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.jpeg "view a winter sunrise and get out of seasonal monotony")
If you are just starting to read these posts and are wondering why I am doing something as a "first" for each day of the year, you can read more of the story and background HERE.
Day Four// View a Winter Sunrise And Get Out of Seasonal Monotony
Cost: Free
Time: 15-20 Minutes
If you have been around the blog for a little while then you know that I love a summer sunrise. It is not unusual for me to get up extra early to view the beauty in the morning at the cabin and to rest in that beauty.
As I thought about a first for this year though I realized I had never woke up early to see a winter sunrise. Even as an early riser it is unlike me to want to leave the house when it is freezing out in the morning. But as I kept looking out at my window in the morning as I prepared for the day the sunrises looked stunning.
So I picked a morning, got up extra early, and headed out to watch a winter sunrise.
.jpeg "view a winter sunrise and get out of seasonal monotony")
It was freezing y'all. 1 little degree and I had to start giggling that the morning I chose ended up being the coldest morning throughout that entire week.
I drove over to a place where I could see the mountains and the sunrise... and it was chilly... and absolutely stunning. As I sat sipping my hot tea and watching the morning colors brighten the sky I was in awe... and energized.
.jpeg "view a winter sunrise and get out of seasonal monotony")
This was a first that was beautiful, simple, and honestly took a total of about 15 minutes. Sometimes I hear from people when they hear what I am doing this year that they don't have the time to do something like that. They tell me that the time to do something new each day just doesn't work for their schedule. I get it. Life can be incredibly busy, but most of these firsts don't take a lot of time and I hope that can encourage you on your own adventures if you are concerned about that!
For me this first was absolutely invigorating. While I didn't look forward to heading out so early in the cold, I was stunned at the beauty and energized by doing something so simple to start the day off. As the rest of the winter continued I often thought of that morning and the beauty that surrounds us in all different seasons. I found myself slipping out many mornings 15-20 minutes earlier than I use to leave to go to walk, just to see the beauty of winter sunrises. It is something I definitely plan to continue.
This first was a simple but beautiful encouragement to get out of the "seasonal monotony" that I realized I can fall into. Sometimes the best adventures can happen when we try something that "we always do" in one season in a different one.
Tips for Creating Your Own First Related to This:
*Brave the cold and go view a winter sunrise. There is something stunningly beautiful about seeing a sunrise in the winter versus the summer.
*Consider "seasonal monotony items" that can be transferred to a different season for a first. For example do you always only go on vacation during the summer? Plan a trip for the Winter. Always go on a cruise on Spring Break? Try a cruise in the winter.
Sometimes returning to a place where you once sat in pain shows you the slow and tender healing that is taking place.
Nearly 7 months ago I sat in this parking lot staring at the trees that were basically bare. I had just encountered an incredibly painful situation that had taken place and was stunned and a bit speechless at what had happened.
I sat in the car of the hotel parking lot with tears just slipping down my face, looking out in space. I didn’t even realize that my door was open or someone had approached the car beside me and was trying to get in.
All of a sudden a voice said, “Miss, are you okay?” …
As I started to stammer an apology this kind gentleman started talking a the trees and how they were bare because before the fall leaves could even turn they had fallen off… the weather conditions had affected them so much they just died and fell off… I tried to listen and then something he said started to resonate… he said, “…sometimes that is how life is… it looks like bare due to various conditions and then in time things will start to lightly bloom again…” … he spoke a few more minutes and then he quietly said goodbye and left…
As I stared at the trees I was in so much pain that it was hard to believe that they would bloom again… but on Saturday I stood in that same parking lot and it was full of beauty… and a redemptive moment hit me very tenderly… truly beauty does come from some of the most painful places…
These last 7 months have been very painful, difficult, and filled with some of the most wounding words, actions, and rejection that I could have ever imagined.
As I stared at the trees I was in so much pain that it was hard to believe that they would bloom again… but on Saturday I stood in that same parking lot and it was full of beauty… and a redemptive moment hit me very tenderly… truly beauty does come from some of the most painful places…
These last 7 months have been very painful, difficult, and filled with some of the most wounding words, actions, and rejection that I could have ever imagined.
It has been hurtful.
It has brought up questions into things that have long past.
February 3rd brought the end of this complicated situation and the start of tear-filled and gentle healing. Healing is still happening and taking place… and gentle hope has filled the last weeks since that day.
I may share more at a later time, but today I just want to encourage those that might be in a very painful bare tree moment… I hope that the dawning of spring is a gentle reminder of hope and a tender reminder to keep taking a step at a time.
I may share more at a later time, but today I just want to encourage those that might be in a very painful bare tree moment… I hope that the dawning of spring is a gentle reminder of hope and a tender reminder to keep taking a step at a time.
Getting paid should be something that is really simple; however, for many small businesses, it can cause stress, delays, and confusion. If you are spending far too much of your valuable time chasing invoices, fixing errors, or juggling spreadsheets, your payment process needs to be reset.
*Photo by Mikhail Nilov: https://www.pexels.com/photo/couple-people-woman-desk-6963857/
Let's have a look at some of the practical ways you can streamline how your business gets paid, save time, and improve your cash flow below.
Set Up Recurring Payments for Regular Clients
If you work with clients on a subscription, ongoing, or retainer basis, then recurring payments are something that you need to get set up if you haven't already.
Rather than sending the same invoice on a monthly basis, think about setting up an automated schedule. Your client will get billed automatically, and then you will get paid much faster, and you would have to send fewer reminders or follow-ups. It also means that your cash flow is going to be more predictable, which is great when it comes to planning.
Many payment platforms let you create recurring invoices and store payment methods securely, so this shouldn't be a problem. You can either customize your billing cycle and send reminders,, as well as track payments without having to do anything, which takes away from the time and pressure from this department. This works very well for service providers, fitness studios, consultants, freelancers, and anybody who is offering a monthly package.
Use Accounting Software to Sync Payments
Manual tracking invites mistakes, late entries, duplicated invoices, and missing receipts can all cause headaches when it comes to tax season.
When you are using accounting software, it helps to reduce this by syncing your payments and recording them in real-time. When a client pays, the transaction gets locked automatically. You are able to see any outstanding balances, view cash flow trends, and also generate reports in a few clicks.
Platforms like Xero, QuickBooks, and Wave all connect your bank and payment systems. This means that everything is all in one place and is really useful to look at—no switching between spreadsheets and bank apps in order to track your money.
If you're still managing your books manually, it is now time to make the upgrade. It will save you hours every month, and it will also mean that you will be able to stay on top of your finances on a yearly basis. It will also make any taxes you have to do at the end of the year much easier.
Simplify Your Invoicing Process
Confusing invoices are only going to lead to delays with any payments coming to you. If your client has any questions, then your payment is going to be sitting on hold, and this is just going to be an endless cycle.
Make sure that your invoices are simple and consistent, and they have a clear layout. They should include your business name, contact information, your address, invoice number, and issue date, as well as a clear description of any services or products.
You also need to make sure that you provide them with the due date, payment terms, and accepted payment methods. You need to make sure that you are specific with as much information as possible.
Integrate Your Payment Solutions
Make sure you aren't making your customers jump through hoops in order to pay you. When you accept credit cards, bank transfers, or digital wallets, having everything integrated in one place makes a massive difference.
Integrative payment solutions mean that you are able to accept payments, send invoices, and track income all in one place. You avoid double data entry, which means that you aren't going to have any errors.
You're gonna get real-time insights into what's being paid and what's overdue. In order to make this easier, have a look at this page on accepting payments; it helps you to connect payment tools with your website, POS system, and accounting software. The result of this is a much smoother checkout process, less friction, and much faster payments.
Offer Multiple Payment Options
One of the easiest ways for you to make sure that you are getting paid faster is to allow your customers to choose how they pay you. Some people will like to send bank transfers or use mobile wallets, while some prefer to use cards.
The more flexible you are able to be, the fewer delays you are going to have when it comes to receiving your money.
Make sure that your invoices or checkout page clearly lists all of the ways that you accept payments and try to avoid platforms that only support one option. Instead, you should make sure you are using tools that offer built-in flexibility.
Final Thoughts
A slow manual payment process is going to hinder your cash flow and it is also going to use up valuable time. The more you are able to automate, integrate into your systems, and also simplify, the more time you are going to free up in order to be able to look at other business operations.
Make sure you are taking the steps to streamline the process, as getting paid is something that should be part of your daily routine, not something that is a constant struggle.
*contributed post*
Happy Monday friends! I hope that you had a wonderful weekend! It was a busy, fun and FULL weekend with some amazing adventures (including traveling to New Jersey for a TPT Live event!). I can't wait to share more soon but y'all... it was AMAZING. I hope that each of you had an amazing weekend as well!
Today I am excited to share the top 5 items that y'all have loved the most from the Caravan Sonnet Shoppe for the month of March! March was a bit slower in the shop and that has been typical for my shop for the last couple of years.
Thank you for ALL the sweet reviews, the love, and the support of this space and shop!! I am SO excited to share SO many new things coming in the weeks ahead!!!
I hope that if you are interested in shop statistics, how it looks to really grow a TPT shop, or just any entrepreneurial business that this information is incredibly helpful and encouraging for you! Over the last 12 years of building Caravan Sonnet blog and brand, December Caravan Etsy Shop, and this TPT store the one thing I can definitely say is that things take time. Keep pushing ahead and keep planting the seeds... it is worth it!
.jpg "march 2025 best sellers in the caravan sonnet shoppe on teachers pay teachers")
A fun thing that happened this month was a change in the shop logo! I loved the change!
Total Number of Sales in March 2025: 34
Number of Countries: 2 -United States and Canada
Number of States: 18 States (with the most sales from Texas)
New Community/Followers on TPT: 17 (!!) (Currently: 67) Thank you!!
New Reviews: 0
New Community/Followers on the Caravan Sonnet Shoppe IG Page: 80 (!!)(Currently 167)-Thank you!!
*March hit a milestone month of having more than 100 followers and we celebrated here*
Most Watched Reel for March 2025: HERE (isn't the song fun??)
If you want to follow along it is incredibly easy- simply click HERE and click the FOLLOW star! That is it! I look forward to connecting more with you there!
I love looking at this type of data and information and planning on how to best serve YOU! It is truly an honor to prove creative, colorful, and most of all educational resources that are ready to use! Thank you again for all of your support! Here are the top 5 best sellers of March 2025!
*****5 STAR RATED*****
Price: $2.00
This resource contains 19 Powerpoint Slides with colorful, animated, engaging, and educational sections all about Taxes!
This Powerpoint specifically explains Basic Definition and Understanding of Taxes, discusses taxes and Filing, explains the difference between Taxable and Non-Taxable Income noted throughout different slides, discusses how wages and tip income taxes are handled, introduces the different requirements and tests for dependents, the five different filing status' and finally has three dedicated slides to state income taxes. This is truly a ALL in one tax resource!
This Powerpoint Presentation contains practical and helpful information to help students understand the basic principals of federal and state taxes which is a national requirement for a financial literacy/personal finance class and also required by most state standards. It will also help you in your discussion of this topic!
Powerpoint contains the following information:
* Basic Definition and Understanding of Taxes
* Taxes and Filing
* Taxable and Non-Taxable Income
* Wages and Tip Income Taxes
* Interest Income
* Dependents
* Filing Status
* State Income Tax
and MORE!
*****5 STAR RATED*****
Price: $2.00
CONSISTENT WEEKLY BEST SELLER in 2023 and 2024
One of the most WELL loved resources in the shop!!
*TOP 5 BEST SELLER IN THE SHOP**
Blog Posts about this resource: 5 Star Review
This resource Contains 16 Powerpoint Slides with colorful, animated, engaging, and educational sections all about renting/leasing an apartment and includes guided/scaffolded notes! This Powerpoint Presentation contains practical and helpful information to help students make steps to help them choose an apartment that is right for them and what things to consider when looking for an apartment, leasing an apartment, walk throughs, and MORE! It also gives students tips ways to save money in this process. It will also help you in your discussion of this topic!
This resource will be particularly helpful for all different students who may be coming from a variety of income backgrounds!
This powerpoint is specifically helpful if you are wanting to dive deeper into this financial aspect of this topic, need a substitute filler around this time period or a way to sensitively introduce the concept of living alone/apartment living for a later unit. However you are using this- this will be a way to help students (and their families!) think about this subject in new ways and help this come alive for your students. This resource will help bring creative engagement to your lectures!
This resource contains the following information:
* Finding and Researching Apartments
* Budgeting for an Apartment
* Financial Aspects of Apartment Living
* 22 Hidden Apartment Costs
* Location Considerations
* Apartment Amenities
* Walk Throughs
*Specific Walk Through Considerations
*Negotiating Rent
*Final Lease Signing
Blog Posts about this resource: Blog Post
Powerpoint Contains 11 Powerpoint Slides with colorful, animated, engaging, and educational sections on Identity Theft.
This powerpoint is specifically helpful if you are wanting dive deeper into the unit of Identity Theft/Scams which has always been extremely popular with my students in my classes! This can also be helpful if you need a substitute filler around this unit! However you are using this- this will be a way to help students (and their families!) think about this subject in new ways and help this come alive for your students.This resource will help bring creative engagement to your lectures!
*Powerpoint can be easily converted into Google Slides for your convenience
**Powerpoint can be edited to fit the needs of your classroom!
Powerpoint contains the following information:
* Definition of Identity Theft
* Major Identity Theft Rings
* Major Identity Theft Information
* Identity Theft Tactics
* How to Protect Against Identity Theft
* How to Respond to Identity Theft
Price: $1.00
Blog Posts about this resource: Road Trip Budget Blog Post
This zip file Contains 2 PDF pages (Road Trip Budget Worksheet for student copy/1 page for teacher suggestions on how to creatively use this worksheet in a variety of ways) to help students learn how to create a travel budget for road trips. This will work perfectly with the Semester Finance Bundle or any of the Personal Finance Resource sections!
This activity/assignment is specifically helpful if you are wanting dive deeper into this financial aspect of travel budgets with relation to road trips(with travel budgets often a state requirement for many states in the US), need a substitute filler around this subject or a way to sensitively introduce the concept of common Spring Break trips for road trips/ travel on a variety of different income levels. However you are using this- this will be a way to help students (and their families!) think about this subject in new ways and help this come alive for your students. This resource will help bring creative engagement to your lectures!
Just looking for a basic travel budget worksheet? Check out the Travel Budget Worksheet Resource in my store HERE!
This resources includes:
- PDF- Road Trip Budget Vacation Worksheet
- PDF Assignment Suggestion Sheet listing 5 unique and creative ways to use this Road Trip budget vacation worksheet in your classroom
-There is NO key to this as you can edit the parameters to fit the needs of your specific classroom assignment
*over 198+ Pages Included*
Price: $18.00
CONSISTENT WEEKLY BEST SELLER in 2023 and 2024
One of the most WELL loved resources in the shop!!
(I actually wrote an entire blog post on this bundle which you can find HERE!)
This bundle includes ALL of the powerpoint presentations and resources with colorful, animated, engaging, and educational sections from the College Life Unit in Personal Finance! With over 195 powerpoint presentation pages/slides/PDFs/Word Document Assignment/Classroom Activities and Keys! (198 to be exact!!) you will be ready to have a foundation to teach this unit in your personal finance class!
This bundle is the only one of its kind on teachers pay teachers and is a FANASTIC way to combine state standard requirements in your financial literacy class with engaging, practical and helpful information for students. This is a resource for personal finance teachers at the high school or college level. I personally have found that it works fantastic with juniors and seniors in high school!
When I first started teaching personal finance I wasn't even sure where to begin and lots of the materials that were available that could be found (which was extremely limited) seemed out of date and very boring. Creating these resources for my students helped bring this material alive in new ways and these powerpoints will help be a foundation for your unit also!
This bundle includes the following 19 resources including:
- Finding/Renting an Apartment Powerpoint (#2 Best Seller in the Shoppe!)
- Financial Freedom for College Students Powerpoint
- The Value of a College Degree Powerpoint
- The Cost of a College Education Powerpoint
- Personal Finance College Budget Assignment/Activity
- Coffee and Your Budget Powerpoint (National Coffee Day)
- 8 Scams Targeting College Students Powerpoint
- 18 Ways to Make College Cheaper Powerpoint
- 13 Ways to Save Money on College Textbooks Powerpoint
- Student Loan Debt Activity
- All about the FASFA Powerpoint (Consistent Best Seller in the Shoppe!)
- Four Types of Insurance Everyone Needs Powerpoint
- 10 Christmas Presents under $20 for College Students Powerpoint
- Creating a Travel Budget Powerpoint
- Cruise Budget Assignment
- Travel Budget Assignment and Suggestions
- Road Trip Budget Assignment
- Ski/Snowboard Trip Budget Assignment
- Spring Break Trip Budget Assignment
- This bundle includes 19 products including:
- PowerPoint Presentations
- Word Document Classroom Activity/Assignment (includes Political Cartoons)
- Travel Budget Worksheets (including Cruising Budget!)
- PDF Document Assignments
- Answer Keys to Assignments
Honorable Mentions of Top Sales in March...
Price: $2.00
(I actually wrote an entire blog post on this one product which you can find HERE!)
This resource Contains 10 Powerpoint Slides with colorful, animated, engaging, and educational sections on the Comparison of Salary and Hourly Pay! This Powerpoint Presentation contains practical and helpful information to help students make steps to help them choose career paths that are right for them. It also helps students see the key differences between both types of pay and how to evaluate which is right for them. It will also help you in your discussion of this topic!
This resource will be particularly helpful for all different students who may be coming from a variety of income backgrounds!
This powerpoint is specifically helpful if you are wanting to dive deeper into this financial aspect of this topic, need a substitute filler around this time period or a way to sensitively introduce the concept of comparing salaried vs hourly rates for a later unit. However you are using this- this will be a way to help students (and their families!) think about this subject in new ways and help this come alive for your students.This resource will help bring creative engagement to your lectures!
This resources includes the following topics:
- Definitions of Hourly Pay and Salaried Pay
- Differences between Hourly Pay and Salaried Pay
- Salary Pros and Cons
- Hourly Pay Pros and Cons
- 5 tips for Determining if a Salaried Position is Right for You
This resources includes:
PowerPoint and Guided Notes
Guided Notes come with three options:
(1) Fill in the Blank Notes (with answer key)
(2) One Slide a Page with Note Space Below
(3) Multiple Slides a Page with Mini Note Sections to the Right
Purchase this resource HERE!
So there are the 5 top sellers from March 2025! I am so excited to see in April what the top sellers will be as I am getting ready to release so many different fun end of year Resources to the shop!
I also want to take a moment to say thank you for every single purchase that has been made in the shop. I work incredibly hard with so much heart behind the scenes to make these products and I want to share the products that others are finding helpful in case you or a teacher/homeschool mama friend could find them useful also. So thank you again for your support of my shoppe! If you have purchased something from the shop- would you take a moment to leave a review? Reviews for shops are SO important and I SO appreciate your help and time!
Thank you again for all of your support, for following along in the shop, for your kind reviews, and for purchasing these products!
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