Tuesday, December 31, 2019

End of the year update: Finances, debt, family and more



Happy New Year's Eve!

I did want to just give an update on a few things going on in our life, and I would love to start updating the site more often. I've tried to clean up the site a bit ( I removed the AdSense for one thing, as I didn't understand how it worked and it looked to clutter up the blog). So as we approach the new year I wanted to share a few updates:

                                                                      Finances:
One of the things I've been open about here is our debt. Which is ridiculous. The last time I posted about it was in October of 2018 which you can read about here.  At that time our non mortgage debt was $144,798. Since then we have paid off $20,484. Bringing our debt down to $124,213. I'm glad that number is going down, however, it needs to go down further. I'm still being frugal, I'm sticking with our budget, but it just seems with 3 growing kids, a home to maintain and my tuition ( more on that in a minute) we did not have a ton extra to save. So for this next year, my goal is to get that number under $100k. So walk with me as we get that number lower!

                                                                    Family: 
We are doing so well. My kids are now 14, 12 and 8 and man are they amazing kiddos. They are doing great in school, and the older two are active in our church youth group, while the little guy is still in the Children's group at church. The 14 year old and 8 year old are taking piano lessons this coming year, the 14 year old has been taking lessons for a while but January will be the first month for the 8 year old. The 12 year old is doing great in her sewing classes- they aren't monthly lessons, but she does take a class here and there when there is one that tickles her fancy. Last night she hemmed a pair of jeans for my uncle and he gave her $3. So she's pretty excited about that.

                                                                   Animals:
We still have a ton of chickens ( not a ton, but maybe 25?) I haven't counted in a while. The chickens are really my 14 year old's thing and she knows their names, keeps tabs on them etc. We are getting some beautiful eggs each day and we enjoy fresh eggs. We still have 3 goats but are out of the rabbit business.
Throwback of my daughter when she was little, but she has always adored her chickens. 

                                                              My school: 
Thankfully, I am about to finish my PhD. I am on the dissertation phase and have collected my pilot data and am about to go into full scale data collection. I hope to be finished by the end of the Spring Semester. I may have to extend my graduation into the summer, but bottom line is that I only have about 3 more hours of tuition to pay, and most of that is paid for with a scholarship. I've tried really hard to get scholarships throughout this process, and anything I've owed, we've cashed flowed. We vowed for no new debt for my PhD- which we stuck to. So after my next tuition bill we will be finished paying for that and that money can be put somewhere else. I've also had to travel pretty often to the university, which was costly for plane tickets, hotels etc. So after one more trip ( to defend my dissertation) that expense will be finished as well!

I am starting a Pantry Challenge tomorrow, with my grocery budget being only $100 for the month of January ( and I haven't bought groceries in almost a week already) so that will help clean my freezer out and plan for what food(s) we need to plant and put up this gardening season. Read more about that in the coming days.

How has your year been? I'm excited to get back to visit with you guys!

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Simple Decorating for the Holidays with Dollar Tree

   You all know that I love me some Dollar Tree. I'm excited that they have some great blog posts out for their affiliates to use! Please remember: This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.


Elegant DIY Wreath Using 3D Wreath Forms

December 15, 2019  |  DIY & Crafts  |  Written by 
Elegant 3D WreathLooking to add some extra pop and pizzazz to your holiday décor? Well then, you’re in luck because I am here to show you how! I was in my local Dollar Tree the other day and came across these awesome 3D wreath forms and decided to buy a few to hang across my dining room table. I wanted a more natural and elegant look, so I wrapped green garland and fairy lights around them and then stuck LED candles in the center of them. They looked GORGEOUS hanging above my dining room table and really set the mood for the holidays!

Stock Up on These Supplies:

  • 3D Wreath Forms
  • Hot Glue Sticks
  • Hot Glue Gun (Not Sold at Dollar Tree)
  • Green Garland (One for each wreath you plan on making – the 10” wreaths will leave you a little extra garland afterwards)
  • Fairy Lights or String Lights
  • Floral Wire
  • Twine or Fishing Line
  • Hot Glue Gun (Not Sold at Dollar Tree)
  • LED Candles
  • Optional: Flowers, Ornaments, etc.

Follow Along Step-by-Step:

  1. Assemble the 3D wreath forms as instructed with the included metal braces. I reinforced mine with hot glue at both of the points to make it extra sturdy.
  2. Using your hot glue gun, adhere the garland to the wreath form’s wires by running a bead of glue on each wire and pressing the garland to the wire. It is best to do this a few inches at a time, and be careful, the glue will be hot.
  3. If you’d like, you can decorate with fairy lights and LED candles (pictured) or get creative with ornaments, flowers, and more! Run twine through the top and hang it from the ceiling to make it float.Elegant 3D WreathElegant 3D Wreath
Looking for more ways to spruce up your holiday décor? Check out these simple ways to decorate for the holidays!