Getting out in front of it!

I have made a real effort this year to get out in front of Christmas.  Meaning not waiting to the last minute (for once) and making December a month for enjoyment.  I was so uplifted to read this post about just that idea!  November was a busy month filled with planning, parties, and sickness for my whole family.  High and low moments for sure.  Here's a quick recap.

My husband turned 30 the week before Thanksgiving, and we enjoyed a fun morning at the park with a (thankfully) healthy Amelia.

I can't believe he's 30!  I know it's still young, but I've been dating my husband since we were 16 and it's just amazing to me how quickly the years have flown.

I sent him out that afternoon so I could work my trickery.  He was pleasantly surprised to come home to family and friends!  I even found his college roomie who he hadn't seen in over 6 years.  Score one for me!  He truly deserved to feel loved and blessed, and I'm so happy he had fun.

Dirty 30 Pudding cups!  Thank you, Pinterest.

A collage of pics on the front door to greet him.

Another Pinterest score!  Had to make it my own with these delicious organic pops!

Thanksgiving!  Mission accomplished.  If you read about my fear of cooking a large, dead, naked bird you will be pleased that we succeeded in roasting it to a golden brown.  I'm not ashamed to say that I hid in the other room while my husband prepped it.  I was just relieved to shove it in the oven!  But, man, it was delicious.  Well worth my fretting.

We had a lovely holiday weekend with my in-laws.  Amelia was content to check out the Black Friday ads and build play-doh every morning.  

I have a few more Christmas goals to mark off my list before December rolls in next week.  

• Complete decorating the house
• Get Christmas tree next weekend (if available from our favorite church)
• Buy stocking stuffers
• Wrap Christmas gifts 
• Mail gifts 

That sounds like a tall order, right?  I'm just relieved to have the major shopping completed (I love you, internets) so I can stay out of the malls and not suffer from a case of Want-itis this year.  It's challenging not to impulse shop for everyone right until the last frenzied moment.

We are working hard on baby step 2 and are getting close to getting that credit card down to a $0 balance - hooray!

What are you goals this week?

Ways to Save During a Move

Well, we made it.  We didn't move far, just across town.  But, if you have moved any distance before, you know the headaches, hassles, and stress that come along with the endeavor.  Throw an active toddler in the mix, and you're just trying to cling to sanity.

Luckily, I had lots of support from my family and a husband who was not against hiring movers.  This was our first "grown up" move because we did not U-Haul it ourselves.  It was worth the price and time to have someone else do the heavy lifting.

I was determined to hold our budget together, even though money was coming in and out of our checking account pretty swiftly last week.  Deposits, moving fees, and other odds and ends stack up.  Here are a few tips I picked up that helped us stay on track during the move.

• Borrow boxes and storage bins from friends who have recently moved.  Check out Craigslist, tons of people are trying to get rid of their moving boxes.  Some charge a small amount, but I found a family with a garage full for free.  They were ready to tie them to my car roof!
• Meal Plan.  You are bound to get take-out at least once during a move, but think ahead so you don't find yourself in line at Subway for the 5th time in 2 days.  When they start to know about your love for olives, you might be in trouble.  Just keep lots of easily prepared items on hand, and you won't feel the urge to run out.  
• Keep your written budget or check roster on hand.  You might not have internet up and running right away, and you can't monitor or manage your accounts.  Have a good handle on what bills might be due, especially if you pay them exclusively online.  
• List your needs and wants.  This is such a common theme in my internal monologue, and I am still struggling with slowly making our new place a home.  For example, we need a washer & dryer, but I want a new dining set.  Like, really want.

What helped you stay on budget during a move? 

Want-itis Cure: Pin it!

We are moving next month into a (slightly) bigger townhouse.  It's been a few years since our last move, so I'm feeling rather out of practice.  I'm also getting a bad case of the dreaded wants.

Well, some of it will be needs.  We need a few functional items to make the new space workable.

But, then there are other wants...

and other ones...

and some more...

(I am in love with tree wall decals.  I keep searching for the perfect one.  Do you think my toddler will rip this off the wall?  Hm.)

I have been getting tons of inspiration from Pinterest lately.  You create themed boards and "pin" your favorite pictures or links from the web to them.  Genius!  It's just a collection of pretty, shiny, sparkly, and deliciously addictive things.  I am still working on my boards, but you can check them out here.  

Now, I won't lie.  Pinterest has become a bit of a time sucker.  I put it right up there with Facebook.  However, I feel satisfied after I browse other boards and it helps get my creative juices flowing.  It also curbs my want-itis...for now.

Want-itis Cure: Window Shopping

I'm a girl.

At my core, I want to be surrounded by pretty things.

Okay, maybe I need to have pretty things in my life.

Finding that balance is an on-going battle for me.  Sometimes I give in, and I let a case of want-itis take over.  And sometimes, I feel rejuvenated afterwards.  Other times, I feel worse than before.

Does this make me sound like a drug addict?!  I really hope not.

Want-itis - (noun) An incredible urge to procure STUFF.  Clothes, accessories, home goods, decorations, gadgets, etc.  

Synonyms:  Crave-able, I-needs-its, yes please!, OMG - LOVE!, gottahaveitnow

Example Sentence:  The woman suffered from a case of want-itis when she chose to purchase a new handbag over her  Roth IRA deposit.

Don't get me wrong, I am not against shopping.  I'm against losing control to the evil wants.

Anyway, I'm finding ways to cope with want-itis.  It really battles with my budget and gets me feeling guilty.  I could whine and say that I am "merely a product of my consumer-driven society," but that just sounds...well... whiny.  Adults don't whine.  They get creative.

I got creative this week.  I did something I don't usually trust myself to do.

I window shopped.

I cruised the mall and fingered the new Fall lines at JCrew and Banana Republic.  I smiled at the sales associates and scoured the clearance racks.  I held back and controlled my urge to bolt into the dressing room.  I knew that was going to take it too far.  Once you undress with new clothes, you kind of cross that line.  There's no way you can hang them back after such intimacy.  Am I right, ladies?  I don't trust myself that much.

New, pretty things were not in the budget this week, but I'm sure I can squeeze them in soon.  Having that control over my wallet makes me feel mature and powerful in a pretty amazing way.  In my younger 20's I would have impulsed and given in to the want-itis.  Not now.  Especially not with my daughter watching me with her knowing toddler ways.  I want to teach her how she can feel pretty AND empowered, all at the same time.  Part of that is keeping on a budget.

Another perk of window shopping?  Harry and David coffee sample!  Mine tasted like apple pie, and satisfied me without turning into a Starbucks five-buck fiasco.

Overall, I actually felt really uplifted after my brief window-shopping excursion.  I was lured into the stores, but once I was there, I felt swayed by very few pieces.  That must be a side effect of frugality.  Picky spender.