New Years Resolution = Buzzkill

Want to know a way to kill your Sunday while committing to your New Years resolution at the same time. Work on your budget!

     Last month when the clock struck 12 I made the decision that I needed to re-evaluate our budget and get better with it. With all the goals and hopes and dreams and wants the hubby and I desire in our life I have to get way way back to how I use to be with my money. I know it is old school but I totally feel when I sat down and wrote out checks and physically did the bills and such I was way more in tune with where my money was going as opposed to now with everything on automatic  bill pay out of the account. Which in essence has made me lazy with our finances.
     Ok so now you know my mind set. So to get started I went on Pinterest! I know crazy but I wanted to read other peoples stories of budgeting and what better than pinning! After getting tons of ideas I made my way to target and bought the Mead Expense Tracker! I also reorganized our filing cabinet and things started to get rolling. It is not quiet the end of the month and technically I can't see our actual totals until everything goes through but I did decide on this cold yet sunny Sunday I was going to get started just to see where we stand.
     I don't think I have ever been more depressed angry happy sad worried re leaved upset calm and anything else you can think of all at the same time. I am so proud of us for the money we are making with the situation we are in as well as the economy being what it is, but at the very same time, we could be doing so much better. I totally get that change takes time and nothing happens over night but goodness we need to be better. So in this expense tracker you write out all your bill amounts and the categories and estimates into what you would spend. things like entertainment dinning out. The things I thought we would of totally gone over on we did pretty well but the stuff we did go over on shocked me. We have work to do this year that is for sure. Unfortunately enough I hate money. I really do so doing this totally was a buzz kill for my entire day.  

Look Whose Back

I found the blogger app on my tablet I got from my amazing husband and now I am am back! To talk the ideal ramblings of our everyday lives. To go into details the happy madness that is our families. The only problem is figuring out how this works on here so bear with me I am trying. 
Let's see it has literally been a year since my last post which wad 32 things to do before 32 well I am 32, lets go through the list and see how I did...
1. Start a website for the weddings
OK so right off the bat I did not get this one done. But I have done a lot of work this last year towards getting this one done.
2. Get another tattoo
I did! I got a gorgeous blue butterfly sitting on my shoulder in honour of my Nana!
3. Lose at least 31 lbs (one pound for every year old)
I did this one as well!
4. Go wine tasting
We have accomplished this one tenfolds!
5. At least try a new restaurant every other month
We are pretty good about this goal although it should continue on my list for this year considering I do not think we tried 12 new restaurants
6. Take a road trip somewhere I have not gone yet
Basically a fail, we never really made it to anywhere I had never been before
7. Rent a cabin or a beach house
Nope....unless a cruise ship cabin counts?
8. Write a blog post at least twice a month
Yeah clearly a fail....
9. Go to the gym at least twice a week
I did really good with this but I have been so slack recently I have to get back into this
10. knit or crochet a blanket
yeah how about a pot holder
11. Wear heels on date night
I am pretty good about this although I am still not a fan of shoes :)
12. Get Phoenix certified as a therapy dog
Still working on it this is a lot harder of a goal than realized
13. Be better organised with bills
Trying....
14. A good saving plan
We did well but we also spent a lot on something big!
15. Take photography classes
Nope
16. Buy a real camera
Nada
17. Try a really expensive champagne
We did it was amazing!
18. Get in the habit of dog walking three mornings a week (one day one dog three days for three dogs)
My dogs are lazy!
19. Get Julia Child's cookbook and try really making her recipes
I actually forgot about this one to be honest
20. Visit Chicago with Jerry
We never made it
21. Build a stylish wardrobe
I am doing better little by litter
22. See more waterfalls
We did! I want to see more!
23. Finish the Game of Thrones Books (I got sidetracked)
Still sidetracked but I read a bunch of other books that were fantastic!
24. Make more alone time with Jerry
We are both making more of an effort with this one!
25. Buy the person behind me coffee and tell them to pay it forward
While I did more charity work, I failed at the pay it forward goal!
26. Make something out of one of my food and wine magazines
I love this we have had coffee encrusted steaks and  other incredible items
27. Organise the closets
well they get organised and then unorganised!
28. Get a hot stone massage
Nope
29. Unplug from my cell phone and Internet for a whole day
I am pretty good about this and Jerry and I both try to not bring our phone when we are out to eat!
30. Use my reusable bags every time I go grocery shopping!
90% of the time
31. Make apple pie from scratch
I made like 5 different kinds I am a King at Apple pies
32. See Picture --->

WE DID IT! It was amazing and perfect and everything I could of ever dreamed of in my life. I have never been more happy with the way everything went! 

I wish I could of slowed it down! It all went so fast but now this girl and that boy are officially married!

32 before 32

So in 3 day I will be over 30.... I love birthdays and I am not one of those people who freaks out about this but I am a bit nervous about turning 31.... I mean it is over 30.... I remember when that seemed to far far away! Where did all the time go? What have I done this year of any importance? If I think hard I know that we finished for the most part the kitchen..(almost not quite which still makes me sad) I have read more and booked weddings on my own, I have gotten a better clientele at work which means I am making better money which has added to better control of things in life but still it is taking time and effort to remember what I have accomplished in this past year.
So in thinking about this big thing coming turning over 30, turning 31. I decided to make a list. So come next year when i am turning 32 I am not sitting on my couch wondering what I did with the last year of my life. I really thought long and hard about these and instead of resolutions which most know never really get accomplished this list is a bit more achievable.
Here we go

1. Start a website for the weddings
2. Get another tattoo
3. Lose at least 31 lbs (one pound for every year old)
4. Go wine tasting
5. At least try a new restaurant every other month
6. Take a road trip somewhere I have not gone yet
7. Rent a cabin or a beach house
8. Write a blog post at least twice a month
9. Go to the gym at least twice a week
10. knit or crochet a blanket
11. Wear heels on date night
12. Get Phoenix certified as a therapy dog
13. Be better organised with bills
14. A good saving plan
15. Take photography classes
16. Buy a real camera
17. Try a really expensive champagne
18. Get in the habit of dog walking three mornings a week (one day one dog three days for three dogs)
19. Get Julia Child's cookbook and try really making her recipes
20. Visit Chicago with Jerry
21. Build a stylish wardrobe
22. See more waterfalls
23. Finish the Game of Thrones Books (I got sidetracked)
24. Make more alone time with Jerry
25. Buy the person behind me coffee and tell them to pay it forward
26. Make something out of one of my food and wine magazines
27. Organise the closets
28. Get a hot stone massage
29. Unplug from my cell phone and Internet for a whole day
30. Use my reusable bags every time I go grocery shopping!
31. Make apple pie from scratch
32. See Picture --->

Not bad and I will try to update you as I go on with this next year 

Other than that on Nov 5 Happy 31st Birthday To Me!!

Nothing....

I have nothing to blog about. I know I made promises to blog more often but every time I get on here to write I have nothing to say. No profound advice no funny stories no book to review (not that I am not reading just nothing new to talk about). I wish I had something because then I realized that I had nothing to write I then got panicked that I was boring. That my life had officially hit a blah spot, an every day mundane blah spot.
We got the kitchen most of the way done, we got the laundry room and bathroom most of the way done, not 100% finished which really kind of make me sad that we just cannot finish it. I bought new lamps they look great in my living room but that is not in the least bit exciting. We have to buy another car, Jerry got a new job, which he adores, but he works day and for the time being he is using Dustin's truck. Dustin still does not have a job so it all works out. Except that the heater core is broken and Jerry is practically freezing to death at 5:30 am when he leaves for work and he does not want to do it for much longer. My family wants to go on a cruise in January for Christmas, but Jerry and I really wanted to do our wedding next year and I have no idea how people would be to afford 2 cruises in one year with everything else that is going on. Part of me (with all the advice we have been given) thinks I should not worry about it and go forward with our plan at hand, we have waited long enough, but then what would my wedding be if none of my immediate family could attend. Jerry and I decided last year when we did taxes to fix the house up first ( again not that we finished) and do the wedding the following year so that babies could be born, people could get their lives in order as well as get houses and jobs and etc. Then we would have the wedding in 2013. As well as the fact that we really wanted a spring date but realized that that maybe to difficult to do so lets go ahead and do the fall and embrace it. But now I feel like that is all going to fall apart yet again and I will never get to have a wedding day. And if one more person tells me just to go to the court house and then have a party I WILL SCREAM! Funny that I should not get the wedding I want because???? I am over that conversation. We will save the money we will pay for it all ourselves telling me I do not get my wedding day just adds to depression I have over not having it yet it does not help or make it better. I have waited 30 years to find someone worth marrying, I have made my ways through many of bad apples (most who dated me then married someone else) I love this man and we both want what we want. Ok done with that rant. I was not meaning to hurt or offend anyone just getting things off my chest so to speak....
The dogs are good the cats are good the turtle is good. We are all healthy, and happy. I am slowly but surely losing weight, we are joining the YMCA, I have rediscovered my love for cooking, Jerry adores his new job, he works more than ever before but he adores it. Lots of craziness going on at his new job, hopefully that means he will move up quickly like he wants to. The "big guys" are in today and he went in over an hour early (which means he left the house at 4:30 am) to make sure all of his ducks were in a row to impress them. I hope everything goes well for him today. I am incredibly proud of him and really want the best for him.  
I guess I had a lot in my head to write about but I feel like I wake up, clean, take the dogs out, go to work, come home, cook, watch TV, play with animals, talk to Jerry go to bed, then wake up and do it all over again. I have not seen the oceans or the mountains in months. But for now I need to get ready for work....I hope everybody has a great day!

Game of Thrones, Fake Kate, Kindles and Roku I am a happy girl.

I love my fiancée have I mentioned that before I love him to the moon. He really is amazing! 
Let me start with a quick story. Our play station broke. Seems like a dumb start for a story but it is what everything steams for to get to the reason I am writing. So when we first begun dating he had gotten me netflix. I just adore movies but I hate paying for the theatre and I am horrible and returning red box movies. I adore it, and it became my good friend at night while Jerry is working. So when the play station broke I started buying more and more books to keep me company. Which as you know can get pricey. So the first thing my fiancée did was get me a Kindle.

 He knows that I had been in love with my Mothers and wanted one for a while now and therefore it was this amazing gift and I am head of heels for it. Plus it the long run it saved him money. I borrow books from the library other Kindle readers and I am content reading the free ones. But I still missed my Netflixs at night. 
We started with the remodel of the kitchen bath and laundry room. Which is still going on. And it has taken over the entire downstairs of my house. I was getting pretty discouraged as well as all the other things going on, Jerry decided to cheer me up and bought me a roku! A little device that can turn most TVs into a computer of sorts. You can access Netflixs, Amazon, among other things, Facebook, games and now  HBOGO. So again my love affair with books and netflix is complete and way easier as well as I am not in love with Game of thrones.

 

OK on to the book review. Fake Kate by David Wailing starts by telling you about these two sisters and how one has gone missing because of something someone said to her from her brand new online dating adventures. Being the other sister and paranoid she decides to dress as her and go on her missing sisters dates to find out if she can discover what has happened. It is so twisted and crazy you almost have to read it to under stand but it is not a bad read jst an odd one I would give it 3 out of 5 stars.

I am simple in love with Game of Thrones. I have finished season one and I was in tears and completely enthralled. I will not give any spoilers but holy cow I cannot believe it took me this long to get into it. It is beyond amazing and truly incredible. Watch it soon it you have not!!! Season three beings next spring you have time to catch up. Just know that it is heart breaking at time as well as takes you are wild rides. You will love and hate and it may cause you to curse at the TV and wish to speak Ol'English.  I will give it 5 out of 5 stars and I am only but half way through.


I do want to say for the record. I love my fiancée to the moon but not just because he buys me things. I would not think I would have to say that but I would not want anyone to think poorly of our love because I wanted to rave about a few gifts. JERRY NAPIER I LOVE YOU!