Saturday Lunch With the Girls

Every Saturday morning, I wake up, eat breakfast, get the kids ready and head out for what I know will be an awesome day. Not that all my days aren't awesome, Saturdays are extra awesome. What makes Saturdays so amazing? Friends. On Saturdays, I get to hang out with my friends while Carrick is at gymnastics.

He has class from 10-11. While he is in the gym learning how to do backwards rolls and cartwheels, I am out on the patio with Lily and my mama friends. Some of the girls bring both kids, so there are little ones toddling around and playing while we chat and catch up with one another. If we stay inside to watch the class, the younger kids want to join the class with their older brothers and sisters.

After the hour of class is over, I have the best part of my Saturday right around the corner, Open Gym. Open Gym is a two-hour supervised  free-for-all at the gymnastics center. The icing on the cake is that the parents can leave!!! So us moms go out to eat lunch together.

It has become a standing ritual for us mamas to go out to eat lunch during Open Gym. We don't do it every week, but any time there are three or more of us staying for Open Gym, we make a point to go out to lunch. This is where a good chunk of my Fun Dollars has gone lately, and I am totally ok with that. It's not just another dinner that I didn't want to make, or a quick-fix fast-food lunch. It's quality time with ladies that I truly enjoy being with, my friends. It's given me a chance to really embrace where I live and who I know. I feel like part of something. It's a simple thing, eating lunch, but it really means so much to me.

Alas, our time with Gymnastics is coming to a close. The class runs for 8 weeks, and we are approaching week 7 this Saturday. Not only that, but we will be skipping gymnastics to attend the ever-festive St. Patrick's Day Parade in Sedona. So the week after next will be our last time. After that, I don't think I'll sign Carrick up for another session. We'll pursue something else for him to engage in. I might do the occasional drop-in for Open Gym, but our Saturdays will be filling up with other activities. But I digress... back to the Fun part of spending Fun Dollars.

This last Saturday, the moms headed up the hill to the Ghost Town-turned tourist/artist community of Jerome. If you haven't had the pleasure of experiencing Jerome, think of a typical wild west town, then perch it on a hill a mile above sea level. Add in the narrow streets of a European sea port, and you've got Jerome. For lunch, we ate at the restaurant where I used to work, Grapes. Grapes is names for the massive wine list that is the heart of the establishment. A curiously small bistro, Grapes has amazing food and the best views. We can look out on the Verde Valley and even over the ridge to the San Fransisco Peaks in Flagstaff, 60+ miles away. Talk about stimulating the senses, this place has it all; aromas wafting from the kitchen, taste buds tingling with the mojito and stuffed portabella I had for lunch, and incredible sights from the patio.

As a bonus, the patio was completely empty when we sat down. It is fenced in so the two one-year-olds who were along for the feast got to toddle around without bothering anyone. (Even the people that sat down halfway through our lunch thought they were too cute for words, so bothering still wasn't an issue. It can be tough eating out with a one-year-old, not to mention two of them. They feed off each other.)

At the end of our lunch, we raced back down the hill and across Cottonwood to pick up our kids from Open Gym. Yet another fun Saturday with the Girls.



Lunch at Grapes (tip included)- $21.00
Open Gym- $5.00

Balance this pay cycle- $5.00

Happy Spending!

The Little Things

Last week, I found myself in need of snacks while out and about. I don't like spending my Fun Dollars on snacks, but that is what they are there for. We are given our Fun Dollars so that we are not spending cash out of our general account for "Little Things" because the little things add up quickly. It's when we think, "Oh, it's just a couple of dollars at the gas station for a granola bar and an energy drink," that we actually end up spending more than what is budgeted for those things. So, it's a nice little reminder of why we do Fun Dollars in the first place when I do have those moments of  "weakness" and buy snacks. We do Fun Dollars, so that we are guaranteed not to exceed a given amount for those little things.

Last week, my Little Things list included:

-2 bags of Sun Chips @ Circle K
-Fountain drink (Dr. Pepper/Cocca-Cola mix for those of you who were wondering what my poison of choice is.) @ Circle K
-2 Odwalla bars @ Safeway
- Coconut water @ Safeway
- $1.00 to Carrick to cover the tax on one of his Fun Dollars purchases @ Goodwill

My total spent on these items was a whopping $9.00

Balance this Pay Cycle- $31.00

Happy Spending!

Sensory Stimulation at Safeway

At Safeway last week, I already had it in mind that I wanted to buy flowers with my Fun Dollars this pay cycle. We were set to have dinner guests later in the week, and I thought it would be a nice touch to the table to have some pretties on it. I had Carrick come with me to the floral department. Every week, when we walk by the flowers he asks me, "Mommy, do you want some flowers?" and many weeks, I tell, him, "Yes, I would, but I don't have my Fun Dollars." It's one of the sweeter interactions we get to share as mother and son. We will walk around the flower display, and he'll name the colors he sees, and I tell him what kind of flower it is.

But this week, I got to take him with me and actually pick out some flowers. I told him he could pick out any flower he wanted for mommy to buy with her Fun Dollars. He chose a bouquet of lilac-pink carnations. After returning home, I added some baby's breath from a birthday bouquet that was still good.

On the way out, my reactionary buying kicked in. DARN THOSE GIRL SCOUTS!!!!! It wasn't just any Girl Scout, either. The little girl camping out in front of Safeway, waiting to ambush innocent cookie lovers, is in Carrick's preschool class. She is super cute, and she says hi to me almost every day when I drop him off. So, of course I bought Girl Scout Cookies from her. She only had two of my three favorites left, Samoas and Tag-a-longs. I bought a box of each. I think the lowest point in my week last week was sitting down at the computer and eating half the box by myself, just because I could. No kids around to share with. It wasn't as awesome as I hoped it would be. THANK GOODNESS Girl Scout Cookie season is over.

Oh yes, I also bought pinwheels for the kids to play with while we grocery shopped. They were $2.00 each. Normally I don't buy stuff like that, but Lily was so enthralled with them and it kept her quiet. So, I bought one for Carrick and Lily. They now enjoy taking their pinwheels in the wagon when we go on our evening walks. Such simple pleasures.

Flowers and pinwheels at Safeway- $12.00
Girl Scout Cookies-$8.00

Balance this Pay Cycle- $40.00

Happy Spending!

So Good I Can Taste It

Despite my best efforts to be proactive in the kitchen, I still wanted to go to Plaza Bonita Wednesday night. I thought to myself during Lily's morning nap, "I'm going to be proactive and cut up the vegetables for tonight's  green curry stir fry while she's alseep." I did. I even organized the fridge with our left over rice and asparagus that would go along with it. I put the fresh veggies in a mixing bowl with the lid on and put all the components for the night's dinner next to each other in the fridge. I did the dishes so the counter tops would be cleaned off for cooking and the right pans would be clean and ready to go. I did all of this with no kiddo distractions. It also provided me extra time after school to take the kids to the playground. I was feeling like Supermom. Until we headed home.

I mused to Carrick in the backseat as we drove home from his school, leaving the sandbox and swings behind us, "Why do I want cheese dip?" He replies from the back seat, "Because you want Casa Bonita!" He still calls it "Casa" Bonita, even though the name has changed to "Plaza" Bonita. I said, "You're right! Do you think daddy will want to go there too?" Of course it was a resounding "Yes!" followed by a prolific monologue about what he would order, what we would order, and what would happen while we were there. Such is the way of a five-year-old.

I called my hubby at work and we confirmed a dinner date with the kids at Casa Bonita, even after I told him about how I planned ahead and had dinner all prepped and in the fridge. We couldn't argue with our appetites, Mexican was preferred over Thai.

I was in the mood to splurge. Chicken Fundido is my "usual", and really the reason I go to Plaza Bonita. Shredded chicken wrapped in a tortilla and fried, topped with sour cream cheese mixture and topped with melted cheddar. It's what I eat when I want some calories and cholesterol. It's so not a healthy thing to eat, but it's my go-to when I want something that isn't veggies and lean meat. With three of these grease-laden morsels on the plate, there is more than enough for me, Carrick, and one for leftovers, which I count on. The platter also comes with rice topped with a pork "sauce" which Corey loves, and he gives his rice and beans to Carrick. So we all play a game musical plates in which we swap and share with each other and we all end up with more than we can eat for dinner. Lily was quite content to sit on my lap and pick off my plate.

                                

Corey and I also split a Patron Margarita on special, as well as a Mai Tai. We both wanted one more drink, but we still had to drive home and be responsible with our alcohol. so we decided to buy some sour mix from the restaurant, and get our own tequila next door at Basha's. $57.00 on dinner, with tip, and $3.00 for sour mix meant that my half was $30.00. I set aside $27.00 for dinner, so I was right around my budget for the night. I gave  Corey $10.00 for tequila. What kind you ask? Ever since we worked at Elote, our brand has been Hornitos Reposado.  


                                       

So we headed home, bellies full, doggie bag and tequila in tow. What a fun evening with the family, and no one had to clean up dinner.

Dinner, Drinks and tip at Plaza Bonita- $27.00
Hornitos Reposado at Basha's-$10.00

Balance this pay cycle- $60.00

Happy Spending!

The Sound of Fun Dollars

Nothing, and I mean nothing makes me happier than listening to Mozart in the background of my day. Way back when as a college freshmen, I bought a CD called, "Mozart for the Mind." I listened to it during my study times. Not sure if it did much for me other than keep me focused, but the songs have been in the background of my life for 14 years now. Since then, I have purchased Mozart at Midnight, Mozart for Monday Mornings as well as a $9.99 boxed set at Wal-Mart. You'd think I'd have enough Mozart right? Well, that would be the case if I had access to my old hard drive.

 About a year and a half ago, our hard drive fizzled on our main computer. We were not smart about backing things up, so all of my music and all of Carrick's baby pictures were almost lost. Staples was able to save the data some how, but to retrieve it, we need to buy an external hard drive, as well as a tower to plug it into. Instead of getting those components, Corey and I each got portable devices, I have an Acer Netbook, and he has an ipad (with a cracked screen now, which means he needs a new one....)

Anyway, I still have the CD for Mozart for the Mind, and only two selections three selections are scratched beyond listening condition. Mozart for Monday Mornings only has four or five tracks that are playable all the way through, and who knows where my Mozart for Midnight CD wandered off to. The Boxed set was trashed a long time ago when Carrick was new to walking and grabbing things. I have sufficed with my Pandora station of classical music, but what I really want in an extensive Mozart playlist.

I found that playlist in the form of an mp3 download from Amazon yesterday; 100 songs to the tune of $2.39! I read the reviews of several extensive Mozart-only downloads and decided that Rise of the Modern Masters: Supreme Classical Masterpieces was the one for me. I absolutely love it! It has the complete works that my other CDs only featured one movement from. I can mix and match the songs into playlists, like "Slow Mozart" for going to bed, or "Morning Mozart" which is more peppy. Right now I am working on a playlist for Carrick called, "Baby Mozart". He enjoys the songs he recognizes from the Baby Einstein video of Baby Mozart.



Happy ears, Happy home. The kids played for an hour while this music softly created a background for their imaginations. I am very happy with this Fun Dollars Purchase.

Mozart Download on Amazon.com- $3.00

Balance this pay cycle- $97.00

Happy Spending!

A Feast for the Senses

I rather enjoyed spending with intention on the last pay cycle. Having a purpose, a goal, and a plan encouraged me throughout the two week period to really consider where my money was going. As I looked back at my on going wish list, I found an interesting trend. Each item on the list is a sensory-related thing. For example, I have been wanting to go out to eat at the restaurant where my best friend works. I see her less often than I'd like, and surprising her at work to say hello would be fun. Not to mention, they have the best organic salads in town. I also added to my wish list "music". I have been listening to the same Pandora stations at home and the same CD's in the car. I need to mix it up a little. Also, there is a new tea shop in town that I drive by almost every day. I just want to go in there and smell all their teas, sample something and take one home that really entices me. And speaking of smells, all my candles are officially burnt down to a stub. I think a Friday trip to Bell's Outlet is in order.

Taste, sound, and smell. Stimulate the senses. I think touch and sight will come later, perhaps next week. I'll start with the things I am certain about, things on the wish list. Let the sensory feast begin!

Happy Spending!

Conclusion

With $4.00 Fun Dollars in my wallet, I bought snacks for Lily and me. We were out shopping later last week using birthday money and a gift certificate (also from my birthday.) Looking back, I think that was the most successful pay cycle of Fun Dollars I have experienced yet this year. I somehow managed to not spend  dime on fast food or alcohol. (The occasional bottle of wine comes through every so often.)

This time around, there was food purchased, yes, but it was thought out and not reactionary food. I knew we would be out shopping and knowing that, I set myself up to grab snacks at places other than fast food joints. Our last food purchase was at Natural Grocers. I tried out the seaweed "chips" and also bought a coconut water for myself. For Lily, I bought a mini bag of animal crackers.

I am very pleased with how this pay cycle went. It is a very rare occurrence that I succeed in NOT purchasing fast food, but I did it! Being proactive, thinking ahead, acting and not reacting played a big part. Beginning with the end in mind, knowing what I wanted out of my day and my shopping experiences also helped. And finally, putting first things first, prioritizing, and buying what was on my lists and sticking to it sealed the deal. No fast food, and I had more money in my pocket.

I hope that whomever is reading this was able to take something useful away from this little glimpse into the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. There are many more facets to what I discussed here. I only touched on the points that apply to my Fun Dollar experience. I encourage each and every one of you to pick up a copy and see for yourself what these Seven Habits are and how they might transform your world, money, communication, personal issues, whatever. Thank you so much for joining me on my journey in spending.

Snack at Natural Grocers- $4.00

Balance this pay cycle- $0.00

Happy Spending!