You ever have those days-were its just your day? Sure! we've all found that close parking spot, or found a great deal, or an awesome pair of jeans on clearance and you think to yourself today is my lucky day!
Wednesday. all.day. was my day. I'm not going to say it was my lucky day, on Wednesday i felt God doing his work in my life. All of Wednesdays events were an act of God's will, and there is no doubt in my mind that God has bigger and better things for all of us, we just have to learn to see these things. Remember when i said that i don't talk about Religion, Money or Politics? Well today is your lucky day!
I am currently reading 2 books- one of them being "The Purpose Drive Life" by Dr. Rick Warren. I purchased them about 2 weeks ago. I was very eager to start reading it, but since i was fairly busy last week, I first picked it up on Tuesday night. In my mind, this book, that i hadn't even read a single word from was already changing my life. I was anxious to start reading it. I had been doing a lot of meditating and praying on the days leading up to the purchase of the book. I am only through the first 2 chapters, but i can feel this books affect- the ability to feel it, the understanding, the realization, the knowledge that comes with it.
I had been feeling all sorts of anxiousness. I've had so many things running through my head- my education, my husband, my family, my faith, my career and so on. I have thought long and carefully about where I'm at and where i want to be. I know when I'm graduating, and everything i need to do to get there. I know where my career is going , and everything i need to get to my next promotion. I know where my family/husband life is at, and everything that i need to do to keep it healthy and balanced. Now when it comes down to my faith, i know where i am at, and where i want to be.
I have a tremendous amount of faith in my God. I trust in him blindly. I surrender to his will. I rejoice in all that he has given us. I have been humbled by his work in my life, all the good, all the bad, all the uncertainties- In everything.
But i want more. I want to feel his presence in my everyday life, just as i did on Wednesday. This might turn you off, but I'm am not 100% in agreement with organized religion. I don't always agree on all of the positions the 'church' takes on or against. What i do agree on is that God is good. That God is an omnipotent accepting and forgiving God. That God has a master plan for you and like the prayer, "Hagase TU voluntad aqui en la tierra como en el cielo" - His Will will come to fulfillment. That God is always there, even in your darkest hours. That God deserves your love unconditionally, the way he loves you.
And i want to grow in that. I want to grow in my individual faith. I want to set an example for those who are not there yet. I have very contradicting thoughts. I understand and accept the concept of evangelizing, but i don't believe in forcing God or specific beliefs on someone. We are here to spread his word, literally and/or by example. I know so many people who have been pushed away form religion by Cathoholics- those who are die hard religious, but cause more harm than good, intentionally or not. There are so many people who have the desire to have a relationship with God, but are not accepted by a religion because of the way they look, or who they love, or what they are not.
Back to the book, A Purpose Driven Life, and its main concept- Why am I here? What is my purpose? What on Earth am I here for? I think its time that more people start asking themselves this question. You might find that what you thought- isn't, and where you're going- is bigger than your big picture.
Don't mean to step on anyones toes, and this is why i usually don't discuss religion, money or politics, but after all this is my blog, and it is tittled Becoming Mrs.Juju, and growing in faith helps me become a better Mrs.Juju. Can i get an Amen?!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Wall Art
Juju has taken over my dinning room. That's right my dinning room, well now its his. He has set up his laptop and has spread his school books across every inch of my beautiful dinning room table. Then he uses this old, a bit broken down, white board to keep track of his assignments. Since this whiteboard is unsightly huge, he usually props it on the floor, against the wall, on a chair etc etc. because there was no way i wanted him to hang that thing on the wall.
See? It takes up 1/3 of the wall.
Here enters the brilliant idea of having it be functional for Juj and not an eyesore for the rest of the world. Since we are still working on a budget, we had to figure a way to solve this issue- inexpensively.
After much brainstorming, we decided on the project below. There was a few adjustments along the way, 3 visits to the store ( 2 Menard's, 1 Joann's) and blood, sweat and tears.
We purchased the needed supplies to build a tension cord system.
Here is a close up of the metal cord, cord 'crimper', turnbuckle and eyelet thingy.
Next we took 4 (14x18 i think) wrapped canvas that we already owned, and wrapped them in fabric purchased (on sale 50% off! orig.39.99/yd) at Joann's. For anyone interested in wrapping canvas in fabric, i strongly suggest purchasing a can of fabric adhesive. Its not necessary, but it makes it a lot easier to align the fabric to the desired position. Then simply fold and staple.
Watch your fingers though, using a staple gun can be very dangerous.... here is were the blood part came in.
Here is one canvas just about done being wrapped.
Here is a close up. Pretty darn good eh?
Next we took 2 wrapped canvas an reinforced them together by adding a wooden backing, supporting each frame individually. This created 2 separate panels. In the left picture (on the right side) you can see how we created a panel, using 2 individual canvas. We measure 4 in. from the edge and carefully ( if you drill too fast you will snag and create pulls in the fabric) drilled holes to insert the hooks that would hook on to/sit on the actual metal cord.
So here you have it- Finished project. To hide the eyesore that is Juj's whiteboard we simply slide both panels together, creating a 'mural' if you will.
AND when juju needs to use the whiteboard, he simply slides the panels apart.
Overall this project was very inexpensive. It cost us about $48, and we have a lot of left over parts, pieces, 'capital' if you will, for our next project.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Baby Cake
I bet by now you are thinking that something went terribly wrong during the baby gender reveal cake that has kept me from updating? No. not really. I think it went pretty darn good. The cake itself was Delicious if i do say so myself and the butter cream was Delicious too, the decorating part... welll... that was aiiiight. I mean I did the best with the tools that i had, which weren't many.
So on Friday after eating dinner and send Juju off to hang out with the guys i started baking the cakes. I gathered all my ingredients and invaded my MILs kitchen, since my oven largely resembles an easy-bake oven. I spent the last few days leading up to the cake i was searching for a basic cake i could add pineapple filling to it.
I decided on a classic vanilla cake, pineapple filling and vanilla butter cream. I followed the recipe from Annie over at Annie's Eats She made them cupcakes as you can see, but the recipe and instructions ( minus the baking time ) work just fine. Since I'm still a rookie, I copied her ingredients/instructions below.
Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
Ingredients:
3 cups cake flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1¼ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together and set aside. Add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the bowl of the mixer with the butter and discard the pod (or reserve for another use.) Beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until light and creamy in color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for one more minute.
Add the sugar to the butter mixture, ¼ cup at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Mix in the eggs one at a time until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Combine the buttermilk and the vanilla extract in a liquid measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.
Divide the batter between the prepared paper liners, filling each about 2/3 of the way full (you will likely have batter left over after filling 24 wells.) Bake 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Replace paper liners and bake remaining batter if desired. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.
My Adventure:
*I made the cakes on Friday night. I followed the instructions above to the T. The only semi sorta problem that i encountered was after mixing the ingredients, dry/wet/dry/wet/dry, i stopped the mixer to prepare the cake pans, when i returned to the cake mix, it seemed to be separating. So i quick turned on the mixer again, tried whipping it up to the int ital consistency. I maneuvered the bowl to get air back into the mixture and although it did come together it wasn't the original consistency. That worried me.
*While baking, my edges started browning too fast. And since the cake itself was colored, it looked very odd. next time i will ensure i prepare the pans with parchment paper, i used butter and flour. rookie mistake
*I let cake cool in the pan OVERNIGHT. And i shouldn't have. The next morning i didn't have a problem getting it out at all, but i feel it did affect the cake a smidge.
Here are a few pictures of the process. I think I can put this one down in the books as a success.
First came the crumb coating. Since I crumb coated both layers, i kept them both cold in the fridge to ensure none of the colored crumbs were visible.
Oh and if your wondering what the gender is.... Well your going to have to keep'on waiting, Gaby has yet to forward me a picture of the cut cake. blame her.
So on Friday after eating dinner and send Juju off to hang out with the guys i started baking the cakes. I gathered all my ingredients and invaded my MILs kitchen, since my oven largely resembles an easy-bake oven. I spent the last few days leading up to the cake i was searching for a basic cake i could add pineapple filling to it.
I decided on a classic vanilla cake, pineapple filling and vanilla butter cream. I followed the recipe from Annie over at Annie's Eats She made them cupcakes as you can see, but the recipe and instructions ( minus the baking time ) work just fine. Since I'm still a rookie, I copied her ingredients/instructions below.
Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
Ingredients:
3 cups cake flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1¼ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together and set aside. Add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the bowl of the mixer with the butter and discard the pod (or reserve for another use.) Beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until light and creamy in color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for one more minute.
Add the sugar to the butter mixture, ¼ cup at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Mix in the eggs one at a time until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Combine the buttermilk and the vanilla extract in a liquid measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.
Divide the batter between the prepared paper liners, filling each about 2/3 of the way full (you will likely have batter left over after filling 24 wells.) Bake 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Replace paper liners and bake remaining batter if desired. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.
My Adventure:
*I made the cakes on Friday night. I followed the instructions above to the T. The only semi sorta problem that i encountered was after mixing the ingredients, dry/wet/dry/wet/dry, i stopped the mixer to prepare the cake pans, when i returned to the cake mix, it seemed to be separating. So i quick turned on the mixer again, tried whipping it up to the int ital consistency. I maneuvered the bowl to get air back into the mixture and although it did come together it wasn't the original consistency. That worried me.
*While baking, my edges started browning too fast. And since the cake itself was colored, it looked very odd. next time i will ensure i prepare the pans with parchment paper, i used butter and flour. rookie mistake
*I let cake cool in the pan OVERNIGHT. And i shouldn't have. The next morning i didn't have a problem getting it out at all, but i feel it did affect the cake a smidge.
Here are a few pictures of the process. I think I can put this one down in the books as a success.
First came the crumb coating. Since I crumb coated both layers, i kept them both cold in the fridge to ensure none of the colored crumbs were visible.
The filling was pineapple, I had to make the filling twice since the first time around, while trying to thicken the filling i began making "dough dumplings" because one person can only sift and stir fast enough.
I didn't spread the filling all the way to the edges, while researching proper filling techniques, i learned that the weight from the top layer will cause the filling to fall out of the cake if its too close to the edge.
Here is the cake crumb coated, filled and layered.
Here is the cake with the butter cream frosting. I know it looks a little rough, but i "wanted" it that way ;-)
Neutral green and yellow decoration dot thingies.
Another view. I wanted to add "more" to the cake, but being a rookie and all, i didn't want to mess up the "good" thing i had going already. And i didn't want it to look like too much. I wanted a simple cake that would serve its very important purpose.
I have to work on my cake writing technique, i never knew i had such a shaky hand!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Busy Bee!
Ive been very very busy this past week. Hence, why i haven't blogged. Whats that? Why have i been so busy?
Monday- Class
Tuesday- Studying for Midterm
Wednesday- Studying for Midterm
Thursday (today) - Midterm [ahhhhhhhhhh!!]
Friday- Prep for Sat 9 am School meeting
Saturday 9 a.m- Shool team meeting, much needed: cooking, cleaning, laundry-ing
Sunday- Church, Breakfast, homework due monday.
Jealous?
I have started to recap the baby gender reveal cake I made for Gaby.
I've also got news about Vegas Baby!
Rave about an awesome book I'm reading, and the next one on my list
And....
A rough draft of my Life Plan for the next year and a half or so.
Monday- Class
Tuesday- Studying for Midterm
Wednesday- Studying for Midterm
Thursday (today) - Midterm [ahhhhhhhhhh!!]
Friday- Prep for Sat 9 am School meeting
Saturday 9 a.m- Shool team meeting, much needed: cooking, cleaning, laundry-ing
Sunday- Church, Breakfast, homework due monday.
Jealous?
I have started to recap the baby gender reveal cake I made for Gaby.
I've also got news about Vegas Baby!
Rave about an awesome book I'm reading, and the next one on my list
And....
A rough draft of my Life Plan for the next year and a half or so.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
What kinda baby is it?
I mentioned a few weeks back that i was going to be an auntie, a titi if you will. My older sister, Gaby ( & hubby Jesse), are expecting their first little peanut in March, and i couldn't be more thrilled. Few reasons why:
Out of respect, I will not reveal the baby's gender until Gaby gives the O.K.
After all, it is her baby. (* hint hint for any people spreading her business out there)
So I'm a little nervous. I'm making the cake from scratch. I am also decorating it, or at least will try to. I have a nice set of decorating tools- bags, tips, decorative edges etc. etc.- that i will be using. My plan is to ice the outside of the cake all white, the inside will have pink cake for a girl, and blue cake for a boy ( the filling will be based upon the future mommy's request) and the decorations will be gender neutral, green and yellow. When you cut into the cake, you will find pink, or blue cake, revealing the babys gender! I am so excited!!
We Gaby plans to reveal the gender of the baby to the family as soon as she knows what they are having. I will reveal pictures of the finished product, maybe... if it doesnt look too awful. If Gaby says its ok, I'll let you know what shes having.... until then you shall know my future niece/nehpher as niecphew. Yup, thought of that one all on my own.
- Takes the pressure off of us to have a baby anytime soon
- I really want a niece. We have nothing but stinky boys in the family
- The youngest nephew in the family is like 7/8? i know its bad that I'm not sure.
- Takes the pressure off of us to have a baby anytime soon
Out of respect, I will not reveal the baby's gender until Gaby gives the O.K.
After all, it is her baby. (* hint hint for any people spreading her business out there)
So I'm a little nervous. I'm making the cake from scratch. I am also decorating it, or at least will try to. I have a nice set of decorating tools- bags, tips, decorative edges etc. etc.- that i will be using. My plan is to ice the outside of the cake all white, the inside will have pink cake for a girl, and blue cake for a boy ( the filling will be based upon the future mommy's request) and the decorations will be gender neutral, green and yellow. When you cut into the cake, you will find pink, or blue cake, revealing the babys gender! I am so excited!!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Road opposite of rage
I like to think I am a pretty good driver- others beg to differ. I can admit that i am a nervous person all around so i don't like to drive when Juj and I are going somewhere. Don't tell him, but he's not a good co pilot. We'll be driving down the road and he'll say something like okay turn..........back there. Sigh. That's when i get nervous and start asking... stay right? go straight? speed up? So to avoid these situations i prefer for him to drive.
On my own, i am great! I can dip in and out of traffic, i am an excellent blind spot checker, and a very tactful driver. I tend to not use my horn to "yell" at people when they drive stupidly, or ride their breaks, or stop short, or cut me off- heck, I'm that person that lets the other person go first even when their the ones backing up into a busy street.
And trust me, I drive out to me Menomonee Falls everyday, that means i have to merge from 94 to 45 ( fon du lac) and that merging area is notorious for cars cutting others off.
And although sometimes I'm in a rush... i shrug it off. No biggie.
Why you may ask?
Years ago at church, I once heard a sermon that talked about being appreciative and being kind to others. I know what your thinking, "i do let people merge when they put their signal on... its those jerks that cut you off that make me upset." Well today one of those jerks cut me off. The sermon talked about how we all live in our little worlds and really have no idea what is going on in that jerks head- Meaning, that jerk might be having a rough week, maybe he is over worked and under paid, maybe he is rushing to his second job- just to make ends meet, maybe he is on his way to visit someone terminally ill at the hospital.... Maybe, just maybe him/her getting in front of you or in front of the line will be the best thing that will happen to him/her that day.
Crazy eh?
Only God knows why this person is in such a rush. You've been there. And I'm sure you've wanted to be given the right away when your rushing to work, school, doctors appointment, etc. So be kind. Be kind to that jerk because on occasion you have or one day will be that jerk.
On my own, i am great! I can dip in and out of traffic, i am an excellent blind spot checker, and a very tactful driver. I tend to not use my horn to "yell" at people when they drive stupidly, or ride their breaks, or stop short, or cut me off- heck, I'm that person that lets the other person go first even when their the ones backing up into a busy street.
And trust me, I drive out to me Menomonee Falls everyday, that means i have to merge from 94 to 45 ( fon du lac) and that merging area is notorious for cars cutting others off.
And although sometimes I'm in a rush... i shrug it off. No biggie.
Why you may ask?
Years ago at church, I once heard a sermon that talked about being appreciative and being kind to others. I know what your thinking, "i do let people merge when they put their signal on... its those jerks that cut you off that make me upset." Well today one of those jerks cut me off. The sermon talked about how we all live in our little worlds and really have no idea what is going on in that jerks head- Meaning, that jerk might be having a rough week, maybe he is over worked and under paid, maybe he is rushing to his second job- just to make ends meet, maybe he is on his way to visit someone terminally ill at the hospital.... Maybe, just maybe him/her getting in front of you or in front of the line will be the best thing that will happen to him/her that day.
Crazy eh?
Only God knows why this person is in such a rush. You've been there. And I'm sure you've wanted to be given the right away when your rushing to work, school, doctors appointment, etc. So be kind. Be kind to that jerk because on occasion you have or one day will be that jerk.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Smart Man = Awesome Purchase
For a while now, I have been going to school sans a laptop. We have a home windows desktop and a mac laptop. While the mac laptop is functional, it has limited mobility due to battery life and a few technical flaws. So Juj and i have been talking about getting me a laptop for some time now. We both knew that it would be a mac operating system- that right off the bat puts me at dropping at least a grand for a barebones minimum Macbook. We searched and researched and contemplated purchasing a used Macbook/pro. We didn't want to spend too much on used laptop either, for the obvious reasons.
So ladies and gents, you are looking at the proud owner of an iPad!
The iPad was only a fraction of the cost of a entry level Macbook and cheaper than tons of used laptops that we found.
Juju helped determined what I would use my laptop for the most. We made a list and figured out that i would realistically need it for school work (word, powerpoint, excel), personal use (web[blogging],apps and [i'm very excited about this...] it doubles as an E-Reader [like the kindle/nook]) and just for fun stuff like youtube, netflix, etc. etc. Matter of fact I am blogging this from my iPad as we speak!
I'll have to learn and review more about all of its functions. I was just too excited to not say something!
So ladies and gents, you are looking at the proud owner of an iPad!
The iPad was only a fraction of the cost of a entry level Macbook and cheaper than tons of used laptops that we found.
Juju helped determined what I would use my laptop for the most. We made a list and figured out that i would realistically need it for school work (word, powerpoint, excel), personal use (web[blogging],apps and [i'm very excited about this...] it doubles as an E-Reader [like the kindle/nook]) and just for fun stuff like youtube, netflix, etc. etc. Matter of fact I am blogging this from my iPad as we speak!
I'll have to learn and review more about all of its functions. I was just too excited to not say something!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Eatin' Cheap
I find that this post is perfect after my rant about budgeting. Last week Thursday, i think, i was reading a post about Restaurant.com and an amazing one day promotion they had going on. I rarely ever "take people up on discount offers", plus it sounded too good to be true so i wanted to check it out myself.
I browsed through the restaurants in my area and found a lot of restaurants that i have been to, like, or would like to try. So there i was loading my cart with tons and tons of gift certificates to all these restaurants. I know what your thinking, what about your budget? Well amigos... take a gander- this is what i got:
$50 Restaurant.com gift certificate
$50 Wards house of prime
$25 Houlihans
$25 (3)Kil@wat
$25 (2)Molly Cools
$25 Bistro Bar 333
$25 Pepino's Pizzeria
$25 Libiamo
$10 (2)Marchese's Olive Pit
$10 (2)Antigua
Ok, lets add those bad boys up... Ok, lets see carry the one... $365 dollars worth of gift certificates. Even if i got them at 50% off i would never spend that much, specially up front for them.
Grand total $17.60
And if my math serves me correct, we got all these gift cards at about a 95% discount. I know, what.a.deal!!
Please hold your applause. Seriously, sit. No need for a standing ovation.
Something funny though, Juj must have looked at the account afterwards because he was like... "wait!?! what is this purchase for restaurant.com?" He thought it was fraud since i did 2 separate transactions and they were both very small.
I browsed through the restaurants in my area and found a lot of restaurants that i have been to, like, or would like to try. So there i was loading my cart with tons and tons of gift certificates to all these restaurants. I know what your thinking, what about your budget? Well amigos... take a gander- this is what i got:
$50 Restaurant.com gift certificate
$50 Wards house of prime
$25 Houlihans
$25 (3)Kil@wat
$25 (2)Molly Cools
$25 Bistro Bar 333
$25 Pepino's Pizzeria
$25 Libiamo
$10 (2)Marchese's Olive Pit
$10 (2)Antigua
Ok, lets add those bad boys up... Ok, lets see carry the one... $365 dollars worth of gift certificates. Even if i got them at 50% off i would never spend that much, specially up front for them.
Grand total $17.60
And if my math serves me correct, we got all these gift cards at about a 95% discount. I know, what.a.deal!!
Please hold your applause. Seriously, sit. No need for a standing ovation.
Something funny though, Juj must have looked at the account afterwards because he was like... "wait!?! what is this purchase for restaurant.com?" He thought it was fraud since i did 2 separate transactions and they were both very small.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Shoe Strings : ONLY
We aren't broke broke. We are cant-afford-to-take-a-vacation broke. We have food on our table and a roof over our heads. We have clothes on our back and a borrowed washing machine to wash it in.
I joked with a coworker saying "We're on a shoe string budget, meaning, i cant afford to get the shoes, just the shoe strings"
Its difficult trying to work with a budget because you know that you cant "splurge" on much. We have done very well trying to cut down on unnecessary expenditures. We have reduced the number of times we go out to eat or get take out. I try to keep the fridge stocked with food so we can eliminate the "There's nothing in the fridge" thoughts, that have so easily led us to go out to eat. No one said budgeting would be easy, but if they did, it was most likely because they had a large budget. With Juj working less, we became more aware of what, how, where we are droppin' the dough.
I've been doing some research and according to many budgeting websites and tools your budget should looks a bit like this:
Now I'm not going to bore you to death with all the details of our finances, but we tend to shift around the allocated percentages.
Housing- 23%
Food-10%
-I tend to be a very smart shopper, finds sales, stock up on BOGO (cheese freezes well) and
since for the most part we don't consume much meat we tend to not spend too much on food.
Gas/Transportation/Ins-28%
-This is for our car payment, insurance & gas
Utilities-12%
- This includes household and our cell phone bill we pay for 4 lines ( juj, MIL, mom, & I)
Payments on ALL Debt-25%
-Oh this is high. too high, but it does include just about everything, credit cards, student loans,
regular loans etc etc.
Savings- ~%
- Some months are better than others, some months we are able to save 10% others 1%
Entertainment-5%
-This is varies, we can go weekends with out spending anything, then there is times when we
drop F-bombs when we pay our part of the tab/bill. We for sure spend 9 dollars on netflix/mo.
Medical-0%
- Thankfully we've got more than enough money set aside in our Flexible Spending accounts to
cover any medical bills our insurance doesn't cover
Charity-0%
- Though I volunteer my time at different charity events, we give no monetary donations.
Clothing-5%
- I can seriously say that i have not spent much out of pocket money on clothing. For example, i
had gift card to kohls, a merch. credit, kohls cash and my employee shop day and employee
discount. I purchased 3 tops for roughly 25 dollars. NOWHERE near the 5% thatI we should be
using.( hint hint babe!)
I know that by this time you've take out your calculator and figured out that totals 108% and taking into account that a few of our areas fluctuating, such as savings and entertainment. Well ladies and gentlemen, somehow, i make it happen. Well, we make it happen. Even though i do most of the bill paying we both try to keep within our budget. Over time things such as the debt area will go down, perhaps we'll take a leap and purchase a home, but a lot of things can throw a monkey wrench into our budgeting plans, i.e. Cookies expensive medical bills, new brakes, etc etc. Conveniently, I just got a sweet raise at work- so that's always a plus!
Overall its not difficult, it would just be a lot easier to manage if we were just given one big lump sum at the beginning of the month =-D
I joked with a coworker saying "We're on a shoe string budget, meaning, i cant afford to get the shoes, just the shoe strings"
Its difficult trying to work with a budget because you know that you cant "splurge" on much. We have done very well trying to cut down on unnecessary expenditures. We have reduced the number of times we go out to eat or get take out. I try to keep the fridge stocked with food so we can eliminate the "There's nothing in the fridge" thoughts, that have so easily led us to go out to eat. No one said budgeting would be easy, but if they did, it was most likely because they had a large budget. With Juj working less, we became more aware of what, how, where we are droppin' the dough.
I've been doing some research and according to many budgeting websites and tools your budget should looks a bit like this:
Housing- 25-30%
Food-15%
Gas/Transportation-15%
Utilities-10%
Payments on Debt-10%
Savings-10%
Entertainment-5%
Medical-5%
Charity-5%
Clothing-5%
Now I'm not going to bore you to death with all the details of our finances, but we tend to shift around the allocated percentages.
Housing- 23%
Food-10%
-I tend to be a very smart shopper, finds sales, stock up on BOGO (cheese freezes well) and
since for the most part we don't consume much meat we tend to not spend too much on food.
Gas/Transportation/Ins-28%
-This is for our car payment, insurance & gas
Utilities-12%
- This includes household and our cell phone bill we pay for 4 lines ( juj, MIL, mom, & I)
Payments on ALL Debt-25%
-Oh this is high. too high, but it does include just about everything, credit cards, student loans,
regular loans etc etc.
Savings- ~%
- Some months are better than others, some months we are able to save 10% others 1%
Entertainment-5%
-This is varies, we can go weekends with out spending anything, then there is times when we
drop F-bombs when we pay our part of the tab/bill. We for sure spend 9 dollars on netflix/mo.
Medical-0%
- Thankfully we've got more than enough money set aside in our Flexible Spending accounts to
cover any medical bills our insurance doesn't cover
Charity-0%
- Though I volunteer my time at different charity events, we give no monetary donations.
Clothing-5%
- I can seriously say that i have not spent much out of pocket money on clothing. For example, i
had gift card to kohls, a merch. credit, kohls cash and my employee shop day and employee
discount. I purchased 3 tops for roughly 25 dollars. NOWHERE near the 5% that
using.( hint hint babe!)
I know that by this time you've take out your calculator and figured out that totals 108% and taking into account that a few of our areas fluctuating, such as savings and entertainment. Well ladies and gentlemen, somehow, i make it happen. Well, we make it happen. Even though i do most of the bill paying we both try to keep within our budget. Over time things such as the debt area will go down, perhaps we'll take a leap and purchase a home, but a lot of things can throw a monkey wrench into our budgeting plans, i.e. Cookies expensive medical bills, new brakes, etc etc. Conveniently, I just got a sweet raise at work- so that's always a plus!
Overall its not difficult, it would just be a lot easier to manage if we were just given one big lump sum at the beginning of the month =-D
Monday, October 4, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
It's Over
Finally. It's over. There will be no more hearings. There will be no more depositions. There will be no more living those horrible moments that Cookie endured.
The kid who brought the pitbull into our yard and attacked cookie was 'sentenced' to serve his year probation at a Rehabilitation Treatment Center, RTC today.
Today we heard any last arguments. I addressed the court once again. I was composed and was able to express my empathy for this kid and his mom. I made it clear to the court that this, this whole case, went beyond what happened to Cookie, beyond the money and beyond any 'retaliation/seeking justice' for my dear Cookie. This was about getting this kid the help he needs to have a fighting chance at being a productive member of society when he grows up. This was about helping him find his way onto the correct path. This was about saving another person from potentially spending the rest of his life in jail. And we did.
The kid addressed me. He apologized, he sobbed... and i cried right along with him. My heart went out to him- because at the end of the day he is just another child, a victim of his family's inability to raise and educate him properly, another broken child, product of a broken home, who was never shown or taught how to be a good kid.
Today i feel such a sense of relief.
I really hope that we have changed his life for the better. I hope he can one day look back and feel appreciative of what he went through and know that if it wasnt for us, well... who knows where he'd be. I can only hope.
The kid who brought the pitbull into our yard and attacked cookie was 'sentenced' to serve his year probation at a Rehabilitation Treatment Center, RTC today.
Today we heard any last arguments. I addressed the court once again. I was composed and was able to express my empathy for this kid and his mom. I made it clear to the court that this, this whole case, went beyond what happened to Cookie, beyond the money and beyond any 'retaliation/seeking justice' for my dear Cookie. This was about getting this kid the help he needs to have a fighting chance at being a productive member of society when he grows up. This was about helping him find his way onto the correct path. This was about saving another person from potentially spending the rest of his life in jail. And we did.
The kid addressed me. He apologized, he sobbed... and i cried right along with him. My heart went out to him- because at the end of the day he is just another child, a victim of his family's inability to raise and educate him properly, another broken child, product of a broken home, who was never shown or taught how to be a good kid.
Today i feel such a sense of relief.
I really hope that we have changed his life for the better. I hope he can one day look back and feel appreciative of what he went through and know that if it wasnt for us, well... who knows where he'd be. I can only hope.
The Things i Hear
Last night in class:
Student: "How did they manage to leave?" (something along those lines)
DR H : "Oh, they simply snookied out of the situation"
JerseyShore Fan much?
Student: "How did they manage to leave?" (something along those lines)
DR H : "Oh, they simply snookied out of the situation"
JerseyShore Fan much?
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Mo' money Mo' problems
Generally, there is 3 things i dont like to discuss with people: Money, Religion & Politics.
But lately all i have been able to think about is money money money money mo-ney... mah-nay! (sing to the tune of the money song) But i've been thinking about it in a good way. Everyday as i read through my status update feed on my facebook, i see people talking about how much money they have, or how much they make, or at least make it a point to insinuate that they have money. I loathe those people. Not because im envious, nor jealous... But because it shows how superficial those people are- always talking about what they have, where they are going or what they just bought.
Its funny because Juj and I were having a conversation about people who have money, or at least try to front like they do. Those people, who brag about how much they made, or how much they shop, really don't have money to live the lifestyle they say to have. Those people tend to live out of their means just to keep up with the Jones's- or simply to keep up with their own charade. That's why mo' money comes with mo' problems. People who have real money are not running around spending it frivolously- and then talking about how much they spent. People who have real money are humble, hard working, financially responsible and don't have the need to proclaim how much they have.
My good friend is quite loaded. She and her husband own a few businesses and recently built a gorgeous home. She takes simple vacations and is modest in her appearance, never flashy- but always put together. Her children aren't spoiled and her parents are never in need. She never talks about money- but she is quick to help friend in need. That my friends, is people who have real money.
Money has such an affect in our lives. I've never been a conformist, but I'm not money hungry either. Money changes people both in a good and bad way. Not having money really makes you take a step back and realize how truly blessed you are to have what you have- very humbling. Not having money makes you aspire to have it, but for all the right reasons.
One day, i want to have money... by the butt loads if possible. I want to do good things in this world, i want to give back to every person who has ever been there for me, i want to be able to provide for my family, my friends or a homeless man in on a corner.
Its funny because Juj and I were having a conversation about people who have money, or at least try to front like they do. Those people, who brag about how much they made, or how much they shop, really don't have money to live the lifestyle they say to have. Those people tend to live out of their means just to keep up with the Jones's- or simply to keep up with their own charade. That's why mo' money comes with mo' problems. People who have real money are not running around spending it frivolously- and then talking about how much they spent. People who have real money are humble, hard working, financially responsible and don't have the need to proclaim how much they have.
My good friend is quite loaded. She and her husband own a few businesses and recently built a gorgeous home. She takes simple vacations and is modest in her appearance, never flashy- but always put together. Her children aren't spoiled and her parents are never in need. She never talks about money- but she is quick to help friend in need. That my friends, is people who have real money.
Money has such an affect in our lives. I've never been a conformist, but I'm not money hungry either. Money changes people both in a good and bad way. Not having money really makes you take a step back and realize how truly blessed you are to have what you have- very humbling. Not having money makes you aspire to have it, but for all the right reasons.
One day, i want to have money... by the butt loads if possible. I want to do good things in this world, i want to give back to every person who has ever been there for me, i want to be able to provide for my family, my friends or a homeless man in on a corner.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Even if it kills me
I've always been a fruit eater. Even as a child I loved me some fruit. Any kind at that. I used to consume an entire cantaloupe by myself- when i was 7. The one and only fruit i will not eat is papaya- for smelly reasons- other than that... bring it.
And so the apple brought it. One lovely day, years ago, while enjoying a nice crispy Gala apple, something happened. About 3/4 bites into it... i began getting an itchy, tingly sensation around my lips and gums. Meh. Didn't think much about it. So there i was munch. munch. much. My throat started feeling funny. So i walked over to the mirror to find that the inside of my mouth was bright red and it looked like blood had rushed to the surface in some areas and my throat was red and swelling.
There you have it ladies and gents.... I was allergic to apples.
That was the abrupt end to my relationship with apples. Recently, i have been having immense cravings for apples. I mean, what is the fall season with out apples??? A while back i discovered that i am mainly allergic to the actual apple peel. (Thanks a lot factory farms who have made it nearly impossible for me to enjoy an apple, with all your chemicals and toxins you use to produce your apples) If i peel the apple the affects are significantly less, but its not the same, you don't get that crunch and satisfaction of biting into that outer peel. I have succumbed into temptations a few times at work, but i make sure i tell a co-worker that I'm having an apple, just in case i loose consciousness due to airflow restriction.
Last week at the grocery store, while picking up a bag of apples for juju (lucky punk), i made a decision.
Apples, your not the boss of me. I am the boss of you, sorta.
So i took to bags, one for juj and one to make applesauce with. Last night i peeled, cored, and chopped up a bag of apples. I added a pinch of cinnamon and a special secret ingredient.... and tah-dah! Homemade applesauce, super easy, super fast and it is au naturale- no added nothing, well except cinnamon and my secret ingredient =-)
I only taste tested it last night since i was exhausted, but i didn't feel any reaction coming on. Although it does not offer the crunch i long for in an apples, it satisfies my cravings for them.
And so the apple brought it. One lovely day, years ago, while enjoying a nice crispy Gala apple, something happened. About 3/4 bites into it... i began getting an itchy, tingly sensation around my lips and gums. Meh. Didn't think much about it. So there i was munch. munch. much. My throat started feeling funny. So i walked over to the mirror to find that the inside of my mouth was bright red and it looked like blood had rushed to the surface in some areas and my throat was red and swelling.
There you have it ladies and gents.... I was allergic to apples.
That was the abrupt end to my relationship with apples. Recently, i have been having immense cravings for apples. I mean, what is the fall season with out apples??? A while back i discovered that i am mainly allergic to the actual apple peel. (Thanks a lot factory farms who have made it nearly impossible for me to enjoy an apple, with all your chemicals and toxins you use to produce your apples) If i peel the apple the affects are significantly less, but its not the same, you don't get that crunch and satisfaction of biting into that outer peel. I have succumbed into temptations a few times at work, but i make sure i tell a co-worker that I'm having an apple, just in case i loose consciousness due to airflow restriction.
Last week at the grocery store, while picking up a bag of apples for juju (lucky punk), i made a decision.
Apples, your not the boss of me. I am the boss of you, sorta.
So i took to bags, one for juj and one to make applesauce with. Last night i peeled, cored, and chopped up a bag of apples. I added a pinch of cinnamon and a special secret ingredient.... and tah-dah! Homemade applesauce, super easy, super fast and it is au naturale- no added nothing, well except cinnamon and my secret ingredient =-)
I only taste tested it last night since i was exhausted, but i didn't feel any reaction coming on. Although it does not offer the crunch i long for in an apples, it satisfies my cravings for them.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Vegas Baby! (maybe)
Last year, before my fabulous birthday in Chicago with Mon and Christy, I decided that i wanted to do something "big/special" for my 25th birthday. Yeah i know, 25 isn't that big of a milestone, BUT my golden birthday was when i was 4, and im pretty sure my mom had absolutely not idea what a "golden birthday" was so i kinda lucked out. Now Juj, his birthday is June 30th-that means his golden birthday will be when he turns 30 and that's a big milestone, again... sorta.So I would really like to go to Vegas this year for my birthday. Its a lot harder said than done, specially with Juj working part time we have very little discretionary income. But i really want to go.
The plan is that the gang- Juan, Maria, Christy, Mon, Juj and I- would all try to go but making it budget friendly, because honestly, no one of us is balling out of control.
If there is one thing you should know about me is that I'm a planner. I like to plan things. I like to know what we are doing, when we are doing it, who's going, what time, etc etc. Though i do like spontaneity, i don't like to leave big things to "chance". I want to get all of the possible Vegas entourage together to further discuss the plans, what dates, etc etc.
Wish me luck in my planning endeavours. I'll hopefully be able to say that i celebrated my 25th birthday in Las Vegas (Baby!)
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Is it because im a girl?
Just a quick vent. So I'm currently taking a statistics class. I really like math, always have, always will. But stats? well, um... i do like it, but i feel the professor could do a heck of a better job with his teaching techniques and it also doesn't help that the traditional 16 week course is crammed into 6 sessions. Any how, back to my vent. So we have a team project to complete by the end of the class, which just happens to be next week. My team consists of 2 guys and 2 girls (including myself).
We decided to do some sort of test ( Z/T/Hypothesis) on NFL quarterbacks. Fine. I like football and the more i understand it, the less number of question i pose during each play, and the more enjoyable it is for those around me. So there i go, i find statistics ranking the 32 quarterbacks giving their age, seasons yards ( passing, completed, rushing), completion rates etc etc. So i did my homework on this, not only this but i bounced off ideas off of a few sports enthusiasts at work. So before i met with my team i emailed a nicely formatted spreadsheet with all my statistics. I have to admit i was a bit proud of myself.
Once i arrived at Starbucks for my team meeting:
Me: "Hi Guys!Sorry I'm late! I emailed all of you a spreadsheet of what i think is a great foundation for our project"
Guy #1: "Oh, I'm not online, I haven't checked my email"
Guy #2: "Oh yeah, I looked at it"
Me: silence....waiting for feedback.....
"Well?..."
Guy #2: [smugly] "Oh, I deleted it"
Me: "What? Why?"
Guy #2: [confidently] "We can't use it, Its outdated information"
Me: [SLAP] [OK, j/k i didn't, but i wanted to]
Me: "Really? Outdated data? So do you proposed that we use this years data? The football season literally just started" A Durrrrr!
Guy # 2: [with tail between legs] "Oh, i knew that... let me get it out of my recycling bin"
In the words of Stephanie Tanner.... How rude! I was so upset, i couldn't believe both of their attitudes. I mean seriously... what year are we in? Is a woman not capable of have a little knowledge (sorta) in a male dominated sports industry? Sure maybe I'm not a football guru but I'm not stupid, and brought a heck of a lot more to the table than those 2 bird brains!
We decided to do some sort of test ( Z/T/Hypothesis) on NFL quarterbacks. Fine. I like football and the more i understand it, the less number of question i pose during each play, and the more enjoyable it is for those around me. So there i go, i find statistics ranking the 32 quarterbacks giving their age, seasons yards ( passing, completed, rushing), completion rates etc etc. So i did my homework on this, not only this but i bounced off ideas off of a few sports enthusiasts at work. So before i met with my team i emailed a nicely formatted spreadsheet with all my statistics. I have to admit i was a bit proud of myself.
Once i arrived at Starbucks for my team meeting:
Me: "Hi Guys!
Guy #1: "Oh, I'm not online, I haven't checked my email"
Guy #2: "Oh yeah, I looked at it"
Me: silence....waiting for feedback.....
"Well?..."
Guy #2: [smugly] "Oh, I deleted it"
Me: "What? Why?"
Guy #2: [confidently] "We can't use it, Its outdated information"
Me: [SLAP] [OK, j/k i didn't, but i wanted to]
Me: "Really? Outdated data? So do you proposed that we use this years data? The football season literally just started" A Durrrrr!
Guy # 2: [with tail between legs] "Oh, i knew that... let me get it out of my recycling bin"
In the words of Stephanie Tanner.... How rude! I was so upset, i couldn't believe both of their attitudes. I mean seriously... what year are we in? Is a woman not capable of have a little knowledge (sorta) in a male dominated sports industry? Sure maybe I'm not a football guru but I'm not stupid, and brought a heck of a lot more to the table than those 2 bird brains!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Things I Hear
This new little segment is brought to you by the random things i hear whether they are to me, around me or from me.
"im not saying your not pretty, all im saying is that you got potential"
"im not saying your not pretty, all im saying is that you got potential"
Friday, September 17, 2010
Lady Gah-ross
Did anyone happen to catch the VMAs this past weekend?
Eww, eww, eww. I know shes out there and all, but really? I'm not appalled, nor am i upset, nor am i insulted, not even because i don't favor meat. We've all worked with raw meat before right? that coldness, that texture. oh and not the mention the smell of cold raw red meat.
She was quoted "It's certainly no disrespect to anyone that's vegan or vegetarian, As you know, I am the most judgment-free human being on the earth. It has many interpretations, but for me this evening, it's 'If we don't stand up for what we believe in, we don't fight for our rights, pretty soon we're gonna have as much rights as the meat on our bones."
Uhh...Sure... what about the rights of that animal shes wearing? looks like the its rights were less than the meat on its bones.
Don't get me wrong, I like her music. Just some of the things she does are really not necessary. Sorta like the meat dress.
Eww, eww, eww. I know shes out there and all, but really? I'm not appalled, nor am i upset, nor am i insulted, not even because i don't favor meat. We've all worked with raw meat before right? that coldness, that texture. oh and not the mention the smell of cold raw red meat.
She was quoted "It's certainly no disrespect to anyone that's vegan or vegetarian, As you know, I am the most judgment-free human being on the earth. It has many interpretations, but for me this evening, it's 'If we don't stand up for what we believe in, we don't fight for our rights, pretty soon we're gonna have as much rights as the meat on our bones."
Uhh...Sure... what about the rights of that animal shes wearing? looks like the its rights were less than the meat on its bones.
Don't get me wrong, I like her music. Just some of the things she does are really not necessary. Sorta like the meat dress.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
For a Mule
The last couple of days I've been feeling a bit under the weather. I finally gave in to the caring pressure of others, and went to the doctors. Found out i have a double ear infection really? How old am I? , an upper respiratory infection, swollen glands and just a bunch of other viral stuff. I got the usual, runny nose, sore throat, headache, tingling/achy body viral stuff. So i went to the doctor and they gave me these bad boys....
I joked that these pills looked like mule tranquilizers, they sure are big enough. I was cautioned to break it half, take it with food and plenty of fluids to reduce the risk of getting it lodged in my throat. Great! Now not only am i sick, but I'm risking my life with every dose of amoxicillin.
I joked that these pills looked like mule tranquilizers, they sure are big enough. I was cautioned to break it half, take it with food and plenty of fluids to reduce the risk of getting it lodged in my throat. Great! Now not only am i sick, but I'm risking my life with every dose of amoxicillin.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
I Have a Crush: Booties, Booties, Booties
"I like big butts and i cannot lie, you other bro...." Wha? just kidding, not the kind of booties your thinking.
I know a lot of people aren't fans of the bootie, but i think they are so versatile! You can wear just about anything with your booties, from dresses, to skirts to jeans ( even shorts and stockings if your daring enough!). On cold days you can throw a pair of tights on with your skirt or dress and finish of your look with a great pair of booties. I also like that booties tend to be very comfortable since they hug your feet. I have a great pair of gray Vera Wang suede booties, but i have limited wear on those since they are suede. (cant let my babies get nasty in the rain!) My Vera Wang booties are so comfortable that i can seriously take a hike in them.
So run out and get yourself a pair...., go ahead... turn your computer off. Run along now.
But for this fall, when i think of a nice transition shoe, i think of booties. I'm really liking the menswear inspired collections in a lot of designers fall lines. Many shoes designers have tapped into this look by introducing oxford style booties! My favorite are the first ones below. They are a part of Ralph Laurens Fall collection.
I'm a little biased to browns, and different shades of brown, such as cognac, maples, etc since earth tones become alive during the fall months. I did throw in a few color ones in there just to give you some variety, but darker colors, such as gray and dark or navy blue work great in the fall too!
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So run out and get yourself a pair...., go ahead... turn your computer off. Run along now.
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