Today we left our cozy little sub-burb home, and headed out to the woods. My little Princess told me along the way that she felt like we were on our way to the haunted forest! I loved the idea... so we talked about it... what would we find on this, our first Ever Family vacation?
Would she see lions? -no...
Would she see Bears? -maybe... but they will be nice or suffer a time out
Will there be a Witch? -No, unless you make mommy angry!
My four year old is as much a princess as they come. I told her about the dear blind I used in my teen years and she instantly asked if I was locked in the tower or if I wanted to be there? I laughed and thought man this place could probably inspire all kinds of good kids stories!
Maybe I'll try that one next?
My son. He got right out of the car and just dropped to his knees, flopped right on down and rolled in the tall grass! It was fantastic! I knew this would be the greatest trip Ever!!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
My Son!
My son is two years old! He is the coolest little man I have ever met. He 100% boy and love all things that vroom! He likes to play hard, and loud and really knows a good time when he see one. Every opportunity he gets he is climbing on something, breaking something or investigating whatever is closest to him.
Don't get me wrong, he is a great kid, but sometimes he can be difficult to handle.
For his second birthday his room was redone in Cars, like the ones from the movie! He loved it, I swear it, he was so happy I could have cried. With all of the crazy hours I work seeing him so happy it warmed my heart beyond belief and I was so much more than overwhelmed I don't think I could possibly find words to describe the way I felt.
Now the movie has a part 2 coming out and he has no idea but we are going to see it.
We have a camping trip planned next weekend and when we come home and everything goes back to normal I am going to surprise him with his first trip to the big screen!
More than anything this post is a desperate plea for guidance - How can I get him ready to sit through a full movie out in public? Anyone with even the slightest little tip, trick or idea Please leave me a little note. It'll be greatly appreciated!
Love always,
~Evie~
Don't get me wrong, he is a great kid, but sometimes he can be difficult to handle.
For his second birthday his room was redone in Cars, like the ones from the movie! He loved it, I swear it, he was so happy I could have cried. With all of the crazy hours I work seeing him so happy it warmed my heart beyond belief and I was so much more than overwhelmed I don't think I could possibly find words to describe the way I felt.
Now the movie has a part 2 coming out and he has no idea but we are going to see it.
We have a camping trip planned next weekend and when we come home and everything goes back to normal I am going to surprise him with his first trip to the big screen!
More than anything this post is a desperate plea for guidance - How can I get him ready to sit through a full movie out in public? Anyone with even the slightest little tip, trick or idea Please leave me a little note. It'll be greatly appreciated!
Love always,
~Evie~
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
A Little Me Time...
In all of my life I don't think there has even been any one point where I needed a little ~Evie~ time like I do right now.
I have been working 14-16 hours each day, and accomplishing so much, but been really suffering on the inside. I will be running off for four days of peace and quiet at the end of this month and will have no internet access what so ever! :( I will miss getting to write while I am away but will be forced to avoid work of any type!
The kids and I are going camping and I am very excited to see how my little princess handles all the icky yucky bugs... and my monster can break all the twigs he can get his little fat fingers on!
Now the reason for this post is to ask for Craft Ideas for the kids and me... we will have as much of anything you can figure to be found in northern Michigan's woods.
We will be going to the lake (for shell hunting) and walking through the trails (Acorns, sticks, cool bugs, seeds and everything else imaginable!)
So Please, Please, PLEASE I am begging you... any fun craft projects - send them our way!
Oh and for more fun and excitment I am getting a kindle this month to take with... so for all the other writers out there I would Love to sample your E-Books! I'd also be glad to put out Honest reviews on anything I read!
See ya soon-
~Evie~
I have been working 14-16 hours each day, and accomplishing so much, but been really suffering on the inside. I will be running off for four days of peace and quiet at the end of this month and will have no internet access what so ever! :( I will miss getting to write while I am away but will be forced to avoid work of any type!
The kids and I are going camping and I am very excited to see how my little princess handles all the icky yucky bugs... and my monster can break all the twigs he can get his little fat fingers on!
Now the reason for this post is to ask for Craft Ideas for the kids and me... we will have as much of anything you can figure to be found in northern Michigan's woods.
We will be going to the lake (for shell hunting) and walking through the trails (Acorns, sticks, cool bugs, seeds and everything else imaginable!)
So Please, Please, PLEASE I am begging you... any fun craft projects - send them our way!
Oh and for more fun and excitment I am getting a kindle this month to take with... so for all the other writers out there I would Love to sample your E-Books! I'd also be glad to put out Honest reviews on anything I read!
See ya soon-
~Evie~
Friday, June 10, 2011
Landing The Promotion!
In November '10 I got extra motivated and a lucky break. For Three years I've worked for a company I've felt had little to no faith that under the know nothing title I held, that I was capable of much more that my present role asked of me.I had begged for work from multiple different departments and with as overwhelmed as everyone was, no one had anything they could give me.
It wasn't until we had a few of the bigger players leave and new ones come in through the merger that I got the chance to show that there was more to me than what the surface was showing. Materials was the first department to give me a few extra hours and since then I have pulled in an average of 68 hours each week between them, shipping and receiving and even invoicing!
Recently a member of our marketing team took on a new role with a new company allowing a few more changes to occur. I was notified a week ago that a request had been made to move me to the materials (including shipping and receiving team)
As silly as it may sound to go from a sit down position in Admin., to a physical job like this it has allowed me to add another title to my resume and granted me to the ever so valuable experience in invoicing.
As does with most promotions a raise has also been discussed. The raise will 1) allow me to work fewer hours and spend more time with my kids and 2) allow me to feel more valued by the company I am working for.
I am a firm believer that if you work hard, even with three decks stacked against you, All Things Are Possible!
Since most of the people in the department I am moving to have been with the company much longer than I have I know that within the next 5-10 years more opportunities for growth within the company will make themselves available to me.
This is also going to have an impact on reaching my goal of paying off the house before I turn 27! Having a raise means earning more money, staying on our current budget means more paid on the principal and less in the end on (this is a bad word on this blog) INTEREST. (sorry I had to say it!)
Until tomorrow remember All Things Are Possible with Evie!
It wasn't until we had a few of the bigger players leave and new ones come in through the merger that I got the chance to show that there was more to me than what the surface was showing. Materials was the first department to give me a few extra hours and since then I have pulled in an average of 68 hours each week between them, shipping and receiving and even invoicing!
Recently a member of our marketing team took on a new role with a new company allowing a few more changes to occur. I was notified a week ago that a request had been made to move me to the materials (including shipping and receiving team)
As silly as it may sound to go from a sit down position in Admin., to a physical job like this it has allowed me to add another title to my resume and granted me to the ever so valuable experience in invoicing.
As does with most promotions a raise has also been discussed. The raise will 1) allow me to work fewer hours and spend more time with my kids and 2) allow me to feel more valued by the company I am working for.
I am a firm believer that if you work hard, even with three decks stacked against you, All Things Are Possible!
Since most of the people in the department I am moving to have been with the company much longer than I have I know that within the next 5-10 years more opportunities for growth within the company will make themselves available to me.
This is also going to have an impact on reaching my goal of paying off the house before I turn 27! Having a raise means earning more money, staying on our current budget means more paid on the principal and less in the end on (this is a bad word on this blog) INTEREST. (sorry I had to say it!)
Until tomorrow remember All Things Are Possible with Evie!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Edible Gardening!
The Topic for the week is Edible Gardening! I love to Garden with the kids and even though I mention nearly everything we grow we eat, I don't think people realize what I mean when I say it.
Since this blog is all about reaching our financial goals, gaining freedom and other great things so today I'll touch on saving money with gardening!
I wrote a couple articles this last week all about our gardens and all of the things we grow. Today's was Drinking Our Flower Garden! Its all about Flowers and Herbs you can grow anyplace in your yard that you think they'd look nice. More so it's about the ones we grow and how we control them and use them.
Seed Saving is another great gardening tool you can use to not only save money but to eat for free! Always use Heirlooms or you might find an interesting surprise!
If you're not so into tea's and really want information on plants you can grow in your front yard, plants that would make your neighbors wish they'd done more this season, plants you can actually serve up on a platter to please a gourmet chef you should give this quick read a once over, if nothing else you might find yourself pleasantly surprised and inspired.
I had so much fun working on all of these pieces and sharing tips and tricks, but beyond that I know that if you give some of these concepts a try you're bound to alter your gardens for ever!
See ya soon!
~~Evie~~
Since this blog is all about reaching our financial goals, gaining freedom and other great things so today I'll touch on saving money with gardening!
I wrote a couple articles this last week all about our gardens and all of the things we grow. Today's was Drinking Our Flower Garden! Its all about Flowers and Herbs you can grow anyplace in your yard that you think they'd look nice. More so it's about the ones we grow and how we control them and use them.
Seed Saving is another great gardening tool you can use to not only save money but to eat for free! Always use Heirlooms or you might find an interesting surprise!
If you're not so into tea's and really want information on plants you can grow in your front yard, plants that would make your neighbors wish they'd done more this season, plants you can actually serve up on a platter to please a gourmet chef you should give this quick read a once over, if nothing else you might find yourself pleasantly surprised and inspired.
I had so much fun working on all of these pieces and sharing tips and tricks, but beyond that I know that if you give some of these concepts a try you're bound to alter your gardens for ever!
See ya soon!
~~Evie~~
Monday, June 6, 2011
Lessons from a Long Day
After a long day at the office I don't really feel up to much. Today though I was glad to find my monsters were still wide awake and ready to play.
14 hours after getting to work I was able to leave and more than anything I cannot wait to work from home.
I thought it might be nice to share a quick fix dinner plan I love when we get to fall back on. If I had to give up all of the appliances in my house, allowed only to keep one I really believe that my steamer would be the last man standing! I have a wonderful Three Tiered steamer that I couldn't live without!
In the bottom trey I put frozen chicken breast, in the middle trey I like to add the rice and way up top we throw in some frozen vegetables.
One hour later we have a simple stir fry that we all can enjoy. This fancy little toy makes it so we can throw our food in and dump our dinner out! What could make life easier for under $50? Mine's a Deni Brand Steamer and I would Highly recommend it to anyone!
14 hours after getting to work I was able to leave and more than anything I cannot wait to work from home.
I thought it might be nice to share a quick fix dinner plan I love when we get to fall back on. If I had to give up all of the appliances in my house, allowed only to keep one I really believe that my steamer would be the last man standing! I have a wonderful Three Tiered steamer that I couldn't live without!
In the bottom trey I put frozen chicken breast, in the middle trey I like to add the rice and way up top we throw in some frozen vegetables.
One hour later we have a simple stir fry that we all can enjoy. This fancy little toy makes it so we can throw our food in and dump our dinner out! What could make life easier for under $50? Mine's a Deni Brand Steamer and I would Highly recommend it to anyone!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
10 things I only buy on sale!
Since this is all about reaching my goals and finding financial freedom I thought maybe today I'd cover the simplest way we started saving money!
These are the 10 things I ONLY buy when they are on sale.
1 - Pasta Sauce, normally pasta sauce can cost between $3-$5 per jar. I only buy this when it is on a 10 for $10 sale. doing this saves us at least $20 every time!
2 - Bread, bread is expansive too so instead of buying the good stuff full price I tend to buy it on sale and Freeze it. When you freeze bread make sure you freeze it upside down, and thaw it right side up. this freeze thaw method will keep bread from becoming soggy!
3 - Snacks, I have two kids so I know as well as anyone that quick snacks are a must in the house. You can save $50 at a time if you stock up on snack foods when they are buy on get one or at least 50% off.
4 - Juice is another one that randomly goes on great sales. We typically buy the frozen juices and try to only buy them when they are under a dollar each.
5 - Sun Block. My little girl is as fair as they come so sun block is something we cannot go without! if you buy your sun block in the fall when it becomes out of season you can get it for up to 75% off!
6 - Soda. Soda is a big treat in our house. Normally I refuse to buy it at all, but once in a while in summer we are allowed to splurge on a case if the price is right.
7 - Clothes. As a rule of thumb if it cost more dollars than I think I'll get to wear it it is to highly priced.
8 - Art and School supplies are another big thing I will Never Buy off sale. the before school sales are amazing. you can save hundreds of dollars on these things if you buy enough to last you a year or more this time of year!
9 - Meat - Since it is the largest expanse at the grocery store. I am a stickler, any meat not on sale will not go in the cart. almost any meat I buy is at or under $2.50 per lb. most of our dinners have less than a pound of meat to them total saving us unbelievable amounts of money.
10 - Books or toys. These things are little extras, I try to get the things my kids like out of clearance bins but when I cant... I look for sales and stock up on them when I can. Usually most of the special just because gifts for them are bought on the day after Thanksgiving and stored in the basement until they are earned.
These things should NEVER be bought at full price. Doing so is likely to waste a ton of money over a single year. For more tips and tricks see the articles below!
These are the 10 things I ONLY buy when they are on sale.
1 - Pasta Sauce, normally pasta sauce can cost between $3-$5 per jar. I only buy this when it is on a 10 for $10 sale. doing this saves us at least $20 every time!
2 - Bread, bread is expansive too so instead of buying the good stuff full price I tend to buy it on sale and Freeze it. When you freeze bread make sure you freeze it upside down, and thaw it right side up. this freeze thaw method will keep bread from becoming soggy!
3 - Snacks, I have two kids so I know as well as anyone that quick snacks are a must in the house. You can save $50 at a time if you stock up on snack foods when they are buy on get one or at least 50% off.
4 - Juice is another one that randomly goes on great sales. We typically buy the frozen juices and try to only buy them when they are under a dollar each.
5 - Sun Block. My little girl is as fair as they come so sun block is something we cannot go without! if you buy your sun block in the fall when it becomes out of season you can get it for up to 75% off!
6 - Soda. Soda is a big treat in our house. Normally I refuse to buy it at all, but once in a while in summer we are allowed to splurge on a case if the price is right.
7 - Clothes. As a rule of thumb if it cost more dollars than I think I'll get to wear it it is to highly priced.
8 - Art and School supplies are another big thing I will Never Buy off sale. the before school sales are amazing. you can save hundreds of dollars on these things if you buy enough to last you a year or more this time of year!
9 - Meat - Since it is the largest expanse at the grocery store. I am a stickler, any meat not on sale will not go in the cart. almost any meat I buy is at or under $2.50 per lb. most of our dinners have less than a pound of meat to them total saving us unbelievable amounts of money.
10 - Books or toys. These things are little extras, I try to get the things my kids like out of clearance bins but when I cant... I look for sales and stock up on them when I can. Usually most of the special just because gifts for them are bought on the day after Thanksgiving and stored in the basement until they are earned.
These things should NEVER be bought at full price. Doing so is likely to waste a ton of money over a single year. For more tips and tricks see the articles below!
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Day 1- In The Beginning
Today is day 1. My kids are 2&4. I am 24. We owe $40,426 on our house. It is a simple home in suburbia, but we love it. I work 70 hours each week in an attempt to pay if off faster. My children are my motivation, I hope that by the time my youngest is in school I can pay off the remaining balance on this home and be able to dedicate more time and attention to them. I cannot wait to volunteer for field trips, and join the PTA.
Day 1, as it should be is all about Goal setting. My Goals are listed below.
Goal 1- Every Day my Goal will be to spend one hour or more online updating this blog, writing articles and improving our lives.
Goal 2- Every two weeks my Goal is to pay a minimum of $300 towards the principal of the house.
Goal 3- Every month my Goal is to spend a minimum of 20 hours online learning how to build an internet based career, and advancing the work I currently do online.
Goal 4- Every six month my Goal is to reassess the progress I make online and my new goals, and share them with the world.
Goal 5- In one year my Goal is to take my kids on their first ever family Vacation.
This is day one. On day one I have 25 articles published. Those 25 articles have had 494 views, and earned about 72 cents. I have my first blog entry complete and I am feeling more motivated than ever.
Day 1, as it should be is all about Goal setting. My Goals are listed below.
Goal 1- Every Day my Goal will be to spend one hour or more online updating this blog, writing articles and improving our lives.
Goal 2- Every two weeks my Goal is to pay a minimum of $300 towards the principal of the house.
Goal 3- Every month my Goal is to spend a minimum of 20 hours online learning how to build an internet based career, and advancing the work I currently do online.
Goal 4- Every six month my Goal is to reassess the progress I make online and my new goals, and share them with the world.
Goal 5- In one year my Goal is to take my kids on their first ever family Vacation.
This is day one. On day one I have 25 articles published. Those 25 articles have had 494 views, and earned about 72 cents. I have my first blog entry complete and I am feeling more motivated than ever.
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