Menu Plan Monday

 It's supposed to be a beautiful (& warm) weekend, so we'll plan to keep things pretty easy. I also have a jam packed week next week (lots of folks in town for work, so multiple evening activities). 

• Friday - Pizza (from the freezer, because we have a ton of it)
• Saturday - M is grilling burgers
• Sunday - chicken lettuce wraps 
• Monday - chicken gyros
• Tuesday - I have a work dinner, so the boys will have leftover burgers
• Wednesday - leftover lettuce wraps
• Thursday - leftover gyros
• Friday - remaining leftovers, or orange chicken (Trader Joes, from the freezer)

What about you? What's on your menu for the week?

Saturday Happenings

 I'm heading out shortly to a workout class, and trying to enjoy coffee before our leave. Our espresso machine was purchased when Sam was born (there's a reason we started drinking coffee, and it's related to our first sweet baby, who never, ever slept ;-)), & is giving me trouble today. We'll see if M can fix it. On the financial side, what an incredible investment that's been. M makes 3-4 espressos per day (I had 2 for quite a while, and am down to 1). Either way, over 17 years, the amortization of that purchase makes it incredibly reasonable. We've had it serviced once (it didn't enjoy the moving process), but otherwise, M maintains it.

Other things that are happening here today/tomorrow:

• Pick up items for the menu this week. We have a few odd items that can't be purchased at our normal Costco shop, so I'll run around to grab those items.
• Clean the house
• Volunteer at a food pantry donation. Sam goes regularly, but they are desperate for people this week, so I'll join as well.
• Work out (fitness class today, 6 mile run tomorrow)
• Lots of laundry
• Watch Wimbledon. Nick & M are obsessed
• Try on a few things for upcoming trips. Make a packing list.
• Make a list for Sam's senior pictures
• Find 10 items to give away on BN
• List 2 items on eBay
• Work in the yard (hopefully, before it gets so hot)
• Come up with a training plan for the rest of the weeks before my relay (end of August)
• Work on France travel logistics

What about you? What are you up to this weekend?

Frugal Friday

It's been another busy week. Lots of work (all four of us), soccer practice is back, and plenty of running around.  

Saving on things we buy

• I took Nick to lunch on his way home from tennis camp (apparently, that 50 hours of tennis really took it out of him ;-)) & used a free drink coupon to go with his burrito.
• I've been buying sandwich fixings for the boys to make lunch each day. While it's not the cheapest lunch option, it's easy for them & fills them up for a day of work. There were a few Fetch offers for various sandwich items (cheese, deli meat), so I also scanned those receipts. 

Earning money

• The boys are both back at work this week, earning money. Our agreement is that they keep as much summer earnings as possible, and that should largely serve as their spending money for the year ahead. Sam still has summer money from last year (after a brief challenge with spending too quickly, we then worked together on a plan, where he transfers over $25 a week to checking). Having your own money & understanding how much things cost is super helpful. Both kids comment on the price of various things, now that they are spending their own money - which is an amazing life lesson! :-) 
• I listed an immediately sold a bike shirt on eBay. 

Avoiding spending

• Not having Amazon Prime made it much easier to resist the deals this year! 

Eating what we have

• Rather than ordering anything for myself at Chipotle, I came home & made a sandwich & had that with a bowl of berries & a few bites of potato salad. 
• We continue to use lots of garden goodies, and finally have some tomatoes! I've been making caprese salad with fresh garden tomatoes & basil. Yum!
• Ate lots of leftovers this week, including meat loaf & taco meat from the freezer. 

For others

• We are helping out a family member in a tight spot
• I coordinated travel arrangements for a celebratory trip for my nephew's 21st birthday, and covered flights for him + my dad. In other news, flights are absolutely insane right now. Crazy wild expensive. 
• My dad wanted to use his miles to cover my uncle's trip to Las Vegas, but the airline he has miles on was 2x as expensive as Southwest. Instead, I covered my uncle's trip (I had gift cards purchased at the grocery store, which is how I get my grocery store rewards) & used my dad's miles to cover a trip here in October when my parents watch the boys. I always cover their flights, as they are providing what used to be childcare, and can now more accurately be described as teen supervision. ;-) 
• Gave away a bunch of stuff on Buy Nothing

That's it on my side. What about you? Any wins to share?

Menu Plan Monday

Everyone is back together again, although getting both teens together for dinner during the summer is quite a feat! :-) We have salad with every dinner. 

• Friday - M's cousin was in town, so we had steak, scalloped potatoes, caprese salad.
• Saturday - tacos (meat from the freezer)
• Sunday - grilled chicken & rice
• Monday - meatloaf (freezer) + leftover scalloped potatoes
• Tuesday - leftover tacos
• Wednesday - leftover grilled chicken & rice
• Thursday - any remaining leftovers, or orange chicken & fried rice
• Friday - pizza

What about you? What's on your menu this week?

Saturday Happenings

 It's a pretty quiet weekend (no soccer games & no travel will do that for you), & I plan to enjoy it. I'm also taking Monday off, as I have a dentist appointment & a doctor's appointment, and the logistics of that are plenty for a day. 

M's cousin visited on his way back from LA last night, and flies out of SFO this morning. He hasn't been to see us since we moved to California, so it was great to catch up. I also picked up Nick from tennis camp, where he played 50 hours of tennis in just under a week. He was home for an hour before he left to meet up with a friend to... play tennis. ;-) 

Here's what I'm hoping to accomplish today:

• Attend a workout class
• Make a menu plan 
• And a shopping list
• Go to Trader Joes 
• Vacuum
• Laundry
• Clean bathrooms
• Clean the kitchen
• List 10 items on BN
• List 3 items on eBay
• Catch up on bill paying/budget tracking
• Stretch (my piriformis has been bothering me, so stretching has been critical)
• Drop off a couple of returns
• Find running shorts. It's too hot to run in pants, and I don't want to run in anything actually "short", both because I'm not 20, and also...chafing. I'm trying to find running shorts that are the bike short type, but getting the length and fit right has been an adventure. 

That's it from my side. What about you? What are you hoping to accomplish today?

Frugal Friday

It was a really nice long weekend, an we got a lot done around the house, and did some travel planning. Any time there is travel planning, there is an opportunity to both spend & save! Here's how we did. 

Saving on things we buy

• I used a $20 grocery reward to pick up a few things (2 large boxes of cereal, two gallons of ice cream, two packages of sliced cheese, sandwich bread, deli meat, tortillas, & Keto friendly wraps. My after reward total was $17.68, and I also saved another $3.60 via iBotta & a bit more using Fetch. I also picked up a Gatorade protein bar, which was the Friday freebie. 
• M & I had planned on doing a dinner out on Sunday, but opted to come home, hang by the pool, make drinks & grill steaks. Sam & a friend unexpectedly dropped by for dinner, so we extended our meal to feed four. I warmed a loaf of bread, took some old peaches from the fruit drawer & made that into a mozzarella/peach/basil salad, used a bagged salad, and we cut the steak into smaller pieces. It worked great & was definitely cheaper than a meal out, despite splurging on steak. 
• We are planning a final all family ski week for next February (Sam will be unlikely to join the following year, as he'll be in college). Sam got to vote on his top location, so I've been pricing out Whistler. I was able to find the hotel we wanted, for $500 cheaper by using Costco travel, and it includes a car rental & a $40/day free parking option. I'm so happy I thought to price out the same hotel via Costco. All told, we will save close to $1000 by booking this way.
• When the boys opted to stay with my parents after the wedding, & had to cancel their return flight (the same airline didn't service Pasco & Portland), so we ended up with a hard to use credit with a bunch of limitations (due to using 1/2 of it, but not all of the ticket). I was able to rebook another one way flight for them, and cancel another reservation, saving about $300. 

Earning money

• Sold an outgrown reffing kit on FB, for $25
• Both boys got paid for their camp weeks

Avoiding spending

• Found a Subway gift card while I was cleaning my desk area, and used that to order lunch for Sam on a busy day. He picked it up while out running errands, and was able to have lunch for "free". 

Eating what we have

• I had leftover chicken & beans for a quick breakfast, after a workout. It was a nontraditional breakfast meal, but it was delicious, and good to clean it out of the fridge. 
• I've been eating less than usual, which has the side benefit of requiring less food. ;-) 
• Used up the last of the sliced provolone (leftover from a Philly cheesesteak dinner) on a couple of sandwiches.
• On a related note, used hoagie rolls as substitute hot dog buns for our 4th of July dinner
• Ate leftovers for dinner during the week

For others

• Washed up Sam's PE uniform, and gave that away on BN, saving a local parent $30 on the cost of the mandatory school PE uniform.
• Gave away a few other BN items

What about you? Any wins to share?

Menu Plan Monday

 Yay for long weekends! M & I have both today & Tuesday off, which makes it a 4 day weekend. Hurrah!

• Friday - chicken patty sandwiches for the teens, grilled chicken over salads for myself + M
• Saturday - beef kebabs, rice & a yogurt sauce
• Sunday - steak, mozzarella/basil/peach salad, & green salad
• Monday - tacos
• Tuesday - hot dogs, potato salad & coleslaw
• Wednesday - leftover kebabs & rice
• Thursday - leftover tacos
• Friday - leftover hot dogs, potato salad & coleslaw

What's on your menu this week?

July Goals

July should be a good month. The boys are working, and we're not traveling, with the exception of the last weekend of the month, where we'll head to Portland for my nephew's party/to see family. The boys will stay with my parents for about ten days, while I'll fly back.

Here are my goals for the month.

Financial

• Stick to our budget
• Use 6 "hard to use" freezer or pantry items
• Make $100 in side hustle (list 5 items on eBay)
• Work on college funding plans
• Update financial plan based on my work timing (planning to stay longer)

Family

• One fun activity with the kids
• Plan something for the days we have off in July
• Work in the yard
• Have two dates with M

Fitness/Health

• Complete my running plan for the month
• Follow the No S diet
• Meditate 10x
• Set up overdue dentist appointment
• And, colonoscopy (dread)

Personal:

• Do something social with friends
• Practice French on Duolingo
• Land on timing for French trip + hotel & activities
• Give away 20 items on Buy Nothing
• Try new garden recipes
• Get back into journaling

What about you? What are you hoping to accomplish in July?

Saturday Happenings

It's the first weekend in a few weeks that we've been home, and I'm enjoying the peace. My sister & her family are in Hawaii this week, celebrating my nephew's graduation, so I'm living vicariously through her pictures. As always, it looks amazing. 

Some random things that are top of mind:

• Today is our one free day, as tomorrow we drop Nick off at an overnight tennis camp. He'll be done on Friday. We will be spending some time getting him ready for that, and of course, it's finally hot. He spends 50 hours playing tennis, so we'll need to make sure he has plenty of hydration options. Not a referral, but we really like Nuun tablets, which you can easily transport, drop into water bottles, and generate minimal waste. They are also much healthier/have less sugar than some of the alternatives. Nick gets migraines when he's dehydrated, so while Nuun's are not cheap, they are a worthy investment. 
• We picked a bunch of cucumbers, and a handful of strawberries, in addition to the enormous amount of basil & peppers + lettuce we have. Something came & pulled out most of my squash plants, and ripped every last zucchini off the vines. Some of the zucchini were huge! What kind of a critter could accomplish this? I'm super irritated, and don't want to add netting to our planter boxes, but maybe we need to.
• I gave away two teen suits on Buy Nothing, and people are so thrilled. Finding suits for teens is a huge challenge (and, pricey) & they grow out of them quickly. I'm so happy to help people out. 
• On a related clothing note, a family friend is taking Sam's senior pictures when the boys are in Portland in August, and I need to go through his clothes & see what options he has. Sam took a weightlifting class at school, and goes to the gym pretty regularly. His chest is quite a bit broader than it was a year ago, so not everything fits. Growing boys!
• At Sam's request, I put together an appetizer tray last night - a few varieties of cheese, crackers, nuts & sliced peaches. Everyone was thrilled, it used up cheese leftover from my mom's visit, and it held us all off until dinner was ready. Win/win/win. 
• I've lost 3.5 lbs, which I'm feeling really happy with. It's also just much easier not to worry about everything I'm eating, which is my favorite benefit beyond the actual weight loss. 

What do I need to accomplish today? Well, it's a four day weekend, so consider this list aspirational for one day, and anything that doesn't get done today (minus prepping Nick for camp) can shift around to other days. Although, I want to be as productive as possible:

• Attend a workout class. I couldn't get in to the 8:15 class, so I'll be going to the 9:30. A little late for my taste, but it will be nice to have the workout done.
• Help Nick pack for camp
• Make a menu + a shopping list
• I need to do a little work
• I made a ton of progress on the three tiered tray where I keep incoming mail, things that need to be dealt with, and a bunch of other random items. As you can imagine, over time, things stack up & it needs to be cleaned out.
• Call United & figure out how much credit the boys have from their cancelled flights. It's always available online, but this one isn't. So irritating. 
• Yard work 
• Steam mop in front of the stove
• Find 10 more items to give away on Buy Nothing
• Sort out FB marketplace sale
• Practice Duolingo
• Meditate
• Figure out plan for Monday
• Laundry
• Read by the pool (maybe dip in the pool?) We shall see how warm it gets.

What about you? What's top of mind for you today?

Frugal Friday

Another week whizzed by! We've had so much fun with family, but it will be nice to be home this weekend. Here are a few frugal wins for the week. 

Saving on things we buy

• It was another weekend out of town, so we did our normal travel stuff: brought water bottles to fill at the airport, M & I made a dinner out of food at the lounge, priced out cheapest ride share options, & packed snacks for the teens. 
• I dropped off Nick's tennis racket, string & some cash for his friend, who is restringing the racket for him. It was about half the price of having it done at a shop. 
• I had to pick up some things we needed at Rite Aid, and found matching Fetch offers, as well as a Rite Aid offer. I spent a total of $55, and earned $7 in Rite Aid rewards & $16 in Fetch offers, which was a nice bonus. 

Earning money

• Not much to report here, as the boys are with my parents & not working this week. M & I are continuing our normal work.
• I found $.35 on the ground, outside of Rite Aid

Avoiding spending

• We also took advantage of the free breakfast the hotel served over the weekend. It was a nice  buffet, so everyone was able to fill up in the mornings. 
• I needed a rapid COVID test for Nick's camp, and didn't have any on hand. I was able to pick one up on Buy Nothing. 

Eating what we have

• Ate lots of lettuce, basil & peppers from our garden. We have not had as much sun/warm weather as usual, so we don't have any ripe tomatoes yet. Our tomato plants are quite small for this time of the year.
• I finished all of the delivery meals (frozen)! They are super handy to have in a pinch, and I love that they are very healthy, as opposed to most frozen/prepped options. That said, they are too pricey when you pay the regular price. I got a great deal from a work offer, but likely won't replace them. 
• M ate a few burger patties & grilled chicken from the freezer, as well as finished off the last of the salmon.
• I cut up all of the ripe/overly ripe fruit in the fridge, and froze it for smoothies, as the boys were  out of town this week. 

For others

• Spent some time on a new mentorship program through work.
• I have a few nice things to give away on Buy Nothing, so want to get those posted ahead of the long weekend.

That's it for me. What about you? Any wins to share?

June Goals Recap

 June was a really busy month, and I can't believe it's done. We had: both kids finishing school, starting work, M's birthday, and two weekend out of town/flying trips! It's been a whirlwind. As a result, it was a lot of fun, but not as productive as some of my other months. That's okay, that's why I consistently try to set goals, even if not every month is quite as productive as others. 

Financial

• Stick to our budget - eh, we've been traveling a lot, but have generally done well, outside of travel costs.
• Use 6 "hard to use" freezer or pantry items - I finished off all of the meal delivery prepped meals, which has freed up a bunch of freezer space
• Make $200 in side hustle - I made $45, selling two items
• Start working on college funding plans - I didn't make any progress on this

Family:

• One fun activity with with the kids - we did several fun things, including two mini weekend trips. We also played cornhole at a family party, and enjoyed it so much that we ordered a set for at home.
• Plan fun birthday lunch with M on our shared day off - we ended up going for a run & then having lunch in Pacifica, which was lovely
• Have two dates with M - we've had lots of time together, & enjoyed a few dates.

Fitness/Health

• Get back on track with my running training plan - mostly there
• Track calories & average below 1500 calories/day - I'm liking my new approach of no snacks, sweets or seconds & my calories have been consistently good on these days
• Complete Orange Theory challenges (15 class workouts) - I'm going to finish with 14, and could push for 15, but also need to prioritize running
• Meditate 10x - I meditated 1x, so better than prior months. 

Personal:

• Do something social with friends - met a friend for a hike, and another friend for coffee
• Practice French on Duolingo -  I've done a bit of this, but not consistently
• Land on timing for French trip + hotels & activities - no real progress
• Give away 20 items on Buy Nothing - yes!
• Trim back herbs & give away what we won't use - no, & now I've missed the window. Need to be better next time, as I hate waste.
• Try one food recipe from garden goodies - yes, we made grilled artichokes, & they were fantastic. 

What about you? How did you do with your June goals?

Workout Wednesday

 This should really be re titled as "Fitness Wednesday", but I'll stick with the alliteration for now. Similar to most people, I do best with a regular routine, on the health & fitness front. Since April, I've done two international trips, one college tour, one trip to my parents house for my nephew's graduation, and one weekend trip for a wedding. Individually, any of these would be fine, but added together, they definitely got me out of a routine, & I've struggled to get back into one.

I've done a good job over the last 3 years  or so of sticking with my workout routine regardless, even if it's sometimes dialed back on travel or jet lagged days. Eating, however, is much harder for me to rebound from splurges back to healthy habits. 

I'd like to lose 15-20 lbs (realistically, anything around the ten pound mark would be great), and I'd like a diet (e.g. not a short term "diet", but a healthy approach to eating) that I can use for the rest of my life. I'm fine with occasional calorie tracking, to ensure I know how much I'm eating, but I really don't want that to be the rest of my life, worrying about each calorie. I also find that I just get decision fatigue. Should I eat this? That? Have I burned enough calories? 

I've been following the No S diet  (no affiliation of any kind) for the past ten days or so, and am really liking how easy it is. Basically, no sweets, snacks, or seconds (portions) for any days that don't start with S. On S days (Saturday & Sunday), you can indulge a bit more, but be reasonable. Special occasion days (your birthday, Christmas, or whatever) can fit within an S day. 

Trying this out has made me realize how much snacking I was doing! It's been super helpful & eye opening, just to make this adjustment to my diet, and I've lost 1.5 lbs in two weeks. I'm going to give it a few more weeks, and continue to make small adjustments to my eating (ensuring I'm getting enough fruit & veggies, as typically fruit served as a "snack), but so far, I love how easy it is & can definitely see following this forever. It's also described as the "Grandma Diet", as it's reflective of how your older relatives likely ate. 

On the fitness front, I'm still juggling OrangeTheory workout classes (love them, and really enjoy the strength training element, and the muscle tone I've developed in my arms), combined with running. I'm doing a relay at the end of August, and need to dial up my miles. I also have some piriformis pain, and need to increase my stretching. 

What about you? How are you doing with your health & fitness?

Menu Plan Monday

 The teens didn't have to work this week (unexpectedly, as camp registration numbers were down), so they opted to go home with my parents after the wedding this weekend, and will fly back on Thursday. As such, our dinner options are a little lighter/we're feeding fewer people. I try to make these "clean out the freezer" weeks, and reduce our grocery shopping as much as possible. 

Here's what we're eating this week:

• Friday - M & I ate at the lounge, before our flight. The teens ate snacks from home & a sandwich
• Saturday - we ate mostly at the wedding, and ordered Dominos for afterward, as not everyone was "full" enough ;-) 
• Sunday - I made the last of a bag of chicken from the freezer, and served that over a salad. M had salmon
• Monday - salmon for M, a frozen delivery dinner for me (last 1 of 2!) 
• Tuesday - last delivery dinner for me, and a burger for M
• Wednesday - grilled chicken salads
• Thursday - picking up the boys at the airport. Spaghetti & meatballs
• Friday - gyozas & wings, most likely

What about you? What's on your menu this week?