Two Posts in One Day?!

Today is our first day of SPRING BREAK!!! We slept in, of course, and then had delicious pizza with some good friends. At said lunch I was scolded (nicely) about not updating my blog more often so I'm doing it twice in one day and promising more in the next few days.

K-Bug and I are determined to have a whole week of fun fun FUN! We're hitting the zoo, Hobby Lobby, the library, having friends over to play, and we're having our first sleep over ever (more to come on that one). But what do to during nap time you ask? Well Momma's cleaning. Each day I'm taking a different room and I'm dusting, washing, vacuuming, and organizing it. Today was the TV room and we definitely got off to a rocky start. Our laundry room (read closet) is in our TV room and the washer's on the fritz. I was super bummed and not at all excited about having a repair man out but he'll be happy to find out that the room is immaculate - no dust to be found there my friends. I just pretended I didn't have LOADS of laundry and I cleaned anyway - I will not be stopped in my spring clean efforts.

I always think I'm going to find amazing things that I've lost when I clean and be super excited about it. Today I found the following objects - three hangers under the ironing board, a picture frame, my high school journals, a pair of Gar's socks, and our poodle's favorite chew toy. I don't know which of those things I most excited about. K-Bug was very impressed with my mad cleaning skills!

More tomorrow as I take on the kitchen - I wonder what I'll find it there!

I read good! Warning - could contain spoilers.

I read - A LOT! People who know me (or are friends with me on Goodreads) know that I read at least five books month now - pre K-Bug I read two to three books a week. I often read so much that I forget the books I read the previous month. Though I have read some of the "heavy-hitters" or classics since graduating I have focused on leisure reading - mostly romance novels, popular fiction, and recommended books by my mom. I have not read a true classic in years.

I recently re-watched the movie "Jane Austen Book Club" which is based on a book. I decided to read the book but I wanted to read all of Jane Austen's books first. I've read Pride and Prejudice and LOVED it but I have not read her other books. Last week I started Persuasion. Usually I average at least 100 - 150 pages a day but when I stared this book I was only reading about ten to twenty pages at a time. I kept thinking - this is hard! I've had to slow way down to understand all the clever sultelness of Austen's work. Because I've slowed down I savor it more - I care more. Will Anne end up with Captain Wentworth? Will her sisters ever stop being so snarky? I love it! I cried at the end because I was so happy and so relieved for the characters (although the sisters never really get their come uppins (sp?).

After enjoying this book so much I decided to take more time in picking my books and take more time in reading them. I want this year to be filled with books that last a long time for me - ones I remember for years or even read again.

Are there books that you know that you will remember for years and years?

Sparro's Anyone?

In our quest to save money and be healthier we are cooking at home every day. We haven't gone out to eat since January 8. We decided to treat ourselves to a night out this weekend. Gar and I have had a great time trying to decide where we will eat and we pretty much have it down to two places. Gar, in a moment of crazy, suggested that we go out for a few beers after dinner. My reply - Are you insane - do know how expensive that is? Apparently I've gone a little too far with frugality because that night I dreamt that I was trying to talk Gar into going out to eat at the mall - the MALL? I think we can do a little better than that.

Part of saving money and cooking at home is not getting burnt out on it. You have to find a good balance of challenging meals, easy meals, and going out occasionally. This is a hard journey and we are having fun but I can get a little intense about things (just ask my brother about when I decided to go Green).

Does anyone have a suggestion for a dinning out experience? We are looking for affordable, unique, and fun!

Thanks!

Recipes!

Recipes promised - recipes delivered.

First one is really easy - we love grilled cheese and recently we've been adding ham to our grilled cheese and it's delicious!!!! Its more filling and more protein.

Second one is also super easy. Every Sunday we cook the largest chicken we can find at the grocery store (usually 4 or 5 lbs). Half of it goes with Gar for sandwich meat for the week and we use the other half for entrees during the week. Here's one that I love. I uses this amazing pot that I will keep FOREVER. Its beautiful and works wonderfully. You can also roast your chicken in it.

Chichen Noodle Soup

2-3 cup of Chicken chopped up into bite size pieces

2 32 oz of Chicken stock - I use low sodium

2 handfuls of carrots chopped up

2 celery stalks chopped up

could shakes of garlic salt.

Put all that in the pot and bring it to boil and then to simmer.

In another pot I make the noodles - any kind will do but I like the big curly ones.

After the pasta is done I throw it in with the soup.

Easy right?!

Now - to make the soup go a little longer, I often serve it over mashed potatoes - its delicious!!!!

I'm wanting recipes from other people too!!!

Frugal Living - Week 2

So here we are at Week Two of my goals and so far I'm doing pretty good. I haven't been to the gym yet BUT I did write down all the classes that take place before Gar goes to work and I've got a good idea which ones I'll go to - Yoga here I come! I've made all our meals at home - except for Gar's wonderful parents who took us out to Sabor last Friday and my wonderful parents for making us chile rellenos on Saturday (I should also mention that Gar fixed us breakfast Sunday). K-Bug and I have had tons of fun crafting and Gar and I have had fun watching our Netflix movies. I've learned, in the past two weeks, that part of living frugally is being willing to take risks and my friends, risks have been taken.

Monday night I was super jazzed about this recipe from Martha Stewart. I've never used a broiler but I didn't think it would be too hard. When Gar got home from work the pork was still cold in the center - not good. I'd already made the pineapple-avocado salsa and my mom had given me some left-over rice from her yummy chile rellenos so I turned the oven to bake and made bean burritos instead. Lesson learned - always have a back up! The next night we had the pork but it wasn't a big hit. It had a lot of brown sugar, cinnamon, and such on the outside and my normally very complementary husband came up with "interesting flavor" as his assessment of the meal.

Today I took a bigger risk. While grocery shopping I walked by the clearance table and noticed that the hair color I was looking at last weekend was on clearance for $2.38. Now, let me back up and tell you - I love my hair. It's my safety net. I may not be thin, but I have good hair. I may not be very nice in the morning, but I have good hair. I may not always pay my cable bill on time but ... you get the idea. Today I risked my safety net and bought that $2.38 hair color. I waited until K-Bug had her nap and I went to work on the color. After rinsing, conditioning, and

blow drying - I looked in the mirror and I really like it. It's a little darker than my natura

l color but it looks pretty good. I haven't gotten my toughest critic's (my brother) approval but I'm pretty sure we're looking at a win.

It's hard not having money to do whatever you want but I'm learning it might be more fun trying new things and knowing how hard you work for the things you do spend money on. I look at our house and our family and I know we have everything we need - we have a cozy house, lots of love, and now - new hair color.

Tomorrow I promise I will have some recipes - I've got some good ones!!!

Recipe!

Here's a recipe from SAMSTER MOMMY. Looks very good!

Are we up for some changes?

When Gar and I were contemplating adoption we knew that we would be financially challenged. We are not big savers and we love eating out and shopping - not exactly Suze Orman's model students. We kept making budgets and failing to follow them. Many a night I lie awake with a heart thumping/ sick tummy feeling about money. I knew K-Bug had fully adjusted to our family when I went through our receipts each week and she could look at them and tell me what she ate at each restaurant. Even as we drive around she points and says things like - "I eat chips and salsa there" "We get pizza there" "I eat burger-fries there."

Now that the New Year has started and we see all the spending we did during the holidays - we know changes have to be made. I am writing today to inform my loyal reader(s) about the changes that we are undertaking. I am hoping this honesty will keep me on task and accountable.

Here's the list:

Save money by not eating out except ONCE a month and making delicious inexpensive meals at home.

Go to the gym that I am paying a membership for.

Work at least two days a week (substituting).

Find new ways to entertain our family with out spending money.

OK - there it is. It actually doesn't look that daunting. I have gotten several books (from the library) to help us accomplish this and I will be blogging any helpful hints that I have gleamed.

Here's to a new year and new challenges!!!

Is it that time of year again? Anniversary!!!

If you have read last year's blog about our anniversary then you know that 1.) we follow the traditional gifts for anniversaries and 2.) we cheat horribly with it. This year is no different. With the crazy busy time of year that we chose to get married in the first place our anniversary usually gets a little lost in the shuffle but, add in a three year old that is just too cute and you've got a marriage problem on your hands. There are nights after we get K-Bug into bed that I sit down and think - Hey wait - wasn't there a rather attractive man I call "Boo" hanging around here somewhere. We really have to make an effort to spend quality time just the two of us - and that's hard when it's the last two hours before our bed time and we can barely keep our eye lids open.

This year is our big number 5 - that's right - we've been hitched for five years. I feel especially lucky because not only are we celebrating it as husband and wife but as a mommy and daddy as well. The fifth anniversary gift is supposed to be wood so during dinner the other night I asked Gar if he "would like to go to dinner with me" for our anniversary (I swear I never thought I could be this lame). It got a chuckle from Gar but K-Bug was not impressed. No gifts this year - just two hours alone at a restaurant that does not have a children's menu - we are too excited. Our WONDERFUL friends Todd and Hayley are watching K-Bug while we play grown-up.

Respectful

We are working with K-Bug on being respectful and not being so bossy. We even read a book today about it - "I am Respectful." Well - tonight at dinner Daddy and I were talking and K-Bug said, "Excuse me." I said, "What's up baby?" K-Bug responded, "Alligator." Apparently our stimulating adult talk was just not that interesting to K-Bug. She was respectful about it!

I don't feel good Mommy.

This is what K-Bug told me this morning when she woke up. Now this wasn't new news - I listened to her stuffed nose and weezing all night. Poor little K-Bug has a bug - runny nose (we call it Naughty Nose - we've put it in the thinking chair but it hasn't done any good), weepy eyes, and fussies. Its no fun but what is fun - bed day! We've got movies, pillows, blankets, kleenex, and animal crackers in Mommy and Daddy's bed. We're staying here until we feel better! Thank goodness for Uncle Jarred and Aunt Mimi's video library or we'd be stuck watching the Lion King five times in a row. We did watch the new Tinkerbell movie (a must have for all little girls).

Mommy is surfing the web trying to find Christmas crafts that will make good gifts. Here are a couple sites I have found that have cute stuff.

One Pretty Thing

Homemaking Fun

Kojo Designs - this one has a November giveaway for the CUTEST little girls dress.