Monday, October 31, 2011

Thirty by 30--Update for October 2011

Update for end of October--I actually got some things marked off of the list!!  YAY!

Today marks the beginning of the last year of my twenties.  Today, I am 29.  In approximately 365 days, I will be 30.  Gosh, I feel old. 

So, to commemorate the last year of my youth my twenties, I've created a list of 30 things that I want to accomplish by exactly one year from today.  My Thirtieth birthday. . . OMG, that sounds strange.  Real strange.

Here goes. . . .

1. Graduate with my Bachelor's Degree from college--after that's typed out I realize how odd and ill timed it looks.  I'm slow at finishing what I start. . don't you know this by now?
2. Go to Great Wolf Lodge--this is a GREAT water park that's fairly close by and I think Ty would really enjoy it!
3. Visit the 17th Street Farmer's Market
4. Try to wakeboard
5. Build a piece of furniture
6. Refinish a dresser
7. Go to Busch Gardens
8. Go to a baseball game
9. Attend a football game at my University
10. Go apple picking
11. Take a hayride
12. Go camping
13. Eat a deep fried oreo
14. Finish decorating (or redecorating?) my bedroom
15. Have a girls night
16. Visit the James Center at Christmas to see the lights
17. Play in the snow (if we get any!)
18. Take Ty to Starbucks on a Fall morning--one of our favorite past times!
19. Go fishing with Ty
20. Go on a hike
21. Go to a fair
22. Volunteer to read a book to Ty's class
23. Eat lunch with Tyler at school
24. Plant a garden
25. Go to a concert--I'm going to cheat and include a musical into this category.
26. Try a new Richmond restaurant
27. Volunteer @ a community outreach event
28. Go sledding
29. Visit a museum
30. Visit a winery

Some of these are things that I've never done, but would like to do, and some are things that I have done but really enjoy doing and want to do more of. 

I'll try to post an update every couple of months or so to keep track of what kind of progress I've made toward my goal. 

What about you?  Do you have a bucket list of sorts?  Share something from it! 

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Weekend Goals UPDATE--Weekend of 10/15

Everything went straight to. . .well, you know where. . .over the weekend.  I was supposed to come home from Nashville on Friday evening and my flight ended up getting bumped to Saturday.  That literally threw a wrench into EV-ER-Y-THING!!!  Here's how the goal accomplishment shook out:

  • Put together goody bags for the boys on the Football team--it actually got done on time.
  • Wash Tyler's football uniform for game on Saturday--well, kind of.  Some of it was washed.  Some of it. . .I'm not so sure.
  • Volunteer at consignment sale Saturday morning--not even close.  I didn't get home until after that shift was long over.
  • Shop at consignment sale Saturday -- YAY!  New duds for me!!--NOPE :(  By time I got home, they were closed.
  • Pick up unsold items from consignment sale on Sunday--Yes, this was done.
  • DATE with Tyler's Dad (I know, it sounds strange. . .don't ask.  I'll explain more at a later date, if ever) on Sunday  Absolutely!  We went to see the musical Wicked.  It was AWESOME!!!! 
  • Pick up dog from boarding place on Saturday afternoon--it didn't get done until Sunday which cost me an extra day (Boo.) but it got done. 
The weekend literally flew right by.  It wasn't until Sunday night at 11:15pm that I actually figured out that it was Sunday at 11:15pm and I had to go back to work the next morning.  Aack! 

Every weekend between now and the end of the year appears that it might be stacking up to be equally as busy.  Lovely.  I'm going to need a vacation!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Weekend Goals--Weekend 10/15

By now, you know the drill.  Here are my goals for this weekend.  I'll post an update on Sunday or Monday.
  • Put together goody bags for the boys on the Football team
  • Wash Tyler's football uniform for game on Saturday
  • Volunteer at consignment sale Saturday morning
  • Shop at consignment sale Saturday -- YAY!  New duds for me!!
  • Pick up unsold items from consignment sale on Sunday
  • DATE with Tyler's Dad (I know, it sounds strange. . .don't ask.  I'll explain more at a later date, if ever) on Sunday
  • Pick up dog from boarding place on Saturday afternoon
I think, I think that's it.  But, I'm in no position to think right now so. . .yeah, I don't know what else to say.  I'll post an update once I have an update!

My Little Baby Bear is SIX!



Last Friday, my little baby bear turned six.  SIX!  I can't believe it.  Six years ago, he was just a little 6lb 2oz string bean that resembled ET.  So much so, that I begged his dad to let me name him Ethan Tyler just so that his initials would be E.T.!  Yes, I am a genius. . .I know it.  ;-) 

On Saturday, we had Ty's birthday party.  One of my FAVORITE places (as well as his, naturally) is the Chesterfield Berry Farm which is about 45 minutes away from where we live.  I LOVE it out there!!  Basically, it's a huge family owned farm that has been turned into not only a fabulous farm where you can "pick-your-own" whatever is in season, it's also got a tremendous amount of activities for the kids to partake in!  When trying to decide on what to do for Tyler's party, I wanted something that embodied the great time of year when his birthday falls and this place totally fit the bill.  Here are some pictures from the party.


The food table


I LOVE the Pumpkin Patch!
The very sweet Birthday Boy with a very rare Mt. Dew treat

The big strong boy!
Ty and two of his buddies from football--three very good looking boys!

Overall, a great party.  Although, Mommy's heart is still a little broken that my little baby bear keeps growing up.  He's going to be all growed up before I know it! :-(

Thrifty Thursday: Cheap Fall Mantel Decor



Today's Thrifty Thursday post is coming a little late since I'm out of town for work this week.  Whew, it's been a busy week so far and I'm really ready to go home tomorrow! 

I'll be back next week with a continuance of the Birthday Parties on the Cheap series but this week I wanted to bring you a special little treat.  One of my big time successes on my day off from work on Monday (Thank You again Mr. Columbus!) was getting a little bit of my house decorated for Fall.  This project literally took me about 10 minutes once all of the items were "ready". 

I would love to take credit for this idea, but I totally had help.  In fact, if you were to get down to the nitty gritty, I'd have to say someone else actually came up with the idea and my part was more of a helping role.  My real life friend, Sarah, over at Downtown Southern was the real brain child behind this project.  You see, she loves Fall even more than I do, if that's even possible.  I mean, she's like. . .obsessed.  Seriously.  She loves Fall almost as much as she loves Justin Bieber.  Just testing to see if she's reading this. . .if I don't post anymore for. . .oh, forever?. . .you'll know it's because she's reading and she killed me for outting her undying love for the Biebs.  Ha Ha!  Anyways, on one particularly Fallish feeling afternoon shopping trip in search of perfect (and cheap!) fall decorations, Sarah spotted the pumpkin garland and that's how the whole project started.  Here's how the idea shaped up along with how much I spent on it (which is what makes it part of Thrifty Thursday):

  • Pumpkin Garland from the Dollar Spot at Target--$1


  • (3) Plain Orange Pumpkins from Dollar Tree--$1 each x 3 = $3
    • the idea was that we'd take the pumpkins and spray paint them white to make them match my decor a little better
  • 1 can white spray paint -- $1.99
  • 1 small bottle brown craft paint (for the stems of the pumpkins)--$1.49
  • (2) Pumpkin Spice scented candles (jars in between the pumpkins) from Garden Ridge--$3.99 each = $7.98

 Now, for the pumpkins. . .the original plan was to spray paint them white and paint the stems brown.  However, it was too much of a contrast with the white and the brown and literally made the pumpkins look very strange.  Like they were waiting for kids to attack them with stickers or crayons or something.  So, I took the same brown paint from the stems and watered it down quite a bit.  To about the consistency of a stain.  Then, I brushed it onto one portion of the pumpkin and wiped it off with a paper towel.  I repeated that step until the entire pumpkin had been "stained".  This left a slight brownish tint behind which makes the pumpkin look MUCH more realistic than the bright white/dark brown contrast did.  I like it this way much better!
  • Hurricane Glass candle holder -- FREE (I already had it)
  • Candy corn inside candle holder -- .50 (I only used about half the bag)



  • Orange candles on candle holders and inside Hurricane Glass -- FREE (already had them)
I see that the candle on the right appears to be leaning.  I should fix that!  I'm sure I will. . .when it's time to decorate the mantel for Christmas or something! 

Now, if you'll notice, the two candles on the candlesticks are not the exact same color.  The one on the left is the same color as the two in between the pumpkins and the one inside of the Hurricane glass is the same as the one on the right side of the candlestick pair.  I did this to try to tie it all together since I tried to put the taller one on the left in the Hurricane glass but the color of it just looked too awkward against the colors in the candy corn.  What do y'all think?  Should I change it up?  Does it look too. . .off?  

I love this mantel decoration for two reasons: 1. it can easily extend beyond Halloween simply by replacing the pumpkin garland with a fall leaves garland (and maybe some white lights strung in between?) and replacing the candy corn with acorns or some small orange pumpkin vase filler.  The other reason, 2. It was CHEAP!!!  In total, I only paid $15.96 and all but the fifty cents in candy corn can be reused again next year!  Yipee!

What kinds of fall decorating projects have you completed in your own spaces?  Share pictures or ideas with us! 

Monday, October 10, 2011

Weekend Goals Update

This weekend was definitely busy!  Thankfully, I have the day off of work today so I'm getting some things done that I wasn't able to get accomplished over the weekend.  Here's how everything stacked up when it was all said and done:
  • Tyler's Birthday Party on Saturday--hopefully everyone has fun, no one gets lost, and I don't lose my mind. . .or at least, the 18th replacement that I've gotten after losing it all of those other times.  Done!  And I survived!
  • Try to enjoy my birthday.  It's Saturday. I am happy to report that I had an excellent birthday.  Wonderful gifts from my sweet little man and a fabulous dinner! 
  • Get the clothes entered and tagged for the women's consignment sale that starts the following week
  • CLEAN. MY. HOUSE.--This is obviously a Sunday project--NOT getting done before then.--UGH. . . my steam mop seems to be having issues today and I got almost everything done except for my floors.  I'll be working on that tonight.  Other than that, I just have a few things to get done downstairs and I suppose I could cross this off the list. 
  • Laundry
  • Clip the dog's nails--he looks like he's going for some Guiness Book of World Records nomination.  "Dog with 18 inch toe pawnails". . .It's scary how fitting it is! 
Other things that I managed to get accomplished:
  • Pack for my work trip to Nashville this week
  • Decorate my mantel for Halloween (I'll be posting about this later in the week!)

Saturday, October 8, 2011

30 by Thirty

Today marks the beginning of the last year of my twenties.  Today, I am 29.  In approximately 365 days, I will be 30.  Gosh, I feel old. 

So, to commemorate the last year of my youth my twenties, I've created a list of 30 things that I want to accomplish by exactly one year from today.  My Thirtieth birthday. . . OMG, that sounds strange.  Real strange.

Here goes. . . .

1. Graduate with my Bachelor's Degree from college--after that's typed out I realize how odd and ill timed it looks.  I'm slow at finishing what I start. . don't you know this by now?
2. Go to Great Wolf Lodge--this is a GREAT water park that's fairly close by and I think Ty would really enjoy it!
3. Visit the 17th Street Farmer's Market
4. Try to wakeboard
5. Build a piece of furniture
6. Refinish a dresser
7. Go to Busch Gardens
8. Go to a baseball game
9. Attend a football game at my University
10. Go apple picking
11. Take a hayride
12. Go camping
13. Eat a deep fried oreo
14. Finish decorating (or redecorating?) my bedroom
15. Have a girls night
16. Visit the James Center at Christmas to see the lights
17. Play in the snow (if we get any!)
18. Take Ty to Starbucks on a Fall morning--one of our favorite past times!
19. Go fishing with Ty
20. Go on a hike
21. Go to a fair
22. Volunteer to read a book to Ty's class
23. Eat lunch with Tyler at school
24. Plant a garden
25. Go to a concert
26. Try a new Richmond restaurant
27. Volunteer @ a community outreach event
28. Go sledding
29. Visit a museum
30. Visit a winery

Some of these are things that I've never done, but would like to do, and some are things that I have done but really enjoy doing and want to do more of. 

I'll try to post an update every couple of months or so to keep track of what kind of progress I've made toward my goal. 

What about you?  Do you have a bucket list of sorts?  Share something from it! 

Friday, October 7, 2011

Weekend Goals--Weekend of 10/7

This weekend's goals are extremely short and to the point.  You'll see why in just a minute.  So, for this weekend, here is what I plan to achieve:

  • Tyler's Birthday Party on Saturday--hopefully everyone has fun, no one gets lost, and I don't lose my mind. . .or at least, the 18th replacement that I've gotten after losing it all of those other times.
  • Try to enjoy my birthday.  It's Saturday. 
  • Get the clothes entered and tagged for the women's consignment sale that starts the following week
  • CLEAN. MY. HOUSE.--This is obviously a Sunday project--NOT getting done before then.
  • Laundry
  • Clip the dog's nails--he looks like he's going for some Guiness Book of World Records nomination.  "Dog with 18 inch toe pawnails". . .It's scary how fitting it is! 
That's it!  With the obnoxious amount of things that I need to get done just to pull of Tyler's birthday party on Saturday, I can't put anything else on my goals list for this weekend.  I'll go crazy. 

I'll update on Sunday.  If I'm still alive after Saturday!

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Thrifty Thursday--Kid Birthday Parties on the Cheap

Faithful Readers (reader?. . .I'm not convinced that I've advanced in ranks just yet to have plural readers. . .nevertheless), this post is going to be either a quick hit or a multi-parter.   Since I don't really do the best job planning out my posts before I start writing, I don't know yet which it will end up.  I just write people, I don't plan.  I write what's in my heart.  For you.  Anways, this is due to the fact that I'm knee deep in my own child's birthday party right now.  My little baby bear turns 6 (OH MY GAWD. . he's SIX already!) tomorrow and his party is on Saturday.  This means that Mommy is eyeballs (and knees!) deep in frenzied madness to try to get every last detail to come together at the last minute. 

Let's get on with this, shall we?  When planning Tyler's birthday parties, there are a few key areas that I've focused on in the very beginning of of the planning stages to try to both keep myself sane (I heard that snicker, Mom!) and to keep the budget in check.  I say the word budget very loosely.  I have a budget of $200 for his party this year but that's also only my half since his Dad and I are splitting the party 50/50.  So, here are my tips on how to throw a great party for your wee one and keep your budget (however big or small. . .but I like to keep the $$ amount small!) in check.

There are two things that you have to do FIRST: set a budget (even if it's a bit squishy, set a target.  It can always move a little up or down later) that is realistic.  This is important because I could set a $500 budget but if I can't realistically afford to put out $500, why would I set that as my budget?  The other thing is to decide what BASIC kind of party you want.  By this I mean, do you want indoor or outdoor?  At a food establishment (like Chuck-E-Cheese) or at a recreational facility (like Romp-N-Roll or Little Gym) or at a private residence (like your house).  Once you have these two items even remotely figured out, you've already got a great start to your plan.

One tip regarding the budget:

Once you have a total dollar amount that you want to target as the "it" amount, start to break down that total amount into smaller target amounts.  A few categories that you might want to consider are venue, food, cake/cupcakes, goody bags, decorations, and entertainment costs.  Sometimes just breaking the budget down into smaller amounts will help you to realize that your total budget needs to be reviewed.  I mean, it's great to budget $100 for your child's party but if you plan to serve a full meal to 35 guests, give out jam-packed goody bags to 20 kids, and hire Jacky the JackAs err. . .Donkey as the entertainment, you might have a budget that's set a little unrealistically. 

Venue

* Plan Ahead -- I know you've heard this before but I can't say it enough.  Yes, we're busy. . .I sure as heck am, but I start planning Tyler's birthday party anywhere from 4-6 months prior to his actual party.  I select the date that I want to throw his party and I start planning things according to that date.  Trust me, getting the venue that you want when you're calling 6 months in advance is SO much easier than waiting until the party date is looming and you're frantically calling around looking for somewhere. . .ANYWHERE. . .that has an open party room.  That's when things start to get expensive.  And we get desperate.  Because, somewhere along the line, some ridiculously incorrect book led us to believe that disappointing our children on any level, at any time, was only what BAD parents do.  Yeah. 

* Call around--once you get an idea of what type of venue you (or your kids) are looking for, make a list and start calling around and getting information.  Ask them things like "How much is the party package?", "How long do I have use of the room?", "What is included in the price?".  What you're looking for is to see if the venue is going to cover things like food, decorations, invitations, goody bags, activities, etc.  There's a huge difference in paying $400 for a venue that includes most everything and $75 for a venue that includes almost nothing.  The $75 price tag looks appealing but you may soon find out just how quickly the other items can add up to more than $400 once it's all said and done.  That's why you make lists!  See, there's a meaning behind my list madness! 

* Check into places that might not immediately jump into your mind.  Parks, gyms, restaurants, rec centers. . .even our local animal shelter offers birthday party space!  Check into local museums and historical monuments.  If your kid loves trains, and you have a Train Museum in your area it could very well end up being a win/win situation.  This is where having plenty of time to observe and call around to get quotes and information will really help you in finding the right place for your budget.  

This, my friends, has most definitely turned into a multi-post event.  I don't like to write novels that take you all hours to read, nor do I have that much longer left in the day before I have to scuttle off to pick up my little man from school.  So, I will delve deeper into this topic in another Thrifty Thursday post next week.  Until then, be thinking about how you've thrown your own thrifty parties in the past.  What tips do you have to share with all of us?   


Monday, October 3, 2011

Weekend Goals Update

  • Enter consignment items for Women's clothing sale in October--still working on this one.  Will hopefully get it knocked out tonight. 
  • Pack yardsale stuff in car
  • Sell stuff at yard sale
  • Donate unsold yard sale items to Goodwill and drop off at Goodwill
  • Mow front and back yard
  • Homework for school
  • Unpack all of Tyler's fall clothes and hang them up
  • Work for 20 minutes in office--still trying to get that office decluttered--nope, this was a total and utter failure. :-(
  • Pay bills--ick. . .blech. . .boohiss
  • Place Thirty One order--I decided to try to place this order off of a party that I'll be doing for a client of mine.  Might save me a bit on shipping. 
  • take Tyler somewhere fun on Sunday (movies? mini-golf?)--The fact that this one didn't get accomplished really breaks my heart.  Not only do I feel the defeat of not being able to cross it off my list, but the rest of the "to do" list (and a very much needed nap!) just didn't allow for us to do anything extra.  I feel like such a bad Mommy! :(
  • Football game Saturday night
  • Kohls--nope, decided that I've spent enough money on needless stuff lately. . no need to spend more.  Plus, Tyler's birthday party this weekend is going to totally wipe me out. 
  • WalMart
  • Target--I didn't make it to Target this weekend but plan to go after work today.  I have gift cards so I'm hoping that I can get what I need (some clothes for me) with those. 
Extra things that got Accomlished:
  • Got all of the laundry done and put away-YAY!
  • Got my Walgreens and Kroger shopping done
  • got a start on my blog posts for this week
Overall, a very very busy weekend!  Still got lots to do and didn't get everything accomplished on my to-do list but got fairly close.  TONS of stuff to get done this week since next weekend is so very busy.  Can't. even. think. straight.