Now that we still have some sunlight hanging aroun Now that we still have some sunlight hanging around after the kids go to bed, my new thing is sipping a glass of wine on the back patio while making small talk with Josh and praying the kids stay in bed.
 
I've been obsessed with cleaning our house recently but I've been so good about it, I have nothing left to clean or tidy right now and I'm left to face the things I don't really want to think about like the fact that I miss my kids when they're at school or how I really want to fill this house up with some more of them 😅 

At any rate, one of my simple pleasures in life is decluttering and purging unused things and I feel like I've accomplished a lot!! What about you?
Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growin Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growing up, I thought it was pretty much all I was cut out to do, which ended up being false. But even though I've learned that I'm capable of so many other things, being a mom is still one of my highest aspirations. As we're getting our home ready for fostering, I can't help but think of how the little one(s) entering our home will feel but also how David and Evy will feel. How will they react if we parent slightly differently? Will they understand that we're working to build trust and connection or will they feel indignant? These are the things I pray about and also speak to the kids about in the days leading up. We're all excited but I have the feeling of heaviness that we don't and won't understand the burden until we're all already carrying it together.
Doing my gosh darned best to manifest spring over Doing my gosh darned best to manifest spring over here and I think it might be working 😉 Today the kids had TWOsday at school and they were so sweet. David wore a tie (I don't exactly get how it tirles in to Twosday but the kids were happy so..) and Evy "twinned" with a couple of sweet friends in her class. It's so sweet when you see your own kids building their own friendships. It just loosens a little piece of anxiety I've had about parenthood since David was still in my tummy. How did you spend your TWOsday??

Sandals @naotfootwear 💕
Today was a sweet day. Woke up at 8:30 next to Jos Today was a sweet day. Woke up at 8:30 next to Josh in a quiet house - the kids slept over my parent's last night. Got up, raced to clean the kitchen as fast as I could while my coffee was brewing. The coffee won this time. 

I recorded a Reel while getting ready. Went to the place where we were going to meet my fam a bit early so Josh and I could get in a walk. Then we got coffee, went to a huge antique store (sadly left with nothing but took pictures of my faves so I can remember to come back) and went to lunch with the kids and my parents. Love easy-going and fun days like these 🖤
Back in the day,I was talking with someone about m Back in the day,I was talking with someone about marriage.Josh and I had been married for a few years at that point but this guy was still single. ..

He told me he was studying to get his masters in counseling and he wanted to be a marriage counselor one day.I thought "Hey that's pretty cool" but, curious,because,you know, he was single. 

Anyway, after we'd been talking a few minutes about our interest in helping married couples, he leaned in and said, "You know, I have this theory on marriage.." "Oh yeah?" I said (pretty curious to hear what theories this guy had for all of marriage for everyone everywhere). 

He said, "I believe that every single problem in marriage boils down to communication."

At the time, I didn't really know what to say. I'm more of a *reflector* and then I come up with what I wish I had said later.

Here's what I wish I had said: "Um. Yeah I don't think so. I mean sure, communication helps with a lot of issues. But what about selfishness,⠀addiction,⠀past hurt and trauma, etc? Communication will help people work through those issues but they're connected to much deeper issues that concern the heart--not just your communication skills."

We are all broken, very human, beings and when left to our own devices,⠀we don't have all the tools necessary to "fix" ourselves or our spouse's problems. We can talk until we're blue in the face but we just can't fix ourselves. 

What we do need, is to lean on the Creator who made all things good and makes all things new. To understand that we are not the main characters here. The whole world and everything in it points to Christ and His redeeming power. And yes, he often works that out through us and often through communication. But it's not communication that saves marriages. It's Jesus.

I was just thinking about that today and wanted to get it off my chest. What role do you think communication plays?
Merry Christmas from the Damons! 🎁 Merry Christmas from the Damons! 🎁
So much joy in one photo! Ok, maybe 4 photos 😜 So much joy in one photo! Ok, maybe 4 photos 😜 Love my littlest niece, Eva ❤️
Let's hash something out together: what's somethin Let's hash something out together: what's something you do or used to fight about in your marriage/relationship regularly?

Do you feel like the issue is/was pretty cut and dry? 

Or was there an underlying issue that bubbled up in different ways?

Curious to know your thoughts. 

When Josh and I were first married, we fought a lot. We were pretty low-income, didn't have great jobs, and had a wee baby. While our fights were often about the grocery list, the real issue was that we were SCARED. 

Scared of the adult life we had just stepped into. It was kind of like jumping into a puddle you don't think is that deep until after it's too late and now your socks are completely drowning 🚣🏼‍♀️ 

Luckily, though, they dry off over time, don't they?

After lots of learning and working really hard (both at our jobs and relationship) things started to ease up. We started to see that there was a light at the end of the tunnel and even though we weren't there yet, it gave up hope to carry on together ❤️
Go on a walk with your spouse before Netflixing. O Go on a walk with your spouse before Netflixing. Or if you can't leave the house, sit in the kitchen with a glass of wine. Make time to talk. And make it easier by doing things together. It's so so important ❤️
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Family, Finances, Life & Finances, Sponsored · August 24, 2018

4 Tips to Make Holiday Spending Less Stressful

This post was sponsored, and paid for, by SunTrust. All opinions are my own.

Josh and I have been all over the place when it comes to where we’ve stood financially. In the past, we’ve had more than we needed, and we’ve gone through some times that were really tight! I remember once feeling like I needed to hide the potato chips I bought at the grocery store because I didn’t want Josh to think I was splurging.

Now, we’re somewhere in between those two points. When we got married, Josh inherited my student loan debt and we’ve been working towards paying it off regularly every month. Last year, we decided that we really wanted up our intensity when it came to paying off our student loans. So we packed up what we had, sold the things we didn’t need, and moved in with Josh’s parents at the end of last summer. They have a very large, gorgeous home in Washington State and we’re blessed to be able to live with them and throw more of what we have at the loans to get them paid off faster!

But putting a larger focus on putting any money we had in excess at my loans made us really buckle down and take a hard look at our finances. First of all, we had to see where our money was going. If we were spending too much in one area, we could cut spending there and budget more towards loans!

Creating a budget was so useful for us! Once we kept track of where our money was going, we were able to rein it in and spend it with much more intentionality!

Which is exactly what we hope to do this upcoming holiday season. Since we’re focusing hard on saving and paying off loans, we’re going to need to be really intentional about how much we spend on gifts, hosting, and being generous this year! Seeing kids play with fun new toys or giving your sister the bag she’s been wanting for weeks- of course, it’s going to make you happy! But it’s important to not get carried away when it comes to gift-giving and generosity. As much as being generous is a good thing, it should really come from the surplus of what you have and not something you go into debt for!

These are a few of the things we’re trying this year along with a couple others we’ve done in the past to keep our spending in check when it comes to holiday shopping and generosity!

1 | Set a budget per person

Pretty simple, right? First, you’ll need to figure out how much total you want to spend on holiday gift-giving. Then, divide that number between the people you have to shop for. Of course, you might want to spend more on, say, your parents than your 3-month-old niece (I mean, is she really going to remember what you got her?) and that’s ok! Just be sure that the total adds up to the same number you determined at the beginning of your budgeting. If it helps, try listing a goal dollar amount next to each person so you know how much you’re spending on who. Just make sure no one else finds the list or you’ll have a Ross and Rachel problem on your hands…

2 | Give group gifts

Buying an individual gift for every family member and friend can get pricey! Why not combine the gifts into one group gift or activity that many people can enjoy together. Board games, wine, a family portrait, or a family-focused gift card can be a great gift!

Sponsoring a family activity can also be a great gift to give that may very well be less expensive than buying individual gifts. In the past, Josh and I have created movie theater baskets for our families. We bought tickets for each person and filled a basket with candy they could bring as a snack.

3 | Assign gift buddies

Josh and I did this with our family last year since several of us were trying to save money at the time. At Thanksgiving, we each wrote our name on a piece of paper, wrote a few gift ideas down, and put it in a bowl (we had the option to combine ourselves as a couple or throw our name in individually). Then, whoever name you chose out of the hat was the person you would buy a Christmas gift for! Our guideline was to spend about $200 since it would be the only gift we were buying someone that Christmas. We still bought individual gifts for the kids but we all loved the game as adults because we ended up getting a few things each that we really wanted and giving gifts didn’t break the bank! 

4 | Set aside a little each month

Like I said, budgeting is so important. In order for you to better be able to spend your money the way you want, you need to know where it’s going! For a long time, Josh and I would just buy things here or there and live paycheck to paycheck when we both knew that we probably didn’t have to live that way! But taking a close look at our finances and reining in spending where we didn’t need to be, it helped us free up money that we could use elsewhere! By taking that money and setting a little aside each month, saving for holiday spending is no longer stressful, but fun!

I’ve loved using the SunTrust Budgeting worksheet that has a special holiday budgeting section! It helps us take into account things that we might not normally think to plan for like travel expenses, holiday events, childcare, gift giving, and all the details in between! It even has a fun gifting guide that helps you keep track of the people on your list, how much you plan to spend per person (and then how much you actually spent), and what the total comes to in the end! It really covers all the bases when it comes to holiday spending and helps us to shop guilt-free because we’re in full control of our finances!

Download the SunTrust Budgeting worksheet for free and start planning your holiday spending today!

 

This post was sponsored, and paid for, by SunTrust. All opinions are my own.

 

In: Family, Finances, Life & Finances, Sponsored · Tagged: birthday, budget, christmas, family, finance, gifts, giving, holiday, money, noads, presents, shopping, spending, thanksgiving

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Comments

  1. Aditya Tiwari says

    August 24, 2018 at 9:47 am

    if I ever thought of a trip, I will make sure I follow each of your step as I am not a traveller. I do not like to travel, all the time. these tips are insanely amazing, but I don’t think I am open for gifting.

  2. amzpro says

    August 24, 2018 at 4:53 pm

    testing comment

  3. Monidipa Dutta says

    August 24, 2018 at 4:56 pm

    Once you are married these ideas are truly helpful. Though I am single but I still always believe in setting a budget. That really helps a lot.

  4. matt says

    August 24, 2018 at 5:30 pm

    Some really good and simple tips here that anyone can put in to practice. It’s really encouraging to read the example too! Hope you get those student debts paid off soon, you are certainly doing the right thing.

  5. Laura Dove says

    August 24, 2018 at 5:38 pm

    Great tips! We always set a daily budget so we know that should we over spend one day we need to rein it back on another. we always save more than we need too just incase.

  6. Elizabeth O says

    August 25, 2018 at 1:52 pm

    This is such a helpful article indeed. Sometimes the most stressful thing about holidaying is how much you will spend while there. You gave some really great advice!

  7. Dalene Ekirapa says

    August 25, 2018 at 2:07 pm

    Holiday spending can be so awesome and stressful at the same time. We always await the experience and what better way to get ready for holiday spending than actually starting to save up early? As well, It’s always nice to set a budget per person to minimize spending and make it much easier.

  8. Rosey says

    August 25, 2018 at 11:08 pm

    We’ve started spending intentionally too because we are saving for a house. I’d love to get better with making the budget.

  9. Jackie says

    August 26, 2018 at 3:05 am

    We do the secret santa thing here too, it makes it so much easier. We buy for the kids and then I think it’s a $100 limit for the adults. Makes it more affordable and a lot easier for sure!!

  10. Flyingkids says

    August 26, 2018 at 9:39 am

    Holiday is something we always want and spending money is always with it. you have such very nice tips on how to budget without stress.

  11. Vaibhav Mehta says

    August 26, 2018 at 10:24 am

    Like the fact that the joy of giving is being discussed in a way. Not married yet but can relate to the tips

  12. Jade says

    August 26, 2018 at 8:20 pm

    As a student i can Relate to not having enough money to splurg on gifts. These tips are really useful and fun! ThAnks for sharing 🙂

  13. Jennifer Prince says

    August 26, 2018 at 8:42 pm

    These are great ways to reduce stress, and honestly, the time to start IS now for sure. It’s good to start planning early!

  14. melissa major says

    August 26, 2018 at 10:26 pm

    These are some very helpful tips here. Setting a budget is a massive help for going on holiday

  15. Susana Parker says

    August 26, 2018 at 10:53 pm

    Those pictures are truly beautiful.
    I can see them already in a magazine.
    you have a wonderful family
    thanks for the useful tips!

  16. kim says

    August 27, 2018 at 8:32 pm

    The holidays can definitely be stressful, but your tips are great! Will for sure be putting some of them to use!

  17. David Elliott says

    August 28, 2018 at 12:14 am

    I can see how doing gift buddies would make things less stressful. And I get trying out the individual budget thing. Maybe the family would pay attention. It would be nice if they did.

  18. Blair Villanueva says

    August 29, 2018 at 7:56 am

    What a lovely ideas you have! Nowadays, it is wise to know how to save in many ways, and only splurge on important things and needs.

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How to Balance Life as a Work From Home Mom!

Hi! I'm Chelsea and we're the Damon's. We spent the last two years in WA state paying off student loans and just bought our first house in SC! I love a smooth black coffee, Josh's first love is the Seattle Sounders. Our kids are huge dorks and constantly make us laugh and we all love spending as much time outside as possible.

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Now that we still have some sunlight hanging aroun Now that we still have some sunlight hanging around after the kids go to bed, my new thing is sipping a glass of wine on the back patio while making small talk with Josh and praying the kids stay in bed.
 
I've been obsessed with cleaning our house recently but I've been so good about it, I have nothing left to clean or tidy right now and I'm left to face the things I don't really want to think about like the fact that I miss my kids when they're at school or how I really want to fill this house up with some more of them 😅 

At any rate, one of my simple pleasures in life is decluttering and purging unused things and I feel like I've accomplished a lot!! What about you?
Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growin Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growing up, I thought it was pretty much all I was cut out to do, which ended up being false. But even though I've learned that I'm capable of so many other things, being a mom is still one of my highest aspirations. As we're getting our home ready for fostering, I can't help but think of how the little one(s) entering our home will feel but also how David and Evy will feel. How will they react if we parent slightly differently? Will they understand that we're working to build trust and connection or will they feel indignant? These are the things I pray about and also speak to the kids about in the days leading up. We're all excited but I have the feeling of heaviness that we don't and won't understand the burden until we're all already carrying it together.
Doing my gosh darned best to manifest spring over Doing my gosh darned best to manifest spring over here and I think it might be working 😉 Today the kids had TWOsday at school and they were so sweet. David wore a tie (I don't exactly get how it tirles in to Twosday but the kids were happy so..) and Evy "twinned" with a couple of sweet friends in her class. It's so sweet when you see your own kids building their own friendships. It just loosens a little piece of anxiety I've had about parenthood since David was still in my tummy. How did you spend your TWOsday??

Sandals @naotfootwear 💕
Today was a sweet day. Woke up at 8:30 next to Jos Today was a sweet day. Woke up at 8:30 next to Josh in a quiet house - the kids slept over my parent's last night. Got up, raced to clean the kitchen as fast as I could while my coffee was brewing. The coffee won this time. 

I recorded a Reel while getting ready. Went to the place where we were going to meet my fam a bit early so Josh and I could get in a walk. Then we got coffee, went to a huge antique store (sadly left with nothing but took pictures of my faves so I can remember to come back) and went to lunch with the kids and my parents. Love easy-going and fun days like these 🖤

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Now that we still have some sunlight hanging aroun Now that we still have some sunlight hanging around after the kids go to bed, my new thing is sipping a glass of wine on the back patio while making small talk with Josh and praying the kids stay in bed.
 
I've been obsessed with cleaning our house recently but I've been so good about it, I have nothing left to clean or tidy right now and I'm left to face the things I don't really want to think about like the fact that I miss my kids when they're at school or how I really want to fill this house up with some more of them 😅 

At any rate, one of my simple pleasures in life is decluttering and purging unused things and I feel like I've accomplished a lot!! What about you?
Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growin Being a mom has always meant so much to me. Growing up, I thought it was pretty much all I was cut out to do, which ended up being false. But even though I've learned that I'm capable of so many other things, being a mom is still one of my highest aspirations. As we're getting our home ready for fostering, I can't help but think of how the little one(s) entering our home will feel but also how David and Evy will feel. How will they react if we parent slightly differently? Will they understand that we're working to build trust and connection or will they feel indignant? These are the things I pray about and also speak to the kids about in the days leading up. We're all excited but I have the feeling of heaviness that we don't and won't understand the burden until we're all already carrying it together.
Doing my gosh darned best to manifest spring over Doing my gosh darned best to manifest spring over here and I think it might be working 😉 Today the kids had TWOsday at school and they were so sweet. David wore a tie (I don't exactly get how it tirles in to Twosday but the kids were happy so..) and Evy "twinned" with a couple of sweet friends in her class. It's so sweet when you see your own kids building their own friendships. It just loosens a little piece of anxiety I've had about parenthood since David was still in my tummy. How did you spend your TWOsday??

Sandals @naotfootwear 💕
Today was a sweet day. Woke up at 8:30 next to Jos Today was a sweet day. Woke up at 8:30 next to Josh in a quiet house - the kids slept over my parent's last night. Got up, raced to clean the kitchen as fast as I could while my coffee was brewing. The coffee won this time. 

I recorded a Reel while getting ready. Went to the place where we were going to meet my fam a bit early so Josh and I could get in a walk. Then we got coffee, went to a huge antique store (sadly left with nothing but took pictures of my faves so I can remember to come back) and went to lunch with the kids and my parents. Love easy-going and fun days like these 🖤
Back in the day,I was talking with someone about m Back in the day,I was talking with someone about marriage.Josh and I had been married for a few years at that point but this guy was still single. ..

He told me he was studying to get his masters in counseling and he wanted to be a marriage counselor one day.I thought "Hey that's pretty cool" but, curious,because,you know, he was single. 

Anyway, after we'd been talking a few minutes about our interest in helping married couples, he leaned in and said, "You know, I have this theory on marriage.." "Oh yeah?" I said (pretty curious to hear what theories this guy had for all of marriage for everyone everywhere). 

He said, "I believe that every single problem in marriage boils down to communication."

At the time, I didn't really know what to say. I'm more of a *reflector* and then I come up with what I wish I had said later.

Here's what I wish I had said: "Um. Yeah I don't think so. I mean sure, communication helps with a lot of issues. But what about selfishness,⠀addiction,⠀past hurt and trauma, etc? Communication will help people work through those issues but they're connected to much deeper issues that concern the heart--not just your communication skills."

We are all broken, very human, beings and when left to our own devices,⠀we don't have all the tools necessary to "fix" ourselves or our spouse's problems. We can talk until we're blue in the face but we just can't fix ourselves. 

What we do need, is to lean on the Creator who made all things good and makes all things new. To understand that we are not the main characters here. The whole world and everything in it points to Christ and His redeeming power. And yes, he often works that out through us and often through communication. But it's not communication that saves marriages. It's Jesus.

I was just thinking about that today and wanted to get it off my chest. What role do you think communication plays?
Merry Christmas from the Damons! 🎁 Merry Christmas from the Damons! 🎁
So much joy in one photo! Ok, maybe 4 photos 😜 So much joy in one photo! Ok, maybe 4 photos 😜 Love my littlest niece, Eva ❤️
Let's hash something out together: what's somethin Let's hash something out together: what's something you do or used to fight about in your marriage/relationship regularly?

Do you feel like the issue is/was pretty cut and dry? 

Or was there an underlying issue that bubbled up in different ways?

Curious to know your thoughts. 

When Josh and I were first married, we fought a lot. We were pretty low-income, didn't have great jobs, and had a wee baby. While our fights were often about the grocery list, the real issue was that we were SCARED. 

Scared of the adult life we had just stepped into. It was kind of like jumping into a puddle you don't think is that deep until after it's too late and now your socks are completely drowning 🚣🏼‍♀️ 

Luckily, though, they dry off over time, don't they?

After lots of learning and working really hard (both at our jobs and relationship) things started to ease up. We started to see that there was a light at the end of the tunnel and even though we weren't there yet, it gave up hope to carry on together ❤️
Go on a walk with your spouse before Netflixing. O Go on a walk with your spouse before Netflixing. Or if you can't leave the house, sit in the kitchen with a glass of wine. Make time to talk. And make it easier by doing things together. It's so so important ❤️
Top knots over crop tops 😜 Top knots over crop tops 😜

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