Planning a Wedding that Honors Christ

FTC disclaimer:  This post contains affiliate links

Fifteen years ago, I went to what I considered the most Christian wedding I ever experienced.  From the beginning to the end of the ceremony, it honestly felt as if it was a church service.  After that, I always wanted to fashion my wedding after it.  When I was newly engaged, I got advice from lots of people as to what I should do, what books, planners, etc., were most helpful, but believe it or not, the one I used the most was A Christ Centered Wedding.  This book included everything I had hoped to find in a Christian wedding planning book, and also gave my husband to be and I some great discussions as to what we hoped to accomplish at the wedding and reception -- and some things we wanted to leave out -- such as alcohol and dancing -- and how to handle that with people who put those expectations on our wedding.

Book Review: Fierce Women by Kimberly Wagner

FTC disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All opinions are my own.  This post contains affiliate links.  

Growing up in church I was taught the importance of being meek and mild.  The verse in  First Peter where women should have a gentle and quiet spirit was impressed on me.  I wasn’t the most lady-like girl in the youth group and I always thought I was failing to live up to what God expected from me.  So when I saw that Moody Publishers was offering Fierce Women:  The Power of a Soft Warrior by Kimberly Wagner for review, I couldn’t wait to request it.

The author believes that God has instilled a fierceness within every woman.  I have always been a go-getter and this really interested me -- what if my personality isn’t something to always squelch but to embrace as God-given?  The thought really intrigued me.

Yet, this was a book much about marriage.   I’m not married, but I am dating a wonderful man.  Learning about what works and doesn’t work in marriage is something that I find helpful at this stage because I feel like what I learn now is preparation.  Sort of like studying for an exam.  Yet, even with this being a book about marriage, I still gleaned a lot of wisdom from this volume especially since I wanted to see how to be godly and fierce at the same time.

I loved the list of how humility affects a fierce woman.  I think the defining one for me is she’s a soft warrior.  Not harsh.  She gets the job done in her own kind way.   Other advice she gives through the book is to watch how we give advice to men (I’m learning that already.  I might be excited about a completed project and rattle on about that, but instead of it sounding like I’m just looking forward to completion, it might be interpreted differently by a man.)  I also loved how she described how the marriage relationship parallels Christ and the Church.  This is something I think hasn’t been taught on enough in Christianity. 

Get Outside Geocaching-- With Your Phone!

This is a sponsored post from U.S. Cellular.  All opinions are my own.

Did you know it's American Adventures month?  In celebration of it, the National Park Service is waving admittance fees on August 25.  That's right, you can visit a national park for FREE!  Many of the apps I mention in this post are fantastic for helping to explore anywhere outdoors.

One hobby my husband and I enjoy which is NOT allowed in a national park is geocaching.  (Many states allow it in state parks, and some states actually set up geocaches in their parks.) It's a fun app for everyone for your phone.  Geocaches are rated from 1/1 (the easiest) to 5/5 (the most difficult)  Kids really love the adventure as it's like an outdoor  treasure hunt.  All 1/1 geocaches are free on the app, but you need to pay a fee to have access to others.  In addition, all the 1/? caches are wheelchair accessible! Because I have U.S. Cellular as my service provider, their "in the middle of anywhere" service makes it super easy to stay connected to loved ones or to my Geocaching app!

Great Deal on Hamburger Helper and Milk 8/19/17

This post contains affiliate links.

This is certainly a your milage may vary offer, but I just did this deal and I wanted to share it.

I had a $5 off $25 coupon for Dollar General, so I stopped in.  (I'm not even going to mention the savings from that in this offer.)

I found Hamburger Helper on sale for $1 each.
There were $1 off 2 coupons on the boxes.

Buying 4, that cost $2. I bought a gallon of milk for $2.75

Total cost at store was $4.75 for four boxes of Helper and a gallon of milk.

When I got home, I submitted my receipt to http://rewards.tpgrewards.com/freemilk/ to receive $2.75 back on the milk.

Then I went into my SavingStar app and redeemed the rebate for $1 back on 4 Tuna or Hamburger Helpers.

I went into Ibotta and redeemed for 25 cents back on any purchase.

Finally, I went into the Boxtops for Education App and snapped a photo of my receipt for an extra 8 boxtops for the school of my choice.

Final breakdown:
4 Hamburger Helpers = $4
gallon of milk = $2.75
Total:  $6.75

Minus in store coupon of $1 off 2 (use two) $2     $4.75
Minus SavingStar money back = $1                      $3.75
Minus Ibotta money back  = .25                            $3.50
Minus milk refund  = $2.75                                   $0.75

So for 75 cents I bought 4 boxes of Helper, a gallon of milk, and between the Boxtops on the boxes and the ones I collected extra, I earned  $1.20 for the school of my choice.

Pizza Hut Rewards & Travel Hack for App Ordering

I received no compensation for this post.  I just wanted to make everyone aware of the points program and the app!

Did you know about the new Pizza Hut "Hut Rewards" program?  Since I love to earn points on all kinds of things, I signed up when I heard about it.  Unfortunately, you can't earn rewards unless you order on the app or online.  (So there goes points for my occasional lunch buffet purchase.) But it's super easy to sign up.  The rewards seem reasonable, too.  I hate "rewards" programs where you have to earn for years to earn anything.  It only takes 200 points to get a free medium pizza, and last night, our $10 order yielded us 36 points.  (Too bad this didn't exist a few months ago when we ordered 4 pizzas to take a a work crew of teenagers who were volunteering time to help repair homes in our area for people who couldn't afford to hire it done, but next year, when I order online, I'll be happy to know our order counts for points!)

The 100% Legal Way to Get PAID to use Coupons!

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I love using coupons.  I love to go to the grocery store or CVS or Walgreens, and have a cart filled with items, and then scan my card, hand the cashier a bunch of slips of paper (coupons) and then have my total come down dramatically -- sometimes even free!

Yet, as much as I love using coupons, I just found this new trick to making money when you redeem them.

Okay, so it's not money on the outset, but you can turn it into money eventually.

How to Protect Your Phone from Water and Summer Heat

FTC disclosure:  This is a sponsored post.  All opinions are my own.  This post may contain affiliate links.

What if I told you the best way to protect your iPhone 7 from heat and water is to stay indoors all summer?  Well, that would likely do the trick unless you dropped your phone in the toilet, but it wouldn't be very much fun, would it?  Well, here's a few ideas on how you can have fun and protect your phone.

With many manufactures recommend keeping a phone between 32 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit ( zero through thirty-five Centigrade) summer is a time you need to make sure your phone doesn't exceed the maximum recommended temperature.  If a phone overheats, the insides may become damaged, causing different problems from data loss to the battery could leak, or even explode and ruin the device completely.  I don't know about you, but I want my vacation photos of us visiting a town in Wisconsin that had a ton of trolls.  When you get my husband and me near a statue, we love taking goofy photos, and our photos of our trip through the midwest is something I want to keep forever.

A Dozen Tip for Getting Low Cost (and even FREE) Diapers!

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Diapers are a huge expense for parents of babies.  Is there any way to get inexpensive diapers?  What about free diapers?   My answer is a RESOUNDING YES.

First I would encourage you to start stocking up as soon as you know you are pregnant (or if you are a relative, as soon as you hear the announcement.)  Diaper deals are often limited, but starting early and being in the know can help you maximize your savings.

Toys R Us suggests the following quantity of diapers:
Newborn / Size 1   320
Size 2                     870
Size 3                     870
Size 4                     728

Five Great Tips for Social Media Etiquette

FTC disclosure:  This is a sponsored post on behalf of U.S. Cellular.

I love being on social media.  I spend a bit more time on it than I would like, but it's a great way to catch up with my friends from high school and college.  I plan my annual "Party in the Park" on social media, and even my guinea pig has a Facebook page.  Because of social media apps, I am on my U.S. Cellular iPhone 7 Plus more than ever.  I try not to use it at inappropriate times or too much in front of others.   In fact, 71% of people surveyed who own smartphones get upset with other smartphone users for excessive phone use.

In addition to being aware of how much time you are spending on your phone, here are some other tips for you to make the most of your social media experience.

How I Host a Summer Party On a Small Budget

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Some years back, I won an ice cream party from Edy's.  I won another the next year, and from then on everyone assumed it was an annual event.  One thing about ice cream is it's not that expensive.

I invite everyone I know, and I can usually figure the number that RSVP will be the number that show up -- usually it's right on the nose even though some people come who didn't RSVP, but there are always those who don't show.  So by the week of, I have a pretty good idea how many to plan for.

It's a really casual event, so when purchasing party supplies, I keep an eye open all year long.  This year I found lots of Christmas tablecloths, Emoji paper plates in different sizes, and even napkins at the Dollar General 25 cent after Christmas clearance. With some of the tablecloths just being red, no one has to know it was intended for Christmas.

Because our backyard is small for a crowd of about 50, I started renting the pavilion in the park.  It has electric, so that makes it fantastic. There is also nice play equipment for the kids. The downside of this is the logistics of having ice cream in the park in summer aren't exactly easy.  So, I often make my own ice cream cake as this holds up well in the heat.