Staying Active!

Daryl had his first week of Karate this week! He has learned that he has a lot to learn. I'm thankful that we live in a big enough community to have an awesome Parks and Rec system. Daryl is taking seven weeks of Karate for $38, and no uniform is required. I like letting him try new things using the Recreation department before shelling out big bucks some place else not even knowing if he will like it. Although I pretty sold on this class at the Rec center as the teacher is fantastic and is even teaching the kids the Japanese names for the moves they are doing.

It is so cute to watch Daryl that I just can't stop taking pictures, I try not to let him catch me!

I have completed week 2 of 12 of my half marathon training. I am still running inside on a treadmill because I am a wimp! Self proclaimed, I will not run in the cold, WHIMP! My long run is supposed to be on Saturday but I did it today so I don't have to worry about the nasty weather this weekend. So now I have two days off! YAY!

Hope everyone is staying home this weekend and is warm. I plan to knit and spin A LOT! :-)

Here is the half plan that I am using, if anyone wants to play along!

You know you live on a budget when...

Kelly and I made a healthy payment to my Student Loan in January and are on track to do the same in February. We have tightened the belt so much that our original pay off date for my loan was August 2014 and now it looks like we will be paid off in May 2014! Finding ways to trim our already lean budget has been a challenge. But I like a challenge!

You know you live on a budget when you decide that you can wax your own eyebrows for way cheeper than having it done at the salon. Good news is I still have two eyebrows and while one is a little more arched than the other if just looks like I'm questioning everything. It's appropriate for working with youth!

You know you live on a budget when you need new clothes and you always check the Goodwill first. Goodwill almost never lets our family down and the clothes we buy always look new and sometimes still have the tags on them! Daryl has learned that Target is only for Socks and Underwear, we can find everything else at Goodwill.

You know you live on a budget when you only eat out for lunch if you have a coupon!

You know you live on a budget when you check out your groceries by having your spouse pay for half and you pay for the other half so you can both get the Friday freebie. AND you both get to take a survey for the 50 point bonus!! (you have to have his and hers separate award accounts to do this :-)

The body of the cardigan is done!!!! Anyone think I can finish a sleeve before the end of the month?? Anyone??

Before and After

One boy went into the barber shop a baby and left a little boy.
Another little boy went in ornery and came out still ornery and handsome!

I'm also trying something very common to other spinners but new to me. I'm going to do a combo spin. I'm taking 8 ounces of one artist's dyed BFL fiber and combining it with 4 ounces of my Hello Yarn BFL fiber. I'm planning a three ply, two plies will be the Southern Cross Fibre and one ply the HY.
I'm excited to see what the finished yarn will look like!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

I didn't think I would have to post today since Kelly and I are paying off debt like crazy it means you don't do much on holidays such as this. But then Kelly was sweet and Daryl was funny and I wanted to share with everyone how awesome these crazy boys are!

We don't often have pop around our house. Daryl really LOVES pop so that is one reason we just don't buy it. That way when we eat out it is a special treat. The bottle of pop in the picture was for this great pulled pork recipe that is the easiest thing ever.

Take a pork roast and rub it with your favorite pork rub. Then put it in a crock pot and put one 20oz bottle of coke on top of it, cook on low for eight hours. It is great!

Anywho, we had this bottle of coke in the cupboard for the entire week. Last night this conversation happens while Kelly is putting away dishes.
Daryl-Dad, Can I see the pop?
Kelly-(opens the cupboard)
Daryl-Can I hold it?
Kelly-(Laughing) No Daryl you know it is for pulled pork.
Daryl-(pouting) oh man!

Kelly was pretty sweet today for Valentine's Day. Like I explained before I didn't really think we were doing anything this year except maybe trying to find a sitter later and go out to eat. So this morning he starts by surprising me with a card and a Nut Roll candy bar. Those are my favorite! I told him I was sorry I didn't think about getting him anything, he just smiled because he doesn't care about getting anything, he was just happy he surprised me.
Then, I come home for lunch and Kelly has my lunch of leftovers all ready for me to eat. I tell him that is great but I don't need anything for dessert because we had treats at the office. He smiles and says he got us dessert to share!
After he took the boys to the sitter he drove across town to a bakery I've been wanting to try and got us a peanut butter chocolate cheesecake to share! It was yummy and he has really out done himself this year! I love you Kel! 

Not taken today, but a picture of a pouting Daryl!

If you got through that sweet story without losing your lunch I will reward you with another D story.
This happened first thing this morning.
D-Happy Valentine's day mom!
Me-Happy Valentine's day sweetheart!
D-What did you get me?
Me-Huh? (looking at Kelly)
D-Parents are supposed to get their kids candy today!!
Me to Kelly-Did you ever get something from your parents, I don't think I did. Daryl, Valentines day is just something you do at school ((pause)) I think.
D-((Whining)) I can't believe you didn't get me a valentine! Ugh!
Me-Maybe you will get something after dinner, if I find out parents really do get their kids valentines.
:-)



(Kelly must have got something from his parents because he bought the boys sugar cookies the same place he got our cheesecake!)

Updates and more Updates

 

Take a look at these curls! Kelly is pressuring me for a haircut so they are probably not going to be there much longer. **Sniff**



Knitting update: I have almost a full skein of Cascade 220 into my cardigan. I used about 100 yds. of my handspun for the yoke. I was thinking it was way too small on the needles. So I took it off the needles put the stitches on scrap yarn and tried it on. The cardigan fits but I don't think it will close! Buttons will be for decoration only. I dislike starting over so I justified it by thinking about how often I actually button my cardigans. The answer was almost never. Decision made!

Running update: I have been running a little. I am planning on starting my half marathon training plan on Monday soooo bring on that warm weather! Right now I am between 6-10 miles a week for the last three weeks. I hope to report that mileage getting a lot higher starting next week! It will help when I can run outside, treadmill running is my nemesis. 

Money update: Friday is snowball day!! Kelly and I had some car maintenance in the budget for January and we felt very adult for getting our cars worked on when they were still working.
It never fails that the car repairs cost more than the estimates we received. I think we were $150 over what we budgeted. We tightened the belt in some other areas and we were only $50 less on the snowball than what we budgeted. So I was still very happy with our month! We always make our snowball payment with the first paycheck  of the new month so that is why we are a little later than usual. It just makes me feel better since it is such a big chunk of our bank account.

After Friday my school loan balance should be under six thousand! My brain is almost paid for!! Then we will start on Kelly's brain our LAST DEBT besides our mortgage. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The plan we use is simple and you can see it here.

February Funnies

With all this snow do you need a laugh? Daryl and I will do our best...

This happened while I was drinking a beer watching the super bowl:
D-Mom do you know what happens if you drink too much beer?
Me-What.
D-You get lung cancer, (pause) no you get, (pause) drunk, you get drunk!
Me-You are right on the second answer.

This was Monday morning as Daryl comes into my bathroom while I am drying my hair:
D-I have to pee
Me-Ok
D-(lifts the lid on the toilet then puts it back down) Mom,  I don't think you should watch this.
Me-Then go to your bathroom!
D- Never mind it is OK! (then he continues in my bathroom!)

I am making good use of my snow days. I have officially started sweater #2 for 2014. It will feature my handspun (middle skeins in the picture) with some Cascade 220.

Kelly and I spend most of Sunday afternoon winding these cute yarn cakes. It is not Kelly's favorite job but I tricked him with this one. He knows the last sweater took me three years so he figures he can help me wind yarn every three years.

I got him! I plan on having this one done in time for regional club days on March 15th!! We will be doing this again next month! HAHAHAHA (evil knitter laugh)