Women of Faith

Let me preface this post by informing/reminding you that my mom is the greatest mom ever, and that's no exaggeration. She bought 10 tickets to the Women of Faith Conference and asked Kristen and me to invite some of our friends. Jessica was not able to come and it was bitter-sweet. Bitter because we obviously wanted her there for a super fun girls weekend, but sweet because she accepted a job as a 2nd grade teacher and could not come because she was in training that Friday. We are so thankful that the Lord provided her with that job - she's going to be one fun teacher! Kristen invited some of her friends: Jill, Jenny, Jessica and Kimberly and I invited some of my friends: Andrea, Bonnie and Naked Nancy.

We stayed at a hotel close to the American Airlines Center (where the conference was held), Hotel Lawrence, and although it wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, we had a great time! There was actually a ghost crew there from Everyday Paranormal documenting some ghosts or something. Andrea, Bonnie, Naked Nancy and I made our own mockumentary, below.

The verse for the weekend was “The Lord's love never ends; his mercies never stop. They are new every morning . . .” Lamentations 3:22-23. It was such a refreshing weekend, and a much needed time of reflection, fellowship, encouragement and laughter. The whole conference was great but one speaker, Lisa Whelchel (The Facts of Life), said something that really encouraged me. To give you some insight into my life, my prayer every day is that my thoughts, actions, and words would be glorifying to God. I go to work and get caught up in all of the chaos. When I get home, I can't recall doing or saying anything that might have been pleasing to God. To be honest, I feel the weight of my sinful heart and I pretty much feel like a failure in life. Just being honest. So Lisa talked about "the facts of life," saying that there are both good and bad things that accompany this thing we call life. She said that despite those bad things, the dirty sin that we constantly battle with, God still whispers to his children, "I love you. You delight my heart." It's just crazy to me that the One who puts stars in their place and calls them each by name (Psalm 147:4), the One who mountains and rivers praise (Psalm 98:8), the One who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand (Isaiah 40:12), delights himself in me (Psalm 18:19). I'm filled with awe and joy that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice and came to save sinners like little 'ol me.

Be encouraged that the Lord's love never ends. He loves you right now, wherever you are in life. He doesn't love the past you or the future you any more than he loves you right now.

Here is a picture of our group. Thanks again, Mom, for providing these tickets to us so selflessly and allowing us to experience a weekend that encouraged our hearts!

P.S. This was also a special weekend for my mom and dad - They celebrated 38 years of marriage on August 21st! Mom and Dad - Thanks for displaying to us such a sweet marriage filled with ups and downs, yet constantly holding tight to the love you have for Christ and each other.

Frugal Friday!

Sunday, August 23rd: My strapless bra continues to fail me and that makes me sad. I'm sad mainly because I am not a fan of shopping for new bras, for a couple of reasons. One because it's really hard to find one that fits you just right and does its job. Two because they are expensive. I have not been looking forward to buying a new one, but alas the day has come and I must get it over with. I remembered that one of my best friends, Callie, said she got her favorite one at Kohls. I took her advice and headed over to Kohls. I found the brand Callie recommended, Lilyette, and it seemed to fit pretty well, but I had to do two tests. The first test was putting on a fitted shirt to make sure everything looked right. Pass. The second test was jumping. I had to make sure that it really would stay in place like the tag boldly proclaimed. Pass. I walked to the front of the store and found out that it was on sale. The goodness does not stop there, no. Not only was it on sale, but I got $10 off my purchase just for signing up to receive coupons and promotions in the mail! AND it is tax-free weekend. Perfect!

Regular price: $32.00. My price: $11.99. Total Savings: $20.01 or 63%

My First Haircut!

I did something last week that I have never done before. I cut someone's hair. What I did to make him feel like he could trust me with clippers next to his head, I'm not sure. I told him I was down for it, but he had to first acknowledge that he understood my disclaimers and ground rules:

1. I have confidence that I can cut hair using clippers. I do not, however, have confidence that the end result will not look like you were attacked by Edward Scissorhands.
2. I have never cut anyone's hair before and you are waiving your rights to be upset with the outcome of your haircut.
3. No crying or yelling allowed.
4. This experiment might consist of cutting your hair while watching a handful of youtube "how to" videos.
5. If I cut your hair, you are allowing me to blog about it and post before and after pictures.
6. If you don't mind the thought that you might look like you've enlisted in the army at the end of the session, I'm all for it.
7. If I cut your hair and it's so bad that I can't even look at you, I'll take you to dinner and consider the tab my punitive damages. You will not be awarded any monies for compensable damages.

He said he would sign my disclaimer if #5 was deleted to "protect my family, sort of like names have been changed to protect the innocent." I convinced him to let me blog about it if I changed his name and somehow concealed his identity. He agreed. He wanted his name to be "Enrique" and suggested that I put a black square over his eyes. Works for me.

Even though he agreed not to be upset with the outcome, I was still pretty nervous. He would have to explain himself to inquiring minds and I definitely didn't want to be known as the girl who gave him a jacked up haircut. It was way easier and more fun than I thought! I can't take all the credit because he did the front and I just did the back. Who knows, maybe I'll invest in some clippers and start a side business.

Here are the before and after pictures of Enrique.

Frugal Friday!

Sunday, August 16th: So I've been casually looking for some new make-up, specifically foundation. By looking, I really mean thinking about it from time to time and then forgetting. On Saturday, I decided to get down to business. I went to Beauty and the Blush to see if Rayven had any recommendations. She did! She recommended Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse Foundation. I occasionally catch a glimpse of make-up deals in the CVS weekly ad as I'm putting it into the recycling bin, so I decided to look at the ad online. Lucky for me, they were having a buy one get one FREE on all Maybelline products! I went with the Dream Liquid Mousse as well as the Mineral Power Natural Perfecting Powder Foundation. With excitement, I walked up to the counter and presented my CVS card. The cashier told me that they would send me a $5 CVS gift certificate if I updated my e-mail address on my account. I'm down! I pay for my make-up, update my e-mail address and take my receipt. The cashier notices that there is a coupon on my receipt for a FREE chocolate bar. Can my day get any better? Umm yes! A visit to the McCurdy household was the icing on the cake!

Recap: 1. Powder Foundation - Regular Price: $9.99. My price: FREE. 2. Chocolate bar - Regular Price: $2.00. My price: FREE. 3. Updating my e-mail address - Regular Price: FREE. My price: -$5.00. This is historic. My first time to gain money in addition to saving it!

Total Savings: $11.99 or 100%

My Starbucks Experience

My friend (who also happens to be my co-worker), Angela, was really craving some Starbucks last Friday, but she had a meeting she had to prepare for. I told her that was unfortunate. She bribed me to go get her some coffee by offering to pay for mine, too. That's what I'm talking about. I didn't eat breakfast that morning because our milk had expired and all I had was cereal, so I told her I was going to get the Breakfast Pairing (a tall latte and my choice of one of three pastries). She complained, "That's like $4.00!" Not a problem. I'll pay the $0.70 difference. Excited about my meal, I went to the closest Starbucks with a drive-thru and this is what happened next...

Starbucks Barista (SB): Welcome to Starbucks! Would you like to try a Caramel Frappuccino today?
Me: No, but thank you for asking. I'd actually like to try two other drinks this morning.
SB: What can I start you off with?
Me: For the first drink, may I have a tall soy toffee nut latte?
SB: You bet! And for your other drink?
Me: For the second drink, I'd like to do the pairing. To drink may I have a tall white chocolate mocha with...
SB: (Interrupting) Actually, ma'am that drink is not included in the pairing.
Me: (Confused because I've gotten this combination before for $3.95) Hmm, okay... why not?
SB: Well, the drink has to be a latte, which is milk and espresso.
Me: Okay, but I thought the white chocolate mocha had milk and espresso in it?
SB: It does, but the white chocolate mocha has extra flavors in it, so it's not included. It has to be a latte, espresso and milk.
Me: Okay... well... (Looking at the menu, I spy the words "Vanilla Latte.") I'll go with a tall vanilla latte, instead.
SB: Okay, that's actually not going to be included in the pairing either.
Me: WHAT?!
SB: Yes, in order to be part of the pairing, it has to be a latte - espresso and milk.
Me: But that is a latte, it says vanilla LATTE on the menu!
SB: Yes, but it has a flavor in it and in order to be part of the pairing, it has to be a plain latte, just espresso and milk.
Me: Okay... that's interesting. Well you're making this way more complicated than I thought it would be, so let's just drop the pairing all together. I'll just take a tall vanilla latte with non fat milk.
SB: Okay, sounds good.

I realize that I was abrupt and I truly am sorry SB, but I think you would be a little frustrated, too. Please keep in mind that the menu did not say "latte*" with the option to add vanilla syrup for $0.30 more underneath it. The menu said, "Vanilla Latte." I searched for the fine print and I couldn't find anything that said,"Must be espresso and milk only to qualify for the Breakfast Pairing." I was pretty frustrated. So frustrated that I got back to work and submitted a concern to Starbucks Customer Care. I basically stated the conversation above and ended my post with, "There seems to be some inconsistency in what is covered in the pairing and what is not. Can you please set the record straight and let me know the drinks I can order with the pairing? Thanks!"

I received a response today:

Hello Brittany,

I would first like to apologize for my delay in getting back to you. I truly appreciate your patience.

Thank you so much for taking the time to write to us.

I am truly sorry that you had such a disappointing visit because of the lack of knowledge in regards of the Breakfast Pairings. This is obviously not the experience we want you to have at our stores.

Unfortunately, when it comes to the pairings, substitutions are not available. You can, however, modify your beverage (i.e. add syrup or an espresso shot, order soymilk, get a larger size) at the standard price.

I want you to know that we take your concerns seriously and that I will share this not only with departments here in our corporate office, but also with the manager and district manager of the *I'M PROTECTING THE IDENTITY OF THE STORE* store to address this.

We have made a promise to our customers to provide outstanding service. I know that this is a primary reason why you visit Starbucks and I understand how disappointing it is when we let you down.

We pride ourselves on great service and I would love to invite you back into our stores for the chance to make up for a visit that you did not enjoy. What I will do is mail you some beverage coupons so that your next drink will be on us.

Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to fix something that is wrong. I assure you that we will take this as an opportunity to improve and that we understand that you have come to expect fantastic service from Starbucks.

If there are any questions or concerns that I have not been able to address, please don't hesitate to call us at 800 23-LATTE (235-2883), we are here Monday through Friday from 5:00 AM to 6:00 PM (PST).

Thank you again,
*I'M PROTECTING HER IDENTITY*

I was really pleased with the response I received. Although my question was not answered directly and this is most likely a standard e-mail with fill-in-the-blanks, I was happy to see that someone made me feel special and wrote me back in a timely manner. I forgive you Starbucks. Although I won't order the pairing again, I will give you another opportunity to serve me.

Frugal Friday!

Wednesday, August 12th: My new friend, Victoria, filled me in on one of her little secrets this weekend. All I had to do was present a card and I would get a free pair of panties. No catch. I love it! After much thought, I decided on this pattern:

Regular price: $8.50. My price: FREE. Total Savings: $8.50 or 100%.

Transform

This past weekend Ali and I participated in an event called Transform, through our church. Transform is relationship-focused and is designed to achieve three goals: 1) build relationships, 2) focus on education and 3) serve with community. We served at a local elementary school in a lower-income part of Lewisville. This was our third and final Transform event this summer and a time to invite the community out for free lunch, free backpacks, school supplies, and fun! I was the Connector for our group, which means that I get to talk to everyone and help them get to know each other - a perfect job for me! Our group walked the neighborhood for about 3 hours that morning to pass out fliers to the community telling them about the event that afternoon. I was originally supposed to be in charge of face painting that afternoon, but thankfully someone else took my job. Instead, Ali and I were rock star condiment squirters and increased the efficiency of the hamburger/hot dog line by 1000% percent, easy! Towards the end of the day, I was watching a lady walking off with her three kids, all with backpacks in hand. They were laughing and looked like they didn't have a care in the world. We made eye contact and she asked in broken English if she could help with anything. I explained to her that the last project was actually finished that morning and that we were all done. (Side note: I always tell my stories with appropriate accents, so read this in a Spanish accent to get the fullness of this story). She said, "I want to help, but I always working. I work, work, work. I work so hard for my family. I pay bills, I pay rent, I pay insurance, and my husband, he just sits there. He do nothing. I pray last night. I say, "God, how am I going to pay for school supplies? I have no money." This morning, I wake up to knock on my door. I open door and they say, "Free food, free supplies, free backpack!" I say, "Oh, God! Thank you, thank you! You are there..." She asks me, "Is He real?" I said, "Yes, He's real!" She said, "He has to be!" Her eyes started tearing up. She said, "He listens!" I said, "Yes, He does!" She said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I said, "Well, you're welcome! I'm thankful that the Lord provided for your family like he did and that you don't have to worry anymore!" She went on to say that she has been working hard, cleaning houses for 18 years and she loves Americans. I thought that was funny. Not that she cleans houses but that she expressed her love for Americans. Anyways, it was just a really sweet moment and it was so awesome to hear her story and see the Lord revealed in that way. Sometimes it's hard for me to not get caught up in the details and making sure that projects are completed, but I was able to see the mission of Transform in action.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6: 25-34

Be encouraged. The Lord provides.

Frugal Friday!

I'm sad to report that I did not make any frugal purchases this week. Disappointing, I know. I will, however, leave you with a frugal tip!

One thing I really enjoy doing when I have the whole day to myself is make greeting cards. This doesn't happen often because I typically always have plans, and you really have to have a large block of time set aside if you want to feel like you've accomplished anything. I like making cards for two reasons. 1. It's a stress-free time for me. I just sign in to Pandora (the greatest invention, ever) and let my mind go. 2. Who doesn't love receiving a handmade card? I always try to give original and thoughtful gifts, and a handmade card is perfect for any occasion. You can always find paper on sale at Hobby Lobby, not to mention some great coupons online.

Maybe you don't have the time to make cards, or being crafty isn't your thing - totally okay! There are websites like Etsy (my favorite) where you can buy all sorts of handmade things, cards being one of them. You can find way cheaper and WAY CUTER cards on Etsy compared to those you'd find in a grocery store.

Speaking of Etsy, my friend Erin Chaney makes really cool headbands and jewelry pouches, so check out her stuff! I got my mom a jewelry pouch for Mother's Day and she loved it!

Happy Birthday Maegan!

This past weekend I went to Austin with some of my best girl friends to celebrate Maegan's day of birth! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAEGAN! We arrived in Austin on Friday night to some sweet Motown music (I can always count on Mr. Woodard to have some great tunes), fresh fruit and veggies, and Johnny Carinos. It was delicious! We woke up Saturday morning to a gourmet breakfast. I mean, really, it was like we were in a 5 star hotel! SIDE NOTE: Maegan's parents are by far the best hosts I've ever encountered. They should totally give some hosting classes and charge big bucks for them. So after breakfast, we drove about 40 minutes to New Braunfels to float the Comal River. We decided to use Texas Tubes and we were really pleased. Important Note: Be sure that your coolers are not styrofoam and are no more than 16 quarts. If so, you can bet that they will be confiscated by New Braunfels' finest. The river was pretty packed seeing that all of the other rivers were low from the drought and the Comal is the only spring-fed river for miles. We had a great time, but were pretty worn out when we got back home. Overall the weekend was so much fun and really relaxing.

Free Taco Tuesday!

Enjoy this coupon for two (2) free tacos at Jack in the Box. Valid TODAY ONLY.