Life on a Budget
More Black Friday Ads rolling in woot woot! Today I have the JCPenney Black Friday Ad so you can plan out your Black Friday shopping strategy and compare prices with the other Black Friday ads I have up.
To see a full list of live holiday ad and Black Friday sales papers click on the Holiday Guide 2018 tab at the top of this page.
This post does contain affiliate link. Any sales made through these links, I’ll get a small percentage at no additional cost to you.
Today’s holiday ad scan is for the furbabies. PetSmart Holiday Gift Guide is here to show you the super cute gifts any pet parent would love to give their pet for the holidays. From treats, to accessories, pet toys to pet food you can find it here.
To see a full list of live holiday ad scans and Black Friday ads available, click on the Holiday Guide 2018 tab at the top of this page!
Really excited to be getting early access to Black Friday ads. Especially the Target Black Friday ad! Start comparing prices and plan out your Black Friday shopping trip for the best deals or in some cases, buy early!
For a full list of live Black Friday and holiday ad scans click on the Holiday Guide 2018 tab at the top of this site!
This post contains affiliate links. I will get a small percentage from sales made through these links at no extra cost to you.
I’ve mentioned it here and there before. I’ve been having, what I call, “stomach issues” for years. Only it’s not really my stomach it’s intestinal. The beginning of this year I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. I’ve been taking meds to treat it which really do help but I was still having “bad days” about once a week or so. I always linked it to days when I was a little more stressed at work or I had a worry on my mind. Talking to my doctor about this he thinks I may also have IBS along with my UC. Sooo, I’m going to see a dietician on Thursday. He wants me to try a low FODMAP diet. He says some people get relief from their symptoms with this diet. He can’t guarantee anything of course but I need to try it. I do NEED to because my symptoms are most inconvenient at work and other situations.
I’ve never been on any diet in my life really. Sure I’ve tried to cut back on sugar. I did attempt to cut out lactose from my diet for a while before I knew what was really going on with the UC. I had only briefly heard about low FODMAP diet. I didn’t really know what it was. I looked it up and it seemed very overwhelming to me. Me, being someone who never had to follow anything like this before and now having to follow a pretty restrictive diet. A week before Thanksgiving and I have to make a BIG eating ….heck lifestyle change in regard to what I buy, what I eat, paying more attention to my food labels beyond sugar content, calories, and if something is natural or not.
Thanksgiving will not be what I’m used to. Turkey yes, stuffing no, mashed potatoes ok if it has real butter and lactose milk, apple pie is totally out of the question. I’m researching to see if there’s a way to make pumpkin pie on the diet. I do know I can make a blueberry or strawberry pie if I’m sure to use gluten free pie crust, real sugar, and real butter. But the more I research the more I think…I think I can do this. It won’t be so bad. Now the hardest part for me is going to be spending the money on gluten free flours, and finding gluten free things like granola bars that don’t have things like raisins, apples, and cherries in them.
So my question, does anyone else follow a low FODMAP diet? Any tips or recipes you’d like to share with me?
Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas blog series!
Merry Christmas from Pearl Girls™! We hope you enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from the authors who were so kind to donate their time and talents! If you miss a few posts, you’ll be able go back through and read them on this blog throughout the next few days.
We’re giving away a pearl necklace in celebration of the holidays, as well as some items from the contributors! Enter now below.The winner will be announced on January 2, 2014, at the Pearl Girls blog.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we’re all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Mother of Pearl, Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace, or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
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Christmas Musings
by: Anita Higman
I feel great joy in preparing my home for the holiday season. I love to drape boughs of greenery along the staircase, swirl spices into a pot of apple cider that’s simmering on the stove, make crafty floral arrangements, and sing along with all my favorite carols. Then when friends and family come over for brunches and dinners, I put out my finest decoration, my best china, and my sincerest smile. I go all out. These are my guests, and I want the event to be welcoming, satisfying, and festive. I want them to feel like royalty.
When Christ arrived in Bethlehem, I wish He could have had a more splendid welcoming, a more regal place to sleep than a wooden trough where animals were fed. Even though His birth was without majestic lodgings or kingly adornments, I’m so glad He overlooked our foolish blunders, our lack of hospitality, and chose to live amongst us anyway. Jesus certainly could have chosen a different route and easier way to offer redemption.
But He didn’t.
Jesus came in one of the humblest possibly ways. He had a divine approach that left humans surprised and puzzled. And it turned into a road of pain beyond anything we can imagine. When it comes to God’s extravagant sacrifice and love that Christmas represents, He deserves a standing ovation. After all, Christmas holds the true secrets we’ve all been searching for: meaning to our lives on earth, victory over death, and life eternal. Christmas gives us a reason to work, to laugh, to dream, to love. Christmas is a holiday of the heart and earth’s finest celebration.
This Christmas I pray I’ll take as much time preparing a special place in my heart for this merry season as I do in preparing my home.
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Best-selling and award-winning author, Anita Higman, has over thirty books published (several coauthored) for adults and children. She’s been a Barnes & Noble “Author of the Month” for Houston and has a BA degree, combining speech communication, psychology, and art. Anita loves good movies, exotic teas, and brunch with her friends. Visit Anita at her website.