Posted in Organization

Likely you have taken down your Christmas decorations and are in full swing of getting your kids to get their new items put away. This is always a good way to get the year started. If you are finding it hard to find space for those items, consider joining the Total Home Overhaul which will be unveiled today! But here is an essential way to help keep those new gifts fun and entertaining!

Read More...

Posted in Frugality-Simplicity

Most everyone knows that there is an abundance of great sales AFTER Christmas on wide variety of items. This year is a banner year for savings. With profits down for retailers they are sales abound. However, seasonal items are more deeply discounted. This is a wonderful opportunity for you take use a small amount of money to begin to prepare for next Christmas. These amazing sales can b e very enticing and often times I have found years when I have spent more than I had originally intended because I have found SO many great buys. This year we all need to focus on controlling our frugal purchases and there is a simple way you can score BIG on the savings without going overboard.

Read More...

Posted in Organization

Many of you are in the midst of a very cold winter and likely cocoa is becoming a steadfast friend. Even for our family, who is having a mild and most beautiful Florida winter have taken to regular cocoa drinking. There is just something about cocoa that calms everyone. So today I am going to give you my favorite new cocoa recipe that is sure to comfort and please.

But before I get to that, I want to share a little something with you. It’s 2009. Does it seem like a new year is upon you? Are you still pondering how to quickly squish in accomplishing goals from 2008? Have you wanted to get your home organized in such a way that it is a pleasure to go into any room? Are you desiring a schedule that will allow you to spend more time living and less time being overwhelmed by your To Do list? Me too.

Read More...

Posted in Thoughts Comments or Concerns

Honestly, I must say I am overwhelmed at the moment. I was up until 5:30 am today working on signs for Fresh Gear. We have been gone since Dec. 26, our internet connection was limited and unreliable, and we are all so very tired of the 16 hour work days. But that comes with this business and this business is our family business, so we smile and move forward graciously.

I am just beginning to get to read a some email from this past week. I got some giggles already; THANKS! With such long days I haven’t had much time to do anything else…even our RV is looking more like a speed dressing room than our little home away from home. However, even though I haven’t been able to maintain an internet connection, I am still working on paper. WAHOO! There are some great things coming and you won’t want to miss them!!! Here’s just a little peek into what I have in the works for this month:

Read More...

Posted in Thoughts Comments or Concerns

Hidee Ho good friends! I finally got a signal, so I am thankful for that! We are on the road again working another tournament. Only problem is, the signals here are terrible! We are having trouble with our card reader, cell phones, and the aircards for computers. It is not only us, other service providers and vendors are having the same issues. But we are all muddling through.

For me that means that I have not been able to get online access or email since. SO, please know that I am so sorry that the posts didn't go after the beginning of the week. BUT, have no fear, they have been posting on the NEW Journey to Simplicity, so there is much for you to jump into during this weekend! Also, bare with me. I am not certain if thsi week's e-zine will go out on time and this week's posts may be more of the same. It will all depend upon my internet connection availability. Only time will tell. :)

So here are some great thiings for you to check out this weekend!

Simplify Christmas for Christ

Simple & Frugal Meal Ideas

Gingerbread Ornaments After Christmas

HAVE FUN!

Posted in Organization

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Keep It Together Girl!

Organized Christmas Decorations

Now is the time to make a plan to organize those Christmas decorations. It may seem like you just put them up, but before you know it, the time will come to store them away again. You can organize these items simply with a little pre-planning. Best of all, by pre-planning for your Christmas décor organizational needs you can save big money!

Read More...

Posted in Kitchen

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Can I Have Some More, Please?

Try Something New

Whether you something new and different to serve on Christmas Eve or Christmas or you are just looking for a neat new side dish to spruce up a leftover meal, you still want to stay within your food budget. One sure fire way to keep your regular food budget curbed so you can splurge a bit for those precious get-togethers, Christmas parties, and Christmas meals is to incorporate foods that are seasonal to the winter. I have said it before and I will likely say it again, but root vegetables are an excellent way to help your budget stay in place. I know you may turn up your nose at root vegetables, but that may be because you haven’t ever cooked with root vegetables. Somewhere along the way, we have lost the art of using these low cost seasonal winter veggies that are packed full of vitamins and minerals!

Read More...

Posted in Homeschool

 

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

School Days!

Hanukkah Focused School Days

With so many Christian homeschoolers looking to bring Christ to the coal point of school during the Christmas season, we often forget are Jewish homeschool friends who also celebrate an amazing and inspirational holiday at this time of year, Hanukkah! You may know that I was raised Christian, meaning we went to church and celebrated the big Christian holidays. However you probably don’t know that my mother was raised in a Jewish family. This meant that half of our extended family celebrated Jewish holidays. My mother was raised celebrating both Hanukkah AND Christmas, although they were not Christians. Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights. It is has a historical basis that lends itself to great homeschooling lessons for everyone! Not only is this a wonderful subject to study for a FUN focus that allows students more relaxed activities, but it isn’t just for our Jewish friends to celebrate. As Christians it is integral that we study our Jewish heritage.

Read More...

Posted in Frugality-Simplicity

 

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Simply Frugal

Keep Meals Simple & Frugal

Starting in mid-November, life can begin to spin out of control. Even when you are keeping things simple, right? Sure! Instead of a quiet evening at home, you may fill your evenings with simple and frugal activities that you don’t have available at other times of the year such as snowman building, light display sightseeing, local Christmas parades, etc. Wouldn’t ya know that these simple and wonderful activities always fall time wise in the dinner hour? We love doing the activities, but it can be difficult to make meals at home that are ready at a heartbeat, whether you eat before or after the activity. My favorite way to combat these odd timed seasonal activities is to make soups and stews. The fact is that these meals are so simple and frugal that they can be eaten at a variety of times and leftovers are so easily used for lunch the next day; offering yet one more simple & frugal meal! But how can we get away from they typical chicken noodle or cream style soup & stew? It does get boring, huh? Try something different!

Read More...

Posted in Frugality-Simplicity

 

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

I Can’t Live Simply Until…

Give the Gift of Simplicity

It doesn’t take long and you don’t need to incorporate many of the ideas I set forth here each week to learn that simple living is within the reach of everyone; no matter where they are in life right now. You know from using these techniques how much impact they can have, even though they are tiny steps. Have a person on your gift list that is hard to buy for? How about those people on your list who seem to have everything? Do you have a friend who is often frazzled? Give a gift this year that will bring meaning to their life.

Read More...

Posted in Organization

 

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Keep It Together Girl!

Organize Your Shopping for Giving

Every year millions of people donate food items of all types to food banks to help supply delicious and abundant boxes of food for the holidays for those in need. This is a crucial and wonderful charity. We have done it ourselves. We have even organized our teen group to work at a food bank to help prepare the boxes and distribute food. This time of year things are extra chaotic for food banks. It is easy for even those on the tightest of budgets to help others in need by shopping wisely by using savvy shopping methods, tracking sales, and using a price book. All you need to do is purchase one or two extra of those non-perishable items that you find at rock bottom prices. This is the one time of year that I actually splurge and pick up some convenient non-perishable items such as biscuit mix, cake & brownie mixes, stuffing, potatoes, & other yummy items that I would not normally purchase for my family. I keep these stored in a box designated for donations. This is also a great way to help your kids organize their charitable giving. Even a small child can afford to purchase canned and convenience products when they are only 25-50 cents per can! But there is something even more important you should know about organizing your charitable food donations.

Read More...

Posted in Kitchen

 

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Can I Have Some More, Please?

Christmas Ham with Pizazz

Ham is served as the main course meat for many a Christmas dinner. If your family enjoys ham for Christmas dinner or you simply enjoy ham during the cold months when the price is very low. It is a good time of the year to stock up on meat to begin with; turkey and ham are cheaper than almost any other time of the year. Not only that, but both of these meats are an excellent choice when prices are rock bottom because of the ability for them to be stretched. Ham can often be stretched even further than turkey due to its strong flavor. Here is my one of my favorite recipes for ham and it is sure to add pizzaz to your meal!

Read More...

Posted in Homeschool

 

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

School Days!

Christ Focused School Days II

One of the best subjects for Christ focused Christmas schooling is the Nativity. Narration is the BEST method for assuring that your child has achieved the objectives that you want to teach. Put both of these together and you have school days that are Christ focused FUN, and offering a variety of concepts for students of all ages. Try these FUN and CREATIVE ways of re-telling the Nativity story with your kids!

Read More...

Posted in Frugality-Simplicity

 

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Simply Frugal

Classy Gifts on a Shoestring

Brick and mortar stores have simple gifts CHEAP. When I say cheap, I mean that they have learned that gift baskets or sets are used in abundance. However they have put together either the cheapest products at what may seem like a reasonable price or have put a few choice pieces together at a premium price; neither of which are personal or make for a classy gift. Here is a list of easy to put together handmade gifts which have a minimal investment, but have a classy and personal touch for all the people on your Christmas list.

Read More...

Posted in Frugality-Simplicity

 

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

I Can’t Live Simply Until…

Keep it Simple with a Jesse Tree

Jesse tree activities are a popular, magnificent, and effective way to keep Christmas simple and Christ focused. You may think that you do not have the ability to pull together this activity or that it is too complex. You may like the idea of doing a Jesse tree, but think you don’t have time to pull it all together. Nothing could be further from the truth. You can keep your life simple, train your children on how to keep their Christmas simple AND Christ focused when you know how to do it.

Read More...

Posted in Organization

 

 

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Keep It Together Girl!

Keep Your House Organized

I know the days are filled with extra activities that you do not have at other times of the year. It’s cold outside for many of us. Inclement weather can mean extra clutter on a regular basis with added outer wear. It can seem impossible to keep your house together! The mere thought of having unexpected company dropping by has you closing your shades, locking your doors, and running for cover! No need for that, my friends. You CAN keep your house organized and ready to receive company at all times with a few simple tips.

Read More...

Posted in Kitchen

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Can I Have Some More, Please?

Oh Nuts!

Looking for a special and nutritious snack option for the Christmas season? Want to make a gift that is off the beaten path for those nutty family and friends? Need a snack that you can grab and go for crazy days? Spiced nuts meet ALL of these NEEDS. They are so simple to make and will last throughout the season! This is a recipe that you can make in bulk, saving you time and money!

Read More...

Posted in Homeschool

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

School Days!

Christ Centered School Days I

Now is a great time to change up your school schedule. You can continue to school AND offer your children some Christ centered FUN by changing up the activities and schedule from your normal school schedule. There are SO many ways to do this that it can’t all be placed in one post. This week let’s take a look at an amazing way to incorporate music lessons into your school, focus on Christ at Christmas, AND have FUN!

Read More...

Posted in Frugality-Simplicity

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Simply Frugal

Instant Breakfast for Pennies!

This is can be a crazy time of year. You may need to alter your schedule to accommodate those activities that you don’t have on your calendar at other times of the year. One thing you don’t want to skimp on is breakfast, since it is the meal that may very well get your family through the day, while keeping the tummy grumblies at bay. But putting together a breakfast that is warm, nutritious and tummy filling can be a challenge. Those little instant oatmeal packets are an excellent way to meet all those needs. But if you want to simplify AND be frugal with your breakfast consider making your own instant oatmeal. It’s simple and frugal!

Read More...

Posted in Frugality-Simplicity

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

I Can’t Live Simply Until…

Simple Advent Activities

Many of us strive year after year for a simpler Christmas season. We tell ourselves for months prior that we are going to scale back or simplify in numerous ways. You have been thinking this recently, haven’t you? Personally, we have a very simple Christmas season in most ways, but there are always a few things I need to hone to simplify and focus on Christ more. But then I get so wrapped up with my schedule leading up to the season that I don’t have time to simplify those areas that truly need it. Before you know it, the day comes when I walk around all day spinning in a dither with my To Do list and my hair looking like I used a food processor for styling! Have you had a few of those days, too? Now add to that kids who are clamoring for something to do and you have chaos at the helm! One way to combat this and placing Christ at the center of your celebrations is to have advent activities.

Read More...