Stop Tolerating the Intolerable

As most of you know, working in the public doesn't come without challenge. There are many parts of my job I enjoy, there are others that I just don't like at all. A big part of my responsibilities include collections. While it is true that I knew what I was getting into when I took on the job, that doesn't mean it comes without thorns. This week in particular I have dealt with two repossession situations and neither have been easy, but both have made me think. I find myself reflecting on the lies that are told and the harsh words that are said and I wonder why they flow so easily from some mouths. In the past. I have always just said, “I am glad my mama taught me better” or more simply “how disrespectful”, but today a new reality hit me.

I work in a small office and we try to stay on the same page so that no one is blindsided when dealing with a particular customer or situation.While relaying a conversation I had with a customer which involved my being called a very inappropriate name, I was told not to take it to heart. But, I think that is actually the problem. We have become so tolerant of being called names and spoken to with little to no respect that it has just become “the norm” and it shouldn't be. By tolerating bad behavior we are accepting bad behavior and with acceptance comes mass reproduction.

I for one am tired of the hate and anger that has become so widely spread. My heart hurts for children who are growing up in a world where they aren't encouraged and lifted up by strangers and loved ones alike. I am saddened by the lack of love shown in a smiling face while passing someone on the street. These things have been replaced by judgement and bullying, by whispering and eye rolling. These are not the things that our nation was built on. These are the very things that are crumbling our foundations. Our families, our churches, our schools and our nation are all suffering and it starts in the heart of each of us. It is time that we all do our part. Start holding each other accountable. Stop tolerating the intolerable. Start taking things personally and then do something about it. It is time that we mend our foundations and build strong families and communities again. It is time we make a difference!

Share with us the difference you are making!

Saving for Christmas....in July!

Hey Ya'll! I know we have been gone on a bit of a sabbatical, but....we are back and ready to post! School is starting back, vacations are ending and fall is coming so we have LOTS to talk about!

My first post back is probably not something we are not ready to start thinking about, but we need to. Christmas. I LOVE Christmas! To me, the worst part about it is that it doesn't last long enough. I am a decorate in November leave it through January (sometimes longer) kind of girl! So, maybe not all of you can agree with me on that, but I bet you will agree that the Christmas season is EXPENSIVE!
Every year I tell myself that I am going to do better about planning ahead so that all the expense doesn't hit at once, but this year, I have already put my plan into action!

Here are a few tips to help minimize the financial blow of Christmas!

1) PLAN! Make your shopping list early. Knowing who you are planning to buy for will help when you run across something they may like over the next few months. Don't forget to add in a few hostess gifts for those parties you will attend.

2) Set a budget! Last year I found a gift organizer app that helped me keep track of what I purchased and how much I spent per person. Decide what will work best for you without causing a hardship and stick to it!

3) Start saving! Use your budget to determine how much you should put back each payday. Whether you use a savings account or a coffee can buried in the back yard, make sure you keep your Christmas money separate from your other $$$!

4) Designate and area to store gifts you purchase early! There is nothing worse than purchasing a gift early and not remembering where you hid it later.
5) Encourage your family to plan early! If you will be traveling for the holidays you could save a ton by booking flights and hotels early!

6) Stocking Stuffers! Stockings are one of my favorite Christmas traditions but they can add up to a hefty price in a hurry. Especially if you don't plan ahead. Back to school clearance is a great time to shop for stocking stuffers!

7) Don't go overboard! Try to make it through this holiday season without racking up a whole lot of debt. It will make the New Year much more pleasant!

8) ENJOY IT! Without the stress of rushing around and crowds you are more likely to enjoy choosing the doll that looks just like your niece or the perfect handbag for your sister in law! There can be such joy in gift giving! Not to mention, you will have so much more time to make memories with your loved ones!

I hope these ideas will get you started on a much happier path to the holidays! What do you do to save yourself from the stress of expenses surrounding the holidays? We would love to hear from you!

The First Steps to Becoming A Couponer...

1. Pick Your Store(s).... When you are first starting your couponing journey, I encourage you to take it one store at a time. Pick a store you are most comfortable with that is convenient to you. DO NOT start with drug stores. That is another post, for another time. 
2. Knowledge is POWER (and money).... Once you have picked your store, visit their website and download their coupon policy. EVERY store has one. But that isn't enough, you then need to contact your local store and ask them about their policies. In a lot of cases, managers have the power to override the policy, so it pays to check. The other thing you are going to want to learn is the lingo. There are lots of abbreviations and such that you will want to learn in order to understand what you are reading. You also need to learn when to recognize a "good deal" just because it is on "sale" and you have a coupon, does NOT mean you need to buy it. Learn what an acceptable price is for the items you buy, then learn what a stock up price is. We will touch more on this in another post as well.
3. What do I use anyway?.... If you are anything like me, you walk into a store for two or three things and leave with everything except the milk that you went after. The same thing happens when I try to plan meals, I can't even think that I possibly know how to cook enough meals to fill a whole week, never mind trying to remember what all is required to make said meal. So, take some time and make a master list. I use an Open Office spreadsheet on my computer but a handwritten one will work fine. I use this as an inventory so to speak. I tried downloading one off the internet but every household is different, so it really is better to just make your own. Mine is broken down into categories. But, do what works best for you. Make sure you do this for hygiene items and medicines as well. This will help you to not clip coupons for things you will never use. For instance, there are ALWAYS diaper coupons, but I don't have any need for them, so it would be silly for me to buy them JUST because they are on sale. Update this list weekly or monthly with how many of each item you have in your stockpile, that was you know when you need to start looking for sales on specific items.
4. Where to find coupons.... Coupons are literally everywhere but for starters, look to your Sunday paper. There are schedules posted all over the internet for what inserts to expect each week of the year. Just Google it. Online is also a great resource for coupons. You can print them from sources such as Coupons.com and you only select the ones you know you need. There are also coupon clipping services that you can find online where you select the specific coupons and quantities that you are looking for. I haven't personally used one, but I know several people who have. Once you get the hang of things a little more, you will start noticing coupons in your magazines and hanging on shelves in your local grocery store and stuck to the products themselves. Just always be on the lookout.
   
   
   
5. Organization is key.... You have to find a system that works for you! I use a three ring binder with baseball card inserts and dividers. But, that may not work for you. Find an efficient way that suits your shopping style and make it work! Oh, and it never hurts to make it pretty because it will become your new constant friend!
6. Patience!.... I know this is everyone's favorite word, but it really is important in order to be successful. Be patient with yourself. You aren't going to figure this out overnight. Take it one step at a time and know that you are working towards saving your family a lot of money. More time will be required in the beginning until you figure out a system that works for you. Then, it will become like second nature. I also feel like I may need to shed some light on something here, the TV show Extreme Couponing, IS NOT REALITY! You will save a surprising amount of money and you will develop a fantastic stockpile but it won't happen over night and it won't happen at one store.
7. When Should I Shop?.... Choosing the best time to shop is crucial. To avoid loosing your train of thought and annoying people in line at the register you don't want to be in there when everyone else in town is too. So, avoid peak hours like right when school gets out. I also suggest shopping sales on the day they begin. I know this isn't always possible or convenient but you have a better chance of getting the quantities that you want if you do. If that isn't possible or you miss a time, check with your local store manager and find out when they restock and go then! I also briefly want to mention coupon etiquette (this is the South after all, we must use our manners!). I will save the majority of that info for another post but I did want to mention shelf clearing. Some don't have a problem with buying the last three cases of toilet paper and leaving the next busy mom high and dry, but I do. Be courteous. Stockpiling is GREAT but just be considerate. We don't want to contribute to the bad wrap that couponers are getting. If you know you are going to order LOTS of something, ask your manager if they can order extra just for you or to hold some and come back when they get their next shipment. Now, if there are only a few on the shelf, then it is fair game. You will just have to use your judgement in this area. 
8. Don't Exhaust Yourself!.... I was hardcore couponing in the beginning. I spent hours learning all I could and saving money at every turn (this is part of my personality type though, total INTJ). I built up a great stockpile and then, I was exhausted! The holidays were coming and then I started a new job and I just couldn't do it like I was. Well, I learned, that is okay! We lived off of our stockpile for several months and then, I just picked it back up. I figure, it helped to make sure things were getting used as they should instead of sitting in the cabinet for forever!
9. Enjoy it!.... One of my FAVORITE things to do after a morning of couponing is to sit everything on my kitchen counter and take a picture! Then I store everything in it's appropriate place (also something I enjoy a little too much) and pat yourself on the back, because what you have just accomplished is HUGE! Saving money on the things that you HAVE to buy, is amazing and you should be proud of yourself!
   

I look forward to writing more about couponing and please feel free to ask questions! I certainly don't have all the answers, but I will do my best to answer! 

Has the Digital Age Stifled our Vocabulary?

Words, the most powerful tool we carry with us everywhere we go. The very thing that can cut someone to the core or lift them to the clouds, depending on which ones you choose and how you put them together. Some are set to music others are arranged to rhyme. We use them as identifiers, to express feelings, to imply emphasis. At least, that is how life used to be.

We now live in a world where everything is sped up, faster is better. Shorter is more efficient. We type in shorthand and sometimes even speak it. The world of LOL and OMG has become a boring reality. We all do it, I can throw no stones. This actually all came about because of a conversation I was having this morning via FB Messenger. (One of my most frequent means of communication, part of being an introvert I guess.) Anyway, I was having a chat with my BFF (see there it is again) and her story was particularly hilarious and I kept finding myself typing LOL as a response. After the third time I said, “wow, I really think I need to broaden my vocabulary”. But, I mean, what do you do throw in a haha here and there? I guess there are some things that are just hard to replace in text. Maybe I will start using emojis instead.

But, then I started thinking, words are so under-appreciated now. We are always taking the easy way out. Statements aren't beautiful anymore, they are just statements. There is very little left to interpretation. I don't think there are many statements made today that will cause someone to stop in their tracks and truly contemplate 100 years from now. Timeless statements seem to be a thing of the past. I actually worry that kids aren't even being taught “flowery” words in classrooms today. Colorful adjectives and effective adverbs can put such a spin on an otherwise ordinary statement.

So, here is my challenge. Speak like you want to be remembered. Do you want to be known as the LOL girl or do you want to be known as someone who always spoke so that you clearly made your point and helped others to feel what you are saying? I don't know about you, but I choose the later!  

Egg-cellent Art

With Easter weekend quickly approaching I thought it would be fun to share some awesome art activities that can be done using eggs and other household items. For most of these projects we used blown out eggs. I had never blown out an egg before in my life, so the first thing I had to do was learn how. Blowing out eggs is super easy, although we did have a few casualties. The first thing you need to do is get your eggs and make a small whole in one end of the egg (I used a thumb tack) and a larger hole (but still relatively small) in the other end. Next, bring the side of the egg with the smaller hole up to your lips and blow. Once you have blown all the eggs insides out wash with warm soapy water (I also let my blown eggs sit in vinegar for about 15 minutes to make sure they were good and clean). Super simple, right? After the eggs are washed set them to the side to dry, and check out these incredible and egg-cellent ideas.

Dragon Eggs- 

One of the first art/science activities we did was transform our plain chicken eggs into dragon eggs. To do this I took four of our blown out eggs and cut a slit into the shell, to make a small opening. Next, I got a glass jar for each of my kiddos and let them pick their food coloring. I then let them put a few drops into their jars. Next, I boiled a pot of water and added in some borax (I added 3 Tablespoons of borax for each cup of water), once the borax was dissolved I poured the boiling water into the jars, and added our eggs (I used a butter knife to gently push the eggs down so they would fill with water and sink). I let the eggs sit for about 24 hours before taking them out. When we removed the eggs we had beautiful crystallized dragon eggs.

Splat-tastic Eggs- 

We also filled a dozen of our blown out eggs with paint (I made the hole in our eggs a little bigger so I could pour the paint in). Next, we took our eggs and a large board (I would recommend a large canvas but we used what we had on hand) outside. Once we were outside I had my kiddos take turns picking an egg and tossing it at the board. The end result was as messy as it was stunning. 

Nail Polish Marbled Eggs-

Using the remainder of our blown eggs my daughter and I tried making the marbled eggs using nail polish that we had seen on pinterest. It was simple enough and they did turn out pretty well (I think I would have liked them better if I had purchased nail polish just for this and had more control over the color combos). All you need for this project is some new or old nail polish (we cleaned out or nail polish drawer), a glass or tuber-ware dish (that you do not mind getting ruined), and room temperature water. Fill your dish or cup with water, drizzle your nail polish onto the waters surface, and then dunk the egg (I would recommend using a glove for this). That is it three simple steps to an egg-excellent work of art.

Shaving Cream Marbled Eggs- 

For this activity we used store bought plastic eggs. You could easily use blown eggs, but I did not trust my three kiddos to be easy with the fragile eggs. All you need to do is fill a bowl, pan, or cookie tray with shaving cream and then drizzle some paint onto it (we used acrylic paint in springy colors). Next, roll your egg in the shaving cream and paint. When you take the egg out it will still be covered in shaving cream do not wipe it off yet, instead, let the egg sit for about 10 minutes and then wipe it off. Once you wipe off the egg you should be left with a beautiful marbled egg. 

So there you have it four fun ways to use eggs this Easter. If you try any of these activities I would love to hear about it or see the pictures.

Wait! Here's a special Easter Bonus... Just because I love holidays and crafting!!!

Easter Egg Hunting Tote-

I might be the only person on the planet who feels this way but I absolutely hate pails, buckets, and baskets for Easter Egg Hunts. They spill easy which results in frustration for my kiddos. I like how well shopping bags work but hate how they look, especially in pictures. So last week while shopping in my local Target I stumbled across a solution. I found canvas totes knew they would be perfect once I added a cute Eastery image to them. So I purchased four and hurried home. As soon as I got home I searched the interenet for the perfect image, copied it into word, enlarged it, printed it, and finally cut it out. Then, I traced the image onto the tote bag. Finally, I hand painted the images and personalized them. And that is all there is to it. So simple and so cute.

Piece of advice- Do not craft around cats, my daughters cat is responsible for the green splotch on the peeps bag. Darn Cats.

Egg-cellent Easter Baskets

With Easter right around the corner you might be wondering what to fill your baskets with, but wonder no more, the Accents of the South have you covered. We have compiled ideas for the perfect Easter basket for everyone in your life, from babies to teens and even your furry family members.

First up on our list... Babies. Some great basket fillers for babies are
1. Bunny Ears
2. "My First Easter" bib or shirt
3. Baby's Favorite Treat (think yogurt melts and puffs)
4. Teething toys
5. Pacifiers
6. Socks
7. Books
8. Bath toys
9. Hair accessories for girls and/or new summer hat for boys.
10. Feeding Utensils/Plates/Sippy Cups
11. Stuffed bunny/chicken/lamb

Next on the list we have ideas for your favorite kiddos. These ideas are geared more for toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary aged kids. Some great basket (truck, boot, or umbrella) fillers for this age group are 

1. Books

2. Coloring books

3. Art supplies

4. Bubbles

5. Hair Accessories 

6. Hats (they also make great baskets for older boys)

7. Sunglasses

8. Puzzles

9. Play-doh 

10. Socks

11. Hot Wheels and other small toys

12. Balls

13. Legos

14. Flashlights 

15. Mr. Potatoe Head

16. Stuffed bunny/lamb/chicken

Character themed baskets are also fun for this age group.

Next up something for the tweens and teens in your life. Some great Easter basket fillers for this difficult age are

  

Girls:

1. Makeup (nail-polish and lip products can typically fit inside of an Easter egg).

2. Socks 

3. Flip Flops

4. Body Spray

5. Journals 

6. Colored Ink Pens

7. Sunglasses

8. Gift Cards

9. Books

10. Chocolate 

11. Hair Accessories

Instead of a typical basket fill a cute beach tote, new purse, umbrella, or new pair of rain-boots.

Boys:

1. Socks

2. Flip Flops

3. Gift Cards

4. Books 

5. Snacks (chips, beef jerky, etc)

6.Sunglasses

7. A new Watch

8. New Wallet 

9, Cologne

10. Hair Products 

11. Body Wash

12. Sports Equipment (balls, bats, fishing lures/poles, etc)

Instead of a basket fill a new gym bag, umbrella, tackle box, or a hat.

We are not done yet, now its time to piece together the perfect Easter surprise for your significant other. Some great ideas for basket fillers for adult women are...

1. Makeup

2. Body Sprays/Perfume 

3. Body Lotion 

4. Gift Cards

5. Socks

6. Books

7. Chocolate

8. Flowers

9. Jewelry 

10. Coffee

11. Magazines

12. Flip Flops

13. Sunglasses

Instead of a basket use a cute pail, bag, or umbrella.

Now for the adult men in your life. Some awesome manly Easter fillers are

1. Fishing lures

2. Tools

3. Socks

4. Snacks

5. Gift Cards

6. Beer/ Alcohol (if he enjoys the occasional drink)

7. Car care products

8. Hair products 

9. Body Wash 

10. Cologne/Body Spray

Instead of a traditional basket fill a hat, cooler, small tool box, or a tackle box,

Have a fur baby that means the world to you? Well we have you covered, here are a few Easter treat ideas for your four legged friends.

Dogs:

1. A stuffed bunny/chicken/lamb

2. Bunny ears (if he/she will wear them)

3. Chew toys 

4. Balls

5. Grooming Products 

6. Treats

7. New collar and/or leash

Cats:

1. Plastic Easter eggs filled with catnip

2. Toys

3. Treats

4. Grooming Products

5. New collar

Instead of a basket use a new bed or food dish.

Here are some more fun Easter basket ideas just in case you did not see anything that you liked above...