Planning...

Trying to be organized is a really hard thing for a procrastinator like myself.

It's overwhelming.

Trying to plan is just too much to handle.

I'm hoping that I can start this new year off right by using my little envelope system. It's not much, but it helps out towards the end of the year when I really need to find some extra cash. Around the beginning of the Christmas season the restaurant business is just not booming like one would think. People start cutting back on dining out because they're buying things for the ones they love instead. So when i'm out buying presents, i'm usually strapped for cash. It sucks. I want to be giving, but because i'm such a poor planner, I usually end up putting things off until I actually have the cash or I'll put it on my credit card (fully knowing that I'll be able to pay it off when the restaurant picks up again). I never put anything on my credit card that I can't pay off when the bill comes. That's one of my quirks. I'm terrified of credit cards. I hate them. They're a necessary evil for emergencies, but I only have one. Thankfully I have perfect credit because of my little quirks, so I have a great rate. At the age of 25 I had a 725 credit score; now my score is 800. Not too shabby if I must say so.

This is my little system that i'm enacting again. I got away from it for awhile because alas, i'm a poor planner and I like nice things and instant gratification. But my idea is that each week I put $10 away in each envelope. So thirty dollars a week goes into some sort of savings for myself. There's no point for me to put any of this money into a savings account because let's face it, the one cent of interest I'd make is really kind of pointless, I'd just be taking the money out by the end of the year anyway. 

I like the idea. On the back of each envelope I put the date so it'll keep me honest. I'm really hoping I can stick with it this year. I'm hoping that I can have a little extra at the end of the year. My plan is that anything that's left over I'll put towards my IRA contribution for the year. 

So here's to starting the year off right and having no debt to my name. It is a great feeling!

Is it Really Almost February...

Wow, time is flying!  It's already the middle of January!  I feel like it was just yesterday that I was running around trying to find last minute Christmas gifts for people and trying to prepare myself for the bill that was going to come at the end of the month.

I love receiving gifts just as much as I love getting them— especially the unexpected ones!  How great is it when you actually have a secret santa at work that gives you something you actually love?  Let's be honest, most of the time, we fear the secret santa.  We try to act all satisfied and happy over the gift but usually, they just miss the mark.  This year, I really was touched by mine.  The gifts were so personal and so perfect; they actually made me tear up (even though I cry at the drop of a dime!).  

Inside the notebook was a personal note from my secret santa telling me to continue to chase my dreams and write my lyrics down in this notebook (and not to forget her when I make it big)... it was so sweet, and the cowboy boot necklace was the perfect kicker!

For anyone looking to give a perfect gift still (perhaps for Valentine's Day?), I have to say that last year I found this site Darlybird.com through one of my favorite blogs and I joined her earring of the month club.  Let me tell you how awesome it was to get a cute new pair of earrings every month in the mail.  I mean seriously, who gets real mail anymore?  It's never letters, it's never packages unless you just bought something—it's always bills!  And even those don't always come in the mail anymore.  For me, it's mostly not for profits looking for donations (I guess that's what happens when you try to be nice and donate to a place, they sell your name to every other charity, but I digress, don't get me started!).

I almost forgot to sign up for the monthly club.  I'm telling you, it's a great gift, even if like me, it's a gift you give to yourself (as long as you don't mind having the same earrings as me).  You pay upfront, but then every month it's like getting a surprise in the mail.  I loved it last year, and I can't wait for this years' earrings that will be added to my collection.

Check out Rachel's site.  She includes a cute little note with the earrings each month.  

One hundred dollars for 12 pairs of earrings isn't too shabby (last year I'm pretty sure it was 14 pairs)... if I do say so myself.  I just love finding cute things.  Any cute places to shop I should know about?  Please share!

A Very Merry Christmas...

I have to say that this was the first Christmas that I've had in awhile without tears.  No sadness from being alone at the end of the night or from missing my family entirely too much.  Granted, I still missed my loved ones, but I was lucky enough to get to at least see my one brother (have I mentioned just how much I love FaceTime?).

I felt so much love and support during Midnight Mass this year.  For some reason the homily that my priest gives every year (and pretty much every week at mass) just speaks to me; he has this amazing ability to just make a connection with everyone.  The candles, the incense, the songs, and my family just made mass just a tad perfect this year.  It reminded me of Christmas mass when we were younger because of the random bought of laughter over my hiccuping during a song and my mom's horrible choice in what I think could be considered dress crocs (her poor feet deserve better).

It was nice to wake up today and open presents.  It was nice to feel some sense of normality.

 We traveled from house to house on little sleep and my hubby was actually wishing for work (it's exhausting!)  I can't even imagine what we would do if we had a child because our poor little Luna pup was so tired by the time we reached my moms house that she could barely keep her eyes open anymore! She definitely was a trooper.  

 

I loved seeing my mom's face as I FaceTimed my brother and she got to see him for the first time in months.  She cried like a baby and I loved every minute of it.  The best presents really are free (or at least the cost of an Apple product).  I loved seeing the smile on her face.

After all the hustle and bustle of the day, it was nice to come home and settle in under blankets and watch some Christmas movies.  Nothing is ever perfect, even on Christmas, but doesn't it make you just believe that all your wishes could come true?

From My Family to Yours, 

Merry Christmas!  

I hope it was a great one!

A Really Good Gift Giver...

Do you have someone in your life that is just an amazing gift giver?  Like the kind of gift giver who listened throughout the entire year to everything you ever wanted (and then forgot about) but they remembered?  Then at Christmas you're completely giddy when you open your presents because you realize that all those little things you mentioned, you now have.  Yea, that's my hubby.

Now you may think to yourself, "wow, she's so lucky!" but NO— not really!  Well, ok it is kinda fabulous, but what do you get the person who is the most amazing gift giver ever?  And who doesn't really talk about what he wants (unless it's an 85 inch flat screen tv!).

Every year we set a limit.  He never keeps it.  I always feel like the worst wife ever for it!  But then I have the other half of me that's just so excited to have fabulous presents!  We all know about the fabulous guitar he bought me (I'm almost playing Ode to Joy like a champ!).  

Well one day at the restaurant my bar-back was mentioning how he was going to buy an American Girl doll for his daughter.  Oh gee, I was so jealous!  Every girl should own an American Girl doll, but they were a tad too expensive when I was growing up.  But I took every opportunity I could to play with my friends'.  I'm not gonna lie, I googled them when I got home and sat and reminisced over the fun times playing with Molly and Kirsten.

After coming back from vacation I was going through the mail and saw an American Girl magazine on the table and all I could think to myself was, wow Google is kinda creepy, how did I get sent a magazine?! Then I looked at the back of the magazine and saw my hubby's name.  Interesting.  

I always wanted Molly and to my shock she's the only original American Girl doll left.  Now, I thought he must have searched my history, but nope, apparently my bar-back and him were in cahoots while playing Words with Friends.  The hubby was a little sad that I put two and two together and figured it out.  I can't even tell you how cute it was to open the present.  

I felt like a little kid.  I cried a little.  Ok, I bawled like a baby, but it was like the best feeling having a childhood gift that you couldn't get and seeing it wrapped up.  

I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do with her, but she's just too precious.  I just think of how much I wanted her when I was a kid and I hope that one day I can play with her with my kid, so I don't look like too much of a weirdo.  Maybe if I have a daughter I'll buy her Molly's best friend Emily.  Oh gee, I am a dork.  

Do you ever have those moments where you want to buy your kids the things that you couldn't have as a kid just so you can be a kid again? I don't even have a baby, but I'm sure I could come up with a list of toys I'd love to get him or her.  One day.

Now I'm still trying to figure out what to buy the hubby, I mean how do you top Molly and a guitar?  I have my work cut out for me for the next few years.

Oh That Hubby of Mine...

So the hubby and I are like children.  If you've been reading my blog since the beginning, I'm pretty sure that I've posted about how we really can't wait for Christmas to give each other the presents we buy.  Usually, we make it to about December 13th and then we start getting a little too giddy to wait— I mean it is twelve days of Christmas right!?  So that date seems fitting.  

Well this year has topped it all.  Apparently we couldn't even wait until December to give out a present this year.  I had a feeling— because I was a good girl and I knew Santa read my list, that I'd be getting a certain present I asked for.

Well last Tuesday I came home from the gym and there was an extremely large box wrapped in Christmas paper.  Now mind you, he has another present of mine in the house that he had delivered to his mother's just so I couldn't see!  But then when he went to pick it up he tempted me with it all night!  Even putting it next to me on the arm of the chair I was sitting in and pushing it towards me just begging me to open it!  How rude!  I was so good though and showed some control, even though it's one that I really have no idea what it could possibly be!  It's killing me sitting there all wrapped in Christmas paper under our tree.  It's just tempting me.  Granted, I give it a little shake here and there, but nope, I haven't any notion on what could possibly be in that bigger than a bread box box.  I guess I'm really going to be surprised on Christmas.  But back to the extremely large box.  He wanted me to open it.  I wanted him to want me to open it.  So needless to say, about an hour after he wrapped it, it was tore open and I saw one of the most beautiful guitars I've ever seen.  

It's perfect!  I'm in love with her.  I bought her a case and a pretty black and white polka dot strap.   I think I might name her Mae.  But it's up for debate.  

I took my first guitar lesson on Monday and it was fabulous!  I'm already learning my scales like a 4th grader!  This definitely brings back memories!

Are you guys a tad impatient for Christmas presents too?  Once they're there is it hard to keep them wrapped under the tree, especially when you already know what they are!?  The ones I don't know, I like leaving there; I'm still like a little kid who wants to be surprised on Christmas morning, especially since my hubby won't be running off to work this year!  

And look at our tree! 

For the first time in five years, the hubby actually helped me put her up!  It meant a lot to me— I definitely went retro this year and I love the way it turned out!  It reminds me of my childhood with the tree skirt and star. 

An Ornament from My Brother When We Were Kids

 I love it!  Can't wait til December 13th!  and December 25th!

So Many Toys to Play With, So Little Time...

This Christmas I received so many gifts that just touched my heart.  My family knows that I'm an old fashioned kind of girl; I love old movies (I finally have Casablanca!  What a beautiful movie!), antiques, and anything that looks retro.  I'm looking around our house right now and I just feel overjoyed with the gifts; my nativity scene is complete thanks to my hubby,

and I have a candle holder that is of Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus thanks to my Dad and his wife

—they're just beautiful additions to our house for the holidays.

I have two presents that I just can't stop looking at and smiling over; a retro phone and a retro radio.  I love them!  The phone is cordless, but looks like a retro rotary phone and the radio plays records, cds, cassettes, and has a hookup for my ipod!  

And today I received a gift from my mom that I just can't stop playing with: tons and tons of records!  They range from Michael Jackson's Thriller to The Carpenters.  Just like I love the smell of a book, I love the sound of a record! 

When I was cooking dinner for my hubby and folding laundry I couldn't stop listening to the raspy sound of the white noise from the records.  I loved every minute of.  Janis Joplin, Simon and Garfunkel, the Beach Boys—every record just makes me smile. 

Thanks mom for giving me a present that just keeps on giving and thanks to my hubby for giving me this retro piece so I have the ability to play them!  The last time I played records was when I was a little kid on my Grama's front porch storage room with my brother playing 45's on one of those small carrying case record players... needless to say, it's been a long time and I've missed that sound.  I can't wait to find old records and play them over and over again.  Now I just need to find a record holder so they don't get too scratched up!  So be on the lookout please... retro looking of course.

So Thankful...

On this Christmas Eve I've found myself very thankful for the gifts that God has given me; even more than the physical presents that are under the tree.  

I've been having a hard time with my faith lately.  Even though I know in my heart that during hard times I need to turn to God, a lot of the time, I turn away from Him when things don't go my way.  I start questioning myself, my daily intentions, and whether or not God loves me.  Sometimes I just need to have a little more faith; in God, in myself, and in the life that He has chosen for me and my family.  Sometimes it just doesn't work, the trying to convince yourself of these things, so I turned to an outside source; for me it was my priest.  So today, I'm thankful for him and the words he's spoken to me.  Instead of viewing myself as selfish and ungrateful, I know that desiring something for my life, can be very unselfish.  The desire to find my path is not selfish; it's part of being a human.

Today, I was able to spend the day with my family and enjoy a day off from work.  Christmas day is another day off.  Granted, no money, but I'm so grateful for the tradeoff of family time.  The homily at midnight mass spoke to me, especially after a previous talk with my priest, and I have a new sense of renewal on my outlook on things happening in my life.  Prayer can be a powerful thing.

My brother came home for Christmas Eve and my family and I enjoyed a night filled with eating, exchanging presents, and talking about how old we're all getting; this was concluded by us taking our blood sugars and blood pressures.  I'm not kidding.  Mine was pretty dang good: 91 for the blood glucose and 110 over 64 for blood pressure- I guess I'm not falling apart yet!  But this was our laugh out loud moment of the night, man, age is just creeping up on me, if this is what we find entertaining!  Well, that and 24 hours of a "Christmas Story"!

I can't wait to enjoy Christmas day with my hubby (his first time off since we've been together!).  The day has already started off great and I can't wait for it to end with us cuddled up on the couch watching "It's a Wonderful Life."  No other movie could be more telling.  

I'm thankful for all my blessings this Christmas.  I hope you enjoy the same happiness and find your own moment of sanity when the shopping is done and all the presents are finished being opened.  Remember Christmas and keep the reason for it in your heart.

Merry Christmas! 

What's that I hear... Is Christmas Near?...

So, I've been back from Florida for a few weeks now and the Christmas season is upon us.  Work is slowing down, which always happens during Christmas, but with having to install a new countertop and sink, I'm definitely feeling the pinch just a little more this time around.  I hate feeling like I'm not contributing a lot to our monthly bills; it doesn't happen a lot, just this time of year, and the hubby doesn't mind, but I sure do!  I can't wait for nights with bands or for football Sundays.  I like giving good presents, but I refuse to go into debt for them, so this year I can only do what I can do.  I just hope family and friends understand.

I loved my trip to Florida.  I loved seeing my friend and I loved seeing her home.  It's beautiful and I had so much fun helping her fill it with furniture and decorating.  But since there are still items that need to be delivered still, I'll have to keep the changes for a future post.  

The weather was great for the first two days, around eighty-six, but then within a day it dropped to the forties!  Now they're in the twenties with us!

Sunsets are pretty but it just changes so much when you're just trying to not go numb as the sun goes down.  

Don't get me wrong, right now I would love to feel forty degrees, but when you're on a beach in your sandals, you kinda hope that the weather stays just a little bit warmer.  

Quite possibly the coldest beach feet ever!

It was a strange change of scenery.  We were listening to Christmas music on the radio and all I thought was that it was July and I was on a tropical vacation (at least the first two days).  How can people in Florida enjoy Christmas?!  They're in shorts and t-shirts and looking at palm trees.  It's just not Christmas in my mind unless I'm freezing my butt off!

Nothing was dying at the time.  How do you enjoy the rebirth of things once spring-time comes?  That's what I love about the seasons.  Although, I hate this cold.  Did I mention that?  I just couldn't get in the Christmas spirit down there.  And I felt like I was dating my hubby again.  Instead of cuddling at night and being able to give him a kiss, I was waiting for phone calls and sweet talking with him at the end of the night before I went to bed in an empty room.  It just felt so foreign; especially at night.  

It's strange.  Now that I'm home I miss my bestie like crazy.  I loved being able to just hang out with my friend.  I always miss my hubby so much when I'm without him; it'd be nice to have her here to do things with when he's working and I'm off.  Maybe one day we'll live in the same area.  But then the daily grind of life gets in the way, so I guess it's never perfect.

The day after I came home (with a teary eyed reunion in the airport) my hubby went in for knee surgery. Let me tell you what that anxiety can do to a wife that didn't get enough sleep on the night before!  I was so worried that something would happen to him.  I'm not great with seeing people I love in hospitals, I'm always so afraid, even if it's just for something simple.  Thankfully I knew the nurses and the doctor so it made the hours waiting a little bit easier.

I'm actually glad that I went away when I did because I've had the past two weeks to enjoy some time with my hubby.  It's been great having him home. Spatting about silly things or just getting on each others' nerves because we've been in the house with each other for too long.  This never happens!  Normally I'm just missing him, it's kinda nice to get tired of each other sometimes.  The funny part is, I think that's happened twice. I'm enjoying the cuddling (he just laid his head down on my leg) and the fact that I'm able to talk to my best friend whenever I want to talk to him.  No calling him at work to say hello or to say I'm missing him.  He's right here, I don't have to miss him.  I do feel a little like the dorky housewife when I call him at work so I try to avoid it at all costs.  So having him home is a major plus, I love it.

I don't think I mentioned how much I love to smell is newly shampooed hair either?  Did I mention it?  Because it's a fabulous thing that Pantene on my hubby's head.

Last Monday my mother and I finally were able to get our Christmas tree up too.  Thank God for Mom or I'd go crazy trying to get the parts of the pre-lit tree to be lit.  For some reason, it just never works out in an easy way.

These past few weeks have been very busy I tell you.  I was getting a little crazy about the holiday getting closer and closer and I still didn't have any decorations up!  Normally I'm a little bit more on top of it, but with the surgery and the hubby being home and needing my help (well in the beginning anyway) the tree and decorations became less and less of a priority.

Our tree looks great and I love looking at the ornaments and remembering why they have special meaning or remembering why they were bought at the time.  Christmas ornaments make me happy.  There's always a story behind them.  

Me, the Hubby, and Luna- at least in my mind

My plan is to eventually have no tree fillers, but to have all special ornaments with meaning.  Eventually that will happen but I'm looking to do it over time.  I'm going to buy an ornament for our vacations we take and the memories that we want to mark.  I just wish the hubby liked to decorate it as much as my mom and I do.  But then again, it's becoming my little tradition with my mom, so I don't really mind that much.  Yet.

We finally have stockings too.  Our fourth Christmas together and this is our first with stockings!  How could I have missed this major part of my childhood traditions!  Better late than never I guess!

  

Our nativity scene is almost complete too.  This year I bought the shepherd and stable animals and an angel to look over.  

My hubby gave me an early Christmas present (we're kind of notorious for giving our presents over time because we're like little kids and a bit impatient; we joke that we should have been Jewish and celebrated Hanukah instead) of the angel stand.  I love that the nativity is looking more and more complete.  I love looking at the true meaning of Christmas.  No matter what, my nativity comes out before anything else.

Another present that I got a little early were my footie pajamas.  

How fabulous is that?!  When I was a kid I remember having a light purple colored, care bear pair of pajamas.  I used to love those things!  These ones have the drop butt bottom too.  How exciting!  Maybe I'm the only one who loves the idea, but why didn't people think that grownups would like footie pajamas too sooner!  I mean who doesn't want to stay warm in the winter?  Yup, I'm a dork.  But my hubby calls me Dorkarella because I'm his princess; kinda like Cinderella but, well, dorkier. 

So, the Christmas season is here and I'm freezing my butt off in New York, I'm feeling broke, and I've headed back to the gym (and can barely walk now!) because I've gained too much weight back over the past few months, but ya know what?  Things are great.  I can't wait to spend time with our families and I have an awesome little family that we're building together and I'm looking forward to the new year and what special things it could bring.  

Ever since I met my hubby I've only hoped that each new year is just as good as the last and I haven't been disappointed yet.  Things just keep getting better and better.

Not Quite There...

So I'm officially done with classes. I'm not officially graduating, but I do feel like I have had the world lifted off of my shoulders. I started and finished my Christmas shopping yesterday after my last class. Another sigh of relief. The tree is up and decorated. My doctors' appointments have gone well (had to load up since I finally have insurance). I'm getting back into my exercise routine. My new bathtub is sitting in the garage just waiting to be installed, so I can start soaking up the bubbles in the new year. Sigh, Sigh, Sigh, and Sigh.

I've also learned a valuable lesson. Procrastination, isn't a good thing. I know I'm not the only one in the world that procrastinates, but staying up until 6 a.m. to do work, is probably the best display of procrastination that I can come up with. Is there anything that you're procrastinating? Christmas shopping, losing those last pesky 10 pounds, or spending some time with family and friends? My advice: time is short so stop procrastinating (hopefully I can practice what I preach, at least for the rest of the year).

So now I've got projects to do around the house: buy and finish a pantry for my kitchen, paint the upstairs bath (after the bathtub is installed of course), and buy our new kitchen table. I also start my internship with Our House Magazine, which I'm really excited for. I'm looking forward to look at beautiful houses in the Poconos and the Catskills for inspiration.

Now to get into the holiday spirit, here is what I'm watching. Obsessively: