Hello Friday we meet again! Happy Black Friday Everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I sure did. Let's rewind.

1) Over the weekend I was a little busy baking a race car themed cake for a friend. I hope he enjoyed it because I worked hard on it.



2) Raylan and I finally was able to go to church on Sunday. Were he had been sick, we hadn't been able to attend for a while. It was good to be in the house of The Lord once again.


Raylan, my dad and I at our Sunday church service


My dad, Raylan and my brother at church

BTW Raylan is going to be in our church Christmas play. He is going to be one of the animals from the Nativity scene. I'm so excited to watch him. I really hope he cooperates.

3) I did a lot of baking for others this week but hey I made a good profit and was able to buy some Christmas presents with that money.

  

4) This was by far the best Thanksgiving that I have ever had. Having Raylan has made it the best. It was his first Thanksgiving. He enjoyed all of the good food as well as we did. We were stuffed. I love getting all of the family together and just spending quality time together not to mention, all of the great food.







Raylan really enjoyed the banana pudding :)

5) I scored some awesome Black Wednesday/Thursday/Friday deals. This year has by far been the best year for deals. I got the awesome iPhone 6 which is amazing. (Yes, it was one of my early Christmas presents lol) Appalachian Wireless had the iPhones half off with a new 2 year contract. Tiffany@Bright On A Budget and I did some shopping  last night. We shopped until we dropped lol. We didn't get home until 3am but my shopping is almost complete. It was worth it!

Who is ready for Black Friday? I know I certainly am. I've put off my Christmas shopping for far too long but Hey! I've been waiting for the best deals. Is there anything in particular that you are looking for? I'm linking up with my friend Tiffany @ Bright On A Budget to bring you some Black Friday deals. I've put together a list of some of the things that I'm looking for at Walmart. I hope I can get all of these items before they are sold out. Don't forget to head over to Bright On A Budget to see what she is on the look out for!!!


Things for Raylan:






Step 2 Little helper's wagon -$19
Disney Mickey Mouse 28in Plush -$10
Baby Toddler traditional characters set $4.50

*Raylan sure does love his Mickey Mouse



Gifts for Family and Friends



Scarves 2 pack $4
Women's Knit Gloves 5 pack -$3
Black and Decker 12-cup programmable coffee maker - $9.77
PNY 16gb Flash Drive-$5
SanDisk 16gb SD card-$5
Hot Wheels 9 pack cars -$5


*All of these are great gift ideas from the fashionista to the computer whiz


What's on your Black Friday shopping list?


Don't forget to stop by Tiffany's blog @ Bright On A Budget to check out her gift buying guide!



Happy Thanksgiving Everyone and Happy Shopping! May God bless you!

With Thanksgiving being this week, it is only fitting that I do a Thanksgiving devotional. When you think about it, we really do have so much to be thankful for. Sometimes we let life get in the way and forget how good God has been to us. Throughout this week lets ponder on what we have to be thankful for.



Psalm 92:1- It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most high:

Psalm 105:1- O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.

Colossians 1:3- We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.

Psalm 95:2- Let us come before his presence with Thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

Psalm 50:14- Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:

Psalm 107:1- O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.



It is important that we give thanks to The Lord. No matter what we go through in life, there is still always something to be thankful for. After all, God woke us up this morning. That right there is a lot to be thankful for. So instead of throwing pity parties and saying why me  or why do I have to go through this, let's choose to be thankful. When we start having a more positive attitude we will start to see more positive things take place in our lives.

Hey Hey It's Friday again. So nice to see you Friday. I hope everyone has had a good week. My week has been crazy busy. Let's review.

1) Over the weekend, Raylan and I had lunch with our dear friend Tif @Bright On A Budget. We rarely get to see Tif, but when we do it is always so nice. I wish we would have remembered to take a picture together. I did however, get a picture of Raylan eating fries on our lunch date.


I think he enjoyed lunch as well!

2)  There have been some major changes for the blog this week. I started a Devotional on the blog. It will be a weekly Monday post. You can find the first post here. I also have a new blog design. What do you think about it?

3) I have teamed up with Savannah @ Sincerely Savannah to host a Secret Santa Gift Box Exchange.

You can find the details and the sign up link here

 Don't forget about the Christmas Ornament Exchange that I am hosting as well.

Details on how to sign up are here

4) For those of you who don't know, my brother is handicapped. He absolutely loves Christmas and every year I try to get as many people to send him a Christmas Card. If you don't mind, could you please send one to my brother Blaine. He checks the mail every day and gets so excited when he receives mail. Every year for Christmas, he puts all of his cards on display. He loves to collect key chains as well. So if you have any that you no longer want and wouldn't mind giving away, he would gladly take them. His address is below. Thanks in advance for making his day. May God bless you!

I love Christmas if you can't already tell. I get so giddy this time of year. I love participating in all of the Christmas Festivities. It makes me feel like a kid again. Anyway, I have teamed up with Savannah@Sincerely Savannah to help host a Secret Santa Gift Box Exchange.

The Secret Santa Giftbox Exchange signups will end on November 26th. All gifts must be in the mail by December 10th.
You’ll need to go here to sign up.
Fill out your First and Last name as well as your E-Mail Address. Keep a look out for an email with who your person is or check back on that site. They will keep you updated, then you must anonymously ask for the persons wishlist and address on that site. No one will know who you have except you!
Once you receive your email with your persons name, keep it a secret and go shopping. The minimum amount is $25 not including shipping! If you’re feeling generous you can spend more!
When you receive your box in the mail take a picture and on facebook and instagram hashtag #sincerelysecretsanta so we can all see your goodies!
It’s a Gift Box Exchange which means you should get a box and fill it with goodies then mail it out!
What are you waiting for head over and fill out your form now! I’m so excited and yes I will be participating! Who is my Secret Santa going to be? Who’s Secret Santa am I going to be? I can’t wait to see!!!

With Christmas coming up, we have to pinch pennies any way that we can. After all, we want to have  the money for that perfect gift. I have come up with a few ideas on "How to not spend money" so that you can save for Christmas or  just to be saving in general. I hope you find my list helpful.

1) Read a good book


2) Do some much needed deep cleaning

3) Attend a church service or a play

4) Invite a friend over for a cup of coffee

Lately my family and I have been under so much stress, that sometimes it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. You feel like giving up, but God says Hold On! I've got something better in store. I have decided to start doing a weekly devotional on the blog. Devotionals make me stronger in my walk with God. They give me inspiration and make me realize that God hasn't went anywhere. That he's always been right here with me. 




  I hope these devotionals are of some help to you too! With all of the stress that I have been under, it only seems fitting for this weeks devotional to be about stress. 

Here are some bible verses that you can turn to when you are stressed out:

• Romans 8:31 - What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
• Proverbs 16:3 - Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.
• John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
• Matthew 11:28 - Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
• 1 John 4:18 - There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
• John 16:33 - These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
• 1 Peter 5:7 - Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Thank God It's Friday! Thank God It's Friday! I had to say it twice. This past week has been a week from you know where. It's been awful. My husband was in a car wreck. Praise God he is okay. My dad had to have surgery and Raylan is sick. I'm so exhausted!!! Aside from the bad, lets recap.

1) Our nephew turned 16. I can't believe this. He was only 6 when Justin and I got together. Now I really feel old. We threw him a little Walking Dead themed party. I was the cake decorator for the occasion.




2) Among all of the chaos, Raylan and I finally got to relax one day and watch Christmas movies all day long. We snuggled up under a blanket and tried to stay warm. It was a good day.




3) My uncle decided to give Raylan one of his Christmas gifts early. He got Raylan a Lightening McQueen Power Wheels. Raylan loves it but he is a little scared of it right now.




4) Caitlin @ Coffee with Caitlin and Katie @ Cup of Tea are doing a Christmas Mug Swap. I signed up for it. You should too. It will be so much fun!

5) I'm hosting a Christmas Ornament Exhange. Please sign up for it. The more the merrier!



Myself along with Tif @ Bright on a Budget, Katie @ Cup of Tea and Caitlin @ Coffee with Caitlin have a little blog project that we are working on. I can't give details yet but it will be awesome. Big things are happening lol


I hope you all have a great relaxing weekend. Try to stay warm! May God bless you always!

I'm linking up with
   

The last week has been nothing short of a whirlwind for my family and I. It all started with my husband having a car accident, then my dad having to have surgery and Raylan getting sick. The pediatrician seems to think Raylan is developing Asthma. Praise God that my husband wasn't hurt worse than what he was and that my dad is on the mend.
    Life has been so hectic. I haven't had time to barely breathe let alone relax. I've been so stressed that I shamefully admit that sometimes I forget to thank God for his many blessings. We get so caught up in everyday life that we forget to thank the one who wakes us up every morning. It's funny how God has a way of humbling you.
     God wants us to slow down and take time to thank him for his many blessings! When Justin was finally able to go back to work,  my uncle took my dad back to the surgeon for a post-op follow up while I stayed home and nursed a sick baby. During this time, a sick Raylan wanted his mommy to hold him all day.



We snuggled under the blanket trying to stay warm, while watching Christmas movies all day. We had the glow of the Christmas tree, so we had an extremely relaxing day. I even had the chance to catch up on some reading which is a rarity.  I had been praying for just one relaxing day and finally got to do just that. It's the little things in life that makes you so grateful.  I didn't want Raylan to be sick, but like I said, God has a way of humbling you and making you slow down. God will get your attention one way or another. I realized while snuggling up to my baby boy that I need to always give God the thanks, praise, honor and glory and be thankful for everything. I need to take time to pray and thank God for everything. I need to always make time for God and put him first instead of putting him on the back burner.


In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.  1 Thessalonians 5:18

Slow Down! Take time to talk to God and thank him for everything and relax!

It's almost that time of year again! It's time for all things Christmas! Christmas is my most favorite time of the year! I don't think anyone fully understands my love for Christmas lol...Anyways, I have been contemplating the idea of a Christmas Ornament Exchange for quite sometime and have finally decided to go forth with it. It's a great idea to meet and learn about other people and spread some Christmas cheer.


How it works:

1.) Sign up by November 24th using the link below

2) I will send you your partners information by November 26th. Email back and forth and get to know each other a little so that you can pick out the perfect ornament.

3.) Mail your ornament by December 12th. This gives your partner time to enjoy their ornament. Please make sure to properly package your ornament so that it doesn't break.  Please be sure to notify your partner once you mail it out so they will know to be looking for it and to make sure that it doesn't get lost in the mail. 

4) For everything to go smoothly, it's important that you follow all the rules. If you are unable to send an ornament, please let me know ASAP so that I can assign your partner a new partner.

5) When you receive your ornament, please feel free to share it on social media with # Christmas #OrnamentExchange14

Lately my family and I have been under so much stress. There is so much sickness and just so many other things going on.  I could go on and on about what all is going wrong in my life but I won't do that to you lol. Anyways, I've needed a good way to relax and yesterday was the perfect day of all days to get some much needed stress relieved. I did some baking! I know you are probably thinking I'm crazy but I love to bake, especially decorating cakes.  It is something I really enjoy. I had the opportunity to bake my nephews birthday cake.  Afterall, Stressed spelled backwards is Dessert!


My nephew is a die hard fan of The Walking Dead so I made him this cake.  It was a white cake with buttercream icing. I used an edible image for the design......The best things in life are meant to be shared especially cake!

I enjoy baking for other people.  A lot of times I will bake something such as cake pops and deliver them to some of my friends. I think baking something or making a craft for someone is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to give a gift. I love bringing a smile to someones face. I love the gift of giving.

I would love to start making cakes and other desserts for a living but I don't have the time to do that with an 8 and a half month old who is into everything. Raylan keeps me on my toes but I wouldn't have it any other way. So for now, I will just let baking be my hobby.


What is your stress reliever?

With all the weather changes lately, it has felt more like winter than fall. In cooler weather, I tend to want more soups, chili's and pot roasts. I want good hearty foods that will warm me up. There is one recipe in particular that is my favorite go to recipe. It is my Momma's pot roast. She handed this recipe down to me and it's very dear to my heart.



It's simple to make yet very delicious. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.


Things you will need:
A small chuck roast 
Potatoes
Carrots
1 Can of Peas
1 Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 pack of Onion Gravy Mix


Directions:
Put small chuck roast in a crock pot. Then put potatoes and carrots in it. Let cook all night. Then put a can of peas, a can of mushroom soup and a pack of onion gravy mix in. Let simmer about an hour or so after putting peas, soup and gravy mix in. Then serve and enjoy.


See that was easy wasn't it! What are your favorite cold weather foods?

If any of you pack lunch for work for yourselves or for your husbands, then you know that lunch food definitely isn't cheap. I like to stockpile. It saves me time and money. One of my favorite places to shop to add to my stockpile is Sam's Club. With Sam's Club, you have to have a membership to shop. It's about $45 annually. Which isn't bad at all considering how much you save by shopping there. If you don't have a Sam's Club nearby you could also visit a local Costco. They are sort of alike.



I typically like to stockpile on several different items including gatorade, mixed fruit and potato chips. With making a trip to Sam's Club, I usually only have to go about once every 6 weeks. This cuts out on items I have to buy on my bi-weekly grocery shopping trip. Not to mention, it saves on my grocery bill.

Let's compare Sam's Club item's which come in larger quantities than what you would normally find at Walmart.

Sam's Club - Herr's Variety Pak 42 count $9.28      Walmart - Herr's Variety Pak 32 Count - $9.48

Fruit Roll-ups 56ct $8.98                                          Fruit Roll-ups 30ct $5.98

Fruit Gushers 36ct $8.98                                          Fruit Gushers 20ct $5.98

Nabisco Cookie Variety Pack 24 packs $8.98          Not offered at Walmart

Del Monte Fruit to go cups 16pk $6.98                    Del Monte Fruit to go cups 12 pk $6

Gatorade Variety Pack 12oz-28pk $12.98                Gatorade Variety Pack 12oz-18pk $ 8.68

Member's Mark Water 40pk- $3.98                           Not offered at Walmart

Chatham Village Croutons 32oz-$5.98                      Not offered at Walmart


I also like to buy my Laundry Detergent at Sam's Club. I get more for my money. Sam's Club is most likely going to be cheaper in the long run for your groceries and many other household items. You get more items which ends up being the cheapest route. When you add the items up separately, you are saving at least a few cents per item when buying at a store like Sam's Club.

So why should you stockpile?  It saves you money, but only if you spend your money on things that you were going to buy anyway. You also spend less time in stores and you are prepared for emergencies.

How do you get started stockpiling? Figure out how long you need your storage to last. This could range anywhere from a few weeks to several months.

Start by watching sales at your local grocery stores and buy a membership at your local Sam's Club or Costco.

Make sure to set a budget for how much you plan on spending for your stockpile. I recommend anywhere from $5-$20 per shopping trip. Set aside this amount for stockpile items only.

Everyone can create a stockpile and save money, it’s the smart thing to do, but you don’t need to go crazy with coupons to do it.

Do you have a stockpile? What items do you buy the most that would require making a stockpile.