Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Learning to Forgive
We all have hard lessons to learn in life. One of the biggest lessons is learning how to forgive a person that hurt you and apologize for when you hurt them.
As some of you may recall the fight I had with my friend Tanya last June that ended pretty badly. We did not speak for months and around September she reached out to Tony through facebook since I blocked her. She apologized and I did not respond and she tried again in December. I responded but still not sure what to do. Fast forward to last month. I was looking through some pictures and came across some of Tanya and me when she visited. Since our fight I really missed emailing her, talking to her, everything. She was the first person I told practically everything to. I told Tony how much I missed her and he suggested I send her an email to see if she still wants to work it out. She did respond and does want to work it out. I was surprised since I ignored her other emails she would even still want to try to work it out.
We have been communicating through email the last two days. It is not like it used to be but we will get there someday. I plan on talking to her Wednesday night. We both said horrible things to each other we did not mean at the time and we both feel terribly bad. Admitting when I am wrong or when I go too far is not easy for me. I hope our conversation goes well tomorrow because I really miss my best friend. I really miss the one person I could tell everything to.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Remake of the Tuna Noodle Casserole
Saturday night I spent 45 minutes making Tony’s tuna noodle casserole. Since I was working so hard on his meal he wanted to make me something to return the favor. Picture below shows Tony’s tuna noodle casserole for his dinner…mine…Morning Star Farm corn dogs from the box.
I modified the Skinny Tuna Noodle Casserole I made last month and added my own gourmet twist to this recipe. The last time I followed her recipe Tony liked it but it was also lacking some flavor. This recipe is no longer low in fat since I use Swiss cheese and Dutch goat cheese. Tony loves his cheese and even wanted more than what I added! I hate the smell of tuna. The goat cheese takes over the tuna smell and actually makes tuna casserole smell amazing. This recipe also has more onion than the original since Tony loves onions. Makes 6 servings.
Ingredients:
- 6 oz penne pasta
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 large onion, minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 3/4 cups fat free chicken broth
- 1 cup 1% milk or soy milk
- 1 oz sherry 1
- 10 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
- 1 1/2 cups frozen petite peas (thawed)
- 2 (5 oz) cans tuna in water
- 1 ½ tsp onion salt
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1 tbs Garlic Garlic – from Tastefully Simple - add 3 more garlic cloves if you do not have this item.
- ¾ cup shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar
- 1 cup shredded Dutch goat cheese
- 1 ½ cups shredded Swiss Cheese
- butter flavored cooking spray
- 2 slices of rye bread – toasted and ground into bread crumbs
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly spray 9 x 12 casserole with butter flavored cooking spray.
Cook noodles in salted water until al dente, or slightly undercooked by 2 minutes. Set aside. Melt the butter in a large deep skillet. Add onions and garlic cloves and cook on medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and a pinch of salt and stir well, cooking an additional 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat.
Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until well combined, increasing heat to medium and whisking well for 30 seconds, then add the milk and bring to a boil. When boiling, add sherry, mushrooms and petite peas, adjust salt and pepper to taste and simmer on medium, mixing occasionally until it thickens (about 6-7 minutes). Add drained tuna, stirring another minute. Add in onion salt, Garlic Garlic, salt, and pepper.
Remove from heat and add reduced fat sharp cheddar, goat cheese, and 1 cup of the Swiss cheese and mix well until it melts. Add the noodles to the sauce and mix well until evenly coated. Pour into casserole and top with remaining Swiss cheese and breadcrumbs. If desired, top with more ground pepper and salt. Spray a little more cooking spray and top and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes.
Place under the broiler a few minutes to get the crumbs crisp (careful not to burn).
Friday, May 20, 2011
Beaver Crossing
I saw the cutest thing yesterday. I was on my way home from work and in a very busy section of the road two beavers were trying to cross. One of them already made it across and you could see the fear in her eye's as she was watching her mate try to cross in the busy traffic. He made it to the other side and immediately the two pressed their faces together as if they were kissing. Really amazing how you can see fear and love in the actions of animals.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Weight Loss Update
Lately I have been a bit scared to get on the scale. For over a month I have been at a plateau, hanging around 133 – 134. I just did not want to get on the scale for more disappointment. Yesterday I got on the scale and weighted in at 132.2. Yippy! Minus implants that is 128.2. I am only two pounds away from the weight I was at in Curacao last year. I would like to be that same weight when Tony and I are in Aruba. Only three more months to get there. The bigger challenge is making it 8 months on weight watchers. The longest I ever went on weight watchers straight is 5 months. That is where I am at right now. Normally I give up counting points and rely on myself to maintain my weight but after about 4 or 5 months a few pounds are back. Sometimes not a big deal, but those few pounds turning into 10 then 15 over a 9 months to a year. I do not want to go back to counting on my own and then come Aruba time I put on 5 pounds. Five pounds might not be a big deal for a lot of people but on my small frame it is for me. Five more pounds means larger butt dimples, thighs that rub together, a giggly stomach, no cheek bone definition…yes really all of that from just five pounds.
My knee has been feeling so great lately. There are still times it hurts when I really give it in karate. I am starting to think it is as good as it is going to get. I can no longer use my knee as an excuse any more in karate. My instructor is pushing my limits now so I get comfortable again. Hurts at the time but I know I will thank him later. I know I need to do a better job since I am going to have my black belt soon. Even with my knee problems I still need to perform like a solid black belt…not an injured one.
My knee has been feeling so great lately. There are still times it hurts when I really give it in karate. I am starting to think it is as good as it is going to get. I can no longer use my knee as an excuse any more in karate. My instructor is pushing my limits now so I get comfortable again. Hurts at the time but I know I will thank him later. I know I need to do a better job since I am going to have my black belt soon. Even with my knee problems I still need to perform like a solid black belt…not an injured one.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Getting Married Too Young
Since William and Kate married I see more and more articles about the benefits of waiting to get married until you are older. Over the years I experienced criticism and the gasping look from people when the find out how young I was when I got married. The biggest question I get is “what did your parents think?” Even more of a shocking look when I tell them they were fine with it and married at the same age as Tony and me. Even worse when we first got engaged, the first question to cross people’s mind (some even said it out loud) was is she pregnant?
Background
When Tony and I got married I had just turned 19 and he was about to turn 24. There is about a 5 year age difference between us. We met when I was 17 and started dating when I was 18. Three months after we were dating he asked me to marry him. Tony and I never talked about marriage. Going into the relationship we both thought we were going to date for a few months and move onto our separate ways. I never expected Tony to fall completely in love with me. So much so that when he first said it my reaction was “no you don’t”. I was not one of those young girls that started planning my wedding when I was a child. Marriage was never on my mind. I had just started college and had a long road ahead of me. So when Tony popped the question (no ring in hand) I did not take him completely seriously until the next day he said we needed to go ring shopping. So why at my age, having never thought about marriage, would I jump down the isle with a man I was only dating for three months? Because we both just knew we were soul mates. Even my mom did. She and a lady she worked with were making bets on when he would ask me. As said above my parents were the same age when they got married and now have been married for over 35 years.
Waiting to Discover Yourself
What I do not like are people these days passing judgment on those that get married young. Not everyone is at the same maturity level when they are 19, 20, even 30. I was very mature for my age. If I had not married Tony when I did where would my life be? I would have turned down my soul mate to, as they say in the articles, find myself…discover who I am? These articles argue that you are not the same person as you are when you are 18 and 28. What they fail to mention is you are not the same person at 28 as you are 38 or 48 or 58! So how long do you need to discover yourself? One of the best parts of marriage is growing as a couple. You still develop your individuality and the best part is you have your spouse there to cheer you on.
Experience
These articles out there with age comes experience hence why you should wait to get married. What experiences are we talking about here? My single girlfriends have slim pickings when it comes to great men in their late 20’s and early 30’s. Most of them are set in their ways, many have children from previous relationships, they set very high standards, some already married and divorced, and others are damaged and not trustworthy because of their “experiences” in previous relationships. Not saying ever man or woman out there is like this but many of them are. Why in the world would I put myself through that because I needed to discover who I am? Instead I followed my heart and knew at 18 years Tony was going to be my husband for the rest of my life. In the past 10 years we shared so many wonderful experiences, vacations, and just life in general. I do not think I would have had all of those if it was not for Tony.
Financial Stability
Another reason recent articles want people to wait to get married is so they are financially stable. Finances being the number one reason for divorce I can see their reasoning but do not agree with it. Unlike most married couples we chose not to have children right away which contributes to the financial instability of couples that marry young. So many people think your finances will fall into place when you have kids but the reality is it does not and for many the credit card bills that are unmanageable.
When I was 20 Tony and I were able to buy our first home. It was nothing extravagant but we were able to get a start building equity. Two years later when we moved to NC we bought our second home when I was 22 and he was 27. We got a jump start into financial stability. Luckily it was all before the housing crash. We were smart enough at that age to know we should not spend more than we can afford and smart enough to know not to take out a variable rate mortgage. Right now we are under a 15 year fixed rate mortgage at 3.75%. Thanks to our long payment history, great credit scores, and zero credit card debt we were able to achieve that rate. We do use credit cards to build our history but pay them off every month. So where are the babies since we achieved financial stability? We have not decided if parenthood is for us. Right now we really are enjoying each other.
Our Struggles
This is not to say Tony and I did not have our fare share of struggles given we married so young. But getting married right away is what also helped us from walking out on the relationship. I could not imagine being with someone for 5 years without marriage and then one day they just had enough and walk out. We made a commitment to each other. For better or for worse; for rich or for poor. We take the vows we made very seriously. Some of the stuff we went through in our marriage I think many people would have walked out on. We never dealt with infidelity but the death of my brother, moving across country, and family issues would have most people filing for divorce.
When we were in serious trouble I was in a depression from the death of my brother and he was deeply depressed because he was missing his family after we moved across the country. Didn’t help they called all the time asking when HE was moving back, with or without me. Since we each had our own issues we were dealing with we were not there to help each other. After over a year of being miserable we sought out help through a psychologist. She really helped us repair our marriage and get back on track. Why am I so honest about this? Because every marriage has issues and if you are in trouble I do not want you to be afraid to seek help from a psychologist. If you sit back and say everything has been perfect you are full of shit.
What We Do and Did Right
We did not jump right into having kids. This may work for some people but for Tony and me not having children right away has done wonders for our marriage. We are happily settled with our four furry ones.
I did not quit school. Another speculation that was out there when Tony and I got engaged was whether or not I would finish college. Well I finished alright, along with two other degrees. Tony supported me the whole way – 8 years worth.
We did not let other people define what it is to be married. Most people think you get married, you have kids, you see your family ever weekend, etc. It took a while but we discovered what makes us happy as a couple. Other people’s opinions, including our parent’s, are not welcome.
When we knew our marriage was in trouble we went for help rather than rushing to a lawyers office. At the time we were in trouble I never would have thought our marriage would be as close to perfect as it is today.
We fixed our finances. Everyone makes financial mistakes and we were some of them too when we first got engaged. It did not take long for us to realize what happened and we quickly jumped on board to fix it right away. We do not live beyond our means and if one of us lost a job we would be OK – which you all should know we have been there.
We both still have our own individuality. Tony has his guy’s nights, guy Harley rides, and guys camping trips. I have karate and girl time. Being able to be an individual is so important to a marriage.
We find things we like to do together. I like riding with Tony when I have time. We enjoy mini vacations and long vacations together. We like camping, board games, movies, hiking, among many other things. There really no better evening than dinner at home, snuggling on the couch, and watching a movie with popcorn.
Now that we are planning our vow renewal for our 10 year anniversary in Aruba I really have never felt so close to my husband. I am excited to renew our vows after 10 years since we were so young when we married. Now we get two great experiences. Marriage as young adults and vow renewal as established adults. If I had to go back in time and do it all over again I would. I do not regret one bit getting married young.
Closing Statement
Getting married young is not for everyone; neither is getting married older. If you know your partner is the right person for you don’t hold off because people are telling you that you need to discover yourself or think there is something better out there. It is better to marry the right person at the wrong time than the wrong person at the right time. You know what is right for you regardless of age. Enjoy the great times, fight like hell during the bad times, and never give up on your version about what it means to be happy.
Background
When Tony and I got married I had just turned 19 and he was about to turn 24. There is about a 5 year age difference between us. We met when I was 17 and started dating when I was 18. Three months after we were dating he asked me to marry him. Tony and I never talked about marriage. Going into the relationship we both thought we were going to date for a few months and move onto our separate ways. I never expected Tony to fall completely in love with me. So much so that when he first said it my reaction was “no you don’t”. I was not one of those young girls that started planning my wedding when I was a child. Marriage was never on my mind. I had just started college and had a long road ahead of me. So when Tony popped the question (no ring in hand) I did not take him completely seriously until the next day he said we needed to go ring shopping. So why at my age, having never thought about marriage, would I jump down the isle with a man I was only dating for three months? Because we both just knew we were soul mates. Even my mom did. She and a lady she worked with were making bets on when he would ask me. As said above my parents were the same age when they got married and now have been married for over 35 years.
Waiting to Discover Yourself
What I do not like are people these days passing judgment on those that get married young. Not everyone is at the same maturity level when they are 19, 20, even 30. I was very mature for my age. If I had not married Tony when I did where would my life be? I would have turned down my soul mate to, as they say in the articles, find myself…discover who I am? These articles argue that you are not the same person as you are when you are 18 and 28. What they fail to mention is you are not the same person at 28 as you are 38 or 48 or 58! So how long do you need to discover yourself? One of the best parts of marriage is growing as a couple. You still develop your individuality and the best part is you have your spouse there to cheer you on.
Experience
These articles out there with age comes experience hence why you should wait to get married. What experiences are we talking about here? My single girlfriends have slim pickings when it comes to great men in their late 20’s and early 30’s. Most of them are set in their ways, many have children from previous relationships, they set very high standards, some already married and divorced, and others are damaged and not trustworthy because of their “experiences” in previous relationships. Not saying ever man or woman out there is like this but many of them are. Why in the world would I put myself through that because I needed to discover who I am? Instead I followed my heart and knew at 18 years Tony was going to be my husband for the rest of my life. In the past 10 years we shared so many wonderful experiences, vacations, and just life in general. I do not think I would have had all of those if it was not for Tony.
Financial Stability
Another reason recent articles want people to wait to get married is so they are financially stable. Finances being the number one reason for divorce I can see their reasoning but do not agree with it. Unlike most married couples we chose not to have children right away which contributes to the financial instability of couples that marry young. So many people think your finances will fall into place when you have kids but the reality is it does not and for many the credit card bills that are unmanageable.
When I was 20 Tony and I were able to buy our first home. It was nothing extravagant but we were able to get a start building equity. Two years later when we moved to NC we bought our second home when I was 22 and he was 27. We got a jump start into financial stability. Luckily it was all before the housing crash. We were smart enough at that age to know we should not spend more than we can afford and smart enough to know not to take out a variable rate mortgage. Right now we are under a 15 year fixed rate mortgage at 3.75%. Thanks to our long payment history, great credit scores, and zero credit card debt we were able to achieve that rate. We do use credit cards to build our history but pay them off every month. So where are the babies since we achieved financial stability? We have not decided if parenthood is for us. Right now we really are enjoying each other.
Our Struggles
This is not to say Tony and I did not have our fare share of struggles given we married so young. But getting married right away is what also helped us from walking out on the relationship. I could not imagine being with someone for 5 years without marriage and then one day they just had enough and walk out. We made a commitment to each other. For better or for worse; for rich or for poor. We take the vows we made very seriously. Some of the stuff we went through in our marriage I think many people would have walked out on. We never dealt with infidelity but the death of my brother, moving across country, and family issues would have most people filing for divorce.
When we were in serious trouble I was in a depression from the death of my brother and he was deeply depressed because he was missing his family after we moved across the country. Didn’t help they called all the time asking when HE was moving back, with or without me. Since we each had our own issues we were dealing with we were not there to help each other. After over a year of being miserable we sought out help through a psychologist. She really helped us repair our marriage and get back on track. Why am I so honest about this? Because every marriage has issues and if you are in trouble I do not want you to be afraid to seek help from a psychologist. If you sit back and say everything has been perfect you are full of shit.
What We Do and Did Right
We did not jump right into having kids. This may work for some people but for Tony and me not having children right away has done wonders for our marriage. We are happily settled with our four furry ones.
I did not quit school. Another speculation that was out there when Tony and I got engaged was whether or not I would finish college. Well I finished alright, along with two other degrees. Tony supported me the whole way – 8 years worth.
We did not let other people define what it is to be married. Most people think you get married, you have kids, you see your family ever weekend, etc. It took a while but we discovered what makes us happy as a couple. Other people’s opinions, including our parent’s, are not welcome.
When we knew our marriage was in trouble we went for help rather than rushing to a lawyers office. At the time we were in trouble I never would have thought our marriage would be as close to perfect as it is today.
We fixed our finances. Everyone makes financial mistakes and we were some of them too when we first got engaged. It did not take long for us to realize what happened and we quickly jumped on board to fix it right away. We do not live beyond our means and if one of us lost a job we would be OK – which you all should know we have been there.
We both still have our own individuality. Tony has his guy’s nights, guy Harley rides, and guys camping trips. I have karate and girl time. Being able to be an individual is so important to a marriage.
We find things we like to do together. I like riding with Tony when I have time. We enjoy mini vacations and long vacations together. We like camping, board games, movies, hiking, among many other things. There really no better evening than dinner at home, snuggling on the couch, and watching a movie with popcorn.
Now that we are planning our vow renewal for our 10 year anniversary in Aruba I really have never felt so close to my husband. I am excited to renew our vows after 10 years since we were so young when we married. Now we get two great experiences. Marriage as young adults and vow renewal as established adults. If I had to go back in time and do it all over again I would. I do not regret one bit getting married young.
Closing Statement
Getting married young is not for everyone; neither is getting married older. If you know your partner is the right person for you don’t hold off because people are telling you that you need to discover yourself or think there is something better out there. It is better to marry the right person at the wrong time than the wrong person at the right time. You know what is right for you regardless of age. Enjoy the great times, fight like hell during the bad times, and never give up on your version about what it means to be happy.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Vow Renewal - More Details
I am thrilled to report we found Tony’s vow renewal clothes. We found the perfect white collard shirt from Macy’s along with kaki colored linen pants. We bought two pairs because we are not sure which one to go with yet. Tony also bought new leather flip flops from Clarks.
Sorry no new recipes lately. I have been sticking with some of the recent ones I made that Tony and I love. I made the Greek Turkey Burgers yesterday and attempted grilling on my own. Normally I prepare the meal and Tony grills. Well I am not touching the grill again. I burned the burgers.
 |
| Pants: shown in white; purchased in kaki. $29.98 |
 |
| Shirt. Sale: $15.47 |
 |
| Tony's flip flops. Sale: $39.99 |
I am not going to put the dress I am wearing on my blog because I want it to be a surprise for Tony. However here are the shoes I am wearing. I know Tony will not search for the dress since he wants to be surprised as well. So for those of you wondering go to anntaylor.com. Select weddings and events. Select cocktail dresses. It is the strapless petal dress in ivory.
 |
| Picture of shoes I am going to wear with my dress AK. $69 - $20 Macy's coupon = $49 |
The camera arrived on Saturday. I am so thrilled with it. I have a lot to learn about how to use the DSLR camera. So far the picture quality is great. I highly recommend Beachcamera.com. This is the third camera I bought from them and it arrived in two days. They have the best prices out there. Buying all these new items for our vacation makes it so exciting! I think all we have left to buy is our snorkeling gear.
We have to give the wedding coordinator 50% down to save the date. I am happy about that since it helps Tony and I phase our expenses for this trip.
We have to give the wedding coordinator 50% down to save the date. I am happy about that since it helps Tony and I phase our expenses for this trip.
Sorry no new recipes lately. I have been sticking with some of the recent ones I made that Tony and I love. I made the Greek Turkey Burgers yesterday and attempted grilling on my own. Normally I prepare the meal and Tony grills. Well I am not touching the grill again. I burned the burgers.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Vow Renewal Plans
Our vow renewal plans are coming around. I reserved the date with the coordinator in Aruba. It feels like Tony and I are planning our wedding as if we were getting married today. Just the way we would do it – alone on the beach. The part I am excited about the most is the pictures that will be taken. The photographer we had at our wedding 10 years ago was so out of touch with the latest technology. Everyone is so stiff in our pictures and every photo is taken like a portrait.
My dress came in earlier this week. It fits perfect. Maybe a little snug in the chest but am sure if I drop another two or three pounds it will fit even better. I found my shoes from Macy’s. I bought ivory wedge sandals. I was afraid nice flip flops still would not look good with my dress and I cannot do heals on the beach. Thought about the barefoot idea but the sand will probably be steaming.
We are going to have the vow renewal ceremony just before sunset. It will make for some beautiful pictures. We get a hours worth of photography in our package. After the pictures and ceremony are over with we are getting dropped off at a restaurant near our hotel. They have tables right on the beach. Not talking about deck seating. Our feet will actually be in the sand.
It is going to be so hard not to get tan lines before our vow renewal. We arrive on Monday and our ceremony is on Thursday. I am sure we are going to have a lot of beach and snorkel time in before Thursday. I found a cheap strapless bikini through Victoria’s Secret but it will only be good for tanning on the beach. If I snorkel in that people probably will get a show when the top comes down. I can just see Tony waiting for that to happen with our underwater camera. We also decided we should probably buy our own snorkel gear. We love snorkeling. What the hotel charge for a day rental is what it would cost for us to buy our own.
Yesterday I bought our first DSLR camera. It is a cheaper entry level DSLR camera for us. Our point and shoots work fine but it is going to be nice to have a great camera for portrait pictures and scenery. Our point and shoot is an underwater camera by Olympus. It takes amazing underwater pictures but really lacks quality of indoor photography. Also the water tends to leave spots on the lense.
Next item to buy is Tony’s pants and shirt for our vow renewal. I am thinking linen pants, a white shirt, and leather flip flops. We are going to go looking tonight after dinner.
I am so excited for our trip and now regret not making it longer. I do not think five days will be enough. Just will make us want to come back to the Caribbean soon…like that is really a bad thing. If Tony and I had the money and the balls I know we would move to an island. It just fits our laid back personality.
My dress came in earlier this week. It fits perfect. Maybe a little snug in the chest but am sure if I drop another two or three pounds it will fit even better. I found my shoes from Macy’s. I bought ivory wedge sandals. I was afraid nice flip flops still would not look good with my dress and I cannot do heals on the beach. Thought about the barefoot idea but the sand will probably be steaming.
We are going to have the vow renewal ceremony just before sunset. It will make for some beautiful pictures. We get a hours worth of photography in our package. After the pictures and ceremony are over with we are getting dropped off at a restaurant near our hotel. They have tables right on the beach. Not talking about deck seating. Our feet will actually be in the sand.
It is going to be so hard not to get tan lines before our vow renewal. We arrive on Monday and our ceremony is on Thursday. I am sure we are going to have a lot of beach and snorkel time in before Thursday. I found a cheap strapless bikini through Victoria’s Secret but it will only be good for tanning on the beach. If I snorkel in that people probably will get a show when the top comes down. I can just see Tony waiting for that to happen with our underwater camera. We also decided we should probably buy our own snorkel gear. We love snorkeling. What the hotel charge for a day rental is what it would cost for us to buy our own.
Yesterday I bought our first DSLR camera. It is a cheaper entry level DSLR camera for us. Our point and shoots work fine but it is going to be nice to have a great camera for portrait pictures and scenery. Our point and shoot is an underwater camera by Olympus. It takes amazing underwater pictures but really lacks quality of indoor photography. Also the water tends to leave spots on the lense.
Next item to buy is Tony’s pants and shirt for our vow renewal. I am thinking linen pants, a white shirt, and leather flip flops. We are going to go looking tonight after dinner.
I am so excited for our trip and now regret not making it longer. I do not think five days will be enough. Just will make us want to come back to the Caribbean soon…like that is really a bad thing. If Tony and I had the money and the balls I know we would move to an island. It just fits our laid back personality.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Earning Some Extra Cash
I finally had my garage sale this past weekend. It was a little slow compared to previous years because the million dollar homes not far from where I live had a huge sale going on as well. I still made $250 that will be used towards our vacation in Aruba. I may hold another one next month for the rest of my stuff since there was not that great of a turn out this year.
I did some more negotiating with my bills. My promotion I had with my phone service through Time Warner was up so my bill jumped up $15 a month. I called them and was able to get under a new promotion for my internet service so that dropped my bill $20 a month for a year. I still may call DirecTV and see where I can cut back as well. In the summer Tony and I do not watch much TV so it does not make sense to pay $100 a month for something we hardly use.
My friend Elissa got together with her coworkers and placed a Tastefully Simple order. I am so thankful she did that for me. I have another party in a little less than two weeks and am hoping for good sales. Tony and I need all the extra cash we can earn for our wedding vow renewal. Yes! I just announced it. Tony and I decided to renew our wedding vows in Aruba on the beach. It does come with a hefty price tag since there is not a lot of competition on a small island. We were originally looking for a photographer but with how much the photographer costs we decide why not just do the vow renewal. It is our 10 year anniversary so we want to do it up right. This does mean we have to put off some other projects around the house. The covered patio we were planning on finishing this year probably will not happen until late fall or spring next year now. We do have some of the material bought already but it will have to sit there until we can afford to do the roof right.
I did some more negotiating with my bills. My promotion I had with my phone service through Time Warner was up so my bill jumped up $15 a month. I called them and was able to get under a new promotion for my internet service so that dropped my bill $20 a month for a year. I still may call DirecTV and see where I can cut back as well. In the summer Tony and I do not watch much TV so it does not make sense to pay $100 a month for something we hardly use.
My friend Elissa got together with her coworkers and placed a Tastefully Simple order. I am so thankful she did that for me. I have another party in a little less than two weeks and am hoping for good sales. Tony and I need all the extra cash we can earn for our wedding vow renewal. Yes! I just announced it. Tony and I decided to renew our wedding vows in Aruba on the beach. It does come with a hefty price tag since there is not a lot of competition on a small island. We were originally looking for a photographer but with how much the photographer costs we decide why not just do the vow renewal. It is our 10 year anniversary so we want to do it up right. This does mean we have to put off some other projects around the house. The covered patio we were planning on finishing this year probably will not happen until late fall or spring next year now. We do have some of the material bought already but it will have to sit there until we can afford to do the roof right.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Men – Stop Wearing Carpi Pants!
I do now know what it is but for some ungodly reason the fashion industry created extra long shorts on men that look like Capri pants. They are extra baggy, men pair them with sneakers and white socks, and there is probably about an inch or two between the sock and shorts. Please stop wearing these. You look like a complete douche bag. I saw a guy sporting this look yesterday on my way into work. It took everything for me not to open my mouth and tell him how ridiculous he looks. Your shorts should land somewhere around your knee. In exhibit A below I've seen men wear shorts even lower and baggier than this.
While I am on the topic lets discuss what it is with the extremely over sized pants. I remember baggy pants in high school. I even wore them during that horrid fashion era but now these morons are actually pulling them all the way down to the bottom of their butts. WTF? No one wants to see your underwear or your ass crack. Even funnier is how these idiots have to walk to keep their pants from falling completely down. Get a group of them together and it looks like march of the penguins.
 |
| Exhibit A: Male Capri Pants - You look stupid |
 |
| Exhibit B: With how low those are lets hope the front of his boxers do not open up. |
Monday, April 25, 2011
Easter Celebration
Friday we met up with Tony's cousin Paul and his wife Emi. We have not seen them since summer of 2008. It was nice to visit with them again. They live in Washington DC and were passing through.
Tony and I celebrated Easter on Saturday night with his Aunt, Uncle, and cousins. Tony's Aunt and Uncle are from Maine, one cousin lives in Charleston with her boyfriend, and the other cousin also lives in DC. I did not do a Easter style dinner. I made pulled pork, pasta salad, bread with dipping oil, and Hungry Girl's banana cream pie. The pie was really good for a low fat banana cream pie. It better have been good since I dropped the whisk on my toe and burned myself. Very nice blister!
Link to Banana Cream Pie: http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/show/1925
Sunday Tony and I relaxed around the house. He went for a ride with is friends during the day and I laid out hoping to get my first tan of the year. That plan was quickly interrupted by wasps flying every where. I hate those things! For whatever reason they love our hammock. I was out for an hour with SPF 4 on. No tan. Not even a dash of color on my porcelain skin. I should have stayed out another hour but I was so scared of burning. We took Sydney and Jack hiking at Eno River State Park. I would love to take Oscar with but he just cannot make those rigid hikes. Sydney barley can with her old age.
I did give in to my no spend challenge this weekend. I bought a $13 cardigan at BJ's. Not upset I did because that was on my list of things to buy next month since mine have holes about to be worn in the elbows.
Tony and I celebrated Easter on Saturday night with his Aunt, Uncle, and cousins. Tony's Aunt and Uncle are from Maine, one cousin lives in Charleston with her boyfriend, and the other cousin also lives in DC. I did not do a Easter style dinner. I made pulled pork, pasta salad, bread with dipping oil, and Hungry Girl's banana cream pie. The pie was really good for a low fat banana cream pie. It better have been good since I dropped the whisk on my toe and burned myself. Very nice blister!
Link to Banana Cream Pie: http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/show/1925
Sunday Tony and I relaxed around the house. He went for a ride with is friends during the day and I laid out hoping to get my first tan of the year. That plan was quickly interrupted by wasps flying every where. I hate those things! For whatever reason they love our hammock. I was out for an hour with SPF 4 on. No tan. Not even a dash of color on my porcelain skin. I should have stayed out another hour but I was so scared of burning. We took Sydney and Jack hiking at Eno River State Park. I would love to take Oscar with but he just cannot make those rigid hikes. Sydney barley can with her old age.
I did give in to my no spend challenge this weekend. I bought a $13 cardigan at BJ's. Not upset I did because that was on my list of things to buy next month since mine have holes about to be worn in the elbows.
Extreme Couponing
I use coupons all the time when shopping. I probably save around $100 - $150 a month on groceries. Mom told me about Extreme Couponing so I had to record it. These people are f'ing crazy. One episode I watched the lady had around $1800 in groceries and paid around $103 for it. She bought about 70 things of mustard because it came to 39 cents. Who needs 70 mustards and how in the world are you going to use it before it expires?! I maybe use one or two a year. Why not just buy 2 or 5 but 70? Instead she spent and extra $25 on mustard she did not need and will likely spoil. Oh, and I just loved how she had to constantly touch up her make up for her image. Make up does not cover up crazy. I did not see any fresh fruits or vegetables except for the lady that had a coupon for bananas.
There is a reason this show comes on TV after Hoarders. These people are hoarders and let their couponing take over their house. I have one shelf and my pantry for items I buy on sale. Items I know I need. Not 100 things of Excedrin PM because they are free. These people have an addiction to how much they can save and in doing so buy way more than they need. The two shows I watched none of these people donated to charity. Another lady bough 90 bags of croutons because they were free. What in the world are you going to do with 90 bags of croutons that expire in 6 months? I did not see any decent meals these people can make. Lots of sugary cereal for the kids. I completely understand stocking up on laundry detergent, toilet paper, paper towels, and other cleaning supplies if they come out to be nearly free BUT they should not take over your house and your living space. There will always be more coupons in the future so 100 things of paper towel is unnecessary. One lady even stored them in a shower! Even deodorant has an expiration date.
My take on this is couponing is great when done within reason. Buy what you need and if there is a great sale there is no need to buy 100 of each item. Depending on the item maybe max it out at 5, 20, or even 30. There will always be more coupons and another sale. Do not let the feeling of how much you saved overtake reality and over take your house. I like to cook and have homemade meals. I like variety. I like fresh fruits and vegetables. No way could I eat like these people.
There is a reason this show comes on TV after Hoarders. These people are hoarders and let their couponing take over their house. I have one shelf and my pantry for items I buy on sale. Items I know I need. Not 100 things of Excedrin PM because they are free. These people have an addiction to how much they can save and in doing so buy way more than they need. The two shows I watched none of these people donated to charity. Another lady bough 90 bags of croutons because they were free. What in the world are you going to do with 90 bags of croutons that expire in 6 months? I did not see any decent meals these people can make. Lots of sugary cereal for the kids. I completely understand stocking up on laundry detergent, toilet paper, paper towels, and other cleaning supplies if they come out to be nearly free BUT they should not take over your house and your living space. There will always be more coupons in the future so 100 things of paper towel is unnecessary. One lady even stored them in a shower! Even deodorant has an expiration date.
My take on this is couponing is great when done within reason. Buy what you need and if there is a great sale there is no need to buy 100 of each item. Depending on the item maybe max it out at 5, 20, or even 30. There will always be more coupons and another sale. Do not let the feeling of how much you saved overtake reality and over take your house. I like to cook and have homemade meals. I like variety. I like fresh fruits and vegetables. No way could I eat like these people.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Engagement Chicken
I am sure many of you have seen the stories lately about the engagement chicken by Glamour Magazine. Women claim to become engaged after making this chicken for their boyfriend. This leaves me with five words: “Are you f'ing kidding me?” I mean come on! Were these women shit cooks prior to making this easy recipe? Men are simple but they do not think “oh that was a great chicken my girlfriend cooked; I need to propose now.” Around 70 women got engaged after making this chicken. What they fail to mention is how many tried and how many of these couples were already discussing marriage.
When Tony and I got engaged I do not think I cooked much for him. I was very young and inexperienced in the kitchen. I think at that time the only thing I cooked for him came out of a box but I cooked it in my underwear. We were only dating for three months before he popped the question. What attracted Tony to me as his future wife was my nurturing instinct yet bad girl attitude. I had my first tattoo before we were dating. We had great chemistry. Tony knew I was very young and probably not ready for marriage but saw a young woman with a good head on her shoulders, a woman that does not take anyone’s crap, a woman that can take care of him when he is sick, a woman that wants to have fun in this journey we call life, and many other things.
It takes more than a chicken to get a man to marry you. You need to have the qualities he is looking for and the undeniable chemistry.
When Tony and I got engaged I do not think I cooked much for him. I was very young and inexperienced in the kitchen. I think at that time the only thing I cooked for him came out of a box but I cooked it in my underwear. We were only dating for three months before he popped the question. What attracted Tony to me as his future wife was my nurturing instinct yet bad girl attitude. I had my first tattoo before we were dating. We had great chemistry. Tony knew I was very young and probably not ready for marriage but saw a young woman with a good head on her shoulders, a woman that does not take anyone’s crap, a woman that can take care of him when he is sick, a woman that wants to have fun in this journey we call life, and many other things.
It takes more than a chicken to get a man to marry you. You need to have the qualities he is looking for and the undeniable chemistry.
Monday, April 18, 2011
April No Spend Update
I am still doing great with my April No Spend Challenge. Another weekend down and no unnecessary spending. I did buy my nieces birthday gifts and some wrinkle creams but still not unnecessary. I am starting not to miss shopping and definitely do not miss that feeling of guilt after I bought too much stuff. I am not falling for the coupons retailers send me. Before I would not pass up 15, 20, even 30% off and Kohls or Macys but now I realize while it is a great discount, I do not need anything. With all the cutting back I've been doing it does look like Tony and I will be able to buy the rest of the materials for our covered porch this month. He also has been putting in a lot of overtime to help pay for the recent vet bills and and taxes. We are so lucky Tony has the ability to put in overtime and that he is willing to do it for the family. I am so grateful to him for everything he has been doing lately.
I participated in a Mary Kay, Thirty-One, and Tastefully Simple open house on Sunday. For a small party my sales were not bad and I have one party booked out of it. Possibly one more. For about 3 hours worth of work I made $60 put had to put about half of that back into the party kit for the next party. It sounds like the party I am going to have next month is going to be huge. My friend Leigh and I are going to do a combined show again. It is nice to give people a variety for shopping.
I participated in a Mary Kay, Thirty-One, and Tastefully Simple open house on Sunday. For a small party my sales were not bad and I have one party booked out of it. Possibly one more. For about 3 hours worth of work I made $60 put had to put about half of that back into the party kit for the next party. It sounds like the party I am going to have next month is going to be huge. My friend Leigh and I are going to do a combined show again. It is nice to give people a variety for shopping.
Tuna Noodle Casserole and Pina Colada Cupcakes
Saturday I made Pina Colada cupcakes and Tuna Noodle Casserole from Gina's Skinny Taste. The cupcakes were so easy. I bought sugar free yellow cake mix and a 20 oz can of crushed pineapple. Mix the two together and follow the cup cake directions on the box. They are fine without the frosting or with. Tony helped me make the cupcakes and in doing so probably ate about five cupcakes worth of batter. Tony does not like coconut so he did not use the frosting. Instead of low fat cream cheese I used fat free. Follow the link below to the recipe.
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/04/pina-colada-cupcakes.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+weightwatcherspointsrecipes+%28Gina%27s+Skinny+Recipes%29
For the Tuna Noodle Casserole Tony found it hard to believe this was low fat. The only thing I changed in it was I added some shredded Swiss cheese to the top of it. I was shredding the cheese for the Tastefully Simple Spinach and Artichoke dip and had some left over. Tony loved the added Swiss on the top.
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/01/skinny-tuna-noodle-casserole.html
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/04/pina-colada-cupcakes.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+weightwatcherspointsrecipes+%28Gina%27s+Skinny+Recipes%29
For the Tuna Noodle Casserole Tony found it hard to believe this was low fat. The only thing I changed in it was I added some shredded Swiss cheese to the top of it. I was shredding the cheese for the Tastefully Simple Spinach and Artichoke dip and had some left over. Tony loved the added Swiss on the top.
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/01/skinny-tuna-noodle-casserole.html
Friday, April 15, 2011
Change in Vacation Plans
Well Savannah Charleston Savannah Savannah
Good-Bye All My Children
This morning on the news they announced All My Children will be canceled in September. I have been addicted to this show since 2000 and remember my mom watching it when I was a kid. I will say in the last couple of months the story lines have gotten horrible and it leaves me fast forwarding through most of the show. How many more times can someone be kidnapped, go crazy, kill someone, get married, screw someone else’s partners, etc. Even with these bad moments of writing I still follow the show.
When Tony heard the announcement this morning he practically was jumping for joy and had a hard time controlling his excitement. I watch the show while I exercise every night I am home. It is the last thing he wants to exercise to. Maybe we can agree on some DVR’ed comedies to watch together while we work out.
When Tony heard the announcement this morning he practically was jumping for joy and had a hard time controlling his excitement. I watch the show while I exercise every night I am home. It is the last thing he wants to exercise to. Maybe we can agree on some DVR’ed comedies to watch together while we work out.
Monday, April 11, 2011
My Rude Monday Morning Awakening
I park on the 6th floor of the parking garage at work and take the stairs down and back up for a little added exercise. My Monday morning was mad a very bad Monday morning when I got to the 4th floor to realize a homeless person shit on the landing. It was one of those moments you think there is no way that really is what I am seeing. Not sure I will be taking the stairs anymore.
April No Spend and Weight Up Date
Other than the few items Tony bought me last week, my no spend challenge this month has been going great. There was a jacket on sale at BJ’s I tried on but put it back on the rack. A year ago I would have bought it without even thinking twice. I am pretty proud of myself with how well I am doing. Saturday I went to The Southern Women’s Show with a friend and Tony went to the Cigar Expo with her husband. While in there I did not even think about spending money on anything. Pat on the back for me. However next month when I allow myself to buy something it is going to be new cardigans for work. I wear them everyday since the office is cold and I am wearing out the elbows.
I did not try out any new recipes this weekend. I really love the Greek Turkey burgers I made a few months back and made those Saturday. If you have not tried this recipe yet you really need to. They are amazing. I’ve been focusing more on eating what we have to keep our grocery bill down this month. I do have a large stock of nonperishable items and meat in the freezer.
I am down to 133.8 pounds now! I am only 3 more away from my lightest last year. Now I have to lose another weight watcher point though. I am already hungry enough the way it is and to lose another point is going to be hard. Really I would deduct the point at 130 pounds but my implants weigh about 4 pounds so my real weight is 129.8. Once I get to a comfortable weight I would not mind trying the Mediterranean diet which focuses on healthy oils, nuts, greens, and seafood – which I will not be eating the seafood.
Three years ago or so I asked Sprint to block picture mail and internet access on our phones since we do not have that plan. Yes I am too cheap to have internet on my phone. Lately I noticed we were getting billed for picture mail. They were small charges so I never really paid much attention to it. Tony and I never even receive notification we received picture mail so we do not know who was sending it to us. I went back through two years worth of Sprint bills online and found in November 2009 we started getting billed for picture mail again. Over the about year and a half it came to $7 in charges. Not a whole lot but I was mad we were being billed for them especially since we were not receiving notifications. I called Sprint to find out what was going on and my contract changed in 2009 and they did not roll over the internet and picture mail block. She credited me $75! I would have been happy with a $7 credit. Thank you Sprint!
I did not try out any new recipes this weekend. I really love the Greek Turkey burgers I made a few months back and made those Saturday. If you have not tried this recipe yet you really need to. They are amazing. I’ve been focusing more on eating what we have to keep our grocery bill down this month. I do have a large stock of nonperishable items and meat in the freezer.
I am down to 133.8 pounds now! I am only 3 more away from my lightest last year. Now I have to lose another weight watcher point though. I am already hungry enough the way it is and to lose another point is going to be hard. Really I would deduct the point at 130 pounds but my implants weigh about 4 pounds so my real weight is 129.8. Once I get to a comfortable weight I would not mind trying the Mediterranean diet which focuses on healthy oils, nuts, greens, and seafood – which I will not be eating the seafood.
Three years ago or so I asked Sprint to block picture mail and internet access on our phones since we do not have that plan. Yes I am too cheap to have internet on my phone. Lately I noticed we were getting billed for picture mail. They were small charges so I never really paid much attention to it. Tony and I never even receive notification we received picture mail so we do not know who was sending it to us. I went back through two years worth of Sprint bills online and found in November 2009 we started getting billed for picture mail again. Over the about year and a half it came to $7 in charges. Not a whole lot but I was mad we were being billed for them especially since we were not receiving notifications. I called Sprint to find out what was going on and my contract changed in 2009 and they did not roll over the internet and picture mail block. She credited me $75! I would have been happy with a $7 credit. Thank you Sprint!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Surprise for Me
Tony had a nice surprise for me. Saturday morning he helped me clean and the said he would go grocery shopping with me. But before we left he said we had one stop to make at Macy’s to buy me a dress! I was surprised he read the blog post and so quickly wanted to buy me the dress. We went to Macy’s and unfortunately the dress was not what it looked like on line. I looked like a cow in it. Not form fitting at all. Tony did not want me to leave empty handed and we continued to look for a dress with no luck. I ended up going to practical route and bought a pair of dress pants, jeans, and a shirt on sale. With my weight loss jeans and dress pants are in high demand. The shirt was something Tony really liked and insisted I try it on. He loved it so we bought it. The total cost for the three items came to about what the dress would have cost. Not sure if this counts against my April no spend challenge but I know this was important for Tony to do for me. He really was surprised I did not pick out a different dress and went with practicality.
We really did have an amazing weekend together. Friday we ate at our favorite Asian restaurant and then went to Black Belt Friday at Karate International. It is a promotion ceremony for the black belts and a performance show. Really fun to watch. Hard to believe but the next one I may be performing in it as a black belt!
Saturday after we finished cleaning and shopping we spent the rest of the day just chilling around the house and watching our favorite show, Ghost Adventures. It was a very relaxing day together and definitely one we needed.
Sunday was our landscaping day. It was pretty nice outside. We planted a few more bushes and trees…like we really need any more. Our back yard really has to be one of the best in our neighborhood. We put in more Cyprus trees that will eventually grow and provide more privacy. The deer were also eating some of the bushes we planted in front of our fence so we replaced some of them with bushes they do not like. I can’t wait until our grass is green again.
We really did have an amazing weekend together. Friday we ate at our favorite Asian restaurant and then went to Black Belt Friday at Karate International. It is a promotion ceremony for the black belts and a performance show. Really fun to watch. Hard to believe but the next one I may be performing in it as a black belt!
Saturday after we finished cleaning and shopping we spent the rest of the day just chilling around the house and watching our favorite show, Ghost Adventures. It was a very relaxing day together and definitely one we needed.
Sunday was our landscaping day. It was pretty nice outside. We planted a few more bushes and trees…like we really need any more. Our back yard really has to be one of the best in our neighborhood. We put in more Cyprus trees that will eventually grow and provide more privacy. The deer were also eating some of the bushes we planted in front of our fence so we replaced some of them with bushes they do not like. I can’t wait until our grass is green again.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Ole Southwestern Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas
I just submitted this recipe to Tastefully Simple. This was so amazing! One enchilada will have you so full! I served it with Tastefully Simple Taco Cheese Ball that I made with fat free cream cheese, Tastefully Simple Simple Salsa, and low fat tortilla chips.
Ole Southwestern Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas
Ingredients:
1 ½ pound chicken breasts (about two breasts)
½ of a Green Pepper - sliced
½ cup chopped Onion
3 tsp Simply Southwest Seasoning & Rub
¼ cup water
1 can black beans – drained and rinsed
Ole Ole Fiesta Sauce
2 cups Weight Watchers Mexican cheese
6 low carb tortilla wraps - I used Ole Xtreme Wellness high fiber low carb
5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Ole Southwestern Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas
Ingredients:
1 ½ pound chicken breasts (about two breasts)
½ of a Green Pepper - sliced
½ cup chopped Onion
3 tsp Simply Southwest Seasoning & Rub
¼ cup water
1 can black beans – drained and rinsed
Ole Ole Fiesta Sauce
2 cups Weight Watchers Mexican cheese
6 low carb tortilla wraps - I used Ole Xtreme Wellness high fiber low carb
 |
| Some of the ingredients I used. The two cans of tomatoes are for the Simple Salsa mix |
Directions:
1. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Add chicken breasts, sliced green pepper, chopped onion, Simply Southwest Seasoning & Rub, and water. Cook on low for about 5 hours. Remove slower cooker mix and shred chicken.
 |
| Chicken, peppers, onions, and seasoning in the slow cooker |
2. Spray a large cooking pan with cooking spray. Add shredded chicken mix, 1 1/3 cup cheese, black beans, and 1/3 cup plus 1 tbs Ole Ole Fiesta Sauce. Cook on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes until cheese is melted.
3. Coat 8x11 baking dish with cooking spray. Add enchilada mix to tortilla wraps. About ¼ cup per wrap. Place in 1 baking dish.
4. Drizzle remaining Ole Ole Fiesta Sauce over the enchiladas. Top with remaining 2/3 cup cheese. Cover with tin foil.5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
6. Top with your favorite topping such as Simple Salsa, sour cream, jalapenos, lettuce etc.
 |
| The finished product |
Per Enchilada
Calories: 294
Fat: 7
Fiber: 15.5
Protien: 28
Carbs: 37.5
WW Points: 5
Points +: 7
Calories: 294
Fat: 7
Fiber: 15.5
Protien: 28
Carbs: 37.5
WW Points: 5
Points +: 7
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Forehead Wrinkles
When my brothers were visiting Jon gave me some old pictures he scanned. My grandpa on my dad's side died when I was a baby. After going through those pictures I can see who I get my forehead wrinkles from and am NOT looking forward to getting older. I hope I advance quickly at work because I see a lot of Botox in my future. Thanks Grandpa. I really would have loved to inherited your entrepreneurial sense rather than your forehead wrinkles.
You may have to double click on the picture to blow it up and see the wrinkles.
You may have to double click on the picture to blow it up and see the wrinkles.
 |
| Uncle Fred and Grandpa Ed |
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
My April No Spending Challenge
For the month of April I am going to attempt not to do any wasteful spending. I have cut back greatly since being unemployed but I do still enjoy the occasional new pair of shoes, new dress, etc. Well for the month of April that is all out. No new shoes, no new dress, no unnecessary item for the house, zip. April is a month of bills. URG…federal tax, vehicle tax, yearly termite inspection, Oscar’s dental work (Milo had his in March), and I am sure there are some more I am missing. After those items are paid for the money I normally budget for unnecessary items (such as clothing, iTunes, eBay, travel, donations, gifts) will be used to buy some more supplies for the covered patio we are building.
Of course as I write this there is a new INC dress out for $90 that will be perfect for my upcoming beach vacations. I am in love with this dress and my $20 off of $50 expires April 26 at Macys. SUCKS! Honey if you want to surprise me with this dress I am a size small, $20 off coupon is in my coupon binder, and your Macy’s card is in my wallet. Use MrRebates.com for additional savings. ID is my yahoo email and you know my favorite password. Hey…I said my spending was done for April but did not say my husband’s wasn’t. A girl can try, right? http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=542431&CategoryID=26513#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D56 Before I lost my job I would buy clothing and items for the house if I liked it. Now I have to LOVE it to buy it.
March sucked as well with vet bills, surprise vehicle expenses, and we were not about to give up our sanity by canceling our trip to Charleston. We made it through without dipping into savings or using credit cards. I will say I did pretty good in Charleston for spending. The only things I bought for myself was an olive oil dispenser and a sponge holder for the kitchen. Both handmade by artists in Charleston and only cost me $31. But for the month of April even items like that will be cut out of my spending. Tony bought two shirts and a flag for the garage. Every town he visits he buys a Harley shirt with the dealers name and location on it.
We packed our lunches on the trip which saved us $40 - $50 right there. It is just a smart thing to do when traveling to save money and your waistline. I cannot eat out every single meal of the day. Our hotel had free breakfast but I brought my low fat oatmeal with.
Last month I finally decided to give up ordering wine when out to dinner unless it is a special occasion. For whatever reason the last few times eating out the restaurants have passed off two buck chuck as a nice wine. The heck if I am going to pay $7 a glass for wine that is going to give me a hangover the next day. I will just have a glass when we get home. My wine is under $7 a bottle! If you look at the bigger picture if I buy one glass of wine out to dinner 50 weeks a year that is $350 on shit wine. No thank you.
Another goal I have for April is to hold a garage sale towards the end of the month. Last year Tony and I made $700 from selling stuff we did not use. I know we will not hit that number again this year because there is not a whole lot to sell but even $200 would be nice. Anytime I receive cash it gets stashed away for vacations. Tony and I took that $700 to Curacao with us. This money will be for Aruba. I am sure there still are items shoved away in my attic that can go. I really need to clean out my closet and get ride of some shoes! Well, April is just a few days away. Lets see how I do.
Of course as I write this there is a new INC dress out for $90 that will be perfect for my upcoming beach vacations. I am in love with this dress and my $20 off of $50 expires April 26 at Macys. SUCKS! Honey if you want to surprise me with this dress I am a size small, $20 off coupon is in my coupon binder, and your Macy’s card is in my wallet. Use MrRebates.com for additional savings. ID is my yahoo email and you know my favorite password. Hey…I said my spending was done for April but did not say my husband’s wasn’t. A girl can try, right? http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=542431&CategoryID=26513#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D56 Before I lost my job I would buy clothing and items for the house if I liked it. Now I have to LOVE it to buy it.
March sucked as well with vet bills, surprise vehicle expenses, and we were not about to give up our sanity by canceling our trip to Charleston. We made it through without dipping into savings or using credit cards. I will say I did pretty good in Charleston for spending. The only things I bought for myself was an olive oil dispenser and a sponge holder for the kitchen. Both handmade by artists in Charleston and only cost me $31. But for the month of April even items like that will be cut out of my spending. Tony bought two shirts and a flag for the garage. Every town he visits he buys a Harley shirt with the dealers name and location on it.
We packed our lunches on the trip which saved us $40 - $50 right there. It is just a smart thing to do when traveling to save money and your waistline. I cannot eat out every single meal of the day. Our hotel had free breakfast but I brought my low fat oatmeal with.
Last month I finally decided to give up ordering wine when out to dinner unless it is a special occasion. For whatever reason the last few times eating out the restaurants have passed off two buck chuck as a nice wine. The heck if I am going to pay $7 a glass for wine that is going to give me a hangover the next day. I will just have a glass when we get home. My wine is under $7 a bottle! If you look at the bigger picture if I buy one glass of wine out to dinner 50 weeks a year that is $350 on shit wine. No thank you.
Another goal I have for April is to hold a garage sale towards the end of the month. Last year Tony and I made $700 from selling stuff we did not use. I know we will not hit that number again this year because there is not a whole lot to sell but even $200 would be nice. Anytime I receive cash it gets stashed away for vacations. Tony and I took that $700 to Curacao with us. This money will be for Aruba. I am sure there still are items shoved away in my attic that can go. I really need to clean out my closet and get ride of some shoes! Well, April is just a few days away. Lets see how I do.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
More Charleston Pictures
Pictures from Charleston
Tony and I had a three day weekend in Charleston. We go here about once a year. There is always so much to do and see.
The Pink House. The oldest home in Charleston from 1694. Used to be a brothel for pirates. The first floor in the picture is actually the second floor. First floor is buried from fires, hurricanes, you name it.
When visiting Charleston make sure to go down the side roads. That is where you see the a majority of the old homes and many people do not even think to do this!
Me outside the fire department
Making Tony pose for the pictures
How perfect is this pictures?
Every Catch A Picture of a Ghost?
Tony and I are believers in the afterlife and spirits that still remain here. Charleston is one of the most haunted areas in the US. To my surprise in my pictures I have been able to capture pictures of orbs and ghosts.
While on the Ghost and Graveyard Tour in Charleston on Friday I was able to capture orbs in many of my pictures in the graveyards. Some came up with no orbs and others were loaded with them. I was taking several pictures of this tomb and in one I captured the image of a man in the upper right corner. There was no one else in the graveyard at the time this photo was taken. If there had been a person in the picture, my camera is set to recognized faces and would have focused on the person which it did not. When I zoomed in on this picture the man has no eyes, nose, or mouth. I attempted to circle him in red. Click on the picture to blow it up.
Also on the tour we went to Philadelphia Alley but in the 1700's this was called Duel Street. The reason is because duals were held here and some 200 - 300 people died on this alley. I caught an orb on this alley. Orb is circled.
When Tony and I were in Charleston two years ago I captured this beautiful picture of this house which was later featured in Southern Living magazine. When I got my pictures back I noticed and image in the middle top window. Can you see it? It could also be a window pane but who knows. While in Charleston this past weekend where this image appears I saw a lamp. Not to say that lamp was not there two years ago but none the less...interesting. The woman I circled in the bottom floor is a real woman.
Creep picture from the graveyard. No orbs in this photo.
Pictures from My Families Visit
 |
| Me with Milo |
 |
| Jon, Ashley, and Tim at Eno River State Park |
 |
| Jon just had to jump on the rocks |
 |
| Duke Gardens |
 |
| Jon, Me, and Tim at Duke Gardens |
 |
| Ashley and Tim in the bamboo at Duke Gardens |
 |
| Tim, Jon, and Ashley at a Civil War Battle Field |
Dijon Herb Basted Turkey
This is the turkey I made when my brothers were visiting. I found this recipe on Oprah's website about five years ago. This is the only turkey recipe I will use. It is amazing. I served it with Tastefully Simple Wild Rice Stuffing and Pasta Roni. Did not go the potato route since it wasn't Thanksgiving. With the left overs I made turkey salad by adding low fat mayo, spicy mustard, salt, pepper, garlic, and almonds. This is really easy to toss together. No measuring needed.Dijon Herb Basted Turkey
Ingredients:
½ cup margarine
2 cups white wine or chicken broth, divided
½ cup Dijon mustard, divided
1 tb rosemary
½ ts salt
½ ts pepper
½ cup orange juice, divided
2 tb flour
1 – 12lb turkey
Mix margarine, ¼ cup mustard, rosemary, salt, and paper. Stir in ¼ cup OJ. Remove ¼ cup of mixture for gravy. Pour ¼ cup OJ into turkey cavity. Rub ¼ cup mustard on turkey skin and the ¼ cup mixture on side of turkey. Place turkey in pan. Add 1 cup wine or broth to bottom of pan. Bake 1 hour then brush turkey with remaining mixture every 30 minutes until fully cooked. Meat temp should be 180 degree inside. Cook turkey according to time and temp on bag.
Gravy:
Pour pan drippings into large measuring cup. Add wine or broth to drippings until it reaches 2 ½ cups. Set aside. Add ¼ cup mustard mix to roasting pa. Cook until heated. Stirring frequently. Gradually add flour, bead with whisk. Cook on medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add pan drippings, beat until blended. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in remaining ¼ cup mustard.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
My Family Visits!
My brothers and sister-in-law arrived Sunday. They drove all the way from WI. I cooked a turkey dinner Sunday night – recipe and pictures to come soon. Saturday I took them to downtown Raleigh. We walked around the cities historic district, visited the science and history museum, and saw the state capital. We had lunch at The Pit so they could experience Southern BBQ. Tim tried ordering a burger but I convinced him to go outside of his comfort zone and try BBQ. He did like it.
Tuesday I took them hiking in Eno River State Park. We were gone for about 2 hours. During the hike it became clear to me my big doe is definitely fractured from that last injury at karate. On the hike they were able to see lizards, snakes (including a baby copperhead), beautiful water rapids, cranes, and they saw how out of shaper their sister really is. I thought I was going to pass out on that hike. Amazing what months of rest can do to a person. My knees held up though. After Eno River we went to the Duke Gardens and then to downtown Durham. Tony and I took them out to dinner at an Irish Pub in downtown Raleigh for dinner. They all said that was the best meal they ever had.
Wednesday I took them to two Civil War battlefields outside of Raleigh. It was over an hour drive but I knew they would enjoy it. I cooked pasta for dinner that night.
It was really nice to have my brothers and sister-in-law around. I wish they would consider moving here someday. I think the weather as a little warm for my brothers but we were having record high temps for March. Tony and I are off to Charleston for the weekend. I will get pictures from my family’s visit along with the Charleston trip up next week.
This morning I was terrified to get on the scale. One day I went over my weight watcher points by 5. To my surprise my weight was down. 134.6! The last two week I've been at a stand still so it was refreshing seeing my weight drop. Must have been that hike!
Tuesday I took them hiking in Eno River State Park. We were gone for about 2 hours. During the hike it became clear to me my big doe is definitely fractured from that last injury at karate. On the hike they were able to see lizards, snakes (including a baby copperhead), beautiful water rapids, cranes, and they saw how out of shaper their sister really is. I thought I was going to pass out on that hike. Amazing what months of rest can do to a person. My knees held up though. After Eno River we went to the Duke Gardens and then to downtown Durham. Tony and I took them out to dinner at an Irish Pub in downtown Raleigh for dinner. They all said that was the best meal they ever had.
Wednesday I took them to two Civil War battlefields outside of Raleigh. It was over an hour drive but I knew they would enjoy it. I cooked pasta for dinner that night.
It was really nice to have my brothers and sister-in-law around. I wish they would consider moving here someday. I think the weather as a little warm for my brothers but we were having record high temps for March. Tony and I are off to Charleston for the weekend. I will get pictures from my family’s visit along with the Charleston trip up next week.
This morning I was terrified to get on the scale. One day I went over my weight watcher points by 5. To my surprise my weight was down. 134.6! The last two week I've been at a stand still so it was refreshing seeing my weight drop. Must have been that hike!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Grocery Store Savings
Kroger is an awesome grocery store where I live. I do most of my grocery shopping at Walmart and BJ’s but go to Kroger for their sale items. There sales are amazing and their produce is really fresh. About once a month they run a special with select items. It is buy 10 of the items and get $5 off. Mix and match. These deals are so amazing. Particularly because the items are also on sale on top of taking the $5 discount. Here is everything I bought.
12 – Smart Ones Microwave Meals $1.38 – $1.68 each
4 – Bumble Bee Tuna – $0.49 each
7 – Pasta Roni - $0.79 each
8 – Rozini Smart Pasta - $0.49 each
9 – Del Monte canned tomatoes - $0.69 each
3 – Bird’s Eye Microwave Bag pasta and rice $1.49 each
3 – Classico Pasta Sauce - $1.99 each
Not in the 10 for $5 deal but on sale.
3 for $10 Morning Star Corn Dogs
Strawberries
I combined my manufactures coupons with the discounts along with a coupon from my City Pass book for $5 off a $50 purchase. Total before coupons and discounts $120. Total after coupons, $48.44.
The Rozini pasta is our favorite pasta that is around $1.50 at Walmart. Two of them were free after my coupon I combined with it. I had three coupons for a $1 off two boxes of the Pasta Roni. The pasta sauce came to 99 cents each after my other coupons I combined with it. Unfortunately for me a few days later Harris Teeter came out with a great sale on Classico pasta sauce and it only would have been 29 cents a jar. It really pays to do your research when grocery shopping. I could not have seen that great deal at Harris Teeter but still ended up paying a good price.
Since January I have been really committed to keeping our grocery bill under $800 a month. The last three years our monthly average has been around $1100 a month. I did a great job keeping it down when I was unemployed but stopped paying a lot of attention to it after I found a job. The biggest thing for me to save money is to plan out the grocery list for two weeks. Put down items for this week’s grocery list I need now and which coupons will expire that week and the following week for items I can wait a bit longer on. This helps so much! I am not over buying on items I do not need. Of course I stocked up at Kroger because the prices were too good not to but in the long run it saves me money. I am happy to report I have been able to stay under the $800 mark so far this year and that even includes going all natural and/or organic meat and eggs and having fresh fruit and vegetables. It pays to map out my grocery shopping. Lately I’ve been stopping at four different stores each week for the best deals just like I did when I was unemployed. The stores are a mix of Walmart, BJ’s, Lowes, Food Lion, Kroger, Harris Teeter, and Earth Fare.
Now for those of you going how in the world do you spend $800 or even more than that at the grocery store? My cost also includes toiletries, pet supplies, and cleaning supplies. Tony and I also take our lunch to work every day. Save your receipts for a month and add it up. I think you will be surprised at how much you actually spend.
12 – Smart Ones Microwave Meals $1.38 – $1.68 each
4 – Bumble Bee Tuna – $0.49 each
7 – Pasta Roni - $0.79 each
8 – Rozini Smart Pasta - $0.49 each
9 – Del Monte canned tomatoes - $0.69 each
3 – Bird’s Eye Microwave Bag pasta and rice $1.49 each
3 – Classico Pasta Sauce - $1.99 each
Not in the 10 for $5 deal but on sale.
3 for $10 Morning Star Corn Dogs
Strawberries
I combined my manufactures coupons with the discounts along with a coupon from my City Pass book for $5 off a $50 purchase. Total before coupons and discounts $120. Total after coupons, $48.44.
The Rozini pasta is our favorite pasta that is around $1.50 at Walmart. Two of them were free after my coupon I combined with it. I had three coupons for a $1 off two boxes of the Pasta Roni. The pasta sauce came to 99 cents each after my other coupons I combined with it. Unfortunately for me a few days later Harris Teeter came out with a great sale on Classico pasta sauce and it only would have been 29 cents a jar. It really pays to do your research when grocery shopping. I could not have seen that great deal at Harris Teeter but still ended up paying a good price.
Since January I have been really committed to keeping our grocery bill under $800 a month. The last three years our monthly average has been around $1100 a month. I did a great job keeping it down when I was unemployed but stopped paying a lot of attention to it after I found a job. The biggest thing for me to save money is to plan out the grocery list for two weeks. Put down items for this week’s grocery list I need now and which coupons will expire that week and the following week for items I can wait a bit longer on. This helps so much! I am not over buying on items I do not need. Of course I stocked up at Kroger because the prices were too good not to but in the long run it saves me money. I am happy to report I have been able to stay under the $800 mark so far this year and that even includes going all natural and/or organic meat and eggs and having fresh fruit and vegetables. It pays to map out my grocery shopping. Lately I’ve been stopping at four different stores each week for the best deals just like I did when I was unemployed. The stores are a mix of Walmart, BJ’s, Lowes, Food Lion, Kroger, Harris Teeter, and Earth Fare.
Now for those of you going how in the world do you spend $800 or even more than that at the grocery store? My cost also includes toiletries, pet supplies, and cleaning supplies. Tony and I also take our lunch to work every day. Save your receipts for a month and add it up. I think you will be surprised at how much you actually spend.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)