Out of the box

I'm a fan of subscription boxes and I thought I would share some of my recent happy mail.

I'm very selective in what I subscribe to because first and foremost, I'm cheap and I also don't like clutter and things I don't need. So here's a rundown of what I received:

Target Beauty Box

You can't subscribe to the Target Beauty Box but I try to order it whenever I see it is available via an email announcement. It comes out seasonally and you have to act quickly to get one. The one for May was $10 including shipping but it also comes with a $3 Target coupon. If you sign up for Target emails, they will send you an alert when the next box is available.

This season's box came with:

• Laneige moisture cream (full size)
• Egyptian Magic cream (sample)
• Cerave foaming cleanser (sample)
• Andalou night repair cream (full size)
• Clairol Hair Food dry shampoo (large sample)
• Loreal La Lacque lip color (full size)
• Burt's Bees cleansing oil (large sample)
• Loreal self-tanning towelette (sample)
• Derma E moisturizer (large sample)

As you can see, that's a great value for $10! The lip color alone is probably worth the cost of the box. I will definitely order the beauty box from Target again.

Walmart Beauty Box

The Walmart version is a subscription and also comes out seasonally. At $5, it is a great price even though it is usually only all travel/sample sized items. I love to save them up for trips. We used them on our trip to China.

The Spring box rundown:

• Colgate Optic White toothpaste (large sample)
• Sample palette and coupon for Neutrogena Healthy Skin makeup
• Banana Boat sunscreen (sample)
• Jergens Wet Skin moisturizer (sample)
• Dove body wash (sample)
• ROC Chest, Neck and Face cream (sample)
• Curel Rough Skin Rescue cream (sample)

These are great items to throw in my carry on bag for trips or even in my beach bag for the day. For the price, you can't beat this one. Here's the link to find out more.

Faithbox



This is the most expensive box I subscribe to but has the highest quality and meaningful items each month. It is a Christian themed box which varies in price based on your length of subscription and they donate 3 meals per month to orphans in need for each box ordered.

This month's items:

• Full size bar of organic orange infused dark chocolate from Equal Exchange Chocolates
• Kleen Kanteen cup
• handmade coffee sleeve from women in Kenya trying to support their families
• digital music card for worship music download from The Brilliance
• Rooted Beauty Lip Butter
• monthly devotional guide

I love opening this box every month. Sometimes this is a book from a Christian author but there are always interesting items from small companies. A few months ago, I got an item from a small company in Austin, TX and then heard the owners do their debt free scream on Dave Ramsey recently.

Here's my referral link to check them out.

Hope you enjoyed the rundown of my goodies! God bless!

The Ups and Downs of our Trip to China

Everyone is going to have different experiences in China and I'm going to share what worked and what didn't for our family.  Our group was me and my husband, our 11 year old daughter and our 7 year old that we were adopting. I had been to China in 2014 for a mission trip and learned a lot of lessons then so based on that and what I learned from adoption Facebook groups, this was our packing list:

Overall, I think we packed very well. There's not much more I wished we would have brought. We had 2 large rolling suitcases that we checked and each of us had a backpack as a carry-on. That's it. It was great only worrying about one item after we made it through security.  We packed our oldest daughter and husband's items in one suitcase and Liam's and mine in the other.  We used packing cubes for all of Liam's items but if I had more money, I would buy them for everyone in different colors. We brought 11 outfits each and did one small load of laundry in Guangzhou (cost about $17) and washed as much as we could in the sink.  We were there in Summer so the benefit is that we were wearing lighter clothes but we couldn't rewear a lot without washing because we were sweating a lot! 

Things I wouldn't bring: umbrella (there was one in each hotel room) and travel pillows (airline provided and I don't sleep much on planes)

Technology related: we brought 2 laptops, an iPad and our cellphones and left everything in airplane mode the whole time with wifi on. We set up VPNs before we left and brought a HooToo nano. Check them out on Amazon. It is a pretty cheap device but great. Basically, you plug it into the wired internet in the room and it gives off it's own wifi signal. You have your own hotspot and you aren't limited by how many devices you have or the strength of the hotel's wifi. We were able to easily access every website we needed in all three cities.

Money wise: We took about $2800 over our orphanage donation and came home with $500. We did not buy many souvenirs and we are cheap eaters. We spent about $16 for the 4 of us for many meals. The big ticket items were the safari park and some of the meals on travel days. It was over 2 weeks in 3 cities for 4 people so $2300 seems reasonable for activities, meals, souvenirs, some transportation, tips, etc. I think we spent $9 on a Gatorade at the top of the Great Wall and we bought 2. That was stupid but we were really thirsty and not thinking about the exchange rate. 

We each took 2 pairs of shoes: 1 pair of sneakers and 1 pair of slip on, closed toe comfortable shoes.

What I would do differently next time: 

-I would skip Beijing. I did it last year and now my husband and daughter have seen it and I'm not really keen on going again.

-I would try to take the train to Hong Kong. The van ride from Guangzhou to Hong Kong was not good for us.

-I would stay at the Marriott in Hong Kong. The airport hotel was too small and very limited in food options.

-I would upgrade our room at the China Hotel in Guangzhou. We didn't make a fuss out of it this time but our standard room was very small. 

-I would make sure I saved one totally fresh (un-sinkwashed) outfit for the flight home. We did okay at this but you don't want that long journey home to be in funky clothes.

-I would skip the safari park in Guangzhou. It was fine but I got dehydrated and it made the day miserable. I'm not used to that much humidity and I didn't drink enough water. Overall, this is an emotionally exhausting trip on a totally different time zone and I would have rested more and passed on more activities.

-I would try not to fly American Airlines unless we were on the 787 direct from DFW to China. We did that on our way there and it was great. Cathay Pacific was amazing for the first leg but the second AA flight on the 777 was difficult.

What I'm glad we did:

-I really liked having fanny packs. I know they are unattractive but I have a bad back and I was able to keep wipes, my phone, snacks, water, etc around my waist and be hands free.

-I'm glad we immediately took Liam to their bigger Wal-mart like stores so that he could pick out toys he liked. We got him a gun set that shot suction cup darts that stuck to the hotel window glass and he had fun for hours.

-I'm glad I had a list of souvenirs and only shopped for those. It kept it easy and I wasn't tempted to look at other things.

-Try to go to the Mutianyu part of the Great Wall. Take the chair lift (NOT the gondola) up the wall and then you can take the alpine slide down. The gondola will take you to an area over an hour away from the slide and that long of a walk on the wall can be exhausting unless you really love a big hike.

-We brought 1 power converter and it actually worked for my flat iron! Yay for not scaring Liam with a scary looking mommy.

-The games we had on the iPad for Liam were a big hit. He fell in love with Daniel Tiger and the Grandpa's Workshop app. 

-We managed to balance Chinese and Western foods so I wasn't so sick of Chinese food. We had Subway, McDonalds, Pizza Hut and managed to have about one western meal a day.  I need that for my sanity.  We loaded up on the free breakfast at each hotel and ate lighter lunches.

-I'm thankful that I heard Rick Steves say something on a show about how to travel Europe. He said that he packs light because he figures that he can buy it there and if he can't, then millions of people are living without it so it probably isn't a NEED.  Obviously, this isn't true for medications, etc. but for the most part, the stores in China have most things you are looking for. I bought a deodorant there that is identical to Degree (same container, just Chinese words).  

-Language was not as big of a deal as I expected. Either our guide was able to tell Liam what was going on or our translator apps filled in the rest. He picked up some basic things quickly.
-I'm glad we bought paper plates, forks, and cups in China. We could easily have some cheaper meals in our room and we bought the big jugs of water and just used our paper cups and only used water bottles while we were out.
-Expect your child to get carsick. I did because my bio kids are easily carsick so we came prepared. Most won't be but they don't ride in cars much at the orphanages/foster families and the method of driving and traffic in China can exacerbate the problem.
-The biggest thing I'm glad we did is travel with both spouses and an older kid. I cannot imagine not taking my husband on this trip. I know there are situations where this is difficult but emotionally to me this would be like delivering a baby alone.  Our daughter was a huge help just having someone for Liam to connect with as another kid and another set of eyes and hands.

Tips for those going to Xian:
-If you stay at the Days Hotel: there is a Chinese hamburger stand right outside the hotel. They are delicious and cheap, like $1US cheap! Get chips at the big store down the street and have some easy lunches.
-The restaurant attached to the Chinese hamburger stand is good. The sweet and sour pork is very delicious and their prices are good. For our family, a full meal was around $16US
-There is a park down the street and it has a big play area that we stayed at for hours.  It is like a screened in playroom (for a small fee) with a trampoline, ride on toys and a kind of sand pit. There are also some kid's rides.
-There is a new tea mall across the street from the hotel (directly opposite KFC) where they are opening a McDonald's with McCafe. I wish it had been open when we were there.  On the top floor there are also a TON of nice, newer looking restaurants. We didn't find this until the last day but it all looked really good.
-Try to get your guide to take you to the Bell Tower area when you go to the City Wall. There is a cool Starbucks and other nice restaurants and you can do some shopping in the Muslim Quarter. We got a pizza from Pizza Hut to bring back to the hotel with us.
-When we went to the Terra Cotta warriors, we got Subway sandwiches and ate them on the way back.


I hope this helps those preparing to go to China! My biggest tip is to just go with the flow. Be in the moment and realize that before you know it you will be home!

Counting the Cost

As we wait for our travel to China, I can't help but look back at this journey so far and one of the biggest miracles has been God's financial provision.  I believe that our family being very transparent in this process will encourage others to begin the journey of giving another child a home so here's what the numbers look like:

I believe that this adoption will end up totaling about $37K.  Again, if you want to see where that money goes, please check out the cost page on our adoption agency's website. The bulk of it is about to be paid out in plane tickets, our in-country travel package and the orphanage donation we give in China.  A lot of it pays for our agency to manage the program and to cover background checks, visas and other government requirements.  I'm so thankful that from the very beginning they were open about the costs.

About half of the costs we were able to come up with from our budget.  Every tax refund, third paycheck or any dollar we could squeeze from our budget went straight into the "adoption" fund in our budget spreadsheet.  Literally, if our gas bill was $7 less than we were expecting, that $7 was transferred over.  Some months we did better than others but God multiplied when it looked impossible.  We never could have embarked on adopting Liam unless we had gone through Financial Peace University, paid off $39k in 18 months and gotten to "Baby Step 3".  We had already trimmed our personal budget down to pay off that amount of debt and kept a monthly budget where we know where every dollar is going before the month begins.  We basically stayed in "gazelle intensity mode" for this entire process.

I believe about half of the cost came from fundraising and generous donations.  We raised over $13k on our AdoptTogether page.  Over $5000 more came from our pancake breakfast, garage sales, craft sales, t-shirt sales, and individual donations.  We also received a grant from Sowing Roots that we have applied directly to our agency to cover our travel.  I am still so overwhelmed by the generosity of our friends, family and even complete strangers.  Thank you for being a part of Liam's story and blessing our family by your giving.  I have learned so much through this process and I definitely am inspired by your generous giving and want to give more to others.

I write all of this to encourage you.  Whether it is adoption, missions, starting a ministry, I believe that God has a call on all of our hearts.  Whatever that is, I believe that He will provide a path and the means to walk that path.  He is our great provider!

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 
2 Cor 9:8

Considering international adoption

Maybe you have been moved to adopt and you are wondering where to start. I've been reflecting back on our journey so far and have a few suggestions I would make for anyone contemplating international adoption.

1. Sponsor a child.
This may seem like a strange place to start but I'm glad we did this. We didn't feel like we were ready financially to adopt but we wanted to do something.  Sponsoring a child through World Vision was a great way to talk to our kids about children in financial need around the world.  We started praying and caring for this little girl in Ethiopia and she became part of our family.  There are great organizations like Compassion, World Vision, and Show Hope and they all seem to do an amazing job to change the lives of children in some of the neediest places.

2. Get debt free and have a zero based budget.
There would be no way we could have gotten where we are financially in this adoption if we hadn't done this step.  We took Financial Peace University at our church from Dave Ramsey's organization.  In 18 months, we paid off $39,000 and now the only debt we have is our mortgage.  We have a zero based budget where we plan every dollar before the month begins.  We can be intentional about where our money is going and make a plan.

3. Pray pray pray
Pray for wisdom and direction and learn all you can about orphans.  This is probably the most important step.  Make sure you and your spouse are in the same place emotionally and spiritually.

4. Save at least $5000-$7000
That seems insignificant in a process that may end up costing nearly $40,000 but its a great place to start.  It is enough with our agency to pay for the 1st installment of the agency fees and a home study. Then make a plan.  Plan how much you are able to contribute each month (including how much you can cut from other places), how much you can find quickly (savings, bonuses, extra paychecks, tax returns), and how much you will need to raise in addition to what you can contribute.

5. Make a fundraising plan
Start buy setting up a fundraising website like we have at AdoptTogether.  You need to have a completed home study before it will become active. Then, you can decide what other fundraising options you want to consider. For us, that meant selling shirts, having a yard sale, a pancake breakfast and selling other crafts.  Set up a blog and make a plan for how you are going to share your story on social media.

6. Explore adoption grants
There are a lot of grants out there and they can go a long way in helping families adopt.  Many of them only apply to families under a certain income, faith or location.  We have currently applied for four that we qualified for.  Most of them require you to have a completed home study and many of them can be quite lengthy to complete, but even if just one comes through it would be worth all that effort.

7. Go to an informational seminar or do a webinar
Information is power and hearing other people's stories can really answer a lot of your questions.  We went to a seminar from our agency and it was so key in us feeling right about this and moving forward. It can also just give you an overall feel of an agency and know if it is the right one for your family. Talk to as many adoptive families as you can find and don't be afraid to ask questions.

China Travel Tips

I was so thankful for all of the information on our conference calls leading up to our ACT trip to China because they did an amazing job letting us know what to pack and what to expect. I've only been to China once and it wasn't even very long of a trip but I thought it would be good to blog what I learned and what I would try to remember for when we return!

-All hotels are different in the amount of outlets they offer but ours did not have many. I'm going to remember to bring a small power strip so that I only need one adapter to plug in several things. I also assumed that there would be a hairdryer and there wasn't so next time, I'm going to bring my own. I will be buying several small outlet adapters just to be on the safe side.

-I'm so thankful for my cousin advising me to get a VPN service before we left. I used it both on my phone and computer so I could access Facebook, Twitter, etc that are blocked in China. I didn't make any voice calls while I'm there but I was able to use Facetime over wifi at the hotel on my iPhone.

-Our hotel did not have Western breakfast options on the buffet and my stomach just can't do noodles and broccoli at 8am so I'm very thankful I brought protein bars and peanut butter crackers. We only had Chinese food except for one McDonalds break (something I very grateful for even though I don't eat there at home) and I was glad I had some other options in my luggage. I also brought some energy/vitamin drink packets that they sell at Costco so I could add to my water bottle to keep up my energy and have a different flavored drink.

-The security while flying domestically in China is different than in the US and other international airports. They do not allow any liquids in carry on luggage. Not just less than a certain number of ounces...none from what I could tell. So I packed all of my toiletries in my checked bag. They also do not allow batteries. I had the little battery that is supposed to be a back up charger for my iPhone taken from me. Thankfully, it was just $5 at Five Below and hopefully it is bringing the "Chinese TSA" agent that took it from me much joy!

-Be prepared for any medical situation. Bring a first aid kit and any medications you could possibly need. When we go back to adopt our child, I will also bring children's ibuprofen because you do not want a low grade fever to keep you from leaving the country. I brought ibuprofen, Imodium, Themocare heat patches and Benadryl this time. I had a little stomach discomfort one day, took one Imodium and felt all better. Its better to have more medication, then to be in China and not have something you need. Chinese pharmacies are very different than ours.

-Next time I'm bringing a fanny pack.  Yes, I know how they look but when I have a larger camera around my neck, I don't need another bag hanging off of me. Fanny packs are a great way to have money, your passport, and other small items handy. They even have some with water bottle holders so everything you need would be right where you need it. It also is easier to keep safe in places where you might encounter pickpockets like the Great Wall.

-Instant coffee is a must if you are a coffee drinker. Our hotel did not have coffee but it did have a hot pot in our room. Once I got a mug, and make sure you read the mug story, I was able to boil water from my water bottle, mix in a packet of Starbucks instant cafe mocha mix and have a wonderful treat in my room.

A small list of my must bring items for next time:

• small umbrella
• snacks
• hanging toiletry bag
• comfortable shoes
• socks
• light rain jacket
• fanny pack
• Instant coffee
• powdered creamer
• mug

The best thing is just to be flexible and prepared. Our hotel's air conditioning wasn't as cool as we were used to so we bought a $7 fan and it was much more comfortable. Most things you can find at a nearby market if there was no way to bring it there but just don't expect the same offerings as your local Wal-Mart.