Whirlwind

It's been a little crazy in my head the past week or so. As you know, we were ready to put an offer in on the first house I shared with you. Then someone beat us to it.

Back to the drawing board. We looked at 5 more houses. Found one we liked. Thought seriously about putting an offer in, but for some reason (a.k.a. God hinting to me) I was having doubts about it. Had plans to look at it again last night.

Then we found one online we fell in love with. I got excited. Z stopped by during the day yesterday and somehow the door was unlocked so he got in, took pictures & sent them to me. I got super excited. We canceled the showing for house #2- we just wanted to see this new one. The longer I sat at work, the more excited I got about house #3. This would explain this post. And since I tortured you, let me explain why this house is so awesome.

• Colonial style 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath (!!!)
• Big kitchen, Eat-in breakfast nook
• Separate Dining room
• Big formal living room PLUS big "bonus"/family rm./den
  
• Full basement
• In a beautiful subdivision
• Great school district (super important in resale)
• Asking $50k under value
• Hard wood floors in majority of rooms
• Tons of potential
  
• 2 car garage
• Nice kitchen cabinets
• We're first time home buyers- which means we'd get the $8k tax credit- plenty of $$ to refinish floors, paint, update light fixtures, put tile in kitchen & baths

Want to know what they're asking for this gem??? $79,500. Yeah. Insane. Monthly mortgage would be almost the same as what we're paying in rent. A-MAZE-ing!

See why I had "ants in my pants"?? I didn't want to tell you though, because I was afraid of something falling through. And really, chances are, you don't care to hear every little up and down in our house-searching journey. So I only wanted to tell you once I'd seen it and knew more. Well, now I do.

The house was just as great as it seemed in the pictures. I FELL IN LOVE with the neighborhood- people were out in their driveways chatting with each other & walking with their kids. Love.

I'm sure you're all waiting for me to say BUT. Well, the time has come.

The "BUT" came when we went down into the basement. It had previously been finished- cheap carpet, cheap wood paneling on the walls, a dropped tile ceiling, & a small wall put up to section off the furnace area. Like most basements, it had a sump pump in the ground to prevent flooding. When the bank foreclosed, the power was either turned off or at some point the pump stopped working. Plus we've had a lot of rain, and warm weather. I'm sure you see where this is going.

Water accumulated a little bit (less than 1/2 inch) in places, and saturated the carpet. The dampness pretty much ruined the wood panels. No biggy. We could gut it-we don't need a finished basement. But, of course, with the hot weather came mold. It got all over parts of the walls, a little on the carpet, and in a spot on the ceiling tiles. Ugh. Freaked me out at first, so we've done a little checking around.

It wasn't enough to deter us from wanting the house. We've learned that it CAN be removed & the problem taken care of. However, it needs to be removed RIGHT AWAY so that it doesn't get into the joices or creep to the first floor. Then we'd be in trouble. My boss said the dropped ceiling probably helped contain it to the basement. We've made the decision that if the bank doesn't take care of it right away, we wouldn't get it.

We'll be getting a 203k loan- it's a rehab loan that allows you to get extra $$ to fix the place up & doesn't require that the house pass inspection at the time of closing (all FHA & conventional loans do). But we were told it would take 6-8 weeks to close. Therefore, since we can't touch it til closing, the bank would have to take care of the mold NOW. In 6-8 weeks who knows what damage the mold might cause. We've been praying for God's guidance in this so much. I figured if the bank wouldn't take care of it, that was our sign that this wasn't the one.

So Z finds out this morning that the bank IS getting estimates for the mold removal & will be doing it. Praise the Lord! But there's another offer in- hasn't been accepted yet, so we still have time. We're meeting with our agent after work to sign an offer a little higher than we planned on in hopes that we get it- with a clause that states that the mold must be removed, of course.

Whew! See why I titled this whirlwind? Seriously, if you read all this, you're a champ. Especially with no pictures! I don't have any on my work computer, so I'll have to show you those later. So anyway, I'll keep you posted on how everything goes! Please be praying that if it's God's will that we get this house, everything will go smoothly. I would love to not have to worry about people jumping in and beating us on getting houses. I'd like to just start breakin' out some handy-woman moves & make that place over!! :)

Ants in My Pants

No seriously. I can't focus. I have my Pandora radio at work on my hip hop station so I can release some of the excited energy flowin through this girl's veins!! A little "Heartless" by Kanye anyone?? When I'm sure no one can see me, I may or may not be bouncing around a little in my chair.

Like seriously, I'm on this level:Only clearly not about bacon.

Why?

Weeellll....

I can't say. Well I could. But don't think I should. Yet.

I know. I'm a terrible blog-friend. Two teases in one day.

But I promise it will be SO worth it once I tell you. I just don't want to speak too soon! But ooohhh girls, I am one happy little blonde at the moment!

And btw, if you don't hate me for this, then I'll swear you're all the best blog-friends ever. Much love ladies, much love.

Sneak Peek!

I'm working on a little project & it's not done yet, so I didn't want to show you. But, here's just a little peek of the delicious print!

Any guesses what I'm using it for??

Endnote: Quick update on the house- Someone else put a bid in on it for the full asking price before we could, so we got beat on that one. I told you it would go fast! We looked at 5 more houses last night- two were a joke, one was just blah, one was HUGE but had a terrible layout, and one we're interested in because it doesn't need much work & has lots of potential. We're going back to look at that one tonight, as well as one more we found online. If the one we found online is as good in person as it was on paper, we'll submit the paperwork and put an offer in right away.

One last thing- every time we go out to look at houses, we run into other people doing the same- a good sign for the economy!! I refuse to get sucked into the "crisis" way of thinking. If we keep "crying wolf", we'll eventually get eaten by one! But that's another topic altogether.. ;)

Photographer Rave

I am so excited- my wedding photographer just got her website up and running and I wanted to share it with all of you. I feel like we "caught" her right before she got "famous" & I'd like to think we helped! :) She did such a completely fabulous job. If you're in the greater Boston area- definitely get in touch with her. Even if you're across the country- she's more than willing to travel- so get a hold of her anyway.I like to think that I know talent when I see it, and you can be sure I found it here! She's got an amazing future ahead of her in the business. You can see a good bit of our wedding photos on her website- click on Weddings, > Portfolio > C&Z. You can also read my rave under Weddings > Information > Raves. Even if you're not in the market for photographs right now, check her new site out for some serious eye candy! Click Below:

Lauren Halvorson Photography

An Eventful Sunday!

First, I have to share some AMAZING NEWS that's not my own, but that of one of my best blog-friends- Leah. She had a baby this morning! Head over to her blog for the details & to congratulate her!!

It's been 85ish all day here & I love it! Z and I went for a 15+ mile bike ride. Boy, was it hot, but it felt great! We're really making an effort to live a more active lifestyle. And it's not hard when we have gorgeous bike trails right along the Miami River here. It's easy to get distracted by the scenery & forget your legs are burning. Although, a trip to the store for a new bike seat is needed STAT! I won't go into detail about the pain in my "seat area" right now, but let's just say it hurt bad before I ever got on my bike today (from Friday's bike ride) & I was doing the "cowboy walk" when I got off today. But to end on a positive note, my pasty self is starting to get a tan!! Yay! It started with this stuff:
It works amazing by the way - & the firming part works as well! Love it! But we definitely got a good bit of color while riding today! Okay, now on to the important news:

We're putting in an offer on a house tomorrow!! I know, I know. We were going to wait. But that's when we were thinking it was going to cost us a lot more. We stumbled upon an awesome deal & went to check it out this afternoon. It's a great find! It's HUD- owned, so they're cheap but they go fast! Which is why we're moving so quickly. It needs some work- but it's all cosmetic. Want to take a quick tour? .......thought you would! Here it is:From the road- 3 bed, 1 1/2 bath, 2 car garage.
We figured we'd put an addition over the garage, adding 1 bedroom & a bath.
We'd live in it for a while before selling it for profit.As you can see here, it's a corner lot w/ a nice wood fence surrounding the property.This is the view from the living room. The dining nook is the area on the left, and the galley-style kitchen is to the right. The half bath (with washer & dryer- that will have to change!) is the door on the right.The kitchen- will replace cabinets & countertop.The view of half of the back yard. Oh, and the most amazing part about it being all fenced in?? We can get a little dog!!! Yay!The view of the back of the house. That's a gorgeous new wood deck off the master bedroom upstairs.The stairs down from the porch.The master bedroom-all the carpet in the house needs to be replaced. Not too tough.The full bath upstairs. Umm.. yeah. Wallpaper needs to go! :)
Awful picture of one of the bedrooms. The other one is just like it.

That's pretty much it. The windows and doors are all in fantastic condition- and they're big! So anyway, what do you think? A good first investment property?? Note: It sold 5 years ago for $40k more than the current asking price. Other similar homes in the neighborhood are valued much higher than the asking price.

We're about to head over to Z's parents' house for a BBQ, so enjoy the rest of your weekend! Hope it's been wonderful!

Pretty on a Penny!

After visiting a friend's house & seeing the plants in their house, Z and I decided we'd really like to get our own plants to add some color & life to our place. I'm not at all a fan of fake bushes, trees, or plants of most any kind, so we definitely wanted to go the real route.

And, I just happened to stumble upon the perfect things last weekend.

Stop #1- Target. (of course) Picked up two mini metal pails to pot plants. $2 (gotta love the dollar bins!)

Stop #2- Kroger. (grocery shopping) A deal caught my eye while walking by the flower area- 3 small plants for $5. Perfect. Grabbed 3.

Stop #3- Our storage closet. (a.k.a. my stash of loot!) Remembered I'd picked up a cute little pot at the Dollar Tree a while back.

Total cost: $8

Put them all together, and voila!
I have three new friends!! And I'm vowing to overcome my plant-killer tendencies so these babies survive!! Doesn't he look right at home here?
Hope you're all having a fabulous weekend!!

I Blame it on YOU!

That's right, ladies (I don't think any men other than my dad read this..)! I blame You(even though she's about to have a baby), and You (especially you, darnit!), and You for the pain in my thighs this morning.

Seriously, can we all just tell them to stop being such amazing runners?? Because if it weren't for their awesomely-in-shape-ness, I would NOT have gone for a run yesterday. Running and I DO NOT have a good relationship.

Back in the day (read: Sophomore yr. of HS) I ran cross country. I did it simply to get in shape for basketball season. HA! by the way- there's a 3 week window in between in which almost none of us ran- totally defeats the purpose! Anyway, Yes I did it. Through the Northern New England woods, over streams, through mud(let's not talk about the time I slipped up hill in the mud, lost my place, and ran the rest of the race covered in mud..), etc. My body did not like it.

My legs hated it- they cramped up so bad by the end of my car ride home I could barely walk inside.

My feet hated it- they produced blisters, which then ripped open, which then blistered again, and continued this vicious cycle no matter how much tape & moleskin I used.

My bladder hated it- I may or may not have slipped into the woods a few times during practice to pee. Ew..

Therefore, I only run when I 'get in the mood'. The last time that happened.. was about 8 months ago. So you see my problem.

Then this girl comes around and has her 'miles run' counter on the side of her blog. Then I find her- & read all about how she hated running, but is kicking butt at bunches of races. And then, she comes along, and is like Ms.Fit herself! Gah! Way to make me feel like a bum! (just, kidding, I love you all)

So yesterday, I tell Z I'm going for a walk, and start out down the driveway. Of course, by the time I get to the mailbox, I feel like a major wimp for walking, so I start to run. A little while later, I'm still running, and I get back in the driveway. Of course I wanted to stop a million times, but the thought of you ladies made me so stubborn I kept going. It felt like for-ev-er.

I walk up to Z (who was outside washing HIS car -not mine) and tell him I just ran the whole time. Mr.-Burst-My-Bubble responds, "That's great honey- what was it, a mile?". DEFLATED! Hrrumph! So I run inside, grab my keys, and hop in my car(which was free to take since it wasn't being washed), and drive the route I just ran. I pull back into the driveway and tell Z to look at my trip odometer- 2.1 miles, baby! Z:0 C:+1 :)

I know I probably shouldn't be proud of 2.1 miles, but it was my first time running in 8 months, people. So let me have my 2 seconds of happiness before I remember the saddening truth:

I did not kick that 2 miles' butt, it kicked mine.

I'm sore. That's SAD. Running did not give me a nice welcome back present.

Endnote: I did snap a couple phone pix of cute houses:Reminds me of New England! How quaint!

I just liked this one. Not sure why.. and hey! It's for sale! (hint:mom&dad..)

Budget Friendly Idea #4

First, thank you all so much for your sweet comments on the last post! I love you guys! :)

Budget Friendly Idea #4- Do It Yourself, Darnit!

This is an obvious one in some areas- but there are also lots of things we could do ourselves that we don't normally think of. Like...

• Sew it! Even if you're a beginner, you can do so many things. Especially decorating items for your home. Grab a coupon and head to your local craft or fabric store. For $5-$10, you can whip up throw pillows that usually run $75+ and for $20-$30 you can create gorgeous curtains that usually cost upwards of $100. And, if you're lucky enough to find great remnant fabrics, you can do it even cheaper- check out these bad boys I finished up last night for about $5:

They were so easy & I finally found fabric that was dark enough brown to match my bedset. Perfect! Oh, and a hint with these types of curtains: hang them a little higher than normal. Too many times I've seen them done low & it makes the window look too 'covered up' & dark.

• Another area I decided to DIY was my hair. I couldn't justify $80+ every time my roots needed to be touched up, so I braved the box kits! And here are the before & afters: Worked just great!
• This one will only work if you've got a little bit of a natural knack for this stuff, but Z has decided to DIY any car repairs he can. Personally, I think it's so that he can buy more tools, but it does save us a lot in the long run! Tonight he was out in the garage rotating our tires. I love that man! :) And, I firmly believe that ANYONE can change their own oil. Yes, even this girly girl can! Thanks to my Daddy!

Rather than name all the other tried & true DIY projects, I'd love to hear about what you DIY! So, do tell!

Wednesday Randoms

• I work in commercial contracting. I'm the office manager (formally, but what I actually do is so varied it causes my job title to be a bit of a mystery). I am the ONLY female that works for the entire company. Which means I constantly get "picked" on. For being a former veggie who happens to love tofu products, for wearing "impractical" cute shoes, for having a post-it obsession, for cooking(they think I can't simply because I don't make them lunch. ha!), the list goes on. It's like working with a bunch of Uncles that like to tease. So anyway, we just bought new conference room chairs, and I snagged 2 of the old ones to reupholster. I needed to measure them for a foam cushion so I went out to the shop/warehouse to ask for a tape measure. Shop guy gives me one, and asks, "Do you know how to read that thing?". Huh? Are you kidding me? If he only knew..

• I'm loving going natural in the face department lately(or maybe it's just that I haven't felt like doing my makeup). A little tinted moisturizer, some subtle eyeliner, and I'm good. Going anywhere? Well, I might throw on a little mascara and blush, but that's it! I tell myself I'm just gearing up for summer & I'm not lazy! ;)
• So those chairs I mentioned above- am I the only one who sees the potential?
  crappy camera phone shot

• Z took me out to Mexican last night. I just love dates! Even if we are married- there's just something about going out that makes me happy! Unfortunately though, I could only finish 1/3 of my amazing Chicken taco salad. Those darn Nachos they give you to snack on..
• I have a serious problem lately- sleeping. Meaning, I need wayyy more sleep than I ever had. If I sit down or try to read for a minute, I'm asleep. After getting home from work, I don't feel like doing anything!! I just feel... blah. And I end up sleeping. I don't get it! I need to start taking iron again..
• Problem #2- I have no friends. haha, okay, that was an overstatement. But, since moving to the midwest & marrying Z, it's been VERY hard to meet other ladies my age/situation/etc. Now, I LOVE my sisters-in-law, and I have some other casual friends nearby, but none of those 'sit and talk and laugh for hours' kinds of friends that I miss so much. I think I've made this problem worse because of a case of "newlywedisms"- We just got married 4 1/2 months ago & he's my best friend & we don't enjoy not being with each other all the time. But still, he grew up here & has many more friends he can go visit & talk with. Me? Not so much. So, say a prayer that God would send me some lovely ladies with a heart for God, a love for life, & similar likes/dislikes, please? k thanks. You guys are the best, and I am truly grateful for your blog-friendship! :)
  

To the Poor Members of the Opposite Sex..

..who have the impossible task of understanding women set before them, I'm sorry.

You job is not easy. And it probably won't get easier. But can I let you in on one little secret?

...K, thanks.

When a woman is hurting, or comes to you with a problem, she doesn't want you to come up with a million ways to fix it. She wants you to comfort her, to empathize with her. She is telling you not because you are the only person on earth who knows enough to fix it, but because she needs someone to listen. If she shoots down the "fix-it" ideas you present, it's probably because she's not ready to hear them, nor does she want to.

Yes, I know. It ridiculous. But we're not asking you to fix that either. Just preparing you for the next time this situation presents itself to you. You're welcome and have a lovely Wednesday Tuesday. :) (Yes I originally published this thinking today was Wednesday- Gosh I need a vacation)

Wonderful Weekend

This weekend was just great. Relaxing, and I loved it! Friday night, after attending visiting hours for a former classmate of Z's who recently passed away (more on that later), we came home and were so tired we ended up falling asleep at like 8:30pm. Yeah. Pathetic, I know. We're just a bunch of boring old married people already! ha!

Anyway, Saturday we heard a great sermon at church and got to know a couple of guys that go there a little better (we think we've finally found a church!!). We really like it there! And, as has been the tradition for the past few weeks, we stopped at Culvers. Salad for me, Butter burger for Z. And as always, the constant struggle to say no to their frozen custard. Toture.
We then took our usual Saturday afternoon nap (kept it to an hour this time!). Then we decided to get some exercise in and go biking. We loaded our bikes on the truck and drove to the bike path. It a really pretty one- it was actually a tow path for the Miami-Erie Canal! Which is probably only interesting to you if you're a history buff, but oh well. Anyway. Z headed out to go to a friend of ours' to help with a young men's bible study. That left me alone for the night. I HATE being alone in the house, so I got out and ran a bunch of errands. Who knew Target had great prices on packaged deli cheese?!? I also got sick of the battery running out of life on my Sway, and stopped at the Verizon store to swap it for this baby:
The LG Chocolate 3 in blue. Normally, they charge you a $35 restocking fee, but I made friends with my customer service rep, and she got her manager to waive the fee! Yay for being nice! And, so far the battery is a million times better- I love it!

So then Saturday night I got into a 'good wifey' mood & made Z his fave fruit- Chocolate covered strawberries!... And my mom's famous Berry Good French Toast Bake for the morning. All I have is a crappy picture after it had already been half eaten and put back in the fridge, but it will have to do! I swear those raspberries looked way better in the beginning. :) Then on Sunday I also whipped up a Caramel Apple Crisp. I even got brave and went recipe-less. Didn't turn out bad at all!

Anyway, I just love laid back weekends! And it reminds me how much I totally look forward to being a stay at home mom. Z and I were talking about it- it's funny how God has taken my drive to climb the corporate business ladder and instead made me want to take on a challenge so much more eternally important- raising Godly children! Although, I don't want to be the mom that never works or brings in any $$. After all- the Godly woman described in Proverbs 31 worked & created income for her family! That's why I'm thinking about going into Interior Decorating. Such fun! I'm so looking forward to this journey Z & I are on together!

Hope you had a great weekend!

Fabulous Friday

Welcome to another Fab Friday hosted by the lovely Seleta!! I'm so glad it's the end of the week! Thus, the topic for this friday: SLEEP. Now, rather than posting pictures of people sleeping (which can be amusing), I'm posting pictures of rooms that just make me want to jump in bed for a good nap! Enjoy!

from Better Homes & Gardens

from Better Homes and Gardens

from Pheobe Howard

from the dearly departed Domino

from HGTV's Rate My Space

What's your favorite?
Happy Friday All!

About the Party Last Night...

.. the tea party, that is.

Now, I know some of you may not support this cause, and that's totally up to you- I try to keep politics to a bare minimum on my blog, but I feel that this is an event worth talking about. I figure, if the media doesn't give it the fair and balanced coverage it deserves, at least my blog can. If you'd rather skip this post, that's fine- this is not a political blog, and so I'll return to normal posts tomorrow. Please don't run away because we don't see eye to eye on politics! :)

I never much cared for politics. They stressed me out and I got easily annoyed with politicians or know-it-all activists. Still do. In fact, I hate conflict. So, why did I attend my local tea party yesterday?

Because I'm sick of getting over taxed on basically everything.

Because I hate that not only will my generation have to deal with the massive debt our country is incurring, but it will continue to burden future generations.

Because I do NOT like the idea of a part of my paycheck (and a percentage of most things I buy) supporting people who are too lazy to work themselves.

Because I believe that "Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have ... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases" -Thomas Jefferson
Just for the record, it was a very organized, civilized event. It started with the pledge of allegiance, the national anthem, and a prayer. In any large gathering, you're going to have a couple of people take it a bit far, but that's normal. As I looked around at the people gathered there, I felt so proud to be surrounded by working Americans, productive Americans, business owners, God-fearing people. I heard on the radio the organizers estimated 8,000 people were there.I'm proud to have taken a stand.

Still don't consider myself a protester, but definitely someone who isn't afraid to say when something's just plain wrong.

Besides, people who sit around and do nothing never make history. They never change it. They mostly just complain and criticize those who do. And if our country turns into a socialist nation, I sure as heck am not going to be the person who just let it happen!

Anyway, I won't carry on and pretend to be an expert on all things political. I'll just leave you with this:The sign reads: "When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty".

Carrying on to the normally scheduled program.. :)

Happy Tuesday!

Guess today's just the day for giveaways! Holly over at Homebody is giving away these super cute ceramic number balls and April at dot... dot... dot... is giving away some Juicy Goodies!

Be sure to check these out!

Also, I'll be having a giveaway in a few more weeks in honor of my 100th post! I'll give you a hint now- it's spicy & relaxing! :)

In other news, Z spent last night helping a guy who flips houses. He's helped him out a few times now, in exchange for this guy teaching him how to do whatever it is he's doing. It gets him some great experience for when we decide to flip our first one (did I mention we're going to do this?)!

I almost died from coffee inhalation this morning. Thank God my coffee cup was mostly empty and I could spit the coffee back in. I almost had coffee spewed all over my desk. I know, you didn't need to know that, but really, it was a scary thing! Thank goodness no one saw!

My wedding photographer asked me to write up a rave about our wedding photos for her new website! I'm so excited for it to launch- I'll definitely share when it does! If you're in the greater Boston area, she's the girl you want (no, we're not in Boston- she graciously traveled for our wedding)!!

Z and I watched Australia last night (Free Redbox rental!). It didn't help that he got home late, but the movie lasted forever! We were up til 12:30 watching that darn thing! Which is not wise when you wake up at 6:15! It was a pretty good movie- nothing amazing, but worth the watch. I just would rather have done it on a night we didn't have to have incredible discipline to get out of bed the next morning. Don't tell, but I may or may not have dozed off for 1/2 hr. this morning while no one was in the office! :)

As promised, here's the Tiramisu recipe! I love it because it's soo simple, you make it the night before you need it, and it gives a certain impressive air when people ask what it is and you say, "Tiramisu", and have to explain to them that it's a light Italian dessert. Oh, and it's yummy! :)

What You Need

2 Tbsp. MAXWELL HOUSE Instant Coffee

1/4 cup boiling water

32 Reduced Fat NILLA Wafers

1 tub (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP FREE Whipped Topping, thawed

1 cup fresh raspberries

1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Make It

STIR coffee granules into boiling water until dissolved. Cover bottom of 8-inch square dish with 16 wafers. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. coffee.

ADD 2 Tbsp. of the remaining coffee gradually to cream cheese in medium bowl, beating with whisk until blended. Add powdered sugar; mix well. Stir in COOL WHIP; spoon 1/2 over wafers in dish. Cover with remaining wafers. Drizzle with remaining coffee; top with remaining cream cheese mixture.

REFRIGERATE overnight. Top with raspberries just before serving; sprinkle with cocoa powder.

Thank you, Kraft Foods! Happy Tuesday!

How to: Get Your Wedding Party Sweaty Right Before the Ceremony

Step One: Send them up a rock wall.. right side up OR up side down.
Step Two: Challenge them to a little game of basketball.Step Three: Have them help hoist you up onto hubby-to-be's shoulders.Step Four: Line them up for a race.Step Five: Now JUMP!!This method has been proven with one wedding party. We cannot guarantee, however, that it will work for everyone. All activities must be done at your own risk. Any injuries or sweat stains in rented tuxedos cannot be blamed on the whims of this wedded one. Thank you. Goodnight.

Budget Friendly Idea #3

Quick note: As requested, I'll share my super-easy tiramisu recipe soon, but it'll have to wait 'til after work so I can copy it from my recipe box!

Budget Friendly Idea #3- Use what you've got!
This concept can apply to so many areas- simply using what you have already before you buy more. Here are some areas in which I'm going to attempt doing this:

• Groceries- This is an obvious one. Think about how much stuff you have sitting around in your fridge/cabinets/pantry. I'm going to attempt to use only what we have already (other than milk/limited fresh produce- stuff that goes bad relatively quickly) for the next month or so. It will probably mean getting creative & combining ingrediants I don't normally, but I'm sure my overstuffed apartment cabinets will thank me!
• Clothing- A tough one for most ladies! I'm also going to try and not buy any new articles of clothing until I've worn everything I own at least 3-5 times. I'm sure this will cause me to break away from those favorites that get overdone too. Of course- this rule will have to change as far as handbags go!! If I allowed myself to buy a new one after I'd used them 3-5 times, I'd be in BIG trouble. :)
• Necessity Items- Such as toilet paper, tissues, paper towels, Q-tips, hand soap, laundry care items, cleaning products, etc. Not sure about you guys, but I have a tendency to buy new soap or tissue boxes just because there's a new pretty design or color. I'm sure waiting until I need these things will definitely help.
• Beauty Products- Another tough one! I know I'm not the only one who gets excited about a new kind of hair styling product my fav. line comes out with or the new spring/summer shades of eye shadow. Oh, and don't get me started on buying oodles of hand creme. I cannot count how many bottles I currently have! But no more! I'm using it all up before I even lay my eyes on something new. (really!) I'm sure Z will be happy to have some bathroom storage space back!
  

What about you? Any other areas that you can think of doing this? Do share!

Photo Credit: http://www.editedinteriors.com/portfolio-organizing.htm

Happy Easter!

I love holidays, especially ones that celebrate our Savior! However, so often they are commercialized to the point where the majority of people miss the original purpose of the holiday. I think this article, written by the lovely Kristen from We Are THAT Family, sums it up nicely.

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter & remember to thank HIM for dying & rising again so that we can have eternal life!

Fabulous Friday

It's finally Friday! And for those of you who, like me, are stuck working today, I'm sure you're wishing your Friday had come yesterday. But oh, well! It may not be fabulous that I'm working, but it's time for another Fab Friday post! This week- I'm going to share pictures of my fabulous family from their recent stay here.

Note: My sisters and I tend to be a bit crazy when we're together, and since I don't have all the pictures downloaded yet, you're going to see mostly crazy ones. :)

Note #2: Warning- Do not ask me which one is me. I used to look about 5 years older than I was. Then that stopped pretty much when I graduated high school. Now my sisters and I get asked if we're triplets. Ex-cuuuse me, No. I am the older sister. They are the twins. I'm sure I'll appreciate people saying that when I'm like 40, but not now. Oh, and this isn't a sore spot at all.. ;) (But I'm sure I didn't need to tell you all that since you're so great & never would have said anything..lol)

My face is due to the fact that my sisters and I were posing for a cute picture and then Z proceeded to stick his bum right in front of me and block the shot. Grr. This is why we have crazy ones and not cute ones. They just never work out.
On our way to go outlet shopping.. the place we thought was 1/2 hr. away was actually an hour. Blah.
Yup. That's my sister! Does this not make you want to go get a sculpture from this place??

Serious Wii action. They liked our new toy. Sister beat dad.. Mom knitted pretty mittens. :)
The boys apparently didn't get the memo about posing with the giant bowling pin.

Yes, we posed like this in the church parking lot. My parents are proud. :)