The Christmas Fund...

Hi! Welcome back!
Today I am going to share an idea I like to call The Christmas Fund!


I realize that we are only a few short months away from Christmas and many of you would not have the time or resources to funnel money into this sort of fund for it to make a difference for you this year. However, I want to go ahead and touch on this idea anyway because ANYTIME is a good time to start a Christmas fund and you will quickly see the benefits of it going into the new year for sure.


This is something I started a long time ago when my kids were young and money was very tight.
I remember the first year we bought Christmas gifts without going into debt. I set a goal and accomplished it. What a feeling! Being able to accomplish an amazing feat like this can serve as a springboard for any degree of budgeting in other areas of your life. Keep that in mind. Your confidence WILL grow!

So...back to the Christmas fund...
Important questions: How do I start it? Where does the money come from?

First you must determine your budget.
* How many people do you plan to buy for?
* How much do you plan to spend on each gift?
* Will you include things like cards, wrapping paper, tissue, bags, etc. in your budget?
* What is realistic for your goals to be met?

I remember in 1971 when I started my first budget, our funds were very tight because we were living on one income and a fixed one at that being active duty military. But, I was determined to not go into debt for Christmas and I looked for ways to save money - even with two small children at home.
In January of that year I began saving $5 a week for my fund. (Hey, that was a lot of money back then! :)) By the time Christmas rolled around that year I had saved $260. Now, I realized that $260 wasn't going to go really far but it sure went a lot farther than nothing!
As the years passed, and I was able to save more ...my fund grew. In the beginning I left my funds in the bank (savings) for fear of spending it on non-Christmas related things. Later, I had it drafted out of our paychecks as our pay status changed. The point isn't how much you are saving but that you start saving SOMETHING!!

The added bonus was that I had funds available every month to begin buying things as I saw them or needed them. So, in January when I found gift bags, wrapping paper, and tissue paper at 90% off, I could purchase them and put them away for the following season. No guilt there for taking money out of my regular working budget.
I actually find it fun getting such good deals. I still LOVE buying my Christmas cards at Lifeway/Family Christian stores for $1.89 a box instead of $18.99 AND they are much nicer than the $1 boxes at Dollar Tree.
Throughout the year...every week there will be clearance and savings in some store on all sorts of great treasures.This is especially true on seasonal items, after holidays, and even on school supplies right after school begins but more of this in another post.

The most important thing to remember is how much help and freedom a Christmas fund can give you. The money you put into your fund may not be from a regular weekly paycheck but from your garage sale earnings, from babysitting, or from selling your kids clothes on e-bay. All that matters is that you are regularly putting money in and building up your Christmas fund so that when you need it...you will be able to enjoy it's benefits and blessings.

If you have any specific questions about the Christmas fund I would be happy to answer them. Leave me a message or comment and I will get back with you soon.

Tomorrow we will talk about our strategic plan for the "when and where" to bargain shop. I really hope you will join us.

~ I.

Ideas from Irene

Saving for the holidays...

Ideas from Irene...

The really good thing about summer in Texas (no, not the 100 days of  100 degrees), is knowing that fall comes right after it!

I am so excited that fall has officially begun. 

Not that we have cool days all the time now, but a small cool down this weekend is a wonderful reminder of exciting things to come. 

                                                                                                                                                         Good things... like leaf changes and reasons to wear our favorite sweaters and all of the other sights, smells, and sounds that tell us the holiday season is upon us.  

I realize that Christmas is still a few months away but it's never too soon to be thinking about it by planning and saving for it. (Yes...even this late into the year.)

Many of you may be thinking... "How in the world can I save for Christmas?" 

Well there are actually several ways to do this. 

1.) By saving actual money to be put aside in a Christmas fund that can be used all throughout the year to purchase your gifts.

2.) By careful and planned shopping techniques that will help save you money.

3.) By paying cash for your purchases and not being caught up in growing interest charges after Christmas.

4.)By spending less! Yes, by actually setting a budget for yourself AND sticking to it.

These things all seem so simple when you see them in black and white but many people are emotional spenders and do not plan ahead. When you get caught up in this trap...you ALWAYS spend more money. ALWAYS!!

Can you imagine how much more you would enjoy your holidays with your friends and family IF... 

* you finished your gift buying weeks before Christmas

* you paid cash for all of your purchases and had no dread building in the pit of your stomach for when that credit card bill came in January

* you actually bought less and created opportunities for more 'experience based gifts' for your family members rather than things

* you had the funds available to you all year long to purchase your Christmas gifts whenever your ran across a good deal

Well I would love for you to join me here this week as we go on a journey of learning how to save time, money and stress! How does that sound to you? 

Tomorrow we'll talk about the Christmas fund...

I hope you will join us.

~ Irene

I'd like you to meet my Mom...

For months now I have been promising to feature my mom as a guest contributor on my blog.
Well it's finally time and today I am so happy to introduce my mom ~ Irene!

Mom is a pretty incredible woman!
I can truly say that I am who I am today because of her guidance and influence in my life.
She is THE most caring and giving person I know. She's super smart and incredibly wise. She is full of compassion and knows what it means to work hard at something. She also knows full well what it means to sacrifice your own personal hopes or ambitions, so that you can pour yourself into the lives of others to help them become all they were meant to be. She did that for my dad, as well as my brothers and I ...our whole...entire...lives!

On top of all of these amazing qualities, Mom has a creative eye for detail and decorating, is a wonderful cook, is SUPER organized, is INCREDIBLY DISCIPLINED when it comes to money and has an amazing 6th sense when it comes to finding bargains and sales.

When I read this scripture.. my mom definitely comes to mind:

A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds. Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it. Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her long life. She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing. She's like a trading ship that sails to faraway places and brings back exotic surprises. She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day. She looks over a field and buys it, then with money she's put aside, plants a garden. First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started. She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day. She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking. She's quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to help the poor. She doesn't worry about her family when it snows; their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear. She makes her own clothing, and dresses in colorful linens and silks. Her husband is greatly respected when he deliberates with the city fathers. She designs gowns and sells them, brings sweaters she knits to the dress shops. Her clothes are well made and elegant, and she always faces tomorrow with a smile. When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly. She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive. Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise: "Many women have done wonderful things, but you've outclassed them all!" Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear of God.
                                                                                                               Proverbs 31 (The Message Bible)

I thought it would be of great benefit for many of us to have Mom guest post on my blog ....sharing her insights and wisdom, as well as testimonies of God's amazing provision and goodness throughout the years.
I have asked her to particularly focus on ways to help save us money and find good deals going into the holiday season! I hope you enjoy as she shares helpful ideas and tips throughout this week and in future weeks to come.
PS: Make sure to comment and ask questions if you have any. She'd love to get feed back and/or answer you.

Blessings!
Brandy

Re-freshed and Re-newed...

A weekend or two ago my college friend Shelley and I were absolutely blessed by my mom with a girl's overnight road trip to Canton, TX!!
Talk about fun!!The three of us had more fun than should be allowed. 

For those of you who don't know about Canton... it has pretty much got to be the world's largest flea market. We walked all over that place for 2 days and maybe covered 1/4 to 1/3 of the grounds.

I had no idea that the creative part of my mind had just been shriveling up and turning to dust...but it was!
I tell you, just having the time to walk around and experience the creativity of all of the vendors, seeing TONS of re-furbishing ideas, and being inspired by all of the unique wares for sale....
WOW!!! It was like Six Flags for my mind!

I came home and literally started filling up a sketch book with projects I want to conquer. One inspiration leads to another....and another....
The weather was rainy, chilly and BEAUTIFULLY fall! The junk food was DELICIOUS!! And the company was just PERFECT!!

I don't know if you have a special "Canton" getaway in your life but I want to encourage you to do something special for yourself that will bring rest and renewal to your heart and soul. It doesn't have to be an overnight road trip to get you going....but find something special you LOVE to do and make time for yourself to do it! Take care of YOU!

I bet it will bless your socks off!!
Brandy

Giving treasured items new life...

A beautiful theme throughout the Bible is that God makes "all things new". Yes, He creates the "new" that is "brand new" but my favorite thing about God is that He loves to take that which is old, worn out, broken, dirty, cracked, and seemingly useless and He makes it new!! He is the renovator and the restorer. How creative it that!

He continually inspires me and the workings of my hands and mind.
Because of that, I thought I would share this opportunity with you..

If you have broken trinkets or worn out treasures lying around that you just can't part with (maybe something of sentimental value) and you would like to give them new life... I'd love to talk with you.

New life...
I enjoy the creative challenge of working with all sorts of "mediums/textures" to make one of a kind, unique  pieces you will love yourself or pass on in your family for years to come.

Examples: 
*broken jewelry/old watches
*antique/heirloom pieces
*old pictures
*awards/ribbons
* sentimental lace
* cards and invitations
* old letters
* newspaper clippings
* military medals/honors
* favorite old neckties
* keepsake handkerchiefs
* and on and on...

You get the idea...
We can turn your priceless treasures into functional jewelry pieces, brooches, shadow boxes, picture frames, trinket boxes, pillows, etc. It's a wonderful chance to"think outside of the box" and have some creative fun!

Here are some examples of what I am talking about: 
Most jewelry pieces begin at $30 and go up from there...

1. This picture shows "parts" from a client's favorite purse. The purse strap broke and she was no longer able to use it...

However after "reworking it" she was able to use it once more...

2. "reworking" a special brooch into a necklace...

3. "reworking" a broken dragonfly pin and special keepsake cross pendant...

4. old family pictures "re purposed"...

The possibilities are endless!!

To encourage...
I also cherish the opportunity to honor someone's life or family in a unique way by personalizing things like centerpieces/bouquets for weddings, funeral sprays, and remembrances of loved ones on anniversaries, birthdays and during holidays.

Here is an example of a remembrance piece:
This funeral spray honored the life of an amazing young man who loved God with his whole heart. In learning about Ben, I heard over and over again how he loved, honored, and preferred others instead of himself. He was a powerful young man of God and a warrior for Jesus. He claimed Daniel 3:16-18 as his life scripture!!

First, I arranged these palms, fresh roses, snow berries, and blue thistles into a 4 foot standing easel and then I personalized and attached this beautiful metal shield with a cross, Ben's name and his scripture reference in the center of the arrangement. The shield could later be removed by his family as a treasured keepsake.

FYI: An arrangement similar to this one runs approx. $150 and up.
My fresh flower arrangements are only available for delivery within the Dallas/Ft.Worth area.
The flowers cannot be shipped but personalized items can.

How can I help create a one of a kind treasure for you or someone you love?? 
I am already accepting orders now for the upcoming Christmas holidays.

Blessings my friends!
Brandy

Grand opening!!

Hi there!!

Today I am launching an online flea market!

It's called Feather Your Nest...a Fun and Funky Market Place!

I hope you will take a minute to stop by and check it out!
More and more items will be added daily so make sure to stop by often.
Perfect timing to shop for the upcoming holidays.

http://www.funandfunkymarketplace.blogspot.com/

Please share with your friends!

Blessings!
Brandy

My Love of Cinnamon...

I have a deep passion for cinnamon....

I love it in candles, and room scents but my greatest love of cinnamon is in food!
There is something comforting and familiar about the scents of something cinnamon baking in my oven. I am thrilled that my little nephew loves it almost as much as I do because that means I can bake special treats for him and every last bite will be savored and deeply appreciated.

So in honor of dear cinnamon I thought I would share a very simple, yet delicious recipe that I have recently acquired. It is probably my favorite morning treat. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Mini pull-apart Monkey Breads:

Note:
I use frozen biscuits instead of canned because I think they turn out much lighter and fluffier.
Canned biscuits will work fine, though. 

On a microwaveable plate thaw 6-8 frozen biscuits for 3-4 min. You are only trying to bring them close to room temperature where they are pliable and easily pulled apart.

Line a cupcake pan with a dozen cupcake papers. The taller the papers are ...the better.
It holds in all the goodie!!

Melt 1/2 a stick of butter in the microwave. Set aside.

Mix about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of sugar with 2 tablespoons of fresh ground cinnamon in a separate bowl and set aside.

Pull the biscuits apart into 6-8 pieces and toss in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Spoon about 4-6 pieces of sugared biscuits into a cupcake liner. Add a spoonful of the cinnamon mixture on top and then drizzle about a tsp or so of the melted butter on top.  Do this for each cupcake liner. (6-8 frozen biscuits should make a dozen monkey breads.)

Bake at 375 degrees for 12 min.

For a delicious glaze my favorite trick is to buy a tub of cream cheese cake frosting and thin it down just a bit with some milk and drizzle it over the top of the monkey breads once they come out of the oven.

However if you do not have the  tub frosting on hand, you can also mix a cup of powdered sugar with a tsp of vanilla and 1-2 tablespoons of milk. This should make a simple thin, pourable glaze.

Since the mini monkey breads are in cupcake liners - they are easy to handle and don't make a big mess during clean up. 

These monkey breads are also perfect for a big family meal or for freezing. You can just pull out how many you need for the next day's breakfast.

I hope they are a BIG hit at your house!!
Let me hear from you...

Blessings,
Brandy