Praying over your To Do list

I had began to get overwhelmed this week. I have to take a trip out of town. I have my son's birthday coming up and we are trying to get so many projects done at the house. Not to mention we have dentists appointments and I really want to plant a garden before May 15th. So last night I was about to have a break down. Then I decided to take my own advice. I had sent my friend some advice from the Self Confrontation book that I have been reading. This is a small excerpt from a portion of the book:

Remember that God only holds us responsible for keeping His commandments which are always kept in the present. The procedure below is a practical way to concentrate on the present.

At the beginning of each day, or the night before, list all of the tasks that you believe should be accomplished in that day. (This is often called a “To Do” List.) Then, list them according to the sequence in which they should be carried out. It is clear that some tasks need to be done before others; however, remember that all tasks are important and are to be carried out to please the Lord.

At the start of the day, focus only on the first task and do it heartily as to the Lord. Then, carry out the second task. The key here is to focus only on the current task, not on the ones down the list. Continue working in the same fashion until the end of the day. If all tasks are not accomplished, remember that God may have sovereignly redirected a portion of your day and that you are only responsible to be faithful; God takes care of the results. If all tasks are not accomplished in one day, evaluate if you were disobedient at times or if you need to modify your expectations for the next day’s tasks. If you do this, you will not have time to worry!

I love this because it takes the pressure off of me and puts it where it should be. I wrote down my to do list last night and the first thing I put on it was my quiet time. I had several things to do this morning, but I made my quiet time a priority. This is something that I have not done lately and I know I need to get back to it. I have several things done on my to do list and I have a few more to accomplish, but I am not stressed. I am thankful that God does care about my day.

Phil. 4:6-7:
6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

CVS Deals of the week (May 4- May 10)

Maybe this will help my coupon problem?

Transaction #1
1 Excedrin Body Ache $5.99
-Used $3 off coupon that printed from CVS
-Used $2 off internet coupon
Total OOP: $0.99

1 Gillette Venus Breeze Razor $9.99
-Used $4 off coupon from paper
Total OOP: $5.99

Used my flexible spending account card for $6.41 for the Excedrin

Total before coupons: $15.98
Total paid with cash: $1.48
Extra Bucks Received: $5.00

Transaction #2
1 Aquafresh Advanced toothpaste $2.99
-Used $1 off coupon from paper

4 CVS brand toothbrushes $2.99
-Used $3/$10 CVS coupon
*Also note that along with the ECB deal, these toothbrushes were marked buy 2 get 1 free so they didn't ring up that way but I told the cashier and she checked them and she manually overrided and I got one for free!

1 pencil sharpener $0.99 (my husband needed this)

So that was another $2.99 off along with my other coupons.

Total before coupons: $15.94
Used $5 ECB's from my last transaction plus coupons brought the total to $4.30
I paid cash and received $2.99 in ECB's from the Aquafresh and $8.00 in ECB's from the CVS toothbrushes!

Coupon Encouragement

I just don't know if I can keep doing this. I need some coupon encouragement. Since I have started using coupons more I feel like I am shopping more. Looking for more deals and taking up so much more of my time. So if anyone out there can encourage me to keep going, please do. If not then I may quit and go back to my original plan which is to buy in season fruits and vegetables from local growers when possible. Also, to buy my grass fed beef in bulk which I have done! And then try to make as many things from scratch as possible. I may not give up my CVS just yet though. I will keep trying that for a while. We shall see!

Menu Monday (and Baking too)

This week's Menu is going to involve some OAMC (Once a Month Cooking) recipes. I am making them for a get together next week. And we won't be here for Friday so that is why there are only 4 meals for lunch and supper:

Breakfast:
Pancakes, eggs and bacon (my husband is off of work)
Yogurt, toast and strawberries
French toast sticks and bananas
Pumpkin pancakes and frozen grapes
Baked oatmeal and bananas or strawberries

Lunch:
Grilled lemon pepper chicken and salad
Chicken nuggets, carrots and raisins
Lean pocket, salad and bananas
Leftovers from supper

Supper:
Chicken Alfredo and salad
Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans
Homemade pizza, salad and fruit
Easy Teriyaki Chicken, rice and salad

Baking:
Pizza Crust
Honey Wheat Bread
My friend Kelly's Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies

Mystery Shopping

Why is mystery shopping such a mystery? We have all heard stories of companies wanting to charge you money to become a mystery shopper. Well, just say no! You should not have to pay money to become a mystery shopper. I have been a mystery shopper for almost 2 years now. You definitely will not get rich, but you will get a free meal every now and then and some other great freebies. With my mystery shopping we have gotten lots of free meals, gift cards to a well known store chain. We have even gotten to go to a really nice aquarium for free. And just last week, we were able to stay at a high end hotel and order room service for dinner and breakfast for free.

Now, when I say free, I need to clarify. We did have to pay up front, but we were reimbursed with a check. The company that I mystery shop for usually cuts checks twice a month so depending on when you do your shop you may have to wait up to two weeks for reimbursement but usually it is less.

Also, you do have to do a little work. There are surveys that you must fill out and you must be detailed. This is the whole purpose for your shop. It is a nice way to get some fun things when you are on a budget or when you are working the Dave Ramsey plan!

Comment and let me know if you do any mystery shopping or if you are interested in the company that I do mystery shopping for.

Coupon Reminder

Just a note for all of you who coupon out there. You can send your expired coupons to bases overseas. Check out this link at couponmom.com so you will know where to send them. They can use expired coupons 6 months past their experiation date, but it is advised to send coupons that are no more than 2 months past thier expiration date so that they are received on time and can still be used.

Kids!

I was looking at things on the computer and my son came up to me and he said, "Mommy, my bed is on fire." I jumped up in a slight panic not knowing what he was talking about. But as we were walking back to his room he said, "Stay on my tail mommy, I gotta get that fire out." So then I calmed down and realized this probably wasn't a real fire. Then we played a game of me chasing him around the house and him saying, "Stay on my tail, we gotta get this fire out." I don't know where he comes up with that stuff but he does make me smile!

I Love Garage Sales!

I just love garage sale season. Today a friend called me to go to the park, but she said she was at a community garage sale. I wasn't even off of the phone with her and I was running around getting my shoes on and trying to get the kids' stuff together. I told her I would be right there.

It was a really nice neighborhood. I love garage sales in really nice neighborhoods! Of course, the prices are a little higher than I would normally pay. But, their stuff is also a lot nicer. I had decided a while back that I would only try to buy actual outfits or sets. So today, I definitely did that. Except I did buy my son some jean shorts because he needed them (picture not included). So I ended up spending roughly $15.00 for 4 outfits. It is a little higher than I normally would go, but these were complete outfits - two of which are from Gymboree. Again, I love garage sales!