need to catch up!!!

i'm gonna take a couple of days off of blogging.
and reading blogs...

i HAVE to catch up on my to do list
and christmas presents.

don't go away!

penny pincher

i wish i were a penny pincher.
i need to learn how to be one.
i would be proud to say i was one.

here are 7 seemingly easy steps to become a better saver.
easier said then done but i'm determined to change my ways!

1. pay yourself first
this makes total sense. the very first thing i do when
he gets paid is pay bills. even if they aren't due just to
get them out of the way. then groceries and so on.
we HAVE to start doing this.

2. make it automatic
this makes sense too! if it comes out automatically
and goes into an account you only use for savings, and that
is not easily accessible, then you'll be less likely to spend it. and you
won't miss it if it just comes out right when you get paid.
just little amounts to begin.

3. save your change
this is not practical for us. we don't really ever carry cash.
but it's a nice thought!


4. round up
i HAVE to start writing down transactions...
i'm sooo bad about that.
i keep a tally in my head if that counts.
i need to start getting in the habit of writing things down
but seriously, who writes checks anymore? i think i write 1 a month.
so when i make that a habit i will round up!


5. give up a small luxury
this we already do. we've never had cable. (gasp)
we own one car. we only had one
cell phone up until a month or so ago.
we go to starbucks usually once or twice a week.
we make do with stuff given to us -vs.- buying new on credit


6. make it from scratch
if you've followed me for any amount of time you'll already know i'm a
design-it-yourselfer, bake-it-yourselfer, make-it-yourselfer...
but really i do these things cause i enjoy working with my hands, but it is
an added bonus to the bank account!


7. clip coupons
haha. lovely idea. really. i'm super stingy with shopping as it is. i only buy what we need
when it comes to groceries.
it doesn't make sense to throw out food! or hoard it in my
fridge like my mother... (ahem) for months and years...
i do find good bargains though as far as regular shopping!
so that counts, right?
my husband has been an amazing helper in molding my shopping habits.
i say that with all seriousness. i use to just buy stuff
cause it was cute but never thought about what to wear it with or
how to wear it and then it'd sit in my closet with no use.
he's helped me to think about my purchase and he's usually right!


so there are 7 steps to becoming a better saver!

{via beingfrugal.net}

i'll have a blue blue blue christmas....

my great grandma, opal, always had a
white tree with blue ornaments.
i loved it! i always wanted it but everyone thought i was nuts.
it got thrown out after she died.
in their defense it did smell like smoke.

maybe i'll have one of my very own someday...
*sigh*
isn't it lovely?




{via: this is glamorous}

be back later!

i'm taking a few hours for personal time (much needed!) and lunch with my hubby.
my mom is coming over to watch the kids. :)

i'll post something this afternoon.

and the stockings were hung....

here is my version of an advent calendar..

an elf on the shelf

i read about this creative little tradition

at everday life.

i ♥ this idea! this will definitely be on our shelves next year!

i ♥ this idea for an advent calendar!
i'm digging out the old baby socks!

happy monday!

i hope you were able to recover from the holiday.

i think we have but we're battling the end of a cold here.

we had a lovely 5 days


i baked on wednesday. they 'helped'.

wednesday night my hubby took me to four christmases
it was ok. it wasn't a movie i'd want to see again.
but, none the less, it was a christmas movie!

on thursday was thanksgiving, of course.
we ate lunch with my family
then headed to my husband's family's
we stayed up till the wee hours playing rock band.



on friday morning my sister and i battled the crowds. but we didn't start till 8:30ish.
it was actually perfect timing to still get some good deals without the HUGE crowds.
yaya came with and it was SOOOO fun!
this is the first year that she's really into it.

but this is how we felt.


friday night we enjoyed a lovely evening with my
brother-in-law and his lovely girlfriend.
we ate chinese take-out from the mall. (best ever!)
then lit some candles.

what? mine totally looks like this!

we brought down the tree.
literally.
it's been up in a stand-up attic fully decorated since last year.
plug it in and you have christmas!

on saturday night we were invited over to
my sister's sister-in-laws house
for the festival of lights parade and dinner.


our hosts


my sis and her hubby


my parents


my brother and sister



he LOVED the lights!







it was sooo cold but sooo worth it being sick and all!


and yesterday it snowed!


i hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend!