Joyfully Thriving

Grace-Filled Frugal Living

12 Best Christmas Song Books for Kids

Looking for Christmas song books to use with your children? Here are a dozen of the best singable Christmas books in print that are sure to be enjoyed by kids and adults alike.  My children and I love to read! I have always been a reader and wanted to instill that love of books in my children. We read daily because we all love it. It's amazing that the more we read, the more my kids want to read. There's something else we love. My family and I love to sing. I grew up in a singing family where we sang all the time - and not just in church. I have tried to carry that into our family, and … Read More...

How to Start a Christmas Book Tradition

I love Christmas time and I love celebrating Christmas with our kids! As a former early childhood teacher, I have long believed in celebrating the different seasons with good books. When we had children of our own, I started the tradition of giving Christmas books each year. I have dozens upon dozens of delightful Christmas books on our bookshelves. Yes, we read them every year, and yes, I continue to add to the collection. However, these are my Christmas books. I want my children to build their own collection of Christmas books. I want them to have copies of the Christmas books we loved to … Read More...

Cranberry Date Bars

There is one bar recipe that I only make around Christmas time. Every time I make it, I wonder why I don't make it more often! It's these uniquely delicious cranberry bars - cranberry date bars to be more exact. I make sure to buy extra cranberries before Thanksgiving just so I can make these cranberry bars. This is a recipe my Mom made every Christmas after she received it from a friend at our church in Michigan. I've never had a dessert bar like this anywhere else! These cranberry bars have a delicious crumb topping (that also serves as the base) and has a tangy but sweet fruit mixture … Read More...

Best Lego Sets Under $20

Our household is a Lego household. My husband has long been an avid Lego builder and collector and he has instilled that love of Legos in our children. I know Legos can be expensive but we have learned some ways to stretch our money and get the best value on the Lego sets we do buy. I have even discovered there are many Lego sets under $20 - which make wonderful gifts or additions to a Lego collection. Legos are an investment but as frugal as I am, this is one instance where I would not recommend buying a cheaper version. Legos are a high quality toy and they are built to last. The basic … Read More...

September & October Grocery Shopping Totals

September was a good month for grocery shopping. There were lots of good deals, plus Kroger doubled fuel points if you shopped on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. I did almost all of my Kroger shopping on these days for that reason. After coupons and surveys, I managed to accumulate $0.80 off a gallon in fuel rewards! Andy and I both filled up at the same time to take full advantage of the full 35 gallons. He pulls on one side of the pump and I pull on the other, so we can pump gas until we've reached the limit. That little trick saved us $28 on gas just for that fill up! Here are a couple of … Read More...

10 Best Thanksgiving Books for Children

Thanksgiving is only a couple of weeks away! Now that it is November, it is time to gather all your Thanksgiving picture books. I collected a lot of Thanksgiving books over my 10 years of teaching, but there are certain ones that are my favorites. I read these books every year with every class. If you are looking for the best Thanksgiving books for kids, here is a list of my top 10 favorite Thanksgiving books for kids of all ages. I have a leaning towards historical Thanksgiving picture books that the kids enjoy reading but are teaching at the same time. Picture books are a great way to … Read More...

Popular Posts

Apple Snickers Salad

A Biblical Version of Oh, the Places You’ll Go

How to Stockpile Diapers

How to Make Vanilla Yogurt in Your Crock Pot

Best Homemade Chocolate Frosting 

How to Make Homemade Buckeyes

10 Items to Stockpile in a Pantry

Homemade Potato Salad for a Crowd 

How to Create Photo Albums for Free 

4 Quick Ways to Earn Free Gift Cards