"experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted." -randy pausch

Saturday, November 14, 2009

my kind.

my kind of weather:-)
my kind of men.
missing?
whipped cream for my hot chocolate.
the last can lasted two weeks.
maybe i should be buying the double pack at costco...
...
budget confessions:
i caved and went to lunch with girlfriends yesterday.
$8 on pizza for the pork loin and me.
there went my money for tammy's scentsy party.
sigh.
remind me next time that the conversation with the ladies is worth it, but the $8 on pizza is not.

Friday, November 13, 2009

PINK FRIDAY


when the scout master and i were in college,
i worked for a company named melaleuca.
they paid great for rexburg,
and
they gave you $80 every month to buy their products.
genius.
i'm still hooked on their stuff.
the renew lotion.
lalalalalala
it's like a drink of water for your body.
one of my favorite crews i worked with was in the enrollment department.
training was fun too, but that was later.
so in enrollments i worked with a guy named joe.
he had curly hair and would straighten with a straightener just b/c he thought it was funny.
it was funny.
he started a friday tradition in the call center.
PINK FRIDAY.
it makes friday lots of fun.
it spread like pepto bismo,
or that's how it looked at least.
every friday.
it spread more like the swine flu.
fast and furious.
so today, i'm bringing it back.
PINK FRIDAY folks.
every friday, you wear pink.
it's just that simple.
and let me tell you,
friday will never be the same again;-)
don't forget H2T.
(that's "head to toe" for you mr. j, tyra, top model lovers)
h2t.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

greta.

i have 2 thanksgiving decorations.
i can only find one.
this one.
isn't she cute?
i love her.
she was my mom's.
now she's mine.
i found her at my mom's garage sale when she moved to the land of aloha.
i feel like she needs a name.
greta.
right now, i'm feeling greta.
anyone have any other ideas?
my house is still feeling festive, despite my lacking decor.
i just remembered i have 4 gourds and a pumpkin spice candle.
those count for sure.
see, my house is festive.
goble, goble.
...
in other news...
brennan has been sneezing.
i've been sleeping great.
a feat i thought was impossible during pregnancy.
the scout master has been looking extra attractive.
mama C arrives from the land of aloha in one week.
i learned how to make homemade bread last night.
apparently, i've been adding WAY too much flour.
moisture people, moisture.
it's all about the moisture.
it's supposed to be tacky.
my dough has never been tacky.
snow is on the weather bug for tomorrow and thursday.
cows and elephants are brennan's favorite animals.
oh, and a "kitty" named sox.
too bad greta doesn't have sox.
we could name her sox.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

in my hall for 4 days.

this right here folks.
this is the ONLY reason i dislike the cold weather.
my dang drying rack sits out for 4 days.
in my hall.
for 4 days.
b/c the clothes won't dry in the cooler air.
i'd still rather have the cold.
i just want my clothes to figure out a way to dry faster,
so that my toddler doesn't break my drying rack.
he loves to make it sway.

Monday, November 9, 2009

the budget

we finally had to get serious about our budget.
i've always "claimed" there was a budget before,
but really, it was a flexible spending account.
meaning, if we came within 2 or 300 dollars of our goal, we could always just do better next month.
well, after two years of trying to do better next month we realized we were spending astronomical amounts of money on things that could be costing much less.
i had no idea where all of our money was going.
grad school is almost over, and there is only one more set of loan checks coming in january.
we're down to the skimpy minimum,
and i've never felt more financially secure.
yes, you heard me right.
i've never felt more financially secure.
after years of "budgeting" (or so i called it), we've finally created a budget that is working.
when i tell you what we're doing you're going to say, "no duh."
i know.
it's nothing fancy.
it's simple.
and it works.
10 Steps to Financial Freedom!
(just call me suzi orman, haha)
1. i get my calendar.
2. i take the total $$ we have for the month and subtract all of our regular bill payments.
3. i divide the $$ left into the number of weeks in the month (grrr to the 5 week months!).
4. i write the $$ amount we have for each week of the month at the beginning of the week (yes, it's usually the same number and yes, i write the same number down to remind me what we have. the "in your face" idea works for us.)
5. i save and sean saves every receipt from any purchase we make during the week (even the $1 i pay to park at the gateway discovery. every penny counts!)
6. i plan all of my meals for the entire week, but writing down the meal we will have on each day.
7. i make a shopping list.
8. i only buy what's on my list.
9. we don't eat out. we eat leftovers for lunch & sometimes one night of the week, depending on how many leftovers the meals i've made during the week can last.
10. if there's not enough money in the budget for the week, the expense waits until the following week.

...
is it always easy?
no.
is it hard to say,
"we can't afford it this week?"
yes.
but are we tied down by spending money we don't have?
no!
we're sticking to the budget, and it feels really great.
...
i came within 38 cents of our weekly budget this week.
i'm so proud:-)
p.s.,
i'm sure there will be an unexpected expense or bill, but we'll work it in, and we'll feel all the more smart.
and if not, we'll make do, but we'll be better off for our planning.
and
goddesses, let me tell you, not having to think about "what's for dinner" b/c it's already planned and everything is in your fridge for the ENTIRE WEEK is aMAZing.
go ahead,
try it.
i DARE you.