#Squadgoals

August is almost here!  If you've followed along with our family's musings at all in the past then you might remember that last August we tried our very first no spend month!

We called it our No Spend August.  This past January, we attempted another no spend month and we called it our New Year No Spend Challenge. 

Our overarching #squadgoals during a no spend month are these:

• No impulse spending
• To purge excess of spending, household items, clothes, toys, books etc...
• No eating out unless using a gift card (& be intentional not to go over the card amount)
• Be creative and utilize resources ... for example: make a birthday gift if you forget to buy one ahead of time, borrow sugar from a neighbor if you run out prior to the end of the month... you get the idea)
• Know your necessities and stick to them.  Paying bills and filling your car with gas are necessities.  Your mani/pedi however, can wait until September

In all honestly, our New Year No Spend challenge was a bit of a flop.  We didn't plan well enough ahead of time in terms of food and groceries.  And.... we bought a puppy.

... who is now a very large puppy. 

But I digress...

We learned a few things during our New Year No Spend flop.  We learned that first and foremost, you can't go into a no spend month without showing yourself grace. 

The goal behind a no spend month is not to do it perfect.  The goal is to embark on a family challenge -- to try as a family to live outside of our comfort zones, to get by with less and to discover fun, creative ways to do so!

So for this particular August we plan to tackle our #Squadgoals by doing the following:

• We planned 10 dinner meals and bought double the ingredients.  So 10 x 2 = 20 meals for the month of August with the goal of eating leftovers for lunches.  Last night a friend graciously watched Mack & Levi so we went out for one last date night and we did some MAJOR grocery shopping.  The idea behind doing our grocery shopping prior to August is that we are well planned and won't be making any sporadic Target trips that will have us leaving with a cart full of unbudgeted extras. 

• As a family, will spend the month purging extra-- whether that's through donating, recycling or selling on Facebook Yard Sale sites.  If you haven't heard of these, search for one on Facebook for one in or near your city.  Yard Sale sites are brilliant. 

• We will be resourceful.  We will be hitting up the Denver splash pads instead of paying to go swimming.  We will swap our garden produce for any food that we run out of.  We've already got a swap going where we regularly trade our garden veggies for farm fresh eggs!  Last summer we swapped for fresh dairy and locally made jam! 

• We will try our best not to waste.  We know from trying this in the past that we tend to be low on food towards the end of the month.  Because of this we will do our best to eat all of the leftovers and to go straight to our pantry when we are low on food instead of defaulting to an unplanned grocery store run.

• We MAY do a mid month produce run to our local fruit market.  We will go in with a list and we will stick STRICTLY to it.  We've discovered that it is near impossible to do a no spend month without fresh fruit.  Otherwise, our kids end up snacking on cookies and junk food from the pantry.

• We will stay OUT OF TARGET.  It's just a slippery slope friends.  You walk in for butter and you end up with a cute mug and a cart full of dollar section finds to the tune of an extra $27.50.  We're just going to say no to Target this month. 

• We will have fun!  We try our best to include Mack and Levi and to make this a family adventure!  We want our kids to realize that trying new, hard things can be exciting! 

I will end by saying that in the past we have had several friends try this with us and they have done their own modified versions of a no spend month.  There are no set rules.  You get to make your own!

If you are intrigued and you don't know that you can do a whole month of no spending, then maybe just try it for two weeks. 

Or, sit down as a family and write out a ways that you can embrace a no spend month without going so drastic.  Figure out ways to cut spending from your budget.  Plan to cut the excess and donate what you don't need.  Take a look at your city's event calendar and try out some free events instead of spending money on family outings.  The sky really is the limit.

We hope you'll follow along with us for the month of August!

#Squadgoals

To read about our how our other no spend challenges have gone you can check out these past posts:

New Year No Spend Recap, No Spend August Recap

The Words I'll Never Use In Friendship Again

I don't love the phrase best friend.

I loathe it actually.  And not just the phrase best friend but really, any words that associate with it.

Bestie. BFF. Best Mate. Sista' From Another Mista'.  I want to do away with them all. 

Now, before you begin to pelt your computer screen with all of the pink and red Valentine's M & M's that you've been hoarding for your toddler's nap time, please just hear me out. 

Last year my daughter started Kindergarten.  Now, for anyone who has ever met Mack, you know that the girl is special.  And not like, eat paste, type special.  Mackenzie loves people.  She's got a huge heart and she's uniquely compassionate for a 6-year-old. 

At Mackenzie's Kindergarten orientation she met a little girl who I'll call Olivia.  Now, Olivia was a flippin' mess that night -- crying big, ugly tears.  We encouraged Mackenzie to make a new friend. We coaxed her to talk Olivia and to tell her that it was okay to be a little scared.

Three days later, Mackenzie and Olivia walked into school hand in hand for their first day of Kindergarten.  Not a tear in sight.  It was one of my proudest momma moments to date.  In Mackenzie's mind, that moment sealed the deal for something special.  Olivia was it.  Her very best friend. And there wasn't a darn thing you were going to say to change her mind. 

That was September.  By October the drama had begun.  Mackenzie would come home from school in tears every other day with stories of how Olivia would say she was her best friend but then refuse to sit with her at lunch.  Or, Olivia would play with her at recess but then brag about having another friend over for a playdate.  Every day it was something new. 

Now, please hear me -- I don't for one second believe my daughter is perfect.  We have had our fair share of conversations about how to treat our friends right. Mackenzie is still learning, as am I.

What finally did it for me was the day that Mackenzie climbed into the car after school and through crocodile tears she asked, "Momma, why doesn't she love me?  She was suppose to be my best friend."  My momma heart just broke into a thousand pieces.  My girl.  My beautiful, funny, smart, kind and compassionate girl, was questioning her value and worth as a friend. 

The phrase Best Friend is a powerful one.  There's a whole lot of weight packed into two small words. 

To the person you are calling your best friend, there's a lot of pressure to live up to the meaning.  To be the best.  The one who won't let down and won't hurt you.  The one who will have your back no matter what.  The one who is better than all other friends.

For your friends who haven't attained best friend status, these words are a breeding ground for insecurity and for not feeling good enough.  To know there's a best friend card on the table but that you haven't quite earned it. Good heavens, ouch!

Earlier this year I attended an event with a group of friends.  It was a fantastic weekend complete with one of those photo props that came with the goofy hats and feather boas for posing.  Two friends in particular claimed bestie status from the start of the event.  And to be frankly honest, they made the picture taking part of the weekend incredibly awkward.  What was suppose to be fun and carefree turned into an exclusivity party. 

While I stood back with several newer friends, these two girls repeatedly asked others to take their picture while they did the whole, "Say cheese!" thing. Only, they replaced "cheese" with "bestie". 

So, "Say Bestie!"  Weird, I know.

That was the weekend I decided that I will officially never use the phrase best friends again.  And as a momma, I will encourage my daughter to steer clear from this phrase as well in her friendships.

Now, I would be bold faced lying if I said that all friendships are equal.  Not all friendships are equal.  There, I said it.  I just don't quite understand the benefit of shouting friendship inequality from the rooftops.

Sometimes within a friendship, it's okay to sense a special connection with someone and for it to remain a secret, silent one.  It's okay to exchange knowing smiles and to have a mutual understanding that you've got something different and special.  I have a few of these friendships and I'm thankful for them.

What's not okay is to use those special friendships to make other others feel less than.

My greatest desire is for the women I do life with to leave my presence feeling loved, encouraged and empowered.  As a momma, I hope that I can teach my daughter that friendship is a gift and to treat it as such.  I desire for her to grow, knowing that while not all friendships are equal -- all friendships do have value and are worthy of respect and great care. 

 

I propose that one of the best ways to care for the heart of a friend is to make sure that she never has to question her status on your friendship podium or have to wonder whether she would be picked last for your friend dodge ball team.  She should just know in her heart that she's got a place on the stand and a spot on the team.

To all of my girlfriends out there, you should know that you don't need a best, bestie or BFF attached to your name.  Each of you has uniquely added to my life in some way, shape and form.  I am blessed by you and I value your friendship for the uniqueness that you bring to my life and not because you do it better or worse than any other friend.  You are incredibly loved. 

A Letter to my Little & Mighty

 

Mack and Levi, YOU are my Little & Mighty. 

 

 

You've been coloring my world with laughter and joy, tears and tantrums for 7 years.  Oh, what a life you have given me. What an adventure!  I could not be more grateful! 

 

A few weeks ago I had the brilliant (ha!) idea to take a family trip to the mountains for a mini snowstorm photo shoot.  You would have thought I had learned my lesson during the Christmas card fiasco of 2015.  Or perhaps the tree cutting down saga that nearly sent you, Levi, to the home for inconsolable toddlers. 

 

Nope, it took just one more lesson for this momma before I realized -- we are summer people. 

We are warm weather picture taking people.  We grit our teeth and make lots of unflattering noises during winter photo shoots.  It's balmy weather photo shoots from here on out Baker babes! 

 

 

On this photo shoot day ... It. Was. Freezing.  There was lots of begging, pleading and bribing involved.  Nothing like a good cold photo shoot to bring out the mighty in the two of you! 

 

But oh, you're both just so darn cute in your winter gear and your Little & Mighty apparel. 

 

 

Yes, even when you're screaming Levi. 

 

 

 

Pretty girl, you may be little oh you have so much might in you!  Your smile and joy for life radiates through our home.  You have the energy of one thousand 6-year-olds and good heavens, you wear your momma out.  What a gift you are! You are going to change the world with your big heart and your old soul Mackenzie Leigh.   

 

 

 

Little man, some words to describe you are strong willed, funny, charismatic and adventurous.  I was so scared to raise a boy!  Petrified actually! You have replaced those fears with excitement and anticipation.  This Little & Mighty long sleeve t-shirt could not look better on any other boy.  I can not wait to see what this year holds for you Levi Kyler!

 

 

As it turns out, you're both much more photogenic when you're warm and have a sugar laced drink in your hands.  Who knew?

 

 

 

Cheers to a new year of laughter and seeing the world through your eyes.  I can't wait to adventure through 2016 with the two of you.  I love you my little mountain babes! 

Love, Momma

  

** Little & Mighty is an adventure inspired children's apparel line that I absolutely adore.  

 

Little & Mighty strives to design children's clothing that inspires adventure.  Their mission is to "encourage Littles to explore and marvel at the great big world around them, and by doing so, to discover their own Mighty abilities." 

 

Right now through Thursday, February 4th use the coupon code LITTLEMOUNTAINMOMMA for free shipping on any purchase. Also, stop by Tuesdays with Jacob for a chance to win a $20 store credit to Little & Mighty!

Don't Blink

I have a theory.  There are two types of people when the New Year rolls around.  There are those who have been on their knees praying for and counting down the days and minutes until the ball drop and the sparklers can come out.  The promise of a new year means a blank Hobby Lobby chalk board to write out goals and a fresh start to erase mistakes from the past year.  Oh, and lots of fruity cocktail drinks (or milk and cookies if you're my kids).

And there are those hanging onto the kite tails, heels dug in, being straight up dragged into the New Year.  I must confess, I've totally been this girl lately.

Our family's 2015 was characterized by a lot of grief.  We lost our cat Belmont, our daddy bunny and 3 baby bunnies.  We said goodbye to two grandparents and also lost a baby.  And especially after the loss of  our baby, it has at times felt as though my grief is the only thing still connecting me to this little life. 

You would think that, after this type of year, I would be more than ready for the promise of a fresh start and a blank slate.  But for me, looking ahead to a new year, of moving on and starting fresh has somehow seemed more bitter than sweet. Part of me feels like a new year means moving on without our baby and letting his little life become a thing of the past.  I've realized that I have to be careful that I don't just magically expect my heart to be healed because of a new calendar year.  It's got to be okay for some of my grieving to spill over into a new year.  It is okay for you too if you've also been feeling a similar heart tug. 

1 Thessalonians 4:13 tells Christians to grieve with hope.  I'm clinging to this verse as I look forward to the new year.  I can't help but think there are some other mommas out there who've been hesitant to move forward as well.  Let's grieve our losses of 2015 and move forward together in hope. Hope for a year of healing and redemption in our stories.  Let's place our hope in the Father heart of a God who loves us and wants to see joy return to our eyes.  Let's grieve with hope mommas.

 

 

Another side to the ringing in of the New Year is the chance to look forward to exciting upcoming events; to make goals and wishes for what is to come.  The danger I see for myself though is that I sometimes wish my present life away as I'm yearning for the new.  I've found this to be true as we've been trying to grow our family for the past half a year. 

I find myself counting down my present time while waiting for a better time.  Maybe you do this too?

Our family will feel complete when we hold our next baby.  I'll be the happiest I've ever been when that last credit card is finally paid off.  I can really relax if I can just make it to that big vacation we've been anticipating.  When I'm done with school my life will really start.  When this baby weight is finally gone I'll celebrate by buying myself a new wardrobe.  This week -- this is the week we're going to successfully potty train. I'll forgive her when she finally comes to her senses and apologizes.

You see, we live in a world where there are two different types of time.  There's Chronos time and then there's Kairos time. In her short essay Don't Carpe Diem, best selling author Glennon Melton Doyle explains the difference between them,

"There are two different types of time. Chronos time is what we live in. It's regular time, it's one minute at a time, it's staring down the clock till bedtime time, it's ten excruciating minutes in the Target line time, it's four screaming minutes in time out time, it's two hours till daddy gets home time. Chronos is the hard, slow passing time we parents often live in.

 

Then there's Kairos time. Kairos is God's time. It's time outside of time. It's metaphysical time. It's those magical moments in which time stands still. I have a few of those moments each day. And I cherish them." (Glennon Doyle Melton)



Jesse Davis of Red Rock's Church calls Kairos "The golden moment" -- the moment that, if we aren't looking for and expecting, we will miss and it will be lost forever. 

 

You see friends, I've realized through my year of practicing intentionality, that I spend so much of my life counting down the Chronos, the slow going minutes of every day mundane life, that while I'm waiting for the Kairos moments I BELIEVE God should be bringing me, I miss the Kairos moments that are happening now.

 

The most tangible and honest example I can give you is that I've been waiting for the moment I'll finally hold my third baby and all the while missing Kairos moments with the two babies I have.



 

Kairos will be my "word" for 2016.  I desire to continue practicing intentionality, and in doing so my hope is to embrace the Kairos.  To look for those golden moments, the once in a lifetime moments, and bask in them.  Because once these moments are gone, they are gone forever. 

 

Kairos moments are those moments that stand still in our minds like book marks between the pages of our life's stories.  They play out like a photo real, flashing quickly through, highlighting the most significant and life changing moments of 2015.

 

It is Valentine's Day and my husband is reading through the boxes of cards and letters that we wrote to one another back when we were 13.  The flashes of light on his face and in the eyes of our children as he recounts our love story. 

 

It is late April, and I am running along the Coast of Big Sur, California.  I am smelling the salt of the sea and I am pumping my legs along mile 25 and listening to the voices behind me cheer, "Remember why you are running.  Think of your sister.  Don't stop!" I am crossing the finish line and am told I've shaved 30 minutes off of my personal record.  The flood of emotions in that moment as I embrace my husband and our friends Gayle and Jason who have flown to support me.  That Kairos moment is one that will remain with me for the rest of my life. 

 

It is drinking margaritas at a little roadside Taco Bar in Sausalito during a week of exploring San Francisco with precious friends.  The laughter and sounds and tastes and the pure joy of that night will be etched vividly into my mind forever. 

 

It is Heidi's back porch along the foothills in late summer with 6 momma friends.  We are eating Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake and savoring the last days of summer.  It is deep sense of feeling loved and believing more than ever that God has brought me 2 am friends I have been praying for. 

 

It is September and I am holding a positive pregnancy test.  I am bewildered and overwhelmed and I know this moment will change me. And I am wondering, am I ready for this change?  To be a momma to three little ones? 

 

And then I am sitting on the side of our tub seeing red and praying for miracles and holding on to hope for the life inside of me. 

 

It is pouring my grief onto paper and watching the words of my heart go viral in my most vulnerable blog post, reaching thousands of women. It is realizing that even the most painful Kairos moments are meant to bring life.  That sometimes, we are called to walk through the valley of the shadow of death if it means bringing life to others.  And so, for the Kairos moments of September, I am oddly grateful. 

 

All of these moments are once in a lifetime.  Sure, some of them may be recreated.  But not with the purity that experiencing these moments when they first happen would bring.  We must catch them in Kairos time, at just the right time.

 

You see, I'm beginning to understand that we have been chosen for this life. This life.  It doesn't always look like we would have imagined.  It doesn't always feel how we think it should.  We are surprised by the messiness of life...that it does not always come packaged perfectly with a bow on top. We grieve and our insides ache in ways we didn't know possible.  And yet, I believe that even these moments are holy.  Even these moments are Kairos moments. 

So this year, I'll be operating more on Kairos time and less on Chronos time.  I'll be looking for the "breathe deep and inhale moments." The "blink and you'll miss it moments."  The warm fuzzy ones and the ones that have me on my knees, crying out for healing and deliverance and growth. 

I'm so excited to share all the God reveals and teaches me in 2016.  I hope you'll follow me along for this journey. 

Cheers to 2016 -- to the Kairos moments I'll experience as a Little Mountain Momma to these two babes!

 

#New Year No Spend

Is it just me or are you pretty much "spent out" come January 1st?  Good heavens, I'm feeling over spent now and it isn't even Christmas yet. So when my friend Emily over at The Dependent Life Blog approached me about doing another "no spend" month, I jumped for joy!

 

Another "no spend" month?  Yes, we've done this before.  And loved it!  Hard to believe, I know.   

 

If you are new to Little Mountain Momma then I should explain a little more about what a "no spend" month is.  This past August, our family decided to embark on the challenge of not spending money in a single store for a month.

 

 

This was pretty much the scowl I gave when we first began to throw around this seemingly "crazy" idea.

 

To give you a brief overview, the month went something like this --

• Regular bills, gas for our cars and medical emergencies did not fall under the "no spend" category.  Those obviously needed to be paid. 
• We did all of our meal planning and grocery shopping for the entire month prior to August 1st. 
• Eating out was only acceptable if we were using a gift card. 
• Friends and family were incredibly generous --  occasionally treating us to coffee, playdates out and even buying gift cards to treat us to a meal out. 

You can read more about how our "no spend" August went in these past posts --

 

No Spend August, Happy National S'mores Day and Happy September

 

 

So, we've decided to do it again.  And this time we're teaming up with friends!  Call me crazy, but I am just so excited!  Doing a "no spend" month as a family was fun... but doing it with a camaraderie of friends sounds even better.  So we're inviting you! 

 

 

We'll be using the hashtag #Newyearnospend as a way to promote our "no spend" month on social media.  If you're a blogger and you would like to join us and blog about your "no spend" month then we would be happy to create you a pin with your blog name attached.  Just email onelittlemountainmomma@gmail.com and include your blog name if you would like your own pin created. 

 

We're heading into this month knowing that not everyone who commits will be able to adhere to the "no spend" month as strictly.  Some of those who have agreed to join us have said they will do a "modified" no spend month.  Some are choosing to do only a half month of no spending. 

 

Our family specifically will be doing one mid month grocery store run to buy fresh produce because we don't have the luxury of our garden produce like we did in August. 

 

That's the beauty of grace.  A "no spend" month doesn't have to be done perfectly -- there may have been some cheap pizza and wine thrown into the mix of our "no spend" month this past August.  I bear no shame.

 

 

 

The basics of the challenge are pretty simple --

• No impulse spending
• No eating out unless using a gift card (& be intentional not to go over the card amount)
• Be creative and utilize resources (Example: Make a birthday gift if you forget to buy one ahead of time, borrow sugar from a neighbor if you run out prior to the end of the month... you get the idea)
• Know your necessities and stick to them.  Paying bills and filling your car with gas are necessities.  Your mani/pedi however, can wait until February. 

What's the purpose behind a "no spend" month?  To save money and to practice simplicity.  I don't know about you, but a little less sounds refreshing after a holiday season of so much excess.

So who else is in?  We would be thrilled to have you join us!  We will be starting January 1st so you still have some time to think and plan ahead!  If you have any questions, feel free to email me at onelittlemountainmomma@gmail.com. 

 

The following other bloggers have committed to jumping on board with our #nospendnewyear, so

check back throughout the month of January to catch up on how these mommas are leading their families on this financial challenge! 

Adriane over at Balance With Me

Emily over at The Dependent Life

Rebekah over at My MSPI Baby

Fifi over at Fifi & Florence

Spreading Christmas Cheer!

Christmas baking is in full force over here in the Baker home!  One of my favorite things to do with Mackenzie since she could barely waddle was invite her to bake with me.  This past weekend we finally felt like Levi was old enough to join in the fun! 



 

 

 

And of course, inviting him to lick to the cookie dough off of the beaters was a vital part of his initiation into our family baking party!



 

We used the classic Toll House Cookie Recipe but replaced the chocolate chips for red and green

M & M's and instead of regular flour we used our favorite gluten free flour blend.



 

 

 

 

As a family we've decided that one of our goals for this upcoming year is to get to know our neighbors and to serve and be generous to our community.  I created some gift tags on Canva -- have you heard of it?  Really, it's the next best thing to baileys in my coffee. 

 

Canva is a design site where you can create your own printable documents or web images.  Using Canva's "business card" template, you can create the perfect sized gift tags to say "Merry Christmas" and "Thank You" to the important people in your life!

 

I love to see my girl's face light up as she puts together special gifts for our neighbors and friends and service men and women! 



 

 

Because there are so many people to gift during the holidays, I've put together a little reminder with ideas of who you can bake or buy for this season.  I believe the thought really is what counts, so leaving cookies or fresh baked bread out for the trash men or the mail carriers is certain to brighten some spirits in the midst of a long week!

  

 

Consult the Emily Post Tipping Guide for a more detailed guide of how much to spend and what to buy as a "Thank You" for service providers like nursing staff, apartment managers, mail carriers and more.

 

Below are some free printable tags for you to use if designing your own on Canva isn't really your thing!  Just click the links and push "print"!

 

Print your tag for family, friends & neighbors here!

 

Print your thank you tag here!

 

Hope you are having a wonderful week! 

O' Christmas Tree

This past weekend we caravanned our way through the snow with friends of ours to a little mountain town to hunt down and chop our own Christmas tree.  For the first eight years of our marriage I won the "fake tree" battle.  For the past two years Jeremy has won out with his real tree.  Humbly, I'll admit that I love our real tree and I'll never go back.  There's just something about the smell of fresh pine and the excitement of the tradition of picking a new tree each Christmas season.

 

 

 

 

 

I confess, I'm not a big fan of winter.  I would be perfectly content to decorate a Florida palm tree while sipping a fruity drink, toes in the sand on Christmas morning.  But this tradition just really won me over.  I loved watching my babies play in the snow, the way the sun cast its glow onto a pure white landscape and the way the mountains loomed their silhouette behind us.  It was pretty magical. 

 

 

 

A little tailgating with friends after the tree hunting! 
 

 

 

 

 

 And, in true 2 year old fashion, Levi decided he was done cooperating rigghht about the time I requested this family photo.  Hence the hand on my forehead and laughter as I realized, "This is going to be quite the Christmas photo". 

 

And, here you have it friends.