A Night of Great Music

On Sunday I took my mom on a roadtrip to Tulsa for one of her early birthday presents--a Tony Bennett concert!! We both love his music and of course he is a classic from the good ole' days. I picked her up and we hit the road in the afternoon.

 Before the concert started we found the venue (Tulsa Performing Arts Center) downtown and figured out where I would park. After that I felt a little more relaxed that we knew for sure where we were going so we stopped at a Spaghetti Warehouse for some appetizers and drinks before going to the show.

We parked right across the street and joined the crowds of people going into the theater. Our seats were in the balcony so we got comfy in our seats and waited for the show to start at 7pm.

 

His daughter Antonia Bennett sang for about 30 minutes before Tony came out. It was the same style of music but I didn't really care for her voice. Tony came out around 7:30 and he stole the show! He was amazing and surprisingly spry for being 87 years old!! His voice was like velvet and he sounded just like he does on the radio. He sang song after song and danced around on the stage. It was a simple band, and some songs he sang with just the guitar or piano. The very last song he sang without a microphone and he just belted it out! We had a fantastic time.

On our way out we passed a building with my name on it so I had to take a picture!

 

 

11 Years and Counting

Nick and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary yesterday! We kept it low key and stayed in a suite at a Marriott in Edmond (about a 45min drive from where we live). It had a whirlpool tub and a hot breakfast--that's all we cared about! Our little one stayed with my mom overnight and I'm sure he had a blast getting spoiled by the grandparents.

 

After getting settled in and cleaning up, we ventured out into the town for some yummy dinner. On the way back to the room we stopped at a local market for some desserts to snack on later.

We may or may not have brought some adult beverages to put in the fridge for after dinner.......

 

It was a very nice suite and we slept like rocks. In the morning there was a delicious variety of foods for breakfast and we took our time before packing up and checking out. It's always a little sad when you take that last look back at the room before shutting the door and heading home! Our next hotel room will be in Dublin, Ireland in about 3 months :D

Yesterday was also 50s day at Brad's Preschool so we dressed him up for the part and he loved it! Too bad our '57 Chevy isn't running right now or else daddy could have made a show of taking him to school!

 

Tonight Brad is going to a school function to play with other kids at a gymnastics center for 4 hours so we will get to enjoy some more adult time! Tomorrow my mumsy and I and taking a roadtrip to Tulsa to see Tony Bennett in concert so check back soon for more pictures!

 

Frugal Living: Couponing

Couponing has become more popular the last few years. I believe it was also big a couple of decades ago and I remember my mom doing it for awhile when I was growing up. It faded out and has slowly been coming back with the poor economy and eternal search to save a few dollars. I will share my experiences with it today!

I am by NO means an "extreme" couponer. I do not have closets full of toiletry items, and my garage is not fully stocked to survive the zombie apocalypse. I do however have a full pantry of namebrand items, a freezer full of veggies and quick dinners, and bathrooms full of shower items.

For me it all started 4 years ago when I attended a free coupon class by the lady who runs this local coupon site. It opened my eyes on the right way to coupon, and how to realistically build up your stock over time. Within 6 months I had cut my grocery bill in half while at the same time switching to mostly name brands! I touched on some of this information in this post here, but I will go more into the actual couponing now.

Couponing has helped me:

• STOP shopping at Walmart for everything
• keep from running to the store when I use the last of toothpaste/soap/razor etc.
• use brands I would never buy before because of higher cost
• try new products I would have never looked twice at before
• have more ingredients available in my pantry for days I don't know what to cook
• be more picky in what I choose, instead of always having to choose based on price
• plan meals based on what I have, instead of having to shop for each meal's ingredients
• have more money available for things I want/need that I used to spend on food/toiletries

The gist of couponing is this--you match your coupons with items that are on sale. When I look thru the coupon inserts, I ask myself "If the price was low enough, would I buy this?" If the answer is yes, then I clip it and file it! I may never use the coupon, or I may use it that same day on a sale. I don't go buy that item just because I have a coupon for it. You will see certain coupons more at seasonal times, i.e. baking good during the winter holidays, razors/shaving cream during the summer, vitamins/protein bars during January.... Most coupons are good for at least a month so that is 4 weeks of different sales that you can possibly find a match. The store you should focus on shopping at is the one that will DOUBLE your coupon! Most stores that double coupons will do so for the value $1 or less. My local store I shop at is Homeland. CVS and Walgreens are also good for the occasional toiletry, but I only use CVS just to keep it simple (plus it is the closest to my house). Now, what are we couponing for?

1.  Food--This is the main thing I coupon for. The majority of coupons you see will be for food items--junk food, snacks, some fresh foods, frozen foods, quick dinners, canned/box food, and pantry staples. Sometimes there are coupons for drinks/juice/pop, and once in awhile you'll see some for meat. When I was just starting, not everything I got was healthy. As my stock built up I was able to be more picky and pass on the higher calorie options. I get all of my fresh food/dairy at Aldi because most of the time their regular prices are cheaper than I could get a name brand with a coupon. My pantry is full of cereal, rice, pasta, canned veggies, canned chili, salad dressings, BBQ sauce, PB, jelly, sugar, flour, cake mixes, and other staples. Couponing for food alone will eventually cut your grocery bill at least in half! Approximate monthly food budget = down from $400/month to $200/month.
2. Disposable kitchen goods--Here I am talking about sandwich bags, aluminum foil, cling wrap, dish soap, cleaning spray....all things that the kitchen must have! I used to buy generic everything, but now I have Hefty, Glad, Lysol, Dawn, and Finish (dishwasher soap) stocked up. I got them all CHEAPER than I used to pay for generic. I also have several of each so I don't have to worry when I use the last of one. Approximate savings = less than half of cost of generic items.
3. Toiletries--This includes bath soap, razors, shaving cream, lotions, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, chapstick, mouthwash, sunscreen.....It's the little things you need but you don't really think about. I used to buy mostly Suave brand or store brand of all these items. $4 for a bottle of Herbal Essence or Pantene? I don't think so! After several months of couponing you will slowly build up your stock of these things and notice that you have much nicer brands than you did before! I have even gifted bottles of Dove body wash to women I know would enjoy it, just because I had so many in stock! I used to never buy mouthwash because I thought it was unnecessary, but when I can get a huge liter bottle of Colgate brand mouthwash for 25 cents....yes please! I can even be picky and buy Gillette razors with 5 or 6 blades instead of Bic razors with only 3 blades. I probably have over a year supply of Pantene, Herbal Essence, and Garnier Fructis shampoos/conditioners. I haven't had to buy deodorant in months for me or my husband because I already have so many. Approximate monthly savings = down from $50/month to $10/month or less.
4. Restaurants--I try to keep a little pile of restaurant deals ready for that night when we don't want to cook and can't decide where to eat. The usual places I see are Olive Garden, Arbys, Long John Silver, McD, BK, Ihop, Longhorn Steakhouse, and Zios. I may never use it because we only eat out maybe once a week, and we rarely have fast food. But if I need it, it's there! When your bill comes to $30+ dollars, it helps to get $5 or $10 off with a coupon. 2 meals for the price of one is also nice too, or a free appetizer! Approximate restaurant savings = 10-30% off regular bill.

If you are wanting to try out couponing, my biggest advice is to stick with it! It can be overwhelming, and it may take several months to see the fruits of your labor. 6 months in you will notice more name brand items in your house, and that you have a couple extra things in stock of common items. 1 year in and you will be looking for way to organize your inventory and planning meals around your fully loaded pantry! It will become like a game--to see how much you can save in a coupon shopping trip. You will be bragging to your friends how you got something for free, or paid a quarter when the regular price was $5. Trust me! It's addictive. I have been doing it 4 years now and it has become part of my lifestyle. Just a few minutes out of the week to clip coupons and plan a trip, and 30 minutes in the store and you are done.

One of my biggest questions when I was starting out was "What should I consider a GOOD price on certain items?" Here is a list of common items and how much I don't pay more than:

Cereal--$1.50 or less

Salad dressing--$1 or less

Frozen pizza--$2 or less

Body wash--$1.25 or less

Deodorant--50 cents or less

Shampoo/conditioner--$1.50 or less

Toothpaste/toothbrush--50 cents or less

Cake mix--$1 or less

I hope this post has inspired and helped you a little bit! If you haven't already, feel free to read my other Frugal Living posts!

Homemade Pho and Spring Rolls

Today we ventured to the Asian market and picked up all kinds of treats! I got all of the goods to make sushi, spring rolls, and pho! For those unfamiliar with pho, it is a Vietnamese noodle soup that you can put chicken or beef in. I have made sushi before, but not the others. It all turned out delicious and my family loved it! Even my 4 year old who had never eaten pho or spring rolls.

The pho was pretty simple--I used a bouillon-type season cube to make 4 cups of broth. They typically use rice noodles in the soup but I subbed Ronzoni Smart Taste thin spaghetti take make it a bit more healthy. I cooked some strips of chicken breast with 5 Spice seasoning. I had all of this in the bowl with chopped green onions and poured the broth on top. We added a bit of hoisin sauce and bean sprouts to finish off the soup!!! It tasted exactly like the restaurant soup.

The spring rolls were a bit more involved but still pretty easy. It is the same concept as making egg rolls or burritos--you stuff them and wrap them up. For my stuffing I cooked some rice noodles and also used lettuce and the cooked seasoned chicken.

You soak the wrapper in a bowl of warm water for about 30 seconds for it to become soft and pliable. Then you gently take it off and shake off the excess water. Lay it on a plate and proceed to stuff it on one side with your ingredients. Then fold the wrapper tightly over your stuffing, roll and tuck keeping it wrapped tightly. Voila!

I did most with lettuce, rice noodles, and chicken but I also did some with avocado.

Everyone loved it and I was amazed at the replication of the restaurant flavor. Delicious!

Frugal Living: Housing

What kind of place do you live in? There are many to choose from--apartment, duplex, house, trailer, condo.... This post will focus on renting vs. buying, how to prepare for buying a house, as well as what goes in to keeping up a house inside and out.

One "rite of passage" for a teenage to become more of an adult is to move out of their parents' home. A common first step is to have roommates, or even live in dorms at a university. Inevitably the time will come to branch out on your own and get housing in your own name, on your own credit. Credit is a whole other conversation, but for the sake of argument here it is something you will NEED if you ever want to buy a home.

I was a sort of early bloomer and bought my first house shortly after I turned 18. Since I had no credit, they used my job history/income and my husband's credit. It was a HUD home that was cheap and needed some fixing up. It was a good starter home and we lived there almost 2 years before we sold it and bought our second home. I do have a few regrets about how we went about things---I was very excited to be out of nursing school and we basically bought a house at the top of our budget right before the housing market crashed. It took us 6 months to sell our first house and we paid 2 mortgage payments the whole time. I had to learn as I went and I am happy to share some tidbits of advice for those about to head that direction.

1. Renting--This is basically where someone else owns your house/apartment and you pay them each month to live there. They are responsible for maintenance but YOU are responsible for damage, cleanliness, and following the rules of the contract (roommates, animals, etc). There is almost always a lease that has to be signed saying you will live there X amount of months and if you break that lease you have to pay big money. You will have a deposit to pay upon moving in, and if it doesn't look the same when you move out then you might not get your deposit back. This is a good starting out option to begin building your credit/rental history but in the end you are not earning any equity in the housing.
2. Buying--This is the big step to adulthood! You are the owner of the house and the land it sits on. You are fully responsible for its upkeep, repairs, appearance, and everything else until it is paid off. In some cities it is the norm to never buy a house but to live in an apartment for your whole life, but that is not the average situation in America. If you sell the house you might make a profit, you might owe the bank. You can even rent it out. I highly recommend saving up several thousand not only to put as a down payment, but also to have available upon moving in for all of those unforeseen costs that always pop up when you lease expect it. Fortunately the monthly payment when buying is a lot of times cheaper than if you were renting. Approximate monthly rent = $800 vs. $600 when buying same house.
3. Mortgage/Interest--The mortgage is the loan from the bank to buy your house. The more money you put down, the less your mortgage will be! Interest rates are always changing so shop around for the best deal. Buying a house comes with fees and you should be ready to pay up to a few thousand just toward those costs. Any house with a mortgage must have homeowner's insurance and that cost is usually worked into your monthly payment through your bank. On my second house my initial interest rate was 6.6% and I was paying around $1,000 PER month just for interest. I finally refinanced this year and dropped my rate down to 4.4% which cut my monthly payment $400.
4. Repairs--This can be a costly part of being a homeowner. If you live in an older house then you will more than likely have to fix, replace, or update things in it. The most frugal way to do this is DIY. You can find countless instructional videos on the internet for just about any project you can think of. Hiring a contractor can cost big money. We have done several DIY projects around our house and saved thousands of dollars in the process. Rebuilding our deck cost only $500 where a contractor was going to charge $1,000 in labor alone! Ripping up carpet and laying wood laminate cost us $1,500 where hiring someone to do it for us would have cost twice as much. We are currently in the process of updating our kitchen ourselves! Average savings from DIY = 50% of cost to hire contractor.
5. Appliances--These can add up very quickly when you are moving into a house that doesn't have them. Washer, dryer, fridge, stove, etc. are all necessary. Obviously the cheapest option is buy them used, and there are great deals to be had if you hunt around. I have been a homeowner for almost 10 years and just this year I got my first NEW fridge and stove! Washer and dryer are still used though. If you are going to buy new appliances I highly recommend saving up the cash to pay for them in full and shopping around for the best deal. Average cost of used washer = $100 vs. new washer = $500-$1000.
6. Furniture--Anywhere you live needs furniture and thankfully there are tons of deals out there to be had. Check out craigslist or garage sales for nice used pieces when you are starting out and getting situated. If buying new, I again recommend saving up cash to pay for them in full and shopping around for the best deal. It is easy to get seduced in a furniture store with a salesman whispering sweet nothings in your ear--be strong! You can still get very nice furniture that has barely been used. Average cost of used couch = $200 vs. new couch = $500-$1500

I hope you enjoyed reading these tips! Feel free to comment with questions, and check back soon for more posts! You can check out my other posts about frugal living HERE.

A Call to Action!

Have you ever had a moment that was a wake up call for you? Where something happened or you noticed something that truly opened your eyes and made you realize "Man, I need to change something"? As a nurse I am a little more tuned in to signs and symptoms of diseases. I have seen over and over again how it can escalate into a full blown illness and miserable life. I have seen people in their 20s getting toes amputated from diabetes, people in their 30s and 40s having fatal heart attacks and strokes, or going into liver failure from drinking.

I am a staunch advocate of taking CONTROL of your own health and being responsible for how it affects your body. So many diseases these days are reversible and yet doctors continue to prescribe pills to "fix" the problem. Unfortunately more often than not, the root of the problem is in our mind and we have to overcome it our self to truly be healthy. I'm sure if a doctor wrote a prescription for "diet and exercise" instead of drugs there would be a lot of angry people out there who either sued or ignored the order. But they have pills for this!! Why do I have to completely change my life??

This day came for my husband on December 22. We had lost power during the night and it was very cold in the house. I had to go to work for a couple of hours and had him and my son go with me to get warm. After I was done with my patient, me and another nurse were messing around and taking our blood pressures. Nick came over there and we took his----and were floored. His first BP was 175/112. We took three readings and all over them had a diastolic (bottom number) over 100. He just got the wake up call!

For almost a decade up to this point his diet had been very poor and his lifestyle was very sedentary. Of course as a nurse and wife I nagged him about it but in the end I knew that he would have to WANT to change for himself, not for me. As much as it bothered me, I could not control it so I waited for that day to come.

In the last 8 days he has truly made a huge turn around in his lifestyle. No sugar (even on Christmas!), no caffeine, no fast food, no soda, and exercising at least 30 minutes each day. The progress is already evident! His latest BP reading is around 145/96 and he has lost 3lb!

We will be keeping a log of his progress because I feel that will be the biggest motivator. Everyone likes seeing proof! He went today for blood work to see what his baseline numbers are. We should have the results tomorrow and I don't expect them to be very pretty. After 6 months or so we will get some more done to really see how he has improved not only on the outside, but also at the cellular level.

Baseline bloodwork: CBC, CMP, Hemoglobin A1C, Urine Albumin, and Lipid Panel (in layman's terms--blood count, electrolytes, liver function, kidney function, diabetes check, and cholesterol levels)

Beginning stats:

BP: 175/112

Pulse: 90

Weight: 217lb

BMI: 32 (obese)

1 Week stats:

BP: 145/96

Pulse: 85

Weight: 214lb

BMI: 31.6 (obese)

4 1/2 Years Old

 

It's that time again! My little one is 4 1/2 years old and has grown by leaps and bounds in the last 6 months. This will be his last 6 month post! I will do once a year updates starting with age 5.

Weight: 35 lb

Height: 41 1/2"

At 4 1/2 years old you:

• go to bed around 8:30p and get up around 8am
• come downstairs on your own each morning to sit and watch cartoons until mommy and daddy get up
• take a nap each day from around 4-6
• are a great eater and know that you only get treats if you finish your veggies
• LOVE being in school (half day preK)
• can count to 50, and count to 100 by tens
• know the sounds each letter makes
• can write your name and every letter/number and several shapes
• are DONE with pullups (but we try to get you up to pee once more late at night)
• know your days of the week
• still fit size 3T and 4T clothes
• wear a size 9 shoe
• got a bike with training wheels for Christmas and were a pro the same day!
• have good manners and are *usually* polite

 

Since he started school this year I have started an album for his "School Years" to keep track of how he changes and grows. I will put each year's school picture in it with a paper that he answers questions about his favorite things at that time (book, cartoon, food, etc.).

My Favorite Potato Soup

I have made this recipe several times already this season and it is so delicious each and every time!!! It is very forgiving if you forget an ingredient, or need to substitute something different. You can easily adjust cook time for the crockpot or stove. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!! There are rarely leftovers.

3-5 strips bacon
1 stalk celery (chopped)
1c baby carrots (chopped)
1/2 onion (chopped)
3c broth (or 1 carton)
1c milk (or cream)
4 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 of smoked sausage chopped
3 large potatoes chopped (or 5 red potatoes)
1c corn (or 1 can)
1 can cream corn
1c shredded cheddar

In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon strips till crispy. Remove and save for later. Saute celery, carrots, onion, and garlic in bacon grease for 10 min, then add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT for milk. Cover and simmer for 1-2 hours stirring occasionally. 15 min before serving, add milk and cheese, stir to mix. Serve with bacon crumbled on top!

Enjoying our Winter

These pics are a couple of weeks old but I figured I would clump them all together for one post! The first weekend of December I took Brad downtown to the Devon Tower to meet some friends for Christmas fun! We wanted to see Santa but he was very important and his line was about 3 hours long....

In our latest winter "storm" we got about 5 inches of snow so Brad was out of school on 3 snow days. We did our own lessons at home! Here he is working on writing his name...

Later of course he wanted to bundle up and play in the snow! He had a fun time and drank some hot cocoa when he came inside.

 

 

Everyone I sent cards to has gotten them by now, so I will share our Christmas collage I made from family pics we had done by Allison Revas in November!

 

Frugal Living: Vehicles

Everybody needs a car, right? Unless you live in downtown NYC or something, you probably need a car to do anything. If you don't--kudos to you! I work 30 miles away from where I live so I am definitely one that needs a reliable car. Today I will talk about how to be frugal with your car!

I have seen over and over young adults who turn 18 and immediately go out and finance a new (or < 5 year old) car. I'm sure they are so excited about being a grown up and having the responsibility of a car payment, plus being able to brag to their friends. But in the end, you will be a slave to that car payment and that full coverage insurance until it is paid off!

To parents who want to pay entirely for your kids car/insurance--don't do that either. It in no way teaches them responsibility, ownership, or what reality is like. A car is a luxury that you should earn and take care of.

1. Cash--When I was a teenager my parents agreed to pay for half of my car. I saved up my money and they matched it. As you get older it is still very wise to save up a significant amount of money (if not the entire amount) toward the car that you want. Be realistic about the kind of car that you can afford. If you are eating Ramen noodles and counting pennies, you should not be shopping for a Lexus. There are good deals to be had in used cars. If you can have a trusted mechanic or knowledgeable friend check it over then you can easily find a reliable one for a good price. Monthly savings = NO interest charges!
2. Pay Off Early--If you do have to finance a car then you should immediately start planning to pay it off early. My first financed car was a 5 year old Suzuki and I had a 3 year loan on it. I paid it off in 1 1/2 years! My payment was  $179/month and I paid over each month, plus extra when I could.
3. Insurance--Every car needs insurance. The best idea is to shop around and stick with one carrier for all of your insurance needs (home, auto, life). That way you are familiar with the company and get discounts for multiple policies. If you live in the middle of a busy city, your insurance is going to be much higher than someone who lives in the suburbs or country. Check into discounts for autopay as well as paying 6 months at a time instead of monthly. If you have a financed car then you will have to carry full coverage until it is paid off. Full coverage can easily cost twice as much as basic liablity so keep that in mind! Monthly savings = from $80/mo full coverage down to $40/mo liability.
4. Maintenance--If it ain't broke don't fix it..........that doesn't apply here! To keep your car from breaking down you have to keep it serviced! The cheapest route is of course to learn how to change oil/spark plugs/rotate tires etc. yourself (or someone you know). Otherwise you should find a mechanic you can TRUST to do this things regularly for you. It truly helps prevent major problems down the road, plus you can catch issues early on instead of when you are stranded on the highway. It is also a good idea to keep a small notebook in your glovebox to keep track of when you do your maintenance.
5. Gasoline--You can't drive without it! If you drive just a few blocks you will see a huge difference in gas prices. Ethanol, no ethanol, super unleaded, premium... The average car that is < 10 years old will run on ethanol just fine. Do some research on gasbuddy.com and figure out where the cheaper gas stations are. Stick to those, and plan on filling up when you are close to E! Don't back yourself into a corner and end up in the boonies with your gas light on. You will be forced to buy gas that is 50 cents higher than your usual place! There are about 5 gas stations within a mile from me and they regularly have at least a quarter difference in price of the SAME gas. And yes, they pretty much all get their gas from the same place. It adds up! Average savings for 10 gallon tank of gas at 25 cents cheaper = $2.50 or almost a whole gallon 

I hope this helps a little, thank you for reading! Please check out the other posts in my Frugal Living Series here!!

Homemade Sandwich Bread in the Oven from Machine Dough

I have a bread machine and I love making homemade bread. Who doesn't? It's cheap, tastes delicious, is cheap, and you know exactly what is in it. The downside to bread machine bread is that it can only be the shape of the machine insert. Mine is slightly rectangle but the bread turns out very tall because of the rising. I finally decided I wanted to try out making the dough in the machine, then baking it in the oven.

The manual that came with my machine does not talk about this process at all, and the only "dough" recipe in it is for rolls. I have made them before and they are good, but I imagine that simple sandwich bread should taste a bit different. I did some searching on the internet for techniques of baking bread machine dough in the oven and saw that they were all generally the same. So I pieced a few things together and came out with a winner!

Sandwich Bread Dough:

1c warm water

1 1/2 tbs soft butter

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tbs powdered milk

3 tbs sugar

3c flour (I used all purpose)

3/4 tsp fast-acting yeast

Place ingredients in bread machine in the order listed with yeast being last. Start machine on "dough" cycle (mine is 1 1/2hrs). When it is done, remove dough with floured hands and knead for a few minutes. Place in large greased loaf pan and cover. Place in warm spot to rise for 1hr. It should about double in size. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, then gently remove from pan and cool completely before slicing/storing.

 

Mine turned out perfectly and tastes so good! I was able to get about 18 nice thin slices from mine and they held together very well. This is the perfect shape I was looking for!