January 2020

A new series for 2020! If I record 20 things every week, I’ll have over 1,000 items by December 31. That’s a lot to be grateful for. Sophia’s messy desk that is just so her a new coffeemaker (no more coffee ground surprises at the bottom of the cup!)
one last bloom on my Christmas cactus a clean and organized garage P in a well-loved Spiderman costume the ease of borrowing library books with my Kindle getting a glimpse of geese flying in V-formation learning the guitar along with M the feeling of a fresh pair of contacts little drawings and gifts made by the kids in preparation for Mark’s birthday a well-executed meal plan a warm fireplace when the evenings get chilly the ability to grow new things from food scraps that we caught fraudulent charges on our card right away and were able to successfully dispute/remove them fresh bread, straight from the oven how hard Mark works for our family belly laughs a sale on Poshmark how TJ begs for more and more math pages in his book

the inky blue color of the sky at dusk

This post contains affiliate links. P.S. I highly recommend Book Outlet! Use my link to receive $10 off your first order of $25 or more.
#01. COLD COMFORT FARM by Stella Gibbons || ★★☆☆☆ I chose Cold Comfort Farm for two reasons: it fit for my reading challenge and I thought the cover was awesome. This book is supposed to be a satire, but I don’t think I’ve read enough from this time period to really understand what was being mocked. There were a few laugh out loud moments for me, but otherwise I don’t really think I got it? (This was also my 1932 pick for the 20th Century Reading Challenge.)

#02. IN THE SCHOOL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT by Jacques Philippe || ★★★★☆

However great our efforts, we cannot change ourselves. Only God can get to the bottom of our defects, and our limitations in the field of love; only he has sufficient mastery over our hearts for that. If we realize that we will save ourselves a great deal of discouragement and fruitless struggle. We do not have to become saints by our own power; we have to learn how to let God make us into saints. (p.14)

…what is really able to satisfy our hearts is not so much the gifts we receive as the good that God inspires and that we practice. There is more happiness in giving than in receiving. (p.25)

I really liked this little book about noticing the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. I underlined so many passages! Definitely one I’d like to revisit again someday.

#03. 102 MINUTES: THE UNFORGETTABLE STORY OF THE FIGHT TO SURVIVE INSIDE THE TWIN TOWERS by Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn || ★★★★★
102 Minutes was an eerie, haunting, and yet fascinating look at the time immediately after the Twin Towers were hit and before they collapsed. As I read, I realized that my knowledge about this scary day was incomplete. Yes, the members of the NYPD and NY Fire Department were helpful and brave, but so were the countless ordinary people working in those buildings. They helped each other, supported each other and even died trying to save each other. While intensely sad, I came away from this book inspired and so proud of the ordinary heroes of that day. Definitely a five-star read for me – I will remember this book for a long time.

#04. FELICITY CARROL AND THE MURDEROUS MENACE by Patricia Marcantonio || ★★☆☆☆
This was the second book of the Felicity Carrol series and unfortunately, I felt the same way that I did with the first one. The main character is just too unbelievable to take seriously; she has no flaws and is perfect at everything. I enjoy a strong female lead but the “I am woman, hear me roar!” of this book was a little heavy-handed. Just an okay read for me. (And thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. Felicity Carrol and the Murderous Menace will officially be released on February 10, 2020.)

#05. THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE by C.S. Lewis || ★★★★★ We re-read this classic for our December/January read aloud. I loved it just as much as the first time. (This was also my 1950 pick for the 20th Century Reading Challenge.)

#06. WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS by Wilson Rawls || ★★★★★

“Men,” said Mr. Kyle, “people have been trying to understand dogs ever since the beginning of time. One never knows what they’ll do. You can read every day where a dog saved the life of a drowning child, or lay down his life for his master. Some people call this loyalty. I don’t. I may be wrong, but I call it love – the deepest kind of love.” (p.214)

I had my fifth-grader read Where the Red Fern Grows for school and he was so deeply touched by it. Afterward, he wanted me to read it as well and…whew! I first read this when I was in elementary school and I remember enjoying it, but this time was a completely different reading experience. I couldn’t help thinking of my son and his special love for our dog, Lucy. I’m so glad we both got to experience this book together. (This was also my January choice for the Read Your Bookshelf Challenge as well as the 1961 pick for my 20th Century Reading Challenge.)

#07. YOU’RE NOT LISTENING: WHAT YOU’RE MISSING AND WHY IT MATTERS by Kate Murphy || ★★★★☆

The truth is, we only become secure in our convictions by allowing them to be challenged. Confident people don’t get riled by opinions different from their own, nor do they spew bile online by way of refutation. Secure people don’t decide others are irredeemably stupid or malicious without knowing who they are as individuals. People are so much more than their labels and political positions. (p.83)

I won You’re Not Listening in a Goodreads giveaway and I’m so glad I did! Such an important topic for our times. I love the idea that good listening is driven by curiosity: I want to know your story and why you came to the conclusions that you did. This book had so many interesting points; I’m inspired to improve my listening skills in all of my relationships.

#08. IN THE DARK by Loreth Anne White || ★★★☆☆
This thriller was a nod to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. Definitely a page turner, but I felt like it lost some steam during the second half of the book. Solid three stars.

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MY READING IN NUMBERS FOR 2020

Books Read: 8
Pages Read: 1,889 Fiction: 5 // Non-Fiction: 3 Kindle Books: 2 // Paper Books: 6 20th Century in Books Challenge: 21/100

Original 2020 books “to-read” total on Goodreads: 414 // Current “to-read” total: 417

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A monthly project featuring ten photos throughout the day that show a peek into our extraordinarily ordinary life. Tuesday, January 28, 2020

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One of my big goals for 2020 is to send at least one piece of snail mail out every week. Keeping track of my progress here on the blog will help keep me accountable and I’ll also get to share with you some small stationery businesses. Maybe it will even encourage you to join in on the fun!

WEEK 1 (Jan 1-5)

Starting the new year off strong with three packages! I sent a baby gift to a pregnant loved one and used such a sweet card from Alexa Z Design. I also sent off board books wrapped in gold paper, sharing our Epiphany tradition to two of my favorite little buddies. The cards I used for those are from Quill & Fox.

WEEK 2 (Jan 6-12)

This week took us out of our post-Christmas fog and back into reality! We worked on seven thank-you cards during our first day back to school. These cards are from one of my favorite stationery shops, Phoebe & June. We also wrote seven cards for the kids’ CCD teachers (our last class before Christmas was cancelled due to freezing rain) in appreciation for their hard work. (Same cards from Quill & Fox.)

WEEK 3 (Jan 13-19)

For Week 3, I sat down and wrote a long note to a penpal. The rainbow notecard came from Mercy House Global, another organization that I really love. (This particular card looks to be sold out, but they have lots of other options.) I also included a little party confetti from Knot & Bow, just for fun.

WEEK 4 (Jan 20-26)

This adorable card was from Cotton Blossom Press and made me immediately think of my aunt in Maine. I spent entirely too much space chatting about the weather, but whatcha gonna do? (My grandmothers used to write me letters when I was a kid and always wrote paragraphs about the weather. Now I understand, ha!)

CURRENT SNAIL MAIL TOTAL: 19 P.S. Need a little sunshine in your mailbox? Sign up here to get on the list! A new series for 2020! If I record 20 things every week, I’ll have over 1,000 items by December 31. That’s a lot to be grateful for. Affiliate links ahead! the “poster” M made for our home gym (there are some big Jocko fans around here) cold wind on my face while I hike around the property with my dog the “nest” of blankets that TJ insists on sleeping in at night

a new read aloud

listening to S and J chitchat our generally good health so far this winter seeing a pileated woodpecker in the backyard a good hair day

new growth on my string of pearls succulent

four sales between Poshmark and ebay

a rare night when we all are home with nowhere to go

learning to play the piano along with D a dinner that everyone ate without complaint P’s wild curly hair my weighted blanket a box full of items to bring to the thrift store

learning about Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah’s inspirational story

homemade bracelets made just for me

apple cinnamon muffins, fresh from the oven

“Is Explode the Code a little like reading, mama? ‘Cuz I’m really doing good at reading these words.” – S

Six months of frugal accomplishments! (This post is a combination of December and January, since I missed it last month.) Yesterday, I came across a post from The Frugal Girl, Marketers do not want you to be content, and it really resonated with me. During November and December, I spent a lot of time “browsing” the Internet as I searched for Christmas gifts and I could feel the discontent brewing. Suddenly, my list of woes against my furniture and my home decor and my kids’ wardrobe and my homeschool grew and grew. But isn’t it funny how a self-inflicted No Spend Month can completely change your mindset? I purposely don’t browse online stores or even Pinterest. I don’t open the sales emails, despite how tempting they sound. I have the head space to look at my house and be proud of it, despite its imperfections. I can clearly see the things I really need – like hand towels and shower liners – instead of what social media tells me I need. It’s freeing to be content.

JANUARY’S FRUGAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS My Goal: Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without. And if you have to spend money, do it with intention.

+ I read and reviewed two free books from Netgalley.

+ While unpacking our decorations, I found a handful of old Christmas cards (received from others) from years ago. To give them one more life, I cut off the tops – the side without the writing – and used them as thank you cards for my Poshmark/ebay packages.

+ I used up four rolls of Christmas wrapping paper from last year and all of my tags. I even used the (sorta ugly, but completely useful) free sticker tags I received in some junk mail. Feels good to know that I can start fresh next December!

+ We committed to No Spend January and have done okay so far! Little things have popped up – like dental copays, an oil change, and a new phone for Mark when his old one wouldn’t hold a charge – but we’ve been able to pay for these things fairly easily. I’m really enjoying the challenge of being creative with what we have in all the ways: in the kitchen, in decorating, and in toys and books.

+ The boys’ sheets were looking dingy, so I added 1/3 cup of baking soda to the bottom of the washing machine before starting the load. Now they look as good as new! Baking soda is also a deodorizer, which is an added benefit because…boys.

+ I gave two of the boys haircuts and trimmed my own using the ponytail method.

+ I gathered up all of the random makeup and skincare samples I’ve accumulated and put them in a vintage glass container on my bathroom counter. I’m hoping this little action will help me actually use them up!

+ I started adding more potatoes to our meal plans. Potatoes are cheap, filling and are a starchy alternative to bread. (Mark may have a minor gluten sensitivity). And bonus: the kids love them in all their forms and eat without complaint!

+ I made my own Soap Scum Cleaner (from a “recipe” I found on Pinterest) using dish soap and vinegar. It worked fine but wasn’t amazing, so I won’t share it here. I’m on the hunt for another option.

Your turn! What did you do to save a little money this month?

_________________________________ Previous Frugal Accomplishments: JULY // AUGUST // SEPTEMBER // OCTOBER // NOVEMBER This post contains affiliate links.

Happy Wednesday!

A QUOTE

To listen does not mean, or even imply, that you agree with someone. It simply means you accept the legitimacy of the other person’s point of view and that you might have something to learn from it. It also means that you embrace the possibility that there might be multiple truths and understanding them all might lead to a larger truth. Good listeners know understanding is not binary. It’s not that you have it or you don’t. Your understanding can always be improved. – from You’re Not Listening, page 88

TWO BOOKS

I like to have two books going at the same time, one fiction and one non-fiction. For my non-fiction choice, I’m reading You’re Not Listening, but I can’t seem to make up my mind on a novel! Top contenders right now are Ordinary Grace and Behold the Dreamers. So many good books, so little time.

Faith and Flour // I just came across this Youtube channel and have only watched her weekly cleaning routine video so far, but I was already taking notes about cleaning “tools” and techniques.
Sweet & Simple Home // I’ve mentioned this Youtube channel before, but she is just the sweetest and I’m always inspired by the way she views her home.
Clean Mama // I just re-subscribed to this blog…I think I read hers awhile back and then probably got overwhelmed…but I’m back and ready to learn!

FOUR TABS OPEN ON MY COMPUTER RIGHT NOW

A local farm’s CSA program // participating in this is on my 100 Little Things list, so I’m starting to do the research & calculate the cost
Walmart Grocery // I always keep this open and add things throughout the week as we use them up
A video series on the Holy Spirit // I’m thinking about going through these videos next month
Valentine cards on etsy // so many cute options! I’ll be sharing some of my favorites in my Five Reasons post for February

FIVE THINGS ON MY FEBRUARY TO-BUY LIST

Since this is No Spend January, I’ve been jotting down the things that fall into the middle of need vs. want: they aren’t immediate needs, but probably should be purchased sooner than later.

an outdoor broom
two new hand towels for the downstairs bathroom
a coffee maker: ours is leaving more and more grounds in the coffee, which is always a fun surprise to find in your mug
shower curtain liner for the boys’ bathroom
I Love Lucy DVDs: Amazon took the free episodes off of Prime Video and my kids were so sad! I’m going to see if I can find them for cheap on Second Spin.

Linking up for the first time with Top Ten Tuesday! This post contains affiliate links.

This will come as no surprise to you, but I asked for books for Christmas. Mark graciously agreed to work from my specific list (my Goodreads TBR) and we found almost all of the books at Book Outlet. I’ve already read the first two on the list and can’t wait to get to the rest. Here are the ten newest books on my nightstand:

1 // What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen by Kate Fagan
This was the first book I read from the pile. It’s the true story of a driven college athlete who struggled with depression and eventually took her own life. It was a heart-wrenching read, but I learned a lot. (Read my full review here.)

2 // 102 Minutes: The Unforgettable Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers by Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn
I just finished this one last week and it was my first five-star read of the new year. It takes you through the minutes between when the planes crashed into the Twin Towers and when they collapsed. I know this book will stay with me for a long time.

3 // The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey (The rest of the books from here on out are ones that I haven’t read yet, so these descriptions will be a little lame.) I saw this one recommended in a few difference places and my friends on Goodreads gave it pretty high stars. A historical mystery with an Indian twist – sign me up!

4 // I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh

I enjoy thrillers with vague descriptions that give nothing away and I Let You Go falls right into that category. My friends on Goodreads gave it anywhere from two to five stars, so I’m curious to see where I will fall.

5 // Countdown to Pearl Harbor: The Twelve Days to the Attack by Steve Twomey

This military history book seems to be in a similar vein to 102 Minutes: looking back at a moment in history and dissecting the things that went right and the things that went wrong. I’m a firm believer that you can’t be wise about the future without learning from the past, so this type of book is fascinating to me and right up my alley.

6 // Roots and Sky: A Journey Home in Four Seasons by Christie Purifoy

I have no memory of this memoir, but after reading the description again, it does seem to be something I’d enjoy, ha!

7 // The Time in Between by María Dueñas

I shelved this one back in 2012 and I don’t have any recollection about where I heard about it. A translated historical novel from Spain and I didn’t realize that it was so huge! Over 600 pages.

8 // Townie by Andre Dubus III

I’ve never read anything by Dubus, but this memoir about his childhood and how he was saved by writing sounds really interesting.

9 // Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: an Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown

I think this book came on my radar after reading Killers of the Flower Moon in 2018, when I realized that my knowledge of Native American history was really lacking. I’m sure this will be a heavy read, but again: the more you learn from the past, the wiser you can be about the future.

10 // Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
And last but not least, a book that gets really high ratings from my friends on Goodreads! One person said that it reminded her of To Kill a Mockingbird and Peace Like a River, two books I love. Can’t wait to dive into this one! Have you read any of these? What did you think? What’s new on your nightstand?

Take care to preserve your heart in peace; let no happening of this world upset it…Even if everything here below crumbled apart and all things were against us, there would be no use in upsetting ourselves over it, for that upset would bring us more harm than benefit.
– St. John of the Cross

INTENTIONS FOR THE END OF JANUARY

try to remember to say the Angelus twice a day
find a muffin recipe that uses applesauce
get paperwork ready for taxes
clean the Dutch oven (100LT #5)
order Mark’s birthday present
start browsing Valentine’s Day cards on etsy for family and friends
read one book on my Kindle
list 5 items on Poshmark/ebay
cross-post 5 items
clean and organize the garage
clean out the car interior
join in on the “One Box Declutter Challenge” with Sweet & Simple Home
make homemade playdough (100LT #58)
look into what it would cost to build a Little Free Library (the very beginnings of 100LT #76)

If you’re reading on your phone or in a reader, be sure to click over to see what I checked off the list!

get a solid start on No Spend January (Definitely not perfect, because…life. Money spent was on our bills, gas, groceries, an oil change, dental copays, and a new phone when Mark’s suddenly would not hold a charge)
~~try out The Confident Mom’s free Household Planner~~ (LOVING this so far!)
~~slowly get back into the 1,000 Item Declutter Challenge~~
~~write thank you notes~~
~~finish up my 2019 December Daily album~~ (I’m so pleased with how it turned out)
~~list 5 new items on Poshmark/ebay~~ (Official total was 7)
cross-post 5 items (2/5)
~~try to get a photo of the six kids all together~~ (thank you, snow day!)
~~keep track of all grocery spending~~ (I even came up with a fancy Excel sheet)
have a “Top Chef Night” to use up some of the random items in our pantry and fridge
start demo-ing Sophie’s bathroom
~~finally set up the telescope~~ (Sophia is thrilled!)
~~watch and~~ practice ~~one video from my new self-defense course~~ (I watched the first lesson about the combat base, but will need to keep practicing until it feels natural)

A new series for 2020! If I record 20 things every week, I’ll have over 1,000 items by December 31. That’s a lot to be grateful for. Affiliate links ahead! Sophie’s treasure box of rocks from our backyard (and some Instax photos too) listening to D teach J how to make pancakes experiencing The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe again an opportunity for Mark to meet and get to know other men in our parish freshly made beds with clean sheets how jiu jitsu is helping M’s confidence the surprise of getting a stain out of a sweater I thought I had ruined paying off another student loan! pick up football games in the front yard Lego creations all over the house seeing the moon through the telescope getting a walk in everyday a new daily practice of physically writing out a verse of Scripture the huge strides TJ has made in his speech listening to P count to thirteen when Lucy lays her head in my lap surviving the first week of 90 days without sugar the ritual of applying hand cream before I go to bed (Mark says I’m officially an old lady now) falling into a deep sleep after a full day

Months #3 and #4 for my 1,000 Item Declutter Challenge! Here are the ground rules:

Only spend 10 minutes at one time and only in one specific area.
Monday through Wednesday, seek out items that we no longer need and make a pile. Then Thursday through Saturday, make a plan for how to deal with them. (This worked so well and avoided that dreaded box of “what should I do with these?” items.)
Possible places to find new homes for items: Ebay/Poshmark, Facebook Marketplace, Trash Nothing website or the local Buy Nothing Facebook group and as a last resort, Goodwill

I feel a responsibility for the things I have and want to be intentional with how I dispose of them. Questions I asked myself: If it’s here, what purpose does it serve? Can I use it up? Can I enjoy it vs. keeping it tucked away in drawers and boxes? And if not, can I let it go to someone who may need it more?

I took most of December off from blogging, so I’m combining both months in this post. Truth be told, there wasn’t a whole lot of decluttering going on anyway, as I allowed myself the time off to just enjoy Advent and the Christmas season. But I’m back and ready to get back to work!

WHAT I DECLUTTERED THE PAST TWO MONTHS

4 books.
2 men’s suit coats. Mark’s warming up to the idea of decluttering his own closet!
7 Christmas books. As I prepared for Advent School, I separated out the books we never seem to read. I posted them on Trash Nothing and got a response within a day.
One nativity set. Sold on ebay.
Four tea towels made by my late grandmother. I found a set of tea towels in one of my Christmas boxes and decided that I should share a little bit of my grandmother with my siblings.
12 Young Living essential oils. I used to be all about essential oils, but they’ve been in a kitchen drawer collecting dust for over a year. I haven’t done anything with them because they were $$ and I kept trying to convince myself that I may use them in the future. Obviously, that hasn’t happened. I decided to give a bunch to family members.
One pair of soccer cleats. A surprising sale on ebay!
One pair of bathing suit trunks and the matching rashguard. Another surprising sale on Poshmark!
4 gift bags and 10 various rolls of ribbon.
Two curtain panels. Sold on Poshmark. I had these panels made for me for my old dining room. I loved them so much! Unfortunately, when we moved to the farmhouse, I didn’t have the right window to hang them and they stayed in a box. This was a hard one to let go, but I’m happy to pass them on to someone else and get a little money back in return.
3 magazines. Into the recycling bin.
6 various pieces of clothing. Sent to Goodwill. These are pieces in good condition, but don’t have much resale value and weren’t substantial enough to warrant a post on Trash Nothing.

Items decluttered this month: 58
Money made this month: $75.98 Total items decluttered so far: 256 Total money made so far: $397.32

P.S. To “count,” the item had to physically leave my house. So while I have listed a handful of things online, those aren’t counted until they have sold.

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I’ve been steadily working on my 100 Little Things list and am ready for another update! (This is the original list and this was the first update.) Here’s what I completed in October, November and December:

#65. PRAY A NOVENA. I prayed the Saint Therese novena with Pray More Novenas for a special intention at the end of September. While I didn’t receive a rose, J did bring home this holy card for me from his CCD teacher’s prize box. He had no idea I was praying the novena and didn’t even really know who she was. He said, “She just looked beautiful and I know you like flowers.” It felt like she was saying, “I got you. I’ll bring your intentions to the feet of Christ.”

#90. READ WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON AS A READ ALOUD. I read this book to the kids for school and we really loved it!

#30. REPLACE THE AMERICAN FLAG. Our poor old flag was faded and ripping. We grabbed a replacement and made the switch in minutes. So happy to get this task crossed off the list!

#35. PLANT BULBS IN THE FALL. For my birthday, I asked for something a little unconventional: I wanted 100 daffodil bulbs! My boys worked so hard to dig a new flower bed around one of our big trees. They even planted them for me too! I can’t wait to see them bloom in March or April.

#44. HAVE FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN. and #79. SEND CHRISTMAS CARDS. We decided to take our family photos ourselves this year and they actually turned out okay! I ordered my Christmas cards through Basic Invite – I worked with them last year and really liked their website and options.

#16. ORGANIZE THE EMERGENCY CLOSET. Another task that I’m so grateful to cross off the list. Ever since the Wind Storm Fiasco of 2018, we are very proactive about keeping a full emergency closet, just in case. We slowly replenished the non-perishables, batteries and bottled water and got everything in its place. One new addition this year was the investment of freeze dried meals – super pricey, but gives me peace of mind that my children won’t go hungry if we run out of other provisions. And bonus: they don’t expire for 30 years!

#80. SUPPORT THREE ETSY SHOPS. and #69. ROLL BEESWAX ADVENT CANDLES. Crossing off two tasks in one: we purchased beeswax Advent candles from Beeswax Candle Company and rolled them on December 1! A really fun memory for our family.

#78. DONATE FOOD TO THE FOOD PANTRY. We made birthday boxes.

#83. DONATE TINY GOING HOME OUTFITS TO GRANT’S GIFTS. For Giving Tuesday, we donated little preemie outfits to a wonderful organization called Grant’s Gifts. I sent them directly from Amazon because finding preemie outfits in stores turned out to be much more difficult than I expected!

#25. LEARN A NEW CARD GAME. The kids got a book about card games for Saint Nicholas day and “Doublet” was the first one we tried. Simple enough to teach the littler ones (TJ is five and got the gist quickly) and really fun.

#35. WATCH THE LOCAL CHRISTMAS PARADE. One of the highlights of December! We finally made it to our town’s Christmas parade and it didn’t disappoint!

#84. THANK THE MAILMAN. My mail carrier does so much extra heavy lifting with my Poshmark and ebay packages, so I made sure to say thank you during the Christmas season.

#70. MAKE THREE NEW KINDS OF CHRISTMAS COOKIES. So technically, I personally did not make three new kinds of cookies, but my oldest boys did, so I’m still counting it as done. They picked recipes from the back of A World of Cookies for Santa and baked them all by themselves. Two new favorites are Hermit Cookies from Canada and Pineapple Bars from Hawaii.

#22. COMPLETE A DECEMBER DAILY ALBUM. This was my second year participating in December Daily with Ali Edwards and I really enjoyed recording our Advent stories this way. I’m so pleased with how the album turned out too! Can’t wait for next year.