Party Time

This is the first year I've had that I have had multiple Halloween parties to go to all on the same night.

Some of my friends had their big annual party going on, a friend of Chad had a party happening (comic book themed), and then another of our friends had basically his housewarming party of sorts. Oh, and it was a friends birthday also, and she wanted us to come up to her place and carve pumpkins.

Guys, I am NOT cut out for that kind of social schedule.

The comic book party I didn't care about missing. A LOT of our friends were going to be there, but I don't really know the hosts that well, so it didn't break my heart to miss that one. And the pumpkin carving party is right up my alley, but she waited until the last minute to let us know about it. 

So we were down to two parties: the one that a few of my friends would be at, and then the one that Chad knew everybody at.

I thought I had a fool proof plan. We go to my friends' party for an hour or so, say our hellos and mingle for a while, and then head to the other party, where we could catch a ride back with a sober driver and go pick our car up today.

Chad, however, had other plans.

He was concerned about us driving from the first party to the second. He knows I can't see for shit at night time (especially when it's been raining), even when I haven't been drinking. And he knows that he gets into a situation where he doesn't particularly feel comfortable (since he doesn't know as many people that were going to be at the party as I do) so he would probably end up drinking heavily while we were there, which would put us in his (likely) drunk hands behind the wheel.

I was bummed. SUPER bummed. But I have to say I was sort of impressed that Chad made the decision based on his past experiences.

Anyways, we get to the party we WERE going to, and there was, like, 12 people there. 

I was disappointed, to say the least. There was a bag of chips for people to eat (woo hoo) and then there were hot dogs made later. I only knew maybe half the people there, so I didn't have a ton of people to chat with. When we got there, Chad was like "oh... I thought there would be more people here..." and then this morning he goes "but can you imagine how lame it would have been if we hadn't gone?!"

Cool, Chad. Real cool.

I threw our own party for 5 years at Chad's house, and I went all out everytime. Decorations, food, drinks... everything. And that is what I am used to. We went to the other party of my friends' last year and it was awesome... there was a live band, lots of snacks, and lots of fun (although Chad and I also knew only a small fraction of the people there). But that is what I look for in a Halloween party. There is something about 15 people standing in a garage in costumes that just doesn't scream Halloween fun to me.

(I know, I may be kind of being a bitch right now, but I really look forward to Halloween parties, and I was let down).

Anyways, moral of the story, I am really looking forward to next year when we will be able to have our OWN party again.

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Ah TV...

Well, it appears as though Neely isn't doing her Boob Tube Babble link up anytime soon, so I thought I would just take it upon myself to share what I am watching this fall.

The Challenge: Battle of the Seasons

I look forward to The Challenge every year. I love it. Chad even enjoys watching it with me (although he'd never admit that). Here are my thoughts right now:

Team Brooklyn is my favorite right now. I love Sarah and Chet and I think that they are a really strong team and I'd like to see them win some money.

I can't lie... I was happy to see Fresh Meat leave. I have always pulled for Big Easy to be a good competitor. But I think he is such a sissy sometimes. Who gives up in an elimination challenge just because it gets hard? That's what an elimination challenge is about! But Camila is such a bitch sometimes, I wasn't sad to see her go.

Hart of Dixie

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. This show is GREAT.

I wasn't super happy with how this season started, with Zoe not admitting that she really liked Wade, but I am glad that she is finally realizing that he may be a good guy for her.

And seriously, you can't be mad about waking up to this view...

American Horror Story: Asylum

I absolutely LOVED the first season of American Horror Story, so I was really excited to see that it was coming back for a second season. Although I have only seen the first episode so far, I am a little on the fence about it. The first season was great with the whole haunted house storyline, but this season feels like there is a LOT going on, which makes it a little hard for me to really get my mind wrapped around it. But I have to say, the whole "asylum" setting is just about as creepy as you can get.

Pretty Little Liars: Halloween Train

I know this isn't really a whole season going on right now, but I love that PLL does a special Halloween episode to kind of keep people interested during the off season (although I think most PLL fans are pretty die hard, and you don't NEED something like this to keep you coming back for more).

I have to say, it was a good episode. It had a lot more important information than I thought it would. But I really REALLY don't know how to feel about Toby right now. Is he on team A? Or is he still just trying to look out for the girls?

Anyways, those are some of the shows that have been keeping me entertained the past few weeks. Any other good shows I should be watching?

Adventurous Thursday!

So today was a day of firsts for me and it's very exciting (and exhausting).

My first first of the day (did you follow that?) was my first ever REAL riding lesson. I've gotten pointers and whatnot from friends when I've ridden horses before, but I've never had someone really sit there and watch me and teach me things. But, in an effort to get my horse sold, my friend Greer suggested I bring my horse to her riding instructor to get a real evaluation on her and find out what a fair price would be for me to put her on the market for. Anyways, I rode a HUGE draft horse for my lesson and learned some really good things.

And THEN on our way back, my friend Greer and I realized we should probably get some lunch. And since I had only $14 and Greer forgot her wallet, we decided to go with cheap. Enter: TACO TRUCK!

(disclaimer: This isn't the actual taco truck we ate at... this one is about a block away...)

Seriously, BEST burrito I've had in a long time. We got two HUGE burritos and water for only $9! NINE DOLLHAIRS! What a steal. I couldn't even finish it. 

Oh, and another great thing that happened? Ya know the post I wrote yesterday? The one that mentioned how upset I am with Comcast for taking away my phone number? Well, I got a comment on that post from "ComcastCares1" saying that they would see what they can do about getting our old phone number back for us (but that they couldn't make any promises). So yay! Bitching on my blog may finally have benefited me in a tangible way (rather than just making me feel better by bitching, haha).

Anyways, those are my adventures for the day.

Eff You Comcast

Before I show you some of my newest pins, I wanted to tell you a story about how much I hate comcast right now.

So, for the past couple years (since Chad moved in) we have been paying the Comcast bill, but it was still in my mom's name. Well, yesterday was my mom's day off, and since I am on "vacation" all week, we decided it was time to go and switch the comcast account into my name, since we bought the house and all.

After waiting in line for a good 20 minutes (which wasn't as long as I thought it would be), we go up to the nice lady. We explain what we need to do and all that jazz. It wasn't until we are pretty much done that she comes out and say "you'll have a new phone number".

WHAT?!

I've had the same phone number for my whole life. I LIKE my phone number. It's easy to remember (unless you're Chad and it takes you 7+ years to finally get it down).

She said that there was no way to move the phone number to a different account, and that there was no way to change the account and just put it in my name. 

Let's not talk about the devastation I am feeling today :(

Now that that's out in the open, let's move on to my most recent pins.

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I hope everybody is having a good week! I'm off to go finish watching the Pretty Little Liars halloween special!

Boom Boom Pow!

Please don't ask about the title of this blog post. I don't know what is happening. I am think I am so busy that I am delusional.

Anyways, here are a few things that I have done this weekend:

1. FINALLY got new tires on my car. Granted,  my mother bought them for me (probably because she would rather buy me new tires than pay for my early funeral when my tires blow and I fly off the freeway), but I am SO happy that I can drive in the rain - and go the speed limit - without fear of death.

2. I found Chad's potential wedding band!! I was at Fred Meyer jewelers getting my ring cleaned and inspected, and as I was wandering around looking at all the pretty things, it just jumped out at me. 

It's camo (in case you couldn't tell) and it is some fancy metal I've never heard of (Vitalium?). Those black spots aren't really black though, the whole thing is just different textures and whatnot. I am quite excited to tell him about it (not that he'll be excited to hear about it, haha).

3. I went to Costco with my mom and I spent less than $60! That is MADNESS! Especially since all the Christmas stuff is out and I LOVE Christmas stuff. I got out of there with dishwasher detergent, guacamole, one roll of wrapping paper, two rolls of ribbon, and batman sweatshirt for little Mason. I'm trying to decide if I should give it to him now or save it and give it to him as a Christmas present.

4. I went to Home Depot BY MYSELF. Since Chad went away to hunting camp again this weekend, I had to go run errands and get things myself, which meant going to Home Depot. I managed to find everything I needed (which was duct tape and a wall mount can crusher). It only took me about 20 minutes to find these two things (and I asked for help from two people in the fun orange aprons). Now if only I could find the cord for my drill thingy so I could actually install the aforementioned can crusher.

4. I've spent lots of quality time with Buck. I love getting to hog him while Chad's gone, but I hate it when I have to go places and leave him home alone because he looks so sad.

Anyways, that is what I have been up to, along with various other chores, which I really should be getting back to...

Here and There and Everywhere

While Chad was out of town this weekend at hunting camp, I had a lot of time on my hands (but not really, because there was 5000 things I should have been doing), so I ended up pinning like a crazy person.

I pinned some Halloween things...

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And I pinned some wedding things...

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I pinned some house DIYs

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And then some wise words...

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And some cats...

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So basically I did nothing but pin things. And watch Say Yes to the Dress. ALL WEEKEND.

Frequent Shopper

As a kind of follow up for my post over the weekend, I thought I would share with you the places that I consider myself a "frequent" shopper.

This is where I do 99% of our shopping. It's one of the more affordable grocery stores around here, and you get gas rewards. Can't beat that.

Like I said, as I've gotten older, I have found that I have a hard time really blowing my money on myself when there are other things to pay for. So when I am going to buy books (and you all know I read A LOT), I tend to go to half.com. It's significantly cheaper than buying from a regular retailer. Same thing with movies (and video games!)

Ah, Maurice's. My BFFL introduced me to this store a few years back and it is now my go to place for clothes. Sure, there is still Target and Ross (which is another of my bargain buy go-tos) but I have the most success at Maurice's. It's not the cheapest place in the world, but I don't mind spending $25 on a shirt when it is going to last me. They also have a big variety of clothes... I go there for my jeans (Silver brand!), shoes (although I have had a couple pair that haven't been super comfortable), work clothes (they tend to have a good variety of tops that don't cling to my hideous midsection), and fun accessories. 

So there you have it folks. I do love Target (who doesn't?) but I avoid that place like the plague if I can help it because it's so easy to blow a whole paycheck on stupid shit like post it notes and nail polish (lord help me if I go near the nail polish section).

Side note: I know I've mentioned it before, but if you are an online shopper, PLEASE do yourself a favor and sign up for Ebates. You get cash back for online purchases you make through the site. This is the BEST at Christmas time... seriously. You can get 2% back on Target.com purchases, 3.5% on Maurices.com, and 4% back on half.com! (Rich people... you get 3.5% on Tory Burch and 3% at Nordstrom!)

That's all kids. A little peak into my spending habits.

Sunday Social

I haven't linked up for Sunday Social for a while, so I thought it was time. Especially because this week it's about books.

What was your favorite childhood book? Easily the Baby Sitter's Little Sister series. I would stay up way past my bedtime (and get in trouble) reading them a whole book at a time.

Favorite book lately? I would have to say the one that my mind goes to immediately is Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire.

Book you wish you could live in? Hm... Harry Potter. Easily. Better start brushing up on my spells...

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If you could be any character from a book, who would it be and why? I would have to say Abby Abernathy from Beautiful Disaster. She is a smart, normal girl, and the love story between her and Travis is great. Every girl wants a guy like him.

Favorite book turned movie? This one is kind of a tie. The Notebook, the Twilight series, and the Harry Potter series are up there, along with (more recently) the Help.

Favorite Magazines? People, Us Weekly, Food Network Magazine, and Cooking Light are ones that I always look forward to... although my finances have made me not renew any of my subscriptions lately.

Weight a Minute...

I realize it's been quite a while since I've posted about my weight loss/work out life.

This will be a short post, but not because I haven't been successful at all.

I got back into a good workout routine, going to the gym about 5 times a week and working out for an hour at a time in Cardio Theater (longer if it was a particularly good movie... like Remember the Titans). I was bringing my weight down pretty steadily (not QUICKLY necessarily, but 1-2 pounds a week). I was also trying to be a lot better about the foods I was putting in my body again. 

The past couple weeks, though, haven't been so great. We had 5 birthdays in my office in about a week and a half time period (which meant eating out for each birthday). We also closed on our house and moved my mom into her condo, so the past couple weeks have been spent packing and cleaning and all sorts of stuff that's kept me from the gym. And then our stove broke (and we have all seen how I'm reacting to THAT debacle), so cooking healthy meals has kind of flown out the window.

Anyways, that's where I stand right now. I was doing really well, then the past couple weeks I've gone backwards. But I am feeling really motivated, so I can't wait to get back into the grove. 

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Money Matters

So I don't usually talk about finances on my blog. Because a) that can get maybe a little TOO personal for strangers, and b) nobody cares.

However with that said, I am kind of feeling like now is a good time, what with Chad and I just getting a mortgage and with the holidays coming up and whatnot. I apologize because this may be a long post.

We have known going into this house purchase that we will be putting a LOT of money into the house (although not all right at the beginning, obviously). Everytime we each get paid, we put money into a joint "house" account to pay for things like the bills, projects, etc. This isn't something new for me. The past couple years, I have been shoveling money into my savings account in anticipation of this purchase so I wouldn't go into financial shock. Chad, however, has not quite been doing that. He doesn't complain about putting the money aside, but I can tell it's hard for him to not be able to just go spend however much money he wants on whatever hobby is in season at that time.

The thing that I feel like I struggle with is knowing when to spend money on myself. In all honesty, when I get paid, my money goes towards my car payment, credit card, house account, savings, groceries, and gas. The only things I really buy for myself are a movie here and there, and maybe some books. And when I do buy those things, I feel guilty.

Is that normal?

I posted on Facebook last week that I could really go for a pedicure. A friend of mine saw it and we made plans to meet up yesterday after work to get pedicures and chat (since we never get to hang out with each other... different work schedules, etc). 

It was a good time. I really needed it. But at the end of it all, I felt guilty for paying $25 on a pedicure.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?! I mean, seriously. It's not like I am unemployed or have kids to feed. It's $25. But I still sit here and tell myself that there are so many other things that money could have gone towards.

You wanna know my ultimate financial goal? To have a house payment and normal bills, but not have any other debt. I don't want to be paying on my credit card for the rest of my life (although it's got a really small limit, so it's not like it's a HUGE deal), and I don't want to always have a car payment. Yes, I realize that eventually my car will need to be replaced, but I don't ever want to be one of those people who pays their car off and immediately goes out and spends another $25000 on a new car to pay on for another 6 years. 

Really that's the only thing this post was about. Nobody talks about these things on blogs... I see so many posts about people buying Tory Burch shoes, or going to Starbuck's twice a day, and it makes me wonder... do people REALLY use all their money that way?

I dream of being debt free!!!

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That's all I have to say about that.