This Week's Favorite Things

So.....it is time for this week's favorite things

Favorite Thing #1 - Other Mothers Quarter Sale

In Boise (there is one in Nampa as well), we have a store called Other Mothers. It is a secondhand store that carries really nice and gently used baby and children's clothing along with used strollers, bassinets, car seats, etc. One weekend a month, they do what is called a Quarter Sale. It happens on a Friday and then the next day on Saturday. People donate clothes (that Other Mothers decides they don't want to sell in the store) and they have a sale where each item is a quarter. They have tables stacked with clothes and you go through and find the clothes that you want. It can be a little bit of chaos since some women get pushy (which irritates me to no end....you would think at this age we could all play nice), but you get some real steals. I got 44 items, none of which had stains, one even still had the tag on it for $11.66!!! If I had gone and bought all of the stuff at a regular store, it would have cost me at least $150.00. So, I am grateful for Other Mothers and their monthly quarter sale.

Favorite Thing #2 - Nouveau Riche Seminar

Yesterday I went to a Nouveau Riche seminar on tax strategies. It was absolutely amazing and I learned so much about saving money and all these wonderful deductions that I can take as a small business owner. Everyone should have a small business (it is easier than you might think) because it comes with amazing tax benefits (plus the goal is to make some money with it too....always a great thing!). For those of you who haven't heard of Nouveau Riche, it is a real estate investing university.

Favorite Thing #3 - United First Financial

Joseph and I learned about United First Financial this week......they have a software program that helps you calculate how to pay off your house in 8-10 years. It is hard to explain but we are looking at it seriously and I would love to have our house paid off in 8-10 years! If anybody wants more information about the software, let me know and I will tell you who to talk to.

Favorite Thing #4 - My Warm House

I know it sounds a little weird, but this week has been cold and snowy in Boise and I am so grateful that I have heat and that I can stay warm. I know it seems like a small thing, but I think that we take the smallest things for granted a lot of the time (like Walmart letting you buy as much formula as you want!), so this week I am especially grateful for my house and that it keeps my little family warm.

Favorite Thing #6 - Church

We switched wards in November and finally started going to a family ward. I haven't made a ton of friends but I absolutely love the Bishop and his wife and have gotten more spiritual fulfillment than I have gotten for a long time. I am grateful and excited to go every Sunday and learn those things that help me get through my week. I am so thankful for the Church and everything it stands for. I am also thankful that I came back to the Church 5 1/2 years ago. I have now been back to being active for longer than I was inactive!!


Favorite Thing #7 - My Parents

I have the greatest parents in the world (I know that I am a little biased) but I am so grateful for them. This last week I was trying to process some possible life changes that were unexpected and my mom was really there for me. Everything is worked out now but I am so grateful for my parent's willingness to drop everything and be there for me (as well as my other siblings). I feel so blessed to have a family that is as close as we are. We don't always agree with each other but we make it a priority to not let our differences get in the way of staying close. My family is truly some of my best friends. It seems like that is getting harder and harder to say these days with people getting so busy with their lives.

Favorite Thing #8 - The Temple

The temple has been closed the last two weeks but finally reopened on the 22nd. Before it closed, Joseph and I had the opportunity to go 4 out of 5 consecutive weeks. I really missed it in the two weeks that it was closed for cleaning and I am hopeful we can find some time this week to go!

Favorite Thing #9 - Vocational Rehab

Joseph started classes this week at Boise State and because of his injury while deployed to Iraq, he was awarded vocational rehab through the VA. This means that they pay 100% of his college tuition, books, and supplies. Plus, they give us a stipend every month to help with living expenses. This has been an incredible blessing in our life! It is amazing how something can start out to be so horrible and yet turn out to bring so many blessings!