BIRTH MONTH!!!!!

BIRTH MONTH!!!!!! We finally made it to August!! We are expecting our second little guy to arrive any day now, and we could not be more ready. Although I don't think it's really sunk in that when this pregnancy is finally over I will have a second baby to take care of haha! But ready or not, he should be here in less than two weeks! August is my birthday month as well, and we had a really good time celebrating! Birthdays are one area we decided would definitely be worth it to scale back on to put more of that money toward debt. To be honest, I didn't even realize the difference. Tom and I had a great dinner together, and he bought me the perfect gift - a book on creating a successful eBay business - and Madi and I bought fun notebook journals together and had a coffee date. My family came over for take-out dinner at my house, and we had a really good time just hanging out and eating cake and ice cream. I got some birthday cash from my parents and grandma, so I picked up a couple of nice little clothing items on (you guessed it) eBay for next summer. Very low key and fun and relaxing.  It might have been my favorite birthday yet.

We took a weekend "babymoon" Dave Ramsey style. Free babysitter (thank you grandparents), free hotel room (points from Tom's job, booyah) and entertainment that will make us money (a full day of thrifting for the "bay"). I'm sure there might come a time in our lives that we will splurge on big trips and birthday parties, but I'm really enjoying being creative and simple with our celebrations. It really helps me to focus on what I'm actually celebrating.

My eBay project is ramping up nicely! I just hit a little over $3k in my 31-day trailing sales, so that's a huge milestone for me! So exciting! I have been using every bit of my profit to beef up my inventory for my "shopping maternity leave" and invest in some equipment (lighting kit, inventory storage), but I expect to be able to take some money out next month, so that is my next goal! I'm really excited to see what kind of damage I can do to our car loan balance with this project.

My eBay business is taking over my room! This is my photo wall and lighting kit! 

All of my listed inventory and the tip of my "death pile" iceberg. 

My new best friend - a handheld steamer! Much easier on dress clothes than an iron! 

Money money money!!!! 

It's important for me in this journey to keep circling back to the "why". I have the type of personality that wants to go big or go home, so I tend to stress out easily if I'm not hitting my goals (which lbh are probably a little high) or making the progress I want to be making as fast as I want to be making it. I have to make myself step back like at least every day if not multiple times a day and say "why are you doing this". I want to be debt free so that we can honor God in the finances he's given us and so that we can set our kids and family up to succeed financially and so that we can use our money to bless others rather than being a slave to our paychecks. When I focus on that, I am able to view this journey in a bigger picture and take a deep breath and rest knowing that we are doing what we can do and that every dollar matters. If one month looks better than another month or it seems to be taking longer to pay off debt, we still have a roof over our head and food on our table and healthy happy babies and a beautiful marriage and we are taking steps in the right direction. The rest will fall into place.

It's really good accountability for me to have this blog, so thank you so much for reading! I am really excited about some side hustle opportunities coming up this fall, so here's to hoping for big debt payoff numbers to report in the next few months!!

xoxo,

Maxie

July Wrap-Up

Walker "helping" me sort items to list on my eBay page :) 

We are wrapping up the final week of our first month back on our debt payoff plan. With minimum payments included we paid off a total of $640-ish in debt this month, bringing us to a grand total of $17,354.19. It's less than I originally calculated that we would be able to do for this month, but I am not disappointed by any means. Progress is progress.

I think that's one of the things I can take away from this month, that everyone's story is their own, and we all have different things that come up, both good and bad, that will affect our debt free journey positively and negatively. We had a couple of unplanned for expenses that were unavoidable this month, and that's just part of the ride. The important thing is that for the past 27 days we have made conscious decisions regarding our spending and told our money where to go instead of the other way around. It feels really good, and I am just as excited to start August.

I think it's important to emphasize that there is no right or wrong way to get out of debt. There are of course really helpful guidelines, like the Financial Peace "Baby Steps" from Dave Ramsey, but what truly matters is your mindset and the finish line. For example, the first time we paid off debt we sold at least 60% of our belongings including some big items, like Tom's motorcycle and 75% of my wardrobe, to get a jump start. The last year or so we have really tried to embrace the idea of minimalism and living with less, so that being said there was a lot less crap laying around my house to sell this time. Hence the side hustle haha - I now buy other people's crap to sell LOL. Again, the first time we paid off debt it was just me and Tom, and we were both working and out of the house more often than in it, so we were able to take our food costs down to a bare minimum. This time around with Walker we have realized that it's really important to have legitimate sit-down family dinners together (i.e. cereal is not a legitimate sit-down family dinner to me), and that's not something we're willing to give up, so we've had to revisit that item in our budget and make sure there is enough allocated for those groceries.

For people to be successful in this idea of financial freedom, I think it's paramount to make it your own thing. Find what works for you and ditch what doesn't. That being said, if your "thing" is binge shopping on Amazon, you need to find a new thing, but be okay with your timeline and your ideas and your budget being different than everyone else. Give yourself a couple weeks to make a plan, find your groove and then HUSTLE and get it done.

On a different subject, we are so excited to welcome baby West into the world in just a few short weeks! We have done everything we know to do to prepare for having two children, but I'm pretty sure in the end we are going to be just as tired and overwhelmed as we were in our first few weeks with Walker. At this point my body is so done being 9.5 months pregnant in this heat, so bring on the chaos! I am ready!

Thanks for reading, and as always, please feel free to share in the comments or message me with any ideas you have on debt-free living, debt payoff, etc. I'd love to hear!!

Maxie

P.S. You can  follow me on Instagram or Bloglovin' for updates!

Rave Damsey Week 3

Just a few of my finds from the Goodwill this week!! 

Happy Monday!! Just wanted to post a quick update this week on our debt free journey! We are just over two weeks in, and this month so far we've paid an extra $230 on my credit card! Which is pretty substantial considering that the last three months we've baaaaaarely made it or had to borrow from savings to get through the month of just our day-to-day expenses. Right now I'm not really to the challenging stage yet - it actually feels really good to say no to extra purchases knowing that I'll be able to take that money off of our debt balance. I'm still in the "honeymoon" phase. Tom seems to be holding up well despite the fact that we have had nothing but plain popcorn to snack on for the last two weeks haha! It's amazing how much money you can cut out of a grocery budget by eating simply though.

Right now it kind of feels like we will NEVER get through $18k of debt, but I am just focusing on sticking to the plan and reminding myself that every dollar counts. I felt this way at the beginning of $45k in debt too, so we will ignore those feelings and set our minds on hitting our mini-goals.

It's not a surprise to anyone who knows me that shopping secondhand is one of my favorite ways to save money. It's like a treasure hunt! I have been frequenting Goodwill lately, and I never cease to be amazed what I can find in there. This week I bought an unopened jumbo size box of Up&Up diapers for $15, normally $29! It's something that will randomly save us money as West grows, so I can look forward to an extra $30 payment on our car in like six months when I don't have to buy that pack of diapers at Target haha! Thrifting is a great energy outlet for me, and I love being able to save our future family money. I've also been finding tons of stuff I can flip on Ebay for a little profit, so that has been a really fun side hustle the last few weeks. So, thanks, Goodwill!

Side note - I have talked to SO MANY people in my life that are skeptical of or grossed out by resale shops and/or buying used things - I have no idea why haha, I can't even imagine our family's possessions or wardrobes without resale. Maybe I shouldn't be giving away all of my secrets, but I have found COUNTLESS clothing items new with tags or clean, perfect condition, and then even the most random things like unopened diapers and Bath and Body soaps for pennies on the dollar of retail cost. All it takes is a little digging! Give it a chance, I promise you will become addicted. It's so much fun! Just don't steal all the good stuff because, you know, I'm still here...

Thanks for reading! If you have any great budget hacks or any kind of debt payoff ideas/strategies, I would love to hear from you!!

XOXO

Maxie

So It Begins

July has officially started which means our +/- 18 months of Dave Ramsey baby steps is underway!! One of the areas I plan to hit really hard right off the bat is our food budget. It's something I have a lot more control over than other spending areas that tend to be a bit more unknown (for example I can't really plan for the weather to be in the 70's and reduce our air conditioning bill). I found several yummy looking recipes on Pinterest that use either cheap ingredients or a small amount of ingredients and are still fairly healthy, so I thought I'd share!

Kielbasas and Potato Skillet

Margherita French Bread Pizza

Pasta with Broccoli and Sausage

There are pages and pages of frugal cooking pins, so make sure to use that as a resource if you're looking for more ideas! 

Summer seems to also be the time of year for us that there are a lot of neighborhood get together's and church events where each family brings a dish to share. I have always tried to put a lot of effort into these appetizers, and the cost can really add up if I'm making unique dishes with a lot of ingredients. Over the past couple months I have found that people enjoy a good fruit salad just as much as any other dish I've made, so that is my new go-to. Aldi carries a mixed frozen fruit bag for a couple of dollars that is delicious! Two bags is more than enough for a large group. I get them out the morning of the event so they can thaw and throw them in a pretty dish - voila! This kills two birds with one stone as I am going to need a quicker, easier option with two kiddos as well as something that is budget friendly. Feel free to use this idea as long as you and I aren't going to the same party. :P Jk jk. :) You can never have too much fruit salad. 

Our garden is finally producing some fruit...and by that I mean I was able to pick exactly one squash, one pepper, and three cherry tomatoes, so we are ringing in somewhere around $9 per vegetable so far haha! Not sure this was the most lucrative investment, but it's been fun anyways, and the veggies we've had so far from it have been delicious. I think next year will be much better when I know a little more about what I'm doing. The plants are growing a lot, so I'm hoping we are able to start getting some more fruit out of these little guys! 

If you follow me on Instagram you saw that I was able to stand strong against some pretty intense temptation in the Cat & Jack aisle at Target today. Right now I am counting every win to try to gain some momentum and motivation, so that one is FOR SURE going in the books. 

Thanks for reading!! Make sure to follow me on Instagram and Bloglovin' for updates on our journey to financial freedom! 

Baby Steps

Over the past year we have been pretty lax in our budget. It's just been one of those crazy times - we were moving, switching up jobs, learning to be parents, walking through loss, celebrating our growing family - it has been easy to push our financial goals to the back burner. After paying off $45k of debt in the first three years of marriage, we turned around in year four and bought a new house, a new vehicle to fit our growing family and also splurged on a few too many renovation projects. I would still say that we were "reasonable" in all of those purchase categories, but when you don't have money to spend I guess $1 might as well be $1000 because it's still not your money. With a new baby coming in just a few short weeks, we have decided that it's about time to buckle down and gain back the momentum we had going on our baby steps.

I'm definitely the nerd in our marriage as Dave Ramsey would say it, and pregnancy has given me a lot of open hours when no one else is awake, so I have spent a considerable amount of time planning out our baby steps. It's a different animal this time around, because we are now a one-income family with two babies as opposed to a two-income family with one baby. We definitely have our challenges cut out for us in the time ahead, but I was pretty shocked to find out that on a really strict budget we could potentially make it through the first five Baby Steps in under 18 months. It's going to take a lot of planning, several side jobs, and ALL OF THE SELF DISCIPLINE THE WORLD CAN OFFER, but it is doable...on paper anyway. I'm not dumb enough to assume that nothing will happen in the next 18 months that we aren't planning for, but still I'm excited to see how close we can get to that 18-month mark. I love a good challenge...and this will be the mother of all challenges.

We have currently completed Baby Step 1 - save a $1000 emergency reserve as well as Baby Step 2 - pay off all debt except for your house, and half of Baby Step 3 - save a 3-6 month emergency reserve; however, with the new vehicle and a couple house projects on credit cards we are sliding back to  Baby Step 2. Our goal is to complete Baby Step 2 by May 2018! This time around I really want to focus on disciplining my spending. Anyone can pay off debt, but I think it takes a lot more work to learn how to live outside of that cycle.

I am going to attempt to write weekly updates on our journey through the Baby Steps. I know it's really encouraging for  me to read about other people's progress, so I hope I can be encouraging to someone else as well. A life of financial freedom is possible, and we are excited to make it happen for our family! I would love to hear any suggestions, ideas, and success stories, so comment away! You can get blog updates by following me on Instagram or by following Three Fergs on Bloglovin . Thanks for reading!

XO

Maxie

Struggles of a Pregnant Type-A Ultra Nester

So...nesting is for real. Someone please back me up on this. With Walker it didn't hit me until like the beginning of the third trimester, but this sweet baby boy due in August must be a lot like his mama, because the nesting bug is already in full force with 17 weeks to go. It doesn't help that I already lean toward the side of extreme organization and over-preparedness on top of all of these raging hormones telling me to GET READY. Exhibit A: I woke up at 4:00 this morning in like emergency mode with the realization that I don't have a car seat or DockATot for this child and it needs to be in my house pronto as if the baby will undoubtedly be sleeping on the floor and riding on Walker's lap if I don't get these things at least three months in advance.

I'm also in full house mode trying to get all of my projects done before August, and last night alone I painted my front door, removed a kitchen cabinet, painted the wall (the wrong color of course so there's that) and ordered all of the shelving I still need for the entire house. It's exhausting and it's expensive, and I just thank the Lord for gifting me with a patient, understanding spouse who will love me unconditionally despite the many boxes that will be arriving at our house over the next couple of weeks...

With all this craziness going on in my brain the last thing I'm thinking about is my wardrobe. My regular clothes don't fit like they should, but maternity clothes are still a little weird looking. Every day I am looking for something in my closet that I can just throw on and go. The Julia dress by Lularoe is like a literal godsend. I can throw it on with leggings and sneakers for a super cute casual Target run or dress it up with booties and a necklace for church. It gives me the confidence I need to make it through a full 12 hours of toddler wrangling without losing myself and the flexibility I need to get 25 things accomplished at once. I'm thrilled that the soft, stretchy fabric fits me now with my bump and will also look amazing postpartum so that I can continue with my low key, minimal effort wardrobe in the midst of double the diaper changes and a fourth of the amount of sleep. An added bonus for me is the modesty of the neckline when it comes to all the bending and twisting and leaning of momhood.

I am so excited to be partnering with LulaRoeJulieForster to offer a chance to win a $25 LulaRoe shop credit! You can find out more details on my Instagram page. Make sure to check it out!

My Little Social Media Hiatus

Okay so my 40-day social media fast turned into a two-week social media fast, which I still think is pretty good. Forty days is waaaaaay longer than I thought and in my personal opinion perhaps should be reserved for fasts by more disciplined people...like Jesus. (I am the monkey emoji covering my face in shame) Here are some things I learned/observed:

 1) I am not addicted to social media. One thing that scared me in the past when I contemplated coming back on to the social media scene was becoming addicted to it. During the last two weeks it  was pretty refreshing to be out of the loop for a little bit. I would say that I spent a similar amount of time on my phone just doing different things. I figure I maintain a good balance, because I didn't have a sudden breakthrough realization that I waste so much time on social media or anything. I think my routine is roughly the same with or without.

 2) It kind of surprised me that a good deal of my social interaction is via social media, and honestly I'm not sure I see that as a bad thing. Even though I see and talk to my closest friends on a regular basis it's nothing compared to being involved in their day to day experiences as well as the other people I follow. I enjoy getting those sneak peeks into everyone's days - it makes me feel more connected to my far away besties and helps me become more acquainted with newer friends. I might have previously found this to seem unhealthy as if I were spending time developing/maintaining "fake" relationships or whatever, but the friends I choose to follow on Insta are pretty much just real people who post their real lives. Just an interesting observation, because I have definitely viewed social media as a negative in the past for whatever reason. I think it has more positives than I  realized.  

   >>> Side note: This is really interesting to me. I have heard many people reference social media as an arena where people post their fake, perfect lives; however, I view Instagram for example as a place to share the best parts of my day with an obvious understanding that that's what I'm posting, the best parts. Do you view a "curated" feed as a false advertisement of someone's true life, or as a place for good memories like our parents' photo albums? Do you find yourself comparing your worst to others' best, or do you find yourself enjoying the happy break from negative things for a  minute? I naturally tend to lean toward the second, so I'm genuinely curious to know if I'm alone in my view on this subject! <<<

 3) I take waaaaay fewer pictures when not using social media. On a positive note, I feel like I was maybe a bit more "all there" in the moment playing with Walker or spending time with Tom, but the downside is that my sleep deprived self is not going to remember a lot of those moments without the pictures I normally have to refer back to. I don't know why I am not naturally inclined to take pictures, but I literally don't think of it until after the moment has passed (notice I had literally not one picture to share on here from the last two weeks lol). Wanting to be able to share my special moments with my friends and family motivates me to document more, and as long as it doesn't become obsessive or too much I think I will appreciate having snapped those pictures in the long run.

Well there you have it. Lessons learned from a social media break. I'm happy to be back.

XOXO

Maxie

Hello Again

Shew! Having all-day "morning" sickness and keeping up with a 14-month old are kicking my booty!! It has been several weeks since I accomplished more than keeping Walker alive and laying on my couch. At first it really stressed me out to be out of commission, but the more time passes with piles of laundry and cereal for dinner, the more I'm okay with it. I am growing two humans after all, one on the inside and one on the outside, and I've got to say, one is currently not easier than the other. Thankfully I have super supportive men (who as you can see are thoroughly enjoying helping me grocery shop) and family and friends, and despite the nausea and exhaustion, these days are gold.

I have been participating in a 40-day prayer challenge with the women's ministry at my church. We are reading through "Draw the Circle" by Mark Batterson, and it's been life-changing to say the least. I have struggled for a long time to find the time and motivation to make prayer a priority, but after committing to and experiencing this challenge, I can't see how I ever survived without the peace and power of daily prayer. I am really excited to be starting another 40-day prayer challenge when this one is complete, this time in the form of a 40-day media fast with the purpose of dedicating the time and energy I spend blogging, Instagram-ing, Pinterest-ing, etc. to prayer. I am so ready to hear from the Lord during this time and to be strengthened and encouraged in the work He's given me to do.

We have taken a break from big house projects in order to focus more of our finances on our financial "baby step" number 3 - building an emergency fund. It's sobering and sanctifying for me to realize exactly how much of my money and time and even self worth are tied to the decor in my home. I all of a sudden feel as though I have nothing to do and no purpose to my day. Like, what?! I LOVE to decorate, and I don't think there is anything wrong with decorating; however, when the need to decorate replaces the initial reason of decorating, which for me would be to provide a warm, inviting home for my family and friends, I think it's a good indicator that a step back is in order. I'm looking forward to practicing contentment and enjoying the space we've been given as it is, unfinished though it may be.

This week was a huge milestone for us in pregnancy number 3. We finally got to hear our sweet baby's beautiful heartbeat and watch him or her bounce around like crazy on the screen. Everything looks healthy and right on track! We are so encouraged and so full of hope for this brand new little life. Nothing will replace the baby we lost, but what a healing process it is to experience another life forming in my belly. We are already so full of love and anticipation. It is so incredible the way the Lord's peace has overwhelmed me in the last couple of months. I have had my times of fear and doubt, but never without a gentle whisper from the Spirit that He held me then and is holding me now. Our God is so faithful.

Thanks for catching up with me. Hoping to keep current with updates as I get some of my energy back.

XO,

Maxie

Living Room

I didn't think I'd love another room more than the Master Bedroom, but it happened! The living room is done! I'm so excited the sun finally came out enough for me to photograph the room. The only big project we did was to change out the half-window back door for a full window door. It lets in so much more light and was a great compromise to my plan of tearing out the whole wall and installing giant french doors (which I still wouldn't mind to do someday if we decide to stay here forever.)

My goal was to use minimal decor and allow all the light and the beautiful vaulted ceilings to take center stage. I love how the giant mirror Tom bought me for my birthday (flea market find!!) brightens the room even more. I also wanted to implement a lot of plants into the room, because I've been reading a lot about the air in our homes and how plants purify what we are breathing in and out all day. Walker and I spend the majority of our time here, so it makes sense to me to make our home as healthy of an environment as humanly possible for him.

The only non-useful, non-sentimental item in the room is my "Good Vibes" throw pillow from Urban Outfitters. I had to have one throw pillow, just one. And if it's going to be the only one, I'd say it's a pretty good choice. I'm basically in love with it.  I'm thrilled with how everything turned out. Let me know what you think!

Sectional Sofa

(but we got ours on Craigslist, new with tags!)

Good Vibes Pillow

Indoor/Outdoor Rug

(ours is well-loved and it looks like they don't sell it anymore, but this one is similar)

Blanket Basket

Geometric Succulent Planter

Turntable

Birthday Bear

We had such a fun day celebrating little man's birthday! I pretty much refused to spend a second of the festivities on my phone, so I really only got pictures of the decor before we started. I am trying to be more present when I'm with him and really soak in the time we have together, so I especially wanted to make that a reality for his big day. I think there are some good shots of him circulating around with my family so I will post them when I get them. I know I have a lot more mental snapshots than I could have ever captured on my phone, so I am content with that. We went with a simple, low-key theme - just a few decorations, coffee and cake. It was low stress and beautiful. I made the cake myself which was super fun and terrifying at the same time. It's the first cake I've ever made so I was really glad it turned out. He wasn't too into opening the presents, but he was really excited about the toys themselves. We let him eat his own cake! It took him a minute to figure out what was going on but once he had the first bite he was pretty much convinced that cake is the best thing ever. It has been a struggle this week to get him to eat his normal food after that! I think his favorite part was being around kids for a day, he LOVES kids which just melts my heart. He loved showing off his dance moves for everyone as well. Such a little attention seeker! We are so thankful to our family and friends for joining us and so thankful for the year we have spent as parents to the sweetest boy.

Simple Giving: Birthday Edition

Our little bear is one year old today. I can't believe it's already been a year, but I also can't believe we've only known him for a year either. It seems like he's always been a part of our family. As tempting as it's been to buy him everything under the sun, I really wanted to establish simple gift giving from the get-go, so we decided on the four gifts idea (something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read). So here they are!

1. Something You Want

          This little guy from The Land of Nod has been in my closet for about six months, so I'm soooo pumped to finally get to give it to him! It's a beautiful piece of furniture for his room, and he is going to LOVE rocking on it. You can check it out here!  

2. Something You Need

          Little man is almost exclusively on solid foods and is loving to feed himself with his spoon these days, so we are going to let him eat a bit more independently with the plate and bowl set from Avanchy. These are eco-friendly silicone and bamboo dishes that suction to the table so they stay put for meal time. So excited to try them out! You can view them online here!

3. Something to Wear

           The something to wear category kind of backfired on me this year, because I did not take into consideration that Walker may have a growth spurt right before his birthday. I bought him these beautiful handmade leather baby moccasins on Etsy. I let him open them early so that he could fit them for a little bit at least haha! 

4. Something to Read

        Walker loves to read, so I was particularly excited about picking out a new book for him. We went with a classic, something that would be fun for him to listen to. You can get your own copy of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom here! 

 I'd love to hear any of your simple gift giving ideas!! It's so fun to get him things I know he needs and will love while at the same time making the day about him and the year we've had together, not about a mountain of presents.

5 Ways to Save Money in 2017

The new year is almost here, and I always like to get a head start on my resolutions because I LOVE New Year's resolutions! I love fresh beginnings and big dreams and new plans. So fun! Something that makes my list every single year is our finances. Last year was to pay off our debt which (AHH) we completed! 2017 will be my first full year as a stay-at-home mom, and with just our one sweet baby boy I think I'll really have time this year to devote to developing some big money savers. I have a whole notebook of house projects I'd love to accomplish in the coming year which will take some extra cash, so here are five ways I plan to save money in 2017.

1. Cloth Diapers
             I'm pretty sure the day we announced we were pregnant with Walker I had three people ask me if I would be cloth diapering. My answer: NO. Too much mess, too much work, too gross. However, we did receive enough free diapers to last us until now (a year), so I haven't really considered the cost of diapers until now. Although I did use the free diapers regardless of brand in an attempt to save money, I am really trying to reduce our waste as a family so when purchasing diapers I have only considered eco-friendly brands which are significantly more expensive than generic brands. With a year plus of diaper time ahead of me, I ate my words and purchased some Bumgenius organic cotton cloth diapers to try. I actually found some very lightly used ones on Ebay (don't judge). Probably the most natural, eco-friendly and budget-friendly diapering option. When comparing to a monthly subscription to Honest diapers, this will save me over $750 this year.

2. Homemade Cleaning Supplies
             Okay it's no secret that I LOVE The Honest Company. Everything they make smells sooo good, and every one of their products has the cutest patterns and packaging. I have been subscribing to their cleaning supplies bundle for about six months now and have really enjoyed it. However, with a focus on saving money in 2017, I am going to try my hand at making my own cleaning supplies. I actually bought a 5-gallon bucket of homemade laundry detergent from a fundraiser for $35, and it has been six months and it's less than a fourth of the way used. So assuming it will last us another 18 months that's $17 total in 2017 that I will be spending on laundry detergent. I looked up a homemade dishwasher detergent that will cost about $6 for the year. I can use ingredients I already have in the house (baking soda, vinegar, etc.) to make homemade all-purpose spray, toilet cleaner, etc. So even if I double the amount I think it will cost to clean my house with homemade supplies this year, we are looking at under $50 (WOW). When compared to the cleaning supplies subscription I have been buying, this will save me $400 this year. I realize that the subscription is more expensive than generic brand cleaning supplies, but I am pretty passionate about all-natural, eco-friendly, non-toxic, etc. products, so making my own should kill two birds with one stone.

3. Consolidated Trips
            Right now to break up the day, I drive to Springfield (15 minutes away) at least once a day if not more. I split up my grocery shopping and toiletry shopping and house project shopping to different days and don't really plan my trips very well. I currently fill up my car about three times a month, twice for normal use and once for our monthly trip to St. Louis. In 2017 I am going to attempt to only drive to Springfield twice a week. Even if I have to drive there three times a week it should cut my normal gas usage in half, taking out the third fill-up each month. Over the year that should save me about $480 (one $40 tank of gas x 12 months). Plus I'm excited for the challenges of planning out my trips and finding fun things to do at home or in Ozark to break up our day. An added bonus - reducing our family's carbon footprint.

4. Meal Planning and Home Cooking
            I currently meal plan on a semi-regular basis, but this is an area that I know I can beef up my efforts and do better. My goal is to reduce our grocery shopping bill by $15-$20 per trip (we shop once a week). I also have days when I'm just feeling lazy and we order pizza or eat out. Each time I let that happen we are easily adding $25-$30 to our monthly budget. I'm not saying we are never going to go out to eat in 2017 as a family, but if I can reduce that to once a month or once every six weeks, we'll be saving money for sure. I also plan to cook a vegetarian meal twice a week to save money on the meat. It will be fun to learn how to create a balanced meal without meat, and I'm excited to try it out. If I can reduce our overall food cost by just $20 a week, that's $1040 in savings for the year!

5. $25 Date Nights
            Tom and I really enjoy going out together, and we try to go on a date every month. We probably spend about $40 on a date for food and dessert, sometimes more if it's a nicer restaurant. I think it would be fun for our monthly dates to give ourselves a $25 limit. We tend to stick to the same restaurants and the same entertainment, so this will save us money and force us to get creative and get out of our box a little more. Even with the conservative calculation of $40 per date, dropping it down to $25 will save us $180 over the year.

So altogether these are 5 things we will be doing in 2017 for a total savings of $2850. Which should cover my notebook of house projects. Yay :)

Project 12

As an aspiring minimalist, I have been trying to come up with a solution to a problem area for me - my crafting "leftovers". I have a bag of material and a box of odds and ends from various projects that I have been hanging on to "just in case", which is a classic minimalist no-no. The problem is that these aren't things I can donate...who wants a bag full of material scraps and a box of ribbons? I couldn't bring myself to throw them away either. Trash is easy for me to throw away, but this stuff has potential!

So I have challenged myself for the month of December to focus all of my creative energy on cleaning out the crafting boxes and creating unique exciting new products from all of 2016's leftovers. It's a great way to clear out space, recycle and gear up for a fresh start in the new year. If you wonder about the randomness of this month's featured items in the shop, there you have it. The fun thing is that I'm actually really excited about the first product I've come up with (pictured above). I will probably continue selling it after this month as well! You can view and purchase the Arctic Taggie Toy here.

December is a month focused largely around the celebration of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and the precious gift of salvation that he brought to us when he came to earth to die for mankind. Giving is such a wonderful way to honor his sacrifice and to remember the gift we've been given in him. I have chosen Project 12 to be the recipient of all of the proceeds of these fun up-cycled products this month. It seems fitting since it's the 12th month and there are 12 days of Christmas haha :)

Project 12 is an incredible multi-part ministry that rescues, aids and empowers women and girls of all ages all around the world. Please check out the information in the link and share with your friends! You can be involved this month by purchasing from my shop or by donating directly on the website.

The Paradox of Materialism

It shouldn't come as a surprise to you that you may still encounter various temptations after diving into a minimalist lifestyle. Decluttering and getting rid of things is such a liberating experience, but those uplifting feelings of relief and freedom from your possessions are constantly warred against by the desperate feelings of need and want. Our society, especially during this time of year, bombards us on a minute by minute basis with  all of the things we need to be happy and healthy and successful.  My current problem areas are Walker and Ebay.

Walker is a baby and baby things are cute, so it is a DAILY challenge to say no to things I want to buy him. I obviously don't deprive him of things he needs and he is currently swimming in a pile of toys in the middle of his floor, so we're not having a problem there either. But I do have to constantly remind myself that he might need some new sweats to fit his growing little legs, but he doesn't need all eight pairs of the new sweats on Zara. He might need a toy food basket to go with his play kitchen for Christmas, but he doesn't need a basket for every food group, he's not actually eating the darn things. When I'm 100% honest, 95% of the things I want to buy him are really for myself, which is a humbling observation.

Ebay is so tempting for me. I love to buy used items on Ebay for multiple reasons including discounted prices, support for small businesses, environmental conscientiousness, etc. I think it's a great way to get quality items that will last at more affordable prices, especially when we're talking about clothing. The problem isn't the calculated, thought-out, researched items I buy. The problem is the suggested sales Ebay throws at me multiple times a day based on previous purchases. It is SO tempting when you see things you want at such cheap prices, and the auction-style sales are so enticing in themselves. I needed one pair of shorts, so I found some and bid on them and won them, but now I have suggestions day in and day out for similar items! I still have it in my head that I need them, so my initial reaction is to bid on them, but I have to remember that I need ONE pair of shorts, not two, not ten...and that one pair is already in my dresser.

Just a little transparency today. I still struggle with the desire to consume. It seems that would only be natural as it's been ingrained in my identity for 25 years.  Don't be discouraged if you have days again when stuff seems to define you. Minimalism is a journey. Take some time in those moments to think about who you are. What really defines you? I'm not the mom in our neighborhood defined by the least number of Lululemon yoga pants or the smallest amount of Christmas decorations, I'm the mom defined by my sweet Walker. I'm not the girl defined by wearing the same few outfits to church every Sunday, I'm a child of the King defined by grace and salvation. The craziest thing is you're most likely the only person defining yourself by the lies of materialism. When is the last time you looked at someone and thought WOW that girl doesn't have nearly enough stuff, how pathetic is she? Probably never! The ugly paradox of materialism is that the point is to impress everyone, but the only person who cares about the stuff is you.

Now get out there in this week of family and Thanksgiving and celebration, and value yourself and your family for who you are and the experiences you've shared...without the stuff.

Hand Knitted Mittens

When (if it ever) gets cold this winter, we will need something to keep little man's hands warm. I learned to knit when I was little when it was a super uncool home school thing to do. I got made fun of plenty of times for bringing my latest "grandma" project to class in high school, which in retrospect was pretty nerdy, so whatever, but who's laughing now?! While these handmade bad boys sell for $15-$30 on Etsy, I was able to make my own for under $5. I followed this YouTube tutorial and just lessened the amount of rows to 11 on the ribbing and 14 full rows on the glove body to make them toddler size. I used size 7/4.5mm knitting needles. I didn't mess with a thumb this time because Walker's chubby little thumb will be too hard to get into a glove, but I love how easy it will be to add one next year! If you've never learned the purl stitch, this is a great tutorial that I found. I am so excited to have this skill to use for all our cold weather needs and to pass on to my future daughters, Lord willing. If you don't care to learn how to knit or don't have the time to make these yourself here are some shops on Etsy with a few really cute options:

NesyBaby
CiruViru
ButtonandBlueStore

Shop Three Fergs

I am super excited to announce the opening of my shop - Shop3Fergs. (Super original title can be attributed to my son's recent teething episodes which equal zero sleep and a lot of caffeine in every form.) I have always loved creating things, and in the midst of three moves in the last three years it's been all about decorating my home(s). I know there are lots of you girls (and maybe some guys) out there who love to decorate but don't necessarily have the time to devote to creating your own decorations, so check out the handmade, one of a kind items for purchase in my shop! Right now I'm obsessed with mid-century and minimalist themes. It's a work in progress, so come back often to see what's new, and follow me on Instagram for updates!

Preparing for Christmas

Major retailers are doing it already, so why can't I?

Christmas has always been a BIG deal to my family. At least four of the seven of us (one being myself) have gift-giving as a love language, so that giving nature really amps up around December. This will be our first Christmas since fully embracing the idea of minimalism, so I have been putting a lot of thought into how we can maintain this lifestyle through the holidays. Because of the atrocity our society has made this blessed holiday into, it's tempting to just boycott everything, "Christmas with the Kranks" style, and take a vacation away from the madness. Unfortunately, avoiding the problem will just push it out to next December and the next, so it's probably better to face it and come up with some solutions. The great thing about this journey is that progress is progress. We are going to try a few new things this year, and see how it goes!

1. Draw Names: This is something Tom's family does already, and it's a great way to simplify gift-giving. It's really straight forward, you draw names for each person to see who gets who a gift. You set a reasonable budget for each gift, and then open all the gifts at your Christmas get-together. It minimizes the number of gifts each person receives to one gift, and it minimizes the number of overall gifts you are expected to purchase, meaning you can spend more money on each gift to get something that person will really use and enjoy. We are trying it on my side of the family for the first time, so I'm really excited for the outcome! 
2. Purchase Gifts Together: Tom and I usually decide what gifts to get each other together. We've found that when we try to give hints and do surprises, we typically end up with a huge pile of really nice and thoughtful things that we could really live without (and sometimes a small pile of things we don't really want to begin with). So instead, we set aside a budget and take a shopping date together to spend time with each other and pick out our gifts. This ensures that we give each exactly what we want so that we don't end up with a box of items we keep for an obligatory amount of time and then throw in the yard sale. 
3. Give Intangible or "Experience" Gifts: I am trying this out for the first time this year. For my gift from Tom I actually chose to get my hair done. I am really excited about the new look! It's a gift I will use and appreciate that won't clutter my house. It involves some me time and pampering, and it's something I will appreciate for months or longer. I haven't actually gotten around to Christmas shopping yet, but when I do I am hoping to find more "experience gifts" to give. Examples that come to mind are concert tickets, event passes, day passes to a theme park, etc. 
4. Four Gifts: This is technically Walker's second Christmas, but he was only ten days old last year soooo we didn't get him anything (gasp!). Well...I labored him out of my body...does that count as an "experience gift" haha? Since this will be our first gift-giving Christmas, we are really hoping to set the standard for future years. We have decided as a family to give four gifts to Walker and our future children: something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read. It's a great guideline to reign in my desire to spoil Walker rotten, and with only four gifts to buy it has really helped me to focus on making each one the very best! 
5. Make Suggestions: This tip is best used defensively rather than offensively. Making suggestions for a gift to the wrong person or in the wrong way can come across as suuuuuper tacky. But, if you can manage to pull it off appropriately it can actually help in your quest to simplify by again ensuring that you will receive a gift you need, use and love. For example, my Nana has been asking me what to get Walker for Christmas. I normally would say "Oh, we would appreciate anything, whatever you think!" which is true; however, I took the opportunity this time to tell her exactly what items we are wanting for his new play room and asked if she would like to choose some of those for his gifts. It was perfect, because she can confidently choose something she knows we will want and use, and we will get the items we want for his playroom instead of toys in addition to them. Now, my Nana and I are very close and beyond social courtesies, so this was an appropriate and well-received response to her question. Don't write a Christmas list next to your name on the Secret Santa drawing at work. I think a good rule of thumb for this one is just to answer honestly if people ask you what you'd like or what your kids want/need. 

I'll check back in after Christmas with an update on how these ideas played out in real life. My hope in maintaining a minimalist lifestyle during the holidays is to cut out the clutter and make room for family and the celebration of our Savior. Leave a comment if you or your family has a good way to simplify the holiday season! 

Early Morning Walks

Walker is sick and teething right now, and as a mom it breaks my heart to see him in pain and as a human I NEED SLEEP. Despite going to bed three hours after his bed time we were up before the sun this morning, so we made the most of it by getting dressed and exploring the dead end road in our neighborhood. My mom bought his jacket at a yard sale before we even knew we were having a boy. It's crazy to think that he's here and wearing it now. Time is beautiful and cruel.

Explaining Minimalism

Minimalism is an exciting journey that can take you from an obsession with accumulating STUFF to a deeper appreciation of time, family, high-quality goods, etc. It's difficult when you've started the process of de-cluttering your life to keep it to yourself. You want everyone to experience the joy and freedom that comes from climbing out from under the piles of possessions. The problem is that people who a) think minimalism means wearing paper bags and living in a cardboard box, b) think minimalism means never buying anything whatsoever in any way ever at all ever, c) think minimalism means having seven babies and cramming them and your husband and your goat farm into a Tiny House are apt to be defensive, offended, or confused when you bring up the subject of "less".

Joshua Becker,  a leading blogger in the minimalist movement (Becoming Minimalist) and author of the inspiring read The More of Less, brilliantly defines minimalism as "the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it". It is a simple lifestyle built to highlight the things that matter most and get rid of the clutter that keeps us from enjoying those things to the fullest potential. The fact of the matter is that minimalism looks different for everyone. The home of a married minimalist teacher with three kids will look much different from the home of a single minimalist woodworker with a dog. Their lives and professions require different things and different amounts of things. When explaining minimalism to a friend or family member who is unfamiliar with the concept, it might be easiest to start with what minimalism is not. 

Minimalism is not about frugality, rather it is about making your purchases count. There are of course certain monetary gains you make when living with fewer possessions. For one, you buy less, so you aren't spending money on as many purchases. You also don't spend as much money maintaining, storing, or organizing your possessions. However, saving money is not the focus of minimalism. The focus is to make conscious, planned purchases that contribute to your life by fulfilling a need with longevity. You may need a pair of shoes and instead of searching for the cheapest option, you search for the option that will match the most, last the longest and be the most comfortable. This may not be the cheapest, but it fulfills your need simply and with longevity. 

Minimalism does not mean having no possessions, it means having only possessions that you need or highly value. It's more about breaking possessions' hold on you and being most concerned with what matters the most - people and relationships. When you walk into my house, I do not have bare walls, I own multiple pieces of furniture, there are clothes in my closet and dishes in my kitchen, but each of these categories has been pared down to what matters most to me and what I actually need. Instead of 85 pieces of plastic Tupperware, I have 8 pieces of glass Pyrex that is more than sufficient for my weekly food storage needs. Instead of three shelves whose sole purpose was to hold hoards of themed decorations, I have a clean wall holding my most favorite pieces. 

Minimalism isn't a quick fix or a phase, it's a lifestyle. I've purged my belongings multiple times in my life to get rid of things I no longer use or that have gone out of style, etc. Everyone does this. Now that I've been introduced to minimalism, I have a really different perspective. I used to be about accumulating new items and getting rid of old items. Out with the old in with the new, a cycle that repeats itself on a weekly, monthly, yearly basis. Now I desire to only allow things into my home that I treasure enough and are of a high enough quality to keep for years. I no longer want to host an annual garage sale, because I don't want to accumulate enough things in a year to fill my garage. After experiencing the freedom of fewer possessions, I can't see myself going back to the way I was before - a slave to my stuff and to the desire for more stuff. 

If you desire to share your story with minimalism and the impact it's had on your life, I hope this helps you to explain it. Even though it's a growing movement this lifestyle is not appreciated by the majority of our society. If after you explain the idea to a friend or family member they still think you're crazy and they prefer to continue to fully embrace their consumerism, love them and let it go. After all, minimalism is about making time and space for the things that matter most, and it defeats the purpose to allow minimalism to cause distance between you and the people you love. 

Happy simple living!! 

Nursery

We are done with the nursery! Two rooms down, the rest of the house to go. I have to confess...I pulled out some of his Christmas and birthday presents to shoot the room (insert monkey emoji covering his face in shame). They have been hiding in my closet for WAY too long, I couldn't resist. I'm sure he'll forget them by the time December gets here. 

Herschel Diaper Bag

Arctic Rocker

BlaBla Dolls

White Triangle Decals

Anchor Diapers

Eames Chair

ABC Blocks