On Friday, Hoot and I went to Wallyworld to buy me a new watch and pick up a few sundries. We rarely go to this particular Wallyworld, because we have a Super Wallyworld nearby. I'm not a huge fan of Super Wallyworld, but when you need a few quarts of oil, sunscreen, toothpaste, a yard of white fabric, bread and yogurt, you can definitely get it in one stop. Couple convenience with low (but not always the lowest) prices and I can get over it.
One of DH's and Hoot's favorite movies is The Three Caballeros. We've owned it on VHS forever and it gets regularly played. So, we noticed that it was quietly released onto DVD earlier this month. DH put it on his birthday wish list. I've been watching for it because with it's low key release, I was afraid the PC police would chunk it back into the vault quickly. We were also concerned that they might have changed the movie. On the Gran Fiesta Tour ride in Epcot, Panchito noticeably does not have his guns! I am still scarred by the gun being changed to a radio during the re-release of ET a few years back.
With the birthday wish list tucked away, and after the Caballeros release date, I thought I'd just pick it up the movie when I saw it. I had made a trip to Target, but no Donald, Jose, or Panchito were around. I had dropped into a Disney Store the next week and there were no birds. I strolled down to Best Buy one night on break, and if they were there, they were in the back having a siesta. Alas, they were appearing to be elusive.
So, when I found myself at the other Wallyworld, I decided to stroll through their electronics department with a roving eye on the DVDs. Alas, no Caballeros. As I was working my way back towards the exit of the department, I noticed several employees unloading a flat of stock. On the top layers were several Wiis. Now, I may have been lusting quietly for a Wii, but last I knew they were still illusive creatures that required getting up early and hoping they were still in stock by the time you got to the store. I still have no idea if the market is finally flush with stock.
Quickly, I look around. No one is rushing over to snatch the Wiis from the employees. No big mob, nothing. I realize it's very possible that the true craze has past and it's just a normal Cabbage Patch Kid now. But, I definitely thought "Here's my chance!" What, seriously? I'm going to make a $250 impulse purchase? On a video game console? Do I look like I have that kind of time?
I must confess: I struggle with the Wii for at least 30 minutes. I left the department, circled the store, returned to gawk at them some more, but eventually left Wii-less. Sadly, it wasn't even my No Buy stance that stopped the deal. Honestly, the longer I thought about it, the more I realized that I knew the video game game. The console is just a tiny part of the cost involved. Soon, you will want a second controller, so two people can play. Then, you want a new game or two. Then controller chargers, memory cards, and a Wii Fit. Alas, the madness will never end.
Again, I finally asked myself, "Do you have that kind of time?" The answer, sadly enough was no. However, I am keeping a line of thoughts open about potential Wii purchases in the future. But, it will be budgeted in before the beginning of the month.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Where have you been?
Gosh, it seems like I haven't been posting much lately. It also seems like I haven't been home much lately. The household is out of whack, Hoot's schedule is out of whack, my Quicken account is out of whack (nothing dangerous, just behind on entries), and therefore, I am out of whack. I hate it when someone shakes the snow globe. Well, someone other than me, that is.
In the last three weeks, I've taken two overnight trips for work. Actually, you could say I've worked two overnights for work, as both involved late night inventories. I love getting away, even for a quick night. I also love shaking the work snow globe just to keep it all interesting. But, late April and May were probably not the best times for me to be shaking anything. With Mother's Day, our 15th anniversary and DH's birthday, it's just a crazy month. Usually it's like December, but with less time at work. This month, with it's overnights, it has seemed even more like December.
I did have a fun trip to Houston. Dinner was a great treat at Pappadeaux, followed by a glorious breakfast at la Madeleine. I adore their French Country breakfast with its eggs, potato galette, crisp thick bacon and croissant. But, really, I lavished myself with cup after cup of the French Roast coffee. This cafe/bistro is definitely a happy place for me. I spent a little more than the covered amount for my expense reimbursement, but what the heck. I don't get here often.
However, such indulgences are dangerous to the budget. While I am still going to be "up" monetary wise in the budget once the expense checks roll in, I am still wanting to be in spend mode. I'm definitely an all or nothing kind of gal, and taking trips and eating in nice places makes we want to be in "all" mode.
It was also my 15th wedding anniversary, so before I left Houston, I stopped into The Cheesecake Factory for a small cake to celebrate once I got home. We also had a great dinner at a local steakhouse, which was blissfully empty as the college students have all left for the summer.
To complicate matters even more, we still have DH's birthday this week and the weekend off for the combined Mother's Day/Anniversary/Birthday/Family Fun celebration. There has been much talk of going to the beach, or possibly just to Austin or such for the weekend. I will confess that with Memorial Day being early this year, I didn't realize it was the weekend I had requested off for this little celebration. That means everyone will be on the road and hotels will be a bit higher. I may poke around on Hotwire for a bit before we decide. Maybe we'll just stay home and clean house. But, really how celebratory is that? It's certainly not what I would classify as "Family Fun."
In the last three weeks, I've taken two overnight trips for work. Actually, you could say I've worked two overnights for work, as both involved late night inventories. I love getting away, even for a quick night. I also love shaking the work snow globe just to keep it all interesting. But, late April and May were probably not the best times for me to be shaking anything. With Mother's Day, our 15th anniversary and DH's birthday, it's just a crazy month. Usually it's like December, but with less time at work. This month, with it's overnights, it has seemed even more like December.
I did have a fun trip to Houston. Dinner was a great treat at Pappadeaux, followed by a glorious breakfast at la Madeleine. I adore their French Country breakfast with its eggs, potato galette, crisp thick bacon and croissant. But, really, I lavished myself with cup after cup of the French Roast coffee. This cafe/bistro is definitely a happy place for me. I spent a little more than the covered amount for my expense reimbursement, but what the heck. I don't get here often.
However, such indulgences are dangerous to the budget. While I am still going to be "up" monetary wise in the budget once the expense checks roll in, I am still wanting to be in spend mode. I'm definitely an all or nothing kind of gal, and taking trips and eating in nice places makes we want to be in "all" mode.
It was also my 15th wedding anniversary, so before I left Houston, I stopped into The Cheesecake Factory for a small cake to celebrate once I got home. We also had a great dinner at a local steakhouse, which was blissfully empty as the college students have all left for the summer.
To complicate matters even more, we still have DH's birthday this week and the weekend off for the combined Mother's Day/Anniversary/Birthday/Family Fun celebration. There has been much talk of going to the beach, or possibly just to Austin or such for the weekend. I will confess that with Memorial Day being early this year, I didn't realize it was the weekend I had requested off for this little celebration. That means everyone will be on the road and hotels will be a bit higher. I may poke around on Hotwire for a bit before we decide. Maybe we'll just stay home and clean house. But, really how celebratory is that? It's certainly not what I would classify as "Family Fun."
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Oh, Mother!
I was approaching Mother's Day with a bit of trepidation. I had originally asked to work the early shift on Mother's Day, since I was going out of town for work later in the week. I imagined getting up while the house is quiet, having a nice simple, quiet breakfast, then I'd go off to work. The morning would be quiet in the store, then the day would pass quickly. I'd depart and go home to find a nice cleanish house and perhaps dinner waiting on me. Alas, it was not meant to be. My boss, without asking, deemed that I should not have to work on Mother's Day. Talk about complications.
Then, a little guilt settled in on me. I called my Mom on Saturday, and asked her if she wanted to meet us in San Marcos for a few outlets and some dinner. We would meet at the Pottery Barn outlet, browse, then go to a very early dinner at Joe's Crab Shack. It would be great, we all love seafood, and Hoot could blow off some steam at the playground. So, when I arrived home Saturday evening, I found a few emails throwing a ton of kinks into the plan. My mom lives near San Antonio and she discovered that I-35 was under major construction that weekend right in front of the outlets. As traffic is always nasty in there on the weekends, it was a major drawback to our plans. Then, a second email revealed that she had called Joe's to check their hours and discovered it is now a Saltgrass Steakhouse. Not quite the same Hoot-friendly environment, especially without the playground. So, we scrapped San Marcos.
We briefly considered going to Katy and meeting the parents at the Rainforest Cafe. But, I knew we would have to be there before they opened since it was Mother's Day. So, we factored in how much further it would be for my parents to drive, and scrapped the meeting idea. C'est la vie.
On Mother's Day morning, we awoke to the unwelcome sound of water dripping somewhere in the house. Oh, boy. The pipe coming out of the garbage disposal was letting loose to beat the band. Any remaining chance of a day trip was scrapped. Flashlights were found and the cabinet under the sink was cleared.
I managed to remove most of the rotten pieces myself, but I would have to take the p-trap out to get it clear for replacement. I asked DH to use a little muscle on it and he kind of freaked out. I don't know if it was that it was Mother's Day, and I was on my back like a plumber, or if he really thought I couldn't do it. I'm still not sure. It doesn't make much sense to me that he is intimidated by plumbing, he builds million dollar oilfield equipment, but now that I think about it, he was awfully difficult when I wanted him to replace the faucet out back last summer. So, we did what all married couples do at some point. We fought. Not too many fireworks for us, but a few. I simply wasn't going to call a plumber, especially not on a Sunday, much less Mother's Day. Talk about expensive!
Eventually, he calmed down and helped me get the entire part clear of the disposal. After a quick Mother's Day outing to Lowe's, and a few more bits of bickering, we got it finished. Hooray! I have kept a bucket under it all week, just to make sure, but it's still high and dry!
We did go out to eat for wings and made a trip to Sam's for a few groceries. I also got two nice cards and some beautiful lilies. So, all in all, it was a pretty decent day. I hope all the moms out there had a nice Mother's Day as well.
Overheard in the bookstore:
Hi, I just graduated this weekend [from college], and I think I'd like to take up reading.
What kind of books do you like to read?
I don't know, I've never read one.
You've never read a book?
Not from cover to cover.
Then, a little guilt settled in on me. I called my Mom on Saturday, and asked her if she wanted to meet us in San Marcos for a few outlets and some dinner. We would meet at the Pottery Barn outlet, browse, then go to a very early dinner at Joe's Crab Shack. It would be great, we all love seafood, and Hoot could blow off some steam at the playground. So, when I arrived home Saturday evening, I found a few emails throwing a ton of kinks into the plan. My mom lives near San Antonio and she discovered that I-35 was under major construction that weekend right in front of the outlets. As traffic is always nasty in there on the weekends, it was a major drawback to our plans. Then, a second email revealed that she had called Joe's to check their hours and discovered it is now a Saltgrass Steakhouse. Not quite the same Hoot-friendly environment, especially without the playground. So, we scrapped San Marcos.
We briefly considered going to Katy and meeting the parents at the Rainforest Cafe. But, I knew we would have to be there before they opened since it was Mother's Day. So, we factored in how much further it would be for my parents to drive, and scrapped the meeting idea. C'est la vie.
On Mother's Day morning, we awoke to the unwelcome sound of water dripping somewhere in the house. Oh, boy. The pipe coming out of the garbage disposal was letting loose to beat the band. Any remaining chance of a day trip was scrapped. Flashlights were found and the cabinet under the sink was cleared.
I managed to remove most of the rotten pieces myself, but I would have to take the p-trap out to get it clear for replacement. I asked DH to use a little muscle on it and he kind of freaked out. I don't know if it was that it was Mother's Day, and I was on my back like a plumber, or if he really thought I couldn't do it. I'm still not sure. It doesn't make much sense to me that he is intimidated by plumbing, he builds million dollar oilfield equipment, but now that I think about it, he was awfully difficult when I wanted him to replace the faucet out back last summer. So, we did what all married couples do at some point. We fought. Not too many fireworks for us, but a few. I simply wasn't going to call a plumber, especially not on a Sunday, much less Mother's Day. Talk about expensive!
Eventually, he calmed down and helped me get the entire part clear of the disposal. After a quick Mother's Day outing to Lowe's, and a few more bits of bickering, we got it finished. Hooray! I have kept a bucket under it all week, just to make sure, but it's still high and dry!
We did go out to eat for wings and made a trip to Sam's for a few groceries. I also got two nice cards and some beautiful lilies. So, all in all, it was a pretty decent day. I hope all the moms out there had a nice Mother's Day as well.
Overheard in the bookstore:
Hi, I just graduated this weekend [from college], and I think I'd like to take up reading.
What kind of books do you like to read?
I don't know, I've never read one.
You've never read a book?
Not from cover to cover.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
The Price of Milk
For Christmas last year, Tee gave me a subscription to Real Simple magazine. It was a magazine that I really enjoyed in my pre-Hoot years. I loved to read it cover to cover. The subscription was initially hung up and I didn't receive my first issue until almost three weeks ago. I get so little time to devote to it (yes, I know, log off and read!) that I am just now finishing off the issue.
On the cover is what seems to be the ever present "Save on Groceries" tag line. It's getting as much cover time as Brittany Spears and Harrison Ford these days. Hey, guess what, we all know groceries have gone up lately. Hey, guess what, we all want to know how to save. Hey, guess what, I bet we all knew the six tips Real Simple printed to save you money on groceries!
For those of you who don't know:
On the cover is what seems to be the ever present "Save on Groceries" tag line. It's getting as much cover time as Brittany Spears and Harrison Ford these days. Hey, guess what, we all know groceries have gone up lately. Hey, guess what, we all want to know how to save. Hey, guess what, I bet we all knew the six tips Real Simple printed to save you money on groceries!
For those of you who don't know:
- buy cheese in the dairy aisle, avoid the deli counter
- go to a discounter like WallyWorld for shampoo, deodorant, and toothpaste
- buy frozen, not fresh, fish
- buy meat in bigger family packs
- buy produce in bulk bags
- look at the shelf sticker
Wow, really? That's amazing. Hey, and I bet if I don't drive my car, I'll save on gas, too! Yes, I know, I know it's just an article. It's just that it's the same old tired advice that has been rehashed and rehashed and rehashed. And, it has been rehashed by every magazine out there. I still love my Real Simple and I enjoyed reading it. I can't wait for the new issue, which will probably be out before I truly finish this one. But, I wish they had run an article that had some real information.
You want to save on your grocery bills? Get a Sunday paper. If you live in a small city, try to get the nearest large city's paper, as the coupons will be better. (Our local paper's coupons are full of tomato trees and old lady stretch pants ads.) Clip your coupons. Go to The Grocery Game and spend $1. That will buy you four weeks to learn how to match to ads. If you love the savings, but don't have time to match ads, at the end of your four weeks, get a real membership. It really will save you money. Heck, before the Grocery Game, I didn't know that our local Kroger tripled coupons up to thirty nine cents! I only thought they doubled to fifty! And if you do it, remember I sent you! My referral email is Siouxstone@gmail.com. (You can also use the email if you just want to drop me a line as well!)
One tidbit out of the May issue has stuck with me for over a week now. I just keep pondering it! In 1958, the average price of milk was $1.01 a gallon. But, that wasn't the WOW part. If you adjusted that amount for inflation, in today's dollars, it would mean $7.40 a gallon! That makes my Hoot's organic look cheap! Of course, a man in white doesn't leave it on my doorstep either!
Oh, and if you ever see The Price of Milk on any indy film channels or the like, I love that movie. It's quirky and from New Zealand. The Jacksons always seem to have something of mine! If it wasn't for the No Buy thing, I'd probably be searching for the DVD online since I just thought about it!
Current Reading:
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. Pick it up, check it out! I've enjoyed it far more than I would've ever thought.
May Decisions
May is shaping up to be a very expensive month. It always is, but it still catches me by surprise when I see my totals and goals. There is just so much going on with gift occasions and Spring activities. I'm super glad there isn't a graduation somewhere in the mix as well!
Mother's Day is somewhat of an annoyance with me. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great to honor moms everywhere. Heck, I'm a mom! But, as with Christmas and my birthday, I hate doing the budgeting work for my own presents. This year I budgeted $100. I've already spent $18 on cards and a small gift for my mom. So, that leaves $82 in that category for DH & DS to buy me a present, or take me out to dinner, or whatever. I also keep thinking I should maybe try and meet my mom halfway between our houses for lunch or something on Sunday. That would further cut into the budget.
Our 15th wedding anniversary is on the 15th. I will be getting back in to town that evening and with the work trip, it was too chaotic to try and take that following weekend off. I do have the weekend of the 24th off, so we've thought about doing something then. But what?
DH's birthday is the 21st, so there's another $100 to put with the usual suspects. Can you see it adding up now? I also budgeted $100 for our Family Fun day because we hadn't decided on what we wanted to do. We talked a little bit about rolling Mother's Day, Anniversary, DH's Birthday and Family Fun day all into one weekend, but it's kind of driving me nuts. Collectively, that would put $382 in play for a weekend away. When I see that number, that big, and it's under the No Buy title, I just shake my head.
However, I am not one to get upset by doing things rather than buying presents. I'd much rather go somewhere and spend quality time with my family than own a piece of jewelry or a dreaded thing-that-must-be-dusted. The traditional 15th anniversary gift is crystal. (I read that as a thing-that-must-be-dusted.) The modern 15th anniversary gift is glass or watches. (Hey, I could actually use a new watch!) And according to About.com's guide to anniversary gifts, we should have booked a trip to Switzerland or Austria. Yeah, right. More like Fredericksburg or Schlitterbahn.
Overheard in the bookstore:
You got them home schoolin' books?
Mother's Day is somewhat of an annoyance with me. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great to honor moms everywhere. Heck, I'm a mom! But, as with Christmas and my birthday, I hate doing the budgeting work for my own presents. This year I budgeted $100. I've already spent $18 on cards and a small gift for my mom. So, that leaves $82 in that category for DH & DS to buy me a present, or take me out to dinner, or whatever. I also keep thinking I should maybe try and meet my mom halfway between our houses for lunch or something on Sunday. That would further cut into the budget.
Our 15th wedding anniversary is on the 15th. I will be getting back in to town that evening and with the work trip, it was too chaotic to try and take that following weekend off. I do have the weekend of the 24th off, so we've thought about doing something then. But what?
DH's birthday is the 21st, so there's another $100 to put with the usual suspects. Can you see it adding up now? I also budgeted $100 for our Family Fun day because we hadn't decided on what we wanted to do. We talked a little bit about rolling Mother's Day, Anniversary, DH's Birthday and Family Fun day all into one weekend, but it's kind of driving me nuts. Collectively, that would put $382 in play for a weekend away. When I see that number, that big, and it's under the No Buy title, I just shake my head.
However, I am not one to get upset by doing things rather than buying presents. I'd much rather go somewhere and spend quality time with my family than own a piece of jewelry or a dreaded thing-that-must-be-dusted. The traditional 15th anniversary gift is crystal. (I read that as a thing-that-must-be-dusted.) The modern 15th anniversary gift is glass or watches. (Hey, I could actually use a new watch!) And according to About.com's guide to anniversary gifts, we should have booked a trip to Switzerland or Austria. Yeah, right. More like Fredericksburg or Schlitterbahn.
Overheard in the bookstore:
You got them home schoolin' books?
Saturday, May 3, 2008
That's the night that the lights went out in Stoneland
We have always had great luck with our electricity in this house. Two years ago, when the entire city went dark during a blackout, ours was off for a grand total of twenty minutes. At work, the lights were out so long, we ended up closing. Parts of the town were out for five or six hours. Every other time we've lost power, our little part of the neighborhood is the pocket that comes back on first. I chock it up to the fact that we have two ambulance bays and a fire department in that little pocket of electricity. They always come back up first, while the people behind us stay dark for much longer.
While I was at Ikea on Wednesday, as we were browsing through the candle area, I almost picked up a large packet of candles for our emergency box. My mom has recently been checking the temperatures of the Gulf of Mexico on a daily basis. Because she's near the coast, it's in her newspaper along with the weather. About a week ago, they also ran an article about how the gulf is warmer than it has been this early in over a decade. This puts her in a state usually reserved for small poultry and she emails out her Hurricane prep lists. So, I stood there in Ikea staring at a giant box of cheap candles and thought about my mom. Then I thought about on of Tee's best friends, who is as far inland as we are, who lost power for over three weeks after Hurricane Rita. Then, I thought about No Buy, ran over my Ikea list, which did not contain candles, and moved on.
So, of course, we lost power for over five hours last night. Not the entire city, not even our entire little section that usually comes on first. It was just our side of the street. I'm not sure what happened, but as DH cruised the neighborhood, there were a bunch of utility trucks and downed lines.
The bonus side of this resulted in dinner out. Unplanned and unbudgeted, but good anyway. It was a great excuse. DH did a great job making sure that they did not open the refrigerator, which I think helped keep everything okay. I was a little worried about the amount of food in the freezer but it's all good as far as I can tell. I'll use caution when thawing, but the milk was just fine this morning so I feel we are okay. But, I think about the 72 hour rule. You know, the one that says you should be prepared to go 3 days on your own emergency supplies. I'll have to go through my box soon and make a few lists. But, I wish I had picked up two packs of those candles on Wednesday.
At the bookstore:
We are in the middle of finals, so we have boneless college students everywhere, draped in aisles, under tables, sitting at tables full of merchandise...
Do you have a strategy for getting a place to sit?
While I was at Ikea on Wednesday, as we were browsing through the candle area, I almost picked up a large packet of candles for our emergency box. My mom has recently been checking the temperatures of the Gulf of Mexico on a daily basis. Because she's near the coast, it's in her newspaper along with the weather. About a week ago, they also ran an article about how the gulf is warmer than it has been this early in over a decade. This puts her in a state usually reserved for small poultry and she emails out her Hurricane prep lists. So, I stood there in Ikea staring at a giant box of cheap candles and thought about my mom. Then I thought about on of Tee's best friends, who is as far inland as we are, who lost power for over three weeks after Hurricane Rita. Then, I thought about No Buy, ran over my Ikea list, which did not contain candles, and moved on.
So, of course, we lost power for over five hours last night. Not the entire city, not even our entire little section that usually comes on first. It was just our side of the street. I'm not sure what happened, but as DH cruised the neighborhood, there were a bunch of utility trucks and downed lines.
The bonus side of this resulted in dinner out. Unplanned and unbudgeted, but good anyway. It was a great excuse. DH did a great job making sure that they did not open the refrigerator, which I think helped keep everything okay. I was a little worried about the amount of food in the freezer but it's all good as far as I can tell. I'll use caution when thawing, but the milk was just fine this morning so I feel we are okay. But, I think about the 72 hour rule. You know, the one that says you should be prepared to go 3 days on your own emergency supplies. I'll have to go through my box soon and make a few lists. But, I wish I had picked up two packs of those candles on Wednesday.
At the bookstore:
We are in the middle of finals, so we have boneless college students everywhere, draped in aisles, under tables, sitting at tables full of merchandise...
Do you have a strategy for getting a place to sit?
Friday, May 2, 2008
I can't believe it's been that long since I posted! It's been a busy week here and I had a nice little work trip out of town for two days.
On Tuesday, I picked up a co-worker and we drove to Houston to help another store with their annual inventory. It was a very nice day and a smooth trip down. We were put up in a very nice Holiday Inn Express, and it worked out so we each had our own room. Hooray! I love my boys, the big one and the little one. I really do. But, it was so nice to just have a little space to myself. In fact, I usually get a little overwhelmed by quiet time because there are just so many possibilities of things I'd like to do in peace.
We had a great dinner at Joe's Crab Shack and it was awesome to eat out. Funny, something I used to do so often and take it for granted. Now, a simple dinner at Joe's classifies as a fantastic treat! The next morning, I again was made happy by a simple breakfast at IHOP. Holy Cow!
Since Wednesday was our day off, my co-worker & I didn't rush home. We went to Ikea and I had a small list of things I have been wanting for a while. I bought Hoot some replacement utensils (his are very worn, but he loves them) and some cups. I also bought my mom a cutting board for Mother's Day. I wanted to buy the Frost folding drying rack for the back porch since I do not have a clothesline in my backyard. But, it looked way too flimsy for Hoot. I think it would've done a great job and it folded very easily, but in the rough and tumble world of our backyard, I think it had the life expectancy of 5 minutes. So, I spent about $23 out of an original $40 budget there.
Our next stop was The Galleria. When we had decided about a week before the trip that we would go to The Galleria, I really took stock of my cosmetics cabinet and made my self a list and budget for this possible splurge.
I love Philosophy skincare, and I have carefully, carefully milked every single drop of the Purity cleanser (which I've been out of for 6 weeks), The Present (a matte primer I use under my foundation during the summer and have been out of since last Fall), and Hope in a Bottle, which is my moisturizer. I decided I was going to spend the money to buy another bottle of The Present, which would've been around $25 and a small size Purity for $10. So my Sephora budget was $35 plus tax. Really? Did I just say I was going to budget my money in Sephora? Honestly, I have always had a play now, pay later attitude in that store. In the end, I spent $11. The packaging of The Present had changed from a bottle to a tube. That had me a bit concerned because I really love this product and it's always been in a bottle. The consistency was also like skim milk. The new package was a tube and it felt like a lotion. After much consultation, including a call home just to make sure I wasn't crazy, I passed on the item. If I'm not sure, I'm not going to spend on it. So, I saved $25 of my Sephora budget.
I bought Hoot one of those smash packaged wash cloths at the Disney Store and a pair of $3 sunglasses. I also spent $45 of my birthday budget for a present for DH. So, there was $50, which was right on target. At the San Rio store, I didn't find a replacement for my Snoopy key fob that Hoot broke, so nothing there, another $5 added to the unspent funds.
I will confess that I literally shook at the entrance to the Coach store. I saw this little beauty just about 10 feet from the entrance, poised on a small round table with a come hither look. The color was divine (the navy, not the tan), and I knew the leather would be oh, so supple. Please, Lord, if I ever get to own this purse, let this be the one they bury me with....
Now I have $17 saved from Ikea, $25 from Sephora, and $5 from San Rio. I decide it's splurge time, take my leftover budget and head to L'Occitane en Provence, which is a soothing experience for me to just wander around the store. I love to touch everything, smell everything and just bask in the lotions, soaps, and trinkets. In my cosmetics at home, I have only one bottle of Lavender lotion from L'Occitane. I received it for my birthday in 2005. I have portioned and rationed it so that I still have some left. I start to look for a replacement. The saleslady was wonderful. She introduced me to their new Cherry Blossom line and I fell in love with the scent. I settled on a $22 bottle of the Cherry Blossom lotion. I also bought a gift, which for now shall go undisclosed, as I haven't decided if it shall be a birthday present or a Mother's Day present, but as soon as I decide, I will deduct it from the appropriate category of my May Budget.
So, I walked away from this treat of a shopping trip with $25 in leftover funds and the $20 I was allowing if we had dinner in Houston, which we did not. I shopped and it felt great. I kept money back, which was even better. I got several gift items that I needed for May checked off my to do list. What a great day.
Current Reading: The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. You need to read this book. You really, really do. I know it's gotten lots of hype. I know it's simple for the most part. But, you need to read this book. Libraries are picking it up. Get on a list now so that when it comes available, you can read it.
On Tuesday, I picked up a co-worker and we drove to Houston to help another store with their annual inventory. It was a very nice day and a smooth trip down. We were put up in a very nice Holiday Inn Express, and it worked out so we each had our own room. Hooray! I love my boys, the big one and the little one. I really do. But, it was so nice to just have a little space to myself. In fact, I usually get a little overwhelmed by quiet time because there are just so many possibilities of things I'd like to do in peace.
We had a great dinner at Joe's Crab Shack and it was awesome to eat out. Funny, something I used to do so often and take it for granted. Now, a simple dinner at Joe's classifies as a fantastic treat! The next morning, I again was made happy by a simple breakfast at IHOP. Holy Cow!
Since Wednesday was our day off, my co-worker & I didn't rush home. We went to Ikea and I had a small list of things I have been wanting for a while. I bought Hoot some replacement utensils (his are very worn, but he loves them) and some cups. I also bought my mom a cutting board for Mother's Day. I wanted to buy the Frost folding drying rack for the back porch since I do not have a clothesline in my backyard. But, it looked way too flimsy for Hoot. I think it would've done a great job and it folded very easily, but in the rough and tumble world of our backyard, I think it had the life expectancy of 5 minutes. So, I spent about $23 out of an original $40 budget there.
Our next stop was The Galleria. When we had decided about a week before the trip that we would go to The Galleria, I really took stock of my cosmetics cabinet and made my self a list and budget for this possible splurge.
I love Philosophy skincare, and I have carefully, carefully milked every single drop of the Purity cleanser (which I've been out of for 6 weeks), The Present (a matte primer I use under my foundation during the summer and have been out of since last Fall), and Hope in a Bottle, which is my moisturizer. I decided I was going to spend the money to buy another bottle of The Present, which would've been around $25 and a small size Purity for $10. So my Sephora budget was $35 plus tax. Really? Did I just say I was going to budget my money in Sephora? Honestly, I have always had a play now, pay later attitude in that store. In the end, I spent $11. The packaging of The Present had changed from a bottle to a tube. That had me a bit concerned because I really love this product and it's always been in a bottle. The consistency was also like skim milk. The new package was a tube and it felt like a lotion. After much consultation, including a call home just to make sure I wasn't crazy, I passed on the item. If I'm not sure, I'm not going to spend on it. So, I saved $25 of my Sephora budget.
I bought Hoot one of those smash packaged wash cloths at the Disney Store and a pair of $3 sunglasses. I also spent $45 of my birthday budget for a present for DH. So, there was $50, which was right on target. At the San Rio store, I didn't find a replacement for my Snoopy key fob that Hoot broke, so nothing there, another $5 added to the unspent funds.
I will confess that I literally shook at the entrance to the Coach store. I saw this little beauty just about 10 feet from the entrance, poised on a small round table with a come hither look. The color was divine (the navy, not the tan), and I knew the leather would be oh, so supple. Please, Lord, if I ever get to own this purse, let this be the one they bury me with....
Now I have $17 saved from Ikea, $25 from Sephora, and $5 from San Rio. I decide it's splurge time, take my leftover budget and head to L'Occitane en Provence, which is a soothing experience for me to just wander around the store. I love to touch everything, smell everything and just bask in the lotions, soaps, and trinkets. In my cosmetics at home, I have only one bottle of Lavender lotion from L'Occitane. I received it for my birthday in 2005. I have portioned and rationed it so that I still have some left. I start to look for a replacement. The saleslady was wonderful. She introduced me to their new Cherry Blossom line and I fell in love with the scent. I settled on a $22 bottle of the Cherry Blossom lotion. I also bought a gift, which for now shall go undisclosed, as I haven't decided if it shall be a birthday present or a Mother's Day present, but as soon as I decide, I will deduct it from the appropriate category of my May Budget.
So, I walked away from this treat of a shopping trip with $25 in leftover funds and the $20 I was allowing if we had dinner in Houston, which we did not. I shopped and it felt great. I kept money back, which was even better. I got several gift items that I needed for May checked off my to do list. What a great day.
Current Reading: The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. You need to read this book. You really, really do. I know it's gotten lots of hype. I know it's simple for the most part. But, you need to read this book. Libraries are picking it up. Get on a list now so that when it comes available, you can read it.
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