What's in Store for 2013

It's been pretty uneventful here on The Elser 411, but our real lives have been anything but over the last three months or so.

I hated keeping secrets, but it was complicated.  At first it was just an idea - there wasn't much to tell.  Then, as things progressed, we needed to keep it close to the vest.  There was a very specific order that had to be followed as this plan was put into motion.  Slowly the news was released.  Finally there are no more secrets.

We are moving to Fort Collins, Colorado.

It started just beforeThanksgiving when Drew decided to dust off his resume and test the waters.  Anyone who knows him well could see that the stress was getting to him.  He was turning into a shell of his old self.  Something had to change.  But never in a million years did we expect that in the course of one month those phone interviews would turn into a day trip to Denver for some face-to-face time and a job offer that seemed almost too good to be true.  I'm a believer in following the signs and in this case we were shown a lighted path!

So here's what we've been up to.

• December 20th Drew accepted a position with Emerald Isle Landscaping to open their 4th branch in Fort Collins (they currently have branches in Colorado Springs, South Denver and North Denver).  He will be building it from the ground up. 
• December 29th the three of us made a quick trip to Colorado (conveniently disguised as a belated Christmas celebration with my family) to finalize the deal and visit Fort Collins in person. 
• January 5th we selected a realtor (after our first attempt nearly scared us to death about the state of the market and value of our home).  We spent the next 10 days cleaning closets, painting walls and shampooing carpets as we prepared our house for the market. 
• January 7th Drew resigned from First Management, Inc.
• January 9th I notified GCSAA that sometime in the coming months I would be leaving for Fort Collins.
• January 16th a for sale sign went in the yard.
• Yesterday Drew flew to Colorado to start his new job while Jackson, Ruby & I stay behind to sell the house.

And now we wait.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a tiny bit scared.  We built a great life here.  We have all the "stuff" that makes you comfortable:  the 13-year careers with one company, the house, the country club, the school, the community we know and love.  We're trading all of that for a whole lot of unknowns.  But I've learned through this process that sometime being comfortable just isn't enough.  So we'll suffer through some time apart, ride the roller coaster of selling our house and cross all of the other bridges (new jobs, new school, new house...new everything) as we come to them - our motto since we started this journey.

Despite the occasional overwhelming moments, we couldn't be more excited about this opportunity.  For the first time in my adult life, I will be close (about 90 miles) to my family.  We still have 1 1/2 years before Jackson starts Kindergarten so his disruptions are minimal.  We both have an opportunity to rejuvenate our careers after pretty much reaching a plateau.  And we are moving to the land of perfect weather (four seasons without the extremes in either direction and 360 days of sunshine a year), endless outdoor activities, professional sports in every genre, a quick drive to Denver and all the city has to offer, and breathtaking scenery.


Here is the view as you exit I-25 toward Ft. Collins.  It was a horribly overcast morning with flurries in the area.  On a clear day the foothills are picture perfect.  The tree line in front of the mountains is the city.  So, so pretty.

That is what's in store for us in 2013.  Some ups and downs no doubt, but one heck of an adventure along the way!

Playing with Food

Here's a little something that we've been having fun with around here lately.

These four little shapes are actually...egg molds!

Just peel a freshly boiled and still warm egg and snap it into the mold.

Drop the entire thing in a bowl of ice water for 5-10 minutes and voila!

Out pop perfectly molded eggs.

Drew thinks they're a little freaky, but Jack & I think they are simply fantastic!

I bought them here if you need a set for yourself.

Order Restored

This weekend turned out as lovely as I hoped.

The best part was that we didn't have to do anything.  Yet we accomplished so much:  Farmer's Market; grocery store; every last bit of laundry; a fairly clean house; a stocked freezer courtesy of a batch of banana bread and strawberry muffins,; a Mexican fiesta to celebrate Cinco de Mayo; outside time; playing in the bean box (it's been ages since that made an appearance); practicing letters and shapes; watching movies (Lion King and Fox and the Hound); a chicken fried steak feast (so I could test out my new iron skillet); and Mad Men with the hubs to wind it all down.

As I expected, this productive couple of days and renewed sense of order has me clicking on all cylinders again.

And when mama's happy...everyone's happy!

So enough about me and my psyche.  For awhile at least.  Next week I'll be back with more of the real reason you visit The Elser 411:  Jackson!

Goodbye, April

I'm not gonna lie, April has been a pretty stressful month.  I'll write about it one of these days.  But for now, I'm relishing in an absolutely lovely weekend as the month comes to a close.

It started Friday.  Jackson had a late afternoon hair cut so the two of us got an early start to our weekend.  Then we hit the library before heading home to meet Drew for a family date night.  We grabbed a quick dinner (just Runza, nothing fancy) and then raced to the theatre for our first 3D movie experience as a family.

We saw The Pirates! Band of Misfits.  Honestly, it was just okay.  We got a chuckle out of it here and there and Jack seemed to like it, but I'm pretty sure most of the movie went right over his head.  And the whole 3D thing, while totally cool, was completely unnecessary as far as Jack was concerned.  The glasses were big and awkward (even for our sunglasses loving little guy) and he wore them for a total of 2 minutes max.

The popcorn; however, was a hit as always.

The movie was much less important than hanging out as a family, though.  We were looking forward to it for days and our family night out didn't disappoint.

At the risk of sounding like an old fogey, I have to say...holy crap movies are expensive!  We ate fast food for dinner, cashed in $8 worth of coupons for the movie tickets and bought a modest amount of snacks (popcorn, bottled water and 1 bag of candy) and still spent $75.  I don't consider myself particularly cheap, but man that seemed like a lot of money!

Saturday was just as lovely.  While Drew hit the golf course in the morning Jack and I made our first trip to the Farmer's Market.  We stuck with tradition and ate massive cinnamon rolls for breakfast before browsing the market and eventually coming home with some purple asparagus and radishes.  Then we were off to the Wohletz Farm to pick strawberries.  We just love the Wohletz family.  Jerry & Jane have been supplying us with tomatoes for salsa canning for years and when they added the u-pick strawberry patch to their farm 3 years ago we were thrilled.  We've gone every year since.  We have plans to go picking with Gram, Aunt Kate and Cousin Attia on Mother's Day weekend, but Jack & I decided to sneak in an extra trip.  So glad we did!

The rest of Saturday included a quick batch of strawberry sauce, trip to the park for the boys, grocery shopping, lots of backyard play time and a delicious dinner on the grill.  A perfect spring day.

That brings us to today.  First on the agenda was a trip to Target.  Jackson earned a special treat this week - something that deserves a post all to itself so stay tuned for that story - so we had to make good on that promise first thing.  It's a rainy day, so we did what we always do on inclement weather days.  Bake!

We made monster cookies from here and they are delish!

Jackson is napping as I write this - a miracle in and of itself as he's managed to phase out weekend naps over the past several weeks.  Drew headed out to the golf course to sneak in a few holes while there's a break in the weather.  Which leaves me in a peaceful house and a few minutes to steal on the blog.  I'm looking forward to the rest of the day too - finishing up laundry, maybe cuddles and a movie on the couch, kabobs on the grill (if the rain cooperates) and Mad Men after little man is out for the night. 

Goodbye, April.  You threw a few rough days at us this month, but you're closing on a high note.  I guess you're forgiven.

Time Keeps on Slipping, Slipping, Slipping...

I already feel like 2012 is moving at warp speed. 

We're two weeks from our annual golf tournament, education conference and trade show at work and these days I'm just doing my best to keep my head above water from 8-5.  By the time we get home, do dinner, spend an hour or so of quality time with Jack and then go through the bedtime routine I'm just spent.  I think we've managed to stay on top of the essentials (groceries, bills, laundry, housecleaning) but anything extra (this blog) just isn't happening these days. 

That's not to say I don't have plenty to share, though.  I'm keeping a list and will get caught up as I can.  I still haven't even documented Christmas 2011 - which was quite possibly my very favorite one yet.  So I guess this is my feeble apology for the lack of activity and a promise that come March, when I'm back from that 12 day business trip and the dust has settled a bit, The Elser 411 will back in full force.

For now, here are a couple of pictures of the boys I stumbled upon recently.

Jackson got a new set of power tools for Christmas from Nana & Papa.  When Drew was working on a project recently (we finally got rid of our entertainment center and mounted the TV and speakers on the wall), Jack couldn't wait to help Daddy!

They're quite a team!

Rock Chalk Jayhawk Go KU!

I'm afraid my plans to organize photos and get you caught up on The Elser 411 might have been thwarted.  Upon starting up the laptop last night I was greeted with a blank screen and the words:  Disk Read Error.

Not good.

I've called in IT reinforcement and am hoping for a fairly painless resurrection.  So not in the mood to go computer shopping just 3 months before being slammed with birthday/christmas palooza!  So...fingers crossed.

But all is not lost.  Enter random video on Flip camera.

With college football season now in full force (hooray!) our little Jayhawk fan has a message to share.

Go Hawks!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Lately, even on the days that aren't as busy, we're so busy catching up from being busy that we're actually busy anyway.  How's that for busy?

I can't believe it's the middle of June already.  In the last month, I traveled to Iowa with Jack then San Diego on business.  As a family, we celebrated the high school graduation of a dear friend, had a visit from Gram, went strawberry picking, did some furniture rearranging and enjoyed a BBQ with friends.  As of today, I'm on the other side of a huge meeting at work that I've spent the past few weeks preparing for (it went well, yay!) .  There were also doctor visits, vet appointments, hair cuts, swim days, pajama parties, tee times and a girl's night out to remember.  Somehow, amongst all of this, we managed to stay fed (while not always the most nutritiously), keep the flowers, herbs and tomatoes watered (they're flourishing!), clothes washed (thanks Drew), bills paid, dog alive and house clean livable.  Oh, and Father's Day is this weekend.

Whew.

Funny Jack story for you.

This morning, on the way to school/work, I was thinking about a million different things and completely missed our usual turn. Several blocks later, Jack piped up from the backseat, "Mommy? Where are you taking me?"

I'm not sure if he was more concerned about where we were headed or the fact that I completely spaced off the turn!

So yeah, we've been busy.  How about you?

Busy, Busy, Busy and an Unexpected Feature

Is it really Thursday already? 

I knew it was going to be a busy week.  Things are quite hectic at work (good stuff...just busy) and there's lots of activity on the homefront with Easter this weekend and all of my in-laws headed our way.  Again, good stuff...just busy.  Then I found out Drew was needed at a job site in Texas all week leaving me flying solo at home.  I guess it's true that when it rains it pours.

Jack and I have had a great week, complete with a (very successful) shopping trip to the GAP, lots of cars, trucks and coloring, dinner at Runza (boy does he love the corn dogs), cookie baking for his school Easter party and a visit to my office to name a few.  I just haven't exactly been productive when it comes to my to-do list.  I still need to grocery shop, prep some food, figure out the centerpiece, add some last minute decor and clean, clean, clean.  Lord do I need to clean!

In the midst of all the busyness, I got some exciting news (to me at least) last night.  Our Cookies & Milk Birthday party back in December has been featured on one of my favorite party vendor's blogs!

I've worked with Dimpleprints for a couple of years now.  Carli designed printables for Jack's 1st and 2nd birthdays as well as our 2009 and 2010 Christmas cards.  She is a joy to work with and I absolutely love her designs.  I'm so excited that she is sharing our party with her followers!

Take a peek at the Dimpleprints site.  I promise you'll find inspiration galore!

Now...back to work!

A Day in the Life

Now that spring has finally arrived, Jackson & I head straight outside when we get home from work/school.  We spend 30 minutes or so playing while we wait for Drew to get home.  Then, the boys keep at it while I get dinner ready.

One night this week I grabbed my camera.  I'm so glad I did.

No staged activities.  No posing.  No artistic editing. 

Kickball

Golfing

The little bugger can get a hold of it!

Little feet

Spotting an airplane

Sweet and patient Ruby.  Always close by.

Just a typical day in the life. 

And it's a good great life!



Day Thirty

Drew and I have been up to something.  Something that I haven't mentioned here on the blog yet.  Maybe because I was afraid.  Afraid that I would tell you all about it and talk a big game, but not really follow through.  Afraid that the results wouldn't turn out to be what I so badly hope for.  Afraid of failure.

But today is day thirty.

Day thirty of a commitment we made to each other.  Day thirty of 5 am wake-up calls.  Day thirty of pain, sweat and soreness I'm not sure I've ever felt before. 

Day thirty of P90X.

For those of you that don't know, P90X is a home fitness program. A 90 day, 12-disk program of targeted workouts.  And it is HARD. 

Drew & I first entertained the idea of starting P90X last Fall.  Aware of our desire to try the program, my parents bought it for us as a joint birthday gift.  Schedules, fears and excuses led us to February when we made the commitment, took the plunge and started the program.  We took it very seriously complete with a fitness test (for benchmarking purposes so we can see our progress at the end of the program), measurements and before photos (that will likely never see the light of day)!

The workouts are intense.  So intense that even after 30 days there are still things we are not strong enough to do.  5 am wake up calls are not fun.  It's not easy.  But the best things in life rarely are.

The good news is, we love it!  We both feel so much stronger.  More flexible.  We have more energy.  We sleep better.  We start every day with a sense of accomplishment for taking on this challenge.

I really think doing it together is key.  We motivate each other, hold each other accountable and are each other's biggest cheerleader.  (With Jack as a close second.  He's been known to holler "Good job, guys!" on the mornings when he's awake during our workout and watching sleepy-eyed from the sofa.)  I certainly wouldn't have made it this long without Drew (thanks, Babe!), and I like to think I've kept him in the game once or twice as well.

We are already seeing results.  I think it is more noticeable in Drew who clearly has new muscle definition.  He insists he sees a difference in me, too.  Neither of us have lost many pounds yet, likely because of the amount of muscle we have gained.  But it's not about the numbers.  It's about feeling better, being healthy and setting a good example for our son. 

As creator Tony Horton says...Decide. Commit. Succeed.

We did, we are, and we will! 

Thirty days down, sixty to go.

My Hopes for 2011

It seems I've been chasing deadlines and trying to catch my breath since the holidays.  It began with back to back business trips the first week in December and geared up from there with birthdays, Christmas, work, snow storms and travel. 

Today marks 1 week since returning home from 10 days in Florida and I'm finally feeling in sync again.  I'm embracing the opportunity to do a little more of what I want to do instead of barely squeezing in what I have to do. 

It's almost as if my new year begins now instead of January 1.  And I'm excited!  I'm not much of a resolution girl, but I do have a running list of things I'd like to focus on - and hopefully improve - in 2011. 

Health
I'm not talking about a certain number of pounds or inches.  Just overall health.  I feel like our eating habits (read: my cooking) have been less than stellar.  My schedule (and budget) through the holidays resulted in yoga class going by the wayside.  Drew has been sick for the better part of the winter and in fact is headed to an ear, nose & throat specialist next week to nip a chronic ear infection in the bud once and for all.  In short, we need to focus on taking care of ourselves.

Projects
Last summer I started a list of projects around the house that I wanted to tackle during our slow season at work.  Things like cleaning out closets, going through my wardrobe, getting our paperwork in order, putting together Jack's baby book - to name a few.  Here we are over 6 months later and I've done exactly none of them.  In fact, I've added a few more.  It's time to start checking items off that list.

Do Things for Others
This used to be my wheelhouse.  I was the queen of cards, letters, birthdays and special occasions.  Suddenly, while juggling work, home and parenthood that has fallen by the wayside.  More than one special occasion for a loved one came and went last year before I even realized I missed it.  Obviously, my time is much more limited at this stage in my life so my expectations in this area aren't what they used to be.  But the fact is, it feels good to do things for others and I'd like to find a better balance of that.

Live in the Moment
There's nothing like having a young child to hammer home how quickly time flies.  I'm going to do my best to live in the moment in 2011.  Whether that means taking a photography class for myself (which I'm doing!) or playing at the park in spite of the laundry piling up or finger painting despite the mess it makes.  Life is too short to not live it to it's fullest.

Those are my hopes for 2011.  A bit late, but better late than never.

Slump

I've been in a weird blogging slump lately.  Party because we're busy (as if we're ever not busy) and partly because I just haven't felt very inspired to write.  Our daily shenanigans just don't seem all that blog-worthy all of sudden.  I mean, do people really care what the first thing we baked in the new oven was or how Jack & I survived being stuck in the house for 2 snow days in a row?

Oh wait.  Mom does.

So here's what we've been up to the past week.

It snowed.
Princeton's policy is to close whenever the Lawrence school district cancels classes, so Jackson had his first snow day.  2 in fact.  Drew is otherwise occupied during snow storms (silly thing called work), so that meant I got 2 snow days as well.  Under normal circumstances I would have been thrilled.  When I was a kid snowdays = baking chocolate chip cookies.  A tradition I fully intend to continue with my little guy.  Except we didn't have an oven.  And since this is the absolute busiest time of the year at work for me, I have to admit I was a bit preoccupied with my iphone as I kept a close eye on e-mails and tried to keep things moving at the office.  We did manage to sneak in some fun though.  I'm pretty sure we played with every toy in the house at least once over the course of 2 days.  We even tried a new project and did some shaving cream painting.


He started out slow

That's more like it!

Jackson also got his wish of staying in PJ's for an entire day.  On snow day #2 he greeted me in the morning with, "No dressed Mommy.  Just jammies."  And so we did.

The Oven Arrived.
I don't have a picture of our oven in it's new home, but it arrived on Thursday.  I'm still getting used to the ceramic flat top, but for the most part I love it.  In just 4 days it has successfully cooked 2 trays of Toll House cookies (these little suckers pretty much sustain my husband), 4 mini-loaves of banana bread (2 to enjoy and 2 to freeze) and sour cream mashed potatoes and green bean casserole to go with the turkey I made yesterday.  Hooray for ovens!

We Cleaned and Did Laundry and Bought Groceries and Paid Bills and Watched Football (a lot) and Cleaned Some More and Started a New Series on Netflix. (Rescue Me with Denis Leary.  Hilarious.  Thanks for the Netflix Nik!)
You know...all the usual stuff that happens throughout the course of a week.

And now you're caught up.

However, in less than 2 weeks I'm heading to Florida for a 10-day business trip (ugh - 10 days without my little man).  Drew gets to join me for a few days this year and Mom will be holding down the fort at our house with Jackson & Ruby.  Between my workload as we prepare for the event and getting things in order at home for Drew & Mom (because, you know me, I'm the queen of anal-retentiveness so there will be meals frozen and detailed instructions for everysingleminute that I'm gone) there may be some lulls on the Elser 411 in the next few weeks.

Stay tuned...I've got lots of things swimming around in my head to share with you.  Like:

• Is Jackson ready for a toddler bed?
• We've been peeing in the potty!  (We meaning Jackson.  Drew & I are well versed in the use of the potty.)
• My new camera.  So much to tell you about my new camera!
• The playroom transformation.
• Being green.

Be patient with me.  I'll get to it all one of these days.  I just have to work my way through this busy month.  And out of this slump.

Christmastime

It's the most wonderful busy time of the year!  But it's wonderful, too.

We've been going a mile a minute since Jackson's birthday.  Holiday parties, more birthdays, decorating, menu planning, grocery shopping, baking, wrapping, watching light displays, Christmas with Gram & Grump, Auntie Cortney in town, a visit to Santa Claus...just to name a few!

I'll do my best to bring you up to speed over the next few days, but for now duty calls.  There are beds to make, clothes to fold and a button to sew on some pants (as Drew just informed me).

Tis the Season!

Vintage?

I read recently that jewelry and accessories are considered 'vintage' if they were created between 1920 and 1985.

I wonder if the same applies for toys.

Lately, Jackson has been loving playing with some tractors that were Drew's as a child.

If these are vintage, then I feel OLD!

This Thing Called Life

Yesterday, I sent Drew a message that began with, "Hey.  I miss you."  He's not out of town.  Neither am I.  We live in the same house and sleep in the same bed.  Yet there are stretches of time that feel like we're so busy living life, we're not really living life. 

It's been an exceptionally busy week.  Mostly related to a workload that is becoming more and more massive - as is typical for the fall and winter months in my business.  But there have been some extra things at home this week too:  2 birthday parties (for grown-ups) and a book fair at school to name a few.  And, of course, the usual list of laundry, cleaning, groceries, cooking, bills, blogging, etc. hasn't gone away.

Toward the end of the day yesterday, I started to feel the impending doom of everything I need to accomplish and the seeming impossibility of getting it all done.  So I did what my Mom would tell me to do.  I made a list and began at the beginning.

I came up with the following things that are on our horizon and require some type of thought, planning, action or in most cases combination of the three:

Trip to Colorado
Halloween Costume
Find Photographer/Schedule Family Pictures
Matt's Birthday
Our Anniversary
KU vs K-State Football Planning
Business Trip to Florida

And that's just October.  I didn't even include Jack's Birthday Party or Christmas.

As usual, Mom's advice (that she didn't know she gave) was on the money.  For me, rather than feeling overwhelmed by a massive to-do list, I feel inspired.  It gives me a starting point and a sense of accomplishment when I can finally check something off. 

Seeing this list in writing also reminded me that while we have an awful lot on our plates these days, it's all good stuff.  Fun stuff.  The stuff that life's all about.  Stuff that I need to remember to enjoy rather than allow myself to get bogged down in the details.

Because life is too short to not really live it.

If The Shoe Fits

I've always had a weakness for shoes.

After cleaning up Jack's closet this weekend, I realized my shoe buying impulses now include toddler shoes.

9 pair isn't too many, is it?

Lightning (and computer) Crashes

Our house was struck by lightning on Friday. 

All things considered, it really wasn't a big deal.  There were no sparks, no fire, no real damage.  It was loud though.  Like an M-80 firecracker going off in your living room, loud.  And a bit scary.  I jumped, I'll admit it.  It did screw up several of our electronics - TV, cable box, surround sound, dryer and garage door opener - but all were easily fixed by resetting or unplugging for a bit (thank goodness!).  The only casualty was the desktop computer.  While our data is safe and accessible (another thank goodness!), we can't access the Internet.  Turns out the Ethernet port is fried.  And the jury's still out on our wireless router which also isn't working properly.

Oh how I'd love to ditch our ancient desktop for a flashy new laptop once and for all.  But, unfortunately, that's just not in the budget.  So I'll opt for the much less expensive new network card and do my best to feign IT Tech and fix it myself.  (Where's my brother-in-law, Adrian, when I need him?)

So I'm without a home computer at the moment.  And with a crazy busy schedule at work this week and a visit from my Mom starting Thursday (time for the annual salsa cook-off - yay!) I don't see it getting fixed in the immediate future.  Which means The Elser 411 is going to be quiet for a few days.

To tide you over, here's a picture of the latest toddler happenings at our house. 

We have officially retired the high chair!

Jackson thinks it's pretty cool that he gets his own place mat at the grown-up table. 

And Ruby thinks it's exceptionally cool that her very best friend (and the best food dropper in the house) is even closer to the ground!

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Update:

You're not going to believe this.  Less than 1 hour after publishing this post, I received an e-mail from my BFF.  Cortney, despite living all the way in Washington DC, and I have these ironic and weird coincidences happen to us all the time.  Sometimes silly things:  like cooking the same thing on the same day without knowing the other is doing it.  Or buying the same item on a random shopping spree.  That sort of stuff.  Other times the concidences border on freaky.

Cortney is the House Operations Manager of the Washington DC Ronald McDonald House.  Guess who else got struck by lightning this weekend?  And lost the ethernet ports on their computers?  And their wireless routers? 

Ummmm.......

Household CPA

Drew often refers to me as (lovingly...I think?) our household CPA.  It's true.  I'm way too much of a control freak to let him do our finances.  And the fact is, I'm a math person.  Drew, not so much.

When we enrolled Jackson in Princeton we immediately had to tighten our budget belt a notch.  Or three.  We had many conversations about places to cut costs, different budgeting strategies, and sacrifices that would need to be made.  (Although, Drew pointed out it shouldn't be considered a "sacrifice" when it is for our son's care and education.  Valid point.)  One month later I'm pleased to report it is going really well.  In fact, better than I hoped.

Here are some of the changes we've made:

1.  Cancelled our land line and our HBO subscription.  That saved an immediate $50 per month.  We were considering ditching the land line anyway so that was an easy decision.  HBO was a little harder (this would fall under the "sacrifice" category) but in the days of netflix, iTunes, Hulu and DVD rentals we took the plunge.

2.  Signed up for the average bill payment plan with our electric and gas companies.  I have no idea why I didn't do this sooner.  There's no real cost savings to the plan; however, it prevents the inevitable peaks and valleys that occur seasonally in the midwest.  Instead of watching your electric bill triple from one month to the next due to extreme heat and constant A/C use (can you tell I'm speaking from experience?), you pay a flat rate every month based on your 12-month average.  It sure makes budgeting easier when there are less variables in your utility costs.

3.  Changed the way I grocery shop.  I've always planned menus and shopped from a list.  However, in the past I shopped for 2-weeks at a time.  I don't know why, that's just how I did it.  Now, I shop for 1 week at a time.  I plan our weekly menu on Friday night.  Jackson and I hit the Farmer's Market first thing Saturday and then go to the grocery store after that.  Under the old method, it seemed I was constantly wasting food.  Either things would spoil before we could get to them, or we would change our minds (what sounded good 12 days ago, doesn't necessarily sound so good today)  and things would go to waste.  By shopping once a week we are much more likely to stick to the menu and use up everything in the fridge.  Plus, we eat more fresh/local foods by shopping the market first and going to the grocery store for the rest.  Here's a peek at 2 weeks worth of menus.

Week 1:
8/7 - Steak, Ricotta Stuffed New Potatoes, Salad
8/8 - Fajitas (made with leftover steak)
8/9 - Spaghetti
8/10 - Leftover Spaghetti (yoga night for me)
8/11 - Lost power in a thunderstorm, so we ended up at the club for dinner
8/12 - Fried Chicken, Corn on the Cob
8/13 - Mac & Cheese
For lunches this week I made a batch of egg salad.  Our "treats" were zucchini bread (ate half, froze half) and lemon mousse w/ fresh blackberries.

Week 2:
8/14 - Kabobs, Wild Rice
8/15 - Lasagna, Caesar Salad
8/16 - Burgers/Turkey Burgers, Fresh Green Beans, Watermelon
8/17 - Leftover Lasagna (yoga night for me)
8/18 - BLT's, Cucumber Salad, Fruit
8/19 - Pork Tenderloin, Potatos, Zucchini
8/20 - Out to eat
For lunches this week we'll have leftover lasagna and ham sandwiches.  Our "treats" are Chex party mix - Jackson's new favorite thing thanks to Nana Wags, banana bread (eat half, freeze half) and peach cobbler.

It's working well.  Not only are we eating better, but we're wasting less food and I'm seeing a definite savings in our grocery bills.

4.  Cash only.  This has made the biggest impact for sure.  We've made the switch to cash only.  No credit cards and no debit cards.  Every 2 weeks I take care of the necessities (pay the appropriate bills, contribute to savings, gas up the car, buy groceries).  Then we evaluate what's left and agree upon a reasonable amount of cash for each of us.  Everything else we buy in that 2-week period is paid for with cash.  Dinner out.  Clothes for Jack.  Random Target runs.  Cokes at Sonic.  Everything.  When the cash is gone, there's no more spending.  I can't tell you what a difference this has made.  For me, the biggest difference is that I really evaluate everything I'm buying.  It's much harder for me to part with my cash than swipe my debit card, so many things I would have bought without a second thought before are now put back on the shelf.  I used to think Drew was the more frivolous of the two of us, but I've had a rude awakening and learned I'm equally more at fault.  (Yes Drew, I'm admitting it.)

So there you have it.  Tips and tricks from the Elser Household CPA on how we've tightened our belts to make ends meet.  If you have tried and true money saving methods that have worked for you, do share!

So Much To Say, So Little Time

I have all sorts of things I've been wanting to write about.  But despite my best intentions, sometimes finding the time to sit down and actually do it is another thing entirely.

Especially when my week has looked like this:

Drew was in Texas Monday & Tuesday.

Damn, it's hot in Kansas!

We're leaving for vacation Sunday.  For a whole week.  My packing/to-do list is 3 pages long.  Typed.  And here it is Friday and I've barely made a check mark.  Because...

I had some hormonal issues that turned out to be nothing of concern, but the hypochondriac in me was freaked out for awhile.  Maybe I'll tell you about it one day.

I work full time and have a toddler at home (who is still getting used to a new daycare).

Did I mention it's hot in Kansas?

We won't have internet access where we're going and even iPhone service will be questionable (gasp!).  Nothing like being forced to disconnect.  Boy do I need to disconnect.

I'll be back in August. 

And I'll have lots to share!

Storytelling: Boobie and The Rug

Jackson does something (whether it be silly, ornery or just brilliant...says his mother) nearly every day that makes me chuckle.  This week was no exception.

We've had a stretch of daily thunderstorms around here lately.  Usually fairly brief, but complete with lightening, torrential rain and booming thunder.  Occasionally, an especially loud clap of thunder will send Jack to my arms for comfort with an unsure look on his face; but for the most part he's not at all afraid.  Ruby, on the other hand, is terrified.  When so much as a thunder head appears in the sky she senses the doom and runs for cover.  It is not unusual to find her hiding in a closet during thunderstorms.  (Never mind that as a puppy she was a trained hunting dog and has no fear of shotguns or fireworks.  Weird.) 

During the latest thunderstorm, Jackson and I realized Ruby was nowhere to be found and went on the hunt.  This time, she was not in her usual hiding place - the master bedroom closet.  Rather, we found her in the bathroom cowering on the rug in front of the tub.  I did my best to coax her out, including lifting her off the ground, to no avail.  Which was when Jackson stepped in. 

He squatted down, hands on knees, and in the softest voice called for his best friend, "Boobie."  "Boobie."

First she was "Bee".  Now she's "Boobie".  Eventually, I hope, she'll be "Ruby" again.

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Jackson is so much like his father.  Same piercing blue eyes (that melt me).  Same walk - like exactly the same - it's eerie.  Same love for the outdoors and all things sporty.  Same appetite.  Still, every once in a while I see a little glimpse of me in him.

Last night Drew was headed out to run an errand.  When he stepped on the rug in our entry way a corner flipped up.  Jackson was on his way down the stairs at the time and spotted the now uneven rug.  He uttered an "Uh Oh", walked to the rug, straigtened it out, and continued on his way down the stairs.

Drew just rolled his eyes.  I on the other hand, witnessing the entire scene from the top of the stairs, beamed with pride.