Frugal "tricks" to implement

I have been poring over books on living frugally and am thoroughly enjoying my venture. Here are five ideas I would like to implement:

1. Loosen baked on food residue in pots and pans with a used dryer sheet.

2. Collect leftover vegetables in a container and freeze. When it's full, make soup.

3. Keep some cereal boxes and cracker containers and use for gift boxes.

4. Use white vinegar instead of a rinse aid in the dishwasher.

5. Cut dryer sheets in half (or 4ths) to make the box last much longer.

Also, I've been considering making some of my own cleaners for a while now. I may actually try it this Christmas break. Any comments or experiences on my five ideas and/or making homemade cleaners would be appreciated.

Becoming a Family

All my life, I've thought of my future in terms of my own family's traditions and values. That is only natural, I'm sure. Seth has probably pictured our future together in much the same way--looking through the lenses of his family's way of doing things. Both of us have gained much wisdom from looking at our lives in this way because we are so thankful for how we were raised! I can feel something subtle happening in these days, though, and it is beautiful. As we talk together and pray together, we are becoming our own family. We no longer see ourselves solely as younger versions of our parents, but as adults well-equipped (by our parents) to blaze our own trail. God is knitting our hearts together and whispering what he wants for us and our future family. Keep talking to us, Lord. We are listening!

Coupons vs. Generics

I have been stumped lately in regards to how people save so much money with coupons. I even signed up for a free e-course on couponing, but this is what I have noticed: Every time I get excited about using a coupon, I take it to Wal-mart and find that their generic brand is cheaper than the cost of a name-brand item after coupon. What's more, I like Great Value brand really well, sometimes better than the real thing. Something else I have discovered is that Dollar General has their canned soups and vegetables regularly priced at 50-60 cents a can, which is cheaper than coupons OR generics at Wal-mart! I wonder if any seasoned coupon experts could comment on this so that I can better understand the value of coupons.

The Body of Christ

"Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us." ~Romans 12:4-6

Never have I been part of a church congregation that more closely resembles the Romans 12 church. Many churches teem with people cut from the same racial, cultural, and socioeconomic cloth. Of course those churches can grow and thrive under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Still, I reopen a special gift from God each and every week in my new church home as I kneel at the altar with my brothers and sisters in Christ. I see those who come from the local group home. I see those climbing out of generational poverty. I see those overcoming drug addiction. I see children with difficult home lives win medals at the Bible Quiz tournaments, surrounded by faithful adults who have planted the Word of God in their hearts. Together we hunger for the Christ who draws each one of us out of our past to fulfill His mission on earth in the present. Together we expect great things from a great God as he leads us into our future as a family!

First Day of Summer

Here I sit, enjoying the first morning of summer vacation. I chose to begin this blog mostly out of curiosity but also out of a need for something to do this summer besides work. The prospect of hours and hours of free time should make me giddy with excitement, but instead it ignites panic. I have never been good at relaxing. In fact, last summer I wore myself out cleaning the house to alleviate boredom. My quest this summer is to savor these moments to catch up with myself and my husband.