I may or may not like money and I may or may not talk about it too much. Which is the reason you shouldn't be entirely surprised that my thoughts are once again, related to money.
Recently I have been thinking a lot about how complicated our lives are. Not because we live in a complicated world, but simply because we fill our lives with so many things. I am a frugal person for the most part, but somehow, my house has filled up with junk. This has left me pondering those two fun words that are frequently defined differently depending on who you talk to: need and want. This week Jason and I decided we need to make a list of needs and wants. However, most of the items he tried to shove in the need column weren't exactly needs. "Remember Honey" I told him, "a need is something that is basically necessary to sustain life." I suggested we make three columns: need, priority want and want. I think we would both benefit from such a list.
I've been thinking about how Americans (I don't know enough to know if it's the entire world or just our Country) live an over-indulgent lifestyle. I buy and buy things I will use, things that are handy and things that I want. But how much of that is stuff I really need? Probably very little. The sad part is, I haven't decided if I have enough will power to stop. So perhaps it will be baby steps. First, I'd really like to rid my house of lots of stuff. Clothes, books, toys, etc. Then, I would like to cut back on unnecessary spending a lot. As I explained to Jason, I am not trying to never spend a dime on anything but a necessity (food and clothing). I'm just saying, my house would be cleaner, life would be more pleasant and our savings would be bigger if I did a better job of staying away from wants more often.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Picture Perfect
I drove up to my mom's earlier this week and saw this
Clara's squeals of joy implied she had never been on the swing before, when reality, she enjoys it a couple times a week. It even made Daniel laugh and smile. Daniel doesn't laugh or smile for just anything. I started taking pictures with my phone, but they were all blurry. I thought, Shucks, because it's not all that often Uncle Daniel is out swinging his favorite niece and they are both having a great time. But then I realized, blurry or not, the picture still preserves the memory. Why does it seem like the perfect picture preserves memories better than the off-centered blurry ones? They both do the same thing, put a bookmark in time of a happy moment I don't want to forget.
Clara's squeals of joy implied she had never been on the swing before, when reality, she enjoys it a couple times a week. It even made Daniel laugh and smile. Daniel doesn't laugh or smile for just anything. I started taking pictures with my phone, but they were all blurry. I thought, Shucks, because it's not all that often Uncle Daniel is out swinging his favorite niece and they are both having a great time. But then I realized, blurry or not, the picture still preserves the memory. Why does it seem like the perfect picture preserves memories better than the off-centered blurry ones? They both do the same thing, put a bookmark in time of a happy moment I don't want to forget.
Monday, April 12, 2010
My Dirty Little Secret
Several months ago when I showed up at my mom's one morning, there was a peculiar little green bag hanging on her door. When I asked about the contents, my mom laughed, not wanting to tell me her secret. They have their dry cleaning picked up and delivered to their home each week. I laughed, thinking, High Maintenance. Expensive! Unnecessary. Time passed and our dry clean pile just kept growing and I found out the price for 1-800-Dry Clean is barely more than the cheap-o place I normally take things to and the quality is much better. So last weekend, we tried it out. They picked up 13 shirts, 7 pants and a suit (I told you the pile grew) on Saturday and returned it to our door today, Monday. There is no delivery fee or special charges and you get a 25% discount on the first time service. While we definitely don't need a regularly scheduled pick up, I will be utilizing them from now on. Jason's shirts, which are usually all we'll have done, are only $2 a piece. Not too shabby for front door service! If you dry clean stuff, you should check out 1-800-Dry-Clean.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Realizations
Craziness was non-stop this week. It started off on Monday when I laid on the couch for twelve hours, which wasn't exactly the best precursor to the upcoming chaos. I think I got up twice to use the restroom, once to make Clara breakfast, once to put lunch on a plate for Clara and twice when I attempted to do something other than lay down flat. However, even if I'm too busy to cook, clean, eat or sleep, at least my mind can still ponder.
Having a 24 hour flu made me very sympathetic for moms that endure those feelings for weeks on end. I sure had it easy with Clara.
I need to take more videos of Clara. She has the sweetest little voice.
Sometimes music motivates me to get off my rear and clean. But this week, it just made me want to sing, dance and not clean a thing.
I eat a lot, and a lot of junk, when I am up late at night working.
It's official, a clean house is not my priority. It'd be nice, but that goal isn't getting accomplished anytime soon. Oh well.
A few days after I get sick, I feel like I can take on the world because an 80% body feels WAY better than a lifeless, yet warm, body sprawled no the couch.
I have made serious improvements keeping work and life separate. It's not easy when I do so much from home, but I finally am close to where I want to be. If it's not an emergency, it can wait. Clara can't {and shouldn't}.
Last week I thought lice was just gross. Now I know it's also really, really time consuming.
There is nothing cool about working on Saturday. At least I still have Sunday to look forward to.
I keep pretending I don't have much going on next week, when really I should be preparing for more chaos. That makes me a little nervous.
I could really use a vacation. One is scheduled this summer, but I'm guessing it won't come soon enough.
I really want a big piece of land to live on. Garden, animals, space to run, jump and play. I care very little about what house is on it, but the land. A miniature farm! I don't know that I am going to want to move unless it's to something like that. Maybe my vision will change, but for now, that's where it stands.
I feel fat and unhealthy when I don't eat well. Even if it's only a few days of it.
I hate saying no and I love helping people. I got a call this week regarding a potential client that is in great need. I said I would think about it. One hour, one headache and 25 thoughts of Clara later, I concluded I was insane and made a quick phone call to decline. Over committing my time is definitely a huge temptation for me.
Taking someone dinner that includes a bag of grapes, a bag of carrots and two pizzas from Basha's is only slightly funnier than it is embarrassing.
Posts are always better with pictures... or least a picture... So here's one of Clara looking like a miniature tourist backpacking in Europe, and a boy no less. Shaggy hair, dirty t-shirt and jeans that have been worn for days straight and a beanie.
The bunny and pink shoes, however, are detrimental to her disguise.
Having a 24 hour flu made me very sympathetic for moms that endure those feelings for weeks on end. I sure had it easy with Clara.
I need to take more videos of Clara. She has the sweetest little voice.
Sometimes music motivates me to get off my rear and clean. But this week, it just made me want to sing, dance and not clean a thing.
I eat a lot, and a lot of junk, when I am up late at night working.
It's official, a clean house is not my priority. It'd be nice, but that goal isn't getting accomplished anytime soon. Oh well.
A few days after I get sick, I feel like I can take on the world because an 80% body feels WAY better than a lifeless, yet warm, body sprawled no the couch.
I have made serious improvements keeping work and life separate. It's not easy when I do so much from home, but I finally am close to where I want to be. If it's not an emergency, it can wait. Clara can't {and shouldn't}.
Last week I thought lice was just gross. Now I know it's also really, really time consuming.
There is nothing cool about working on Saturday. At least I still have Sunday to look forward to.
I keep pretending I don't have much going on next week, when really I should be preparing for more chaos. That makes me a little nervous.
I could really use a vacation. One is scheduled this summer, but I'm guessing it won't come soon enough.
I really want a big piece of land to live on. Garden, animals, space to run, jump and play. I care very little about what house is on it, but the land. A miniature farm! I don't know that I am going to want to move unless it's to something like that. Maybe my vision will change, but for now, that's where it stands.
I feel fat and unhealthy when I don't eat well. Even if it's only a few days of it.
I hate saying no and I love helping people. I got a call this week regarding a potential client that is in great need. I said I would think about it. One hour, one headache and 25 thoughts of Clara later, I concluded I was insane and made a quick phone call to decline. Over committing my time is definitely a huge temptation for me.
Taking someone dinner that includes a bag of grapes, a bag of carrots and two pizzas from Basha's is only slightly funnier than it is embarrassing.
Posts are always better with pictures... or least a picture... So here's one of Clara looking like a miniature tourist backpacking in Europe, and a boy no less. Shaggy hair, dirty t-shirt and jeans that have been worn for days straight and a beanie.
The bunny and pink shoes, however, are detrimental to her disguise.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Sewing Lesson & Easter
Clara loves skirts. She doesn't have many casual skirts and I can never find the right one in the store. So when Amy called and proposed we make a skirt together for Clara, I was thrilled. Anything I've seen involving Amy, fabric and a sewing machine has been cute, so I had high hopes. I picked out the fabric (good thing I started with just two prints... otherwise that part could've taken eight hours) and Amy helped me sew this little darling for Clara. 
I am still impressed that I helped sew something that looks so put together and I still love it. Even if I had the motivation to do this on my own, it never would've looked like this without Amy's help. Plus, it was the perfect thing for Clara to wear on Easter. Oh, and perfect for dancing in too. Clara agrees.
Speaking of Easter... I loved being able to enjoy General Conference on Easter. Easter made Conference a little more special and Conference made Easter a little special. This year wasn't the most "festive" year for Easter in our house. We didn't dye eggs and we didn't do an Easter egg hunt at our house. The strange thing is I didn't feel bad about it at all. I figure the things like that are fun, but since it's not the essence of the reason we celebrate, they aren't necessary to make Easter special. And don't feel bad for Clara, she went on an Easter egg hunt at my parent's and since she was the only kid under 11, she had no competition and hunted every last egg by herself. 
I am still impressed that I helped sew something that looks so put together and I still love it. Even if I had the motivation to do this on my own, it never would've looked like this without Amy's help. Plus, it was the perfect thing for Clara to wear on Easter. Oh, and perfect for dancing in too. Clara agrees.
Speaking of Easter... I loved being able to enjoy General Conference on Easter. Easter made Conference a little more special and Conference made Easter a little special. This year wasn't the most "festive" year for Easter in our house. We didn't dye eggs and we didn't do an Easter egg hunt at our house. The strange thing is I didn't feel bad about it at all. I figure the things like that are fun, but since it's not the essence of the reason we celebrate, they aren't necessary to make Easter special. And don't feel bad for Clara, she went on an Easter egg hunt at my parent's and since she was the only kid under 11, she had no competition and hunted every last egg by herself. 
Monday, April 5, 2010
Saving Spree
See? I told you there'd be more.
At the beginning of March, Jason approached me to let me know, in a very serious tone, that we needed a gun safe. He made sure to put emphasis on the word need, hoping to convince me it was a necessity with no further explanation. Okay, I kindly said {I always speak kindly}, we'll save for it, then buy one. But Mr. Serious put his foot down and said, "This is not a want, this is a need." I was skeptical because we have had pretty much the same life, house, valuables (or lack thereof) for over six years so I was rather confused as to how this became a need over night. He reassured me it had nothing to do with the gun he recently purchased. Nothing at all. It was for the pictures and our data. Just in case fire ever decided to consume our humble abode or someone broke in*. I wasn't totally opposed, but I also wasn't about to go make a large purchase on a whim.
That's when I came up with the greatest idea ever! (Just ask Jason what a great idea it was). I kind of like to hoard gift cards so we have accumulated a small stash over the last several months. I proposed to Jason that if we could use only gift cards in the month of March, except bills that we had to pay, we'd use the money we would save to buy a safe. For me, this was pretty easy (except having to forgo my beloved Costco trips). For Jason, it was not. He got a $25 gift card at the beginning of the month for eating out. (We won't say how long it lasted, but I'm guessing no transactions happened after the first week). I was most nervous about the grocery side of things. Especially when we had company for a week, I fed the missionaries and I worked four days in a row, but it all turned out nicely. At the beginning of the month I had left over produce from the week before, then Kiri brought some with her, I bought fresh produce four times (mostly with gift cards) and my mom provided a week of lunches and dinners. We cheated a few times, but the total of our instances of cheating wouldn't total more than the giftcards we didn't use.
Considering doing this again, I decided it was fun and it definitely helped us cut back on how much we spend eating out, but on other stuff, I'll still buy it, just later. Every time I needed/wanted something, I just thought, I'll wait and get it next month. Which means whatever I saved this month will be over spent next month. In case you're wondering, we still don't have a gun case. Our plan was diverted to using the money for our backyard. Much better, if you ask me.
*Jason got nervous when a house in our neighborhood was broken into and that's really how this whole thing started. Funny thing is, it's not the first time this has happened in our neighborhood, more like the third or fourth. He just hadn't known about all the others.
At the beginning of March, Jason approached me to let me know, in a very serious tone, that we needed a gun safe. He made sure to put emphasis on the word need, hoping to convince me it was a necessity with no further explanation. Okay, I kindly said {I always speak kindly}, we'll save for it, then buy one. But Mr. Serious put his foot down and said, "This is not a want, this is a need." I was skeptical because we have had pretty much the same life, house, valuables (or lack thereof) for over six years so I was rather confused as to how this became a need over night. He reassured me it had nothing to do with the gun he recently purchased. Nothing at all. It was for the pictures and our data. Just in case fire ever decided to consume our humble abode or someone broke in*. I wasn't totally opposed, but I also wasn't about to go make a large purchase on a whim.
That's when I came up with the greatest idea ever! (Just ask Jason what a great idea it was). I kind of like to hoard gift cards so we have accumulated a small stash over the last several months. I proposed to Jason that if we could use only gift cards in the month of March, except bills that we had to pay, we'd use the money we would save to buy a safe. For me, this was pretty easy (except having to forgo my beloved Costco trips). For Jason, it was not. He got a $25 gift card at the beginning of the month for eating out. (We won't say how long it lasted, but I'm guessing no transactions happened after the first week). I was most nervous about the grocery side of things. Especially when we had company for a week, I fed the missionaries and I worked four days in a row, but it all turned out nicely. At the beginning of the month I had left over produce from the week before, then Kiri brought some with her, I bought fresh produce four times (mostly with gift cards) and my mom provided a week of lunches and dinners. We cheated a few times, but the total of our instances of cheating wouldn't total more than the giftcards we didn't use.
Considering doing this again, I decided it was fun and it definitely helped us cut back on how much we spend eating out, but on other stuff, I'll still buy it, just later. Every time I needed/wanted something, I just thought, I'll wait and get it next month. Which means whatever I saved this month will be over spent next month. In case you're wondering, we still don't have a gun case. Our plan was diverted to using the money for our backyard. Much better, if you ask me.
*Jason got nervous when a house in our neighborhood was broken into and that's really how this whole thing started. Funny thing is, it's not the first time this has happened in our neighborhood, more like the third or fourth. He just hadn't known about all the others.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
I'll Take the Good With the Bad
Reasons this past week was not lovely: lice, vomiting & diarrhea (names of the infected will remain anonymous)
Reasons this past week was lovely: sewing lesson (more to come), high school friends, exciting new opportunities (possibly more to come), Karen, the end of our saving spree (more to come), junk food, Costco, General Conference & Easter
Net affect? Life is lovely.
Reasons this past week was lovely: sewing lesson (more to come), high school friends, exciting new opportunities (possibly more to come), Karen, the end of our saving spree (more to come), junk food, Costco, General Conference & Easter
Net affect? Life is lovely.Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Just Married
Jason's younger brother Landry got married Saturday. When we first arrived, Jordyn and Kinley (Clara's cousins) started arguing about which one was Clara's cousin. Maybe it was the dress? Ha ha.
Cute couple.
Awesome "flowers".
Fun times.
Little family.
Cute couple.
Awesome "flowers".
Fun times.
Little family.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Cute or Gray
Jason's brother got married Saturday. The colors were black, white and silver. I really wanted our family to wear just those colors. True to my typical character, I waited to do anything about this until Saturday, just a few hours before we had to leave. I had some gray material I thought I could sew a quick skirt out of (you know, since I have sewn so much in my life, why wouldn't I be able to?). When I went to get the skirt, I found a dress from the same material I had started sewing for Clara a year ago. Instead of starting from scratch, I decided to finish the dress up. It took less than an hour and I still haven't decided if I like it. Clara woke up from her nap just as I was finishing it up. She asked me what I was sewing and I told her it was a dress for her to wear and that she was going to look so cute. She looked at it and without hesitation said, "No, I'm not. I'm just going to look so gray."
Is it possible for a 3-year old to look frumpy? Homey? Is it really cute or is Clara just really cute? 'Cause she is cute... even on one of the grumpiest days of her life.
Is it possible for a 3-year old to look frumpy? Homey? Is it really cute or is Clara just really cute? 'Cause she is cute... even on one of the grumpiest days of her life.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Caml Rides Make Life Better
I know how to spell camel, but the way Clara says it, it's spelled caml. Friday was a fantastic day. Jason and I both had the day off. The week before, I told Clara if she was happy all week, she could ride the camel at the Zoo. She wanted to ride all by herself and had a lot of fun doing it. She got off and said, "That camel goes fast." Hmmm. The rest of our zoo visit was a bit rough on her. She slipped and fell on her knee and then tripped and fell, rocking forward like a rocking horse. The climax of her second fall was scraping her nose on the asphalt. She was rather grumpy from lack of sleep even before her two little accidents, but, she enjoyed her camel ride and that's all that matters.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
