The Suede Sofa Blog

The Financial Lifesavor

A few years ago I did something that iMpRoVed our financial stress. In addition to tracking our monthly expenses, I made a simple spreadsheet that estimates what our bank account will look like in six months.

Whenever I log our monthly expenses, I also update this 6-month sheet (to see an example, click 6-Month Spreadsheet). At the top, I enter our most current bank account total. Below, I have the pRojEcTed expenses and income for each month. You should have a pretty good idea on how much you spend if you already keep track of your monthly expenses. If not, now would be a good time to start! If your income varies due to sales or farming, etc. you need to enter in a realistic number to ensure your 6-month projection is as accurate as possible and doesn’t give you false hope.

One reason this concept comes in handy is because it anticipates yearly bills. Propane refills are already estimated in the months of October and January, so when the time comes there is no big SuRpriSeS. By taking into account all of your known expenses you won’t have to worry (and stress!) about moving money around to accommodate.

I especially like the 6-month forecast when I want to make larger purchases. If you’re itching to buy new carpet, you enter in the total and instantly have a good I D E A how much it will affect your finances in the long term. For example, you may get a bonus at work and see an immediate increase in your bank account. You go out and spend it all (and maybe a little more), and then two months later you are panicked because you forgot your vehicle tags and taxes were due. See how this could have been avoided?

As far as financial surprises, like if our car breaks down, I don’t estimate for that. You will find that if you do the 6-month spreadsheet you won’t be likely to spread your bank account too thin. Pick a number that will give you a nice CusHioN for emergencies. As long as you stay above your goal you can avoid roller coaster financial stress and feel more confident in the purchases that you make!

~Lara

Girlfriend Therapy

Do you ever feel like everyone in your family is talking to you and asking for things, but you never get your turn to speak? “Mom, I want Cheerios with a cup of milk please.” “Mom, that’s not the brush I like on my hair…you’re hurting me!” “Robyn, the kids are out of vitamins, can you call the pharmacy today to renew the prescriptions?” ON and ON and ON…ALL day LONG!!! If any of this sounds familiar, I’m right there with you!

When is it OuR turn???

Now that both of my kids are in nursery school, I have 3 mornings each week when they are both in school at the same time. I have decided to use some of this time to catch up with my GiRlFrIeNds and have some me time! Sure there is laundry waiting and toys that need to be cleaned up, but coffee and laughter with my best friends is just the escape that this MoMmY needs once in a while!

Try it…it is the cheapest therapy around!

~Robyn (Jersey Girl)

All The Grace You Need

Have you ever tried to copy someone who was having great results but when you tried to duplicate their success you utterly failed? Although their methods worked for them it did not work for you? We all have probably been there at one point or another. It is easy to think that just because something works for someone else it will work for us.

But one lesson I’ve learned is this:

God does not give us grace for someone’s situation and circumstances. He gives us grace for our situation and circumstances.

This is the King Saul and David principle. In the well-known Bible story of David and Goliath, before David went to face the giant he was brought before King Saul. When King Saul saw that David was willing to fight Goliath, he was thrilled. For forty days this giant had been taunting King Saul and his army to come fight him. No one was willing to take Goliath up on the challenge except for David. Immediately King Saul gave David his armour for the battle and when David put it on, he could barely move in it. So David cast aside this fancy weaponry and used what he knew best – his sling and 5 small, smooth stones. Turns out that 5 in the Bible is a symbolic number for GrAcE. God’s grace (favor) in this situation was using David’s wit and skill to defeat a giant with only a sling and stones.

Where do you need grace in your life? Your marriage? Parenting? Your personal life? On the job? In relationships? Is it time to stop trying to do things like everyone and just ask God for His help? He has tailor-made grace for your very situation. All the grace you need.

:) Robynn

Did We Make The Right Decision?

It is hard to believe we have been in our new location for about 4 months now. Time has flown and we have savored every second of being here! Still no regrets!

The last time I posted about this, I showed you a picture of what the front of our house looked like right after the mOvE.

Since that time, we had the front addition built back on! We L O V E it!

I will paint the house in the spring (hopefully!) and when we re-roof the house (someday) we’ll move the pipes and attic fans to the other side to make things a little prettier :) We will also extend our garage and make a porch that connects the garage and new addition . Of course, lots of pRojeCts here and there, but nothing that can’t get accomplished in a lifetime (and if you know me well…you know that I LOVE a GoOd project)! What a trooper of a husband I have :)

After reflecting on our crazy 6-month experience, I want to eNcouRaGe you to make steps in your life that YOU feel are right. If we would have listened to some people, we may not have moved our home. We would have made poor financial decisions because we felt the pressure of others. We would have missed out on the fAiTh journey we experienced during the moving process. I’m not saying that is was always easy, but when you feel confident in your gut, you’ll sleep better at night…regardless of what everyone else is thinks.

If you are considering making some big life decisions, don’t be distracted by the rest of the world. Team up with God and the other person you are making the decision with, and you’ll be able to enjoy living life the way you want. After all, it is YOUR life to live!

If you have missed my other posts leading up to this point read Why Move A House? , Demo Work , Moving Day and Moving Our House!

~Lara

Too Many Treats?

With Halloween right around the corner I am already dreading the sugar high aftermath. I always sort through the treats that my kids get on Halloween and leave some for them, stash some for me, but I always end up with tons left over. I recently found this clipping in a magazine and immediately thought about all of the left over candy that I always end up throwing away. This year I can box it up and know that some VeRy deserving HeRoEs will enjoy a little piece of my children’s HaLlOwEeN while fighting to keep our freedom.

~Robyn (Jersey Girl)

Live-It List Lesson

Last year at this time The Suede Sofa began talking about the “Live-It List” – which is sort of like a bucket list, but with the emphasis on living rather than on dying. Well, 2012 is coming to a close and I’ve been working on my “Live-It List” all year long. In January, I started out with a lengthy list of things that I thought were important. Although it felt great to get those items checked off my list, the one thing that my “Live-It List” revealed to me was what is important and worth pursuing and what things are really, well, just a distraction. My list contained “good” things be sure, but good things can steal your focus from the best things. So in 2013 I am going to do things different from what I have ever done before and just pick one. The best one.

Are you focused and going after only the best, or are you like I was in 2012 – all over the place and although accomplishing a lot of things, not really accomplishing anything really significant? This may come as a relief to know that you can streamline your life and eliminate activities that don’t serve your best interests.

What is your purpose? What deserves your focus and attention? Could 2013 be your year to “Pick One”?

:) Robynn

Saved By The Bell

Growing up with all sisters, I never knew what it was like to grow up around boys. When we were bLesSeD with a baby boy over 2 years ago, our world changed forever. I immediately learned how different (but good) life would be with a boy!

One of the main differences between Garrett and sister, Leanne, is that Garrett has little to no fear. When that kid decides he wants something, he heads that diRecTion and never looks back. Because we live in the country, with plenty of land to run around on, you can see how this poses a major problem. The second we would turn around our little boy would be off eXploRinG, leaving us in a panic not knowing where to look.

Due to a few of these scares we took away his freedom when he went outside. His FaVoRitE thing to do is to play outdoors, so you can only imagine the tantrums this created when he wanted to go and we didn’t have the time to take him.

My father-in-law happened to pick up a small cow bell at an auction. We joked about how we should attach it to Garrett since he always runs off. One morning, after another 2-year-old meltdown, I was desperate for him to have an atTitUde change. I grabbed the bell, tied it to his pants, opened the windows and let him loose to play in the front yard.

Let me tell you….that bell changed EVERYTHING!

Garrett gets to play in the dirt as much as he wants, and I am always an earshot away. I can get work done in the house and this gives him a break from me, in a way that I can know where he is at. We’ve been doing this for several weeks now and Garrett’s temperament has changed drastically. Now that he is able to release his eNerGy by playing outside, he is much happier and less likely to throw tantrums. It is really cute too…every time he grabs his shoes, he always grabs his bell! He knows he can’t go outside without it!

Who would have thought we’d be saved by a bell? If you are at at the end of your rope, I encourage you to talk to as many other people as you can AND exhaust all options. It may be as sImpLe as getting a cow bell…

Ring-a-ling! :)

Lara

Halloween Decorations

This Halloween my son gave me a challenge. Instead of my usual cute Halloween decorations he wanted spooky and scary decorations for our home. I searched Pinterest and found some ideas, but decided to give them a twist of my own!

This skeleton wreath was made with items bought at local dollar stores and Target. First I covered a styrofoam wreath with Halloween ribbon. The next step was to hot glue the plastic skeletons to the wreath. It was SuPeR easy to make and my son was ThRiLlEd with the results!

For the light up ghosts I turned metal tomato cages upside down and wrapped them in Christmas lights. Next I covered them in a twin sized sheet cut in half and glued felt pieces for the eyes. I made two ghosts since I have two children, but you can make an entire ghost family with such an EaSy project!

Happy Haunting!

~Robyn (Jersey Girl)

Love It! {Farmyard Tales}

Looking for a good children’s book? This is currently one of my favorites. I first heard of it when Lara and her family stayed with my family during their move. (Click here to read about her moving her house!) Each night Lara would read it to her kids and mine. After their move, Lara gave us this book as a thank-you gift and now my kids love having me read it to them. So if you have children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews check it out!

:) Robynn~

Love Letters

I’ve been married for almost 7 years. When I ReMemBer my dating days with Doug, I cherish all of the little notes and letters we gave one another. Call me old fashioned, but there is just something special about seeing how the other person feels on paper. Who doesn’t like a heartfelt love letter?!

Fast forward to the present and we are lucky if we can squeeze an “I love you” in a ConVersaTion without being interrupted by kids or hectic schedules. We do well at thanking one another for little stuff throughout the week (taking out the trash, paying bills) but it is rare to have moments that we stop and verbally express the deeper love we have for one another.

So….this week I decided to write a love letter. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t on fancy paper sprayed with perfume and sealed with a waxed stamp. It wasn’t even hand written! It was a simple email that I typed up while I was waiting for my letter blocks to dry (romantic, huh?). And to be hOnEst, it felt a little weird at first. I mean, I’ve known Doug for what seems like forever, but to write things that have more meaning than your typical daily conversation brought back butterflies as if I was awaiting my first date with him. So a good “weird” I guess!

Like many things that are slightly uncomfortable in life, you have little to no regret once it is over. It felt G O O D to share how I felt and usually that is all it takes to help nurture a relationship.

By the end of the day I challenge you to send your loved one a thoughtful text, email or voicemail (or hand written letter if you feel froggy!). They may be shocked to receive it because it is so out-of-the ordinary, but you never know what good things may come of it!

Yours Truly,

Lara :)