Fashion Friday: Skinny Cargos

Looking for something that's a tad dressier than jeans and still comfy? Than allow me to introduce to you my new favorite work wardrobe staple; The Skinny Cargo. Here's a pic from online of the exact pair that I have. As you know my camera has been on the fritz so I couldn't get a pic of me wearing them :(

I picket them up from Kohls for $24.99. They are the LC Lauren Conrad Brand. Notice how you can cuff them up and snap them at the bottom - Love that! They also are just as cute worn un-cuffed.

This little beauty has proven herself to be not only versatile but extremely flattering. As seen on my favorite fashion blogger J's Everyday Fashion!

 Here, J shoes 16 different ways to wear skinny cargos!
Tips on styling your perfect pair:

1. Look for a pair that doesn't have bulging side pockets located right on your outer thigh. Who needs extra bulk in that region anyway?
2. Since it's going to be getting HOT here in MO soon, look for a pair in a lightweight fabric.
3. My cargo's have a seam that goes all the way down the front- this draws the eye down and gives a streamlined, more flattering effect.
4. Try cuffing the bottom for an entirely different look!
5. Pair them with a feminine, floral blouse to balance out the "military" vibe.

Look how cute and comfy Eva Longoria looks, even in her sky high wedges!

While I'm not always a fan of Kim Kardashian's super trendy styles, I love how she paired the cargo's with a blazer here. Perfect for my office!

Like I said, I'm sorry I don't have any photos of myself sporting this trend, but I wanted to share the idea of skinny cargos with you! They seriously have become my favorite pants to wear to work! Happy Friday All!

The Beauty of Today.

TODAY is Thursday. And it's a great day for many reasons.

1. THE SUN IS SHINING!!!! Thank you Jesus!!!

2. I have fresh flowers on my desk thanks to my co-workers remembering Administrative Professionals Day yesterday.

3. I'm finished with 2 organizing jobs! And I have these organizing tools leftover to use for my own house :)

These fabric cubes will be good for John to put little toys and blocks in. I also plan to use one or two in Daniel's shop area for catch-all bins.

This looks like an ordinary shoe organizer, and you can most definitely use it for shoes. I plan to use it in Daniel's shop to store tools, extra lightbulbs, nails and screws, etc. Daniel has some industrial shelves in his shop and I'll just hang the organizer on one side.

4. Thursday is Cape's FARMER'S MARKET! If you've never been, come with me today! The market is in the parking lot of the old ice-skating rink in the Town Plaza. It runs from 2-5pm and I plan to go at 3pm. Last week I bought some unbelievably fresh spinach (cut from the garden that very morning!) that we used in pasta's and salads the rest of the week. You can also pick up some sweet re-usable totes that say "Cape Farmer's Market" on them for only $1.00 a piece.

5. I am getting a new digital camera! My old camera bit the dust two days ago. It was actually in my bed and I accidentally kicked it off onto the floor :( Now it won't take any pictures. I'm sad about this because I don't want to spend the money to get a new one but I'm also excited because my new camera will take better quality photos. Here's the camera I'm getting.

It's EXACTLY like my old camera, only it has 14.1 megapixels (whatever that means) and my old camera only had 3.1mp. Also, it's only $150.00, and 6 years ago when I bought my camera it was $250.00!! So I'm getting a newer, better camera for $100.00 less than what I paid before.

I hope everyone is able to enjoy the sunshine today.

"The Lord is a Sun and Shield, the Lord gives Grace and Glory. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk in His path." Psalms 84:11

40 Day Shopping Fast and Swap Meet!

Well, I've decided to do it. I'm taking 40 days off from shopping or buying anything new. Starting May 1st, the only thing I plan to buy brand new is groceries. If a birthday comes up or some other special occasion, I'm going to either re-purpose something I already own for a gift or buy something that is second-hand. Now that it's out in the blogosphere I have to stick to it!

I just want everyone to know that the reason I'm doing this is not because I'm running my family into the poor house, but because of my own personal convictions about excess spending. We abide by a strict budget in our home, and I always try to keep my spending/shopping under $250.00 per month for non-necessity items. I also check with my husband before buying something more than $50.00. The purpose of this Fast is to see my relationship with Christ flourish because I'm giving something up in order to be closer to Him. That $250.00 per month I spend on clothes, accessories, make-up, eating out, etc. can go towards furthering Christ's kingdom, not adding to my closet.

Several ladies have emailed me and are thinking about participating as well. I encourage you to think about your own spending habits and convictions. If the excitement of buying something new is quickly replaced with a feeling of remorse or guilt for buying something that you don't need, then I encourage you to try Fasting or reducing your excess spending for an amount of time.

If you decide to participate or if the idea of a Shopping Fast appeals to you in some way, then let me know!
As part of my 40 day fast of not buying anything new, I've decided to have a party. Not just any party, but a Swap Party. Here's what I mean.

I will have several items up for swap. Each party guest will also bring items that they are wanting to trade for my items or other party attendees items. Items to swap can include jewelry, clothes (only Spring/Summer wear), shoes, purses, knick-knacks, dishes, towels, home decor, tablecloths, books, cd's, magazines....the list is never ending! There will be a sign-up sheet for each guest to list what they've brought, and whoever borrows an item will have 40 days to use it and then will need to swap it back. Of course, if you don't want your item back you can do an even trade for keeps! :)

The purpose in having this party is so that women around me can experience having something new without actually having to pay for it. The way I see it is, we're all family, so why not share? I'm not saying bring your Grandmother's ruby ring to swap, because there is always a chance that something could happen to it. But I would like to see items that are in good shape only and that you care about and would eventually want back. That's why this is a "Swap Meet", not a garage sale. I know that we as women get attached to our belongings, that's why I think this would be good for us all to let go of some of that anxiety we have when it comes to our things. After all, they're just THINGS, right?!

Let me give you an example. I have 2 pairs of black dress pants, 4 floral-print tank tops, 2 Dooney and Bourke purses, TONS of necklaces (not my good pearls, but things from American Eagle and NY&Co), several nice candles, and a set of adorable dish cloths. Since I have several of each of these items, I plan to bring at least one of each to Swap. Is this starting to make more sense to you? I LIKE all of these items and will eventually want them back, but for 40 days I can go without them. Things I would like to swap IN EXCHANGE FOR would be some new necklaces, maybe a couple new books, a new pair of heels, etc.

Ok, I know I've given you a lot of information here. Your turn. What do you think? Would you like to come to my Swap Party??

My first couponing experience.

I've just recently started cutting coupons. Before, I felt as though cutting coupons wouldn't really save me all that much money and was a pain to do. Plus my mother never cut coupons when we were growing up so I just never thought to either. Since couponing has become sort of the "rage" for mom's around here lately I decided to give it a shot.

The first step was buying a Sunday newspaper. The Sunday paper includes all the price savers and grocery store ads which are key in coupon cutting (so I hear). I scanned all the ads and coupons hoping to find things that are on my shopping list. I cut appx 10 coupons that were worth about 75 cents to 1 dollar a piece. I then went online and joined a couponing club at http://www.coupons.com/. I had to do a little download to make my printer "coupon compatible" and then I was all set. I looked through the coupons offered on the website, but didn't find anything that I needed. I don't want to become one of those couponing hoarders who have 2,000 tubes of toothpaste stock piled in their basement. I promised myself I would only use coupons on items I need, not just buy things in order to use coupons.

The next step was shopping. I do my shopping on Monday's so yesterday I decided to try Schnucks since they advertise "Double Coupons." I brought my usual list into the store, with items listed in order according to the store's layout, that I described to you here. I kept all my coupons in a little plastic baggy.

Shopping started out pretty well, but every time I came to an item on my list that I had a coupon for, I had to open the baggy and double check the coupon to make sure the size was compatible or make sure I had the brand name down. I accidentally picked up a bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch and then had to go put it back when I realized my coupon was $1 off Kraft Ranch Dressing. So, needless to say my grocery shopping didn't go as smooth as usual. Once I got to the checkout line, I didn't know if I should put the coupons with the items on the counter, so I asked. The friendly cashier said that they just scanned all the coupons at the end - Genius! So after all my items had been bagged I handed the cashier my coupons. I couldn't wait to see how much I'd saved, especially since Schnucks doubles coupons! Turns out, actually Schnucks only doubles coupons that are for 50 cents off or less, and all my coupons were worth more than that so I didn't benefit at all from the double couponing. I could have gone to Wal-Mart and probably saved a little bit more overall, but oh well. My total savings ended up being $9.75. Not as thrilling as I thought it would be, but still, that's 10 bucks.

Final thoughts......
Couponing is probably worth it. If you're going to buy an item anyway, why not use a coupon? I don't plan to spend hours every week scanning the newspaper for coupons I can use, but if I'm already reading the paper, I will probably start cutting a couple coupons every once in awhile. And as far as the coupon website, I'll probably just check it the day I do my shopping. If there's anything worth cutting, then I will.

What about you? Do you frequently use coupons? Do you feel it's beneficial and worth your time?

What you've missed...

In case you didn't notice, I haven't posted in a week. This is rare for me, because I try to post almost every day and for sure every week day. Everything is ok, I just got a little overwhelmed with the business of life and needed some time off. Here is a quick re-cap of all that's been happening the past week. Now, let's move on to the week ahead!

1. Extreme Weather
We've had crazy weather conditions the past week. Tornado sirens, flash floods, lots of lightening....just craziness! Last week I had play practice and I brought John with me. We practice in one of the meeting rooms of Port Cape Restaurant, which is right along the river in Cape Girardeau. About 8:30pm when practice was about to wrap up, we heard that there was a Tornado Warning and we needed to seek shelter. So about 100 people in the restaurant filed into the back kitchen and we stayed there for 30 minutes. Everyone was hot, tired, and cranky...except for John. He was loving it!

John cheesin' on the prep table in the Port Cape kitchen. There were about 100 people standing to the right and left of him, he was clearly the star of the show.

2. My mom had a birthday.

Happy Birthday Grammy!

John and my sister, Lauren. AKA La La.

3. My MIL and FIL had a birthday - On the same day!
Daniel's Mom and Dad have the same birthday! Crazy huh! Since his mom Cynthia was turning the big 50, Daniel's dad planned a surprise birthday party for her, and bought her a new toy! My gracious Mom helped me with the decorating and organizing for the party. Thanks Mom :) It rained the entire day but we stayed dry under a pavilion at Cape County Park. We had a great turnout despite the weather and Cynthia had a blast!

Cynthia and her new Jeep!!!!

 Daniel was the grill master with his best friend Noah.

Thanks to everyone who made the day special!

Mom and Dad Hazelwood at their party.

 Cutest. Picture. Ever. Love them both!!

 

4. Easter
Time to Celebrate! Our Savior is Risen! I love holidays and Easter is probably my favorite because it celebrates my reason for existing....because Christ Lives! We had a lovely dinner at the Hazelwoods and my Mom and Sister came too! Daniel made his special Banana Cream Pie and my mom brought her famous strawberry salad. Even though it was raining (AGAIN!) We enjoyed our time together as a family.

Easter Dinner.

Hunting eggs indoors didn't bother this guy!

5. Convictions.
This week I learned a lot about time management and how to plan accordingly. I had a few breakdowns during the week, and found myself crying a lot just because of issues beyond my control. Ultimately I learned that I can't control the weather, and I can't control other people's actions. Something I can control is how I respond to the actions of others and how I let circumstances affect me. I had several serious talks with God and I think I'm better now because of them. I hope you all had a great week and I can't wait to share with you some tips and tricks to help you manage your time better and to help you stay happy and healthy. See you in the morning friends!!!

Something has been holding me back.

I've been playing with this crazy idea in my head for awhile now. There's something in my life that is keeping me from feeling true joy and peace. This "idol" is something I turn to when I'm feeling down to make me feel better. It helps me feel happy for a fleeting moment, but in the end I just feel guilty afterwards and regret doing it.

This idol that I'm talking about......is shopping.

You might be kind of chuckling to yourself right now but I'm being completely serious here! I have felt super remorseful lately when I buy something that I don't need. Tonight all the cookies hit the fan and my hubby and I had this big talk about future stuff and about wasting money. To be quite honest it wasn't really a talk, it was an argument. I don't want you to think that I'm living beyond my means and racking up debt or anything, because we don't even have a credit card. It's just that when I get paid, and I have a little extra money, my brain starts to think of all these great things I can buy that I really would like to have. Things like; bookends and sugar dishes and skinny red jeans and gladiator sandals. Just to name a few. But do I really NEED these items? Of course not. I have a beautiful closet full of nice clothes and shoes. I could also think of a unique option for a sugar dish and bookends that re-purposes something I already have.

I know that this is obviously nothing "wrong" per say with doing a little shopping for yourself to brighten your day. Women do it all the time. But for some reason my brain just keeps rejecting the happiness that shopping once brought me and turning it into extreme guilt and remorse. Obviously, God's trying to tell me something here. If I didn't spend $250 per month on misc household items and clothes, just think of all the possibilities for that $250! I could save up for that trip to Africa I've been wanting to take. I could use the money towards JD's tuition to Cape Christian School. I could (GASP) donate the money to missions. There is seriously no limit to what I could do!

So, here's my crazy idea. What if I went for say, 1 year...... without buying anything besides groceries. That means no new magazines every month, no new clothes, no new kitchen gadgets....no new nail polishes (oh my goodness I think I'm about to start crying!) nothing. The purpose for this experiment would be to see if I start to feel my relationship with Christ go to a whole new level. It would also be interesting to see how it will effect my marriage, my budget, my free time, etc.

Now don't start getting excited because I haven't actually said I would go through with this yet. I'm still thinking about it. On a side note, obviously there will be times when I need to buy gifts for others, and clothes for JD. I'm thinking that in those instances I will buy only vintage or previously owned items. That way I'm not buying something new, I'm re-purposing. Also in the course of a year I'll probably need new bras and panties and in that case I think it will be ok to buy new. Second hand panties? Gross.

I'm going to think about this for the rest of the month. May 1st I'll make a decision. In the meantime....what do you think about my idea? Think it's worth trying?

Sanity Saving Monday: My Favorite Tool

It's not a hammer, it's not a drill, it's not what you would normally think when you hear the word "tool." Something that I seriously can't live without and that you'll see on my person on a regular basis is this:

A re-usable shopping bag. I have them in every color and size imaginable, and I seriously don't leave home without them. I don't always use them for grocery shopping (although, I need to!) but I use them for my computer, my books, my business files, everything. There's one in my car that has "traveling necessities" in it such as extra diapers and wipes, emergency contact numbers, packaged snacks, water bottles, etc. I also keep one at my office that has a change of clothes in it and tennis shoes for when I work out. If you've ever received a gift from me, more than likely it was in a re-usable bag. I just love these things, and they are definitely sanity savers. If you've thought about using re-usable bags versus plastic now is the time to try them! Wal-Mart, Schnucks, Target, and K-Mart all sell them for $1.00 or less. Not only are you being more environmentally conscious, but these bags are a heck of a lot more durable than plastic.

Keep a re-usable bag full of extra re-usable bags in your car for day-to-day needs and start using them today! Happy Monday Friends!