Accessories

I studied Fashion Merchandising at Western Illinois University and graduated a decade ago with my Bachelor's Degree in DFMH (the new acronym for "Home Ec."). It had to have been one of if not the easiest degrees to achieve at the collegiate level. It required three and a half years of class and one semester of an internship. No minor was required. In theory, one could actually graduate in those three and a half years, if they did their internship in the summer before their final semester. I chose to do my internship in the spring, after finishing all my classes.

I used to joke about how easy my degree was. There were many times, for multiple classes, that our assignments were, "Go shopping, then write a paper about it." Each class had it's own angle on the experience. If we were writing for Visual Merchandising, we would critique lighting, displays, flow, and setup. If we were writing for textiles, maybe we could compare how the same fiber was used for various peices of clothing.

Those were my two favorite classes as a Fashion Merchandising Major. But perhaps the easiest class for the easiest degree was Accessories. Yes, you read that right, Accessories. I literally took a class to learn about jewelry, belts, gloves, umbrellas, shoes, hats, and even sunglasses. We learned everything from how to knot a four-in-hand, to what a Bolton Thumb was.

So, now, my "job" is essentially what I went to school for (finally!) I go shopping, and then I write about it. After setting aside $40.00 for the cleaning lady this week, and $20.00 for the Fun Dollars Summer Challenge, I was left with $40.00. If you look at my previous balance, that leaves me with just $5.00 left for the pay cycle.

$4.00 of that went to new "fancy" flip flops. I had two pairs of flip flips when I started the summer. One of them was already two years old, and they were my "fancy" pair. The sparkles were falling off, and even though they still worked, structurally speaking, their appearance was starting to look shabby. Mama doesn't  do shabby; I'll do thrifty, but never shabby. Shabby and Frumpy are best friends, and if one is hanging around, the other one will join soon.

The New Fancy Flip Flops

So that left me with the task of only having to replace my gold, glittery "fancy" flip flops, the ones I wore to church or out to eat. When I went shopping at Target earlier this week, I happened upon a pair of gold, cushy, "fancy" flip flops on clearance for $4.00! Bingo! They came home and the old pair went to Goodwill.

Somehow, during my spending this week, I managed to have 2 $1.00 bills in my purse. It turns out, with all the dietary restrictions I have imposed, none of my regular "treats" were available to me, which is what I usually end up buying when I have less than $5.00 left. I passed Circle K, dreaming about an afternoon fountain soda. I drove right on past Wendy's, ignoring my craving for a medium Frosty. I waved at Burger King, saying, "Sorry, french fries!" and I thought, "it's harder to spend $2.00 than I thought."

After cruising through Goodwill for a second day in a row (yesterday, I filled up a bag of clothes for the kids for $15.00, but it wasn't Fun Dollars), I took a step back. "Why am I so desperate to rid myself of these two dollar bills?" I pushed Lily in the stroller down the covered walkway from Goodwill to Bell's Outlet, blindly following my urge to purge.

When I walked in, I thought, "Surely I can find something to use for $2.00 in this store." I started in the jewelry section. I almost picked out a trio of classy gold earrings. Then I remembered, I had spent the past three days squinting into the sunlight because my sunglasses are MIA. I walked to the very edge of the store, the dark corner, where they hide the clearance accssories. It was there that the light on my face glowed brighter than it had all day. I stared down at a mangled, tangled mess of clearance sun glasses ready for the hunt.


I systematically dug through an pulled out everything that was under $4.00. I had been keeping my coins from my purchases in my purse instead of emptying them out in the family coin jar. (Yes, I know I'm cheating...) I found six pairs of sunglasses that were actual possibilities, and not outrageously hideous. Out of all of them, two actually looked decent on me. They were the same price, so I chose the more comfortable of the two. With my two paper dollars, and my coins, I paid for them with the last remaining tidbits of my Fun Dollars. And I left a business card on the register ;)

"Fancy" flip flops at Target- $4.00
Sunglasses at Bell's Outlet- $2.00 (+ $1.00 in coins)
Balance this pay cycle- $60.00 (earmarked for future expenses.)
Happy Spending!

A Bedtime Story

Bedtime has long since been placed on a sacred pedestal. In my list of life priorities nothing, I repeat, nothing stands between me and my bedtime; not parties, not children, not even sex. If it doesn't fit with my level of tiredness, I won't do it, plain and simple. Once in a while, I might make a concession, but it's always on my terms. 

I managed to navigate the waters of motherhood and bedtime with a fair amount of ease. Choosing to co sleep with each of my children afforded me 9-11 hours of sleep as a new mom. Even now with two children, I get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. I wake up feeling rested and ready anywhere between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. (and usually get half an hour to an hour alone before the kids wake up.) It's all down to honoring bedtime. 

When I was a child, I went through phases of night time rituals. The first being a bedtime story with mom or dad. I kind of preferred dad, just because I liked the way he told stories. He would read to my sister and me together because shared a bedroom. My favorite story was The Sneetches. We'd be in stitches, laughing at all the hilarious ways he would rhyme out Dr. Seuss verse. 

in middle school, I preferred the Psalms from the bible over bedtime stories. I think I went through a phase of emotions and fear, and they offered me comfort and solace before bedtime. This was mom's department. Even though she and dad would take turns each night, hearing the words of God through my mother's lips added a certain measure of reassurance. 

In Jr. High, I started working crossword puzzles to get into the zone of sleep. I would harvest the back page from TV Guide and keep it bedside for a week, working on it a little each night, until the next one came in the mail. If I figured out the TV Guide crossword before the new one came, I would pull one out of the newspaper. I remember liking the TV Guide crosswords because they were easily solvable. They gave me a sense of accomplishment before turning the lights out. I think I also started working crosswords right around the time my sister moved out and got her own bedroom. Since she was no longer there to share the bedtime story, I found a new way of winding down. 

These days, bedtime might still get held in high esteem, but it doesn't necessarily mean that I always have the luxury to read or work a cross word before feeling too tired to lift a book. I am able to stay up later now than I ever have before; usually turning the lights out between 10:30 and 11:00. My standard bedtime for the last 7 years or so has been 9:30. Anything past that, and I turned into a banshee. 

Since banshees are not good at putting little children to bed, I had to learn how to understand my own tired signals, as well as the ones from my offspring. After getting a child (sometimes two) ready for bed with jammies, brushing teeth, reading them their own goodnight story and kisses goodnight, I don't always have energy left to give myself the same attention. Thankfully, Corey is usually around to help out with getting the kids ready for bed. He will give baths, or read Carrick a story, and I will get to spend some time by myself after Lily falls asleep. 

This summer, with no morning schedule, I was able to have ample amounts of me time before bed. So much so, that I read the entire adventures of the Borrowers. It's a vintage copy that has my mom's and aunt's names written in the front. The binding is ripped from years of use, but the story is timeless. I have one chapter left of my re-read of The Complete Adventures of the Borrowers, so on my recent trip to Bookman's I scouted out another book to take its place. 

I found a double Nancy Drew Mystery. I have a huge collection of Nancy Drew books somewhere in my parents' basement that have yet to make it to Arizona. I would spend hours during the summer breaks reading Nancy Drew books. My favorite was sitting outside under the big shady tree in our front yard. For bedtime reading, Nancy Drew seemed perfect. I like to keep my reading light, nothing too exciting or heavy. Children's literature has always struck a chord with me, so $4.00 Fun Dollars bought me a month's worth of bedtime stories. 

I also procured a pair of cotton pajama pants at Target while out shopping. All I have are flannel pants or shorts, but nothing light and airy for lounging around before bedtime. My legs get cold when the cooler is on, so I needed something in between. 

Now, with new pajama pants and a good night book to read, I am ready for bed. Good night.

Nancy Drew Double Mystery: The Sapphire Spider and The Invisible Intruder at Bookman's- $4.00

Pajama pants at Target- $13.00

Balance this pay cycle- $65.00

Happy Spending!

After School Special

It seemed like Carrick's first week of kindergarten flew by. From learning how to eat lunch in the cafeteria to working on self-directed lessons, this kid has started his kindergarten year like a pro.

To celebrate the completion of his first week of kindergarten, I wanted to get him something special. I didn't want to reward him with something sweet, but I did want him to feel like I appreciated all his hard work and acknowledge the giant step taken. When I saw the baby brachiosaurus at Target, I knew that was the answer.

It's not like he needs another dinosaur, but out of all his toys, his dinosaur herd is by far my favorite. Watching him come up with wildly imaginative scenes with his dino families just puts a smile on my face. Hearing him name off all the dinosaur species as he plays makes me feel like a proud mama. And, the baby brachiosaurus was one of the toys he wished for the last time we were at Target. I told him that he could only get one dinosaur, encouraging him to get a species that was not yet a part of his herd. I also explained that he could buy another one when he had more of his own Fun Dollars. I remembered our conversation about it as I passed through the "trinket" aisle just inside the doors at Target today.

For only being five years old, he accepts "no" much better than some kids even twice his age. He never throws a fit, or begs. He might play with the toy until we leave the store, but he hands it over at the check out. He never makes a big deal about not getting a toy.

After finishing up at Target (I was on a girl's shopping day with Lily and a friend), we visited Bookman's. This store is pretty much a Barnes and Noble of used books, complete with a gaming section, musical instruments, toys, and a coffee shop. At the checkout, I discovered a basket full of plastic animals. There was an entire herd of elephants, a pride of lions, and about a dozen sharks, to name a few. Lily picked out a smaller cheetah to take home. I didn't see any prices, so I asked the clerk checking us out how much the animals were.

Baby Brachiosaurus with Daddy Brachiosaurus.
Lily's Cheetah is climbing the rock.

She went over to the basket and pawed through it. "Since there's no price listed anywhere, we'll just say a dollar per animal." I reached in and pulled out a hammer head shark and a tiger shark for Carrick. I decided I would give him the baby brachiosuarus today, and one shark each week for the next two weeks as an end-of-the-week treat. (After that, my parents will be visiting, and that will be its own reward. I think the routine of going to school will be pretty much set by then, so the positive reinforcement won't be as critical.)

Today, when I picked him up from school, I had a black bean brownie, a cold water bottle, and a baby brachiosaurus waiting for him in his car seat. Combined with his one hot lunch this week (he gets to pick one meal from the cafeteria each week, otherwise it's a cold lunch), and he was super-pumped about his school day. It's amazing how the smallest thing can have such a huge effect on a child.

Baby brachiosaurus at Target- $1.00
Cheetah, and two sharks at Bookman's-$3.00
Balance this pay cycle- $82.00
Happy Spending!

Back to School Blues

Today, my first baby went to kindergarten. Today, this mama ate chocolate.

I was good, and stuck to my "diet". I did not eat the comforting-on-the-surface chocolate. I ate the nourishes-the-soul chocolate; 72% cacao, Ghirardelli, Twilight Delight.


Actually, in my foggy, bewildered "how is my baby this old already?" state, I  would have bought the other kind of chocolate, the kind that tastes good but inflames the body, and has zero antioxidants. But, my steadfast husband, who cares about what I put into my body was the one who went to the store. (I was the one who chose to eat whatever he brought home.)

I didn't just eat the chocolate, I devoured it. And surprisingly, it worked. Whatever those chemicals are in the body that like chocolate and think that it's love or something were in full swing. As I chowed through each square, my feelings of denial of my baby growing up and my oldness soon melted away.

I thought buying Carrick a little something for his first day of school would also be a good idea. I didn't want to get him a super sugary something. I also didn't want him to think that every day would warrant a treat. But today is special. I also figured he'd be hungry when I picked him up. I had to set the "bar", and not make it too high. A Luna Bar fit the bill. It was just treaty enough to make him think it was something special, and just healthy enough, and filling that I wouldn't feel bad about giving it to him.

Since Lily was with me, I had to get her something too. She got to munch on a Honey Graham Kid's Cliff bar.

Our transition from first day of school to home was a success. Mommy's nerves were calmed by her chocolate, Carrick was treated with his chocolate, and Lily was glad to have something since everyone else had something too.

Ghirardelli Chocolate at Safeway- $2.00
Luna Bar and Kid's Cliff bar at Natural Grocers- $2.00
Balance this pay cycle- $86.00
Happy Spending!

Lunch Date

India Palace, one of my favorite places to eat in Sedona, offers the most mouth-watering lunch buffet. From Vegetable Korma, to Tandori Chicken, their offerings are not only healthy, they are in alignment with my new food choices. In an effort to clear up a long-time affair with psoriasis, I am changing my eating habits. Cutting out nightshade family foods, wheat, dairy, and most red meats constitutes most of the changes. India Palace serves food that supports these changes.

Today, my son had a "practice day" of kindergarten. It was only an hour and a half long, and parents were instructed to "leave them at the door". With only my daughter in tow, I felt like a free woman. She actually fell asleep as I drove to the bank to collect this week's Fun Dollars for Corey and me. I sent Corey a text to meet me at India Palace. It was a date. 

With Carrick at school, and Lily asleep in the stroller, we were done eating in less than 10 minutes! It wasn't much of a date, or very romantic, but we were allowed 10 glorious, uninterrupted minutes of communication. No one was trying to get down from the table and run around. Carrick wasn't bargaining for extra rice pudding. Lily wasn't throwing handfuls of saag paneer on the floor. It was ten minutes in heaven.

Also, after ten minutes of eating, I had to stop because the dishes are so filling! If I had tried to eat anymore, I would have needed a nap and felt "too full". Since Carrick's school was having an open house after his practice day let out, sleeping would not be an option. I had to be a good mama and check out the after school activities, lunch menu, and PTA. Even though our lunch date was brief, those precious minutes alone with my love felt like half an hour. Time slows down when I'm in good company.

Lunch date at India Palace- $10.00
Balance this pay cycle- $90.00
Happy Spending!

Rethinking Fun Dollars

As I move forward in my year of spending and documenting Fun Dollars, I need to take time to reevaluate how I spend them. I did this at the beginning of the summer, after Carrick's preschool let out, and now that we are on the verge of starting kindergarten, the time has come to examine some spending habits yet again.

This summer, I was successful at keeping sweets and fast food to a minimum. I did not rely as heavily on sugar, candy, chips, and soda as I had in previous summers. I think a pat on the back is in order, especially considering this was my first summer with two children eating solid foods.

It's now time to take my food spending of Fun Dollars to the next level. I need to cut out wheat for myself. As I mentioned in the previous article about Fun Dollars, my husband and I are serious about getting rid of the psoriasis that we have lived with for close to a decade. Wheat/gluten is one of those trigger foods. That means that the restaurants where I spend my Fun Dollars also need to offer food that doesn't contain wheat.

Dairy is another trigger food, which means no more trips to Zainey's. Or, if we do go to Zainey's I'll have to get their sorbet. It will be a change for my palate, but, I'm a big girl, I can handle it. If I do get the urge for ice cream, I'll have to drop a little extra cash and get a non-dairy option at one of the health food stores in town. Almond or coconut-based ice cream isn't bad, but it's just not the same as regular ice cream. Also, the refined sugars (whether they're organic or not doesn't matter) are also not that good for psoriasis, so my sweets will need to be very few and far between.

Alcohol is another 'no-no'. This past week, Corey and I consumed zero alcohol after returning from our trip. I will not be buying any more bottles of vino for a while.

So with all these things that get eliminated (and/or drastically reduced) from my Fun Dollars spending, it clears the way for new purchases. The biggest purchase that will become a regular part of this new "budget" is my cleaning lady. Corey wants to take her services out of our family budget. We are working on overhauling our family budget, and the cleaning lady is getting the cut. However, I am not ready to part ways with her just yet. I plan to re-enter the work force this fall after Lily starts daycare, and I want to keep the cleaning lady around. Even though Corey has committed to cleaning the toilets, I think it might be useful to have someone come in and pick up toys, or do dishes while I'm at work. That means that out of each pay cycle, $40.00 will automatically be spent on my cleaning lady.

Which brings me to my last point; me working again. I'm waiting a month after Carrick starts kindergarten to start Lily in daycare. I hear how emotional it is to send your first kiddo to kindergarten, even if they have attended preschool; it's a really big deal. So, to start my baby in daycare at the same time as starting my kiddo in kindergarten might leave me an emotional mess. Spacing out their starting school allows me to get used to taking five days a week (which will be a first). Once we have that routine down, starting Lily three days a week will be less stress on this mama. I plan to use my month with just one child job hunting. By October, I will (hopefully) be an employed woman bringing home the turkey bacon!

With the prospect of having a job, my spending habits will most likely change as well. If I am working, instead of hanging out at home, my need to go out and shop, or grab treats, or whatever, will be drastically reduced. Instead of spending money, I'll be making money. So I think the shift of me paying for my cleaning lady makes sense all around, which is why I used $20.00 of my Fun Dollars this past pay cycle to pay for my cleaning lady. (Well, that's part of the reason, the other reason is I forgot to go to the ATM after we arrived home, and I wasn't in the routine of things yet.) I used half Fun Dollars, and half anniversary money to pay for her this time.

The last remains of Fun Dollars this pay cycle bought desert last night. After a healthy meal of grilled chicken, swordfish, quinoa and salad, I decided that chocolate was in order. I left for Natural Grocers and bought 70% dark chocolate for Corey, toffee almond milk chocolate for me, a Luna bar for Carrick, and a kid's Cliff bar for Lily. $8.00 for a round of chocolate for everyone. So much for "no refined sugar", but on the upside, the chocolate is all gone. I'll have to just give myself a good amount of time before buying another round of sugar with my Fun Dollars. Documenting my spending will also help me "stick to it", since everyone who reads this is in on my dietary checklist. Writing about it acts as an accountability meter to some extent.

I am grateful for the opportunity to explore new avenues with my Fun Dollars as my wants and needs change. It's time to rethink what makes Fun Dollars truly "fun".

Cleaning Lady- $20.00
Desert at Natural Grocers- $9.00
Balance this pay cycle- $1.00 (Which I will give to Carrick for doing a chore this week.)
Happy Spending!

Last Hurrah

The summer officially ends this weekend. On Monday, Carrick goes to his first "day" of school. It's only a 90-minute introduction to the Montessori system. Parents and children attend together so that everyone is on the same page. The day after that is a 90-minute session with just the children. Then the day after that, the entire school goes "back to school."

So yesterday, we enjoyed our last children's summer movie at Harkins Theater. We missed the previous two movies because we were visiting family in Illinois and Indiana. The show was Freebirds, which Carrick especially likes. It didn't matter to him that he had watched it on Netflix a handful of times this summer, seeing it on the big screen was something he did not want to miss. He still had about $10.00 Fun Dollars to take with him to buy his kid's combo. I also had enough Fun Dollars to splurge on a small popcorn and soda. 

After returning from our family visit, Corey and I decided to refine our eating habits. Both of us live with psoriasis, and are serious about eradicating it. This means that the food we eat should be geared towards our goal of clear skin, not self-indulgence. Refined sugars, like those in soda, are on the "do not consume" list. Popcorn isn't necessarily bad, I just wanted to get one bag of popcorn because I hadn't all summer. That's right, we attended seven movies together this summer, Carrick, Lily and me, and I did not buy popcorn until the last movie. It was kind of a last hurrah for summer.

After the movie, I wanted to take the kids shopping for school clothes at Bell's Outlet across the street. It was Friday, and shoppers under the age of 49 get an extra 15% off with their loyalty card. (Folks 50+ get their discount on Mondays.) We were walking through the kid's section, when I felt dizzy and hot. I actually started sweating, despite the air conditioning being on. I immediately knew what was going on. I had made the mistake of having too much caffeine, and not enough food/water. Morning coffee paired with Dr. Pepper and only popcorn was not a good idea. I quickly checked out, and made a dash for Taco Bell.

My order came to $5.00 even. I did not want to mess with going home and cooking, I just needed food ASAP. We came home, and as my hands were shaking, I unwrapped my bean burrito. After finishing my lunch, and sitting on the couch sipping water, I slowly started to feel better. It felt like my last hurrah was more of a belly flop than a cannonball.

I thought that I would give myself until school started to be vigilant about what I ate. I thought that since both the kids were still at home, I would wait until at least one of them was occupied during the day to try to change how I ate. But the truth is, now is always a good time. It doesn't really matter if there are kids around, family to visit, or soda to drink, in the end, the decision is mine about what I put into my body.

This also leads me to a discovery about how I will be spending my Fun Dollars in the months to come. Since there are many things that are getting crossed off my list of "OK to eat", the places I spend my Fun Dollars, and the things I spend them on will drastically change from my previous spending trends.

Also, the fact that Carrick will be in school means that there is one less person I will be spending my Fun Dollars on. All summer, I have spent my Fun Dollars on small treats like Luna bars and coconut waters, many times, buying for and sharing with Carrick. With him gone all day at kindergarten, I will have slightly more to spend on myself.

I am really excited about the next few months of Fun Dollars. I think these changes will only help me become a better version of myself. There really is no Last Hurrah, just everyday decisions that I, myself, get to make.

Popcorn and Soda at the movies- $6.00
Lunch at Taco Bell- $5.00
Balance this pay cycle- $29.00
Happy Spending!