That thing others are shaming you for? Do it anyway. and more...

Here's What's New That thing others are shaming you for? Do it anyway. My interview with John Stossel on Fox Business (video clip) 48-Hour Giveaway: Table-Time Look and Learn Tablecloth (12 Winners) Want some encouragement & accountability to Make Over Your Mornings? 5 Tips to Build a Frugal Wardrobe With eBay 10 Slow Cooker Freezer Meals in 2.5 Hours :: That thing others are shaming you for? Do it anyway. "You have such crooked teeth! You really should get braces." "Why do you make such weird faces in your pictures? It's annoying!" "You have such an ugly 'smile'! I can't believe you post selfies here. You should be embarrassed." All of those remarks - and more! - have been left in comments here and on Facebook in the last few weeks. Most of them were from the same two people who apparently are on a mission to get me to stop posting selfies. I've just been deleting the comments as they come in and didn't plan to mention them in a post because I don't like to give trolls or rude commentors a platform here. My policy has always been that if your comment is shaming, harsh, or sharply critical, I promptly remove it as I want to keep this place upbeat and encouraging. However, when I deleted yet another comment this morning about my "dumb selfie faces", I could keep silent no longer and this post just bubbled forth. You see, posting a selfie might seem very inconsequential to some of you. For me, being brave enough to take and then share selfies this past year has been monumental. Why? Because it's something that I ran kicking and screaming from for years. I was embarrassed of my sometimes dorky faces, of my jaw, of my crooked teeth, of my overbite, of my skin that was prone to breakouts, of the fact that I probably don't know how to do makeup, and of the fact that I probably don't shape my eyebrows correctly. For years, I hated the fact that I wasn't photogenic. I was so self-conscious and insecure, that whenever a camera came out, I'd be so nervous, I wouldn't be able to smile. My mouth would quiver. My hands would shake. I'd break out in sweat. And I just plain couldn't smile sincerely. I remember the night I was supposed to get my senior pictures taken. There were a group of us getting individual pictures done and when my turn came, I froze and couldn't smile. The photographer tried over and over again to no avail. I was so embarrassed and frustrated with myself. And ever since then, I shied away from cameras because I didn't want to suffer that same humiliation again. When I started blogging 10 years ago, I found that it was such a safe outlet for an introverted, insecure, and un-photogenic girl like me. It allowed me to mostly hide behind my computer screen. To carefully pick and choose any pictures I showed to the public. To take 46 different pictures in hopes of getting a decent shot. The more I hid behind my computer screen, though, the less authentic I felt. I didn't want to photoshop my life. I didn't want to live life behind a smokescreen. I wanted to be real… even though I know that it would mean sharing the good and the not-so-good. Even though I knew it would be opening up myself for criticism. Even though I knew not everyone would like the real, sometimes dorky, sometimes un-photogenic, me. As I've stopped believing lies about myself and starting living under the truth, it's given me more and more confidence to just be me. To stop worrying about what people would think. To stop caring whether I was going to be criticized. To stop stressing over whether I was going to disappoint someone. And little bit by little bit, I've been brave enough to step out from behind the safety of the computer screen and be authentically me. That's meant accepting speaking engagements. Blogging about my struggles with shame and insecurity. Instagramming real-life stuff. Filming videos. And yes, getting brave enough to start showing my face in many more pictures. Posting a selfie publicly represents something much deeper than the picture itself. It's a testament to the work that's happened in my heart, to the confidence that has grown in my soul, to the acceptance I have for exactly who God has made me to be - imperfections and all. So when those recent comments have come over and over again, attacking me for how I look and how I smile, it really and truly hasn't phased me. Instead, it's encouraged me to realize how much I've grown in confidence and it's also motivated me to keep posting the real-life, imperfect stuff. The world needs to see that just because I happen to have a large number of people reading what I write online doesn't mean that I am all perfect and polished and put-together. The truth is: nobody has it all together and nobody just floats effortlessly through life with flawless skin, perfect smiles, and zero struggles. Now, let me be clear: I don't share this post with you because I want you to criticize the few people who are on a "Stop the Selfie Crusade". Honestly, I pray for them and hurt for them because I have a feeling that their unkind comments are probably coming from their own place of hurt and insecurity. I also don't share this because I need your affirmation. Truthfully, I don't. I know who I am in Christ. I know the truth that I am enough. And I really can stand confidently in that. I am writing this post tonight, because I have a feeling that some of you out there can relate to my struggles. Maybe you have no problem at all when it comes to smiling or showing your face in pictures, but perhaps you struggle with feeling like you don't measure up somehow. Maybe you had a really humiliating situation that forever cemented in your head that you weren't good enough at X. Maybe you've been shamed by someone close to you regarding your weight or your appearance or your skills or your mothering or your "inabilities". And it's cut you deeply. So deep, in fact, that ever since then, you've avoided that thing at all costs. Can I encourage you to stop believing the lies & start camping on the truth? Can I gently admonish you not to let shaming words from others dictate how you live and hold you back? Be brave. Be YOU. The world needs your gifts, your story, and your unique perspective. And every time you see me post a selfie, can it be a reminder to you to keep putting yourself out there, keeping stepping outside your comfort zone, keep pushing forward little bit by little bit? Let's be a community of people who don't let shaming words get the best of us. Let's camp on the truth, walk in confidence knowing that we are enough as we are, and then let's bravely face our fear gremlins head on - imperfect selfies and all. :: My interview with John Stossel on Fox Business (video clip) For those of you who asked to see my segment that aired on Fox Business on Friday night with John Stossel, they've uploaded the clip of my interview to their site here. And I know this is very controversial subject, so before you jump to conclusions and think that I think everyone should do what I've done or that I believe credit cards are evil, be sure to read this followup post I wrote on Why I Don't Think Credit Cards Are Evil. :: 48-Hour Giveaway: Table-Time Look and Learn Tablecloth (12 Winners) Want to encourage your kids to practice their math skills and to foster some great conversation around the dinner table? Check out the Table-Time Look & Learn Mostly Math Tablecoth! This tablecloth is designed for kids around ages 18 months to 6 years old and includes 20+ math lessons for pre-K to Kindergarten math levels. The "Mostly Math" tablecloth covers: Comparisons, counting, addition and subtraction Hours, days, months, seasons Names of common and uncommon shapes Greater than, less than Plus one and minus one counting Counting to 50 by 1's, 5's and 10's. Counting backwards from 50 and much more! Our kids LOVE this tablecloth. We've used it multiple times on the Kid's Table when having guests over and it's sparked some fun conversation! This tablecloth measures 52″ x 72″ and works on rectangular or oblong tables seating four to six. Consult the size guide for more info. It's made from PEVA - a PVC-free material for your child's health. Would you like to win a free Table-Time Look & Learn Mostly Math Tablecoth? Click on the graphic below and type in your name and email address to be entered to win one. This giveaway ends Wednesday, July 1, at 11:59 pm, CST. 12 winners will be chosen and posted next week. :: Want some encouragement & accountability to Make Over Your Mornings? Instagram photo from GoddessMychele Have you purchased a copy of my 14-Day Make Over Your Mornings course yet? If not, go grab your copy here. If you're looking for extra accountability and encouragement as you go through the course, here are two options for you: #1: Private Facebook Group There's a private Facebook Page available here with over 1100 members and they are going through the course together again, beginning with Day 1 today. This Facebook is run by my friend, Caroline. Sign up for the private Facebook Group here. #2 Public Facebook Page You can also join my new Make Over Your Mornings public Facebook Page. I started it as a place to share daily tidbits, articles, quotes, and more to encourage you to use your mornings and your days well and to life life with more intention. You can follow the Make Over Your Mornings Facebook Page here. I've been so blown away and blessed by your kind notes and comments and emails sharing how this course has made such a difference in your home and life. I'm so grateful! And thank you for spreading the word about it to your friends who you feel would also find it helpful! :: 5 Tips to Build a Frugal Wardrobe With eBay Guest post from Laura of Life as a Loewen Finding adorable clothes on a shoestring budget can be challenging, but I'm here to tell you that it's not impossible. Enter eBay clothes shopping! It should take you less than 5 minutes to set up an eBay account (if you don't have one already). Then you can link your PayPal account for easy payments, or pay using a debit or credit card. Here are a few tips for getting the most bang for your buck on eBay: 1. Know your sizes from a specific brand. eBay has a number of different search features so you can narrow down exactly what you need (i.e. petite, tall, color of item, etc.) Have you been eyeing a specific brand of clothing, say jeans, but don't know what size you are in them? Go to a store that has them, try on a few sizes, write them down or enter into your phone and then you'll be armed for your next eBay purchase! You can also look on some store websites to see if they have sizing charts which would eliminate the need for a trip to the store! 2. Buy used. You can search for items that are new, used, or unspecified. I'd suggest buying second-hand items to get an even lower prices on your clothes. Nearly all items I've gotten used from eBay come to me looking either new or nearly new! 3. Take advantage of bidding and offers. Many items can be purchased through bidding (auction-style) on an item. Another way I've gotten steals on trendy clothes is by making an offer on items that indicate "or highest offer". You never know until you try! Offer less than the "buy it now" price, but what you feel is reasonable (and still a good deal) for the item. 4. Don't write off high-end brands. I personally adore the style of Anthropologie. But spending $100 on one top at the store? I couldn't possibly. What I do is keep a search saved of Anthropologie items in my size, and the types of clothes I'm looking for - such as short-sleeved blouses and cardigans. eBay then saves that search and  I get to look for the best possible deals, getting higher-end clothes that are actually in my price range. 5. Sell your own items. Selling gently used (or new) items is a great way to boost that clothing budget. Having 3 little kids on one income means there's not a lot of wiggle room for the clothing budget, and especially not for this Mama to get new threads. By selling some of my clothes on eBay, I've earned a little money to use toward future purchases by letting the balance sit in my PayPal account until something really strikes my fancy. You can also deposit the money from PayPal into your checking out to use it for general purposes, as well. I've gotten lots of cute, trendy items using eBay, and I hope this helps you have another budget-friendly way to spruce up your wardrobe! Laura is a mama of three littles {and in the adoption process}, delighting in the Gospel of grace. Attempting to be genuine and raw, Laura seeks to find the humor in everyday life. She shares her journey through faith, motherhood and marriage at LIFE AS A LOEWEN blog. Passionate about issues of social justice, and always up for a Motown dance party, Laura seeks to live with spirited intentionality. :: 10 Slow Cooker Freezer Meals in 2.5 Hours Kelli from New Leaf Wellness shows you how to make 10 Slow Cooker Freezer Meals in 2.5 Hours. You received this email because you are registered on www.moneysavingmom.com with the email address panatllc1.kate@blogger.com. If you believe this has been sent to you in error, you can easily unsubscribe here. Money Saving Mom 2020 Fieldstone Parkway, Suite 900 #313 Franklin, TN 37069 © 2008-2015 Money Saving Mom, LLC. All rights reserved.

Can you go for 30 days without buying anything new? and more...

Here's What's New Can you go for 30 days without buying anything new? 5 Things I'm Loving This Week The Top 5 Posts From This Past Week 7 Things You Might Not Know About Me {SQT} :: Can you go for 30 days without buying anything new? How long could you go without buying anything new? Yerdle is challenging people to make a commitment to stop buying new things for 30 days (or however long you decide works for you!) by taking their Unshopping Challenge. They want to encourage people to unclutter their lives, save money, and create less waste. If you decide to take the Unshopping Challenge, you can make your own rules. Yerdle encourages you to still buy food (of course!) and consumable items, but what they really hope to do is to challenge people who have a shopping "addiction" or who just shop as a recreational activity, to break free from excessive shopping and spending in order to save money and simplify your lives. Here's how they encourage you to consider setting up your Unshopping Challenge: For 30 days, buy nothing new (except things you can't re-use like food and gas). Sign up for a Yerdle account (it's free!), go through your stuff, and post pictures of items you no longer need, love, or use. If someone is interested in your item, they can purchase it with Yerdle credit and you'll earn Yerdle credit when you ship it out. You can use your Yerdle credit to "buy" items from other sellers on Yerdle. You pay shipping on the items you "purchase". This is a great way to not only clear your home of clutter and save some money, but by taking the Unshopping Challenge, it will likely help you evaluate your spending habits in a new light. And maybe you'll end up forever changed as a result. Sign up for the Unshopping Challenge here. Tip: When you sign up for Yerdle, you can grab your referral link and share it with others. If others sign up through your link, you'll earn 10 free Yerdle points and they'll get 10 free Yerdle credits, too! {This post was underwritten by Yerdle. See my disclosure policy here.} :: 5 Things I'm Loving This Week It's been a packed-to-the-brim week - with 3 trips in less than 7 days (a trip to Atlanta for the Say Goodbye to Survival Mode event, a trip to NYC for my Fox Business interview, and a trip back to Atlanta to meet up with my sister and her family for a few days of fun!) + more. Here are 5 things I'm loving this week: 1. Great Deals at Kohl's Kaitlynn and I went shopping for her birthday and she found some great deals at Kohl's for some adorable clothes that she's already worn multiple times this week. We found them on the clearance rack and they were just a few dollars per item! I also bought some new shoes (a kind of rare occurrence for me!) and was excited to get a great deal on them! (See the shoes I bought in this picture here - I should have worn them for a few days before wearing them all over the streets of NYC because now I'm the proud owner of multiple blisters. It's clear I don't buy shoes often enough to know these types of things! :)) 2. It's My Pleasure* I got to read a pre-release copy of this book and absolutely adored it! It's short, but packed with inspiration for business owners, entrepreneurs, or anyone who would like to get a glimpse at the inner workings and core values of Chick-fil-A. 3. The Georgia Aquarium When we went to Atlanta with my sister and her family, we debated whether or not to go to the aquarium. The tickets are expensive, but we are SO glad we splurged and bought them as we absolutely loved our time there. It's hard to say what our favorite parts of the visit were as it seemed like at every turn, we were all saying "woah" and "wow!" Some of my highlights were: the beluga whales, sea horses, whale sharks, albino alligators, weedy sea dragons (these are so cool!), and the shark eggs. I also loved the exhibits where you could touch some of the creatures - including starfish, sea urchins, sea anemone, and the sea cucumber (my favorite). If I had to pick one favorite, it would have to be the Dolphin Show. It was hands down incredible. Seriously! We were in awe… And now Kathrynne is considering changing her career ambitions to dolphin trainer. 4. Coffee With Friends My friend, Jennifer, and her husband were in the Nashville area this morning and we got to meet for a quick cup of coffee. Jennifer is the author of one of my Top 10 Books from 2014 and just such a sweet, sweet woman. She's inspired me in so many ways and blessed my life. I was also supposed to have coffee with my friend, Tam, this afternoon. But I was really tired after a long week so I texted to ask if I could have a rain check on coffee with her. Well, guess what she did, she went and got a coffee and dropped it off at my doorstep… because she's such a dear person like that! 5. A Day At Home After coffee with Jennifer this morning, I promptly came home and put on my Wonder Woman tee, hoodie, and comfy pants - one of my favorite "Lazy Day" outfits. (I had taken a shower and fixed my hair/makeup, so that I wouldn't ruin my day!) It was so nice to have a day to just rest, relax, and enjoy being with my people. (Silas sat next to me for quite awhile today hard at work on his latest Loom Band* creation. He's kind of obsessed with these right now and does a great job making them! However, when I took this picture, he was concerned that if I posted a picture with the Loom Bands, someone might comment that "Loom Bands are for girls!!" I told him not to worry about what other people think. If he likes creating with Loom Bands, then he should go for it, because I love to see him learning new things and trying his hand at new skills!) What are YOU loving this week? Tell us in the comments! *affiliate link :: The Top 5 Posts From This Past Week No, I Don't Think Credit Cards Are Evil Why We're Sticking With Our Starter Home 5 Ways to Ruin Your Day - Guaranteed How I Won the Cool Mom Award With a Simple Trip to Kroger 5 Lessons I Learned After Quitting Facebook :: 7 Things You Might Not Know About Me {SQT} So I outlined this post yesterday and then ran out of time to finish it. So enjoy a Seven Quick Takes-inspired post on Saturday instead of Friday. Today, I bring you 7 Things You Might Not Know About Me: 1. I can't help but be frugal - even in NYC. Okay, so this one you might be able to guess. Because, well, you know, my blog name might give it away just a little bit. Case in point: when I was in NYC last week, I couldn't bring myself to pay the hotel breakfast prices (a bottle of water was $9, so I was kind of scared to even look at what scrambled eggs and bacon might cost!). Instead I walked to a Starbucks in Times Square and bought an oatmeal and a coffee with a gift card I earned from Swagbucks. I could have saved even more by making my own oatmeal and coffee in the room (you can make oatmeal packets using the hot water from the coffee maker), but the beautiful hotel that Fox put me up in was apparently so froo-froo that they didn't have in-room coffee-makers. I was clearly out of my league, folks. 2. I don't iron. See that picture above? It's very important to note that I am leaning on an actual ironing board that I set up and actually USED in my hotel room to iron my dress before heading to my interview on Fox Business. If you are a real-life friend, you know that I don't own an iron. Why? Because I don't iron… ever. So this was a momentous occasion, people. It probably won't happen again for another 13 years. 3. I am directionally challenged. You do not want me to drive you anywhere - especially if it's not some place that I've been at least 100 times before. Trust me on this. I guess my brain is too full of other more important things (or so I tell myself!), and it has trouble computing left and right and the difference between the two. (Going to the eye doctor is a very anxiety-ridden experience because they are constantly asking you to cover your left eye or close your right eye. I sit there like a crazy woman having to think long and hard before remembering which one is which. I know, I may have some slight issues.) If you give me directions in north and south, I am toast. TOAST, people. You might as well blind fold me and spin me around and tell me to find my way to Mars. So you can imagine my sheer panic when I discovered that I was supposed to find my way to the Fox Studios from my hotel. "It's only a few blocks," they told me. Well, trust me, with my navigational skills, it was a whole lot more than a few blocks. I got in a full body workout, broke out into a dripping sweat, and managed to get multiple blisters on my toes. However, by some miracle, I found the Fox Business studios and I found my way back to the hotel. I also found out a whole lot of ways not to get to either place in the process. 4. I have gotten completely addicted to podcasts. I'm incredibly late to the podcast game, but I've fallen hard and fast in love. I listen while I'm scheduling social media posts, while I'm cleaning, while I'm driving by myself, and while I'm folding laundry. Some of the ones I've been listening to a lot recently are: Sorta Awesome, Chalene Johnson's Build Your Tribe, Beyond Pro Podcast, The Fizzle Show, The Laura Ingraham Show, The Accidental Creative, and The Art and Business of Public Speaking. I don't listen to every episode and find that if an episode doesn't grab me within the first few minutes, I just skip it and move to the next one. No need to waste time listening to something I'm not intensely interested in when there are so many great shows and episodes out there! 5. I am almost always cold - except when walking blocks and blocks in NYC! I posted the above picture as we were getting ready to head out the door to Atlanta on Wednesday and said, "Apparently, Kathrynne missed the memo that it was 90 degrees today! She's a girl after my own heart - I'm often sporting a hoodie in the summer when indoors anywhere because it seems like I'm almost always cold!" Yup, it's true. 6. I still get crazy nervous about stepping outside my comfort zone. You would think that all of my stepping out of my comfort zone things and facing my fear opportunities over the last few years would mean I never get dreadfully nervous about anything. But nope. I discovered last week that TV is still way outside of my comfort zone. In fact, I basically was sick to my stomach scared about it for half of the day before my interview. I texted a few friends and asked them to please pray and I felt a lot more calm the day of my interview. And I'm grateful, because it would have been quite the eventful interview had I thrown up on set. The crazy thing is, when it finally was my segment, I wasn't really nervous at all and ended up enjoying it. So maybe I could learn to like doing TV interviews?? 7. I'm working on living more with abandon and embracing the moments. We had planned to check out Centennial Park when we were in Atlanta with my sister and her family this week. We ended up showing up right before the Olympic Rings Fountain show. We didn't even know that there was a show, so we kind of felt like we'd hit the jackpot. It was a lot of fun - and FREE! After the show, the kids had a blast playing in the fountains. I may have gotten in the fountains a little, too. I couldn't help myself. It was roasting hot and the water looked too inviting. And I'm working on living with abandon and embracing the moments… So it was perfect. What about you? What are 7ish things most people might not know about you? You received this email because you are registered on www.moneysavingmom.com with the email address panatllc1.kate@blogger.com. If you believe this has been sent to you in error, you can easily unsubscribe here. Money Saving Mom 2020 Fieldstone Parkway, Suite 900 #313 Franklin, TN 37069 © 2008-2015 Money Saving Mom, LLC. All rights reserved.

No, I Don't Think Credit Cards Are Evil and more...

Here's What's New No, I Don't Think Credit Cards Are Evil 10 Things You Need to Know About Shopping at TJ Maxx 10 Foods You Didn't Know You Could Make At Home Reader Tip: A Frugal Way to Bless Others :: No, I Don't Think Credit Cards Are Evil My interview with John Stossel aired on Fox Business and in that interview, I shared how I have lived for 33 years without a credit card. Most people don't believe that this is possible. But it's true. I've never had a credit card and I've never had debt. Yes, for real. My grandpa raised my dad to never go into debt for anything but a mortgage. My dad not only embraced this belief, but then he took it further. When I was a young girl, my parents paid off their mortgage and began saving everything they possibly could in order to buy land and build a house in the country. After a few years of scrimping and saving, they sold our house, we moved to an old trailer out on land they had bought, and my dad was the General Contractor for our debt-free house-building project. Seeing the sacrifices that my parents made and seeing the freedom that being debt-free gave them and the stress it relieved from their lives inspired me to commit to never go into debt. My husband and I went into marriage with an audacious goal for him to go through law school debt-free. This was a much harder to actually follow through with than we could have imagined, but our firm commitment to a debt-free lifestyle inspired us to make many short-term sacrifices in order to achieve long-term benefits. After law school, we decided to continue our commitment to living debt-free and we set another big goal: to pay cash for our first house. We knew that if we continued to live very simply and save as much as we possibly could, this goal could be a reality in the next 5 years (it helped that we lived in Kansas at the time, where housing prices are very reasonable). Hitting that goal in less than three years was almost 100% thanks to the huge increase in income we saw from this blog. However, we both feel like had we not set the goal in the first place and had we not been so committed to a debt-free lifestyle, we would never have been so inspired to work very hard at growing this online business nor as motivated to think outside the box and look for passive income streams. We look back at the last 12 years of our married life and have zero regrets that we've chosen to live debt-free. It's allowed us much more flexibility to make business changes and life changes - like our big move to Nashville last year. It's also allowed us to be able to continue to live simply so that we can invest our money in priorities that matter to us as well as be in a position to give generously. I prefer to use cash and rarely swipe a debit card for anything - except for online business purchases, gas purchases, and travel expenses. Some people think that I'm dumb for choosing this lifestyle. I've been called names. I've been told I was crazy. I've been reprimanded over and over again for missing out on so many credit card rewards. And here's the thing: I own that I'm weird. I own that the choices I've made personally and the choices our family has made are not for everyone. But I hope that our story challenges you to think outside the box. I want to inspire people to not just fall in line with whatever everyone else does or feel like debt has to be a normal part of everyone's everyday existence. Because it doesn't have to be. You don't need to do what we've done. You may choose to use a credit card or get a mortgage. You might have found a way to meticulously track your credit card expenditures so that you are actually spending less and earn big rewards that you use to further lower your costs. You might find that you have more self-discipline when you swipe a card than when you carry around cash. Instead of using cash, you might choose to track your spending through an app like Mint.com, EveryDollar.com, or YouNeedaBudget.com. I'm a big advocate of doing what works for you. And if you're responsible with your spending and you have found a system that works for your family and keeps you organized and (mostly!) stress-free, than I say to stick with it. But if you are struggling financially and you are feeling discouraged and disorganized when it comes to finances, I encourage you to not just keep doing whatever it is that you're currently doing. If you want to see change in your life and finances, you have to do something different than what you're currently doing. If you're new here, I'd love to for you to sign up for our daily email newsletter here where I share money-saving advice, tips, tricks, and great deals. In addition, if you're looking for practical ways to save more money, check out my series on 52 Different Ways to Save $100 Per Year. My passion is to challenge people to live with intention in all areas of your life and finances. You aren't stuck, unless you choose to be. So begin today to make wise financial choices. Be willing to make those short-term sacrifices. Be okay with going against the grain - even if others think you're weird. Your hard work and effort and sacrifices will pay off. And I'll be here cheering you all the way! :: 10 Things You Need to Know About Shopping at TJ Maxx Laurie from Passionate Penny Pincher has a great post up with 10 Things You Need to Know Before Shopping at TJ Maxx. :: 10 Foods You Didn't Know You Could Make At Home Living on a Dime has put together a list of 10 Foods You Didn't Know You Could Make at Home. Did you know you could make all of these? Have you tried making all of these before? :: Reader Tip: A Frugal Way to Bless Others Serenity emailed in the following tip: Last summer, I wanted to do something that would help my family AND help someone else, in an effort to teach my kids (ages 5 and 6) about helping others. I knew both kids liked to garden, so we did some research at the library and started a garden. We also talked about who we could pless with some of the veggies we were planning to grow. One of our friends who lived a couple blocks away was basically homebound as she had cancer. And because of her treatments, she could only eat certain foods - tomatoes and eggplant were 2 of those foods. We made sure to plant extra tomatoes and eggplant in our garden! I am not a talented gardener, but somehow the garden ended up producing far more than we expected! We took pictures of the garden as the kids loved showing our neighbor "their project" and how it t was growing. Of course, our neighbor really enjoyed our company, and was thrilled when the kids shared what they had grown with her later in the summer. The kids enjoyed having a summer project and always looked forward to delivering the tomatoes and eggplant to neighbor. They also got to learn more about gardening and are excited to have another garden this year! photo source You received this email because you are registered on www.moneysavingmom.com with the email address panatllc1.kate@blogger.com. If you believe this has been sent to you in error, you can easily unsubscribe here. Money Saving Mom 2020 Fieldstone Parkway, Suite 900 #313 Franklin, TN 37069 © 2008-2015 Money Saving Mom, LLC. All rights reserved.