By Kristen, on November 1st, 2011% 
It’s the first day of November and that means my October series is officially over. Sigh. I started this series, thanks to the Nester, as I explained here. I think it was a good month – and I hope you agree!
I thought I’d officially conclude my series with a recap, in case you missed any of the days. I’d be curious to know. What day was your favorite?
Day 1: Continue to learn.
Day 2: Call a friend.
Day 3: Lay out your clothes.
Day 4: Make a list.
Day 5: Do your dishes.
Day 6: Make your bed.
Day 7: Purge one bag from your home and life.
Day 8: Get some sleep.
Day 9: Give thanks.
Day 10: Set a budget.
Day 11: Save something.
Day 12: Start a change jar.
Day 13: Start an emergency fund.
Day 14: Pay off your debt.
Day 15: Use coupons.
Day 16: Laugh.
Day 17: Menu plan.
Day 18: Claim some you time.
Day 19: Stockpile.
Day 20: Surround yourself with positive people.
Day 21: Play the drugstore game.
Day 22: Keep an encouragement file.
Day 23: Plan spontaneity.
Day 24: Stop junk mail.
Day 25: Eat from your pantry.
Day 26: Hug.
Day 27: Love your family.
Day 28: Get something for nothing.
Day 29: Set goals.
Day 30: Rejoice!
Day 31: Find joy in your journey.
Thanks for sharing this journey with me!
By Kristen, on October 31st, 2011%
Today is the final day of this series. Already? Yes, already! If you missed the rest of the days in my 31 Days to Joyfully Thrive series, you can read those articles here.
It’s hard to believe it’s the end of October already. It’s been a busy month and I’m excited that I made it through this challenge! I hope you learned something along the way. This month helped me focus on what I want / need to do so I can thrive in my life.
As the conclusion to this series, I want to leave you (and myself) with this challenge.
Find Joy in Your Journey. Live in the Moment.
Each day is a new day with no mistakes in it…yet! Of course, we’re sinful human beings so we’ll mess up pretty quickly. Praise God for His mercy and grace!
We are only given today. We are not promised tomorrow. We need to live each day that is before us as if it were indeed our last.
Even on those days when life is far from smooth and we feel emotionally spent, we can choose to find joy. Let’s make that choice!
Give thanks to God for His goodness. Pray for His guidance, every step of your life. We can only see a portion of our life’s tapestry but He sees the entire masterpiece.
Surround yourself with loved ones who will encourage you and share in this journey. You are not alone. Be encouraged!
Remind yourself daily to do more than survive. As Christian artists 33 Miles say in their poignant song, “One Life to Love,” – you only get this one time around! How do you want to live it?
I want to thrive. I want thrive joyfully. Don’t you? Let’s do so together – by the grace of God.
May you be blessed to be a blessing!
By Kristen, on October 30th, 2011%
Let’s pause and rejoice. It’s not always easy and rejoicing doesn’t always come naturally. Still, so much of thriving in one’s life is learning to be content and rejoice in the circumstances of your own life.
Rejoice!
Whether you are struggling with a chronic illness or lonely in your single life…rejoice!
Whether you are sad over your inability to get pregnant or tired from your little ones clamoring for your attention…rejoice!
Whether you are worried about making ends meet or struggling through a challenging time of life…rejoice!
There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you. Deuteronomy 12:17
Everything we have is a blessing from God. We are blessed beyond measure. Let’s rejoice in these blessings.
And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away. Nehemiah 12:43
Everyone – of every age – can rejoice! If only our rejoicing could be heard as far away as the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Are you vocal in your rejoicing? Am I?
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me. Psalm 13:4-6
Does your heart rejoice in God’s salvation? Do we give glory to the goodness of our Lord?
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. Habakkuk 3:17-18
It seems odd but this verse has spoken to my heart recently. Indeed, I will rejoice and be joyful, even when my life does not appear to be overflowing.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4
So, let us rejoice! Choose an attitude of thankfulness and rejoice with me. May our joy overflow in our lives and hearts!
Tomorrow’s the last day of this series, so I’ll see you back here late for the conclusion to our month long journey together. For the rest of the days in my 31 Days to Joyfully Thrive series, you can read those articles here.
By Kristen, on October 29th, 2011%
Let’s talk a bit more about lists and goals. Today’s task encompasses so much.
Set Goals.
Lists are lovely and goals are great. Goals guide you further than lists do.
I set goals for my personal life and my professional life and my website life and my reading life. I had the goal to read 100 books this year and putting it in writing with my reading plan has helped hold me accountable.
I made a list of 30 things before I’m 30. I have another 8 months and I am slowly checking things off this list of goals.
I have many personal goals, some that I write down and some that remain in my mind. Goals motivate me.
I try to set goals that challenge me but that are still attainable. Some goals stretch me more than others but that is the point of goals.
What are some of your goals? Do tell!
Do you want to pay off your debt? Are you trying to make a new craft / recipe? Do you want to save a certain amount to do a certain something?
Today, take some time to put some of your goals in writing. Maybe your goals are for this week or next month, or maybe they are for next year. Whatever the case, write them down and start working towards your goals.
I know you can do it!
For the rest of the days in my 31 Days to Joyfully Thrive series, you can read those articles here.
By Kristen, on October 28th, 2011%
Let’s go back to a practical and frugal tip for today.
Get Something for Nothing.
No matter what our income level, I think everyone can agree on this fact. We all like to get something for nothing!
It’s rare, but it is legitimately possible. I have several ways that get something for nothing and I’d like to share them with you. By themselves, they may not seem like a lot. However, when you add them up here and there, all of these endeavors add up!
Swagbucks, as I’ve mentioned before, is my favorite way to earn something for nothing. Swagbucks is a search engine that rewards you Swagbucks when you search with them. I have found that through one or two daily searches, I can easily earn enough Swagbucks to redeem for a $5 Amazon gift card every month. Swagbucks is a great place to start!
Mypoints is a program through which you click on emails to earn points. This takes awhile but I have redeemed several CVS gift cards a result.
I also answer surveys to earn a bit here and there. Opinion Outpost is one of my favorite sites to use. I’ve found surveys trial and error, but Opinion Outpost is reliable and pays out quickly.
Loyalty programs are another great way to earn free things for something you already do / purchase. I’ve written about various loyalty programs before, but here are some to look into.
Recyclebank is another place to earn points (many of which I share here) that you can redeem for coupons, magazines and / or gift cards.
Daily Feats is my new favorite site where I am encouraged to do good while I am rewarded for my positive actions. This site makes it easy to earn a $10 gift card every month. I’m serious! I’ve already redeemed two. They’ve recently updated their site which fixed my only concern from when I last wrote about Daily Feats.
My challenge to you is simple. Pick what’s doable for you and start there. Add another new feat as you desire. Have fun and enjoy getting something for nothing!
For the rest of the days in my 31 Days to Joyfully Thrive series, you can read those articles here.
By Kristen, on October 27th, 2011% Ah, family. They make you laugh and make you cry. They share your history and will share your future. They are with you through the good and the bad. Your family loves you and you love your family.
One of the most important things in our journey to thriving is love. Particularly this.
Love your family.
This is a picture of me with my three younger siblings – Liesl, Joel and Mikaela – last CHRISTmas. Can you tell that we love one another? This was captured mid-photo shoot. I love this picture because you can see that we truly love being with one another. We do indeed!
I know our parents can tell you there were days growing up when we didn’t always act like it. Still, Dad and Mom modeled love for us and showed us how to love one another. We do love one another.
Now that we all live apart (Indiana, Nebraska, Missouri and Japan – with our parents in Texas), our time together is cherished even more.
We love each other just as much but we have to show it in different ways.
Liesl and I chat via Gmail when it’s early in the morning for me and late at night for her. Even those couple sentences mean a lot when your sister is half the world away.
Joel and I always enjoy our trips to see one another. We live the closest (at six hours away) so we try to see one another every couple of months. Whether we’re watching eclectic movies or sharing trivia, I love to be with my brother.
Mikaela is busy in college so I don’t see or talk with her nearly as often as I’d like. Yet, whenever we are together, we laugh.
Of course, I can’t forget my siblings-in-law. Chris, Joey and Kara are just as amazing and loved just as much.
Family is a blessing. Family is a gift from God.
Family are the ones who love you all the time. They love with all your quirks and opinions. They frustrate you and challenge you and encourage you and inspire you and believe in you.
Your family loves you. Do you love them?
Besides, if you didn’t have a family to love, with whom could you do this?
Love your family and remind them of your love – always!
For the rest of the days in my 31 Days to Joyfully Thrive series, you can read those articles here.
By Kristen, on October 26th, 2011%
Today’s challenge is simple.
Hug.
Family therapist, Virginia Satir, has said, “We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.”
Where do you fall on this range?
I teach school so I frequently get hugs from my students. Now that I teach the “big kids” in third and fourth grade, I don’t get as many as when I taught preschool and Kindergarten. Still, I would guess that most days I’m in the upper range of hugs. I can tell the days when I’m not.
I’m one of those people who crave physical touch. It’s one of my love languages. Even if it were not, I still believe in the importance of hugging.
A hug can brighten up the darkest day. A hug is a way to share your love when words fail. A hug reminds your friend that you do indeed care.
Ah, hugs. They bring a smile to my face and to my heart.
Take some time today to ponder this question. Are you getting all the hugs you need?
Oh, and one more thing? Consider this post an electronic hug from me to you!
For the rest of the days in my 31 Days to Joyfully Thrive series, you can read those articles here.
By Kristen, on October 25th, 2011%
After and as you build your stockpile, you can incorporate today’s task into your menu planning.
Eat from your pantry.
There are some days when you realize, I don’t know what to eat for dinner!
Or, perhaps you feel like something different from what you’ve planned.
These are the times when it is great to eat from the pantry.
I stockpile when the prices are good, not always knowing what I will make with what I buy. Eating from the pantry challenges me to step outside of my box (literally).
Don’t think that you have nothing to eat! Get away from survival mode with a recipe. There’s always a meal to be found when you consider your ingredients. Take this as an opportunity to be creative in the kitchen.
What can you make with pasta and frozen veggies? What can you do with potatoes and salsa? What can you serve with rice and a can of tomatoes?
Eating from the pantry stretches your creativity, your food budget and your pennies.
Who knows? Perhaps you’ll start eating from your pantry regularly. I do it many times when I’m eating solo. Do you?
For the rest of the days in my 31 Days to Joyfully Thrive series, you can read those articles here.
By Kristen, on October 24th, 2011%
I’ve talked about stopping your junk mail once before, but it’s time to do so again!
Stop junk mail.
I love getting mail but don’t like wasting my time on junk. I don’t need anything more than necessary to fill my time.
If I can save one minute a day, just by sorting through less mail, that is 6 hours in a year saved! It’s also a lot of paper and clutter that I don’t need coming into my house.
This simplifies so much. Less junk mail means more emphasis on the actual mail. Are you with me?
Here’s how to do it.
Go to the National Do Not Call Registry and fill out the form to register up to three phone numbers at a time – including cell phone numbers. This is the official secure site. After registering them, you will receive an email and simply have to click on the link to finish registering. As of February 2008, once your telephone number is placed on the list, it will not expire. It will remain on the list permanently. The National Do Not Call Registry is ready for you to register.
To stop national junk mail from filling your mailbox, go to the Direct Marketing Association website. Click on the register button and provide them with the required information. You may print out the form, but there is a $1 fee if you do so. It is free to register online at DMA.
Next, pick up your phone to stop all the credit card offers. Call 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) to speak with the main consumer credit reporting agencies, TransUnion, Experian and Equifax, that distribute credit card offers. One phone call provides you the option of removing your name permanently from the list or for 2 years at a time, if you so choose.
Spend ten minutes today and your mailbox will be lighter tomorrow!
For the rest of the days in my 31 Days to Joyfully Thrive series, you can read those articles here.
By Kristen, on October 23rd, 2011%
It’s evening time and I’m just now writing my post for the 23rd day of this series. It’s been a busy weekend that included a fundraising auction for our school and my youngest (K to 2) choir singing in worship. Both went smoothly and successfully!
It was one of those weekends where every moment was scheduled – and it was a wonderful weekend! I’m exhausted but it’s a good type of exhaustion.
It made me realize how it is to plan as well as to be spontaneous.
Plan spontaneity.
It seems contradictory, I know. I am a firm believer that life runs more smoothly when you have a plan for all that is necessary to accomplish.
Within your daily and weekly and yearly plans, be sure to still leave room for spontaneouity.
We’ve all heard the saying, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”
To me, this means that for all we plan, we also need to plan to be ready for the spontaneous moments of life.
It’s hard for me! Is it hard for you? I’m a planner. Being married to a man who is spontaneous (more so than I will ever be) challenges and stretches me. I’m learning to embrace the spontaneous moments just as much as the planned ones. It’s an ongoing process for me.
There is a treasure to be found in all of life’s moments – planned and spontaneous.
So, will you plan with me? Let’s plan to be spontaneous!
For the rest of the days in my 31 Days to Joyfully Thrive series, you can read those articles here.
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