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Tattling VS Reporting

I found this on Pinterest and loved it.  I think it’s difficult for a chid to understand the difference between tattling and reporting.   It can be equally as difficult to communicate the difference.  This is not only a great reminder for moms, but also an easy to follow cheat sheet.  I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t mind keeping a couple of these on hand.  That way, next time Morgan and/or Caleb decide to tell on one another I can hand them a copy and ask them if it falls within the guidelines of reporting or tattling.

Do you have any suggestions to add?

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I started this journey a little over three years ago.  As I looked for ways to save money and meet our family’s goals, I stumbled upon the growing popularity of couponing.  For those who’ve attended a workshop and heard my personal story, couponing was an enjoyable and exciting way to get the name brand products we needed at incredible prices.  It was new, it was fun, it was work, but then a new journey always is!

Adding the business aspect to couponing was icing on the cake as it afforded many opportunities to travel and meet lots of new people.  I have been amazed hearing your stories and accomplishments of how you’ve used couponing to enrich your own lives.  All great things! But…have you ever eaten too much cake? Over time, I knew I was entering a wrestling match as I was trying to balance my heart (my family and kids) with this journey.  I found I was allowing the demands for travel, research and all the other things that go along with starting a business to take over a much larger portion of my life.  Don’t get me wrong – saving money and being a better steward is a good thing.  Showing others how to save and using this to enhance giving is a good thing.  What I was learning was the lessons that come when there is “too much of a good thing.”

I remember hearing one of my favorite speakers, Beth Moore, sharing about balance and priorities.  Her point was basically a calling never comes at the sacrifice of one’s family.  Hum…that gave me something to think about.  I knew I was no longer giving my best to my family, friends and to the priorities that I’d left the workplace for from the beginning.  I was struck one day as I read Patrick Mobley’s quote, “If you don’t have enough time for your family, you can be one hundred percent certain you are not following God’s will for your life.” Ouch!  How many times had I stayed on the computer too long trying to track down one more deal?  How often had I cut a trip with the kids to the park short so we could stop at the store for one more sale?  How many engaging conversations had I had with strangers about saving money or coupon strategies and come home too tired engage with my husband and kids?

For most people, I believe we go through a season of finding ourselves in this place – a place of unbalance, a place that we really didn’t intend to enter but in our passion of going full force ahead, we looked up and no longer recognized the scenery.  I don’t say this to beat myself or anyone else up. There were great intentions that fueled the way.  I’m simply acknowledging where I’ve allowed the journey to take me.  So I say with a renewed spirit and gratitude for detours, “My name is Kelly and I’ve gotten off track.  While the pursuit of saving money is not a bad thing, I’ve let it take over my life.  But today I’m making a change!”  Yes, I’m making some changes.  I’m laying down some of the balls I’ve tried for too long to juggle…one of them being Time 2 $ave.  Of course, I’ll still look for savings and grab a couple (no more than 2!) blinkies in the store.  Shopping according to sale cycles makes sense in my world and I will always enjoy stocking up on clearance items.  I’m at a place where I realize that I can’t do it all!  There may be days that I have to shop without a single coupon. There may be times I pay full price.  But I’m putting my priorities back in line.   I want to be at home more nights for supper and less on my computer.  I want homeschooling to be an adventure we share and not another box on my checklist.  I want to sit beside my hubby and watch reruns of our favorite shows holding hands and not a pair of scissors.  My kids are growing faster than I could have imagined and I choose to make a larger investment in their lives than in my bank account. I know to meet these goals, there has to be change.  With the addition of a new precious life to our family in just a few weeks, now is the time. It’s been a great journey and one that I’m humbled to have been a part of.  Signing off for the last time…Kelly