Author: Lara

What did we do this NYE? The same thing we do every New Year’s Eve! Put on our pajamas, ordered a pizza, rented a silly movie, played Wii games, ate ice cream (sometimes grasshopper shakes), watched the ball drop, and toasted at midnight!

Ted and his sister Kate started this tradition back when Kate was still in college and Ted was still in high school (so, like 18 2 years ago, right?). She was an RA at UW Milwaukee and had to stay in the dorms to monitor any residents who were staying during holiday break. Ted came to stay with her for a few days, and on New Year’s Eve they got whacked with a doozy of a blizzard so cold and windy and snowy that the small group of college kids staying in the dorms over the holidays had to take shifts every 30 minutes to keep a door to the outside world shoveled out from the rapidly accumulating snow drifts. Clearly, people weren’t going anywhere that particular NYE, and college kids gotta eat. So they ordered pizza, and stayed in for the night, and watched movies. And so a long-standing tradition was born. And every New Year’s Eve we have been lucky enough to spend with Kate and family, we all pile in the car to pick up a pizza and rent a movie before going home to change into our pjs, make grasshoppers, and play video games. And even when we can’t spend the holidays together, Ted and I have carried on the tradition ourselves.

 {those are pomegranate seeds and black edible glitter in with that bubbly, in case you were wondering – which is about as fancy as we get when the windchill is -10}

In the past two NYE’s we’ve spent in Rochester, we’ve added a new tradition to the mix as well. We attend the 7:30 p.m. performance of Geva Comedy Improv’s New Year’s Eve Spectacular show before going home to cozy up for the night, and that’s been great fun as well – a highly recommended NYE activity if you’re in the Rochester area. And you know, one year we would actually like to make it out to party with friends in NYC on NYE, or go out and do something wild and fancy…maybe next year? Maybe the year after that? We’ll see. But for now, I’m pretty happy ringing in the New Year with some comedy and friends earlier in the evening, and then heading on home to cozily cuddle up in the arms of the guy I love.

As for my 2014 resolutions, my only resolution this year is to “Seek Goodness.” Healthy lifestyle goodness, adventurous goodness, artistic goodness, compassionate goodness, goodness in my relationships, and goodness anywhere and everywhere I go, and in anything and everything that I do. Seek and ye shall find, right? So, goodness, I’m seeking you everywhere this year!

Happy 2014, friends!

What’s a girl to do when the snow’s a-blowin’ and the wind’s a-howlin’ and a girls’ night is long overdue? Why, host a good old-fashioned pajama party of course!

Our hot cocoa bar featured a stove-top pot of creamy, homemade hot chocolate, southern comfort, melt-away peppermint sticks, lavender buds, chocolate-dipped peppermint marshmallow peeps, homemade peppermint marshmallows in holiday shapes, whipped cream, red and white striped straws, and glittery red dipping sugar for the rims of the mugs. We also had buttered popcorn, candy canes, peppermint ice cream, homemade snickerdoodle cookies stuffed with chocolate-sea-salt-caramel, cranberries, grapefruit, brie and crackers, strawberry infused vodka and sweet moscato wine.

We ate and drank and talked and laughed and listened attentively to Jen’s highly dramatic reading of a most excellent children’s book entitled A Very Fuddles Christmas and played a vicious round of competitive card games and tons of silly mini-games on the Wii…all in the warmth of good company, our slippers, and pajamas.

What a blast! Every day I am so thankful to have such wonderful friends here. What kind of a girls night should we do next?

Happy New Year! 2014 is a series of 365 blank pages. I hope we can all fill them with goodness.

On Christmas morning we opened many wonderful, perfect presents from our families – a pair of cozy Victoria’s Secret thermal long john snowflake pajamas with matching ballet slippers that I love to death and wear pretty much every single minute (I’m serious. Every single minute.) that I am not in public, a gorgeous, soft, and incredibly warm deep-purple, hand-knitted blanket from my mom, a really handsome Packer jacket for Ted, a pretty personalized ornament, a nifty little machine that takes all the guess-work out of cooking the perfect hard or soft-boiled eggs, a trio of wool dryer balls that help reduce static and drying time and keep clothing nice and soft, Seroogy’s chocolate, etc.

But the most surprising, coolest, and most special gift we received this year was a flock of chickens, donated to a family in need, in our honor. The company is called Heifer International, and after we opened the card from my wonderfully thoughtful sister, I spent the next hour reading up on who they are and what they do. They are fascinating and I am in love with their awesome mission!

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Heifer’s Wikipedia page first told me that “Heifer International is a non-profit working to eradicate poverty and hunger through sustainable, values-based holistic community development. Heifer distributes animals, along with agricultural and values-based training, to families in need around the world as a means of providing self-sufficiency. Recipients must agree to ‘pass on the gift’ by sharing animal offspring, as well as the skills and knowledge of animal husbandry and agricultural training with other impoverished families. Based in Little Rock, Arkansas, Heifer International started with a shipment of 17 heifers to Puerto Rico in 1944. Since then, they have distributed livestock such as goats, bees, and water buffalo, along with training and other resources, to 20.7 million families, or more than 105.1 million people in more than 125 countries.”

Further research on Heifer’s website told me about the different animals they send to families and communities in need around the world – including goat, heifer, camel, water buffalo, llama, sheep, pig, fish fingerlings, rabbits, honeybees, ducks, chicks, geese or ‘gift baskets’ that contain particular combinations of the animals above. Some of the animals help fertilize land, others help clear and cultivate land, others help with harvesting, and others serve as a reliable, strong mode of transportation. Some of the animals produce nutrient-rich milk, eggs, cheese, butter, yogurt, and other dairy products for hungry families, while others produce wool (clothing, sale, trade, etc.), or many offspring that can be sold for money for school fees and medicine, or traded for other food. Some of the animals are better suited for harsh, dry, unpredictable climates – like the African Sahara or parts of Asia – while others work well in wet farmlands. And depending on where the family lives and what resources they need the most, Heifer International sends them animals to care for that will help them out of hunger and poverty as they become self-sufficient.

But they don’t just send the animals. They also include resources and training to teach people how to properly feed and care for the animals, give tools and medicines to keep the animals happy and healthy, teach the recipient’s how to use the animals as a resource to do many other things, and train them in veterinarian health, animal husbandry, breeding, and nutrition practices. Once an individual is equipped with these skills, this training also serves as a possible career – another way to increase a family’s income and self-sufficiency. Additional gifts, other than animals, that you can purchase and donate include community animal health worker kit and training, clean water (water pump installation), stoves for a village, a healthy home kit that contains materials to help families build safe, sanitary shelters, irrigation pumps, trees and seeds, and various gift baskets that help families with sustainable farming and that empower women (such as sending a girl to school, helping women build careers, learn trades, and start businesses, self-help groups, etc.). And, of course, you can also choose to “give where needed most.”

What I love the most about this organization is that they don’t just provide the animals or stoves or water pumps, but that they also provide the tools, resources, and training so that the family can truly feel empowered on the road to self-sufficiency. Giving a family in need some food one time is helpful, but giving a family in need a means of continually feeding themselves and knowledge so that they can use their gift not just as food, but also as a source of income with which to buy or trade for other food, clothing, shelter, medicine, and education is great. And the very best part is the families who receive these gifts agree to ‘pass it on’ to others in their community by sharing the animals offspring, as well as the resources and training or skills they have learned, so eventually, the hope is that the entire community can be self-sufficient. And through all of this they try to install the values of sustainable farming and responsible care for the animals and the environment.

I’d encourage everyone to spend some time on their website. The donation of an animal or other basic essential in someone’s honor makes a really thoughtful, exciting, and surprising gift for someone’s birthday or a holiday. It’s a gift that makes the world a better place, helps others in need, and keeps on giving – perfect for that person with a big heart or that person who already “has everything.” I’d love to be able to buy one thing (animal, basic necessity, or farming essential) from their ‘gift catalog’ every single year – eventually working my way up to the larger donations, like a whole ark or menagerie of animals, if I could afford to do so.

Do you have a charity that has impressed you this year?

In November one of my wonderful friends, who also happens to be a super smart and savvy money-saving maven, offered up her know-how in a Sunday afternoon couponing workshop, after enough of us complained that working in the non-profit professional arts sector (and pretty much all my friends do), we’re fortunate to be doing what we love, but we’re also constantly struggling to make ends meet.

It’s been about six weeks since the workshop, and the impact of Shawnda’s wise money-saving (and earning!) ways has been felt. All said, in the past six weeks, Ted and I estimate that we’ve probably saved close to $500 (including scoring at least $150 in free food, clothes, toiletries, samples, etc.), and have actually earned an additional $125 in gift cards that we can redeem at hundreds of locations to help us purchase food, clothes, toiletries, and other necessities in the future. Our budget is still tight and we know it will continue to be, but we now have a fairly well-stocked non-perishable foods pantry and a really well-stocked toiletries and cosmetics closet full of toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, floss, shampoo, conditioner, soap, body wash, razors, shaving gel, toilet paper, tissue paper, paper towels, body lotion, contact lens solution, eye makeup remover, and more – enough for about 6 months to a year, depending on the item, and almost everything we purchased was at an incredibly steep discount, completely free, or paid for with free earned rewards cash.

I’d always been hesitant to try couponing or money-saving and earning sites for several reasons – it’s sounded really difficult and time-consuming to track down all those coupons and figure out how they work and can be used together. I’d heard couponing takes up enough of your time and effort that it could well be its own full-time job (and I already have a full-time job and don’t need or want another). And, unfortunately, I think couponing has also gotten a bad rap as being really extreme and crazy…and sometimes it is. But I was relieved to learn that it doesn’t have to be that way. You can coupon moderately and save/earn money while still working, participating in your favorite hobbies and activities, and spending time alone or with your family and friends. It doesn’t have to be extreme to be smart or helpful. I won’t say it isn’t frustrating at times, especially when you’re still learning – because it is. And learning new things, no matter what they are, usually is accompanied by moments of frustration. But it isn’t extreme or all-consuming, and it’s incredibly gratifying to know that we’re saving money at a time when our income and budget is pretty limited.

I’m still fairly new to all of this and, therefore, I am still learning how to use coupons, couponing websites, and store’s loyalty cards/rewards programs to my advantage. I think I have Wegmans, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, and Target decently well figured out. And while using a combination of their rewards programs, along with online, printable, and Sunday newspaper coupons, mobile couponing apps (like Target’s Cartwheel or Ibotta), and information on deals from sites that help you combine sales with coupons and store rewards – all in conjunction with one another – have saved us a lot of money in the past six weeks and helped us stock up on necessities, I don’t feel like I know enough yet to share it all on this blog. But if Shawnda does another couponing workshop, I’d gladly send you her way!

But what I can speak for are a few websites I’ve been using to help us earn money or save money on the things we already buy:

• Swagbucks – This is a money-earning website. You complete activities (such as taking surveys, searching the internet just like you would do on Google or Bing or whatever, watching short video clips, writing product reviews, playing games, shopping online, printing coupons for items you can use at your local store, or signing up for other offers – many of which give you neat things completely for free) to earn Swagbucks. You then cash out the Swagbucks you earn for gift cards to Amazon, Target, Starbucks, PayPal, clothing stores, electronics stores, vacation booking websites, and even charities. You can choose what activities you want to participate in too – so if you only want to use Swagbucks to search the web, great! If you want to spend an hour a day doing all of the above on there to earn more Swagbucks, great! Ted and I both participate in this and, together, we’ve raked up over $125 in six weeks. If you’re interested in giving it a try, click this Swagbucks link or the one above to sign up (it’s a referral link, so I get rewarded when you sign up through my link and use Swagbucks as a search engine – so, sign up, search away, and pass it on!)

• thredUP – This website is great for purchasing affordable yet fashionable women and kids clothing. The clothing they sell is gently used (and sometimes it’s brand new), but always carefully inspected to make sure it is in excellent condition and that the quality lives up to their standards. All the clothes, shoes, and accessories are name brand – Gap, Loft, Express, J. Crew, H&M, BCBG, ModCloth, designer, etc. – shipping is reasonable and the prices are great! I was referred by a friend, so I received $10 off my first order (no minimum!). I was able to purchase two really cute shirts from Loft for that $10 (or I could have purchased a nearly new pair of Express jeans for $10), and got a free shipping deal, so my first order was completely free. I was very impressed with the quality of both items when they arrived – they looked practically new. You can even double up on savings by accessing thredUP through ‘Shop & Earn’ on Swagbucks so you can score affordable clothes and earn money through Swagbucks at the same time. The best part is when you sign up through this thredUP link or the one above (both referral links), you’ll earn $10 toward your first purchase AND once you’ve used your free $10, I’ll also earn $10 toward my next purchase for referring you. We both win! And, yes, you can actually get a nice outfit for free using just the $10. And because there’s simply no room in our budget for clothing otherwise, I think thredUP is going to be my go-to when I need new clothing.

• Twice – Twice is very similar to thredUP. Great designer clothing at more affordable prices. Twice is just slightly more high-end in my opinion and, therefore, the clothing is just a little bit more expensive – a few dollars on average. But still – you can get some really nice, quality clothing for a fraction of the cost. Sign up through this Twice link or the one above (both referral links) – like thredUP – you’ll get a $10 credit toward your first purchase AND I’ll get a $10 credit too after you spend your $10. After you click the link scroll to the bottom of the page and click the button that say’s “sign up and claim $10.” Another win-win. That’s $20 worth of free clothing between Twice and thredUP!

• Ebates – Do you shop online? If you do, by signing up for Ebates and accessing the websites you usually shop at through them instead of typing it directly into your browser (Amazon, Groupon, plus – literally – hundreds more), you earn cash back on every purchase and have access to exclusive coupons and free shipping offers. It’s that simple. If you will be shopping online anyway, you might as well be benefitting from it by receiving a good deal and getting money back, right? Click this Ebates link or the one above (referral links) to sign up and start earning money for your online purchases.

• Ibotta – This app sort of works like couponing in reverse. After you register for an account, there will be a list of various items at nationwide stores, movie theatres, and restaurants that you can select on the app. If you what to buy that item in store or visit that restaurant (better yet if the item is on sale or has a coupon out for it, which is common), you’ll complete a short activity or two (take a poll, learn a fact, watch a 15 second video, etc.) to earn credit toward its purchase Then the next time you’re at the store, you buy the item, take a picture of the receipt with the Ibotta app on your phone as proof of purchase, scan the bar code of the item you bought, and click submit. Within minutes, they’ll deposit cash into your Ibotta account. You can also earn cash by using Ibotta more often, completing bonuses, and referring friends. Once you’ve accumulated some cash, you can redeem it for real money – cash or gifts cards. Ted and I earned $10 with Ibotta this month already. Pretty cool. Register for Ibotta here with this referral link.

I am, by no means, an expert at this stuff, but so far, I’ve been pleased by what we’ve been able to save and earn. It just helps make life ever-so-slightly more affordable. And with that said, I hope you can take advantage of some of these saving and earning sites too to help your own family out financially.

And please enjoy this really silly Christmas Day photo that had no where else to go.  And, really, who doesn’t love gift wrap bows?

For somebody who did nothing but eat and lounge around in her long johns yesterday, I am remarkably exhausted! What about you?

But, oh, what a splendid Christmas it was!

On Christmas Eve morn we slept in, bundled up, stocked up on Sweetarts, Buncha Crunch, and Junior Mints, and treated ourselves to a glorious early afternoon matinée showing of Disney’s Frozen at the movie theatre. And it was wonderful! It was funny and beautiful and magical and I adored pretty much every single one of Elsa and Anna’s dresses and am wondering when they’re going to make them in my size, and Ted and I both loved the story and score, and I’d bet you any amount of money it’ll (naturally) be a Disney on Ice show in a matter of mere months and that it will also make its way from screen to stage within the next year or so. It’s a great movie for kids and adults alike, and my recommendation is – go see it this week! It’s a classic in the making.

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And it wasn’t just ‘frozen’ at the movie theatre either. It snowed big fluffy snowflakes all day on Christmas Eve, so we lucked out and got our beautiful White Christmas after all! Could you hear Ted celebrating down in Texas?

After the movie we stopped back home to change into our Christmas finery for church, attended a lovely and peaceful 6 p.m. Christmas Eve mass, drove around Greece and Irondequoit for an hour or so looking at local homes with big, bright, and beautiful Christmas light displays, picked up Chinese takeout, baked a batch homemade chocolate, sea salt, and caramel stuffed snickerdoodle cookies (and milk) “for Santa”, snuggled back into our PJs and blankets to watch the classic claymation Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer movie, read aloud from ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, The Christmas Wish, and The Polar Express, spent some time with our prized nativity, and then settled down for a long winter’s nap. A perfect Christmas Eve!

On Christmas morning we awoke around 9:30 to discover that Santa, who probably looks an awful lot like Ted, had come and hung candy canes on our tree during the night! But rumbling bellies must be tended to and the presents weren’t going anywhere, so we worked side-by-side in the kitchen to cook up some bean and cheese and sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast tacos, a pan of warm gooey cinnamon rolls, and a kettle of Stash’s Christmas Morning tea. A Christmas morn Tex-Mex breakfast of champions!

I tossed a pot of ‘one-pot instant Christmas’ (whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cranberries, orange slice, lemon slice, and water) on the stove to boil then simmer for a few hours to make our home smell all wonderful and Christmasy while we opened cards and presents beneath the tree, sweet and thoughtful tokens of love from those for whom we care so deeply.

The rest of the day we stayed comfortably parked in our pajamas, listened to our favorite playlist of Christmas hymns on repeat, played games on the floor in front of the tree, downed as many candy canes, sweet goodies, mugs of hot cocoa, and leftover Chinese takeout as our stomachs could hold, enjoyed the lights and piney goodness of our beautiful tree, watched the Henry Winkler version of An American Christmas Carol, and called and FaceTime’d with our wonderful and dear families (and my cat! I got to see my sweet little Sancho boy, who gave not two licks that I was trying to FaceTime with him. Cats.)

And that was our Christmas.

Merry and bright. Peaceful and joyful. And full of gratitude and family and food and laughter and love.

We hope yours was too.

This Christmas we wish you all the best things in life – a grateful heart, compassion for others, generosity, opportunity, the love of family and friends, laughter, good health, peace, joy, warmth, and plenty of blessings.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.