The Extra Mile

Matéa turns the big S-E-V-E-N!

I can't believe my baby girl turns 7 today.
Her smile lights up a room.
Her laugh is contagious.
Her love of life is amazing to watch.

Happy Birthday, Baby.... you will always be my baby, no matter how old you are :)

Creative Ways to Save Money

We are in a recession.
Anyone who watches or reads the news knows this fact.
I thought that our family was fairly recession-proof.
I was definitely wrong.
In the 2009, our household income will go down by approximately 50%.
I am trying not to completely freak out.
We desperately need ways to save money.
For the most part, we are pretty money conscious.
We don't take trips or vacations - Paul's parents live on Lake Michigan!
We drive a car that gets between 40-55 mpgs.
We don't go to nice restaurants - we actually rarely eat out.
We shop at Aldi and Costco.
We don't buy expensive clothes.
So, we sat down today and tried to brainstorm ways we could save money.
Our list isn't very long yet.
We are trying.

#1 - get rid of home phone - saves approx. $50/month
#2 - make pizza at home instead of take-out once/week (splurge once/month instead) - saves approx. $30-40/month
#3 - find another family to trade kid watching with once/month - saves $25/month
#4 - use what food we have in the house as much as possible - savings ??/month
(our freezer and large downstairs pantry holds MUCH food... use it b/f adding more)
#5  - instead of running through Wendy's drive-thru after soccer practice, have meals at home that can be eaten at different times that night - saves approx. $50/month

I need more ideas - lots of them!!!
I just bought "101 Things to do with Ramen Noodles" and "101 Things to do with Ground Beef" - kinda makes me laugh!
Do you have any ideas? If yes, please leave a comment with your idea!!

Pearls Events and Matt & Claire's Wedding

I was so excited that my friend Aletha of Pearls Events is featuring Matt & Claire's gorgeous winter wedding on her blog today! If you are looking for someone to help you with any aspect of planning a special event, she is incredible.... if you need a wedding planner, her ideas are amazing!

Pearls Events Blog - click here!