Good food and the game

Sunday was Matt's mom's birthday, so the whole family met for dinner last night to celebrate. This was a rare treat. Sister is a nurse, which means crazy hours, so we don't get to see her and her groom all too often.


We met at Red Robin. I heard a rumor they have bottomless steak fries, and I can confirm - it's true.

In order to not look like the crazy girl that takes a picture of every thing she eats event, I refrained from pics, but most of their food looks something like this.

I restrained myself just enough to order the Caprese Chicken sandwich, but I had to try the bottomless fries. This is why I'm not bottomless.

I've been researching the grocery game and the drug store game the past couple of weeks and with the help from a friend from work, finally got the nerve to try a transaction last night. She pointed me to a great website (or six), that is a WEALTH of information.

One of my favorite features is Thursdays, it lists all the coupons that will be in Sunday's paper, so you can see if you want to buy more than one paper. Another great tip - you can buy Sunday papers at the dollar store for, you guessed it, one buck. I saw there were a lot of good razor coupons this Sunday, and I'm fresh out. Seemed like fate. I bought two papers and tried my hand at Walgreens last night.

Here's how my deal went down.

Bought: (Razor and refills were on sale for 8.99, shaving cream for 1.99)

(1) Quattro Razor System or Catridges 4 pk

(1) Schick Intuition Plus Razor System or Catridges 3 pk

(2) Skintimate Shave Cream or Gel 6 or 7 oz

(2) Edge Shave Cream or Gel 6 or 7 oz

Used:

(1) -$4 off Schick Quattro Titanium Razor, Trimmer or Refill, SS 6/27

(1) -$4 off Schick Quattro for Women or Intuition Plus Razor or Refill, SS 6/27

(2) -.75/1 Skintimate Shave Gel or Cream Shave SS 6/27(2) -.75/1 Edge Shave Gel SS 6/27

Total Due: $14.94

Get Back: $10 RR, makes it 82¢ ea.

My total with tax was around $18, and I saved $22. I also got back $10 of register rewards to use on my next visit, perfect for the last few items that I need to pick up (have a coupon for those too!). So for $18 I got a razor, refills, 4 cans of shave gel, tampons, toothpaste and floss. I'm a dork, but it was a litte rush working the system. I think I can proceed with confidence!

I blinked...

And the weekend is over. We got a lot done this weekend, including some good R&R.

Sometimes, you just need to relax on the patio.

So that's what we did Friday evening. And it was relaxing, minus the part where Namath got his claw stuck in the rod iron chair. He was traumatized. Moving pedicure and bath to the top of the to do list for Grizz. This heat has him pretty...ripe.

Good thing Dad was there to soothe the beast. Not sure why everyone has crazy eyes.

Saturday we headed to Bed, Bath and Beyond to do a little registering. Matt did an excellent job scanning. I think 'beyond' refers to the towel section. Just this picture stresses me out a little. All the colors of the rainbow and I think we picked white.

Saturday night was the last party for Matt's sister before her big day. I forgot my camera, so I don't have any pictures. The groom was thrilled they received more dishes. They got some adorable things for their new casa and we got to visit over beergartias. We had a great time and can't believe the wedding is in two weeks! We are so excited!

Sunday, we got to take my two nieces to the zoo. Matt loves the zoo, so we jumped at the opportunity to visit with the girls. It's so fun to hear their reactions to all the animals! Kate got bit by a goose a few visits ago, so she repeatedly asked that we "not go see the mean goose". Check.

Harper was not as excited as everyone else. We set her up with some juice and she was a perfect angel all afternoon.

Checking out the monkeys. Kate is a zoo regular and an excellent tour guide.

She loved ringing the train bell! The train ride was a highlight, because that meant snack time. Girls after my own heart.

This girl loves her Uncle "Mac".

And just like that, the weekend is over. Looking forward to a quick work week and a long holiday weekend!

Stirring up the menu

My brain is mush today. I'm not even sure I spelled stirring correctly, but I'm moving forward with this post regardless.





When we aren't eating family size pizzas or yogurt doused in brownies and cookie dough, we mostly try to eat healthy. Here's a little recipe that meets all my requirements and is a nice variation from steamed vegetables and baked chicken.

1. It's easy
2. It's fairly tasty
3. It has no more than 5 ingredients and doesnt require I braise anything. (Does anyone know what that means?)



I got this recipe from the Body for Life cookbook, and have modified it so that it fits the requirements above. Namely number 3.



I forgot to take pictures of the first couple steps, so use your imagination.





You will need:

• Chicken breast


• broccoli slaw (found in the produce section next to the bagged salad)


• stir fry vegetable mix


• napa cabbage


• whole wheat spaghetti noddles


• red pepper


• soy sauce


• sesame oil - this is KEY. I will never cook chinese without this again. It adds a great flavor to this recipe. I did not forget to photograph this, lest you not be able to find it on your trip to the grocery. We use Imperial Dragon brand. Rowwrrr.

I'm aware I have broken the five ingredient rule. Lucky for everyone, you can use all that greenery or not.

Cut your chicken into bite size pieces and marinate in some black pepper and soy sauce. Brown in the skillet. I start using my sesame oil here and drizzle a little on the chicken.

Start boiling water to cook your noodles. You will need to cook your noodles while you are preparing the vegetables.

When it's done, put the chicken on a plate and set it in the microwave to keep it warm.

Rinse your pan out, add some more sesame oil, and put in your vegetable stir fry, nappa cabbage and broccoli slaw. You can season with anything. I prefer the red pepper, maybe some garlic and more sesame oil. (This recipe might not be as healthy as I pretend.) I forgot the napa cabbage at the store and forgot the broccoli slaw that was in the fridge, so this is just the stir fry vegetables.

Once the noodles are done and the vegetables cooked, add your chicken back in and stir it back together. If you guessed add more seseme oil, you are correct. You don't have to add that much, but I love the flavor it gives, so I'm pretty generous.

Lastly, add your noodles, and let it all stir together. Add in any extra seasoning you feel like. I like a little kick, so I sprinkle in a little more red pepper.

This is one of Matt's favorite dinners, and it makes enough for leftovers. Win, win.

Have a great weekend!

It's not about the zero's...and other good lessons.

Last night we met our pastor for another counseling session. Armed with Diet Dr. Pepper, I was ready to chat about communication, finances and our hopes and dreams. Subjects I'm totally comfortable discussing with someone I've met twice. I also requested another session on personal finance, which should surprise no one.


A few highlights.

1. We were each asked to paint a picture of what a typical Saturday five years in the future looks like. Matt said he sees himself waking up, cooking breakfast for me and the kids. It is important that NO ONE FORGETS THIS. I would like a spinach and feta omelette, please.

2. Problems and issues are always there. It's part of human relationships. I think we both have a tendency to sweep things under the rug for various reasons. In reality, it truly only makes things worse. It doesn't make the problem go away. At all. And usually just ends in a bigger problem, a big fight and pints of ice cream.

3. We briefly talked a little about personal finance. I was so ready to bring my jump drive with excel budget sheets. I was told that wouldnt be necessary. Tear. Aren't most money issues really about the underlying emotion? Freedom, security, trust? We could add $1000 to our monthly income and its not going to change that we see and feel differently about how our finances are handled. We will probably be discussing this budget spreadsheet when we're 50, but the point is to discuss it. See point 2. I'm hoping our finance session will establish some principles we can agree to live by.

Because I hate a post with no pictures.

This guy has been a holy terror lately. But isn't his face sweet? I've padded my ego telling myself his bad behavior is linked to separation anxiety. Don't you think that's it?

Wordless Wednesday

Men at Work

Last week Matt and I had the opportunity to go tour the progress on our first place. Construction isn't scheduled to be finished until August, so we signed some paperwork excusing any fault if a steel beam killed one of us and put on our hard hats. I fit right in to the construction site with my hot pink heels.

Matt was thrilled when I suggested we take a picture. Or more accurately, I take his picture.

We had decided we were going to rent for a year so we could save for a downpayment and enjoy doing some traveling. We were so excited when this place seemingly fell in our laps and it was much more than we had hoped for. It's a mile from work, has a pool, is new and pet friendly. So after seeing some drywall and sketches, we signed a lease.

This time, we got to see our finished floorplan, and we knew we had made a good decision.

Our exuberant leasing agent Starr.

My favorite room. The mind reels at all the good food to be cooked here. I'm now taking recipe suggestions.

Love the pendent lighting. Starr said it would be great to set a mood. Awkward, Starr.

Just in case you were wondering what the bathroom counter looked like. I'll spare you from pictures of the shower.

View from our balcony.

You can find me here, most of Summer 2011. Probably Spring and early Fall as well.

Home sweet home!

Reunited

Hello, Monday.

This weekend went by at lightning speed. Since I was woken up at 3 a.m. to a certain bulldog throwing up his dinner, I'll be light on the text this morning. Less work for everyone.

Friday night was movie night. We picked up a pizza from Papa Murphys. If you have a Papa Murphy's near you, you should give it a try. It's like Subway for pizza. You choose your toppings, order and pick up your pizza at their store and bake it at home. And their Web site always has lots of great coupons, if you're into that sort of thing. We got enough to feed 5 people for about $12. Yes, I know there is just 2 of us.

This is The Cowboy.

Saturday was Matt's high school reunion. I think he enjoyed catching up with all his Husky classmates.

Here's a few pictures in summary.

Namath and I being awkward.

No Pain, No Gain

I've been running for the past 4 years. I started out just trying to prove to myself I could train and run a race, and it made no sense to stop after all that work, so I kept trodding along. Almost unknowingly, running has woven itself into my life in a variety of ways.

I present, Exhibit A -

When Matt and I began dating, he started running with me. We quickly became running partners and have since run up and down hills, in the heat, in the cold, in the morning, at night, at the beach...well, you get the idea.

Here's evidence.
(don't you think I'm winning?)

We had talked about getting engaged for a quite a while. I knew it was coming "soon", and as each weekend passed with no proposal, I became increasingly confused. It seems like perfect opportunites were coming and going. Matt was adamant he was going to surprise me, but I knew that I would know exactly what was going on, and I was fine with that.

Is my Type A planner personality coming through yet?

In April, my best friend got married. I caught the bouqet and hoped it would bring me a little luck.

The following Monday we planned to go for a run, and Matt chose a trail we have run a few times since it is shaded and a little cooler. We met at the house and went on our way.

We never, ever talk while we are out running. But that day he was particularly chatty. I didn't think a whole lot of it, and welcomed the distraction from my huffing and puffing. Everything was pretty normal, until we finished.

I was totally surprised and caught off guard. I remember saying, "Stop it." Mainly, because this came to mind.

Then I realized he was actually serious. And I should probably turn my iPod off.

All I asked for in a proposal was something that was meaningful to the two of us, and he hit the nail on the head. It was icing on the cake that he had Laura capture the moment. I love that we have these pictures to look back on.

The diamond in my ring was Matt's grandmothers, that was passed down to his mother. It makes the ring so special to me, and I was honored that they offered it for my engagement ring. I never noticed the 37 times he checked his pocket to make sure it was still there. He kept it in the small key pocket of his shorts the whole run. Bravery at its best. It makes my stomach hurt to think about it.

We cleaned up and headed to dinner at one of our favorite Italian restaurants. Everytime I've eaten there, it's been to celebrate a major milestone, so it was fitting.

I love that he proposed in his way, in his own time, and I love how he balances me. It was so memorable and captured something that is significant to our relationship. I couldn't have planned it better myself!

I'm sensing a theme

We had been apart too long. Almost a week.

I joined the clean plate club last night. It's been a long week and it's only Wednesday. Fortunately, Wednesday means Wine Down Wednesday. Chianti, cheese and time with friends just might get me through to the weekend. I'm making an effort to enjoy the week too. After all, how much of our life happens when we are wishing for Friday?

In with the new

After doing some research on finance software, and a failed attempt last Christmas with Quicken Deluxe (it's still sitting on my computer, and it still baffles me), I was directed by a few sources to mint.com.

Mint.com is an online site that syncs up with your bank, credit cards and savings accounts, so you can get a full finanical picture.

It looks a little something like this:























Clearly this is not my screenshot. I do not have 17k in checking nor did I spend $1500 eating out last month. But, I digress.

It's a little change from The Green Monster, but the nicely colored graphs and pie charts are winning me over. It's also a good way to see what I spent on each budget category, for record keeping sake. I log in every day and categorize any new transactions, and mint does the rest. They email you when you are over budget or have a low balance in your checking account, which is incredibly annoying helpful. They also send you a weekly summary of your finances, which is another great way to keep tabs on things.

Just a warning: probably not my last personal finance post. I love finding ways to save money and better organize my dinero. So, until I strike it rich, I'll be posting any good information here.

Out with the old...

One of my favorite topics to read and learn about is personal finance. By no means have I mastered the ins and outs of budgeting, I'm actually pretty terrible at most of it. But after some personal events a few years back that led me to take charge of my money and owe up to a lot of some poor decisions, I found a passion for learning to best use what I was given.

Over the years I've tried a few different systems for tracking my spending and keeping up with bills. This fall I took it back old school, Dave Ramsey style, and went to almost all cash. I had a goal in mind, and I saw this as my way to keep myself honest.


Enter what we lovingly refer to as "The Green Monster".




















And the contents of its belly.



















Every payday I would saunter into my bank, armed with a post-it (another great love of mine), on it scribbled how much cash went in each section for the next two weeks. The magic of payday. I felt so rich. Full tank of gas? Yes please! Groceries? Load up my cart! Dinners out? Table for two!

Ok, so I wasn't making it rain or anything, but I did learn over those months how quickly cash goes. Watching the money leave The Monster was a lot more painful than the simple swipe of a debit card. Monday would rear its ugly head, and The Monster was notably less full than before. By payday, it was downright anemic. It sure made decisions quick and made me prioritize my spending on to things I really wanted and needed. After 6 months with him, I met my goal. I celebrated with champagne, bought with cash.

Enter another monster, a beast for non-math PR majors like me, dual income. Yes, its double the money, its also double the math. I felt it was time to part with The Monster and start dealing with something a little less archaic and a little more user friendly for two people.


To be continued...

Hot Child in the City

Ok, so I'm not a child, but I am in the city, and I. Am. Melting. I felt like I had to preface the pictures below as to why I look like I just stepped out of a sauna. Probably, because I just stepped out of a sauna. I feel like I say this every year, but is it hotter than last? Here's how we attempted to beat the heat this weekend.

Friday night we grilled out with the Smiths. Either myself or the camera was too hot to funciton, so you'll have to check out her post if you want actual pictures. This seems to be the best I did.

Well, I did manage to snap a shot of these guys. Namath avoided heat stroke by dunking his entire head in the water bowl.

Not sure why his angelic face looks so devlish. Might have something to do with the moves he was unleashing on the Smith's dog.

I was in charge of dessert, so I referred to another Searson classic, Cookie Slop. It's cool and comforting and delicious.

Here's the play by play:

• Get two bags of cookies. You can do two bags of chocolate chunk, or a bag of chocolate chunk and m&m, pb cup, whatever tickles your fancy.


• Dip each cookie in a bowl of milk, and line the bottom of a 9x13 dish


• Cover with a layer of whip cream


• Make another layer of the milk dipped cookies


• Add another layer of whip cream.

For the visual learners, it should look a little something like this.

This recipe tastes better if you eat some cookies along the way.

After a little pool time Saturday, we headed to a wedding. I grew up going to the same church with Jessica, so we go back a little ways. Turns out, she also grew up living behind Matt. Small, small world. She also sold Matt my engagement ring and it was so fun having her a part of that process! At the risk of sounding old, I feel like I watched Jessica grow up, so watching her walk down the aisle with her sweet dad made me tear up. She was a beautiful bride!

Their wedding slide show was on the big screen at the ballpark. Pretty cool!

That was about all the outdoor fun I could handle for the weekend. Spent most of Sunday indoors, but I did manage to wash Namath's pride and joy, his dog bed. It almost deserves a post of his own. Here he is displaying his pride. Maybe we'll see joy another day.