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

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

 

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.

...

The Dirty Truth. Everything You've Wanted to Know About White Slipcovers.

Ahh.  White Slipcovers.  We love them don't we?

Windsor Smith

Life is Good.

Do you ever have those moments when you're just overwhelmed with the blessings in your life?

I have an instance like that at least once a week, often several times a day.

I do have my moments where stress takes a hold of me and I lose sight of the big picture.  I start getting upset over things like toys on the stairs or clothes on the couch.  I shamefully start keeping tally of how many times I've gotten up with the baby vs. my husband.   Him.. 1 night when I was sick.  Me, every night except that 1.  haha.  Of course the non-crazy me soon realizes that it might be kind of hard for him to nurse Liam in the middle of the night.  :)  My point is, overall, excluding the lack of sleep around these parts, life is pretty darn good.

When I was in 10th grade, my English teacher, who I greatly admired, asked me what I wanted to be later in life- what I wanted my profession to be.  I told her that I wanted to be a wife and mom more than anything else, and she responded with a shocked look, and with the statement that I was capable of so much more.

I may not be responsible for a staff, and I may not have to submit monthly reports, but I do take my job seriously.  I have a picture of the type of people I want my boys to be when they get older, and everyday I work on making that picture become a reality.  I want my children to value family and to have a strong sense of Home.  I want them to have strong relationships with their peers and to respect others, especially women.  I have been so blessed to have a loving friendship and life with their father, and I hope my future daughters (in law) will be just as blessed.  

Today I challenge you to stop grumbling about the chores to be done, to have a little more patience with the kiddos who might be on a slightly higher volume level than our ears find soothing   :), and to take a moment to help the ones who are closest to you, feel your love for them. 

On a slightly different note, Today is my husband's birthday, and I am so thankful for him.  I honestly would not be where or who I am today had God not led me to him.   He has given me a beautiful home, a beautiful family, and a beautiful life.  Happy birthday, Brandon!

:)  Courtney

2011 Home Goals

Go ahead and refill that coffee cup and get comfy, because this might take a while.  ;)

We've lived in this house approximately 9 months.  Shortly after purchasing, but before moving in, we discovered we would be blessed with little Liam at the end of the year. 

So, while it might seem like we've done a lot to the house...

...there is still a LOT left to do.  Granted we did do more than I just showed, but I could fill a whole post with before and after shots.  (Hmm... blog post idea?)  However, I feel like I was out of commission most of the year, and I probably won't have much free time this year either.  

BUT, I am big on setting goals, and then trying to accomplish them, no matter how difficult.

So, let's start with that playroom!  After painting the stripes, my Father in Law came in and did some sheetrock repair (yay!) but I never got around to fixing the paint job. (boo!)

See that spot in the upper right corner of the photo?  There are 3 of those around the room.

We also need to do something about the toy storage in this room.  All of the shelves in there were just rejects from other areas of the house.  I have some great ideas to make this room work better for us, I'll just need the time and funds to make them happen this year.

See what I mean?  haha.

I talked about our front room in this post, and it is still a goal I'd like to accomplish this year.

Since I never provided a photo, here is what we are working with.  We did paint when we moved in, along with replacing the blinds.. It once looked like so..

and currently, as of Yesterday.. looks like this. hahah.. good stuff.

Ahhh, one day it will look like I'd like it too. 

I'd also like to get some colors on these shutters and rework the front landscaping. 

Ignore that blue circle.  I'm too lazy to go find a photo without it.  :)

Another goal is to update the small powder room we have, located off of the family room.  I do not have a current photo, just trust me that it needs work.  I have a pretty dramatic before and after planned out in my mind.  :) 

While we've done some repainting on our fireplace wall, I would LOVE to re-tile that sucker.

We originally wanted to do floor to ceiling stacked stone (I'd still love that look), but paint is SO much cheaper, and since this isn't our "forever home" we'll go with the more affordable option.  

The current tiles are ugly, clash with the floor tiles, and look like they were done by a DIYer who shouldn't have been DIYing. 

See that tile in the middle, on top... that is two tiles placed together.  Weird.  And what's with the sliver of tile on the sides???  If the big tiles don't fit, use smaller tiles.  Sheesh.

I really hope the builder didn't put those on.

Oh, and did you notice there are no faux logs in that fireplace?  LOL.  Yep, add that onto the shopping list.  Nothing more romantic than a pipe with flames coming out of it.  :)

Lastly, I'd really like to so SOMETHING with this spare room upstairs.

It still looks pretty much the same as that before shot, sans the SpongeBob curtains.  We're not big on the yellow guy around here, so those went to Goodwill almost immediately, but the walls are still lime green and the room is pretty much empty.   I'd like to turn it into a great guest room/craft room for myself.  We shall see.

Wow, I have quite the list going don't I?  It will be fun to check back on this post at the end of the year and see how much was accomplished.   Thanks to Nester for hosting this great 2011 Home Goals party. 

:)  Courtney

My Personal Resolutions

Is it too late to come up with New Year's resolutions?  I sort of lost track of time and never got around to doing it when normal people do.  Haha, perhaps my resolution should be better time management.

Actually, all of my resolutions this year involve taking better care of myself.

I feel like I spend most of my time taking care of others or taking care of the house, and I've really neglected taking care of myself.     I don't mean taking care of myself mentally or emotionally.  I feel pretty on track in that regards, and I'm actually very happy with how my life is and where it is going.

I mean taking care of myself physically.  This involves much more than just losing weight, the traditional New Year's Resolution- although it does involve that too- Fo Sho.  It's just time to get a skin care regimen firmly in place and break out the Ped-Egg too.   LOL.

What inspired this resolution was a quiet night at home, with the two older kids upstairs watching a movie in their playroom, and myself and the hubby watching tv on the couch downstairs with the baby.

I looked over, and for a second there, my husband reminded me so much of how he looked when we first started dating/got engaged/got married.

 I put that into one category because all of this took place within 10 months.  -He pretty much looked the same during that time.

It brought a smile to my face to think that at that time in our lives, how I never would have imagined our lives being how they are now.  Living in Houston??  Never in a million years.  3 kids within 6 years of marriage? Crazy.  3 kids period?  Insane I tell you.  haha. 

Wow, how life changes. 
However, here he was looking pretty much the same.

For a second I swear I had a flashback, and when I looked down I expected to see this 20 year old girl to match what I was seeing with him, and what I saw instead sort of made me sad.  I say sort of, because I really do not have body issues.  Surprisingly. :)   I'm actually pretty happy with myself even though I'm not in denial that I need to lose weight.  I needed to lose about 25 lbs when I met my husband and here I am weighing 55lbs more than I did then.  Having just had a baby is really no excuse since I only have 5 lb left from Liam.  The 70 I gained from the first baby is still holding on strong though, haha.  Well, about 45 of it anyway.  I'd only lost about 45 of the 70 when we became pregnant with Rylan and I gained all 45 back.

My point is, I'd like to start taking care of myself physically, so that one day my husband can look over and say, "Wow, you look just as good as the day we got married." 

Time to break out those free weights from the garage and pull in that stationary bike.  I think a double jogger is on my "To Buy" list, as is some spray on fake tanner.  LOL.  Maybe it's time to start getting facials?  haha

So, in black and white, my goals are:
To get down to my pre-wedding weight.
To tone up.
To start doing regular pedicures and manicures.
To be more strict about my skincare routine.

Perhaps I've been watching too much Bravo and too many marathons of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills...

but, I'm motivated to start looking better.  :)   Keep me accountable, will ya?

Oh, and I also have some goals for my house this year too.  I just need to snap some photos of my current disasters and I'll be back sometime this week to share. 

:) Courtney

Friday on the Flightline

This past weekend was the annual Wings Over Houston airshow.   We didn't go to the actual airshow, but we did spent Friday at the airfield, where my husband works, watching the airshow practice.  So awesome.  I really think I enjoyed it more than my four year old.  I wish my older son could have been on the flightline with us, but he was in school.  I don't have any photos of the plane stunts, due to a crappy zoom (a new camera is REALLY on my wishlist), but I thought I'd share some of the ones I got of my son on the ground.  :)

Rylan and an Apache

For those who aren't familiar, an Apache is an attack helicopter... this one is of course empty, but missiles are usually held under that wing.

Wider shot:

Here my husband is showing little man the big gun under the helicopter.

After the first jet went over at about 100 ft off the ground, we realized we should probably have some ear plugs in.  :)

We've also been working hard the past few days, wrapping up our Halloween costumes.  I can't wait to show you guys!

-Courtney



Less than 3 weeks.

A personal update- In less than three weeks, we'll have a baby!

Now who wants to come and rotate night shifts with me so I can get some sleep after he comes?

LOL.

jk.   Sort of.   :)



Camping out with the boys

Yesterday afternoon the boys set up the tent with their dad. 

Ahhh... the great outdoors.

Okay, well... maybe we should say the great backyard.  :)

"The family is one of nature's masterpieces."

Lesson learned- when you tell a crazy four year old to stop making such a crazy face, he'll usually do this..

One of their favorite things to do is play Hoola-hoop toss.  Simple rules really.  Dad tosses the hoop, they're the target.

They love it.

They ended the night with a little hotdog roast over the fire.

Mommy would have preferred some oooy-gooy smores, but owell.  :)

Hope you're making some fabulous memories with your own family this weekend.  <3

-Courtney