12 Favorite Pictures of 2024

 I always like to look back on the past year and pictures are my favorite ways to store memories.

Here is my favorite picture from each month in 2024...

January.

At the Burger Bar in Ft. Wayne. 

The kids LOVE this tradition!

February

Twinning with my Dance Mom Duet Partner.

I am so thankful that dance brought us together with the Sichting Family. 

They are friends who we've chosen to be family. 

March.

Disney Princess: The Concert

Annabeth and I had a wonderful night out. She loved

putting together this dress up outfit for our special date night.

April.

Owen moved up to Kid Pitch in Baseball this year.

It was a HUGE learning curve for him but he put in

so so so many extra hours of practice. We're so proud of him for doing

tough things with a great attitude!

May.

Mark and I spent a Monday-Friday at the Walt Disney World Resort

for our 15th Wedding Anniversary. I am so grateful that my parents came up to keep

the kids and Oscar for the week. We had great weather, beautiful resorts, and such a 

wonderful time reconnecting, goal setting, and planning our next Disney trip.

June.

Mr. O turned 9. He had an Elvis themed party, got a new big bicycle, and

made us all laugh 10000 times over the summer. He's such a ham and we can't 

wait for him to harness all of that energy and enthusiasm for good!

July.

Owen spent a week in Evansville and we got a whole week with just

Annabeth. As a homeschool mom, I spend a lot of my time with the kids as 

teacher and mom so it's always nice to have fun friend time with the kids too!

August.

Over the summer, we kicked off our tour of Indiana's 92 counties. 

It's been fun to visit places as a family and also with extra family members and friends.

This picture is in New Harmony, Indiana at a place where my family has been

taking pictures for generations!

September.

We took a long weekend trip to Michigan City for my sister's birthday.

We enjoyed two nights of sunset dinners at the beach. 

The water calls to us all - we're beach people!

October.

Annabeth turned 13.

We cannot believe we've been gifted 13+ years with our Miracle Girl!

We're so thankful for the light and love she brings to the world!

November.

Thanksgiving Day.

Mark was on call, and did work, nearly all of Thanksgiving Weekend.

We were glad we had opted to stay home with him so he did have people

to spend his time off with. We hosted for the first time ever which felt quite special to me.

December.

We took the long way home one night to look at lights in the fog.
Our downtown is truly like a Hallmark Movie set.

2024 was a year to treasure. We had some tough battles, fought quietly, as we sought to live our quote for the year:

"The happiest people do the most for others"

- Booker T. Washington

A little bit more...

 

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,

stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” - Dr. Suess' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

This year our church Advent Study was based on a book about the Grinch. In our household, we've never placed a great emphasis on fancy food, elves, piles of presents, etc instead opting for a small, simple Christmas within our home. We love holding space for quiet, for peace when the world around us feels so busy. 

This year Christmas Eve was simple: sleeping in, watching "Home Alone" while eating cheese pizza like Kevin, and church at 7. Mark ended up working the afternoon, I went to Immediate Care thanks to an ear infection, we ate freezer pizza instead of homemade, and then we went to the most beautiful church service. 

Our church holds a 7 PM Service of Light. We had been to Christmas Eve before but always the Family Service. This year we felt everyone was old enough for the later service and WOW! The service begins with Christmas songs and then our pastors began the reading of the Word with "In the beginning..." The church begins fully lit and covered in candles. As we weave our way through the Word, away from God's creation of light and into the darkness that came into the world with sin, the church darkens. By Isaiah, the church is completely dark. Never have I sung "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" while standing in complete darkness. Feeling that physical darkness while hearing the Isrealites pleas from their spiritual darkness was such a profound moment for me.  I felt what the world felt while they waited for Jesus - HOPE. 

On the way home, Annabeth said "That was the best service I have ever been to. I felt it in my heart."

I asked them to get ready for church.

This is what they did. 

No green. No red. No holiday special outfits.

They took the "come as you are" invitation literally.

Our Christmas morning began with a gift for Mama and Dad, the kids slept in! We didn't get to presents until 8 which was glorious! After a slow morning at home, we took lunch over to Mark's mom's house. We enjoyed lunch with her, Luke, and the kids. 

Christmas Evening we headed back to church to help with the Christmas Dinner. Instead of doing Advent Meals or church meals for the church family during December, our church does a full day of meals for the public on Christmas. We serve hours of delivery and drive through meals and then do 2 full hours of sit-down-service meals. I love how beautiful the hall looks with gorgeous tables and decor. We welcome guests into our hall and serve salad, a full meal, dessert, and offer conversation with those who come alone. We welcome families, singles, the elderly, people who use our church during the week for meetings, and some people for the only time all year.

Both of our kids said the highlight of Christmas was serving dinner and sharing time with everyone. 

Christmas is about so much more than trees, ribbons, bows, or the presents we will open. Christmas is made special by that feeling. That warm wonderful feeling of Hope, of Peace, and of Love. 

May the Love of Christ be with you today and always. If that Love, the Hope of Christmas, the Peace of Christ is something you are not familiar with. Please ask! We'd love to share about the One who came for the world. For YOU. 

Frugal Friday 565

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Mark worked overtime and did some custom sewing work with his side business. I worked my travel business and helped clients plan last minute Christmas trips as well as Spring Break trips. Is travel on your 2025 plans? Let's plan together - a.riley@magicalvacationplanner.com

- Friday afternoon some of us had eye doctor appointments. We took a long an old RX set of glasses to donate. They were surprised and thankful for the donation. 

- Friday evening we had "fun dinner" - nachos - and then went to the library's Merry Prairie event. This event was smaller and less crowded than other years which was great! As always, the highlight was seeing the live reindeer. This year though, we noticed the kids were truly too old for it. Thankfully they each ran into some friends to hang out with. On the way home, Mark took the long way and surprised us by driving through the Masonic Home and downtown to see all of the beautiful lights. 

- I mentioned last week that we had purchased dance shoes on Cyber Monday. Unfortunately, the pair we ordered for Annabeth were too small. The company we buy them from requires us to pay shipping from them and also to return. Thankfully, I was able to sell them to another dancer at our studio for what we paid for them saving the $7 to return. 

- Saturday we spent the morning volunteering at our church's Potato Drop. We helped give out a HUGE amount of potatoes. Before we volunteered at this event, I always thought it was kind of silly - how could just handing out bags of potatoes help anyone? You would be amazed at the stories and kindness we encouter each year. 

- Sunday after church we drove down to Charlestown. We watched our Godson win his school league championship basketball game, celebrated Ebling-Riley Christmas, and saw the beautiful downtown Charlestown Christmas display. The Eblings hosted and cooked dinner so we brought fun coffee drinks, fruit cups, and dessert. I always help with dishes and clean-up. We are thankful to have officially kicked off our holiday season!

- Tuesday the kids and I made cut out Christmas cookies and decorated with icing and sprinkles. This was an item on our Christmas Bucket List. We make my friend Katelyn's amazing recipe and in honor of her we always give them away like she does. Owen took some to his Scout Christmas party, we served them at our Wednesday playdate, and took some to friends.

Icing and decorating

- We took a meal to a friend who just had Baby #4. We took pasta bake, bread, salad, and some of our Christmas cookies. 

- The kids wrapped each other's Christmas gifts this week. I was so incredibly proud of the kids and their choices of gifts for each other! Owen chose to support two small, local artists in his gift for Annabeth and Annabeth opted to shop a used bookstore, vs new, and was able to get Owen three books instead of one new. They both stayed in budget and found things the others would love. 

- We took our annual Hot Cocoa Walk with Owen. We prepare it at home from scratch and then walk downtown looking at lights together. It's such a special time together for Mark, Owen, and me. 

- Mark had the Coroner's Office Christmas party last night. The Coroner always treats his staff to a nice dinner and small gifts. Mark enjoys the evening each year. 

This week we had our final medical appointments, we hope!, of the year. One of which was a follow up to many appointments from the spring. One of us was awaiting news and test results. Last spring there was talk of surgery. I've been praying each day that the Lord would see fit to change that ending for us. This week we received the wonderful, amazing news that surgery will NOT be needed as the body is healing itself! Friends, I asked God for this specific thing every.single.day. It was a BIG ask but I knew I was talking to the One who could make it happen. Don't ever be afraid to take the smallest or biggest asks to God - he cares for them all! 

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 564

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Last week, Annabeth came home from dance and announced that one of her classes was doing a "Secret Santa." I am excited that she's got a great group of girls to dance with BUT we were nearly done with our Christmas shopping. In the end, once we looked at her Secret Santa's wishlist, I saw that I could make her gift work from items in our gift tote. Over the year, when I find a great deal I stock up on little things and add them to gifts across the year. It's getting harder as the kids are older and their friends want more specific things but in this instance she is a Harry Potter fan and we easily made that work! I am thankful that Annabeth understood the monetary value of the gift we were giving without the need to spend money out of pocket now.

- Saturday morning the boys helped with an Eagle Scout project in Indianapolis. I am so proud of Owen for going along to each project, learning new skills, and being willing to put in a lot of work. 

- Friday and Saturday evenings Mark and Annabeth had little dates. They ate pizza, browsed some local shops, and enjoyed time together. I think alot of dads aren't sure what to do with tween/teen daughters and I am really thankful that Mark keeps learning about things that interest Annabeth (like Harry Potter, sewing, etc) so he can continue to relate to her and spend time with her in a meaningful way.

- Friday night Owen I had a dress rehearsal and then Saturday afternoon/evening we participated in Prince of Peace's Bethelehem Walk. My friend Bethany (who was my middle school/high school camper many moons ago) is the coordinator of the event and it was great fun to play "leather merchants." My favorite part of the night, other than sharing the Gospel with 900+ guests, was cleaning up with Bethany and her girls. Watching Owen and her girls work together was such a special thing!

Leather Merchants

We were both thrilled to see the live camel.

The farmer was from outside Owensboro so we talked Kentucky as well!

- Tuesday night the kids had their dance Christmas party. They took along their teacher gifts - little bags of chocolates. (Thank you to my mom for helping with that!) Annabeth won some "Elf" socks and Owen won a Target gift card. They were quite pleased.

- Wednesday evening Mark, Owen, and I spent 4 hours wrapping gifts at the police department Christmas Wrapping Party. The police department coordinated gifts for over 100 families this Christmas. We are thankful to be able to serve our community in this way.

- The kids have been taking some library classes. Annabeth enjoyed creating circuits to make light-up Christmas cards. She is planning to give these as gifts to friends. Owen has been taking some Lego STEAM classes. I am so thankful for our libraries and their amazing classes that are free to us! 

- Last night I enjoyed the final mom's event for our co-op for the semester. My friend Billie hosted a Hallmark Movie Night. We each brought snacks/treats to share. It was a wonderful evening out!

Small Frugal Fail: Last Friday, we enjoyed the day at the Indiana State Museum with friends. A friend planned it as a field trip so the kids were free and our group just had to pay for a certain number of adults. We spread that fee over all the adults and each paid $8.50. While it was a savings off regular price, we could have gone completely free with a library pass. 

Tomorrow, we invite you to join us at Grace UMC in Franklin for our Annual Potato Drop! These potatoes are free for the public and we welcome you coming to pick some up. Even if you are not in need, you are more than welcome to come pick up for homebound neighbors, single parents, elderly people, etc that you  may know who could be blessed by extra food this season.

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 563

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Mark worked quite a bit of overtime. Unfortunately, the holidays are a very busy time of year for him. I also worked my travel business as I had guests traveling for Thanksgiving and many preparing to be gone for Christmas/New Year's.

- Friday we decorated the house for Christmas. I did a whole post on how we made old things "new" to dress up our 2024 holiday season. Always shop your shelves first! 

- Mark and I each spent some time in Owen's room and closet helping him get organized. At nine, he's beginning to bridge that gap between kid and tween and his room was really chaotic. Thankfully he was open to the help and did a great job sorting, creating new systems, and passing many things on. 

- Saturday evening we had Thanksgiving at our friends' house. They combine some family with some friends and do one big meal. We took along corn casserole and brownies. Mark got called into work so part way through so they sent home leftovers for him and Miss Shar sent home some of her delicious Chex mix for me. 

- Our pastors are doing a Grinch themed Advent Series. Both Annabeth and I serve on the Children's Ministry Team. Our team hosted an all ages "Grinch-In" (potluck) Sunday after church complete with food, games, Bingo, and a showing of the old Grinch cartoon. We took along trukey roll-ups (on spinach tortillas to help with the theme), Ramen slaw, and chocolate dipped pretzels with Grinch green sprinkles. Mark's mom joined us for church and the event. It was a great Sunday! 

- We each won a round of Bingo. The kids each chose Grinch cups with candy. I was the first one to win and Pastor Susan jokingly offered leftover spaghetti noodles - I happily took them as my prize! Mark cooked them up with onions, meat, and tomato sauce for dinner Sunday night. What a prize!

- We shopped Cyber Monday for the kids' dance shoes. The lists, thankfully, came out Monday and we were able to save $60 with Cyber Monday Deals!! This was very, very exciting! Owen needs the same pair each year and this is the first time I have ever found them on sale. With our huge savings we got three pairs for the price of two! 

- Wednesday morning Owen and I had a free coffee date. I cashed in a free coffee on my Starbucks app and Owen used a Scooter's coupon from the dance studio. We wouldn't have stopped without the coupons and were excited for the treat! 

- I had a friend wrap up a Cards for a Cause fundraiser with my PaperPie business. Her girls will be taking horseback riding lessons and they will be using the proceeds from their fundraiser to help cover those costs. I love helping people with this fundraiser! Want to run your own? Ask me how. 

- Wednesday night Mark and Annabeth had their Christmas Date. On our Christmas Bucket List, Annabeth had requested an Oreo and Christmas Light Date with Mark. He surprised her by picking her up from dance class and they drove around looking at lights, eating Oreos, and drinking homemade hot chocolate.

- Yesterday was our homeschool co-op Christmas party and bazzar. Families can volunteer to have a table at the event if they want. This year Annabeth made scrunchies and keychains to sell. Owen made fuse bead crafts and homemade cookies. They each took a lot of care putting together their items over the past few months by using items we already had on hand.  

Ready to celebrate the season!

Thankful for four years of learning together with our co-op.

- We did not take money to shop at the Christmas Bazaar. I realize that can feel counterproductive as our kids took things to buy, which means someone needed to buy them to make money, but it wasn't in our budget to shop. Owen did choose to spend some of his money as he earned it yesterday but we didn't spend any additional funds. It was what worked for us at this time. 

- Last night we had our annual Christmas with the Kranks movie night. We always make a ham (like in the movie) and this year we added rolls, salad and tried a new macaroni&cheese recepie from a magazine that Momaw gave us. The kids ask to do this every year and love this tradition! 

As we head into the holidays, one of the things on everyone's minds is budgets/money/finances. This time of year we can really feel how much (or little) there is in our budgets. It seems like every day is a new opportunity to buy a gift, donate to a cause, support a fundraiser, or chip in for a group event. 

It is the most wonderful expensive time of the year! 

I just want to share a gentle reminder: whatever you have, whatever you can give this year - it's enough. 

From the beginning we've done "small" Christmases for our kids without a lot of fanfare around the actual gifts and more around visiting with others, church services, looking at Christmas lights, and being with friends. Even still, we're aware that our kids will open far more than others. At the beginning of the holiday season, we have the kids make their bucket list and then we stick to it. Unless an opportunity presents itself that is free or completely within our budget - we say "no thank you." Can that feel awkward? You bet! Do I wish we could see every play, musical, and ice show - absolutely! Do I wish we could get every item on our kids' wishlist - maybe! 

In the end though, this holiday season is just that - a season. We have the whole rest of the year to live and we need to be mindful and careful about what we spend on our money on and how we spend it. I pray that each of you can find a way to move through this season in a way that is joyful and honoring of your financial goals. 

Happy Savings to All! 

"Brand New" Christmas Trees 2024

 A few weeks ago, Owen and I were in Walmart looking at Christmas lights. He has been asking for years to put Christmas lights outside, something we haven't done since Christmas 2010, I finally agreed and we spent $19 on lights for outside. While there, we were surprised by how many affordable Christmas trees they had. Since it was not the purpose of our trip, we did not buy any trees but I have been thinking about them since then.

Our first family Christmas tree was a hand-me-down from Mark's parents. They upgraded during a move and we happily took their old one. It worked in our apartment, first house, and in our current home for many years. One Black Friday, the lights had all died, it looked very sad and straggly, and so Mark bought us a 7 ft tree. It's been a great tree for us! We each receive at least 3 new ornaments each year (we buy each other one, each of the kids one, and the grandparents all give one to each of us) so our tree was very full last year. We were all a little disappointed that we weren't able to put everything on the tree last year which is what led to thinking of a new one. 

With lots of other things to spend money on, another tree just didn't feel like a top priority for Mark or me and so we made our old things new this year...

Somewhere along the line, hanging the star became the 

MOST beloved event of the year. The kids alternate years

and Annabeth was thrilled that it was her year. 

I love the joy on each of their faces. 

Our Christmas Tree

It's wired with white lights that have gone out. A few years ago, we purchased these inexpensive colored lights and have kept it rolling right along.

This year it's the "Kid's Tree" filled with their ornaments. They loved decorating it all on their own.

The star is a vintage star that we found at the Lynville Coal Mine Garage Sale.

Two years ago, Mark surprised me with this wreath. 

It's wired with lights. We do colored for Christmas and then keep it

up through March with white lights. This year Mark added some

colorful, sparkly ornaments to display some favorites that didn't fit on the kids' tree.

The deer are vintage that we purchased while engaged, the handpainted sign is from the CUMC

craft fair, the nativity was purchased at the 2008 Lakeview Dinner Auction, and I made the 

Christmas quilt square box many years ago.

This little tree is my most treasured Christmas piece.

I have loved it since I was a little girl and am so glad for a house with

big kids so I can have it out without fear of it being broken.

My Dad made this tree from wood from my childhood home.

We've had it on our porch several years but decided to put it indoors

this year so we can enjoy seeing it each day. I plan to keep up through the winter for the 

"happy light" that it gives off in our Reading Corner.

We have had this little tree for several years. It's a hand-me-down from my Momaw.

We left it in the attic the last three years because our house in basically one big 

open room, it felt too busy to have several trees out. BUT since we were looking at new trees, 

we opted to save that money and repurpose a tree we already had. This had been 

a prelit, predecorated tree but Mark just snipped off the giant ornaments and bows. We left

the pinecones and sparkly snow pieces and added all of our Disney ornaments to make it our

very first Disney tree! Total Cost: $0 

Every year since we started dating in 2006, Mark and I just gift each other

ornaments (never gifts) at Christmas. This year we began a new tradition of choosing a single 

ornament together. We picked this out at Magic Kingdom during our 15th Anniversary Trip.

When we got engaged, Mark and I decided that we only ever wanted antique, homemade, vintage, or truly meaningful holiday decor. Over the years, we've collected hand-me-downs, antique items, thrifted items, but never just random storebought items to fill spaces. I love that we have things from multiple generations of our families. I love having items we've found together on our travels. I love that our kids spent hours decorating, oohing and ahhing over ornaments while telling stories. Our home has four trees this year, all within sight of each other, we are never going to win a decorating award, but our home is cozy, filled with items that we love.

Before you go out and buy holiday decor - decide if what you have is enough. 

See if what you already own can be used in a new way. 

Dare to imagine a small, simple Christmas focused on a baby Who came for us all. 

Frugal Friday 562

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Last Thursday evening to Sunday afternoon we were down south with my family. We were very excited that Mark was able to take Friday off to come along. My parents treated us to sushi dinner on Thursday evening and we caught up with our friend Helen there.

- Friday was our "Thanksgiving." Us ladies prepped the table, cooked, and such while my dad worked and Mark/Owen ticked three counties off of our count. They checked out Sullivan, Pike, and Knox counties.  Mark was especially excited to spend a long morning in Vincennes so he could show Owen where he spent his college years. For Thanksgiving my mama made turkey, rolls, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes two ways, and pumpkin pie. My sister made our family potstickers and dressing. I brought along apple dumplings. 

- Saturday we spent the day in Owensboro. We took a mini Thanksgiving to Momaw and enjoyed having the whole day with her. Some of the group went down to the river for an evening light show and holiday walk while others stayed back to visit with Momaw. I am so thankful for the precious gift of time.

- After church on Sunday, Mama, Mark, and Annabeth made a Costco trip. We did have a membership one year (we received it as a Christmas gift from Mark's mom) but did not renew it since several family members have one and we just tag along with them. Thank you to my mom for the gift of some groceries from this trip! She also sent home leftover marshmallows and stuffing mix from the weekend. 

- Monday morning we woke up without water. There was an issue in our town with the water. We went most of the morning without water and I was, at first, frustrated as I had hoped to knock out the weekend laundry. However, I quickly remembered a friend in North Carolina who just posted last week that they are finally not under a boil-water-advisory after the hurricane. They went more than a month without safe water - it was a good reminder that a morning wasn't any time at all. 

- Mark and I had a little date Monday evening while the kids were at a class. We used a buy one, get one free coupon to get sandwiches at Penn Station. We also picked up our library holds and ran into WalMart for a few items that had accidentally not come on our grocery order. It wasn't big or fancy but we didn't look at screens, held hands in the store, and enjoyed time together. 

- Tuesday my sister came to visit. She took Annabeth out on a special date for pizza lunch and to the Lego store. This was her birthday gift for Annabeth and she LOVED having a special day with just Aunt Lu. Annabeth chose a Harry Potter Lego set and they also cashed in free earring coupons at Claire's.

- While they had their date, my Dad, Owen, and I did Lawrence and Jackson Counties. In Lawrence Co, we had brunch at Magic Morning Bakery and the boys spent some time at the Army Surplus Store. In Jackson County we had lots of free fun at the Visitor's Center, John Mellencamp Mural, walking downtown, and then we visited the Reno Gang Graves. The Reno Gang committed the first train robbery in the whole United States just outside Seymour!

- Yesterday we hosted Thanksgiving for Mark's mom and us. Mark was on-call for the holiday for several agencies so we stayed home from a big family trip to IL to see the rest of the Rileys. Kristi brought turkey burgers and many sides. We made homemade Mac&Cheese, mashed potatoes, rolls, and the kids each baked their own homemade dessert. 

Mark worked the early morning hours and then

went out again after lunch. Thankful for part of Thanksgiving with him

and for all those who work holidays. He's been back to work this morning already.

- After a snacky dinner last night, I got a good outdoor walk in. It was just above freezing and gorgeous with all of the neighborhood Christmas lights. After my walk, we piled in the car to check "Look at Christmas Lights" off our Christmas Bucket List with a special stop at Christmas Acres. It was beautifully done and we loved that it was free! They do collect food for the InterChurch Food Pantry so we were happy to talk along cans for that. 

- Ahead of Black Friday, I did shop two sales. I was in need of winter boots (saved $20 on those) and also new tennis shoes (saved $40 on these). I typically buy tennis shoes every other year on Black Friday Sale. The new ones become my good walking ones and the old pair become my yard shoes. 

As today is Black Friday, it's a good time to remember that it's only a good deal if you need it. Don't need it? Don't even really want it? Don't spend the money!

Happy Savings to All!

Frugal Friday 561

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money:

- On Friday, the kids went shopping for the Angel Tree at church. In the past, they have been able to shop for a toy, book, or game but this year our church is just doing giftcards. The organizer said that often times the teenagers get overlooked when people buy or they end up with gifts that are too young for them. SO this year our church is donating gifcards for teens to open. Each of the kids chose a restaurant giftcard. It wasn't quite as much fun as shopping for toys for others but they were each very throughtful in their shopping.

- I got an awesome coupon code in my e-mail from Shutterfly. I was able to make some photo items and only paid for shipping. Saved: $64.85!

- Saturday we drove down to Orange County and explored the French Lick and West Baden Resorts. It was the West Baden tree lighting and we enjoyed that along with a beautiful light show. I was looking forward to showing the kids these sights and it was it even more special at Christmas!

We had so much fun getting dressed up for the evening!

We walked to find safe dinner and it was great to explore the 

grounds while we walked. We can't wait to go back

to stay sometime!

The tree after the lighting duuring the light show

- Even though we got home late from the French Lick, the boys camped out in the backyard. They had a new tent they had been wanting to try and figured they should do it before the weather turned really cold later in the week. 

- Sunday after Sunday School and church we had lunch at Mark's mom's house. She served one of the kids' favorite meals and sent home lots of leftovers. Thank you Kristi!

- We had a busy week but I was reminded again and again how BLESSED we are to be busy! I am so thankful that this holiday season will be filled with get-togethers, family, and friends vs four years ago when we celebrated socially distant.

- One of us had a very expensive medical test run. We were both relieved and thrilled when the letter came that our insurance covered it in full! We are SO thankful for that! We have had many, many times when the bill would have come and been nearly full price so we are truly so grateful for good coverage from Mark's work. 

- After our Aldi shopping spree last week, I reigned in our spending this week with a $41 grocery bill. It helped that we had several meals with family/friends so we were taking a long just a few dishes or dessert. 

- While in Indy this week, we picked up some small gifts. The shop's profits all benefit the Riley Cheer Guild and we were more than happy to support that cause that we love.

We are looking forward to a week with family!

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 560

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Saturday and Sunday the boys camped in Brown County. This was to make-up for the camping trip they missed earlier this fall due to the hurricane. They tagged along with some friends this weekend and chipped in for food. The group also needed firewood so Mark took our pile from the backyard. We cut down a tree earlier this year and just saved the wood - now we know why! It was great to chip in without having to spend any money!

- On the way home from camping, the boys picked up Monroe County for our count as they had lunch at Mother Bear's Pizza just off IU's campus. Owen loved the pizza, cheesebread, and writing on their walls!

Pizza!

- While the boys were gone, Annabeth and I had a Twilight movie marathon weekend. In the middle of watching the movies, we cleaned house, did the final lawn mow of the season, went to a meeting for church, and went to Sunday School/Church. 

- Owen has stopped taking a medicine that he has taken for several years. While it was only $10/month, we are excited to have that $120 a year back in our medical budget! We've had a very, very expensive medical year with more bills coming so I am thankful for every penny we can save towards those bills. 

- Mark had the holiday off on Monday and so he did a long needed project of replacing our water heater. He has been limping it along with little, inexpensive fixes since 2018 but it was finally time. Mark purchased the water heater and then had a friend help him install it. We saved hundreds vs having a plumber do all of the work. 

- Mark dragged the old water heater down to the street with the hope that someone would pick it up in a day or two for scrap. Someone did the next day! Since we didn't have to pay the transfer station fee we saved: $50

- We had another big expense this week as our main car needed new tires. We have known since the summer that it was coming so we have been saving. We ended up missing some good rebate deals over Labor Day Weekend and mistakingly thought they would reappear at Columbus or Veteran's Day. They did not so we went ahead with the purchase this week as it was absolutely time! We did save 10% thanks to a First Responder Discount. 

- My friend Cat told me how she and her kids shop for groceries "based on their vibes." I have been thinking about it since she told me and we did it on Tuesday. We stopped at Aldi, which we never shop at, and Owen was thrilled to learn about the quarter system. We roamed the aisles, made up a menu as we went along, and the kids thought it was great fun! We did spend $90 which is $15 more than usual but they had crab cakes that we couldn't resist. I did another small grocery trip at Kroger to pick up what Aldi didn't have safely for Annabeth. Our budget can't stand to do this often but it was a fun on a week when I had zero motivation to meal plan or prep.

- We cleaned out our winter wear tote. The kids had several sock hats and mittens that were too small. I washed them and we took over to a Little Free Pantry. 

- My friend Alisha and her boys brought a whole trashbag of clothing over for us. THANK YOU all!! Both kids ended up with new clothes that fit now and some to grow into. Some items were too small or passed over by Owen (who doesn't realize how cool Michael Jordan and Nike are) so we are taking them next month to friends who have three boys. 

- I booked a hotel stay for one of the kids' dance competitions next year. The last two times we've been in that town we've splurged on a condo with two bedrooms and a kitchen as we were there many days. This year the schedule should be a quick in-and-out with most of our time being spent dancing. We're saving $1000 off what we paid last year by doing a hotel vs condo! 

- Last night was our co-op's Friendsgiving. We had the most beautiful night of fellowship with great food and a Christmas ornament craft from the Mom's Christmas Party  Committee. I am SO SO SO thankful for friends who believe what we believe about education and that we can encourage and build each other up.

Tomorrow is our first Family Day since August!! The kids and Mark have been so incredibly busy that we've been many combinations of all of this fall but no days with ALL four of us together. I've planned a fun Indiana County surprise for everyone and I cannot wait to just be together!

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 559

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Friday evening we made homemade sushi and had family fun night. I love that our kids love simple fun!

- Saturday morning we drove and picked up three more Indiana counties. We made quick stops in Floyd and Perry counties while on our way to Spencer County. When there we spent several hours exploring Santa Claus Indiana. We saw the original post office, explored the museum and old church, shopped at the Santa Claus store, and of course got candy at the Candy Castle. My sister met us there and she and Annabeth did their annual ornament shopping. 

Santa's Candy Castle

The world's first themed attraction - opened in 1935.

I loved that Annabeth wore her Christmas sweatshirt to be themed for the day.

- After a few hours in Santa Claus, we drove on to Owensboro to surprise Momaw with a visit. I was so incredibly proud of my kids for doing the very difficult task of visiting with someone in the hospital. I told them that can feel uncomfortable, even scary to adults, and they both did it with such strength and grace. I loved that Owen had brought along a rice krispie treat from his Halloween bag to give her. She keeps these at her house for all of the great-grandkids and I thought it was the sweetest gesture that he thought to take one to her.

- When we paid our electric bill, we were thrilled to see our conservation efforts have paid off and that we saved $30 last month! We've been working very dilligently to be the best stewards that we can be!

- I cashed out my Ibotta rewards. I was able to pay two bills with it! Hooray! Want to save money with Ibotta? Join here!  

- Since Annabeth asked to make the menu and cook last week, Owen, of course, had to do it this week. He chose corn dogs + Mac and cheese + veggies, homemade stromboli, freezer pizza, chicken Alfredo + broccoli, and black bean enchiladas. Mark's decided he wants to go next week. I am loving the mental breaking from planning meals and cooking on my own!

- Mark bought two freezer pizzas from a neighbor kid. She was selling them for something for school. They weren't much more than usual freezer pizzas and it helped her reach her sales goals. They worked well into our busy nights menu over the past couple of weeks and were actually pretty good. We love supporting neighbors' and friends' kids when we can. Ask us about your next fundraiser!

- Yesterday was our first co-op class in five weeks. While I had several board and committee meetings over that time, the kids hadn't actually gotten together with friends. They were excited to see everyone. We went to a park after class. We packed lunch so it was a free day for us. 

- Last night, Mark worked Purse Bingo to benefit the Boys and Girls Club. He's been on this board for several years and while it is not a frugal activity (it takes a great deal of time, resources, and finances) it is a sacrifice we are willing to  make in our time and money budget. Mark also took a long two items to donate for auction. 

We are looking forward to a busy weekend with some fun for the boys and around the house things for us girls.

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 558

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money, spent money wisely, and made extra money this week:

- Last Friday we did a big five county circle in NW Indiana. We saw all free places - a park, college, cabin, library, and waterfall. All were closed, or dry, so it was quite the bummer of a day but we had a great time in the car together! The highlight was seeing a herd of cattle loose on their farm and in the roads. We ended up in Tippecanoe County to meet up with my sister for a weekend at Purdue. While we could have driven up very early for an event on Saturday, we decided to stay in a hotel. I found the most affordable one. When we got there, I realized it was $75 less than everywhere else because breakfast wasn't included, their pool had closed, and it needed renovations but it was fine for the night. Since I paid for the hotel, my sister treated us all to Mexican dinner. We took an after dinner walk on the canal and the kids played at a park.

- Saturday we enjoyed Purdue Space Day. The kids had a GREAT time and Lu and I enjoyed tagging along to the astronaut speech before having our own day. We walked campus and had a fantastic lunch at 8eleven on campus. Purdue has a great little hotel, coffee bar, and restaurant right on campus - I'd love to go back and stay sometime. 

- We packed along lunches for our Friday travels as well as the kids' Saturday lunch and dinner. Since we didn't splurge on eat out food, I did allow them each to pick an item at the Purdue gift shop. Gift shop shopping is a tradition with the Rileys and my kids have learned quickly that it's very fun. Annabeth chose a running jacket and O, of course, chose a stuffed animal. I was honestly okay with his choice this time as it was a NASA space bear in a Purdue shirt. 

Space Day!

Thank you to O's friend Kail who had just passed

down this NASA sweatshirt, perfect for Space Day!

- Sunday after church and Sunday school we enjoyed lunch with the Rileys. Due to fall travels and lots of sickness, it's been a while since we've been together in a big group. It was great!

- Annabeth asked to be the chef for the week. She made the menu, did the grocery shopping, and made all of our meals this week. She stuck to our $75/week grocery budget too! She made: spaghetti and meatballs + garlic knots, Italian Wedding Soup, homemade pizza and salad, taco soup, and tonight will be homemade sushi. 

- Mark and I had a quick little ice cream date at Millie's while the kids were at dance one night. They had a deal on their freezer meat (we live in a small town, ice cream and farm fresh foods come at the same place) and we saved 10% on some meat for our freezer. 

- Unlike the past few years, we have opted not to buy a beef or pig this year. While Mark really likes having the freezers full, upon doing careful math, I found that it didn't save us very much money at all over the course of the whole year. We decided instead to committ a certain portion of each week's grocery budget to meat and I think we will come out even, or ahead, on the year.

- For Halloween we had our friends and neighbors over for soup dinner before trick-or-treating. Growing up Halloween meant soup dinner and a big family night. To me it's a holiday about being with people and so we enjoyed having a group to trick-or-treat with. The kids dressed up with items from around the house. We did thrift a pair of pants for Annabeth's costume, but she will be able to rewear them in real life as well, for $5.99. 

We are looking forward to a fun weekend with more Indiana travels. 

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 557

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- The boys spent last weekend at Lakeview. One of Mark's Scouts was working on his Eagle Scout Project so the boys went along to help. Our family always donates a certain amount of money towards each Scout's project, spends the same amount on each Eagle gift, and then donates as much time as possible towards each project. We set up budgets early on as many years there are multiple Scouts working towards their Eagle and as a leader it can become very expensive. Owen had a great time helping everyone. They were done a bit early so they had lots of extra time to relax. He still said his favorite part of the weekend was building the fence!

- While they were away, Annabeth and I had a relaxing weekend. She has finished all of the Twilight books so we watched the first two movies. A new boutique opened downtown so we went to the Grand Opening. We didn't see anything we loved so we left empty handed. 

- Saturday night we went to a Fall Party with some friends. A family member of theirs owns a beautiful property south of here and their kids are always telling ours about the Halloween walk, bonfire, and games. This year they invited us to go along and we had a great time! We took brownies and Annabeth Safe food for the pitch-in.

- Owen loves to rearrange furniture and had been really wanting to move a big shelf from the school room into his room. I made a deal with him if he could keep his room and closet perfectly picked up for thirty days he could make a switch. He did it! We switched everything out Wednesday afternoon. It was also a great time to vacuum, mop, wash curtains, etc in his room and the schoolroom. I was also excited to see that the kids selected about a dozen things to pass on without me even suggesting it! I love that decluttering has become part of what we all do.

- Earlier this fall, we realized between our cars and my parents' cars we had five booster seats. We passed several of them on this week to family and friends. 

- Our grocery bill was $65.01 for the week. We have had meat/cheese/fruit/veggie lunches, breakfast has been granola with yogurt or protein drinks, and dinners have been chicken/spinach/mushrooms, keto rubeun soup, homemade pizza, and take out pizza last night. 

- We spent many hours reading aloud this week. We read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and are now working our way through the sequel. We've also added The Story into our daily Bible reading. The kids really love the way it's written, like a novel vs Bible verses, and I am so proud of how many blanks they can fill in as we read!

- Yesterday we babysat for L&C. The kids had a great time playing and I love sweet time with everyone while they are little! We had fun playing and also ran over to Tuttle Orchards to enjoy some fall fun. I've babysat for all of the nieces and nephews and I feel so blessed to have been able to help in this way.

- Yesterday afternoon, our co-op's Middle Schoolers had a pumpkin carving party. I thought this was such a cute idea that the committee came up with. We purchased pumpkins from a farm outside of Evansville a few weeks ago and I had the kids wait until now to carve them. 

Pumpkins 2024

These are the first ones they have both

completely carved alone!

We are looking forward to a really exciting weekend!

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 556

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Friday to Monday the kids and I went down to Evansville to visit my family to celebrate Annabeth's birthday. She was very excited to receive the ice cream attachment to the Kitchenaid Mixer, safe snacks, and money for our upcoming vacation. Thank you everyone!

- We spent Saturday in Owensboro having the perfect day with Momaw and Uncle Lance. Lance has been out on the road in his new RV and we loved hearing stories about his adventures (and frugal finds!) 

The sweetest Saturday!

Four generations of women together - ages 13 to 94

- Sunday after church we made our annual visit to Goebel Farm for pumpkins. We have been getting our pumpkins from there as long as I can remember and even now, most years, we take our kids there too. The farm has expanded its operation quite a bit and they now have slides, a petting zoo, etc and the kids love this fall tradition just as much as my sister and I did. 

- After the farm, we split up boys and girls. My dad took Owen to Walther's to use up some more of his punch card on mini golf and mini bowling. The ladies went to the mall to look for a short list of items. One of the items, was a confirmation dress for Annabeth. I wanted her to have something special, and new, but it falls in early spring. I knew dresses would be full price then. We looked for a summer clearance deal over the weekend. Despite the fact that I did not give her a budget, and let her try on whatever she wanted, she chose a very well priced dress that she LOVES! The way her face lit up made all the stores worth it!

- Momaw, Mama, Lu, and I all traded clothes and shoes. I came home with three new winter vests and some new tops. We also trade with the Riley ladies so I will take a bag to share this weekend. 

- On our way to and from Evansville, we checked some more Indiana counties off our list. We checked off Daviess, Owen, and Putnam. I want to be as intentional as possible about gas usage on this year long project. We did spend $15 at Gasthof Amish Village in Daviess Co. and $7 to park in Owen Co. at Cataract Falls. 

- While we were away, Mark stayed home and worked. He also celebrated Luke's birthday with the extra fun of having Matt in town. They took Luke out to dinner and cigars - choosing a time-together gift vs stuff. Matt took back a huge bag of clothes for Jenn and the girls from my sister and me as well as some gluten free tortillas. We had purchased the tortillas for company that had to cancel - we were more than happy to share. 

- I was able to shop ahead, for the first time in months, with our $75/week grocery budget. We had a funky schedule this week and into the weekend which meant we needed different kinds of food than usual. I was also able to stock up on some shelf stable items which were on sale - green beans, broths, and applesauce. Thank you to my Mama for the reminder to stock up when possible. 

- Wednesday morning, Owen went along with a friend to his homeschool club. They enjoyed a presentation from a beekeeper and playing at the library. Thank you to my friend Amanda for taking him along - he loved it! 

- I completed the new sections of the Universal Studios trainings ahead of the new Epic Universe opening on May 22, 2025! Sales open on October 22 - let me know if you'd like help with a quote or booking. 

- Yesterday, our co-op went on an optional field trip. It would have been $30 for the kids and me. While it was a cute, fall themed trip, it didn't directly go with our semester theme or anything we're studying at home. Neither of the kids were particularly interested so we saved the fee on it for gas money. We headed west for the day and traveled through Parke County looking at covered bridges, went to a bit of the Covered Bridge Festival, and stopped in Rockville at the library and G+M Variety. The kids loved the five and dime store! We drove on through Vermillion County stopping in Rileysburg and then onto Fountain County. In Fountain Co. we hiked the gorgeous Portland Arch Nature Preserve! It was by far our most beautiful hike of fall so far. Total cost for the day: $15 in gas

We had a great "Fall Break" week just two days of book work, lots of exploring, and time with people that we love.

Happy Savings to All! 

Frugal Friday 555

 Happy Frugal Friday!

Here's how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- Friday evening we celebrated Annabeth's birthday with her best friend. She asked to go to Claire's to shop and to have pizza. Claire's, thankfully!!, had some awesome deals and the girls shopped a Buy 3, Get 3 Free + $10 off coupon + 2 free pairs of earrings coupons. They were very excited and I loved watching them help each other pick the perfect crazy accessories. We picked up pizza and took it over to her friend's house. Their family's gift to Annabeth was a craft night! My friend Melissa is a Cricut Queen and helped Annabeth made a shirt and decorated a cup for her. It was the PERFECT no clutter, fun experience gift! Thank you all!

- We took a bag of dance shoes/clothes to friends and I shared some more t-shirts and shorts from the studio on our dance company Facebook page. Over the years, so many generous friends have passed company wear on to our kids so I always try to pass it on when we are done. It's a great cycle! 

- Saturday was Annabeth's 13th Birthday! Here's how we celebrated...

She spent the morning doing her dream activity: volunteering at the library book sale.

She was gifted a free bag of books for helping and it gave her SO much joy! 

Our kids always get one eat-out meal on their birthday. 

She chose the "Train Mexican Place"

Her dessert of chocie this year was ice cream sundaes with

mini marshmallows, chocolate candies, and caramel sauce 

- We have always let our kids pick one paid for activity and one eat out meal on their birthdays. They also choose the rest of the menu for the day. She chose donuts for breakfast and pizza rolls/fruit cocktail for lunch. My Aunt Nancy gifted her a Target gift card so we went there in the afternoon to pick up her choice of gift. After dinner, we had her sundaes, spent time reading, and did a living room camp-out. 

- Sunday at church we enjoyed World Communion Sunday and a Missions Fair. That evening was the church picnic, we each were to bring a dish based on the first letter of our last name. We had salads and I thought I was being creative by bringing a veggie tray assuming most people would bring potatoe or pasta salad - turns out nearly everyone brought a veggie tray. Oops! We'll remember for next year!

- Sunday afternoon, we had the Rileys over for Annabeth and Luke's birthdays. He kindly let her choose the meal: homemade pizzas - we did chicken BBQ, chicken Alfredo, and pepperoni for the little kids. I also put out Cesear Salad, raspberries, and kiwi. I made Annabeth her choice of cake - lemon with vanilla frosting. She had a great time with the cousins and enjoyed opening two gorgeous pairs of Mickey ears for an upcomg trip!

13!

- While we have finished our 2,024 in 2024 challenge, we have still been cleaning out! Last week, two totes of items left our home. This week, I cleaned out the kitchen cabinets and we donated some silverware and Tupperware to a Free Little Pantry and have some other items to donate to a local non-profit. Space for us, gifts for others!

- Last month, a generous company donated school supplies to our co-op. In the boxes, we received hundreds of children's safety scissors. Once our group had taken what they needed, I brought the excess home. We have been able to donate to 5 other organizations thanks to the excess! 

- Tuesday evening I had a board meeting. The hostess served a lovely dinner and dessert. It's always nice not to have to cook and we had a great evening making plans. I highly encourage you to put yourself in groups where leadership is in constant prayer and consideration for the group. It means so much to know others truly have the best interest of everyone at heart!

- A friend of Mark's listed some gym equipment for sale on his Facebook. Mark and I have been debating over a treadmill for a while but other things kept coming up as we saved. This one was a steal for a great, quality one so we went for it! Mark went to pick it up, ended up helping his friend move some things around in his basement, and then carried the machine up the stairs. When he was loaded up and went to pay, his friend wouldn't take the money. It was SUCH a gift to us. Thank you! 

- Last night, I took dinner to some friends. I made chicken fajitas with rice and added GF tortillas, oranges, and boxed Goodie Girl Cookies. They are receiving Meal Train meals many nights a week so I tried to take some shelf stable items so they aren't swimming in leftovers. If you would, keep "M" in prayer and as you pray please pray for healing for her.

- Last night, I was getting ready for bed when I took one last look at Facebook. I saw that, for the second time this year, people near us were seeing the Northern Lights. Depsite a great effort last time, I still have never seen them. I threw on some sweats and hopped in the car and drove until I found them! 

Northern Lights in Whiteland, IN

This is very close to what they looked like with the naked eye

Mark stayed home with the sleeping kids and saw them from our yard 

after I left. We did wake the kids up to be sure they could see them. 

What a glorious week! We've seen God answer prayers big and small this week and we're forever thankful for his love and mercy.

Happy Savings to All!