Want to help our own first? Here are some ideas!

FTC disclaimer:  This post may contain affiliate links.

Want to help those in the USA before you help others?  Well, remember if you say that you SHOULD be helping.  If you need some ideas, here are a few:

1.  Call a soup kitchen and ask what they need.  Buy it, then stay to help serve a meal.

2.  Take an elderly neighbor who is struggling to make ends grocery shopping.  Give them a gift certificate to the store you are taking them to so they can purchase what they need.

3.  Leave a Thanksgiving basket on a family's doorstep who might not be able to afford a turkey otherwise.

Five Podcasts You Should Give a Try

FTC disclaimer:  This post may contain affiliate links.

I decided to join Ashley over at The Big White Farmhouse and do a Five Fave link up.


Without further ado . . . my Five Fave podcasts.   (Note, these are in Alphabetical order because it's hard to choose which is my favorite.)

Growing up in a Family of Holiday Workers

My husband and I aren't going to get to visit family for Thanksgiving.  To be honest, it's not that big of a deal to me.  Thanksgiving never really was much of a holiday for us.  When I was eight years old, that was the last time my family celebrated.  My mother invited her mom, step-dad, and my dad's mother and step-dad for Thanksgiving.  Dad was the 1970s equivalent of a 911 dispatcher, and he worked nights, but by day he was a volunteer EMT.

No Shave November and Cancer Awareness

FTC disclaimer:  I am part of the U.S. Cellular Blogger Brigade and this is a sponsored post.  All opinions are my own.

U.S. Cellular offers a FREE PRINTABLE Parent Child agreement to help you discuss safety of the Internet, cell phone usage, limits, and courtesy with your teen or tween.  You don't even need to be a U.S. Cellular customer to access this, although I have been for 10 years and highly recommend them. 


November is a great time to put down your razor and pick up your cell phone to raise awareness for cancer.  With great devices from U.S. Cellular, like the iPhone 5s, it's easy to track charity donations, take selfies of that growing beard, or even use apps to see what you would look like if you added a beard to yourself.  (Not everyone works in a place where they are allowed to grow a beard.  My husband works in food service and is required to shave daily.)  But with an app he can join in on the fun.  Regardless of facial hair or not, you can still use your U.S. Cellular device to promote cancer awareness while on the go.

Book Review: Safe House by Joshua Straub

FTC disclaimer:  I received a copy of this book for review purposes.  All opinions are my own.  This post contains affiliate links.


My husband and I are in classes to train us so we can either foster or adopt children. When Family Christian offered me a chance to review Safe House by Joshua Straub I was excited to read this book.

This book was a bit of a slow read for me.  I never, never, never dog ear a book.  This one had so much great information in it, that it was the exception to my rule.  This went along with what I have been learning in class, just in more detail.

Why I don't Budget (and what I do instead)

FTC disclaimer:  This post contains affiliate links.

I've been known as a frugal guru among my friends for, oh, about 20 years or more.  But there's one piece of money advice that I hear everywhere that just doesn't work for me.  Having a budget.

Since I graduated college, I have been selling on eBay.  I've been blogging for years.   I recently joined a  direct sales company As anyone who works at home knows, there can be some months you may make thousands, and other months you might make under $20.  (I've had both!)  The financial experts say to budget with your smallest month in mind, but that does NOT work for me.  How can I budget paying $600 of utilities on a $20 budget?  It just can't happen.

We're Adopting and Ways you can help!

FTC disclaimer:  This post contains affiliate links.


Big news!   We're paperwork pregnant!

The bad news is, the house we have been fixing up to make live-able (there was 60 year old carpet plus tons of other stuff that was bad for the lungs or just unsafe).   It's taken all the life insurance money I got from my mother.