Tech Savvy

I love my technology, I really do! Hubby thinks I'm narotic about my laptop, but I love my online time. I'm actually trying to cut back. Wow, that sounds so bad! Like I'm a crackhead! Oh well, it kind of is like my little addiction and soooooooo much better than a crackhead!!!! I'm just pointing that out!

With that said, I love my facebook too! I love to catch up with friends, mostly the photos they post of their kids and such! Its a great tool to rekindle a long lost friendship or just keep in touch with grade school friends, college buddies, etc.

Here's what I don't like. I am missing the personalization. I write on others walls and comment on photos, but I long for a good old fashioned E-mail! That's sounds so crazy. A written letter must be ancient times I guess if I'm referring to an E-mail as old fashioned! I mean, I don't deny that I am just as interested in what SusieQ wrote on Johnny's wall, but if its something fairly personal or even not, I just sometimes want the privacy of a conversation between two friends. I just miss it! Do you?

Betty Crocker

I'm not sure if I've said it, but I'm not a baker. I cook. There is a huge difference! Now, I still attempt to bake every now and then. I will not give up!
So, yesterday was one of those days. I made blueberry muffins....from scratch! Really, not that hard but I made a mess of flour and sugar and all that baking stuff and had about a kazillion dishes to prove it!
I just found a recipe via google....my favorite! It was a blueberry muffin with struesel topping. YUM! I had all said ingredients and started mixing. I did everything the way it said. I pulled them out of the oven and bam, sunk in centers and struesel topping spread out over the entire top of my muffin pan! Well, they were delish! Just not very appealing! I'm pretty sure next time,because I don't give up and will make them again attitude of mine, I will maybe use less of the topping. OR might leave it off completely.

Side note: I did make a chicken pot pie for hubby and my parents last night that was to die for!! AND I even embelished with heart shaped cutouts in the crust! That was appealing and yummy! Can't wait to have leftovers for lunch today!

I can smell the salty air!

I LOVE the beach. I love the smell of the salt air, the sand between my toes, the sound of the ocean, and a nice cold beer to go along with all of that while reading a trashy book!

So, I've already got THREE trips planned to the beach. They are only long weekends, but still, its the beach! TWO of them are just me and girlfriends!!! They are in April, June and August! I'm hoping that I can squeeze one or two more long weekends in there somewhere! We'll see! Hubby is all for it, so I'm gonna work on it!

It works out well for me that my in-laws own a condo so a place is not hard to come by!!! I just love to take Little Hauss there at least once or twice a year to let him enjoy what I love so much! AND my father-in-law has a boat, so that makes it super fun when we go with them!

I vow to get SOME Christmas shopping done while I am there. I say this every year, and manage to buy nothing for anyone else but myself or Little Hauss, but I've already got some ideas, so I am hoping to take advantage of the outlets! Remember I'm a planner.....don't judge!

I love a good deal

I've always loved finding a great deal! It might be on simple household items, dining, or even a really big ticket item like an appliance. Hubby used to say I would spend I've added a link to my sidebar to Money Saving Mom. She does a lot of the research for me so I don't have to spend time doing it myself, but still get to save all the money!



Times are tough right now, for everyone! I love to cook and we eat at home 90% of all our meals. Its a treat for us to go out and when we do, we frequent somewhere fairly casual and family friendly (interpretation: fairly inexpensive). Money saving mom has an awesome coupon for TGIFridays right now. Buy One Get One Free entrees. You must use it by March 1st, and cannot be used this Saturday (Valentine's Day in case you live in a different world). I just love one night of someone else cooking for me and cleaning up my mess (well, Hubby usually cleans the mess, but still!)



Another great deal I stumbled upon is 2 meals for $12.99 at Logan's Road House on Mondays and Tuesdays - ALL DAY! AND bonus, kids eat for $2.00!!! Can't beat that.

So, one more thing. If you aren't into cutting actual coupons from your Sunday paper ads, then try this to download electronic ones right to your store discount card. Fun stuff. NOTE: You can double up if you have a paper coupon AND electronic one for the same product.

Start Saving!!!

Sucker!

I'm addicted and I know you are too. To what you might ask? BLOG crack! You know, you get to work and have to have your coffee and check up on your faves every morning! We all do it and there is nothing to be ashamed of! Hubby used to think I was a nut job with my blog addiction, but now he really likes it (mine). I don't have a clue if he checks in on any of my blog friends (note to self: ask Hubby about other blogs).
It is actually strengthend our relationship in a wierd way. Its my therapy. I vent, cuss, whine, ponder and whatnot on my blog. Its MY blog, MY world! I don't bother him with ramblings of things out of my control or things that are irritating the life out of me.....he just reads about it and knows! I think he prefers this method versus my loud mouth spouting off like a fountain! I don't think he's listening half the time anyway! So, this works for us. AND, he's very aware of my mood when he comes home....a nice change for any man in this situation.....never know what you're walking into with all the estrogen surrounding you!
So, a good friend and fellow blogger have been feeding an addiction. KPC from Look There's a Chicken and I are fueling a fire too big for our control. Apparently, we are not offering up enough blog crack to fulfill the cravings for a friend. She is constantly asking for more. AND, we LOVE IT!! Its nice to know that you are entertaining someone on your daily rantings!
So, we've suckered her in. She's a hoot but doesn't even realize her blog potential! Please check out our friend JR911 at Fruit Snacks and A Glock.

Another new blog I am attached to is Two Limes Please. She is a friend of mine from way back in the day! I can't wait to get to know these girls even more....and I'm sure within a few posts, get addicted to even more blog crack!

Enjoy!

What will you give up?? or set a goal to accomplish?

IF you celebrate Lent, then what will it be? We do, so every year, I try something harder.
I've been thinking of this for a few weeks now and trying to decide what I will go without for the weeks of Lent season. I've come to a conclusion.....

ALCOHOL!

Now, as some of you know, this will be quite a task!!! I love my adult juice! A LOT!!! So, I figured this would be a true testiment to my faith and willingness to do without. I have done chocolate, caffiene, all sweets, fast food, etc in the past. I've also done things such as not biting my nails or not cussing! Well, all of those were just fine, but none have been as hard to get through as I imagine this time will be. I'm starting to sound like an alcoholic! Well, it will be difficult. I love a cold beer out with friends or a glass of wine and a bath to wind down, so I guess we'll see!

The other component I'm adding in, is to committ to exercising 5 times a week. I'm on a good schedule now at 3-4, but would like to intensify it if I can manage.

It starts on the 25th (Ash Wendnesday) and goes through Easter!!! I pray I can make it!

What am I thinking?

Well, a while back, I mentioned that I might be starting another new adventure. School. To become a teacher. I have thought about it a lot over the years and just never was ready to committ. Well, I'm pretty sure I'm ready now. I don't know why now of all times. It seems that every time I consider the possibility, there is something more demanding or time consuming in my life.
For starters, I graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor's degree in something far from teachable! Hospitality and Tourism Management. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVED LOVED LOVED my major, but knew that unless I wanted to work every night, weekend, and holiday, that I wasn't going to be in that field. I settled for something quite mundane and very safe.....a bank teller! NOW, my father wasn't too thrilled with this employment status given that he just forked out 5 years of tuition so I could just settle for a job that didn't require any type of degree! With that said, I loved that job. I felt like an adult. I was married and completely clueless to the real world and how to manage a life with another person to be accountable for. It took a while for me to adjust to the fact that there were TWO of us and that things like blinds and towels took the place of new purses and funky shoes! I mean, really, I was so used to having my own money, my own expenses and doing exactly what I wanted with it, but then learning to share was a challenge, to say the least!
So, that was the first time I thought of going back to school. I mean, why not? Working and starting a life with Hubby were the only responsibilites I had....but I talked myself out of because I just got out of school. I wanted to relish in the real world for a while! What was I thinking?
So, within 7 months of marriage, we bought our first house. I took on a new challenge of Real Estate...working with an agent as an assistant and had a license, with the hope of selling someday. I realized too late that it was not my cup of tea, but I stayed on as the assistant becasue I enjoyed that aspect of the job, but just couldn't see myself as a full time agent!!! NOW, I did do a lot of thinking prior to this....months and months of debating what type of risk this would be for us and took the plunge. I will say that I'm so glad I did it when I did and came to the conclusion that I needed something else partly because of the way the market is now and partly because I would have always wondered. So, that was the next time I thought about getting a teaching license.
In the mean time of all this, I was a substitute teacher.....on call on my off days. I loved it every time I got to go into the schools. I still do....I sub on Fridays if I can! Everyone would ask if I were in school or thinking about it, and everytime my answer was the same, NO. I just loved to sub!
Well, deep down I had thought about it, but just couldn't think of a good time to do it......then I got pregnant and we moved into a new house! Well, wouldn't you know, I thought about it then too. I was leaving the real estate firm after Little Hauss was born and instead of going to school, thought I would do best for our family, and got a full time job in a Real Estate law firm. Things took a dive there and before I got laid off, I left and went to another firm.....all the while thinking about going back to school. I thought that if things were going to be like this and just praying to keep a job (especially in that market), then what did I have to lose? Well, my fear came true and I did get laid off from that place and stayed home for 8 months! I really considered it then....but couldn't justify the cost and taking away precious time with Little Hauss. I felt that God gave me an opportunity to spend that time with him, so I didn't want to let it go.
Well, lo and behold, now, with more changes in our lives, I'm ready to do it!!! Go back to school.....it is a huge committment but Hubby is so supportive. I guess now, even with all the changes we've had and will go through soon, I am ready and dedicated to this goal. I mean, who in their right mind has all this time to take on such a huge responsibility (previous 7 years) and decides to do it when there is more at stake? Oh well, I'm doing it!
Maybe it has something to do with finally doing something for myself for the long run and being fulfilled or maybe its turning 30 this year and wanting to be more stable.....or I'm just a crazy nut job. I think that might be it!!!!
Either way, in a year and a half, I'll have something to show for it!!! I can't wait!!