So, today I had big plans to write my first Faithful Friday post about legacy.

However, what I found, is that writing about spiritual things for a deep and personal place always takes way longer than I expect. I want to ensure that I provide the high quality content in every post, thus I am going to wait a few more days and continue to gather my thoughts about this topic. To hold you over, I wanted to share a quote that really challenged me to think.

“There are two things we should give our children: one is roots and the other is wings.” Hodding Carter (Borrowed from the Reverend Henry Ward Beecher.)

Until about four months ago, I never knew you could get useful free things anywhere, especially online. Little did I know, companies are waiting to give out usable and relevant free product samples to willing customers. Not only do these free samples stock my closets with supplies, but I am also able to donate the extra to my local homeless shelter. Before giving you some tips on how to make this process fast and easy, let me share a few photos of the products I have received for free in the last few months:

These are items I paid nothing for. You may be thinking, this sounds too good to be true, what is in this for the companies that send these products? The answer is, if I try their product and like it, I will most likely buy it. Plus, they have built customer loyalty with me because I see them as a generous company. They usually also send coupons with the sample, which are added bonuses!
Here are some do’s and don’ts for finding freebies online:

1) DO create a separate email address.
Many people are hesitant to share their email address, fearing their inbox will be overrun with unwanted advertisements. This is why I recommend setting up a separate email address specifically for using in online forms.

2) DO download the Google tool bar and activate the AutoFill tool.
This tool part will fill in the majority of the required fields for you. It makes filling in most forms quick and easy. This is the biggest time saver I have found. Click here for more information.

3) DO find the best deal sites and check them often.
My favorites are:
www.hip2save.com
www.freeflys.com
www.allyou.com (I subscribe to their daily free sample email instead of visiting their site daily)

4) DO read the fine print and avoid offers that do not come directly from the sending company.
I do not complete any offers that require me to do anything other than complete a form. If an offer is not coming directly from the company, it is likely not a valid offer.

4) DON’T share your credit card information.
Personally, I also don’t complete any offers that require my telephone number. That is just a personal preference.

I hope these tips help you find some awesome freebies! Let me know how it goes!

This is the first post in my new series entitled, “Keys to Unlocking Great Relationships”. This series will run every Wednesday for 10 weeks.

Today, I would like to share with you a concept I learned while studying the work of Dr. John Gottman, the foremost expert on successful marriages. He has spent over 25 years scientifically researching what causes marriages to fail and what causes them to succeed. Although his work centers on marital relationships, I feel that many of his concepts can be used to improve any relationship, including relationships with roommates, friends, family, and co-workers. As you read this, think about the most challenging relationship in your life right now.

The one concept that I feel has been most transformational for me is the idea of positive or negative sentiment override.

This refers to the emotional lens by which you interpret all your interactions with this person. Are your default or baseline feelings about this person positive or negative? In its simplest form, positive sentiment override is believing the best in this person even when they make mistakes. Negative sentiment override is assuming the worst even when they do something positive. Let me give you some examples.

Example 1- Positive Sentiment Override
Mable’s husband is late getting home because he lost track of time. Instead of getting angry and making a sarcastic comment to him, She thinks to herself, “I know he isn’t doing this to intentionally upset me, he just gets busy and forgets. I am grateful he is so driven.”

Example 2-Negative Sentiment Override
Margie’s husband gets home early from work and asks if he can help for dinner. He is really trying to make an effort to be more involved in Margie’s life and connect with her. He knows he has dropped the ball recently and is sincerely trying to change. Instead of accepting his offer gratefully, She thinks to herself, “He must want something from me, or he has done something wrong and just hasn’t told me yet. He never offers to do something without wanting something in return, he is so selfish.”

As you can see, negative sentiment override is very corrosive in any relationship. However, especially in difficult relationships, we can start believing the worst in others before we know it. How can we change this and increase our positive feelings about the people who continually frustrate or disappoint us? Here are a few options:

1) Try to listen to their stories and hear their hearts. People are usually the way they are for a reason. What has shaped this person? What hurts live in their past? What are their hopes, fears, and dreams? If we can see them in the context of their story, it will help us relate to them. We are all imperfect people, and we all have a story.

Many times when people are hurtful or rude, they are operating out of their own fear and hurt. Try to see beyond the action and into the person. This does not mean excusing or ignoring negative and hurtful behavior. It does mean lovingly confronting that behavior in a way that doesn’t attack the character of the person who hurt you.

2) Find ways to build positive interactions and memories. Are there times when things work between the two of you? Intentionally put yourself in those situations. Find creative ways to learn about the person by doing things together.

3) Once you recognize your automatic negative thoughts about the person, intentionally try to replace them with more positive thoughts. It will be hard at first, but the more you do it, the more positive feelings will be built.

For more information on this concept and many more from Dr. Gottman, I highly recommend his book “Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work”.

In this book, he consolidated his 25 years of marriage research into 267 easy-to-read pages. His advice is validated by stringent scientific research, yet it is accessible and easy to implement. You can purchase the book on Amazon new from $9.37 or used from $5.99 by clicking here.

Here are some reviews of this book:

“Gottman comes to this endeavor with the best of qualifications: he’s got the spirit of a scientist and the soul of a romantic.” – Newsweek

“Twenty-five years of landmark marital research.” – USA Today

Many of us set New Year’s resolutions revolving around improving our health. These could be trying eat healthier foods, exercise more, and/or lose weight. Even if you didn’t make a New Year’s resolution, I doubt you would be reading this blog if you weren’t interested in finding simple and inexpensive ways to be healthy. Today I would like to share four simple tips I have learned on my weight loss journey. I am continually reminding myself of them, as I renew my commitment to living a healthy life.

1) Water, Water, Water– Make sure to drink plenty of water. It helps you feel full as well as keeping your body flushed of toxins and functioning at optimum levels. Also, research has proven that mild dehydration can cause headaches and excess hunger. The specifics of how much each person should drink is debated . (See this article by the Mayo clinic for more information) Personally, I make it my goal to drink 64oz of water a day.

The key to drinking enough water is to always have it on or around you. I never leave home without my water bottle. Another important thing is to keep track of how much water you actually drink. Write down your daily goals and track them in your day planner. You will be surprised how this small change can make a large difference in helping you achieve your health goals.

2) Always ask yourself before snacking, “Am I really hungry?” I found that when I get the urge to snack, pausing to ask myself this question forces me to stop and think about why I am eating. Sometimes the answer is yes, I am actually hungry and need a healthy snack to even out my blood sugar and hold me over till the next meal. Other times, I find that I am eating because I am bored, stressed, sad, or angry. If hunger isn’t the problem, food isn’t the answer.

At a weight loss support group meeting, I was actually given a band-aid with small sticker attached that said “The answer isn’t in here.” I put this sticker on my snack drawer at work to continually remind myself to think about the reasons I was eating. I have posted a re-creation of that sticker here. These are easy to make with a printer and a band-aid. Having reminders like this on my fridge and cabinet help me to stay conscious of my motivations for snacking.

3) Put sleep on the schedule and stick to it by seeking accountability. The importance of getting a full night of sleep can not be overstated. Studies have proven that a lack of sleep can increase daytime hunger in addition to a myriad of other health problems. Tell a friend, spouse, or family member about your goals and ask them to check in on you once a week. As the saying goes, if you fail to plan you are planning to fail. Putting this important, but often left out, item on the schedule is vital to healthy living.

4) Start small– If you are struggling to find a way to sleep four hours a night and you never exercise, it isn’t smart to set goals of nine hours of sleep a night and an hour of exercise everyday. You are setting yourself up for failure. Set realistic small goals like going to bed at the same time five nights a week, and adding two 30 minute exercise sessions a week. Once you achieve the smaller goals you will begin to feel better, and that will give you the momentum to achieve larger goals. It has a snowball effect.

Another idea is to find simple ways to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. For example, do squats while you are waiting on the microwave, do side leg lifts while you are brushing your teeth, or take the stairs instead of the elevator. I know it sounds silly, but doing these small things will get you in a healthy mindset which will make you want to exercise more. Also, they do burn a few extra calories a day, and if weight loss is your goal, every little bit helps!

Happy Monday friends! In light of my goal to be more organized in this New Year, I am planning to have each blog post revolve around a daily theme. A secondary goal of this schedule is so that you can more easily predict my blog topics and check back on days most relevant to you. I would love your thoughts on these proposed themes, and I welcome any input in the comments section.

Here it goes:
Money Making Monday-I will be sharing ways I have found to make extra income from home, or creative ways I have found to stretch our current income.

Trying To Be Healthy Tuesday– These posts will be filled with advice on eating healthy for less, exercise, and other information on making healthy choices.

Working On Relationships Wednesday– Here I will put my degrees to use and share practical tips on how to improve the quality of your relationships.

Thrifty Thursday -Thursday is where you will find all my advice on couponing, savvy shopping, and other money saving lifestyle choices.

Faith-filled Friday My faith is so foundation to who I am, and I am convinced that it is essential to a truly healthy life. Thus, I wanted to provide a day to share my thoughts on how to grow a vibrant spiritual life.

Sustainable Saturday– When possible I will try to post on Saturday. These posts will contain tips for living green. I am hoping to post once or twice a month on Saturday.

This schedule is subject to change and addition, but I thought a basic outline would be helpful. Let me know what you think! I will start tomorrow with a “Trying To Be Healthy Tuesday” post.

This week has been full of interesting things, including much time spent planning, organizing, and dreaming. For me, this time of year can often be overwhelming because I spend so much time looking at the big picture. I love dreaming big, but the fear of failure often rears its ugly head.

I have to continually remind myself that marathons are run and mountains are scaled one step at a time. Keeping this perspective allows me to use the fear of failure as a motivation to stay focused. It also reminds me that I should celebrate small steps I take every day towards reaching my ultimate goals. Those steps add up, and we mustn’t let doubt and fear convince us otherwise.

The other thing I have to remind myself is that I have a relationship with the Creator of the universe. He knows and controls all things. He loves me, and wants to climb this mountain with me. How often I lose sight of the truth that the God of all things longs to be in relationship with me (and you).

The words of a beloved old hymn came to me as I thought about this topic:

I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe…
-Jesus Paid it All

What mountains do you hope climb in this new year? I would love to hear some of your goals for this year in the comment section.

I am very excited about today’s post. In light of the new year, many of us may be rethinking our goals, priorities, and schedules.I know at least for me the words time management and schedule can feel like heavy burdens. However, I found a resource that gave me fresh perspective on this whole issue.

I have been reading Amy Andrew’s e-book entitled:
Tell Your Time: How To Manage Your Schedule So You Can Live Fulfilled

Contained in its short and easy to read 28 pages are practical and simple strategies for getting the most out of your day. It took me less than a half and hour to read, and I spend another thirty minutes writing my responses to her questions and creating my schedule. So, for just an hour of my time, I have a re-prioritized schedule and a new and exciting outlook on how to live with purpose and still have time to get the laundry done :)

One of the most profound questions she asks is, “Are your daily activities really helping you achieve your life goals, or have you gotten swept up in the tumult of your to-dos?

What I love about it is that it helps you focus on both on your vision for your life and the specifics of your day. I have often found resources that do one or the other, but very rarely to do I find one that does both (and in such little time).

You can purchase and download a copy at the link below for $7 (if you use the coupon code CLEANSLATE). The normal cost is $12, but she is running a New Years Sale! I have found this book to be extremely helpful, efficient, and well worth the money. I hope you are able to enjoy it as much as I have.

Click here to visit Amy Lynn Andrews to learn more.

Welcome back friends! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. Mine was full of joyful times with family and friends, and I come at this new year with a grateful heart.

As we all fight through the post vacation lack of motivation, it is also exciting to think about the hope and possibilities that this new year brings. Many of us may be thinking about changes we want to make this year, including finding ways to save more, eat better, and live more responsibly. To help, I would like to share with you a website I have found that has helped me do all of those things:

Recycle Bank

I have been using this site for about four months, and am able to get awesome rewards, by only spending a few minutes watching a video or playing a game. I spend between 10-20 minutes a month on their site and at minimum, gain enough points to get a coupon for $3 off any Kashi product. I am usually able to pair this coupon with a store sale, and score a free product. Also, I usually gain enough points to print at least one other coupon. (note: this is without actually using their recycling program because it is not available in my area).

In addition, their rewards often go on sale. For example, right now a coupon for $2 off any Naked Juice product is only 50 points. You can easily get these points by signing up and watching a couple of short videos. The nice thing about this site is that all of the information in the videos is actually useful.

I will post when new point gaining opportunities arrive, and I really encourage everyone to use this site. Click here to register. It has really helped me to learn more about green living, environmentally friendly companies, and saving money.

Update: Just wanted to apologize for not posting the last few days. We have been having some Internet difficulties, which have totally harshed my mellow :) Also, due to holiday traveling over the next few weeks, I will be unable to keep up with daily postings. I will still try to make time for a few posts, and I will resume daily postings after the holidays. Speaking of deals…

If you are doing any last minute holiday on-line shopping, you should definitely check out Ebates. You get a reward (looks like they are offering $5 right now) for signing up and then cash back on every online purchase. Also, today (Friday December 17th) they are partnering with many sites to offer free shipping and increased cash back. Check out the link above, sign up, and enjoy :)

Also, Collin over at hip2save.com posted links to some Ronzoni coupons.

After not working out for a few days, I was feeling sluggish and losing motivation. I knew I needed to jump back on the bandwagon today, but my traditional options were not sounding inviting. I am tired of my work-DVDs, Wii-fit takes too long, and it is way too cold to walk outside.

So, I decided to get creative and visit ExerciseTV.tv. This website is an awesome source of free full length workout videos. It also has previews of videos you can purchase and download. If you have on-demand TV, you can access some of these videos from the on-demand menu.

I love this site for a couple of reasons:

1) It helps me keep my workouts fresh by giving me access to a variety workout styles.

2) I can do these workouts anywhere I have a computer and Internet access

3) The videos vary in lenght (10-45 minutes) and intensity, so I can find a workout that perfectly fits my mood.

Check it out if you need some free and flexible workout options to spice up your current routine.
www.exercisetv.tv