LeeAnn G Taylor - Embracing the Mosaic Life

Trusting our broken pieces to the Ultimate Artist

Archives for November 2015

Great Ways to Stretch your Christmas Budget

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One of my favorite things ever is to connect people to resources – people, things, ideas – anything that might be the perfect solution to their problem or concern.

So today I’m sharing my top Thanksgiving weekend sales, discounts, and freebies. These are all companies and services I know and love. I figure if I love them, maybe you will too!

Also, if you’re tight on funds this Christmas like us, don’t miss the free credits to ThredUp, Schoola, ePantry, and Shutterfly. There are lots of items you could use as gifts and you’ll get them for free! 

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For Advent…

Truth in the Tinsel

Amanda is a youth pastor turned stay-at-home mom and has created this Advent resource for families to use to share the story of Jesus with their children during the month of December. There’s a Bible story and an ornament craft each day. I love that for the non-crafty moms (that’s me!) she has a printable set of ornaments that go along with each day’s reading.

Curious About Christmas Advent Calendar

Logan has a new book, Curious Faith, coming out soon and to go along with it, she’s released a brand new Curious About Christmas Advent Calendar: 24 Fun Facts and Scripture to Celebrate the Holiday Season. If you’ve ever wondered about the history of candy canes, Christmas colors, or mistletoe, this fun printable is a perfect addition to your countdown to Christmas. It’s free! (update: no longer available)

for your closet

For Your Closet…

ThredUp

ThredUp is my new favorite way to shop for clothes online. My schedule doesn’t allow for shopping time in stores during this season of life and many of my clothes are hand-me-downs (so grateful!). But ThredUp has given me a new thrill recently…picking out stylish in-season great quality gently used clothes from the convenience of my laptop, tablet, or phone.

Power user tip: narrow down your selection by type of clothing, size, price, and even color to browse more easily. Also, if something you order isn’t quite right, you have 14 days to return it for a credit (postage paid by ThredUp).

Use THIS LINK to get a free $20 credit (free clothes, shoes, handbags & more!). 

Schoola

Schoola is another second-hand online clothing shop with a charitable twist. Schoola offers quality women’s and kids clothing at up to 70% off retail with 40% of proceeds benefiting schools. I’ve donated several bags of clothing and Schoola has sent over $50 to my daughter’s school as a donation after those clothes were purchased by others.

Use THIS LINK to get a free $20 credit. 

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For Your Home…

Grove Collaborative

Grove Collaborative is an online service sending quality household products (think: soap, shampoo, baby products, cleaners, and more) right to your door. They have fabulous customer service and I cannot put in words how much I love that I don’t have to run to the store for these items – instead, I never run out!

Use THIS LINK to get a free $10 credit. My suggestion? Try the Grove Collaborative 70+ Hour Orange Thyme + Cardamom Candle. It smells just like Christmas!

Plan to Eat

I’ve used Plan to Eat as my online recipe box, menu planner, grocery list maker, and more for the last three years. I love that it’s a family-owned small business and that they’re committed to continuous improvement. There are WAY too many awesome features to tell you about here but if you’ve ever considered using a tool for your menu planning or keeping up with your recipes, this is it!

Use THIS LINK to get a free 30-day trial. If you decide to sign up, you’ll get your 30-day free trial.

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For Your Website or Blog…

A Small Orange (website hosting)

Since I started blogging and tooling around with designing websites, I’ve lost count of the number of people who have asked me about how to start a blog or create a website. My very first suggestion to new bloggers is to get a self-hosted site. Although there are lots of free blogging platforms available, the only way to guarantee that you (not the provider of the free service) actually own the content you create and that you don’t have ads on your site you can’t control is to have a “self-hosted” site.

In the past this could be costly, but I recently switched to A Small Orange hosting company and could not be more pleased with both their price points and 24/7 friendly customer service. If you’ve been thinking about starting a blog or have a need for website hosting, now’s a great time to take that important step.

Use THIS LINK and plans start at $2.92/month. 

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For Your Gift List…

Family Christian

Some of my favorite gift ideas are available at seriously good prices right now at Family Christian. You can grab Chris Tomlin’s new Christmas Worship CD (review + giveaway coming to the blog soon!) for under $8.00, the Fisher Price Little People Nativity at 50% off, a ton of books for just $5 each, 75% off planners, and more.

For Your Christmas To Do List…

Shutterfly

I’ve used Shutterfly for years to create photo books, photo gifts, and my favorite….Christmas cards! I always look out for the Thanksgiving deal because they always have codes for FREE cards. This year I get to share a sneak peak of their best discounts. If you grab those free 10 cards you can check at least one thing off your to do list!

Power user tip: If you set up a new Shutterfly account, you can also receive 50 prints of 4×6 size. If you design your own Christmas family photo/card in a program like PicMonkey or Canva in a 4×6 size, you can upload the image and get those 50 prints for free!

Use THIS LINK and the codes below to take advantage of special deals and freebies!

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Just Because…

Waterproof Bible 

I just had to share this because I think it might be the coolest Christmas gift idea ever. When I first heard about it on a podcast a couple of weeks ago, I had no idea a waterproof Bible even existed!

But imagine my delight and surprise when I found out that people are buying these for soldiers overseas, for missionaries in remote areas, and for fellow mom-friends as a Bible to leave open in the kitchen without worry of spills and sticky fingers. I even had a friend tell me her husband has taken his in the shower!

Use THIS LINK to see all the translations available. I love that there are several options in camouflage. Perfect for your hunter husband or relatives!

So, that’s a wrap! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend and I hope you’re able to take advantage of some of my favorite deals this year.

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P.S. Use the links below to share these awesome deals with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, or by email so they won’t miss out!

Affiliate links are included in this post. When you click and purchase, I receive a very small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. These funds help keep the doors open here at Embracing the Mosaic Life and support Eva, our Compassion International child in Columbia.

Gratitude :: The Secret Ingredient

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It’s Thanksgiving, and already the scents from the kitchen are tantalizing me as I think of the feast that awaits us.

cinnamon-sticks

In our family, Thanksgiving means time with family, cooking traditional family recipes (including my mom’s famous shredded sweet potato casserole) and always trying a new one (this year it’s The Pioneer Woman’s key lime pie).  We watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in the morning, share what we’re grateful for around the table, and settle in for an afternoon of football with leftovers keeping our bellies full and eyes heavy late into the evening.

I can’t wait! It’s one of my favorite days of the year for sure.

turkey dinner

So, on this day of reflection, can I share a little secret with you?

Many of you are joining me here after connecting with one my of Parenting with Purpose posts.

Others of you are here because, like me, you’re a recovering perfectionist. Or maybe you grew up in a rules-not-relationship church environment and you’re learning along with me to embrace the love and freedom Christ offers as we grow in faith daily.

No matter your reason for spending time here at Embracing the Mosaic Life, we all share one thing in common. We all struggle. Your struggle may not look exactly like mine but the fall from perfection in the garden of Eden put us all on the same playing field. We’re all broken and we all struggle.

leaves-over-face

My struggle lately has been a struggle with anxiety and fear. It comes and goes in waves at the most unexpected times. Maybe your current struggle is with something altogether different, but I’d venture a guess that most all of us could say we’ve struggled with anxiety and fear in some area of our lives in the past.

But today as we gather for food and fellowship, I’m reminded that we already have the remedy, (the secret ingredient, if you will) to our fears and worries.

All of us can cultivate a grateful heart.

All of us can cultivate a grateful heart. #Thanksgiving

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Being grateful, remembering to reflect on our blessings, not our worries, our failures, or the unknown, is what centers us, pulls us back to the truth of God’s word, and gives us peace.

Philippians 4:6-7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

As I work through my own struggles, I challenge you to identify an area in which you’re struggling and take one practical step to cultivate gratitude. Write in a journal, reflect on scripture, call a friend, or say a prayer.

Enjoy today with family and friends. Take a moment to let gratitude shape your day, your attitude, your mind, and your heart.

And from one struggling but grateful woman to another, have a wonderfully blessed day!

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Home Chef Groceries Delivered $30 Credit Discount

P.S. Check out the suggested gratitude resources below and be on the lookout for a special holiday edition blog post with my favorite online deals, complete with some exclusive coupon codes & discounts just for you!

 

Suggested resources:

Choose Gratitude Blessings Journal

Printable Scripture Art Printables/Coloring Sheets for Thanksgiving {free}

100 Creative Ways to Say Thank You to Your Husband

Affiliate links are included in this post. When you click and purchase, I receive a very small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. These funds help keep the doors open here at Embracing the Mosaic Life and support Eva, our Compassion International child in Columbia.

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