The Miniature Disasters and Minor Catastrophes of Motherhood

It seems as though life is full of little mishaps. I try to stay positive and find the humor in all of these little faux pas. I thought I'd list just a few of my miniature disasters and minor catastrophes for all of you so that you too can delight in my crazy moments. Enjoy!

1. On my 7 year anniversary, I was trying to get dinner together while Jordan was feeding Greyson. Jordan asks me to grab a bib. I grab a bib, walk over, and proceed to try to wrap this tiny little piece of cloth around my husbands neck.

2. Back before Harper was potty trained, I felt like I was changing all day. On more then one occasion I would keep changing the same child's diaper, and forgetting about the other. I would get Greyson up from a nap and he would be completely soaked. Or Harper would run downstairs after playing in his room for a while, and his diaper would be hanging around his knees. Oops.

3. At the zoo Harper decided he wanted to get out of the stroller. I, of course, was distracted and talking to my friend. He fell out and as I am about to run over his leg with the stroller an older women screams (as if I was about to run him over with a car) telling me to stop. I mean really, a 30 lb stroller is not going to dismember him....but I kindly thanked the women for the warning :).

4. On more then one occasion an intamate moment with my husband has ended with me being covered in one of my children's vomit.

5. At one point my room had a patriotic theme due to poop, vomit, and urine. In the middle of the night Harper threw up, causing a late night sheet change, by morning Greyson's diaper had leaked causing a second, early morning, sheet change. As the sun came up, and I looked at my bed I realized that my pillow cases where still white, our bottom sheet was blue, and our flat sheet was red. God bless America!!

6. Baby food sneezes (the baby, not me). You get the picture.

7. I was waiting in a public restroom with Harper. That week he was trying really hard to figure out the differences between boys and girls (not "parts", but just in general). Anyway, we were waiting there behind a somewhat pimply, flat chested (late bloomer?), kind of tom-boyish, adolescent girl. Harper exclaims with pride "Mommy, it's a boy!" UGH! "No Harper, that is a girl." I tried my best to explain to this 13ish year old girl that my son has trouble figuring out who is a girl and who is a boy, partially due to the fact that he lives in a house full of boys. I hope he didn't cause permanent damage.

8. The irony of naps. It seems that almost everyday, when one finally falls asleep for their nap, the other wakes up.

9. Four words: Harper, diarrhea, underwear, Southern Sun. Enough said. Daddy took care of that one :).

There are so many little things in life when piled into a single day seems overwhelming and stressful, but when you look at them individually they are usually quite humorous. I read a book recently about motherhood and the stresses we put on ourselves and other moms. I think it's so important to just relax, have fun, and remember to find the humor in life. Here are a few thoughts from the book...

"...I think it's worth trying to be a mother who delights in who her children are, in their knock-knock jokes and earnest questions. A mother who spends less time obsessing about what will happen, or what has happened, and more time reveling in what is. A mother who doesn't fret over failings and slights, who realizes that her worries and anxieties are just thoughts, the continuous chattering and judgement of a too busy mind. A mother who does her best, and for whom that is good enough, even if, in the end, her best turns out to be, not bad." - Ayelet Waldman, "Bad Mother"

Friends

"Sometimes I see myself fine, sometimes I need a witness

And I like the whole truth

But there are nights I only need forgiveness

Sometimes they say "I don't know who you are

But let me walk with you some"

And I say "I am alone, that's all

You can't save me from all the wrong I've done."

But they're waiting just the same

With their flashlights and their semaphores

And I'll act like I have faith and like that faith never ends

But I really just have friends"

- Dar Williams

Every time I hear this song I am reminded how precious friendship and community are. I don't know where I would be in life if I didn't have a "witness" to remind of who I am and where I have come from. Sometimes, you just need someone to sit with you, and listen, and not judge....just love. Because they know who you are, even in your ugliest moments, they know YOU...the real you. They know what to say, or not to say.

My friends and family are a special bunch. Each and everyone has something beautiful to share with this world. Each one has something that I can learn from. Sometimes I feel like a black page. All of my friends and family have each made their mark on me. Sometimes the mark is pain, but mostly the mark is some form of beauty.

I desire every day to be a good friend, a good daughter, a good sister, a good wife, and a good mom. I want my mark to be one of love and those most important in my life. I want to make an impression. I want to be known by my love in the way Jesus was known. I want to show that I care. That I love. I want to be known to be able to be a witness to the good of a person in their moment of struggle, or pain. I want to be able to hold someone up, and have faith for them, when they are not strong enough on their own.

This is just something that's been in my head lately, so I thought I'd share.

You can listen to the whole song here, or just read the lyrics here. It's a beautiful, but very slow, song. Enjoy.

Running. (sorry this took a while)

As most of you probably know, I spent this summer training for a half marathon. I'm not going to be shy here, I am very proud of myself. First of all, running is NEVER something that I thought I could do. As a young child, and into my teens, I struggles with pretty severe asthma. When we had to run a mile in 6th grade for our fitness test....well, lets just say, I was last, and you probably could have watched almost a full episode of the office (minus commercials) before I finished. When I went to high school all my girl friends joined the cross country team. The thought of running made me cringe, but all of my friends were doing it, and in high school, you just have to succumb to those kinds of pressures. Let me tell you, I am so glad that I did. I loved it!! In many ways, it probably changed my life.

Fast forward 7 years. After having Harper, I decided to run a half marathon. My sweet friend, decided she was going to run with me. We lasted about 1 week before she got pregnant and decided training would be a bit to tricky while pregnant (very smart move) and I, in turn, gave up. I felt like a bit of a failure...ok....a LOT like a failure.

Fast forward 2 1/2 more years. I just had my second son, Greyson. I was feeling fat, out of shape, and frankly, a little depressed about life. I needed something. I started thinking about what I could do to help myself feel better. I needed to get in shape, I needed a goal that I could accomplish (being a competetive person this a big mood lifter), I needed something just for me. I tried running once, and it was bad. I gave it a second shot when a friend of mine invited me to run with her. I don't know if it was her sweet words of encouragement, or the motivation of not wanting to slow her down, but I ran, and it felt great! With these new found feelings of accomplishment I decided train for a half marathon....again.

Training was not easy. First, family vacation happened. I was lazy and didn't run for over a week. When I got back into my training, I was struggling. I didn't think I could do it, but I pushed through. Then, just as I started feeling better my knees starting giving me trouble. The doctor okay'ed me to run, but a decided to take an extra day off, buy new cushy shoes, and hope for the best. The day before I was supposed to jump back into training I got into a car accident and hurt my back. For 2 weeks, I was not allowed to run. During these 2 weeks fear started building that there would be no way for me to do it. I tried to convince myself it was ok. There was a reason I was giving up...I had an excuse. But I still couldn't shake the feeling of failure. That first day back running was painful. Overall I felt great, but my back did not. I knew there was no way I could get back into shape in just 2 and half weeks. With the help of my chiropractor, my friends running the race with me, and my beloved husband, I somehow kept going. I didn't let myself give up.

Also, did I mention I am still breast feeding my (then) 5 month old son? On the last few long runs I had to feed him, run, then come back and feed him again. It was tiring!! He was also in the habit of waking up every 2 hours at night to eat and I had to get up at 7am to run! This was probably my biggest hurdle...pure exhaustion. I told you I wasn't going to be shy. I'm proud of myself for doing this!

The race was hard. The sun was hot. The hills were looong. But I did it. I crossed the finish line in just over 2 1/2 hours. I'm so glad I did it, and so glad it's over :). I may do another one some day, but for now, I'm taking a break and sticking with 5k's.

I love running.

This is Liz....

I mentioned a week, or so, ago that I was thinking about changing my blog name. I decided to keep the name, and just take out any specific focus. I enjoy having a place I can write, and I want to write about anything I feel the urge to write about. My thoughts are often random, my passions are often shifting, and my struggles are often overwhelming....so I'm just going to write. Whatever comes to mine, whenever that may be. Thanks for being a part of my journey.

Changing my blog name.

In the last few weeks I realized that I have fallen from what my original blog set out to do. So, I'm revamping. Not sure what I'll change, or what it will be called, but I'm thinking about it. I'm sure the content will stay pretty much the same.

Well, that's all I have to say about that.

A friend said it best, "Today I got a workout AND a therapy session."

Just about two months ago, I dove head first (you can take this literally, have you every seen a downward dog?) into the world of yoga. I've enjoyed the relaxation, stretching, and the subtly of a killer work out.

Most weeks I giggle to myself as the class chants and "oms", and the instructor talks about opening our hands to the earth and drinking the juice of the peaches, and connecting into and becoming one with the universe. This last Tuesday however, as the instructor began going through her flow of poses she mentioned that many of the poses we were doing were poses of gratitude, I found myself in a beautiful place of praise and worship to the Creator of the Universe, the earth, and even the juice of the peaches. In each mountain pose, with a slight backbend, I offered up my thanks the the Lord. As I laid on the floor in Savasana at the end of class, I was brought to a new place of gratitude. I was reawakened to all the things that God has given me, and found myself humbled in His glory.

Today was an especially, how do I say this, "earthy" class. If you don't know, today is the autumnal equinox: equal light, equal night. Our instructor talked about the balance and tension between these two very different things and finding the balance within ourselves. She came back to this theme more often that I could handle, but it is a refreshing reminder. I need to balance myself, as a mother, a wife, a chef, a maid, a friend, a person. She also was talking about seasons. She encouraged us as we entered into the fall season to leave our "stuff" behind: the struggles, the crisis, the frustrations, the lessons learned. I realized that I have things I need to leave at the door of this last season of my life and need to go into this next season with the newfound gratefulness. Here are a few of the things that I need to leave behind....

• self doubt
• guilt
• impatience
• selfishness
• want

What are some of the things that you need to leave behind you as you enter into a new season? What are some of the things that you have learned this last season that you can take with you on your journey?

Tomorrow is the Big Day!!

Tomorrow morning I will be running my first half marathon with my friend Shannon! I can't believe it is here. I can't lie, I am nervous. It's so weird to have the jitters about something. I'll write more next week about the race and my training and struggles and joys in the midst of it!

Aaaahhhh! Start time is 9am...pray for me :).

The 4th goal.

I think I will make my 4th goal a blog challenge. So.

4. I will blog at least once a week. No more explanation needed :).

4 months. 4 goals.

I like goals. I like things to keep me going and motivated. My friend Shauna has challenged herself to commit to 4 goals in the last 4 months of 2010. I LOVE this idea, and am stealing it :). Thanks, Shauna!!

Here goes....

ONE. I am going to try to keep our food and dining budget to $350/month. I would like to keep it under, but I don't have the time and energy I had before Greyson was born to clip coupons and cook dinner. Also, we are about to start feeding Greyson baby food, so now there will be 4 mouths to feed (well, at least we now have to pay to feed Greyson). I am planning to pull out cash at the beginning of every month, and keeping it in an envelope....you know, old school budgeting :). If the cash gets low, I'll have to stretch it as far as I can. Could be lots of pasta and hotdogs, I guess I'll have to be creative.

TWO. Stick to my work out plan. After taking a 2 week break from running (after my accident), I realized just how much I missed it. I feel alive when I run, plus it allows me more calories for delicious foods....which also makes me happy :). So, overall, I think I am a happier person when I run. My goal is to run at least 2 times a week, and do yoga at least once. My actual work out schedule is to run 3 times and do yoga twice, but I'm trying to be reasonable :).

THREE. Read. This was a New Years Resolution that I have not done well with....I am still reading the same book :). I just picked it up again and am thoroughly enjoying the quiet time to myself. So I think I need to start this up again. I want to finish the book I am reading and finish 1 more book before the year ends.

FOUR. Insert your thoughts here. Now I need your help. I'm stuck. I need a realistic goal that will make my life or someone else's a little better. Please, share all of your ideas!!

A feast from a few simple ingredients.

Ugh! It is stupid HOT today. I am stuck at home with my 2 boys trying to keep cool. You know it's hot when your 2.5 year old isn't bugging you to go outside, and is preferring to sit next to the fan over running around the house like a crazy person. Lunch time came around, and I was stumped. I definitely didn't want to turn on my stove, and I've had sandwiches the last 3 days in a row. I was on facebook having some funny conversations about cutting mangos, which I have only recently begun to enjoy, and began to think of things I could make with a mango. I opened my fridge and pulled out things from my fruit/veggie basket and created the most yummy lunch EVER! It could easily be an impressive dinner at a very low cost! I've only calculated the recipe to serve one, but it would be pretty simple to multiply to your needs. So, here is my cheap, yummy, simple, healthy lunch!

1/2 of a mango, diced

1/2 of an avocado, diced

4ish cherry tomatoes, cut in half

3ish tablespoons of black beans (I heated mine in the micro for a few seconds)

the green part from one green onion

juice from half a lime

salt and pepper to taste

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and stir. I split the mixture between 3 corn tortilla's with a bit of sour cream on each tortilla.

Oh my, oh my, oh my. It was perfect on this hot summer day, not to mention super healthy!

This meal is only about $1.50 per person @ 3 tortillas a serving :). The cost, of course, is low b/c I bought almost all my ingredients on sale, but none of the ingredients are very expensive even if they are not on sale. If you want to fancy it up for probably about $.50/person, throw some shrimp on the grill and add it to the mix....I think I'll do that next time!

Seriously...go make this. It's good.

My heart tells me I'm a painter, but my hands say otherwise.

I love the idea of painting. When I see beautiful things my heart says "paint it." I feel like it is what some photographers must think when the see something breathtaking. The problem is, I can't paint. Outside of a few cutesy animal pictures that I painted for my boys room, and a couple of abstract lines I painted on a canvas for my bedroom, I have never created anything worth displaying. Now, I am not saying this for anyone to say "it's all in my head" and "that I really am good"....it's just that the beautiful picture I have in my head never turns out like I want it too.

A few weeks ago I went with a dear friend down to old town Lafayette to listen to some live music with the kiddos. Accompanying the sweet sound of the flute there was a painter. She was painting a simple flower in a tiny vase. I watched as she layered the paint, each layer bringing it closer to life. It went from abstract smudges and lines to something absolutely amazing.

I realized tonight why I have never been able to paint the way I would like. I can't see the layers. I see the final product in my head, and don't know what steps I need to take to get there. I rush through the process, don't let the paint dry, focus on one little area...you get the idea. I forget the big the picture.

I was pondering life this evening, which generally happens when I'm so very hormonal (sorry to any males reading this blog...just giving you the facts). I realized that I have the same tunnel vision when it comes to life. I have this picture of who I want to be, what I want my body to look like, who I want my kids to become, what I want my life to look like. I'm not saying that I have this idealistic image of life, some expectation I can't meet, I just struggle to see the steps towards the top.

So, tonight I am trying to appreciate the smudges of paint that is the painting of my life. Knowing that those smudges are necessary and just the beginning of something beautiful. And most of all, seeing these beginning layers as a thing of beauty all on their own.

Bucket List

My days.

1:30 am: Hopefully Greyson is still sleeping from his 7:30/8pm bedtime. But who knows, I might be feeding him.

3 am: Greyson wakes up to eat. Feed him.

6 am: Greyson wakes up to eat. Feed him. Sleep may continue at this point, or Harper wakes up and our day begins.

7 am: Definitely up by now, make breakfast, drink coffee, decide what I will do today.

8 am: Clean kitchen, start laundry, debate whether or not I should get me and the kids ready and take the 1 hour journey to take to jordan to work and back so I have a car?

9 am: Usually decided not to take Jordan to work, and begin feeling clostrophobic in my house.

10am: Walk? I hope it's not raining.

11 am: What to do, what to do...

12/1 pm: Lunch. Harper naps, hopefully. Greyson naps, hopefully. Me....clean, cook, sit for about 10 minutes, maybe even make myself an iced latte.

2/2:30 pm: Everyone is awake. Now what?

3 pm: Walk....somewhere, anywhere.

4 pm: Movie/TV time for Harper so I can clean/cook.

5:30 pm: Dinner.

6 - 7:30 pm: Do whatever I can to not go crazy during Greyson's "crabby" time, and Harper's "almost time for bed" time....Jordan get's home at 7:30.

By 8 pm: Jordan is putting Harper down, I'm putting Greyson down.

8:30 pm: T.V. is on, computer is open, brain is tired.

9 pm: Debate whether or not it is too early to go to bed, eventually decided that it is ok to be lame, and I go to bed.

This is my life in a nutshell. Every once in a while there is some quality time with friends, a trip to the grocery store, some good ole' fashion fun. But mostly, these are my days.

As you can imagine it can get very mundane. I love being with my kids, I do, and I know that every moment we spend together I am teaching them something, and that this is preparing them to be wonderful, loving, responsible adults someday. But sometimes, I feel like I'm working towards nothing, not "going" anywhere. I get stuck in a pattern.

Jordan is at school, getting some kind of degree, and learning all sorts of things. And trust me, I DO NOT want to be in school right now (I'd rather stab a pencil in my eye), but I feel like I do need to be working towards something....for me.

So, I sat down and started a bucket list. I thought maybe if I could just get a few "goals" written down, some vision for where I see my life going, that I would feel as though I had a bit more of a purpose in my daily life.

As I started writing things down I realized that there were 2 categories. Those that take money to accomplish, and those that don't. For instance, buying a house, taking my family on a trip out of the country, get a tattoo, own a business cost a lot of money. But there are a quite a few that would cost me little to no money! Here are a few of the things that I can do for myself...

1) Learn how to play piano

2) Run a marathon

3) Be on a TV game show

4) Hike a 14er

I think that I am going to challenge myself to accomplish one of these things within the next year. I don't want to go crazy because I really want to enjoy this time I have with my kids, but I also know I will be a better Mom if I am working towards a goal that revolves around me.

I'm not sure which one I will choose, but I do think this is one of the best ways of accomplishing my journey towards mastering the art of making something out of nothing. In a marathon you only need a good pair of shoes, and your body. To be on a TV show, all you need to do apply (I SOOOO want to be on amazing race). You get the point. I also think that I will feel a more of a sense of purpose in my everyday life, I'll feel like I am working towards something. So here goes....

What are some of the things on your bucket list that you can start checking off?

Is it worth it?

Hello again! I can't believe it's been over 2 months since I last posted! Oh wait, yes I can. I HAD A BABY! I think that's worth a two month break, don't you?

Since having Greyson Daniel, back on March 16th, I have been slacking in my deal finding. I still clip coupons and score some good deals now and again, but it's not with the same passion and commitment I had just a few short weeks ago. Last week, as I was making dinner, I realized that even the little effort I put in, pays off. The dinner that I was making was a quick simple meal.... spaghetti. Jordan was at work, I was tired and it's what I had in the house. Why did I have it in the house? Well, I had clipped a buy one get one free coupon for sausage, and when it was on sale for buy one get one free at my local grocery store last month, I picked up 2 lbs for FREE! I threw it in my freezer for a rainy day. The box of whole wheat penne I had sitting in my cabinet that I had picked up the previous month was also FREE (on sale combined with a coupon). So I started thinking about the things I had used throughout the week that I had gotten with coupons and other deals: food, magazines, beauty products, etc. So, if you are out there wondering if all these tiny efforts really make a difference....THEY DO! Here's a quick list of a few of the things that I have saved some money on and a total of how much I actually saved.

Sausage: 4.40 - Free

Pasta: 2.00 - Free

Women's Health 1 yr subscription: 12.00 - Free

Origins facial cleanser: 18.50 - Free

Special K cereal: 3.90 - 1.40 (times 4 boxes - It's Jordan's favorite)

Starbucks coffee: 8.99 - 4.99 + free tall coffee coupon on bag (1.50 - Free)

Kiddy toilet: 22.00 - 9.00 (like new at a kids consignment sale)

= $65.50

This is just a small list of savings that I used in one week alone and it totals to $65.50!! These are all things that I would normally buy, or need! It only takes a few minutes to clip a coupon, check a website, and think through some purchases to get these kinds of savings. All in all, I have decided that it is worth my effort and although my spare time has become more limited with the addition of Greyson into my life, I will continue to try and same my family a few extra dollars with my deal hunting habits.

The art of being grateful.

As I have been pondering over what my next blog should be, one thing kept coming to mind. Gratefulness. I feel as though the last few blogs have been slightly more practical, which is totally necessary, but more then anything, if I look back at my first blog and the direction I'm trying to take my life this year I keep coming back to the idea of being grateful. The idea of making something out of nothing means nothing if you don't appreciate the nothing and the something. I hope that you understand what I mean when I say that. I can't really think of another way to put that thought into words.

When you don't have much money, it is hard to think about much else. You worry over your budget, you think of ways to save, think of all the things you could be doing, or could be buying. You can get caught in a sad, frustrating, SELFISH tornado of pity. Somedays I find myself in this place. I think about how fun it would be to buy Harper a brand new thomas train, about how I would love to treat myself to a pedicure, how much easier it would be if I could just go out to eat and order whatever it was I was craving. I remember all the times I didn't have to think twice about doing those things. But then I have days that I have a little bit of perspective, when I am truly grateful. I have an amazing husband, who sacrifices so much of his time to provide for our family now (work) and the future (school). I have a healthy adorable happy 2 year old little boy who brings so much joy and entertainment to my day. All of our family that do whatever they can for us, even from more then half way across the country. My friends, oh my, my friends. Their love and generosity means the world to me. I just don't know what I would do with out them. I could on on and on about all the things that I am grateful for.

I sat down on Sunday and started to write thank you notes to all the lovely women who came to little Greyson's baby shower. I was overwhelmed with love and thankfulness for each of the women there that night. There was just not enough space on each of those tiny little blue and brown thank you notes to fill with my gratitude for them and their generosity and love. I don't want to forget this feeling of gratefulness. How I felt as I sat and attempted to put words on a blank note that could somehow convey my feelings is how I want to feel every moment of every day....because in every moment of every day there is something to be that grateful for.

This is how I need to choose to live my life, living in a place of gratefulness. Take a moment today to think about all that you have to be thankful for, take a minute to write a friend a card, telling them what they mean to you. Take a few moments to cuddle with your significant other, your child, your mom, your dad, your best friend. Do whatever it is you need to do to remind yourself that there is always something to be grateful for. I leave you today with one of my favorite prayers of all time....one that my grandfather has said before every meal for as long as I can remember.

"God is good, God is great. Thank Him for this food, thank Him for this day. Amen." ~ Victor Botteron

Confessions of a Failed New Year's Resolution

The title may be a little over dramatic, but after completing a sad sad task, I'm feeling a little bummed. Although, that is why I am here. I'm confessing my original success and my current failure and then I am going to jump back on the resolution train!!

As I mentioned in my last blog, our grocery budget is the big monster that I've been trying to get under control. There are 3 ways I have set out to accomplish my goal: Meal planning, coupon clipping, and less waste. Today....it's all about the waste :(.

The last 2 months (I started this resolution back in December) I have been really good about using all of our groceries, and not letting things go to waste. Left overs have been eaten, the last bits of veggies and fruit have been added to random dishes, fruit salads, and smoothies in order to make sure our food and money did not end up in the trash.

Last month I started to doing some research on our food waste as an american culture. The numbers were shocking!! First of all, the average household wastes 25% off the food that comes into their house. Think about your food budget, now take 25% off that and imagine just tossing it into the trash! It makes me sick to my stomach! For those of you who might not have a specified grocery budget, this works out to be about $600 a year for the average family. One other number that stood out to me, that had nothing to do with my personal financial situation but still was eye opening, is that about 40% of what the U.S. harvests every year.....never gets eaten!!!! Just think about how many hungry people there are in the the world, how many people could we be feeding with this waste! The percentage of food waste comes from a few areas: from harvest to grocery store (food gets bruised, goes bad, etc), from grocery store to home (things that don't get purchased before the expiration date), from household food waste, restaurant left overs that never make it home, the list could go on and on....

I don't think there is much at this time in my life I can do to effect how we run our country and our food production, but I know that I can make a difference in my own home!

Here are a few things I've been doing in my home to stop wasting food:

1) Meal plans. With out a plan, food gets purchased with good intention of getting prepared, but with out a plan, it often sits with no where to go. No recipe to be included in. Forgotten. Eventually thrown away.

2) Keeping inventory. When making a meal plan, actually going through my fridge and pantry to see what I have. I create meals around what I have left from the week before to make sure everything gets used.

3) Wait just one more day to shop. I know you may not have milk for one more day, or you might be out of cereal....BUT, this forces you to get creative. No milk and cereal for breakfast, maybe you'll whip up a quick fruit salad with those random pieces of produce that no seems to be interested in eating, with a side of yogurt that only has a few days left before it goes bad. If you run off to the store, you are going to buy new fruit that will be way more exciting to eat then what you ate last week, and that yogurt will get shoved to the back of your fridge with the addition of all your new purchases. You'll have those left overs from 3 nights ago because there is no other option. I know this sounds crazy, but waiting an extra day or two on my shopping trip has really worked for me!

4) K.I.S.S (keep it simple stupid). I've tried to keep my meals simple. If it requires a bunch of weird ingredients that I don't use on a regular basis, I don't make it! There are plenty of recipes out there that have ingredients that I will use regularly and therefore will not get wasted! For me, things like wasabi paste, fish sauce, tapenade, etc.....are just not going to be used in my house and eventually get thrown away. This also helps with the grocery bill, I'm not paying $5 or $6 on a specialty item that I won't use, and lets be honest, I don't really need. For those of you who might be thinking that my meals are boring and bland....they are not. I still have lots of variety and fun in the kitchen :).

5) Bread crumbs. It's a small thing, but it is one of my favorites. No one in my house likes the heal of the bread and I hated throwing away 2 whole pieces of bread every week. Then there is always that loaf of french bread you buy to go with soup or pasta.....do you ever finish that last "nub"? Well, I make bread crumbs! Pop it in your food processor or blender after it goes stale. Then, I usually leave it out an extra few hours to get rid of any moister, and then put it in a tupperware, mason jar, or whatever type of holding device you choose. You can always add italian spices, or other flavors as you need it!

6) Put left overs in portioned containers. For all of you working folks out there, how often do you have left overs at home that never make it to work for lunch? Is it because you ran out of time to move your lunch size amount into a new tupperware? My guess is that this has happened a time or two. When I am packing up my left overs after dinner, I put them into lunch sized portions so as Jordan runs out for work in the morning I just have to hand him the container!

7) Empty Fridge. When all is said and done, my pantry, fridge, and freezer stay pretty empty. This helps me to see what I actually have on hand, and things aren't lost and forgotten!

Here comes the confession. Although these things have helped me tremendously, I have fallen of the band wagon. I just spent 20 minutes going through my fridge throwing away food :(. With each emptied container a part of my heart broke. The half of a pear that I could have eaten a few days ago, got passed up as my afternoon snack for the cookies I had made the night before. The left over mac and cheese was upstaged to the pot roast that I made too much of earlier in the week. The list goes on.

I'm not going to let this one week get me down. My fridge is clean, my meals have been planned, and I am moving forward.

I wish all of you luck as I hope you accept this blog as a challenge to have less waste in your home. Not only to help your food budget, but also to help us as a nation become slightly less wasteful. If any of you out there have any other great tips on cutting back on food waste, please share them...I need some new ideas and new motivation!

Minty Fresh

Last summer, Jordan discovered a wonderful online tool called Mint.com. For those of you who haven't heard about it, it is a website that you link to your bank account, credit cards, school loans, savings accounts, 401k's, and any other financial "stuff" you might have going on (it is super safe and secure, otherwise Jordan would have never opened and account). This tool tracks the money coming in and out of your life. It then catagorizes what you are spending into groups that you select, i.e. food/dining, rent/mortgage, shopping, entertainment, car payment, car insurance, phone bills, etc, etc, etc...

This last summer we signed up. We didn't initially create a budget because we were honestly not sure how much we were spending each month and what exactly we were spending it on. Well, after that first month we were horribly aware of where our money was going, and how much of it was doing just that.....GOING! We sat down and looked at the areas that we could cut back. Jordan and I have always tried to live pretty simply. We don't have a new car, so we don't have a huge car payment (which we paid off last November!!), we don't have the biggest phone plan, we have the smallest cable package available, so there weren't a lot to save. The one area that surprised us the most and the area that we could effect the most was Food and Dining. It was shocking how much we spent on going out to eat as well as on groceries. In the next few weeks I'm going to go over some of the ways I have cut back because I have a feeling this is where many of us struggle. I have recently read that for most Americans the food bill is the second highest to our rent/mortgage!!

Anyways, I'm sharing this to encourage those of you who are trying to be a little more frugal and aware of your financial situation to check out this website and USE IT! It's a great way of holding yourself accountable to what you are spending every month. For some of you, you might be sickened by the percentage of your paycheck going to Starbucks and that maybe you should buy a travel mug and brew a pot of coffee at home once in a while, for others, you might find that you stop for lunch and few too many times each week and should pack a lunch a little more often. You might realize how much you are paying in credit cards fees/apr's and you need to get on the phone with your credit card companies and see if they can do anything about it? For some, you may see that little spot on the bottom of the page that gives your net worth....and it's not pretty. Some of you may realize that with a few cut backs, you could be putting some money away for a tropical vacation. Hopefully a few of you realize you have some room in your budget to send me a big fatty check :)...j/k, I wanted to see if you were still paying attention! Anyway....

Whatever it is that may surprise you the most, I think the first step to being financially responsible is being financially aware.

7 factoids - a little off subject

Thanks Shauna :). I'd link you, but I'm just not that good yet...

1) I love having an afternoon treat. A latte, a coffee, a hot cocoa, a cookie. Something special to get through the rest of the day. Today I'm going with hot cocoa (with a little of coffee left over from this morning. Mmmm).

2) Now that I don't work at Gap as much, I actually fold my laundry and put it away. The clothes even make it back to the closet, or into the laundry basket most days! This is truly a miracle.

3) I like being crafty. I often have the urge to be artistic, but I'm never as talented/skilled as I would like to be. But I keep trying....that' s what counts!

4) If you asked me at age 16, I would have told you I was waiting until 30 to get married and have kids. I'm am currently married and about to have my second child all by the ripe old age of 27! I like when I'm wrong :).

5) I went to a Hanson concert with 5 other girls (most of which were 4+ years younger then me) and we wore black shirts with pink letters that spelled out "H-A-N-S-O-N". I am very proud of this moment.

6) I second guess myself all the time. I hate this...but can't seem to stop. My husband is the best at keeping me inline.

7) My "to-do" list is never-ending. Always.

Ok, now it's your turn. Either post this to your blog or leave me a comment with 7 little facts about you!!

The extravagance of a stroller.

There are so many places to start this story. I guess the best place would be to start at the beginning....

Back in July I found out I was pregnant with baby number two! In about the same amount of time it took for reality to hit, I also became very sick. I spent the rest of that summer in bed, or on the couch trying to cope the best I could. By the time I started to recover, Jordan and I were starting to discuss and pray about whether or not we should move back to Colorado. We decided to move, and began packing and preperations for our cross country journey. We arrived in Colorado on Dec. 5th, moved, and then had just enough time to celebrate Christmas and New Years. So, needless to say I haven't had much time to think about the fact that I am pregnant, and my life is about to get a little crazier!!

I decided that after the New Year I would have a bit more time and could actually sit down and think about all I needed to do to get ready for our second boy, Greyson Daniel. Since we are having another boy, our list of things we need to get is cut in half! No need for more blankets, bedding, clothes...you get my point. But as I sat down last week I realized that there was still a lot more on my list then I had money to buy. I started making a game plan. We could borrow a crib, a swing, and a few things from some good friends. I could easily find a few items second hand. I could even live with out a few items for a while. There were however a few more pressing items that had begun to stress me out.

1- A dresser

2- A double stroller

3- diapers (for those of you who don't know I use cloth, which will deserve its own blog one of these days :)!!)

For those of you who read my "getting over myself" blog, I was struggling to finding a cheap dresser. We came up with a solution, however I won't bore you with the details.....well, because that's not what this blog is about. As far as the diapers go.... I'm still working on this, and that is ok!

Now, the stroller. Oh the stroller. There is only one of me, and soon to be two of "them". As you can see, a device to haul two kids around is going to be quite the necessity. There are a lot of double strollers on the market. If you've never looked, please do, you will be shocked at the variety as well as the price tag!!
I began looking at second hand strollers. Most of them were old, clunky and still way to expensive. I looked at new "cheaper" ones, and those were still $200 - $300!

A friend of mine had recently purchased one of the best strollers money can buy on clearance at a local sporting goods store. She had decided to go with a different brand and was selling it for about $200 less then one would go for brand new (which this one pretty much was). She generously offered to sell it to us for less then what they would ask for it on craigslist, but still it came with a hefty price tag. Jordan and I discussed our options. How would we pay for it? Was it really worth it? But, before we went to bed that night we decided it just wasn't going to be possible.

Early the next morning, I got on the computer to do my morning social networking and found that I had an email from a friend. We had been emailing a bit about things we needed for the baby because she was wanting to send us a gift. Her email stated that she really wanted to help with something we were needing and to just let her know what that was. Even though Jordan and I had decided that we couldn't afford the stroller, I thought I'd mention it.

I left the house, ran some errands, and essentially forgot about the email. On my way home I got stopped at a light where a homeless man stood with his small cardboard sign asking for help. I watched as 5 cars lined up in the the right hand left turning lane....as far away as they could get and still get to where they needed to go. I actually needed to be in that lane as well, but as I pulled up I felt a twing in my heart. I thought to myself, "How awful. No one wants to pull up next to this man because they do not want to feel guilty about not giving him money." Selfishly, I didn't want to give up the few dollars I had in my wallet either because who knew when I would have them again? I couldn't believe that these thoughts were going through my head. Who am I to not share what I have?

So, I pulled out of my lane and headed over the man and passed him a few dollars. The light turned green. As I drove away I remembered what a very generous friend of mine had said a few days earlier. After already borrowing so many things from her, she kindly offered us more. In response to my sarcastic comment of "Why don't I just take your house and your car while I'm at it?!", she simply said "You know everything that I have is yours." This is how I needed to be. Even if I didn't have a lot, what I have is not mine. I wanted to learn to be more generous, less selfish, even if it meant giving away the last few dollars out of my wallet that I could have used to buy a secret Starbucks that Jordan would never see come out of our bank account (love you sweety).

When I got home, I had forgotten about this whole revelation in the chaos of feeding my 2 year old and getting him down for his nap. I got back online and began chatting with my mom about the stroller, she offered to help pay for it, but still I knew that we couldn't cover the remainder. I proceed to check my email and found an email from my friend saying that she was putting $200 in the mail to go towards the stroller. Tears welled up in my eyes as I read those words...as they are now just thinking about the love and generosity being shown to me. In less then 12 hours of decided to forget about the stroller, we had more then enough to cover it on its way! I spent the next hour in tears over the amazing ways God can use people to bless us. He could have provided a used stroller, or a little extra money for an "okay" stroller....but NO....He provided through my friends and family the best stroller money can buy! I feel extravagently loved and blessed by God, my friends, and my family. Life is good.

Thank you to all the friends mentioned in this blog....you know who you are :).

A few good webistes....

Hello!

This post is just a quick note to tell you about a few good sites that I have come across. One was recommended by a friend, the other two I stumbled upon in my search for great deals and free stuff :).

www.onefrugalchick.com

This site is for everyone. She posts a few times a day with a variety of things. Free tacos, free pretzels, what coupons are out that are good on items that are on sale at major national chains (making most things free or under a buck!)...she's got quite a few good ideas.

www.denvermetromoms.com

www.milehighmamas.com

These two are for those of us who live in Colorado. There are a ton of good ideas and deals on both sites! On denver metro moms, she posts a weekly shopping list/meal plan, and gives you 2 stores to shop at using their sales and coupons (last week was King Soopers and sunflower market)! It makes life a bit easier to start this type of penny pinching :). I think she works on a budget of $40 a week?!

What I've gotten using these sites....

• 2 free tacos
• free ben&jerry's ice cream
• free mag. subscription
• and a few others I don't remember at the moment

Just thought I'd share.

Getting over myself

Just over a month ago we moved back to Colorado. Beautiful Colorado! With the help of some wonderful friends we found a great town house for a great price with tons of space! Although we love our new home, Jordan and I both feel like our stuff doesn't 'fit'.

We have always rented...never bought. And in each house we've moved into (which has been more then I would like to admit), there has always been an little extra money to help make sense of awkward spaces, ugly fixtures, etc. If you have ever lived in a rental, you know exactly what I'm talking about! This time around, there was no money in the budget for new anything. So with my list of wants running long, and my bank account running low I've been trying to make it work.

I've come up with a few "fixes", but nothing fantastic. I have one successful fix, one complete failure (that I'm still determined to turn into a success), and then through all my frustrations, my lesson learned.

Success: Sheets for curtains. Yes, sheets for curtains. The previous tenant was apparently a freak of nature and decided that closet doors were not necessary. She removed them ALL, and threw them away! Our poor landlord had quite a mess to clean up after her eviction and one thing that is left for him to do is special order closet doors (for whatever reason the designer of the home decided closets should go to the ceiling, and they don't sell doors like that at lowe's). So, here were are, with out closet doors. The only thing I can think to cover my closets are curtains. As previously mentioned, these closets go all the way to the ceiling. Do you know how hard it is to find curtains that long? And when you do how much they cost?! It's ridiculous! Fabric is not cheap either. Even if you find decent material at $4 a yard, you still need 6+ yards....it adds up fast. One day I had an epiphany. I realized that most sheets are over 100 inches long, making them them the perfect length for curtains to cover my closets!! Being an avid thrifter, I often notice that there are an abundance of sheets at almost any second hand store. Used sheet on my bed, I admit, freak me out. But, used sheets as curtains...I could handle that. So I hit up my favorite thrift store on 50% off day, and scored a few sheets for $2 or $3 each! Then I found some cheap curtain rods for another $6 and *BAM* I have closet doors for less then $10!

Failure: Although craigslist is incredibly helpful 99% of the time, we are currently in a fight. With our second child's arrival just around the corner we are finding there are more then just a few items we need. One of those items is a dresser. We've always made do with a bit of closet space and a few drawers on Harper's changing table for all of Harper's clothes, but with a second child....we need more storage! Silly me, thought "how hard could it possibly be to find a cheap functioning used dresser?". Well, apparently it can be VERY hard. I have visit approx. 3 thrift stores a week, and get on craigslist AT LEAST 3 times a day checking for a small, basic dresser for $40 or less. Impossible! The ones I find at thrift stores are too expensive, too ugly, or too broken. The ones on craigslist are mostly the same. I have come across a few, but by the time I email about them someone has already taken them. I am not lying to you when I say that I have emailed within 2 hours of a post and it has been gone! So, craigslist and I are in a fight...at least until I get what I want.

Lesson learned or better yet "Getting over it": I'm learning to get over myself. Who cares if I don't have the prettiest artwork, the most comfortable sofa, or the most perfectly coordinated interior design? Seriously! I get mad at myself just thinking these things. Do I judge others by the "coolness" of their house, their clothes, their car? NO! Then why do I hold myself to these judgements? All I want for my home is for it to be known as a place where people feel at home. I want others to feel like this place can be a refuge, a place where they can put up their feet and be served a cup a tea. I want YOU to be comfortable in my home. And that doesn't happen through a new picture, new curtains, or a new anything! So, I need to learn to get over it. It's not about my stuff.

My home is at its best when it is filled with my family, friends, tears, and laughter.....and maybe a good latte or two :).

Harper turned 2 at the end of 2009. Jordan, my husband, and I decided that it would be fun to go to a Kids museum for his birthday. Surprise, Surprise, the Denver Children's Museum would have cost our little family of 3 over $22! Not a huge expense in the long run, but still. Doing a little more research we found that every first Tuesday of the month is free from 4pm-8pm!! FREE! We decided Harper would not know the difference if we went on his birthday for $22 or a week after is birthday for $0.

So...we made a night of it! We found another family to join us in our festivities and went into Denver a little bit early to hit up one of our favorite restaurants during happy hour. For a mere $29 we got some of the best wings in the world, a hormone free grass fed basil and blue cheese burger (yes, it is as good as it sounds), an avocado, veggie and cheese sandwich, 2 of the most amazing beers you will ever taste (for Jordan of coarse, Harper and I aren't into drinking these days), AND a large order of fries! Crazy right?! Dinner was great, the kids were full, and off to the Museum we went.

After an hour of chasing children through train rooms, painting rooms are very large and totally awesome tree house, we decided to make one more stop before heading home. Which leads us to my favorite part of the night...

We went down to the lower level where kids under 4 got to play. It was only slightly less crazy then the rest of the Museum that night. Harper had been eyeing this nifty little boat that came supplied with a magnetic fishing pole and lots of magnetic fish to out of the pond! There was however another little boy, lets call him Todd (named mainly because of the red and white striped turtleneck and blue corduroys he was wearing...Todd just seems to fit), who seemed to have taken over this particular play area. Finally, there was an brief opening. Todd climbed out and left his post for a few moments and Harper didn't waste anytime taking over. Todd quickly decided he wasn't quite done and thought he would join Harper in the boat. I anxiously watched as he crawled his way toward Harper, wondering if Harper would allow this trespass?! I was happy to see that Harper sat there patiently as the little boy climbed his way up. As Todd sat down next my dear sweet boy, Harper calmly looked over at him and screamed as loud as he could a few inches from the boy's face!! I, of coarse, being the sensitive caring mother I am, began to laugh as Todd burst into tears. Jordan on the other hand, kept his cool and did the polite parental things and told Harper that he should not do that, as the Todd's father scooped him up and away from my monster of a child!

Vine St. Pub dinner and drinks for 3: $29

Denver Children's Museum: $0

Harper gettin' crazy: Priceless

Hi! My name is Liz. I am a wife, a mom, a daughter, a sister, a friend. I love my life, most days. 2009 was a crazy year for me, but I'm not going to spend so much time talking about that, I'm looking forward! I've spent the last month reflecting on my crazy year and my life, most importantly the ways I choose to fill my time. Seeing as it is the turn of the decade (I know this idea can be up for debate, I am choosing to see it as the turn of the decade), I have decided to make a few resolutions. I know, I know...very cliche. But there is something about a new morning, a new week, a new month, a new year, and most of all, a new decade that inspires me to look at things in a new light.

So here I am, January 5th (did I mention I'm a mom...thus the not so prompt start of the year, but it will do). I went back and forth on if I should start a blog or not, and today I decided "What the hell? Let's do this thing!" Wild and crazy, right?

One of my resolutions is to read. I have never been a reader nor do I know that I ever will be, but I do believe it is a valuable past time and I think I should give it a shot. My husband bought me a book for Christmas, and so far reading this book has been the only resolution I have been following through on. Oddly enough, it was just announced that the book I am reading is about to be a movie! "Eat, pray, love" by Elizabeth Gilbert has proven to be a great choice to start of my year. First of all, it's easy to read with a 2 year old running around. The book is broken into 3 sections, and each section is 36 chapters. This makes each chapter a few pages at the most. In between diaper changes, juice refills, etc, etc I can usually squeeze in a few chapters. It makes me feel like I have really accomplished some reading! Secondly, it's about a women searching for herself and pursuing the things she loves....in some ways I feel like I am in this same place.

Today I read something that inspired me to pursue the things that I have been thinking about for the last few weeks...including starting this blog. So for those of you who have not read the book here is a quick summary. Elizabeth Gilbert, the author, is taking a year off to travel. First, Italy, then off to Indonesia and India. Right now, I am reading about her time in Italy (a place I travelled for my honeymoon...inspiring my blog photo choice). In this chapter she is talking with her friend about how Americans are so busy, and to do nothing is looked poorly on; whereas in Italy, the art of doing nothing is looked upon as a great thing! Then she breaks it down even further and talks about how you don't have to be rich to do nothing, you just have to be good and making something out of nothing. So, with that said, here is the quote that struck me....

"There is another wonderful italian expression: l'arte d'arrangiarsi-the art of making something out of nothing. The art turning a few simple ingredients into a feast, or a few gathered friends into a festival. Anyone with a talent for happiness can do this, not only the rich."

My husband is going to school full time, and working full time. I am staying home with my 2 year old son, and my soon to be born son (due in March). Obviously, money is tight. My husband and I have spent a lot of time talking about how to make the most of what we have, and being satisfied with out 'worldly things'. A lot of my reflections and resolutions are based on this idea of finding joy and happiness with out money. If you really think about it, this is not an easy task.

I love having people over for dinner, it is not cheap to cook for people. I love being crafty and making things, this is not cheap either. I love to go out and experience things: places, food, museums, you name it! None of this is free. So, the idea of turning simple ingredients into a feast and making a festival from a few close friends seems obvious...but to me is inspiring.

So, in this year and in this blog, I want to explore the ways someone can make the most of life with little to no cost. I want to talk about the struggles and frustrations of doing this. I want to share my successes and failures.

Here goes....

By the way, I am fully aware of the fact that I have poor grammar. If you choose to read this blog, it's something you'll have to deal with. Sorry. Maybe that will be a resolution in 2011 :).