It's The Weekend | Number Four

I am ready to head into the weekend and finish cleaning my house. I've been trying to clean a little every day so hopefully this weekend will be pretty chill. This past week was a good, busy one, filled with doctors appointments, my lovely glucose test, working on Marin's new big girl room, and lots of work, work, work. 

Lately, I've have started to gather links of all of the places I have been perusing in the great, grand internet. There are plenty of people out there doing big things and small things. Some of these are practical, some are inspiring. Some just make me hungry. This week, I'm thinking about capsule wardrobes, bullet journaling, some great recipes, and some frugal tips for kid's clothing. 

I've toyed with the idea of a capsule wardrobe a lot, maybe after I'm out of maternity clothes land. Here's the Art of Simple's thoughts on the capsule wardrobe.  People are choosing to wear a "uniform" or the same thing everyday. 

I want to try this Vanilla Latte Coffee Scrub. My skin will thank me. 

I have used a Bullet Journal in many different forms over the past few years. Here is a great list of some supplies to help make the process even more awesome.   I would love to try some other pens like  Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens, Medium Point, Black, 12-Count or Masterclass Premium Dual Tip Brush Markers, Non-Toxic Water Based Double Tip Pens.

We sure do love pizza around here. I'd like to start making them at home more often instead of always doing delivery. Here's how to make a really good pizza at home. 

I am all about saving money and living more frugally. Kid's clothes can be super expensive and they outgrow them in the blink of an eye. I want to know how to save thousands of dollars on children's clothes per year. 

And finally, for all of you out there that know how to crochet....my daughter is obsessed with these pillows. I want one too. 

Have a great weekend! 

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Life Lately | An Update

Life has been such a whirlwind as of late. So many things seem to be occurring and coming into fruition. We seem to be in a good groove and I am alright with that. I haven't done  post like this in a long time, but as a bit of an update and some link love thrown into it....

 I am almost half way through my Whole 30, look for a post on that tomorrow.....I haven't felt this good and confident about myself in a very long time. People are starting to notice and comment and I'm only half way. I feel that is a good sign. Read my first post on my first week, if you haven't already. 

Work is in full swing as always and I'm just trying to live out a good "hustle." I've been editing photos like a crazy from a wedding the we photographed at the end of June. Any spare moment I have, during nap time, late at night: I edit. 

I've been loving the library as of late. A library card is literally one of the best things to happen to me. I can't even begin to tell you how much money I was spending on books that I would only read one time and then would fall back in place on a shelf, left untouched. The library is awesome. Currently on my nightstand, I am reading: this, this, this, and this.  I also am really into audio books and nerd up every time I am driving in my car. My current listen is this.  I read the book years ago but it's wonderful because it's read by the author and I like her vibe. How can one not love the library? My book list of things I have on hold is ever growing. I wish I had more hours in the day where I could get lost in a good book. Sometimes nap times allow me to do so but most of the time it's before I go to sleep at night. I read with the roar of the A/C in our room and the baby monitor humming next to me. 

Yesterday, we did something that we have been talking about for a long while but I never thought would actually happen. WE BOUGHT A NEW CAR!!!!! I no longer have to drive the mom mobile. The minivan was great for the years that we had it. We played a lot of shows with that car and crammed it full of music gear. I've driven Marin all over the place. I've fretted about how the van is running and whether or not it will make it to the next season. I have never in my life had a new car. My own NEW car. Dodge had some amazing deals out there and we spent the day at the car dealership. Overall, it was a great experience. I am not a big fan of dealerships but we had a great experience, albeit a long one. We drove home a new Dodge Journey, which is literally the bigger brother to my husband's car. I love it. I can't wait to go drive it today. 

That being said, I've also been researching ways to live more frugally in our lives. With a brand new car, comes a brand new car payment. We managed to get our payment in a decent range, but I need to tighten things up around here a bit. I won't be frequenting Starbucks per usual, that is for sure. Here's what I've been reading lately..... 

Keeping Our Household Budget Under $300 Monthly 

Tips on Living on Next to Nothing

Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps

Pinterest is full of ideas... 

And on a kind of related note...I found this article interesting: Take the 1000 Day Challenge!

No Spend July: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

I've decided to embark upon a season that probably seems crazy to most. For one month, the month of July, I am not going to spend any extra money. Obviously, we still need to buy groceries and diapers, and pay our bills,  but other than that....nada, zip, zilch. I've been realizing over the past few months that I spend way too much money on way too much stuff. Amazon and I are very tight friends that need some time a part. We need a "break-up" period, if you will. I should probably admit to the fact that I might have a bit of an online shopping addiction. There's so much cute baby stuff, so many new books, so many new anything and everything-s that I don't need to buy. The FEDEX and UPS guy probably know the location of my house by heart by now. That is a problem.

I know a lot of people do No Spend November, but I am doing No Spend July. Maybe I'll do November too?

It's simple. Don't spend any money except for the bare necessities. (I feel like Mogli from the Jungle Book should sing us a little tune every time I write those words.) 

WHAT IS ALLOWED: 

+ Obviously, groceries and diapers are needed.

+ We need to pay our mortgage, bills, and buy gas to get to work to pay those bills.

+ One date night out with my husband is allowed. Finding a coupon for the evening's festivities will be a must. 

+ Anything related to building my business with Doterra falls under what I can spend. I need to spend a certain amount each month to keep building my business and earning commission. Which is awesome! I have a few classes this month so I shouldn't need to dip into my spending. 

WHAT IS NOT ALLOWED: 

+ Coffeeshops. (Boo)

+ Any salon appts. (ex: manis, pedis, eye brow wax, etc, etc, etc.)

+ Nothing from Amazon

+ Nothing from Target, Ross, or any other store for that matter.

+ Eating out. Grabbing a big ol' delicious salad at Whole Foods. Then leaving after buying half of the store, ie. half of my paycheck. 

+ Etc.

+ Etc.

+ Etc.

I am ready. I need this change. I need this challenge.

I will update periodically as to how the challenge is going.

This will be a month of taking my lunch to work. Making my coffee at home. Not looking at Amazon, ever. 

I can totally do this. 

It's funny because as I have been working on this, I have seen so many ads for 50% off everything in the store, BOGO free with this purchase, and the list goes on and on. The struggle is real! 

Here are resources to help: 

+ Read about how Fun Cheap or Free buys her groceries. No coupons! 

+ Cheap or Free Date Night Ideas

+ 5 Simple Ways to Accomplish Your Financial Goals 

+ Dave Ramsey is the master of getting out of debt. Here are few of his budgeting forms. 

+ I've been using ReadyForZero to help manage my payments and get us out of debt. 

Weekly Lovelies: Currently Clicking Week #9

Every week, I gather links of all of the places I have been perusing in the great, grand internet. There are plenty of people out there doing big things and small things. Some of these are practical, some are inspiring. I have spent the last few days at home sick as a dog with a kid that has been under the weather as well. This marks the first sickness since I was pregnant. Not fun. Not fun at all. But, here are some links to boost my mood and cause me to think about something other than the fact that I'm supposed to sing at a conference tomorrow and don't know if I can because I've been so sick. Ugh. 

1. 101 Tips to Make Your Life Easier. We all need these at some point. To continue with life tips....31 Ideas for a Sparkling Home.
2. Some local musicians just released a worship record that is so refreshing to me. The hubs and I saw them last Sunday. Good people. Listen and purchase Loudharp's record here. I promise you won't be disappointed  The song, "The Nearness of You," wrecks me completely every single time.
3. I'm seriously crushing on this Modern Bohemian House Tour.  And this Mid-Century Modern House Tour.
4. I recently became a mom. I have the battle scares to prove it. Some of them will probably never disappear, but they are a constant reminder of my little one and I wouldn't have it any other way. Here are 16 Real, Beautiful Women in Every Stage of Pregnancy. Does contain nudity, but I think it's beautiful. Don't act like I didn't warn you. Also, along the same vein, 4th Trimester Bodies. Becoming a mom is a powerful thing. I think it needs to be celebrated even when our jeans don't fit like they used to. It's not worth freaking out about. 
5. 100+ Tips for Frugal Living: How to Get Thrifty and Save Money. Posts like this are my jam. I'm a total nerd for stuff like this. Now, if I could get to the point of actually practicing all of these...
6. As a songwriter, I struggle sometimes with pulling from my past so much when I write because it was a much darker time than the life I live now. This article perfectly paints the picture of that struggle: How to Live a Creative Life (Without Ending Up Depressed, Drunk, or Dead.)