New Books. & some more photos.

For Christmas Auston and I recieved a lot of gift cards! And a lot of cash! Which really helped us towards our goal amount for our move. We also recieved two gift cards to the bookstore. Obviously those would be useless on a move so we went ahead and spent those on books for ourselves : )

Auston already bought me a whole series of books for Christmas (he wanted to get me something that would help with one of my 12 for '12 goals), so I didn't need anymore fiction stories. I decided to go to the personal finance section to see if I could find something interesting. What I found was a book by Rosalyn Hoffman called Bitches on a Budget. The title totally sucked me in. So of course, I bought it. All the others looked boring. They didn't have a very wide selection. It hasn't been exactly what I was expecting so far - I was looking for cool thrifty tips - This calls buying a $300 dress (originally priced much higher) a good deal! I don't know about you my bloggy buddies, but it better be a dress made from God for me to spend that much. (wedding gowns, and evening gowns excluded - even then I would look at second hand stores first). I am hoping as I get further into it other chapter might be useful or interesting, but thats just my initial observation of the book.

Am I just Too Thrifty? Would one of you spend that much on a cocktail dress?

________________________

Unfourtunately between work, and my internet being a little screwy, I have not been able to get on to post my last two 365 Photos! However, I still did my job and TOOK the pictures, I just never posted them... SO... Here are my last two pictures for my 354 photo Challenge!

This is Ellie, she is the oldest member of our little pet family. She's a little shy of two years. And as strange as it sounds, this cat REFUSES to sit "on the ground" meaning, she will not sit on something unless is is ontop of something else - Like you see in the photo above. She doesn't even like to walk on the ground. I know, I know, she's a freak. But I love her.

This is my new Elephant! I found him at goodwill for less than $1.00! I was so stoked. I have a strange little collection of elephants. This one is a little worn looking, so I'm going to wash him up and paint him a super awesome color. I love adding my own little touch to things. 



Christmas 2012!

So, with the passing of one year brings tons of ideas for the new one!
We didn't exactly plan out Christmas 2011, it was more like December rolled around and we were like, OH MY! We have to make sure everyone has a gift! And with 14 sets of adult couples in the family that can be a tough feat. Luckily I was crafty, and I love baking, so we decorated containers, and made everyone cookies, I really hope everyone enjoyed them.
Next year I want to be much more prepared, I want to be able to give bigger, better gifts, and most importantly, I don't want it to feel like ripping off a bandaid while I'm doing it.


So here is my plan for Christmas 2012! :

• I want to buy atleast one present each month during 2012, that way I can spread the cost out. It won't be so daunting to shop for everyone all at once.
• I want to set between $15-$50 a month aside for last minute Christmas gifts, decorations, parties, or holiday events we might want to partake in.
• I do still want to be crafty, but next year I want my crafts to be awesome, so I want to start my Christmas crafting early this year, instead of waiting till last minute.
• I also want to plan WHO I'm buying for. All of a sudden December hits and you realize you have 28 people you want to buy gifts for - that happened this year, and it was more than a little frightening.
• People I plan on shopping for :
• Mom
• Bill
• Mark
• Dad
• Zoe
• Molly
• Mary
• Matthew
• Chris
• Vanessa
• Macy
• Kyra
• Lori
• Scotty
• Randy
• Cody
• Melissa
• Deb
• Auston (I almost forgot him!!!)

Thats 19 people already! Believe it or not they are all immideate family! Moms and Dads and brothers and sisters, and a few nieces. Now Imagine if we decide to throw friends into the mix!

I know last minute things will arise, but hopefully my planning will help make Christmas 2012 flow smoother that Christmas 2011 (not that we didn't have an amazing year, because we did!)


___________________________________

Photo 365

Welcome to Florida! I don't really have anything entertaining to say about these ugly little buggers. Other than the fact that I will be so unbelievably happy once we move up north and I no longer have to worry about being eaten by them!

Photo 365 #5.

Welcome to our Christmas morning! Of course, we all look beautiful, in our Jammies, with unbrushed hair. It was a blast. We wen't over to the great grandparents (You can kind of just make them out in the backround) I cherish every moment I have with these girls. I am so sad to be leaving them in march. This morning Auston and I arrived at the house before anyone was even awake! It was about 8am before I finally gave up waiting in the car and knocked on the door and woke everyone up. Seriously, what kind of children sleep in past 7 on Christmas?!! We had all had a long night with the family on Christmas Eve though, so it was understandable.

I think its hilarious that without looking we all made basically the same "funny faces" well, all but the youngest, she just looks terrified to be there.

Hope you liked todays picture!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Merry Christmas

All numbers aside for a minute. We all know what this holiday is truly about.
The greatest gift God has given us is family, and I hope everyone has the most wonderful time with theirs today.
I'm sure your gifts are splendid, but the important part is the love you have for those you are giving to.
Cherish these moments, you never know when another will arise.
I am thankful to have found all of you, The support in this community astounds me.
Thank you, to each and every reader.

Have a Blessed Holiday everyone.

Photo 365 - Day 4

Today Auston and I were sitting outside in front of his mom's house, waiting for a package from my mom to arrive. I get so impatient around Christmas time. I LOVE unwrapping things. The gift doesn't have to be some gucci handbag either, I just love the suprise. Anyways, we were sitting outside, on another unseasonably beautiful day when I looked up to the tree in the front yard. All of a sudden I was struck by how beautiful it looked. I don't know why, I've seen the tree a million times before, its not some 100 year old tree in the forest either. Its just a tree, in the front yard of his moms suburban home. Maybe it was just the season, or the fact that I had been having an amazing day. Maybe God just wanted me to take a second to appreciate something natural and unmaterial for a minute. Maybe you won't think its as pretty as I do.  I could be nuts! Either way, it worked. and here is the result.

Photo 365 # 4

What I did - and did NOT do.

What I was SUPPOSED to accomplish today

• Find the perfect scarf for my sister (under $15.00). - This is the last present I have to get, and I am really going to have to shop around for it.

I found her scarf at Rue 21 for $9.62! They had had some really cool ones at Icing too, but they were all in the $18.00 - $25.00 range and I really wanted to stay under $15.00. I think she is going to love the one I found though. Its black, with silver shiny stuff in it, and well, I'm terrible at descriptions, but its EXACTLY what she would want. She loves black, and she loves shiny. WIN WIN.

• Take a walk - So as to stay on track with my December Goals.

BIG FAT FAIL. We were so worn out after shopping, that we decided to put this off until tomorrow. And believe me, we WILL go tomorrow. I have to stay on top of my goals!

• Go to the movies with my Loveyy - Now ordinarily I wouldn't waste the money on the movie theater, but this is my Christmas gift to him. I decided he could have it early.

We did not do this. But its not because we "failed" to do so. It was more like we decided that today was going to be busy enough, I didn't want his gift to feel like just another chore, or thing to check off my list. We have decided to wait until next week, after the Christmas Hooplah has died down.

• Bake half of the cookies.

We made 84 cookies today! WOO. I am proud of how many we made today. I would have finished them all, but... I ran out of butter **Bowing head in shame** and after shopping this morning I didn't feel like going out again.

• Finish making my Christmas Treat Containers. - I REALLY don't want to be doing this on Christmas eve.

I admit, I haven't made a single one today. I took a nap instead, I really didn't sleep well last night. Hopefully I will get a few done tonight.

Two out of five things done isn't exactly good. But hey - things happen.


Things I accomplished that weren't on my list:

I finished my Christmas shopping! Two presents for our Yankee Swap on Christmas eve! Also, an additional movie for my two little sisters. I also went by the humane society and picked up the flea medication for my dog. He has a terrible allergy to them and if he isn't being treated they eat him alive, and he gets a horrible rash, that gets infected, and its all just HORRIBLE!

I was excited to find this medication. Its called Comfortis and its only $15.00 a month!! That easily fits into our budget. If you buy a 6 month supply then it is a little discounted. I swear by this stuff. We put it on him, and in just 30 minutes I could see a huge difference. Its a chewable tablet too, so you don't have to wrestle your dog, and then isolate him, just to keep him flea free!

I also Wrapped ALL of the gifts we have bought!

THINGS TO DO TOMORROW!

• FINISH CHRISTMAS CONTAINERS - NO EXCUSES
• Go on a walk.
• Go to bank to get cashiers check.

Simple, easy. Nothing to it. It better get done. HELLO WILLPOWER!


Oh yeah - I added the Facebook "like" thingy on my side bar. SO don't forget to "like" me on facebook! : ) Please.

Saving, little by little.

Today - No Spend Day :]

Tomorrow's to-do list :

• Find the perfect scarf for my sister (under $15.00). - This is the last present I have to get, and I am really going to have to shop around for it.
• Take a walk - So as to stay on track with my December Goals.
• Go to the movies with my Loveyy - Now ordinarily I wouldn't waste the money on the movie theater, but this is my Christmas gift to him. I decided he could have it early.
• Bake half of the cookies.
• Finish making my Christmas Treat Containers. - I REALLY don't want to be doing this on Christmas eve.

I can not believe Christmas is so close! I am beyond excited! This is my favorite time of year.

We keep adding money daily to our sealed pot. Sometimes its $2.00, and other days its five cents. Next year I am going to put this all towards a small weekend getaway for Auston and I. I am not very good at savings usually, so I really hope that I can stick to this.

Earlier today I was tempted to transfer money out of our savings account, for something that was very unnecessary. I took it out, and quickly put it right back in. I am proud of myself for just saying NO. It's still very much a work in progress with me and saving.

Auston has been very supportive of my goals recently. He was the one to suggest we take a walk tomorrow. I was a little taken aback by the suggestion, the last time we went for a walk it was almost like pulling his teeth. He is also asking for less and less when we go to the store, which makes shopping trips one million times easier!

All in all, it has been a very succesful month so far.

Christmas Treat Containers.

Aren't these Amazing!?
I am so proud of myself. Now obviously, the rudolf one is not finished, unfourtunately I forgot to grab the pipecleaners at the store, I am going to use those for the antlers. None the less I decided to post them. I spent forever looking up ideas on crafty ways to create christmas treat containers, and FINALLY found this idea here. I used some of her ideas, but most of it was my own. I used fabric instead of paper, and Auston came up with the idea of making a snowman also. ( I am so proud of my crafty man!)

For the snow man I used white felt, 6 black buttons, orange contruction paper, and black construction paper. I used my handy dandy needle and thread to sew the eyes and mouth on. Then I cut out the hat and nose and glued them on with superfast dry glue. I then glued the whole thing to the top of a round tuppaware container.

The raindeer was used with a red pom-pom, 2 white buttons, and 2 small black buttons.
Once again I used my handy dandy needle and thread to sew two white buttons where the eyes are, and to sew the nose on. I then glued the black buttons on top of the white ones. For the antlers (That aren't shown yet!) I am going to use brown pipecleaners. I will attatch them to the brownfelt and probably stick them off the edge of the tuppaware container. -again, I just glued the finished project to the lid.

Santa Clause was different. For him I used Red felt, cotton balls,2 white buttons, and 2 black buttons. I cut the felt in the shape of a triangle, Then I pulled out my handy dandy needle and thread and sewed a cotton ball to the end. I glued the hat to the lid of my tuppaware container. After that I glued two white buttons as eyes, and two black buttons on top of that. Last but not least, I took 3 cotton balls, and spread them out wide, glueing them directly onto the lid.


You cant see it here, but I also lined the inside of the containers with white tissue paper. You could use red or green also, I just feel it makes them a bit more festive.


There you have it 3 very cute, easy to make, budget friendly ways to decorate your Christmas treat containers!


Santa is my favorite! But Auston likes frosty.


Feel free to share this idea, please just link it back to me : )


What kind of crafty things have you made this holiday season?

12-14-11

Yesterday I worked a double. Man was it a long day! In the end though, the hours are always worth it. Auston and I also baked some Christmas cookies that turned out delicious. And then we cooked a homemade pizza that was... well, less than delicious (if you know what I mean).
Sadly all of the money I made yesterday had to go towards paying my car insurance today. I suppose it's just the sad fact of life.

I have decided that for Christmas, other than making magnets or cookies, I am going to purchase my sisters one really cool present each. They are the only ones I really care about making happy. I don't know what we wre going to do without them when we move. Part of me hopes that one day they will follow us. (A girl can only hope)

Top - the youngest and myself.
Bottom - My lovely stepmother, and the second youngest.

Tomorrow, to supplement my income I am going to sell my plasma again. It should only take about an hour, and I could really use the extra income.
Luckily I managed to pick up two weekend shifts this week. That should really help us along. I have $39.00 left on the electric before it is paid off once and for all, so after this weekend I will be sure to take care of that! Then a small amount will go into savings and the rest will be divided up between rent and gas.

On another bright note, I have successfully added a little money to my Sealed pot everyday so far since we started it. I am hoping to have a big chunk in their next year. Though I still havent a clue what we'll spend it on.