Ways to Save Money While School Shopping

Back to school is always a crazy time to go shopping for supplies. I’m always surprised how quickly the items add up and having to fight the crowds can be stressful with a bunch of kids in tow. But at the end of the day I am more than happy to buy the supplies and even donate a few extra things to thank my kids teachers for doing what they do because teaching is HARD WORK!!!! Bless you teachers.

I’ve found over the years a few useful apps that help me save money and I thought I’d share. Let’s be honest, I don’t have time to coupon with all my littles around, but I love the idea of saving money! Next year we’ll have three kids in school so saving money is a big deal.

1. Walmart Savings Catcher

Not only is it amazing to order groceries online and pick them up in your car, (I’m usually still in pj’s) but don’t forget you can order your school supplies too. Once the receipt is emailed after picking up groceries or supplies, I copy the TC# at the bottom of the receipt and paste it into the savings catcher app and then sit back and wait to see if anything is price matched lower.  You can also scan in your regular receipts if you choose to go into the store to buy supplies. It’s not going to make me rich, but it’s easy to use and a few bucks every week buys me my chocolate fix so… it’s a win in my book.

2.  Flipp

I just discovered this app from Fun Cheap or Free on Instagram and so far it seems great!  You start by entering in your zip code and picking the stores you shop at most frequently. You then can enter in your list and it tells you where the best deals are on those items.  If you have the time to head to a few different places, this can save you the most money! Plus being able to enter in your list in one place and have it handy for any last minute trips to the store is always a good thing. 

3.  Ebates

Sometimes getting to the store with little kids seems impossible.  I love that I can shop from home and simplify my life. I use Ebates on a regular basis to get cash back while shopping online. 

Need new clothes for school?  Look up where you shop and see what cash back they offer.  I shop frequently at Old Navy and there is always cash back there. 

Need a backpack?  Go to Ebates first and type in the store and it will tell you if there is a cash back amount.  (Hint: Right now Lands End has 40% off their backpacks and 2% cash back)

Need supplies from Walmart online, Target or Amazon?  There is usually cash back options there too.

Then every quarter they send you what they call a BIG, FAT check.  You can also pick gift cards to receive instead. It’s an easy way to receive money back on purchases you would make anyway.  A lot of times they show you what sales are going on as well which is a bonus! (I always make a lot while Christmas shopping)

I have a few other apps I use to save money (looking at you Target), what apps do you use?

How to Create a Homework Station

It’s August, which means back to school! Ledger might only be going into second grade, but I vowed to make some changes after last year. He’s a kid who thrives off of repetition and schedules, so I’m doing my best to create that for both of us.

One thing that we struggled with last year was homework. Dad after day I heard, “Mom! I can’t find a pencil, a sharpener, an eraser!” Can you relate? Ugh. It created tension we didn’t need. So this year I am being proactive and putting together a homework station that can be ready for him right when he walks in from school. I’m going to set consistent times to finish homework so he gets used to a schedule.

To make things easier, I wanted all of our supplies stored in one place. It needs to be able to be stored up high in a closet where my littles can’t go through it. Here’s what I put together, it might not be anything fancy, but it’s super helpful and practical!

HOMEWORK STATION

Items included:

• crayons
• markers
• colored pencils
• pencils
• pencil sharpener
• highlighters
• pencil erasers
• scissors
• stapler
• tape
• glue sticks
• post it notes
• notebooks
• computer paper
• and maybe a little chocolate for mom… am I right?

I encourage you to look around your home and get organized! A little preparation goes a long ways and will help us be more present with our children. I’m excited to have all of our supplies gathered together and I know it will simplify homework in so many ways. If you don’t want to brave the store, I’ve linked all my favorites above! Seriously, school shopping from home in your pj’s is the way to go.

Are there any items I forgot? I’d love to know what you will include in your homework station!

Stay tuned for our next post on tips how to save money on back to school shopping :)

We Can Do Hard Things–Suicide (Stacie Rupp)

Meet Stacie.

Stacie’s younger sister Heather died by suicide in September 2017. Heather was just 31 years old. Stacie and her family are in the beginning stages of working through their grief. She hopes to help people feel more comfortable talking about mental illness and suicide. She also wants Heather to be remembered for her bright personality and giving heart.

Stacie’s sister, Heather

Q: Often times people are nervous to speak to people who have lost a loved one to suicide. Is there anything that has been said that you’ve found helpful?

A: “Many people have shared happy/funny memories and experiences they had with my sister. Seeing photos and hearing wonderful moments from her life are super comforting. Remembering the good things about her life keeps my focus in the right place.”

“A friend of mine struggles with depression. She tried to describe to me how it feels when she has really dark moments. This was helpful to me. It allowed me to put myself in my sisters shoes for a bit and start to empathize with the way she must have been feeling.”

Left to right: Stacie (contributor to this post), Heidi (youngest sister), Heather (the sister who passed away), Lars (baby brother).

Q: Were there any acts of service performed that made an impact on you and your family?

A: “Multiple friends dropped off small care packages for my family, the week of the funeral. They brought things like prepackaged snacks, coloring books for my kids with stickers, and other kid activities. This was so great for the many hours in the car with kids. The day of the funeral was really busy and having the snacks in the car was essential! The last thing I needed was cranky kids.”

“My mom’s friend brought her a large metal carry tote, full of paper products. She loved this gift! It sat on her kitchen counter for over a month and helped her avoid doing dishes. Eating is exhausting enough. Doing dishes is unnecessary when you’re grieving.”

“Nobody did this, but a gift card for gas would be another great gift idea. I did a lot of driving that first week, back and forth between my parents house and my home. (About a 40 minute drive) Luckily my finances weren’t tight, but that could be a real strain for some people. Gas money is thoughtful.”

Stacie’s favorite picture of Heather from high school.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

“Don’t assume that all grief is the same, whenever a loved one dies. Suicide feels so different. There is a lot of confusion. Unanswered questions. Regret and guilt. Don’t let the way that a person died be the way you remember their life.

Try to focus on all the great things they did and who they were during happier times. This is much more useful and healing. Anytime you have a happy thought about the person who has died, please share it with their family!!! They so want to hear those good things.”

Gift Ideas:

• Care packages for family and children.
• Tote filled with paper products.
• Gas money for traveling. 

18 Months

(Oaklee)

A little before Oaklee turned one years old, I began feeling anxious. With Oaklee being our last, I thought I was mourning the fact that we were leaving the baby phase behind. But six months later, the anxiety only heightened. I was short, ornery, and impatient with the kids and didn’t know why. Feeling desperate, I decided to do what I used to, I sat down to write… and as my fingers began typing, it didn’t me long to understand.

(Oaklee)

The difficult thing about grief is that it doesn’t seem to always present itself the same way. Therefore, it isn’t always easy to identify what is being felt. It’s easy to mistake it for something else, especially years down the road when grief isn’t as constant anymore.

I came to realize I had been pushing thoughts and  emotions aside. And though it might not make sense, I realized I was grieving a new chapter we were about to enter into. Since Oaklee is our last baby, once she turns 19 months, Preslee becomes our youngest—forever. And in a way, it seems like we’re leaving her behind. I know that it doesn’t necessarily make sense, but suddenly our family is moving forward- without her.

(Preslee)

Over the past few months, I feel like I’ve taken about a million steps backward as I’ve felt anger and resentment come to the surface again. I’ve seen so many nine year olds (The age Preslee would be) thriving and loving life. Many are developing talents and it makes me wonder what Preslee would have been into. When I look at Oaklee and think about where Preslee should be, and at what age we lost her, I’ve deeply mourned all that we’ve missed.

Joseph Smith once taught:

"The mother who laid down her little child, being deprived of the privilege, the joy, and the satisfaction of bringing it up to manhood or womanhood in this world, would, after the resurrection, have all the joy, satisfaction, and pleasure, and even more than it would have been possible to have had in mortality, in seeing her child grow to the full measure of stature of it's spirit...When she does it there, it will be with the certain knowledge that the results will be without failure; whereas here, the results are unknown until after we have passed the test."

(Oaklee)

As I think about what lays ahead of me, I marvel at His plan - that He cares enough to give me the blessing of raising my daughter from the exact moment we said goodbye. Having an 18 month old in the house is always bittersweet, but I made sure to pay extra attention to the little reminders I had of Preslee throughout the last couple of months.

(Preslee)

As sisters they share the same hair, nose, and many facial expressions. They both have a love for lipstick and necklaces. And I adore the way they both light up when I take them shoe shopping, or turn Elmo on. I hope to never forget the way they both wrap their little arms around me to give me a hug while simultaneously saying “momma” in my ear. It melts me every single time.

Someday.

(Preslee)

Someday I’ll experience all that I’ve missed. But until then, I’ll keep trudging forward, holding on to the promise of holding Preslee in my arms again. But, until that day, I’ll continue trying my best to handle whatever grief throws my way. But I do know all will be okay -

Someday.

Be Present Service Challenge - Week 6

I can’t believe we’ve made it to our last and final week of the Be Present Service Challenge! I really am humbled and thrilled to read what many of you have have done throughout the past few weeks.

Week 6 – Love Your Community Printable

My  boys love when we drive by our State Capital Building :)

1. Simple Acts of Service – I’ll be the first to admit when I think of service, community isn’t the first on my list. I’m from a small town and when you know everyone it’s easier to jump in an feel like you’re making a difference! But living in Utah where I don’t know many people, it’s just different. But I recently stumbled across a quote from Spencer W. Kimball and it made me think a little differently, it states:

“We must remember that those mortals we meet in parking lots, offices, elevators, and elsewhere are that portion of mankind that God has given us to love and serve.” 

Many times when I’m out and about I’m focused solely on my kids, but this week I’ll be be attempting to notice more people around me and remember it’s often the little things that make big differences, even when it comes to strangers.

Deliver some cookies!

2. Thank Someone – This is an easy one to get kids involved with. Write a note, bake a treat, or drop something off for someone in your community. I’m sure my boys will pick the policeman and fireman, but my goal is to think outside of the box and thank someone who is rarely thanked. Any ideas?

Here’s a free printable sharing Random Act of Kindness cards you can attach to serve anonymously if that’s more your thing.

Get out and clean!

3. Make it Beautiful – Let’s get out and beautify our community! When you first enter our subdivision, there’s a bunch of leaves piled up against a fence on the parkway strip. I plan on taking my kids and raking the leaves up. In fact, I told them today what we would be  doing later this week, and it led to a conversation about why we should care about our community.

I know six weeks is long, but I am so thrilled with how many participated! The stories I’ve heard, the good deeds performed, it all makes me so happy to think of all the love and hope spread throughout the past few weeks.

But most of all, how did it affect you? Did you notice a difference? What did you learn? I know I definitely learned some lessons, especially on spouse week. I was reminded that it doesn’t have to be something big  in order to have it count. I need to consistently think of ways to involve my boys and lead by example. It also reaffirmed that there are blessings that come from serving.

Thanks to everyone who joined us, we really do appreciate all of you who check in on our little corner of the world from time to time. We love you!