Archive | March, 2013

Five Favorites (vol. 3)

25 Mar

It’s time for another Five Favorites post with Hallie of Moxie Wife!  Hallie’s little one is (over)due any minute, so now she’ll have six favorite sweet peas, instead of just five!  Thanks to Jen @ Conversion Diary for filling in this week!

Here are my latest faves!

{1}

fwisty

clutch-tote collage

If you read my Dreamer in the Spotlight post the other Friday, you already know all about my friend Kristen’s handmade accessory line, fwisty.  I just love her choice of fabric patterns and colors!  She’s offering 10% off orders with the code dreamer!

{2}

I started shopping at Publix when I began using coupons because they always have so many BOGO deals!  It’s a nice bonus that all of the employees are super friendly and helpful!  I just found out that Publix now offers digital coupons in addition to printable coupons!  So if you have a Publix in your area, be sure to sign-up!  (Please note, though, that their digital coupons do not double like regular coupons.)

{3}

Easy homemade gift!

Cookie Jar Housewarming gift

I needed a gift to take to my cousin’s housewarming party the other weekend, so of course I checked out Pinterest for some ideas and found this one!  I bought the glass cookie jar for $10 at Target and made some homemade chocolate chip cookies and tied a little tag with some pretty wired ribbon!  It’s so simple, but the presentation makes it very classy!  I’m definitely using this in the future!

{4}

More 2 Life

My husband is addicted to listening to podcasts, so I guess it’s about time that I got on board, too.  I ran across More 2 Life radio on someone else’s Five Favorites post a couple weeks ago and decided to check it out.  This radio show features Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak and is based on the Theology of the Body.  I really like it and have been listening to the podcasts while working at my desk.


{5}

Jeff Pinyan’s words about heaven.

(He wrote the paragraph below the following Q & A text from YOUCAT as part of Read the Catechism in a Year: Day 147)

Question 158: What is heaven?

Heaven is the endless moment of love. Nothing more separates us from God, whom our soul loves and has sought our whole life long. Together with all the angels and saints we will be able to rejoice forever in and with God.

If you have ever observed a couple looking at each other lovingly or seen a baby nursing who looks for his mother’s eyes as though it wanted to store up every smile forever, then you have some inkling of heaven. To be able to see God face to face—that is like one, single, never-ending moment of love.

Isn’t that absolutely beautiful?

~

Have a great day, everyone!  Don’t forget to read everyone else’s Five Favorites posts!

Tags: , , , , ,

Introducing fwisty! {March’s Dreamer in the Spotlight}

22 Mar
Kristen Hardin, founder of Kristen Grace Designs posing with one of her Fwisty totes!

Kristen Hardin, founder of Kristen Grace Designs, posing with one of her fwisty totes!

This month, I’m happy to be featuring fwisty designer, Kristen Hardin! She, and her husband, Ed, have been good friends of ours for awhile and we are excited to be supporting her talent and new venture!

Kristen recently started selling her fun, modern handmade bags and accessories on Storenvy.  Be sure to visit her online shop to check out all of the different patterns, colors, and sizes of bags that she offers.  BONUS: Kristen is offering a discount to all readers of A Dreamer’s Wife!  Use promotional code dreamer for 10% off your order!

Kristen also has a blog detailing her life and the adventures of starting this new business!  You can follow her on bloglovin’ and on Twitter!

I think a lot of us can relate to the desires and doubts that Kristen has faced when pursuing her dream.  Kristen was gracious enough to answer a few questions about her line, fwisty, that is now a reality!  Keep reading to learn more!

fwisty pouches

1. What inspired you to create your own line of bags?

There are really two parts to this answer. The first is that I love, love, love fabric! And seeing something super cute and functional that I made with my own hands is beyond cool. I chose bags because, come on… who doesn’t love accessories?! The other part is that I never really knew what career I wanted to have, or what job I would end up with, but I always knew I wanted to be a wife and mother. While I don’t know what our future will look like, I do know that if we want to have a few more options as far as jobs and childcare goes when we do start having kids, I need to get creative. I started reading about women who had started their own online businesses and were actually helping support their families with it! I was intrigued, to say the least.

2. How did you come up with the name “fwisty”?

I have a really sweet grandpa who started calling me fwisty as a little girl. I remember feeling so loved and important that this man who I looked up to so much had a special name just for me. I asked him recently where he came up with it and why and he doesn’t remember; I just think that makes it even better 🙂 It sounds a little silly to say at first but you get used to it 🙂

fwisty logo

3. What has been your biggest challenge so far?

I think probably having enough confidence in myself is the most challenging thing. It’s really scary to put yourself and something that you’ve created out there in the world for people to see and potentially judge. I’ve learned, though, that it’s actually really good for us to get out of our comfort zone a little bit, even if it is… well… uncomfortable!

4. What has been the most exciting thing that you have accomplished up to this point?

Honestly, just having people react so positively has been the most exciting thing for me!

5. Do you have any favorite quotes, songs, books, etc., that you turn to for motivation to pursue your dream?

I’m such a sucker for quotes!
There are so many that motivate and inspire me but the one that’s coming to mind at the moment is: “If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try” – Seth Godin

clutch-tote collage

Isn’t Kristen absolutely adorable, and aren’t these bags fabulous?!  Now is the perfect time to pick up a pouch, clutch, and/or tote for yourself or a friend!  The vibrant colors are perfect for the spring and summer!  Don’t forget to use promo code “dreamer” to save 10%!

Thanks, Kristen, for sharing more about your faith and courage to pursue your dream!

Tags: , , , , ,

Coupon Basics {Keep Your Change vol. 1}

18 Mar

Coupon Basics

I’m excited to be debuting my new Keep Your Change series today! Since, I’ll likely be referring to coupons again and again, I figured that I’d begin with some helpful tips for those who are looking to trim down their budgets by shopping smarter with coupons! Of course, there are several books and blogs dedicated to this, so I’ll just offer a little introduction and link to some of these helpful resources below.

I became serious about using coupons when my second daughter was born. Around this same time, the TLC show, Extreme Couponing debuted. At first I was skeptical of how people could actually save that much money using coupons, but once I saw massive grocery totals being dwindled to under $20, I thought that there must be something to this!  After being on bed rest for two months, starting maternity leave, and facing mega hospital bills, I was desperate to figure out a way to save my family more money.

When I did my first Google search, I ran across the site TheKrazyCouponLady.com.  This is where I had some basic beginner’s questions answered and learned how to put a coupon binder together.  I also bought the founders’ book, Pick Another Checkout Lane, Honey. I’m so glad that I did, because the authors did a great job of making this whole coupon thing seem so much simpler and it was also a fun, easy read!  If you are serious about changing the way you shop, I highly recommend it!

It has been nearly two years since I totally revamped how I approach grocery shopping.  Each week, I check out blogs for sale-coupon match-ups. My favorites right now are I Heart Kroger and Southern Savers.  I also like Faithful Provisions.  Depending on what region of the country you live in, there will probably be other coupon blogs that may be more helpful for you.  The key to saving money is using coupons with a sale – and using multiple coupons so you can stockpile to avoid paying full-price in the future.

Couponers have different ways that they get their hands on extra coupons.  At first, I bought 2 Sunday papers each week and my parents’ gave me their coupons so I could get multiple items at a discount.  Now, I get one paper and pay a handling fee for extra coupons online that I know I will use if a good deal comes along.  I use CouponDede.com.  I don’t always find the coupons that I want, but most of the time I am able to order what I need.  Printable coupons are also another great way to get your hands on a few more deals at a major discount.  Here are some great sites:

–Coupons.com
–Smartsource.com (Smartsource also has an app for the iPad now.)
–Redplum.com
–Couponnetwork.com
–Target.com (Great place to find several Target store coupons to match with manufacturer’s coupons.)
–Kroger.com (You can add digital coupons to your Kroger Plus card.)

Disclaimer:  I do not advocate clearing shelves as glorified on Extreme Couponing.  I think there needs to be a level of respect for others who are also trying to save money.  I consider what I do to be “Strategic Couponing.”   Remember, though, that rain checks on sold-out items can guarantee that you can still get products at the sale price and still use your coupons as long as they haven’t expired yet.

When I first started out, I wanted to catch every great deal at every store, but since then I have found that is a major sanity-saver to focus on 2-3 stores.  The ones that I stick to are Kroger, Publix, and sometimes Walgreens.  Kroger and Publix double coupons up to 50 cents, which means that a $.50 coupon is actually worth $1!  All three of these stores also let you use a store coupon and a manufacturer’s coupon for the same item.

I know that jumping into the world of coupons can seem overwhelming. And I’m not going to lie, it really feels like another part-time, even full-time, job at first. But after a couple months of seeing prices, sale cycles, etc., and finding a coupon organizing system that works, it will be much more manageable on a practical level.

It still requires time each week to cut and file coupons, study match-ups, and write up lists, but it has become a normal part of my routine. I don’t make excel spreadsheets to compare store prices or have piles of coupon inserts in my closet, but I still am benefiting greatly from planning grocery trips around coupons and sales! I have gotten a variety of products for free, or just pennies, and it feels great to be able to provide for my family in this way!  I can’t imagine shopping any other way and I am still learning about new ways to save!

If you are considering starting on this journey of couponing, good luck and get ready to enjoy your savings!  Feel free to ask any questions!

For those of you who already use coupons, what are your favorite tips? Also, have you tried the Ibotta app?  I have it downloaded but haven’t used it yet… Thoughts?
_______________________________________
Keep Your Change Click here to read other money-saving posts!

Tags: , , ,

What a Week! {7 Quick Takes (#9)}

15 Mar

7 quick takes sm1 7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 210)

Another 7 Quick Takes with Jennifer at Conversion Diary this Friday!  Be sure to check out everyone else’s, too!!

{1}
Of course, #1 has to be about how awesome it was on Wednesday afternoon to be united with all the Catholics around the world as we celebrated newly chosen Pope Francis! Twitter was so full of #HabemusPapam tweets and excitement! What a fun day for Catholics on social media!

pope francis

{2}
Another exciting thing that happened this week, was  I discovered that the little Reece’s Rainbow angel that I have been praying for, Sunny, was adopted a few months ago! I really felt an attachment to her because she had a hemangioma on her nose, just like my oldest daughter had when she was a baby. I’m so happy that she has found a forever home!

{3}
Today is the last day to enter to win my GIVEAWAY of Eric Metaxas’ new book, 7 MEN: And the Secret of their Greatness! And last Saturday I was delighted when I found out that the author himself shared this on Twitter:

 

{4}
Earlier this week, I was a little bummed to find out that Dignitas Magazine will be on hold for now due to various circumstances. I featured the founders as one of my Dreamers in the Spotlight back in August. I know that there are good things ahead for them, though! I can’t wait to hear more in the future!

{5}
Speaking of my Dreamer in the Spotlight series, be sure to check back next Friday to see who this month’s featured dreamer is! And you’ll get to find out what “fwisty” means!  Here’s a teaser:

fwisty clutches

{6}
And speaking of series, I will be starting a new one next week called Keep Your Change! It will be full of money saving tips covering all sorts of areas. I can’t wait, because saving money is good and more people saving money is even better! 🙂

20130314-134833.jpg

{7}
I’m loving how the segues have been working out, but I don’t really have one for this! Here’s the pic of the Toy Story cupcakes I want to make for my 2-year-old’s birthday in a couple weeks! I think I’ll be able to pull them off – maybe?!?!

toy story cupcakes

Have a great weekend, everyone! Don’t forget that the book giveaway ends tonight at 8 PM EST!!

Tags: ,

Five Favorites (vol. 2)

13 Mar

I’m excited to participate in the Five Favorites link-up again this week with Hallie at MoxieWife! If you haven’t joined in the fun yet, you should! It’s so much fun to read everyone’s favorites and discover new things and common interests!

{1}

My brand-new CND Shellac kit!

20130312-145541.jpg

I’m definitely considering this my splurge purchase of 2013! I sold some of my Silpada jewelry from when I was an independent representative, so I could invest in this kit to do my own Shellac nails at home! Even though it is pretty expensive (at least I scored it at the lowest price I had ever seen two weeks ago), I know it will last awhile and it is sooo worth it to not worry about chipped nails for 2 weeks straight!  When I did this for the first time the other night, it was weird to not have to wait for my nails to dry!  LOVE IT!

{2}

My Life with the Saints

I’m almost finished with this insightful book by Fr. James Martin. It has been very interesting to read how specific saints have had an effect on his life and vocation as a priest! It has motivated me to read more biographies on the saints.

{3}

My little pomeranian’s latest pet bed!

This entire dog bed is machine washable! What’s not to love?!

{4}

Spaghetti Carbonara

Spaghetti Carbonara II

First of all, I love Allrecipes.com! I recently made this Spaghetti Carbonara dish for the first time and it was delicious and easy! AND both of my girls ate it up mixed with some peas!

{5}

90-Day Bible Reading Challenge

bible

I’ve always struggled with consistently spending time in scripture. I was happy when I found out about the 90-Day Bible Reading Challenge put together by Sarah Christmyer to celeberate The Year of Faith in the Catholic Church. This daily e-newsletter started in January, but all of the posts are available in the archives on the website. I may not get to each reading every day, but I manage to catch up and hang with the timeline for the most part. After this, I hope to consistently keep up with daily readings on the Laudate app.

Tags: , , ,

Eric Metaxas Stops in Nashville on Bonhoeffer Tour

8 Mar

In January, I posted about five life-changing books I read in 2012. One of those, was Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas. If you have not read it yet, I highly recommend it! It is a vital read for this day and time! I am a HUGE Dietrich Bonhoeffer fan now and a few of his published books are on my ever-growing to-read list!

I’m also an Eric Metaxas fan, as well! I recently read his short book, No Pressure, Mr. President! The Power of Belief in a Time of Crisis, about his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast last year and I just downloaded the Kindle edition of another book he wrote, Amazing Grace, which is only $2.99 on Amazon for the month of March!

Courtesy of ericmetaxas.com

Eric Metaxas / Courtesy of ericmetaxas.com

This past Tuesday, I was fortunate to be able to attend the Bonhoeffer Tour: An Evening with Eric Metaxas New York Times #1 Best Selling Author sold-out engagement in Nashville!  I loved how Doug Hudson, who introduced Metaxas, set the tone for the event in his brief speech.  Hudson commented that the night was not to celebrate Bonhoeffer or Metaxas, but “to celebrate Jesus Christ who is the root of our courage.” Can I get an “Amen”?!  It was such a blessing to be able to attend a talk that focused on two men striving to do God’s will so that others may know the love and grace of Jesus!

Having read two of Metaxas’ books already, I had a lot of background information prior to this event.  The Q & A session at the end was a great opportunity to hear Metaxas expand on certain issues and concerns.  One of the biggest, is the fact that there are so many parallels between the state of America today and that of early Nazi Germany.

Metaxas discussed that Hitler and the Nazis started out by “resricting religious liberty,” which was enabled because the church didn’t “seem to be willing to fight.” Metaxas went on to acknowledge later, “Religious liberty is genuinely being threatened right now.”  Of course, this is clear based on the pending  implementation of the HHS mandate and attacks on the vocation of marriage.  Metaxas also made this point:

If you don’t stand up early, it’s a lot harder to speak up later on.

Due to being in the blogging world, I have had the opportunity to read so many great posts by other Catholics.  I am very encouraged that there are so many Christians in this country who are standing up and writing about truth and striving to do God’s will!  If you are one of these amazing evangelists, please continue your good work!  Let us imitate Bonhoeffer’s saintly example by praying and acting!  Metaxas stated that Bonhoeffer believed that “prayer must lead to action.”  He truly lived his life based on this truth.  Metaxas also commented, “God calls us to live fully in this world” and “God blesses us to be a blessing.”  Amazing words!  Thank you for your work and example, Mr. Metaxas!  To learn more about Eric Metaxas, check out his conversion story!

May we have the courage to stand up for the right to live our faith, so that we may encourage others to do the same!

____________________

***GIVEAWAY: WIN THIS NEW ADVANCE READER’S COPY of SEVEN MEN: AND THE SECRET OF THEIR GREATNESS!***

20130307-120634.jpg

TO ENTER, JUST COMMENT ON THIS POST OR RETWEET/SHARE MY LINK TO THIS POST ON TWITTER (@a_dreamers_wife)!  IF YOU DO BOTH, YOUR NAME WILL BE ENTERED IN THE DRAWING TWICE!  ONE WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN AT RANDOM.  THIS SWEEPSTAKES ENDS 8:00 PM EST MARCH 15, 2013.  WINNER WILL BE NOTIFIED VIA THIS POST, EMAIL, AND/OR TWITTER.  GOOD LUCK!

Tags: , , , , , ,

Five Favorites (vol. 1)

5 Mar

I’m excited about joining Hallie’s Five Favorites link-up at Moxie Wife tonight! Sometimes there are things I’d love to share, but don’t know quite where they’d fit in, so this allows me to be a little random and have some fun!

{1}

My latest DIY rosette wreath!

20130305-125439.jpg

I found this tutorial online at The Ribbon Retreat and customized it! I’m thinking about actually hanging this one on the backdoor in my kitchen and making another one with black and white flowers for the red front door..

{2}

My comfy Notre Dame sweatshirt!

20130305-125511.jpg

This was a Christmas gift from my husband and it is like wearing a soft, cozy blanket! It’s my new go-to item to wear on Saturdays (and maybe Sunday afternoons, too)!

{3}

My Makeup Geek Deluxe Foundation Stippling Brush!

20130305-125448.jpg

I am so glad that I started using this MUG brush to apply my liquid foundation! It works very well and I can actually get away with using less product! Marlena, founder of Makeup Geek, posts great makeup tutorials and helpful tips, too!  If you’re interested in learning more about the stippling technique, click on the link above to view the brush and you’ll see her tutorials!

{4}

My girls’ kiddie table!

20130305-125458.jpg

We got this Step2 New Traditions table and chairs set for the girls for Christmas! I love how big the table top is and it is very easy to clean! The girls use it all the time!

{5}

My naps with my 3-year-old daughter!

I live for my weekend naps with “C”. It’s so nice to get a few hours of extra sleep on the weekends. I’m going to miss when she gets older and I can’t cuddle up with her (and three of her favorite stuffed animals) anymore!

Tags: , ,

A Little More About Me {7 Quick Takes (#8)}

1 Mar

https://i0.wp.com/www.conversiondiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/7_quick_takes_sm1.jpg

I know, right? Two 7 Quick Takes posts in a row! So… I’ve been thinking lately that I spend so much time talking about my husband’s career, books, and other reflections, that it’s probably time to write a little bit more about myself, so I’m taking a cue from last week’s post by Momma in Flip Flops and sharing 7 tidbits about me…

{1}

The most rebellious thing about me is that I have a tattoo of three pink roses on my lower-back. (Well, they were pink! I just noticed that they’re kind of starting to fade now that it has been 10 years!) It’s kind of funny to me that this is known as a “tramp stamp” since I was a virgin when I got married! Oh, and I have three piercings in one ear and only two in the other! I know, try not to fall out of your chair! Seriously, ask my parents – aside from my sassy mouth at 12-years-old, I was a pretty low maintenance child. I’m hoping that karma works in my favor, but I have a feeling that my second daughter isn’t going to make life easy on me!

{2}

When I’m not working, taking care of my two young girls, cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, etc., I’m usually checking out coupon match-ups and organizing shopping trips. I’m not even close to being “extreme,” although I have had some moments of majorly stocking up on some great deals. I consider myself to be more of a “strategic” coupon-user. More to come on this in the future. Stay tuned!

coupon binder

{3}

When I’m not doing any of the steps in #2, I’m probably watching Notre Dame Football or Basketball or catching up on a favorite TV series with my husband! We really need to get out of the house more often on some dates, but we’re totally happy reclining side-by-side on our black leather love seat in our Notre Dame-decorated basement! Yes, we are a little obsessed!

Yes, even our dog, Princess, has a jersey!

Even our dog, Princess, has a jersey!

{4}

You can take the girl out of Indiana, but you can’t take Indiana out of the girl!

Northern Indiana will always feel like home to me, even though I have lived in Tennessee for nearly eight years now. When I talk, I never know what accent is going to come out of my mouth! I have a lot of family in Michigan, I went to college with a bunch of people from Chicago, and now I’m surrounded by southern drawls! I’m some kind of a Midwest meets the mid-south hybrid!

{5}

Speaking of college, I really regret that I did not minor in Spanish! I took 4 1/2 years of Spanish in junior high and high school and wanted to continue to advance, but my advisor told me that the Spanish professor wasn’t that good, so I didn’t take any courses! Shortly after, a new professor took over, but by that time I had already decided to major in Human Services and Social Work and minor in Psychology and Criminal Justice. There was no room in my schedule to squeeze in any Spanish when I was on track to graduate in three years, so I could get married and move to Nashville! I need to break out the Rosetta Stone again! It is definitely on my bucket list to become more proficient in Spanish!

Trip to Mexico in 2001 with some other high school students

Trip to Mexico in 2001 with some other high school students

{6}

When I actually get some rare nuggets of time, I like to read. I usually use my long commute back and forth from work to listen to books (gotta love the text-to-speech feature on the Kindle)! The automated voice isn’t anything to be excited about, but I have gotten through like 95% more books than I would have if I just read them with my own two eyes! (Yes, I know there are audiobooks, but they are usually more expensive and not all books are available in that format!)

{7}

I’m planning to expand the focus of my blog a little bit. Since pursuing dreams usually requires money, I’m planning to start some kind of series that includes cheap, easy recipes, money-saving tips, inexpensive activities, etc. I’m thinking about calling it, Keep Your Change! I come across so many useful ideas that I should probably share them! I guess I have put this off a little bit because there are so… many great blogs out there that focus on all of these topics in depth on a regular basis, but, oh well! I’m going for it!

I’m also going to dive back into a project that I started at the end of last year! I can’t wait to share it, because it’s going to take what I love to talk about – dreams and doing God’s will – to a whole different level!

Read more 7 Quick Takes posts over at Conversion Diary! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Tags: ,