Ways To Spend $20

When I was growing up I remember hearing the phrase "Mad Money." That was those few dollars of your own that you could spend any way you liked. As a child you weren't likely to save it, but find little trinkets, a handful of candy or a ride on the mechanical horse outside the grocery store.

But now that you're wearing big girls clothes, you probably have a little more access to cash but still don't really know what to spend it on. Here's a thought...use your "extra" money for special experiences, not things. Here are some examples.

Ways to spend $5:
* Take a friend out for a donut and coffee.
* Go to the dollar store and find some spa products
* Get two full meals from the value menu at your favorite restaurant with your husband.
* Find a couple of great new dog toys and head for the park.

Ways to spend $10:
* Jump-start your spring by buying a new bird feeder.
* Get all the ingredients to have "Ice Cream Sundae Night."
* Invest in a couples' devotional.
* Buy a gift card for someone's favorite store or restaurant, then give it to them anonymously.

Ways to spend $20:
* Join the friends group at your local library.
* Look for a favorite DVD and get some popcorn, then have an evening in.
* Have everyone pick their favorite pizza toppings, then spend the evening in the kitchen.
* Revamp something special in your home - new pillows on the couch, a new throw blanket or some new curtains.

Are You In A Cooking Rut?

Due to several jumbled-up reasons, I have been in a terrible cooking rut lately. What does that mean? I have been relying on the same handful of recipes over and over again. No creativity. No surprises. No new ingredients. No culinary adventure.

Well, I say enough!

If you're having the same problem, or just want to spice things up (literally or figuratively), join me in getting back into the swing of kitchen fun! Start today by using this guide to plan the next week of meals.

Sunday: Put together a slow-cooker meal that will be ready when you get home from church.

Monday: Plan an entire meal using just your grocery store's sale paper. You'll save a bucket of money and use some ingredients you might not normally choose.

Tuesday: Make putting dinner together a family affair. Choose the menu together, assign tasks and spend the entire time in the kitchen as a family.

Wednesday: Dig out an old cookbook (you know you've got tons) and make something you've never ever tried before. Experiment and get out of your comfort zone.

Thursday: Pull out an old standby recipe and drastically change something about it. Change the types of cheese, or meat, or pasta that you use. If you normally bake it, grill it. If you serve it over something, serve it over something else. Make it so that no one would ever guess it was the same recipe.

Friday: Make it "Just The Opposite Day." If you normally go out on Friday night for dinner, stay in. If you normally stay in on Friday night, go out.

Saturday: Pantry and refrigerator raid. After everything you've made this week, you'll have some great leftovers. Set up a buffet on the kitchen counter and let everyone dig in.

Now that you have ideas rolling around in your head, put together a shopping list and pull out those great cookbooks. Spend the next week remembering what it is that you love about cooking.

Coordinating Chipboard Shapes

The easiest way to add dimension and texture to any paper craft is with chipboard letters and shapes. But what if you don't want a stark white piece of chipboard on your project?



How can you coordinate it with the papers and colors you're already using? With some ink, embellishments and a couple of tools, you can make even the most boring alphabet look like it was just meant to be on your page.

S - Using a stipple brush or ink dauber, layer three or four shades of stamping ink onto each letter. Start with the lightest, then get darker as you go further down.

H - Cover the shape with adhesive, the lay it upside down on the back of a piece of patterned paper. Using a craft knife or sharp scissors cut around the edges.

M - Apply ink in a coordinating color to the entire shape. Then place stickers on and trim using craft knife or scissors.

R - Using embossing ink and powder, cover and heat emboss the shape.

T - Ink the letter with a dark ink, and the cover it with liquid glass.

Frame - Cover the frame in shades of coordinating inks. Then apply word and shape stickers that go with your theme.

Peace - Part 2

There are many days when I feel a certain level of peace in my life. I'm in that comfortable groove that settles me and keeps me in close to the Lord's side.

Then something happens - something in the circumstances around me - and I'm knocked out of that safe groove. It might be sickness, a family emergency, sudden financial strain or an argument with a loved one. The cause doesn't matter because all I know is that the peace I was relying on has disappeared. Suddenly I'm anxious and stressed over all the little things.

Does this sound like a familiar situation in your own life? Peace is easy to sense when you're in the comfort zone of your usual life, but it seems to vanish during the trials and tribulations.

For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. 1 Corinthians 14:33

We recognize the peace in our lives when we're settled and grounded, but as soon as the sand shifts it seems just out of reach. When we feel like a piece or two are missing, Paul reminds us that God offers everything that is calm and thoughtful. Centering your thoughts and hearts in the Lord is the only way to prevent the peaks and valleys that riding the roller coaster of circumstances brings.

The greatest illustration I have of this feeling of peace comes in the form of a waterfall picture Danny gave me several years ago. You can feel the tumult and the power in the falling water and almost hear the crashing on the rocks below. There is constant disruption in the waterfall, but the peace in the pool below is a striking contrast. Despite the disorder and chaos of the fall, there is peace at the bottom. The waters simply swirl and ripple as more water is added.

The circumstances and events of the day can jar my system and cause anxiety, but that's just me in the waterfall. The peace is always there, just waiting at the bottom of the cascade. It's always present, but we're often so caught up in the fast descent toward the bottom that we never see it.

Let us therefor follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. Romans 14:19

If we focus on following after peace instead of lamenting over not feeling it, we'll be able to enjoy the trip down the waterfall and rejoice upon landing in the pool of peace. There are so many higher purposes and more important causes than the smaller matters that just cause strife and contention. God has a purpose and a calling for each one of us, but we'll never see it clearly through peaceful eyes unless we look beyond the day-to-day circumstances.

What's standing in your line of sight today? Is there somethings that's caused stress and tension, knocking you out of your comfortable groove?

Well then, praise God! Now you can see the pool of peace that's always waiting at the bottom of the waterfall. Keep your eyes on the Lord, deal with the everyday events as they happen and enjoy the peace that only faith can bring.

Redecorate In A Snap

One of the greatest challenges a woman faces in her home-keeping is making updates and pretty changes without spending an arm and a leg.

We're to be good stewards of all God has given us. This means using our money and resources in the most responsible way we can. If we put in a little time and effort, we can update our home's look, enjoy some new design and prepare for spring.

There are plenty of smaller projects that can be done in a day or a weekend at the most. Many are also perfect for renters or apartment-dwellers. Will one of these work in your home?

* Paint one wall in the room an accent color.
* Change out the light switch and outlet covers to something updated and coordinating.
* Hang new paintings and pictures on the walls.
* If yours are tacky and broken, replace kitchen and bathroom hardware.
* Replace the knobs and handles on drawers and cabinets.
* Exchange your winter blinds and drapes for something light and airy.
* Clear out your bookshelves, arranging new books and some favorite knick-knacks.
* Add fresh flowers to the rooms you're in the most.
* Hang small shelves randomly around the room for pictures and treasures.
* Find a place to hang a mirror and visually increase the size of your room.
* Set out new pillows on your furniture to replace the old musty ones.
* Trade your old towels and wash clothes for pretty new ones.
* Rearrange the furniture and decorations you already have, and don't spend a dime!

Fight The Devil - Spend Time With Your Husband

We learned last week about another Christian couple that has separated. The devil has been working overtime to destroy marriages and families, and I'm sure you can give your own examples. We're seeing this attack in neighborhoods and churches across the country, an attack that ruins lives and hurts everyone in its path.

While there are many different tactics the devil will use to poke and prod at couples. neglect can be one of the worst. We get so busy with work, children, house keeping and hobbies that our husband and marriage fall by the wayside.

If you're ready to fight the evils that hover around our marriages like vultures, get ready to spend some time with your husband in a number of different ways.

1. Get up ten minutes early. Use that time for one single reason - time alone with your husband. Talk to your husband, have a little breakfast together, do a devotion together or just see what he has planned for the day. By making those few early minutes together special, you can start the day off right.

2. Do something special. As soon as he leaves for work, do something unexpected for your husband. Send him an e-card or hide a card in his computer bag the night before so he'll find it when he gets to work. Do one of his chores around the house so he won't have to when he gets home. Get all the fixings for his favorite meal or dessert. Go out of your way to be in his thoughts, even if you're not there with him.

3. Make a phone call. Sometime during the day, call just to say hi. Don't talk about chores or the kids or what needs to happen when he comes home. Just tell him that you love him and you're praying for him today. If you've never done this before, he'll probably be so shocked that he'll think about you all day. If he's always been the one to call you, he'll appreciate you taking some initiative.

4. Have a lunch date. Get together once in a while in the middle of the day just to catch up. If you've got kids in school, this may be the best opportunity to have some alone time. Show genuine interest in your husband's day, his work schedule and his plans. Find a quiet spot in a special place and break up a normal day with some great fellowship.

5. Surprise him. Every once in a while send something to him at work - flowers or an edible arrangement that he can share with his co-workers (if he wants). Plan something out of the ordinary for dinner. Or surprise him at work, whisking him away for dinner on the town. It's about spending time together and getting out of the rut. (Just a guess that you might be in one.)

6. Give him undivided attention. Once you both get home, there are lots of distractions: television, kids, phone calls, computers and reading the mail. Instead of settling in to something of your own, spend the first part of your evening together - no matter what. Talk about your day, do some Bible study together or go for a walk. It doesn't matter what you do as long as you're not multitasking, but focusing on one another.

Some of these ideas may seem silly to you, or seem like an awful lot of work. Just remember that the devil doesn't care how much time and energy he has to put into destroying your marriage. He just wants to see you and your husband miserable. Don't be one of those couples that crumbles under the pressures of the world - fight for every moment of time with your husband that you can, building and strengthening your marriage.

It's Almost Spring - Has Your Dog Sprung?

Spring is almost official here in South Carolina. With warmer temps in the Midlands and elsewhere in the country, our dogs are spending more time outside enjoying the sunshine. If you're in the same situation (or will be in the next few weeks), start thinking about what special needs your dogs have in the spring.

* Get a vet check-up. Before spending too much time outside with your dog, take her to the vet's office for a physical. You need to update parasite and seasonal insects, and this is a great time to get shots and vaccinations updated. This is especially important if you plan to frequent the dog park. After being inside for the past several months, have your dog checked for allergies. investigate her eating habits and ask about an exercise plan.

* Do some serious grooming. Spring is notoriously the worst time of year for shedding. Most long-haired dogs are losing their thick undercoats and need some help getting it out. Invest in one of those ShedEnder combs and spare your home some clean-up later. A good, cool bath can also prepare skin and fur for being out in the yard. The girls are a little dusty from a pretty sedentary winter, so this is their weekend for some spa treatment.

* Take care of the yard. Chances are you haven't done much in the backyard for the past several months. If this is where you plan on letting your dogs play the most, take some time to clean up their droppings, clean out old leaves where bugs could be infesting and pile up sticks and pine cones. Get some new outdoor toys and a water dish so you can spend quality time with your dog in a clean area.

* Brush up on training. For some dogs, spring will be their first long walks and car trips for a while. Before heading out, review basic obedience with your dog - sit, stay, come and heel are all super important when walking your neighborhood. Keep them safe by reminding them of the basics.

* Do some house cleaning. While you're doing your annual Spring Cleaning, focus on the areas your dogs frequents. There's probably fur piled up in corners and along walls. Deep-clean the carpets after you've bathed the puppies so they'll stay cleaner longer. Wash and air-dry their bedding and wash out feeding bowls. Check toys for rips and tears, throwing out anything that's ruined or dangerous for the dog to have. Just make sure you replace them with something new and great!