5 Things I'm Loving This Week (the head cold edition) and more...

Here's What's New 5 Things I'm Loving This Week (the head cold edition) Last Minute, Frugal Gifts for Anyone on Your List :: 5 Things I'm Loving This Week (the head cold edition) #1) My New Cultivate the Lovely Mug I had a radio taping in Colorado Springs on Thursday, and I barely made it through the interview before the slight head cold I had turned into full-blown nose-can't-stop-running, head-is-going-to-explode head cold status. (By the time I landed back in Nashville, the only thing I wanted to do was crawl into bed… And I've mostly stayed there ever since! I guess God decided that I needed to get a jumpstart on my planned word for 2016 - REST!) At any rate, I've been drinking Zarbee's Throat Relief drink in my brand-new Cultivate the Lovely mug that I bought from MacKenzie over at Bold Turquoise makes me feel a little more classy while rocking bed head and PJs. #2) My Last Business Trip of 2015 As mentioned above, I flew to Colorado Springs on Wednesday and Thursday for a radio taping. It was my last business trip of 2015 and I couldn't be happier to finally be at the finish line after a long, very full, and very stretching year.  It's weird to not have any huge and pressing projects ahead of me and very little travel planned for 2016. But it feels SO good! While I'm grateful for the growth and the opportunities this past year, I'm also grateful to be entering a much quieter season! #3) Our Monday Group These are all the adults in our Monday Group (taken at our Christmas Party this past week). And every single person here means so much to us. We've laughed, teased, cried, prayed, ate, and played together almost every Monday night over this past year. These people have listened to us, loved us well, cared for us, and modeled what authentic community looks like. And it's been one of the greatest gifts to us since moving here to TN. Can't wait for all our 2016 Mondays!! (Also, I have no idea why I was the only person who missed the memo on where we were supposed to be looking in this photo!) #4) A Funny Laundry Image I found this image from MamaNeedsaNap.com and just had to share it… because maybe you needed the laugh, too? #5) A Thought-Provoking Quote I'm attacking this head cold with gusto… Taking all sorts of vitamins, downing the liquids, slathering myself with oils, chugging the tinctures, and resting like it's my job! I don't mess around when it comes to sickness! Ain't nobody got time for head colds! It appears to be working because I was able to sleep well last night (okay, I confess: I did take Robitussin Nighttime) and feel more human today. This is the perfect day to be reading Choose Joy. My favorite quote so far: "Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold." -Maurice Setters What are you loving this week? Tell us in the comments! :: Last Minute, Frugal Gifts for Anyone on Your List Guest post from Elizabeth of ElizabethClareBlog.com Christmas is fast approaching! Thanks to planning ahead, most of my gifts are purchased, wrapped, and under the tree. Inevitably though, there are always a few people on my list that I have no gift for… and no idea what to give them. Running to the store to do last-minute shopping usually means spending more money than I want on something the recipient won't even want. It also means fighting a crowd that steals my peace during this holiday season. No, thank you! Over the years I developed a mental list of frugal gifts I can quickly throw together for anyone remaining on my list. This list of gift ideas is great for several reasons: They are consumable and won't end up in the donation box come January. They can be used for all ages and types of people. They can be put together quickly. They are flexible based on your time and budget. Food We all need to eat, but don't always have the time to cook a well rounded, delicious meal. Preparing freezer meals for those on your list would be a gift many would love to receive. Maybe you don't have time to prepare the meals. Providing recipe cards and ingredients for a well-loved meal or dish in a beautiful basket would be even easier. Our family also likes to give specialty food items we don't normally purchase for ourselves, like the following: Gourmet coffee or tea Specialty salsa and spicy sauces Dried fruits Seasoned nuts Dark chocolates Seasonal fruit basket Service We all seem to be short on time these days. What about doing something to lighten someone else's load? Here are some ideas: Cleaning Babysitting children Organizing Shopping Gift Card to Anywhere (AKA cash!) Maybe it seems boring, cold, or thoughtless to some, but I have never known anyone to be disappointed when receiving cash as a gift. Cash is what my father-in-law calls the "Gift Card to Anywhere." You can suggest the recipient uses the cash for a specific purpose, or leave it up to their discretion. Time This gift is the cheapest of all, and often the most appreciated. Take time to step away from the busyness of your life and really invest in someone else. Here are a few ideas to get your wheels turning: Coffee or lunch date Shop together for something special Do something active - skating, swimming, hiking, etc. Watch a movie No matter who is left on your list, or what your budget is, I am sure this list will help you come up with something anyone would enjoy! Elizabeth Clare is a dairy farmer's daughter learning to navigate the ropes of Catholic homeschooling, mothering, and homemaking. She gives advice and encouragement on those topics at her blog ElizabethClareBlog.com. She also runs her Etsy shop, A Pondered Life, which specializes in creating beautiful family traditions. 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.