I accidentally sent this out last night...

Messy tables, shows we're watching, books I'm reading, and more I had said on Instagram that I was sending this email this morning and when I went to schedule it for this morning, I accidentally sent it out last night. So in case you missed it, here it is again... Hi, Friend! It's been awhile since I've gotten a personal email newsletter sent out. Truth be told, I have it on my list for every week and then, every week, life happens and the idea of getting a personal newsletter written and sent gets shelved! I feel like that is a bit of the story of my life recently! :) In fact, I love this picture above... it's the Advent pictures nobody posts online. The Advent candle and book plus an avocado cutter, Mother's Day napkins, a tea party, half-eaten yogurt, and a jar of peanut butter. Life isn't always pretty and polished... and honestly, that's the whole point of Christmas. I wrote about this in [a devotional I shared on Proverbs 31 Ministries' website this past week:](=) As a biological and foster parent, I can confirm that birthing and caring for babies is beautiful and wonderful … and also often messy and tiring. On many a day, I’ve thought of what it must have been like for Mary, Jesus’ mother. Just because she was carrying and caring for the only perfect person to ever walk this earth doesn’t mean He didn’t make messes or exhaust her like other babies would. In the thick of diapers, bottles and spit-up, I’ve found it a little amusing to see Christmas cards and Bible story pictures showing a clean, mud-free, poop-free stable with Mary looking put-together and angelic after birthing baby Jesus. I’m quite confident that couldn't have been further from reality. In fact, I’m pretty sure we've tried to sanitize parts of the Christmas story. Think about it: The inn was packed full, which probably meant the stable was packed full of people’s stinky, dirty animals. It was likely loud. And messy. And just about the last place you’d want to be birthing or caring for a newborn. And yet that’s the beauty of it. Jesus could have been born in a clean, luxurious palace to a wealthy woman of great means. But instead, the King of kings left heaven and all its glory to be born to an unassuming virgin in the middle of a dirty, noisy, smelly, packed stable. Why? Because Jesus didn’t come to this earth for those who are healed, whole and good. [Read the rest of the devotional here](=) and I hope it encourages your heart. = Raising Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Strong Kids If you are looking for practical ways to encourage your kids to learn how to communicate better emotional language and to help your kids develop emotional strength and stability that isn't easily shaken, [check out my podcast with Lauren Gaines](=). She also has a book called [Unshakable Kids: Three Keys to Raising Spiritually Strong and Emotionally Healthy Children.]( I will say that there was some content of her book that I didn't agree with. For instance, she talks about how we can control what goes on inside our home. Ultimately, we can't. We can set the tone. We can provide stability and nurturing. But we can't control our kids. In addition, she talks about how we are supposed to be like the Holy Spirit for our kids until they are old enough to have a relationship with Jesus. Again, I feel like there is a recipe for dysfunction and stress if we try to be our kids' Holy Spirit. I also don't believe that's Biblical. We should be pointing them TO Jesus and teaching them to lean on the Holy Spirit for themselves.) There were also some parts of the book that I felt could lead parents to feel like they aren't measuring up or that our kids' spiritual state and choices are all dependent upon what we do as parents. We can't save or change our kids. We can walk with them, love them, nurture them, disciple them, set an example for them, point them to Jesus, etc., but the results are ultimately up to God, not us. I would have loved more about the heart and building relationships with our kids and a little less prescriptive type parenting advice, but I thought that they brain builder exercises throughout the book and the sections with specifics on how to help our kids learn how to process big feelings and how to help them develop better emotional language were so valuable! So [I recommend the book for those parts!](=) [Listen to my podcast with Lauren here.](=) 3 Things I'm Loving: 1) [Lily's Chocolate Chips]( -- So in a crazy move, I decided to really limit refined sugar in December. Mostly just because I feel better when I make healthier choices, most of the unhealthy choices I made involve sugar, and I'm trying to not end up getting sick most all January like I did last year and the year before! Lily's chocolates have been my go-to. They aren't the cheapest option, but they are yummy and refined-sugar-free! When I'm craving a sweat treat, I love them sprinkled over a chopped up banana or apple with peanut butter! It's such a yummy and much more healthful snack! 2) [This oversized sweatshirt](=) -- This sweatshirt is the perfect comfy, cozy, and cute sweatshirt for this time of year! I love how it fits and found myself wearing it so much (and that Kaitlynn was constantly "stealing" it out of my closet to wear, too!) that I ended up getting it in two more colors! 3) These earrings -- A follower sent these to me from [her new shop](=) and I've pretty much worn them every single day since! They remind me of Kendra Scott, but I have no idea what brand they are (anyone know?) Check out Laura's shop: [Redeemed and Treasured Vintage Jewelry.]( What We've Been Watching: Jesse and I just finished watching [Special Forces: The World's Toughest Test show](). I'll say it's more of his type of show, but it challenged me personally to think about how I would respond to some of the different situations that involve facing your fears and being pushed to your limits. We are now watching the new season of [The Amazing Race](=). We have watched every single season. We love being sort of virtually transported to new lands and locations through the show. Any good show recommendations for us to try after we finish this season of Amazing Race? What I've Been Reading: I just finished [Unshakable Kids]( (reviewed above) and am finishing up [The Whole and Healthy Family](. I'm also listening to [The Winter Rose audiobook](=) (it's been really good!) What We're Doing for Advent: We're lighting [the candle from The Keeping Company candle wreath]() every morning and reading the daily devotional from [their Advent book](). We've also been singing a few Christmas carols and learning the history of them plus reading [a few Christmas picture books from our collection every day]( before quiet time. In addition, we've read [This is The Christmas Story]() multiple times (it's an old book from She Reads Truth and I love it!) And that's it. I'm all about keeping it simple and meaningful and that's been the perfect amount for this year! Are you looking for a frugal, last minute gift idea? We have just the solution for you! Download our [FREE Homemade Christmas Gifts Guide](! When you sign up, you’ll get: - 15+ DIY recipes for [unforgettable gift]([i]([deas]() (we’ve included something for everyone on your list!) - [Step-by-step instructions]() for ridiculously easy homemade gifts that anyone can make! - Customizable, [ready-to-print gift tags]( to go with each homemade gift! This [FREE guide]( was designed to help you have a more peaceful, intentional holiday season. Our hope is that it reduces stress, helps you save more money and spend less on your gift budget, and simplifies things so you can focus on what matters most this season! [Click here to get your FREE Homemade Christmas Gifts Guide!]( Have a wonderful weekend! And here's to maybe hoping I'll be popping in your inbox with a personal email newsletter soon again -- maybe even next Saturday!! -Crystal P.S. Next week will mark [one year since we adopted David](. I marvel constantly at the goodness of God that we get the privilege of having him in our lives. He is a gift beyond words! [Unsubscribe]( Money Saving Mom, LLC 2020 Fieldstone Parkway, Ste. 900 #313 Franklin, Tennessee 37069 United States