An Absolute Necessity

Do you want to be happier?  Healthier?  More fulfilled?  Maybe even a little wealthier?  Great!  Read on, and I'll tell you how to accomplish all of these things.

I promise, anyone can do it.  You don't have to be a rocket scientist, and you definitely don't have to do anything complicated.  It's actually almost too simple.

You just need to relax.  Really.  One whole day.  Once a week.  Every week.

 I can almost hear you saying, "Ummm, right.  I can't get everything done now, and I'm at it 24/7!  How on earth am I going to manage if I'm only doing stuff 6 days a week?"  I promise you will.  And, you'll actually be more effective and accomplish more by giving yourself one day every week to rejuvenate.

Our Creator knew what He was doing when He gave us directions for living our lives fully, happily, and healthfully.

We MUST honor a day of rest.  Once a week.  Every week. No exceptions.

Case in point.  You've raced around throughout the holidays and now someone in your family is struggling with a cold, somebody else is just getting over the flu, and yet another is dealing with increased allergy symptoms.  With that super long to do list in addition to the general hustle and bustle of the season (never mind your normal daily activities!), I'm going to guess you felt a little overextended and ended up a bit tired?

Oh, let's just be honest - completely exhausted!   

And, of course, this happened right at the time when you were exposed to plenty of extra germs.  Think of the coughing kid at the church Christmas pageant or, oh horrors, the sniffling, sneezing throng people shuffling through the local Kroger store with you on Christmas Eve.

Your immune system didn't stand a chance.

We are not designed to go full tilt constantly.  When we do, we get sick, our relationships suffer, and we spend money we don't need to be spending.

We MUST honor a day of rest.  Once a week.  Every week. No exceptions.

Need another example?  You spent the weekend attending your kids' sporting events and cleaning the house (yes, between games).  Then, you went to the grocery, but forgot your list and your coupons, got home, put all the groceries away, and found yourself folding laundry at midnight.

Oops, no time left to plan weekly meals or check schedules.  Oh well!

You fell into bed, with your mind racing and ended up unable to actually sleep.  So, you tossed and turned until the alarm chirped at 6 a.m.  Up and at 'em Monday morning, you got the kids fed and off to school, and you made it in to work in one piece.

As usual, the day was extremely busy with your boss asking, AGAIN, for the report you were supposed to have turned in the week before.  You ended up staying late to get it done and finally got in your car to head home.

That's when it dawned on you.  Junior needed a treat to share with his scout troop at their meeting that night.  Yikes! You raced into a store on your way home to grab the treat foods and then spun through the local drive through to pick up something for dinner because you were just too exhausted to even think about cooking a meal let alone actually cooking it!

That took care of that $50 bill!

You arrived home in a terrible mood, exhausted, and just wanted a few quiet minutes.  However, at that precise moment, your husband had asked if you remembered to stop by the bank at lunchtime.  Too tired to argue, you had simply broken down into tears and didn't speak to your husband the rest of the evening.

Yeah, we've all been there at one time or another.  Pretty miserable, isn't it?

So, how do we fix it?  Is it even possible to bring a little more peace and calm to our lives? The answer is yes, but it takes deliberate intention and commitment from every family member.

We MUST honor a day of rest.  Once a week.  Every week. No exceptions.

As a family, you should pick one day, once a week, every week to relax and reconnect.  No schedules, no outside commitments, no exceptions.

For some, this might mean attending a worship service and then spending the remainder of the day playing games and talking with each other.  For others, it might entail a hike in the woods with loved ones just enjoying the beauty of nature.  For yet others, it might be gathering the family together in the same room, but everyone quietly reading and napping.  The point is to do something entirely nurturing and relaxing one day a week every single week.

Without exception.

Giving your family the gift of a day of rest will be beneficial on so many different levels.

Your relationships will grow stronger.

You will be more rested and prepared to more effectively deal with the responsibilities and stresses of the rest of the week.

You'll have the time to review your family's calendar for the upcoming week and purposefully plan meals, lay out clothing, make sure the car has gas, whatever might be necessary to help the coming week to go more smoothly.

Your week will start off calmer and more gently.

Long term, you'll be healthier, both spiritually and physically.  You'll be happier and more contented with your life.

And, yes, you might even be wealthier because you'll have the opportunity to better plan, which will result in less reckless spending.

To accomplish this, your entire family must be committed to purpose and willing to compromise. It might not be easy, especially at first.  Kids may need to be limited to only one or two extracurricular activities and spouses might need to cut back on outside activities.  It will likely take some time to adjust to this "new way" of living.

But it will absolutely be worth it. The key is to communicate and find what is comfortable and doable for your family.

And then just do it.

Always.

The benefits won't just be for the short term.  They will last a lifetime.  Your whole family will be healthier, happier, and much, much more contented.


Does your family do this or something similar?   Share with us how you spend your day of rest and how you implemented this for your household.

Saving Some Jingle After Christmas

I absolutely LOVE after Christmas Sales. Why?  Because things I know I'll need for the next holiday season can be had for next to nothing.  

See all the items in the picture above?   The price before Christmas would have been $54.32 including tax.  

I paid  $20.97.  For everything.


That's a savings of $ 33.35!
 .
My normal strategy is to stock up on supplies that I know I'll need for the next year.  Things like gift bags, Christmas cards, tissue paper, plates and napkins.  I save, on average, anywhere from 50%-70%.  That's a nice little after Christmas gift to me!

The items in the picture above I picked up at Ollie's and Big Lots, but any place that sells Christmas decorations and supplies typically have similar sales in the days following Christmas.  Be sure to check places like grocery stores, pharmacies, and hardware stores, too.  Some of my very best deals have come from Ace Hardware.

As with any effective frugal strategy, there is some planning necessary to ensure you are getting the most bang for your buck and not purchasing things you don't really need.  I accomplish this by organizing my Christmas supplies into labeled storage containers. (More on my storage system in an upcoming post.)  Each year when we get our Christmas things out, I do a quick inventory of what we have on hand and note anything we might be getting low on so I'll know what to look for when I do my after Christmas shopping. 

Next, when I set my Christmas budget, I check my "what's needed" list and build an amount into my budget to be spent after the holiday on these kinds of things.  That way the money is already earmarked for this purpose and there are no budgetary surprises after the holiday.  Win-win.

If you're not already doing this, give it a shot.  You'll definitely save a ton of "jingle" on the stuff you'll be buying at some point anyway.

Great Christmas Gifts Under $15

Your list is long, and your money is short.  So how do you manage to give a great gift that will be well received and valued?  It's easier than you think. Remember the saying, "It's the thought that counts?"  Well, that is very true on a variety of levels.  First of all, you are giving a gift to someone because you are thinking of them.  Second of all, you need to give thought to what the recipient likes, needs, or would enjoy to ensure that your gift hits the mark.  There is nothing worse than giving or receiving a gift that screams, "I just grabbed the first thing I saw because I am expected to be giving you a gift!" 

STEPS TO THE PERFECT GIFT:  Begin your gift giving by making of a list of the folks for whom you'll be buying.  Next, go down through the list and think about each person as an individual.  What do they enjoy?  Do they have any specific needs?  Now, make a few quick notes answering those kinds of questions beside each person's name.  Your gift does not need to be expensive.  It does, however, need to be carefully considered.  Your goal is for the recipient to open their gift and think, "Wow! How did they know? This is so perfect!"  Taking the time to complete these few, quick steps will ensure you give great gifts that are spot on with your recipients.

SOME IDEAS.  Here is a list of inexpensive gifts that will help you get started.  Hopefully, these ideas act as a springboard to get your creative juices flowing. 

• Basket with kitchen gadgets.
• Hat, scarf, and gloves.
• Box of all occasion cards and a nice pen.
• Photo album with pictures of a special time or event.
• Deck of cards with a book of several card games.
• DVD rental certificates or coupons.
• Lottery tickets.
• Customized family photos in a collage frame.
• Candle set.
• Specialty coffee or tea and a mug.
• Fancy bath soaps and lotions.
• Small radio.
• A houseplant.
• Slippers.
• Book by a favorite author.
• Pizza pan and boxed pizza mix.
• Bath towels.
• Small tool kit.
• Wallet or change purse.
• Tarts and a burner.
• Emergency flashlight for the car.
• Small lamp.
• Brush and comb set.
• A clock.
• Cookbook.
• Seeds and a garden trough.
• An ornament.
• Box of favorite candies.
• A bottle of wine.
• Car wash accessories.
• Book of stamps and stationery.
• A manicure or pedicure set.
• Fuel coupon.
• A belt or scarf.
• Board game.
• Hobby supplies.
• Laundry basket and detergent.
• An audio recording of special memories, a poem, a story, or bible scriptures.

Blessings and may your gift giving be joyous and merry!