Evolution

No, I'm not about to go on a rant about Charles Darwin. I'm talking about personal evolution. Today Billy and I ran to Costco around lunch to see if they had this month's book club book: The Girls from Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow. They didn't. On our way to get a hotdog, I just happened to look at the price of that Canon EOS Rebel Xsi DSLR camera I've been salivating over for a while. It was $150 MORE than the last time I saw it.

Insert Homer Simpson's drooly sound here...

Not gonna lie, I kinda pouted for a minute. Just days ago Billy and I were talking about maybe treating ourselves to a few things if we did, in fact, get a bonus at work. This was on the short list. Until now.

As I was drowning my sorrows in my hotdog, I had an epiphany. A little voice inside my head said "Well, maybe I don't really need it right now." Holy crap. What was that? I just grew up.

That took me to what I learned in the most recent Dave Ramsey lesson from this weekend: Buyer Beware, more specifically the segment called Power Over Purchases. When making major purchases--which these days is anything over $100 for us--Dave Ramsey recommends you go through these 5 little steps:

1. Wait over night. Get over the high of a significant purchase. If you go back and it's not there anymore or not on sale anymore, that might be God's way of saying NO! You don't need that camera/puppy/Coach purse...
2. Carefully consider your buying motives. No amount of stuff will make you happy. Don’t let your stuff get you! Is it a need or a want? WANT. Next...
3. Never buy anything you don’t understand. I will admit that I know way more about photography than I did 6 months ago. I guess I was justifying it by saying Well, I can't REALLY learn if I don't have anything to learn on, right? WRONG. I still have a perfectly awesome point-and-shoot that I still haven't mastered.
4. Consider the opportunity cost on your money. What opportunity are you giving up by spending that money or saving that money? We would be giving up the opportunity to become $600+ closer to being debt-free. In my book, that's a lot more valuable.
5. Seek the counsel of your spouse. What does Billy think? "You don't need it right now anyway, really." Sigh.

I'm not really sure what to do next. Obviously, I won't be buying a camera. I've tossed around the idea of putting $50 away every month until I have enough to buy it but the idea of paying COLD HARD CASH for it is a lot sweeter. I may even get a better deal.

Time to go work off that hotdog.

Pork it over...

My DVR is pretty full of cooking shows, mainly those by Giada DeLaurentiis and Ina Garten. Something about their shows relaxes me and I'll often plop down on the couch and watch a show or two to unwind. During one of those instances, Giada was whipping up a tasty pork recipe so I decided I'd print out that recipe and try it. Billy and I had a large package of pork chops in the freezer and we wanted to try a new way to cook them and boy were we pleased with this recipe!! I served it with whipped potatoes and it was delish!

Pork Chops with Fennel and Caper Sauce

Recipe from Giada DeLaurentiis

Ingredients:

1/4 c olive oil

4 boneless (2-inch-thick) pork chops (about 2 pounds total)

3/4 tsp salt, plus more for seasoning meat

3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning meat

2 fennel bulbs with fronds, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

1/3 c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus 1/3 c

1/2 c white wine

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juices

1/2 lemon, zested

2 tbs capers

Directions:

In a large, heavy skillet heat the olive oil over high heat. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Add teh pork to the pan and brown on both sides, about 4 minutes each side. Remove the pork from the pan, cover loosely with foil, and set aside.

Add the fennel, shallots, and 1/3 c parsley to the pan and cook over medium heat until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes and stir. Add the pork back into the pan, nestling the chops between the fennel and tomatoes so they are mostly submerged in the pan juices. Cook until the fennel is tender and the pork is done, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Place the pork on a serving dish. To finish the sauce, add the lemon zest, remaining 1/3 cup parsley, capers, and 3/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Spoon over the pork chops and serve immediately.

We also tried Pork Chops Stuffed with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Spinach, also from Giada. They were super yummy! If your pork chops are really thick like ours were, stick them in the oven for a bit to finish cooking them so you won't burn the outside or any of the stuffing. The pork turned out perfectly and the stuffing was so creamy and flavorful. Mmmm!

Enjoy!

What's been going on...

So here we are, a little more than a month into 2010, and I thought I would take a minute to grade myself on how well I've been doing on all those ambitious resolutions...

P90X: Billy and I are starting week 6 today. I have to admit I missed a few (really, only 3!) workouts when I was in Houston last week visiting my mom, but I jumped right back into it. It actually felt a little weird to not work out! I'm so proud of Billy: he can do SEVERAL pull-ups while I'm still hanging around at a half pull-up. I know, I'm lame. I can definitely see a change in my body and I feel great! We're totally finishing this time!

Dave Ramsey: Definitely doing some good things here. I really enjoy listening to the lessons. Not only is he funny but he makes you look at your money in a whole new way. We have successfully completely Baby Step #1 of having our Emergency Fund, and it was a good thing we had that too. Every winter our electric bill seems to be a bit on the ridiculous side, and this was one of those times. Had we not had our Emergency Fund to dip into, we would have been hurtin' this month. Now we just replenish what we borrowed from it and keep truckin' on Baby Step #2: getting out of debt.

Church: Haven't found one and haven't gone. Fail.

Healthy Marriage: There are some books I want to read and we definitely want to go see our Pre-marital counselor for a "check up" at some point, but over all things are great!

Trying new recipes: We are doing pretty good in this department. We've made our own bread and it was delicious! I've also tried out some recipes that I printed off of FoodNetwork.com. I'll post about those soon...you should try them because they were fantastic!

Eat locally: Fail on this one too...but that's not totally my fault. We will start on the Farmer's Markets in the spring, promise!

Keeping reading: I finished The Help and it was fantastic! I was actually sad when I finished. I haven't picked up the Animal, Vegetable, Miracle book again yet but that's because I decided to read To Kill A Mockingbird again. I know I read it in school at some point, but when I read it this time I just loved it. I finished it this morning. Our next book club book is The Girls from Ames, and my brother's girlfriend gave me her copy of American Wife. So we're ok here.

Learn to sew: Nope.

Take more pictures: Still figuring out my camera, but I definitely have been taking more pictures. And I have my eye on a Canon Rebel that we may treat ourselves to if we get a bonus at work. Yay!

Wake up earlier: Ha!

Housekeeping: Oy.

I'm definitely going to keep up with these for the rest of the year. And try to learn to knit. And blog more. See what I do to myself? That can't be healthy...

Snowy Day

Here's a pic of our cute little house in the snow. Nashville has been getting dusted by a nice little blanket of snow all day. Being from Houston originally and only seeing snow like twice in my life before I moved here, I just can't get enough and think it's so pretty! --But only if you get to stay inside and snuggle with the sweetest guy and dog on the planet...

Here are some more pictures I took before I froze solid...

Hey, where's Murph?

I hope everyone stays warm tonight ! Happy Friday!

mg

Idea Overload!

I've had a busy week this week and I'm just now having time to catch up on all my blog reading. That, combined with some of the office redecorating projects my new boss has tasked me with has totally awakened a monster. I have so many ideas for projects that they are about to come spilling out of my ears and all over the dog.

#1. Build a desk.

For a while, I have been absolutely salivating over a Parsons Desk from West Elm. Until now.

Just a little bit ago I sat down to read my favorite shelter blog Young House Love. Lo and behold, today's post featured a site that teaches you how to DIY the furniture pieces you love to dog-ear from your West Elm and Pottery Barn catalogs. I do not know who this girl is, but I just want to give her a big hug. Honey, you just saved us about $250! The site is Knock Off Wood. You're welcome.

#2. Master bedroom upgrade.

I. HATE. THE. COLOR. IN. OUR. MASTER. BEDROOM. (and bathroom)

I feel better now that I've gotten that off my chest. I picked this color before we moved into the house and basically off of a computer screen. Bad idea, friends. I had envisioned this beautiful teal-gray. What did I end up with? BLUE. Or, as my friends have dubbed it, Adult Blue. They all like it. I hate it. I don't think Billy really cares. Either way, it must go. Enter design*sponge. I saw this redesign from a person that started with BLUE, and was blessed with this...

HOLY SANCTUARY, BATMAN! I absolutely love this. I think I can achieve something similar for not much more than a couple gallons of paint and by using a lot of what we already have on-hand. Yes, please!

#3. Let there be cake (stands)!

I think this idea is freaking brilliant. This came from a bride on a budget via design*sponge again. I love cake stands. If I had unlimited space in which to store them, I would probably buy every single one I see. Luckily for Billy and our bank account, I do not. This clever chick-a-dee got some textured plates and candle holders from her nearby Goodwill store, glued the plate to the candle holder, and then spray-painted the pair white. BRILLIANT. I'm gonna do this!

My absolute favorite part of all these little projects is that they are very wallet-friendly. As you know from previous posts, part of our goal for this year was to get down and dirty with Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and turn our money frowns upside-down. I think we can spend less than $150 on all of these and stay well within our budget. I don't know about you, but I think that would get a big DR Seal of Approval!

OK back to reading. There are still over 200 new items in my Google Reader.

Workin' on my Fitness...

Last night we started our second week of P90X. The first work-out of the week is Chest & Back, which includes lots of push-ups and pull-ups. I have struggled with the whole push-ups and pull-ups thing for a while but guess what: I have officially graduated to doing push-ups the REAL way and not using my knees!! I was so proud of myself! Granted, I wasn't able to do very many but any little improvement is good for me.

I'm also really proud of Billy. He's killin' those push-ups!

We were so wiped out that we skipped the Ab Ripper work-out, but if we're not feeling too puny today after Plyometrics I may try to go ahead and get it over with.

Now time to go climb Laundry Mountain...

mg

Happy 2010!

I know this is a little late, but Happy New Year!

I've taken a little more time than most do to reflect on the past year and what's to come in 2010. Mainly because I've been too lazy and sore to get off the new couch. Why am I sore? Well, because Billy and I have decided to do P90X. Again. More on that later though.

Overall, 2009 was pretty darn awesome. It didn't start off so great because my grandmother passed away, so we started off the year at a funeral. I still haven't taken her name out of my cell phone contacts and I think about her all the time, especially when I make her amazing Pumpkin Cake and whipped potatoes.

I turned 26.

Billy and I got engaged.

Billy and I got married.

So yeah, I think 2009 was a great year. I don't know how 2010 could top it, but if it doesn't, I'd be ok with that. I'm actually looking forward to just BEING. Last year seemed so crazy and full of excitement that I can't wait to just let everything sink in and enjoy it.

I do have some goals for 2010 though. Our two main objectives for this year can be complete by the end of March if we stick with them, and I hope we do!

1--P90X. If you have not heard of P90X you may be living under a rock. No, it's not a cult. It's a DVD-based workout program, but it is INTENSE! This is our 3rd go-round with it. The first time we started around September, then all the wedding excitement and busy-ness got in the way of us finishing. We started AGAIN shortly after we got back from our honeymoon in Hawaii, but then the holidays hit and, well, you know how that goes. We started on Saturday the 2nd, so tonight will be our 4th workout this week: the dreaded YogaX. It is like Yoga on Crack AND Steroids. I hate it. But I love it.

2--Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. My dad has barked at me to do this for I don't know how long. I actually enjoy Dave Ramsey. He makes learning about finances and how to take care of yourself financially quite enjoyable. We listened to the first lesson this weekend and filled out our Quickie Budget. We're in decent shape. We have a good grip on what our debts are and what we will need to do to be debt-free. The hard part of this is, like anything, following it and sticking to it. I really want Billy and I to have a very financially sound future, and I think if we start this now we have a good shot at it. Plus the fact that DR's office is around the corner from my office doesn't hurt. And it's across the street from the mall. Did he do that on purpose?? Sure, until we get a grip on things financially our fun projects around the house may be put on hold. The camera I want will have to wait. But those are sacrifices we are willing to make!

Say your prayers that we stick with both! Encouragement in the form of comments is greatly appreciated. :)

There are a few other things I'd like to accomplish this year:

• Find a church we like and go regularly.
• For Billy and me to keep working on having a healthy marriage.
• Try at least 1 new recipe a week.
• Eat locally. Nashville has a great Farmer's Market and our neighborhood has some great local food resources and we want to start taking advantage of them. I've started reading the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and it's really shocking how much goes into getting our food from one place to another. I'm no tree-hugger here but I want to know where my food is coming from! Hopefully we can build some planter boxes in our backyard this year and do most of the gardening ourselves, but whatever we can't and don't grow ourselves is really less than a few miles away. I think we can handle that.
• Keep up the reading. I average about 3-4 books a month--less during the holidays of course, but I just love to read. I'm in a book club and for that we're reading The Help. Yes, I read 2 books at once. If I don't get them mixed up, I'll tell you about both when I finish!
• Learn to sew. My awesome in-laws Bill and Cindy (I really was blessed in that department!) gave me a sewing machine LAST Christmas. I've taken it out of the box once. Hopefully by this time next year I will have at least fired it up and figured out what the heck a bobbin is...
• Take more pictures. I have a pretty decent point-and-shoot. I've somehow managed to jack up the settings on it trying to shoot in Manual mode, but I'll get it figured out. Pretty self-explanatory.
• Get up earlier. Ugh. Not doing so hot in that department.
• Get better at the housekeeping thing. Having a job really gets in the way of that, doesn't it? Really I would just like to get up early enough to make the bed for the day (see above). Stay on top of the laundry--which would actually require folding it after drying it instead of dumping it in the basket. I'd like to start making our own cleaning products, try to not kill plants, etc. We'll see.

So that's pretty much it. I will definitely update on how the P90X and DR stuff goes. You'll get some book reports. You'll of course see some pictures, of food and the house. House pictures will inspire better housekeeping efforts, so I think this all works together quite nicely.

Happy Tuesday, y'all!

mg