Free! (or almost free)

It seemed like my mailbox was exploding with free items this week! The free razor was a great surprise and even came with a "refer a friend" coupon so my Dad will now be getting a free razor too. I love to share in free!I went to Kohl's to make good use of my $20 Kohl's Cash along with a 20% off coupon. I left paying $4.32 for all of this which I was excited about. I love my new, trendy sandals and can't wait to wear this adorable hoodie come fall!I also did well at Kroger this week and CVS though I forgot to take pictures of my purchases since my frozen food was melting. It is already really hot in Texas! I did leave CVS with only paying $2.15 for almost $30 worth of items so I was very pleased with that shopping trip.

Mark also contributed to our saving money this weekend. Although this is not anywhere close to being free, he did save us over $500 by fixing our air conditioner himself rather than paying a service man to do it. I was really impressed that he was able to take everything apart and put it back together in order to allow us cool air. I could never have done it!

You Win Some, You Lose Some

I decided to dig up my inner stay-at-home wife and make a few things that I normally would not have time to make when I was working all week. Some were winners, others total losers.

First, I made Mark a Paula Deen Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting...all from scratch. I must admit, I used to hate making cakes from scratch, but the more I do it, the easier and fun it has become! I also must admit this was "owed" to him since he correctly predicted who would win American Idol (yes, I lost yet another bet). Our friends John and Abby were in town for one night so they came over and enjoyed some cake as well. I have not tasted it, not even the batter, since I am still on Weight Watchers, but everyone gave it a thumbs up!






Next, I experimented with a few Weight Watcher friendly recipes. This is where the losers begin to rear their ugly heads. First, I made a bulgar, feta, and mint side dish that was delicious. I ate this all week for lunch since it was healthy, filling, and went well with some fresh, summer veggies. I also attempted a healthy version of Twice Baked Potatoes and a Turkey Meatloaf in the crockpot that did not turn out as planned. I was so excited to make a meal that Mark would be really excited about but it royally flopped. We ate it but it was not great. Luckily, my husband is just thankful to have dinner ready for him even though I felt really bad. Oh well, you win some and lose some, right?!?

Closet Cleaning

My first week on summer vacation proved to be a relaxing and productive one. I exercised five out of the seven mornings (including bootcamp), did things around the house, read a book, caught up on my stack of magazines (some as old as February!), knit a lot, spent time with Dixie while she was here for a few days (love having my Dixie girl home!), got a pedicure, and picked a project for the days I had nothing to do.

My first major project was tackling our closet. Mark and I both spill over to the two additional closets in our house (me more than him!) so I think it is important to clean out every year so I am not just hoarding clothes. I also needed to switch over to my summer clothes since the hot Texas temperatures are here to stay! Plus, let's be honest, I still shop so I am always bringing new things home.

This is what it looked like before - things everywhere and not neat at all.









After two hours of going through both my closets and all the dresser drawers containing my items, I had quite a pile. Throughout the process I had to remind myself that if I had not worn the item in the past year, regardless of how nice it was or how much I once loved it, I had to get rid of it. I plan to sell these items at a garage sale in the near future. This is the basket I started collecting things in though the rest of the pile is on our guest bed.
Here is what the final product looks like....much neater!

It's the Little Things

Mark and I had another great weekend. Mark got a lot done in the front yard and it really looks great! I am amazed at what a little TLC can do for a yard! Out of all the great things we did together this weekend, two stood out as making my particularly happy.

Mark made me smile when I walked in the front door and found these beautiful, pink hydrangeas sitting on the coffee table. I love hydrangeas. I think they are simple and elegant. We had them at our wedding despite the fact that Mark thinks they look like weeds. I was shocked and this small gesture really made my heart happy.The second thing that made me happy this weekend was watching Anthony and Sarah Jane's dog, Stetson. Stetson lives at his grandparent's house so Wally and Jeanie dropped him off at our house before leaving town for Sarah Jane's sister's wedding. We loved having Stetson! He is so easy and loves Mark so much. He spent most of the weekend lounging on Dixie's dog bed. I think he thought he was in heaven!Like I have always said, it's the little things that make me happy!

Weight Watchers: Week 3

I completed my third week of Weight Watchers and am pleased with my slow but steady progress. I was a little nervous to step on the scale Monday morning after the disappointment of last week, but this week proved to be better. I lost .6 pounds! I know, .6 is not a lot of weight, not even a whole pound, but I will take what I can get! The scale may not be showing me what I want it to but I can tell a difference in how I feel. I don't feel as bloated and gross as I used to, I am able to fit in a pair of jeans I couldn't put on before I started the diet, and I am feeling good about my Bootcamp workouts. Just got to keep trying!

Bootcamp continues to go well. The leader has us running, lifting weights, doing stations and relay races. All things that make exercise (decently) fun! I am still quite hungry throughout the days that I do Bootcamp but choosing healthy snacks allow me to keep within my point range.

Becky turned me on to a great new snack: dry roasted peas. I love them!!! They are healthy, salty and taste like a mix between popcorn and peas (that sounds gross but it tastes great!). They are available at the healthy/organic grocery store in the bins. Thank you, Becky!No extreme challenges this week. We went to dinner with Doug and Becky to celebrate Doug's birthday but I was able to research online what I could order at the fish restaurant (grilled mahi mahi with no sauce and a side of steamed broccoli and cauliflower with water to drink) and remain within my points for the day. I even enjoyed a sliver of ice cream cake with everyone. I just had to account for it when tracking my points and I was ok!
Saturday night I went out with my girl friends for dinner, a movie ("Sex and the City 2" -- very cute!!!), and drinks afterwards. Again, I researched online what I could eat (turkey burger with lettuce and tomato, no bun, with a fruit cup instead of French Fries and a Diet Coke). I just sipped on water while the others enjoyed a beer. Yes, I would have rather had a beer, but it was really alright. It was just fun hanging out with the girls!

Free! (or almost free)

I am combining a week and a half worth of free items since I just keep getting free items and can't wait to report about them!

I went to Aldi's on Saturday and bought everything you see below. I must admit, I was not a big fan of Aldi's the first time I went. I refuse to pay for a shopping cart and think it is silly to charge for grocery bags (even though I bring my own reusable ones anyway). Plus, they don't take coupons - an automatic no-go for me! I decided to try it again though after reading about all the deals people have been getting on produce. I spent $4.99 which is a great deal considering salad at Krogers is almost $4 a bag. I think I might give Aldi another chance....

Yesterday, I went to JC Penny and used a $10 voucher that I got in the mail to buy these cute sandals. Totally free! I also stopped by Red Box and picked up "It's Complicated." Mark had no desire to see this movie so I thought it would be a great way to spend my first day of summer vacation. I enjoyed knitting and watching my free movie!

All of these free coupon arrived in my mailbox yesterday as well. Seven items that I will be getting at the grocery store totally free this weekend!I hope to find a few more goodies this week!

A Yard Renovation

A few weeks ago, Mark and I ripped out all the bushes in our front lawn. Well, Memorial Day, we decided it was time to plant new plants and begin a new chapter in our little yard's life. We still need to plant some flowers by the front door, but that will have to be next month's purchase.

After 4 hours in the hot sun, 2 trips to the nursery by our house, and a much needed at Sonic for some Cherry Limeades, our yard was complete! I know, it doesn't look like much, but it is a HUGE improvement to what it looked like before.