Thoughts from a Recovering Coupon Addict

I was that person.  You know, the one in front of you with 500 coupons that takes forever to check out, usually buying things I already had 40 of.  Don't those people aggravate you to no end?  Now that I'm not one of them anymore, they sometimes annoy me too!  It also amuses me, because I am not the one who is making the cashier scowl so grumpily as she scans coupons for five minutes straight. 



Here is how I became a coupon queen.  When I first read the book Shop, Save and Share by Ellie Kay, it was like a thunderbolt of revelation struck me.  Could I really clip coupons and shop rebates and get stuff for mere cents, or free?  Why yes, yes I could.  Very quickly, I mastered the art of couponing and rebating.  My bathroom closet was full to overflowing with toothpaste, deodorant, soap, and the works.   My food pantry was well-stocked with mustard, pickles, soups, cereals, and more.   And that was after sharing with my mother and others as needs arose.  My coupons, overflowing pantries,  and I existed happily for several years.  Then we started adopting a healthier lifestyle;  then we moved WAY out in the country.

No longer was I a mile or two away from Wal-greens, Eckerd, Kroger, Food Lion, and Wal-Mart.    It wasn't convenient to pick up coupons and flyers from my mom's house, or even to have a paper delivered way out to my house.  My mother-in-law tried having a paper delivered when she still lived here, and most of the time she never even got one, so she cancelled it.

It didn't bother me much, because I had found that the lifestyle God was leading us to, and the things we were using and eating the most, didn't have coupons anyway.  And that's where I currently exist.  I will occasionally use a coupon if it is for something I buy anyway.  Most of the time these days, I forget the coupon at home, so more often than not I don't use them.  It doesn't make sense to expend so much time and effort on things that I don't even use anymore, going places I don't shop at anymore.

I'm a bargain-finder at heart, though, and I thrill when I find great deals on things we use, especially when we can stock up on things on sale or clearance.  I will always love to yard sale, because it is a hobby that relaxes me, and also one that excites me when I find super deals.  We have attended the World's Longest Yard Sale in Alabama for the past two years, and anticipate going again this year.  Talk about feeding an addiction!!  Fortunately, it is short-lived, and life resumes. 

I'm relieved actually that I don't have to coupon.  I don't have much time for it, and I don't particularly want to make time for it.  There are things I never buy (like expensive steaks) because they are simply too expensive, and they aren't worth the cost in my opinion.  There are health related things I buy that some people would never spend that much money on, but we have made well-researched decisions about the things we purchase regularly, like high quality coconut oil from Azure Standard.  (This is not an affiliate link, I just love the quality of their products!)

Even though I will never be a mega-couponer again, I respect those who are and who do it conscientiously without being abusive and deceptive.   Do you coupon, or do you plan to in the future?

Blessings,

Debbie, Home at Serenity Springs (my facebook page)

Hold On Loosely - The Teapot

I had never bought a teapot for myself before.  After 42 years, I finally found one I really liked (this one on Amazon).  So I ordered it.  When it arrived here at Serenity Springs, I was very happy to have such a pretty teapot to make my homemade herbal tea mixes in.  My teapot and I were very happy together for 5 days.  Then tragedy struck.

This particular tragedy has been quite a common occurrence in the Newman house for 20+ years.  Yes, this coincides with the time our first child was born.  Along with the unending joy that children bring, came unending broken dishes, knick-knacks, van windows, and now, the beautiful knob on my lovely new teapot. 

Her name is Amber.  She is 15, and I love her bunches.  She has many gifts, but gracefulness is unfortunately not one of them.  Many items have fallen by the wayside by her hand, or foot.  She claims that she only scooted my teapot over, and somehow the lid jumped off which broke the knob.  The lid wasn't completely broken, just the center knob. 

I must admit, I wasn't pleased.  My pot was no longer flawless, and wasn't quite as pretty as before, with a big hole in the middle of the lid.  At least it still had a lid, I consoled myself.  That is, until a week later.  The same aforementioned lovely daughter bumped a plastic tub into my teapot on the counter, and BAM!  The lid was history.  A million pieces.  Bummer.  At least I still have my teapot, I consoled myself.  So far, that is.

There is no guarantee in this house that anything breakable will remain unbroken.  In fact, the Newman Law of Glass is that if it can be broken, it probably will.   Apparently, it is one of the thorns I have to endure.  It is also the reason we buy our dishes at Goodwill now, and why I don't care, and in fact embrace, the truth that none of our plates match.  If you only pay .99 for a plate, and you have no matching sets, you don't care if one gets broken.

See?  No matches!

All of this to say I have learned to hold my possessions loosely.  A lesson we all need to learn, and God used lots of broken items to reinforce the point to me.  Maybe I needed it.  My mother has a lot of nice things all over her house that need to be dusted and NOT BROKEN.  That is what I grew up with, so I probably have a gene that has a tendency to enjoy things too much.  I'm pretty sure that gene left the building crying several years ago, and that's okay.

This world is not the end of everything; the best is yet to come in Eternity.  We can't take any of it with us, so it's best to learn to hold loosely to our "stuff" now.  Personally, I have thoroughly enjoyed the journey of organizing, cleaning, reducing, giving stuff away, seeing just how little we can get along with.  I hate clutter with a passion, and with five people in this small house, it can be very challenging to avoid it.  We have done pretty well, though, and continue to sift through everything as needed.  It is so freeing!!  That's the best part.

Clutter is oppressive.  Open, organized, uncluttered spaces feel like a breath of fresh air.  It is marvelous, and I recommend it highly!  Even the baby step of spending a few minutes at a time going through problem areas makes a huge difference.  I like the tip that in going through your closet, if you wouldn't buy it at the store right now, get rid of it.  Most of us have so many clothes and shoes, we can't even get to everything to see what we have, much less ever wear all of it.

Hold loosely; love people, not things.  It's a good lesson.  As for my teapot, my husband said that someday in the not too distant future he would buy me another one and the wrecking crew can use the "old" one.  Since it is still functional, I'll probably postpone that for quite awhile, unless the rest of it gets broken.  Maybe I'll leave it on the edge of the counter....no, just kidding.

Blessings,
Debbie,   Home at Serenity Springs  

Homemade Tooth Powder that works! (to replace unhealthy toothpaste)

I made a batch of this tooth powder today.  It is super easy to make;  it took about 5 minutes from start to finish!

Our family here at Serenity Springs has been using tooth powder instead of toothpaste for at least 4 years now.  We made the switch after we started reading information on all of the added unhealthy ingredients in the store-bought formulas, including fluoride.  Learn about the dangers of fluoride HERE.

We have been seeking more natural ways to do everyday things for some time now.  I truly believe that reducing the toxins that we take into our bodies will help us live healthier lives in the long run.  This recipe is not hard to make, and once you have the ingredients, you can make several batches with them.

That being said, here's the recipe!

Homemade Tooth Powder Recipe

 4 parts bentonite clay (I used a 1/2 cup measuring cup per part.  I like big batches.  You can use whatever size measuring utensil you want)  Get bentonite clay HERE (affiliate link)

1 part baking soda

1/2 part ground cloves  You can buy bulk whole cloves HERE and grind them yourself  or you can just use 10 drops of clove oil  

10-20 drops peppermint oil  

10-20 drops tea trea oil 

10 drops cassia oil (optional)  Find Peppermint, Clove, Tea Tree, and Cassia oils HERE

If you prefer a sweeter taste, you can add 1/ 2 part Stevia, but I don't put it in our formula.

Mix all of the ingredients together in a glass jar, and shake well to distribute oils.  I pour a bit into a small bowl with a lid for actual use in the bathroom.  Apply some to toothbrush, and there you go!

The bentonite clay neutralizes the acids in your mouth which cause cavities, and acts as an abrasive cleanser along with the baking soda, which is also an acid-neutralizer.  

The menthol in peppermint oil makes a great breath freshener, and is also anti-bacterial.

Cloves are anti-bacterial and help to kill germs in your mouth.  This is also the function of tea-tree oil.  

All of these ingredients together make a POWERFUL cavity fighter.  You can also be confident in the natural ingredients instead of the questionable, unhealthy, potentially poisoning ones in commercial toothpaste formulas.  Once you have the ingredients, it is a cinch to make, and it serves our family of 5 for quite awhile before I have to make another batch.  You can also use the ingredients for other things, like using peppermint oil to treat  headaches and nausea.

Give it a try!  You won't regret it!!

Blessings,

Debbie,  Home at Serenity Springs

debthemom1971@yahoo.com 

 

Are You Rejoicing in the Wife of Your Youth?

Are you rejoicing?  Are you truly rejoicing??  Proverbs 5:18 tells us to "rejoice in the wife of thy youth".  Obviously, this verse is addressing men, but I think it applies to women as well, especially these days, to rejoice in the husbands of our youth. 

What does this mean?  It means, for starters that we have to be counter-cultural (one of my favorite words!).  Our society idolizes youth, perfection, slimness, and sexuality.  But the reality is, we age.  And I really don't think God wants us to plasticize our bodies to fit in or compete with people much younger than ourselves.  Women age, men age.  Some men get a bit of a belly.  Some women have wrinkles or larger hips or bottoms than when first married. 

I am completely in favor of taking care of oneself, and by no means should we "let ourselves go to pot".  Discipline in diet, if not in exercise, should be a part of our lives even as we age.  However, our spouses are our beloveds for life.  The odds are great that at some point, age will win the battle, and we won't look 20, or 30, or....You get the point.  That is when contentment, love, and commitment should take over. 

Men, so what if your wife doesn't look like that 20-year-old something that is always popping up on your Yahoo page, the billboard, or in front of you in Wal-mart??  Ladies, so what if he leaves his socks on the floor, has a bit of a pot belly, thinning/gray hair, and doesn't primp in the bathroom like the girly-boys of today?  Accept each other for who you are.  Actually, go past acceptance to total embrace of the glorious, aging, un-perfect (aren't we all, even the sex idols?) person you are married to. 

Don't expect your spouse to compete with the shallow, hyper-sexualized, air-blown, self-absorbed, self-idolizing men/women of today.   We shouldn't even indulge our eyes or waste one thought on all of that falseness.   Be content with what you have.  Pray for them in areas you think could use some improvement instead of nagging them about it.  One of the wisest pieces of advice I have read in the past year is to take our complaints about our spouses to God, and take our praises about our spouses straight to our spouses.  I don't think nagging EVER worked to change anybody, male or female. 

Contentment.  It is a marvelous thing.  Wisdom about the foolishness and lies that are today's culture is also a marvelous thing.  Beauty is fleeting.  Relationships built on a solid commitment regardless of looks, and regardless of circumstances, will endure, and these kinds of relationships cultivate contentment.

I just finished the book "The Last Dance but not the Last Song" by Renee Bondi.  She became a quadriplegic while engaged to a very nice young man.  He could have called the wedding off, but after thought and prayer, he committed to the marriage and has been her faithful lover ever since.  Such a wonderful commitment.  She won't ever fit the standard of sexiness of today (and neither will most of us).  However, in spite of that, and with eternal goals in mind, they stayed together and have a marvelous relationship.  Get the book inexpensively from Amazon HERE (Affiliate Link).

Let us all work to be more content in our marriages.  Let us be counter-cultural people who don't care for nor fall for the world's standards or lies.  Let us protect our eyes so that we will super-sensitized to the beauty of our spouses.  Rejoice in the husband of your youth.  Rejoice in the wife of your youth.  Love them for who they are, a glorious beloved one of God.  Be content.

Blessings,
Debbie, Home at Serenity Springs

Easy Fruit/Vegetable Soak for Better Health

Soaking your produce.  This is something so easy ANYONE can do it.  Why would anyone soak their produce?  To help remove the chemicals used in growing and processing it.  Certain fruits and vegetables can literally have dozens of different pesticide residues on them.  These pesticides add to other toxins our bodies are exposed to, increasing our toxicity and causing illness and disease.

This is a habit I have been working to establish in the past year.  It is almost an automatic habit, but not quite.  It only takes a few minutes, and I really believe the results can benefit our health with long-term use, especially with non-organic produce, but even organic can be minimally sprayed with pesticides.

With that being said, here's how to do it:

Fruit and Vegetable Soak

Add 1 cup or so of white vinegar to a pot, large bowl or your sink and fill with warm water.  Add your produce and let soak for at least 15 minutes.  I sometimes leave mine in for a half-hour;  I figure the longer, the better.  Rinse well.  You can either drain the produce dry or dry with a clean kitchen towel like I do.

 I feel like my produce is even cleaner for doing this added step.  Obviously, you wouldn't dry your greens (lettuce, spinach, kale) with a towel.  I use my salad spinner for those.  Get a salad spinner HERE (affiliate link).

I also made a list of what produce to store in the fridge and what produce to store at room temperature.  I will include that in a later post.  Storing it properly helps it to stay at its peak longer, ensuring less waste.

This is such an easy thing to do to improve our health and reduce the amount of toxins entering our bodies.

To learn about the toxins allowed in our food and household products, here is a book we own that really helped enlighten us.  It has an index in the back of the mentioned chemicals, and what the possible dangers are in using them.  The book covers food, drinks, shampoos and other personal care products, makeup, cleaners and more.  It also teaches you healthier alternatives.

Blessings,
Debbie:  Home at Serenity Springs

Wherever you are, be all there

"Wherever you are, be all there"

This is one of my all time favorite quotes, spoken by Jim Elliot, a missionary who died while ministering to the Waodoni natives in Ecuador.  If you have never seen the movie based on his story, End of the Spear, it's worth a watch. (Buy the movie "End of the Spear" HERE).  Redeeming forgiveness is the ultimate theme of this movie - something amazing to behold in its rarity and ever so hard to offer to those who have wronged us.

I digress, however, from the wonderful quote of being all there.  This subject almost writes itself in today's multi-tasking world.  This quote has haunted me the past couple of years, coming back to me at the oddest times and places.  Being completely where you are at and who you are with is an obvious concept, but can be a lofty goal without concerted effort, at least in my experience.

I confess, I still need to work on this one.  My mind can be so busy and convoluted that I lose my focus on the moment.  I want to do better; I need to do better.  Don't you hate being a distracted, mind-busy mess that can't even enjoy the precious moments of the day?

Can you imagine the rewards if we mastered the art of being all there for our kids, our husbands, our wives,  or anyone else who is sharing time with us?  I pray this quote continues to come back to me when I fall prey to distraction.  There will be times when we are pulled in several directions, but I think we can make it a habit more than not to try to slow down and focus on one thing at a time, enjoying each moment to the fullest.

It certainly sounds a lot more peaceful to the soul, as well, does it not?


Blessings,
Debbie, Home at Serenity Springs

Finding Balance

Like many, I have found myself to be a grand failure at resolutions.  Instead, I have started making short and long-term goals that I can work on throughout the year.   Almost the same thing, but not quite.  To me at least, goals are more permanent changes I want to make in my life, and all baby-steps in those areas are welcomed and rejoiced over.

One of the things I would like to change this year is to try very HARD to focus more on all things positive, and less on anything negative.  This applies to all areas, but my first step is going to be world news/politics related.  I think most of us are at the point that nothing surprises us news-wise.  Bad people do bad things.  Really bad people do really bad things.  We all need Jesus.  I want to reduce the number of negative articles and blogs that I read and re-post.   This is where balance will come in handy.

 There are certain things that I am more passionate about than others.  Protecting children, media wisdom for children and adults, and spousal relationships are a few, and I will probably (definitely) continue to post articles and blogs related to them even if they are negative.  There are still a lot of believers who need to wake up and get their heads out of the sand regarding certain things, and my prayer is that something someone says or posts will help accomplish that. 

Seeing the detrimental results of apathy in parenting regarding things like unrestricted cell-phones with internet access and texting, unrestricted cable in children's bedrooms, and complete trust that nothing will happen when kids are sent off to neighbors and friends have helped our family see a need for some standards in these areas that we feel have protected them from things like porn,  sexting, and abuse up to this point.    The seriousness of these issues and their lifelong probable consequences (learned from my own personal experience)  is what propels me to continue to read and post potentially negative things about them. 

Regarding other violent or evil things that are happening around the world:  Do I really need to read blow-by-blow accounts of every shooting, every plane crash, every new knock-out game victim, and all the political posturing and baloney from politicians?  Or can I read the headline, add it to my prayer list, and move on to things that are more positive and more worthy of brain time and space?  I have decided that the time I devoted to those things last year really didn't benefit me in any way, except to satisfy some kind of morbid curiosity.  Time for change and better choices.  I truly hope I am successful at this endeavor, because these days we all need a more positive mindset to navigate our lives. 

 Sometimes the stupid bug bites me and I forget all my good intentions, so I hope if you know me you will (gently) remind me of my goal if I post something negative not related to one of my passions.  Thank you in advance; we all need help!! 

Will you set goals, small or large, this year?

Debbie , Home at Serenity Springs  (Like me on Facebook Here)