Tipsy Tuesday: First Time Home Buyer Advice

Friends:

We are not buying a home rightthisminute, but we are starting to think about it.

So I posted a question on FB and you all came through for me. (I may just start having my Facebook friends write all of these posts for me!)

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I asked what were some things that home buyers wish they knew when they first started the process. Here's a breakdown of the FB answers and some interesting points I found in my own search to learn about home buying:

Practicalities
- Don't underestimate the proximity to a convenient store, grocery store, and/or pharmacy.
- Storage, storage, storage! Pantries, linen closets, etc.
- Leave emotion out of it. Keep looking until you find the right combination that fits your needs.
- Seek out a buyer-agent Realtor. Most agents are working for the seller and will try to "sell" you a house with their commission in mind.
- We've all heard that location is key, but if you're moving to a new climate/region you should learn what challenges await you. For example, my friend Maddy lives in Texas after growing up in the Midwest. I never knew this, but you must water your house in Texas to keep the slab from cracking in the summer. Interesting!

Finances
- The lender will approve you for too-much-home! You cannot afford the top dollar they will lend you unless you cut out a lot of your other expenses. Don't trust the bank to advise you on your budget.
- Putting 20% down is not a "must" as it once seemed, but be careful. You will spend more in the long run if you don't put 20% down.
- If you escrow your home owner's insurance and property taxes then the mortgage company can change your payment at any time. It's better to pay them in out-of-pocket.
- Get a good home inspector.

Resale Value
- Buy in a good school district, even if you don't plan to have kids.
- Stay away from fads in fixtures. Buy quality.
- Buy the cheapest house in the neighborhood as the other houses will drive up the value.
- Buy in an appreciating neighborhood and plan to invest at least 5 years in that house.

My brother-in-law also wrote something really nice:

"No matter what people tell you now you will make decisions that you wish you hadn't and will be pleasantly surprised about things you had no clue about."

Some of the advice above is more "key" than the rest, but I think it's all worth a ponder.

What advice do you have for us as we start this journey? We aren't even ready to start shopping lenders as Mr. S's job may change a bit (either a raise or a switch in companies) and that will change our employment/income information.

Another question I have is about the 20% down thing. Do you (cough, cough*dad*cough) think that putting less than 20% down is crazy? Some calculators like here and here make it seem like putting 10% down would be fine. I'm wary... but open to the possibility.

Your thoughts?

Ten Thanks Thursday

This Thanksgiving, I'm not going to list the usual things for which I'm thankful. Here's a weird, but honest list.

1) My broken eyes. I don't see very well without artificial assistance. No, not a seeing eye monkey, but glasses or contacts. Why am I thankful for broken eyes? Because I get to wear cool glasses and it reminds me that I live in a time, a country, and a health system that allow for people like me (broken) to see. And eyes are pretty amazing, yes!?

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2) Roasts. No, not the kind that go well with gravy. Well, maybe also the kind that go with gravy. I mean the kind of roast where comedians make fun of each other. A good sense of humor is gold in my book. And people who can both take a joke and give one are solid-statue-gold.

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3) 4:30. I am thankful for the home stretch of the workday when the evening is full of possibilities and you can knock out that last project to feel productive and bounce all the way to the train stop. Or maybe I'm thankful for 6:15 when I'm home, showered, in clean pj's and on the couch eating snacks or pondering dinner. Yeah maybe the latter because the whole dirty-train-ride-with-yappy-general-public is over.

4) I'm thankful for clean sheets and a husband who does laundry. But not my laundry. He's scared to wash panty hose, sweaters, underwear, etc. for fear of shrinking, pilling, fading, etc. But he does a mean sheet!

5) Metabolism. I would say high metabolism, but I think mine is slowing. I'm just grateful that I can eat slop occasionally and not turn into an amoeba of floating bones and fat.

6) USPS. Yes, those people are angry SOBs most of the time, but it's amazing that you can write a letter and send it across the world, huh? And I love writing letters!

7) Inside jokes. Not the exclusivity of them, but the fact that they can be conveyed in a look, a word or a gesture. Instant fun and laughter!

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8) Pundits. 'Cause being told what to think is the new black. Actually, it's amazing how informative they are and how they reach a generation would not be interested in news or current events otherwise. Look at regular news and how biased that is... do you think listening to pundits is any more slanted? [I'm thankful for NPR too.]

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9) The internet. Isn't it amazing how you can find almost anything within a few seconds? Remember encyclopedias? Your children (or grandchildren) wont!

10) I'm thankful that I don't live in North Korea. S and I have watched some documentaries (you know, buy documentarians - inside joke!!) and have had some NK talks lately. Its really shocking how a country can be under that type of oppression in this day and age. So thankful that my family and I are all safe and healthy where we are!

What have you found lately for which to be thankful? Gimme your weirdest notions!

If I had to do it over, I might not have said "balls"...

Sometimes I give advice from an experience in my life that did not go well, one about which I should have given myself some better advice. Such an experience happened last night.

S and I had a newly-married small group send-off dinner. We've been in this lil class for 6 weeks (we skipped 2 for various conflicts) and at the end we, ideally, get matched with other couples to make up some small groups for Bible study. Neat neat.

We were going around the large, last-supper-like table saying our "how we met stories". S leaned to me and whispered, "Do we say what really happened?" I confirmed that now was the time to get it out in the open that we met at a college party in which I was dancing on the bar (*sober).

So we fessed up - sitting right.  next. to. the. pastor. and. his. wife. They are a great bunch and really easy going. We thought we could get away with the truth in front of God, His pastors, and a bunch of our peer-strangers.

S said we talked that night and then he waited a week like a "real man" to find me on facebook and then ask me out in a non-threatening way via FB email. Chuckles all around for his timid action and then... I did it... I said balls.

"You can tell who has balls in this relationship."

I was dancing on a bar in a crowded room and he didn't have the cha-ho-neighs to ask me out in person. Good LORD why did I say balls?? I couldn't even sensor that. Not to mention earlier, in the parking lot, I was loudly carrying on a hypothetical conversation that involved naming a child "Toyota" and then distancing yourself from them as a parent, and of course people heard me ... good. Lord. I just can't be stopped apparently.

I got a pat on the back from laid-back pastor and a good hearty laugh from the room. Oh and a red-faced husband. I got that too.

Of course we later made a trip to Target in which I chased him around (whist chanting his name, no less) with this hat in my hands and then, once I caught him, demanded that he pose for a photo.

I'm keeping this photo small to protect the innocent, although, not really protecting them as I still posted it. I might be crusin' for a bruisin'.

All in all, I hope the church still lets me in the door, the kids accept me into their married small group and that my husband both lets me in the door AND into his married small group.

Advice? Cool it and sensor yourself when dining with a pastor and some churchy peers.

Beverage pairing? Apple water. Cut some apples, put them in water, and then drink it. We had it last night at dinner and it was refreshing.

Tipsy Tuesday: J.Mill's Take on the Mrs. Lilien's 7 Persuasions of the Extraordinarily Successful

Pretty awesome list of how to be awesome from Mrs. Lilien (blogger I just found today via Fancy Schmantzy's blog roll). Boom goes the name dropping and the shout-outs. I know Mitzi of Fancy Schmantzy personally. I have no idea if the Mrs. is even a woman. Here we go.

I decided to do my own list of 7 Persuasions Of Awesomeness. Here's the J.Mill version:

1) The Mrs. says: Bedeck to Impress.

J.Mill says: Dress to the 9's, yes. Dare to upstage. Think: "Can I get away with wearing jeans?" But then add a blazer. Avoid wearing panty hose unless it's cold. Panty hose will cut-you-in-half. I have the oddly mishapen waistline to prove it.

2) The Mrs. says: Begin with High Stakes in Mind.

J.Mill says: Under promise, over deliver. If you set the bar low, then people will appreciate your follow-through. Get a pat on the back just for waking up in the morning whenever possible.

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"Hiiii-ya!" She gets a pat (or did that sound like a chop) on the back for waking up, fo sho.

3) The Mrs. says: Put Leisure First

J.Mill says: Can't argue there. Just make sure you define leisure in your own specially-tailored way. I, for instance, find shopping to be stressful, not leisurely. I'm more of a stare-out-the-window type of relaxer. Speaking of relaxers, muscle-putty-pills work for leisure-inducing too! Or at least they make shopping tollerable. You may walk out of a downtown Chi-town Target with nothing on your list, but at least you walk out of Target (as opposed to running, screaming out of Target).

4) The Mrs. says: Think Chin-chin. (cocktails)

J.Mill says: Can't argue with this one either. But to deviate from the Mrs., I suggest that you go more daring with your drink dates. Don't drink with friends. Drink with a bartender. Drink with Facebook. Drink with a good book. Drinking alone, once considered sad, now (or maybe not yet) is considered brave! One mojito down and I was de-friending half of my facebook friends. I didn't even KNOW these people. Try it. Purge your FB, your closet, your fridge with a glass of Malbec in hand and see how productive you are!

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5) The Mrs. says: Accessorize with Abandon

J.Mill says: Take only one piece of advice from Suzie Orman and only wear like 3 pieces of jewelry over and over again. Invest in some dime-store plastic pearls and wear them 'til the cows come home and crush'em. (If your cows are crushing your pearls, learn your lesson and pick your pearls up off of the floor/barn.)

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6) The Mrs. says: Make Marveling Merry (rando acts of kindness)

J.Mill says: I just try not to scowl at the people who play their music too loudly through headphones. Random acts of kindness might be out of reach for me. (J/K... I do nice things)

(That's not me, btw. That's a random child. Get it. Random?)
7) The Mrs. says: Capitalize on Conviviality

J.Mill says: I don't believe conviviality is a word. Woopsie daisy. It is. It means to have a good ol' time with folks. I suppose I can stand behind that. That, or invite people over and then hide in the bathroom with a 6 pack and some kebobs.

Nom nom.



Untagged photos are via pinterest.com

An Andy Apple A Day

Well well, it's Thursday and no one's heard from me since last week. I'd like to blame Andy Rooney for signing off and leaving 60 Minutes to become the most boring and unnecessarily sensationalized programming on TV (Oprah, should she still be on, would be a good contender).

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Boy, can that man tell it like it is. And aren't we all sad to see him go? We're pretty selfish and possessive of our 92 year old friend here.

Or maybe it's because I've been trying to find a gym all week. It's getting cooler out and, let's be honest, I don't run outside anymore anyway. I need some options to stay fit and a gym can give me a track, a treadmill, an elliptical AND tons of eyes watching me, judging me, spurring me forward to exhaustion.

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Or maybe I could blame is on the passing of Steve Jobs. But that's too recent and, again, being honest, I didn't even know the guy. Steve-o, you gave us Apple, I will have this apple in your memory. I took it with your iPhone and it came out sideways. I'm not sorry. I hope you like it.

All of the above is true (Especially the apple. You will be mine by lunchtime, apple.), but mainly it's because this work week has mowed me over. I might be fighting a sinus cold or something too. Going to bed at 9 PM all hopped up on nyquil/benedryl/vaselined-up-nostrils makes for a glass-eyed-blog-free adult.

No advice here today except, maybe, that vaseline is the best invention (note to self: do post on the many uses of petroleum jelly) and that green apples are good with any kind of cheese (cheddar, brie, gouda, boursin...) and that even running just a mile (I say "just" but it is kinda a struggle for me) can make you feel better about all the cheese you eat with your green apple before going to bed on a stomach full of cheese and apple acid.

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Beverage pairings for this post: Wine for the cheese, tea for the cold and yucky K-cup coffee from work because I broke my french press this past weekend :(

Hand-Out or Cold-Heart?: Thoughts on the Homeless

(Disclaimer: This post is lengthy and contains emotional material. Read on with a tissue, B.Lill, or you can just skip this one for now.)

Spending some time outside today, I dodged the rain by walking around a drug store. Just like Dane Cooks says, being at "The Wall" (Walgreens) or in my case, CVS, makes you want to steal stuff. Being honest, I paid for my knock-off Swedish fish and was on my merry way to peruse the rest of a train station, hiding from the rain. Leaving the station to return to work, headphones in, I was targeted by a young guy with a backpack and no umbrella.

"Ma'am, can I trouble you for a dollar? I'm trying to get on a tr..."

Ma'am. Pft. I handed him a little red fish that I was about to stick in my mouth, smiled, and turn to go without speaking. He looked bewildered, smiled back and then remembered his game.

"So, no then?"

This little scene I lived today reminded me of a conversation I've had with 2 separate groups of woman I value.

So what do you do when someone asks you for money on the street? How to do you deal (listen to me, "deal") with the homeless?

Both groups concluded that one should generally have something to give them - a meal, a snack, a dollar if they really look like they need it. I've heard of the great idea to carry around little "hobo packs" wherever you go so that you can provide someone who's saying they are down-and-out with a granola bar, transit card, chapstick, toothbrush, and even money. Great ideas, but somehow, we don't use them. Call it impracticality. Call it expensive. Call it lazy.

The most recent of these groups of women was a book club I am in. We read the book Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand about WWII and some of its most notable POWs. Harrowing stories of abuse and accounts of inhumane conditions were accounted in this book. Enough to tug on the coldest of hearts. One woman posed the question:

Would the way you approach a homeless person change if you knew he was a war Vet?

She went on to say that this book changed the way she thought of them. That we often ignore the homeless asking for money because they will most likely use it for booze or drugs. She said that she can't blame a vet for wanted to get a bit wasted after living through anything like what those POWs had. She said she'd adopted a homeless person near her work and gave him what she could when she saw him.

This insightful friend of ours, Liz, was sideswiped with a swell in an underlying heart condition and is spending the short time she has left here on earth in a hospital being watched over by family and prayed for by many friends.

Over a week ago, when we all first heard the news, one hopeful friend found Liz's homeless guy (possessive in the loveliest way possible) and gave him some cash. No questions asked. Because that's what Liz would have done.

God doesn't call us to ask "Why?", He just asks us to give. Period.

You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say,

“They share freely and give generously to the poor.

Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”

[2 Corinthians 9:7-9]

Liz, you and your good deeds will be remembered forever.

Tipsy Tuesday: Whip It Good in the FP

My dear friend (and recently married woman), Chelsey asked me about the ways I use my food processor. She and her husband were rounding out their registry and Mr. Chelsey thought that an FP was unnecessary... pft!

Poor Chels was using an old blender (or was it an old FP) that didn't have a lid (messy) and smoked when she ran it too long (unsafe, smelly).

(swirly dreamlike holographic kaleidoscopic whatsits wisk you away to the land of FP.)

Something like this:

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Welcome to Food Processor Land. Where everything is possible as long as it fits into a 13 cup basin.

First possibility: Hummus. Chelsey has made this in an FP before, so maybe she'll comment and give us her recipe

My favorite food processor product? Pesto!

I've made pea pesto, Mulit-herb pesto, regular basil pesto and other veggie sauces in mine. All of them are fantastic when mixed into some carbs. Mmmm nap.

Here's my favorite pesto's ingredients (the pea kind)in order of quantity:

Pea Pesto:
Peas
Basil (dried can work here because its not the main ingredient)
Parmesan
Olive Oil (a good one... you wont be cooking it so the flavors must be top)
Nuts of any kind (traditional pesto uses pine nuts, but I've used walnuts before)
Freshly cracked pepper (and some red pepper flake if you're feeling spicy.)
Salt

Dump all into a processor (minus the oil) and start to pulse/blend. Add the oil through the spout at the top in a thin stream. One mistake of pesto-making is adding the oil at the start - the basil and peas have moisture too and can get the sauce going on their own. You add too much oil at the beginning and you end up making your pasta too heavy. Pour in enough oil to just combine the sauce, but not make it runny. Put the sauce over hot pasta and mix. If it's too sticky, add some of the cook water from the pasta to thin. Refrain from adding more oil. (Did I stress that enough?)

Here's a portion of some pea pesto with roasted cherry tomatos and seared scallops.

Via my Pinterest.

FP's can give you drinks too - but be wary of the liquid. Blenders may make a better bet for drinks because their basins are tall and slender and more likely to contain your juices.

But.

I made a smoothie in my FP and it worked out fine.

Smoothie:
Blueberries
Frozen Strawberries
Orange juice

Dump, whirl, pour and sip.

And if you must abide by the rules of Tipsy Tuesday, I'm sure this smoothie would be great with some vodka, rum or even some champagne (frozen champagne drink... it could work, right?).

Tipsy Tuesday: Getting Your Ensalada All Dressed Up

My good, Texan friend Maddy (hey Maddy, did you see the southern embrace post?) asked me for some salad dressing recipes. Naturally I overshared obliged.

Making your own salad dressing is easy, healthy and cheap.

Salad dressings in my book are just a ratio of: fat/acid/seasoning. I like mine a bit more acidic than some, so I use equal parts fat/acid, whisk and season to taste.

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Balsamic vinaigrette:
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
salt and pepper
sugar or honey (optional)

Honey Mustard:
honey
mustard (yellow or brown or a mixture of the two)
olive oil
lemon juice (optional)
black pepper

Caesar:
mayo
white vinegar
salt and pepper
a few drops of worchestershire
chopped garlic
Parmesan cheese
a splash of milk to thin it out if you need to
(they say anchovies too, but I've never used them)

*Substitutes for the acid part are: lemon juice, lime juice, pickle or caper brine, other vinegars like rice wine or red

*A sub for the fat can be bacon drippings (great over spinach).

*Fun add-ins for acid are: hot sauce, capers, use season salt instead of regular salt, wasabi paste, fresh/dried herbs... the list goes on.

My New Roots also gave a great corn salsa recipe that would be a delicious substitution for salad dressing. Or you could use the dressing recipe she gives to top the salsa as a salad pairing.


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And the cocktail: Mojito

Ingredients: Mint, rum, soda/sparkling water, simple syrup, lime

Put torn mint leaves, rum (I just pour from the bottle and count to 3 for each serving) simple syrup and squeeze lime halves (squeeze like photo below, using a fork, to get the most juice) into a shaker with ice and shakey-shakey.


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Strain from shaker over ice and top with a couple glugs of sparkling water.

Low cal, refreshing and cheap if you make your own simple syrup and grow your own mint. Ba-da-boom.

I have an abundance of mint growing in a pot on my back deck thanks to my MIL (no, really, thanks!)

Here's to getting all dressy! *clink

Tipsy Tuesday: Sometimes You Feel the Need to Yee-Haw

I've revolted against the cow-patty-country way of some of my cohorts and vowed to be city-slicker-civilized-cynical against all things country.

But what the flip is wrong with pop music today? All the "shake that" and electronica is so abusive to my ears. Seriously, do the B.E.P. sing/rap/garbagenoise everything nowadays?!

The music. It turned me first and it has turned me again. Bands like The Band Perry, Lady Antebellum, and themanwiththebesthairI'veeverseenonamanorawoman: Keith Urban all do much to cross genres and please many of us.



The attitude. I have some difficult conversations and interactions coming up and instead of having my city blinders on, I should take a more relaxed approach and maybe put on the armour of "Bless 'er heart" to just fake my way through it. If it works, it works, right?


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The decor. My friend Maddison asked me which would I choose for her new studio: a gray rug and a cowhide rug. I told her the gray rug because I didn't peg her for country. But looking at the pics on her blog have me "woo-ing" over the hide one. What do you think? Head to her blog to see the comparison and leave a comment weighing in.



The food. Cook with butter. Because fat is flavor and Paula Dean looks beautiful (and happy)!



And the drinks. Food and drinks are separate, yep. I've always loved beer. S wanted to head to Maria's, a local hole-in-the-wall, for a beer last night. Alas, I had already swapped respectable clothing and contacts for my new RayBan glasses and and eclectic pj combo, so I told him I'd concoct something fun at home. I found The Kicking Cow cocktail on an app. that tells you what drinks you can make with what you have in your liquor cabinet/fridge.

Equal parts:
whiskey
cream
maple syrup.

A diabetic, lactose intolerant nightmare, but I liked it.



The hand is mine, the foot is S's. I'm a bad iPhone photographer and he's a comedian.

So I stand corrected. Get your country-on.

Duh-duh-duh-DUN! Welcome Tipsy Tuesday!

Welcome, hello. Come on in and grab a seat, we're just about to get started.

(Gavel bangs. Sidenote: I just finished The Help and have decided that, although gavels are used by the wicked, maybe I can make it less wicked or embrace my wickedness... cause tiny hammers that command attention are neat. The movie comes out Wednesday. Also neat.)


On this, the first of all Tipsy Tuesdays, I'm going to pick one out of the suggestion box. Oh. there appears to be only one suggestion. That'll make it easy.

BLill writes:
I LOVE Real Simple magazine, and I can't get enough of the articles in which they give you alternate ways to use everyday items (like this one here: http://www.realsimple.com/new-uses-for-old-things/index.html). Do you have any genius ways to add utility to everyday items????

Well I'm not too crafty (and not as crafty as the team of contributors for Real Simple), but I am good with being versatile. Here are some of my multi-taskers:

Safety Pins - Just last night I even used one to hold a towel around me like a cape while I colored my hair. I use them in lieu of buttons on low cut shirts, to hold bra straps under tank tops, and even to separate my eye lashes... oh wait, that was Julia Roberts...


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Plastic grocery bags - I use these to tote around sweaty water bottles in my purse on the way to work, gather recycling, do neighborhood clean-up, contain smelly trash within the larger trash bag, line bathroom trashcans, and even pick up dog doo (in those times when I've lived with a dog). And even if you don't reuse the store's bags, you can often recycle them. So don't throw them away, just return them to the grocery store!

A mild facial mosturizer - Yes it does its job to keep your skin soft and hydrated, but it also works as an eyelid primer for under eye concealer which makes your concealer spread easier and therefore puts less strain on your sensitive eye skin, it thins out foundation to make it more summer-friendly, and most have SPF in them these days so you are already protected from the sun.

Double duty items I've used before:

Newsprint as window wiper. (I grew up with this one. It's better than paper towel.)
Razor blade to clean/scrape permanent marker off of a mirror.
Butter knife to scrape the inside of a candle to make it burn evenly.
Mason jars as inside windowsill planters.
Mason jars as candle votives.
Men's cologne as my own. (Men like it. I promise.)
Conditioner as shaving cream.
Stacked suitcases as a desk/side table.

What are your multi-taskers or double-duty items?

Monday's Preview: Ten Tips Gets A Facelift

So in an effort to be more relevant and let the chips fall where they may, I've decided to take "Ten Tips Tuesday" in for a facelift.

She'll still include helpful tips from my very qualified perspective, but I will be changing her quantity... in that she wont be require to reach 10 every week!

I know. I know. Maybe I am lazy. But I find that some weeks I felt like I was filling my blog with fluff. And not the marshmallow kind (fat kid says: yum.)

I'm going to drop the 10 and make her (drum roll please)....

TIPSY TUESDAY.

Get it? And I do love a good beer/wine/spritzer/cocktail/juice/wheat grass shot/raw black grapefruit smoothie... and its a play on words... and it still allows me to boss all of you around... er...

Anyway, hang onto your hats for tomorrow's inaugural: Tipsy Tuesday!

Ten Tips Tuesday: How NOT to Have a Heart Attack When Your Google Reader Reaches 600 Unread Posts

Read some LOLs, and then unsubscribe from blogs that are:

1)overwhelming
2)overwhelming because of having 15 contributing writers who post 10 times a day
3)overwhelming because they clip their posts in blogger and force you to go to their website and then, before you know it, you have 10 windows open with at least 3 tabs each and you can't find the screen with your work outlook email in time for the boss to look over you shoulder and you panic and leave the i Can Haz Cheeseburger site up and it make you blush and you lose your train of thought and...

4)overwhelming because they don't apply to you. So. Many. Blogs. About. Babies.
5)overwhelming because they have a stupid Tuesday post format that makes them stretch for grasping-at-straws points beyond what makes sense to fill a self-imposed quota.

*pant pant pant pant*breatheintoapaperbag*popsaidpaperbag*shriek*sigh

Seriously. Reading blogs should not make you feel like you are climbing uphill. My advice? Purge your Google Reader at home and work while at work. So weird that I don't always/ever do that...

Ten Tips Tuesday: Ways to Remember Something

I have more passwords now with a new job, apartment, marriage, credit card, etc than I care to remember. Or that I CAN remember. This morning I was prompted to even change the password on my work computer. Apparently you cannot use the same password twice in a year, it has to be X number of characters long and include numbers, is case sensitive, cannot be a form of your name, the company's name or any numbers associated with your ID number or be a word in the English language or include number 1, 4, 33 or any repeating letter...

Little bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea.

I have a terrible memory too. Here's how we take on the occasional amnesia:

1) Make a calendar reminder so you get an email or text the day before an event. That way you can lay out your outfit, shave your legs and put down the bottle of wine after 2 glasses to keep from looking all coco-puff-dehydrated in the morning.

2) Set everything you need for the next part of your day by the door. In the evening before I go to bed, I put my bag, shoes, commuter reading and a note saying "Don't forget you made a ham sandwich for lunch and it's in the fridge, dummy" by the door. If I need to remember to take something home from work I do the same and put it next to my bag/shoes/book.

3) Not at home or not have a phone to put reminder dates in? Live under a rock? Put a rubberband around your wrist. I used to do this in high school when they wouldn't let you carry phones around (and to be honest, I was not cool enough to have a phone in high school). The band will be awkward enough to not be confused with jewelry and if you don't wear one everyday it will be different enough to give you that "huh, I was supposed to do something today..." feeling. Writing it on your hand works too, but cannot be taken off easily if you need to step into a meeting.

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4) The good ol' sticky note. Stick 'em. Love 'em.

5) Make a Google document of passwords. Try to keep them as vague as possible. Say, the credit card you just got has online billing and you need to remember the username and password. Don't just write that all out in the document unless you absolutely cannot remember it (then you should probably pick a different password anyway). Googled Docs are not 100% secure, so if your password is the name of your favorite Thai food place, put "Favorite Thai Place" as your reminder.

6) If you have to keep calling customer service at work or remember a product code, tape a cheat sheet next to the wall by your phone. Be professional and put it in a protective plastic sleep to keep it from getting curled in the summer humidity. Once you have the stuff memorized, file that sheet away in the recycling bin. You should have an electronic copy stored somewhere.

7) Tell a friend what you are trying to remember. I say "remind me that I have a dentist appointment tomorrow" but I don't really mean that they have to remind me. I mean, it would be nice, but I'm not totally telling them to remind me. Sometimes saying it out loud helps.

8) Write it on your bathroom mirror in a dry erase marker. "You have lunch with SoAndSo today". My sister writes her husband encouraging messages (or herself, I guess I don't know who the messages are to) on the bathroom mirror. I think it could work for reminders too.

What a lovely bathroom mirror, too! Via

9) Just like in school, make an acronym or mnemonic device. My husband's password to everything is a ba-zillion digit number/letter combo that he had to memorize when imputing code in middle school. How the flip am I gonna remember a techy little mashup like that? I made a song out of it. Yes, sir, I sing a bunch of gibberish when I login to our Mint.com account. And now that I have done it a bunch and it's in my finger's muscle memory, I can do it by just chanting it. High five to progress!

10) Make a routine. If you keep forgetting your lunch, make it part of your morning routine to open the fridge - even on weekends. If you forget to set your alarm, check it every night even when you know you have the AM and the PM correct because you reset it after you got up in the morning. If you forget to pay your credit card bill on the 15th each month, highlight all the 15ths of the month in your calendar (whether it's a desk calendar, a daily tear-off calendar or your e-calendar) and make a mid-month routine. Like watering your plants:

via

Until we all descend into blissful retirement of the mind, lets keep up, shall we?

Ten Tips Tuesday: Beat Boredom.

Ten ways to pass the time when you're home-bound.

My husband and I are quarantined after he had a bout with a virus. We're on the mend and here's how we ticked away the holiday weekend.

1) Start a new book with a goal to finish it. I started Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point. Did not finish it, but made good headway.

2) Catch up on phone calls. I am terrible with calling people back/answering my phone in the first place. Being sequestered forces me to reach out using modern technology!

3) Take leisurely walks. For us, the issue that caused us to stay home was not pain but possible disease-spreading. We got out a bit to walk about the neighborhood and explore. We've only lived in this apartment for a few months so it was nice to just wander and get out of the house for a while.

4) Watch a documentary. Educational, interested and often-times great for loads of inspired conversation. My brother recommends The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia. Wowser is it entertaining/sad/funny/shocking/stirring.

via

5) Craft. I know. Normally I hate crafting, but when between a rock and a hard-candy/sewing-machine/scrap-booking place, I choose the Popsicle sticks. I got a lot of wedding photos printed and grouped to send to family this weekend. We also finally put together a little "thank you" for our neighbors for being so great through our recent illness ordeal.

6) Do a puzzle. We didn't do a puzzle, but I like them and would have done one if I were home one. more. day.

7) Window shop. I spent about 5 hours the other day just window shopping. All I came home with was some soap, a wicker basket (for which I bartered!) and a caffeine buzz. It was cheaper than any other 5 hour shopping trip I've had recently.*

8) Cook from scratch. Weeknight dinners sometimes need to be quick and easy. But, when you're home for hours at a time, why not go the whole 9 yards? My MIL, bless 'er heart, sent me some casserole recipes to make in large quantities and freeze. Great idea for the non-cooks out there, but I love to cook. I love taking the time to cut veggies, butterfly a chicken breast, roast potatoes. If you've got the time, why not!? Trust me, cutting** can be very cathartic!

9) Clean. I know what you're thinking: "She asking me to cook, clean, sew, and get my Laura Ingalls Wilder on. Tell me that's the fever talkin'!" I realize this doesn't sound fun, but don't you have to santize everything anyway? Stick with me, number 10 is fun.

10) Eat a lot and eat things you normal forbid yourself. Have that 4th Oreo or that 2nd mojito. Calories be damned! (because you already burned some by hand-mopping the floor, right? And by walking those 2 miles on Michigan Avenue window shopping, right? Good girl.) Not that eating is an activity, but you can draw it out and make an experience of it. At home cheese tasting? Yes!

* Window shopping can be done online if you are too sick/tired/sick&tired to leave home. Online stores are sooo fun and you don't have to fight the crowds!

** of vegetables, silly!

Ten Tips Tuesday: 10 Fun Ways to Spruce Up Your Mature Decor (and a Few Rhymes!)

Yes, "mature decor" rhymes. Just love it with me, folks.

I know I've struggled with growing up when it comes to decor. When I moved I had to leave my pastel lace curtains behind and have thrown out some bright red, self-made collages because that's what adults do. We buy stuffy, rigid, beige, clean-lined art/pillows/rugs/linens. Gag.

We can be adults AND have fun decor. Oh yes we CAN!

(Note: There's nothing wrong with beige. I like beige. I just like other colors too.)

My lovely neighbors (Hi: B, J and H!) have included my husband and I in their living room re-vamp (i.e. We get to come see the finished product and they welcome our 2 cents!) and they've inspired me to look for patterns, colors and themes in home decorating that push the limit and really give pizazz to a room.

1) Pick a bright color. Mature patterns can be fun in brighter colors.


2) Pick a wild pattern. For those of you that say animal prints are for street walkers (does anyone say that? you know you picture it... leather skirt, faux fur coat, strappy stilettos... or maybe that's just Ke$ha.), I give you: Zebra. In a rich brown, zebra is warm and natural enough to be both inviting and mature. You know, the kind of inviting and mature that says "come here and take a load off" not "come hither and for $50 I'll..." you get the idea.

via

3)Get along with neon.

Used sparingly and over a backdrop of neutrals, a shade or two of one neon color can be fun put put-together.
via Pinterest

4) Personalize. You don't need to have your name on your door to keep your little brother out anymore. Your home will start a get-to-know-us conversation for you.

Monogram wallpaper found here.

5) DIY.
This was the song that my husband and I walked down the aisle to after we said "I do" and I've coveted this simple slab-n-paint since I first saw it. Also
via Pinterest.

6) Metallic adds color AND texture.

via

7) Be ironic. Glass next to iron next to wood next to pastel cutouts of animals.
via
Make your style what YOU like. And when you're at a thrift store and you ask yourself, "Do I need this ceramic horse?" Answer, "Yes."

8) Which brings me to thrift stores. No picture needed. Go at the end of a weekend after people have cleaned out their junk and stay hydrated. Furniture that no longer fits your mature lifestyle can be recycled there and sometimes you have find a gem to clean up, refinish or paint and make your own. Thrift stores are worth the sift!

9) Fake it. If you are just starting to cycle out your college collage for some adult art (that sound dirty... where's my head this morning!?), then sometimes big pieces can be out of the budget. Cluster smaller prints together to take up the wall space of a larger piece.

via

10) Dress it up. Save on basic linens by purchasing white or a solid colors instead of patterns or chic designer sets, but splurge on accent pillows or a nice duvet to draw interest. If you like the ease of bed-in-a-bag sets, mix it up by buying your own accent pillows or a contrasting bed skirt. Putting nice dressing on a basic bed can make it look upgraded.

And don't be afraid of purple :) via


Anyone have any suggestions on how to merge styles when you get married/move in together? I hear Secrets from a Stylist on HGTV advises on this, although I've never seen it. Anyone seen and love the show?

Ten Tips Tuesday: Ways to Burn and Cut More Calories Daily

Happy Tuesday Lovers!

I just found out that I will have my wedding dress in.my.hands this weekend for keeps and in a last ditch effort to look slim-n-sleek here are some tips to burning more calories without adding any more designated exercise to your routine.

I do these things whether I'm working out regularly (always!) or not so much (... always).

1) Take the stairs. It's good for your butt and it is a form of cardio. If you live or work in a building with an elevator, try taking the stairs. If you work on, say, the 84th floor, take the elevator up to the 80th and walk the last few floors.

2) If there are copiers all over the office, use the one furthest from you. If you aren't networked to that machine, network yourself or ask for help!

3) Chew your food thoroughly. Not only does it aid in digestion, but the actual act of chewing burns more calories. Gum chewers, chomp away with your mouth closed.

4) Take a walk on your lunch break.

5) Do crunches or push-ups during commercial breaks at home.

6) When mopping or sweeping the floor, treat every reach forward as a crunch or a lunge. Instead of moving to the spot you are mopping/sweeping, reach for it while crunching your abs or take wide, lunging steps. Make sure you are alone with the house alarm set when you do this. You will want plenty of time to straighten up and look "normal" if someone walks in.

7) If you are on a long phone call (professional or personal), don't sit down. Stand or even walk around. Standing burns more calories than sitting.

8) While you're brushing your teeth, do squats. Also, don't let the water run, jack.

9) Walk/bike to run your errands instead of taking the bus/train/your car. Not only is walking exercise, but you will be lifting weights if you carry jars, cans and produce back from the grocery store. And if you live too far from your destination and must drive, park on the far side of the parking lot.

10) Laugh more.

And for our double header (*drumroll): Ways to Cut More Calories!

1) Ask for salad dressing on the side and use only 1/2 of it. Choose oil/vinegar based dressings over mayonnaise based dressings.

2) Drink water at lunch instead of soda.

3) Drink your coffee/tea black or with skim milk.

4) Keep yourself hydrated as sometimes when we think we are snackish we are actually thirsty.

5) Give yourself smaller portions at home and only go back for 2nds after sitting for 5 minutes between portions. Let your stomach feel full before you get stuffed.

6) "Sacrifice" one meal a day. If you have sugar free oatmeal for breakfast, you can have a burger for dinner. If you have a salad with lite dressing for lunch, you can have cookies after dinner. Deny yourself only some things sometimes.

7) Pack your lunch. If you eat out all of the time, not only is it costly, but you have little idea of the preservatives, fat, sodium and calorie content in what you're eating.

8) Do not clean your plate. American portions are plus sized and we tend to eat what we're given. Leave a few bites on your plate and your stomach will thank you.

9) Carry snacks with you and keep them at your desk to fight of starvation. If you can't make it from 9 to Noon without stomach rumblings, have some almonds, low sodium pretzels or cereal at the office to keep you from getting super hungry and eventually overeating. Eating more frequently also keeps your metabolism up.

10) If you have the munchies in the evening, go to bed. Your body might just be looking for an excuse to stay awake.


I'll post some shameless photos of me in my wedding dress after this shin-dig is done so you can be the judge of these slimming tips.

Ten Tips Tuesday: on Sleeping Better

Sleeping like a baby (or a dog and a baby).

Man-o-man do the weeks fly by when you post only a few times a week! I should make a theme for every day to keep me accountable. Sheesh! Now, down to business.

Yesterday was a long day for me. Got up at 6:30 to work from 8 AM - 5 PM. Then milled around town and did some reading before I headed off to small group from 7:30 until 9. Then got a ride (thanks again, Anna!) home to be in bed, reading, by 10:30.

It's been a topic more than once that society pushes each generation to their limit in regards work and use of time. We don't know which came first - the requirement to be go-go-go or the desire to be go-go-go, but subsequent generations are busier and busier.

Naturally we cannot make more hours in the day, so when our productivity is threatened, we sacrifice how we spend our time in other areas. The people we love, activies we enjoy, down-time and adequate sleep are some points we put on the front line in the battle against the 24hr day.

Do your best to balance your life with joys and loved ones. As for sleep, most say we can get by with less but function better with more. I, personally, "hit a wall" when I'm tired and will stop at nothing to get to sleep. Here are some of my tips.

1. Make a routine. Take a shower, brush your teeth, light a soothing candle for 15 min to get your mind and muscle memory going down the "oh yeah, I AM tired" track.

2. Lower the lights. If your bedroom lights aren't on dimmers, you can get ready for bed by candlelight or buy only putting a bedside light on instead of a harsh overhead light.

3. Trying listening to classical music or music without lyrics. Lyrics can get stuck in your head and keep your mind a'workin'.

4. Read an easy read. I've been reading a book loaned to me by my friend Giselle (thanks!) written by the Dalai Lama that is very placid. Although I don't believe the theology the book is based on, Mr. Lama (I know that's not his name) does approach life calmly and compassionately, which I do admire.

5. Put your iPhone down. Staring at a back-lit screen only wakes your mind up and keeps you alert and thinking. Put. It. Down.

6. Shower or at least wash your feet. I cannot sleep without clean feet. I feel like dirty feet make dirty sheets and I cannot sleep in dirty sheets!

7. Make your bed in the morning. There is something transitional about folding back the sheets that helps you think about bedtime as final and a good exhale to the day. There's nothing else to prepare, it's already done and you can hop right in.

8. Stop drinking coffee 5 hours before you go to bed. Most people shouldn't drink coffee outside of the work day. If you are a tea or decaf drinker, remember you are still getting caffeine. Give your physical body no excuse to be restless.

9. Exercise. Burning off some calories and energy stored in your desk-bound-body will help your muscles and mind relax. Running and other forms of cardio can even help you clear your mind of worries and a worriless mind is a happy, sleepy mind.

10. Melatonin. Taken occasionally, a supplement of melatonin can help aid in sleep by naturally restoring your body's sleep cycle. I take it when I've had a busy day and really need help winding down or when I travel between time zones.

I feel like days are taken off of my life when I do not get enough sleep. Here's to big, fat ZZZs.

Ten Tips Tuesday: How to Effectively Downsize Your Wardrobe without Limiting Your Options

For the Inaugural Ten Tips Tuesday post idea, I thank my friend Sarah!

1) Get rid of anything that doesn't fit. Whether you've gained or lost weight, don't keep things around in hopes (or discouragement) that they might fit again.

2) If you haven't worn it in a year, you probably won't wear it. Save for something special or sentimental like a wedding dress or graduation cap & gown (which you could vacuum seal and put under your bed to save closet space), clothes that are forgotten for a year are usually forgotten forever.

3) You don't need more than 2 pairs of black pants and *at most* 3 pairs of jeans. Get black pants in lengths that work with both heels and flats and jeans that work with both heels and flats. The only reason you'd need 3 pairs of jeans is if you have them in different washes. Getting all of your jeans in dark washes assures that they are both professional and dressy and therefore more versatile.

4) T-shirts. Downsize your t-shirts to just the ones that are from that special concert or the one that is finally broken-in and oh-so-soft. You don't need "Team Building Exercise '99". See Flight of the Conchords below. You won't regret it.


5) Invest in a good blazer. One good blazer can replace 3 ill-fitting blazers, jackets, hoodies (yes, blazers should be comfy) and some of your bulky sweaters.

6) Rid yourself of anything that you haven't had time to take to the tailor/cobbler in the past month. If it doesn't fit/is falling apart and you haven't tried to fix it yet, you're not gonna. I can't tell you through how many moves I've lugged these broken shoes around and it's not worth it.

7) Yellow pit stains (or any stain for that matter)? Don't deny 'em, chuck 'em!

8) We've all got some slippers, jewelry, sweater that is just not quite our style and we keep it around because it's not polite to re-gift. Now is the time to let it be someone else's style. Liberate it!

9) Special occasion dresses. Some girls like to go out and buy a new dress for every wedding/bar mitzvah/company outting anyway. If you buy new for every occasion, then cycle out the old. If you like to recycle (I do), then limit yourself to the perfect LBD (little black dress) and revamp it with accessories and bright heels to switch it up. Guys: pick your one suit or one jacket/pants combo.

10) Keep one purse/shoulder bag at a time. If you're like me, you ditch the old bag when the new one comes along. Either you cycle through your bags seasonally, or you never return to that old one. Either keep 4 seasonal bags in an appropriate size for your lifestyle or just keep the one you currently use until you buy a new one. Promptly toss the old one.

Sometimes we get attached to our stuff. Remember, it's just stuff.

And don't forget to donate your gently used clothes and accessories to a Salvation Army or a Goodwill store to help support organizations that employ people in your community and work towards good causes.

Some other things to do with stuff from your purged closet? Host a clothing swap (my favorite idea!). Give them away to friends. Sell them on eBay or Craigslist.



Picture via. I love that there is someone sitting in a purple dress in the right side of this photo... gotta play dress-up before you through out that bridesmaid dress! And get pictures. Then send them to me. I will blog them. You will be famous. It's that simple!

Ten Tips Tuesday (The Monday Pep-Rally)

At the risk of being too alliterative and setting myself up for another obligation, let's try this: Ten Tips Tuesdays.

On Tuesdays, I'll give you a list of 10 solutions that are short answers to simple problems. Problems that don't necessarily need their own post or ones that have such a variety of solutions that a list makes more sense.

I'd LOVE to hear ideas about what lists you'd like to see, but here are some I might flesh out in the future:

- What to do when you can't sleep
- How to pick good produce (It's ok to laugh. I encourage it!)
- Ways to burn more calories in daily activities
- Ways to clean your house during commercial breaks (why, hello, time management!)
- Ways to stretch the time between haircuts
- Ways to make your significant other feel special for under $5 (not that I'm hinting)

These thing won't be lists I yank from a Cosmo magazine or even Google. I'll bring all of my knowledge from personal experience and my own thoughts!

Feel free to drop a comment with suggestion!