Make Bake Create Party #8: Free Printable for Weekly Menu Planner

  

It's really hard to imagine "partying" after the horrible events of today's tornadoes and knowing that there are so many people right now trapped, suffering, mourning.  It's really overwhelming me.  

Lord God, we pray for the hundreds of thousands of people that have been affected this week by these horrific tornadoes.  We don't understand why You would allow this.  We don't even have the words to express our sorrow and how desperately we want to wake up to find this has all been a horrible dream.  But we trust You.  We know You hold us in the palm of Your hand.  Sometimes You calm the storm and other times You calm Your child.  Please, Lord, bring peace and calm and bring good things out of this terrible disaster.  I pray there would be stories of miracles.  Children found alive.  Parents found safe.  God, please bring good out of this tragedy.  Please heal our hearts and heal our land.

Welcome to this week's Make Bake Create Party! Every Wednesday come and link up your favorite projects from the week. This could be any food, recipes, crafts or DIY! Since there are 5 hosts... your link will be seen on 5 blogs at once. SWEET! Meet your hosts:

We would love for you to follow us on Google+!

Bubbly Nature Creations

Hope In Every Season

Mommy Hates Cooking

The Creative Princess

The Rookie Seamstress

This week, our featured host, Kristy, is offering a free printable for her adorable Weekly Menu Planner.  Be sure to stop by and grab one!

A few days ago, I shared the third recipe in my series, Mom's Favorite Recipes.  Check out this great "loaded" Macaroni Salad.  Be sure to pin it for your next picnic!

I loved seeing the awesome things you all linked up last week! Here are a couple of my favorites.  If you're featured, make sure to grab a "featured button" for your blog!




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Noreen at Crafty Journal shared these cute and super easy to make Plastic Lid Stamps.  I know my kids would have a ball with these!

Here is something I will definitely be making for Kynthia very soon.  Natalie made this gorgeous dress for her daughter and gave an excellent tutorial on making the Birdie Applique.  Love this!

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Hope In Every Season is on Facebook!  If you like what you've read here, please follow me and keep up with the latest posts.

Linking with:

Make Bake Create @ Hope In Every Season
Wisdom Wednesdays @Simply Helping Him
Winsome Wednesday @ My Daily Walk in His Grace
Whole-Hearted Home Wednesdays 
Encourage One Another @ Deep Roots at Home
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Homemaking Link Up @ Raising Homemakers
Home @ Rose Chintz Cottage  
Inspire Me Wednesday @ MamaBuzz
Watcha Work-Up Wednesday 
What's It Wednesday @ Ivy and Elephants 
Simple Living Wednesdays @ Our Simple Farm
Shoe Lace Linkup @ Living In the Shoe
Home Link Up at Raising Arrows
Homemaking Party @ Hope In Every Season
Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherine's Corner
Strut Your Stuff Thursday @ Somewhat Simple
Transformation Thursdays @ The Shabby Chic Cottage
Thriving Thursday @ Serving Joyfully
Homeacre Hop 
Tutorials, Tips and Tidbits @ Stone Gable  
Think Tank Thursday @ Saving4Six 
Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home 
Create It Thursday
Open House @ Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 
Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Inspiration Friday @ Dear Creatives
Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home
Foodie Friday @ Rattlebridge Farm 
Farm Girl Friday @ Let This Mind Be In You
Fit & Frugal Family Friday
Recipe Swap Hop @ Cuddlebug Cuties
Show and Tell Saturday @ Be Different, Act Normal
Or So She Says...
Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
Finding the Pretty & Delicious @ Your Homebased Mom
30 Min. Linkup @ 30 Days
Sharing Creative Ideas @ Made By Joey  
Show Me Saturday
Craft-o-Maniac Monday  
Motivate Me Monday 
Modest Monday @ The Modest Mom 
Matrimonial Monday @ A Proverbs 31 Wife 
Make the Scene Monday @ Alderberry Hill 
Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy 
Masterpiece Monday @ BoogieBoard Cottage 
A Round Tuit @ Creating My Way to Success 
Monday Funday @ C.R.A.F.T. 
Better Mom Mondays
Manic Monday @ Cupcake-n-Bake
Mommy Mondays
Making Your Home Sing Monday
Mommie Mondays @ Sew Crafty Angel
Monday's Musings
Monday Meetup

Teach Me Tuesday @ Growing Home
Tutorial Tuesdays with Hope Studios
Courtship Connection
Women Helping Women @ Teaching What Is Good 
Domestically Divine @ Far Above Rubies
(Titus 2)s Days @ Time Warp Wife
Tending the Home Tuesday
Tuesday Link Up Party 

Couponing for the Rest of Us---Book Review

I've been couponing for several years now, off and on, but after reading Kasey Knight Trenum's new book, Couponing for the Rest of Us, I'm committed to doing it much more consistently!  Thank you to Baker Publishing Group for sending me a free copy for review purposes.  All opinions are honest and are my own.

As far as her "how-to" method goes, most of it was the same system I already use.  A few years ago, a couple of moms in our homeschool group did a workshop for us and taught us this same way of couponing.  What really blessed me about this book was the "why" of couponing.

Lynzie, 13, enjoyed reading about couponing during our yard sale a couple weeks ago!

Trenum's couponing philosophy revolves around using coupons to get your family to a stable financial situation so you can give to others.  She says, "Couponing success isn't measured by the size of your stockpile.  I'd much rather be known for giving."  Me too, definitely.

More than a "how to" book, this is a personal story of how coupons changed her life, and how it can change yours, from the perspective of stocking up so you are prepared to bless others.  This concept is never more real than today, as we're reeling from the horrific tornadoes that have struck the midwest this week.

On the practical side, I was so encouraged to start couponing again.  Remembering back to the days when I could skip one. more. day. of grocery shopping because of my stockpile, I ran right out, the morning after finishing the book, to grab my best coupon sources.  I even used coupons to buy my coupons!  With a $5.00 reward credit at Albertsons, I was able to buy four newspapers at  40% off.  I also found a coupon online that allowed me to save 50% on my issue of All You---a great source of coupons!

In addition to savings at Rite Aid and Walmart, I saved 84% at Albertsons---and everything I bought were things I, or someone close to me, could use!

I really encourage you to pick up Trenum's book, as well as visit her website, to learn the "hows", as well as be encouraged by the "whys".  You will definitely be blessed!

Available May 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

How I Fit It All In

So many have asked how I "manage to do it all."  Well, we all know that I definitely do not do it all, but I definitely do a lot!  Today I'm sharing my secrets at So You Call Yourself A Homeschooler.  Come check it out!