What I've been up to

Sorry that I have been a little MIA lately, I have been trying to get back into a routine again after being out of one for 10 days on vacation...

and I'm not a big fan of being out of a routine...

In addition to getting my life back in a routine
I was also training for a 10 mile race that happened yesterday

I will be the first one to admit, I have never considered myself a runner, and my ultimate goal every race was just to finish...

until yesterday
yesterday was different
when I finished, I felt accomplished

I finished in 1 hr 46 minutes which is 15 seconds faster each mile than what I'm used to- i NEVER claimed to be a fast runner!... and It felt good!

**and yes, my headphones were amazing! they worked the entire time and I didn't have to fuss with them once!**

I can't wait for the 1/2 marathon in 3 weeks.. this race just proved to me that I am totally going to blows last years time out of the water! 25 more days!

So needless to say as I am training for this run and the marathon a few things around the house have been falling behind.

Tonight I am determined to accomplish the following list...even if it takes me the rest of the night!
yes, my suitcase from last week is still not unpacked.. its summer casual clothes.. and i can't wear them to work... what is it hurting for them to be laid out on the spare bed???

and yes... i promise [Grandma, Nonna, and Gammy <-- love that my grandparents read my blog <3] that I will write a post about vacation!!!! lets be honest, I have to have at least 1 fun thing on my to do list, and I certainly do not like dusting, laundry, or grocery shopping!

Wish me luck as I attempt to conquer this list.. it is going to take some time based off of the turtle speed I have been moving all day thanks to pushing myself a little harder than normal yesterday at the race!

Happy Monday!

Day 4: Tips to a budget/friendly holiday season

I hope y'all had a WONDERFUL thanksgiving! I know that I'm still feeling the affects of the turkey [I hope the tryptophan wears off before too long or else this will be a looooong day at work!]

Today's topic of the 12 Days of Christmas is

Day 4: Tips to a budget/friendly holiday season


[1] If you have read my blog long enough you know that I'm a list maker - for the holidays my list includes ideas I have for them, my budget, and how much I actually spent.. that way I know how close I am to my overall budget

[2] I also pick up little items throughout the year for stocking stuffers or small gifts
When Bath and Body Works runs their specials on their small candles - I go crazy and buy anywhere from 10-15 right before the holidays. I pick up some holiday scents but also some that will last me throughout the year. These are perfect for host/hostess gifts.

[3] Shop around! There are perks to shopping and not immediately buying - or you can always go back to price adjust!

[4] Shop on line first - know what your after. If you go to the store [without a list or without something in mind of what you were going to buy] you will be more likely to impulse buy!

I hope these few little tips helped! I hope you had a wonderful holiday!

Now head on over to Molly and Aly's blog and link up with your tips/ideas!

Happy Black Friday!

So What Wednesdays

I'm loving particpating in SO WHAT Wednesday's with Mrs. Dew from Life After I "Dew"... I think its a fun way to get to know one another a little bit better!

So what if.....

• I have all of my Christmas cards signed and addressed and its only November 17th
• I make Justin sign his own name in all cards that we give - holiday, birthday, thinking of you card... because I think it means that much more when every respective person signs their own name
• that I still have my Halloween decorations up... until I can find a perfect place for my Christmas tree - I refuse to start decorating.. normally my tree is up on Halloween! this has not been easy
• I signed up to make a non-pumpkin pie dessert for Justin's family's Thanksgiving.... eek! i've never made a pie before... any creative suggestions on what i should make?!!?
• I threw a little bit of a temper tantrum last night when I realized I didn't record the biggest loser [even thought i'm struggling a bit to connect with anyone this season... its purely the principle]
• we recently changed cable providers and i'm still struggling with remembering ALL of my shows that I had set on the dvr - i knew i should have made a list before we switched over!
• if I wore a new sweater today to work - while sitting in a meeting i was mentioning how its strange that 2 identical sweaters can fit completely different because the one that I'm currently wearing is a little bit more snug than the other... and thats when i looked down and realized that i had it on backwards! and then at the end of the meeting the director i was in the meeting with helped me out and pulled off the M [the size sticker] that was on my back... oh the life i live!
  

Head on over to her blog and link up!

Happy Hump Day!

Top 2 Tuesday - Random Tips!

Top 2 Tips

(money saving tips, beauty tips, DIY tips, cooking tips, cleaning tips, blogging tips, shopping tips etc)

i'm not going to lie - i struggled a little bit with this weeks T2T... its so broad and I could take this in a million different directions.. i am definitely a person who needs structure!

so without further adieu:

1. Make Lists
as we all know - i'm a list maker
but when its not a to-do list
its a shopping list and i do this purely to save money

Grocery Shopping
i make my list based off of what we NEED - essentials [something that we may have run out of from the week before - i.e. dishwasher detergent, lotion, foil], then i make our menu for the week based off of what is on sale, what i have a coupon for and what i already have at home [i stock pile chicken and freeze it - srrsly i could feed a small army right now with the amount of chicken i have]
i typically spend between $35-$45 a week at the grocery store 3 times a month and then 1 time is when i typically stock up on meat [ground turkey when on sale, turkey sausage and brats, and chicken] and that normally ends up costing me about $100
but this way i only buy what is necessary to make the meals for the week along with the necessary items for the house

Target/any other shopping
I have to go into target or any other store [Marshall's/Homegoods/TJ Maxx/Hobby Lobby] with a list - otherwise I could/would/have gone hog wild and not bought anything I NEEDED just merely what I wanted.

Not too long ago my family all went to church together and the sermon was all about contentment - they handed out a plastic card [like your Giant Eagle card] to put on your keys that had this phrase on it - and I love it and often refer to it when I'm out shopping

"Lord, help me to be grateful for what I have, to remember that I don't need most of what I want, and that joy is found in simplicity and generosity."
Enough by Adam Hamilton

2. Set a Goal and Stick with It

This past spring I trained for a 1/2 marathon - and not being a runner - i had some doubts about actually running the race, however i knew that i had paid $65 for the race - and I knew that i needed to do it to get my moneys worth.
sometimes just spending the money is that much more of a motivator for me. you don't want to bow out of something after you have an investment in something

Honorable Mention

I read this one in Real Simple -


you should never fight with your boyfriend/husband unless you are nakey
the person who wrote into RS said that any argument between her and her husband do not last very long...

I do not practice this myself but its too funny not to include on this kind of a post
[don't worry mom, grandma and great grandma who all read my blog!]



Now head on over to Taylor's blog and look at other bloggers helpful hints!

I'm a list maker.... are you?

Do you ever have a day when you have so much to do that you just need a list to keep you on track? Well that was today for me.... I have accomplished most of my list.. but for what didn't get done today - will be pushed until tomorrows list...

i went to home depot today with Jaci and bought a few flowers for my new hanging baskets

JM and I rarely eat a full loaf of bread before it becomes a science project.. so I decided to dry out the remaining loaf of bread and create whole wheat bread crumbs for recipes that I use throughout the year since it is so difficult to find whole wheat bread crumbs at the grocery store.
(and yes step#1 is to remind myself that I have bread crumbs in the oven - otherwise I would
pre-heat the oven and forget the bread was in there!)

sorry for not having an exciting weekend recap... we had a pretty uneventful weekend, but sometimes its nice to just get caught up on things that are around the house!

I hope you had a great weekend!