Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Monday, April 4, 2011
Monday, June 7, 2010
Weekly menu planning: June 7-13th
What the warm and balmy summer months ahead for the Donato's mean is a lot of commitments; birthdays, graduations, dinners, concerts and events, vacations, anniversaries, and family getaways. It also means it's going to get expensive. Not wanting to miss out on fun and memories, in order for us to attend as many of these as we can we're making another effort to eat at home and plan weekly menus.
Now I'm no stranger to menu planning but have to admit it's not an easy feat when you first begin and it may or may not work for you. There are so many components that make up a successful week. Menu planning is just that, planning, with a pinch of diligence.
The idea of menu planning for the week came suddenly (10 pm last night as we looked ahead at our calendar-followed by an, "oh shit!") and didn't leave much time to sort through recipes and work a creative menu. If you have more time than I did a great place to start is by browsing your weekly grocer's ads, paying close attention to the produce and protein pages. Let them guide you to creating a spectacular meal.
I also found that buying staple items in bulk really go a long way and while it will make a dent in your wallet that first week keep in mind that they will be used more than once and perhaps throughout next week's planning. A bag of rice goes a long way in the Donato home and since there are just three of us in the family I also make it a point not to overpurchase the amount of each item on my list. Unless of course it's say, a double pk of whole fryer chickens on sale, in which case I purchase. Use one for the week and use the other for the next. Ultimately you'll have to weight out what works best and what is financially smart for you and your family.
Before you make your way to the market look through your cupboards. Use what you have in stock to develop your recipes and ideas and make certain you aren't double purchasing items on your list. Work with those spices and sauces. Turn that plain grilled chicken to something exotic with a few dashes of cupboard spices. Add items to your list if you don't have them in stock.
Lists. Yes, lists. Lists keep me on track and keep me from buying items that I would have otherwise unconsciously thrown into my cart. Like that giant bag of cheese flavored chips that I had to get and after just a few bites have been left to stale over. Oops.
I try and keep my trips to the market to a minimum, no more than two maybe three times a week, and stick with what I have on my list. This helps with cutting down on costs of gas, added mileage to your vehicle and having spending your time on this task (which should have been taken care of earlier). Time is money and and to other more precious that that so use it wisely. I went to a couple of market's this morning to buy some ingredients for this week's menu. For the week I spend about $100 with a lot of the items going toward menu's for future weeks. By next week I'd like to keep my budget at $20 a week. Purchases made today went towards the adult menu and some of nugget's picky palate meals. Here's what we're working with this week:
Monday 6/7:
-Breakast: Raspberry danish (left over from Sunday), hot green tea.
Nugget had: sliced of toast, havarti cheese and cup of yogurt
-Snack (shared): Goldfish cheese crackers, raisins and water
-Lunch: Lavash wrap with pimento cheddar spread layered with breaded chicken
breast and romaine lettuce
Nugget had: breaded chicken strips with ketchup
Strawberries, blueberries and grapes (shared and left over from Sunday)
-Dinner: Chicken Pad Thai, choice of cupcakes; carrot or chocolate ganache
Assortment of fruit (left over from Sunday)
Tuesday 6/8:
-Breakfast: Oatmeal with maple syrup and cinnamon, assorted fruit, coffee
-Lunch: Lavash wrap with pimento cheddar spread layered with breaded chicken
breast and romaine lettuce.
Assortment of fruit
-Snack: Banana
-Dinner: Miso soy glazed salmon with sauteed pea sprouts and garlic, basmati rice
Choice of cupcakes; carrot or chocolate ganache
Nugget: Salmon and rice with steamed veggie, perhaps carrots I have
in the freezer
Wednesday 6/9:
-Breakfast: Miso soup with broccoli and carrot slaw I already had in stock, green tea
Nugget: Bowl of Joe's O's (Trader Joe's version of Cheerios),
sliced bananas
-Lunch: Turkey, tomato, havarti and romaine sandwich on TJ's shepard's bread, water
-Dinner: Shrimp, bacon and mushroom alfredo sauce over pasta
Thursday 6/10:
-Breakfast: Sliced toasted shepard's bread with scrambled egg, banana, green tea
Nugget: Toast with scramble egg, yogurt
-Lunch: Lavash wrap with pimento cheddar spread layered with turkey and
romaine lettuce, banana
-Dinner: fried chicken
Friday 6/11:
-Breakfast: Toast with cream cheese and jelly, coffee
-Lunch: Large salad
-Dinner: Bo luc lac, pickled onions, chinese broccoli with oyster sauce, ice cream (MIL brought over) for dessert
Saturday 6/12:
-Breakfast: Steel cut oats, cinnamon, maple syrup, Coffee
-Lunch: Left over's. I'll be working this weekend but my family will be attending a functions so lunch will be provided for them there. Lucky ducks.
-Dinner: Chicken satay skewers, homemade pickles and left over pickled onions.
Sunday 6/13:
-Breakfast: Donuts and coffee provided by the folks at our church. Nugget will likely have a bowl of cereal with a banana and yogurt.
Snack: Cheese cubes, crackers, fruit.
Lunch: Out for lunch
-Dinner: BBQ'd bulgogi, brown rice, roasted veggies, red wine.
Stayed tuned for what's in store next week and what challenges I'll face then.
xoxo
Now I'm no stranger to menu planning but have to admit it's not an easy feat when you first begin and it may or may not work for you. There are so many components that make up a successful week. Menu planning is just that, planning, with a pinch of diligence.
The idea of menu planning for the week came suddenly (10 pm last night as we looked ahead at our calendar-followed by an, "oh shit!") and didn't leave much time to sort through recipes and work a creative menu. If you have more time than I did a great place to start is by browsing your weekly grocer's ads, paying close attention to the produce and protein pages. Let them guide you to creating a spectacular meal.
I also found that buying staple items in bulk really go a long way and while it will make a dent in your wallet that first week keep in mind that they will be used more than once and perhaps throughout next week's planning. A bag of rice goes a long way in the Donato home and since there are just three of us in the family I also make it a point not to overpurchase the amount of each item on my list. Unless of course it's say, a double pk of whole fryer chickens on sale, in which case I purchase. Use one for the week and use the other for the next. Ultimately you'll have to weight out what works best and what is financially smart for you and your family.
Before you make your way to the market look through your cupboards. Use what you have in stock to develop your recipes and ideas and make certain you aren't double purchasing items on your list. Work with those spices and sauces. Turn that plain grilled chicken to something exotic with a few dashes of cupboard spices. Add items to your list if you don't have them in stock.
Lists. Yes, lists. Lists keep me on track and keep me from buying items that I would have otherwise unconsciously thrown into my cart. Like that giant bag of cheese flavored chips that I had to get and after just a few bites have been left to stale over. Oops.
I try and keep my trips to the market to a minimum, no more than two maybe three times a week, and stick with what I have on my list. This helps with cutting down on costs of gas, added mileage to your vehicle and having spending your time on this task (which should have been taken care of earlier). Time is money and and to other more precious that that so use it wisely. I went to a couple of market's this morning to buy some ingredients for this week's menu. For the week I spend about $100 with a lot of the items going toward menu's for future weeks. By next week I'd like to keep my budget at $20 a week. Purchases made today went towards the adult menu and some of nugget's picky palate meals. Here's what we're working with this week:
Monday 6/7:
-Breakast: Raspberry danish (left over from Sunday), hot green tea.
Nugget had: sliced of toast, havarti cheese and cup of yogurt
-Snack (shared): Goldfish cheese crackers, raisins and water
-Lunch: Lavash wrap with pimento cheddar spread layered with breaded chicken
breast and romaine lettuce
Nugget had: breaded chicken strips with ketchup
Strawberries, blueberries and grapes (shared and left over from Sunday)
-Dinner: Chicken Pad Thai, choice of cupcakes; carrot or chocolate ganache
Assortment of fruit (left over from Sunday)
Tuesday 6/8:
-Breakfast: Oatmeal with maple syrup and cinnamon, assorted fruit, coffee
-Lunch: Lavash wrap with pimento cheddar spread layered with breaded chicken
breast and romaine lettuce.
Assortment of fruit
-Snack: Banana
-Dinner: Miso soy glazed salmon with sauteed pea sprouts and garlic, basmati rice
Choice of cupcakes; carrot or chocolate ganache
Nugget: Salmon and rice with steamed veggie, perhaps carrots I have
in the freezer
Wednesday 6/9:
-Breakfast: Miso soup with broccoli and carrot slaw I already had in stock, green tea
Nugget: Bowl of Joe's O's (Trader Joe's version of Cheerios),
sliced bananas
-Lunch: Turkey, tomato, havarti and romaine sandwich on TJ's shepard's bread, water
-Dinner: Shrimp, bacon and mushroom alfredo sauce over pasta
Thursday 6/10:
-Breakfast: Sliced toasted shepard's bread with scrambled egg, banana, green tea
Nugget: Toast with scramble egg, yogurt
-Lunch: Lavash wrap with pimento cheddar spread layered with turkey and
romaine lettuce, banana
-Dinner: fried chicken
Friday 6/11:
-Breakfast: Toast with cream cheese and jelly, coffee
-Lunch: Large salad
-Dinner: Bo luc lac, pickled onions, chinese broccoli with oyster sauce, ice cream (MIL brought over) for dessert
Saturday 6/12:
-Breakfast: Steel cut oats, cinnamon, maple syrup, Coffee
-Lunch: Left over's. I'll be working this weekend but my family will be attending a functions so lunch will be provided for them there. Lucky ducks.
-Dinner: Chicken satay skewers, homemade pickles and left over pickled onions.
Sunday 6/13:
-Breakfast: Donuts and coffee provided by the folks at our church. Nugget will likely have a bowl of cereal with a banana and yogurt.
Snack: Cheese cubes, crackers, fruit.
Lunch: Out for lunch
-Dinner: BBQ'd bulgogi, brown rice, roasted veggies, red wine.
Stayed tuned for what's in store next week and what challenges I'll face then.
xoxo
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Rolling the dice and shaking the rattle: Vegas with our baby - Day 2
One our last full day in LV we had a day chock full of activities. We started early, much earlier than your average Las Vegas tourist. First up, breakfast-the most important meal of the day. Since I was not able to have steak and eggs for dinner we made it a point to have breakfast downstairs at the coffee shop.
Menu prices have gone up since our last visit and we didn't notice the change until we received the bill. $20 for a measly steak and eggs plate?! Nice buttery eggs and crisp hash browns but the steak was sinewy and rimmed with gristle. I suppose I can't complain too much. At least it would hold us over until lunch.
After breakfast and numerous cups of coffee we jumped in the rental and made our way north toward the speedway to the Carroll Shelby Museum. My husby is a follower/buyer of Ford Automobiles and an admirer of Mr. Shelby. This was a must see for us while we were vacationing in LV.
Our happy faced rental for the week
As you approach the speedway exit you can immediately spot out the Ford buildings in their classic blue and white trim. Upon entering the museum you're overwhelmed with all the beautiful shelby's new and old. We participated in the free museum and factory tour given only once a day at 10:30am. It gave us a rundown of Carroll Shelby's career racing history, his current state of health (the oldest living heart transplant patient), and his philanthropic heart. Our guide took us out back to the garage where the cars were built and photo's prohibited.
The older classic Shelby's (my favorite era) were gorgeous and valued up toward the tens of millions. With less than a dozen guys working on these beauts they whip out about 100 Shelby's per year with wait list's to build-your-own also taking severals years from start to finish. From there we went into an even massive garage where the newer shelby's (husby's fav) were getting their final touches. Unfortunately we were a few weeks short of the unveiling of the 2010's. The tour was informative and interesting for someone like me who doesn't know much about automobile's and their history let alone anything about the Ford corp.
Our next stop was the Mandalay Bay hotel's shark reef aquarium. We were lucky enough to beat the crowd that had grown when we emerged from the aquarium an hour later. Guests are encourage to stay for as long as the exhibit is open that day. For about $16 dollars per adult we were led upstairs greeted by the hostess and green screen photographers. The aquarium portion of the tour had a sunken ship theme equipped with a touch tank. This was my favorite part. I have to give the MB hotel credit for having an extraordinary aquarium and all of the marine creatures and land animals present. It is afterall in the desert and their three green turtles made a long trip out to get here.
baby eater
big eyed bunch
After the aquarium we had a couple of hours to relax, freshen up back at the hotel, chill pool side and get ready for dinner. Husby took the opportunity to take a dip in the pool while I stayed upstairs to feed the little one. At the Wynn, we consumed their buffet complete with split crab legs. Why work at getting to your food especially when it costs you $45 a head? Their fish entrees were delicious but their lamb was a miss. I was disappointed when having their lamb osso buco, the succulent meat had dried underneath their heat lamps and over their steam pans. Our eyes were certainly hungrier than our stomachs could hold and we left feeling full but not satisfied. Until next time, if we still plan on doing this each time we come in to town.
Cholesterol on a plate
Husby did a little gambling while the nugget and I (with a glass of champagne in tow) walked and window shopped throughout the Wynn & Encore Esplanade. Nothing like burning off all of that food/calories and stuffing my eyes with the beauties of Chanel, Cartier, Manolo, Louis, Alexander McQueen, and others. Suddenly I had an intense urge for "dessert" and I knew they could certainly do the trick in my hankering for pretty things. I could do some serious damage to our account as I am sure my husby has already taken the liberty of doing so on the casino floor. I hold myself back.
After an hour or so of browsing and coming in under we make our way back "home" and call it a night. The next day we would check out and make our way over across the street for some tasty treats to send us off on our way and back to reality.
Tomorrow: Farewell, Hello(!!!) Bouchon Bakery & Greece in the Mojave
The Coffee Shop
Treasure Island
3300 S Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89136
Shelby Museum & Shelby Automotives
6755 Speedway Boulvd
Las Vegas, NV 89115
(702) 942-7375
Shark Reef Aquarium
Mandalay Bay
3950 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89119
(702) 632-4555
The Buffet at the Wynn
3131 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 770-7000
xoxo
Menu prices have gone up since our last visit and we didn't notice the change until we received the bill. $20 for a measly steak and eggs plate?! Nice buttery eggs and crisp hash browns but the steak was sinewy and rimmed with gristle. I suppose I can't complain too much. At least it would hold us over until lunch.
After breakfast and numerous cups of coffee we jumped in the rental and made our way north toward the speedway to the Carroll Shelby Museum. My husby is a follower/buyer of Ford Automobiles and an admirer of Mr. Shelby. This was a must see for us while we were vacationing in LV.
Our happy faced rental for the week
As you approach the speedway exit you can immediately spot out the Ford buildings in their classic blue and white trim. Upon entering the museum you're overwhelmed with all the beautiful shelby's new and old. We participated in the free museum and factory tour given only once a day at 10:30am. It gave us a rundown of Carroll Shelby's career racing history, his current state of health (the oldest living heart transplant patient), and his philanthropic heart. Our guide took us out back to the garage where the cars were built and photo's prohibited.
The older classic Shelby's (my favorite era) were gorgeous and valued up toward the tens of millions. With less than a dozen guys working on these beauts they whip out about 100 Shelby's per year with wait list's to build-your-own also taking severals years from start to finish. From there we went into an even massive garage where the newer shelby's (husby's fav) were getting their final touches. Unfortunately we were a few weeks short of the unveiling of the 2010's. The tour was informative and interesting for someone like me who doesn't know much about automobile's and their history let alone anything about the Ford corp.
Our next stop was the Mandalay Bay hotel's shark reef aquarium. We were lucky enough to beat the crowd that had grown when we emerged from the aquarium an hour later. Guests are encourage to stay for as long as the exhibit is open that day. For about $16 dollars per adult we were led upstairs greeted by the hostess and green screen photographers. The aquarium portion of the tour had a sunken ship theme equipped with a touch tank. This was my favorite part. I have to give the MB hotel credit for having an extraordinary aquarium and all of the marine creatures and land animals present. It is afterall in the desert and their three green turtles made a long trip out to get here.
baby eater
big eyed bunch
After the aquarium we had a couple of hours to relax, freshen up back at the hotel, chill pool side and get ready for dinner. Husby took the opportunity to take a dip in the pool while I stayed upstairs to feed the little one. At the Wynn, we consumed their buffet complete with split crab legs. Why work at getting to your food especially when it costs you $45 a head? Their fish entrees were delicious but their lamb was a miss. I was disappointed when having their lamb osso buco, the succulent meat had dried underneath their heat lamps and over their steam pans. Our eyes were certainly hungrier than our stomachs could hold and we left feeling full but not satisfied. Until next time, if we still plan on doing this each time we come in to town.
Cholesterol on a plate
Husby did a little gambling while the nugget and I (with a glass of champagne in tow) walked and window shopped throughout the Wynn & Encore Esplanade. Nothing like burning off all of that food/calories and stuffing my eyes with the beauties of Chanel, Cartier, Manolo, Louis, Alexander McQueen, and others. Suddenly I had an intense urge for "dessert" and I knew they could certainly do the trick in my hankering for pretty things. I could do some serious damage to our account as I am sure my husby has already taken the liberty of doing so on the casino floor. I hold myself back.
After an hour or so of browsing and coming in under we make our way back "home" and call it a night. The next day we would check out and make our way over across the street for some tasty treats to send us off on our way and back to reality.
Tomorrow: Farewell, Hello(!!!) Bouchon Bakery & Greece in the Mojave
The Coffee Shop
Treasure Island
3300 S Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89136
Shelby Museum & Shelby Automotives
6755 Speedway Boulvd
Las Vegas, NV 89115
(702) 942-7375
Shark Reef Aquarium
Mandalay Bay
3950 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89119
(702) 632-4555
The Buffet at the Wynn
3131 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 770-7000
xoxo
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Recap
So here's a recap of all the goals and tasks I wanted to accomplish or rather follow religiously. I'd say I'm in the red at some items. Some things have got to give.
a)PP diet and weight loss: I found that the more I lost, even though it was a few pounds in a couple of weeks, my milk supply diminishes (not so good). Lord knows water weight is hard to lose especially when I'm thirsty while feeding my nugget.
Not only that but I think my mother in law is secretly trying to keep me plump. She came by on Sunday to drop off lunch; Lechon, Pancit, Shepard's Pie, Baked Mac N' Cheese, Italian Salad and chinese strawberry sponge cake. Ugh.
It's a catch 22 in the world of dieting and breastfeeding. I still can't fit into my post pregnancy jeans but that comes way last when it comes to nourishing my guy.
b)Living within our means by spending a strict amount each week: Geez. That went straight to hell several days after I made that proposal. It's gotten better here and there but we do and have dined out occasionally.
Last week for example, I purchased some amazing produce at the Santa Monica Farmers Market and yet for lunch that very same day spent $50 on shrimp at none other than Bubba Gumps the epitome of tourist trap dining. Hmph. I'm embarassed.
This one's a tough one to keep on track since I love dining out and experiencing all the wonderful cuisine and new restaurants Los Angeles has to offer. Better than NYC right honey? :P
c)Making meals at home: Spending time with my family is my absolute favorite thing to do and what we do together doesn't matter as long as we are together. Cliche isn't it?
We've made some wonderful meals together and dined al fresco in our lovely backyard patio. Matter of fact Husby just bought a awesomely new BBQ grill (totally going against my previous point) which we've already put to good use. The weather in Pasadena has just been beautiful minus that one Sunday that brought in rain. With spring already here I expect to spend more time outdoors with my family before the real heat comes.
a)PP diet and weight loss: I found that the more I lost, even though it was a few pounds in a couple of weeks, my milk supply diminishes (not so good). Lord knows water weight is hard to lose especially when I'm thirsty while feeding my nugget.
Not only that but I think my mother in law is secretly trying to keep me plump. She came by on Sunday to drop off lunch; Lechon, Pancit, Shepard's Pie, Baked Mac N' Cheese, Italian Salad and chinese strawberry sponge cake. Ugh.
It's a catch 22 in the world of dieting and breastfeeding. I still can't fit into my post pregnancy jeans but that comes way last when it comes to nourishing my guy.
b)Living within our means by spending a strict amount each week: Geez. That went straight to hell several days after I made that proposal. It's gotten better here and there but we do and have dined out occasionally.
Last week for example, I purchased some amazing produce at the Santa Monica Farmers Market and yet for lunch that very same day spent $50 on shrimp at none other than Bubba Gumps the epitome of tourist trap dining. Hmph. I'm embarassed.
This one's a tough one to keep on track since I love dining out and experiencing all the wonderful cuisine and new restaurants Los Angeles has to offer. Better than NYC right honey? :P
c)Making meals at home: Spending time with my family is my absolute favorite thing to do and what we do together doesn't matter as long as we are together. Cliche isn't it?
We've made some wonderful meals together and dined al fresco in our lovely backyard patio. Matter of fact Husby just bought a awesomely new BBQ grill (totally going against my previous point) which we've already put to good use. The weather in Pasadena has just been beautiful minus that one Sunday that brought in rain. With spring already here I expect to spend more time outdoors with my family before the real heat comes.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Momma Like
Spring's here and from what I've seen, me likey.
Maxiumum Fringe Necklace.
Yummy candy colors of Gabriel & Schwan's "Knot" Necklace.
Husby wants to get me a new laptop. Oh honeeey...
or maybe just the wireless mouse
HP.com
I saw this in red. Killer. Very Palm Springs-esque.
net-a-porter.com
Drools.
pinkmascara.com
Happy shopping!
xoxo
Maxiumum Fringe Necklace.
Yummy candy colors of Gabriel & Schwan's "Knot" Necklace.
Husby wants to get me a new laptop. Oh honeeey...
or maybe just the wireless mouse
HP.com
I saw this in red. Killer. Very Palm Springs-esque.
net-a-porter.com
Drools.
pinkmascara.com
Happy shopping!
xoxo
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Get Frugal
I owe my frugality (is that even a word?), to my mom. She's an amazing woman who stretched her dollar, lived within our means and was a part-time iron chef who could whip up amazing dishes with what was readily available.
For one week I will try to live on a grocery budget by making meals at home and using ingredients already in our pantry. This eliminates the multiple trips to the market per week, cuts down on costs and helps us use ingredients that would normally have been neglected, left for spoiled and thrown away.
Today we started off having veggie fritatas for breakfast, hot tea (-$6) and honey oat granola bars as a snack and for lunch I had a 7-grain turkey and cheese sandwich. Dinner will be interested as I will attempt to make my ultimate favorite dish I remember having at Olive garden (R.I.P. chicken vino blanco).
There are great sites that offer recipes and weely budget menus to help save money. Aside from www.foodnetwork.com and www.recipezaar.com, www.frugalmom.net serves a great starting point for tips on frugal living.
One great tip for helping you keep on track with that grocery list is to come with an exact amount, in cash! In my case with just the three of us, one of which is still breastfeeding, a reasonable amount that I've budgeted for us is $40 ($20 per person) a week.
I can easily spend over $40 on a dinner out but with this challenge I hope to spend more time with my family, get creative and try out new recipes, and save money for one of our many dream trips we've been oogling.
xoxo
For one week I will try to live on a grocery budget by making meals at home and using ingredients already in our pantry. This eliminates the multiple trips to the market per week, cuts down on costs and helps us use ingredients that would normally have been neglected, left for spoiled and thrown away.
Today we started off having veggie fritatas for breakfast, hot tea (-$6) and honey oat granola bars as a snack and for lunch I had a 7-grain turkey and cheese sandwich. Dinner will be interested as I will attempt to make my ultimate favorite dish I remember having at Olive garden (R.I.P. chicken vino blanco).
There are great sites that offer recipes and weely budget menus to help save money. Aside from www.foodnetwork.com and www.recipezaar.com, www.frugalmom.net serves a great starting point for tips on frugal living.
One great tip for helping you keep on track with that grocery list is to come with an exact amount, in cash! In my case with just the three of us, one of which is still breastfeeding, a reasonable amount that I've budgeted for us is $40 ($20 per person) a week.
I can easily spend over $40 on a dinner out but with this challenge I hope to spend more time with my family, get creative and try out new recipes, and save money for one of our many dream trips we've been oogling.
xoxo
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Christmas browsing
Good morning and happy Sunday! I've been on bed rest for the last couple of day due to some major BH contractions. I thought i was going into early labor. Eek!
So with all that time keeping my feet elevated and holding back from running errands and doing chores I've done some online browsing this morning for early stocking stuffers. With the economy going down the drain and money being tight I found some cute ideas that are wallet friendly and sure to make your gift recipient smile.
Oh and these all run under $10!
GIANTmicrobes offers cute stuffed, well, microbes. Cute and inexpensive. This is getting good.
My husband at all costs avoids having to wear ties unless of course the occassion calls for it. In which case falls under weddings, funerals, corporate speaking events. We went out to a nice dinner a few days ago and saw that most of the male patrons of the restaurant were in either ties or collared shirts. My husband wore the shirt I bought him. How sweet of him to do that!
So I thought I'd slip these into his stocking this Christmas so he'd never feel underdressed (which BTW, I'm sure he could care less).
Here's for the traveler in all of us.
Not only is it bright and bold so you can quickly sweep it off the belt in luggage claim but it has also has a friendly note to anyone who should handle it or misclaim it. Let 'em know it's just not worth the hassle.
And finally everyone, and I mean everyone, has a bud smoking/toking friend. I have a couple in mind.
Well I'm off getting my day going with some light errand running and some grocery shopping followed by lunch with my husband. Look out for more stocking stuffer ideas when I return but for now have a wonderful day!
xoxo
So with all that time keeping my feet elevated and holding back from running errands and doing chores I've done some online browsing this morning for early stocking stuffers. With the economy going down the drain and money being tight I found some cute ideas that are wallet friendly and sure to make your gift recipient smile.
Oh and these all run under $10!
GIANTmicrobes offers cute stuffed, well, microbes. Cute and inexpensive. This is getting good.
My husband at all costs avoids having to wear ties unless of course the occassion calls for it. In which case falls under weddings, funerals, corporate speaking events. We went out to a nice dinner a few days ago and saw that most of the male patrons of the restaurant were in either ties or collared shirts. My husband wore the shirt I bought him. How sweet of him to do that!
So I thought I'd slip these into his stocking this Christmas so he'd never feel underdressed (which BTW, I'm sure he could care less).
Here's for the traveler in all of us.
Not only is it bright and bold so you can quickly sweep it off the belt in luggage claim but it has also has a friendly note to anyone who should handle it or misclaim it. Let 'em know it's just not worth the hassle.
And finally everyone, and I mean everyone, has a bud smoking/toking friend. I have a couple in mind.
Well I'm off getting my day going with some light errand running and some grocery shopping followed by lunch with my husband. Look out for more stocking stuffer ideas when I return but for now have a wonderful day!
xoxo
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Nesting: In search of the best twigs and lawn debris
I suppose every expecting parent goes through the nesting faze.
I find myself getting a little kooky with it. This weekend we're cleaning out our closet to make room for a dresser that we're relocating from our bedroom.
My shoes (shitloads) will then move into the laundry room atop metal wire storage racks. We're making way for a new bassinet for our little chicken.
Not only are we doing some heavy duty repositioning and relocating, we're doing major cleaning.
And not just 'wiping down the coffee table, vacuuming our carpet, catching up on laundry' type of cleaning I mean some serious 'get on your knees and reach for those dust bunnies, this white wall's not white enough, don't forget the base boards' cleaning. I'm talking about going places and corners people only come across once a year-if even that.
I'm excited!!!
Kooky I tell you. Kooky.
We yet to have bought a stroller and with all the options and specs how could you find one that fits you and your precious cargo??
I've looked at all price points and at all features and have an idea what I'm looking for in a stroller.
I'll let you folks know when we finally settle down on one- which will probably have to be within the next couple of weeks.
xoxo
I find myself getting a little kooky with it. This weekend we're cleaning out our closet to make room for a dresser that we're relocating from our bedroom.
My shoes (shitloads) will then move into the laundry room atop metal wire storage racks. We're making way for a new bassinet for our little chicken.
Not only are we doing some heavy duty repositioning and relocating, we're doing major cleaning.
And not just 'wiping down the coffee table, vacuuming our carpet, catching up on laundry' type of cleaning I mean some serious 'get on your knees and reach for those dust bunnies, this white wall's not white enough, don't forget the base boards' cleaning. I'm talking about going places and corners people only come across once a year-if even that.
I'm excited!!!
Kooky I tell you. Kooky.
We yet to have bought a stroller and with all the options and specs how could you find one that fits you and your precious cargo??
I've looked at all price points and at all features and have an idea what I'm looking for in a stroller.
I'll let you folks know when we finally settle down on one- which will probably have to be within the next couple of weeks.
xoxo
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
I beg your pardon. But how much was that again?
Being in my last trimester I began researching on local schools most particularly private education. One awesome site is http://www.savvysource.com/.
I began searching for local preschools and our first option was Lake Avenue Church preschool. This is conveniently located close to home and even closer to my husbands job which makes it much easy to drop off and pick our tot up.
The tuition was very reasonable in comparison to this joint http://www.polytechnic.org/podium/default.aspx?t=45176. At $18,675 a year (K-5 grade), not including application fees and number fund raisers we'd be expected to attend and contribute, I'll be on one fast road to early cardiac arrest. Gasp!
With average wait lists of 2 years and up it's been way overdue to start looking at early education schooling. Your experiences and recommendations would be highly appreciated!
xoxo
I began searching for local preschools and our first option was Lake Avenue Church preschool. This is conveniently located close to home and even closer to my husbands job which makes it much easy to drop off and pick our tot up.
The tuition was very reasonable in comparison to this joint http://www.polytechnic.org/podium/default.aspx?t=45176. At $18,675 a year (K-5 grade), not including application fees and number fund raisers we'd be expected to attend and contribute, I'll be on one fast road to early cardiac arrest. Gasp!
With average wait lists of 2 years and up it's been way overdue to start looking at early education schooling. Your experiences and recommendations would be highly appreciated!
xoxo
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