Monthly Meal Planning

The last few months have been hard to meal plan for due to lots of travel for the Misters work. Its hard to cook for 1 and I tend to gravitate to frozen food, no bueno I know but it is what it is.

In addition to planning meals I am also looking to grocery shop more strategically. This month I went to Costco and bought chicken and ground turkey, which are our two main meats that we typically use. 4 packages of ground turkey for $17 and 6 2 packs of Chicken for $21

The hubs is back and will be here until the beginning of October when we both head out of town for work followed by a wedding, Anniversary get away and a trip to my parents to see a sisters whos coming to town. Here is whats on our menu starting with our dinner tonight

Breakfast - Baked Egg Muffins (made ahead of time for the entire week)
Sunday = Chicken with Rice & Corn
Monday = Turkey& Stove top Meatloaf with green beans
Tuesday = Church Small group
Wednesday = Ravioli
Thursday = Dinner with Friends - its TRIVIA NIGHT
Friday = Hubs is on his own since I work late
Saturday = Weekend BABY - NO COOKING!

Sunday = Pizza, Wings & Football
Monday  = Another late night at work
Tuesday = Ravioli
Wednesday = Cheese Burger Pie
Thursday = Yet another late night
Friday = Chicken Pot Pie
Saturday = Weekend - No Cooking
Sunday = TBD

Well there you have it - Whats on your menu this week?

Egg Muffins

I'm a low maintenance breakfast kind of girl - if and when i eat breakfast its usually an uncooked pop tart in the car on the way to work. I spice it up with the occasional English muffin but that's the extent of it. My friend is my fitness inspiration for all things regarding health and working out. She posted a picture to instagram a week or so ago and it got me to thinking about expanding my breakfast options. She gave me the cooking instructions but the ingredients are all your own. Here is what I did

6 eggs

1/3 red pepper

1/3 green pepper

1/3 yellow pepper

onion

salt pepper

shredded cheese

Bake at 350 degrees

20-25 Minutes

I plan to microwave there's and toast an English muffin - add a slice of cheese and there we have a 2 minute breakfast on mornings when you're running late.

Football Season Is Here

I've been a fan of  foot ball since I was an  wee youngin'. I had no older brother and my father was not much of a fan but somewhere along the way I fell in love with the sport.

The Hubs and I met four years ago, when my BFF and I hosted a party for the 1st game of the 2008 season, where my Cowboys defeated his Browns From then on we've made it a point to go to as many games as possible and host as many parties as possible. There's just something about a live game and when watching at home its so much more enjoyable to be surrounded by food, friends and beer!

Last week I hosted our 2012 Season Kick off party. Many thanks to Michael's for all my decor and pinterest for food ideas (go on over and check out my Football board for all the links to recipes.)

While I've been a Dalls Cowboys fan for as long as I can remember - this year I have pledged my allegance to the Celeveland Browns so we've become a Borwns Fan Famaily.

What sport brings your family and friends together? How do you celebrate?

Pinspired Fashion

Linking up with the wonderful Table For Four for our monthly instalment of

 

 

Since the above is not true - I look for outfits I can build around pieces I already have.

Whats your pinspired style look like? Follow me http://pinterest.com/amieleaf/

Operation Home Make Over: Main Bath

As stated in my previous post we have been working on our main bath for the last few weeks. So here is our bathroom before, bathroom inspiration (via Pinterest) and bathroom After.

I found this picture on pinterest and then followed the link to this blog attached and bam I had my inspiration 

       

Before  

After  

                                                     

This was our journey

This was our budget

$ 500 - Vanity from Home depot

$420 - Granite counter top from Professional flooring

$80 - Mirrors from Home Goods

$250 faucets & hardware from Home Depot

$50 Tub Resurface kit from Home Depot

$100 Paint & Wall repair

$70 Lights from Home depot

$100 misc decor 

Grand total $1,570

We now have my dream bathroom (well until I get a bigger space for my jet tub and chandelier . . . but those can wait for now)

Where My Money Go's: PETS

Dog's are expensive! While nothing beats their first year of life their basic up keep and needs add up little by little - especially if you tend to spoil them!

Ill focus on their monthly needs excluding vet visits because lets face it that's a whole nother blog topic!

$10 X 2 Hills (1 Bag Puppy 1 Bag adult)
$99 X 2 Trifextus ( Flea & Tic)
$50x 2 Heart Guard


Those are the main chunk of change, then there are all the little costs like toys, poop bags, clothes, treats, dental bones etc!

I've now got a little princess on my hands and next month we add monthly visits to the groomer to the list at say $50 a visit although im sure we can push it to every two months - or at least every 6 weeks!

Oy vey I hear the cha ching every time I set foot into the pet smart!

In the end they are my babies and totally worth every penny!

What are your pet costs? How do you cut corners and stretch your $$'s?

A Common Occurance

I work in the customer service field. Due to this I actually have a high tolerance for lack of customer service. I know the go on's in the field. Under staffed, Over worked, Rude customers, Out dated computer systems, the list goes on. So much goes into good customer service and lets face it not every one is set up for success. That being said I still have "is this really happening to me?!?!" moments. In my case they usually happen at food establishments.

here are a few examples

Ice Cream Parlor
While on vacation in OH with the Hub's he took me to his favorite Ice cream place. I ordered a waffle cone with soft serve ice cream. The girl working a summer job informed me that the soft serve does not come in a waffle cone. Excuse me? You have waffle cones and you have soft serve ice cream how can they NOT go together?
Girl,:you can only get soft serve in the sugar cone.
Me: I dont understand
Girl: Do you want the soft serve in the sugar cone?
Me: No I want it in the waffle cone
Girl: I cant do that
Me: Why?!?!?!
Girl: I dont have that as an option to ring it up
Me: OK so ring me some thing else and just give me the waffle cone with soft servce I'll pay what ever
Girl: Cant do that
Me: I dont under stand
We wek back and forth for a few minutes, me in a state of shock over what was happening and the girl refusing to giive me what I wanted.
I walked out with a soft serve sugar cone ice cream . . .  we wend back the next day and I ordered the waffel cone with soft serve and the guy gave it to me. NOW i was really confussed.

Sandwich Shop
I wanted a 3inch sandwich, I have ordered these before that the establishment near my job so when we were on a road trip and I ordered this the lady told me that I could only get that in a kids meal. I told her I just wanted half of the 6inch sandwich. I don't remember the details other than I was worked up and left with a kids meal but she didn't even give me a toy after an emotionally draining sandwich ordering ordeal.

Breakfast
Me: I'll have a coffee and the new egg bag with cream cheese and I have a coupon  for 99 cent bagal"
Man: Ok so you want a bagel with an egg.
Me: No I want the new egg bagel with cream cheese" (pointing to the bagels behind him that said "new egg bagel"
Man: So you want a basal with egg and cream cheese?
Me: Eww no. I just want the bagel with cream cheese
Man: OK (typing furiously for what seemed like forever)
Me: Are you typing a letter?
Man: No I'm trying to make the bagel and egg for 99 cents
Me: I don't want an egg on the bagel I just want the cream cheese
Manager came over and helped the poor man out. I was happy i got my order and it was correct! Holy cow was that a trying way to start the day!

Have you had any outrageous moments or am I the only one?

Where My Money Go's: Health & Beauty

Today as I checked out at Target paying $94 for 5 items I had an "ahhhh Haaa" Moment - So this is where my money goes!

this was what I got
$22 - Zyrtec (remember those days of $10 co-pays?)
$12 - Face moisturizer (remember those days pre wrinkles and age spots?)
$8 Mascara
$32 Ms. Jessie Curl cream (Remember those days of $1.99 gel worked?)
$16 Ms Jessie Conditioner (remember those days when suave was all you needed?)


 As I've gotten older I've learned that some things may be cheap but if you settle you wont be happy and will eventually regret the money saved. Thou the bargain hunter, cheap frugal gal in me cringes when I admit to $32 hair products but when you find what works you cant wont settle. These products will last me 4-6 weeks. (Mascara and moisturizer should last longer than that).  It breaks down to $15 a week so I guess its not that bad but still hurts!

What are your go to products? How do you cut corners and bargain hunt? Where's your $ go?

Operation Home Make Over: Kitchen

Being that we are knee deep in a bathroom make over, I thought I'd look back on how far we have come in our kitchen and remember the hard work it took and the time spent to get it just the way I had pictured it in my head.

*This was my inspiration 

* Here is our before 

* add counters, and then a back splash

*Add appliances and VOILA!

My Kitchen is complete!

This is our main view of the kitchen, We also have a little bar, I made a chalk board and painted come corner shelves.

      

All that is missing from being 100% complete is a microwave cart. Let me tell you we have searched High and LOW and I cant settle unless I am in love so the search goes on!

First 4th as a Family of Four

July 3rd this lovely lady cuddled her way into our home and hearts!

We are now a family of four

Such a cutie pie!

Welcome to the family Gwendolyn!

Pinning!

Today I am linking up with a great friend Nicole - She has been sharing all her pinterest projects and I wanted to join the party!

As with just about every avenue of Social Media I was reluctantto join at first but quickly became slightly (ok TOTALLY) obsessed with pinterest. I could totally make pinterst projects a full time job!

I wont bore you with the details and if you love the site as much as I do not further explanation is needed.

I'll limit my post today to our home projects and I admit i use the term "our" quite liberally as truthfully I find the picture of what I want and turn to my husband and say "You can do this right?" He in turn has never let me down!

Bedroom
I saw this and HAD to do it! I'd been pricing out bed sets and they are SO expensive so this turned out to be a budget friendly alternative! I give the HUB's all the credit for this! It came out even better than I imagined. I am still combing thru more ideas for what to hang above the head board . . . hummm decisions decisions!

We then used the left over stain to turn a blanket rack into a matching piece.

I then needed a jewelry organization piece and after looking thru tons of pictures decided I would not go buy one more thing and deciding instead to mesh all the ideas i'd seen together and use left over scraps from our head board. All I did was screw in some cup hooks to hang the necklaces from and strung some lace into the wood frame for the earrings

All while the Hubs was creating our bedroom master pieces - I got to work on my own side project a kitchen chalk board I'd seen here. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this. Its great to leave notes on, post the weekly menu or as seen here set an inspirational reminder to look at every day.

What have YOU been pinning?
Interested in more of my pins? Follow me! http://pinterest.com/amieleaf/