This is what a friend of mine said to me once not long after Samuel was born. I was a first time Mom, exhausted and a nervous wreck, and that one phrase meant so much to me. It lifted my spirits and gave me exactly what I needed at the time. Those words held so much power for me. It gave me the confidence I needed when I was battling the lies of the enemy that I was a big fat failure as a Mom.

This morning as I read a blog that I regularly follow, the writer was commenting on the fact that she had purchased a baby swing hoping that would be the answer to get her infant daughter to sleep when in fact the baby hated it and screamed the whole time in it. I felt compelled to comment on this blog and to tell the woman those powerful words that had meant so much to me: "You're a great mom!"

Today I had a very rough experience with my toddler. We went to a play date and he proceeded to snatch toys and act out and pitch fits almost the entire time we were there. I was embarrassed and frustrated at the same time. And I drove home in tears with the feeling that I was a failure. That I had not only failed my son but the other children at the play date as well. I so desperately needed to hear those magical words myself today. I needed reassurance from someone that I hadn't failed. So I finally told my husband what I was going through and he provided that reminder for me.

To all my first time moms and veteran moms: Tarayn, Beth, Kristina, Shannon, McKenzie, Jenny, Kristen, Gina, Stacey, Stacie, Stacey, Ashley, Rachel, Autumn, Koko, Amanda, Catherine, Jenn, Jennifer, Michelle, Julie, Kelley, Sarah, Liz and Susan - "You're a great Mom!"

One of my favorite movies is "Julie & Julia" about Julia Child and Julie Powell who blogged her way through "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". I loved the movie so much that I immediately ordered the book from the library (We pretty much check everything out at the library first to read it. Then if it is something that we really love and want to keep - we will order it. We have saved a ton of money by doing it this way not to mention space for shelving all those books).

Well take my word for it and do not read this book. It is so offensive, littered with the F word and so many gross analogies to sex. How in the world someone could take french cooking recipes and relate them to sex so many times and in so many different ways is beyond me. I didn't read the entire book and rather skimmed it looking to see if it would get better, it didn't. I don't have high regard for Julie Powell but I do love the movie and I was so thankful that lovely Nora Ephron saw through all that trash and produced a wonderful movie.

So here is my point. Remember the scene where Julie cooks chicken in cream sauce with mushrooms? Were you salivating like me? I've been thinking about that dish ever since I first saw the movie and since I own it, well I've salivated multiple times now. So for my birthday, my Mom made this meal for me and I helped out some in the preparation. I was too scared to attempt it by myself the first time because you have to light the dish on fire. Sophisticated people call that flambe.  :)

Here is a link to the best chicken dish I have ever had. http://angelninascottage.com/2009/11/18/julia-childs-poulet-au-porto-roast-chicken-steeped-with-port-wine-cream-and-mushrooms/ And here's another link with how to roast the chicken: http://kitchenbliss.blogspot.com/2009/02/poulet-au-porto.html. I will go ahead and suggest that you just buy a little brandy instead of the cognac which is the same thing but only cheaper. If you can find an inexpensive medium-dry port wine let me know. Ours cost $15 but it's an integral part of the dish. You can't substitute red wine or Merlot or you will completely change the dish. Port wine is a dessert wine and is very sweet.

We served the chicken with sliced potatoes sauteed in butter.  A word to the wise: don't overcook them too much or the starches will break down and make them incredibly sweet. We also served simple roasted asparagus which we found at Whole Foods because it looked terrible at Publix. It was about $4/ lb which was a little pricey so we only bought a pound. Julia Child suggests serving peas with it and I agree because the dish was rich between the chicken and the potatoes that the asparagus was almost a little heavy. I wish I had taken a picture of it to show you because it looked heavenly. I will say this recipe calls for a ton of pans. So be prepared to wash up a lot of dishes. But in the end it was totally worth it. If you haven't ever made this dish, you must conquer it. It is life changing.

It took me a while to get this post up because we had a baby that went on a nap strike. He's still protesting them but I finally got a 3rd wind after putting him to bed tonight and was able to finish this post.

I'm giving you the insider track on how Steve and I walk out this thing called living within our means. It's not easy but it can be done. And we aren't perfect at it either. There are plenty of times we mess up so don't go thinking that we have got it all together or figured out for that matter because we don't. But I truly believe that all this takes practice. And with every mistake that you make, you figure out a better way to do what you've been doing.

Many times I will get questions from friends on how we coupon or save money. There isn't always one strategy that we use but several. And sometimes they work and sometimes they don't work. Like this past week I went way over on my food budget because Publix had chicken breasts and ground sirloin on sale. So I stocked up for the month. In my head it made sense because why buy it when it isn't on sale? But the problem was after I got all that meat jam packed in my freezer, I realized that I didn't buy enough veggies and fruits for the rest of the week. Instead of making another run to the store to spend even more money, we are just making it work until our grocery day on Wednesday. Those things happen and you have to give yourself grace - which I'm not particularly good at. I'm very goal oriented so if the budget says $50 and I spend $64 then chances are I will beat myself up for it pretty good.

So I'm going to give you some ideas about what we do and what we think works for us. And if you have any secrets or tips to share, then please do so. I'm currently trying to find more inexpensive clothing for myself seeing that my size seems to change on a daily basis. :(   So Steve says we are not buying any nice clothes given the fact that a month later, I might not be able to wear them at all. So I want some classic, elegant and stylish pieces that are affordable. Right now I'm looking at places like Old Navy, Forever 21, JC Penny's for some affordable, stylish pieces to mix and match with what I have. If you have any places or online resources to recommend to me on this category please do so.

Diapers - Can be a real budget buster. But you know you are going to need them. This is one category that must be funded. A box of Pampers costs roughly $20 at Wal-Mart. So we generally figure out how many we go through in a month and then put that total in our budget. Because we have figured out a way to get them so much cheaper, we spend much less $20 a box. We have $20 as our diaper fund each month. We shop at CVS for the majority of our diapers unless Publix is running a sale with a bunch of coupons. We use our CVS extra care bucks to buy diapers, toilet paper, soap, Listerine, toothpaste, paper towels and wipes. We just go to Southern Savers and click on the CVS tab and she has it all worked out for us. She tells you which inserts to pull your coupons from and everything. I also have gotten on Huggies and Pampers mailing lists and they often mail us coupons as well. You can just go to their websites and sign up. I will say that Pampers are my favorite but when we get a big box of Huggies for $8 instead of $20 then I'm not going to be a diaper snob at that savings.

Couponing - I used to be the coupon queen. But now that I have a little one, I don't have time to clip every single coupon and file it away. Instead I use a much quicker system of labeling and filing my inserts from the paper. We subscribe to the Wednesday and Sunday papers. I take the coupon inserts, label them with the dates and then put them in files labeled Smart Source, P&G, Red Plum or publix yellow flier. Then when salsa is BOGO at Publix, Southern Savers will tell you there is a coupon from SS (Smart Source)  10/14 (October 14 insert) and you just flip it open and cut it out. Every Sunday I flip through the inserts and cut out coupons for very specific items that I would buy even if they weren't on sale like diapers, my Olay facial cleanser (which there is always a coupon for and when it goes on sale at Publix then I get it for $2). It's only a couple of coupons that I cut so it takes no time to file those away. Even though we buy our diapers on sale and use Southern Savers, I still like to have all my diaper coupons in one place for some reason.This system has saved me so much time and because of it, I'm now stockpiling more because I'm only buying the stuff when it's on sale and has coupons with it. Click this to learn more about how to coupon with Southern Savers.

Meal planning - Right now I'm using a meal service called e-mealz and it's fantastic. They plan everything out for you and the recipes are great. We are using the two person - portion control plan for any store. We are shopping at Aldi for mostly frozen veggies, fresh produce, milk, eggs, canned goods, dairy products and so forth. Then we go to Publix and buy all our meat that is on sale and any other items that are BOGO like pasta, salsa, chicken nuggets and so forth. Right now, this system is working well for us. Aldi is cheaper than Wal Mart and the store is so small that it makes getting in and out a cinch.

Cosmetics - If you haven't read,"Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter With Out Me" then you must get it. I checked it out from the library. It will help you save so much money on skincare and cosmetics. I can't tell you how much we are saving on skincare now. And my routine is so much simpler now which makes life easier in the mornings when I'm getting ready. I've simplified my make up which you can read in my post, What I use. I ask for gift cards to Sephora and Aveda for Christmas and birthdays and that allows me to buy some nice extras to use.

Haircuts - I love my getting my hair done. It feels so good. But I don't have the time or the means anymore to color my hair. Unfortunately, I've got a gray streak coming down like Stacy London so I'm not sure how much longer I  can last without coloring my hair. But I have started going to the Aveda Institute to get haircuts. They have a really nice salon by the Galleria and the haircuts are only $18. However, last week I really wanted just a trim so I went up to the Aveda store at the Summit and got a free trim. On Wednesdays, they do free trims with stylists from Richard Joseph salons.

Dining out - Steve and I don't eat out a whole lot. Restaurant dining can be a major budget buster. I told Steve the other day that I am just so much more aware of how much it costs for us to eat out. It's expensive. Even just grabbing Moe's costs us $15. So most of the time we use Groupon, Living Social, or Daily Deal for 50% off coupons to eat at nice restaurants. These coupon services allow us the opportunity to eat at some expensive restaurants that would normally not be in our budget.

Other money saving tips:
- We almost never purchase books. We get them from the library first to read them and find out whether it is something that we would really want to own. Books take up room and have to be dusted. Since we have limited room, we only want to invest in books that really inspire us.
- Price shop your auto, homeowners and renters insurance. When we switched to Geico for our auto insurance it saved us around $500 a year. That is an incredible savings! We are always comparing rates on insurance to make sure we get the best deal.
- Clean out your closet and sell your items at a consignment store. I take my proceeds and use that to buy clothing for each season. I recommend Zoe's Consignment in Forest Park.
- ** Be content with what you have. You will save so much money by not buying the latest and greatest gadgets. I think I'm actually the last person on earth to get Internet on my phone. But I will have it around Christmas time since hubby upgraded us because he has to have it for his work. It's amazing what happens when we get to that place of contentment. Williams Sonoma used to be my happy place and while I still enjoy the store, I don't need all that stuff anymore. I have the necessities in my kitchen and that's enough.

Thanks so much for tuning in to my financial series. Hope you feel inspired to live within your means and on a budget. Let's all be good stewards of what God has given us.

In my last post, I discussed why having a budget is so important. If you are reading this, then I hope you followed through with my suggestion to set up a paper budget for your family. In this post, we will be talking about Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps and how to get started on your path to financial freedom. As I've mentioned, nothing can substitute for the FPU class. Reading a copy of Dave's "Total Money Makeover" can help you get started, but I really believe in the accountability that comes with a small group setting and having people to lean on and encourage you as you navigate financial freedom together.

So here are the Baby Steps per Dave Ramsey:

Baby Step 1: $1,000 in an Emergency Fund. Usually the best way to reach this step is have a garage sale and list some things on eBay. We sold Steve's 70" high definition t.v. from his grad school days to fund this baby step. We listed it on Craig's list and they gave us the asking price.

Baby Step 2: Start the debt snowball. List all your debts (excluding your house) like your car payments, school loans, credit cards etc. from smallest to greatest. Then while you are making minimum payments on all your debts attack that smallest one first. Find every extra bit of money in your budget and then bludgeon that debt with it. Once it's paid off, roll the minimum payment that you were paying on the first one and combine it with your minimum payment on the second debt and then keep doing that all the way down your list until you have paid them all paid off. I recommend making a list of the debts like a barometer so you can see how much you have paid off each month to keep you encouraged. Of all the baby steps this one is by far the hardest because as Dave says, "you can wander into debt but you can't wander out."

Baby Step 3: A fully funded emergency fund of 3-6 months worth of expenses. If you or your spouse were to lose your job, no need to panic, you have enough to live on for 6 months while looking for another job. Your roof needs replacing? No need to sweat - you've got money in the bank for that.

Baby Step 4: Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and Pre-tax retirement. Most companies have a matching plan so it's a good idea to take advantage of the free money once you're debt free. I know a lot of people who are contributing a good bit to 401Ks but have a ton of debt. If you are older it makes sense for you to do so, but if you are still young then get yourself out from underneath that huge burden first.

Baby Step 5: College funding for children - We aren't here yet but we definitely plan to put aside savings for college. We also want to make sure our children qualify for either academic or other types of scholarships to aide in paying for college. After spending so many years paying off college loans it has significantly changed our perspective about the importance of where one attends college.

Baby Step 6: Pay off your house. Dave recommends a 15-year mortgage at a fixed rate.

Baby Step 7: Build wealth and give. As Christians we believe this principle is actually the first you follow by giving 10% to your church and wherever else the Lord leads you.

Click here to learn more about these baby steps on Dave's website.

* I'm interrupting my financial series to post this thought the Lord gave me tonight.

Tonight I found myself telling a good friend of mine who no longer lives in Birmingham that I think I miss her more than she actually misses me. It was a reminder to me that a year had passed since I had seen this friend and we only live an hour away from each other. But with babies and new jobs, time just passed us by and neither one of us made it a top priority to visit the other one.

So it has me thinking about my group of friends. My core group is often how I refer to them when speaking to other people. I think some people were getting their feelings hurt when I would say I had dinner last night with my girlfriends as if the young lady that I was telling that to wasn't my girlfriend (which was def. not the case). So I had to come up with another way to refer to them to make it clear that this is a special group. One that I have been associated with almost from the beginning of when I started going to Church of the Highlands. It's a group of friends that I went through some intense small groups where we laughed, cried and learned together in the Lord. We were in each other's weddings, there for each other when babies were born and prayed for each other when we walked through hard times.

But the interesting thing about these friends which makes them my core is that they are always here when I need them. We don't talk, email or text on a daily basis. Some of them, I don't even see for months. But when someone has a baby, gets married or is sick - there they are with Zoe's roll ups for four in hand and a child in the other knocking at your door. I think tonight reminded me how much I miss seeing them. With busy schedules, we can't stay up till 1 in the morning talking about life and then ordering pizza at midnight. Those days are past. I can't long for them. But what we have is so much sweeter now - it's the unmovable faithfulness of a true friend. It never stops. It's always there for you when you need it. That is something worth holding onto.

To my core group: you know who you are. Where would I be without you? Life has changed so much since we started walking together but I'm thankful that even though we are in different places, we still have the same destination. Love you girls!

Anyone who knows me well knows that I'm pretty passionate about Dave Ramsey and his teachings. It's pretty easy to get me started on the baby steps or why a budget is so important or what you can do with your money once you're debt-free. I love to give. I like to bless people financially so that they can take mission trips or do things for the kingdom of God or just go buy a pair of crazy expensive sunglasses. The problem is that I feel my giving is somewhat limited because we are trying to get out of debt. You see we have school loans that have been around so long you would think they were pets. And I for one, do not want any more pets. I have enough people to take care of around here.

This fall Steve and I wanted to lead Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University but were unable to work out the logistics of hosting it. So I decided to write a small series here that would give you a snapshot of what you would learn in FPU. I highly recommend this class to everyone! On our 1 year wedding anniversary, Steve and I decided that instead of spending a bunch of money on a fancy dinner we would instead join FPU. This was and still is the greatest decision we ever made for our marriage (and cutting up our credit cards).

If I had to sum up all Dave Ramsey's teachings into one this is what I think it would be: Make a budget and follow it. It sounds so simple but yet so many don't do it. The truth is everything that you will do financially for your family starts here. Making a budget and sticking to it allowed me to breathe again. I didn't have to worry about enough money at the end of the month to buy food or to pay the light bill - it was all accounted for in the budget. Money to buy birthday gifts - it's in the budget. There is safety in a budget. There is better sleep and rest and less stress when you know there is enough money to pay for the necessities and hopefully some luxuries. A budget gives you a road map to where you want to go in life. Without it, it's like driving to Arizona from Alabama without a GPS - it's going to take forever and who knows if you will actually ever get there.

We need to get back to a simpler time. That's my new thing: keep it simple. Your budget doesn't have to be on a spreadsheet unless you have a love affair with Excel. You don't have to manage it on some pricey app or use some expensive financial software. If you own a pen and have paper - then you have a budget. Steve and I don't use any software or special tracking device for our money. We don't need it. We use Dave Ramsey's budget forms every month - they're free and you can download them here .        

Probably the hardest part is sitting down the first time with your spouse and writing down all your income, expenses and all your debt on a piece of paper. But at the same time there will also be a sense of relief that will wash over you. Because the thing you have been dreading, coming face to face with the actual amount of debt you have versus income, will force you to start acting differently. You can no longer just bury it under the rug. You have to do something about it. You will start with an emergency fund of $1,000 and then get your debt snowball rolling. In my next post, I will talk about the Baby Steps process. But for now, the most important thing you can do for yourself, your marriage, your children and your future generations is to get a written budget and stick to it.

Click here to input your zip code and find the nearest FPU class to your home, school or work.

As promised, here is my post on what I use skincare and make-up wise. I have to let you all in on a little secret that has totally changed the way I view both. My wonderful friend, Jamie at                        http://www.familysavvy.com/ recommended I check out Paula Begoun's www.beautypedia.com and her book, "Don't Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me". This book totally transformed the way I think about purchasing skin care products. She opened my eyes to the  outrageous claims that cosmetic companies make regarding their products thus saving me and my DH a ton of money.

It is true that I have taken very good care of my skin for a long time now. I feel like I am reaping the rewards of that right now. But this is no time to stop in my quest for youthful skin. After reading Paula's book and searching her site for the best products, here is my simple and current routine (always subject to change):

Nighttime Regimen:
1. Cleanse - Olay Foaming Face Wash for sensitive skin. This removes everything and is so gentle and non-irritating. Paula believes there is no reason to have a medicated cleanser because it is being washed off and is only used to remove make-up. This cleanser was also a Paula's pick on her website. The best part of this cleanser is the $4 price tag and it lasts for months! I'm not even going to tell you how much I have spent on pricey cleansers in the past. I believe I have finally been delivered. :)
2. Tone - Paula's Choice RESIST Advanced Replenishing Toner (only used at night to make sure that I removed all my make up).
3. AHA - Paula's Choice Daily Smoothing Treatment with 5% Alpha Hydroxy Acid. Once a week at night I use, Paula's Choice Weekly Resurfacing Treatment with 10% Alpha Hydroxy Acid instead and sleep with it on instead of washing it off.
4. Moisturize- Paula's Choice Barrier Repair Moisturizer, which also doubles as an eye creme. Paula says that eye cremes are the biggest waste of money and that whatever you use on your face should be used on your eyes provided that it is non-irritating of course. Once I run out of this, I'm planning to switch to something a little heavier for the winter. This is a nice light weight moisturizer for the summer though.


Morning Regimen:
1. Wash my face with water only.
2. Use my tinted moisturizer all over my face including my eyelids and under the eyes for the SPF protection in that area.
3. Continue with 5 minute face

Make-Up Products:
Foundation: Aveda Inner Light tinted moisturizer SPF15 (02/beechwood). This is a Paula's pick (received her highest rating) because of their shades, it is non-irritating and the SPF is great in it. According to Paula it isn't the number but what actually comprises the SPF that matters.

Concealer: MAC Studio Finish Concealer SPF 35 (NC15). I like this because it lasts a long time, small container and has a great SPF.

Powder: Aveda Dual Foundation Powder which I apply only in the Tzone. However, I purchased the powder without having read Paula's review of it and that wasn't so wise and I may return the powder. While I love the way it looks and feels it is very irritating and I have been breaking out right in my T zone which is the only place I apply it and that lines up with Paula's review.

Blush: Aveda Petal Essence Face Accents (Plum Touch). I absolutely love this blush. I love the way it goes on and the way it looks. I highly recommend it.

Eyeliner: Urban Decay 24/7 (Rockstar) - I've been using this eyeliner for a while and I love the color but I do feel that it smudges and doesn't stay put on me. It may be because I have very oily eyelids that cause it to budge however Paula's review said the same thing so I'm not the only one. But I'm going to use up all the plum/purple eyeliners I have right now before purchasing something new (trying not to be wasteful and use what I already have - better for the environment and the pocketbook).

Eye Shadow:  Lorac Starry-Eyed Baked Eye Shadow Trio (Star Struck Ebloui).    I don't wear eye shadow every day but only on occasion and at night. I just bought this because the girl at Sephora recommended it to me and so far I love it.

Mascara: NYC Sky Rise Lengthening Mascara (Extreme black). I don't know why but I just love cheap mascara. It's pretty much the only product that I refuse to buy in a department store or some place like Sephora. But at $2 a pop, I would rather have the money saved to buy an expensive lip gloss.

Eye brow color: MAC Matte Eye shadow (Omega) is just a matte eyeshadow that I use to fill in my brows. It literally lasts me like years. I just threw away my old one and I had at least 5 years (sorry if that grosses you out).

Lip gloss: Aveda Lip Glaze (Cucumber Melon)

I really appreciate Paula's reviews on products. But with anything you have to try it out for yourself to be sure. She doesn't give Aveda's lip gloss a super great review but I like the lip gloss and the color on me, so I'm fine with that. By using some of her products and some drug store products, I was able to shave a bundle off my skincare budget. I also ask for gift cards to places like Aveda, Sephora... at  Christmas or Birthday time and that allows me to make any extra splurges on items that I wouldn't normally make.

Do you have any products that you absolutely love? I would love to hear your recommendations below...