Frustrated.....

Is frustrated with others at the moment. I just need to remember to SMILE and that I can only control myself!

It is even overshadowing the fact that we just paid off our furniture....car next! I only wish that I could say we would be debt free after that but we just bought a house and my husband still has student loans. At least we have my student loans paid off. :)

See I am just in a low mood. Right now the weekend doesn't give much hope to improve it unfortunately.

New Bike-A Trek Skye S

We finally made it to the bike shop last night. Mostly for me. We have a GREAT trail that runs behind our backyard fence that has about 90 miles of paved trail, not including the unpaved sections around Denver. So far I have used it only about 3-4 times as I feel guilty going for a run or walk without our two dogs. 

Here is the low down I haven't truely owned a bike since I was ten. We moved to a farm and you couldn't keep your tires aired up. About the time we got a horse my dad bought foam tires for our bikes. I chose the horse and rarely had been on a bike since then (I am now 28).....long time. I learned how to ride my dads unicycle though. :)

Vine painting with little birds flying around.

In college (when I was about 22-23) my mom gave me a bike to ride to class, a really nice bike but since I had not ridden one in so long and never learned to use hand brakes I was a bit scared of it. So it sat in my entry way of my various apartments. My boyfriend/now husband borrowed it and didn't lock it up....it got stolen with it's lock. :( Several years later we bought fairly cheap bikes at Walmart/Target while we lived in Michigan. I learned to ride better but had one instance that I slammed on both brakes and went flying and the bike landed on top of me. I have since learned the braking, it just isn't natural for me.

Vine painting all over, with small teal birds.

Fast forward we took the bikes camping and used them a lot etc. Then we moved to Phoenix, Arizona....our entire storage garage was stolen out of a gated community. Bikes were in the unit. :( Then we moved to Spokane, Washington and it was a $200 fine to ride a bicycle without a helmet. That fact and that we were saving for a house talked us out of buying bikes. Fast forward again and we are in Colorado with this great trail and camping. We wanted bikes but good bikes this time.

Gears, this style is easier to use. :)

As I am not skilled at riding one or picking a bike that fits me I needed to go to a bike store. I learned a LOT last night on how I am doing things wrong (how I sit and react, horse again) and about bikes in general. My husband though knows what he wants and the right size so he is looking on craigslist for a decent used bike. I feel that it is unfair that I got a new one but I feel more confident after talking to a professional and having everything fitted for me. I am still scared at my inability to be safe and naturally use the brakes. 

Seat that close up looks pretty fancy.

I really hope I don't ding this pretty thing up. Right now it is in our family room as we haven't built that shed in our backyard. Yea to toys! Check out this link for better pictures and information about this style of bike. I just noticed we got it for a better price than the manufacture lists. Double Yea!

Chirp Chirp

I woke up to singing birds this morning! I can't wait until Spring is actually here. We will be doing very little yard work this weekend as my husband has to work Saturday morning. Lucky him, NOT! The one good thing is that he has a meeting an hour north of where we live and very close to my parents. We haven't been up there in about 2 months so we get a free trip! Mileage paid by my husbands company!

Yea to resting our bodies from digging and building. I think my mom will be happy to see us as my dad has been working 80-90 hours the last 3 weeks and I think she is lonely.

I am excited to get out of the house. It will be really nice to get away for a day!

Little Black Dress...I need help!

So I am searching for a little black dress....they are everywhere! But what to pick? They are either not right or too expensive. Want to help a girl out? Oh it's for a fairly casual wedding and I am a bridesmaid.

Here are a few I like, my sister (the bride) likes, or my husband likes. I am not sold on any really. :(

#1 Nordstrom

#2 Shabby Apple

#3 Nordstrom

Or #4 at Ann Taylor Loft, it wont let me copy the picture to share.

PLEASE Take a vote on #1,2,3 or 4.

Or maybe you have seen some super cute and cheaper little black dresses that you would like to share.

Weekly Money Checkup

1. The most I’ve spent this last week was $60 going out Friday for a friends birthday, we even went dancing. We rarely go out as it is so expensive so it was a treat.

2. Today I feel back on track towards money. We are finally getting back to where we were early December. Getting back on track is REALLY hard.

3. Money can’t buy happiness. One free/inexpensive thing I did last week that made me happy was dig up our yard with my husband. We finished digging up the old sprinkler lines and moved them. Our AWESOME neighbor Dave gave us some extra sprinkler line that he had, so far we have spent under $10. I am pretty sure both of our bodies hurt today.

Backyard mess after we cleaned up the giant piles of dirt. Our shed will be taking up this space very soon, along with some plants and landscaping as there really is none.

4. I will consider this week a success if I measure out the space in the yard for dirt/rock/weed fabric/sand/flagstone. Man we have a TON of work left to do. This weekend we altered my original plan to save ourselves a little work, it is yet to be seen if it saves us any $$$.

5. My ancestors are Scottish/Irish/English/Native American on my mom's side, her great grandmother immigrated to the U.S. as an indentured servant from Scotland for her Uncle (I share my birthday with her). After paying off her debt she   became a traveling tenant farmer like in the "Great Gatsby" all over the western U.S.  My dad's side is almost all German with the exception of his one Grandmother that was Dutch. It was from her where the name "Mamo" that I use refers to my Grandmother.


Go check out My Pretty Pennies to join Weekly Money Checkup.

Piece of Candy or Entire Store?

These last few months I feel so blessed. I have been like the kid in the candy store that didn't just get one piece of candy but received the entire store. Yes we have had setbacks the last few months as but life is good.

These last few years we have worked so hard to pay off my student loans, our credit card debt (mostly from school), and build up our savings. Each time we moved it would set us back, moving is expensive even when most of it is paid for. And every time we had any extra money we would put it away. Our only splurge has been traveling home to see our families the last 5 years.

Now that we have finally purchased our goal (a house) extra money is like that most awesome Christmas you can imagine. We have never allowed ourselves to really go all out until the last 2 weeks and after allocating most of our tax refund I figured it was back to being good. Well this morning my husband says "What do you think about going and buying bikes this weekend?" I was a little taken aback as we are almost back on track and almost have paid off my car and our new furniture (my recent medical bills stole that fund). Number one I was wondering where are we going to get the money to buy decent bikes? Then I remembered its March! March is the month my husband gets a bonus from work! I totally forgot because it always goes straight into our savings and is forgotten because face it that isn't much fun.

I SO feel like I have been given the entire candy store. Almost all the things that have been on my old wish/dream list have materialized the last 10 months. I feel so blessed and lucky and excited. Mostly excited that my husband who is the rock behind motivating us to be good and saving is allowing himself to have some fun. Though I don't think I am buying him a birthday gift as he now has gotten ski's and is getting a bike, I am only making him a cake. :)

After March we are getting back to our old selves. This shopping behavior is addicting!  Please note anyone that knows me personally and how much we have moved....I do NOT want to move EVER again. I haven't even included all the garage items my husband has been collecting since we moved here. Moving sounds SCARY!

Happy Wednesday!

Weekly Money Checkup

1. The most I’ve spent this last week was $93 on wood/screen/screws for my garden boxes. I still have more wood to buy after March 18th when our Lowe's tax rebate card bumps itself up by 10%.

2. Today I feel ok towards money. I feel like we are back on track to paying things off. My medical bills set us back as we bought new furniture two days before I got sick. April is the month....I can't wait till it comes and I can pay off things.

3. Money can’t buy happiness. One free/inexpensive thing I did last week that made me happy was work in my craft room and get things finished. I am super behind in everything I need to get done and really shouldn't be sleeping.

4. I will consider this week a success if I actually am able to complete last weeks goals, there were too many issues that got in the way and that is NOT ok. My poor website is suffering which means my bank account is as well. Not good!

5. My guilty pleasure TV show is Bones, I hate that they use fake information (all tv shows do) but I find it addicting. My husband does not care for it so it is the one show I watch during the day. Unless he is home I don't watch tv.


Back to work! If you want to join Weekly Money Checkup go check out My Pretty Pennies.

Too Many Dogs

I am officially crazy! I can't go skiing so I volunteered to watch our friends dogs since our friends are skiing with my husband. I have a 95 lb yellow lab and a 65 lb dalmation, both are still semi puppies like my younger dog.
As of right now the carpet needs cleaned due to mud and they have knocked a lamp off the end table trying to get a tennis ball. Obviously Gunther isn't happy......it is going to be a LONG Saturday.

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Ebelskiver's and Recipe Links

Have you ever heard of one of these? I always think they look pretty tasty on the pre-made mixes in Williams Sonoma. I have wanted one for quite awhile but wasn't going to pay $40 at the store just for the pan. The lucky girl I am had a bunch of free Amazon gift cards from doing surveys. I was saving them up to use for Christmas next year but I decided I would get our house a "breakfast gift" for under $20.

If you haven't ever seen one it is a pan for making stuffed pancake like balls. We love pancakes and I love to cook. I am not much of a breakfast person but I like to make breakfast for others.

Here are a few recipes that I found for it for free. They sell cookbooks but online recipe sites make my life easy.

Cinnamon Bun Filled Pancakes courtesy of Williams Sonoma
Bacon and Cheddar Filled Pancakes also courtesy of Williams Sonoma
Chocolate Filled Pancakes courtesy of Williams Sonoma
Apple Ebelskivers (stuffed apple pancakes) courtesy of Rachael Ray

Cinnamon Bun Filled Pancakes

These are a few of the recipes I plan on trying but if you want to see lots more go check out this page on Williams Sonoma. They have TONS of delicious recipes to try. My husband might get tired of this fast so come visit if you want to try them out.

I might have been able to resist this pan at Williams Sonoma but I always walk out with some kind of kitchen gadget. I only hope the pan I ordered is ok. I hate forking out the $$$ for Williams Sonoma but their products are usually worth the money. I love their colored cast iron pans, I think I need to save for one as they are out of my price range.

House Shopping Spree

So I went a little crazy yesterday...

I was planning on just going into Bed Bath and Beyond for some cream colored curtains for my family room. Of course I stopped by World Market as it is right next door and usually in first place for my favorite decorating store. These are some of the things that came home with me.

Kitchen Chair cushions $6.38 each :)

This bird print, he pulls the colors from around the room in. I have a thing for birds lately...I also got the frame for under $5 on clearance.

Aqua/teal and red pillows. I wish the true color of the aqua photographed better.

Pre-made store front that you can draw on for our nephew. I figured there will be gifts for the new baby and the soon be be older brother loves boxes. We can draw on this one to keep him busy. :) And yes I know a plain box would be just as good but as I am not buying appliances I don't have any. :(

The dining room with the outline of where the snazzy new rug will be going. What do you think of the new light my awesome parents helped me with?

I also made a quick trip into Home Depot and came out with a red umbrella and an umbrella stand. I love to eat outside in the summer and the sun is so bad on our back patio it was near impossible. I am so excited that my family room is starting to look like I want it and we can eat outside this summer. I know I have been saving to get most of the items I bought today but I spent more than I usually do in a year the last 3 days, I love my items but after scrimping and saving for so long it hurt! My husband is going to have a heart attack because as long as he has a tv and couch he doesn't care what is in our family room or if it goes together. That and he thinks I have an obsession with pillows.....and I do!

I finished the day off with dinner with my Mamo and going grocery shopping with her. I now totally understand why she never has anything to eat, she buys weird random items. Tomorrow I am cooking and freezing meals for her.  Hope you had a wonderful Monday!