Reality Check

It's hard to find the desire to blog when your husband hasn't spoke to you in four days and counting. Forgive me, friends. I'll be back around when I feel like life is worth living again.

Counting Pennies ~ Common Cents

Money Saving Rule #3: Pay your bills on time!!!

This little bit of advice may sound stupidly obvious. But if you actually pay your bills manually, like me, this is a waste of money that will sneak up on you.
I used to be the best at keeping my bills paid and paying them on time. I never had a late charge. I never paid interest. There was no way I was going to let someone weasel me out of a dime more than I owed them.

But then there was life. A husband. More bills. Quitting my job. All of the sudden, it seems impossible to keep up with the bills that roll into the mailbox each month. I refuse to do my banking and bill paying online because I like to actually see what goes in and comes out of my account. It's too easy to ignore those bills and never check up on them when they are automatically drafted. And each time a bill goes in late (even if just by a day or two) a few more dollars has to come out of my pocket. Late fees add up, people!

Common sense and perseverance go a long way in saving money. And honestly, there's no better place to start than with the obvious. Am I right?

Pay your bills on time. It saves you money. Easy. Class dismissed.


*awesome quote found here.

It's Me Again.

This is what I need right now.
A warm spot in front of a sunny window. Some peace and quiet.
No puppies trying to sneak off to the bathroom to chew on toilet paper. No need to clean up pee from the kitchen floor. No dog hair on the couch.
Just nice, clean, sunny solitude.
Doesn't it look nice?

I apologize for not being around much recently. I have all the best intentions of blogging more often this year. So why is it that we get quiet when there is the most to be said? It seems that any time that I could be spurting off multiple posts daily, I cease to write anything.

I could be telling you how our puppy, Gus, has decided that obviously peeing in the floor gets you a trip outside. So we have had to fall back and regroup on our training tactics. Or that he jumps like a cat. Today he managed to jump into a dining chair and onto my mom's dining room table. (Don't tell Daddy.) And speaking of dining furniture, I have been looking for a set of dining room chairs. It's not going well so far.
I could be telling you that I ordered some new business cards and that I plan to try a different route for my Miz. November store. (I will fill you in and show you my cards. They're pretty kick ass.) I could tell you that I have been painting again and that I've went back to watercolor (my original love).
The list goes on and on.

But for now, I'm just here to say "Hello" and thanks for being here with me. Come back tomorrow for another Counting Pennies post. Hopefully a little peace and quiet will come my way and I will be able to sort my thoughts and share them with you.

XOXO ~Jo~


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Note to Self......

...buy a long skirt.
What are you waiting for?


~While we're on the subject, let me ask the guys a question. Do you think long skirts are sexy? I know you think mini skirts are sexy, but what about the long flowing skirts? Just curious.


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Conversation

Happy Friday, dolls.
I am staring out the window at a yard full of snow this morning and pondering some things.
One thing that I would like to know is, who are all of you people who are allegedly following me?
My info says that I have 43 followers, yet I am lucky to get just a few comments on each post.
I'm curious. Why don't you comment? Do you even like my blog? Do you read it? Is my subject material boring you? What made you start following my blog in the first place? Is there something you want to talk about? Should I stop asking questions? Is it me?
I just feel like we aren't communicating.
Please don't break up with me.
Let's work this out.

Pretty please, with sugar on top?

Counting Pennies ~ Waste Not.

Back with another rule for money saving in 2012. We've all heard the old saying "Waste not. Want not." Even though I'm pretty sure that there will always be something else that I want, I do believe in getting your money's worth and not wasting what you already have. I have been one of those "scrape the bottom of the jar" kind of people my whole life. Want proof? Just take a look at my current lotion situation.

One of the main reasons that I buy lotion in a tube is so I can cut it in half when it gets low and slip the top half over the bottom, like a lid. The plastic container on the right was the leftovers from a pump bottle. Instead of losing all that lotion, I cut the bottle open and scraped out the portion that was left in there to die. Silly? Not exactly. Just look at how much product I saved!

Money Rule #2 for 2012: Be aware of waste. Pinpoint which items in your home go to waste most often and figure out a way to use them instead of lose them.

I'm pretty good at using up bath products. But in the kitchen? I could stand to be more thrifty. More food goes to waste in our house than I even want to discuss. I have been trying to get better at cooking only enough for the Hub and I to eat, so we have no leftovers. When making a large batch of something, like soup, it's a good idea to split the remaining portions up and freeze them for quick meals when you don't feel like cooking. Use those extra tidbits of ingredients in the fridge to make a frittata or a stir-fry.

Pay attention all over the house. Be aware of everything you put in the garbage. Is there a way to get more use out of it? Have you gotten your money's worth out of it? Are you only throwing it out because you have replaced it already?

Let's waste less and save more.

Truly You

Since making a conscious decision to be more true to myself in the coming year, it seems that I have run across all sorts of supportive words and images. Don't you love when that happens?

I have been feeling like my role in life is being determined by other people. What I do with my day is increasingly being decided by someone else. And who I am as a person is being molded by what others expect of me. I'm tired of it. I believe that God made every one of us to be a unique individual. We have different ideas and preferences that set us apart from each other. It's up to us to be the person that we are meant to be.

I read an article in the January issue of Marie Claire about the philanthropist, Jennifer Buffett. In it, she talks about losing her voice and identity in trying to support her husband in all of his efforts and projects. She believes that women are too often thrown into the supporting role and lose sight of who they are.

"I don't think the traditional female role serves us. I think it serves men. When somebody is subordinating themselves, it's just too easy for the other person to take them for granted and not value them. We need to start to say no. You think you are being selfless in giving, but you're being a martyr. Self-care is not a selfish act."

I think that some men are guilty of the same thing, though. Too many of us are fulfilling someone else's dream.

The December issue of Women's Health had an interesting interview with actress Amber Heard. She is bravely honest and unapologetic about who she is, even in the public eye. I love what she says about it.

"You can't respect yourself if you're afraid to be who you are. It requires bravery to do something no one else around you is doing."

I realize that society puts certain restrictions on everyone, from how we dress for the job to how we act in public places. And there is nothing wrong with that. Rules and boundaries make the world go around. But it would be a shame to get so used to these rules and boundaries that we let them apply to every aspect of our lives. Are you brave enough to be your true self? To stand up for what you believe in? To wear what you want to wear? To listen to the music that you love? And sing out loud in your car? Do you know what you want out of life? Do you respect your own desires?

Are you with me on being more true to yourself in 2012? It never hurts to have a support group, you know. I'll try to be truly me and you try to be truly you. What do you say?



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All Things Bright and Beautiful

If, like me, you are sitting at home with nothing to do on a Saturday night, go bury yourself in pretty pictures. In a quest to find some bright and beautiful on this dreary evening, I have spent more time than my eyes can be happy about on That Inspirational Girl. And although my peepers are tired and need a good rest, my soul feels a little bit better from all the prettiness I have taken in.

Much love to all of you. Hope your weekend is going great.

Counting Pennies

Having several goals this year (which we will discuss eventually), money has been the topic on my mind lately. Particularly, saving more and spending less.

As you have probably already figured out, I am not a big spender, but I still have room for improvement. The hubby is much more free with his cash flow and needs to be reminded often of how quickly it disappears. So, I thought now would be the perfect time to start a little weekly post on money matters. I'll share a few little thoughts and tips for saving money and hope that we all save a few more pennies in the process.

I am going to start this series off with a new rule. This came to me yesterday while using a gift card that I received for Christmas. While shopping in one of my favorite stores, I realized that I am always drawn to the same things, over and over. There are those few things that seem to appeal to me whether I am in need of them or not. I know my weaknesses. { *fingernail polish *blankets *pajama pants *shoes *paper products *makeup.} And I bet I'm not the only one. Do you have a weakness for certain things? So what do we do when we come across yet another great deal on the softest, cuddliest pair of pajama pants (or whatever your vice is) ever? We start counting, that's what.

New Rule for 2012: When the urge hits to buy something new, I will stop and count how many of said items I already have at home.

So, let's say that the pj's were the item of question. Upon the initial "oooh. what pretty colors. i love the plaid flannel!"....... I would follow up with "I already have two pairs of flannel, two pairs of fleece, one pair of cotton (three of which happen to be plaid)". Obviously, I am not in need of another pair of pajama pants. See how that works? I'm going to be doing a whole lot more counting in the future.

Will you try this tip? Let me know what you think. Let's save some $$$!!!


* photo from here.

Welcome to the New Year

First of all, let me just say that Blogger is screwing shit up again. My pictures are not going in the right places. So forgive me if things aren't looking quite right.

But let's not dwell on that. I need to tell you that Gus and I are finally on good terms. We are getting better at the whole schedule thing and he is much more comfortable on a leash now. Last Tuesday he went to get his boyhood snipped. I'm glad that's marked off the list. He's getting better at the going outside to potty deal. And, to be totally honest with you, I'm pretty much in love with him now. Well, not so much when he starts whining in the middle of the night because something scared him and he wants to sleep in our bed. And not so much when he gets too excited and drinks too much water and forgets all about that going outside to pee thing. But I am liking him more and more. The hub declares that he's a momma's boy.

I still miss the peace and quiet. I miss being able to sit down and read or draw or whatever without worrying about what he's chewing on. I hate having to clean my floors as often as a bank lobby. And my mornings are not at all what they used to be. But he's a pretty cute little shit head. I guess I'll keep him. (Not that I had a choice, you know.) The only pics you ever see of Gus may be sleeping pics. That is the only time that he sits still long enough to take a decent photo. Hopefully, that will change at some point.

As for the weekend, I hope you all had a wonderful New Years Eve. The hubby and I ended up not doing a dang thing. He rang in the New Year on his Xbox and I on Pinterest. Woohoo!
Well, that's it for tonight. I've got way too many exciting things to being doing, like washing dishes and folding laundry.
Happy New Year, dolls! See you later this week.