2012 was definitely a year of firsts and adventures for me. Here are some highlights from my year:
January- Spent the first day of the new year with family and friends at our annual Italian feast!
February- Celebrated 1 year of home ownership with a repeat first meal- little caesar's pizza & girl scout cookies!
March- I got my wedding dress and took bridals at a nearby park.
April- My amazing best friend threw me a beautiful bridal shower and a super fun bachelorette party :) Wedding prep began!
May- I got to celebrate my marriage with family and friends! Ran a 5K without stopping! Went to Mexico for our honeymoon!
June&July- Planned a trip to Germany and Austria and spent 10 days in what is now my favorite place on earth. Best summer job ever= selling fireworks!
August- I began my 5th year as a teacher! Began saving money by meal-planning
September- Got settled in to my new classroom and began working with the best student teacher.
October- My first sister! (Okay, she is a sister-in-law, but I am counting it!)
November- Spent Thanksgiving with my husband's family in Missouri and ate my fav- Andy's Frozen Custard
December- We bought our first Christmas tree and had a first Christmas as husband and wife with our family in our home.
Teacher, Bride, Friend, Sister, Daughter... The many roles I embrace in life lead me to the most amazing adventures. This is my chance to share them with you :)
Monday, December 31, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Made from Scratch Pizza Adventure
My dad is full-blooded Italian and his cooking proves it. He makes amazing dishes and finds recipes that really speak to the stomach... I mean heart <3.
Over the past year he has been making his own pizza and it got me thinking that "hey, I could make my own pizza, too!" So I did.
I used my mom's dough recipe (not Italian) and it tasted... well... dry. Like it was missing something. So I asked my dad for tips. He gave me some recipes to thumb through and encouraged me to try again.
After about 4 tries, this is my best shot so far:
I put the flour, crushed garlic cloves, salt, and basil in a big bowl. Then, I mix about 1/4 cup flour with 120 degree water and the yeast in a measuring cup. Once the yeast has dissolved, I add it to the flour mixture.
After researching and finding many ways that did NOT work for helping my bread rise, I found this way of activating the yeast to be most effective.
I cover the bowl with a wet dish towel, then place in the garage for about an hour. This is usually enough time for the dough to double in size.
Once the dough has risen, I knead it a few times in flour and prepare the stone. The stone should be heated first and you really need olive oil and corn meal but I have not bought that yet so I just put flour down and I have not had problems with it sticking to the stone. I shape the dough and place it on the stone. Then, I add olive oil all around the pizza and sprinkle the sun-dried tomatoes seasoning around the crust to give it some extra flavor. I bake the dough in the oven for about 5-8 minutes.
After the dough has been in the oven for 5-8 minutes, I pull it out and add my dad's homemade sauce (double yum!) and my toppings. I prefer mushrooms and hard salami (both of which need to be fresh/ from the deli ). Then, I add freshly shredded mozzarella cheese and finally add some parmesan cheese (sprinkled) and cheddar cheese (sprinkled)
I bake it at 425 degrees until the cheese is melted and boom! You have amazing pizza. Better than the frozen kind. I even prefer it over Papa Johns. Oh, and so does my husband :)
Over the past year he has been making his own pizza and it got me thinking that "hey, I could make my own pizza, too!" So I did.
I used my mom's dough recipe (not Italian) and it tasted... well... dry. Like it was missing something. So I asked my dad for tips. He gave me some recipes to thumb through and encouraged me to try again.
After about 4 tries, this is my best shot so far:
It is sooo yummy! I know what ingredients go in it, and I love that I have "made it my own." Also, it is so yummy that I never remember to get a picture before I have already had a slice ( or two ).
So here is my not-quite perfected but still better than the frozen stuff pizza recipe:
3 cups flour
2 tsp yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 crushed garlic cloves
basil- about 1-2 teaspoons
Sun-dried tomatoes seasoning (Pampered Chef)
After researching and finding many ways that did NOT work for helping my bread rise, I found this way of activating the yeast to be most effective.
I cover the bowl with a wet dish towel, then place in the garage for about an hour. This is usually enough time for the dough to double in size.
Once the dough has risen, I knead it a few times in flour and prepare the stone. The stone should be heated first and you really need olive oil and corn meal but I have not bought that yet so I just put flour down and I have not had problems with it sticking to the stone. I shape the dough and place it on the stone. Then, I add olive oil all around the pizza and sprinkle the sun-dried tomatoes seasoning around the crust to give it some extra flavor. I bake the dough in the oven for about 5-8 minutes.
After the dough has been in the oven for 5-8 minutes, I pull it out and add my dad's homemade sauce (double yum!) and my toppings. I prefer mushrooms and hard salami (both of which need to be fresh/ from the deli ). Then, I add freshly shredded mozzarella cheese and finally add some parmesan cheese (sprinkled) and cheddar cheese (sprinkled)
I bake it at 425 degrees until the cheese is melted and boom! You have amazing pizza. Better than the frozen kind. I even prefer it over Papa Johns. Oh, and so does my husband :)
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Banana Bread Adventure
My husband thought he wanted bananas. A lot of bananas. Aldi's had them on sale for $0.49 a pound so I bought A LOT of bananas. They sat in the fruit bowl for about a week when I mentioned, "Hey, I thought you wanted some bananas." So he ate one. And then the bananas began to turn.
The good news is that when bananas get ripe, you can make banana bread!
I followed the recipe here: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/banana_bread/
and ended up with this:
The good news is that when bananas get ripe, you can make banana bread!
I followed the recipe here: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/banana_bread/
and ended up with this:
Yum!!!
It was so yummy! And it feels good to not waste food.
p.s. the time is real- 9:18 PM. Because I bake at night when I am bored :)
Monday, October 15, 2012
Week 6 of the grocery budget adventure
I feel like I cheated.
It is week 5 and I had so many errands to run Sunday that I stopped at one stop- Kroger- to do my shopping. I missed my Aldi's trip this week! And even with missing Aldi's, I spent.... $32!!!
Yep folks, this week my grocery expenditures was only $32.
Here's the menu for the week:
It is week 5 and I had so many errands to run Sunday that I stopped at one stop- Kroger- to do my shopping. I missed my Aldi's trip this week! And even with missing Aldi's, I spent.... $32!!!
Yep folks, this week my grocery expenditures was only $32.
Here's the menu for the week:
- Sausage with rice and corn
- Tacos
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Breakfast for dinner
- chicken parmigiana
- frozen pizza
So I have been making AMAZING homemade pizza, but my husband cleaned the kitchen and he likes to keep it clean for a few days afterwards so we resort to frozen pizza.
Anyways, all of the meat was already bought for the week. I stocked up on green beans and corn (our favorite vegetables) last time they were on sale. I already had rice, pasta, and all of the ingredients for chicken parmigiana. The chicken pot pie is frozen from last month when I doubled the recipe and made an extra serving. Taco kits are about $2.50.
I felt so bad I bought Moose tracks ice cream :) And a bag of "real chips"! Oh, and the expensive meat from the deli!
Next week is the last week of "planned menu items" for the month and for the budget I set. The good news is that I will still have enough items in my freezer and pantry to probably last an extra few days. Since I am reaching the two month mark it is definitely time to clean out the freezer. Once that is done, I will begin working on the next month's grocery list.
I plan on checking out some recipes found here:
http://www.momswhothink.com/healthy-recipes/healthy-recipes.html
Friday, October 12, 2012
Classroom Pass Adventure
Okay so this is less about the classroom passes, and more about having an amazing student teacher :)
She made these for me! (And posters, bulletin boards, anchor charts, lesson plans, activities, etc.)
Apparently you don't need much for new passes:
She made these for me! (And posters, bulletin boards, anchor charts, lesson plans, activities, etc.)
Apparently you don't need much for new passes:
- Painter Sticks
- Sharpies
- Duck tape
- Sparkle stickers
- Puff Paint
I <3 them and I <3 my super hard working student teacher for helping me out with this!
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Yummy Cake Adventure... fail
Week 6 of the grocery budget adventure and things are still on track. I am reading a book called "Influencer, the power to change anything"
First off, it is a great book! (adventure!) Second, it talks about how when people think about changing habits two questions arise: "Is it worth it?" and "Can I do it?"
YES! Yes, you can make a budget and stick to it! Yes, it is worth it! It is worth it to know where the food you eat is coming from. It is worth it to save money. It is worth it to feel like you have food to feed your family even when money is tight.
I cannot wait to keep reading and find out more this book has to offer.
Back to the groceries---
This week I planned for the following meals:
First off, it is a great book! (adventure!) Second, it talks about how when people think about changing habits two questions arise: "Is it worth it?" and "Can I do it?"
YES! Yes, you can make a budget and stick to it! Yes, it is worth it! It is worth it to know where the food you eat is coming from. It is worth it to save money. It is worth it to feel like you have food to feed your family even when money is tight.
I cannot wait to keep reading and find out more this book has to offer.
Back to the groceries---
This week I planned for the following meals:
- Steak w/ potatoes and green beans
- Tilapia and rice
- hamburgers with homemade ketchup
- tuscan garlic chicken with salad and garlic bread
- homemade pizza with mushrooms and salami
- Rotisserie chicken
For dessert- Yummy Cake!
The story behind yummy cake: A colleague and friend made some yummy cake for the teachers my first year on the job. It is heaven!
So I went to Aldi's and I found so many of the normally expensive ingredients. I believe it costs around $15 to make last time (Tom Thumb) and this time it was only $6. No problems so far with Aldi's, so I went for it. I bought the devil's food cake mix (which worked great for my rolo cookies!), evaporate milk, butter, and chocolate chips. The only thing I had to buy somewhere else was the caramels.
Here is how it turned out :
Uhh.... Those do not look like my normal yummy cake heavenly treats. ugh!
I tasted it and sure, it is okay, but not amazing. So there you have it- from now on, I am skipping Aldi's for the sweet tooth desires.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Week 4 of the Grocery Budget Adventure
Week 4! I did it! I made it four weeks on a grocery budget and oh my have I been impressed.
Let's begin with this week.
Dinner menu:
Let's begin with this week.
Dinner menu:
- Tacos, mexican corn, refried beans
- breakfast for dinner (sausage, eggs, biscuits, pancakes)
- steak, edamame, scalloped potatoes
- pot roast, salad, dinner rolls
- shrimp, rice, salad
- leftover stew
Grocery bill today- $55! This big ticket item this week was the pot roast at a whopping $13. However, we plan on having company over for dinner so it feeds four and probably some left overs for lunch later in the week.
The total amount I spent for the four weeks, including meat, is $295. That is $25 under budget! I am very proud of this considering I was spending between $400 and $500 for one month of groceries in August. This meal planning for the month has truly helped.
For one, I know in advance what I am cooking, so I can buy things in bulk for cheaper (onions, potatoes, etc) knowing that it will not go to waste and getting a better price for it.
Second, menu planning for the month took time, but a whole lot less time than it does to plan for the week. Knowing what is on the menu helps because I already have it planned. Sure, I look through circulars to plan side items or maybe change something up if I see a truly good deal, but for the most part I stick to my plan. This helps avoid the stress of menu planning and finding recipes and deciding what to eat and the worst... buyers remorse. I know what I am eating and have already made the decision- no need to regret it later.
Third, sticking to the budget helps me feel good about myself. I see myself practicing self control, and it makes me feel good.
Fourth, I do not feel bad about leftovers anymore. In fact, sometimes I over cook so I can freeze half and save it for later. Anyone who cooks for two (or one) knows how many recipes are great, but made for families of four or more. Planning for the month gave me a set time to eat those meals again, an extra portion for lunch one day, and the knowledge that the food would not go to waste.
Finally, I feel good knowing my family is getting home cooked meals where I know for the most part where the food is coming from. I feel good knowing that we are eating good food, we are not spending a ton of money on food, and we are happy with what we have.
Celebrations!!!
My husband and I had guests over for dinner twice this month.
I stayed on a budget, practiced self control, and ate good food.
My kitchen got used, my husband's belly was full.
I have an extra $25 to spend on myself this month.
Grocery shopping has taken WAY less time.
I have not had to fill my car up with gas as often.
Menu planning has taken less time away from my family.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Week 3 of the grocery budget adventure
So here we are in week three, and my grocery total for the week was... $50!!!
I feel good about that number, and even more so when I know that two of my six meals are enough for a second meal for later.
Here's the menu this week:
- Meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, salad
- Spaghetti, meatballs, garlic bread, salad
- chicken noodle soup, grilled cheese
- hamburgers, fresh fruit, french fries
- chicken bruschetta, broccoli, and...
- shrimp oreganato, rice
Desserts this week- fudge brownies and shortbread cookies
On the positive side of things, I feel good being able to feed my family on a budget. We are eating really good food :), and I am not left hungry. Many meals are enough for two rounds, so I know my grocery budget will go even better next month. Also, and maybe most importantly for me, I am able to save money. I know that this will leave extra money for other things (maybe even some "wants" rather than "needs") and I just feel better knowing I am not throwing my money away every month on food.
So here are some things that are frustrating me:
#1- I keep forgetting items on the grocery list! I make this list, and most of the time it is 100% correct. Every once in awhile though, I forget an ingredient. Luckily the store run is easy as I know the one item I need, but it does waste gas and time when I do this. Other times, like today, I knew I needed a roma tomato, but waited until Aldis. Guess who did not carry roma tomatoes this week? Aldis. I had to run into Target for one item (scary!) and it ended up costing me $0.32.
#2- I am still learning what Aldis has and their prices, so sometimes I end up spending more by buying an item somewhere else because I think it may be cheaper there or I go there first and want to buy it in case Aldis does not have it. I think this will get better with time, but for now it kind of stinks. Today, for example, I saw Ritz crackers were on sale for $2.50 at Wal-mart, so I bought them. I go to Aldis, and there they are for $1.79. I know it doesn't seem like much, but when you are budgeting every penny counts- that is the point of budgeting! There are a few other items this has happened to me with- Gala Apples, bread, cheese... but I am hoping this will only be the case for a little longer until I get the hang of things.
#3- The prices of food going up effects Aldis too :(... Today, the milk was $2.19. The past two weeks, I have gotten milk for $1.99 at Aldis. I hope it is only temporary, but something tells me it is not.
Well, that is all for this week- next week will be first full month (four weeks) of menu planning.
I feel good about that number, and even more so when I know that two of my six meals are enough for a second meal for later.
Here's the menu this week:
- Meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, salad
- Spaghetti, meatballs, garlic bread, salad
- chicken noodle soup, grilled cheese
- hamburgers, fresh fruit, french fries
- chicken bruschetta, broccoli, and...
- shrimp oreganato, rice
Desserts this week- fudge brownies and shortbread cookies
On the positive side of things, I feel good being able to feed my family on a budget. We are eating really good food :), and I am not left hungry. Many meals are enough for two rounds, so I know my grocery budget will go even better next month. Also, and maybe most importantly for me, I am able to save money. I know that this will leave extra money for other things (maybe even some "wants" rather than "needs") and I just feel better knowing I am not throwing my money away every month on food.
So here are some things that are frustrating me:
#1- I keep forgetting items on the grocery list! I make this list, and most of the time it is 100% correct. Every once in awhile though, I forget an ingredient. Luckily the store run is easy as I know the one item I need, but it does waste gas and time when I do this. Other times, like today, I knew I needed a roma tomato, but waited until Aldis. Guess who did not carry roma tomatoes this week? Aldis. I had to run into Target for one item (scary!) and it ended up costing me $0.32.
#2- I am still learning what Aldis has and their prices, so sometimes I end up spending more by buying an item somewhere else because I think it may be cheaper there or I go there first and want to buy it in case Aldis does not have it. I think this will get better with time, but for now it kind of stinks. Today, for example, I saw Ritz crackers were on sale for $2.50 at Wal-mart, so I bought them. I go to Aldis, and there they are for $1.79. I know it doesn't seem like much, but when you are budgeting every penny counts- that is the point of budgeting! There are a few other items this has happened to me with- Gala Apples, bread, cheese... but I am hoping this will only be the case for a little longer until I get the hang of things.
#3- The prices of food going up effects Aldis too :(... Today, the milk was $2.19. The past two weeks, I have gotten milk for $1.99 at Aldis. I hope it is only temporary, but something tells me it is not.
Well, that is all for this week- next week will be first full month (four weeks) of menu planning.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Week 2 of the grocery budget adventure!
Week 2 of my monthly menu planning/ budget adventure and we are right on track!
The menu this week:
The menu this week:
- Stew
- Pasta
- Chili
- Chicken
- Enchiladas
- Homemade Pizza
Apparently, the husband saw my list and was a little concerned. He said, "I need more to my meal than just a main dish. I need sides." As a woman, and a woman watching her diet, this turned my stomach. However, I quickly realized that I am his wife and he is a man who does need more calories than me.
New menu
- Stew (meat, potatoes, carrots) with homemade bread and salad
- Cheddar Penne Pasta with Sausage and a side of fruit salad
- Chili, cornbread, rice
- Chicken cutlets, zucchini, broccoli with cheese, and bread
- Enchiladas, refried beans, rice, and mexican corn
- homemade pizza with pepperoni
Even after adding in the extras, my grocery bill was very reasonable at $55. I did spend a few more dollars than necessary by buying things at the regular grocery store instead of Aldi's. Live and learn.
Also, I know that the money was less because I already bought the meat.
Still, I am right on track with my goal of $320 for four weeks. My freezer is getting lots of extras like soups, extra chicken pot pie, and other various leftovers. I am pretty interested to see what it will look like after week 4 and how the frozen dinners will help out in Month 2.
Will keep you posted on the success rate of this adventure :)
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Butcher Adventure
In my quest for a lower grocery bill, I came across an idea. If I buy meat for the entire month from a butcher, maybe it will help cut costs.
Here is my thinking:
#1, If I buy for an entire month, I can split things as I please and always have the meat portion of our meal on hand. If my husband says, "I am not in the mood for blah blah blah," I can pull something else out without wasting a trip to the store or the meat I had planned for.
#2 When you buy from a butcher, it comes in freezer paper. According to the website, the meat stays freezer burn free for up to 8 months! 8 months! I think we will eat all of our meat in 8 months. No wasting meat!
#3 Along with the "no wasting meat" theory, I tend to only need a portion of what I buy. I try to buy directly from the meat section so I can portion control what I buy, but many times it is easier to just buy the meat in the 1 lb package it already comes in. This happens a lot with chicken. I buy a package of chicken because it is cheaper than picking out my own, yet throw half of it away because there are only 2 of us and I don't need the rest of the package. ( I have tried freezing this meat but I am terrible at it and even with freezer wrap and freezer bags it ends up with freezer burn by the end of the month )
So, I grab my monthly menu and get my meat listed.
I bought--->
Here is my thinking:
#1, If I buy for an entire month, I can split things as I please and always have the meat portion of our meal on hand. If my husband says, "I am not in the mood for blah blah blah," I can pull something else out without wasting a trip to the store or the meat I had planned for.
#2 When you buy from a butcher, it comes in freezer paper. According to the website, the meat stays freezer burn free for up to 8 months! 8 months! I think we will eat all of our meat in 8 months. No wasting meat!
#3 Along with the "no wasting meat" theory, I tend to only need a portion of what I buy. I try to buy directly from the meat section so I can portion control what I buy, but many times it is easier to just buy the meat in the 1 lb package it already comes in. This happens a lot with chicken. I buy a package of chicken because it is cheaper than picking out my own, yet throw half of it away because there are only 2 of us and I don't need the rest of the package. ( I have tried freezing this meat but I am terrible at it and even with freezer wrap and freezer bags it ends up with freezer burn by the end of the month )
So, I grab my monthly menu and get my meat listed.
I bought--->
- 7 chicken breasts
- 2, 12 oz steaks (to be split so one steak per meal)
- 2.5 lbs of stew meat
- 4 sausage links
- 6 lbs ground beef
That is around 17 pounds of meat, to be used in 19 meals throughout the month, for $66.02
Check out my freezer :)
My bill for the week on groceries was $71.05, not including the meat. I am making shrimp alfredo, chicken pot pie (makes 2, so one will go in the freezer), steak, baked potato soup, sandwich night, and pizza.
With shopping done, I am now going to get to work on my lesson plans as school starts tomorrow :)
Friday, August 17, 2012
Grocery Shopping Rules
As a follow up to my last post, I have the "grocery shopping rules" to follow. Most are things you may already know about, but a quick reminder never hurts.
Here's what it says with a brief explanation:
1. Meal Plan around circulars and schedule
- Check the weekly grocery ads for the best deals. Compare sale items across grocery stores and pick one or two stores that work best for you to shop from for the week. Also, think about your schedule- if you have a busy night, you may need a crock pot meal or something quick.
2. Eat seasonally
- fruits and vegetables are cheaper and taste better when they are in season. Know your seasons! Here is a link to an eat seasonally chart I found on pinterest. http://www.accomacinn.com/restaurant/2011/12/whats-in-season-now/
3. Shop pantry, fridge, and freezer before store
- Look at what you have and try to get creative. Lots of leftover vegetables? Make a soup or vegetable stir fry. Canned green beans and corn? Add some meat and make it a meal.
4. Set a monthly budget instead of a weekly budget.
- This one was the most important one to me. Kimberlee does the number of Sundays (her shopping day) in the month X her weekly budget to get a monthly total. This is good because even though you may only spend $40 one week, the next week may be $95. If you set a monthly budget, it will even out and you won't over spend by doing something with your "savings" before you actually finish the month. Reasons your budget goes over: the staples are out- eggs, flour, sugar, etc, it is time to purchase a seasoning such as cumin or cayenne pepper, you have more expensive meat in your meals.
5. Not every meat needs a meal.
- This is easy for me, tough for my husband. I love cheese ravioli, cheese pizza, vegetable soup, peanut butter and jelly, etc. My husband says "where's the meat?"
6. Be willing to shop at two places.
- Luckily, where I am from there are about 7 grocery stores within a 7 mile radius from my house. Seriously. Albertson's (two), Kroger, Wal-Mart, Aldi's, Sprout's, and one more Kroger being built. It is easy to swing by two stores and quicker than one if you follow rule number 7.
7. Buy what is on the grocery list.
- This means if you want cookies, put it on the list. Don't show up to the store and buy cookies, ice cream, and donuts because you didn't know which sweet you wanted for the week. If you have a husband or kids, leave them behind or make sure they know the rule. Also, no toilet paper and office supply runs at the grocery store!
8. Designate certain nights within the month for a cheap and easy meal
- examples: Homemade pizza night, breakfast for dinner, leftovers, baked potato day, soup night, sandwiches...
9. Cook large batches and freeze meals.
- As a family of two, this is great for us. It means my husband is not having "leftovers" and we don't throw food away. It is very easy to split large meals before putting them in the oven or serving. It also means you have one less meal to cook / pay for on another night in your current or next month.
10. Consider investing in a seal-a-meal
- Well if you read my previous note you know how well that worked out for me... My new plan is to go to a butcher. I found 4 in my area, three of which are corn - fed and one is grass - fed. Unfortunately, grass - fed is currently out of my price range, but I am hoping to switch once I can. Anyways, the butcher packages your meat however you want (ex. 1 lb of ground beef x 6 bags or 6 oz sirloins x 2) and the meat is good for up to 8 months!
11. Buy in Bulk IF it is something you can freeze, it is non perishable, or it is something you will use.
- You will use toilet paper. It does not go bad. You can buy toilet paper in bulk. A 1 gallon container of mayonnaise? Not so much
12. Consider making from scratch instead of buying processed
- You can MAKE a lot of things CHEAPER than if you BUY them... When you make your own you also control what goes in your food :) Examples: Bread, pizza dough, granola bars, cookies
Well, that is all for the tips. Thanks again Kimberlee for sharing :)
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Craig's List Adventure
With my new "save the money on groceries" phase slowly coming together, I did some research and thought about purchasing a seal-a-meal or food saver. When you have these, you can seal meat from the grocery store in your freezer without it getting freezer burn. Also, if you buy from a butcher who already puts their meat in freezer paper, you could use the seal a meal when splitting up packages for later use.
It seems easy enough to use...
So I went searching. Unfortunately, they are a little pricey to "just try it." The seal-a-meal is considerably cheaper than a food saver, $49.99 compared to $183.00. When you invest in the seal-a-meal or food saver, you also need the bags or rolls of wrap to go with it.
I thought to myself, hey- I bet someone would be selling it on craigslist or ebay, so I went searching. What do you know, I found an ad on Craig's List for a BRAND NEW seal-a-meal in package for $25 OBO. I offered $10 and next day pick up, and everything seemed to be falling in place.
Fast forward to 5:00 yesterday. I sat in the Target parking lot in a town about 30 minutes away from my house (but a middle spot for meeting the other person) for 15 minutes and did not see them. They had my number and I knew I was in the right place, so I figured they were running late and went into the store to do some browsing. About 30 minutes later, with still no call, I knew something was up. My husband was with me so we went to dinner (AHHH! Not in the budget or plans, but what can you do at 6:00 when you are hungry and 30 minutes from home?) We finished at 7:00 and still no phone call.
Craigslist FAIL.
So I ended up not getting my brand new seal-a-meal for $10.00. I e-mailed the person and let them know I was no longer interested in wasting my time and will continue the search elsewhere.
On the bright side, I did not get stabbed, robbed, or scammed :)
It seems easy enough to use...
So I went searching. Unfortunately, they are a little pricey to "just try it." The seal-a-meal is considerably cheaper than a food saver, $49.99 compared to $183.00. When you invest in the seal-a-meal or food saver, you also need the bags or rolls of wrap to go with it.
I thought to myself, hey- I bet someone would be selling it on craigslist or ebay, so I went searching. What do you know, I found an ad on Craig's List for a BRAND NEW seal-a-meal in package for $25 OBO. I offered $10 and next day pick up, and everything seemed to be falling in place.
Fast forward to 5:00 yesterday. I sat in the Target parking lot in a town about 30 minutes away from my house (but a middle spot for meeting the other person) for 15 minutes and did not see them. They had my number and I knew I was in the right place, so I figured they were running late and went into the store to do some browsing. About 30 minutes later, with still no call, I knew something was up. My husband was with me so we went to dinner (AHHH! Not in the budget or plans, but what can you do at 6:00 when you are hungry and 30 minutes from home?) We finished at 7:00 and still no phone call.
Craigslist FAIL.
So I ended up not getting my brand new seal-a-meal for $10.00. I e-mailed the person and let them know I was no longer interested in wasting my time and will continue the search elsewhere.
On the bright side, I did not get stabbed, robbed, or scammed :)
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Grocery Budget Adventure
Let me preface this blog by saying the past month has been AWFULly expensive when it comes to food. I guess the price of corn has gone up which means everything is going up and grocery shopping is no longer enjoyable. I was spending between 40 and 50 dollars twice a week, so around $80- $100 a week on groceries. Not the best budget, but comfortable for my lifestyle.
Well, lately it has been $120- $140 a week!!! NO WAY can I afford that. This does not include any eating out either! I knew something had to be done.
I met with my neighbor, Kimberlee, and she gave me some budget tips and ideas for how to save on groceries. I will share this in another post. Anyways, we came up with a plan and this is how it went.
Meal Plan:
Breakfast- Herbalife for me, Coffee for John.
Lunch- leftovers for me, Ham and cheese sandwiches with chips for John.
Dinner-
Saturday: Burgers with baked potatoes, cantaloupe, and baked beans.
Sunday: Andrea's Wedding :)
Monday: Italian sausage, corn, rice, salad
Tuesday: Spaghetti with meatballs, salad, homemade bread
Wednesday: Hot dogs, beans, mac n cheese
Thursday: Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Friday: Pizza
Dessert- I make one dessert a week, and when it is gone, it is gone. This week: Ice cream!
That is 6 days of eating from home. This has become increasingly important as the exit to my neighborhood is blocked off so any time I leave the house it adds an extra 7 minutes and 3 miles ( I live in a big neighborhood). I needed to save time, gas, and money.
Here are the results:
1. Sprouts: $4.96
2. Aldi's: $30.76
3. Albertson's: $10.57
For a grand total of..... $46.29 !!!!! That is about $80 I saved this week in groceries!
Needless to say, it was a big success!
Well, lately it has been $120- $140 a week!!! NO WAY can I afford that. This does not include any eating out either! I knew something had to be done.
I met with my neighbor, Kimberlee, and she gave me some budget tips and ideas for how to save on groceries. I will share this in another post. Anyways, we came up with a plan and this is how it went.
Meal Plan:
Breakfast- Herbalife for me, Coffee for John.
Lunch- leftovers for me, Ham and cheese sandwiches with chips for John.
Dinner-
Saturday: Burgers with baked potatoes, cantaloupe, and baked beans.
Sunday: Andrea's Wedding :)
Monday: Italian sausage, corn, rice, salad
Tuesday: Spaghetti with meatballs, salad, homemade bread
Wednesday: Hot dogs, beans, mac n cheese
Thursday: Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Friday: Pizza
Dessert- I make one dessert a week, and when it is gone, it is gone. This week: Ice cream!
That is 6 days of eating from home. This has become increasingly important as the exit to my neighborhood is blocked off so any time I leave the house it adds an extra 7 minutes and 3 miles ( I live in a big neighborhood). I needed to save time, gas, and money.
Here are the results:
1. Sprouts: $4.96
2. Aldi's: $30.76
3. Albertson's: $10.57
For a grand total of..... $46.29 !!!!! That is about $80 I saved this week in groceries!
Needless to say, it was a big success!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Germany Adventure
I have to start by saying this was THE BEST trip I have taken in my entire life. I would highly recommend that you go overseas when the opportunity arrises.
While how I got to this point is an adventure in itself, I am going to use this post to talk about my incredible experiences.
First, we took an overnight flight (which was not overnight per Texas time, but with the time zone change it became overnight) that took forever. We flew from DFW to LaGuardia, transferred to JFK, JFK to Berlin, and then Berlin to Munich. Whew. Lots of sleeping was attempted, but my nerves got the best of me and I only slept for a couple of hours at a time.
Munich Day 1: We arrived at the airport, grabbed our bags (two carry ons and one back pack- definitely the way to go) and took the S8 into the city. Then, we took the U3 to our hotel. At first we were a little nervous, but by the end of the day we had public transportation figured out. It is the coolest thing. Coming from a place where it takes 25 minutes to get to the nearest point of public transportation, I was in heaven.
We dropped off our bags, showered, and went to the Deutches Museum. It had lots of airplanes, cars, science, technology advances, etc. and was HUGE. There was no way we would see the whole thing, and jet lag set in.
Jet lag is like walking without knowing why your legs are moving. My ears began to hurt, my reactions were delayed, and I almost felt nauseous. John and I made it about 2 hours before it was time to pack it up and head back to the hotel to sleep.
Munich Day 2/ Salzburg Day 1: We woke up pretty early, which was fine for us as we had to find some hygiene items not allowed on the air plane. We took a U train into Marienplatz and got to see some sights as we searched for a razor and nail clippers. I fell in love. The city is so beautiful and I felt at ease.
After finding what we needed, we checked out of the hotel and headed to Salzburg! We saw the train was pretty full, so we hopped on. Turns out we were on the wrong train, but it was going to Salzburg so we need not worry. We took a taxi from the train station to our hotel and wow did we pick a good one. Check out our view!
While how I got to this point is an adventure in itself, I am going to use this post to talk about my incredible experiences.
First, we took an overnight flight (which was not overnight per Texas time, but with the time zone change it became overnight) that took forever. We flew from DFW to LaGuardia, transferred to JFK, JFK to Berlin, and then Berlin to Munich. Whew. Lots of sleeping was attempted, but my nerves got the best of me and I only slept for a couple of hours at a time.
Munich Day 1: We arrived at the airport, grabbed our bags (two carry ons and one back pack- definitely the way to go) and took the S8 into the city. Then, we took the U3 to our hotel. At first we were a little nervous, but by the end of the day we had public transportation figured out. It is the coolest thing. Coming from a place where it takes 25 minutes to get to the nearest point of public transportation, I was in heaven.
We dropped off our bags, showered, and went to the Deutches Museum. It had lots of airplanes, cars, science, technology advances, etc. and was HUGE. There was no way we would see the whole thing, and jet lag set in.
Jet lag is like walking without knowing why your legs are moving. My ears began to hurt, my reactions were delayed, and I almost felt nauseous. John and I made it about 2 hours before it was time to pack it up and head back to the hotel to sleep.
Munich Day 2/ Salzburg Day 1: We woke up pretty early, which was fine for us as we had to find some hygiene items not allowed on the air plane. We took a U train into Marienplatz and got to see some sights as we searched for a razor and nail clippers. I fell in love. The city is so beautiful and I felt at ease.
After finding what we needed, we checked out of the hotel and headed to Salzburg! We saw the train was pretty full, so we hopped on. Turns out we were on the wrong train, but it was going to Salzburg so we need not worry. We took a taxi from the train station to our hotel and wow did we pick a good one. Check out our view!
It was breathtaking! Oh how I wish I could wake up to it every morning. (Turns out about 150,000 people do) We toured the city and ate dinner, then settled in for the night.
Salzburg Day 2: We woke up bright and early and had an amazing breakfast. The food was so filling, yet easy on the stomach. We had our tourline- Grayline, come pick us up and they dropped us off at our SOUND OF MUSIC bus!!! Oh how I have wanted to do this ever since I was a little girl. We started off at Mirabell Gardens which were so beautiful and big! Then, we traveled to the gazebo where they had the song "16 going on 17". John and I were told to be the "Leisel and Rolf of our group so we did :)
We saw Hellbrun Palace, The Nonnberg Abbey, St. Gilgen/Lake Wolfgang, and the Church at Mondsee. A perfect tour! We even stopped to do a toboggan run! Right as our tour ended and we boarded the bus to head back to Salzburg, it began to rain. Now I know this may sound awful, but it wasn't because we did not have rain our entire tour, and by the time we got back to Salzburg, it stopped!
We decided to walk around some more and then we went to visit Hohensalzburg Fortress. It was a great castle visit and full of little museums we got to enter for free with our ticket. The views were, once again, amazing. For dinner we grabbed some food from a grocery store and took a taxi back to our hotel. Then, we had a small picnic in our room.
Salzburg Day 3: We woke up well rested and had our next tour, Panorama, pick us up at the hotel. We had a FULL day scheduled. The first stop was Eagle's Nest. The views from here were the best we had on the trip. It was a lot cooler at the top of the mountain, but worth every minute. I think we may have our Christmas card picture!
After that we went to Berchtesgaden and had lunch and did some shopping. We had typical Bavarian food, which I love! The shops were cute and the town was more than I could have hoped for. If I can go back to Germany, I would love to stay in Berchtesgaden for a night so I could try to find all of the fountains in the city!
Shopping was fun, and next up on our tour was the salt mines. It was interesting to do and a cool experience. However, I would not recommend going through every salt mine in Europe. No pictures were aloud here :(.
After the salt mines we went to Lake Konigsee and the shops around the lake. Talk about a gorgeous lake! We stayed here for a few hours, then went back to the town of Berchtesgaden for more shopping! We arrived in Salzburg around 6:30, about 9 hours after we left. It was a long day. We ate dinner at our hotel whose restaurant was finally open and then went to bed.
Salzburg Day 4 / Hallstatt Day 1: This was our last morning at the hotel. Looking back, I should have cherished this stay a little more as we never stayed in the same room for two nights in a row again on this trip. The train to Hallstatt took about 2.5 hours, and we arrived in the rain. Ugh! We had to take a small ferry over the lake to the town and since it was raining, we stayed in the covered part and did not get many good pictures. Once we arrived in town, we bought an umbrella and headed off to find our new bed and breakfast.
The place turned out to be an old German lady's house. She did not know English, so communicating was a little hard. The room was so different than anything I had ever been in. It was small, the lamps were homemade, and the shower and sink were in the room, but no toilet. The toilet was shared with the other room she rents out and was located across a common area right before you head down the steep and narrow stairs to the front door. We were in for an experience, and could do nothing but laugh about the situation we found ourselves in.
When the rain subsided we took the opportunity to explore the town. This took about 3 hours and the entire town was covered. We even did the bone house and archeological find which was mentioned on their tourism website. With nothing left to do, we grabbed dinner and headed back to the house we were staying in.
Hallstatt Day 2/ Munich Day 3: We woke up in the morning, had breakfast, and prepared for the day. As we began our walk down the street, the woman began yelling at us in German. We went back to see what was going on. Long story short, she had rented out our room which we had reserved for 3 nights to someone else and we had to leave. We packed our bags, and headed back to the ferry.
Now at this point in our trip we had a decision to make. We could take a train back to Munich and continue our vacation there- or we could go somewhere else. This is where my heart aches because it would have been so easy to go to Prague, Vienna, Venice, Paris, Frankfurt, etc. However, we decided to just head back to Munich as we had things planned we could do there.
This time, it took almost 6 hours and 3 trains to get back to Munich. When we arrived at the hotel we did not have reservations for yet, they were booked. We had to find another hotel for the night. Eventually, we found a hotel, had dinner, and went to bed after a long and exhausting day of travel.
Munich Day 4: When we woke up in the morning we had our breakfast, then headed to our other hotel where we could stay for 2 nights in 2 different rooms. AFter dropping off our bags, we explored the amazing city of Munich. The buildings were amazing, the people were great. We even ran into a few festivals and a free outdoor opera! We went to the Munich City Museum, which was awesome, and the Hofbrauhaus! I really enjoyed this day in Munich.
Munich Day 5: This morning we had the best breakfast of our entire trip. They had warm butter croissants and a huge espresso machine. Lots of fruit and nutella with bread completed the meal. We went with Raidus Tours to Dachau concentration camp. It was a very memorable experience and surreal to walk on the same grounds that for 12 years was host to a variety of threats to the Nazi party. The tour broke for lunch and the afternoon group went on a city exploration of the Third Reich and where the party met and how it started. This was also interesting as most history classes do not really go into how this whole thing even happened to begin with. It usually starts with "Hitler came into power and the Nazis... etc." This tour was about how he did come into power and what happened to those who opposed him. Very eye-opening stuff.
Munich Day 6: To end our trip on a happy note, we took a day long tour to Neuschwanstein Castle! Wow it was incredible. The views were amazing, the inside was very detailed, and the climb up and down the mountain was photo friendly. I really enjoyed this day trip and was glad we got to go!
We met a couple from Australia and talked to them for the 2 hour train ride there and boy was that fun. It also helped as we had someone to trade cameras with to get some couple pictures :)
The train ride back was another 2 hours, and afterwards we were beat. However, I wanted one more good German meal. I got it. I had schnitzel with warm cream sauce and homemade noodles. We also had an apple strudel for dessert. It just may have been the best meal in Germany!
As our meal came to an end, we gathered our things and went to the train station. We headed to the airport where our last hotel for the trip was- a Holiday Inn Express.
Munich Day 7: To end our trip we woke up at our new hotel- the Holiday Inn, ate breakfast, and headed to the airport. It took everything in me not to just say "forget it! I am staying!" I will not bore you with the layovers, delays, etc. that entailed our trip home. I will just say we made it home safely, and with a lifetime of memories.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Wedding Adventure
I know I have been married now for a whopping 1.5 months, but I wrote this the day after my wedding and wanted to share :)
Getting married was the best day of my life. The night before I had my best friends stay the night and a few of my cousins. We had to set our alarms for 5:30 AM! Of course it was pitch black outside when Gloria and Olga came to do our hair and make up, so Leah's barking woke most of us up.
As soon as I heard Leah I sat straight up in bed. I was as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. My heart was racing and I had to take deep breaths to control myself. I had Annie and Angela get started on hair and make up first. As they were getting ready I called my Great Aunt Irene to thank her for the gift and let her know I was thinking about her. Lindsey sent me a text message letting me know she was happy and excited for me and wished she could be there. It really meant a lot, and was the first time I had to hold back tears for the day.
As Julie and my mom arrived, I kept breathing deep breaths. The only thing I was nervous about was crying tears of joy and ruining my eyelashes or make up. I felt excitement, happiness, and an overwhelming feeling of love.
I got my hair done first and when Amanda, my photographer and good friend from high school, came I was super excited.
When it was time to go to the venue, Chelsea drove my car and Amanda rode with us. The weather was perfect. It was high 60s, low 70s with an overcast (great for pictures!) and a light breeze. As soon as the coast was clear, I ran into the gazebo to get ready.
Annie helped me in my dress and helped get my shoes on. Everyone around me was tearing up and it was hard not to cry. My mom leant me her pearl earrings and necklace and it was the perfect touch in completing my outfit. We enjoyed our girl time in the moments before the ceremony began, and then it started. The girls began to walk out and meet the groomsmen and finally they opened the curtains and I stepped out to join my dad. I wrapped my arms in his and took a deep breath as I walked down the aisle. My smile was SO BIG. I tried to look at my future husband, but he was tearing up and I had to look at our guests to hold my composure.
When my dad gave me away, I held on to John and did not let go the entire ceremony. As soon as Richard, our pastor, began, I felt calm. He spoke of things we had talked about before and it was easy to put myself back in the kitchen when we had these conversations for the first time.
It felt so good to be on that altar, 100% sure of my decision to be there with John. I had zero doubts, and no desire to be anywhere but right there with my husband.
My heels put me at just the right height for our first kiss as husband and wife. (Photo- Amanda Marie Artistry)
Again, my smile was so big as we walked down the aisle together. We gathered with our wedding party and took some pictures on a bridge and some with our parents and grandparents. Then, we began the reception with our grand entrance and first dance. The song was "It had to be you" by Harry Connick Jr.
Getting married was the best day of my life. The night before I had my best friends stay the night and a few of my cousins. We had to set our alarms for 5:30 AM! Of course it was pitch black outside when Gloria and Olga came to do our hair and make up, so Leah's barking woke most of us up.
As soon as I heard Leah I sat straight up in bed. I was as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. My heart was racing and I had to take deep breaths to control myself. I had Annie and Angela get started on hair and make up first. As they were getting ready I called my Great Aunt Irene to thank her for the gift and let her know I was thinking about her. Lindsey sent me a text message letting me know she was happy and excited for me and wished she could be there. It really meant a lot, and was the first time I had to hold back tears for the day.
As Julie and my mom arrived, I kept breathing deep breaths. The only thing I was nervous about was crying tears of joy and ruining my eyelashes or make up. I felt excitement, happiness, and an overwhelming feeling of love.
I got my hair done first and when Amanda, my photographer and good friend from high school, came I was super excited.
When it was time to go to the venue, Chelsea drove my car and Amanda rode with us. The weather was perfect. It was high 60s, low 70s with an overcast (great for pictures!) and a light breeze. As soon as the coast was clear, I ran into the gazebo to get ready.
Annie helped me in my dress and helped get my shoes on. Everyone around me was tearing up and it was hard not to cry. My mom leant me her pearl earrings and necklace and it was the perfect touch in completing my outfit. We enjoyed our girl time in the moments before the ceremony began, and then it started. The girls began to walk out and meet the groomsmen and finally they opened the curtains and I stepped out to join my dad. I wrapped my arms in his and took a deep breath as I walked down the aisle. My smile was SO BIG. I tried to look at my future husband, but he was tearing up and I had to look at our guests to hold my composure.
When my dad gave me away, I held on to John and did not let go the entire ceremony. As soon as Richard, our pastor, began, I felt calm. He spoke of things we had talked about before and it was easy to put myself back in the kitchen when we had these conversations for the first time.
It felt so good to be on that altar, 100% sure of my decision to be there with John. I had zero doubts, and no desire to be anywhere but right there with my husband.
My heels put me at just the right height for our first kiss as husband and wife. (Photo- Amanda Marie Artistry)
Again, my smile was so big as we walked down the aisle together. We gathered with our wedding party and took some pictures on a bridge and some with our parents and grandparents. Then, we began the reception with our grand entrance and first dance. The song was "It had to be you" by Harry Connick Jr.
There was a lot of kissing :)
The reception went by so quickly. I spent the first part running around with my bridesmaids taking pictures and being silly. When I got back inside, the anniversary dance song was on. I knew my Grandma and Grandpa Feikes would win, so we had the DJ play their wedding song, "I left my heart in San Francisco." It was really special.
We also had the father/daughter dance. My dad and I danced to "My Wish" by Rascall Flatts. I cried some during this one ;) It was very special and I am so thankful to have such a great dad/wonderful parents.
John and I cut the cake to Michael Buble's "Crazy Love" and the guests had cupcakes from Annie's Bakery in Murphy. They were delicious!
The whole reception was amazing. Inside, we had the food, drinks, DJ, and most of my friends. Outside we had horseshoes, a petting zoo, a mechanical bull, bounce house, Redneck Golf, and swings. Needless to say, there was entertainment for every guest!
At one point, the DJ came out and said "Hey guys, I need you to come in for the last dance." I looked at him, threw my hands up, and said "It's over?" He nodded his head yes. I did not want it to end! I was having such a good time! John and I took a few more pictures and then went inside. Our last dance was The Beatle's "My Life."
After our song, John and I drove back to our house. We were super tired, but we took a picture for facebook and I changed my relationship status to "married" and my name! (of course!)
We were able to relax a little bit and eat some of our cake :) Then, we had dinner at Ruth's Chris, our favorite! It was so yummy.
I had the best day becoming John's wife. It was full of fun and excitement, and the most amazing support system. If there was ever a time in my life I felt full of love and life, it was this day. 5.12.12.
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