Dora the Explorer Party: Favors

For the kid's 1st birthday party, I knew I needed to give out favors to the dozen kids that we invited, but we were broke, so I had to get creative.  I googled "jungle theme favors" over 112 times and decided to make rain sticks out of rice and paper towel rolls and drums out of painted formula cans.  Genius, right?  WRONG.  It was a horrible mess.  The "drums" were peeling paint before I even packed them up and my dad and cousin were punching holes in paper towel rolls up until the party started.  It was a mess. 

So, this year when I told Matt I was going to make the kids Backpacks for Allison's party?  Let's just say I see that look quite often.  You know the one.  The "you're absolutely nuts but I'm not going to get involved" look.

But this time was different. 

This time they turned out.

Want to make one for your little Dora addict?  Here's how.

Tools:

1/2 yd purple felt (I was able to get 3 backpacks out of 1/2 yd)

1 sheet red felt

1 sheet white felt

1 sheet yellow felt

Backpack template

measuring tape

scissors

thread

glue

ink pen

black sharpie

1.  First cut out all your pieces.  (All dimensions in inches.  Because I'm in America, dammit.)

      2 - 11.5 x 11.5

      2 - 1.5 x 16

      1 -  3 x 11.5

      Backpack's face

2.  Then assemble by lining up the edge of the straps to the edge of one the large felt squares.  It doesn't have to be perfect.  Felt is very forgiving.  And they are kid's backpacks.  Are they going to criticize??

3.  Sandwich the straps with the rectangle piece of felt and stitch together the top edge to make Backpack's back.  I used a loose zigzag just to add some extra stability.  Because I've seen my kid with toys and frankly it's a little disturbing.  

4.  Placing right sides together, stitch the other felt square to the back piece on the remaining three sides.  (Don't forget to pin the bottom of the straps in place to keep them from going all crazy crooked.)  Turn Backpack right side out.  Sorry there's no picture of this, but when I try to take photos of items in my sewing machine, they always turn out horrible.  And kinda creepy.  In an Unsolved Mysteries kinda way.

6.  Apply Backpack's face with glue.  Eyebrows on the flap and face below.  I used Elmer's glue for this and frankly it didn't hold very well, so maybe fabric glue would be better.  And I was thinking that the pupils would be really cute with buttons.  But I stopped while I was ahead and used a sharpie.

7.  Lastly, round the edges of the flap for that signature "Backpack" look.  I actually folded the bag in half and cut both sides at the same time to make it a little more symmetrical.  Because asymmetry makes my OCD a little crazy.

That's it.  A project even I can't screw up. 

Then stuff to your heart's content!  I just went to Party City and bought Dora puzzles, notepads, and stickers and printed out some coloring pages from nickjr.com.  But honestly, the kids loved the backpacks much more than what was inside them. 

The kicker: The entire thing cost me about $3 for 5 Backpacks* (+ backpack contents).

*I made two more Backpack's for my older nephews in dark blue (to be more masculine, of course) and just increased the dimensions of the squares to 13 x 13, the rectangle to 3.5 x 13, and the strap length to 2 x 18 inches.

Dora the Explorer Party: Invitations

I'm one of those crazy people that would rather spend 4 hours trying to mail merge her address book into labels rather than take an hour to hand address envelopes.

So, it should come as no surprise that I hate filling in pre-made invitations.  Besides, I like to pretend I'm all Martha-esque and make my own invites.  Because beautiful invitations set the stage for the tone of the party.  At least that's what I think Martha would say.  

  
These invitation cards really only took a few hours to put together.  Assuming you know what you're doing.  And because I like you, I'm going to provide a tutorial.  This just saved you like 6 hours of your life.  You're welcome.


Tools:
White 8.5 x 11 cardstock 
Purple (or color of your choice) 8.5 x 11 cardstock
Digital Image (this one is courtesy of Google Images)
Computer with Microsoft Word
Color printer
Glue stick
Paper cutter (this will save your sanity)


1.  Set up your word document with the following formatting: landscape, 3 (3 inch) columns, 0.5 inch margins all the way around (including between columns), Cosmic Sans text (centered).


2.  Add your text to the top of each column.  I used 18pt as the top line and 14pt on the next line.  I'm lazy, so I just copied and pasted it in each column.  Because typing 26 more words is just too much work for me.  

(And if you were wondering how I got the accent above the A?  Hold down the alt key and type 0225.  That will type an accented lowercase
A.)


3.  Copy and paste your image below the text.


4.  Add a text box below the image and to add background color go to Format → Text Box → Fill → Color and select the color of choice.


5.  Type your party details in the colored text box.  I used 18pt for her name for emphasis and 12pt for the what, when, and where.  More copy/paste...


6.  Below the text box put your RSVP information (10pt).  And of course, copy/paste.


7.  You might have to tweak the spacing to make sure it all fits and looks proportionate.  If anyone knows how to upload a Microsoft Word doc, I'd be happy to post the printable, but Google Docs kept ditching the formatting.


8.  Print out as many invitations as needed, remembering that you'll get 3 out of each sheet.


9.  Use a paper cutter to cut background cardstock into three equal pieces.  Making sure they will fit in a normal legal sized envelope...


10.  Cut and trim the invite cards so that there is roughly an even amount of background card visible.  


11.  Glue the invite card to the background cards.


12.  Stuff envelopes and mail!  If you are really an aspiring Martha, you can also use this fantastic tutorial on how to line an envelope with pretty paper to make it all fancy like.  I'm not that ambitious.


And of course, this type of invitation could be adapted to virtually any party theme and embellished in a variety of ways.  The best part?  It fits into a regular, easy to find envelope.  I've got a harrowing story about trying to find 5 x 7 envelopes...  But I'll save that for another day.

Here Lies a Hoarder.

Two posts in one day?  WTH, right?  I was kinda feeling that this milestone might deserve a small mention.

My site isn't so great on the SEO stuff, so imagine my surprise when I see my blog was found by searching Google!

So, of all the things I've done, said, and written, I will be now known best as a hoarder.  Hoo-ray.

However, that's not my only reason for posting again today.  I want to give you all a heads up on the awesomeness planned for the rest of the week.

I will be doing a daily series on my daughter's Dora the Explorer birthday party.  Because I just thought it was super amazing.  And she's super amazing.  And our family and friends are super-duper amazing.  Plus there was very little party planning inspiration to be found on the interwebz and I just know that every 2 year old dreams of having a Dora birthday party. 

Here's the schedule:

Tuesday: Invitations

Wednesday: Favors

Thursday: Party clothes

Friday: Food/Cake

Remember to come back everyday this week for a new installment of Party Planning: Toddler Edition!

Meal Plan Monday: Back on the Wagon

Last week I was miserable without a meal plan, so this week we are back on the wagon, for sure...  Except we didn't really have a plan when we went to the grocery store, so we are kinda missing a lot of things to put together meals.  Whoops.

It's gonna be interesting...  Or boring, rather.

Monday:  Parmesan Tilapia, Rice Pilaf

Tuesday:  Crockpot BBQ Chicken, Smashed Potatoes, Frozen Veg

Wednesday:  Chicken Fried Rice

Thursday:  Beef Ravioli, Salad

Friday:  Brinner   

Now it's your turn to show off your meal planning prowess!




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Here's how it works...

• Follow Dear Mommy Brain so when I pop up in your reader every week you can imagine me tapping on your shoulder reminding you to write that meal plan!
• While you're at it, follow my super-cool blog buddy & hop co-host, Kristy at Darn Near Domestic.  You'll be glad you did.
• Link up your weekly meal plan and don't forget to grab our button to spread the word and recruit more meal planners! 

Flip Book: Peek-a-Boo

Apparently I'm a hoarder and didn't even know it.

Strange things I found when cleaning out my purse:

•  Business cards from people I haven't spoken to in years

•  Three gift cards with a combined value of less than $5

•  My college ID circa 2002

•  A County library card that expired in 2004

•  Two due bills from 2001 for a store than doesn't exist anymore (do any of you even know what a due bill is??)

and...

•  My dad's Blockbuster card that I borrowed when I was 16!!  Sorry, Dad.  I hope your life wasn't ruined by the fact that you were never able to rent Braveheart.

Resurfacing

I'm sure you all have been wondering where I've been the last few days.  At least I like to think that you might have noticed...

I've actually been on vacation the last few days and while I had some posts prepped, my plans got a little derailed on Sunday.

Because I was a little busy.  

Assisting in the arrival of this little guy.

My cousin had planned on a natural birth and had asked me to be there to help her through the process.  Since neither of us had any first hand experience with natural labor, we didn't know quite what to expect.  And no matter how much research you do, nothing can quite prepare you for the real thing.  

And let me tell you.  After 36 hours of contractions and zero sleep you are definitely ready to meet that little baby.  Momma was absolutely amazing.  She had a tough labor, but managed to push through the pain and deliver Henry without an epidural.  I couldn't be more proud of her and his incredible papa.

And this guy?  

He's pretty amazing, too.

1 million 51 thousand 200 minutes

Two years ago, at 4 in the morning, my water broke.  6 1/2 weeks early.  Barely 4 hours later, at 7:49am, little Allison Grace was born a tiny 4lbs 2oz.

But she was tough.  Everyday she spent in the NICU she grew stronger.  And 12 days later, we brought her home.

And we couldn't imagine our lives without her.

Fighting the Laundry Monster

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the best housekeeper.  My floors aren't always the cleanest.  The tub gets scrubbed when visually disgusting (sometimes).  And you could write in the dust on my dresser.  But one thing I've gotten down is fighting the laundry monster.

I used to detest doing laundry.  Even when my washer/dryer was right outside my bedroom door.  And when I finally got around to washing it, it would live in a basket indefinitely until I was in need of something to wear.  Needless to say, I was a constant frumpled mess.

Then I got married.  And my husband tried to do laundry.  He used fabric softener instead of detergent.  I knew I needed to take control.

For the past 4 years I've been in search of the secret to laundry perfection, and I think I've finally achieved it.  (If you ignore the fact that my husband wears the same pants to work several days in a row because he only has two pairs of khakis.)

Let me introduce you to the keys to laundry success!*

*Disclaimer: This is what I've determined to work for me and my family.  Obviously, this may not work for you.  Consider yourself warned.

• Segregate.  I keep multiple laundry hampers in our bedroom to sort laundry as it's used.  This allows me to quickly grab a load and throw it in the washer on my way downstairs to watch The Biggest Loser. 
• Divide and conquer.  I'm obviously not a huge fan of sorting laundry, so to make this task simpler, I wash the kid's clothes separately as opposed to putting whites with whites, etc.  When clothes are clean, I can just throw the basket in the appropriate room and hope the laundry fairy comes in the night to put them away.
• Cut to the chase.  I don't bother folding clean laundry.  Most of my clothes are hung, so why should I do double work?  If I don't have time to put everything away when it's fresh, I prioritize the hanging stuff and leave the rest for later.  No one's gonna know if you have wrinkly socks.
• Do smaller loads.  I know that seems counter-intuitive, but this really works for me.  It's much easier to tackle a small load from hamper to closet than it is to battle a mountain of clothes. 
• Wage. War. Every. Single. Day.  I know this is not what you wanted to hear.  And I'm sorry.  But you have to stay on top of it or else you will have an erupting volcano of dirty skivvies.  If we happen to be gone for the evening, I can always tell come the weekend because I'm scrambling to get caught up.  And at this point, it's become routine.  Home from work--Eat dinner-- Watch Wheel-- Put kid to bed-- Throw in laundry.  Ah, the monotony predictability of family life.

How do you tame the laundry beast?

Sauteed Beet Greens

I love beets.  Real beets.  Not that stuff in the can.

But what do you do with the tops?  Are they supposed to be eaten?  Do they taste good?




Enter bacon.  Bacon makes everything taste good.  And beet greens are no exception.

This dish literally takes about 10 minutes.  If that.

Serve with roasted beets and crock pot chicken?  Hellz yeah. 

I've been meaning to Tuesday

Things I've been meaning to do...

1. Cut down the dead plants in our yard.  There are more in the front yard.  I'm kinda afraid that if I cut them down they won't come back.  I'm a paranoid gardener.

 

2.  Refinish this table I bought off Craigslist over a year ago.  Which has been waiting in limbo because we can't agree on a color.  (Not because I'm lazy and just don't want to do it...)  Matt wants it to stay "wood" color and I want to paint it black.  Mostly because it's easier.  And matching stain is a pain in the arse.  What do you think blogosphere?

 

3.  Seal the leaks in our ducts that have been spewing wasted heat/air conditioning since we moved in...  3 1/2 years ago.  (Don't ask me about this photo.  This was my ghetto fabulous way of "fixing" the large hole cut into the return air duct that might or might not need to be there.)  Note: Duct tape is not actually good for sticking to ducts.  I got one step closer to making the repairs when I bought the correct tape... 7 months ago.

4.  Paint this pet bowl holder I built...  Wait for it...  8 years ago!  Do I win a procrastination prize for that one??

Malibu the Devil Cat

**Update: Since deciding to link up with I'm a Lazy Mom for this post, I have cut down the dead plants in the front yard.  Because they were obscuring my tulips that are starting to break ground.  It's progress, yes?







Meal Plan Monday & Miscellany

First off, I'd be a big fat inconsiderate ass if I didn't acknowledge the immense tragedy that's happening to our technologically superior friends on the other side of the world.  The earthquake/tsunami/potential nuclear meltdown is one of the worst natural disasters on record and my heart goes out to all those suffering. 

On a lighter note, I am apparently now a small business owner.  But I didn't know it until the Post Office told me on Saturday.  I was actually expecting a delivery from USPS for something I bought off Amazon, so when the mailman dropped off a package, it didn't seem strange.  Until I realized it was boxes.  Just boxes.  A bound stack of flat rate boxes.  What helped me sort of fill in the blank was the separate mailer I received addressed to me or "small business owner."  Gee, I had no idea.  Nor did I realize that the Post Office was generous enough (or in possession of a funding surplus) to provide small business owners with free shipping boxes.  Frankly, I'm still confused at how I evolved into an entrepreneur.  If anyone can shed some light, I'd appreciate it.

Okay, meal planning time!  I love holiday weeks because half of the work is already done.  I make the same thing every St. Patty's Day and I decided to festive it up a bit more by making green mac 'n cheese.   Hopefully it doesn't cause a mutiny. 

Monday:  Mystery Dinner provided by the hubs

Tuesday:  Dinner Out

Wednesday:  Green Mac 'n Cheese

Thursday:  Corned Beef and Cabbage, Red Potatoes

Friday:  Allison's Birthday Dinner!

How do you celebrate St. Patty's Day?

<center><a border="0" href="http://dearmommybrain.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1035.photobucket.com/albums/a431/jenemersonbinning/MealPlanningMonday-1.gif"/></a></center>

Here's how it works...

• Follow Dear Mommy Brain so when I pop up in your reader every week you can imagine me tapping on your shoulder reminding you to write that meal plan!
• While you're at it, follow my super-cool blog buddy & hop co-host, Kristy at Darn Near Domestic.  You'll be glad you did.
• Link up your weekly meal plan and don't forget to grab our button to spread the word and recruit more meal planners!

Conversations of Futility

Me:  Do you have any cash left?

Matt:  A little, why?

Me:  I was just asking to see if that's enough of an allowance.

Matt:  Back up off my money.

Me:  I wasn't going to take your money...  I just wanted to see if it was enough, not enough, too much...

Matt:  No, it wasn't enough.  Gimme more.

Me:  You just said you still have some left.  Don't lie to your wife.  You're going to hell for that.

Matt:  But I paid cash for the milk, cheese, and tortillas I bought yesterday.

Me:  Why?

Matt:  Because I debited a carton of cigarettes.  I was trying to balance it out.

Me:  I told you that's what the cash was for.  It's coming out of next week's allowance.

Matt:  I'll go to the ATM and get more.

Me:  I'll take your debit card.  You'll never find it.

Matt:  I'll go to the bank and get a new one.

Me:  Not if I tell them not to.

The End.

I wasn't going to post today...

And here's the reason why.  He isn't holding up his end of the deal and I'm kind of brain-dead today.

But doesn't that depth of field make your heart go pitter-patter?  And I actually took this one myself.

Dinner Under 20: Fish Sticks

I don't write much about religion here, because, well, I don't really practice much of it.  I was born/baptized Catholic, but had a rather less-than-devout upbringing.  Not that I didn't go to church on occasion, and I suffered through 8 years of PSR, but organized religion just wasn't a huge part of my life.  

Please don't confuse my lack of participation in the Church with lack of faith.  My dad instilled a very strong sense of faith in me, and even though we didn't warm a pew on Sundays, I have always had a strong belief in something "greater than myself."

While I haven't been a practicing Catholic in many, many years, I still find it difficult to deny myself the traditions observed by it's followers.  And as we enter the season of Lent, I can't help myself but get drawn in by the allure of meatless Fridays and fish fries.

So, you will see me making an effort to prepare more fish recipes in the coming months.  Not just because of the season.  Because if I forget the day of the week (which happens quite often) and eat a cheeseburger for lunch, I'm not going to flog myself in punishment.  But fish is also quite tasty and really good for you.  Although I'm sure frying it cancels out any health benefit.

However, if you are eating fish for the religious custom, or maybe you are just a little like me, this recipe is perfect!  Because it is quick, easy, affordable, and... fried.   

Homemade Fish Sticks
3-4 Tilapia fillets
1 egg + 1 tbsp water
1 cup breadcrumbs (I like to use a mixture of regular crumbs and something crunchy like panko or corn flakes)
2-3 tsp seasoning of your choice

CUT tilapia in strips.  I just split each one into two "sticks" because that's how I roll.  In a pan, heat up enough oil to coat the pan generously.  In the meantime, dunk your fish into the egg and coat with the seasoned breadcrumbs.  Set aside until oil is hot.  (You'll know it's ready when you put the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil and it bubbles.  That's my ghetto frying thermometer.)  Pan fry the fish until golden on each side and cooked through.  This won't take long.  And serve with dipping sauce of your choice. 

I was totally going to take photos of this recipe for you.  But someone ate them all before I had the chance.  That's how good it was.  I'll be making it again soon enough, so maybe I'll have better luck next time.

A few notes...  You can really change the flavor of this dish with different seasonings in the breadcrumbs.  My favorites are Mexican/Southwest (chili powder, cumin, cayenne), Italian, and lemon pepper.  Or you can use a store bought blend.  Which is what I did this time.  And it was stellar.  Served with homemade tarter sauce?  Fantastic.  Just be wary that many blends already have salt added.  Oops.

If you are lucky enough to have a Penzey's Spices near you, you should go buy this blend.  I've used it on chicken, pork, and now fish and it's great every time.  And even if you don't have a Penzey's, you can order through their online catalog.  You'll be glad you did.

10 Things...

1.  I am deathly afraid of bees.  I can't even watch them on TV without getting the willies and running away screaming.  I was going to add (someone else's) pictures to this post, but I googled "bees" and was so freaked out, I hid under my desk in the fetal position.  Needless to say, I broke up with Google.  He knows I can't look at pictures of people covered in bees.

2.  I'm adopted.  And have never pursued a search for my biological parents.  I already have parents.  Why do I need more?

3.  I don't lose things.  However, by saying this now, I will lose something imperative to my survival.

4.  I haven't had a haircut in over a year.  Sad, I know.

5.  I am really good at Scrabble.  And really bad at Chess.  And if I ever get on Wheel of Fortune?  Watch out.  I'm taking home the Mercedes.  Although I'd rather have the cash.  Do you know what the taxes would be on a Mercedes??

6.  I have a distinct hatred for certain words.  Especially ones that have an "oi" sound.  I cringe at the thought of the one that starts with an "m" and ends with an "st."  You will never hear me say it.  But on the contrary, there are also words that I love.  Like "pulse," "breath," and "persevere."

7.  I've been told that my music collection looks like it belongs to a lesbian.  Which I am assuming is a HUGE compliment because Ani DiFranco is so frickin' amazing that I've dedicated 37% of my iPods memory to her music.

8.  I still miss my last apartment.  I painted horizontal stripes down the 26' long hallway.  It rocked my socks off.  I wish I had somewhere in my current house to paint stripes.  My husband is really glad we don't.

9.  We are going to die in this house.  I'm emotionally fragile and I don't think I can take getting to know a new house, with new problems.  So, I guess I will never have stripes again. 

10.  We have a cemetery behind our house.  So, the next time I do move, at least it isn't far.  Maybe someone will paint stripes in my casket.  That would make me eternally happy. 

11.  Although I think I want to be cremated.

Today I am being featured on Talk About Me Tuesday over at The Not-So-Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom!  I hope you'll stop by and check it out!

Meal Planning Monday & Blog Hop!

I'm afraid that you guys may be getting a little deja vu this week...  Again.  You'll notice that enchiladas are on the menu once again this week.  Not because we've been eating copious amounts of enchiladas.  Because we keep pushing it back. 

That's the reality of meal planning, though.  Sometimes things come up.  Sometimes you need to be flexible.  Sometimes you just need to eat leftovers.

This week is full of quick and easy meals.  Because we've got our plates full getting ready for a certain almost 2 year old's birthday party.  So, while the month long meal plan is great for stocking the pantry, it's difficult to predict what kind of curve balls are going to require dodging.

Monday:  Greek Take-out (because I threw my back out on Sunday...  whoops)

Tuesday:  Grilled Salmon, Peas, Rice

Wednesday:  Beef Enchiladas, Beans

Thursday:  Crockpot Chicken, Roasted Beets with Sauted Greens, Potatoes

Friday:   Fish Tacos, Rice

I love to read other people's meal plans.  Besides getting new ideas and recipes, I enjoy seeing what other people are eating.  The same reason I like looking in people's carts at the grocery store.  I'm a bit of a voyeur like that.

If you agree, or you just like a good blog hop, link up your weekly meal plan so we can share some great recipes and spread the glory that meal planning brings!






<br /> <center><a border="0" href="http://dearmommybrain.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1035.photobucket.com/albums/a431/jenemersonbinning/MealPlanningMonday.gif"/></a></center><br />

Here's how it works...

• Follow Dear Mommy Brain so when I pop up in your reader every week you can imagine me tapping on your shoulder reminding you to write that meal plan!
• While you're at it, follow my super-cool blog buddy & hop co-host, Kristy at Darn Near Domestic.  You'll be glad you did.
• Link up your weekly meal plan and don't forget to grab our button to spread the word and recruit more meal planners!

Flip Book: Swinging

Commentluv

I wanted to reach out to all my commenters on yesterday's post and shout out a big, "THANK YOU!"  And since Blogger doesn't like to make that real easy via comments, I thought I'd go this route.  Because I really appreciate you all for reading and offering your support in our War on Debt and I want the world to know how awesome you are.  I love you all more than my luggage.

I also wanted to tell you that I've mulled over all your ideas/suggestions (at 3am when Matt's alarm woke me up) and I think I've got a system that might work better for us.  Granted, my thoughts are not so clear in the middle of the night, so it may require some additional tweaking...

Step 1:  Switch to cash for incidental purchases.  Things like grabbing food on the go, sodas, cigarettes.  This will pretty much be our QuikTrip budget.  We go to QT a lot.  But once the cash is gone, we'll have to find another way to fuel our vices.  That will be a struggle, I'm sure.

Step 2:  Create better practices for watching our spending.  I use Microsoft Money and love it.  I can import all of our accounts and it will do all my calculations, account balancing, and even cash flow projections for me.  I've never really gotten the hang of the budget function, big surprise, but the projections are fantastic for planning larger bills and purchases.  The downside?  I don't like to sit at the computer for extended periods of time.  Probably because that's what I do at work all day.  So, I end up going through bills about every few months, or when creditors start calling to find out why I haven't paid that bill they sent me three months ago.  Whoops.  *head/desk*

Step 3:  Set up concrete savings goals.  We recently switched to a new banking platform that has all kinds of fancy-schmancy financial features.  It might even be cooler than Microsoft Money.  Time will tell.  It is a network of three accounts- a spend account, a reserve account, and a growth account.  The reserve account acts like an intermediary checking/saving account so that the money is there and accessible, but it's still separate.  And that's what I like.  It also has a money flow calendar, spending analysis tools, and saving goals.  I'm still playing around with the set-up, but feel like it will organize my thoughts money much more effectively than my current lack of system.

The main thing I've discovered is that for a system to work, it's got to be easy.  And by going with cash for select expenses, that's a lot less transactions I need to reconcile.  By using the new banking platform, I will have access to data anywhere, not just on my PC in the basement.

The next step will be sitting down with Matt and prioritizing our savings goals.  Sounds like a fun Friday night at our house!

*I have also installed Commentluv and am looking for some feedback.  Is it easier/harder to comment?  Hopefully, this will allow me to connect with my followers easier, but I want to hear what you think!

**Commentluv appears to only be showing up once you go to the actual post page, so if you would like to leave a comment, please click on the post title.  I am working on this kink and hope to have a resolution very soon.

***Commentluv has been uninstalled.  Sorry, but this post is kinda jacked up now, so if you would like to leave a comment, feel free to use yesterday's post to share your thoughts.  And if you know of a better plugin for Blogger comments, I'm taking suggestions.

Comments, Questions, Concerns, Dreams for the future...?

It used to be that I dreaded the end of the month.  Because that's when all the bills were due. 

But things are looking up these days and with an increased income from my new full-time position and our tax refund in the bank, I was able to pay all the bills today with plenty to spare.  It was exhilarating... 

But scary, too.  Because for so long I've had to track every dollar and pinch every penny to ensure there would be enough for the mortgage... utilities... food.  And I haven't done that this month.  And I feel a little out of control.  And you know what that does to my OCD.

We are still adjusting to our new "budget."  I say "budget" loosely because we really don't have one.  We were in such a routine with our finances, I haven't really had to follow a budget for awhile.  Our utilities were almost always the same each month.  We knew how much to allow for pharmacy costs.  Everytime I went to the grocery store, I spent about $40.  It was predictable. 

And even though our bills haven't changed, something is different.  We've loosened our belt.  We're buying things we have been putting off for over two years because we couldn't afford them.  And I haven't really sat down and organized those things yet.  So I feel like we're bleeding money.  Especially after spending $100 for Matt and I to go out on a much needed date.  Who knew that dinner and a movie cost so much?

But to combat this spending anxiety, I've just opened up a couple new savings accounts so that I can limit the amount available in checking.  Because I know if I see money, I will spend money.  That's the reason that I don't carry cash.  Because I'm addicted to vending machines and I can't be trusted to just say no to the Hostess cupcakes. 

However, on the positive side, we did manage was make a big dent in our credit cards this past month.  We paid a total of $1471.30 towards the debt, which caught us back up to our 12 month plan.   The best part was that I realized that in two short months, we have already reduced our credit card debt by nearly 16%.  One credit card is already paid off and another is well on it's way.  Bye, bye, Dingo.  Back up off my baby.

	Aardvark	Badger	Chinchilla	Dingo
	8.24%	17.90%	11.15%	23.99%
January	$84.66	$48.00	$47.00	$400.00
February	$79.97	$803.82	$48.00	$539.51
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Balance	$4,774.20	$2,771.05	$2,488.93	$0.00

What are your tips for creating/managing your budget?