Heaven's Lessons

Judging from the first few paragraphs on the back of the book I thought this would be about Steve Sjogren's near death experience. Even the front of the book describes "Ten Things I Learned About God When I Died".

Maybe my expectations set me up for disappointment. Once I started reading I realized there was very little described of what happened in the near death experience, leaving me confused throughout the book. Steve mentions a sense of calmness, of being at the ceiling suspended upside down, and of God declaring that he will now have a limp. Nothing else was mentioned about the actual near death experience and what little was mentioned didn't make much sense to me.

The ten lessons follow but without a correlation to his actual near death experience. There was no connection whatsoever made between the two.

The book seems so disjointed. One moment he is in the hospital, the next he has to leave so has a friend help him out. Yet he mentions long hospital stays and needing additional surgeries but you have no clue of how to piece together a time line on these events based on the writing. I seriously got lost reading this book. Was he in the hospital for months? Or did he escape the hospital soon after his surgery in order to get back to the new congregation that he was setting up, like he mentions later in the book? Why was so much of this book back and forth, back and forth without a clear direction?

I was hoping to be inspired by this book but instead was left confused by it.

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Subscription Box Deal

For those wanting to try a subscription box for their children I just wanted to mention that today Plum District has a 3 month subscription to The Happy Box for 50% off! It's just $30 to purchase three months through them, which equals to just $10 a month.

The Happy Box is a craft box with a different theme each month. It is for ages 4-8 or 8-11 (finally a box for my older children, they have been asking for one for months!). Perfect for these upcoming rainy spring days!

Use this link to get the deal! (Yes, it is my referral link! I appreciate anyone who goes through it!) I'll post a review of our first box when it arrives!
 

Questions

A few questions I have been asked recently:

1. You discuss being frugal but lately you have been showcasing several subscription boxes and other purchases which don't seem to be such frugal choices.

I think that it is okay to splurge sometimes. Not if it means using a credit card or forgoing bills in order to do so, mind you, but all work and no play can make life dull.

With that said, I never pay full price for the subscription boxes that I review here on the blog. There are so many referral codes out there that when I want to try a new box I use a code to often get the box half price. I give my honest opinion in my reviews so if it is a product that I really enjoy many of my readers decide to try it out for themselves. Since *some* places let you earn referral credits I often earn free boxes thanks to my dear readers. There are some benefits to having a blog with great readers, after all!

I always disclose if there is a referral link in my post in case someone would prefer to not buy through a referral link. It's usually a win-win situation though since most referral links also include a discount for those who click through it.

2. If I shopped at Goodwill or St. Vincent De Paul I wouldn't tell anyone that. Wouldn't you prefer people not know that?

No. Seriously, some of the purchases I make at these stores would be frivolous or a waste of money had I paid full price for them. For example - the Hanna Andersson moccasins I found the other day. They were worth the $1 price I paid but I would never spend $20 for them and I wouldn't want someone to think I did! I love shopping thrift stores and touting the great finds within them. After all, it is a smart way to shop and there is nothing to be ashamed of in that!

3. You seem to really like brand name items. Wouldn't it be wiser to purchase off brand things to save money?

The items I purchase are almost always used so it often ends up being less expensive than off brand items when purchased new. I can buy a Baby Gap outfit for $1 at a garage sale or spend $8 for an outfit at Walmart. Because the Baby Gap outfit holds up much better than the Walmart outfit I can then sell it once the baby out grows it (often for more than I paid) but the Walmart outfit is often faded by that time or has loose strings, buttons, etc.

Better brands often do hold up better than the less expensive ones. If both my boys can get use out of an item of clothing and then I can still sell it then it is a better product than an off brand item.

So, yes, I am excited to find Robeez shoes at St. Vincent for 95 cents when they originally cost $35 and I know my baby can get use out of them and I can still pass them on afterwards. If something is cute and a good price I will pick it up no matter what the brand. My kids wear a whole mix of brand/off brand names. 

I wouldn't consider myself a brand snob, per say, but I get more excited about a $1 find on a Fossil purse than a generic one.

When it comes to groceries or household products I will generally buy what is on sale. There are a few brands of items that seem to be superior to off brands and I do stick with those (dishwasher detergent is one of them) but otherwise I could care less about those types of brands.

Today

*We are getting over some sickness in the house. Becca came down with a cold at the beginning of the week and Jacob woke up feeling nauseated and ended up throwing up on Tuesday. It seemed to be short lived because by that evening he was begging to have tacos for supper and ended up eating SIX of them, with no repercussions later, thankfully.

*The time for this baby to arrive is getting near! Weekly midwife appointments now! I seem to always go over my due date so will not be surprised if this ends up being an April baby. The kids are so excited to meet their little sister and talk about her daily!

*I dropped another garbage sized bag off at St. Vincent's yesterday. Of course, I just had to run inside and check for any goodies that we had to have. I found three books that looked interesting. I was a bit disappointed with their lack of selection as I continued to browse and then was overjoyed when I found newborn Hanna Andersson moccasins (new with tag! These sell for $20 on their site right now) and some adorable Robeez shoes. This baby will have some fashionable tootsies! If you notice the price tags, I paid less than $5 for this whole pile of items. 


*I hear a lot of grumbling this week about the time change on Sunday and losing an hour of sleep but I always look forward to the extra hour of daylight. It means that Spring is right around the corner too!

*Jacob's scans are next Friday. They will tell us whether this drug is doing *anything* for him or not. We pray that it is as there really aren't any other good options left. Please join us in prayer!
 

Tax Time

It's that time of year again...tax time! Some people look forward to it as they hope for a refund and others dread it because they will have to pay out money.

For those who get a refund - what do you plan on using it for? Paying off debt, setting aside a nest egg, or a big screen tv and new iPhone? How you use your tax refund will define how your financial security goes the next year.

If you live paycheck to paycheck and do not have a savings account you should automatically stick at last half of your refund into a savings account. This gives you a cushion for the whole rest of the year to draw from during an emergency. If you have debt, the other half should be used to pay on it. It may not sound fun but it will give you a sense of relief the whole year through.

If you have a list of needs (new tires for the car, washing machine, clothes for the kids, etc.) be sure to get them now when you have the money to do so or put it into savings and shop around for awhile for the best deal. Wouldn't it be a terrible financial decision to purchase an iPhone just because you want it and have to use a credit card later to get the items that you need?

Remember, tax refunds are not a windfall, but rather money that you overpaid that you are now getting back. It is your hard earned money and receiving a chunk of money at once can help you quickly build your savings or pay off a debt or two. Spending it wisely will help cushion you throughout the year and relieve some financial stress.

Also, for those under a certain income, you are able to go through Turbo Tax online and do your Federal Return for free (and I think that state return is less than $30). It is quick, very easy, and much less expensive than paying someone to do your taxes. Unless you have several deductions or other unusual taxes it doesn't make sense to pay someone to do a simple Federal Return for you.

We get to spend our return this year on medical bills (fun, fun!) but I am thankful for that leeway, which should help ease our financial burden this year.

Basically, if you aren't set financially yet, use your tax refund to help build yourself a safety net this year. That may mean that you won't be able to purchase a fun gadget or toy this year but the stress that it takes off your shoulders will be well worth it!

Try it...for free?

I've been tempted to try a Sam's Club membership for about a year now. As my children get older they are eating A LOT more. Anything that can be bought in bulk (especially fruits, vegetables, and dairy) is a huge help! When I broke down the costs for a membership it didn't seem like it would save us a lot though.

Today Living Social has a deal that is too great to pass up. If you don't have a membership at this time, get a one year membership for $45. While that may not sound so hot, this also comes with a $20 Sam's Club gift card and foo vouchers for an Artisan Fresh Rotisserie Chicken, Artisan Fresh Take-and-Bake Pizza, and Two Boxes of 6-, 12-, or 24-Count Artisan Fresh Cookies from Sam's Club (vouchers valued at $19.84). So with that deal you are *basically* getting a membership for $5 or so after the gift card and vouchers. I couldn't pass that up!

Use this link if you are interested in getting this deal (it is a referral link). I'll post a review of my first shopping trip once I go to see how much savings I feel there is in having a membership.

If you already have a Sam's Club membership, what do you save the most on? Do you feel as though you get a substantial savings each year shopping there?

 

Cleaning House

I jumped at the chance to review Cleaning House A Mom's 12-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement by Kay Wills Wyma.

As Kay points out, we are raising a "Me Generation". The kids of today feel entitled to what they want and what they have. 15-20 years ago when I was growing up I had chores around the house an worked (babysat outside the home) for my spending money. I didn't get paid for the chores that I did - I lived in the house and was expected to do my fair share.

Yet, now as I'm raising my own kids, I see how the times have changed. My kids think I'm mean when they are expected to do chores. They take their clean, folded laundry for granted. They leave plates and bowls around for me to pick up like some type of servant.

A book about another mother who is in the same place as I am and who solved the dilemma? I needed this book! I love the monthly challenges and how they played out. I have plans of implementing some of them in my own home.

The only thing that I wasn't sure about was how Kay got her children to do their chores. She used a jar for each child and filled it with a dollar per day for the month (so 28-31 dollars). If they did their chore that day the dollars stayed in the jar, if they didn't a dollar was taken out. By the end of the month they got to keep the remaining money in the jar.

The reason I don't know how I feel about this practice is because if you are paying your child money to do something that is their responsibility aren't you just helping along their sense of entitlement? I, as a mother, don't get paid to wash dishes, fold my laundry, or make my bed. Why should my child?

I won't go into my take on allowances here but thought that the money concept didn't really work into the whole idea of banishing youth entitlement. With that said, it was my only gripe with the book and really enjoyed reading about how to get the whole family to pitch in and make the household run.

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for my honest opinion. All views expressed are my own.