My Christmas Bucket List 2016

Have you got lots to do this Christmas season? Me too! I've still got shopping, making, cooking, and baking along with visiting with friends and family. Still... there are things I just love to do during the Christmas season. Actually, I like to do a lot of them all winter long. Here are some of the things I'd like to do this month.

• Write my Christmas bucket list
• Make or buy a tree ornament for each child
• Sing Christmas carols
• Put up the tree
• Decorate the house
• Christmas parade
• Put lights on the house (Kids took care of it.)
• Talk to strangers (It's what I do!)
• Smile and spread good cheer
• Curl up with a terrific book
• Go to Journey to Bethlehem
• Drink hot apple cider
• Tree decorating party with my husband and kids
• Drink eggnog
• Watch Christmas movies
• Progressive dinner
• Make homemade wassail
• Invite friends for soup and bread
• Make new Christmas decorations
• Listen to Christmas music
• Bake Gingerbread Cookies
• Advent book
• Christmas baking
• Costumes for church production
• Church Bethlehem outreach
• Gaze into the fire of a candle
• Sing Christmas carols as I shop
• Make cocoa
• Burn fragrant holiday candles
• Read by tree light
• Christmas shopping
• Watch more Christmas movies
• Christmas gathering with my CHEC moms
• Pajama Run - Christmas lights
• Cookie Exchange Party
• Worship Jesus Done, but I couldn't bring myself to cross it out!
• Bake Christmas cookies with my kids
• Read Christmas books  
• Wrap Christmas gifts
• Christmas Eve service
• Christmas Day at home

Happy Christmas Season!

Laura

Blessed to be a Blessing





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A Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage #88

Welcome to another thrifty week at Harvest Lane Cottage. I am glad you've found me! Each week I share my thrifty and frugal projects, ways of saving money, and my blessings from God. 

I am so glad you dropped in for a visit today—or tonight!

♥♥♥

Hey Y'all! 

  Thanksgiving is a sweet memory now. It was a beautiful day here in Missouri with my husband and my children. We've lost many of our leaves, but we have one brilliant gold tree just outside the window. In fact, you can see it from both our dining and living room windows. It's just glorious and makes me thankful. I love Autumn colors, and I think God had that tree planted just for me. He does that kind of thing for his girls... you do know that right?

  Remember the last line of last week's thrifty post? "I can't wait to see what God's got in store!" Well it was over the top amazing!

   .

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♥♥♥

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Here's my thrifty week:

~ I invested in another cubic foot of real estate. We took a box to the DAV. It's next door to the Red Racks thrift store where I bought my coat last week.

~ I earned more Swagbucks that I'm saving up to buy some nifty gift cards for my girls. I need only a few more to able to get both cards I want. Gotta keep Mrs. Kringle's secrets, you know? You can still sign up and earn gift cards from places like Starbucks, Amazon, PayPal, Bath and Body, Bass Pro, Olive Garden, Kohls, and Home Depot. There are lots of choices in various denominations. Maybe you'll find something for you. ~smile~ 

I once got a Starbucks card just for me. I used it for hot tea, and it lasted me a long time. It was so nice to know I could spoil myself just a bit without blowing the budget. Please check it out using by clicking to learn and earn more. (Yep, it's a link that will help me earn more SB too. It doesn't cost you a penny.)

~ A friend's husband brought a box of food for our Thanksgiving dinner plus a little extra. Wow! I didn't even have my turkey yet. What a big blessing! Thank you friends!

~ A friend arranged for a new-to-us refrigerator to be delivered on Monday! Wow! Praise God! We'd been limping along for several months with one that wasn't keeping things as cold as they needed to be. In fact, in the summer, we kept anything that had to be cold in the freezer—and it didn't freeze! There are not words for how much I appreciate this. Thank you Jesus! Thank you my friend!

~ Are you sitting down? You know how I have to drive my daughter to school in the next town? Some friends at church gave us a car! Emily will be able to look for a job now that she has transportation. Praise to God the Father and Jesus His Son!

I had no idea what a week it was going to be. God is full of surprises! And all I was thinking about was how to get a turkey in time to thaw it for Thanksgiving. God is definitely all about the BIG picture. I'm so glad He enjoys doing exceedingly abundantly above all we can think or ask. Sometimes He makes me feel like one of His spoiled kids. ~smile~

I was especially encouraged by all this, because I find that my Christmas budget is going to be very small this year. I am going to rely on creativity, the money in my PayPal accounts that I've made from selling thing on Etsy and Ebay, and the check I made for working as a poll judge a couple weeks ago. I know God will show me how to make it stretch. He always does.

If you're interested, I'll be adding more to my Etsy and Ebay shops this week.

Well, that's my thrifty week. 
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What are you doing in your home this week?

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A peek into my life...

♥

ღLauraღ

...doing what I can with what I've got

where I am on a short shoestring budget!


Swagbucks link has now been corrected, but you can click here if it didn't work for you. Thank you for your kindness.

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You might enjoy reading...

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Christmas 2016— Is This Your Year to Stop?

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Christmas 2016— Is This Your Year to Stop?

Is this your year?

The year that you will...

• stop giving meaningless gifts and be freed to enjoy giving from your heart?

• stop feeling obligated to give and be freed to enjoy giving?

• stop trying to keep up with friends or family who have more and be freed to enjoy giving on a reasonable, budget friendly level?

• stop rushing to every activity and party and be freed to enjoy a few select activities that your family enjoys?

• stop going and stay home and enjoy your children, husband, and friends?

• stop focusing on stuff and enjoy focusing on the reason—a baby who grew up to be a man who gave his life to give you direct access to God the father, to give you eternal life, and to give you access to peace, hope, and trust through the Holy Spirit.

Make it your year!

This is your life.

Enjoy it!

Blessings,

Laura
Refocusing my Priorities





Mommy Mondays

A Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage #87

Welcome to another thrifty week at Harvest Lane Cottage. I am glad you've found me! Each week I share my thrifty and frugal projects, ways of saving money, and my blessings from God. 

I am so glad you dropped in for a visit today—or tonight!

♥♥♥

Hey Y'all! 

Can you believe we are less than a week from Thanksgiving? It totally snuck up on me. I know, it comes the same time each year, but I've been distracted by the election and confused by the trees that are only now reaching the height of their brilliant fall glory... a month late! Well, once I felt a nip in the air and golden leaves met me as I took my little dog out this week, I felt a refreshing joy and an excitement about the weeks to come. I can't wait to see what God's got in store!

   .

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♥♥♥

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Here's my thrifty week:

~ I bought four pounds of butter for $2.49 each. I saw a lower price later, but I still felt I'd gotten a good deal.

~ I used up the last little bits of bars of homemade soap. "Waste not want not!"*

~ I bought six 10 oz bags of Birdseye frozen corn for $.64 each.

~ I invested in one cubic foot of real estate. 

~ I earned Swagbucks that I'm saving up to buy some nifty gift cards for my family. I'd tell you the totally awesome place, but then a certain someone might see it on my blog! Gotta keep Mrs. Kringle's secrets, you know? There's still time for you to sign up and earn gift cards from places like Starbucks, Amazon, PayPal, Bath and Body, Bass Pro, Olive Garden, Kohls, and Home Depot. There are lots of choices. Please check it out using by clicking on the picture below to learn and earn more. (Yep, it's a link that will help me earn more SB too. It doesn't cost you a penny.)

~ My big thrill of a purchase was like getting a Christmas gift from God. A new thrift store opened in a nearby city yesterday. Since I was in the neighborhood today, I dropped in. Guess what? I found a nice fluffy warm coat in just my size! It's a medium purple (one of my favorite colors), and I think it might have down in it. Even if it doesn't it's super warm and three quarters length—perfect for dresses—has a removable hood (I don't like them.), and it was $13.49!!! Oh God lead me to that deal for sure! Shopping for a coat was on my bucket list, but the prices I found were way out of my range, so I had pretty well given up. BUT GOD! Thank you LORD!

My husband's paycheck is late since the boss is out of town, but when I get my grocery money, I'll be hitting the sales big time! Gotta make the list and check it twice. Thanksgiving will be here before you know it!

Well, that's my thrifty week. 
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What are you doing in your home this week?

~~~~~

A peek into my life...

He's my favorite!

♥

ღLauraღ

...doing what I can with what I've got

where I am on a short shoestring budget!

~~~~~

You might enjoy reading...

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Something to Think About...
Christmas

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*Ben Franklin



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Trust, Pray, Repent

Isaiah 40:31KJV

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Fear not!  Things are in a bit of turmoil in our country right now, but God! No matter what happens, you and your family are safe in God's hands. If our nation decides that they want to pursue a destructive path, they will. God has given each of us free will. We can pray that God will intervene, and I believe he did Election Tuesday. More Evangelicals voted than have in decades. Holy Spirit is speaking to his people.

We must trust God no matter what. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. I'm praying for a great awakening in the nation, a revival in the church, and true repentance among believers. 

You know the verse that says, "If my people, who are called by my name... I will heal their land." When it's quoted, it's usually without the "and turn from their wicked ways". Most Christians are too much like the world. Well, maybe all Christians are. 

We must ask Holy Spirit to show us where we need to turn from our wicked ways... even if they are wrong ways of thinking or bad habits. We must take our Christianity seriously.

Just a thought...

Laura

Mommy Monday

Praying for a Third Great Awakening

I am praying for a third Great Awakening among Jesus' people and those who call themselves by His name, but do not yet have a true relationship with Him. 

It starts with us—searching our own hearts, seeking His face and not just His hand, and repenting as He reveals the need. Join me? 

Laura 

Wednesday- 
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Share your Cup

A Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage #86

Welcome to another thrifty week at Harvest Lane Cottage. I am honored by your visit.  Each week I share my thrifty and frugal projects, ways of saving money, and my blessings from God. 

I am so glad you dropped in for a visit today—or tonight!

♥♥♥

Hello! May God give you peace and tranquility in your heart whether your candidates won or lost. Please pray for our leaders on all levels. May God bless America, and may we turn to Him with our whole hearts.

   .

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♥♥♥

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Here's my thrifty week:

Not much to report this week...

~ I bought pumpkins on sale for $1.99 and $.99 a couple days after Halloween. We don't link carving pumpkins with Halloween. We just have fun and enjoy the seeds.

~ $25.32 saved by using Price Matcherz to find price matches to use at Walmart and cherry picking the deals.

• American Beauty pasta (I bought 15 packages at $.49 each—enough to last for months.)
• Land o' Lakes butter $2.49 
• Pillsbury cake mixes at $.49 (for pumpkin or cherry dump cakes) 
• I also bought three Marie Callender chicken pot pies (a family favorite splurge) for $1.78 each plus I stacked it with a $1.00 use it now coupon! 

These are just a few of the bargains. Look at the Price Matcherz site to see what's available in your area. It's a free service that makes saving money easier.

~ We watched a free Redbox movie using a code my husband received by signing up for their text messages.

~ We also had a large family over for soup and dessert Friday night. My friend offered to bring chili, and I accepted. That's old-fashioned pot luck thrift.

Well, that's my thrifty week. 
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What are you doing in your home this week?

~~~~~

A peek into my life...

Photo taken a few months ago when
we went out for half price appetizers.

♥

ღLauraღ

...doing what I can with what I've got

where I am on a short shoestring budget!

~~~~~

You might enjoy reading...

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Thanksgiving 2015

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