Tightening the purse strings.

This has been a big year for me and the Smith family, I'll expound on that in a later post, but one of the biggest occasions has been booking the Smith's 2017 trip to Europe. I was born in Heidelberg, Germany (my parents were stationed there at the time), in 1978, and I have never had the chance to return to my birthplace but that is going to change. We head abroad at the end of May, for a "quick" trip and I am beyond thrilled.

As you can imagine, the trip has been a very frequent topic of discourse in our household. For months now we've been discussing itineraries, flight schedules, passports, & rental cars. I have selected all the cities and sites (Disneyland Paris & the Neuschwanstein Castle made the list, of course) that are mandatory stops on my thirty-eight year old, Trip of a Lifetime; Tarzan is just happy to come along, he makes planning a trip such a breeze. Cheetah has added Rome, Italy, as his must see city on our European trek, and continuously adds new venues to our expedition through Europe.

Due to the hefty price tag that comes along with a trip overseas, we've been tightening the purse strings at the Treehouse. We've instituted meatless meals, elemenated eating out, greatly reduced our outside entertainment budget, and have begun keeping each other in check on our frivolous spending.

I began asking myself, "Do I need/want this? Would I rather _____ while in Germany or France?" - each time I consider purchasing new clothes or shoes. I have also been prompting Tarzan when he is contemplating a purchase and Cheetah when he is requesting a new toy or game, with the same round of questions and have found this practice to be the most helpful; until recently. I believe that I may need to create a different method to remind the family, The Boy especially, as to why we're currently sacrificing our wants for a future time and location:

One day as I reviewed the weekly grocery run with The Boy, we were both adding our lunch & dinner items when I mentioned needing to add tampons to the list. Without skipping a beat, Cheetah demanded, "Do you really need tampons, or can you wait to get tampons in France?"


It took several minutes for me to reign in the snorting and tear shedding laughter but I was able to smile lovingly at him and counter, "Yes my dear, I am sure that I need the tampons now. I may even need tampons while in France, too."

It can be tough on a frugal mom, check out this link for a little comedy relief.

working hard for the money

Tarzan and I had previously been big spenders and had the credit card debit and bad credit ratings to prove it, so we now live by a budget and a strict rule of NO credit cards.  We learned the pluses of living on a budget the hard way, though I am sure our parents warned us before leaving for college.  Cheetah has the joy of be raised by 2 cheap parents who refuse to give into his every whim.  It is so easy to get wrapped up in giving him everything he asks for, while we may not be made of money, he is an only child and it does have its perks.   

When Christmas came around Tarzan and I were appalled when Cheetah's wish list began growing by leaps and bounds, we decided that this would be the perfect time to try and teach him some perspective.  He had asked for the PS3 game called Skylander's, I was down for it until I googled it and realized it was a scam!  No only is the game $60 but you have to buy/collect all these different figures to complete the game.  Once again, Tarzan came to the rescue...he informed Cheetah that this was a rather expensive item for a Christmas gift (especially for Santa) but we could come up with a way for him to EARN the money for the Skylander game.  Cheetah wasn't thrilled but once he understood that he would have the game eventually he agreed to try to be patient and work for the money to spend on his game.

We came up with this chore list, things that Cheetah could do that would help us out and help him foster some skills of his own.  He could earn up to 12 stickers a day (additional stickers could be given if behavior warranted it) and each sticker was worth a nickle.  I was shocked to see such a swift change in his behavior,  we have had to endure quite a bit of conversations revolving around Skylander's over the past weeks but it was worth it.  If all goes well at school this week Cheetah will be buying the MEGA pack...and he is just beyond ecstatic!

This weekend we spoke of nothing but Skylander's and all the 'guys' he wants to buy, he said he'd be on his best behavior and work really hard!  I'm a bit concerned that he may be the best kid in the world and  that we'll be broke before next Christmas. 

taking a giant jump into this leap year...

Last year I decided that I would make a private resolution to see if for once I could in fact set a goal and keep it for a whole 365 days...I was surprised on December 12, 2011 when I realized I had not only inadvertently forgotten about said resolution, but I also kept it!  I  was so close to surviving a full calendar year without purchasing (for those the know me personally, I hope you're sitting down) a single purse OR pair of shoes for myself!  Once I made this realization I had to endure the hardest 19 days of my life...every where I turned I saw the cutest shoes and purses but I am happy to report that I still have yet to purchase any of the afore mentioned items...I was inspired.

LOVE Loungefly purses

Since I was able to directly affect the balance of my savings account by asking myself daily, "Do you really NEED this?" I wondered what I could for myself if I made a more personal 'promise'.  Could I dedicate the year of the dragon to my health?  Could I survive a year of exercise, what would it feel like, could it be a goal that could become a life altering habit? 

Heart disease is more common than brunettes in my family tree and it's not a matter of IF I have an affair with heart disease but WHEN.  I have decided to challenge myself to making some difficult choices; making meals that don't come from boxes or cans, 4 days a week of 45 minutes (minimum) of exercise, steer clear from high fructose corn syrup, and increase my veggie and fruit intake by 80%. 

I am taking matters into my own hands, since January 2nd I have begun the journey by cutting out the junk and adding whole foods to my family's diet and things were going well until I had a bump in the road that could have lead to my quick demise.  Every woman, weather she has voiced it or not, has a number of pounds that she never wants to reach; on January 9th I weighed myself and realized that I was 11lbs over my OMG number.  So after crying myself to sleep that night, I ran out to the local Gamestop and purchased a copy of Just Dance 3 (you HAVE to try it, it really is a blast) for my PS3 and I haven't let up. 

I have also taken advantage of a trail membership at Cheetah's dojo and have decided that no matter the expense, I have to do this for myself.  On January 16th, after much research on my part and a doctor visit I decided that juicing could be a key in helping unlock my love for fruits and veggies; it is amazing how much better I feel already.  My body is working better, my skin has cleared up, my digestive system no longer requires a steady intake of Tums, and I actually have more energy than I ever had while drinking sodas (after a terrible 5 days without caffeine...it really was easy to kick the habit).

Nothing that is worth having is easy to get your hands on, and I am sure I will want to give up on many occasions.   I hope to have some people willing to be 'calorie dialed' as I stand in front of some smelly fried chicken place for the 3rd time that week, just dying to go inside.  I will give into my urges in the most responsible way I can find, this can't be a diet, it can't be something quickly forgotten once the 366 days of 2012 pass by.  I have to look at myself and my family and friends and decide what is most important...eating what lies in the shiny smelly yummy fast food places on each and every corner or being a whole supportive presence in their daily lives.  So email me your number if you are willing to be my 'calorie texted' or 'calorie dialed' back-up...I promise to do the same.  ;)
  

Ho'made Christmas challenge!

It was really fun to challenge myself to make ALL the gifts our family would be giving this Christmas, and like I have mentioned before I have pintrest to thank for most of the smiling faces of our friends, family, and teachers. 

We made 'hand' towels for members of both families, they were well received.  Cheetah got very creative with these...he traced (with my help) his hand on to iron on transfer paper (that can be picked up at Michael's, Walmart, or Hobby Lobby).  Make sure to select the paper that can be colored OR printed on with a lazerjet printer.  Each person recieved 2 towels, one with the hand print and then drew a picture he knew the recipient would love for the other. 

The aunt that will be moving into her new house soon received a fancy wipe off board.  I purchased a bronzed frame and dry erase markers to go along with the ribbon and scrapbook paper I already had on hand.  She loved that something so useful could be pretty too!  Great, easy idea!

For godparents, aunts, and coworkers we did hand painted or iron on transfers.  I chose items I knew would be used; like aprons, pillowcases, and tote bags.  The giftees were delighted with their unique and personalized items.

As my deadline was fast approaching I even enlisted Tarzan to help...little did he know he was helping me finalize one of his gifts.  :)  I picked 2 fun ideas for his presents; 52 reasons why I love you cards & a family 'portrait' made with our hands.  He seemed pleased with both.

The grandmother's and Cheetah's teacher gushed over his 'HAND'made Christmas tree.  I must admit it does look really nice hanging in my house as well.

I even went on Shutterfly and made a 2011 family album for my parents, the album included pictures from all three of their children's families.  To round out the packages I included homemade pralines and chex mix (both are family faves).

It was heartwarming to see such sincere smiles and hear the praise over something I made on my own.  I know Tarzan will try to change my mind but I'm pretty sure I'll be doing ho'made gifts again next year, I'll just have to try for an earlier start date.

Tarzan mostly stuck to the rules as well.  I was excited to see a wonderful photo book titled, "How do I Love my Mommy?" and some perfectly precise coupons for my personal use (1 free bug elimination & 1 Chick-fil-a breakfast are 2 examples).  So nice to know your SO loved. 

I must urge you to try the 'homade' route for your gift giving next year, the gifts felt so much more personal.  Homemade gifts can also prove to be easy on the budget, especially if you have a surplus of craft supplies and free-time in the evening.  My only advice is to keep within your skill set so your stress level will stay at a minimum as it gets closer to your deadline.

It's a very 'pintrest' Christmas.

I really have enjoyed preparing for Christmas this year, it's been fun making all of our gifts.  It was a challenge that made me a bit nervous but thanks to pintrest, I'm gonna come out on top this year.  We celebrated Christmas with Tarzan's family over Thanksgiving and it was a blast.  Somehow I managed to not take a single picture of the gifts that Cheetah made for the familes.  He chose a picture he thought each Aunt woutld enjoy and carefully colored each one.  I then ironed the picture on to a cotton tote bag that I later filled with some supper yummy treats.

I made my grandmother's pralines, a staple from my family's Christmas celebrations.  I threw in a bag of roasted nuts to help combat the sweetness of the treats.

I also found a fun recipe on pintrest for homemade butterfingers, they were a HUGE hit!!  SO cool, who knew you could melt candy corn!?!



For Tarzan's cousin, the talented musician and member of Winchester Fletcher, we made a really neat candy 'dish'. 

We knew he would enjoy a gift rooted in music and since he's our 'Little Drummer Boy' we knew we had the PERFECT record to use for his gift.  



There were other gifts given, but they must remain a secret until part two of the Smith family Chrsitmas has taken place.  So far it seems that people not only enjoy our ho'made Christmas but seem delighted by their heartfelt gifts.

Kick starting Christmas.

I made a promise on Facebook, "'I will make ALL my Christmas gifts this year" and thanks to Pintrest I will have no problem filling stockings this Christmas.  It had been a while since I had made something to give as a gift so I felt that the best place to warm-up would be Halloween. Cheetah reommended carving a pumpkin, I tried to remind him how much he DID NOT enjoy doing it last year but he would not give up. 
                                   
Yeah, it didn't take long for him to regret his request.  I also learned a good lesson about pumpkins this year, although the 'warty' pumpkins are super cute they do not make good carving pumpkins.  The skin is SUPER tough, even Tarzan had a hard time carving into it.  We kinda gave up on the face but the 'goblin' inspired jack-o-lantern still came out super cute.

After our battle with the pumpkin I was a little nervous to try my hand at tye dying at home.  Last year after Halloween I bought this kit at Walmart for under $3 dollars, and I was super excited.  The only things I had to provide were shirts and patience...

                              

Suprisingly it went really well, Cheetah was into it but after 15 minutes of just squeezing dye he lost intrest.  I ended up tye dying 5 t-shirts and loving it.  They had to soak overnight but the 1st thing I did the next morning was cut off the bands and take a look.  Cheetah couldn't believe that you could change a white t-shirt to something 'so cool yo' (had to use his exact words).

We had enough dye leftover to make our 1st Christmas gift of the year.  It turned out great and we know that the giftee will LOVE it too!! 

                           

We have whipped our creative muscles into shape and this past weekend we churned out 4 more Christmas gifts and started on another 4, it won't be long before we have them all done and ready for the unveiling.  I'll give a little sneak peek as we work toward our family Christmas's...seriously, check out Pintrest, there are SO many great ideas and ways to help you save money during this holiday season.  

a few chews down memory lane

The Smith household has been playing with their food for a few weeks now.  We've been making food that makes us giggle, sigh with contentment, and takes us on a stroll down memory lane.  Besides pizza and turkey sandwiches; hotdogs are a staple in Cheetah's diet.  He orders corndogs and hotdogs but never eats the 'bread' he likes his dogs au natural.  In the interest of 'funning up' his dogs I began searching on pintrest and I found these cute pictures and I knew of a trick to turn hotdogs into a seafood delight; they were both a hit with Cheetah and they been requested daily since their introduction.

Cheetah has developed a love for several of my childhood favorites like gumbo, mexican cornbread, and porcupine meatballs but Tarzan became concerned when he learned that Cheetah wasn't a huge fan of some of the items that were offered at the school cafeteria.  We did a recap of the week's menu and decided to school Cheetah on two staples from Tarzan's childhood: meatloaf and sloppy joes. 

I got this yummy meatloaf recipe from The Pioneer Woman's site but the sloppy joes came straight out of the can.  I forgot how yummy sloppy joes are and it's a fairly inexpensive meal to fix in a flash.

Tonight we are noshing on the gorgeous meatloaf accompanied by fluffy mashed potatoes and green beans. It's been fun reliving some of our childhood memories while making some for Cheetah along the way.  What are the 'go to meals' in your house?  Are they the meals you ate as a child as well?? 

Wordless Wednesday

A little appreciation.

Lately we have been swamped, with Easter, my birthday, and now Mother's day!  Whew, I need a break.  I celebrated my birthday with a yummy '2 story' red velvet cake from my work, a fantastic boiled seafood feast, and an overnight visit from my folks! 

The highlight of this week has been teacher appreciation: Cheetah's school sent home a flyer with an example (for each day) of a happy for the teacher's, I took this as a challenge.  I decided that he could not just arrive to school with: a flower on Monday, chocolate on Tuesday, 'thank you' notes on Wednesday, fruit on Thursday, and a prepared item for the snack table on Friday.  I racked my brain and came up with some 'twists' to brighten their Appreciation week.

Monday: Flowers

Tuesday:  Chocolate (thanks a 'million')

Wednesday: Thank You "notes"

Thursday:  Fruit

Friday:  for the snack table

Also on Friday we have 'Muffins with Mom' and I have found that there really is no meal that compares to a dry packaged muffin, orange juice from a styrofoam cup, and the giddy smile from Cheetah.

I have a cousin, named Peter, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma and had a stem cell transplant this week.  Please keep Peter and his family in your thoughts and prayers.  He has a tricky road ahead and I know he would appreciate any extra prayers, as do I.

leaving home...

Easter was wonderful at the Smith house, it was a welcome break from the unpacking, place finding, and sprucing up that we have been doing for the past month.  My In-Law’s came into town and we did the obligatory egg dying, egg hunting, and Easter bunnying.  It was nice to have our first overnight guest in the new house; we had plenty of room and everyone seemed to sleep comfortably. 

Even though we did some yard work and a bit of maintance on the pool, it was relaxing.  We got the hammock up and enjoyed the mild breezy weather while visiting over under ripe watermelon.  It was yummy.  It was refreshing catching up with the news on the family and having the chance to see their sweet faces.  On perfect weekends like these it makes me so lonesome for my parents, I have actually been missing living IN their house. 

My parents were the parents everyone wanted; the house was welcoming, the advice supportive, and the company was enertaining.  Maybe that's why I have been missing them so much; they did TOO good of a job in making me feel loved, supported, and safe...I want to go back.  It really is an odd rite of passage, leaving home.  From the moment you are brought into this world people spend their time caring for you, providing for you, and making you feel safe  Your childhood is spent developing life skills and it's like a second job for your parents.  As an only child I rely on my parents a good deal so you can imagine how thankful I was to recieve a flyer from Cheetah's school.  They wanted to offer some insight into what they would be expecting from him as he begins his school years.  Up until this point I felt that we were doing a great job preparing him for his future.  I never considered the skills they had listed: buckling a belt, tucking in a shirt, wiping his bottom, reciting our phone number, knowing our address, and opening a milk carton.  Our dreams of a summer day lazing by the pool now have to include pop quizes and skill tests.  Oh the life of a responsible parent.

Speaking of pools...

We have come a LONG way.  I say WE but what I really mean is Tarzan has done some hard work.

Thanks to his efforts, with some advice from the In-Laws we may be in the pool by my birthday weekend!!  Score one more for Tarzan!