There Must Be More To Life Than Dishes and Laundry...

RV Travel Planning

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 13:23:00 +0000

How do you plan your travels when you can go anywhere you want? Or maybe your travels are limited to job sites but you still need a place to organize your reservations and plans? You need a planner, not any planner but a RV travel planner!

A paper planner may seem unnecessary in our digital world but for a visual, organized, type A person like me, it is essential. Last fall I heard about The Complete RV Travel Planner from Where The Streets Wander on Facebook. In our preparations to launch fulltime in our RV I began following as many fulltime RV travelers as I could find. Once I heard about their product, I knew I needed one and asked my husband to get me the 2019 Complete RV Travel Planner for Christmas. All my type A dreams came true when I received it last Christmas.

2020 The Complete RV Travel Planner cover

One thing about RV travel is that you may not always have cell coverage where your RV travels take you. This makes a paper planner superior to an electronic option for this reason alone. If you are a visual person, this planner helps you layout your reservations, gas stops, activities in each area, and more. I use it for brainstorming as much as finalizing plans.

When you receive your planner in the mail you will receive the tabs to install with instructions. Easy to install and this way the tabs don't get damaged during shipping.

Inside cover

The 2020 edition of The Complete RV Travel Planner has many helpful features. The front inside cover is laminated so you can list local area information and erase when you move onto the the next spot. The first page is where I keep all my important RV information such as membership numbers. Most of our RV memberships have cards but when logging in online it is nice to have all the information in one spot. The first few pages have instructions on how to best use the planner, spots to list information specific to your rig such as weight, height, tank capacity, etc. There is also a power consumption reference chart which can help when boondocking or running your RV on 30amp or 20amp service. There are also various maps such as a time zone map, a state and province map, topographic map. The next pages include a travel bucket list. This is your spot to dream big and list ideas. All throughout my planner I use pencil because as a fulltime RVer plans often change! The next pages are a two page spread of year 2020 and 2021 at a glance. This is very helpful when you are making high level plans, further out. Are we going to go to Alaska or the Pacific Northwest in summer of 2020? Where will this lead us for winter 2021? As someone who can go anywhere having a loose plan for where you are headed for the next season or two helps guide some of your other decisions.

Time zone map

Month view

Now to the meat and bones of the planner. Each month starts our with a 2 page spread of the entire month. The two page spread has lined boxes for easier organization. Last year the monthly overview was a one page layout and I love the additional space the two page spread provides. At the bottom of the two page spread you have a small overview calendar of the month before and the month after. This is very helpful as your plans could span more than one month. There is also an open lined space at the bottom right for notes and a check box, to-do list on the far right. How can you not stay organized with this set up?

Weekly layout has a spot for each day, a list of things to see, and a list of things to do

The weekly layout has each day of the week with spots to list daily locations or activities. Each week also has a checklist for things to see and things to do. At the end of the month there is a campground reservation log. This is where you can list all the details of each reservation. In the 2019 edition this was included in the daily spot but since most times you are not changing campground each day it makes sense to have the reservation details at the back of the month. If you move more often or want the details on each day there is still space in the daily spot. The last section of each month includes a monthly travel expenses log. So far we haven't been using the log but I am going to start so I have more detailed records of our monthly expenses as they relate to RV travel.

The end of each month includes a travel expense log

The section towards the end of the planner has other useful features. The RV packing list is filled in by you and could be used as a set up or tear down list for fulltimers or as a simple packing list for part time or seasonal RVers. The next section includes spots for: roadside assistance, RV Insurance, Truck/Toad insurance, camping membership, mail service, bank, and medical insurance, as well as a blank page for your important names, numbers, and addresses. There is a section to write down passwords. The next page is everything important for your pets, breed, microchip, age, medical history, etc. A one page layout of 2021 and 2022 is found next.

2019 and 2020 The Complete RV Travel Planner side by side

The final section is future travel ideas: 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. Do you know what you'll be doing in 2024? This is your spot to dream and dream big! The last section includes each state and Canadian province with blank spaces to include things you want to see or do in each area. At the bottom of each state are the national parks for that state. The back cover is also laminated and includes emergency numbers by state.

I love having this planner and keeping all our travel plans organized! Where are you planning to travel in 2020? How do you stay organized?

Ready to buy your own 2020 The Complete RV Travel Planner? Use code DISHESLAUNDRY10 for 10% off! https://streetswander.com/rv-travel-planner/

* I was provided a copy of the 2020 Complete RV Travel Planner by Where The Streets Wander in order to facilitate this review. This is not a paid review and all opinions are expressly my own.

Our Favorite Things To Do In Zion National Park

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Sun, 30 Jun 2019 16:18:00 +0000

Zion National Park was a favorite of our family. There are so many things to do in Zion National Park. Southern Utah has 5 major National Parks but we were only able to visit Zion along with the Grand Canyon on this trip. Previously we were able to visit both Arches and Canyonlands National Park. Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef are on our list for future trips. We took this trip before we were fulltime RVers so we had one week in March for Spring Break and were traveling with our minivan and popup camper.

Where to Stay

We tried to be spontaneous this trip and stay at 1st come, 1st serve campgrounds in the national parks. Despite being March, we had no luck getting a spot in the national park campground. Thankfully because it was March the RV parks right outside the national parks were mostly empty. We ended up at Zion Canyon Campground and RV Resort. We really enjoyed our stay here and would definitely recommend this RV Resort (not sponsored). The location was literally just outside the park entrance. You could walk to the visitor's center. Since Zion has a mandatory shuttle bus we did walk to the park entrance on several occasions and then road the shuttle bus into the park.

Driving into the area

Things To Do In Zion National Park

Visitor Center

The visitor center is an important 1st stop for your time in the park. National park visitor centers and national park rangers are a wealth of information. Not only do they have exhibits and typically a park film, almost all the rangers love talking to visitors and help them plan their trip into the park (talk about dream job). My favorite thing to do is take the time to talk to the rangers about their favorite part of the park and ask what they would do with kids our age. I also often ask what is a less visited part of the park they would recommend. On many occasions I have received insider tips about the park and been told to visit things I wouldn't have seen otherwise. The park rangers are truly the experts on the park and most love their jobs. Don't skip this step!

Zion National Park

Junior Ranger Program

The visitor center is also where you can pick up your junior ranger books. The National Park Junior Ranger program is another highlight of the National Parks for our family. Each park (or monument or historic site) has a booklet of information, activities, and challenges for the kids to complete. Once the kids have completed the activities they can return to the visitor's center to be sworn in as junior rangers and receive a badge. Our kids have become junior rangers at 21 National Parks sites so far. Junior ranger books make for an awesome day of homeschooling. You spend the day in the park exploring, hiking, learning, reading the visitor center exhibits, and watching the park video.

All 4 kids being sworn in as junior rangers at Zion National Park

Showing off his badge and his cheeseburger smile

Ranger Led Activities

Ranger lead activities are another National Park favorite for our family. If you visit in the off season the activities will be limited but if you visit during peak season there should be several activities each day. Ranger talks are informative and a lot of fun. Ranger lead hikes are some of our favorite as the rangers take you on a hike to a specific area and narrate the hike with their wealth of information. Such a great experience! Some parks even offer special junior ranger activities that are geared towards kids. We have done things like play games focused on learning about the park or getting to touch animal hides or bones. Read your park newspaper and map and ask what ranger activities are available while you are visiting.

Zion National Park

Hike The Narrows

Hiking The Narrows is a highlight of visiting Zion National Park. It is a narrow section of canyon that can only be hiked by walking up or downstream. If you want to hike upstream, as most people do, a permit is not required. If hiking in a river isn't your speed, you can view The Narrows area of Zion National Park the paved riverside walk one mile from the Temple of Sinwava. Since it was March when we were visiting it wasn't too hot outside and the water was really cold so we only hiked in a short distance. Our youngest was also almost 4 years old so that limited how far we wanted to hike in the river. Even if you don't plan to hike The Narrows, I still recommend visiting the area. It is beautiful!

The Narrows

Silly faces at The Narrows

Weeping Rock

Hiking to Weeping Rock was another favorite for our family while we were there. It is a short trail but Weeping Rock is really neat. The area is a lush hanging garden where water flows year round. Unlike a waterfall the water seems to just seep out of the rock continuously. It is quite the sight. The kids especially thought it was neat, as they had never seen anything quite like it. I see how the rock got its name, it looks like it is weeping. Definitely add this to your list of places to check out in Zion. Check out this quick video clip of Weeping Rock:

Angels Landing

One area of the park where we wanted to visit but weren't able to was Angels Landing. Angels Landing is a strenuous trail with steep drop offs but the view from the top looks amazing. It is not recommended for small children or those afraid of heights and we had both in our group. If you are a good hiker and have older kids I would definitely recommend this hike. Next time we visit Zion it is on our list.

Final Thoughts

Zion National Park is a beautiful National Park and should be on everyone's list to visit some day. It's location makes it easy to plan a road trip from many western states. It is easy to include Zion on a trip to Moab, Utah (and Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park) or The Grand Canyon (what we did), or even Las Vegas, Nevada. Including more than one site into a trip makes the drive or flight seem more worthwhile. If you are able to camp and plan your own meals and bring the food you need, you can make a national park vacation very affordable. Another money saving tip is to purchase the America the Beautiful National Parks pass for $80 and enjoy unlimited National Park visits over the next year. Happy adventuring!

Not All Rainbows and Sunshine

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Sun, 30 Dec 2018 14:24:00 +0000

When we first started telling people we were going to travel the country in an RV we got varied responses but most fell into one of two categories: I am so jealous, that is so neat, I wish I could do that, or that is crazy, I could never sell my house, let alone all my possessions, I wouldn't want to travel around that much. For those in the first camp, I am going to share some of what has been going on behind the scenes the last two months since we launched full-time.

It really isn't all rainbows and sunshine. I have blogged about this already but homeschooling is hard. It definitely is not something I feel called to do but I do it as means to allow us to travel full-time. The longer I do it, hopefully the better I get but Orion and I butt heads often. He is a very active 6 year old boy who doesn't like "school" in a traditional sense but is very advanced in both math and reading so balancing enough active, physical play, along with experiments and hands on learning, with book work to keep him learning is a challenge. My two girls don't love homeschool either but their school is pretty straight forward, despite being more challenging academically than public school.

Close up of the 2nd tire blow out and resulting damage

Then you have RV repairs! I feel like we are in the shake down period. Our RV is a good quality 5th wheel that is built for full-time living but it feels like something is always breaking. We went to move the RV in NC and the jack motor broke, forcing us to hand crank the jacks on a very unlevel spot on my dad's property. On our trip from NC to FL we experienced our 1st trailer tire blow out going 55MPH on I-95. Nate changed the tire on the side of the interstate and we were on our way. Then 3 hours later on the road to the RV park we had a 2nd blow out. Both accidents did significant damage ($2500) and left our RV immobilized. Thankfully Progessive has been very helpful and after our $1000 deductible the damage to the RV should be fixed today (waiting on repairman's arrival).

1st tire blow out was slightly less dramatic but still did serious damage

Though our tires had good tread life, showed no signs of wear, and had been inspected and aired up that morning we no longer trusted them and decided to spend the $1000 for 5 new trailer tires. Hopefully they last us 2-3 years minimum and we never had to experience back to back tire blow outs again.

Then you have the stuff that breaks every time you move the RV. I have to think we'll get better at this but every time we move the RV there is some major interior disaster. Last time it was my favorite dinnerware I received as a wedding gift. Numerous other things have broken too. Nate calls it stowing for sea and it is no joke. Anything and everything that can break or fall, will. Everything needs velcroed down!

My poor dishes :-(

We have recently had some expenses come up with the truck as well. We had $500 in routine maintenance about 2 weeks ago. I knew diesel engines were going to be expensive to work on but didn't realize that meant about twice as much as the Ford F-150 gas engine we used to have. As part of our kids Christmas gift we took them to Sea World for the day (give gifts of experiences not things). As we were approaching Sea World the truck overheated. Nate found the overflow coolant tank empty. Another $700 out the window.

The thing is as these things come up you can let them consume you. One expensive thing or one difficult thing after another, can really get you down but I am trying to keep a positive attitude. Getting upset about things you can't control doesn't make the problem go away or any better or worse, it just changes your experience of the situation. Most days things are great. We are loving being able to see new stuff, visit with family and friends, and see the beach, but it isn't all rainbows and sunshine.

Embracing Minimalism

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 16:02:00 +0000

Only 2 more days until we leave on our full-time RV adventure! Part of downsizing from a 2400 sq ft home to a 400 sq ft 5th wheel is embracing minimalism! How did we get to a point that we could truly embrace minimalism in order to move onto the next stage of our life? It has been a bit of a journey. Moving across the country multiple times we always tried to purge before our moves but it wasn't until I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo that I really started embracing minimalism. The book outlines a strategic way to declutter your home and get rid of stuff you don't need. One key question she has you ask as you go through items is, "does this bring me joy?" That was a big change for me. I read this book about 4 years ago. I started going through things asking myself, "does this bring me joy"? It was a huge mind shift.

I had spent my entire adult life accumulating things. Always thinking we needed a bigger house, a bigger yard, nicer furniture, but you know what those things did not bring me happiness. I am even going to go out on a limb and say if you look deep inside yourself those things don't bring you true happiness either. Sure, having nice things is nice but beyond your basic needs being met having more things doesn't necessarily bring you happiness. I like nice things but honestly having a big house payment is stressful. Having a big house to clean and maintain is stressful. The most stressful and time consuming for us was having a big yard. We spent our entire lives wishing we had a big yard for the kids to play in but having had 1/4 acre lot the last 2.5 years it is so much work to keep up with the weeds, lanscaping, mowing, watering, and planting.

In order to fit 5 people into 400 sq ft we had to get rid of almost everything. I am not going to lie it was hard! Furniture I didn't care about. We like getting things for a bargain and Facebook marketplace (and previously Craigslist) is the way to find nice stuff, at a good price. When we settle down somewhere next we will just buy furniture 2nd hand. Sentimental stuff was hard for me to let go. We sent several boxes of pictures with friends. Pictures, projects, and things the kids made we took pictures of that we will keep forever as digital photos. Hobby stuff was hard to get rid of too but when I thought long and hard most of it had been accumulated but rarely touched.

Nate and I both really enjoy travel. We enjoy meeting new people, seeing new places, and experiencing new cultures. We would rather spend money on experiences rather than stuff. We love being outdoors and things like hiking, camping, and being out in nature. Having less stuff, will allow us to explore without being tied down to a mortgage, a place to come back to, or a house to maintain. It will also allow us to spend extended time with our loved ones, both family and close friends.

A huge added bonus is I have sold a lot of our stuff on Facebook marketplace and while I haven't kept exact track of every dollar made I think we've made close to $2500. Not bad for old stuff, mostly not getting used. This also ties into our Dave Ramsey journey towards debt freedom. We were debt free except our mortgage as of June 2016 and once our house closes we will be completely debt free!

We are so excited for this next chapter of our lives and the opportunity to live a life of freedom and adventure. I hope to post regularly on my blog so subscribe and follow along!

I also will be posting on my blog Facebook page and Instagram.

My life the last 5 months!

If you liked this post, check out my posts:

"How To Fund Your Vacation (Or Whatever Else) By Selling Things Around Your House You Aren't Using"

Our Journey To Debt Freedom Part 1 and Part 2

Tales of an Unexpected Homeschool Mom

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Sun, 02 Sep 2018 21:36:00 +0000

If you would have asked me several years ago about homeschooling I would have told you that I have a lot of respect for moms that homeschool but it wasn't for me. I enjoy working out of the home and I feel like both my kids and I are better with a break from each other sometimes. But, here I am homeschooling 3 of my 4 kids as they enter 12th, 10th, and 1st grade.

1st Grade

10th Grade

12th Grade

This is a year of transition for the Brown family. Brennan started college a couple weeks ago at NDSU and moved into the dorms. Our house sure feels different with only 3 kids in it.

College Freshman

In June, Nate started a new job that is location independent. This led us to explore where do we want to live? We came to Fargo, ND for Nate's job 2 years ago. We could stay here but we no longer had to. There are lots of great things about Fargo and they kids truly have great friends here but for Nate and I we didn't feel like Fargo was our long term home. We considered going back to Fort Collins but once we looked at homes online and realized we would have to have a $300,000+ mortgage to move back and we decided that didn't make financial sense.

So where did this leave us? We prayed, talked about, and weighed pros and cons, but we decided to sell our home in favor of a 5th wheel and be truly location independent. Traveling full time in an RV has been a dream of Nate and mine but it always felt like a far off dream. Maybe once the big kids are out of the house. Maybe after all the kids are out of the house. We knew we could save up enough money to live this way for awhile but we never quite figured out how to afford health insurance or other things covered by a full time job. Once Nate was presented with this job opportunity we felt like the Lord was leading us to take a step out in faith and follow our dreams.

A big motivating factor was the ability to spend some extended time with our family who are spread across the country. My dad is in North Carolina and has been ill for awhile, spending time with him is a top priority. My sister is in Florida and just had a new baby. Spending time with our new nephew is another priority. We also have close famiy and friends in Colorado that we will spend time with too. We will also spend time each year back in ND with Brennan.

So here I am homeschooling the kids! I have two weeks under my belt and I am not going to lie. It is hard, a lot harder than I thought it would be. I constantly feel like I have so much to learn and I have to keep stopping to figure out things that are not inuitive. I am a perfectionist and a planner and like to do everything perfectly the first time and have everything planned out far in advance. I am learning with homechooling this isn't the case. I know we will get into our routine and things will get easier but right now it's still hard.

The girls are doing an accredited program where they watch video lessons filmed during live classes and we work at our own pace. They have 170 lessons to get through and take quizzes and tests online. I supervise, check homework, and help if needed but they are fairly independent. Phoenix has the heaviest class load so we have to make sure we start early enough in the morning so we are done by 3pm each day. The girls are still working and then have homework after their lessons to get through. It is a lot of material to cover.

Orion is doing Abeka as well but parent led so I can teach to his level. I bought a complete 1st grade set of teacher and student materials but can teach at his level. He is already on lesson 81 in math and 88 in reading. He is very active and wiggly and not in love with homeschool but I hope to incorporate more and more hands on activities now that I have honed in what level he is at in each subject area.

So my question to you is do you homeschool? If not, have you ever considered homeschooling? Why or why not?

Mexico On My Mind!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Sun, 24 Dec 2017 06:55:00 +0000

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A little under 3 weeks ago I returned from an amazing trip with 3 of my long time friends to the Cancun area of Mexico. We had such a great time! We stayed at Iberostar Paraiso Del Mar in Playa Del Carmen.

Beautiful Resort Grounds and Lobby Areas

Peacocks were only one of the many different kinds of wildlife we saw on resort property. We saw Coati, cats, parrots, turtles, flamingos, peacocks, and many other types of birds

This was my 1st time staying at an all inclusive resort. I have been on two cruises, which have all inclusive food and our cruise excursion to Cozumel had all inclusive food and drink, but each place is different. Here at the Iberostar properties if you are staying at the Beach or Del Mar side you can book 2 a la carte restaurants for a 4 night stay. We chose Japanese hibachi based upon online reviews and it was delicious, the best meal of our trip! The 2nd a la carte we chose was The Brazilian Rodizo. It was okay but nothing amazing. We ordered room service once for desserts and wine and that was a lot of fun and a tasty treat. We booked a room with 2 beds at the Beach side but they put us in a room with 1 bed so we ended up moving to a room at the Del Mar side near the lobby. We were near the Del Mar lobby buffet so we ate every breakfast there. The food was satisfactory. Nothing amazing but a huge spread and since it was all you can eat you can keep going back until you find something you like. For lunch we either ate at the beach or the pool buffet until the last day. The food at the pool buffets was definitely not as good as the lobby buffet. We had a really nice lunch at the Beach side lobby buffet our last day. We weren't that impressed with Star Rock Cafe or the Taco place in the shopping center but did have yummy crepes and coffee at the shopping center.

Japanese Hibachi, delicious food and entertainment

Parasailing, one of many activities they had at the resort

Jumping for joy! We love the beach!

The star of the resort, a gorgeous soft, sand beach. We could have spent all day relaxing on the beach

Our room was quite a walk to the beach but the grounds were lush with vegetation and gorgeous and we didn't mind the exercise. There were snacks, a bar, and bathrooms right at the beach. Depending upon the time of day the beach could be crowded but with a little persistence we could always find 4 lounge chairs. Each day there were different activities at the beach. We participated in yoga on the beach on day and Zumba on the beach another day. Both were a lot of fun. We also heard staff rounding up guests for pick up soccer and volleyball games. The water varied from very rough to fairly calm when we were there. The sand was very soft and never hot. There were hammocks near the beach and outdoor beds so plenty of space for relaxing. was seaweed but it wasn't overtaking the beach. There were rocks in some areas but the lifeguards kept swimmers to one area where there were not rocks.

Our 2nd favorite spot, the gorgeous pool. It was huge and had sun loungers, spa jets, quiet areas, and multiple swim up bars.

Swim up bar!

The pool area was a huge surprise just how vast it was. It wasn't super wide at spots but went through the property almost as a river. The pool started with the hot tub at the far enter in a covered area. and went most of the way to the beach. There were a lot of comfortable lounge chairs and shade by the pool, outdoor beds, and areas to relax. As you got closer to the beach there were bathrooms, swim up bar, ice cream counter, sun loungers, and jetted area of the pool. One pool was a little more lively and had the games and activities at it. One day we watched guests compete to try to stand up on a surfboard and jump over a rope strung across the pool. That same day they gave a short dance lesson by the pool. Plenty to keep you busy if you like to be busy. Plenty of opportunities to relax if that is what you prefer.

Best of friends on vacation!

The best part for me? Getting uninterrupted time to catch up with my girlfriends. I have known these ladies for 20 or more years but life has taken us all different directions and it is not often that we get to really catch up. The fact that Cancun has a direct flight from Denver and Minneapolis makes it as easy as getting to the east coast. Going through customs as quick and easy and we had arranged to a bus to take us to and from the airport with cheapcaribbean.com when we booked. Rain was forecast most of our trip but we only had one downpour and a couple short sprinkles. Mostly we had gorgeous sunny and 80 degree weather. We truly had an amazing time and I know it won't be a question of it we'll be back but when we'll be back!

10 Disney Dream Insider Tips - Disney Cruise Line

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 00:35:00 +0000

We spent an amazing 5 days on the Disney Dream last month. It was a wonderful family vacation! This was our 2nd Disney Cruise Line vacation. Disney fans love planning so I wanted to share my insider tips for the Disney Dream.

1. Figure out when your online check in window opens and be ready! You must be paid in full and then first time cruisers can check in 75 days ahead, Silver Castaway Club members (1-4 cruises) can check in 90 days ahead, Gold Castaway Club Members (5-9 cruises) can check in 105 days ahead, and Platinum Castaway Club Level (10 cruises or more) can check in 120 days ahead. The most important thing is to grab an early Port Arrival Time (PAT), book Princess and Frozen Meet and Greet tickets (limited quantity), book Palo or Remy, and book shore excursions (don't sell out as fast typically). I put in just the basic info to grab a PAT and then go back and add flight, transportation, and passport info later. I also registered my son for the kids club online and was able to skip that line in the terminal. Print your paperwork when you are done. 3 days or less before your cruise you cannot make changes online or print documents again so make sure you print before then. If you forget the documents you can still check in, it just speeds up the process.

2. Each adult can carry on 6 cans/bottles of beer or one bottle of wine at embarkation and at each port. This is the policy as of October 2017. Save a little money and bring your own wine or beer.

3.Pack a day bag with swimsuits, important documents like passports/birth certificates and medicine, and give the porters the rest of your luggage. Your room won't be ready until 1:30pm but boarding usually starts around 11:30am. We always head straight for Cabanas for a yummy lunch at the outside tables and head straight for the AquaDuck water slide and pools. The day we embarked the pool deck was HOT so flip flops or sandals are handy.

4. Go to the spa raffle on embarkation day (3:30pm) for us. Not only did several people win $50-$100 spa gift cards, at the end of their quick presentation they ran $100 off special on the bliss package (hot stone massage, scalp massage, foot rub, and facial). I wasn't planning to book a spa treatment but did for the 1st night between dinner and the show and had an amazing 1 hour and 45 minute service. So relaxing!

5. Book Palo brunch for your sea day. It was amazing! The food was so delicious, the service was great, the view was nice, and the adult only atmosphere was wonderful. Brunch on a sea day means you don't have to miss any of your evening meals and you don't have to worry about excursion timing. The Palo Lasagna, Veal, and Chicken Parmigiana were all some of the best food I have ever had. The cold buffet and desserts were pretty great too. Yum!

6. Check out the Midship Detective Game on deck 2 or deck 5. This wasn't overly promoted but it was a super fun game. I played one night with hubby and our 5 year old. My kids ended up doing all 3 missions over the course of the 5 days.

7. Play family Bingo! It may seem expensive or lame but it's not. It is a ton of fun. Even my teens loved it. Photographic evidence below!

Teens smiling at bingo!

8. Castaway Cay, a Bahamian paradise! I love Castaway Cay, my favorite port. So gorgeous. My insider tip is run the Castaway Cay 5K, it's a ton of fun. If you have kids too young to run, don't worry, the kids club on the island opens early just for them. Bring your swimsuits with you and change into your swimsuit after the race and enjoy a relaxing beach day. We found on the Dream, where there are more passengers than the Magic, the first family beach near the climbing structure was less crowded than the 2nd family beach near the Pelican Plunge water slide. Take time to ride the water slide, especially if you have small kids, they can ride a big water slide with a life jacket on. Adults, I highly recommend checking the kids into the kids club on the island for an hour and having lunch at Serenity Bay and enjoying some adult only time. Even more beautiful and peaceful than the family beach area.

Serenity Bay adult only beach at Castaway Cay

9. Room Service, use it! The cheese plate and the cake of the day are two of our favorites but you know what we loved this cruise? Pre-ordering room service breakfast the night before. Just hang the door hanger found in the desk drawer out the night before with a 30 minute time slot you select. I chose the time my alarm was set for and woke up to hot coffee, donuts, and fresh fruit. My 5 year old asked if someone would bring him donuts in bed once we were back home. Sorry buddy, real life isn't anything like a Disney cruise!

10. Dress up for events! Depending upon your itinerary you may have a semi formal, formal, pirate night, Halloween night, or other special night. My advice is dress up and participate! When else do you get to go all out and have fun? Our 5 day cruise had a Halloween night, a pirate night, and an optional semi formal night. We participated in them all!

Semi formal night

There are pirates out in those waters!

Kids during the Halloween on the High Seas Celebration

Prince Eric and Princess Ariel

There were several times during our cruise where I looked over at hubby and said, "is this real life?" Our whole trip was amazing and we can't wait to do it again!

Writing...Because it is Cheaper Than Therapy...

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 13:50:00 +0000

We have reached the point in the summer where mom has had enough! I expect most moms anticipate summer with longing. They get to spend more time with their sweet kids, the days are longer, the weather is warmer, we can play outside, we can go to the pool, we can camp, we can go on fun vacations.

At first, it was fun and I am still loving the warmer weather (winter stay away forever) but my household has disintegrated into utter chaos. Orion is newly 5 and will start kindergarten in August. He is my most challenging child by far. He was a high needs baby who needed his mama all the time and never slept. His intensity has continued on. I love him so and he is so fun and cute but he thrives in routine.

This summer I have 3 high school age kids and 2 of which who drive. In my head that meant I could pay them to watch Orion. He could sleep in, play with friends, the oldest two could drive him to the park, to the pool, to the zoo. He would be happy and having fun and my youngest teen would be happy because she was earning money.

The reality has been starkly different. The oldest 2 are working 32-40 hours each week. Staying up late and sleeping in. Mostly they have been unavailable to drive the 14 year old and 5 year old anywhere. The 14 year old has been uninterested in much besides her phone. She has taken to staying up very late and sleeping in which doesn't work well when you are babysitting your brother. She has kept him alive and usually fed but engaging activities aren't happening and often Orion has dissolved to tears because one of the 3 big kids has upset him. So much for summer fun!

Then we have my job... super flexible, I can make my own schedule except for a few set meetings and events during the week. I can even bring Orion to work with me occasion and can do a lot of my work from home. Working for a non-profit you don't make the big bucks, you do it because you love what you do and you are passionate about the mission. Both of my jobs at the church offered me more flexibility to balance work and home life than typical corporate jobs. Trying to squeeze my work hours in around the demands of 4 kids who are home all summer and still trying to manage my household isn't working out well. Working from home is okay but then I feel guilty that I am not in the office more. Bringing Orion to work with me hasn't worked out well. I should have learned by now. At my last job I brought him every Wednesday morning, which worked fine when he went to his class at church. As much as he should do fine with helping me clean, put stuff away, just play, he doesn't and bringing him to work with me is never a good idea and should only be used as a last resort.

I am feeling exhausted, fed up, and like life is just out of balance. I feel bad I can't provide Orion better routine and structure and that his behavior is suffering. When I am at work I feel guilty that the kids are at home and I am not spending time with them. When I am at home spending time with the kids I feel guilty that I haven't got more work done that week. Mom guilt, it's real!

Only 30 more days until school starts...send wine, send coffee, send cupcakes, and most importantly pray for me. I hope we all make it...

Run For Your Life

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Sat, 06 May 2017 03:39:00 +0000

Want to win a 5 pack class pass to be used at any participating Fit4Mom location (Greater Denver, North Metro Denver, and Northern Colorado franchises)? Head to Facebook to enter! Giveaway ends 5/12!

Fit4Mom is an organization near and dear to my heart! I have never been athletic or much into working out but in 2010, when we lived in Maryland I heard about a Couch to 5K at our local running store and I signed up. Something in me changed! I set goals and beat them! I loved socializing with the other participants and successfully ran my 1st 5K race that summer.

The next fall I signed up for their 10K training and ran my 1st 10K race and just kept on running! In 2011 when I got pregnant with our 4th child, I knew I didn't want to lose this fitness I had built up. I was determined to run as far along in my pregnancy as I could manage. I ran until about 24 weeks when a cold snap hit Colorado and I was starting to really show.

The problem with stopping running is it is hard to get back into it! During our 2011 move from Maryland to Colorado and my subsequent pregnancy, I never did find a training group that was my speed. Then came a baby who never slept and was very high needs and running and exercising did not happen for this mama!

Two of my friends, who didn't know each other both opened Fit4Mom franchises in the area. I checked out their openings but I wasn't sure it was my thing. One of the owners, Darcy Peters, persistently encouraged me to sign up for the Fit4Mom marathon and half marathon training. If she didn't persist I would have never said, "yes"! A marathon seemed beyond my reach but with some time, a lot of hard work, and some encouragement, maybe, just maybe I could run a half marathon.

That was December 2013 and I am currently training for my 4th half marathon! Running is my outlet. It keeps my mind clear when my world is chaos. It keeps me exercising. It keeps me connecting with other moms. It keeps me setting goals and working towards them. It keeps me doing something for me and me alone.

Fit4Mom was the group I needed. It was structure, it was accountability it was experienced coaches, it was friendship, and it was encouragement. I would have never crossed those finish lines without those ladies who logged all those miles along side with me. We have laughed and shared way too many TMI moments. There is something about running together, where you just bond. Running friends are the best friends!

May 2014 Colorado Half Marathon Fit4Mom Team

In May, 2014 I successfully completed my 1st half marathon, the Colorado half marathon. I started my race with all my teammates but one teammate stayed with me the entire race. She likely could have finished several minutes ahead of me but she never left my side. We finished together and it was an awesome feeling to have accomplished something that many people will never come close to!

My 2nd oldest and my youngest cheering Ginger and I on the race course

Happy Finisher!

I took a short break from training but started back in July to train for the Denver Rock n Roll half marathon in October. Fit4Mom was there again, along with my awesome teammates and friends. Training for a half marathon, you log a fair amount of miles over about 4 months. Not only did these ladies faithfully show up each week for our long runs, we often met up once or twice during the week to get in our shorter, midweek training runs.

The Denver Rock n Roll half I was on pace with a great friend of mine, LeAnn. When she struggled, I encouraged her along, when I struggled she encouraged me. I beat my 1st half marathon time by several minutes and came in about 2 minutes under my goal. I was a happy runner!

Fit4Mom Northern Colorado Denver Rock n Roll Team!

LeAnn and I proudly holding those medals we earned!

After almost 10 months of training I was getting mentally fatigued and needed a break. A lot of my team mates went on to train for the 2015 Colorado Half Marathon but I needed a break. Darcy Peters, the Northern Colorado Fit4Mom franchise owner encouraged me to try a BodyBack class. I was hesitant to say the least. I had come to love running but don't love exercising otherwise. I had never dieted but becoming healthier and losing weight was appealing. Plus I loved these ladies and two set dates each week to see my mom friends sounded like a bonus!

From the end of 2014, all of 2015, and the beginning of 2016 I took 3 sessions of BodyBack and I came to love the HITT style workouts. The diet part was hard for me but I saw results! My family loved the dinner recipes and some are still in our regular rotation. It was awesome to do assessments at the beginning of BodyBack and measure how fast you could run a mile, how long you could hold a plank, etc. and then at the end of the session seeing how much you had improved. Then there is the before and after photos and inches and pounds lost. I always saw great results and it was awesome to do it in a supported, fun atmosphere, with women who had become my friends.

Then these crazy friends of mine, talked me into a race I thought I'd never do. Horsetooth Half Marathon. Those of you not from Fort Collins may not realize but this is a tough, tough race! You run up a mountain, partially down, then back up another mountain. I am social person and once several of my friends who I had made through Fit4Mom committed to Horsetooth Half I signed up. The training was great. Yes, lots of cold days in January and February but we were ready to race. The day of the race it was snowing like crazy, blowing sideways, not the type of weather you want for a big race you've been preparing for 3.5 months for. With my Fit4Mom teammates and friends, Joni and Dara by my side, the 3 of us crossed the finish line of the Horsetooth Half Marathon. I am still so proud that despite that weather, all 3 of us finished! It wasn't our fastest half marathon but we ran a half marathon, up a mountain, in a snow storm. There was nothing we couldn't accomplish!

Still smiling after a snowy and hilly Horsetooth Half

Fit4Mom isn't just running training or BodyBack, it is friendship and support, and healthy lifestyles and healthy families. Their flagship class, Stroller Strides allows you to workout while you bring your baby in the stroller with you. They also offer Fit4Baby, pregnancy fitness and StrollerBarre, classes for moms with baby. I have so many great memories with these ladies. Not only of running and exercising together but of ladies night out and fun times together.

One year Fit4Mom had a team at the Color Vibe 5K

Being part of the Fit4Mom family the past 3 years changed me and my approach to fitness. It has grown my love of running and it has shown me that I can dream big and accomplish those dreams. There is nothing I cannot do if I put my mind to it and work hard towards my goals.

Another bucket list item, hubby and I climbed not one but two 14ers

Want to learn more about upcoming Fit4Mom events?

Greater Denver event- Anniversary Class for all mamas at all locations to attend

https://www.facebook.com/events/418331361857974/

North Metro - Stroller Strides Lafayette Grand Opening at Waneka Lake Park

https://www.facebook.com/events/765420033639358/

Northern Colorado - Mother's Day 5K

https://www.facebook.com/events/615751518635929/

All opinions are my own and based on my own experience participating in Fit4Mom programs. I was compensated for my time to prepare this post and share it via social media.

2017 Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Mon, 30 Jan 2017 03:58:00 +0000

It's still the first month of the year so I want to post my goals. It has been a few years but I posted my goals here on my blog in 2013, 2012, and 2011. I like accountability so here you go, 2017 goals:

Health/Fitness/Running

-Do not purchase junk food for the home. Limit treats to special occasions. Eat Whole 30 85% of the time (eat healthy except occasional, purposeful deviation).

-3 non running workouts per week (CourtsPlus or West Fargo Moms on the Run).

-Run the Fargo Half Marathon on May 20, 2017. Run 200 or more miles in 2017. Run 3 times per week.

Marriage

-12 dates per year, 1 overnight trip.

Kids

- 3 one-on-one dates per kid this year.

Social

-Attend one social event where I can meet new people or get to know acquaintances better.

Spiritual

-Join a small group and attend weekly or bi-weekly for at least 3 months.

Financial

-Refill emergency fund.

-Pay cash for vacations.

-Buy a camper.

Personal

-Get Orion to school before 8:15am everyday. Being on time or early makes for a great start to my day.

-Get Orion to bed each night by 8:30pm. Getting Orion to bed earlier will give me some free time each night but still allow me to fall asleep around 10pm each night.

Home Projects

-Finishing staining trim, doors, and cabinets upstairs.

Travel

-Disney cruise.

-1 trip to Colorado.

-1 trip to North Carolina.

Those are my goals for 2017. What are your goals? What do you think about what I am trying to achieve this year?

2016: A Year In Review

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Sun, 01 Jan 2017 05:47:00 +0000

2016 was a year of many changes and many adventures for our family. I thought it would be fun to do a year in review post to highlight some of the big changes or adventures we took in 2016.

Grand Canyon

During spring break in March we took our beat up 20 year old pop-up camper on a big adventure! We spent one week visiting The Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, and Glenwood Springs, Colorado.We encountered white out conditions in southern Utah and decided to get a hotel and finish our drive in the morning. The National Park campgrounds were all full so we had to stay at a RV Park just outside the park. It got down to 29 degrees overnight and our heater wouldn't work at first but thankfully Nate was able to fix it. It was quite the adventure! It was just as beautiful as I had remembered it though it had probably been 25 years since my last visit. We enjoyed ranger led activities, seeing wildlife, hiking the rim, and hiking several miles down into the canyon. Orion was a rock star this trip and hiked miles each day on his own!

Hiking into the canyon

The canyon rim

Zion National Park

Zion National Park did not disappoint! It was gorgeous! Once again all the first come, first served campsites were full so we had to stay at an RV park. Apparently spontaneous trips aren't allowed anymore. Someday we'd love to go back and hike the river bed. The dripping overhangs, river, wildlife, and scenery were all beautiful.We wrapped up the trip visiting friends in Grand Junction, exploring Colorado National Monument, and spent a full day swimming and soaking in the hot springs. Awesome spring break trip!

Colorado National Monument

Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, Colorado

In April, Nate accepted a promotion opportunity with his company in Fargo, North Dakota. We were moving over 800 miles away and Nate would be headed there in 4 weeks. We furiously got our house ready to sell. Thankfully it went under contract right away. The first weekend our house was for sale we took a trip to Colorado Springs and visited the Garden of Gods among other sites.

Downtown Fargo

Debt Free!

With our big move and house sale we were able to pay off the rest of our student loans. We were officially debt free (except our house) 6/28/16. We purchased our 2nd home 6/29/16 and were able to get a 20 year low fixed rate mortgage and put 25% down. Home sweet home in Fargo!

Bought our 2nd house

One thing our big move left me without was a job! After working for 3 years as a full-time salaried employee in a job I loved, I was a bit lost at first. I wanted to take some time to visit my dad who had been ill, visit my sister, and take time to get the kids settled before I looked for a new job. The summer was a whirlwind as Nate started work in May, the kids and I didn't arrive until July, we were only here 3 weeks then we left for a month on the road, only to get back in time for school to start. So thankful to have had that time with my dad (and my sister) this summer and for all the amazing sites we got to see between Fargo and Orlando.

Anheuser Busch St. Louis Missouri

Clydesdales

Our first stop on our trip was St. Louis, Missouri. This was a last minute addition as Nate needed to travel there for work just two weeks after we got into Fargo so we started out road trip early and met him in St. Louis. It was neat to see a city I had never explored but it was HOT while we were there. 105 on the heat index and extremely humid! We toured the Anheuser-Busch brewery, watched a Cardinals game (where I was sure I was melting from the heat), had local custard and soda, visited the science center, and Wynter met up with a friend she met on last year's cruise. Fun stop on our trip!

St. Louis Cardinals game

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Gatlinburg, TN

Our next stop was Gatlinburg, Tennessee where my dad met up with us for the first part of our visit with him. I had never visited Gatlinburg or the Great Smoky Mountains so this was a real treat for me. Once again, never enough time to truly explore and I would love to go back and do some longer hikes when it isn't so hot and humid.

Skinny Dip Falls Asheville

After 2 nights in Gatlinburg we went back to my dad's for almost two weeks there. We took a day trip to explore Asheville. I asked a friend who lives there and she recommended Skinny Dip Falls. It is just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, which was a gorgeous drive by itself but a short hike back and you are rewarded with hidden natural waterfalls, pools, and a deep rock jumping pool. It reminded me of Maui, Hawaii and the road to Hana, gorgeous for sure!

Caribbean Beach Resort, Myrtle Beach, SC

Myrtle Beach, SC

Myrtle Beach was a highlight of our trip. I wish Nate was able to join us for this leg of the trip but he had to work. My dad, his wife, and my niece and nephew joined us at the Caribbean Beach Resort. The resort location and amenities made our time there so special. The property was on the beach so it was easy to go from the beach, to the pool, and to the condo. The only negative was Myrtle Beach experienced record jelly fish the days we were there and both Brennan and Phoenix got stung several times both times they tried to swim. Our ocean time was limited to shallow wading. The pool area was awesome though! Water slide, two lazy rivers, 4 pools, 4 hot tubs, and 2 kids play structures with fountains and spray features for kids. We would love to go back.

Walt Disney World, Florida

Magic Kingdom

Hubby was able to meet us in Orlando and join us for the rest of our trip. My sister lives in the Orlando area so we got to spend several days with her. We spent one full day inside magic kingdom, another day touring the grounds of the Art of Animation Resort, and another day at Disney Springs. We swam at my sister's neighborhood pool which was awesome and went to Cocoa Beach while the older boys went to Cape Canaveral to tour the NASA facility there. It was a very pleasant temperature our entire time in Orlando. A welcome break from the oppressive heat and humidity we experienced in MO, TN, and NC, the previous few weeks.

Disney World

Nashville Parthenon

I tried to plan our trip so we were in the car no more than 7-9 hours each day. I also gave us 2 nights to explore each new city so we had a day without car time in the middle. Our next stop was Nashville where we toured the city and visited the Dave Ramsey show live during his radio broadcast.

Visiting the Dave Ramsey Show

Mammoth Cave National Park

One awesome part about having flexible plans is when we came across Mammoth Cave National Park we were able to stop, do a cave tour, and spend about 3 hours there. Not in our original plan but so awesome. We truly love the National Parks!

Navy Pier, Chicago

The Cloud Gate, Chicago Bean

Our next stop was Chicago! I was excited because I had never been to Chicago. I was expecting New York, which in some ways it is like but it definitely has a Midwest friendly, slightly slower pace vibe that NYC didn't have. I actually loved Chicago and would love to spend some more time there. It is a day's drive from us so definitely possible for that to happen at some point. We explored the zoo, Navy Pier, The Cloud Gate, the amazing park next to the Cloud Gate, ate Chicago style pizza, and a Chicago style hot dog. We went rode the train from our hotel, which is always fun for the kids.

Brennan bought his 1st car and got his driver license

In 2016, Brennan turned 16, got his driver license, and bought his own car. It is awesome having another driver in the house. I know he is enjoying the additional level of freedom and being able to have a job and drive himself back and forth from his job.

Breckenridge Brewery Colorado

In October, Nate's grandma passed away so we drove back to Colorado for the funeral. It is always hard to say goodbye to a family member but she lived a good, long life! We stayed a couple days after the funeral and spent time with Nate's dad, brother, and extended family.

Orion started playing hockey

Those of you that know me well know we are not a sports crazy family. I am not a soccer mom, honestly with 3 kids that played soccer from 1-10 years I hope to never sit through a youth soccer game again. I was not ready for Orion to start team sports but our neighbor told us about this amazing program through Fargo Youth Hockey where you pay $40 for 6 lessons and if you sign your child up for hockey ($150 for the 5 month season) you get to keep all the gear for free. So Orion got every single piece of gear for free. I mean, skate, stick, pads, bag, everything. It seemed like it was too good an offer to pass up. We tried it, figuring he wouldn't be ready as he had only ice skated twice before but he LOVED it and was skating well by lesson 3. They split them up into teams and we now have practice Saturday and game Sunday with an occasional weekday afternoon practice. I hear it gets more intensive and expensive but so far we love hockey. I even am helping the Fargo Youth Hockey Association with a fundraiser they are doing on February 9th for Giving Hearts Day where 350 area charities have partnered up to raise funds that day and access matching funds to help their organization. So far that has been fun!

Wynter bought her 1st car and got her driver license

We moved while Wynter still held her permit so we weren't sure what that would mean but North Dakota made it easy and she was still able to get her license on time. A few days later she purchased her own car. I now have two licensed drivers with their own cars in my house. Hard to wrap my head around but so convenient!

Besides that I think we are settling in well here in Fargo. We have a great church and an awesome neighborhood with tons of kids. Orion was out playing every day it was warm with other boys his age. Our house is about 700 sq ft and 1 bedroom smaller but we added a 3rd shower, a 3rd car garage, and a bigger lot so it is working well. I love our kitchen and master bath that had been recently updated and love the hardwood floors upstairs. Overall 2016 was a great year for us!

Our Journey to Debt Freedom Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Sun, 02 Oct 2016 19:07:00 +0000

If you missed part 1 you can read it here.

We were sick and tired of being sick and tired. We were done with college, deep in debt, and not earning nearly as much income as we thought we would be. We felt like we were barely keeping our heads above water and living paycheck to paycheck like most Americans.

We first heard about Dave Ramsey from a coworker of mine at the law firm I worked at in 2008. She let me borrow a copy of the book, "The Total Money Makeover" and it all started making sense. I had Nate read the book too. We eventually got our own copy of the book so we could make notes, re-read, and photo copy budget sheets to stay on track. This introduction was a good taste of what we needed to do but it took us several months to truly get fired up.

Nate graduated in December 2008. Just as the economy was tanking. He looked for an engineering job in Colorado for 6 months when we finally decided to take a job offer in Maryland in early 2009. Once in Maryland we were earning a professional salary instead of being broke college students and it was time to get to work. I started a full-time nanny job about 5 months after we moved and we were a two income earner family for the first time ever.

Dave Ramsey said you need to tell your money what to do. We started making a written budget but struggled with sticking with it. Every time we fell off the horse, we just got back on again. It was slow and steady progress. We tried the cash envelopes several times during our time in Maryland 2009-2011 but could never quite get it to work as it should. We started hammering away at our credit card debt, paying big chunks at a time. It felt good to not have that huge burden hanging over our heads. In 2011 Nate received a great job offer back in Colorado with a raise, in a city we thought could be our forever home. By the time we moved back to Colorado in June 2011 we had paid off $28,000 in credit card debt and $20,000 in car loans, $48,000 in loans in less than 3 years since we first heard about Dave Ramsey. All while not earning more than $80,000 combined income for our family of 5. Eliminating all debt except our student loans was an amazing relief and there truly is peace without that burden on your shoulders.

I'd like to say we just kept at it and knocked out those $80,000 student loans right away but that's not our story. I had wanted a 4th child for many years and we had both agreed we would wait until Nate could advance his career and our finances were stable enough I could stay home full time until the baby was in kindergarten or 1st grade. Originally we thought we'd pay off all our student loans first. During a week long Yellowstone camping trip in July 2011 Nate said he didn't want to wait anymore, he was only getting older, and let's go for it. Needless to say, I got pregnant our first month trying and 9 months later we were blessed with our final addition to our family. I did stay home with Orion at first. While Nate received a raise we were without my income. We got lazy about budgeting and saving, busy focused on getting ready for the new baby and didn't make significant progress during late 2011 and early 2012.

I went back to work full time in June 2013 and we started paying extra towards our debt. Essentially my entire income should have been going to student loans but it didn't work like that. We never were good about sticking to a written budget during this period and had a lot of two steps forward, one step back. We had a really good household income and were frustrated that we weren't making headway like we'd like to. We decided to take Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University at our church fall of 2014. That was one of the best decisions we've ever made. The structure, discipline, and accountability of the class were keys to our success. We learned new things from the book and video but mostly from the facilitators and other classmates. We were determined to finish paying off the rest of our student loans ASAP. Some months we made thousand of dollars in extra payments, some months it was only $1200 or $1500 but we kept chugging along. We made goal boards for our bedroom and kept those goals within sight each day so we knew what we were working towards.

Another thing that we took away from Financial Peace University was truly using the cash envelope system as designed. Cash hurts to pay with. You are handing away some of your hard earned money instead of mindlessly swiping your credit card. The thing with cash is when it is gone, it's gone. This was a huge wake up call to me. Especially in our spending money category. Nate and I started out with $40 per week each for coffee, treats, lunch out, or we could save it for something for ourselves. We soon realized our budget didn't have that much extra so we cut back to $20. Thinking through our purchases and stopping when money was out was an important thing to learn. We also used cash for groceries, restaurants, and entertainment. It was fun to stretch the budget and have money left over.

June 2016 was another milestone for our family. Another big cross country move and another promotion for Nate. Our house in Colorado had gone up significantly in value and we were able to buy a new house with $85,000 or 25% down and keep our payment the same as well as take the rest of our equity and pay off the remaining balance on our student loans. It was an amazing feeling! We truly feel like it has been a marathon and a hard one at that but we have changed our family tree!

Instead of living paycheck to paycheck, giving into instant gratification, we now can plan, save, and spend money on the things we want to enjoy. We are putting money away in retirement and want to start investing. We have a fully funded emergency fund and 20 year mortgage with a very low rate. Someday soon our mortgage will be paid off too and we will not owe anyone any money. Our way of thinking about money has changed. We won't finance anything again. If we need a new car and we don't have cash for what we want then we'll lower our standards. If we want to take a nice vacation, we'll save for it. It takes planning, effort, and discipline but most importantly I hope we are teaching our kids these lessons now so they can start their adult lives without the heartache and stress of digging out of significant debt. Just because everyone in America is doing it, it isn't right. You can save up for your purchases, you can get ahead, you can win with money, and you then can bless others with your money too.

Visiting Ramsey Headquarters August 2016 on the way back from visiting family. We get to do our debt free scream live on air during the radio show 11/8 3-4pm CST!

Our Journey to Debt Freedom: Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 18:24:00 +0000

Debt Free!

Our path to debt freedom was a long and windy one but we finally made it June 28, 2016! We are completely debt free except our mortgage! How'd we get here?

Part 1: Stupid Mistakes

Nate and I both grew up with similar backgrounds. We weren't poor, we always had food on the table, and a roof over our heads but we weren't wealthy growing up either. Our parents didn't travel a lot. I got a few new clothes when school started and at birthdays and Christmas but our parents couldn't afford expensive or fancy things. Both Nate and I got married young and had kids young. Both of us knew if we wanted to go to college we'd be paying for it ourselves. I don't remember being specifically taught about money as a kid.

As a young adult and as a single mother I bought into American way of instant gratification. I can put it on the credit card and pay for it later. I can finance the new car because I need something reliable. I can rack up thousands of dollars in student loans because I am going to go to law school and make good money and it will be easy to pay off the loans. How else I am going to get a better job or get ahead or ever be able not to struggle financially if I don't go to college?

Instant gratification is a terrible American cultural lie. You do not need what you want, when you want it! You can save for it, work hard, work a 2nd job, buy 2nd hand, or wait. It won't kill you, I promise. A lot of the credit card debt I racked up was as a single mom on monthly budget shortfalls from having too high of living expenses for the income I was bringing in. I didn't live a lavish lifestyle but I could have made better choices. Reduce grocery cost, buy a used car, find a cheaper apartment. The thing was at the time I didn't want to. I justified all these as necessary things at the time. I had to live in a safe neighborhood as a single mom. I had to have a reliable car that didn't break down. Both are true but there is a middle ground.

After owning 2 used cars that were horrible and broke down non-stop I decided to lease a new Honda Accord. Piling money into used cars wasn't something I could afford but I also couldn't afford a lease. Leasing a car is a horrible financial decision as you take on all the immediate depreciation of a new car but technically don't own the car in the end. I ended up buying out my lease with a used car loan and drove that car 8 years until I was pregnant with my 4th child and we couldn't all fit in a 5 seat vehicle. It was a great car and I got good trade in value when I traded it for my van but I don't even want to know how much I paid in interest and how much lost value I took on by leasing it.

Student loans, the golden ticket to success in America! No way! Nate and I both bought into the lie that the only way to get ahead was through a college degree. While I enjoyed my time in college and I am proud that I graduated with my Bachelors degree there are ways to do it without going into debt. Even 9 years after graduating from college I don't make that much more than I did at the bank without a college degree. Nate has an engineering degree and has seen huge jumps in his salary because of his degree. He almost doubled his salary out of college and over the past 8 years has almost doubled it again. Having a degree for him has paid off but he could have gotten a degree slower without going into debt. That is what I wish I did, continued to go to college part-time and cash flow my degree. If I get one point across do not take out student loans! I repeat do not take out student loans. They will haunt you forever. There may not seem like there is another way but there are other ways, scholarships, work study, full time work and part-time college.

When we started attacking our debt we had $128,000 in debt! Staggering amount for two young adults with minimal income and 3 kids. Our debt broke down into $28,000 (half Nate's, half Michelle's) in credit cards, $20,000 ($10,000 left on two car loans both bought new), $80,000 student loans ($35,000 Michelle, $40,000 Nate). It was utterly overwhelming!

In Part 2: I'll fill you in on what we decided to do about it.

No Spend Month - Week 3 and 4 Update

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 13:05:00 +0000

If you missed early posts in this series: Getting Ready, Week 1, and Week 2

During week 2 we learned Nate received the promotion he applied for with his company to Moorhead, MN, meaning we were going to be relocating to Fargo, ND on a short timeline. This obviously made for some no spend exceptions that I will outline below. The great news is our house went under contract, within days, with multiple offers, over asking price.

Week 3 and 4: Craziness

Have you ever moved across the country? Relocated on short notice? We have before and it is always a stressful process but this is our first time as homeowners and getting our home ready to sell on short notice was both stressful and expensive. I also was out of state for a work conference the last week of April. Needless to say when we planned our no spend month we never thought things would get so crazy but we pushed through.

Eating Out

This is the area where we did the best! It was a huge eye opener how much we truly were spending both at restaurants and fast food. Going out to dinner as a family is something we enjoy but with 6 people it is never less than $35 and often is $80-$90 with a tip. Our money is better spent on other things. We will reserve eating out for special occasions and really strive to plan our meals and be prepared. A lot of our eating out is due to our crazy schedule with 4 kids and 2 working parents and not planning things in advance. With our move I won't immediately start working so I am going to work to become better organized in this area and limit this spending going forward.

Our cheats were at the very end of the month. Nate spent $6.44 at his work cafeteria 4/27 so I bought myself a drink at dinner at Bahama Breeze $10.45 with tip. 4/30 I had a moment of weakness and exhaustion and got Nate a soda (and myself one too) instead of going into King Soopers $6.86.

$23.75 for the whole month with no spending all month until 4/27.

Entertainment

Entertainment wasn't hard to find during the last two weeks of April. We had a busy calendar with bible study, JOY team party for the kids at church, Great Cloth Diaper Change, and I had a work conference in Atlanta. On top of all that we were under a time crunch to get our house on the market so every free moment was spent doing repair projects. It wasn't glamorous or exciting but we kept busy.

Grocery Shopping

We managed to stay right at budget those last two weeks. It was a good reminder that if I set a budget and calculate out costs while I shop or use grocery delivery I can stay on budget even with cleaning supplies, toiletry items, and household goods.

Clothing and Shoes

No temptations in this area. The no spend month just affirmed that this area is one I don't overspend in.

Household Items

We didn't have specific items we purchased to use in the home but we had a number of expenses to get the home ready to sell. I will detail them below under a new category "moving expenses".

No Cosmetics or Luxury Toiletries

No temptations in this area. The no spend month reaffirmed that my overall spending in this category is on track.

Car Maintenance

No maintenance needed this month. My next oil change wasn't due until early June. Nate ended up selling his car and purchasing a new car in early May with cash. He did buy $49.99 Carfax subscription to assist with his search.

Medical Expenses

This category of our budget always takes up a much larger part than it should. I was able to defer these expenses until May with no problem. Overall we need to increase our budget in this area as it seems most months we have at least $200-$300 in medical expenses with some months as much as $500 or more. I think a good exercise would be to total up medical expenses the past 3 years, get an average, divide it by 12 months and add that into our budget. Going forward $3000-$5000 per year in medical expenses will likely be our norm so we just need to embrace it.

Moving Expenses

This was our biggest deviation from our no spend month. We had a number of large expenses to get the house ready to sell.

$141 Home Depot

$29.77 Home Depot

$74.83 Walmart

$15.36 Ace Hardware

$73.41 Home Depot

$138 Walmart

$13.37 Home Depot

$3.75 Lowe's

$19.95 Lowe's

$49.69 Target

$19.99 Ace Hardware

$58.82 Walmart

Total $637.94 in the month of April. Including May these expenses totaled closer to $3000 with a brand new water heater the day before the house listed an $300 washing machine repair right when it went under contract.

Miscellaneous

Even with the best of planning you can come across unexpected expenses. Brennan got asked to prom and since we were moving we decided to let him go and cover his tux rental of $110. Brennan's birthday ended up getting moved one weekend early into April due to our house being listed for sale. The expense for his party was $195 including food for 7 and cards for the game they played during the party. Once again more than I typically spend but since he wouldn't be seeing these friends for awhile I let him invite more people. $305 spent in the miscellaneous category on two events: birthday party that was moved from April to May and prom that Brennan wasn't invited to until April.

Bottom Line:

No spend month was a huge exercise in self control and discipline. Lack of self control and discipline is a big reason we've failed at budgeting and failed financially. American culture says get what you want when you want it, you deserve it, and pay for it later. Dave Ramsey and Financial Peace University along with YNAB budgeting software really have turned my attitude about money around. We'll never finance a car again. If we want to make a big purchase like a vacation, we save cash first, then go on the trip. Totally life changing. Bringing these other spending habits into line will only help us in the long run.

Wins:

Our biggest wins were eating out and entertainment. These are huge drains on our monthly budget. In the month of June, admist our big move I have gotten lazy but in July I am going to work to keep this category as close to zero as possible again. Eating at home is healthier and saves money. It just takes a little time and planning. Entertainment is something that can't always be at zero but it pays to be thoughtful about how much we spend in this category, balancing free things with affordable, fun things.

Other things that were easy to not spend money on were toiletries and luxury cosemtics, clothing, household items, and car maintenance. These are all things that I need to spend money on annually but not every month. Going forward I plan to budget these items out for the year so I get a good picture of what we spend each year in these category even if I only purchase these items once every 4-6 months.

Challenges:

Our biggest challenge was finding out we were relocating on short notice. Throughout the months of April and May we spent $3000 getting our house ready to sell. Another challenge was unexpected kid expenses. The biggest one was prom, 2nd biggest one was moving Brennan's party to an earlier date, 3rd was an unplanned field trip. The first two were influenced by our move as well. In a month without a major life change I think we could stay much closer to zero. We plan to try this again soon. Probably in September once our summer travel is done and the kids start school.

Could you do it?

Yes! Anyone can do it. I found our no spend month a great exercise in self control and an eye opening experience to what we truly spend money on. Give it a try. Let me know how you do. Some other great resources I've found on budgeting and finance are Dave Ramsey's book Total Money Makeover and his class Financial Peace University (totally life changing for us). I also really like the budgeting software YNAB and like following their posts and updates on Facebook as they have a similar philosophy of living within your means, saving, and planning for purchases. We're excited to be debt free except our house (good riddance student loans) and to have a fully funded emergency fund after our move. I plan to write more about our journey in the coming months so stay tuned!

Go Toddler Go!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Tue, 03 May 2016 13:27:00 +0000

I was given the opportunity to review the Bobux i-walk shoes. i-walk shoes are the perfect shoes for toddlers. The i-Walk line is made for toddlers who are confidently walking and are perfect for running and jumping. Bobux makes tennis shoes, sandals, and boots, making it the perfect shoe for every season. Bobux i-walk shoes are available in toddlers sizes 4.5-11.5 (U.S. equivalent).

Orion is 3 years old and I have always chosen to purchase him 1-2 pair of quality shoes at a time rather than 10 different pair of shoes to match everything. He's a boy so 1 pair of tennis shoes, 1 pair of snow boots, and 1 pair of sandals. Between those 3 pairs we can get by all year.

Bobux is based out of Castle Rock, Colorado and I love the opportunity to work with another local, Colorado company.

i-walk Attica Flame

Fun, orange and gray shoes

These shoes didn't disappoint! Orion was so excited to put them on and run, run, run. Orion has been wearing them daily for the last couple weeks to preschool both for outdoor playground time and indoor P.E. time and they are working great and holding up well.

Buying shoes online without trying them on first can be tricky. I used the Bobux i-walk sizing guide provided on their website. Orion measured 6 1/4 inches but I decided to go with the size 27 because he had outgrown his last pair of tennis shoes in 9.5. The 27 is a bit big and the size 26, which was recommended by the sizing chart would have fit him perfectly. My advice is go with the measurement size even if it doesn't correspond to the U.S. shoe size you typically buy your toddler. Even being a little big Orion has been able to wear the shoes just fine and they'll end up lasting him longer.

Happy boy modeling his new shoes

Watch Orion run in his fast, new Bobux shoes!

Check out Bobux's website for their full selection of shoes for babies and toddlers. You can also follow Bobux on Facebook where they partner with other companies each Friday for Friday Freeday giveaways.

I was provided this pair of shoes at no charge in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

No Spend Month - April 2016: Week 2

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 13:32:00 +0000

If you missed the first post outlining the rules for our no spend challenge, read it here.

Week 2 Finding Our Groove

Week 2, April 11-April 17 went pretty well. We got used to saying no to Starbucks, and fast food, and dinners out. We are saving money and I hope a month of no discretionary spending becomes a habit for how we spend our money.

Our only cheat this week was a field trip fee for our daughter of $20. We were not notified of the trip in advance and it was due 4/20.

Eating Out

This has gotten easier. I don't even want to take the easy way out and pick something up. I know I need to plan ahead or head home for food. My friend did buy me a $2.00 Americano this week. No other food outside of grocery store food.

Entertainment

This was easier this week too. We took another trip to the library for new books. It was a busy week with MOPS, Bunko, pre-race party, half marathon, and VBS meeting at work. I invited my running friends to our house for a pre-race party rather than going out. I met with a close friend to catch up this week but since she knew we were doing a no spend month she invited me to her house. We invited my son's best buddy over to play instead of going out to lunch together.

Grocery Shopping

After going over budget last week we managed to stay $10.10 under budget for groceries this week including hosting a pre-race party at our house where we provided hot dogs, buns, and juice for 40 people.

Clothing and Shoes

No temptations in this area. I even removed myself from most of the online LuLaRoe clothing groups on Facebook so I wouldn't have the temptation while I can't buy anything.

No Household Items

This week we did good in this area. We did receive word that hubby received the promotion he applied for and we are going to be relocating to Fargo, ND. We met with a Realtor and now have a 3 page list of things to get the house ready which will involve some expense but hopefully not too much.

No Cosmetics or Luxury Toiletries

No cheats in this area.

No car maintenance

So far we have not come across any needed car maintenance. My windshield cracked last week but the repair can wait.

Medical Expenses

We did find out that our insurance did not pay the final balance of Brennan's braces so we now owe $150. I am going to try to wait and pay the balance due May 1st.

Summary

Week 2 continues to be a lesson in self control and delayed gratification. As the month goes on it gets easier and easier.

Spent from no spend categories: $20.00 for field trip for daughter.

No Spend Month-April 2016: Week 1

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 05:27:00 +0000

If you missed the first post outlining the rules for our no spend challenge, read it here.

Week 1, Adjusting to the Change.

Week 1 has been a bit of an adjustment. There were many times this week where I had to tell other people no I couldn't do something and even harder I had to tell the kids no several times to things they were used to doing or really wanted to do. Week 1 actually lasted 10 days, April 1st-April 10th.

The biggest adjustment has been no fast food, no Starbucks, no quick treats. No spending on entertainment or date nights or rewards for the kids.

Nate has stuck to the plan perfectly. In fact the only purchase he has made all month was one tank of gasoline for his Jeep.

I have made 2 cheats already this month. I owed a co-worker $15 for a birthday gift in March that I forgot to give her. I forgot to purchase the two bible study books I needed for this month. I was able to get one book from the public library but the other I had to purchase on Amazon for $9.99

Eating Out

We haven't strayed but we have used a couple gift cards we had received: The Egg and I, McDonald's, Timberline Cafe. These have been nice treats mixed it with no dent to our budget. We did have to say no to a treat for Brennan after his band concert. We usually stop for an ice cream or something similar after kids have a special performance or school event. This was hard as the kids expect this treat.

Entertainment

We've taken multiple trips to the public library, checking out many books and movies. We've also taken multiple trips to different parks across town. We've walked to the lake in our neighborhood several times and played at the park in the neighborhood. We've also done things at the house we don't always do like put together a puzzle or watch a new show on Netflix. We've also had fun school events like the egg drop, IB showcase, and a band concert. I also hosted book club and had my first bible study class. Work has also kept me busy the past week with a Parent's Night Out event we hosted Friday night. Yesterday we had my nephew's birthday party. I also am finishing up my training for my 3rd half marathon. Not much time to be bored! I did have to say no to purchasing Rockies tickets as a fundraiser, which was a bummer!

Grocery Shopping

This was a bit harder this week knowing there was no other food we could consume. I went over budget by $42. I made multiple trips to the grocery store last week. I plan to remedy this next week by making one planned trip.

Clothing and Shoes

This part hasn't been hard for me yet. I tend to do a couple larger shopping trips for clothes in the year rather than buy things each month. I did take Wynter shopping at Nordstrom Rack where I found a pair of shoes I may be returning for next month.

No Household Items

This has been a bit trickier. Our master bathroom toilet started running and really needed a repair. We lucked out though and Nate came across a partly used toilet repair kit in the garage that had the pieces he needed.

No Cosmetics or Luxury Toiletries

This has not been hard. I pre-planned in this area. Twice per year I order Mary Kay. I was almost totally out in the month of March so I placed a big order 3/31. I should be set in this area.

No car maintenance

So far we have not come across any needed car maintenance.

Medical Expenses

So far this month we have had doctor visit co-pays and prescription drug co-pays but we still have money in our 2016 flexible spending account so I have not had to take any money from our budget. Medical bills for 2015 that must be paid out of pocket I am waiting to pay until May.

Summary

Most importantly week 1 has been a lesson in self control and delayed gratification, both things I know I need to work on financially. I think as the month goes on it will get easier not harder as I will get into the routine of saying no to spending money.

Spent from no spend categories: $24.99

Spent over budget in allowed category (groceries): $42

No Spend Month-April 2016: Getting Ready!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 14:02:00 +0000

What is a no spend month? How do you get ready? A no spend month or no challenge is a personal challenge where you or you and your spouse agree to no discretionary spending for an entire month. Yikes, that sounds hard doesn't it. You or you and your spouse agree on the rules and the most important point is sticking to it.

Nate and I have been on a financial journey for many years. I've talked about our financial journey on the blog a few times: paying cash for a new car, new years goal posts, and funding our vacation by selling things around the house. We were first introduced to Dave Ramsey's the Total Money Makeover in 2008 and took Financial Peace University in person at our church fall of 2014. Paying off debt and living a life of true financial freedom is our ultimate goal. The no spend month will be a good challenge for Nate and I to stop discretionary spending, gain more self control, and truly look at how much money each month we are spending on things we truly don't need.

Brown Family No Spend Month Rules:

No Discretionary Spending

1) No eating out, no fast food, no restaurants, no coffee, treats, or snacks not prepared at home.

2) No entertainment that costs money: no bowling, no museum trips, no trips to the movie theater, no Redbox rentals, etc.

3) No clothing or shoe purchases

4) No household purchases, no decor, no repair items, no equipment

5) No cosmetics or other luxury type toiletry items

We Will Continue:

1) All regular bills: mortgage, HOA, insurance, utilities, gasoline, childcare, student loan payments, tithes, and charitable giving.

2) Groceries, cleaning supplies, and regular toiletries like soap and toothpaste will be replenished out of our regular grocery budget which we have set at $150 per week.

3) Gasoline for the cars will be replenished as needed.

How We Prepared:

1) Complete all car maintenance either prior to start of no spend month in March or wait until May.

2) Pay medical bills prior to start in March or wait until May for any newly received medical bills that cannot be paid out of our flexible spending account.

3) Review calendar to anticipate potential events that would derail our no spend month. We did not see any kids field trips, church events, or birthday parties during the month of April that we anticipate spending money on.

4) Reschedule things that cost money to the month of May. For example I have a haircut scheduled in April. I will reschedule that for the 1st week of May.

5) Complete purchases for things we know we need by 3/31. For example I am completely out of my skin care regimen so I am ordering that today. Hubby wants to purchase hunting licenses which are due by mid April so he will purchase them by 3/31.

That's it! We're committed and excited for this challenge. I will be posting updates on our journey every Monday beginning 4/11/16. Follow along to see how we do!

Valentine's Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Sat, 13 Feb 2016 01:23:00 +0000

Valentine's Day, it seems like it's a holiday that people love or hate. On one hand you have people who are hopeless romantics and love to celebrate love! On the other hand you have people who don't like Valentine's Day. They think it is a commercial holiday or they're single or have lost in love.

Nate and I fall somewhere in the middle. With my birthday falling exactly one week before Valentine's Day we don't often do a separate Valentine's celebration. With 4 kids at home, sneaking away for 1 day in 1 week is about all we can muster. We will often do a big birthday/Valentine celebration in between my birthday (February 7th) and Valentine's Day. We even got engaged on February 10th 9 years ago on one of our birthday/Valentine's Day dates.

This year our Valentine's gift came a little early. In looking for unique and fun gifts I cam across this fun site: www.uncommongoods.com There were so many different things: Valentine's gift here, anniversary gifts for him that would make great Valentine's gifts here, or anniversary gifts for her that would make great Valentine's gifts here. There were so many fun things it was hard for me to decide. Uncommongoods endeavors to feature unique designs and handcrafted gifts created in harmony with the environment and without harm to animals or people.

Scratch Map packaging

Instructions

Scratch Map laid out

I decided on the scratch map because I have a bit of wanderlust. Travel makes my heart happy and I can't wait to see more of the world. I am always planning our next trip. Right now we have a March National Parks camping trip, a July National Parks camping trip, and a Disney Cruise next January, already planned.

Ready for fun

Before the scratching began

A lot of my travels have been within the United States with the exception of Mexico and the Bahamas. I do plan to visit all 50 states and want to add many more countries to my list of places visited.

Hard at work

Revealing all the places I've visited

Orion was excited to hear about all my adventures

It was so fun to think about all the places I have visited. All the different states. We even had to pull out a road atlas and think about a few. That is a lot of blue showing in the United States. It looks like I need to plan 4 road trips to hit the rest of the states I haven't been, Northwest, Great Lakes, Southeast, and Northeast. Can't wait for that to happen!

Western hemisphere has a good start

So many states!

I can't wait to get the scratch map from Uncommongoods put up in my loft so we can scratch off our adventures as we take them.

I was compensated for this post by Uncommongoods and provided a product for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Dyeing Hair With Kool-Aid

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 00:07:00 +0000

Phoenix just celebrated her 13th birthday. She had been telling me she had wanted to dip dye the ends of her hair for awhile now. When the trend of brightly colored hair first popped up I'll tell you I wasn't a huge fan but it has grown on me over time. Phoenix told me several of her friends used Kool-Aid to dye their hair so I researched that method.

Dip dyeing the ends of her hair

There are various methods using Kool-Aid: painting it on, mixing with conditioner, not mixing with conditioner, dipping hair in so ends are just colored. I decided on the dip dyeing method so it would be fun and bright but not as dramatic as an all over color. Phoenix and I decided on red for the color.

Waiting

I used 3 small packets of cherry Kool-Aid powder (unsweetened). I boiled 2 cups of water and mixed the powder and boiling water in a dish that wouldn't stain. I was worried the bowl I chose wasn't very deep so I put her hair in as far as it would go.

Still waiting

Phoenix has a dirty blonde shade of hair but I still decided to leave the dye on her hair for 10 minutes to make sure it set. The hardest part for her was holding her neck in that uncomfortable position for the full 10 minutes.

Cherry Kool-Aid powder I used

When her hair came out it was sure red! I also realized I went a little overboard and dip dyed more of her hair than I originally intended. I was going for the bottom 4 inches of her hair but really dyed about 3/4 of her hair. Thankfully she loved it and was so excited to have a fun new look. We will see how long it lasts before it starts fading out. If you want an inexpensive but permanent way to dye you or your kids hair a fun, bright color, I'd highly recommend Kool-Aid. No easier way and no smelly chemicals. Hot cherry Kool-Aid smells delicious!

Finished product!

The Fitted Sheet Battle is Real!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 22:43:00 +0000

So easy, a 3 year old can do it all by himself!

The battle is real! Fitted sheets can be a real pain, especially if you have a racecar bed like my toddler or even a crib or bunk bed. With the racecar bed I literally have to climb into the bed, struggle with the mattress, sometimes even pull out the entire mattress. What a pain!

Orion's racecar bed

I recently learned about a product that makes changing fitted sheets a breeze. QuickZip makes sheets that zip on and off for easy changing. The idea is simple, there are two pieces: a base and a zip on top sheet. The base should never really needed changed. If the zip on top piece gets wet or dirty, simply zip on a new one. How much easier is that? Especially in the middle of the night, which is when it always seems like kids sheets need changing.

So soft

The sheet we received was a super soft, white minky fabric. All my toddler keeps saying is, "Mom, my sheets are SO soft!" He loves them. The bed still looks neat, and clean. The sheet fits well. The sheet is also safe for infants and toddlers. It cannot just pop off.

Bed is all made up and ready to go

Close up of the soft minky and zipper pull system

The zipper and zipper pull are both sturdy and can withstand toddler style tugging and pulling (as you saw in the video). We've only had the sheets a couple weeks but I would think they would last for a long time. If you are frustrated with trying to wrangle your fitted sheet onto your crib, bunk bed, or specialty bed, like Orion's racecar bed, this is a great solution. Orion and I are very happy with his new sheets. Visit the QuickZip website for more information about how to purchase the QuickZip sheets.

Ready for a night of racing!

Disclosure Statement: I was paid for this post but all opinions are mine only.

How to Fund Your Vacation (or Whatever Else) by Selling Things Around Your House You Aren't Using

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Fri, 01 Jan 2016 06:00:00 +0000

It may sound impossible but we funded our Disney Cruise for our family of 6 this year entirely by selling items around out house we were no longer using. It takes time and some work but all and all we made about $3400 over 18 months by selling things in our house we were no longer using!

I am personally not a fan of holding garage sales. I think they are a ton of work and don't always generate a significant amount of money. I have had garage sales that make $500-$700 if I have a lot of big ticket items. I have also had garage sales that barely make over $100. It is a lot of work and time for $100.

Craigslist has been a game changer in the buying and selling of used items. My large netting garage sales were held prior to Craigslist being a common forum to buy and sell used items. I remember using Craigslist as early as 2006. In the last 10 years I have done 100's of transactions, both buying and selling and have never ran into any problems. You have to use common sense and be safe but almost everyone else is using it to either save or make money, just like you.

Mattress I sold for $20 (1/4 retail)

If you've never used Craigslist the idea of meeting someone you don't know may seem weird. For this reason and due to recent press people often meet in public. I personally find this inconvenient and do most transactions on my front porch. I only invite people into my home if the item is too large or heavy to bring to my front door and in that case my 2nd Amendment loving husband is home. I also use the same caution when picking up an item at someone else's home. I wait on the front porch and bring someone with me.

Craigslist prices are similar to garage sales. Don't expect to get top dollar unless you have a rare, expensive, or highly coveted item. Even then, most things are only worth 25%-50% of original value unless it is a special exception. You can get an idea of what your item may sell for my looking at Craigslist in your area and surrounding area. The biggest tip I can give regarding pricing is don't overprice items. If you price your item right it will sell within in a day or two. If you price it too low you'll get multiple offers right away. If you don't get any inquiries within a day or two you likely have priced your item too high or just have an item that isn't likely to sell on Craigslist.

Pack N Play I sold for $50 (1/2 retail)

The items I have found that rarely sell on Craigslist are clothes and shoes. If you have seasonal or sport specific item that retails for $20 or more, it may be worth listing and see if you get any interest. Kids soccer cleats, kids snow boots, kids winter coats, etc. seem to have a good market on Craigslist. General clothes and shoes rarely sell. Occasionally a large lot can be sold for very little money. I have not found a time effective way to sell clothes or shoes so I either give hand-me-downs to friends or donate to Goodwill, take the tax receipt and write off the donation on my taxes.

Bed that was part of a bedroom set we sold for $200 (1/5 retail but was 10 years old)

Another forum I use to sell used items is Facebook buy/sell/trade or garage sale groups. You have to be a little picky about which ones you use. When I first heard about these groups a couple years back I was added to several but found that most weren't active enough to reliably sell items. I have used one local FB online garage sale group with 9,000 members to sell quite a bit the past 2 years. With that many members things tend to sell quickly. With my smart phone camera and the easy to use Facebook interface I prefer posting things to that group first and if they don't sell in a day or two I will also post to Craigslist.

Limited edition print cloth diapers I sold

Know your target audience. For specialty or kids items I targeted local groups I was a part of. I sold all of my cloth diapers through a local Facebook cloth diaper group I am a part of. I posted big ticket baby items to local moms groups I am a part of on Facebook before posting elsewhere. If I can sell to an acquaintance or friend who is looking for that item, even better.

Glider rocking chair I paid $50 used for and sold for $50 used 3 years later

I wasn't systematic about going through my house and purging. I just kept my eyes out for things we were no longer using or could live without. Once we had our cruise booked I knew I had 18 months to come up with the money so I started selling items 4-5 at a time. I found it a lot less overwhelming than having tons of stuff for sale at once. Once those items would sell (quickly if I priced them right) I'd then gather another 4-5 things, photograph and list the items for sale.

Another thing I did was I kept the money separate. I think this is very important if you are saving for a specific goal like a vacation. All the money I made from selling items I put into a separate vacation savings account. A lot of things I sold were in the $40-$50 range. Some were only $10-$20. We had a number of big ticket items like our playground, a bedroom set, and a motorcycle. My criteria about whether we should sell it is, were we using it and would be miss it? If the answer was no the item was sold.

Dog crate sold $50 (1/2 of retail)

Playground set sold $175 (retail $600, I paid $100 used)

The process is ongoing. I still list items for sale as I realize we are no longer using them. Just get started and be realistic about what your items are worth. Take pictures in good light (your smart phone will work), list items, and respond to inquiries promptly. $3400 in 18 months is a lot to make but we had several big ticket items: motorcycle, 1 full bedroom set, bed, playground, lots of baby gear, guitars, patio set, BBQ grill, and tons more. The other thing you'll find is not only will you feel accomplished by getting rid of stuff and making money, your house will feel less cluttered and cleaner. Buying used is a long time hobby of ours as well. We try to look for items 2nd hand before buying new. If you buy things inexpensively 2nd hand you can usually sell them several years later for what you paid.

Happy Selling!

Orion's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Themed 2nd Birthday Party

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Sat, 17 May 2014 16:46:00 +0000

My baby boy turned 2 years old on May 5th! We celebrated last weekend with a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse themed party. It was a lot of fun and I loved how everything came together. Thank you to everyone who came and helped us celebrate.

The dessert table turned out so cute. I love how streamers make such cute but easy back drop. The table, table cloth, Mickey ears, Mickey plush, and frame we already had. I found the idea for the frame, cupcakes, and signs from Pinterest.

Orion's 2nd Birthday

Mickey cupcakes weren't too hard either. I baked a batch of vanilla and a batch of chocolate cupcakes. I used red food coloring for the frosting. The Mickey head was a full size Oreo broke in half. Mickey's ears were mini Oreos. Mickey's buttons were mini marshmallows.

Cupcakes

Yum!

We brought out all our Clubhouse friends to decorate the party area.

Simple red and black plates into the shape of a Mickey head.

Yellow napkins and white plasticware. Confetti was made from yellow, black, and red cardstock using a Mickey Mouse punch from Hobby Lobby.

Mouseka-Fruit and Mouseka-Vegetables

I loved the little touch the confetti added.

Red, yellow, and black balloons both add decoration and make for a fun, affordable party favor. I prefer to buy the DIY helium tank at Walmart for $21 and blow up my own balloons. The balloons can be held down with any simple thing to finish the favor. We choose bubbles and topped the bubbles with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse stickers.

The door sign turned out so cute. I found my inspiration on Pinterest but mine turned out much differently than my inspiration. I found 2 fun fonts and alternated the fonts between black and red. The rectangles are cardstock which I punched out confetti and then used for the door sign. After printing the white sheets out I used my Creative Memories circle cutter I have had forever and made circles. The Mickey head is a circle cut from cardstock out of black, 2 smaller circles cut out of cardstock for his ears, and a red circle cut of of cardstock then cut in half. Mickey's buttons are 2 white ovals were cut from cardstock with my oval cutter. "Orion" and "2" are Creative Memories stickers. It really helps to have all this stuff on hand already. The ribbon is red with white polka dots I found at Hobby Lobby.

Mickey's Mac and Cheese and Hot Diggity Dogs were served.

Yummy fruit water to drink. This time I did lemons, limes, and oranges.

Singing Happy Birthday!

Orion blew out his candle all by himself

Fun times!

Yummy cupcake

His cute little shirt I had made by an Etsy seller last minute for our Disney trip in December.

More cupcake!

"Sister, do I really have to open all these presents?"

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Mount Bierstadt - 1 Nate and Michelle - 0

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 21:47:00 +0000

Climbing a fourteener was something on my bucket list. For those of you not from Colorado that's a 14,000 foot tall mountain. Some of these mountains take skill, like Longs Peak. Others like Mount Bierstadt take an early start, some stamina, and the will to finish. Nate and I decided it was best to attempt without the kids so we arranged for all 4 kids to spend the night with my mom. It was Orion's first overnight away from home without mom but he did great.

We found this cute little European hotel in Georgetown which operated like a bed and breakfast. The view was nice, the rooms were lovely, the service was excellent, and the homemade croissants and fruit for breakfast delivered to your room were amazing. We had a nice dinner down the road and sat on the balcony drinking wine, listening to the stream. So nice to be kid-free for an entire 24 hours.

We arrived at the trail head at 8am and it was packed. I never thought I'd be hiking with so many people but the weather was lovely and it was probably one of the last weekends of the year for hiking fourteeners.

Nate all ready to hike

Even the bottom of the trail was beautiful

I was thankful for the boardwalk through the thickets. It was very muddy and wet at the bottom.

There were a lot of hanging lakes

Getting rocky and steep

Taking a break

Despite our best efforts and 6 hours of hiking we didn't make it to the top. The 2nd half of the trail was very steep and rocky. Imagine stair stepping for hours at high elevation. Needless to say we didn't hike very fast. About 3/4 of the way up we heard thunder. The clouds were gray and looking ominous but we were hoping to beat the storm. After the 2nd clap of thunder we decided to call it a day and turn back. It took us a couple hours to hike down. We didn't want to get stuck in a lightning storm up above tree line. We were both pretty disappointed but don't worry we'll be back next summer. Instead of 8am start we'll be at the trail head at 6am. Hopefully with an earlier start we can beat any afternoon storms. Still a lovely day in nature with my husband so I can't complain.