tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24455236621801166812024-03-18T20:10:33.991-07:00The Hawaii PlanHawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.comBlogger2150125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-49283666705024667582024-03-18T06:00:00.000-07:002024-03-18T06:00:00.135-07:00Menu Plan Monday<p> I'm working hard on cleaning out lingering pantry & freezer items, and I'll try & make better notes on my menu of when I'm using things up. It's helpful for myself & maybe it will inspire others. :-) </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Friday</b> - an appetizer style meal: coconut shrimp, gyozas, edamame</li><li><b>Saturday</b> - <a href="https://www.budgetbytes.com/easy-homemade-lasagna/">lasagna</a> & garlic bread (using up lasagna noodles from my parents last visit + tomato paste that has been sitting around forever + baguette from the freezer)</li><li><b>Sunday </b>- pizza</li><li><b>Monday </b>- grilled burgers & oven baked fries (using up a very old bag of fries)</li><li><b>Tuesday </b>- <a href="https://www.budgetbytes.com/chicken-yakisoba/">chicken yakisoba</a> (using up an old package of Top Ramen noodles, from the pantry)</li><li><b>Wednesday</b> - lasagna </li><li><b>Thursday</b> - yakisoba</li><li><b>Friday</b> - probably another appetizer style meal. </li></ul><div><b>What about you? What's on your menu for the week?</b></div><p></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-77948228120768042682024-03-17T07:52:00.000-07:002024-03-17T07:54:07.148-07:00Sunday Things<p>It's another busy day, but I find that I don't mind busy weekends now that I have the rest of the week to catch up, and I'm not trying to use weekends to prep for the work week ahead. I still try to be productive, but the pressure is off.</p><p>Yesterday was Nick's first spring club soccer game. Knowing the end is in sight, and how quickly it goes, I try to make it to as many matches as possible. The keeper went out with a head injury (he's okay, but they are very cautious with head injuries in soccer, as they should be), so Nick went in as goalie. He hasn't played that position in five or so years, and had one play where he dove to save a shot & slid across the turf on his face. He missed the shot as well. It don't think it was his favorite game, but was a good teammate & filled in. I'm glad I was there to support him, and also bring him water, because... despite being 17, sometimes you forget your water bottle. ;-)</p><p>M & I had pickle ball lessons, which were so much fun. I love learning something new together. We came home & I made chicken yakisoba for the two of us, while the teens were out with friends.</p><p>As for today, it should be a fun day. Here's what we're up to:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Workout class this morning</li><li>Nick has calculus tutoring</li><li>I'm meeting up with a friend for a walk</li><li>We're having takeout birthday pizza for dinner</li><li>Washing the sheets</li><li>Drying all of the rugs I washed</li><li>Gift opening</li><li>I'd like to make hummus</li><li>Scroll through LinkedIn & see if there's anything interesting</li><li>Read my book in the sunshine by the pool </li></ul><div><b>That's it for us. What about you? </b></div><p></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-30154855113749871532024-03-16T07:37:00.000-07:002024-03-16T07:37:48.799-07:00Saturday Happenings<p>It appears that I now can comment on my own blog again, but my comments need approval. From myself. 😂 Anyway, I'll give that a try, & also test out comments on a few other blogs. </p><p>Here's what I'm up to today:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Workout class this morning</li><li>From there, I head straight to Nick's soccer game</li><li>As soon as I get back from soccer, I'll head home to grab lunch & then go to my first pickle ball lesson with M. It's been on our list to sign up for pickle ball lessons since we tried it in October on vacation. Glad we finally made it happen!</li><li>Making <a href="https://www.budgetbytes.com/chicken-yakisoba/">chicken yakisoba</a> for dinner</li><li>Yard work</li><li>Laundry</li><li>Stop by the store</li><li>Work on our spring break plans</li></ul><div>That's it! I also have a new laptop, and need to get everything transferred over, which is always a real treat.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What about you? What are you up to today? </b></div><p></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-10533249039170979012024-03-15T06:00:00.000-07:002024-03-15T06:00:00.130-07:00Frugal Friday<p>This week is really about using things up (rewards, gift cards, travel credits, food, etc), so that will be the theme of today's post. ;-) Having more time to work through all of these things is definitely useful, so I'll count that as a win.</p><p><b>Saving on things we buy:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Used two $20 grocery store rewards. On the first trip, I picked up items I needed for dinners this week, plus a few sale items ($.99 sourdough bakery bread, grapes, & cheese). I was on my way home when Sam (home sick with the flu) asked for a variety of drink options (Gatorade, ginger ale, etc). I used another $20 grocery store reward, and combined my purchase with the drinks I needed to pick up for Nick's soccer event, to use up another $20 reward. </li><li>Went through all of my Fetch gift cards, and verified the balances, marked the used ones so they would no longer appear, and found two gift cards that were still available, with a combined $35 balance. One is for Safeway, which I'll use once I'm done with the current gift card, and the other is for Nike, which I'll use the next time I need to order Nick new tennis shoes. </li></ul><p></p><p><b>Earning money:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>In a real frugal fail, I was reviewing an offer from a buyer on eBay who was driving me crazy offering way under listing, then when I'd counter, he'd raise his offer by $.50 at a time. I kept declining, but eventually was at the store, and hit accept on his last offer. I failed to review my own listing, which apparently included free shipping. I was already selling it way under my original price, so I made a grand total of $.50. Don't be like me. </li><li>A coworker sent me a small bonus ($75) for a project I'd finished just before the layoffs. </li></ul><p></p><p><b>Avoiding spending:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>It's one of our 2024 goals to reduce travel costs by using points, miles, credits, etc. We are going to Portland in June for Sam's graduation party, plus a 70th birthday biking event for my uncle. Flights for four are super pricey! I was able to book my flights + M's flight using miles (saving $872), and used a flight credit for the boys flights, saving $565. Our out of pocket was $307, vs the standard $1744, so a big win. </li><li>Used a gift card to make a purchase at Safeway. I've been keeping a closer eye on the ads, and picked up cheese, Goldfish crackers (I swap through a variety of snacks, as we try to keep only 1 available at any time. These made the rotation for the month, given price!), & apples. Used $23 of a gift card, and spent $0 out of pocket. </li><li>When Safeway swapped their ads, I went another day to pick up couple of other items I need for meals next week, including cabbage at $.37/lb. I used my gift card again, so no out of pocket spent. There is a Safeway in the parking lot of my gym, so it's now super convenient to stop & pick things up when I'm done working out. </li><li>Disputed a charge for something Amazon couldn't explain, didn't know what it was, and I didn't order, saving $16.</li></ul><p></p><p><b>Eating what we have:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Turned the $.99 sourdough bread into grilled cheese sandwiches for the teens. Minus a huge chunk someone tore off the bread before I could rescue it. </li><li>Used up extra cilantro, avocado & sour cream in chicken fajitas. They were leftover from the cauliflower taco rice. I remembered to plan another dish that would use up the leftovers, which was a win!</li><li>Ate lots of leftovers for lunches this week, and used up all of the Mexican themed sides (cilantro, avocado & sour cream) for various dishes.</li><li>Used lots of fresh mint (from the garden) in M's salads, per his request. He loves fresh mint. </li><li>Planned meals for next week around what we have in the pantry & need to use up.</li><li>Made corn dogs for Nick one night, when he missed dinner (again) due to a late tennis match. The corn dogs have been on my "use it up" list for a while. </li></ul><p></p><p><b>For others:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>This is silly, but there was a cart blocking not one but two parking spots at the grocery store near my house. It has a small lot to start with. I parked my car pretty far out, and then stopped & picked up the cart on my way, freeing up the spots for others.</li><li>Shared some resources with my coworker, who was also laid off. </li></ul><div><b>What about you? Any wins to share?</b></div><p></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-84861121877891794832024-03-14T08:52:00.000-07:002024-03-14T08:52:57.556-07:00Some travel planning<p>It's strange to not be worrying about vacation day/time off requests right now! </p><p>M & I are planning a last minute spring break trip with the kids, and have largely aligned on a road trip to Redwoods National Park, with a one day detour to Lassen National Park. I have free Hyatt nights I'd hoped to use, as they are expiring soon, but unfortunately, there are no Hyatts near either national park. Instead, we opted for inexpensive lodging nearby. I've set a target budget for the trip, to include gas, lodging & food. Let's see how we do. This will be the last spring break where both boys are available (college & high school spring breaks don't overlap), so we wanted to take advantage. </p><p>As for the free Hyatt nights, I've been wanting to do a hiking trip to Sedona, so I'm in the process of seeing if I can book a few nights there at the end of April. My mom will likely join, as we travel well together, and she's retired. ;-) I have two free nights, and the hotel is reasonable for the other three nights. I have flight credits for myself & to cover my mom, so that just leaves us with three nights at the hotel, plus food. Our activities will largely be hiking, and relaxing at the hotel. Similar to the above, I've set a target budget for the trip, and am hoping to keep things in check.</p><p>And finally, I have one free Hyatt night for a much higher end property, so I've reached out to see if I can book Carmel Valley Ranch (so nice!) at the end of June, for M's birthday. I would use the free night voucher, plus points for a second night. CVR is in driving distance to our house, so it would just be food for that trip. </p><p>I'm happy I finally went through & came up with some options to use our free nights. Originally, we were planning to use all of our hotel perks/status/points for our Turkey trip. With that canceled, and our benefits expiring before that trip will happen, we need to find creative options. But, we need to do that with budget in mind. </p><p><b>What, if any, travel is top of mind for you at the moment? </b></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-39786598344501102712024-03-12T07:09:00.000-07:002024-03-12T07:09:04.441-07:00Ongoing blogger problems & other things<p>First off, apologies that I cannot comment on your blogs. In fact, I can't even reply to comments on my own blog. Something is really not working & I need to figure out why I can log in to publish posts, but am then logged out to comment. So irritating. Please know that I do read & appreciate each of your comments, even if I can't reply right now.</p><p>For SAM, <a href="https://www.themediterraneandish.com/kofta-kebab-recipe/">here</a> are the kind of kebabs my husband makes. He uses his dad's recipe, but this is the general idea. We serve our with <a href="https://persianmama.com/persian-steamed-rice-with-tahdig/">tadiq</a> (Persian rice), grilled tomatoes, & <a href="https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/59143/persian-cucumber-yogurt-maast-o-khiar/">maast o khiar</a> (yogurt dipping sauce). </p><p><b>In no particular order, random thoughts for the day:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I've been up since 4:45. I was having work anxiety dreams, so I figured it was better just to get up.</li><li>For my birthday, M bought me a total indulgence milk frother. It has upleveled my coffee so much. Every morning when I drink my one latte, I get a kick out of it. I tried it at a friend's house, wrote it off as a huge indulgence after pricing it, and was so pleased when M got it for me. </li><li>I've made enough progress cleaning out the freezer that I could wipe part of the interior this weekend. Woohoo!</li><li>I've lost 2.5 lbs in the last couple of weeks. A few things that have helped: </li><ul><li>lots of exercise & consistency</li><li>no work snacks/meals (my meals are probably better calorie controlled)</li><li>my workout classes are later than I normally go, & I don't like to eat ahead of such a hard workout. Therefore, no breakfast & I fast until after my workout class</li><li>stress, which I don't recommend ;-) </li></ul><li>Still trying to figure out a spring break option with the teens. They are very, very different people, so finding a mutually agreeable option has been a challenge! We're leaning towards a road trip to Redwoods National Park, which none of us have ever been to. </li><li>I have a couple of work calls today. The first one is with my boss's boss's boss, and I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to say. I hope it's not awkward. I appreciate him wanting to check in post-layoff, but again... has the potential to be awkward. The second call is with an internal recruiter. Not only are there no jobs open, but I'd really have to be excited about a role at this point to consider it. But, my laid off coworker found the call helpful, so I figure it's a small time investment.</li><li>I'm taking the free Coursera course "The Science of Well Being", and love it! Many of the things I already do, but it's super useful to here the "why" behind each of those, and I'm learning new things along the way. </li></ul><div><b>Have a great day, everyone!</b></div><p></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-57823720292503020692024-03-11T06:00:00.000-07:002024-03-11T06:00:00.144-07:00Menu Plan Monday<p>I'm experimenting with what works best for us menu & food prep wise, while I'm in this new phase of life. I'll likely continue to do leftovers, but add in another "new" recipe during the week, which I wouldn't have tried before, given my schedule. </p><p>Here's what's on our menu this week:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Friday </b>- garlic shrimp</li><li><b>Saturday</b> - chicken fajitas</li><li><b>Sunday</b> - kebabs & rice</li><li><b>Monday</b> - leftover fajitas</li><li><b>Tuesday </b>- leftover kebabs & rice</li><li><b>Wednesday</b> - <a href="https://www.budgetbytes.com/beef-and-cauliflower-taco-skillet/">beef and cauliflower taco skillet</a></li><li><b>Thursday</b> - any remaining leftovers</li><li><b>Friday </b>- gyozos & wings</li></ul><div><b>What about you? Any new recipes to share?</b> I tried the <a href="https://www.budgetbytes.com/peanut-noodles-with-chicken/">peanut chicken noodle recipe</a>, and we loved it! We doubled it, and have enough for two dinners. We served ours with the chopped peanuts, and squeezed some fresh lime on top, and added a bit of sriracha on top for a bit more spice. </div><p></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-59823986582757909102024-03-10T08:05:00.000-07:002024-03-10T08:05:24.051-07:00March goals check in <p> March has been quite a ride so far! I was supposed to be leaving for Tokyo this morning, made even more "fun" by daylight savings. I'm grateful to not be on that flight.</p><p><b>Financial:</b><br /></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Set new goals & come up with revised budget, post layoff - <span style="background-color: #04ff00;">I've made good progress on this</span></li><li>Max Nick's 529 - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">haven't received our bonuses yet</span></li><li>Max our 401Ks- <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">haven't received our bonuses yet</span></li><li>Put aside money for taxes- <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">haven't received our bonuses yet</span></li><li>Save any remaining bonus money for Sam's college expenses- <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">haven't received our bonuses yet</span></li><li>Earn $300 in side hustle - <span style="background-color: red;">no progress on this</span></li><li>Pantry/freezer challenge: use up:. <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">I made progress, but mostly not on these items (used 1/2 a bag of the shrimp scampi.) I did use up a very old bag of cauliflower rice & the end of a bag of corn, made muffins out of a bag of pureed bananas, gave away a can of peaches & tossed some expired food. So, overall good progress, just not much on these items. </span></li><ul><li>2 cans of green beans</li><li>2 cans of coconut milk</li><li>one bag of shrimp scampi</li><li>the rest of the corn dogs</li><li>almost full bag of fish sticks</li></ul></ul><div><b>Family:</b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Help Sam finalize his decisions - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">final college tour in April</span></li><li>Get Nick started on the college process - <span style="background-color: red;">minimal progress</span></li><li>Optimize points, perks, miles. - <span style="background-color: #04ff00;">Used points to cover two nights at a very fancy hotel in Napa</span></li><li>Plan one fun activity with the boys - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">planning a spring break trip for April</span></li></ul></div><p></p><p></p><div><br /></div><div><b>Fitness:</b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Run a half marathon - <span style="background-color: #04ff00;">done!</span></li><li>8 stretching workouts - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">3/10 so far</span></li><li>Lose 3 lbs - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">1.5 lbs lost</span></li><li>10 strength training workouts - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">3/10 so far</span></li><li>Follow the No S diet - <span style="background-color: #04ff00;">yes, my new schedule works well with this, and much fewer snack temptations at home</span></li></ul><div><b>Personal:</b></div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Get together with friends. -<span style="background-color: #04ff00;"> I suddenly have more free time. Met a friend for a workout + coffee, another friend for wine + chat, and had the long weekend with my mom & sister in Napa. </span></li><li>Practice Farsi 10 times - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">5/10</span></li><li>Declutter 50 items from the house - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">12/50</span></li><li>Start pickle ball lessons - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">they start next weekend!</span></li></ul></div><div><b>What about you? How are you doing with your March goals?</b></div><p></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-24287780270408228212024-03-09T07:42:00.000-08:002024-03-09T07:42:17.509-08:00Saturday Happenings<p>I'm finding "the weekend" to be a strange concept, when I'm not working. I'm so used to rushing, & trying to carve out a small window of relaxation among the need to be productive on weekends. It's very different to feel like it's a regular day, where I can get things done, but not be stressed. </p><p>Sam had the flu yesterday, and it was also strange to be able to run around & pick up drinks for him, check on him every hour, clean up vomit & not be worried about work. Having the flexibility to take care of him felt like a real luxury. I'm so, so lucky in that I think he's missed a total of 3 days of school since we moved to California, so staying home sick isn't something he's done much of. </p><p><b>As for today, here's what I'm currently planning to do today:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Workout class</li><li>Make muffins</li><li>Farsi lesson</li><li>Journal</li><li>Yard work</li><li>Clean out the freezer, and reorganize a few things</li><li>Organize pantry</li><li>List a few things on Buy Nothing</li><li>Wrap Nick's birthday gifts</li></ul><div><b>What are you up to today? Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!</b></div><p></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-62918841719659001692024-03-08T06:00:00.000-08:002024-03-08T06:00:00.132-08:00Frugal Friday<p>It wasn't much of a frugal week, as I was out of town Friday-Tuesday on a girls trip for the half marathon. Here are a few wins we had.</p><p><b>Saving on things we buy:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I noticed that I was charged for a one night destination fee (supposed to be included in the rate) & called to have it waived ($23.05 back) </li><li>Used a Fetch gift card to pick up Easter treats at CVS. There was a couple of dollars left on the gift card, so they gave me that back as cash. </li></ul><p><b>Earning money</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I managed to submit a gym reimbursement on Wednesday, not knowing I'd be laid off that evening. I just saw that it popped up as approved, so I supposed I earned $35 or whatever by filling out the form. </li></ul><p></p><p><b>Avoiding spending</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Used the last of the Amex gift card to pick up some lunch fixings to keep on hand (I've been eating for free at work for the last 10 years). </li><li>I was also able to use Hyatt points to cover two nights of our hotel. I have status at the Hyatt, so we got a very fancy free breakfast every morning, and then skipped lunch. The food was fabulous. </li><li>I was going to pick up inexpensive gloves at Target for the race (I didn't pack mine, and realized how cold it would be once we got there), but they were handing out gloves at packet pickup. </li><li>Cancelled our Alaska Airlines credit card, as I'm not a fan of their change policies. You get a companion fare to use yearly, which largely offsets the cost of the card. However, if you change a flight booked with the companion fare, you lose the discount entirely. The last few years, we've needed to change our flights, resulting in a loss of the discount. I also have better travel credit cards, and am looking to streamline. Saved $95 by cancelling. </li><li>Paused Nick's gym membership, as he's currently playing two sports</li><li>Picked up some freebie snacks at the half marathon, and brought those home for the boys</li></ul><p></p><p><b>Eating what we have</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Used naan bread from the freezer to make gyros for Sam, and grilled cheese sandwiches for Nick</li><li>Dug buns out of the freezer to make chicken patty sandwiches, for a quick dinner between events</li><li>Used two cans of coconut milk (one of my targets for the pantry cleanup) to make a chicken peanut dish. </li></ul><p></p><p><b>For others</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Thanked all of the volunteers at the race last weekend (it was super cold & chilly)</li><li>Extended a lot of patience when things went wrong at various points. Went above & beyond to thank the people involved, assume best intent, etc.</li><li>Helped a couple of teens at the race.</li><li>Continue to provide support to special needs aunt on her finances, including negotiating bills, setting up autopay, tracking down a missed payment, etc. </li></ul><div><b>What about you? Any wins to share? </b></div><p></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-78883567668950711742024-03-06T15:18:00.000-08:002024-03-06T15:18:33.973-08:00Sitting with my feelings<div>First up, we finished our half marathon! It was a super rainy & cold day, but we did it. My mom absolutely crushed it, and placed very high in her age group. She's amazing. I felt great until mile 11, and then felt...less great! :-) We had such a lovely time together, and it was really nice to spend time with my family, coming off the news of the layoff. We moved to a "fancy" hotel (booked with points) on Sunday & Monday & it was gorgeous. Our room faced a winery, & looked like something in a movie. So lovely & relaxing. </div><div><br /></div>How am I feeling right now? I am a person who really likes progress, decisions, a clear plan, etc. Post layoff, I'm finding it so hard to sit with my feelings, the unknown & just be comfortable in this space. It's hard, but I'm working on it.<div><br /></div><div>It sucked to end a long career without a chance to have a proper goodbye, particularly given I managed a very global & remote team, & I hired the entire team myself. I've known multiple folks for more than ten years. I'm also frustrated & disappointed by how some of the process is being managed, but I assume that's standard. There's no "good" way to handle layoffs.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm trying to give myself space to process all of these feelings. I've also had so very many lovely colleagues reach out to wish me well, thank me for our time together, share fun memories, offer to extend their network, etc. I've worked with a really awesome group of folks & feel so lucky about that. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm trying to focus on some daily activities, to give structure to my now completely unstructured days. Here's what I've come up with so far:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Journal</li><li>Farsi lesson</li><li>Meditate</li><li>Work out</li></ul><div>I have a ton of house projects, yard clean up, financial stuff, projects to help my aunt, and other life "back log" items to catch up on, so I'll also be weaving those in on a daily basis, and choosing a few things from the longer list.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>As for today, it's been a reasonably productive day. So far, I've:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Gone to a gym class</li><li>Meditated</li><li>Taken my Farsi lesson</li><li>Journaled</li><li>Stopped by the bank</li><li>Picked up a few things at the grocery store. Then, discovered the meat I bought was rotten, so went back & got a refund.</li><li>Attempted to book my parents travel for Sam's graduation. Couldn't use their discount code. Called Alaska & got that all sorted & travel is now booked.</li><li>Dealt with another bill for special needs aunt.</li><li>Canceled two credit cards that aren't doing much for us. One has a yearly fee, so that will save a bit.</li><li>Cleaned the house</li><li>Did two loads of laundry</li></ul><div>I'm actually making dinner mid-week! This is a new development for us, as we are typically very busy, and we just do leftovers during the week. I never got to the <a href="https://www.budgetbytes.com/peanut-noodles-with-chicken/">peanut noodles with chicken recipe</a>, so I'll be making that tonight. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Hope you are all having a great week! Also, blogger doesn't want to let me post comments on other blogs, so I need to get that fixed, but apologies in advance. </b></div>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-57760463349867235272024-03-02T06:00:00.000-08:002024-03-02T06:00:00.240-08:00March Goals<p>March is the month of the half marathon, <strike>combined with an international work trip, and whatever comes my way with work more generally </strike>I got laid off, but i guess I also get to skip an international work trip. We also get our annual bonuses in March, so you'll see us trying to knock out some of our yearly financial goals.</p><p><b>Here are my goals for the month:</b></p><p><b>Financial:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Set new goals & come up with a revised budget, post my layoff</li><li>Max Nick's 529</li><li>Max our 401Ks (standard for both of us, + M's catch up contribution)</li><li>Put aside money for taxes</li><li>Save the remainder of any bonus money for Sam's college expenses</li><li>Earn $300 in side hustle</li><li>Pantry/freezer challenge: use up</li><ul><li>2 cans of green beans</li><li>2 cans of coconut milk</li><li>one bag of shrimp scampi</li><li>the rest of the corn dogs</li><li>an almost full bag of fish sticks</li></ul></ul><div><b>Family:</b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Help Sam finalize his decisions (one more tour coming up in April)</li><li>Get Nick started on the college application process + SATs & AP test prep</li><li>Optimize points, perks, miles. In March specifically, I'll be using miles to cover two nights at a hotel</li><li>Plan one fun activity per month with the boys</li></ul><div><b>Fitness:</b></div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Run a half marathon</li><li>8 stretching workouts</li><li>Lose 3 lbs</li><li>10 strength training workouts</li><li>Follow the No S diet</li></ul><div><b>Personal</b></div></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Get together with friends</li><li>Practice Farsi 10 times</li><li>Declutter 50 items from the house</li><li>Start pickle ball lessons</li></ul><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><b>What about you? What are your goals for March?</b></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-32620971399855848762024-03-01T07:20:00.000-08:002024-03-01T07:20:00.291-08:00Frugal Friday<p> It's been a week, and more frugality is required in the future. I got laid off this week, which is likely for the best, but still hit hard after a very long career. I'm trying to spend the next few weeks processing & not really stressing out, but after that, I'll turn to the inevitable question of "what comes next" and trying to think in the longer term. Lots more on that ahead. </p><p><b>Saving on things we buy</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I picked up a few gift cards we will use & earned $45 of grocery store rewards</li><li>I thought of ordering dessert for a school banquet, as I have a really crazy work week, but planned ahead, picked up $5 worth of ingredients at the store, and made brownies over the weekend. The recipe says it freezes great, so fingers crossed. </li></ul><p></p><p><b>Earning money</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>M & I each received $80 as a settlement we were part of</li></ul><p></p><p><b>Avoiding spending</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Sam & I are doing one last college tour, and I used travel credits (from a cancelled flight) to cover the cost</li></ul><p></p><p><b>Eating what we have</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Used provolone cheese (leftover from Philly cheese steak sandwiches) to top grilled burgers over the weekend</li><li>Nick didn't like the dinner I made one night, so made himself a bagel & wrapped up his dinner. I had his leftovers for lunch one day.</li><li>Got home super late from a school meeting, so threw together a "cheater" chicken pad Thai kit we bought at Costco for just such an occasion. </li></ul><p></p><p><b>For others</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Helped out with set up and clean up of the soccer banquet</li></ul><div><b>What about you? Any frugal wins to share?</b></div><p></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-3124540252288466632024-02-29T06:00:00.000-08:002024-02-29T06:00:00.135-08:00February Goals Recap <p>February was a full month, with a ski week thrown in, on top of lots of school soccer, playoffs & the start of the tennis season. Work has also been a ride!</p><p><b>Financial:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Achieve savings goals (401K, Nick's 529, Sam's college)</li><ul><li><span style="background-color: #04ff00;">401K - on track</span></li><li><span style="background-color: #04ff00;">Boys college - $5k saved, on track </span></li></ul><li>Earn $200 in side hustle - <span style="background-color: #04ff00;">I made $475 in February. I started listing a lot more on FB Marketplace, and dropped the prices pretty low (no fees or shipping). That seemed to work really well. Additionally, I had a settlement come through, and received a Rakuten rebate. </span></li><li>Use up one bag of freezer burritos + a bag of cranberries. I made good progress, using up:</li><ul><li><span style="background-color: #04ff00;">one bag of cranberries</span></li><li><span style="background-color: #04ff00;">Two of six freezer burritos</span></li><li><span style="background-color: #04ff00;">Two containers of pesto pasta</span></li><li><span style="background-color: #04ff00;">Two cans of green beans</span></li></ul></ul><div><b>Family:</b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Review college spreadsheet with Sam, & help him with his decisions - <span style="background-color: #04ff00;">yes, and we did a college tour</span></li><li>Host senior soccer night - <span style="background-color: #04ff00;">yes, done!</span></li><li>Plan one fun activity with the boys - <span style="background-color: #04ff00;">we did a ski trip</span></li><li>Optimize points, perks, miles, etc to keep travel costs in check - <span style="background-color: #04ff00;">swapped Whistler for Tahoe, got very inexpensive hotel rooms thanks to M's perks, and used travel credits to book flights for an April college tour</span></li></ul></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b>Fitness:</b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Stretch 2x/week - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">6/8 days of stretching</span></li><li>Lose 2 lbs - <span style="background-color: red;">ugh, still no progress</span></li><li>Follow training plan for half marathon - <span style="background-color: #04ff00;">yes, minus ski week</span></li><li>Strength train 8 times - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">6/8 strength workouts, as I was more focused on running in February</span></li><li>Follow the No S diet - <span style="background-color: red;">I only managed to follow this a handful of days in February</span></li></ul><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 12pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt;"><b>Personal:</b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 12pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="background-color: white;">Get together with a friend - </span><span style="background-color: #04ff00;">met a friend for coffee, and went for a hike with another friend</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white;">Practice Farsi 10 times - </span><span style="background-color: #04ff00;">yes, 20 times in fact!</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white;">Declutter 50 items from the house - </span><span style="background-color: #04ff00;">yes, I got rid of 78 items</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white;">Find a pickle ball class - </span><span style="background-color: #04ff00;">yes, it starts in March & M & I are registered</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white;">Take the class - The Science of Well Being - </span><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">I'm a week behind after our ski trip, but otherwise on track</span></li></ul><div><b>What about you? How did you do with your February goals? Any wins to celebrate, or goals you're carrying over to next month?</b></div><p></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-52073728498022260742024-02-26T06:00:00.000-08:002024-02-26T06:00:00.144-08:00Menu Plan Monday<p>It's been a very busy week again, but having a menu plan always helps us avoid takeout & post-work chaos. </p><p><b>Here's what's on the menu plan for the week:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Friday - home late from skiing, so I just had cheese, crackers & a pear. M had nothing, and the boys were out with friends. </li><li>Saturday - grilled burgers & salad</li><li>Sunday - <a href="https://www.lecremedelacrumb.com/one-pot-lemon-herb-chicken-rice/">one pot lemon herb chicken rice</a></li><li>Monday - <a href="https://www.budgetbytes.com/peanut-noodles-with-chicken/">peanut chicken & noodles</a></li><li>Tuesday - leftover chicken & rice</li><li>Wednesday - leftover chicken & noodles</li><li>Thursday - soccer banquet (Chipotle)</li><li>Friday - any remaining leftovers</li></ul><div><b>What about you? What's on your menu this week? </b></div><p></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-74265540264558277262024-02-24T07:12:00.000-08:002024-02-24T07:12:41.586-08:00Frugal Saturday<p> We got home from a great ski trip yesterday. The view, coming off of one of the runs. We also celebrated Sam's 18th birthday, and that he got into another college, with a very strong program for his major. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOaeEXjJQWtcCgkN72aGHHDfOR4yZG-nVBPvct04RmYyjXl7RH-FXRqMXKB7-NJ0M7oG18TmGMWPFSrIz7aDE6YM1jUlkgkjB2cw6MJ7wvaBp7REKUQjns8a3TAsE9do3O6092kmd_lGgmsaJFEDKJFkjYZP8RdhIL20NLD5qb3BRNjyh08EcWKWd9V15R/s3350/original_8caf2af0-9f69-47bd-9972-9c2c2a006eb5_PXL_20240220_191544865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1987" data-original-width="3350" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOaeEXjJQWtcCgkN72aGHHDfOR4yZG-nVBPvct04RmYyjXl7RH-FXRqMXKB7-NJ0M7oG18TmGMWPFSrIz7aDE6YM1jUlkgkjB2cw6MJ7wvaBp7REKUQjns8a3TAsE9do3O6092kmd_lGgmsaJFEDKJFkjYZP8RdhIL20NLD5qb3BRNjyh08EcWKWd9V15R/w400-h238/original_8caf2af0-9f69-47bd-9972-9c2c2a006eb5_PXL_20240220_191544865.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><b>Saving on things we buy</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I needed a couple of new bras, and Target sent me a birthday promo code. I saved $5, and also used $2 of Target earnings to offset the cost slightly. </li><li>I ordered the boys breakfast ahead of skiing (bagels, breakfast sandwiches) at Starbucks & used rewards & a gift card to offset most of the cost. Next time, we will also bring bananas to have on hand. </li><li>We used our season's pass to save 20% off the cost of the exorbitant lodge food. </li></ul><p></p><p><b>Earning money</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I sold our Soda Stream (never gets used, because teen boys are impatient!) for $20</li><li>M & I both received checks for $80 each for a settlement. </li></ul><p></p><p><b>Avoiding spending</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Can't think of anything</li></ul><p></p><p><b>Eating what we have</b></p><ul><li>Dug chicken curry out of the freezer, and had that for a couple of dinners</li><li>Baked up a big pan of chicken pieces, and that lasted for a dinner, and three lunches. </li><li>I've been every so slowly using up the "Fancy" NYE cheese that didn't get eaten. I've been having a little bit with fruit, when I'm home for lunch. I also made an appetizer tray that featured cheese, and a few leftovers Superbowl snacks (cucumber, buffalo chicken dip & crackers). </li><li>After a long run, I ordered takeout sandwiches, and Nick went to pick them up. I was very much craving a sandwich, and our fridge was pretty empty ahead of being out of town. The sandwich place forgot my sandwich. I ended up making myself a breakfast burrito. </li><li>We got home late yesterday, so I had cheese, crackers & the last pear. I finished off some of the NYE crackers. </li></ul><p><b>For others</b></p><ul><li>We reunited two lost children during our ski trip - one with their panicked parents, and one with ski patrol. </li></ul><div>We're heading out this morning for a college tour. Fingers crossed we have a decision soon!</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What about you? Any wins to share?</b></div>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-1774939248552793622024-02-17T07:30:00.000-08:002024-02-17T07:30:14.584-08:00Saturday Happenings<p> I'm having a mild lupus flare, so I haven't worked out in the past three days, and that always makes me antsy. Here's hoping we get clarity on our work situation next week (we're doing rolling layoffs), which is the primary cause of my stress.</p><p>We also don't know what's happening with our ski plans next week. If Nick's team wins game one of the playoffs today, he'll have another game on Wednesday. We're supposed to leave for skiing on Monday, which won't be possible. If that does happen, M & I have agreed that Sam & I will go look at a couple of colleges instead, and soak up some sunshine. We all have the week off anyway, and I desperately need the break. </p><p><b>Here's the plan for today:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Workout class</li><li>Take Sam to birthday party (my baby is 18!) & pay. I'll probably bring my Kindle & wait in the car, so I can be there to sign at the beginning & end of the party.</li><li>Laundry</li><li>M is taking Nick to his game (it's 90 minutes away), since I hate driving at night</li><li>I'm going to work on planning the trip to Napa with my mom & sister (we're first running a half marathon, and then celebrating for a couple of days)</li><li>Work on taxes</li><li>Nick - study for the SATs</li><li>List 5 items on Buy Nothing</li><li>List 3 items out of the eBay pile</li><li>Prep everything for long run tomorrow</li><li>I'm working hard on self care right now, so adding a few things to the list:</li><ul><li>Journal</li><li>Meditate</li><li>Stretch</li><li>Eat 5 servings of fruit & veggies</li></ul></ul><div><b>What about you? What are you up to this weekend?</b></div><p></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-38851053909450120372024-02-16T06:00:00.000-08:002024-02-16T06:00:00.129-08:00Frugal Friday<p>Grateful I'm done with one large project (senior night), but I'm now spending a crazy amount of time helping my sister with my aunt's finances. It's really challenging, as she has no impulse control (she's special needs) & has always valued living independently. We want to support that of course, but it's clear she's spending well beyond her means. She is asking for help (and, needs it), but will say she isn't going to spend money, and the next day withdraws $200 intended for bills to pay for fast food & trips to WalMart. It's such a challenging situation & not straightforward given the need for help. She wants to turn over the money to us to manage for her, and is cognizant enough to recognize she can't do it. I'm meditating to give me more patience to deal with everything. I think often of my grandmother, who managed all of this with my aunt well into her late 70s. </p><p><b>Saving on things we buy</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I used gift cards to buy myself & the teens lunch, after a long run. I eat Subway maybe once/year, but I was absolutely craving it after my ten miler. I used points to offset some of the cost. </li></ul><p></p><p><b>Earning money</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Sold a race shirt on eBay, earning $10</li><li>Received a lost property payment from Washington for $46. I filled out the forms what feels like forever ago, so seeing this in the mail was a nice surprise</li></ul><p></p><p><b>Avoiding spending</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I avoided takeout on both the night I was at school & hadn't had time to eat dinner, and on Valentine's Day, when I was unexpectedly pulled into a late meeting at work. </li></ul><b>Eating what we have</b><p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Ate Super Bowl leftovers for lunches </li><li>Defrosted chicken pesto pasta for dinner for myself & Sam (bonus, it was on the freezer/pantry challenge list)</li><li>Related to the challenge, served the pasta with green beans. I make ours with slivered almonds & parmesan cheese. </li></ul><p></p><p><b>For others</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Every last spare minute over the last week has been spent on one of two things:</li><ul><li>Finalizing & running senior night at the school (it was a huge success)</li><li>Helping take over the finances for my special needs aunt. It's been very, very challenging, but I've made progress & am saving her over $70/month so far, and have found an application for reduced utilities (my dad is taking her for that) & am calling her insurance agent to see how else we can increase the effectiveness of her policy at a lower rate. </li></ul></ul><div><b>What about you? Any wins to share?</b></div><p></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-39855337915202226702024-02-12T06:00:00.000-08:002024-02-12T06:00:00.143-08:00Menu Plan Monday<p> It's a full week, as we have birthdays, as well as Valentine's Day & I'm hosting the big senior soccer event at school on Tuesday. Our menu will look a little different than usual as a result.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Friday</b> - gyros</li><li><b>Saturday </b>- birthday dinner out</li><li><b>Sunday</b> - Superbowl appetizers</li><li><b>Monday</b> - spaghetti & meatballs</li><li><b>Tuesday </b>- I'm going to be prepping for the school event, so I'll grab something to eat out of the fridge, and leave the boys to leftovers</li><li><b>Wednesday </b>- Valentine's Day! Assuming everyone will be home, but not entirely sure. We will have garlic butter shrimp (with meatballs for the non-shrimp eater) over regular or gluten free noodles</li><li><b>Thursday</b> - gyros</li><li><b>Friday - </b>Another birthday, so potentially dinner out</li></ul><div><b>What about you? What's on your menu this week?</b></div><p></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-89407706417746109172024-02-11T07:13:00.000-08:002024-02-11T07:13:03.421-08:00February goals check in<p> February is racing by, so here is a quick update on how I'm doing with my goals.</p><p><b>Financial:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Achieve savings goals (401K, Nick's 529, Sam's college) - <span style="background-color: #04ff00;">all on track, but I may need to pull a bit from savings to pay for our Turkey flights (despite now having them in flight credit)</span></li><li>Earn $200 in side hustle - <span style="background-color: #04ff00;">I've earned $262 in side hustle</span></li><li><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Pantry/freezer challenge:</span></li><ul><li>Freezer burritos - two of 8 are gone</li><li>Bag of cranberries - used up in a bag of muffins</li><li>Chicken pesto pasta - one of two containers are used up</li><li>Two cheeseburgers (may need to be tossed) - haven't done anything with these yet</li><li>Bonus: fish sticks & corn dots - six corn dogs used up</li></ul></ul><p></p><p><b>Family:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Both boys college prep: SAT studying (N), AP studying (both), college spreadsheet (N) - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">they've done a bit of this, but definitely need more</span></li><li>Host senior soccer night - <span style="background-color: #04ff00;">on track for this week</span></li><li>Plan one fun activity with the boys - <span style="background-color: #04ff00;">we had a fun dinner out, and are going skiing</span></li><li>Optimize our points, perks, miles to keep travel costs in check - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">nothing much to report here</span></li><li>Start planning Turkey trip to see M's family - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">I need to figure out how we're going to use our travel credits</span></li></ul><div><b>Fitness:</b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Stretch 2x/week - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">I've stretched 3x so far this month</span></li><li>Lose 2 lbs - <span style="background-color: red;">no progress on this</span></li><li>Follow training plan for half marathon - <span style="background-color: #04ff00;">yes, I'm caught up to where I should be in my plan</span></li><li>Strength train 8 times - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">3/8 times this month</span></li><li>Consistently follow the No S diet -<span style="background-color: #fcff01;"> I've had about 50% success with this</span></li></ul><div><b>Personal:</b></div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Get together with a friend - <span style="background-color: #04ff00;">met a friend for a workout & coffee, and meeting another friend for a hike today</span></li><li>Practice Farsi 10 times - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">7/10 days so far</span></li><li>Declutter 50 items from the house -<span style="background-color: #fcff01;"> 42/50</span></li><li>Find a pickle ball class - t<span style="background-color: #fcff01;">hey open for sign ups next week</span></li><li>Continue the Science of Well Being class - <span style="background-color: #04ff00;">on track</span></li></ul><div><br /></div></div><div><b>What about you? How are you doing on your goals for the month?</b></div><p></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-77866250829212522852024-02-10T08:25:00.000-08:002024-02-10T08:25:28.504-08:00Saturday Happenings<p> It's a lovely & chilly day today, so I'm off to get my long run done soon. Once I finish today's run, I will be caught up with the weekly distance, after my few weeks of being sick. I do not recommend missing entire weeks of training on a very short 12 week training cycle.</p><p>Here's what I'm up to today:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>10 mile run</li><li>Make a menu</li><li>Shopping list</li><li>Laundry</li><li>Have Nick finish THE LAST senior poster</li><li>Finish up a few tasks for senior night (the end is near!)</li><li>Work on budget for my aunt</li><li>Organize the freezer a bit</li><li>Going to dinner with all three of my boys this evening</li></ul><p></p><p></p><div><b>That's it for me. What about you? Anything fun in your plans today? </b></div><p></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-55968456977414887022024-02-09T06:00:00.000-08:002024-02-09T06:00:00.145-08:00Frugal Friday<p>This week has been a ride on the struggle bus. The weather has been terrible, we had some damage to plants/trees in our yard due to a big storm. Work has been... ahem...really painful. My sister & I are stepping in to take over some projects from my parents, as they have been providing support to my special needs aunt & are reaching a point where that's getting complicated for them. Everything has just seemed much more challenging than usual this week. I need to go back & write in my gratitude journal, & remember some of the positives!</p><p>Moving on, a few wins for the week:</p><p><b>Saving on things we buy</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I rarely buy occasion cards (I keep blank note cards at home that we use for almost every event), but picked up a few Valentine's Day cards & used a $3 off coupon.</li><li>I also bought Home Depot gift cards at the grocery store, as they were having a promotion. I earned $60 in grocery store credit, for future purchases. The store didn't originally register the promotion, but a quick email sorted it out.</li><li>Speaking of staying on top of offers, my manager noted that he hadn't received Hyatt points for our recent work stay (we were at the same hotel). I checked & found the same. I also noted that I hadn't received any of my rewards/points back from cancelling my Turkey reservations. A quick email also got that straightened out. </li></ul><p></p><p><b>Earning money</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I sold luggage tags & earned a bit over $100. </li></ul><p></p><p><b>Avoiding spending</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>It hasn't been a very spendy week, because I've been incredibly busy with life. </li></ul><p></p><p><b>Eating what we have</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Used the last of the Greek style baked veggies to combine with two eggs & a slice of cheese for breakfast after my long run on Saturday. It was delicious. </li><li>I forgot to take my prepared electrolyte water on my long run, and the electrolytes are expensive & don't last long once prepared. Instead, I had it when I got home, as it takes most of the day to replenish everything, depending on your run distance. </li><li>Sam ate one of our date night leftovers as soon as we got home on Friday, and I ate the rest as my lunch on Saturday</li><li>I made cranberry muffins to use up cranberries that have been lingering in the freezer forever. I had a tiny amount of sour cream leftover from a dinner, so used that in place of some of the yogurt. I also had a banana that really needed to be used, so tossed that in. And, another mom brought orange juice to our soccer event on Saturday, and some of that was leftover. I usually skip the suggested addition of orange juice, but added it & the muffins turned out great. </li><li>I had chicken pesto pasta from the freezer for lunch one day. </li></ul><p></p><p><b>For others</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Hosted a large soccer gathering, where the younger players made posters for the seniors. Given the party was after a game, we added pizza & cookies to our plans, because ...hungry teens!</li><li>Continue to volunteer for a very intense project at work, which I'm suited to help with, but isn't anywhere near my responsibility. </li><li>Gave a neighbor a ride to/from work. </li></ul><div><b>What about you? Any wins to share?</b></div><p></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-54793714465261349512024-02-05T14:39:00.000-08:002024-02-05T14:39:41.151-08:00Change in plans<p>You might recall that I booked flights to Turkey last week, as well as hotel reservations. Unfortunately, we found out this weekend that my MIL's brother (the one who will travel with her & accompany her on the trip, as well as M's closest uncle that he hasn't seen in 20 years or so & seeing him was a major part of the trip) has to have a follow up surgery to an emergency surgery he had this weekend. The follow up surgery date conflicts with our trip, and he also won't be able to travel in June (our backup plan). He luckily has a very good prognosis, post the second surgery. </p><p>I called United & received future travel credit for all four of us. It's a ton of money, so I've added multiple reminders for myself to use those funds before they expire. We have a year from issuance date to change the date, so we should be able to do next spring or summer. </p><p>We now don't have plans for spring break, but that kind of sounds like a good thing at the moment. We have a ski trip coming up in a few weeks, I'm spending a few days in Napa with my mom & sister after our half marathon, and I theoretically have a work trip to Tokyo in March. Maybe April will be a quiet month, or we'll have the boys spend some time with my parents at our house. Or, if Sam is still undecided about colleges, we can visit the last few. More to come on that.</p><p>This also leaves us without a senior trip for Sam, but we'll need to discuss that with him in more detail. We might do a family trip to Bend, which would be fun. My uncle is having a big bike ride for his 70th birthday, and both of the boys want to be there. We could rent a place & also enjoy Bend, although we wouldn't be doing any bike riding. ;-) </p><p>It's a wild ride around here, with things always changing! </p><p><br /></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-34204248073099635542024-02-05T06:00:00.000-08:002024-02-05T06:00:00.134-08:00Menu Plan Monday<p> We liked the Greek dish we made last week, but we had so much rotisserie chicken that we just did the veggie portion, and served that along side rotisserie chicken. Next time, I'd probably cook the potatoes separately from the peppers, as the peppers/onions got pretty over cooked to accommodate the potatoes. Or, pre bake the potatoes partially in the microwave first. Either way, the flavor was delicious. I've used the leftovers, added eggs & scrambled them up & they are also fantastic that way.</p><p>Here's our plan for the week ahead:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Friday - </b>date night for the adults, teens on their own </li><li><b>Saturday - </b>pizza/soccer party at our house. Adults - garlic shrimp</li><li><b>Sunday - </b>Philly cheesesteaks</li><li><b>Monday - </b>chicken pesto pasta (freezer)</li><li><b>Tuesday - </b>grilled burgers (freezer)</li><li><b>Wednesday - </b>leftover cheeseteaks</li><li><b>Thursday - </b>leftover chicken pesto pasta</li><li><b>Friday - </b>TBD</li></ul><div><b>What about you? What's on your menu this week? Has anyone tried any great new recipes lately?</b></div><p></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-18224517019026826202024-02-04T07:47:00.000-08:002024-02-04T07:47:49.135-08:00Sunday things<p>Yesterday was a good & super busy day, so I'm glad we're through that! I'm a little sore from my 8 mile run, but it was better than last weekend's 6 mile run, so I'll take it! I also cleaned the house ahead of our poster making party, which was a success. People stayed pretty late, so M & I threw together a quick dinner after the party wrapped up. </p><p><b>As for today, here's what's on the to do list:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Workout class</li><li>Laundry</li><li>Review homework with the boys</li><li>Make muffins</li><li>Work on classwork (I'm taking the Science of Well Being class online)</li><li>Journal</li><li>Practice Farsi</li><li>Sort out ski week plans</li><li>Finalize Sam's birthday gifts/plans</li><li>Continue working through eBay/FB marketplace pile</li><li>Find 5 more items to declutter (BN, recycle, etc)</li></ul><div>Today feels like an easier day, as my three big tasks (party, long run & house cleaning) were done yesterday. I'll take it!</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What are you up to today?</b></div><p></p>Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.com2