Lent is like weeding

Some say the soul is like a many faceted gem. I prefer to think of it as something much more alive- like a garden.

I recently had to do a ridiculous amount of weeding in our yard. Quite a few weeds had sprung up during the winter rainy season. We noticed them, but thought they were merely clover and dandelions, so we left them alone. Then, when we were ready to mow the grass, we realized how extensive and damaging the weed bushes had become. I spent a week pulling and digging them up. Each plant spread from a central root, but put down more roots as it grew, so each one required a lot of pulling and digging to remove it. What I thought would be a small task quickly piled up - literally- into a mountain.

While I was weeding, I had plenty of time to think, and I started to realize how much the process of weeding is similar to the process of fasting and making sacrifices during Lent. (Lent is the 40 days of preparation for Easter.) We all have weeds that creep into our lives. Often, we don't even recognize them at first. I left the ones in my yard because they had pretty yellow flowers! But when we ignore bad habits, bad choices, or bad influences, they grow and spread until they overtake huge portions of our lives, and start choking out the time we have for other things. When we finally do own up to some of our vices, we are often shocked at how deeply rooted they are, and how difficult to remove. That's what Lent is for. I actually look forward to a new chance every year to look at my life, my relationship with God and my family, and see what needs to change. Everyone makes their own journey through Lent, but I actually enjoy self-improvement, and inviting God to be part of my life and help shape me.

So what am I weeding out this Lent? Well, that's personal, but I can say that I am fasting from chocolate and soda, which are my 2 biggest addictions. I am also taking steps to make prayer a much more constant and conscious part of my life. By Easter, I look forward to celebrating a soul that has a lot less weeds and is a much more beautiful garden.

Saving money with friends Part 2

A toy exchange is a brilliant money-saving idea, not only at Christmas time, but throughout the year. Parents are always looking for new toys as their children outgrow old ones and develop new interests. And we all know that used toys are much cheaper than new ones. But combing thrift stores and yard sale websites can be time-consuming and frustrating. So here's a better idea--exchange toys with your friends! You probably have children around the same age or with similar interests. Your odds increase if you invite a whole play group or classroom to participate. Here are the rules:
1. Everyone brings toys that are clean, working, and have all pieces included
2. For each toy you donate, you may select one new one from the pile.
3. Leftovers will be given to a predetermined group or charity

We hosted one with the Little Tykes play group in December, and it was a huge blessing to us. I feared people might be stingy or greedy, but instead everyone welcomed the chance to clean out their closets, and I was really impressed by the quality and quantity of the toys. Most participants came with a large box, and only wanted to walk away with a few items to give their children for Christmas. I donated a box of mostly baby toys, and was able to choose from plenty of cars and trucks for my 3 year old. Of course, we all had extra stuffed animals and leftover baby toys, so those items were donated to a local charity. We ended up with a few new toys for each of our kids, so we didn't buy them anything for Christmas this year!

A toy exchange can also work for birthdays, if you and some friends have children with similar birthdays. Or you can always make a direct exchange with a friend. I recently heard a friend complaining about how many tea sets her daughter had. I was actually thinking about getting one for my own daughter, so I traded her a toy her children had been admiring at my house. No one has to pay any money, and all the kids are happy to have something 'new' to play with. You can also do a book exchange, if you have extra copies that are in good shape, and then everyone gets something fresh to read at bedtime. Try it out, and let me know if a toy exchange works for you!

Saving money by sharing with friends (Part 1)

We would all like to save a little time and money when we can, and I have learned that one of the best ways to do that is by sharing resources with friends. This post will tell you how to participate in (or host!) a batch cooking exchange. If you have ever done a cookie exchange, this is the same concept, except with dinner food. Each person prepares 1 recipe, but they make enough for every other person participating in the exchange. Then you meet together and exchange your meals. So you show up with x number of one meal, and walk away with x number of other meals to store in your freezer and use when it is most convenient.
To make it successful, it is important to choose a meal that freezes well, and will be easy for the recipient to thaw and cook in the oven, crockpot, or stove. You also want to choose something without too many different ingredients or much chopping and dicing, since you will be doing it in such large quantity. There are plenty of ideas online on recipe websites or Pinterest. I recently joined an exchange with 4 other people, and I decided to make a Turkey Meatball Stew. So I put one complete meal of stew into each gallon ziplock bag. I made 5 bags total--one for myself, and 4 for the other participants. You can also choose to make an extra bag to donate to an expecting mother or a sick family. As you can see, it used a lot of cans of tomatoes and chicken stock! There were also green beans, meatballs, and carrots. I combined all the ingredients except the pasta in one large bag. Then I measured out each person's pasta in a small bag, and sealed them all together in a large bag with the recipe and instructions. So all the recipient had to do was thaw the entire package, heat it on the stove, and add pasta during the last 10 minutes of cooking. I received in exchange some cilantro chicken tacos, peanut chicken satay with rice, minestrone, and a chicken/bean casserole. They all look delicious! It was hardly any extra effort for me to make more than one meal, and now I have a week's worth of meals that are all different and would take hours to prepare individually. Because we all made similarly-priced meals, everyone bought their own ingredients. but if one person contributed steak or seafood, you could distribute the money evenly. I would do this several times a year, and recommend it to anyone!