Christmas time is here!

....And now it's gone. Just as quick as retailers put up Christmas merchandise, the holiday came and went. This was Lauren's first Christmas and we had so much fun. At the start of the season, which for most Americans falls on Black Friday, Jeff and I discussed that this was the first and maybe only Christmas Lauren would not care what she got. Heck, she cares more for the wrapping paper than what is inside the package! So, why did our tree look like this:In our defense, we got crazy holiday spirit and wrapped every tiny thing we bought for each other...including socks, hair clips, gloves, bath toys, etc. and on top of that, we both have large families.

So, the reason for the post? I love this time of year, but all the presents, gifts, and spirit come with a bit of stress. When that January bill rolls around, and we realize we spent a wee bit outside our budget. Normally I'm pretty creative when it comes to downsizing and being frugal, but I needed more than just my old tricks.

I saw on the news how a girl went on a "spending fast" for an entire year to get out of debt. Now, Jeff and I in no way, shape, or form are that far into debt that we need to do anything that drastic, but more than anything, it sounds like a good challenge and a great eye-opener for what we are spending our money on.

I will blog for the next 4 months about Jeff's and my spending fast. We decided to give ourselves a realistic goal: 4 months. This weekend we will discuss logistics and the outline to this challenge, and come January 1st, 2011....it will be a full blown spending fast! In the meantime, we will continue to enjoy the holiday season and our presents from Santa!

True Love?

I've been dying to see Eclipse ever since it came out this past summer. Last year, we somehow tricked Jeff into seeing New Moon, and he's never forgiven us (we/us being me, his sisters, mom, etc.) There was no way he was going to see Eclipse with me, but when it finally came out in the Redbox, we struck a deal. He agreed to rent the movie only after I promised that, together, I would stay up and watch it.

We started the movie around 8 p.m and, although it was an awesome effort, I only made it through half. By 9 pm, I had undoubtedly fallen asleep. So, I don't know if this whole deal qualifies Jeff under the "true love" category, or more than likely, I under the "old age" category!

Lots of things I Love!

There are lots of things I love. This week, the top on the chart are 65 degree weather in December, 3 pm hour watching the Ellen DeGeneres show, laughing with my mom all week, to name a few. But, on the top of that list is watching Lauren grow everyday and discover new things. She's trying to crawl, and so far has managed to move backwards and sideways. By far, however, my favorite is her newly discovered talent of her voice. The best happens in cases like today, I laid her down for a nap when she got "rubby eyes". She was screaming and singing away to herself. Finally, she realized I wasn't coming back in and felt tricked. As her voice rose in a cry, she got distracted by her high pitched wails and started singing and jabbering away again.

New discovery is great...especially when it distracts a tired baby from crying herself to sleep for 20 minutes. I'll take jabbering any day over crying!