Resolve to think again

With New Years Eve now upon us, there is much talk about New Year's Resolutions. From losing weight to taking more risks, you hear a wide variety of intentions for the new year. I've never been one to really vocalize a resolution; after all, if I say it aloud then everyone will know whether I failed or not. And that's never fun. Chalk it up to being an overachiever.

But this year I resolve to continue a couple of things that I recently started:

1. Continue to save, save, save! $600+ a month
2. Stop and THINK before each non-essential purchase

Resolution number 2 is a really new one. Like, "just started yesterday" new. You see, there are these pillow shams I've wanted for a while now, and just yesterday I saw that they'd gone on sale. I congratulated myself on having had the self control to wait and not buy them at full price. Yeah, Kelly! Surely now I could justify purchasing them on sale. I grabbed my debit card and went to the website prepared to make my purchase.

And then I stopped. And thought.

At the sale price I would spend just over $100 for the four pillows I'd need. Not an unreasonable price for new shams, one could argue, especially considering full price would have been almost $300. But in my thinking I thought about that beautiful new camera I want (and all the beautiful pictures I long to take!) and the little amounts of money I'm stashing away for it week by week. And so I asked myself, if it came down to it, would I rather have new pillow shams or the camera? The camera, being a much larger purchase requires great patience and the promise of delayed gratification. Unfortunately, if you haven't already discovered this, delayed gratification stinks. I'm so used to buying what I want, when I want (within reason, of course) that the wait feels positively torturous.

And so I closed the website and put my debit card away. No new bed pillows for me.

So surely now I can justify putting an extra unplanned $100 toward my camera fund as a reward for my noble and responsible restraint...Right...Right?

What are your New Year's Resolutions?

Feliz Cumpleanos!

Wishing Denise a wonderful birthday today!

















And Sarah a belated Happy Birthday yesterday!

The Laziest of Lazy Sundays

Today I watched four movies.

And baked blueberry muffins.

Still wearing my pajamas.

I love lazy Sundays.

Love them.

WS Booty

Someone was asking me if I'd bought out the store at WS yet since working there. I am pleased to announce that no, I have shown great restraint and *not* bought out the store. I've only purchased a few select items...

5 1/2 qt Le Creueset. ............... 3 qt. All-Clad saucier pan. ......... Digital Voice Alert Meat Thermometer.

I love my 40% discount.

Obsessive Email Checking

Why am I bothering to even check email this week? Despite the fact that email is the likely source of any invitation I may receive from grad schools to come for an interview, it is almost guaranteed that no word would come this week. In fact, notification is not likely to come for another 2-5 weeks, so I should just resist the urge to check email for the next two.

But alas, I cannot.

Sigh.

I hate waiting.

Christmas: Wii!

After a Christmas morning was spent cozy at BAM's playing with Audrey, watching Christmas Vacation and eating breakfast, BAM and I headed down to the Probst house to play the Wii (beloved Christmas present to BSL), eat, open presents, and, well, eat some more. (Would it be Christmas without lots of food? No, I think not.)

..
And of course we had to take a picture of all the grandkids. Or at least *try* and get one with everyone looking like the angels they are. Yeah... doesn't always work out that way, but we try! Bailey's got it down.

Before Audrey had to head home, Nanay and Bailey entertained her with Twinkle, Twinkle Little star.

It was a Merry, Merry Christmas. Hope yours was as well!

Oh So Hyggeligt:Christmas Eve at BAM's

Nativity scenes from around the world.

Traditional Christmas Eve dinner of Tacos, Rice & Beans. Champagne. Ris a la Mande with Cherry Sauce for dessert.

Cozy Christmas PJ's from Brandi. Roasty Toasty Fire.

A Charlie Brown Christmas viewing

One Hyggeligt Christmas Eve with family.

A Christmas Card Story

As I prepared and mailed my Christmas cards this year I wished there was some way to convey the reason for my choice. Since I was not able to do so in the card, I will entertain you with those delightful details here.

I chose the card for the following reasons:
A.) The cards were purchased on my October trip to Chicago.
B.) The cards were purchased at the world famous museum, The Art Institute of Chicago.
C.) The card is a parody of one of my favorite Georges Seurat paintings, "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte". I just loved all the fun little additions and changes.

The Holiday parody. The Original.


So now you know how thoughtful and deliberate I was in the choosing of my Christmas card this year. Isn't your life more complete now? Feel free to express your awe and appreciation with a comment.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Christmas Shopping

My beloved (and now departed) Aunt Vickie used to take my sisters & I Christmas shopping each year. Typically we'd go to Pic-N-Save (now Big Lots) and carefully choose presents for our parents and each other. In memory of Aunt Vic, I've carried on the tradition with Bailey, Samuel and Lance. I love to see how each of them chooses presents for the others, carefully spending their $20. (Well, Bailey & Samuel are very careful about spending their money. Lance is still at the age where the "one for them, one for me" concept is big, and even when he's spent all his money, he still finds things he wants (to give or receive) and so sweetly tries to convince me to fork over extra money. I told you, he's the charmer!)

This year we had to split our shopping time so Bailey and I went to Big Lots this past Thursday where I promptly forgot to document the shopping excursion until we were in the parking lot heading home.

The boys and I went shopping yesterday and headed to Dollar Tree instead (Bay & I found that Big Lots' prices had experienced a sharp rise). After choosing all of his presents within the first 3 minutes, I handed over my camera to Lance to document our time together.

..

This is one of the things I will miss when I move and am not living down the street from my kiddos. Hopefully we'll find other ways to continue (some version) of the tradition.

New Music

Watching this made me happy.

Thanks to Oh Happy Day for sharing Yael Naim with us.

Behold, the Powers of Marketing!

My youngest (and perhaps the most charming) nephew, Lance, turned 5 yesterday!

His celebration started with his pre-school Christmas program. Here's one musical selection for your enjoyment.

Among the many gifts Lance received, perhaps his favorite was Piranha Panic. You may not be familiar with PP; in fact, even Lance has never played PP. The only way he knew what PP was, is through the modern miracle--the Television! Commercial after commercial convinced him he absolutely HAD to have this game. Behold, the power of Marketing! Amazing, really, how that all works. Regardless, Lance was thrilled and eagerly played the game much of the evening.

Pizza, cake & icecream, mini helicopter and Piranha Panic made for a fun evening celebrating one of the sweetest boys around.

..
.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LANCE! I love you more than you'll ever know!

Hello Saver!

My savings plan is going well since I started at the beginning of November. I even started a second savings account for the money I received for graduation and Christmas toward my future-Nikon camera. I've found that I don't really miss the money that I'm tucking away and it's fun to see the amount in the account increase.

I recently received the following savings tip from an ING Direct email that astounded me with it's simplicity:

"Save. Save much more than you spend. Spend $5 per day less than you did this year. That's more than $1800 you'll have in your pocket in 2009."

That's airfare and lodging for almost a week to a European destination! (Ok, in the off season, but still! :-)

Just thought I'd share! And if you need tips on how to budget & save well, may I suggest you contact Rama or BAM? They've got systems down that rival most Fortune 500 companies; I admire them greatly.

Thank you to Benevolent-Bike-Basket Giver!

Who loves me so much that they has sent to me this fabulous green bike basket off my wish list?! There was no card to say who the thoughtful person was (though it must be a blog reader...).

Will the real slim-shady please stand up?

Whoever it was...THANK YOU! I absolutely love it. It's adorable in person.

Now I just need a bike (a fabulous cruiser??) to put it on.

UPDATE 2:01pm: Mystery solved! The Benevolent-Bike-Basket Giver is my mom! Thanks, Mom!

Christmahanukwanzukah

Say it with me.

I promise, it's fun.

Christmas is just 5 days away!

PS. For you last minute shoppers, meet me at WS this Friday (6-10pm), Saturday (10am-2pm) & Sunday (8am-Noon).

See You Later

(Alternately titled, "This isn't happening.")

Uhn, uh. Nope. I don't think so.

Despite the plethora of boxes, empty walls and packing supplies, I'm convinced my dear friends the Winns ARE. NOT. MOVING.

Yep. In spite of all evidence to the contrary.

Sick. Yuk.

I suppose it was inevitable. I've been battling a cough/sinus thing for a couple weeks now and have numerous friends and acquaintences share their tales of the flu (both stomach and the normal kind) and other wintertime maladies. This morning I was struck. Struck down like a tree falling from a lumberjack's saw.

It really sucks.

I feel like I've been hit by a truck, and then run over a few more times.

It really sucks.

This cartoon made me think of Steve,
to whom I am grateful for the appreciation
he passed on for various types of
architecture and design,
including (some) contemporary/modern.




(And thanks, Mom, for the funnies.)