The Intentional Home

5 for Friday

2012-01-27T07:52:00.020-05:00

Happy Friday! 5 things I want to share with you:

1. There will be 4!! coupon inserts in Sunday's paper. 1 Smart Source, 2 Red Plums, and 1 P&G. You may want to make sure you pick up a few extra copies.

2. In this Sunday's coupon inserts, there will be a coupon for 3 free bagels at Brugger's, good on Feb 9 only in celebration of Bruegger's birthday. Another reason to get a few more copies of this Sunday's paper.3. My new blog design is almost done. . if you are getting this post in email, click the title of the post to come over and have a look. I hope to take you on a tour next week when all is up and ready. In the meantime, if you find something that does not work for you, please, please let me know so I can get it fixed.

My hope is the new design will enable you to find things better. . .like the homemade taco seasoning recipe I get so many emails about. (So now, you would look under the label "Meal Planning", scroll down to "Recipes", and then scroll thru my recipes OR you could just enter "homemade taco seasoning" in the Search Box on the right hand sidebar of my blog).

4. Remember when I posted here about how Purex was giving away 20,000 subscriptions to Better Homes and Gardens? Well, I won! Did any of you win too? The email letting me know I won got sent to my spam folder, so check yours.
5. Last night, I shared about couponing at Bayleaf's Heart to Heart Women's Ministry (do they not have the cutest logo, H2H with the hearts on the H's?). I shared for 30 minutes on 3 myths of couponing, my 3 secrets of couponing, and 3 ways to go deeper and learn more about couponing.

The ladies of Bayleaf made the room feel so special. . .each table had a white table cloth and in the center were coupons and play money and then on top of the coupons and play money in the center was either a play cash register or a play shopping cart or a brown bag of groceries or a bank of money. It was sooo cute and built up the excitement. I wish I had brought my camera. I'd love to come to your group if you are ever looking for a speaker.

New Resource for Couponers

2012-01-23T11:04:00.008-05:00

I received an email from a blog reader about a new resource for couponers over at Coupon Mom. I have been wanting something like this for quite a while and now Coupon Mom has it. I just had to share with ya'll.

Coupon Mom has added a new feature where you can type in an item (like "mascara" or "cereal") and it'll show you the best deals across ALL stores in your area for that item!

For instance, I typed in mascara and it showed me that I can get it for $4.49 at CVS or $5.37 at Harris Teeter, etc, etc. but I can also get it for 84¢ at Target.

Some items didn't get any hits which means no store has that item on sale this week.

You can create your own little list (by checking the checkbox next to the item) and then print it or email it to yourself - and it organizes which items are at which stores.

This is a great resource to find out which store has the best deal on the items on your list that you just have to have this week.

Here's how you get to the new feature:

1. Sign in at Coupon Mom; it's free

2. Click "Grocery Deals by State" (in top bar in between "Printable coupons" and "Drugstore Deals/ National Deals")

3. Click "Choose Your State Here"

4. Scroll the list of states and choose NC

5. A box comes up with a choice of choosing your store from a list OR a Search box with the caption to search for items across all stores.

10 Quotes to Inspire You to Be Intentional

2012-01-23T08:25:00.017-05:00

You rarely have time for everything you want in this life,

so you need to make choices.

And hopefully your choices can come from

a deep sense of who you are.

-Mr Rogers

What you are today is what you are becoming.

You are today what you have been becoming.

Each day is a little life, and our whole life is but a day repeated.

If you don't plan your day,

someone else will be happy to plan it for you.

God has a wonderful plan for your life. . .and so does everyone else!
the above orange thru blue quotes are from

Elizabeth George's book A Woman After God's Own Heart

We women have a lot to learn about simplifying our lives.

We have to decide what is important

and then move along at a pace that is comfortable for us.

We have to develop the maturity to stop trying to prove something.
We have to learn to be content with what we are.

-Marjorie Hinckley

ecuted.

How can you hit the target

if you do not know where you are aiming?

Progress is born out of rhythm, routine, regularity….set times.
-Ann Voskamp

Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you to live intentionally?

I'd love to see it and add it to my list.

5 for Tuesday

2012-01-17T08:38:00.011-05:00

Hi! How are you?

This was suppose to be a 5 for Friday post. . .but with kids having 1/2 day on Friday and then no school yesterday, I was not on the computer as much as I wanted to be.

Here's 5 things I want to share with you:

1. Mail In Rebates aka MIR. As I was blog surfing, I found Amanda over at Simple Saving Savvy. It appears every Monday, or every other Monday, she posts a Rebate Roundup.

Her recent rebate post shares how to to get money back for Keebler, Neutrogena, Vicks, Physicians Formula, Science Diet and more.

What a great resource to save even more money. I will be checking in often because Sale + Coupon + MIR means even more savings! than just Sale + Coupon.

2. This weekend, I made this Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken from My Kitchen Apron. A girlfriend sent me the link knowing that I like a good crock pot meal.

picture taken from My Kitchen Apron

I love that this recipe uses only 3 ingredients: 3 lbs chicken breasts, 12 oz. Buffalo Wing Sauce (whatever brand you have in your stockpile), and a package of Ranch Dip mix (the powder). Oh and then later, you add 2 T. butter. You do not even have to defrost the chicken. . you just throw it in frozen. You can check out the full directions here. We served it on sub rolls the first night with a slice of melted cheese and on top of tortilla chips the second night. The kids LOVED it.

3. Classes in my home are finally starting back up. I so enjoy having ya'll in my home. There are 3 classes already on the schedule. Click the title of the class for details if interested and shoot me an email if you want on the class list.

This was a class in my home back in 2009. Those in the picture, you still couponing?

Here are my upcoming classees:

Couponing 101 on Tues, Jan 31 from 7-9pm

Meal Planning & Freezer Cooking on Monday, Feb 27 from 7-9:15pm

Home Organization and Decor on Tues, March 13 from 7-9:30pm

4. I have been preparing a teaching for a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group in Cary. I am so excited. I am going to be sharing the 10 obstacles to running an intentional home and then 10 solutions to those obstacles. . .a new teaching for me!

a reminder I made for a friend to be intentional

I tell you every time I develop a new teaching, I go thru a major learning curve. Most of MY obstacles to running an intentional home are in MY MIND, such as "If I cannot find a solid 2 hour chunk of time to clean the house then I can't do it." Instead of taking advantage of the 15 minutes I do have. Ugh.

I'd love to hear what your biggest obstacle is to running an intentional home. . .I wanna see if I have included it in my list of obstacles and solutions.

5. My Christmas tree is still up. Someone please tell me I am not the only one.

My Favorite Harris Teeter Deals: 1/11-1/17

2012-01-11T22:48:00.003-05:00

Wanted to share my favorite deals at Harris Teeter this week. These deals will be good til Tues, 1/17.

I just got back and I spent $42 and saved $55. I think this week is better deals than last week's Super Doubles.

Here are my 10 favorite deals this week:

1. Bird's Eye Steamfresh Frozen Veggies are on sale BOGO. That makes them $1.24. Use the 50¢ coupon from 1/8 SS and you get them for 24¢ a bag! I use these to make Crockpot Vegetable Soup. . so yummy the kids eat it.

2. Nabisco 100 Calorie Snacks are on sale for $1.49. Use the $2/3 coupon from 1/8 SS and get them for 82¢ a box! That is 6 packages of 100 Calorie Snack Packs for 82¢. That is about 14 cents a bag.

3. Colgate Toothbrushes and Colgate Toothpaste are on sale BOGO so that makes them $1.50 each. Use the 75¢ coupon from 1/1 SS and get them for FREE! Great food pantry donation item.

4. Finish Automatic Dishwasher Detergent is on sale BOGO so that makes them $2.89 a box. Use the 75¢ coupon from 1/8 SS and get it for $1.39 a box. There are also 75¢ coupons inside the boxes. I have gotten it cheaper, but we were almost out so this was a good enough price for me. . .and I have gotten spoiled with these little tablets.

5. Kleenex Cool Touch is on sale BOGO so that makes them $1.30 a box. Use the 50¢ coupon from 1/1 SS and get them for 30¢ a box.

6. Planter Nut Bars are on sale for $2.50. Use the 75¢ coupons from 1/8 SS to make them $1 a box.

7. Smart Balance Peanut Butter is on sale for $2.50. Use the 75¢ q from 1/8 SS to get it for $1 a jar. My HT was out; I am hoping to go back this week and get some.

8. Smart Balance Spray (like Pam) is on sale for $2.50. Use the 75¢ q from 1/8 SS and get it for $1. My HT was out of this too, but should be restocked soon.

9. Starkist Tuna Pouches are on sale for $1. Use the 50¢ coupon from 1/1 RP and you get these for FREE! Great items to donate to the food pantry!!

10. Eat Smart Chips are on sale for $2.50. Use the 75¢ coupon from 1/8 SS and get them for $1 a bag!

Did you see any other good deals at HT this week?? Do tell me!! Cause I am going to go back to stock up again. . . these are great items for the kids' lunch boxes and to give to the food pantry.

My Favorite Harris Teeter Deals: 1/4-1/10

2012-01-05T11:47:00.000-05:00

Harris Teeter's Super Doubles is going on now, Wed 1/4 thru Tues 1/10!

If you missed my post with links to deal lists and a link to tips for a successful super Double Shop, click here.

I went last night and the shelves were stocked. Below are my favorite deals for this week. Deals good til Tues, 1/10:

Smart Balance Milk is on sale for $3. Use the $1.50 q from 11/20 SS and get if for free.

Tampax 20 count are $3.89. Use the $1 q from 1/1 PG to take $2 off and then there is also a $1 evic coupon so that makes the total 89 cents.

Tampax Pearl are on sale for $3.99. Use the $2 q from 1/1 PG and the $2 evic coupon and pay only 99 cents.

Always Pads are $3.79. Use the $1 q from 1/1 PG to take $2 off and then there is also a $1 evic coupon so that makes the total only 79 cents.

If you need help using evic coupons, click here.

Sargento Shredded Cheese is on slae for $2.00. Use the $1/2 q from the Penguin tearpads and you get a bag of shredded cheese for $1 (normally $3.69).

And thanks so much for all the info about my computer. I will continue to compile it all here in the comments section so you can see the advice of others. Looks like I have to get a completely new computer. Ugh.

Harris Teeter Super Doubles 1/4-1/10

2012-01-04T14:14:00.002-05:00

Harris Teeter's Super Doubles is going on now, Wed 1/4 thru Tues 1/10!

Super Doubles is when HT doubles coupons with a face value of $1.98 or under. So $1 coupons are worth $2 and $1.50 coupons are worth $3 during Super Doubles.

If this is your first time shopping Super Doubles, you will want to check out my Top 10 Tips for a Successful Super Double Shop.

Below are some deal lists to help you plan your shop:

Centsible Saver (the new News & Observer blog, taking the place of Taking Stock). I like checking out this list because all the deals Amy lists are deals we can get here in the Triangle. She uses our coupons we get here in the N&O and she uses the prices off our local HT shelves.

The Deal Scoop I like this deal list because you can organize the list by insert, price, or aisle. Also Mary Ellen is from NC so her inserts are mostly like ours.

Are there any other deal lists you find helpful? I know if you google Harris Teeter Super Doubles 1/4, many sites come up. Please share what site has your favorite deal list.

And let me know how you do!! I have not been shopping yet because I have been wrapped up with my computer.

My computer is in the shop; it has a major virus. Oh, so back up your pics and documents on your computer. I did not and am so scared I am going to loose everything. How do ya'll back up your stuff? Just on a flash drive or do you have an external hard drive or do you use some online backing up service. . do share with me. But because my computer is in the shop, I am not online as usual. I am on the kids' computer and I am not fast on it. So just know that. . and know that it may take me a few days to respond to your emails.

Free Fitness Class Tomorrow!

2012-01-03T07:38:00.000-05:00

My computer has a virus. . .so I am on the kids' computer. All my notes and pictures are on my computer and I am not nearly as fast on the kids' computer so that means no new year's posts on the difference between intentions and intentional or why I make my kids write Chirstmas thank you notes or "my word" for 2012. That will all have to wait til my computer gets fixed. . .oh I hope it can be.

But I do have a heads up about a free fitness class to share with you!!

Do you want to start out the 2012 year with a jumpstart to losing weight, toning up, or just improving your health in general??

Come for a FREE fitness class taught by my sister, Jenny McClendon who is liscensed Physical Therapist and has been a fitness instructor and personal trainer for 18 years.

Class is

Wednesday, Jan. 4 from 10:45 - 11:45am
at Hayes Barton Baptist Church Gym (1800 Glenwood Ave)
Bring a water bottle and pair of handweights (if you have them).

All ages and levels welcome! I will be there and trust me, I am at the bottom. But remember we intentional women do not compare ourselves to others. . .this is simply a tool to taking care of ourselves and making ourselves better. The class really is non-intimidating.

And if you like the class, you can then sign up for a 6 week session that starts Monday, Jan. 9. You can pick a Monday or a Wednesday or BOTH. Fee is only $45 for one day, and $90 for the two days (for the whole 6 week session). Or not, no pressure.

Make sure you tell Jenny, you heard about the class from me and The Intentional Home. And sidenote: Jenny is into couponing just as much as I am so she is always up to talking about the latest deals before class!

Hope to see you there!

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-23T14:10:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas from my home to yours.

May Peace reign in our hearts, minds and homes this week.

May we enjoy.

May we have realistic expectations.

May we slow down.

I will not be blogging while Rob and the kids are home.

I will be be back Tues, Jan 3. See you then. Merry Christmas!

Harris Teeter Deals: good til 12/27

2011-12-22T10:13:00.005-05:00

Wanted to share my favorite deals at Harris Teeter this week. These deals will be good til Tues, 12/27.

Here are my 6 favorite deals this week:

1. Vanity Fair Napkins are on sale for $1.99. Use the 65 cents coupon from 10/23 RP and get them for 69 cents!

2. Nabisco Triscuits and Wheat Thins are on sale BOGO so that makes them $1.94. Use the 75/2 q from 11/13 SS and get them for $1.19 a box. Do note you have to buy 2 boxes to use that q.
3. Smart Balance Spreads and Sticks are on sale BOGO. That makes the spreads $1.50. Use the $1/2 q from 11/20 SS and get the spreads for just $1. You have to buy 2 to use that q. The sticks end up being $1.50 and there is a coupon for $1 off the sticks in 11/20 SS making them only 50 cents.

4. Margaret Holmes Canned Vegetables are on sale 5/$5 so $1 a piece. Use the 75/2 coupon from 12/4 SS or December All You magazine and get them for 25 cents a can!! I love to use the Triple Succotash in my Crockpot Vegetable Soup. This is also a great item at a great price to donate to the food pantry.

5. Krunchers Potato Chips are on sale for $2.50. Use the 75 cents coupon from 9/11 SS and get them for only $1!

6. Davidson Eggs are on sale for $2.49. Davidson had sent me some coupons. . I posted about that a while back. So I had a $2 off 2 dozen q makng them only $1.50 a dozen. Good deal if you got mailed that coupon.

Did you see any other good deals at HT this week?? Do tell me!!

Cheap & Good Stocking Stuffers at Rite Aid!!

2011-12-20T19:21:00.002-05:00

Went to Rite Aid tonight to pick up a prescription and did a little shopping! I was so excited about the deals I got. . .great and cheap stocking stuffers!! These deals are good til Sat, 12/24.

Mentos UP2U gum is on sale for $1. Use the $1q from 10/9 SS and get a pack for free. Have 4 coupons, get 4 packs free. Have 10 coupons, get 10 packs free! There is no limit since this is just a sale + coupon transaction. I got 10 packs. . 2 for each kid's stocking. At my Rite Aid, this gum was not at the front of the store; it was on the candy aisle.

Orbit Gum is on sale for $1, but you get $1 UP back so essentially it is free. Limit of 3 packs.

Kleenex is on sale 5/$5 (gotta buy 5) and there is a coupon for 50/3 in the 12/4 SS which makes 5 boxes $4.50 or 90 cents a box. . . not a great deal, but better than $2.29 a box and we were in need.

And then this deal is the one I am super excited about: Arm & Hammer Spinbrushes are on sale BOGO. They are normally $9.49. You have to buy 2. One rings up for $9.49 and one rings up for $0. There is also a UP Rewards deal that when you spend $10, you get $5 +UP Rewards (Limit 4 deals).

SO what I did was buy 8 Spinbrushes/Replacement heads. So $9.49 x 4 = $38. I used 8 of the $1 qs from 12/11 SS and 10/23 SS to get the total down to $30. I got back $15 in UP Rewards since I spent $38 (that is three $10. . so I got three $5 UPs back). These UPs have too be used later but it is really like getting the toothbrushes for $15. And then I will send in the mail-in-rebate that was in the 12/11 SS insert: Buy 8 products, get $10 rebate. So I really got 8 battery toothbrushes for $5. So that is 63 cents a piece!!!!!

I do have one $1 Spinbrush coupon left over and 2 of those rebates (buy 2 products, get back $2 or buy 3 products, get back $3 or buy 5 products, get $5 or buy 8 products, get $10) so if you need a coupon or the rebate form. . email me and you can stop by and pick them up. You will need to do this deal by Saturday. .otherwise I would have snail mailed them to you.

And one more thing. . do not go to the Rite Aid in Sutton Square on Falls of the Neuse. . I bought all their toothbrushes. There are 7 of us. So I bought 7 toothbrushes, one for each of our stockings and one replacement pack. My little boys are gonna love the light up toothbrushes. . .they light up and flash for 2 minutes so when the light goes off they know they can stop brushing.

Did you got to Rite Aid this week? What deals did you get? Let me know if you do go!

Driving around looking at Christmas Lights!

2011-12-19T16:07:00.002-05:00

I have sweet memories of Christmas Eve night driving back home from my grandmother's house (she was in Raleigh too) looking at the Christmas lights and counting Christmas trees. The rule was Dad was not allowed to pull into our driveway until we had counted 100 trees.

Rob's parents for many years used to pile all the grandkids in the van and drive around town looking at Christmas lights. Rob's dad would map put an entire route with the last "light" always being the "HOT NOW" lights of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. This went on for many years until there were too many grandkids to fit in the van.

My neighbor forwarded the above photo to me.
Made me laugh. Do note these are not pics of the addresses I list below.

Do you have sweet memories and traditions that revolve around driving around town looking at Christmas lights? Do tell.

Rob and I plan to take our kids out this week (thanks to all the addresses you sent me which are listed below). As we drive around, we are going to talk about how the lights remind us that Jesus is the Light of the World (comes from John 8:12). And we will also talk about how Jesus wants the Light of Jesus to shine through our hearts to others (Matthew 5:14-16). We will talk about how to do this. Driving in the car, as well as holidays, we have found to be prime time for teachable moments.

Here is the list you Intentional Home blog readers sent in. These addresses are in the Raleigh, NC area:

1. 2216 Abbey Lane, Raleigh 27613 which is in Stonehenge neighborhood in North Raleigh, just off Creedmoor Rd. This one address got sent to me over and over! This guy's lights are choreographed to music that plays on your car radio! The lights turn on at 5pm and turn off at 10pm. Lights last til Dec 26th. There is also a 2nd house practically in sight from 2216 Abbey Lane. This 2nd house is at the end of Abbey Lane on Sleepy Creek Rd.

2. Woodspring neighborhood at Falls of Neuse and Whittington Dr. Drive down the tree lined entry and it is the 1st house on the left. This light display has been tied to a radio station the last few years.

3. Springdale Gardens neighborhood has a competition every year, but the Victorian house on Springdale Drive is always lovely. You can get to it from either Leesville or Strickland.

4. On Christmas Eve, Summerfield North neighborhood off Strickland Rd does a neighborhood luminary display. Lots of house are decorated as well.

5. Lake Myra Christmas Lights, located between Knightdale, NC and Wendell, NC at 6601 - 6605 Lake Myra Rd. Wendell, NC features a light show operated by three neighbors. The entire scene is computer controlled and sychronized to music on 100.1 FM. There are over 150,000 lights, lots of aerial effects including shooting stars,fireworks, and snow machines. Over 100 ground effect displays.

Admission to the light show is free. Lights are on from 6-10pm Sunday - Thursday and 6-11pm on Fri and Sat. Santa is at the show from 7-9pm on Saturdays.

6. Planter's Walk neighborhood. You can park and walk along a trail filled with thousands of beautiful lights. You can see the trail from Clay Hill Drive in Knightdale.

Shannon who is doing the acts of kindness countdown to Christmas day told me that the evening her family goes to look at lights, their act of kindness will be to leave their favorite house treats . . .or maybe a few dollars toward their electric bill! Imagine if we all left a little note and a few dollars thanking the owners of these houses for making our Chirstmas special! Oh how we would give back and make their Christmas special.

And speaking of lights, one of my and Rob's first fights was whether to put colored lights or white lights on the Christmas tree. Oh if we only knew then what we now know after 18 years of marriage :) I'll let you guess which one I wanted and which one we now have :)

if you are getting this post in email or reader, you may want to click the title of this post and come to my actual blog and answer my little poll question:

Do you have white lights or colored lights on your Christmas tree?

Intentional Acts of Christmas Kindness

2011-12-17T23:27:00.004-05:00

I wanted to share with you another fun Christmas idea that imparts to our kids an awareness of others and helps them look for opportunities to help, give, serve, and love.

Shannon shared with me how this year she wanted a more service-minded approach to her family's Advent calendar. Usually Shannon's family's "countdown to Christmas day" consists of an activity of the day. . .something simple like making hot chocolate or something more elaborate like decorating cookies. But this year she wanted activities that were more about others than themselves.

So this year, Shannon's Advent calendar activities were all about sharing small acts of kindness. Shannon numbered envelopes 1 thru 24 and inside each envelope she wrote an "act of kindness activity" that the family does together. . .such as take dinner to a family in need or leave a treat for the mailman.

Shannon shared that she found many of her activities at:

Katherine Maries' blog
Robyn's blog Mix Mingle Glow.
Kristina's blog A Faithful Walk

Shannon also found cute cards you can hand out at the blog tsj photography.

Shannon kept it simple. . .the activities are written on small pieces of paper, tucked in numbered envelopes, and thrown in a " recycled cookie tin that is too rusted to put cookies in" (those are her words, not mine). It is very loosely done, nothing fancy.

And I LOVE that!! Because honestly, I would have gotten too hemmed up scrapbooking and crafting the envelopes and pieces of paper and finding the perfect bowl that I would never have gotten around to actually doing the countdown with my kids. I would have spent all my time making something like this:

from the blog Just a Girl
click here to read last year's post
where I talk about this Advent jar

or this:

from Katherine Marie's blog

Intentional women know what to focus on and know what not to focus on. Intentional women know what to major in. . and know what to minor in. And sometimes I mix those up.

This year, Shannon did not have time to make her countdown list of activities all fancy. Perhaps next year she will upgrade, perhaps not. But either way, Shannon is right on. Her countdown to Christmas does exactly what she wanted. . . helps get her kids' eyes off themselves and onto others (oh that is so hard especially this time of year!!).

Shannon is making Christmas meaningful. And putting the activities in pretty scrapbooked bags, or in a lovely apothecary jar, or in a rusted old cookie tin all accomplish the same goal.

Now Shannon did email and told me that she recommends keeping a secret master list so you know what activity the kids are going to pull out that morning. Nothing like "Take Dinner to a Friend in Need" when you have not done any menu planning. Or "Leave a Treat for Mailman" (thinking you will have your baking done by #15 and you don't) and then having no treats.

All over blogland they are calling this Random Acts of Christmas Kindness (RACK or RAK), but I see nothing random about this at all. It is very intentional. It is a very intentional way to make Christmas mean something more than just presents and sweets and parties.

Tell me how do you help your kids get their eyes off themselves this time of year? Got any ideas to share with us?

The Good Deed Manger = Loving & Serving Others

2011-12-16T11:59:00.001-05:00

Does Santa and the presents and all the parties distract your kids from the real meaning of Christmas?

Does the longer than usual to-do list distract you (like it does me) from the real meaning of Christmas?

If we want to make Christmas meaningful for our children (and us!), we need to be intentional. It take time and planning to keep Jesus in Christmas.

Last year I shared some ideas to help us be intentional about teaching our kids the real reason for Christmas. If you weren't around last year, you may want to check out:

5 ideas to help your children focus on the real meaning of Christmas

7 ideas to help make the nativity the center of Christmas

3 more ideas to draw you closer to the miracle of Christmas

BUT I wanted to share some NEW ideas this year! You blog readers sent me some ideas I have never heard of.

Below is one fun Christmas idea that helps impart to our kids an awareness of others and helps them look for opportunities to serve and love others.

Molly and her kids (ages 7, 6, and 3) are doing a good deeds manger this year which is an idea taken from Audrey Nickel of St Luke's Episcopal Church in Durham, NC.

Molly created a manger by wrapping a shoe box with wrapping paper. If you wanted it to look like a real manger, you could wrap the shoe box with brown construction paper and then use markers to make the paper look like slats of wood (draw lines, knot holes, etc.)

And then beside the manger, there is a bowl of hay/straw. Or if that is too messy for you, you could have a bowl of brown or yellow pipe cleaners (to represent straw).

Every evening at dinner, Molly and her family talk about the good deeds they've done during the day. For every good deed done, a person gets to place a handful of straw (or a few pipe cleaners) in the manger.

This reminds me of how Rob often announces at dinner, "Tomorrow at dinner, we are going to go around the table and answer the question: How did you make Jesus smile today? And you need to come with an answer." Letting your kids know you are gonna ask that question helps them be aware of opportunities to serve and love up on others thruout the day. Mom and Dad have to answer the question too come the following evening.

Same with the straw. . .the kids knowing that they get to put straw in the manger for each good deed they do helps them be aware of opportunities to serve and love up on others. (simple things like saying "Yes, Mam" or clearing the table and putting the dishes in the dishwasher without Mom asking count!!)

One day, Molly and her kids got intentional (there's my word) about this thing and went out looking for ways to love people. They paid for people's coke:

And paid for people's car vacuum:

They returned shopping carts in parking lots:

They picked up trash at the park:

And Molly's little daughter really wanted to buy the Salvation Army man a coke. Molly emailed me and said:

This good deed manger is such a fun and memorable way to seal the business of "doing love" into my children's hearts. The good deed manger has been great this year and we will be doing this every year from now on. This is such an effective tool for putting structure around "love in action".

And then on Christmas Eve, Molly and her kids place baby Jesus in the manger. The soft bed they have built with their good deeds is their gift to Jesus.

Now do not get all bummed that you did not start something like this on Dec 1. You can still do it!! You can do it this week leading up to Christmas. Or me. . .I am just going to wait until school is out and do it Thurs and Friday. Or if this is too much this year, how about pinning it for next year (sidenote: if you need an invite to Pinterest, email me and I will send you one).

We intentional women know that having an imperfect plan in better than having no plan. It is totally ok that we did not start Dec 1. What matters is that we are intentional about sowing truth in our kids' hearts. . that we make Christmas mean something more than just Santa, presents, and parties. . .that we teach our kids how to think of others.

Make sure you come back tomorrow for ANOTHER idea like this that helps impart to our kids an awareness of others and helps them look for opportunities to serve and love others. This post was getting a little long. . so come back tomorrow when I'll share another blog reader's idea.

Harris Teeter Deals: good til 12/20

2011-12-15T07:18:00.002-05:00

Wanted to share my favorite deals at Harris Teeter this week. These deals will be good til Tues, 12/20.

Here are my 5 favorite deals this week:

1. Internatiional Delight Coffee Creamer (the liquid kind) is on sale for 3/$5 so $1.67 a piece. Use the $1 coupon from 12/11 SS and get it for only 67 cents!

2. Eastern Apples are 79 cents a pound this week. They are normally $1.69-$1.79 a pound. There are many varieties to choose from. No coupon needed for this deal!

3. Schubert Sisters Rolls are on sale BOGO. So that makes them $1.69. Use the 50 cents coupon from the Oct, Nov, or Dec All You magazine and you get them for only 69 cents.

4. Mardi Gras napkins are on sale BOGO. So that makes them $1.50 each. Use the 55 cents coupon from 10/2 RP and get them for only 40 cents.

5. Milk is on sale for $2.97 a gallon. It is normally $3.79. And you do know you can freeze milk. I will post later on freezing milk but this should get you started for now. And there is no coupon needed for this deal.

Did you see any other good deals at HT this week?? Do tell me!!

But I did not lose it when this happened. . .

2011-12-13T13:47:00.001-05:00

So me losing it over the handprint snowman ornaments. . and then carving out time and space to processing the whys. . .helped me NOT to loose it when I saw this:

Sunday was the ornament escapade. Monday was this:

My boys really did think it was a good idea to slide down the stairs on my whiteboard!

Great Magazine Deals = Great Chirstmas Gifts

2011-12-13T11:20:00.000-05:00

Best Deals Magazines has some great deals going on from now til Dec 18.

These would make for some fun and thoughtful, yet inexpensive Christmas gifts.

Here are some of my favorite deals:

Taste Of Home - 1 Yr

is only $5.40 for a year's subscription (7 issues)
You need to use the coupon code: TASTEOFHOME
That is 70% off!!

You could get a set of measuring spoons and attach a tag that says, "Wishing you joy beyond measure this holiday season!" OR "May your holiday overflow with the joy of the season!" And then underneath write that you have ordered them aone-year subscription to Taste of Home magazine.

Family Fun - 1 Yr
is only $3.76 for 1 year (10 issues)
You need to use the coupon code: WKLYSPEC

Shape - 1 Yr
is only $3.76 for 1 year (12 issues)
You need to use the coupon code: WKLYSPEC

Better Homes & Gardens - 1 Yr
is only $4.69 for a year's subscription (12 issues)
BUT if you put in code PXSS1218, you get an extra 15% off, making it only $3.99!!

You could buy the current issue at the grocery store and attach a tag that says "Love from Our Home to Yours" and underneath write that Better Homes & Gardens will be arriving in their mailbox every month next year.

There are over 70 magazines that are only $4.69 for a year's subscription, but if you plug in the code PXSS1218, you get them for only $3.99. Go here for the full list of the magazines offered. Family Circle, Backpacker Magazine, Fitness Magazine, Ladies Home Journal, Parents, Whole Living are all $3.99 with that code!

And just in case you order magazines for everyone on your list, here are some more codes to save you money. All these codes expire Dec 18 as well.

TAKE AN EXTRA $5 OFF $30ORDER COUPON
Code: MNDSS1218

TAKE AN EXTRA $7.50 OFF $40 ORDER COUPON
Code: MQQSS1218

TAKE AN EXTRA $10 OFF $50 ORDER COUPON
Code: MQPSS1218

TAKE AN EXTRA $15 OFF $70 ORDER COUPON
Code: MTKSS1218

Note: this post does include affiliate links, which means I do get a few cents if you happen to order a magazine. But all opinions are my own and I really thought you might be interested in these deals. . .especially with the holidays coming up.

What do you want Christmas to be like?

2011-12-12T06:30:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I had this grand idea that we would spend our "Family Time" making these cute snowman ornaments I saw on Pinterest.

Oh I wanted cute ornaments made from my children's handprints. Cute and crafty and creative ornaments. . .ornaments with matching snowflake ribbon that went with the theme of snowmen. Transformed ornaments that would remind me in years to come of how small my kids' hands were.

I envisioned all 7 of us painting and creating while we laughed and talked and enjoyed being together.

And then I lost it.

Because 2 ornaments broke before we even got paint on them. . .I mean in the first 2 minutes.

Because Rob insisted we put down a drop cloth and I could not wait the 3 minutes for him to go find it. . I wanted to start creating beautiful art now.

Because the kids were so excited to get started that they painted their own hands and then grabbed the ornament and it looked like a big ol blob of white paint. .and each kid had to go wash their hands. . .me yelling not to touch anything. . .and we had to wash the paint off all the ornaments, dry them, and start over.

It was not as easy or as quick as I had envisioned when I read the tutorial.

Because when I was teaching the kids how to draw hats and eyes and carrot noses, they were not listening. . .they just wanted to be artists and go for it. . do it their way, not mine. And I wanted them to look pretty.

Because David wanted to draw baseball caps on his snowmen and I said no. And so then he drew tongues sticking out of the snowmen's mouths. . .until I told him to stop. . . in not the most pleasant voice. Do you see the tongues below?

Oh, we so set the tones in our homes. And it is a privilege and an honor that we as moms and wives get to create the home atmosphere for our family. And I so messed up. Ugh.

I want a home atmosphere of peace and joy. . .and especially at Christmas.

And here I have gone into Christmas with massive to-do lists. Christmas (and just regular life) is not about moving thru the to-do list.

You'd think I would know that. . me who writes at The Intentional Home. . me who wrote a post about this exact topic last year.

I need to stop and think about what I really want this holiday season to be like for my family, for my home.

I need to figure out if my expectations of Christmas are realistic?

What stresses me out this time of year?

What activities do I so want to make sure happen this Christmas?

What would make this Christmas the best one yet?

I am going to ask Rob and the kids these questions over dinner tonight. What do they want to make sure happens this Christmas season? What would they rather skip? I am also going to apologize.

I should have started this Christmas season not with a to-do list, but by being intentional. By figuring out what we Soutters want Christmas to be like. And I did not. I got swept away with decorating and putting dates on the calendar and making lists and shopping and making handprint snowman ornaments.

Tell me. . .what do you want your Christmas to be like?

And even after reading this post, if you still want to make some handprint snowman ornaments, check out the tutorial here.

Michaels, Bath and Body Works coupons and more

2011-12-10T13:01:00.006-05:00

You gotta get on The Intentional Home Facebook Page. . so you do not miss the up to date deals and coupons I post as I find them.

Over the past few days, I have shared:

1. Michaels coupon good today (12/10) and tomorrow (12/11) for 50% off one regular priced item. I get many of my niece/nephew Christmas gifts here with these coupons (rockets for the boys, tye dye kids for the girls, art kits for the preschoolers).

2. Great Bath and Body Works Coupon for a free item (up to $13) with purchase of $10 or more. I went last night and got 4 hand soaps and 1 bubble bath for $15 plus tax (that is only $3 a piece). And then Anna went and got 1 lip gloss, 1 soap, and 1 bubble bath for $13 plus tax.

3. Purex is giving away 20,000 FREE 1 year subscriptions to Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Enter here. Winner emailed early January. Surely, one of us will win with 20,000 winners, right?

4. And go "like" The Intentional Home on Facebook.

Rite Aid Deals: good til 12/10

2011-12-08T07:17:00.005-05:00

Went to Rite Aid yesterday to pick up a prescription and did a little shopping! Thought I'd share my shop with you in case you wanted some really cheap razors, battery toothbrushes, and Sucrets. You only need $5. . .a little more because of tax. These deals are good til Saturday, 12/10.

Transaction #1:
Sucrets are on sale for $2.99. Use the $1q from 11/20 SS and get it for only $1.99. And get back $2 +UP rewards.

Get in line again for Transaction #2:

Buy 2 packs of Schick Disposable razors that are on sale for $5.99. Use BOGO coupon from 11/6 SS to take $5.99 off. And use the $2 coupon from 12/4 SS to bring the total for 2 packs of razors to $3.99. Pay with the $2 +UP from Transaction #1 and you pay only $1.99 out of pocket. And you get back $2 +UP rewards, a $1 for each pack. There is a limit of 2 on this deal so this works great with the BOGO coupon!!

Get in line again for Transaction #3:

Buy Oral B battery toothbrush for $5.99. Use the $3 coupon from 11/27 PG and you get your total down to $2.99. Use the $2 +UP from Transaction #2 and you pay only 99 cents!! This is a great stocking stuffer!! And you get back $2 in +UP.

So for $5 (plus tax) out of pocket, you get a battery toothbrush, 2 packs of razors, and a pack of Sucrets. AND $2 in +UP rewards. . .so that is really like you only spent $3 for all the above. Great deal!!!

And if you are up for one more transaction, you can repeat Transaction #3 and spend another 99 cents to get another battery toothbrush and another $2 in +UP rewards to spend next time!! (or I just spend them on the $1 pack of Planters peanuts. . you can get a package of 5 packs of peanuts for $1. I put these in the kids' lunchboxes).

Did you got to Rite Aid this week? What deals did you get?

5. . .no. . .7 for Wednesday

2011-12-07T11:24:00.000-05:00

I know I have been usually doing 5 for Friday. . but I wanted to share today! So it is 5 for Wednesday.

1. Melissa just emailed letting me know she spotted The Penguin in the freezer aisle of her Harris Teeter at Stonehenge. The penguin is a big 4 foot cardboard penguin full of tear pad coupons. Have you run into The Penguin anywhere else?

2. On Facebook, I just asked: What is your favorite Christmas stocking stuffer? I'd love to hear your ideas. What did you always get as a kid? What do you always put in your kids' stockings? Tell me. . leave a comment, email me, or post on The Intentional Home Facebook page. And then check out the list Jenna over at Jenna's Journey made: a list of 150 Stocking Stuffer ideas.

3. Check out the list of items I am selling. I have updated the list, removed all items that sold and added new items. Remember 20% off for all The Intentional Home blog readers. Here are some pics of a few of the items. . click here to see all the items, descriptions, and prices.

4. I updated the list of Fun Christmas Events around Raleigh. Ya'll have sent me info on even more events, more live nativities, and my favorite: more private home light displays! All these have been added to the list. Go check it out! And if you have anything else to add, please leave a comment or email me. I am especially looking for directions/addresses of fabulous neighborhood/private home light displays!

5. Target has another coupon out for get a $10 giftcard when you spend $50. This coupon is good Dec 7 through Dec 10 (so today, Wed-Sat).

2 more things so let's make it 7 for Wednesday:

6. This Friday I will be posting many ideas on how to make Christmas meaningful for our children (and us!). With holiday party invites, shopping, baking, to-do lists, Christmas programs at school, etc, this does take some intentionality. I'd love to hear your ideas and if I include them in my post, I'll send you a little love gift in the mail :)

7. Are you a "No-Reply comment" blogger? When I get the comments you leave on my blog in my email box, so many of you have a "No-Reply" email address. I wonder if this is intentional. It would be so much easier to respond back to you if you would change your "No-Reply comment" blogger status. Polly at Make Mine Beautiful has a great post to help you with this, check it out here.

I do so enjoy sharing with ya'll and hearing from ya'll. . .I like this little ol' blog.

CVS deals: Free Plus Profit Deals

2011-12-06T13:32:00.001-05:00

Wanted to share my favorite deals at CVS this week. These deals will be good til Sat, 12/10.

Here's my list:

You get 3 ECBS when you buy 3 American Greeting Cards. I bought 3 of the 99 cents ones to equal $3. Then I used the CVS coupon for $2 off 3 greeting cards. So that took the price down to $1. And then I got $3 in ECBS back!! So I made $2 buying these greeting cards.

Schick Razors and shaving cream. . buy $20 worth and get $10 ECBS. So I bought a man's 4 pack of disposable razors for $7.99. I bought a woman's 4 pack of disposable razors for $8.49. And I bought Schick shaving gel for $3.99 all for a total of about $20.50. Then I used the BOGO coupon from 11/6 SS to take $7.99 off. I used the $2 coupon from 12/4 SS for the other pack of razors. And I used the $1 coupon from 12/4 SS for the shaving gel. That took my total down to about $5.50. And I got back $10 in ECBS so I made money!!

10 pack of candy canes are $1.27. But you get back $1.27 in ECBS so these are free. Perfect for stocking stuffers, to hang on the tree, or tie on a package.

Huggies Little Snugglers Diapers are $9.49. Use $3 Huggies CVS Coupon and use the $2 coupon from 11/20 SmartSource. You pay $4.49 our of pocket and get and get $1 ECB back. So the final price for a pack of diapers is $3.49. Anytime I can get diapers for under $5 a pack, I stock up. These Huggies Snugglers only come in Newborn, Size 1, and Size 2, but even if your little one is in a bigger size, this is a great baby shower gift to keep on hand.

Did you go to CVS this week? Are you planning on going??

Harris Teeter Deals: good til 12/6

2011-12-05T16:30:00.002-05:00

Wanted to share my favorite deals at Harris Teeter this week. These deals will be good til Tues, 12/6. . .so just today and tomorrow. Sorry so late. . .but even if you are not gonna go today or tomorrow, read below to learn about e-vic coupons and read an update about our food pantry at my church.

Here are my 3 favorite deals this week:

1. Mueller's Pasta (Elbow Macaroni or Spaghetti) is on sale Buy 2 Get 3 Free. There is a coupon for .75 in the 11/20 SS for Muller's Whole Grain Pasta. The pasta is normally $1.75. So buy 2 of these at $1.75 each. Use 2 of the .75 coupons, which double to make each box only a quarter. And get 3 free boxes (which do not have to be whole grain). So that is 5 boxes of pasta for 50 cents or 10 cents a box!! There is a limit of 10 boxes total per transaction. This is a great donate to the food pantry item!!

Oh, I have to tell you about our food pantry. . .the lady in charge of the food pantry at our church stood up on Sunday to give an update and I just cried. In 2009, 55 families came to the food pantry. In Nov 2010, 115 families came. This Nov 2011. . .234 families which represented just over 1000 individuals (that is more than the number of people at our church) came to the food pantry.

There is such a great need. . .right here in our own city. If you ever have extras or freebies you want to donate and do not know where to give, you can drop them off at my house and I will make sure they get to the food pantry. Thanks so much for those of you who do drop off food at my house. My kids get so excited when you do so. Here is my Brooke stocking the shelves at our food pantry. These pics were from 2009 when so many of you brought food to my 1 year Class Anniversary celebration!!

all pics taken by Kimberly Naranjo of Evolve Studio

Now back to my favorite Harris Teeter deals:

2. Margaret Holmes canned veggies are on sale for $1. Use the .75/2 coupon from 12/4 and get 2 cans for 50 cents! Only 25 cents a can. We had the Squash and Vidalaia Onion can last night for dinner. . yummy!

3. Duracell Batteries are on sale for $2.99. Use the .75 coupon from the PG inserts and you get the price down to $1.50. But add the e-vic coupon for .75 off Duracell batteries to your card before you head to the store and you get the pack for only 75 cents.Do you load the e-vic coupons to your card? This is the first time I have ever done it and it worked! And it was easy!! You can use both e-vic coupons and paper coupons on the same item like I did with the batteries. Do note that the e-vic coupon only comes off once. . no matter how many like items you buy.

To load the e-vic coupons, you do so thru the emails Harris Teeter sends out every Wed and Friday. There is a tab on these emails labeled e-vic coupons. You click that tab to see the coupons and then click the ones you want to save to your card. Click here for more directions from Harris Teeter. And if you are not getting the Harris Teeter emails, you can sign up here to do so. . .not only will you be able to load e-vic coupons, but you will get special offers that HT only sends to their email subscribers.

Tell me do you load these e-vic coupons? Did you find any good deals at HT this week? Do share!

5 For Friday

2011-12-02T14:21:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday!! Here's 5 things I want to share with you:

1. Proctor & Gamble has a new coupon booklet out worth $35 in savings. You need to register or log in at Proctor and Gamble Everyday Solutions and request your booklet. These booklets come out every quarter. I usually try to let you know when the new ones are out, but if you sign up for the newsletter, you will be notified.

2. Those of you on The Intentional Home Facebook page already saw this, but for those of you not on there yet: This month is Customer Appreciation Month at Subway and for the whole month of December you can get either a 6-inch Cold Cut Combo or Meatball Marinara for just $2!!

3. This was also on The Intentional Home Facebook page: With this Target coupon, you get a $10 Target Gift Card with the purchase of $50 or more. Coupon expires 12/3, which is this Saturday. You can always add groceries to your cart to meet the $50 purchase.

4. Lots of fun Christmas activities happening around town this weekend. Are you going to any of the events listed in my Fun Christmas Events around Raleigh post? Is there an event not listed that you know of. . that just has to be on the list?? Do tell.

5. I am writing a post about: if we want to make Christmas meaningful for our children (and us), then we need to be intentional. I would love for you to email me and tell me some ways you make Christmas meaningful for your family. I would love to include some of your ideas, some of your traditions, some of the new things you are going to try this year. . . in this upcoming post. If I use your idea in the post, I will send you a little love gift in the mail :)

Fun Chirstmas Events around Raleigh

2011-12-01T11:20:00.015-05:00

Oh there are so many fun Christmas events happening in the Raleigh area this month. The Triangle offers lots of fun ways to celebrate! Below are some of my favorites. . organized by date for you.

And please leave a comment or email me if you have an event that should be added to this list and I'll update the list. I'd love to make this an annual list I post every December 1st. Special thanks to The Intentional Home blog reader, Coreen for helping me compile this year's list.

Thursday, Dec 1- Saturday, Dec 3

Community Christmas Celebration from 6-9pm at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at 5060 Six Forks Rd. Every year, school, community and church choirs perform musical pieces at this celebration. My daughter Brooke's school chorus is performing tonight at 6:30

But the highlight of this event for my family, is in the back of the room where the kids perform, you can view over 300 nativities from around the world. It was just amazing to me. . .to go around and look at how each country depicted the manger scene and what materials were used. The collection is a sweet reminder that Jesus was born for all mankind, not just us Americans. There is also a live nativity outside.

Last year, I shared 7 ideas to help make the nativity the center of Christmas and this celebration was mentioned.

Thursday, Dec 1 - Sat, Dec 3

More than 100 vendors will put their wares up for sale at Cary Academy's annual Holiday Shoppe, which is free and open to the public. There is no tax charged on purchases. Proceeds go to community outreach and need-based scholarships. Cary Academy is located at 1500 N. Harrison Ave. Cary, NC.
Times:
Dec 1: 10am-5pm
Dec 2: 10am-5pm and 6:30-9pm
Dec 3: 10am-4pm

Friday, Dec 2

Wake Forest will kick off the holiday season with the Lighting of Wake Forest on Friday, Dec 2 from 6-8pm. The lighting of a 30 ft tall Christmas tree and a visit from St. Nick happens at Town Hall Centennial Plaza located at 301 S. Brooks Street.

Friday, Dec 2 - Saturday, Dec 3

Downtown Knightdale ushers in the holiday season Dec. 2 from 6-7:30 pm with live entertainment, a tree lighting ceremony and Santa's Magical Workshop, where kids can take a sneak peek inside his workshop in the caboose, have their pictures taken with Mrs. Claus and Santa's elves, write a letter to Santa and see him ride on a carriage. The town hosts a Christmas Parade Dec. 3 at 2 pm.

Join the Town of Garner on Main Street on Friday, Dec. 2 for the Town’s annual Light Up Main event. The festivities get started at 6 p.m. with the tree-lighting ceremony and will continue until 8 p.m. Activities include visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus, children's arts and crafts, hot cocoa, cider and cookies, face paintings, street magicians and balloon artists, and more. The town hosts a Christmas Parade Dec 3 at 10am.

Friday, Dec 2 - Sunday, Dec 4

Wake Forest Presbyterian Church located at 12605 Capital Blvd. puts on an outdoor, living, walk-thru nativity program called "Walk Through Bethlehem" every first weekend of December.

The church has built a small version of Bethlehem where you have to pay your taxes, the angel Gabriel makes a visit, King Herod is plotting to find out where baby Jesus is and at the end, the nativity and Star of Bethlehem.

Walk Through Bethlehem program will be held on Friday, December 2nd and Saturday, December 3rd, from 6 pm until 9 pm and Sunday, December 4 from 6 pm until 8 pm.

Sat, Dec 3 - Sun, Dec 4

This is the 12th year for Holly Days at Sanderson High School, which features over 150 vendors, a bake sale, a raffle, silent auction baskets and performances by the Sanderson vocal groups on Saturday. Admission is $2, and this fee benefits the Food Bank. The address for SHS is 5500 Dixon Drive, and the hours are 9:00 to 5:00 on Saturday and 11:00 to 4:00 on Sunday.

Sanderson is so close to my house so if you saw any items that I am selling on this post that you wanted, stop by and get them!!

Sat, Dec 3 - Sun, Dec 4

Winter Wonderland at Bond Park located at 801 High House Rd, between Cary Parkway adn Northwest Maynard Rd. Over the course of these 2 days, Snow My Yard will make snow for all to enjoy on the popular sledding slope on the Multipurpose Field of Bond Park. Preregistration is required and will not be available the day of the event. To register or for more info, call 919-469-4100.

Sat, Dec 3

The AT&T Raleigh Winterfest Outdoor Ice Rink Festival kicks off Saturday, Dec. 3 from 5-10pm in City Plaza at the southern end of the 400 block Fayetteville Street. This holiday extravaganza lasts until Jan 29th. Families can enjoy carriage rides, train rides, carousel rides, sledding ramps, food, Victorian carolers, performances by local choirs and dance companies, an outdoor skating rink, ice carving demonstrations, a visit from Santa and the lighting of a dazzling tree. Admission which includes skate rental is $8 for both adults and kids. For more info along with the weekly schedule, call 919-821-6984.

Sat, Dec 3

A Winter Night at Oak View begins at 5pm on Dec 3. This is Oak View's annual winter event, featuring horse-drawn carriage rides, hot apple cider, live music, Ol' Saint Nick, holiday games, boutique of handmade crafts, and much more! Free and open to the public. Located at Historic Oak View County Park at 4028 Carya Dr. in Raleigh.

Dec 8-11

Celebrate the season at Pullen Park's Holiday Express. From 4-9pm each day, enjoy holiday lights and displays, a lighted train ride, local entertainment, carousel ride, crafts, visit with Santa and more! Tickets are $7 in advance and $10 at door. Click here for more info.

Saturday, Dec 10 from 1-3pm

Wake Forest Christmas Parade. Downtown Wake Forest (27587), Corner of Elm and S. White Street

Saturday, Dec 10 at 2pm

Cary Christmas Parade in Downtown Cary along Academy Street. The Intentional Home blog reader, Rebecca says to get there early to get a good spot and also notes that Ashworth's Drug Store is open, selling yummy hot chocolate and lunch items as well.

December 16-18, 7:00pm to 9:00pm

Longview Baptist Church located at 2308 New Hope Road Raleigh, NC 27604 is doing a Drive through Nativity.

December 20-21

Greystone Baptist on the corner of Sawmill and Leadmine does a live outdoor nativity at 6:30, 7, and 7:30pm on Tues, Dec 20 and Wed, Dec 21. Refreshemnts are served in the Fellowship Hall afterwards.

Thurs, Dec 22 - Saturday, Dec 24

Hayes Barton Baptist Church, located at 1800 Glenwood Ave.(5 points) in Raleigh, will present a Living Nativity.

All of December

Private House Light Displays. Anyone have some good addresses to hit???

So far these addresses have been sent to me:

Woodspring neighborhood at Falls of Neuse and Whittington Dr. Drive down the tree lined entry and it is the 1st house on the left. This light display has been tied to a radio station the last few years.

In Stonehenge neighborhood, near Strickland Rd. and Creedmoor Rd in North Raleigh, there are two displays to music. The first one is on Abbey Lane (a short road between Morgan’s Way, off Creedmoor and Sleepy Creek Rd). The second house is practically in sight, at the end of Abbey on Sleepy Creek Rd.

Springdale Gardens neighborhood has a competition every year, but the Victorian house on Springdale Drive is always lovely. You can get to it from either Leesville or Strickland.

All of December

Downtown Cary hosts a Gingerbread House Competition on Sat, Dec 3. However, the winning houses are on display throughout December at the Cary Arts Center.

Saturday, Dec 31, 2pm to midnite

First Night Raleigh 2012 is a New Year's Eve celebration put on by Downtown Raleigh. The festival includes the early afternoon Children's Celebration, early and late countdowns, the People's Procession, music, dance, theatre, the giant Acorn Drop, and fireworks. Tickets go on sale beginning Dec 1. Tickets are $9. Click here for where you can buy tickets and also for event information.

Tell me. . have you gone to any of these events?? Which are your favorite?? What events have I missed. Do tell me so I can add them to the list!!