The warm weather wish list begins

I really should not get these emails sent to me. It is counterproductive to my New Year’s resolution to be budget conscious in my spending and only buy what is really needed.

However, I’ve decided I need boat shoes. I do!

Am I a boater? No. I think I could be. Aside from my sever motion sickness and aversion to getting wet.

Well, it’s still fun to dress as if I could be.

Like her…

Source: Uploaded by user via Amber on Pinterest

 

I also need white pants.

I will be going on a boat in December though. It’s actually a Disney Cruise!! It doesn’t hurt to be prepared 10 months early right?

 

What is on your warm weather wish list?

Him versus the Blog

Why blogging consistently can be trying at times. (As in always!)

Someone seems to find his way onto my lap and beg my attention.

Luckily kisses can heal almost anything.

:)

Have a good weekend!

January’s Low Cost Family Dinners

   After the first week of January was over and the kids were back in school, the normal life of 2013 began. I decided to kick if off with my number one goal this year: SAVE MONEY!!

I assessed my 2012 spending budget and realized that most my spending was in two places (Costco is exempt): 1. The grocery store and 2. Target.

Immediately I vowed to not step inside a Target for the whole month of January. It’s February 1st and I succeeded (granted there were Target withdrawals and I have a running list of all the things I need to buy in Target when I decide my Target hiatus is over. I also refrained from shopping in any stores that did not solely involve food.)

I also determined that I need to make my grocery trips minimal yet effective. This goal provides me with the opportunity to tackle another needs for improvement area which is meal planning. In the past, I’ve tried to sit down every weekend to plan the upcoming week’s dinner menu with the intent of taking my prepared list on my Monday grocery shopping day. It doesn’t happen. The weeks and weekends fly by and I’m left unprepared. So….

On the first Sunday of January, I googled “cheap family dinners” and found many helpful recipes. Typically I cook four dinners a week. (In case you are curious as to why: I work Tuesday evenings and the boys eat dinner at my mom’s house and the hubs fends for himself, Saturdays we eat out, and Sundays is usually at the In-laws.) In January I needed 16 dinners. To eat on the healthier side we are trying to do a salad night, a pasta night, a soup or non-meat night, and a breads night i.e. Pizza or Burgers or Sandwiches.

This is what I planned:

You can find all these recipes on my Pinterest board: Let’s Eat

1. Chicken Salad

2. Almost Lasagna

3. Cream of Broccoli Soup

4. Turkey Sliders

5. Chicken Club Salad

6. Tortellini with Smoked Sausage

7. Veggie and Cheese Soup

8. Easy Calzones Rolls

9. Chicken Ranch-Fajitas

10. Amazing Ziti 

11. Southwestern 3 Bean Soup

12. BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

13. Taco Salad

14. Skillet Creamy Mac & Cheese

15. Baked Potato Soup

16. Herb Crusted Pizza

Here’s to 2013 having more savings and better planning! One month down, 11 to go.

A monumental first

In all the history of this little family of five we have constructed our very first “Gingerbread” house!

Actually, it was the four of us since Daddy was away on business in D.C.

And if you count the one construction worker who felt it was necessary to taste test every type of candy we had to put on the house (I guess he was part of the Health and Safety Department), then it was the three of us.

It really was a collaborative effort and our team worked really well together. There were no structural compromising, nor any hazards. And I’m just really pleased that we were able to complete this monumental beauty without any tears. I mean just look at that craftsmanship, symmetry, and attention to detail!

It’s a shame the next day Snowy the elf got his tiny little mitts on it and demolished half of it.

Snow-y!!!

Tape Trap

Snowy is showing his mischievous side once again. Or, maybe he just doesn’t want the boys to go to school today. Just because it’s Friday does not mean school doesn’t matter (which was my motto only half the time in college).

I wonder what they will think about this!