Stewardship

For the month of September, we are doing a church wide study of stewardship. I think like everyone else, I get a slight knot in my stomach when we start talking about money,  because it's one of those subjects that isn't openly broached outside the four walls of our house.

We've been doing our best to go through the nightly journal, and it's given us some great time to openly talk about how we spend, save and give. It took me about .002 seconds into day one to figure out to me, money = security. If we just saved a little bit more, spent a little bit less, I would feel better. I wouldn't have anxiety when my car starts making a weird sound or Namath needs immediate knee surgery (ha). A secure life is always justwithin grasp...

So needless to say, this quote in Sunday's worship guide hit me hard.

"We want treasures because they give us security. But because of decay (moisture, rust, thieves...), treasures lead us to security's opposite - anxiety. Because our riches bring us into constant war with decay, they do not bring us rest. It is a great service of Jesus, therefore, to liberate us here from anxiety about gain. Jesus teaches the truest "liberation theology." 

                                                        - Adolf Schlatter 

Inherently, there is nothing wrong with seeking financial security. Just as there's nothing wrong with a lot of the things we place importance on. It's the gray area when it goes from being a good thing to being one of the most important things. 

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth...."

If everything comes from God, how am I using what He gives me?

Would someone else use it better? 

Five on Friday

Happy Friday! I'm going to jump right in to talk about some of the things I'm loving this week.

1. Wholly Guacamole 100 calorie packs/Vitamin Water Zero Lemondae. I'm always looking for some new afternoon snacks, and when I heard there were 100 calorie packs of wholly guacamole - I literally went to the store on my lunch hour.

I like that there is no junk - just a few simple ingredients. Nevermind that it's slightly disheartning how much 100 calories of guacamole really is - and how much I pile on at the local mexican joint.

I also think I'm the last one to the Vitamin Water Zero party, but the lemonade flavor floats my boat.

2. ELF Eyelid Primer and All Over Color Stick. I know I've blogged about these recently, but after weeks of wear, I figured they deserved their due praises. If I liked them at first, I love them now. The primer works awesome, and I've started to use the all over color stick in the afternoons to touch up the blush. I love the pink lemonade color - granted, it's the only one I've tried, but it's just right for this goldilocks. It's also worth mentioning again, they are dirt cheap.

3. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle. After battling some major summer hair issues, I remembered how much I used to love Aussie's 3 minute miracle and went and picked some up. Confession - I had MS pick it up on his lunch hour since he's closer to Target. So this is his "is this the right stuff?" picture message. The only thing I don't like is that you only use it once or twice a week. It works so well and smells so good, I want to use it every day. First. World. Problems.

4. Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer.  In appreciation for logging in all my Real Housewives and Golden Girls watching, Nielsen bestowed upon me quite a few Amazon gift cards. (If you get an opportunity to do Nielsen, the survey/app version is the way to go). I decided to use it to buy this Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer that I've seen in every beauty magazines top beauty products since I was old enough to read. Where has this stuff been all my life???

Between this and the ELF High Definition Loose Face Powder, I'm fighting the good fight against the southern summer humidity - and we all know every win in that war is worth celebrating.

5. Batiste Dry Shampoo - Light and Blonde. I've long been a fan of dry shampoo, since I got off the daily hair washing bandwagon. I think I saw this in the Ulta sale magazine and decided to pick some up there with the coupon. This is the first dry shampoo I've tried with a hint of color, and it's wonderful! Especially for those weeks when you are oh-so-close to getting your color done but have a few stray (brown) roots. Covers them right up. It got high marks among magazines and users alike - you know I read the reviews.

There is also a brown version, and several different regular with no color, just different scents. A little tip - I noticed last time I was in TJ Maxx, they also carried this line for a few bucks cheaper. Which is why it's one of my favorite stores!

There you have it - everything I'm using to stay primed, hydrated and root free this week. Hope you find something you like from these favorites! Cheers to the weekend!

Friday Favorites - Budget Beauty Edition

Last Friday I took a lunchtime stroll around Target and ran across the ELF display and found myself fascinated at all the goodies. I remember when ELF (eyes, lips, face) came on the market several years ago, and there was a lot of buzz about the products and the prices, but haven't thought much about it since.

I'm big on reading the reveiws of just about everything. So I was pumped to read this, this, and this review.

All Over Color Stick - I got this in Pink Lemonade. I've never used a cream blush - and that's what I use it for. It says you can use on eyes and lips (hence the all over verbiage), but I cannot imagine the atrocity of me having pink lemonade on my lids. And I prefer a gloss for my lips. It's worked great thrown in my makeup bag to touch up blush during the day.

Eyelid Primer - I bought the Urban Decay Naked Basics pallete a few weeks ago. I've loved playing around with all the colors, but didn't love the look of it sliding off my eyes by  2 p.m. This stuff has worked wonderfully and made my shadow last all the live long day.

HD Powder - I was running low on my Bare Minerals Mineral Veil, and read on the reviews this was a good replacement. I think it gives a nice soft focus finish - if you know what that means, you're a product junkie like me. Or a photographer.

The best part? I think my grand total was under $10 for all three products at my local Target. A steal. If you hate it, you're barely out your lunch money. As if you needed an excuse to go to Target.

The weather forecast is looking beautiful for the weekend - so we are looking forward to breaking in the neighborhood pool and getting in some time with friends. Hope your weekend is full of much of the same!

Paint the Rainbow

I don't consider myself too much of a girly girl. MS and the false eyelashes in my makeup drawer may beg to differ, but I think I'm pretty low maintenance. That being said, I don't think anything makes you feel more put together than painted nails - toe and finger. In another life, when I have buckets of money, or am a Kardashian, I'll hit up the salon weekly.

But, working with what I have, I usually go with a few new OPI colors each season. My stash has been running pretty low lately, so when I saw a great deal at CVS, I cheated on the OPI in the name of budget beauty.

I think I spent around $18 and got back 18 extra care bucks to use on my next purchase.

I'm really liking the third from the left - its more of a bright purple than a bright pink. No, your eyes didn't deceive you, some shades are scented. All I need is some Dr. Pepper flavored chapstick and Hello Kitty pens and I'll be ready for the 4th grade.

Now that I've bought all bright nail polish, I'm sure the weather will turn to fall any day now. Thank me later.

Any fall color suggestions? I have some money to spend at CVS.

Fantastic Friday - Saving Cash Money

We had a great trip to Publix this week.

Spent: $57.63
Saved: $83.05

Store Coupons:$11.00
Vendor Coupons: $28.50
Sale Savings: $43.55

I'm really loving that a lot of healthier options have been on sale lately. A lot of people say you only get junk food when you coupon, but I don't think that's true.

We've done really well lately with keeping our weekly grocery budget between $50-$75. Which means more money for some splurges.

Anytime I can invest in something that makes me feel guilty for skipping runs while reminding me how slow I am, well, thats money well spent.

Lacquered and Lotioned

I squeezed in a quick run to CVS this weekend. I was glad I took the time, it was a great trip.

Used:
B1G1 coupon for hairspray
$1 off Dial Nutri Skin
5 ECBs from last week

Paid:
$2 out of pocket

Received:
5 ECBs


And yes, I took this picture at the hotel before the wedding.

The key for me has been to keep spending ECBs on things that get you more ECBs. Coupled with coupons you're getting name brand health and beauty products for a fraction of the price. ECBs don't expire for a few weeks, and within that time there is always something me or MS can use.

Now if i could just find a discount for Royal Canin Bulldog 24, we'd be set.

Fantastic Friday

It is Friday. FINALLY. This week, brought you you courtesy of our good friends over at Theraflu.

But ahead...warm temps, mexican food and a fun date tomorrow night. Don't tease me Spring.

While I'm trying to wrap my small mind around the Viva Italia! sale this week, let's look at the spoils of victory from last week. Anytime I can score Starbucks ice cream for a buck, it's a good week.

Spent $52
Saved $44

I definitely feel the effects of the 12 week grocery cycle. We are filled to the brim with groceries, so just hitting up the basics this week.

Hope your weekend is full of t-shirts, flip flops and maybe a few pop tops.

Woman Vs. Food

Sometime in the past month, I got a bee in my bonnet about cooking a whole chicken. I always see them on sale, wonder what the heck to do with them, and then move on. Well, I figured out what the heck to do with them, and the results were pretty tasty.

First, gather your young chicken.

Unwrap and pull out the sack of goodies inside. This step not pictured.

Place the Young, Fine Chicken on cutting board. (Which is what MS called it for two days straight).

Tell yourself it's just your imagination when it looks familiar.

Gather a few favorite seasonings and season the Young, Fine Chicken.

Place in slow cooker (God's gift to working women) on low. No need to add water unless you want to go all Little House and make stock.

Move over, Laura Ingalls.

If you add additional water and cook on low over night, you can have your very own homemade chicken stock. I thought I was being crafty, but in reality, I was not pleased with the results and I never used it. Maybe I need to further research that step.

The chicken, on the other hand was delicious. We had plenty for 2.5 meals. It was great with mashed potatoes and green beans, and then the next night with stir fry. Not too shabby for $5.34 of chicken.

Cheers to learning new things in the kitchen...

Fantastic Friday

Please excuse the mess on the backside of the island.

This week's total:

Spent: $65.92

Store Coupons: $10.00

Vendor Coupons: $12.44

Special Price Savings: $36.33

Saved: $58.77

We're getting pretty stocked up. I can see where it takes time to get a good base for cooking most recipes. I dare say we are almost there...

A Run and The Pub

Before all the snow and ice hit, it was relatively warm for a nice, albeit hilly, 7 mile run. I overestimated the chill and found myself stripping down everything I could that wouldn't get me in trouble.

We were pretty hungry after and seized the opportunity to try the new 500 calorie or less menu at McAllisters. I was delighted to see the chicken spud as an option. If it had some jalapenos and salsa, it would have been perfection.

We were thirsty too. Don't you love their tea?!

After refueling, I dragged MS to do the weekly shopping with me. Despite the mad rush for milk and bread, Publix had their game face on. It was crowded, but well stocked and we were in and out in no time.

Total: $59.07
Saved: $45.65

Favorite purchase of the week - Batter Blaster (not bladder baster, like I told MS on the way to the store)- Organic Pancake Mix. Normally $3.99/can on sale for BOGO. Had (2) $1 off coupons, paid $1 per can.

This, plus my CVS trip and grabbing a few odds and ends (read:ice cream) through the week put us right on target with the grocery budget.



Ahhhh...I heart Publix.

Frugal Friday

The holdiays are over and we're trying to get into the normal routine. I've been saying for weeks I need to get back into the drugstore game, but when I realized I was down to my very last razor, I knew I could put it off no longer. I think we can all agree the price of razors alone is motivation enough.

 I was brave and did two transactions in the lunch time crowd. I would be lying if I said I didn't get a little flustered (how dare the women in front of me ask questions while I'm trying to get my basket organized) but I think I came through with a W.

Transaction One:
1 Excedrin Extra Strength
1 Excedrin Migraine (came with a bonus 8 Excedrin PM)
2 Excedrin PM

Used:
1 Free Excedrin Extra Strength coupon
1 Free Excedrin Migraine coupon
(2) $2.50 of one Excedrin PM.

Paid: $4.37
Received $10 Extra Care Bucks (ECBs)

Transaction Two:
1 box of tampons
2 Revlon nail cutters

Used:
$1 off tampons
$10 ECBs from transaction one

Paid: $7.07
Received $10 ECBs

So all those products for $11.44 out of pocket for around $40 worth of products, I should never have a body pain or trouble sleeping for the next 9 months and I have $10 to use on next week's sale. Conveniently, razors are on sale and you get $5 ECBs when you purchase. Feels good to be on a roll again.

I met my better half for lunch right down the street at a restaurant we had a groupon for. We ended up paying $5 plus tip for a sit down meal. Would have been a total win had I ordered a salad rather than crab cakes and fries, but I don't recall perfection being the goal here.

In less frugal news, these came in this week, just in the nick of time for this weekend's long run! How have I not been running in pink shoes this whole time? It's hard for me to resist pink running clothes and if I'm not careful I'll soon look like I'm sponsored by Pepto Bismol.

Happy weekend!

A Goal is a Dream with a Plan and a Deadline

Don't you love a good quote? This oldie but goodie came to mind when I started writing this post. I'm jumping on the bandwagon and sharing some of our goals for this year in hopes of being more accountable and more transparent.

Another tradition we began this year was our Goal Lunch. You can imagine how thrilled my Type B husband was when I put this on the books, but he always goes along with my requests. I like to think all the talk of good balance in pre-marital counseling has something to do with it.

We had loosely talked about some of the things we wanted to accomplish in 2011, but something about commiting to them on paper makes a big difference to me. I thought we would make this a little more festive, so we made a date of it at one of our favorite restaurants.

Here's a sneak peak of what we are aiming for this new year. I left a few of the more personal things off. No, those don't include a bambino. Yes, we broke them into categories.

Physical

1. Sub 2 hour half marathon

2. Run Statue to Statue 15k- main goal is to survive the mountainous climbs

3. Run two 10ks - time goal TBD

Spiritual - We've been visiting a church for a while now and we both feel this is where we want to be and want to further our involvement.

1. Find a Sunday School and become involved

2. Join the church. We are looking forward to this process and having a church home.

3. Continue devotional time together. We started this a few weeks ago and its something I really look forward to. Having a specific time to talk about our relationship and praying together can be a little awkward at first but I believe the benefits to this time together will be priceless. After finding this on a favorite blog this morning, I was even more inspired to spend this time investing in Matt.

Financial - This was the easiest category for me. If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know I'm nerdy about the budget. It is refreshing this year to have a partner in budget goals. 2010 mainly went towards paying off the car and a wedding, so this year we're playing a bit of catch up in some other areas and trying to find some balance and enjoy life. Sorry Dave, I just can't get on the rice and beans plan.

1. Triple emergency fund savings.

2. Begin saving for a house downpayment - I got seriously burned in the housing market crash and I will never, ever again buy without a good e-fund and a down payment. One of my bigger regrets. Although, it is what fueled me to be more responsible with money. See, always an upside if you look for it....

3. Pay cash for travel. This is one of the things I'm most excited about this year. I'm really looking forward to doing some traveling with MS. We are already enjoying throwing around ideas for potential destinations.

That's what 2011, hopefully, looks like for the Searsons.

After all, "A goal properly set is halfway reached."

*I'll be changing blog addresses, since we are no longer 'soon to be'. I'll keep you posted!*

MIA

Wow, I feel behind. Last week just got away from me. I was out of town for work, we moved offices and I finished just about all of our Christmas shopping. This week is even busier, so we were glad to get that checked off our list.

While I was out of town, my thoughtful husband, who knows my weird obsession with all things dental, got me a prize.

My teeth have never felt cleaner after a brush. Merry Christmas to my gums! It even has its own little tanning bed for the brush heads that kills all the germs.

My Publix totals are getting better. I'm breaking even, so I don't think its too much longer until my saving outweighs my spending. I may or may not have bought 14 pounds of chicken Saturday. It was a great deal! I spent $80 this week and saved $80. And with all that chicken...I hope to report some lower totals the next few weeks.

Do you see what I see? Cake ball ingredients? The 14 lbs of poultry?

Finales have to have theme wine. I think we did pretty good for the Dexter finale. Notice her watch. I die.

We spent a lot of time with family this weekend, and it made it feel like the holidays. Yesterday was the Searson's Christmas cantata. Listening to them sing makes it feel like the holidays. One of the first memories I have with Matt was watching him perform in his parents cantata and its something special we enjoy each year.

It's even snowing a bit here in Alabama, which does great things for the Christmas spirit! Merry, merry, friends!

What's for Dinner?

One of the skills I'm working on post wedding is menu planning. Specifically, making our menu off of what is on sale that week. Also, not gaining 15 lbs. Piece of cake (cooked with splenda with a coupon), right?

One month in, here's how meals on a budget have been shaking down so far. Sit back and soak up all the knowledge I've gleened in a months time. It's staggering, really. I kid.

1. Familiarize yourself with recipes and ingredients - We all love allrecipes.com, but I've really started utilizing it. As I read more recipes, I've gotten a good idea of what ingredients are good to always have on hand, so I can stock up on them when they are on sale and be on the lookout for coupons. (cream of xxx soups, extra virgin olive oil, chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, garlic, spices, sour cream, etc.)



2. Doubling the recipe - If the recipe isn't large enough for leftovers and can easily be doubled, its a must. We did this for the baked potato soup, and were able to eat off of it for 3 meals. Makes the effort much more worthwhile and gives me a night off so I'm not so burnt out on cooking (I know its only been a month, thanks).



3. Branch Out - Speaking of allrecipes.com, I signed up for their daily recipe e-mail. Usually stuff like this drives me nuts and is a waste of space in my inbox, but so far these recipes have been really good and simple. If nothing else, they have helped me with point one. One day, hopefully not too far from now, I can just make dinner from what's on hand and what I've learned about cooking (not just a hat rack, my friend.)



4. Frozen Food is your Friend (on Fridays) - I'm not a big fan of frozen dinners during the week. I feel better having real meals, not to mention frozen food isn't great for you. But on the weekend, they are my friend. As much as I love to eat out, we try to be intentional with our 'entertainment' budget, so usually at least one night of the weekend we'll eat in. Great time to splurge on that pizza or Wanchai Ferry. Which, if you have not tried, I highly recommend. It feels more festive, and I figure I wouldnt have eaten great had we gone out. Justification is a strong suit of mine.

5. Not breaking the scale - This one is tough. It's that time of year when its cold outside, dark after work and you just want to sit on the couch with a bowl of mashed potatoes and fried everything. I do what I can here. We try to make healthier substitions when possible, but a big part is keeping breakfast and lunch healthy so some nights we can have more leeway at dinner. The treadmill is also a key player in point five.

So far, I've enjoyed trying new things and cooking for our little family. Matt is a great help in the kitchen, which is so wonderful! Don't you worry, Namath eats pretty good too. We can all sleep easy now. Especially since this food has odor reduction.

I love a good recipe, so please feel free to share!

Happy Thursday kids! It's Grey's and Private night...which means time to break out the adult beverages and OPI. I'm not letting this tradition die.

We Might Have a Problem...

I've never been a big shopper. Don't get me wrong - I love clothes, and I love buying new things. But, living on a budget, I always feel bad shopping for the heck of it. There was always something better I could do with that money, right?

Well, shopping for wedding parties and the honeymoon has me on a little shopping spree. Verdict is still out on whether this is a good or bad thing. I mean...I have money in savings. I contribute to my 401k. This time is virtually the least amount of financial responsibility I'll have, well, probably ever. And don't you get better deals when you shop regularly rather than rush trying to find clothes you need at the last minute? Do you hear my justification?

All that to say, I've been perusing all the pretty new fall clothes, and I've found a few favorites. I also threw in a fall favorite coffee - pumpkin spice. We were reunited this morning, and it felt so good.

In the words of Rachel Zoe, I die. Aren't fall clothes the best? They are flattering, even if you ate two baskets of chips at Chuy's last night. Which I totally didn't.

Decisions, Decisions

One of the big to do's left on our list is to pick out a sofa and chair. I thought I could almost safely cross this off, when during a "quick run" through a local furniture store last night, we found another option.

Couch and chair one:

We haven't been able to sit on these and test them out, so that's a con. We're working on that. Pro, we get to pick out any fabric. Con, 4-6 week delivery time.

Couch and chair two:

Comfortable. Deep. Available locally, so no wait time. I would really prefer a khaki, but this has khaki in it. Sigh.

I'm very indecsicive. Please chime in with thoughts, opinions, experience. It is MUCH appreciated.

Fall. Literally.

It seems as if I've gotten into a routine of humiliating myself on a weekly basis these days. First it was with my hands with an embarrassing email blunder, last week with my mouth and this week it seems my feet wanted in on the action.

While running this morning - on some very uneven sidewalk, I might add - I propelled myself off the ground. Not sure if it was sheer luck or sheer athletic stamina, but I somehow managed to turn in mid air so as to land and skid on my shoulder and back instead of doing a total face plant, as evidenced here. Sorry to the person who's yard I went skidding through, and you're welcome to all the runners who saw me and got a good laugh.

Like a trooper, I turned up "Like A Prayer" a little louder and went about my merry way.

Because it is a GREAT day people. Temperatures may still be soaring in the high 90s, but by God, it's fall. You know why?

That's right, the return of fall Thursday night TV. It may or may not have been the very first thing I thought of when I opened my eyes this morning. There's just something about two full hours of good, albeit overly dramatic, TV to propel you into the weekend.

In other efforts to drag fall in by its heels kicking in screaming, I've decided the all important time has come to lose the summer nail polish colors and move to dark. On the recommendations of my twin nail polish experts, I think I'm going to venture down this route.

Verdict is still out for toenail color. I'm taking suggestions.

Did I mention today is my Friday? More on that Monday.

Have a great weekend. Roll Tide!!!!