Wednesday, May 30, 2012

So What Wednesdays


This week I'm saying So What if...
  • I ate dessert for breakfast yesterday. I wasn't hungry enough to eat a meal and it was amazing.
  • We had a hodge podge for dinner yesterday. Bean and cheese burritos and chili cheese fries hit the spot.
  • I only feel like an adult when we're doing adult things like going to Home Depot or dressing up for events.
  • I reminded my husband not to turn on the tv until he was ready for bed. We're on a tv diet and he really needs to get more sleep. Going to bed at 11pm and waking up at 3:50am is not the best idea.
  • I finished another book and am considering buying a Nook or Kindle. My husband will insist I go the the library because it's free.
  • I finished my in-laws quilt top in a weekend, but I've been slacking on adding the borders. It's a Christmas present, so I have time!
  • I refuse to swim in the community pool when there are tons of people there. I don't like splashing and I like to be able to move in the water without hitting someone.
  •  

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Sometimes and Always

 

Sometimes... I make a lot of food during the week and we have tons of leftovers.
Always... My husband tries to eat them all so we don't waste food (or money).

Sometimes... We have heart to hearts talks and make difficult decisions {like giving up Netflix}.
Always... We eventually adjust and know we made the right decision.

Sometimes... We have friends over and entertain.
Always... Some inappropriate funny things happen and have a great time.
Yes, those are pink handcuffs hanging from the chandelier. I put them up as a joke and the key got stuck in it and it took forever to get them down!

Sometimes... My husband says the funniest things and truly believes them {like how I can't go swimming because I just at a PB&J}.
Always... I laugh and reason with him {I know how to swim, I'm an adult, and there will be a lifeguard on duty}.

Sometimes... I like to keep things beween Phil and I for a while.
Always... When my sister finds out, she wonders why I didn't tell her sooner.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Reality Check


My husband and I just cancelled our Netflix streaming. We don't have satellite or cable and we were using Netflix as a way to still have tv and save money. The reality is that I am addicted to watching tv. I watch it in the morning while eating breakfast, while sewing, when I'm tired, hungry, and bored. We even watch it while eating dinner and I continue watching pretty much until bed time. It's a serious problem and we've decided that it is time to cut back.

We'll still have Netflix until June 22nd, but we are going to start making a conscious effort to watch less. Both my husband and I use it as a way to escape and that's not what we are looking to accomplish.

We are hoping that by giving up Netflix, we will be able to spend more time doing more productive things and have more time to spend together doing things that will build our relationship stronger.

It's going to be a huge adjustment, but I think the investment will be well worth it. Plus, we'll be saving $8 a month!


Sunday, May 27, 2012

Memorial Day Weekend

I usually don't post on what we did for the weekend because...

1. It's usually really boring.
2. I never have any pictures because what we do is boring.

This weekend was different because we actually did something (other than laundry and running errands) and I took at least a couple of pictures. It's a start, right?

Saturday we were invited to a friend's house for some food and games. It was a lot of fun and everyone loved my veggie pizza! Afterwards, we went with friends to church. I love going to church Saturday evening because it's less crowded and I always wake up cranky when we try to go on Sundays.

Today, Phil and I started off the morning with breakfast in bed and a movie. It was nice to have a slow start to the day and to spend time with my husband. We were able to lounge around at home for a while before we headed to the campground to visit my in-laws for dinner. My in-laws go camping in their travel trailer every Memorial Day weekend and we are invited to visit and hang out. I told Phil that I wanted to see them for dinner and have a camfire with s'mores and that's just what we did!

Citronella candles are my best friends when we're at a campground. Bugs like to eat me up and I have bad reactions to bites. This candle follows me around everywhere!


After dinner, my father-in-law made the campfire so we could toast some marshmellows for s'mores.

My husband and I ended the night at the campground with a walk and headed home where I cut his hair and we watched another movie.

Tomorrow we have a couple of friends coming over for lunch. Nothing fancy, but we'll be having hot dogs and turkey burgers. I love getting together with friends and entertaining so it will be a lot of fun.

I'm really happy that we were able to slow down this weekend and really enjoy spending time together.



Wednesday, May 23, 2012

So What Wednesday


This week, I'm saying So What if...

  • My Etsy shop banner is ugly. I don't know how to make a nicer one and I don't have money to shell out for a professional one...help!
  • I don't know how to add social media buttons to my blog. I've read the instructions to the tutorial 50 times, but I can't seem to figure that out either.
  • I'm watching old reruns of Teen Mom 1 & 2 on Netflix a lot. I love that show and can't wait for them to add more.
  • I am working with two bloggers at the same time hosting giveaways. Jen is hosting $15 towards any item in my shop and Mrs. Monologues is giving away one of my clutch purses for summer!
  • I'm just now learning how to represent my business. Any tips?
  • I sew a lot and that's mainly what I talk about these days. It's what I do and I stay at home.
  • We just announced to my parents that we are trying to start a family. Phil's parents knew, but with mine being so far away, I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up.
  • I asked my mom to buy me this charm pack because my husband said no. She likes to buy things for me every now and then. Plus, it was less than $10 with shipping!

  • Joy Charm Pack by Kate Spain for Moda Fabrics SKU# 27120PP
    via

    Don't you just love all of the Christmas colors? I can't wait to make something out of it! 


Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Sometimes and Always



Sometimes... I get bored being at home by myself.I
Always... I love being a house wife and find something to do.

Sometimes... I want to try 50 million different projects all at once.
Always... I try to limit them so I don't get overwhelmed.

Sometimes... I think that giving up tv would be a good idea.
Always... I know I would get too bored without it.

Sometimes... I like to host things at our place.
Always... I love having a friend host so there's no cleanup afterwards!

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Blessings

I can't help but to feel blessed today. As I look around my apartment, I realize that we have everything we need and a lot of what we want. Before we were married, most of my furniture was from my husband's family or friends. I didn't have to purchase many things to furnish my apartment and I was ok with that. As time went on (and when we found a great deal) we went ahead and "upgraded" some of our furniture.

The one big piece of furniture that we have yet to change is our dining room table and chairs. I love our current dining room set, but to be honest, it's seen better days. Some of the chairs are wobbly and the legs of the table wobble when we pull out the table to add the leaves.

I've been wanting to relace the chairs for a while, but I couldn't find any that we liked that fit our budget until last night. We were driving to my in-laws to play games with a friend when I saw a couple of tables and chairs labeled "Free." We dropped off my husband and friend and my mother-in-law and I went to check them out.

We got there just in time! There were two sets available, but only one would fit the space in our dining room. Another couple came about a minute after we showed up to pick up the same set we were looking at! Luckily, we got there just in time so we got first pick!

My father-in-law will be dropping it off tomorrow after work. I can't wait to have it set up! It is a different style than what we currently have (more of a country style), but it's sturdy and we didn't have to pay for it!




Saturday, May 19, 2012

Saving Money Saturdays

This week I'm going to talk about how to spruce up your couch without spending a lot of money.

If you are crafty at all and can sew a straight ish line, you can make these!

I absolutely love to change the decor in our apartment from season to season. One of the easiest ways to achieve this is by making new pillow covers for our couch. It's super easy and doesn't take much time.

This time I was looking for something with a bright, summery feeling and I came up with these...


Nice and bright. The good news is that it only cost me about $8 to make both of these 18" covers! How's that for saving money and changing the decor?!

It's really easy to make and can be done in a short amount of time!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

So What Wednesday

Linking up with Shannon this week for So What Wednesday.

This week I'm saying So What if....
  • I try to make sure our apartment is picked up just enough before my mother-in-law gets here. It usually happens last minute, but I try.
  • I want to know what's in the water that all of my friends are drinking? In the past month or two there have been at least 8 people announcing their pregnancies or having babies. Could someone send me some of that water, please?
  • I get annoyed when friends are late coming over and don't call or text to let me know. I usually will have dinner or lunch ready and it's not fun to have to sit there, wait, and watch it get cold, especially when I'm hungry.
  • I get more business from family and friends from my Etsy shop. There are so many people on Etsy, it's hard to have your product always show up in the searches.
  • I have no idea how to "market" my business on Etsy. Can someone help a sister out?
  • I'm trying to get my sister to come out here to visit in December. She wants to come, but I'm a planner and would like to be able to plan things ahead of time.
  •  I love Febreeze. There, I said it. I like how it makes everything smell fresh and has a lovely, light scent.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Sometimes and Always


Sometimes... I get tired during the day and don't feel like doing much.
Always... I do the best I can. If that means a nap, then so be it!

Sometimes... I get in over my head with taking on sewing projects.
Always... I have fun doing it and figure out a way to make it work.

Sometimes... I want more time with my husband during the week.
Always... I know that he's busy and needs to work so we do the best we can.

Sometimes... I get strange comments from strangers when they find out I don't work.
Always... I know that we are doing what is best for our family.


Monday, May 14, 2012

How I feel about being outdoors

There are certain things about myself that I have come to realize over time. Take for instance, my latest revelation: I am not the outdoorsy type. Seriously. I don't like it when it's too hot or too cold. I don't like bugs biting me and get a horrible allergic reaction when they do.

I used to think that I loved the outdoors. I played soccer and softball growing up and ran cross country in high school where we would go for week long camping trips in the mountains. I thought that I loved it, but I now realize that the memories I liked the best were filled with friends and had little to do with being outside.

I realized this the other night when we had a "campfire" at a friend's house. Everyone else seemed to be content with sitting around the fire, not caring how long the food had been sitting out, or where the bugs were. A bat flew by and no one was phased. What?! In preparation for the campfire I made sure to wear shoes, pants, and longsleeves so that I wouldn't get bit! When the smoke was coming my way, I moved. When they poked the logs and embers flew, I was not comforable sitting there as they were flying around too close for comfort.

That's when a friend of mine made the comment that I'm not the outdoors type of girl. Sure, I love the idea of camping, but not the reality. I really do wish I liked it more, but that's just not how I roll. In fact, I tend to be overly cautious when it comes to bugs, the sun, heat, or cold. It's part of who I am and I need to be prepared for those things and I don't think it's going to change any time soon!



Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Sometimes and Always #8


Sometimes... I procrastinate and wait to get things done until the last minute.
Always... they get done and turn out well!

Sometimes... I call my husband at work like five times a day.
Always... he says he doesn't mind and that he loves to hear from me.

Sometimes... I feel like I failed with teaching.
Always... I know that's not the case and that I was an amazing teacher.

Sometimes... I want to correct other people's grammar mistakes. (Did I mention I am a former English teacher?)
Always... I let it go (even though it drives me crazy).

Sometimes... I try to sew something new and hope it comes out well.
Always... I'm so glad I tried it! I learn new skills and love the outcome.
Newborn pocket diaper.


Saturday, May 5, 2012

Saving Money Saturdays-Grocery Edition


I don't know about you, but groceries can be expensive...especially meat. We try to save money in this area in many different ways, but today I'm going to focus on how to save money when buying meat from your local grocer.

My husband and I are meat lovers. We eat a lot of chicken and ground beef mostly, but sometimes we get pork chops or steak when it's on sale as well, but it has to be a really good price.

The way that we save money when buying meat is simple. We buy in bulk. At Wegman's, it's called the Club Pack. Usually this means that you are purchasing six pounds {or more} at a time. It usually comes in a big pack that has all of the meat in it and looks like you are going to have some kind of a party with how much you're buying!

What I like to do is to look for the best price for what we can get. This time, I was able to find 95% lean ground beef on special for $1.99/lb. Yes, that is amazing! It just so happened to be on sale because it needed to be used or frozen by today's date. I purchased two packages that were just under 3 lbs. each. What I did next was to set up my freezer bags and cut the ground beef into approximately 1 lb. increments. Then, I put them into the bags and straight into the freezer. This way, when I need some ground beef {and most recipes call for 1 lb.} I just pull a bag out of the freezer, thaw it, and I'm done! And, I got a great price!

Now chicken is a little bit more of a hassle, but it's worth it. I can buy chicken breast for $1.99/lb. in the Club Pack. It comes with a lot in there so I set up a station and get to work. Again, I use my freezer bags to store them in and I need a knife and cutting surface as well. I take each large chicken breast and start by cutting off all of the extra fat. We like our chicken lean and it's so much easier to do it all at one time and not have to worry about it later. Once the chicken is ready I take my knife and cut it in half. I try to cut it in half width-wise (not top to bottom, but from the side) so that I get two pieces of single-serving sized chicken. So, basically, I'm turning one chicken breast into two! It does take a lot of practice to get it right, but if one isn't cooperating, I just cut it into bite-size pieces for the crock pot or to make sandwiches or a casserole later.

By the time I'm done, I have six pounds of ground beef {in 1 lb. packages} and about 8 servings of chicken for two (plus an extra one in each bag so there will be enough for leftovers).

 So there you have it, super simple and by buying in bulk and cutting it into serving sizes rather than using the whole piece as one, you are saving even more!




Friday, May 4, 2012

Friday's Letters

Photobucket

Dear Target Pharmacy,
     Thank you for "fixing" the amount we would have to pay to get my prescription. We would have paid it the first time with no questions asked and not had to deal with the drama of our insurance, but you were kind enough to give us the right price and it was super cheap. Next time, you might want to call us back over with that new bit of knowledge though.

Dear Husband,
     You are amazing. I love your sense of humor and that you will sit there with me for five minutes picking out ice cream because I'm indecisive. I also love that you are not picky in the least when it comes to food and I could make just about anything and you will eat it {even if it's gross}. Oh, and thanks for doing the laundry lately so I can sew and take care of my orders.

Dear Dad,
     I know we don't talk that often, but I love when we do. I know that when we don't talk, things are good on your end and I hope you know the same is true over here.

Dear Netflix,
     I'm running out of shows to watch because I've finished all of the episodes that you have up on your site for my favorite shows. Please add more episodes so I can watch them. I know that they are finished on network television and I'm waiting for you to catch on so we can see them!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

When to Help

If you're like me, you like to help people in need. It's something that cannot be controlled and is part of you. I like helping people when I hear about a situation and know they are doing their very best to get out of it, but are struggling. I've also found that it's hard to help someone who won't help themselves and are just looking for a hand out.

Sometimes, for me, these lines get a little crossed. I recently found out that a good friend of mine doesn't always have enough food to feed her and her husband. In fact, it's gotten so bad that they have even needed to go to the food bank sometimes. I knew that they were struggling, but not this much.

Being me, my first inclination is to buy them some groceries. Yes, we have done this before and we have also given them some of our food to take home (I stockpile non-perishables when they're on sale). I've even offered to help menu plan and to help them budget, but when they say that they can only afford $10-20 a week for groceries, it's a little difficult.

At this point I don't know what to do. Part of me (and my husband) says that there are things that they should obviously cut in their lifestyle to be able to buy groceries. Things like eating out and buying nicknacks. The other part of me just wants to swoop in and help.

I've tried to explain couponing, budgeting, and shopping at stores like Aldi's, but it falls on deaf ears. For my husband and I, that's where it stops. If you are in a poor financial situation and are asking for help, but not making changes, then our help is just enabling you to continue to make bad decisions that will continue your way into debt.

It's a harsh reality and a hard decision, but we know that we want to make sure that when someone needs help, they are going to try to make the necessary changes to get themselves out of the situation they are in. Enabling is just as bad as giving them a "free pass" and letting them continue to harm themselves.

At this point, we can only offer advice and see if they take it. We're on a budget too and it would be wrong if we put ourselves in a compromising situation for someone doing the same.

How do you handle friends in need?

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

So What Wednesdays

 

This week I'm saying So What if...
  • I've called the doctor multiple times this week to see if I can get an appointment for this week. Hey, it worked...I have one this afternoon!
  • To keep secrets between my husband and myself and to only tell close friends. Family tends to overreact and want to give their two cents and we want to make some decisions for ourselves.
  • I have no clue what we're having for dinner tonight. I always end up making something and it turns out well, so no big deal.
  • I haven't exercised in quite a while. My body hates me and it seriously takes weeks for it to get used to exercising. Plus, every time I've tried, I get really sick with allergies and my asthma acts up.
  • I've had to rearrange so many appointments this week. My husband can only take so many half days off work to make it and since I'm the one who is in charge of setting up appointments, I have to change them sometimes.
  • I don't want to work. There, I said it. I like staying at home and plan to do so until we need me to go back or I really want to work. Truth be told, I'm hoping that this will turn into me being a stay-at-home mom.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Sometimes and Always #7



Sometimes... I agree to take on things that are really ambitious.
Always... I end up figuring out how to do it and like the outcome.

Sometimes... I am completely irrational and emotional over the smallest things.
Always... My husband is there to help me through it (even if it takes him a minute to understand).

Sometimes... I still struggle with finding a home church and really wanting to go.
Always... I know that God still loves me and I'm thankful for that.

Sometimes... I really want to buy something and I get upset if we don't get it.
Always... I get over it. It only takes a couple of hours and I'm fine.

Sometimes... People do not understand the point I'm trying to convey.
Always... I get super frustrated and call my husband.

Sometimes... I go days without leaving the house unless I have something I need to do or an appointment to go to.
Always... I really like getting out of the house, especially now that I can drive with the windows down!