My 8 year old daughter made this picture in art class at school. It has to be my favorite one so far this year and I can’t wait to see the look on her face when she sees her artwork hanging on the wall in her room. Right now, the Canvas People are offering a 16×30 canvas for $37 or an 11×14 canvas for $27 (both prices include shipping).  What a great way to preserve these precious pieces of art!

{Order by Midnight December 10th to Guarantee Arrival before Christmas}

A one-of-a-kind piece of art doesn’t have to be enjoyed by just us!

Vistaprint makes it’s easier than ever to put your child’s art on canvas tote bags and other items. Grandparents love their grandchild’s artwork–so why not share it?  Can you imagine the excitement of Grandma and Grandpa when they open their gift at Christmas and it’s a one of a kind original from one of their grandchildren.

Sometimes the best gifts are the simplest ones. 

This post is written by Contributing Writer Kristina.

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Turn Your Child’s Artwork into a Lasting Momento is a post from: Getting Freedom From Debt

Our oldest son turned 11 over the Labor Day weekend.  We love camping together, and decided that after roughly 5 years of not camping, we needed to get away and enjoy the serenity of God’s Creation.  Since it was his birthday and all we had to have birthday cake!  Nik just got back from a day of kayaking, and was very pleased to see that even though we were out in the wilderness, he could still have his cake and eat it, too.

Camping doesn’t mean you can’t have a birthday cake!  Using a dutch oven, and some charcoal, I baked a Pineapple Upside Down Cake over the campfire.  

Pineapple Upside Down Cake–Camping Style

One box Pineapple Supreme Cake Mix

Can Chunk Pineapple

3 eggs

1 Stick Butter

½ cup Brown Sugar

Place your butter in the bottom of your dutch oven and melt over the hot coals. 

Meanwhile, in a seperate bowl mix the cake mix, eggs and juice from the canned pineapple with a fork.

Sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the melted butter and add in the chunk pineapple.  Pour the cake batter on top and spread evenly in the pan. 

Place the lid on the dutch oven and top with 3-4 hot coals.

Bake for 30-40 minutes–depending on how hot your coals are.

Enjoy!

It’s rather warming to enjoy a nice slice of cake baked over hot coals when you’re roughin’ it!

Camping is a lot of work..but it was a great time to be away from our everyday stressers and enjoy life with no technology.  Sleeping under the stars and kayaking on a peaceful river is bliss!

And for those of you like me who are not professional campers–you MUST check out In The Big Woods: Family Camping Handbook 2nd Edition-By Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship.  It’s chock full of helpful information, and even includes a printable check list and weekend meal plan.

What are your favorite foods to cook over a campfire?

This post if part of Finer Things Friday.

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Let’s Go Camping! is a post from: Getting Freedom From Debt

My 4th grade daughter was asked to write a Friendly Letter as part of an assignment.  I knew she had a big heart….but this letter just absolutely melted mine! 

There are seriously no words.

This is definitely a Finer Thing!

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Letter to Jesus is a post from: Getting Freedom From Debt

This installment picks up where another left off.  So, if you haven’t read The Beginning:: Truth Hurts, do so before reading this post.

It’s your life, Phoebe.  No one has to know anything.  If you take care of it, life can go on just as you planned.  No worries.

Those thoughts ran through my mind on daily basis for at least a month before I finally decided enough was enough.

Forget it, Phoebe.  It’s just too much.

In my typical fashion, I did just that.  Forgot about the positive pregnancy test and went on with life as if nothing was inside me, and nothing had changed. Surely if I forgot about it long enough, the “problem” would take care of itself, right?  It would go away all on it’s own.

The months went by, and foolishly, I still pretended that life was peachy.  Strangely, I do this with just about every traumatic experience I encounter.  Definitely not healthy, but my coping mechanism nonetheless.

D’s behavior began to get even more suspicious than it already was, and I began to really second guess everything.  He would disappear at night, and got increasingly angry with me over the little things.  I began to fear what would happen next.

One day during a heated argument, my fear became a reality.  With an infant in the other room, screams came from the master bedroom as I was violently thrown onto the bed with hands pressing on my throat.  No longer able to catch my breath, I fought for what seemed like hours as insults were thrown back at me.  Words and sexual threats that I can’t even bear to type.

This is your life, Phoebe.  You can’t do this.

My instincts kicked in, and everything that anyone ever told me about self defense flooded to the forefront of my mind.

You’ve got this! And I did.

The days went on and I knew I couldn’t deny it anymore.  I had to get to the doctor, and do what I had to do.  It was time to face it, and start this life all over.

I will never forget that day for the rest of my life.  I went into the doctor’s office, and they confirmed that I was indeed pregnant.  The nurse was joyful, and I was not.  She noticed it immediately and tried to reassure me that everything would be okay.  She rambled on things like… Nicholas was fine now, and I was a great mother to him.  While it would be tough–you can do it, you’ve already overcome so much.

Those words were all too late.  My mind was set.  I did not want this baby.

The doctor insisted on doing an ultrasound even though I had no desire.  At this point I was already about 17 weeks along.  I vividly remembering telling the doctor that I had no desire to have this baby, and my hope was that I hadn’t waited too long to terminate the pregnancy.  He never said anything back to me, just continued on with his business.  Then he asked me if I wanted to know the sex.  At this point I became highly frustrated with the nurse and the doctor because I felt as if they were ignoring my wishes.

This is my life.  I’ve made my decision, now leave me alone!

The doctor was adamant on telling me the baby’s sex, even though I told him numerous times I did not care.

It’s a girl!

At that particular  moment and for a many afterward, I really didn’t care. But the reality is, those words ended up being the words that saved my baby’s life.

God has a mysterious way of working!  Never ignore the pleading and prodding of the Holy Spirit!  You never know how lives will be changed!

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The Beginning:: You Can’t Hide is a post from: Getting Freedom From Debt

On this day, almost this time exactly, we welcomed our only daughter into this world–9 years ago!

I remember being overwhelmed with joy, but also just being overwhelmed in general. Nicholas’ struggles were still fresh in my mind {they’re only 17 months apart}, and my life hadn’t manifested the way I had intended.

Kaitlyn was a very good baby–and she’s even more beautiful today than the day we brought her home.

I’ve loved watching her grow into a young lady.  Always eager to help clean up, fold laundry, or even cook our next meal or snack.  She’s almost to the point where I can turn her loose and she’d be able to fix us an actual meal, all by herself!

She watches my every movement, my every word.  She tries her hardest to do everything I do.

My mommy heart absolutely beams with pride in those moments.

The last 9 years have absolutely flown right by!

I spent the first year of her life wishing she’d crawl, wishing she’d learn to walk so I wouldn’t have to carry her.  Wishing she’d talk, so we could have a conversation and I’d understand just what she wanted.

Then I wished she’d hurry off to school so I would have some free time at home.

I think I’ve wished those 9 years away.

Looking forward to the next year–I wish she’d stay my little girl.

This post is linking to Finer Things Friday.

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Wishing Away Moments is a post from: Getting Freedom From Debt

I almost titled this “10 ways Not to Lose Your Mind on Snow Day“, and then I thought that with our current circumstances, maybe “10 Ways to Keep Your Mind Off of Ice Day” would be more appropriate.  Here in Southern Missouri, our weather can change in an instant.  Our 70° Saturday, and our current Blizzard Warning should be a great example of that! Unfortunately, where I am located in Missouri, our current forcast includes a lot of ice.  Give me snow, but keep the ice, please.

If you find yourself staying home with a house of kids keep these ideas in mind to help maintain your sanity!

1.  Make Snow Ice Cream

2. Declare it a Pajama Day….

3.  And Watch Movies::

Even better, watch home movies!

4. Play Games::

 Our favorite Card Games:  Uno, Nertz, and Phase 10.  Board Games:  Blokus, Sorry, Kids Cranium

5. Make and Decorate Cookies.

Snowmen and Snowflakes–they don’t even require cookie cutters.

6. Go Sledding!

7. Make a SnowMan.

Better yet, a snowfamily–One for each family member.

8.  Make an Igloo.

The kids tried this a few years ago using an old plastic storage container I had.  They were able to get a few rows up before they gave up.

9. A family Snowball Fight! 

I have fond memories from my childhood of building big snow forts with my brother, then proceeding to bombard  him with snowballs!

10.  Enjoy these days, they are few and far between!

How do you keep your sanity?

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10 Ways to Enjoy Your Snow Day is a post from: Getting Freedom From Debt

 They grow up too fast.  Today is the first day of school, and I’ve officially got a Kindergartener, Third Grader, and a Fourth Grader–as well as an almost 3 month old!  *sigh*

Linking up to Wordless Wednesday.

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Four Kids: Wordless Wednesday is a post from: Getting Freedom From Debt

I’ve found that many things baby have changed over the last 5 years (since I’ve had our third child).  When we were sorta preparing for Blake’s arrival, I was absolutely overwhelmed with all the baby gadgets, toys and the latest trends.

Since Blake was our 4th child, we were taking our sweet time actually purchasing things for him.  You can imagine our utter surprise when Blake arrived 7 weeks early, and we didn’t own so much as a car seat.  Let alone a sleeper.  No joke.  So in the 18 days Blake was in the hospital, we were scurrying to find and purchase baby must-haves.

Here is what we found, in no particular order.

• Car Seat. We went pretty basic on the actual car seat, but we did make sure to get one that had a pull down shade to block out the sun, and one that was Side-Impact Tested.

• Diapers/Wipes. Personally, I think cloth is a pretty good option.  While they may seem pricey they end up being cheaper in the end.  If you haven’t already, be sure to check out Diapers.com.  Not only do they have diapers and wipes but other baby must-haves with super fast shipping!  Enter in the code GETFREEDOM and get 15% off of your order.
• Receiving Blankets. They are just light enough to keep baby warm without burning them up.  Perfect for swaddling.
• Clothes. While clothes are obviously a necessity, keep in mind that baby will grow rather fast.  A couple sleepers, outfits and onesies in each size (Newborn, 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9months, etc) are plenty.
• Bassinet/Crib.
• Burp Cloths. While breastfed babies spit up less, they still do.  Spit up on your clothes, or theirs isn’t the latest fashion–that I know of.

• Moby Wrap. I LOVE.LOVE. LOVE my Moby!  Makes it very easy to do housework, and go grocery shopping with 3 children and a baby.  While I’ve gotten many looks and even a lecture (check out my Twitter stream for details), I’m not giving up my new love of babywearing!
• Bouncy Seat. Not necessarily a need, but a simple seat with a toy bar is handy to sit baby in and give him something to look at and encourage play.  In our quest to find a used one for Blake we found that anymore they’ve become quite complex and over the top.
• Tummy Time PlayMat. Again, the same is true here as with the Bouncy Seat.  Tummy time is important to help the baby learn to pick up their head and use their neck muscles–amongst many others.  Having something for them to look at and play with helps encourage this.  We are still trying to find one that is simple, but fun.  Have any recommendations for us?
• Love/Attention. The most important thing on the list! Every babe needs love, affection and attention to thrive and develop.  What’s not to love anyway?

What doYOU think is a Baby Must-Have?

This post is linking up to :

• Frugal Friday
• Top Ten Tuesday.

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Must-Haves For Baby is a post from: Getting Freedom From Debt

It’s hard to believe that as I cuddle with my 6 week old baby, tomorrow (Friday, July 16th) would have been the day he was set to be born.

If I was in control.

If I was in control, Blake would have been born at 39 weeks gestation, not 33 weeks.

If I was in control, we never would have spent 18 days in the NICU away from our other 3 kids.

If I was in control, I would have been able to come home a few short days after delivery and slept in my own bed in my own {finished} house.

But, I’m not in control.  And frankly, I like it that way.

The night before Blake’s emergency arrival, my husband and I sat in the living room of some friends of ours and had a Bible Study.  Of all things the topic was: God Is In Control.  While as a Christian, I’ve always known this, I’ve also always had a really hard time turning it all over to Him and letting Him be in control.

Four hours after arriving home from our Bible Study I found myself waiting  for the ambulance to arrive at my home and take me to the hospital in the Big Town.  I prayed continuously for God to allow me to deliver a healthy baby, and for me to also remain healthy through it all.  I had no idea what the outcome would be, but I did know that there was a reason behind it all.

We’ve learned so many things through this little journey.  I couldn’t possibly write them all here but in short we found out first hand that through everything God really is in Control.  There is a reason behind everything, you just have to find it.

Not only that, but we also realized that we have the best family, church family and friends a person could ever ask for!  We’ve been blessed abundantly, and Blake’s birth really brought that to light.  We’ve lived in our small town for almost 7 years, and have always felt a little on the outside of things here.  I can now say that we no longer feel this way.  We have many great friends here that would do anything and everything they can for someone.  We are blessed far beyond what any words could ever express.

He is in control and although Blake was born 7 weeks early, he was a pretty healthy little guy.

He is in control, and while we were away from our other 3 kids they had an awesome time with their Granny, Pa-Pa, Aunt and Cousins.

He is in control, and introduced us to an awesome charity that will forever hold a place in our hearts.

He is in control, and I will forever serve Him and call Him Lord and the King of Kings.

A little sidenote: In our Bible Study we also discussed how God referred to himself as “I Am” when speaking to Moses in the desert.   Although we’ve studied this as a group before, we found ourselves discussing it again, at length.  One night, after Blake had a roller coaster day, and our emotions were all over the place, my husband went to the NICU for one of our “touch times”.  As he stood over Blake’s bed, he looked up, just as he had many times before and something caught his eye:  Blake WillIAM.

God Is In Control.  And that is a Finer Thing.

Oh, and for our house, yeah–it’s still not done.

This post is linked to:

• I’m Lovin’ It Friday
• Finer Things Friday

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He Is In Control is a post from: Getting Freedom From Debt

While my family and I are relaxing on the beach in Florida, Jessica from LifeAsMom has graciously offered to share how you can make any birthday memorable, all the while keeping it frugal.

I love to celebrate my children’s birthdays with themed birthday cakes. I remember my own joy over my 5th Birthday and the Big Mac cake I received that year. So, I try to put forth a little more effort on my own kids’ special days. However, I am not about to drop $15 on a grocery store bakery cake. Especially when I know I can make one myself for less than five bucks.

You may not think that you’re a cake baker. Wilton Decorating Classes may not rank in your repertoire of enrichment experiences. That’s okay. They’re not in mine, either.

The beauty is that you don’t have to be all that creative or talented to decorate a cake that will pass muster with the Birthday Kid. Here are some tricks that I’ve used to make cakes that “wow” without paying a pretty penny or jumping too many hoops.

1. Include the birthday child. My kids range in age from 1 to 12. And with the exception of the baby, everyone of them enjoys baking, frosting, and decorating the cake. The baby would probably enjoy it, too. But, I’m not prepared to go there just yet.

2. Find some toys that match the theme. Playmobil, lego, and action figures are great cake toppers. You don’t have to have fancy edible decor. You probably didn’t eat the bride and groom from atop your wedding cake, so toys will work just great. Just wash and dry them well before using.

3. Bake a simple cake and frost. This will be your canvas for the diorama you are going to build with toys and candy. I am not afraid of boxed cake and canned frosting, especially on busy days like birthdays. However you choose to prepare your cake, keep it simple, sister.

4. Let your child embellish the cake with candies and toys. This is the fun part. Build a scene that any kid would love to play in. Candy makes it even more special. If you can pick up some chocolate rocks and pebbles, well, those just “make it.”

Cake, candy, and toys make up a child’s dream cake! And you can do this, too, even if you don’t think you can.

– Jessica Fisher, also known as FishMama, is the mother to six young children. She regularly shares parenting hacks at LifeasMOM and posts delicious ways to act your wage at Good Cheap Eats.

This post is linked to DIY Day.

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DIY Birthday Cakes Can Save You Money is a post from: Getting Freedom From Debt