From the Desk of Mandy Manley
We all have down days. There are times when it’s hard to remember accomplishments from the past or think that you’re moving in the right direction. It’s not hard to become consumed with feelings of self-doubt and worry. The good news is that you don’t have to sit still and wait for days like this…
If you are reading this, first of all let me say how sorry I am that it applies to you. You have lost someone you care about, and for whatever reason cannot process this loss in the way common to our culture. Perhaps there’s a global pandemic going on that makes it necessary to forego…
Do you remember all that you accomplished in your career 8 months ago? How about 4 months ago? Performance reviews are a regular part of most workplaces, often occurring at regular intervals (yearly, quarterly, etc.). Some employers require more frequent reviews during the first month, 90 days and 3 months of employment. Knowing how frequently…
At various points in my life, I have tried to keep a budget: It always felt like a burden; a yoke that I just didn’t want to accept. I wanted to be able to splurge on a bottle of nail polish and not have to feel bad! Last summer after reading Dave Ramsey’s The Total…
If someone you had never met attended your funeral and saw photos of your life, who might they think you were? While attending a recent funeral, I witnessed something wonderfully shocking. I had never met the deceased, but she had passed away well into her 80s. Dozens of children, grandchildren, and other relatives had spent…
A year ago I started listening to Dave Ramsey’s podcast and a few months later, I presented his philosophy of money management to my spouse. We decided to give it a try. Unlike all my past futile attempts at living on a budget, we got on a written budget and stuck to it. If you…
For the last few years, Mason jars have been popping up in all sorts of craft projects. I’ve found some of them in antique shops and even purchased solar lids that turn them into wonderful night lights. We often had Mason jars of fresh preserves and vegetables from my grandmother’s garden in my kitchen growing…
We had a little weekend getaway in Hermann, MO and stayed at the beautiful Wine Valley Inn. They made a wonderful Decadent French Toast for breakfast, and graciously shared the recipe with me. It was warm and sweet and would be perfect for Christmas or a birthday breakfast in bed! They said it’s great to…