no spend month wrap up and other interesting tidbits.

well, it seems like only a month ago that we embarked on the journey of the no spend month.  i decided after the first week not to bore you all with the details of where every penny went.  i was just really proud of the fact that we had eliminated our fancy coffee drinks to 25 cent soda once or twice week.  anywho, successful isn't a big enough word for the last month.  i don't have the exact total  that was spent yet, but we realized that although it was important to try to stick close to $250, the main point was just to become aware of where our money was going.  there were a few gray areas for me.  like when i bought stuff to do cakes or cupcakes and we would also use those things like sugar and flour and eggs and what not.  you don't count business expenses but hmmm.  also, we did luck out a few times.  my parents came for a weekend and took us out to dinners and stuff.  and then our other family from arizona came into town and got our meals a lot.  so right when i was starting to feel some serious thai withdrawals, i was rescued by my loved ones!

i strongly urge everyone to maybe at least try a week on this money diet if you are someone that usually doesn't keep track of what you spend your dough on.  i will be completely honest.  now that the challenge is over, i do plan on eating thai thai on various occasions and dropping in for a quick thai iced coffee.  a gals gotta live.  but no more target shopping just for fun for me.  it just doesn't feel the same.  well, not yet.  

so as i mentioned in an earlier post, since we weren't out shopping, we spent a lot of time at home hanging out.  i started reading the twilight series and holy guacamole... addicting, yo!  i've never read books as fast as i read these couple of books.  they are very mesmerizing somehow.  and of course it is fun to read a fiction romance packed with vampires and whatnot.  pretty much anyone who was into the harry potter books graduate to the twilight series.  i recommend  them to anyone who well... reads.  they are a fun break from reality.  however, they are addicting!  even gareth got into them just as much as i did!  we still have some more to read, but we are holding off for a bit.

more pictures will be up soon.  we have a few projects in the works.  we want to get all of these things done before the baby arrives.  we are quickly realizing that we are running out of time!  geez!  i cannot believe how FAST time has flown by.  i am, however, feeling every bit of 9 months pregnant.  tired.  enormous.  hungry.  tired.  chubby.  tired.  it has been pointed out twice now that i look ready to have the baby on account of my face... being bigger.  thanks.  that will go on my list of things to never say to a pregnant woman.  it is true though.  no matter how much weight you do or don't gain, your face just gets oddly swollen.  oh and halloween is a terrible time to be so pregnant.  bags and bags of chocolate just begging to be eaten.  and sugar cookies.  not fair.  

the best part of halloween is that lilli was rad.  there was a dixie halloween party and i whipped up her costume in literally 2 hours.  she won the costume contest and 50 smackaroos!  she was lil' skeeter.  in case you don't know, gareth is regular sized skeeter.  

also!!  don't forget to go vote on tuesday!!!!!!  i am sooo excited and will be making a t shirt for the big day...  i'll post it soon.  i wonder if anyone out there can figure out who is getting my vote.... hmmm....

fall, oh how i love thee.

the leaves are changing and all is wonderful in the world.  here are a few pictures that i took today.  if only i could take good pictures.  oh well, you kinda get the point though, eh?

Fun work and other projects.ther

besides doing cakes this passed few days i also did a painting of gareth's favorite horse.  he really likes the eye on the painting, so that's why there is a random picture of the eye.  his name is dickisaw.  he's a retired dixie stampede horse that now belongs to our friend kodii.  he's pretty set out there at her ranch.  i also want to do a painting of her donkey, rowdy.  we became buds while he followed me around chewing on my elbow.  

i wish i could take good pictures.  a lot of my friends can take great pictures.  does anyone out there want to be on call for me just in case a picture taking moment arises?  or at least after each cake i do, it'd be nice to get a picture without my shadow on it.  speaking of pictures, tomorrow i am going to take some of the beautiful fall foliage.  my FAVORITE time of the year!  it just makes you want to take a deep breath and relax.  and put on a sweatshirt.  i love sweatshirt weather.  all of my sweatshirts still fit me so from the front i just look like a chunk.  a happy cozy autumn loving chunk.   

eyes wide open

it has been a successful week to say the very least.  i have been super excited to tell you all about it.  hmmm but where to begin...

i guess for starters here is what we spent our money on this week:

week 1 $58.31 plus lilli gave a dollar to the dog pound.  (donations aren't included but anyway)

oct.1- 25 cents at lilli's dance class for skittles.

oct.2- $29.28 at the grocery store for dinners for a few days.  $1.78 later that day for a 2 liter of dr. pepper

0ct.4- 50 cents for mtn. dew at work

oct.6- $1 for 2 bottles of water at the dance studio and $24.00 at the grocery store for... food.

oct.7- 50 cents for mtn. dew at work 

i bet at first glance this list might look like we are depriving ourselves from every day treats or even needs.  however, it has been quite the opposite.  let me attempt to explain why.  

something wonderful happened when we took spending money out of the equation.  all of the wonderful things that come with having a family or living life in general magically float to the front of your mind.  there is so much more room for those thoughts when the clutter of money is taken out.  i never realized how much time i spent thinking of what we were going to buy that day until we no longer had need for those thoughts.  so much of my daily activities revolved around what store or especially what restaurant we were going to.  without that to think about, my mind was open to think about what family activity we were going to do.  this week we spent more time together than ever before.  by this i mean:  really together.  enjoying each other's company.  we weren't rushing around trying to get stuff done before gareth went to work.  we were really able to be awake in the moment.  it really is a cleansing experience and i feel like i have stumbled on an ancient secret that i want to pass on to the world.  when you live from what is necessary instead of desire... holy moly.  so much time is spent buying stuff.  stuff that will make you feel better about yourself for about a sec.  whether you are buying things to fit in or stand out, to show off how much money you have or how much money you saved on something, it all goes back to being happy.  shopping is fun and can make you happy, but not as happy as creating something yourself or as a family.  or just being together in general.  i have learned to relax.  and we don't spend time wondering what is on the agenda for the day.  we have our errands and we go do them as a family then we are back at home hanging out and usually cooking.  so much of our money was spent on going out to eat and then going to the grocery store and then still going out to eat for no reason. (i do hope we get some thai thai in on  our month... just being honest) i love to cook.  esp with lilli.  we've been baking a ton!  yummy cookies and breadsticks and of course biscuits.  at first i felt like it was a bad time to for me to do this whole no spend thing because i am 8 months pregnant.  i was thinking about how i needed to eat whatever i wanted.  turns out i'm happy with 3 dozen m&m oatmeal cookies!  this is the best time for me to do this.  when the new tiny stinky arrives, she'll be welcomed by a momma that will have a handle on happiness.  

i hope this doesn't sound a little much to you all, i am just the happiest person on earth and i highly recommend that you try it.  or at least be conscience in your everyday decisions and next time you shop, shop for what you really need.   (esp since our economy is the way it is because we all have bought more than we need)  which wont be for much.  since, in more ways than one, you probably already have it!  

  

a no spend month? what? why? really?

sure, why not?  yesterday gareth and i stumbled upon a lady's blog that i found very interesting.  her family does an annual no spend month in july.  it's a pretty rad idea and so the month of october is no spend month for the sever family of branson.

just to clear up something, we are not in any financial trouble at all.  this is just a great way to sort of declutter ourselves as a family.  to be conscience in what we buy.  to really divide our wants and needs.  

the goal?  we have 31 days and $250.  cash money.  everything has to be accounted for.  what this includes:  food, entertainment, clothing, and misc.  it wont include bills, business expenses or gas.  however, we are only adding 100 bucks in for gas.  we want to keep track of filling up and stuff, so i guess you can say $350 for the month and include gas.  the reason why we had to add money for gas is that we will be driving back and forth to harrison, ar a bunch since drs visit for the pregnancy are more frequent.  and honestly we don't have the most fuel efficient vehicles.  but don't hate... we recycle... does that help out at all?

and to keep me honest, i'll be posting on this blog the expenses and the goings on with this experiment.  

i am very excited about this.  if you know me well, i am kind of a nut about money.  i've been called a penny pincher and other things like frugal.  i just like to have everything accounted for and often have inner battles about buying something that is $1.75.  hmmm, but gareth on the other hand.  he is a tad more... free with the dough.

this will be an eye opener and i hope inspiring to you guys.  i think a lot of people buy stuff to just be buying stuff.  i do that every once in awhile.  damn you target/tj maxx.  this month we'll see what we really need to buy instead of what we want to buy.  the hardest thing will be staying at home to eat.  since the 250 includes eating out and the grocery store, looks like we'll be cooking more.  i'll miss you thai thai.  the other stuff will be easy.  we don't leave the house and go out much like to movies and stuff.  so food is our main challenge.  esp for me.  so what if i sneak out for a big mac supersized meal.... i'm a big ol' pregnant lady.  this better work for me.  my biggest weight gain with lilli was the last month.  i just couldn't get full.  this month i guess i'll get full on homemade pasta instead of french fries.  i love french fries.  wait!  what have i done?  i can't do this!  see ya at my next update!

Cheers!

this cake was a ton of fun!  it is a marble cake with marshmallow fondant.  gareth made the fondant.  making cakes with gareth is one of my favorite things to do.  i also liked painting on the cake.  everyone was happy with the end result and i can't wait for the next one.  i'm putting a few more tiny sculpted cakes in the shop.  so, we have a fun filled couple of days coming up.  i'll keep ya posted!

my bump...

well fRiends, it has been Requested by a few of you that i show you the belly.  i REalized the otheR day that this time aRound i have baREly taken any pictuRes of myself.  time is just flying by!  i can't even believe that in a couple weeks i will be going to my 8th month check up.  

in these photos i am weaRing ouR fRiend eddy's chaps.  he weaRs them on his motoRcycle.  i also added a pictuRe of lilli in a biRThday outfit she got fRom heR bestie Reese.  all jonas bRos!

i am in heaven.  it is fall in the ozaRks and the leaves will change soon.  the best paRt?  today we got bRand new living Room windows put in.  huge.  i can sit at the window and look at the Rad view.  i am just so stinking lucky.    

also, my sisteR-in-love kathie  has some pRetty cool news.  go to heR blog (on my blogs i Read list [RamonsteR blog]) and you will see that she is in a supeRdope film called handmade nation.  the oscaR buzz has alReady begun foR heR peRfoRmance.  she is just too AWESOME!  and pRetty easy on the eyes if ya know what i mean.