Responsibilities!!

I know it is Wednesday which means it's time for SEEKING FINANCIAL FREEDOM!!! Well since I have been a hard working mama in my garden the last two days and evenings my house needs some attention!!! So when times allows I will get my post on but it may not be today....Even though I really would like to do it now, I know where my first responsibility is.... kids and home......Thanks for understanding!

GAERTEGANG GIVEAWAY!!

In honor of one of my hubby's passions, bluegrass music, GAERTEGANG is having another giveaway. If you would have asked me 11 years ago if I liked bluegrass music...I probably would have said "No." Truth is I never had really heard of bluegrass, let alone know if I really liked it. Hubby loves bluegrass and everything about it...the history, the instruments, you name it he probably has reasearched something about it when it comes to anything to do with the subject. Well I can't say that I am in that catagory...nor will I ever be.....but what I didn't realize was that there are many types of bluegrass music.....I would maybe put the styles in these three categories; folk style, old bluegrass, and then there is a newer (maybe called modern) bluegrass....the last one is what I like. Go here to listen to a group I really like...Cherryholmes. We got a chance to see them at a bluegrass festival several years ago...before they went "Big Time." When you get to the site look over at the top right hand side...click on the song "How Long" that will give you a taste of they style I prefer.

The giveaway is for a CD featuring THE BLUE RIVER BOYS. My hubby, his sister, his cousin, and a friend my hubby grew up with, make up this group. They play bluegrass music and have two CD's for you to pick from: You choose which one you would like to have a Gospel CD or their CD with lots of different bluegrass songs. Here are the details for entering!

1. DEADLINE for entries is TUESDAY May 19th at 5pm.

2. Must have a USA mailing address to enter.

Ways to ENTER: Multiple entries = more chances to WIN!!!!

IMPORTANT!!!!!! Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. Which CD would you choose?

2. Sign up to be a follower or tell if you already follow!

3. Subscribe to GAERTEGANG or tell if you already do!

4. Blog, twitter, or facebook about the giveaway! (You get an entry for each one you do!)

5. What is your favorite style of music?

THANKS FOR ENTERING!!!

Practical Tip Tuesday!

It's Tuesday!! My tip for this week is....get outside and play!! I have found over the years raising my boys that "Boys need to be outside and play!! Well I think we all need that, but especially the little boys in my life!! So here are some shots of the boys "playing" outside this weekend....

Lance stopping for just a second so I could snap this picture..

Caleb with his famous "thumbs up" pose...there are just some things in life you can count on...this thumbs up pose is one of them!

The boys have such fun playing around together on their "big boy toys"!

Humble Beginnings

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!! I spent part of my afternoon planting my garden..for me that is something that is fun...not work. I also knew it was suppose to maybe rain a bit so I wanted to get in some of my seeds before that happened. This is the picture of the garden.....nothing planted at this point!

Justin gave the boys a job...rock duty! They got $.03 for each rock! Here is Caleb filling up his bucket with rocks.
Then he would dump them into the wagon that was hooked onto Lance's 4-wheeler...then they hauled them to where I wanted them...at the end of their work they both earned $1.50 for their work! They were happy!!

So here is a shot of me planting...Today we planted 5 rows of corn, 3 rows of green beans, 2 hills of cucumbers, a hill of watermelon, and a hill of pumpkins....also we added some sunflowers around part of the garden....Now we wait...the hard part! I am happy to report that we got a nice rain after we got the seeds in the ground. I still have more planting to do like tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, strawberries, and maybe some others. I also came to the conclusion that I need a bigger garden....I am pretty much out of room already.....

FRIDAY FINDS!!!!

Hello there and Happy FRIDAY!! Well I love Fridays for various reason, but one of my favorites: GARAGE SALES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Being the bargain hunter I am, I just love to go around to different sales and seeing what I find and then bargaining with people to get an even better deal.......I have this sickness...it's called "I just can't hardly bring myself to pay full price for anything!" Not even at a garage sale....yep I am one of "those" women...the one who asks you "will you take" for whatever the item may be. I don't always ask...when an item is less than $2.00 it is what it is. Anthingy else and I am ready to stike a deal!.....Ya know, I have NEVER been told no. I know others have been, but I personally never had......okay so I say that now and the next time I am out it will happen...that's okay, I will then have to decide how badly I want it...then take it or leave it. So here are a few pics of a few good deals I got today!So the little twig looking thing in the background it what I got today...I am not sure what the official name of it is, but I have wanted one of these forever....I got it for $2.00!!!!! Pretend you don't see all the dust on top of my corn burner stove......I could wipe it every hour and it would still be dusty!!
Well remember when I said I took that "Farmhouse" sign from my kitchen to put in the bathroom??? Well I found this sign to replace it.....too cute huh? It only cost me $1.00!!!!

I did get a few other things...cleats for Lance (to big for now) $2.00, an old door to put amongst my landscaping (real wood, real heavy) $2.00, VHS movies .25 each ( I got 4...cheaper than renting movies), I bought some nice tiles to tile the bathroom floor! I got 25 tiles (which should be enough) for $10.00! I don't know when tiling will actually happen.....but I snagged the deal anyhow, they match my counter top on the vanity perfect!! I got 2 sweaters for myself for .35...yep that was for both of them...WOW!!!! Well for the most part that is all I can think of worth mentioning.....

So are any of you bargain hunting at any garage sales????? Any good finds???? Do you know of any good ones coming up in your area soon, that I should check out??? I would love you to leave me a comment and let me know!!!

Have a GREAT weekend!!!!!

Things I Love Thursday!

Okay so here is what I LOVE this week.....Caleb has been wanting a kitty forever!!! So when aunt Christa and uncle Nate had some new found furry things in their barn they were more than willing to part with some of them so they gave us a call and we went to pick one up....Notice I said "One"??? Well we came home with TWO...maybe you are beginning to notice a pattern when we get babies around here???? My husband is.....Here is Caleb (in the back) and Zach hanging out with the kittens in the barn when we brought them home....why they felt the need to get into the little cage, I'm not sure?? But they look so cute doing don't they??

Here is Zach's little kitten, her name is "Snowball"...don't ask me why, it just worked out that way. She is one of those really fuzzy haired kitty's...I LOVE THEM!!

Here is Caleb's little gem, her name is "Rosabell". I have no idea where he came up with that name but he thought it fit her perfect since she was a girl and all.....he's so cute with her he just loves on her constantly and adores everything she does...just like I do with my babies when I bring them home :)
The other pics were taken right about 2 weeks ago maybe. When we first brought them home I wasn't sure how the puppies would do with them...like have them for lunch or a midnight snack or something.....Well as you can see I think they have all adjusted quite nicely to each other....I got this shot Tuesday of them napping together in the sun. Is that not sweet?

To see more "Things I Love Thursday" from other women link up here to Sarah's blog. To see more Things I Love for me personally link here.

Seeking Finanical Freedom Part 4

Last week we focused on God's Part in our finances.....This week let's talk about our responsibility.......

(Page 27) Our responsibility is to be a steward. The word steward can be translated into two different words; manager and supervisor. In scripture the position of a steward is one of great responsibility. He or she is the supreme authority under the master and has full responsibility of all the master's possessions and household affairs.


1 Corinthians 4:2 "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful".

The book explains before we can be faithful, we must know what we are required to do.


(Page28 & 29)
1. FAITHFUL WITH ALL OUR RESOURCES

We are to be faithful with 100% of our money not just 10%. Many churches have concentrated only on teaching how to handle 10 percent of our income-the area of giving.

Hosea 4:6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge."

2. FAITHFUL REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH INCOME WE HAVE

Read the story in Mathew 25

We are required to be faithful whether we are given much or little.

3. FAITHFUL IN LITTLE THINGS Luke 16:10 "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful in much, and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous in much."

I love the illustration the book gives on page 29: How do you know if a child is going to take care of his car? Observe how he cared for his bicycle. If we have the character to be faithful with small things, the Lord know He can trust us with greater responsibilities.

4. FAITHFUL WITH ANOTHER'S POSSESSIONS

Luke 16:12 "And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?"

This principle is often overlooked.....Are you faithful with your employee's office supplies? Do you waste electricity when you are staying at a hotel? Hudson Taylor (missionary) said, "Small things are small things, but faithfulness with a small thing is a big thing."

5. FAITHFULNESS BUILDS CHARACTER

God uses money to refine our character.

Daivd McConaughy said, "Money, most common of temporal things, involves uncommon and eternal consequences. Even though it may be done quite unconsciously, money molds people-in the process of getting it, saving it, of using it, of giving it, of accounting for it. Depending upon how it is handled, it proves a blessing or a curse to its possessor; either the person becomes master of money, or the money becomes master of the person."

6. FAITHFULNESS LEADS TO CONTENTMENT

Once we know God's part and our part and faithfully do our part, we can be content. As we learn the principles of GOD'S ECONOMY, we will begin to get out of debt, spend more wisely, start saving for our future goals and given even more to the work of Christ. The Bible offers real solutions to today's financial problems.

SOCIETY SAYS: You earned your money, now spend it any way you choose and you'll be happy.

SCRIPTURE SAYS: You can only be content if you have been a faithful steward handling money from the Lord's perspective.

Free Magazine!!

If you'd like to try out a new magazine you can here to sign up for this one! I have had no personal experience with this magazine, but for FREE I think I will give it a whirl...how about you??

Practical Tip Tuesday!

This week's tip is such a clever and fun tip...though I can' take credit for coming up with the idea. Lance said that last week at soccor practice one of the kids had a water bottle that he had poked hole in so he could grab the bottle and squeeze it in his mouth....instead of taking of the cap.
So Lance decided that would be a great idea for watering the flowers!! Clever isn't he...so he made one yesterday...he took a regular water bottle and then poked holes in the top of it with a nail....then they went around sqeezing the bottle and watering all my flowers for me....Lance even rubber banded three of them together to cover a bigger area at one time.
Here is what they look like...

My two proud water boys!! (Caleb and Lance)......what good helpers they are for mom!

HAPPY TUESDAY!!!

Bathroom Remodel Done!

The bathroom "remodel" or face-lift you might call it is now complete! In case you didn't see my first post about this project here is the skinny....I used the money I made at a garage sale a couple weeks ago to redo my bathroom. This is a project that I have wanted to do for a REALLY long time, but it just never made it to the top of the priority list....one because it was not a NEED just a want, and another was because there were so many other things ahead of it on the list. So here are some before and after shots for you to enjoy!! Along with some fun commentary but yours truly.

The first pic is of my sweet hubby helping me to put on some of the finishing touches. We put new pulls on the vanity and a new toilet paper holder. Yep, he is still smiling, even though I know he would rather be doing anything else in this world before another fix-it up project that I have dreamed up......but he does it because he knows I enjoy it and he always loves the way things look when we are all done! THANKS HONEY!!!
Here is the first BEFORE pic....First thing I wanted to do was get rid of those gross pinks walls...Second take the gigantic mirror out along with the 5 foot long light!!! Also, the faucet needed to go it was an old gold brass looking thing that was all peeling and yucky.
This is the AFTER pic. Green walls now..love them! I got my light and faucet with my garage sale money (got those at Menards)....they are both black with the rubbed gold look. The mirror I had and when we lived at our old farmhouse (where we rented) I had it up there. Since we have lived here (6 1/2yrs) I have never found just the right place, but kept it in my little closet knowing I would use it some day because I loved it so much. I already had the berry swag (stole it from my kitchen) and the little white frame in the corner I also had in my closest just waiting to put it somewhere. I ordered the little towel holder online...and the red hand towel...believe it not was a wedding gift (almost 10 years ago) and I had kept them in a box in my closet to get out later when my others looked yucky for years of use...well it'stime! When we got them they didn't match the bathroom, adn now they do!!! SO now I have new full size towels (off white and red) all brand new... along with new hand towels, and wash clothes....I just love how God worked that one out!!! Finally the Farmhouse sign...had it as well (also taken from my kitchen/dinning room area).Here is the BEFORE shot of the vanity.....I painted this vanity white (also when I painted the walls pink...what was I thinking??? The jury is still out on that one!) right after we moved in and changed the hardware to brushed silver..thinking I would get around soon there after to changing the faucet and everything else. Well that never happened and I hated the walls right away, but I felt guilty because I had just painted them...and baby number 2 had came in the mean time...then baby number 3 and then baby number 4....well you get the point!The AFTER SHOT! Now the vanity is a warm tan color....The pulls are back with rubbed gold..just like the faucet and light....Take a good look now, because as of this very moment there are no dings or scratches on the paint job from the kids...although I understand they will eventually.. probably sooner than later....make their marks. This is the last BEFORE pic I have....This over the toilet cabinet looked good enough....but just didn't offer me enough storage for my growing family. As you can tell this ONE and only bathroom of ours is small, so I need all the bang for my buck that I can get when it comes to storage!!!

AFTER: My solution was to buy a ( 24"wide X 30"long ) stock kitchen cabinet that was unfinished so I could paint it. It fits just right back in that space and offers me TONS of storage!!!! I am thrilled with the result...I bought this cabinet and the pulls for the vanity with my Menard rebate money....The little star I got from my momma for Christmas but hadn't yet decided where to put it...now I have!

I also have the same shower curtain it's an ivory color (same as the vanity top)...I got that FREE with a gift card about 6 months ago I think...But I did buy these little hangers online as well (when I got the hand towel holder).

So when all was said and done I am so thrilled to tell you that I gave my bathroom a face-lift for around $17 hangers, toilet paper holder $15, towel holder $10, and paint $15..........FOR $57.00!!!! I do have to admit though I want to get just a few more decorations for the room....like above that nice storage cabinet I need something....but I might be able to use something I already have....then behind the door when you walk in the room is just a blank wall...It need a cute picture or something of that nature....still I think I got just what I wanted for cheap...and most importantly I got it in God's timing not mine which makes this project so extra special to me! I am in no hurry for the little decoration things...remember GARAGE sale season is upon us!!!