Our Life on a Budget...: guest post

Showing posts with label guest post. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Guest Post: Part of the What I Wish I Knew Before I Got Married Series

I have said it before and I will say it again, one of the most wonderful things about blogging is the unique community you get to build with people!
Just recently Christina over at Waltzing in Beauty asked some fellow bloggers to share what they wish they knew before they got married. My post is over on her blog today… take a minute and check it out! :)

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Guest Post… The Breast Feeding Diaries

This may be in the TMI category for some of y'all… but I know that it has been so helpful to me to hear other women's experiences with things like breastfeeding. So when the opportunity came up to write a guest post about our experience over at The Girl in the Red Shoes, I said, "Why Not!"

Soooo…. if you want to know about our experience click over! And you can even find some other women's experiences as well! Hope you will check it out!

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Turn it up Tuesday {Guest Host}

I am excited to be a guest host this month for one of my favorite link ups…

Turn it up Tuesday!

You should check it out! :)

_________________

Can you believe it's the 60th week of Turn It Up Tuesdays??!! Welcome! We're so happy to have you here this week - and thanks for the amazing posts last week! There were so many great posts to choose from! And we had a record-breaking week - thanks!!!

Turn It Up Tuesdays is all about being happy, excited, energetic...and having fun! Link up your favorite posts (old or new) and meet some awesome bloggers in return! Link up your funny stories, DIY posts, recipes, mommy moments -- anything at all, as long as it is family-friendly. We want to laugh, be entertained, be inspired, and have a good time!

Thanks so much to everyone that joins us each week and makes this blog hop the best that it could be!

SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

Silvie from My Silly Little Gang

Through Silvie's posts, she shares the details of raising my silly little gang of boys and the different things she encounters in her life as a mommy. Including crafts, recipes, and reviews, she enjoys blogging and all the work it entails. It definitely keeps her on her toes, but it's rewarding for her when she receives a comment from a reader letting her know they enjoy her post. Her goal is to grow her blog into all it can be. As a mommy blogger, she has had the opportunity to work with several brands to review their products or places.

Stop by and check out her blog...it's definitely a great read!

Are you interested in having your blog or website featured in this spot? Then, sponsor Turn It Up Tuesday for a month! Click here! It's only $5 for an entire month! We're accepting sponsors for 2015!

Welcome the lovely ladies of Turn It Up Tuesday!

(from the top - left to right)

And welcome our awesome guest hosts for November!

(from the top - left to right)

Interested in being a guest host for the month or becoming a permanent co-host?

Complete the form here! Monthly co-hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis. We're now accepting guest hosts for December, January, and February.

Here are the Featured posts from last week!

Tiffany chose When Cellphone Numbers Collide from Maple Brown Sugar. "I wanted to yell out AMEN as I read this! I have had my number for 5 years and I am STILL receiving texts and calls for the previous user. It’s funny getting a peek at someone’s else life through texts and random photos. Well kinda…LOL"

Keri chose 20 Busy Bag Ideas for Busy Little People | Part 1 from The Way He Plays. "I have been looking for creative busy bags and these are so great and useful!"

Cathy chose Pumpkin Orange Chocolate Wrapped Cake from All That's Jas. “Such a BEAUTIFUL cake! An elegant dessert worthy of the center of any Thanksgiving feast! Her post makes it looks so easy to make I just might attempt to make it for my families Thanksgiving!”

Angie chose Clothespin Manger Nativity Scene Christmas Craft from Christianity Cove. "The first of Advent is on Nov 30th & nativity scenes have always been precious to me - I have a small collection & I'll have to add this one to my collection."

Serena chose 18 Reasons Why The 80's Were Awesome #StumbleIntoTheWeekend from Barbie Bieber and Beyond. "It was great to reminisce about the 80's and brought back so many happy & fun memories. It also put me in awe of the many advancements that have been made since then like with video gaming systems, fashion, and music."

Stacey also chose this post. "Oh man the 80's! The birth of MTV, big hair bands, and men in makeup and spandex! Oh the music! I have raised my kids on it...a new generation! The Sweet Valley High books were amazing, I remember having a shelf full! LOL! The TV and heaven forbid if there was something political or world newsworthy...there went 3, if not all of those channels! LOL! Thank you so much for the trip down memory lane!"

Damjana chose Cornucopia Snack from Three Kids and a Fish. "Why this one? This treat has what it takes to make a perfect recipe for me: so colorful and inventively looking, yet so simple to make! And, I have a soft spot for the mix of sweet&salty taste...I just HAVE to try it out."

Kimberly chose Healthy Apple Almond Butter Muffins from Luv a Bargain. "I chose this recipe as it has healthy substitutes for baking - making muffins a little bit healthier. And it looks yummy!"

Yolanda chose I wish I would have known how hard it would be to parent someone else’s child from Ripped Jeans & Bifocals. "As an African American woman who has worked with children at various stages in the system, I found this story of domestic transracial adoption beautiful. How I wish the world was full of more people with hearts as big and loving as this mother. It's well written, and very touching."

Mari chose French Toast Breakfast Muffins Recipe from Sweep Tight. "I love all things French Toast.Yummy!!!"

Meghan chose 2 Ingredient Edible DIY Kids Paint Recipe from Domestic Mommyhood. "I've been collecting lists of things to do with Savanna at home now that she is truly at an age to grasp learning. I love this idea of edible paint. I can let her do her own thing or we can learn the alphabet and numbers without me having to worry about her accidentally putting this in her mouth...and such a simple recipe!"

Jillian chose 25 Indoor Activities from Life's Little Projects. "It's starting to get chilly where I live and with it dark when I get out of work, it's tough to keep my child entertained indoors. This list has some great ideas on keeping him occupied and having fun!"

Rhonda chose Holiday Craft | How to Make a Sock Snowman from About A Mom. "The holidays are around the corner, so I'm looking for crafts to do with my grandchildren. This sock snowman is adorable and made from items that I have an abundance of. I could find a place around my house for these little fellows. Adorable."

Kelly chose Scottish Tea Cookies with Apple Butter + Musselman's Apple Butter Giveaway from Platter Talk. "Our family loves apple butter. I'm sure this would be delicious."

Jessica chose Financially Fit & Physically Fit You from Women with Intention. "I love the idea of combining both being financially and physically fit together. As I was going through the post, both aspects are the same in nature. It's basically doing a "2 for 1" when accomplishing the goals. Thanks for sharing!"

white-chocolate-pumpkin-pie-spice-covered-apple

Tina chose Homemade Chocolate Covered Pumpkin Pie Spice Apples from A Cultivated Nest. "Looks stunning, easy to make, yummy and it can be customised for any season , like Christmas. I'm definitely going to play with this recipe!!Thanks for sharing."

Chelsea also chose this post. "I don't even like chocolate, but these apple treats look delish!! I love that the pumpkin spice was included, so it's a little different than the average 'covered apple'!! Yummm!"

Amy chose A Little Thanksgiving Home Tour from Little Brags. "Christine did a fantastic job decorating her porch and home for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Her spaces are warm and welcoming, just what you want when having guests over! I love that she made some of the decorative items herself, including the creative little side table. I wish I was on her holiday guest list!"

The post with the most clicks is Death by Chocolate Slow Cooker Dump Cake from Homemaking Hacks with Dawn Lopez.

Stop by and show some love to our featured bloggers this week! I'm sure they'd all appreciate it!

If you were featured above, feel free to share the badge below with pride on your blog or website!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" title="Epic Mommy Adventures" target="_blank"><img src="http://epicmommyadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/200pxturnitupbuttonfeature1_zps09bd5c75.png" alt="Epic Mommy Adventures" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

And the Best of the Best is...

I wish I would have known how hard it would be to parent someone else’s child from Ripped Jeans & Bifocals

French Toast Breakfast Muffins Recipe from Sweep Tight

Show some love to our Best of the Best bloggers this week!!!!

As the Best of the Best, you win free ad space on Epic Mommy Adventures for 30 days! Please showcase the badge below with pride on your blog!

Please send an e-mail to Natasha at 1EpicMommy@gmail.com and she will provide you with all the details!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" title="Epic Mommy Adventures" target="_blank"><img src="http://epicmommyadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/200pxturnitupbuttonbest_zps00692ef1.png" alt="Epic Mommy Adventures" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

So now that you've met our sponsor of the month, our hosts and co-hosts, the Featured and the Best of the Best, and the winners of our anniversary giveaway...

let's get started!

*Show some love to your hosts and co-hosts simply by following them on social media and leaving a comment so they can follow you back. *Link up as many posts as you'd like! The more, the merrier! *Check out some of the other posts and make some new friends! *Grab the button below and showcase on your sidebar! Invite your fellow bloggers to join the fun!

<div align="center"><a href="http://epicmommyadventures.com" title="Epic Mommy Adventures" target="_blank"><img src="http://epicmommyadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/200pxturnitup1_zps05216d89.png" alt="Epic Mommy Adventures" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Link up your posts, make some friends, and earn the chance to be featured or become the Best of the Best on Turn It Up Tuesday! We will feature the favorite posts each week!

An InLinkz Link-up

Interested in reading all of the Featured Posts on Turn It Up Tuesdays - past or present? Or do want to know if your post was featured before we go live next week? Follow Natasha Peter's board Featured on Turn It Up Tuesdays! on Pinterest.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

WYWW #2, Summer Bucket ist, What I'm Wearing

Leslie, Nikki, Melissa and I welcome you to WYWW... Link up what you wish to

Link up at the bottom of the post! :)

Anyways… you know I love a good to do list… and the summer bucket list is among my favorites! So much fun to be had… Summer Bucket List

Have an organized move this summer (location tbd) Set up new home (location tbd) Go through books and DVDs… sell what we don't use (we did some of this already) Memorize at least a verse of scripture a week Read through Acts in depth Make Headway on my ebook Organize and back up all pictures Have a picnic Make family picture book Research "homeschool" toddler activities and plans Read 2 books for fun Read Grace Based Parenting Read Give them Grace Go on a girls trip Visit Grandparents in Annapolis Visit Grandparents in Ohio Give BD swim lessons Find a way to continually serve our local community Go on at least 1 "real" date a month, Breakfast/Coffee/Cheap/Free Dates 1 time a week
And just in case your wondering this is what I am wearing as I am doing this list…

Sleeveless tee, running shorts, chacos, simple necklace, stud earrings. I might get a little more fashionable at some point, but right now I am functional :)
you can also check out my yearly list… 65 in 365 here
and be on the look out for a guest post on Melissa's blog soon!

An InLinkz Link-up

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Guest Post: Summer Fashion

So excited to bring you another guest post! This is Melissa from Simply Sweet Melissa. She is quite fashionable and I am trying to learn from her ways! She is sharing some ideas for summer fashion on a budget… and I am taking notes!:)

Happy Thursday, y'all! My name is Melissa and I blog over at Simply Sweet Melissa and I couldn't be more excited to be writing a guest post for Stasia today! Not only does she have the prettiest little girl ever, but we seem to have a lot in common and I've gotten to know her better over the past week and love her laid back demeanor. And I can't go without saying how beyond excited I am that we are also helping co-host a new link up that started YESTERDAY! If you missed it, check out Stasia's post from yesterday and be sure to link-up with us next week!

Summer Fashion

But for now I want to go ahead and dive into a topic on summer fashion! Summer is one of my favorite times of the year because it's one of those seasons that I get in the mood to experiment with clothing, colors, patterns, you name it. But with experimenting comes spending more money then I would like to, so this is were I try to find those classic and timeless summer looks that can transition from one look to the next.

A lot of my friends like to lean towards lots of floral prints in the summer which is great, but why not invest in that rose gold necklace you've had your eye on? That necklace because of it's simple touches could be paired with pretty much everything you own! And that blush colored pink maxi skirt you saw on sale at the mall? Ring it up for me please! That maxi could be worn for a casual day out running errands or dressed up with a crop top. That options are endless, ladies! Summer fashion is so fun because the options are limitless and so fun!

Summertime is also (in my opinion) perfect for stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things. Never in my life would I have thought I could pull off bright bold jewelry or a floppy sunhat but I was wrong! The pop of color against your "simple summer look" can played up the vibe of your whole look more then you even know. It's all about picking your pieces and putting them together with items that you wouldn't necessarily think makes sense. But that's just it...it doesn't make sense to spend a lot of money on a bunch of different items of clothing or accessories when you can invest in a handful of things that can be transitioned over the course of years! Just take a look at Stasia! She always looks adorable in all the photos I see on her blog and yet her motto is all about budgeting and that's the key to this all! Put your money where it's well spent and work with the items that you've got. And viola, your a fashionista and you might not have even known it!

Follow Melissa On…

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Link Party: What You Wish Wednesday! :)

As many of you know one of the reasons I love to blog is the connections that I am able to make with people from all over! Lately I have had a lot of fun sharing guest posts with blogger friends
A few weeks ago, you may remember the guest post by Leslie at Our Joy His Glory. Since then, we have been discussing a fun link party that's broad and will allow lot of bloggers to participate. We're calling it, What You Wish Wednesday. Meaning, you can link-up anything you wish: recent parties, vacations, life decisions, favorite post from the week, scripture, inspirational quotes, tutorials, etc!

The only requirement for this link party is that you share a recent post! We are hoping to launch our party next Wednesday! We will keep you posted! ********** Between now and next Wednesday, we would like to get a couple of more hostesses. If you'd be interested in hosting this link-up, please contact me.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Guest Post From: Liza in the Lou

Hey friends! I have the awesome privilege to introduce to you my friend Sarah who blogs over at Liza in the Lou. The other week I wrote a post for her (you can find it here) and this week she is returning the favor. Sarah and I are alike in that we are both don't like to spend a lot of money. She is sharing

7 of Tips for Being Frugal

today and I think you will find it pretty awesome!

Hey! I am Sarah at Liza in the Lou. Stasia and I went to college at UGA together and have stayed in touch through blogging. We both have adorable little girls-- and I would be remiss if I didn't include a picture of my Elizabeth:

As the mom of a now almost 5 month old, I am LOVING being at home with her. The decision to leave my job was a very hard person decision but not difficult from a financial perspective. My husband is a resident and is by no means making the big bucks (his salary is online in case you're curious). Why is this you ask? In the almost 6 years we've been married, we have never lived off of more than one income. For the first four years of marriage, he was a student and I was our sole income provider. This past year was the first year in our marriage that we both worked. We made the decision to continue living like we were living on one salary. Consider this: It was just one generation ago that couples and families lived comfortably on one income. And while the cost of living has increased, so too have wages. When I think back to how we've made one-income living work for us it is NOT because I am a budget-spreadsheet woman who line by line itemizes each expense. Instead we've used the principals below to stay on track:

1. We keep our housing expenses low. In our 3rd year of marriage when many of our friends started buying 4-5 bedroom houses, we downsized from our rented ranch-style brick home into a 900 square foot, 3RD floor condo we lovingly referred to as the "tree house". Not only was the rent cheaper, but the decision to live on the 3rd floor saved us approximately $3000 over a two year period ($120 a month in energy utilities X 2 years = $2880 ). I think my husband and I would agree that not only was that a smart financial decision, it was a really fun time in our marriage!

2. Every expense has always been up for discussion. For example, in year #2 of marriage, we needed to free up room in our budget in order to save more. We looked at our fixed expenses and decided that the $39.00 a month that we spent on internet needed to be eliminated. For an entire year we exclusively used internet at work, the library or if we needed to work on a project late at night, we went to the Taco Bell down the street for free Wi-Fi (you can laugh at our frugalness, but we saved almost $500 in one year doing that).

3. We really save up for big purchases. For example, both of our cars have over 170K miles on them (2002 Honda Civic and a 1999 Toyota 4-Runner). Sure, I would love a newer car, but I also love that I am not making a car payment every month. Instead, are socking away money into a short term bond fund with the intent of using the money to pay cash for a car when one of our rides finally dies.

4. We pay ourselves first. This commonly used phrase refers to the practice of automatically making a savings contribution or investment with your income before it can reach your wallet. You “pay yourself first” when you contribute a percentage of your income to your retirement plan or savings account each pay period. The transfer to your savings or investment account is done automatically, before you receive the rest of your income for paying your monthly living expenses. When you pay yourself first, you ensure the specified amount of money you want to save really does make it into your savings account or investment, since it happens before you have the opportunity to use the money for something else. We also use this same concept for tithing to our church.

5. We try to buy everything used. One of my favorite blogs, the Simple Economist, does a really great job of explaining the Irrational Gap in Price Between New and Used. The point of his post is that products have a dramatic and irrational drop in price as soon as they are purchased. For the savvy individuals, this provides a window of opportunity between the time when an objects’ price has been devalued but the useful life is still strong. My husband and I literally buy ALL of our clothes at Goodwill. Every piece of furniture in our house is either 2nd hand or was purchased off Craigslist. We even buy unusual things at places like Goodwill... unopened boxes of diapers, unopened jumbo boxes of Hefty trash bags, Christmas lights, etc all at significantly lower prices than from a Big Box store.

6. We get creative. For example, I recently took my daughter to a class at Gymboree Music and Play. She had such a great time interacting with the other babies! At the end of the class, I inquired how much it would cost us to join. I was shocked to learn that 4 classes a month would cost us $65 ( annual cost of $780). At that point I had three options, 1) pony up the money and take a class 2) save the money and not take a class 3) start my own class! Guess which option we are going with? I found a really talented high school senior who is going to college to major in theatre and arts. This summer she is going to lead a group of my friends and their babies in a music and play class that is very similar to the classes at Gymboree. Each mom is going to pay $3.00 to cover the high school students "salary". It's a win for her, and a big win for us!

7. Surround yourself with other frugal-minded friends. One of the most helpful things we've done is surround ourselves with thrifty friends. When your friends are conscience about how they spend their money, you will likely feel less pressure to spend as well. A fun Friday night for us involves grilling hamburgers, playing Settlers of Catan and great conversation (for a grand total of $10).

If you have any questions about how we've reduced our overhead expenses or as I like to call it, our "glamorous frugal lifestyle" (because I never feel like I am having to miss out on stuff because I am too poor)-- feel free to contact me!

Sarah, thanks soooo much for sharing:)!

After reading her post, I am sure you will want to follow her :) Here are some of the ways you can :

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

A guest post and what I wore...

This week my sweet friend Sarah invited me over to do a guest post on… you guessed it, cloth diapering. This is actually one of the most thorough posts I have done on why we chose cloth, you should check it out… and her blog :)

And… Andrew and I went to a formal! Now recently, in my effort to get rid of stuff and simplify, I donated and sold around 8 bridesmaid dresses and a handful of formal dresses… some that have been hanging around since I was a freshman in high school (circa 2001, I know I am old...). It just felt like too much having all those dresses around that I knew I didn't want to wear again. So as I was looking through my closet to pick something to wear I thought this might be a good time to try rent the runway!

So glad I did! I rented this awesome one shoulder Shoshanna purple dress for our Mardi Gras themed event. The cool thing was I was able to look at other people wearing the dress, what size and height they were, so I had an idea about what sizes to get (and they send you two:)). I also got to talk to a "personal stylist" (feel so fancy saying that) to double check on the fit for my build and I wanted to check and make sure she thought it would be modest :). It was fun, and easy. I also feel like it was not wasteful, as I know others will get a chance to wear the dress again, it was fairly inexpensive and I will not be putting another dress in my closet to gather dust!

Another friend who rented a dress for the night!

What about you? Have you tried rent the runway? Do you think its worth it?

Have you followed me on Instagram,Facebook, or Twitter yet?

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Guest Post From: Our Joy, His Glory

What is one of the best parts of blogging? Connecting with other bloggers and learning from them. I am so excited to introduce you to Leslie from Our Joy, His Glory! She is going to tell you a little about herself today… I hope you will check her out on Blogger Pinterest Instagram Facebook Hey y'all! I'm Leslie from Our Joy...His Glory.

That's me when I was about 7 months pregnant with baby no. last (3)!
I've been blogging for over six years. In that time, my blog has gone from posts strictly about my kiddo(s) to all sorts of things. I enjoy writing about my three girls, homeschooling, crafting, photography, decorating, family life, and my Savior. I love how blogging connects people. It's my favorite form of social media *ahem* with Instagram in close second! *Click over to my blog and follow my Instagram! Just kidding...maybe?...no pressure.*
My husband, Graham, and I have been married for nearly 11 years. We have three little girls! THREE GIRLS! Yes, our hands are full! Ava Grace is 6.5, Edy Rose is 4, and my little Joy Tatum will be a year next month. In my former life, I taught 5th and 6th grade so I'm putting that to good use and homeschooling my beauties! *Wow! That's something I never thought I'd say!* It's a new adventure and I'm learning a lot. My poor AG is the guinea pig child so hopefully all the kinks will be worked out by girl no. 3! I jest!

left to right: Ava Grace, Joy Tatum, and Edy Rose
We are native Arkansans, but now call the Lonestar State home. We have been here for close to four years and I have been fixing up our house as we have the money. I blog about home updates nearly every week or so. It's fun to see our house transform into a home that we truly enjoy.
Since I am a SAHM, I find that blogging is a special sort of outlet. It's a way for me to talk about Jesus and to give Him the glory publicly. I am so thankful for His Word! He is teaching me daily to be the wife, mama, teacher, and friend that He has called me to be. I screw up a lot, but I'm thankful for His grace, His patience, and His guidance.

I love to make little graphics! Feel free to steal this one!
About the name of my blog--OUR JOY...HIS GLORY:

No matter the circumstances, I have JOY because of my relationship with God through Christ. No matter what, I want to give Him all the glory. Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. I Corinthians 10: 31

You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forever. Psalm 16:11
Thanks for taking a little time to get to know me! Feel free to hop over to my blog and look around!
Thank you, Stasia, for allowing me to guest post on your blog!