Christmas Gift Review

As many of you I received many gifts this Christmas. All of which I am ecstatic about. One in particular I would like to tell you about.

The Teavana Perfect Tea Maker.


http://www.teavana.com/c=perfectteamaker/shop.axd/StaticPopup

I received this from our gift exchange from my cousins wife, Heather. I was so excited to get to use it today.

Let me tell you a little about it. If you like hot tea you absolutely have to have this product. You simply put the 16oz of hot water and the required amount of loose tea into the container and allow it to steep for the allotted time. After that you simply place it onto of the mug of your choice (mine is a Starbucks insulated mug - it keeps in warm for hours). The mechanism on the bottom activates when placed on the top of the mug. The warm tea beverage drains into the mug leaving the tea leaves behind.

The reason I love this so much is because I have not been able to strain the tea enough with other methods. I always end up with a little bit of tea leaves along with the tasty liquid. The strainer in The Perfect Tea Maker is very fine. It never lets any of those pesky leaves by. Oh my! It is wonderful.

I write this as I enjoy a warm mug of my favorite Earl Grey Tea - also from Teavana. This is a great tea store. I wish we had one in Chattanooga, TN.

Thanks Heather for my tea maker.

Accolades to God All Mighty

I can say that the journey of Justin’s graduate school experience was based strictly on our trust in God. When Justin lost his job in January of 2008 we were set up perfectly to rely on one income. When we got married in August of 2007 we decided to live on one income (mine) and focus his salary on debt repayment and savings. In December of 2007 we had successfully paid off all debt acquired from the wedding. We had also managed to save a good amount of money. Sooooo, when we were forced to go down to one income, (although I felt like kicking and screaming) we were primed and ready to do so. I can say that I hated many parts of it all. We had to cut in anyway that we could. We did not take any big vacations and clothing allotments were out of the question. I have become a coupon queen. Eating out was a rarity. Gifts to family and friends were small if at all. (Sorry loved ones). Well to God be the glory. I can say that it is coming up on two years since Justin had a job that significantly contributed financially to the household, we still do not have any credit card debt. We have never gone hungry. We have always been able to pay our electric, water, and gas bill. We were always able to give our tithe to God and other ministries. We still have a little savings left in the bank. And we are closer to each other and closer to God because of it.

We are now trusting in God that he has a plan for Justin’s employment. He has trained him and we believe that God has a perfect place decided for Justin to continue his business career. Please pray with us as we wait on the job hunt to produce the right job.

Dead or Done (Congrats to my husband, Justin)

I want to take a moment to publicly say how proud I am of my husband. Last week he officially graduated with his Masters in Business Administration. The journey has been a challenge to say the least. Justin has spent many hours studying in order to earn the highest possible in all of his classes. I am so proud. He finished school with a 3.92 GPA. Only one B and it was in the hardest class in the program.

We started talking about him entering the program in February of 2008. He lost his job with Sertapak in January of 2008 and the job hunt was definitely looking bleak. We thought it would be a perfect time to pursue higher education. With this decision we both knew it would mean we would have to live on a lot less income (mostly mine). I was not real keen on the idea at first and dragged my feet at putting my seal of approval on the idea. I guess I was hoping that the big paying job would come along before he actually entered the program. We decided that he would take the first step which was taking the GMAT test to qualify for the graduate program. Doubt flooded my mind again when he did not make the minimum required score to be accepted into the graduate program. I was hesitant on him spending the money on the test again if we weren’t sure that he was going to actually go to graduate school.

Well the summer semester came and we had still not made a decision and Justin still did not have a job. In the summer Justin took the GMAT again. He made a little higher but still did not reach the minimum required score. I guess you can say (despite his genius abilities in many areas) he is not a great standardized test taker. He contacted the dean of the graduate school and was told that he could be admitted on a conditional basis. He would be able to remain in the program as long as he did not make C’s in any of his classes. Well, I have to confess that I was doubtful. Justin’s GPA in undergraduate was not too stellar so I was not sure how he would do.

Classes began on August 18th, 2008. He enrolled in three classes meaning he was gone three nights a week for class. Also in the fall of 2008 Justin started a job at That Lighting Store of a sales rep. The hours were crazy. He worked on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. This was hard because not having two days off in a row made it difficult for us to spend any real time together. Because of the school load and work schedule he was usually studying on Sunday’s and all day Wednesday.

Second semester began in January. He was again enrolled in three classes. In the beginning of January I asked that we pray about him quitting the lighting store job and go to school full time plus to finished as soon as possible. The job was not adding to our income too much but it was taking away from us in some many ways. We had our answer by Spring Break and Justin quit That Lighting Store in March. Now he would be able to apply his full schedule to completing the semester classes. He was enrolled in his hardest class, Operations Management. From what he said, the class was really hard and pretty much kicking his tale. I was so proud of how diligent he was at giving his school work his all. He never settled for less than best. He approached every project and assignment with the highest of integrity and determination.

At the same time of ending his work at That Lighting Store, he started doing some Marketing work on the side for an Internet graphic design company called Interactive ID. He would be promoting the company at a weekly networking meeting as well as contacting any new leads to bring in business.

In the summer of 2009, Justin took on his heaviest load. The summer semesters at UTC are divided into two short terms. Basically if you register for a class you attend two nights a week for six to seven weeks. Each of the short sessions Justin was registered for two classes. By the end of the summer Justin completed four more classes with all A’s. It was so hard on him. He really knocked things out of the park with each assignment. He developed a new interest in accounting and finance and that side of business management. I can not tell you how many times he tried to tell me about finance and the ins and outs of business accounting. I tried to listen attentively but let’s just face it; it was all a foreign language to me.

Last semester, Fall 2009. Justin was again enrolled in taking four classes. So he was again gone four nights a week. Justin was taking some pretty hard courses but also tweaked his curiosity. E-business, New Ventures/Entrepreneurs, H.R., and Strategic Management. Justin is very interested in entrepreneurial opportunities so of course he always had something interesting to share of the things he was learning. As the semester picked up it started to seem like he was never not studying. He was often meeting with a group or discussing a project via phone/text/or IM. Finally bringing the semester to a close with what seemed like a presentation in every single class. Again, all A’s. You did it baby.

I think that after all that is listed above it is most important to add that he never ceased to be attentive to my needs. He constantly strived to give me time and attention and help around the house whenever possible. He also managed to complete a huge undertaking of installing hardwood floors in our downstairs in July (with my help I might add).

For all those employers out there…. Justin is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most talented people I know. His sheer determination sets him apart from other candidates. He has such passion when it comes to things that are important to him. He never does anything he cares about half way. He constantly strives for the best and to be the best. When it comes to projects he scrutinizes over every detail to ensure that only excellence is submitted. He takes his responsibilities very seriously. He always strives to ensure that all of his commitments are cared for. Justin is a visionary. He knows how to create something from nothing. He is a creative thinker. I am always impressed by the new ideas and ventures he comes up with.

Justin, I am so excited to spend the rest of my life see what kind of trouble we can get into. I know God has big plans for you. This new accomplishment is a tool that I know God will use to take you to the next place both professionally and personally. Any employer would be foolish not to hire you.

If you have made it this far…. Thanks for reading.

Big Details

(www.kiroastro.com/writings/perspective)


Melora (my lovely wife) typically writes on our blog, but I had a thought today which I felt compelled to share because it brought a lot of things in my life into perspective. After having watched a documentary about the Sun, one single nugget stayed with me. It is the the simple fact that the Sun is 400 times bigger than the moon & the moon is 400 times closer to the earth than the Sun.
For those of you needing help with the concept I've included a picture. The fact that the Sun is 400x larger and the moon is 400x closer is proven by what is commonly known as a complete solar eclipse.
1 - if the moon where further away - No total eclipse is possible
2 -if the moon where closer - No total eclipse
3 -if the sun where larger,smaller,further,closer - No total eclipse

This is a HUGE detail that someone DIDN'T miss.

After doing several home improvement projects to finish all the last minute details of the hardwood floors, the baseboards and trim work - I now appreciate great attention to detail. I also appreciate statistics.
So I asked myself this question "What is the probability of this happening by accident (or naturally)?" How many random universes would it take for this to happen again?" This reminded me of some Truths about who God is.

If God puts this much attention to detail and consideration into this part of His creation, how much more does he care for me. A total eclipse happens about every 1.5 years. I don't understand its purpose, but to me it's evidence that some bigger architect designed it this way. It is a continual reminder that God has everything under control and has thought things through. Even the biggest details we may not even notice.

Update on Shady

This pictures were taken with the camera generously loaned to us by our friends Stephanie and Matt Rector. Thanks guys. We would not be able to capture the sweet pics of our new baby.

We went to Nashville for a few days this week. We stayed at The Embassy Suites. If you did not know, they have a great pet policy. For a fee you can take as many pets as you want. They also offer a Manager's Reception with free cocktails in the evening and a made to order breakfast in the morning. We had a great time. Justin made lots and lots of trips out the door, down the elevator, through the lobby, and out the side door to the grassy area to walk our dogs. Shady still gets up at least twice a night so this was a little trying on him by Friday. Justin was such a trooper though. Only a few accidents in the room. Below are some pics that we have taken over the past few weeks.


Sleeping again. This kiddo sleeps all the time. When he is not sleeping he is trying to chew on something. We are learning a lot about behavior modification.


This is a pick of him sleeping on the air vent in the kitchen.


Shady sleeping next to his hot dog squeaky toy.










I hate to admit it but I took this picture while driving. He looked so cute it was hard to resist.


The car ride was exhausting.



Shady really enjoyed laying on the bathroom floor. I guess because the tile was cold. A few times we found that he had crawled behind the toilet to take a little nap.



Shady sitting high on the bed. He really thought he was royalty in the hotel. Got lots of attention from anyone in the lobby when he was going out to potty.



He looks sweet in this picture but it is likely that he is getting ready to pounce.



I think he was trying to go to sleep or something. It takes him a little while to find just the right spot before bedding down. Usually we put him in the crate before he finds his spot on the bed. At home he enjoys sleeping on the air conditioner vents.



Shady does a lot of biting. This is kind of getting frustrating. Yesterday Justin put Shady on the bed to "wake me up" and he quickly headed straight toward my head and bit my nose. He drew blood.

How do you do it?

For all those who might be wondering how I do all the coupon stuff, I thought I would give a little summary on the helpful tools I use to save money and stay under budget with our grocery bill.

First of all, I love the money saving blog named Southern Savers. This site is a free blog written by a woman named Jenny. Everyday there are many postings that help people save money. She gives lists that match the store sales with coupons. Basically she takes your grocery store sales paper and lists below each item on sale all the coupons that are available for that item. Most grocery stores change sales every Wednesday. Publix, Bilo, Ingles, Foodlion. She posts Kroger list on Monday I think. You must check this site out. It is awesome. If you are new to couponing and have never used the site there is a great little introduction she offers. When you go on the page on the right side underneath where it says, "Welcome to Southern Savers", there is a click here for any newcomers. You should definitely read this first, it helps to explain coupons lingo and how you can save so much at your grocery store.

The trick is this...

Stockpiling.
I am sure that most of you go to the grocery store (or Walmart) two to three times a week to get what you need to make dinner for your family based on recipes or menu you have created. Well buying based on the rock bottom prices in the store is how to save the most. For example, when rice or cereal is the cheapest ever, it makes sense to go ahead buy two or three boxes (or more if you have the storage) so that you never have to buy it at the expensive regular price again. Usually grocery stores rotate sales weekly, and eventually every item that you use regularly will go on sale at a rock bottom price.

For example. Let's say Hamburger Helper is $2.49 a box at regular price. The grocery store often runs deals where the item is Buy 1 Get 1 Free. Well in Bilo or Publix lingo this actually means 1/2 price. So instead of paying $2.49 you actually pay $1.24. Well, then if it is combined with a coupon. Usually the Hamburger Helper coupon is $1 off when you buy 3. So for three boxes of Hamburger Helper you actually are paying $2.73. Wow! It is like you are getting three boxes for the price of one. In this case I think that it is a good idea to go ahead and get three or six boxes. I will have used all of them by the time they go on sale again. Walmart's "Everyday low price", will never beat that. This is just an example, I do not actually remember how much Hamburger Helper is.


Where do you get all those coupons?

First of all I usually buy about two to three newspapers every Sunday. The cool thing about Southern Savers is that they actually list the coupons that will be in Sunday's paper each week. This posting is usually on Thursday, so you can already know what coupons to look forward to on Sunday. TIP!!!! You will want to get a newspaper from the biggest metro area closest to you. Even though I live in Chattanooga, I try to get a Atlanta Constitution or Birmingham News because for some crazy reason the coupons in these papers are better.

On Southern Savers grocery lists, she provides links to the printables available for the items that are sale. It is as easy as that. When you look at the list all you have to do is click on the link for the coupons discounting the items that you want. You will understand when you look at the site.

There are other sites too.
coupons.com The update all the coupons at the beginning of every month. You can usually print two of each coupon.

www.redplum.com

www.smartsource.com

A Full Cup. They offer an amazing coupon database that lists all the coupons in the world. Yes, it seems to be an exhaustive list of coupons. So if you want to know if there is a coupon for Post Cereal, all you have to do is search on this site and find out if there is a coupon for the item. They also have printables for Target and other stores too.

Fiddledeedee.com For all of you guys who have a Winn Dixie this site gives coupon match-ups for that store. Southern Savers does not do Winn Dixie lists.

Attention Target Shoppers This is a site that does coupon match-ups for Target. I have used it a few times and saved great at Target. Target has store coupons which you can combine with Manufacturer coupons for free or almost free items. Can I get a Wow!!!

I also subscribe to a magazine call "All You". It is a magazine you can buy only at Walmart. However I have a subscription so I do not need a reason to go to Walmart. They have tons of great coupons each month. Some of the coupons are higher value than you usually see in the regular newspapers. They magazine also has great recipes and tips for women.


CVS

CVS, Walgreens, and RiteAid is a whole different story. You can get tons of stuff for free or for very little out of pocket. Southern Savers has a great explanation for how to do it. It is so worth it. I prefer CVS. They are very customer friendly and make using their system very easy. If you are someone who needs toiletry items, make-up, diapers, even food items, and paper products. Whatever it is you can usually get it at amazing sales or free by using the directions through Southern Savers. She usually puts the lists up on Thursday or Friday and the sales do not begin until Sunday. This helps give you time to get your lists ready with the coupons that go with them.

Other sites that help with drug store deals

www.survivingthestores.com

www.iheartcvs.com

www.iheartwalgreens.com

www.iheartriteaid.com


My brain is full of couponing information. I have been doing it for almost two years. I have only been doing it aggressively for about five or six months. I usually save about 70% at the stores. Justin has a great spreadsheet that I track all my deals.

You ask how much time does it take. At first it make take a little time. I will not lie to you. However, once you get your coupons organized then all you do is pull them out each week and put your list together and head to the stores.

If you have questions please comment. I love seeing other people adopt this and save big.

Good luck!!!

Patiently Waiting

Ok. Is it just me or it is really hard to wait for things that we really want. I can surely testify on how hard it is to wait. Honestly, I can not stand it. I often tell God if He will just tell me what He is planning then I will gladly wait on it. I guess He knows better, because He is still not telling what He is planning.

Recently, Justin and I have made a really cool discovery. Over the past several nights we have gone out to our backyard to let our little puppy go potty. Justin pointed out that there is a very large spider web right outside the door strategically posted around the flood light that illuminates the yard. This spider is big and I mean BIG. On the first night of seeing the bug, I wanted to kill it instantly. Let's just be honest, spiders are creepy. Well, Justin was curious, so I left it alone and went inside.

Over the past few days we continue to observe the web. Our stays outside with Shady has lengthened since we have begun the watch. Something occurred to me tonight as I watched the web and nothing happened. This spider has to be very patient to get what it wants. It might be very very hungry but still it waits. The spider has no idea how long it will have to wait. As I watched, it seemed to say,"I will wait all night if I have to. Heck, I will wait all night every night. What ever it takes." Well, I have known God to speak to me through lesser subjects, so...

"Yes, Lord, I will wait all night, every night, if I have too. What ever it takes."

Also, I am reminded through watching this spider, God still provides. He is providing for this spider and many other spiders out there. I know God is going to provide for us. I know God has a plan for us. No, I don't necessarily like to have to wait on it. But, I feel better knowing that He is there, and He knows I am here waiting.

Center of our Marriage

Colossians 1:16-18

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

This was the scripture the Justin's dad used in the message shared at our wedding. This has become the foundational scripture for our marriage. Often when things feel a little rocky I am reminded of this scripture. I truly believe that our marriage was created by God. I know that I could have not caused something so wonderful to happen. Believe me, I tried. Thus, I want our marriage to constantly be to glorify Him. I know that when things seem to be falling apart, I can always trust that because we are centering our marriage on Him, He WILL hold us together.


The following are lyrics of a song by Charlie Hall that is based on the beautiful scripture above

You’re the center of the universe
Everything was made in You Jesus
Breath of every living thing
Everyone was made for You

:Pre-Chorus:
You hold everything together
You hold everything together

:chorus:
Christ be the center of our lives
Be the place we fix our eyes
Be the center of our lives


We lift our eyes to heaven
We wrap our lives around your life
We lift our eyes to heaven, to You

Oh Lord, I pray that this remains true in our lives each and every day we live.

To You, My Love

I Justin, take you, Melora to be my wife. I commit myself in covenant before God and these witnesses to you and only you. From today until death, I do promise and affirm, I will stand with you as your godly husband. Through sickness and health, in plenty and in want, through the joy and the pain. I commit to strive in God’s grace and strength to fulfill your needs whether physical, emotional, or spiritual to my very best ability, because I believe you deserve the very best. I vow to be true and faithful, forsaking all others, clinging to you. Because I desire God’s best, I surrender my will and plans to Him and rely on His guidance and love, to love you. Melora, I promise to love you as Christ loves the church. Where you go, I will go. Where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God. This is my marriage covenant to God and to you.

I Melora, take you, Justin to be my husband. I commit myself in covenant before God and these witnesses to you and only you. From today until death, I do promise and affirm, I will stand with you as your godly wife. Through sickness and health, in plenty and in want, through the joy and the pain. I commit to strive in God’s grace and strength to fulfill your needs whether physical, emotional, or spiritual to my very best ability, because I believe you deserve the very best. I vow to be true and faithful, forsaking all others, clinging to you. Because I desire God’s best, I surrender my will and plans to Him and rely on His guidance and love, to love you. Justin, I promise to submit to you, my husband. Where you go, I will go. Where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God. This is my marriage covenant to God and to you.

What you get for $49.55

Bi-Lo

(2) Golden Grahams Cereal

(2) Peter Pan Peanut Butter

6 pack of Diet Coke

Crayola Crayons 24 Pack

Banquet Chicken Breast Nuggets

Cole’s Breadsticks

Mayfield Half Gallon Ice Cream

(2) Southern Home Rising Crust Pepperoni Pizza (Not pictured)

Red Potatoes

Strawberries 2 lbs

Tomatoes

Sub Rolls

Subtotal before savings - $58.39

Total Savings - $29.37

Total Out of Pocket- $31.73

Publix

Bananas

Peaches

(2) Hebrew National All Beef Hot Dogs

(4) Alexia Waffle Fries Crunchy Snacks

Honey Wheat Hot Dog Buns

Snapple Peach Tea 6 pack

Snapple Raspberry Tea 6 Pack

Hostess Powdered Donuts

Total savings - $27.39

Total out of pocket - $16.24

CVS

Schick Quatro Men’s Razor Refill

Schick Quatro Women’s Razor Refill

CVS Tampons

Colgate Total Advantage Toothpaste

Neutrogena Compact Foundation

Neutrogena Compact Foundation

(4) Snack Size Cashews

Total Saved - $55.10

Total Out of Pocket – $1.58

Total spent - $49.55

Could have spent - $161.41

Sha'Dynasty

We finished the floors

We'll we worked on Friday to get the "platform" area finished. It was the final step of the process before we move on to the baseboards. It was a bit of a challenge because it is a semi circle so we had to use some of our math skills. I think it turned out pretty good. We are going to wait until Friday to work on the baseboards, so that we can take some time to acclimate our puppy to his new home.

Also we scrapped the window seals and made that another task on our list. We are planning on repainting it again soon too.

Hardwood Floor Update

We are getting closer to completion with the flooring. We have completed all the floors in the dining room, living room, hallway, and office. We are doing the work on the "platform" area in our living room. We had to put a stair tread and a new riser on the step up so that took all of today. I just got finished staining the new stair tread to match the color of the hardwood floors. I hope that we will be able to put the flooring in up there tomorrow and then it is on to finishing the trim work in each of the rooms. This should be fairly easy, however we did a little damage to the walls and trim area when we took off the "old as dirt" baseboards that were on there. We will have to mend the walls a bit and then put the new baseboards and trim work on to create that beautiful seamless look.

Right now, I am going downstairs to watch the bachelorette. See ya!!!

My CVS Trips this week

On Sunday

Using my rain checks from last week I bought the school supplies that I planned to get.

2 - 1 Subject 100 Sheet Notebook $.99 each

2 – Clear School Glue $.99 each

2 – Plastic Ruler $.99 each

2 – 5 inch scissors $2.99 each

5 – Pocket Folders $.05 each

2 – Heath Bar Candy Bars $1.59 each (not pictured because Justin has already eaten both of them)

Total $15.35 before tax

Used CVS $3 off of a $15 purchase

ECB’s Used - $3, $7.50

Total after discounts - $2.02 out of pocket Oh Yeah!!!

Got back $13 in ECB’s as well as another CVS coupon for $3 off of a $15 purchase. I was so excited because I planned to buy some hair crème for Justin that cost over $16. I used the ECB’s and the CVS coupon to buy the hair crème with almost no out of pocket.

On Monday

I went to a different CVS to try to get the school supplies that are on special this week since the CVS from Sunday was sold out of everything already.

I only had $5 ECB’s to start with so I tried to group all my transactions into $5 totals and just roll the ECB’s to reduce my out of pocket total.

Transaction 1

PaperMate Pens 10 pack $.99

Vinyl Notebook $3.00

Memo Pad $.99

Total before tax $4.98

ECB’s used - $5 (I had to talk him into changing the amount to $4.98. I lots .02 in the deal. Most CVS’s do not have a problem doing this.)

Total due - $.00

ECB’s Received $4.98

Transaction 2

Papermate Pens 10 pack - .99

2 - #2 Pencils 1.99 each

Total before tax - $4.97

ECB’s used - $4.98

Don’t ask me why but my total ended up being $.46. I do not understand why, but I did not argue because I was basically stealing the stuff.

ECB’s received $4.97

Transaction 3

2 – Pack of Filler Paper $2.00

1 – Memo Pad $.99

Total before tax $4.99

ECB’s used $4.97

Total due $.19 (again I do not know how I owed that amount, something about the way they tax the items.)

ECBS’s received $3.98 and $.99. Oh Yeah!!!!

So for all the stuff I got today I spent a total of $.65 and I still have $4.97 in ECB’s for next week.