Count Me in for School to Begin: Using Your Local Library

***Check out the bottom of this post for some other back to school tips from my favorite bloggers!***

I can't believe it… it is that time of year again!  Back to school my friends!  And whether your kiddos go to public school, private school or are homeschooled… the local library is there to help :)

It is no secret, I LOVE the library… and for the beginning of this school year, I am going to share some of my tips for using the library to help with your child's education! :)

one

Get a Library Card and Set Up an Online Account

Simple as that.  Go to the library, get an account, and you can even get registered to vote while you are at it! And if your state is anything like Georgia… they have an awesome online system for your account!  Go home and set that up too!

two

Find Out About or Plan Out Your Curriculum

What is your child going to study and when?  This way you can check out books that will give your child prior knowledge for a study, support their study and help them explore beyond their study! 

three 

Make a Pinterest Board

People have already made 1,001 good book lists… use your resources and cut down on work! My board includes book lists that we will use for different subjects all year!  So email your teacher or set up your curriculum so you know the plan.                Follow Stasia's board School Books on Pinterest.    

four

Make Book Lists and Use Your Libraries Hold System

Using your Pinterest book lists create your own book lists for each subject.  I don't know how every state works, but I make my book list straight on the library website (they have a My Lists section) and I can use it and adjust it year after year!  For example, last year I made a list of beach books around this time.  I was able to easily add more books this year and check out the ones I wanted because I had already done the work!

five 

Come Up with a System to Keep Track of the Books 

And this is key, and the main reason people stop using the library.  You have to, have to, HAVE TO keep up with when your books are due and where they are in your house.  When you are paying major fines and for books you can't find it makes the library no longer a good deal!   For the due dates… put it on your calendar, in your phone AND sign up for email notices.  You can NEVER have enough reminders. Keeping up with books?  Designate a spot in the house, a box or a bag, just for library books!

six… and the whole point of all of this….

Read Read Read

The more you read to your kids, the more they want to read, the better readers they become! Now for my other friends and their back to school posts!!!!  Take a few minutes and check these out!!! /3+ Ways to Show Love to Your Kids in School from Garay Treasures / / Count Me In Giveaway from Abiding In Grace / / Free Homeschool Pre-school Printables from All Kinds of Things / / Back to School Tips for Moms from Our Pretty Little Girls / / Back to School Boy Style from BYBMG / / Tips for Using Your Local Library from Our Life on a Budget / / Discovery Puzzles from Polka-Dotty Place / / 10 Bible Verses to Encourage the Student Athlete from While I'm Waiting / / First Day of School Printable from Morning Motivated Mom / / Preparing an Anxious Child from Almond Place / /  Tips to Stay Organized With School from Living In This Season // BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | BLOGLOVIN'

The Christmas Challenge: An Introduction

Some of you are probably pretty offended right now… you are just getting a chance to sip on your pumpkin spice latte and here I am talking about Christmas?  Just not allowed, right?

While is seems early, the commercialism and rush of the Christmas season is about to be upon us, and I feel like I need to get a slight head start.

Sometime back in May, God started working in my heart on this.  Stirring me. Challenging me.  Causing me to ask questions about the way we give at Christmastime.  

It has been exciting as I have began to explore where God is leading me in all of this, but it has also been overwhelming.  We love gifts. We love Black Friday.  To be honest, we love to spend money at Christmas. And no worries, I am not going to say stop our gift giving all together… there is something so special in it when done in love and sacrifice.   I am just going to say we take time to reevaluate.  To take a look at how we are giving.

And this is our journey too.  I have a general outline for this series… but to be honest, it has yet to be written. It may even change as we go! I am learning here and excited to share with you along the way!

So here is the plan… 

Week 1: Give as much as you spend!

Week 2: Shop stores that give back!
Week 3: Shop Local/WAHMs!
Week 4: Make gifts!

Week 5: Serve!

I hope you will make it back each week… her are some ways to follow along :)
Stasia:    BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | BLOGLOVIN'


And I will just leave you with one more thing- this video from the Advent Conspiracy… please take a minute to watch, it is awesome!

Getting Rid of Stuff: Garage Sale

Since January we have been trying to simplify.  But not just simplify, redirect that attention to God.  One thing we discovered is we have too much stuff, plain and simple.   Stuff shoved in closets. Stuff under beds.  Stuff covering every square inch of our house. So after gathering a bunch that we did not need, we decided to do 4 different things with the stuff… 1. Give it away. 2. Sell it on Ebay. 3. Sell it on online Garage Sale pages on Facebook. 4. Have a garage sale. Each had its pluses and minuses.  But I think the biggest plus of all is that we don't have so much stuff in our lives to distract us from God :). For the next few weeks I am going to share a post on our experience with each… and I highly encourage you to simplify too, it has been a great experience! So let's get down to it…. the weather is nice and it is Garage Sale Season!

This was *by far* my favorite sales method, easily trumping eBay and Facebook.  There was just something about how quick it happened- Saturday 7-12, boom a bunch of stuff is gone, boom you have made a chunk of change.  Also it just felt so much more personal.  I loved talking to our customers and to family as we organized and executed the day.  So here are my pointers…

Before the Garage Sale…

*Okay, I am just going to go out on a limb and say this, even though every other site and blog says the opposite… you just don't need to spend that much time preparing.  We didn't really until the night before and the morning of, and our sale was still really successful!  I think this really saves you on the time investment.
*In the weeks leading up to the sale put stuff aside in a specified area that you plan to sell.  What should you sell?  Really anything.  You would be surprised what people buy!
*Create an easy pricing system by color like the one we did This way you are not writing on every sticker for every item.  Quick, easy, painless way to price things.
*In the days leading up to the sale post your garage sale on Craig's list and garage sale finder pages online.  We started about a week before and reposted every couple days.
*Do a little research on your big ticket items (furniture, interments etc), and decide on a price for those. Posts those on Craig's list the day or two before.  We were not willing to meet up with people (this saved time and brought them to our garage sale).  This just brings people in that are willing to pay full price for your big ticket items.
*You might want to put an ad in the paper.  This may seem a little old school, but ours came with some price stickers and a few signs.  The price was worth it just for the signs themselves!
*The night before and the morning of (or you could do it in advance, but we didn't find that necessary) price everything.  To be honest, we actually did not price everything.  All the sites tell you to, but I didn't find it that inconvenient to throw a price on items we did not have time to put tags on.  I found people still picked them up (sometimes even before asking the price!).  
*Set up tables both in and outside your garage.  Tables are MUCH better than putting things on the ground.  We found that people were more likely to buy things on the tables as a general rule. The first picture is much better than the second… we just ran out of tables.  When we do it again I will borrow from a friend!
*Take out some cash for making change. A couple of $20s, $10s and $5s. 20 $1 bills and a roll of quarters would probably do the trick!   *If you can do your garage sale with multiple people or families, this brings more stuff and more business. *Price things to sell.  You are not out to make a million bucks, you are out to get rid of stuff and make a little money in the process. *Organize like things together and make signs- home decor, baby, women, books, DVDS, etc.

During the Garage Sale…

* Make a designated pay here area with a person that is just in charge of money.  This made things run so smoothly.  We did not even have seperate areas for the different people to pay.  we just kept track of it on a white board.  This also kept the money safe from anyone who might get "sticky fingers."   *Keep an eye on your stuff too. we never had anyone try to take anything, but I hear it happens.    *Walk around and be social with your customers.  Ask if they are looking for anything in particular.
*Group things for deals.  If someone is buying a pile of stuff add it up and knock off a dollar or round down to a nearest dollar amount.  This makes them feel like they are getting as deal AND they are more likely to buy more things! *Decide if you are going to take early birds, because they will show up before your designated start time.  We did just because we were motivated to get rid of stuff, but I know most people don't. *We keep our hours short and sweet and do a one day sale- 7-12 on Saturday. This ended up being a great profit for the time we spent! *Keep your sale open for the time you say it will be opened.  You will be crazy busy for the first hour or so.  Literally you will be thinking, "Do people really get up a 6 every weekend to go to garage sales?" But they do .  After that initial rush it is pretty slow and steady.  we found that around 11 it really slowed down and we started to pack up.  We completely shut down just before 12.  We watched at least 5 cars drive up and then drive away.  If we had stayed open a little longer we would have probably made a little more.

After the Garage Sale…

*Stop.  Don't even bring that stuff back in the house.  Give everything left to those in need.  
*It may be beneficial to make a list of all the stuff you end up donating for tax purposes.
*Go ahead and clean up.  It may be tempting to take a break, but the clean up is so quick!  You will be gal d you didm't put it off.
*Consider giving a portion of your profits.  Do you have a friend adopting?  What about a single mom in need?  
*Kick back and relax… you are done! :)

Have you ever had a garage sale?  What suggestions do you have?

Getting Rid of Stuff: Sale on FB Pages

Since January we have been trying to simplify.  But not just simplify, redirect that attention to God.  One thing we discovered is we have too much stuff, plain and simple.   Stuff shoved in closets. Stuff under beds.  Stuff covering every square inch of our house. So after gathering a bunch that we did not need, we decided to do 4 different things with the stuff… 1. Give it away. 2. Sell it on Ebay. 3. Sell it on online Garage Sale pages on Facebook. 4. Have a garage sale. Each had its pluses and minuses.  But I think the biggest plus of all is that we don't have so much stuff in our lives to distract us from God :). For the next few weeks I am going to share a post on our experience with each… and I highly encourage you to simplify too, it has been a great experience!

So let's get down to it… Sell stuff online on Garage Sale pages on Facebook.

The pros and the cons-  pros- make more $$$ than garage sale, can post anytime, do not have to have an abundance of stuff to sell, great for things not nice enough for eBay cons- takes longer sometimes, storing stuff while you are waiting to sell it, traveling and meeting with people, sometimes people back out
*Find groups in your area.  Sometimes you can just search for these.  But I would really talk to people and have someone invite you to the ones they recommend.
*Pay attention to specific group rules.  Some groups have specific things they allow and/or specific rules to follow.  Once I unintentionally posted something incorrectly and was booted from the group all together!  And I lost the opportunity to sell other things that would have sold best on that board.
*Find groups that sell specific things.  I have especially found success with this with baby stuff.  People always love to buy it used and you can post to with a group uncluttered with furniture, broken iPhones and DVDs.  
*Group things if you can.  I try not to sell anything that I am not going to make at least $3 on. Then I also try to put like things together so that I can sell more items.  
*Plan your drop offs in a safe public place.  I think this goes with out saying :).
*Plan your drop offs for when you are already out.  Making a special trip out to make a few bucks probably isn't worth your time or money.  I always try to plan around when I am coming home from work or when I have to go to the grocery store. 
*Make a designated area/box for the stuff you are selling.  Much like my eBay box, this kept all the stuff I was selling available and organized!
*Post with pictures and price.  The pictures do not have to be as thorough (especially in number) as eBay  but they do have to be decent.  
*Post and repost.  Most groups allow you to post and repost every so often.  Repost at different times a day so different people can see your post.
*Watch your time investment.  I try to make at least $15 an hour with a goal of $20 an hour that I work.  this includes the time it takes to take pictures, post and make the sale! Remember your time is worth money too.
*  If you are unsuccessful, get rid of it! Not everything will sell… don't keep the junk laying around.  Look out for my next post about garage sales… a great way to get rid of a bunch of junk stuff quick!

Getting Rid of Stuff Series: Ebay

Since January we have been trying to simplify.  But not just simplify, redirect that attention to God.  One thing we discovered is we have too much stuff, plain and simple.   Stuff shoved in closets. Stuff under beds.  Stuff covering every square inch of our house. So after gathering a bunch that we did not need, we decided to do 4 different things with the stuff…

1. Give it away. 2. Sell it on Ebay. 3. Sell it on online Garage Sale pages on Facebook. 4. Have a garage sale.

Each had its pluses and minuses.  But I think the biggest plus of all is that we don't have so much stuff in our lives to distract us from God :). For the next few weeks I am going to share a post on our experience with each… and I highly encourage you to simplify too, it has been a great experience!

So let's get down to it… pointers for selling on EBAY.  I got many of this from my friend Sarah who is about the best Ebay seller I have ever met!

*If you have never bought or sold on eBay before you may have to build a reputation.  If you buy things and pay on time that is a great way to get some initial positive feedback.  You become more popular as a seller if you have more positive feedback and usually make more per item.  People are just more willing to buy from you if you have a good reputation.  I found that I could buy my favorite makeup on eBay, new, for cheap.  So I bought a little in the beginning to boost my rep. As time goes on and people give you good feedback, your reputation improves as well! *When I started to make piles of junk stuff I barely used, I made a separate pile for things that were name brand.  Buyers almost always search by brand, so on eBay brand is key.  Name brand popular labels.  For the most part that is all I ever try to sell on eBay.
*When eBay shoppers search, it is based on your title line!  The title line is of the utmost importance. Adorable dress means nothing.  Pack that title with as much MEANINGFUL detail as you can muster. Brand,  condition (new with tags-NWT, new with out rage NWOT, etc), size color, type of item.  I often include women's, men's, etc if necessary.  *Take good pictures. This is the biggest pain to me.  You get 12 pictures for free… use them.  Tags, seams, all parts of the item!  As you are taking the pictures think, would these make me want to buy this product?   *Include a brief thank you note and let your buyer know that you really appreciate their business.  This will encourage them to leave you some positive feedback. *Ship fast and ship well.  I try to ship the next day as much as possible.I am obsessed with these shipping bags.  Thanks again Sarah :)  I have them on hand.  You can arrange a carrier pick up too if you don't want to go to the post office! * Be organized.  I keep a box with all of the stuff I am currently selling on Ebay, packing tape and bags ready!

That's all I can think of for now!:) Do you have any other suggestions???

Getting Rid of Stuff Series: Give it Away

Since January we have been trying to simplify.  But not just simplify, redirect that attention to God.  One thing we discovered is we have too much stuff, plain and simple.   Stuff shoved in closets. Stuff under beds.  Stuff covering every square inch of our house.

So after gathering a bunch that we did not need, we decided to do 4 different things with the stuff… 1. Give it away. 2. Sell it on Ebay. 3. Sell it on online Garage Sale pages on Facebook. 4. Have a garage sale. Each had its pluses and minuses.  But I think the biggest plus of all is that we don't have so much stuff in our lives to distract us from God :). For the next few weeks I am going to share a post on our experience with each… and I highly encourage you to simplify too, it has been a great experience! 1. Give it away. I list this one first, because it is where we need to land first and so keep our eyes open to throughout the whole process.  Really all the time.  There are always opportunities to give.  And when I say give away, I don't just mean drop at Goodwill ( though there is a time and place for that).  But look for real needs and fulfill them.   One awesome example was a friend of a girl in our small group had a fire and lost of her stuff.  Said friend happened to be the same size as me!  I was able to give her four bags full of all sorts of clothes!   We also have a local thrift store and food pantry that proceeds go to support ministry.  We gave there too. We are still looking for ways to give.  What I have learned is that it is way easy to say, "I don't have anything to give," when in actuality, we have an abundance of things we can share with others.

So take a peer around your house.  Is there something you have 2,3,5,11 or more of that you can provide to someone else's need?  

5...

one

Not buying Carter's children's clothes.  Not until the company gets their act together.  See, in 7 this week we have been talking about clothing.  I have been convicted about the sheer amount of clothing all three of us have in our closets.  But I have also been convicted about the means used to make our clothing.  Check out Free2Work.  It goes through the policies, transparency, monitoring and worker's rights of different companies. So what did Carter's receive? D- go read about it… seriously.  Worker rights in particular… F… and the rest of their scores were not much better!  My thought has been maybe we all just need less clothes that are ethically made. One of the girls in our study said last night that it seems like "We have lots of stuff at the price of people."  It just doesn't seem worth it to me!  Have y'all ever researched this before?

two

65 in 365 update… can't believe it is already almost March!

three

We have a stander… when she feels like it.  I am actually convinced that she could get up and walk… if she wanted to… but she doesn't, crawling is quicker.  In true BD fashion, she will do it when she wants to, and not a moment before.  It is cute as can be to see here do it, because the look on her face is so unsure about what she is doing. And when she is clapping and standing… whew bless my heart… cutest thing EVER :)  

four

Half marathon in Augusta this weekend with my sweet friend Jes.  She just had a baby at the end of September and is pretty much a rockstar.  I am not as prepared this time around, so pray I can make it! :)

five

Oh… and did I mention we went to DISNEY for a day.  Don't worry… there is a full post coming, just as soon as I can get my head back above water.  It will probably be entitled… "one day at Disney… with a baby… on a budget…" Surprise Surprise… For now, here are some of my favorite pics :)

How was your week?

7, simplicity and food...

Food

I don't really love to cook, but I love to eat.

I think about food… a lot

I think whatever food I want, whenever I want it, as a right.

I love food… Enough said.

What I don't think about is that most of our world is hungry… truly hungry.

What I don't think about is that God intends for me to take care of my body and eat a certain way.

What I don't think about is how much of a distraction food can be in my life… a distraction from Christ.

This past week as part of our 7 Bible study we did a little experiment with food.  A fast of sorts.  What I learned from some intentional restrain from some foods…
* Matthew 25:35-40 what am I really doing to help those who are truly hungry… or am I too overindulged to even care or notice.

*Like I said, I am over indulged and compulsive- I can't just have one piece of candy, I have to have 5… or 10.

*I don't treat my body like a temple… I make excuses.  As long as I look okay I can eat whatever I want.

*I think about food when I should be thinking about God (like where are we going to lunch after church…)

*That there is a more natural way to eat that is most likely more glorifying to God.

So next steps…

* Give to kiva.org- a place that truly equips people

*Focus on God instead of food.

*Work toward eating more naturally with food from ethical sources like 

Zaycon

Clear the Pantry Challenge!

I don't think that I have really mentioned it here yet, but our word for the year around the Skelton household is   S I M P L I F Y.

I promise I will be writing about where our hearts are soon… and I am a little out of order, because I am going to go ahead and tell you about an action having to do with this word.  That's just the way it is!
Anyways… one thing that I notice is that we have tons of food in our pantry… it got me thinking, I bet we could go a whole month just using the stuff we have for meals.  Save the money, clear the pantry, simplify… thus our

This is what I did…

1.  Made a list of everything in the pantry, fridge and freezer

2. Planned a month's worth of meals using what we have.

3.  Got the bare essentials at the grocery store (seriously just the bare essentials… I spent $17 and some change).

Here's the Plan

1. Follow the plan. 2.  Only buy produce and milk as needed.

Have you ever done this?  You want to join me?