Astros Vs. Red Sox

In honor of Opening Day, I figured a baseball post was in order.  :)

For those of you who don't know, my husband transferred to Houston a little over 2 years ago, and the boys and I followed around 6 months later.

Our favorite thing about living in this city is that there is SO much to do.  Granted, Austin had a lot to do also, especially if you're an outdoor lover, but living with kids.. Houston is by far the better choice, at least for our family.

I might actually do a post about things to do in Houston with kiddos.. I'm sure I could fill up a month long series pretty easily.

Anywhoo, last night we took the kids to their first ever Major League Baseball game.  Brandon and I both went to Astros games when we were younger (separately, of course, with our own families), but they played in the Astrodome then, so this was a new experience for us too.  We've done the tour of the ballpark (post about that here) and we even had Brodie's 6th Birthday Party there (post about that here), but we've never actually been there when a game is going on.  

My first go at posing with this cut-out...

Brandon - "Um, you should probably move your hands."  LOL!

LOL... much better.

They have SUPER cheap tickets in the section wayyyyy up high.  We thought some cheap seats would be a good choice for the boys first game since we'd be less likely to get hit by foul balls, and if they hated it we could leave early with little loss money wise.

Our sunny view in the Upper Deck.

Oh. My. Word.  Never again.  We loved the game.  Hated the seats. 

I'm actually a little scared of heights, and when we entered into our section and I saw how steep the seating was, I immediately told Brandon that I thought this might be a bad idea.  lol.   I'm okay forcing myself to face my fears, but I was also scared one of the kids would take a tumble and be a goner.  A little dramatic? Maybe, but I'm tellin' ya, I was sweatin' bullets until we decided to move seats after the 2nd inning. 

If you're not scared of heights, tickets in the Upper Deck are only $7 for adults and $1 for kids 3 and up.  Our tickets were only a buck more than our parking.  Crazy.  We actually spent more on food than we did for our parking AND our tickets.

NEXT time, we plan on taking advantage of the Coca Cola days.  If you're a Houstonian, this is still a good deal because the seating is lower down (Yay!), includes a hotdog and drink ($10 savings right there), and an Astros cap ($10 again)... for only $20.  We'll probably go on a Friday night when they do the fireworks.

Back to our experience, after the 2nd inning, we moved down to the stroller/handicap accessible seating for our section.  My pulse returned to a normal rate, and the kids were able to really enjoy themselves since they had room to move around, and I wasn't constantly telling them to sit back so they wouldn't fall.  LOL!

Yeah... it was that bad, haha. 

So innings 3-7 we had a ton of fun.  Brodie ingested a whole bucket of popcorn pretty much by himself, and spent the whole time "Booooing" Boston.  It was so adorably cute.  :)

We ended up leaving a little early because it was getting really late and Brodie had school today, but we made sure to hit the Squeeze play before we left.  Minute Maid Park has a huge playground and interactive sport game area for the kids to run around in, which is awesome.  They also played in it before game too, since we arrived early.

Overall- great experience.  We were worried the boys might be bored ... baseball is a slow game and I remember being bored to tears as a child when I went, but they're both begging to go back.

Oh... and the score?  10-0, Boston.  Lol, oh well.  

Are there any sporting events you and your family enjoy?

 :)  Courtney

How do you save money?

Thanks for the vibes and the suggestions on a desk.  The Craigslist find was a no go... already sold.  Ohwell.

I'm still on the hunt and I'll let you know if I find anything!

So my thought process the past few days has been on saving, saving, saving.  We're a modest one income household with three kiddos...

...and we pretty much live paycheck to paycheck. 

Despite this, we're on our way to meeting many of our financial goals..

Our retirement accounts are automatically funded, we both have life insurance to cover the "what-ifs", we have a small emergency savings, and our credit cards are 100% paid off.

When you don't make much money and your focus is on getting your financial household in order, it really doesn't leave any extra money for the fun stuff in life.  You know, like taking trips with your family....

 or doing home renovations.  Yes, I do consider home renovations to be fun stuff.  :)

So, how to do you save money for the fun stuff, when you live paycheck to paycheck?  All of our expenses here are set.  We know 100% how much money will be going out each month.  Granted, our utilities change, but we know where they tap out at, so we can plan.   Our gas bill pretty much stays the same because we don't drive often.  We live about 3 miles from my husband's work, and my son goes to school in our neighborhood.   The only part of our expenses that changes monthly (unless we do go on a trip, since in that case, our fuel bill does increase) is our food budget.   If we want to save money for an item, or if we want to plan a get-a-way, we have to cut back on our grocery bill. 

I recently discovered a website that has really helped me cut back on our food spending.  Have you heard of it?  It is SouthernSavers.com, and I apologize if you are a friend of mine on facebook because I know you're absolutely SICK of hearing me talk about this!  LOL.  Seriously, check it out.  You'll be happy you did.  There is a ton of information, and it might take you several visits to not be overwhelmed, but it has been one of my favorite finds this month.

Another thing we do to help us save money, is to make it easy.

Our bank account has a nifty online feature that will let us create additional accounts online, within a few minutes.  We have several savings accounts, all with different names.. some with only $100 in them.  For example, we have an account named Disney World, and another account named Brandon's Flying Fund.  We all have these little dreams, and when you can actually move $50 or $100 over to your dream fund, it really does make it seem more obtainable.   Instead of my husband talking about one day taking flying lessons, we're actually working on making it a reality.    Plus, when you move extra money out of your normal checking account, you sort of feel like a failure if you  have to move any back.  This really motivates us to stick to a strict spending plan so we can keep our funds going up rather than down.

So share with me.  What do YOU and your family do to save money?  I'd love to hear any tips you can share.

:)  Courtney

Designing for the Sexes, and Good Luck vibes.

So, I love my husband, but he and I are very different.

One of these differences is our taste in decor.  We're not polar opposites, we do tend to like some of the same looks, it's the small details that make us different.

For example, right now we're talkin' shop about our soon to be office space.   We need a desk.  I want something cheap.  LOL.  Duh, we're talking about me here.  I'm thinkin' anything under $200 should do just fine.  There are actually a LOT of choices in this price range, believe it or not, but my husband seems to have this vision of a desk he wants... and this vision is not available at Target, Wally, IKEA, or any of my other go-to's for low cost digs.

He likes ones that look a little something like this...

He likes the look of drawers combined with legs like the above versions from Pottery Barn, but he actually prefers curvier legs, like this one from Office Depot.

I'm okay with this.  Not really my taste- especially the last one, it is a bit ornate, but I'm willing to give a little, especially since I'm optimistic I can make any of them work.

So, what is the problem?  They're all around $1000!  The two from PB are each $999, while the one from OD is $1069.

Yeah, that just isn't happening.  Do you guys run into this problem often?  Do you and your spouse agree on design choices?  Does he/she even care what you do with your furniture/home?  I feel like I need Emily Henderson to come in and do a style diagnostic on us with her little hats, shoes, and random stuff, so that we both end up happy.  lol.

On another note, I was perusing Craigslist and actually came across a desk JUST like what my husband wants... for......

$50. 

Say what?  Yep.  It needs a paint job, and it's in the next town over, but I'm okay with driving 15/20 miles for something that's that good of a deal.  So, send me some goodluck vibes that this baby is still available and that they'll actually write me back about it.. I have random luck with craigslist people NEVER writing me back.  I mean, you post ads to actually sell stuff right?  A big part of that is actually contacting the people that want to buy your unwanted junk!  :)

Courtney

Opening Day.

Well, I think it goes without saying that I am extremely outnumbered in this household.

Boys = 4  Gals = 1

So, I'm sure we'll be experiencing many of these of these season openers, and I'm thinkin' I'm okay with that.

:)

Goooo Marlins!    Yankees?  

Goooo Marlins AND Yankees!

:)  Courtney

Such a personality!

Ignore my crazy baby talk voice, and just focus on the insanely cute baby shrieks and giggles. 

:)

:)  Courtney

Finally! New Roof!

So, the reason I have yet to paint our shutters is because we were waiting on this ugly, worn thing to get replaced.

I sort of figured that the roofer guys would scratch up my paint job, or that the new shingle color might clash with whatever color I decided on.

(By the way, I'm supposed to tell you to look at that ugly, worn roof in those photos above)

Of course, silly me didn't put this same thought process to the landscaping when I went ahead and planted $60 worth of pretty flowers... only to see them get trampled to death and ugly, worn shingles thrown about all over them.   Figures.

So, after 2.5 days of this...

We now have THIS.  

Sigh... I didn't know a boring, Weathered Wood (Hoa required color.. blah) shingled surface could bring me so much joy.



She's a looker, that roof.

:)  Courtney

What I'm Lovin' - from West Elm

What I'm Lovin'

from West Elm

Mango Wood Mirror

Round.  Shiny.  Rustic Wood.  Lovin' it, $199.

Stripe Shower Curtain

Add a nice graphic pop of color to your bath with this wide striped curtain.  Available in 3 colors, $39.

Safari Kraft Moose

Because it's just so darn cute.   $28.

Alphabet Mugs

$6.  These would make great gifts.  They would also look really great on my open shelving in my kitchen.  These would make great gifts for my kitchen.   :)  haha.

Essex Upholstered Ottoman

This is super cute and is a great way to add in pattern into a neutral space.  $299.

:)  Courtney

This is the stuff. :)

In the middle of my little mess,

I forget how big I'm blessed.

Something I needed to hear today... maybe you do too?

:)  Courtney

What makes YOU feel at Home?

More than a place.   A feeling.

It's different for all of us.  When my house is pretty, I feel at home.  When it is undecorated and something is off....  my house tends to bug me.  It's just the way I am.   My husband, on the other hand, could live in a house decorated like a college dorm room, and be perfectly happy as long as his dorm room garage is organized.

Which is why our house has kind of bugged my husband since we've moved in.  Why is that?

Because of this...

Is it Friday yet?

First of all, Thank you to the new followers I've gotten this week!

Each and every time I see my follower number go up, I click on it like it's Christmas morning, excited to see who the new person is.  I'm so glad you guys take the time to read about the stuff that goes on around here.  :)

We have had the craziest morning!  My sweet baby was late for school this morning, for the first time, and it was all my fault.  We were sort-of-kind-of running behind anyway; we try to get out of the house by 8 at the latest, but with a little hustle we could have made it okay.  (Time walking out of the door... 8:05)    BUT.. we walk outside to get in the car, and these huge dumpster truck things were blocking our driveway.  Today was large, bulky item pick up day, and I guess they were having a coffee break on our street because it took me about 5 minutes to get their attention for them to move.  UGH.   (Time pulling off of our street... 8:10.. at this point they're doing the announcements at the school).  About a block down the road, I notice my gas light is on.  It's been on the past 2 days actually, but I am horribly bad about not filling up my gas tank.  However, not only is my gas light on, but the little reading says LOW FUEL LEVEL.  I press the info button and I have O miles until empty.  Grrreat.  Remember how I said it was all my fault?  Yep. 

So, I probably could have made it the mile to the school with no problem.  The only question was if I could make it the mile to the school and then the additional 2 or so miles to the gas station.   So, I made the command decision to go get fuel before going to the school.  I swear, at every stop it seemed as if we had to wait an eternity before it was clear enough to turn.  We finally made it to the gas pump and I barely got 6 gallons in, trying to save time... which by the way, was still over $20.  Geez Louise, gotta love the gas prices right now.   We then managed to hit every red light (only 1, it just sounds more dramatic that way, haha) on the way to the school.  (final drop off time... 8:20, which means Brodie didn't actually make it into class until 8:25 ...the kid walks slow, lol).   A full ten minutes late.  Yay Mommy! 

Just for the sake of having a photo, I'll leave you with this.. It is a bit old now, but it is still a cutie..  Oldie but Cutie?  lol.

Thankfully, now we're home listening to the sweetest sound ever.  Five guys, on our roof, pounding away.  Yep, we're getting a new roof!  :)

-Courtney

 

What I'm Lovin' - from Cost Plus World Market

What I'm Lovin'

from Cost Plus World Market

Garden Party Jute Rug

This is an adorable jute mat that would look great at a front door, back door, or even in front of a kitchen sink.   I am LOVING the bold colors and graphic pattern.   If any of you know of a fabric...

Calling all TEXAS Bloggers!

Or those of you who just like to drive for a good antique show!

The biggest antique show in Texas is happening at the end of the month, and if you'll be there, I'd love to meet up!

Marburger Farm Website

Large antique shows like this are great for picking up

unusual items that really make your decor personalized!

Over 350 venders from...

When Conforming is a Good Thing

An important part about turning your house into a home you'll love, is creating a welcoming exterior to greet you at the end of a long day.  What I like, may not be what you like.  What you like, might actually scare me.

Case in Point-  My neighborhood.

I live in a run of the mill, suburban neighborhood, built in the late 80's/early 90's.  Typical of neighborhoods of this age, the plants and trees in our neighborhood are really lush.  The trees are tall, and unfortunately the bushes are usually slightly overgrown.  I don't really dig the overgrown look.   One of my favorite yards in our neighborhood is this one.

It's nothing too spectacular (unless you're my neighbor!  In that case, it is FAB!  LOL!) but what I like about it is...

Did you notice something ...

...different about the latest Pottery Barn catalog?

When flipping through a few weeks ago, I noticed each page contained a few decorating tips or advice on how to use their items.

I'm not sure about you, but as someone who is currently studying marketing, I think this is pure genius.

The blog world is famous for "hacking" Pottery Barn ideas, and now it seems as if Pottery Barn is hacking the blogging world.

Check this out..

They're even offering Design Studio Services via their website. 

I personally plan on joyously perusing their "Decorating Advice" and "Entertaining Ideas" section... but do I plan on ever using their Design Services section??

Na!

Why would I do that when...

Visual Trickery via Power Washer

We have a new fence!  Wait, that's not new!  

Is that a patch I see???

The bottom sure is crappy ....rugged looking.

Oh, I knew I couldn't fool you guys.

...

What I'm Lovin' - from Home Decorators Collection

What I'm Lovin'

from Home Decorators Collection

Yes, the scale really is that large.  Love it.

This is the Chrysanthemum Area Rug from the Martha Stewart Line at HDC.  I'm a huge sucker for blue and white, and this rug could be my BFF, if I were BFFs with rugs.  :)

A 5 x 8 will run ya $224, while an 8 x 10 is just shy of...

Top Referrers for Feb!

A HUGE Thank you to these fellow bloggers who either hosted link-up parties, or have a link to

And Then There Was Home

on their sidebar.  You guys rock!

Top Referrers for the month of February

Jennifer Rizzo

Ten June

A Delightful Design

Funky Junk Interiors

Someday Crafts

Thrifty Decor Mom