Saturday Salutes

For an encouraging reminder of the truth that "You can't out give God," read Give, and It Shall Be Given Unto You.... at Money Saving Mom.

This week I found a new friend in Jennifer at Just Peachy in Dixie. Now that I've given the drugstore game a try, I found her post Rite Aid 101 to be quite helpful.

Like Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, I need to get out of my cooking rut and improve my meal planning as well as find some new, healthy recipes to try.

If you're a blogger who publishes a list of the favorite posts you've read in the past week, be sure to link it up every Saturday at It's Come to This.

Have a great weekend!

Giving the Drugstore Game a Try

I typically don't play the "drugstore game" in which you use coupons to buy products you may or may not need (but can donate to others) because the products are free (or nearly so) after matching coupons with sale prices. Typically these deals also include coupons at the bottom of your receipt that you can use like cash on your next visit to the store. These trips appear to be broken up into as many transactions as possible in order to get the most value for your money.

I have seen how this works for others and tried it at CVS a few times, but without much success. My family is brand-loyal to several personal-care items - and they're not cheap ones!! From Crest Whitening Expressions (cinnamon rush flavor only) to the Venus Embrace razor (that's me) to L.A. Looks Mega Hold hair gel, the cost of these products add up quickly! When I saw that they were on sale at Rite-Aid this week, I gathered my coupons and thought I would try to work a little magic in the checkout line.

For my first venture at Rite-Aid, I think I did pretty well. I got the items pictured for $14.56 and according to my receipt saved $23.76. I have $6.00 in rewards to spend on later trips and will be receiving a $.99 rebate.

I'm curious as to whether or not this will prove worth my while in the coming weeks. If you know of a blog that specializes in Rite-Aid deals, share the website and I'll check it out. I'll keep you posted on the results!

Do you have a favorite drugstore? How do you decide which deals to get each week?

Field Trip

Along with the first week of August came the realization that our relaxed summer schedule is coming to an end. We are in the final week of our summer learning program and, once again, I am thankful that I took the time in May to plan ahead.

We followed our topics each week, keeping up with reading, math and English and enjoyed practicing critical thinking skills with our Balance Benders book. Did we accomplish everything? No. With the hot weather we've had, most of our outdoor outings had been postponed. However, I knew we needed to do some fun things together before school starts, so we braved the heat yesterday (as in 86 degrees at 9:00 A.M.) and headed to a local park and historic site.

Indoors there were interactive museum exhibits, one of which allowed the girls to dress up in period costumes.

Outdoors, we followed a trail to spot a variety of animals including bison, turkeys, bears, deer and a puma.

I think our favorite part was stepping aboard a full-size replica of a 17th century trading ship. We were shown how to steer the ship and allowed to go below for a look at the crew's quarters.

Although I have lived in this area for years, we had never explored this park. I'm glad we did and, with water bottles and plenty of shade, we survived the heat remarkably well!

Have you visited any new-to-you places in your area lately? What's been your favorite excursion this summer?

Review: HydroChic Swimwear

I have mentioned before how difficult it is to find modest clothing, both for my daughters and for myself. As for modest bathing suits, I thought maybe that was too much to ask!

However, I was recently introduced to HydroChic and have been impressed by their products. They have a large selection of swimwear featuring tops and bottoms that you can mix and match. I have been wearing the Piper Short Sleeve Swim Shirt and the Above the Knee Ruffle Swim Skirt. I ordered them in my normal clothing size and am very pleased with the fit. These are swimsuits, so the material fits snugly, which helps them stay in place while in the water. Plus sizes and maternity swimwear are also available on their website.

Besides being modest, the pieces HydroChic offers are comfortable and stylishly designed. Being the fair-skinned creature that I am, I also appreciate that their swimwear offers the highest level of UPF protection; no more sunburned shoulders!

You may pay a bit more than you would for some other swim suits, but I found the pieces to be of good quality - and HydroChic was given a positive review from Good Housekeeping. I believe this swimsuit is an investment that will last for several years.

If you would like to try a swimsuit from HydroChic, you can use the code GirlsToGrow to receive 8% off your order. I appreciate a company that seeks to provide modest swimwear options for women and think that you would be pleased with HydroChic's products.

I received a complimentary swimsuit from HydroChic to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and I was not compensated in any other way.

Training Wheels

I read parenting books - lots of them. A common theme is the responsibility we as parents have to train our children. But what exactly does that mean?

In my own mind I compared it to the process of teaching our children to ride a bicycle. We don't take them from a tricycle straight to a two-wheeled bike; rather, we add training wheels to the larger bike to allow them to get a feel for it with less potential for danger.

Here, then, are some similarities between training wheels on a bike and training our children for life.

• Training is repetitive. The only way to learn to ride a bike is by practicing - over and over and over. So it is with training our children; we work with them repeatedly, teaching them to obey, to take care of themselves, to complete their chores. We set a goal for them in a certain area and have them practice until it is mastered.


• Training takes time. It's a rare child that tries training wheels for five minutes, then is ready to ride without them; it takes weeks or more before he's ready for that next step. As we seek to guide the young lives that God has entrusted to us, we realize that it will take a long time before we see the end result.


• Love is the motivation behind training. Most children are excited about learning to ride a bike; because we love them, we help them through the process. In spite of the training wheels, spills and tumbles are inevitable. That's when the parent runs to pick the child up, freely giving hugs, band aids and encouragement. Because I love my children, I desire to train them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, teaching them principles that will order their steps for the rest of their lives.


• Training offers protection and security. While a child may still fall off of a bike with training wheels, there's less of a chance than if he started without them. That extra pair of wheels provides security. As we establish rules and teach our children to follow them, they are better protected from making foolish choices and secure in the knowledge that we seek only what is best for them.


• The ultimate goal of training is independence. We all hope that our teenager no longer needs training wheels on his bike! The goal of training in parenting is for our children to develop skills and habits that will eventually allow them to be independent. Just as they will one day speed off on a bike alone, so they will leave our homes to start one of their own. Training is simply preparation for what we know will come in the future.

What an awesome responsibility we have been given! There are so many areas in which we can train our children including obedience, manners and character traits. What is something you are currently doing to train your child?

photo courtesy public domain pictures

An Heart to Perceive

What a shame it would be if I were oblivious to all that was going on around me!

Moses tells the Israelites in Deuteronomy 29:4, "Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day." The dictionary definition of perceive is "To become aware of directly through any of the senses, especially sight or hearing...."

How I yearn for a heart that perceives, one that is sensitive to the struggles my husband is facing, the emotions that flood the minds of my daughters, the sins in my own life that need to be dealt with. I need to be mindful of God's blessings as well as how He is working in our lives through the circumstances we face.

As a mother, my eyes need to see beyond the obvious to observe facial expressions and body language that I might discern my daughters' attitudes. There is more to hearing than just letting words fall on my ears; the tone of their voice, the passion with which they speak can give me insight to what is going on in their hearts.

My desire this week is that God might help me be conscious of how He is working and wants to work in my life and in the lives of my family.

How are you able to be perceptive to the needs of your family?

photo courtesy public domain pictures

Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Lyndsey at The Tiny Bento! She was the winner of the Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil giveaway.

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