Maturity

My task for the day: rummage around in the storage space in the basement and try to find the box of size 2/3 girl clothing. Then bring that box upstairs and sort and wash the clothes in the box. While the clothes are washing, purge all things too small from Lillian's closet. Once the previously boxed clothes are clean, hang them in Lillian's closet.

Doesn't sound too bad, huh? Believe it or not, it's an all day process.

My Lillian has grown recently, and her little clothes are too short. Bless her heart. She looks like a little street urchin.

I always hate it when my kids outgrow their clothing. It means that (1) they're getting older (AND BIGGER!) and (2) I have to say goodbye to their clothes that I've grown to love. Weird. I know.

When Camryn was around 2-ish, I started buying all of her clothes at Gymboree. We had gotten a little comfortable financially, so I felt like I could start paying premium prices for my daughter's clothes. Plus, everything in Gymboree was so darned cute!

I admit, though, that one of my secret reasons for buying pricey clothing for my daughter was because it made me feel important. She looked great, all dressed up in her fancy duds with matching hats, hairbows, socks, purses, etc. My daughter's wardrobe made me think people considered us rich enough to afford such things. It made me feel superior.

What an idiot I was. People don't care what my kids wear.

Well, people care, but usually they're the people you don't want to be friends with anyhow.

I've grown up a LOT since then. We now have our financial house in order (thanks to Dave Ramsey). We're more financially comfortable than we ever have been, but you wouldn't know it to look at us. We don't wear labels anymore. I only look at the price tag, not the designer tag. I'm really super proud of that achievement.

I'm not saying that such clothes are evil. I'm just saying I could care less about what the kids' tags say. All I care is that their clothes are clean and that they match. If they looked like someone cared enough to make them look presentable, then I've done my job.

But back to Lillian's closet.

Today, while pulling those clothes out of the storage box, I was reminded of that time when I bought way too many clothes for my daughter. The outfits are adorable, and I can't wait to see Lillian wearing them (and thank goodness they'll see more wear!), but all of those clothes make me sad.....Sad that I was ever so wrapped up in what others think of me. What a dork.

Live and learn. Live and learn.

Blog Challenge: Money

How did money affect you this holiday season? Did it affect you at all? Did you overspend? Did you work within a tight budget? Did you feel guilt or anxiety over how much you spent? Did you find yourself wishing you could spend more, or wishing you had spent less? Did money control the way you gave, and did it influence the way you received?

This is the third Christmas when I haven't worried about money. I don't know how I ever enjoyed Christmas in years past, knowing bills were coming our way in January. I would be completely stressed out if I knew a credit card bill would be on its way soon. I couldn't enjoy the holidays that way.

We started the Dave Ramsey program in October 2003 and paid off our last consumer debt in April 2005 (we still have a mortgage). We don't use credit cards; instead, we put aside a certain amount of money each month so we have a decent Christmas budget in November. The budget includes everyone we need to buy for as well as any charity donations we plan on making in December.

Two years ago my husband and I decided to limit our kids to three gifts each, following the tradition of the Magi that visited baby Jesus (each brought one gift.) It has really trimmed our budget, and the kids enjoy what they do receive MUCH more. We have found that we also put a lot more thought into what we buy for the kids.

I always wish I could spend more money at Christmas, but not on my kids. My favorite part of Christmas has become the charitable giving. There's never enough money for that, in my opinion. I could give and give and give.

In November we do the shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. We pack one box for each member of our family. The kids have really enjoyed participating in buying the items we place in the boxes, as well as the packing of the boxes. I love walking into our church on the designated day and seeing all of the shoeboxes piled high. I would love to follow those boxes one day, to be able to hand them out to the kids who receive them. Man, what a trip that would be.

We also choose angels from the Salvation Army Angel Tree every year. Our church sets up one, and we look for kids that match our kids' ages. We have a blast shopping for the kids, and our children enjoy picking out clothes and toys for their "angels". I hope our children get as much out of this process as I do, and that as they grow older they will always remember that it's not all about them at Christmas.

My family has been blessed beyond measure. I'm a firm believer in the passage found in Luke 12:48. It says, " From everyone who has been given much, much will be required..." I feel like because I have been so richly blessed, it is my duty to give back. I love to give, and I try to do it as often as I can.

Did you find yourself wishing you could spend more, or wishing you had spent less?

I definitely wish I could give more. Always. I just love to give!

It's in the Bag

I carry a large purse. I haven't always carried a large one, but, with the birth of each child my bag has seemed to grow larger (hmmm...much like my hips, feet, boobs and belly!) Alas, I think my days of the small bag are over for awhile...

Sadly, in the area of purses, I think I am becoming like my mother-in-law. I have often made light of the fact that she seems to have a Wal Mart store inside her purse. You ask for nail clippers & she produces them. Need a screwdriver? It's in there. Mine's not that bad, and I hope it never will be.

Here's a picture:





The purse itself is new. I will admit it cost a little bit of money, but when I got the Vera Bradley catalog in the mail, I fell in love with the fabric. I never spend money on myself, so I splurged. I deserve it.

I love that it has lots of pockets inside to keep things neat. I'm a bit overzealous about handbag organization. I clean it out religiously. I don't like to have gum wrappers or receipts or anything like that floating in the bottom of the bag. I don't like clutter in my home, and I guess it just extends to my purse. If it's possible to have just a smidgeon of OCD, I think I do.

The contents of my bag aren't shocking or atypical. There's the wallet with my debit cards and my Blockbuster card and my library card and my Staples teacher's rewards card and all of those things a person normally carries in a handbag. I have the checkbooks and the hand lotion (which should really only be in there in the winter, as my hands sweat too much in the summer for lotion to be necessary!). I have the little zipper purse that matches the bag (another splurge) and it holds gum, hand sanitizer, Splenda packets, and Ibuprofen. The 2 Longaberger catalogs (1 current, 1 upcoming) because I'm a Longaberger consultant and keep those with me "just in case". I have baby wipes for sticky hands and the household calendar for keeping up with appointments and such. Basic stuff.

The most important thing in my purse is the black wallet which holds my cash. I don't use credit cards (anymore). I am not good with credit cards. I am an emotional spender and can't be trusted with credit. I have to be given limits, and the cash helps limit my purchases.

The cash is categorized. I have cash for groceries, for fast food purchases, for restaurant purchases, for babysitters, for haircuts, for clothing, for entertainment and for "blowing" on stuff that's not in the budget. When the money is gone, I don't get any until the beginning of the next month. Living on the cash system has taught me all kinds of self control.

About 3 years ago my husband and I went through the Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover. We cut up the credit cards and paid off $73,000 in consumer debt within 18 months. It is one of the things I am the *most* proud of in my life. We now live credit-free. We have no debts except our mortgage.

I love living on the cash-only basis. I feel so responsible. I feel free. I feel in control of my money. I am proud that I have no debt. I can give when people need help. I LOVE IT.