

But DIY Snowglobes do not take up much space. And better yet?  You can unassemble {if that’s what you want to call it} them, use the supplies for other things throughout the year, and create them again come December.  Now that’s my kind of decor!

Their price tag is just icing on the cake!  I made these 3 for nothing out of pocket.

Supplies::

Recycled Jars or Mason Jars from your collection {no cost}

Epsom Salt {I used some that I had leftover from making bath salts.  Purchased for around $3}

Assorted Trinkets {I use Pinecones, mini cookie cutters, cinnamon sticks with a ribbon tied around it, greenery from fake tree} {no cost}

From there it’s pretty self explanatory.  Arrange the items until you are satisfied.  Sit back and drink hot cocoa and dream of snow.

This post is part of Frugal Friday.

Have you purchased your copy of the Home Management Binder yet? It's not too late!

Thank you for supporting our February Sponsors!

Don't Feel Guilty About Dessert! Eat a Smart Sweet! Check out the 80+page Ebook from Kitchen Stewardship.

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Make Your Own Snowglobes is a post from: Getting Freedom From Debt

We’ve reached the time of year when most everyone is on a mission to find that perfect gift for thier friend or loved one.

Overall, people are a bit happier.  A little more willing to lend a helping hand, sponsor a needy family in the area, drop off some extra food baskets at the local pantry. 

It’s the spirit of the season.  I wish it lasted all year.

You all know that the Ronald McDonald House is near and dear to us.  Yesterday the Facebook Status of my local house caught my eye.  They were looking to bless the House Families with Christmas Gifts.

I must admit something.

This year, now that life has finally felt like it’s settling into a new normal {let’s hope I didn’t jinx it!}, I’ve focused on my family.  My friends. 

I’ve barely given a thought about other families who may be hurting in this season.

It was hard enough for us to be in the Ronald McDonald House when we were.  Truly, I cannot even begin to imagine one of my children being hospitalized on Christmas.  Charities like the Ronald McDonald House strive to make times like these as normal as they possibly can be, considering the circumstances.

Our local Ronald McDonald House has a very short Christmas Wishlist.  {These items may vary from house to house–but I wanted to include them here to give ideas for those who are interested.  Be sure to call your local house before purchasing.}

Men’s grooming sets
Small tool sets
Men’s gloves/scarves
Women’s bath sets
Women’s gloves/scarves
House slippers for men & women
Gift cards to Wal-Mart
Gift cards to gas stations
Gift cards to restaurants

All of these items can be picked up with little out of pocket expenses–yet will make huge impact on the families receiving them. Which is the generally the case for any charity choose to support.

You can also help the RMH year around by collecting pop tabs, or dropping by donations.  There are lots of small things you can do to help in BIG ways!

Let’s all pick a family or a charity–and make a difference!  Could you imagine the impact that could have?

{The RMH is not compensating me for promoting their charity.  They’ve just made a very large imprint on our lives.}

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Thank you for supporting our February Sponsors!

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Make A Difference with Holiday Giving is a post from: Getting Freedom From Debt

I hope you and your family had a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving holiday full of memories.  Thanksgiving is one of those times where I truly realize just how blessed we are–not only as a nation, but as a community, a family, and as individuals.  I wish I didn’t take it for granted, but the reality is that I do.

Thanksgiving went exactly as I had envisioned it, which is a definite plus since it was my first ever!  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for all the tips over on Facebook.  A rigid plan, and doing as much in advance is definitely the way to go for any family gathering!  The only thing that I would change–remember to take a picture a the gorgeous roasted turkey before it’s carved, and a picture of the entire spread on the table. {I’m terrible at this whole taking picture thing.  And I call myself a blogger? Geesh. }

We all indulged on loads of food–and enjoyed each other’s company immensely.

I have to admit, that although this Thanksgiving was one of the best {that might be in part because we were able to stay home!}–it was also one of the worst.

It’s hit me like a ton of bricks that my family is smaller this year.  That the person who played an integral part in who I am today, is no longer a person with whom I am able to create new memories with. I spent many years running away from my mother and ignoring her words–and today, I long for them. And those of my Dad’s as well.

{sigh}

Cherish Every Last Moment.  You won’t be sorry for it. You’ll only regret not doing it.

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A Few Thanksgiving Thoughts is a post from: Getting Freedom From Debt

This year I’m hosting my first Thanksgiving Dinner at my home.  Originally I was nothing more than elated, then I was a little nervous when I began to think about all the preparations.  Now that I’ve nailed down my plan, the nervous-ness has turned back into elation.

I’ve found that an easy way to lead a life that is free from unnecessary stress {well, not completely of course, I have 4 littles at home!} is to plan ahead.  Always. When planning a holiday meal for many different people, planning is key!  Especially if you plan on enjoying your company and your Thanksgiving.

I’ve included my Thanksgiving Meal Plan for those of you who may need to fill in some gaps to your own menu.  I will be the first person to tell you that we’ve planned waaayyyy too much food!  This was an attempt at merging my husband’s traditional Thanksgiving with my family’s.  With our vegetable side dishes, I’m not  making much of either to avoid having a ridiculous amount left over.

Our Thanksgiving Menu

Appetizers

Cheese Ball

Beef and Cream Cheese Pickles

Deviled Eggs

Drinks

Sweetened Tea

Milk

Water

Sparkling Punch {for kids}

Wine {obviously for adults}

Main Course

Brined Turkey

Ham

Smoked Pheasant

Mashed Potatoes with Gravy

Wild Rice Stuffing

Green Bean Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole

Brussell Sprouts with Cheese Sauce

Broccoli with Cheese Sauce

Buttery Crescent Rolls

Desserts

Pumpkin Pie

Southern Pecan Pie

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Thanksgiving Preparations

Monday Before

Make 3 Batches of Buttery Crescent Rolls {once cooled pop in freezer in Ziploc Bags}

Prepare Pie Crusts {store dough in refrigerator until Tuesday}

Tuesday Before

Peel/Cube Potatoes for Mashed Potatoes {store in water in the fridge–if extra time, cook and store mashed}

Prepare Sweet Potatoes

Chop/Cook celery and onions for stuffing.  Cook Wild Rice {undercook so it doesn’t get mushy}.

Day Before

Prepare Pies {Pumpkin, Pecan, and Pumpkin Cheesecake}

Make Muffins/Granola for Breakfast.

Prepare all Appetizers

Brine Turkey

Thanksgiving Day

Our eating time is around 1pm.

Quick Breakfast of Muffins/Granola.

9:30 am

Remove Turkey from Brine

Begin Smoking Pheasant

10:00 am

Place Turkey into Roaster to Cook.

Put Ham in Oven

11:00 am

Set out Appetizers

Set Table

Prepare Stuffing

11:30am

Prepare Green Bean Casserole, pop in oven

Prepare Cheese Sauce

Put Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, and Wild Rice Stuffing in Oven

Noon-Time

Cook Vegetables {Broccoli and Brussell Sprouts} on the Stovetop.

1:00pm-ish

Eat until you cannot move.

*Note:: When a dish is done, it will be moved to a serving dish {if needed} and then onto the dinner table to keep room on the counters.

Not only does planning everything ahead of time help maintain my sanity–and good mood–it will also cut down on dirty dishes the day of Thanksgiving.  That means I’ll have time to eat more dessert, right?

What traditional foods do you include in your Thanksgiving Menu?

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Thanksgiving Menu and Plan is a post from: Getting Freedom From Debt

I first made this bread a few years back and it instantly became a favorite, not only did my husband request it often but so did the children. With fresh apples, cranberries and walnuts, how could I not answer their pleas with a slice?

Apple Cranberry Bread
1 ½ cups flour {can use whole wheat or all purpose}

3/4 cup sugar

1½  tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 eggs

2 Tbsp applesauce {or oil}

2 cups chopped apples; peeled

1 cup cranberries {fresh or frozen}

½ cup chopped walnuts {optional–but they do add that extra touch!}

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and applesauce {or oil if you prefer}.  Mix together the wet and dry ingredients, just until moistened.  The batter will be very thick, that’s exactly what you are looking for.  When the bread bakes, the appels and cranberries will add in moisture. Fold in the apples, cranberries and walnuts.

Spread batter into a lightly buttered/greased bread pan and bake for 60-65 minutes in a 350° oven.  Let bread cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

 

This bread is packed with tart flavor and is perfect for gift giving. Just be sure to include the recipe, because it’s sure to be a hit!

This post is part of Tasty Tuesday.

Have you purchased your copy of the Home Management Binder yet? It's not too late!

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Apple Cranberry Bread is a post from: Getting Freedom From Debt

A little known fact about me is that if I had all the time in the world, I would fill my spare time with sewing.  I seriously love creating things with fabric, I just don’t have  make the time for it.  As soon as our {continued} craziness ends {please tell me it will end!}, I plan to change that and sew, at a minimum, once a week for atleast an hour. 

My latest project, which unfortunately was back in Decemember, only took me right over an hour to complete.  And that’s cutting out and everything!  I still consider myself to be a beginner, so I found that to be impressive.  Maybe it isn’t, but I’m going to pretend it is.

I made this reversible tote bag to give my daughter as one of her Christmas gifts.  She absolutely fell in love with it!

Shown "right" side out

Now that I see how much she loves it and how often she uses it, along with how easy it was to create–I can’t wait to get started making more!  As a matter of fact, I bought all the material a few months back to make another, bigger version to use as a diaper bag.

Reversed!

Total Cost of this Reversible Bag:: Right around $5!

For full instructions, along with pictures {for us visual people}–You’ll have to check out Cindy’s tutorial over at Skip to My Lou.

Now, to clean the living room, so I can make a diaper bag!

This post is part of Frugal Friday.

Have you purchased your copy of the Home Management Binder yet? It's not too late!

Thank you for supporting our February Sponsors!

Don't Feel Guilty About Dessert! Eat a Smart Sweet! Check out the 80+page Ebook from Kitchen Stewardship.

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Reversible Tote Bag is a post from: Getting Freedom From Debt

My family absolutely loves popcorn.  I’m not talking about microwave popcorn, either.  We prefer the old fashioned, popped on the stovetop popcorn, without all the extra chemicals.  Popping popcorn on your own opens the door to so many different flavoring possibilities, too.  I love it!

A friend of mine passed this recipe for Caramel Marshmallow Popcorn on to me a couple months ago, and it was an instant hit.  This would be perfect for after school snacks, or to make into popcorn balls for appetizers or holiday celebrations.

You need:

Roughly 2/3 cup unpopped popcorn

½ cup brown sugar

1 stick butter

8-10 big marshmallows or equivalent in small marshmallows

Pop your popcorn.  I usually use about 1-2 Tbsp of coconut oil to pop my popcorn.  However, I hear the popcorn will pop just fine without any oil at all.  Once your oil is melted, pour in the popcorn and add a lid.

While your popcorn is popping, melt the butter in a medium saucepan.  Once completely melted, add in the brown sugar.  Stir until dissolved.  Toss in the marshmallows and melt completely.

Add popped popcorn to serving bowl (or bowl of your choice) and pour Caramel Marshmallow Sauce on top.  Stir to combine.

It gets pretty sticky, so be warned.  Make sure the popcorn on the bottom gets coated as well.  Then, Enjoy!

This post is linked to:

• Recipe Swap
• Tasty Tuesday
• DIY Day

Have you purchased your copy of the Home Management Binder yet? It's not too late!

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Don't Feel Guilty About Dessert! Eat a Smart Sweet! Check out the 80+page Ebook from Kitchen Stewardship.

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Caramel Marshmallow Popcorn is a post from: Getting Freedom From Debt

Some may call me a Valentine’s Day Bah-Humbug.  And really, I’m okay with that.  I think the idea behind Valentine’s Day is okay, but it is so commercialized and overrated.  It makes me crazy.

Plus, the beginning of February is crazy in our house.  This year I went to Blissdom, we had a snow storm that caused the kids to miss even more school {they just went back Thursday}, my daughter’s birthday, the kids’ Valentine Parties at school…

Oh wait, what’s that last part??  Could that be the one thing I forgot all about until Thursday??  The day before??

Indeed it is.  There were Valentine Boxes to be made and Valentine’s to be filled out-all in the middle of my daughter’s birthday.

I’d call that a mommy fail at it’s finest.  Thankfully they were {mostly} all smiles.  Although it was pure craziness and chaos!

We made good use out of tissue paper, coffee cans, heart stickers, and felt.  And the totally awesome boot box from my daughter’s new boots.  It turned into a barn, that you can color with doors that open.  A perfect, and free, Valentine box for my farm-loving 4 year old!

It may have started out as a Valentine Fail, but it ended up a Frugal Valentine Success.

This post is linked to Frugal Friday and Friday Fails.

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Valentine Fail is a post from: Getting Freedom From Debt

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We were surprised to wake up and see we had a small dusting of snow on the ground. It was delightful! We opened up presents at our house Christmas morning, followed by yummy Cinnamon Pancakes for our Christmas morning breakfast. The kids were able to play with their new toys (primarily the Wii) for a few hours and then we headed off to spend the rest of Christmas Day with Willie’s family.

It continued to spit snow for the better part of Christmas Day, although it never amounted to much. It was still a gorgeous sight, though. Unfortunately, I never ended up with pictures from that gathering, or the snow. Not sure how we managed that.

We couldn’t get everyone to look at the same camera at the same time.

My brother, Mom, and Yours Truly.

All the grandkids!

We are making the most of Christmas Vacation, and doing absolutely nothing! Sleeping in, drinking hot cocoa, playing games, watching movies, and staying up late! We were greeted with more snow again this morning! It, too, was just a dusting–but fun nonetheless.

Oh how I love my family!

This post is linked to Finer Things Friday.

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Thank you for supporting our February Sponsors!

Don't Feel Guilty About Dessert! Eat a Smart Sweet! Check out the 80+page Ebook from Kitchen Stewardship.

{Mountain Rose Herbs}--Organic Spices, Herbs, Teas and Essential Oils {Plus MORE!!}

Visit the Clever Housewife for Saving and Stretching a Buck.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! is a post from: Getting Freedom From Debt