Show notes
Well, this episode is all about Christmas and Christmas candy and cleaning your house for Christmas and one of our family's favorite stocking stuffer traditions... and then we take a hard turn and Jesse interviews me as I share more of our story and specifically how I broke free from legalism. (I know, those two topics have nothing to do with one another -- but hey, you just never know what you're going to get when you tune into the podcast each week!) To be honest, I didn't know how my conversation with Jesse was going to go as we shared this part of our story. I knew there were things I wanted and needed to share. I've shared them with people who know me personally and I've briefly touched on things in posts here and there, but I've never publicly opened up about those first few years of blogging like I did in this episode. If you were around in the early days of blogging and read my original blog, I think you will want to listen to this episode. If you weren't around when I was first blogging, but you have been curious how I went from being extremely conservative to where I am today, you will definitely want to listen to this episode. By the way, I was a little apprehensive about how this conversation was going to go, so I asked Jesse if he could lead the interview instead of me. He did a fantastic job and I loved getting to have our roles reversed a little on the podcast! (Though, of course, he had to remind me about being irritable during the few month of my pregnancy! ;)) We also share about some of our first few businesses (yup, MoneySavingMom.com was not our first business -- oh no! We tried quite a few things before then!), our business failures, and I share candidly what I learned from those. Plus, we end the episode answering a listener question about how to get over your fear of traveling. By the way, be sure to download the 2-Hour House Cleaning Checklist. It's perfect for this time of year when we're either hosting guests or wanting to get our house in more orderly shape heading into 2019! In This Episode: [01:26] - It's all things Christmas around here this episode! I talk about our favorite Christmas candy, tell you how my 2-hour House Cleaning Checklist has saved my life and how it might be the perfect checklist for your holiday season, and share about a fun family tradition for stocking stuffers we have each year that is inexpensive, easy, and so memorable. [06:54] - Jesse joins me today, but we flip things around and he serves as the podcast "host" and interviews me. [9:33] - When I realized I was pregnant (surprise!) and was so sick and had to quit working, I went online to try to learn how to make money at home. Listen in to learn about something I thought would be a good idea. [11:52] - Jesse and I talk about how that first business idea worked (or, more accurately, didn’t work). We discuss what we thought would be a great idea and why it didn't really work. [14:34] - We talk about one of the valuable lessons I learned from that business, and how it helped with future projects. [16:10] - I talk about why I ended up starting my first blog, what it was called and why I'm pretty embarrassed about it now. I share how God used atheist and feminists (many of whom came and left very negative comments on my blog!) to open my eyes up to my legalism and to help me begin to start in on a journey of breaking free from legalism. [21:32] - And then I get really honest and share how I've learned some important life-changing lessons through all of this and I ask forgiveness of those I offended with my very black and white, abrasive, legalistic blog posts. [25:25] - This week’s question comes from Carrie, who asks if I was afraid to travel overseas and whether I have any insights or tips on being comfortable in a foreign country. Jesse and I both share about what has helped us and how we've overcome our anxiety about traveling and long flights. Links and Resources: Twigby (this episode’s amazing sponsor!) The World’s Easiest Christmas Candy recipe 2-Hour House-Cleaning Checklist 23 Stocking Stuffer Ideas from Dollar Tree The Crystal Paine Show Episode 1 The Crystal Paine Show Episode 5 The Crystal Paine Show Episode 9 CrystalPaine.com MoneySavingMom.com YourBloggingMentor.com My Instagram account (I’d love for you to follow me there! I usually hop on at least a few times per day and share behind-the-scenes photos and videos, my grocery store hauls, funny stories, or just anything I’m pondering or would like your advice or feedback on!) Have feedback on the show or suggestions for future episodes or topics? Send me an email: [email protected] Sponsor Spotlight Today’s episode is sponsored by Twigby — a company dedicated to providing fantastic phone service at great prices. As I mentioned in the podcast, if you are looking for a great deal on a phone for your teen (or yourself!), I’d highly recommend checking out what Twigby has to offer. Unlike traditional cell phone companies, they give you the ability to create your own custom, prepaid plan — without a contract or an unnecessary activation fee. You don’t have to mess with going to a store and picking out a phone plan. You just go to their site, pick your phone plan and either switch your current phone over or get a new phone, and they get it all set up for you. My favorite part about their service (in addition to their great prices!) is that they offer plan flexibility with the ability to change plans or phones at any time for free. You’re not locked into an expensive contract that has activation and termination fees. They also offer Free Overage Protection, so you can rest easy in knowing that you will never be charged for overages without your go-ahead! You have complete control. Special offer! Want to save 25% off your first 6 months of Twigby? Click here. Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission — at no additional cost to you. Thank you so much for your support! Our Sponsors:* Check out KiwiCo and use my code CRYSTAL for a great deal: https://kiwico.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands