Spring Fever

I don't know about you, but this warm weather has me itching for Spring! I'm even wearing open-toed shoes today. Not only is the warm weather begging my toes to peep out, but it is encouraging me to try my hand at gardening. With plans underway to begin a garden Saturday, I am already excited about the prospects of having fresh veggies around for the Spring, Summer, and Fall! Not to mention the gorgeous flowers my yard will soon boast.

Over the last several months my frugalness has branched out from just toiletries at CVS to full fledged grocery bargaining at Publix and Bi-Lo. Now if I can include gardening in this equation it should cut my grocery budget down even further. While being frugal is fun and often challenging, one of the biggest challenges I face is using everything I've worked so hard to get for free or close to free.

My goal for March is to only buy items that are free while grocery shopping. This will force me to depend on my overflowing pantry to meet our food needs, and try to clean out my freezer at the same time. I am also in the process of creating a weekly meal plan for our family as I often struggle in the "what's for dinner" department. I know I'm not the only mom out there who feels this way! It is a constant battle, but one worth fighting so we are eating better and being budget friendly at the same time.

Of course this will not include things like milk, eggs, fruit, and veggies...I'll have to continue purchasing some fresh veggies until the garden starts producing, but this should allow me to cut our grocery budget from $30 to $40 per week to $10 to $15 per week. The excess will pay for gardening supplies and add to our budget for savings next month.

Over the next month I will update periodically on our progress...hopefully with pictures, and as March draws to a close I will report our successes and shortcomings as we continue to strive for more frugal living.

Ready for the Holidays

I can't believe Thanksgiving is tomorrow...cause you know what that means? Yep, Christmas is right around the corner. I am really excited about the holidays as usual, but moreso this year becuase it means I'm decorating our new house! There are so many options for decorations, but I tend to stick with traditional. Poor Alexa will never know the joys of a blow up Santa in her front yard! Yes, I am THAT mom!

If you're anything like me, you look forward to fall after about the first 2 weeks of summer, so I pulled out fall decor as soon as we moved in. Now after only 2 weeks they will be going back in their boxes, and out comes Christmas. I can't wait to celebrate Christmas in our new home and celebrate all that Jesus has done for us over the past year. Nothing excites me more than sharing my Savior with Alexa in hopes that she will come to appreciate and love him at an early age as well. What better way to do that than with Christmas??

Last night I began work on our new Christmas wreath, and I couldn't be more pleased about the way it turned out! A friend from work helped me with the idea and bow...but I did the rest and wonders never cease because it doesn't look anything like the $7 fake wreath from Big Lots that it started as! I am not typically a fan of Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving, but when my wreath was completed last night it went straight on my front door. I have to admit my craftiness has been a little lacking lately so I was glad it turned out so cute.

This little one, is never lacking in craftiness! She will color, paint, cut anytime you let her. This morning (in an effort for a drama free shower) I setup her easel in the garage. She was really excited about using her paints for the first time. The clean freak in me (that rarely shows it's face) comes out when I think about paint on any flooring surface in this house! So, the garage was the perfect choice! Look at my sweet little artist...and ignore the mess in the background! :) This house is definitely a work in progress, much like the owner!

I'm back...

Ok, this post is going to be super short, but I really don't have much time right now. I just wanted to drop by and say that I'm back and thinking I will try to (once a week maybe) update what is going on in our lives. So much has changed in the past year since I gave up blogging, and I have to admit there are certainly stories I wish I had captured on here. I hope to update later...not sure if it will be today...and tell you what's been going on in our lives!

The most exciting part? Today I am buying a house...closing in less than 3 hours and I am so excited! Pictures later?! Maybe!

For Lindsey

That's All

I don't really know why I started this blog...I guess I could go back to the beginning and read what I wrote then. Ok, so I did that, and if you would like to go here...I started the blog right before Alexa's first birthday. She is 3 now, and my life is a constant swirl of busy. I wouldn't trade it, and God has blessed us beyond measure in these past 3 years! I have gone through different blogging phases over the course of this blog, and right now I feel like it is time to take a formal break. I say formal because my last post was on the 15th so I've really been breaking for a while now.

I am not sure when I will return, if I ever do, but for now I am signing off. Maybe one day I will have more time, or maybe I will decide this is how I want to use it, or maybe neither of those matter b/c I will have found something new to do, but truthfully regardless you probably won't miss me much anyway! :) Goodbye blogland

Will it ever slow down?

So the answer is of course, NO!

I have been crazy busy lately with everything going on, and I don't look for that to change anytime soon. We begin our next set of rollouts with our new system on Monday...I can't wait. Ok, so that is a lie...I honestly wish they would postpone again. Do I think that will happen, no, but there is always wishful thinking right? Maybe this time it will only be as painful as walking on hot coals as opposed to putting hot pokers through your eyes...which would be my description of the last one!

Last month was filled to the brim with birthday, and now we only have 10 weeks until Christmas. Yes, I said it...and I know some of your are cursing me under your breath right now. That's ok, I don't want to believe it's that close either! I would love to say I'm totally prepared with all of my shopping done, Christmas card addresses ready to go and all of that...sadly, that is not the case! Maybe I'll get there before December 24th, and maybe I won't.

I can say that I plan on keeping Christmas simple this year...I already have some of Alexa's presents, and while I'm sure I will get her something else, I don't know what it will be. I also don't plan on spending a pile of money because the majority of my money is going to my house fund these days. I love our apartment, but I am definitely dreaming of the day I get to decorate our house!!

That's all for now...

I'm here

I really am. I just don't have much to say, or the time to say it. I might get around to blogging again sometime in the near future, and I might not. I have pictures, I just wish blogger wasn't so painful when it comes to uploads. I'm sure either way you won't be too disappointed! :)