Is grey the new black?

Painted my nails a fun color that I have never done before? Whatcha think? Grey the new black?

PS: My nails might be the longest they have ever been! Yay for stopping a bad habit {for now}

PSS: Nailcolor is OPI “Sheer” Your Toy Collection

Am I fo’ reals?

ever want something really bad and you try really really hard to get there and then you fall flat on your face {aka faceplant} every time you try to achieve it?

this is totally me when it comes to the budget.

I make sure I document every purchase we make, I try to keep my husband in the know without totally freaking him out, I have used the envelope system, I have mentioned our budget a couple {thousand} times throughout the month so we can keep the goals in mind, and I truly try to be concious of all things money.

yet somehow each month I faceplant like no other when looking at the monthly summary of how we spend our money.

now this isn’t faceplant like oh my gosh we can’t pay our bills on time, we are always in the minus and we can’t get ahead.  I know that there are tons of people struggling day to day just trying to make ends meet.  that isn’t us and I know that things could absolutely be worse–but a wise person once said to me it isn’t how much you make–it is how you spend it.  We know we are blessed with what we have, which is why I want to be better with the budget so that we aren’t frivolous with our blessings.

Every month I have this new found hope that this is the month we will be on budget.  this is the month we will be super savers and super thrifters.

at the end of the month the hope is replaced with excuses such as…

Weddings to attend, friends and family to see, traveling, great food to be eaten, movies to be watched, fun to be had, gifts to be bought.  I mean fo’ reals–how do people nail their budgets on a consistent basis yet still have fun? I would like to have a chat with said people and have them take over my finances for 1 month so I can see that it can be done because right now it just seems stupid to have a budget if well we don’t stick to it and we go over our budget goals consistently.  I bet these people don’t have an iphone–just a guess.  

So of course it was the end of the month and the excuses were just flying for me when I was looking over the summary page.  As the numbers were swirling in my head last night I had a list of items that I wanted to get done.  Make chili, move from summer to fall clothes, put away clothes we washed over the weekend, clean the apartment–including the fridge.  As I had Oprah in the background while getting some chores done last night I had an AHA! moment {as of course Oprah would say}.

 

To you this picture probably represents the trash that needed to get put out–but to me this was my AHA! moment in a garbage bag.  To me this trash bag represents about a every other month ritual.  This wasn’t the trash that needed to go out, it was the food that I had to throw out because it was old, moldy, bad, rotten, gross, etc and needed to be removed from our fridge.  It was hundreds of dollars wasted in this garbage bag because we didn’t spend our money wisely. In some cases it was us on a certain food kick but didn’t last too long so it just sat in the fridge, for some it was leftovers we didn’t eat and instead chose to let it sit in our fridge, it was produce that didn’t get used fast enough, it was pure wastefulness of our hard earned dollars.

that garbage bag full of food was the compliation of what exactly I try to avoid each month. spending just to spend. 

one of the areas we can improve upon tremendously is our food budget line.  We spend high amounts on groceries, but also high amounts on going out to eat.  We honestly can’t be doing both at the same time.  Why spend hundreds on produce if for the week we only eat one meal in the house? Why stock up the fridge if we were traveling a lot that month? Every month I buy peppers and every month I throw away peppers–why am I still buying them?! Why do I feel the need to have our fridge full if only every other month I end up with hundreds of dollars sitting in a trash bag? If my grocery bill is high then my eating out budget should be low, right?  Hahah only in my budgeting dreams does that happen to us.

this is just one example of me thinking we are doing a good job with our spending habits and being concious, but the proof is in the garbage bag that we aren’t doing a good job and there are ways we can do better.  For instance buying what we need rather than buying what we THINK we need.  Normally I would throw out the trash from the fridge and feel good about it because we had a clean slate in our fridge and it felt cleaner–but last night I felt disspointed in ourselves that we let that much go to waste over the course of a month.  I hope this is sign of changes to come and better improvements with our budget. 

For now I have to be okay with having a fridge that looks like this until we actually need something…

 

if anyone else is looking to improve their budget I use these websites for inspiration and tools to help me out:

Small Notebook

That Wife

Money Saving Mom

Budgets are Sexy

Book Review: Um, Finally?

as my husband would put it…”are you done with that book YET?!’

and well finally I can say YES and under my goal of before September ends!!!

you probably remember me complaining about said book here and I decided to bring it on my trip to California a couple weeks ago.  TWO 8+ hour flights surely should get me through the last 120 pages, right?

barely.  I barely finished this book even while trapped on a plane and not much to do.

Here are my book ratings just as a reminder since it has been SO LONG since I reviewed a book: 0-4 star rating.  {0} = oh gosh I didn’t finish the book it was THAT bad. {1} I finished the book, but not before it took a piece of my soul! HA! {2} average book and it was somewhat enjoyable. plot, characters, or ending could have been better. {3} really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to someone looking for a new book to read {4} blew my socks off! Couldn’t put the book down and probably didn’t speak to my husband or go to bed until it was finished! fabulous!

So as you can guess I gave this book 1 measly star {*}. 

I think in this case though the book only getting one star had more to do with me than with anything to do with the book.  It wasn’t poor writing, and it did have a good plot–I just couldn’t get into this book.  I am not a huge history buff and so that took a little time for me to sift through at the beginning.  Then once I got used to the history aspect of the book it was too back and forth from past and future and I was almost always confused.  Also the names of the people in the past were very similiar to the people in the future {on purpose maybe to show similiarities in past and future maybe??}–but that got me even more confused.  What kept me going besides never liking to stop books half way through was it was a sort of mystery and trying to figure out what happens to the characters in the past and in the future.  I think with all the confusion I just never got the rhythm of the book and never felt the need to keep reading.  I will say though if you pick up the book–the ending will not dissappoint.  After the months of reading this book I felt some validation in holding strong and reading the book because it was very thought provoking. 

Anyone else read this book? Any thoughts on it?

TIVO, DIY and MORE!

I did another video blog installment this morning! I seem a little monotone, but I was just waking up and I didn’t have my coffee yet so I apologize if I am not as bubbly as I normally am. HAHA! I totally wish I was more of a morning person…anywhoooo here it is!

I mention wordle in the video blog and this is the website in case you want to wordle something for your house!

Also, if you haven’t had a chance please fill out the blog survey so that my blog can get better! Click on the link below in order to take the 10 question survey! A $5 starbucks gift card is one the line…who doesn’t love starbucks??!!! Giveaways ends Sunday October 3rd!

Click Here to take my survey!

Sometimes…

Sometimes…

Wearing the same outfit two days in a row must be done because of poor weather planning

A priest should have been on a stage rather than on an alter

You can wake up with your hair looking exactly the same after being in a wedding

Waking up your mom to tell a story as no one will understand as much as her

Your husband will say that your hair smells like Spencer gifts

You will have a longer train then the bride and 2.5 million people will step on your dress

Your feet hurt so badly that anything seems appropriate to sit on or lean against

A compliment will make your day even when it isn’t “your” day

You will see a guest lick the photographers bald head

You will be thrown back into the past and smile for all the fond memories

You will get shushed by a random guest and make fun of that person the entire night

A trolley can go 60mph on a highway and not lose it’s wheels

Ringing a bell = take a shot from a flask

You will dance like no one is watching or video taping

Napkins can be also worn in different styles on your head that may or may not look like jock straps

A weekend can give you stories to share for years to come…

We are traveling back from a wedding weekend today! Hope everyone had a fabulous Fall weekend! 🙂

I need YOUR help!

A first here at {W}renn’s Nest!!!

I want to hear from YOU! I want to know what keeps you hungry for your goggle reader to pop up with a new post from ME! I want to keep you coming back from more and not becoming like stale old bread {or the stale corn pops I ate earlier this week} and want to stay fresh and lively!   Although I write for me and this blog is an outlet for my thoughts and feelings, it is the readers and friends I have met along the way that keep me coming back for more.  I want to give back to my readers!

So here is the deal:

Below is a 10 question super quick and easy survey I would LOVE LOVE LOVE for all my readers to fill out! I will keep the survey open until Sunday October 3rd and then will pick a lucky reader to win a 5 dollar starbucks gift card and announce on my blog on Monday!

Yup! All you have to do is answer 10 easy questions and you can win a little slice of starbucks heaven. This means you could be sipping on a FREE grande pumpkin spice latte in a matter of weeks!   Or on the way to a meeting you could settle a craving with one of their delcious scones to get you through the day! Or share 2 tall drinks with a loved one on the way to apple picking. 

What are you waiting for?? Click on the link below and be one step closer to a FREE $5 giftcard to starbucks!

Click Here to Help Out a Fellow Blogger!

 

Please please fill out my survey because you don’t want the {W}renn’s nest feeling like this do you….

Jet Lagged

I am a little jet lagged on this Tuesday so it is going to be a day of randoms on my blog because right now I am feeling a little random…

1. I went to my mailbox today and it has been about a week since I made the visit and I was pleasantly surprised with my bridesmaid shoes {EKKK for this weekend, thank god they came in and they fit!}, and our gift cards from our credit card rewards program so we can purchase the hubs bday gift/anniversary gift! Then bills…but I skimmed right over them and tried on my shoes.  Here are the shoes I purchased last minute at JCPenny’s online and they didn’t make me pay for shipping and handling! TA-DA! Great heel, Great fit and perfect for a wedding…thanks JCP!

2. I am coming back to work on my long day. BIG NO NO. and you would think I would learn my lesson but I am out next Monday as well.  Tuesday is the day I work 8:30am-10pm {cringing as I type}.  So I of course after a trip I want to unpack my bags, clean my place up, do the dishes that didn’t get done by the hubs this weekend, and make a meal. nope not today–I will have to wait another day to even make a dent in any of those items.  oh well california was BOMB and chores will still be there 24 hours from now.

3. I have a credit card that I use for work items and my balance for last month was $2,011.82.  I am a ShOPPER at heart so it gives me great pleasure to spend other people’s money.  Yes I have to balance this month’s statement today but hey at least I don’t have to shell out the cash for this credit card.   Looking at the statement just makes me laugh–phones, glitter sticks, IHOP breakfast, 10 bags of ice, markers. HAHA. oh student affairs how you make me giggle sometimes. 

4. Being pregnant is kinda of a big deal.  I haven’t had someone close to me have a child in about 8 years and so seeing all the decisions that my good friend was making and getting advice and going through so many changes with her body {hot flashes anyone?} it made me realize…WHOA it is totally a big deal.  I always knew it but sometimes you see Teen Mom, or 16 and pregnant or random people who you think really they are parents?! and you start to think it is easy decision or simple and a voice in my head says…hmmm I can totally do this right now.  So it was nice to see my friend and realize how life changing, and how big of a deal it really is, but also how amazing the experience will be when we one day make that leap into being parents. I am thankful for the 48 hour baby bonanaza and it definately makes me think of future decisions I will be making…

5.  Bye Bye Babies R Us. {one more baby item} So we went to a Buy Buy Baby over the weekend and I have heard of them and we actually have one near us but sans baby I never gave it much thought.  Until this weekend when I stepped into this dreamy world of Buy Buy Baby.  It was awesome to see all the options but probably more awesome if I was actually going to need any of those items in the future.  It was clean, endless options, coupons galore, and well much more stock in everything in every color/design/shape.  Just add it to another thing I want near me when I have kids–if you have small babies/toddlers seek this out because you wont regret it!

6. Most of my California pictures are from my iphone and most of them are in regards to food.  Since I have been there before and it was almost home to us last year we almost forget the beauty of the landscape although every time I was on the highway this weekend and saw the mountains I was beaming.  Northern California is beautiful and when you first get off the plane and onto the road you are immediately hit with its beautiful landscape.  I didn’t get proper pictures to show people of this but the next time we go in December I promise more about California and less on food.  but the food is awesome and totally worth documenting. Jamba Juice anyone? Mexican? Guacamole? Togos? Frozos?

7. You need a job? Want to relocate to a different area? Get on a plane on a Friday and a Monday and you are bound to get some tips on jobs. no joke! On my way down there I met some people who could potencially help out in the future if we wanted to move to California.  On the way back I met someone who could potencially help out in the future with Boston or relocating as well.  Just people willing to give their business cards, emails, give advice.  I amost want to say I could write this off as a business trip because lots of business transactions were happening on the flights.  WHO KNEW??!!!! I mean we both have jobs and aren’t really looking but seriously never hurts to put yourself out there and see what the universe gives back.  So yea if you are looking to move to Texas hop on a flight to Texas and mingle with your neighbor on the flight…

Hope everyone has a great day and I hope to get myself back on track with the time change!

Traveling Day

hi bloggers!!

so I am sitting in the airport waiting for me to board the plane for a day of flying! it has been such a whirlwind bunch of weekends in september and we still have 1 to go! by far flying to California for the weekend has been one of my more spontaneous weekend acts I have done but I loved it and it definately can be done!!

I didn’t feel like it was a rushed weekend and I was able to fit in a ton with a short amount of days. thank you friend!!

some tips for a weekend trip that involves a flight:

1. pick a flight coming into your destination that you can still use some hours THAT day. I arrived at 5pm Friday so I was able to have dinner, gossip and fun with my friend even though I was traveling that day. it definately extended my trip.

2. don’t do crack of dawn flights if you don’t enjoy the 5am hour. by the time you recover from the lack of sleep it will be time to come home and you will be exhausted.

3. stay with friends and go to places where you know people so you don’t end up spending major money on that weekend since you had to pay for flights. if not, get a great flight + hotel package so you are paying very little for hotel.

4. set an amount that you want to spend and take it out in cash (as long as it is not a HUGE amount bc you don’t want to travel with large amounts of cash). I took out a small amount and I used it throughout the weekend with some to spare. I swiped my card very little and it made me feel I was doing my fun weekend on a budget.

5. carry on bag! I couldn’t get a great deal on southwest so my airlines would make me pay at least $25 dollars a trip and so that would have added an expensive expense for just a weekend getaway. if you are staying with friends-forego some of your items you might take on a longer trip. get it to fit in a carry on!!!

6.stay positive and try to relax and enjoy your trip. I really tried to soak in the moments faster and love all the things we were doing because in a flag I would be back at work behind a desk wishing I relaxed a bit more on my weekend. look up at stars, take in the summer breeze, enjoy the taste food. try to relax and breathe and enjoy and smile.

7. research research and find good deals. the deals are out there and especially if you are flexible what weekend you do for your getaway you can find flights on the cheap! I was dilegent because I wanted to go out to California but I wasn’t going to break the bank for a weekend especially since the hubs couldn’t go. once I found a deal I jumped on it! don’t do too much deliberation because you could lose the deal. it some times pays to be spontaneous!!

*if the airline asks if anyone can give up their seats for extra $$ weigh the options. on one hand you will have less time to enjoy your weekend getaway and more time in a crowded airport. on the other hand it would give you another trip on a plane for FREE which would give you a getaway or vacation travel for free!

hope everyone has a chance to getaway and enjoy new experience!

and because a blog post is better with a picture…goodbye beautiful California!

Friday Foto!

 

this is what I saw Monday night on my way to the store

double rainbow for a double lucky week!

{taken on my iphone}

I was still recovering from the weekend Monday night but this totally made my night

oh it is the little things.

{unsure who took this picture of us}

since it is a double rainbow week you get a double picture this Friday!

I am on a plane today heading back to one of the best places in the world

CALIFORNIA HERE I COME!!!

california + bestest buds +frozos +mexican =awesome weekend

hope everyone has a little luck coming their way!

Chicken Recipe!

So I haven’t put any recipes on this blog in a really long time. Wanna know why??

nope it isn’t because I am holding out on all the delicious food I have been cooking…

it is because I haven’t cooked a darn thing since beginning of August.

this is no joke people.

I have not cooked in it feels like decades!!! I can’t even remember the last meal I cooked and mac and cheese totally does not count!

So now that it was time to start cooking again I was at a loss for words or for what I wanted to cook so I went to my favorite cooking blog Pioneer Woman and hoped to find something having to do with chicken.

Now she does the recipe recaps WAYYYY  better than I do so I am going to cheat and just send you to Pioneer Woman’s blog to get the recipe but I am going to add some of what I did differently.

Here is the recipe: Chicken with Tomatoes and Garlic

Okay so some things I did differently is that I didn’t have legs so I just did chicken breasts and that worked magically.  I love white meat so much better but I would consider doing this meal with chicken thighs. I also used just tomato paste and diced tomatoes in a can and that worked out perfectly as well.  1 8 ounce tomato paste and a 16 oz diced tomatoes and it was actually a thick sauce. Pioneer Woman stated it would be thin but it actually came out pretty thick and sauce like. 

Because I was just using what I had I didn’t use fresh ingredients like she did but the flavors were really great and I didn’t use Sage and you couldn’t tell the difference.  I also had to use minced garlic rather than whole because we didn’t have any whole garlic around.  I bet it would have tasted better with whole but could get the flavor of the garlic nonetheless.  I actually put some garlic powder on the chicken to add more garlic flavor when I was cooking it on the stove because we didn’t have the whole garlic cloves. 

I also don’t have one of those awesome pots that she has but I did have a round casserole dish that was great in the oven that I used although I didn’t think the top could be used in the oven so I put the meal in topless {giggle giggle} and put it in their for an hour and it still cooked great!! WOOT WOOT!

I put it over pasta and it was really delcious!!! both the hubs and myself enjoyed it and I mostly think the hubs enjoyed not eating out of a take out box anymore.  We were both crazy busy, plus I get free meals at the diining hall, and I have been eating alone so lucky charms and waffles have been my friend. Oh the college days…

Here is what my meal looked like–don’t judge me for all the cheese on my plate.  It kinda came out fast from the lid and there was NO stopping the cheese.  HAHA!!!

tonight I am cooking again {watch out people–TWO nights in a row!!}