Yoga Pants

I love my yoga pants. I really do. I would live in them if I could.

I wear them for their real (aka intended) purpose - working out. I hate shorts. More specifically I hate my legs in shorts. Yes, they are a little larger than I'd like, but mostly because they are a little too pasty and jiggly for my taste. Covered up in pants (even snug pants) they're not so hideous.

They are also perfect for laziness. They are the ultimate in comfort. And because they are more fitted than sweats, I can wear about around the house and not feel frumpy. Only around Mr. Right I have to wear a shirt long enough to cover my bum or he can't resist following me around and smacking it.

Which brings me to my next point - yoga pants make me feel sexy. I have a rear that most rapper's girlfriend would envy. I spent the first part of my life wishing it were smaller, till I realized in college that this was one place bigger wasn't necessarily so bad. Yoga pants display the booty in all is glory, without being trashy.

For more objects of bloggers' affection, check out out Things I Love Thursday.

Wedding Crisis #1

The bridesmaids dresses process couldn't have went more smoothly. I was stressed at how we were going to go shopping when my sister, who just had a baby 2 months ago, insists that she's not trying anything on. And anything that fits her now better not fit her by the time the wedding gets here. (She's really not a diva, just hormonal). My cousin (and only other bridesmaid) suggested that we all meet up and shop for dresses off the rack. I had decided that I would be okay if my bridesmaids didn't have the same dress.

While I don't believe that God cares about trivial things (my mother and I have argued about whether or not God cares about the kind of curtains she has in the bedroom - long story), I do believe that God loves His children. Like any good father, He wants to calm our fears and anxietys. To my family who's "spiritual gift" is worry, He constantly has to remind us that He's got it all under control.

Lesson learned this time via TJ Maxx. My future MIL had gotten me some shirts for my birthday, but told me that I could return them for something else if I liked. She constantly apologizes for only buying me tops, but pants are just not as easy to fit. I tried on all 3 shirts for Mr. Right, and after getting his opinion, decided to return two of them. Side note - in exchange for the two tops, I got a GREAT dress!

God answered a prayer though a discount clothing store. Sounds ridiclous huh? But as I walked toward the dressing room I saw a tea length purple halter dress. Not exactly the shade I wanted, but definitely the perfect style to fit the body type of my bridesmaids. My biggest concern for my sister was finding something that would allow for her breastfeeding body. This empire waisted dress was perfect. I called both the ladies and asked what size they would need. Each requested a size up. For the price ($25) they could easily have it altered down to fit them if need be.







I'm quite convinced that this qualifies me for best Bride of the year. Sure, they will probably never wear this dress again. Let's face it, for $25 who really cares. And we all really know that they would have never worn a $150 dress again either.

Which brings me to the actual point of this blog. Mr. Right is having a groomsman crisis. One has been fitted for a tux, but just started a new job and doesn't know if he'll get the time off work to make the trip down. The other isn't sure that he wants to be in it at all.

I can only say that God has now used this blog to remind me of His goodness. Funny, when I started writing...um...rambling I thought I was going to focus on the crisis. But the Lord instead reminded me that its not about the dress, or the tux, or even who is standing beside you. This is the day I would confess my love for Mr. Right before God and my family, and will make a convenant to always honor that love. As long as God's invited, I've got nothing to worry about.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Phillipians 4:6

Money Smarts

Money is definitely one place I am smart and strong (and I'm sure Mr. Right would say it was very sexy). I try my best to only buy what I need, get a deal whenever possible, and make a game out of saving money. Yes I'm enough of a dork that I do actually enjoy saving money!

I have several weaknesses that are works-in-progress. The first being my lunch habits. I eat out at least twice, sometimes all five days a week. I can afford to do so because I was smart and paid off my car early, and no, I'm not robbing my savings (I save almost half my income, and in this tax bracket that's saying a lot).

I could (and often do) argue that I work hard to save money in other places and I "deserve" to splurg on food. But don't I also "deserve" a honeymoon in Belize? I could certainly be saving the $80 I spend a month on fast food for something great like that. As I've mentioned in other posts, my father is also very willing to pack my lunch (with his groceries, so it would very much be a free lunch).

I've decided to switch back to the envelope system for lunch, and hopefully that will make things more difficult on me when I want to run out and grab a burger. Starting this paycheck I'm going to give myself $30 for two weeks. I'm sure that sounds like a lot to most of you. But for me its cutting back $20 a month.

My other weakness is clothes. Yes, I'm that girl. The one who's closet is overflowing. I have a summer closet and a winter closet. I have two medium sized packing boxes that I use to put away seasonal shoes. Right now the boots are put away and the sandals are out.

Mr. Right has laid down a challenge. No shopping for 1 year. Mind you, that doesn't mean nothing new for a year. Because I always get new clothes for Christmas and birthdays. And his mother makes frequent trips to the Yuppyville thrift store, so I get barely worn brand name tops for next to nothing (okay I get them for nothing, she gets them for $0.25 each).

If you're out there and you choose to accept your mission - hold me accountable.

Menu Plan Monday - My short week

This week is a short week for me, and I won't be cooking much since its also full of activities.

Monday - Cookout @ the parents house. my sister, bil, and her peanut butter shipper children are in town for the week. as is my cousin and his wife (today is his birthday) so we're having a cook out tonight.

Tuesday - Pancakes, eggs, and sausage

Wednesday - fast food. we're meeting our wedding photographer at 6:30 for our engagement photos, so we'll probably just get something to eat out, then i'll head back to my parents house early for some time with the Princess and Little Man

Thursday - Baked Pizza Mac I don't have lots of recipes that call for eggs, and since i had to buy a dozen for the pancakes, i thought i'd use a recipe that called for eggs so they wouldn't go to waste. i'm also making/freezing muffins for future breakfasts.

Friday - Headed to Ohio to spend the weekend with his parents. Dinner will be whatever his mom has ready for us when we get there.

Check out Laura's Bog for more ideas on what you can plan for dinner this week!

Creative Wedding Idea

While the common trend in weddings is to hire a wedding planner to organize the event, my tight budget wouldn't allow me to pay someone to do tasks that I am more than capable of doing myself. Mr. Right and I new that we wanted to get married in Cades Cove, a section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, most of the other details still had to be worked out.

We settled on a reception location - it was love at first site. When we first saw the Lodge at Hidden Mountain we fell in love. It had a rustic charm that matched well with the Missonary Baptist Church



yet it still offered a classic elegance that every girl dreams about for her wedding. We had to change the Wedding date, because the room was already booked, but we decided that it was well worth it. Not only was the location perfect but the price was well under that of ordinary hotel conference rooms! Frugal tip number one - choose a location that won't take a lot of money to decorate!! With this location we don't even need table linens. The pounded copper would be a crime to cover up! Center pieces will be our only decorative cost for this facility.

As we were booking the room, she gave us an informational packet to help us along in the planning. Included was a list of catering choices. We weren't limited to that list, but it gave us a head start on who had been used in the past. From this list I found my Chef. She was able to give me what I wanted for a very reasonable price. In addition to that, she was very likeable. I realize a good personality doesn't have any effect on food - but it does make the planning process a whole lot easier and more stress free!!

In addition, she gave me another wonderful tip to make my wedding even more beautiful. She is currently planning her daughter's wedding, so she is full of helpful ideas. She suggested, since the cups at the hall are plastic, she suggested that instead I use mason jars. Brilliant idea, since it works perfectly with our theme. Its just another way to dress up the table without spending a lot of money.

The problem? I don't have 200 mason jars. I called my grandmother, but she has started canning less and less as she gets older. So I resigned myself to the less decorative plastic cups. I just couldn't justify spending $100+ on jars that wouldn't be used again.

Then God dropped the solution in my lap. At my church, there is a couple that my family has fallen in love with and they have adopted us as their own. My mom called one evening while I was at Mr. Right's house and told me that I needed to call my adopted grandmother. She had mason jars she was taking to the Good Will and she just wanted to check to see if anyone in my family wanted them for canning.

I immediately called her and let her know that I needed them. "You don't can?" "No, but I have a perfect use for them." I went on to explain how I was wanting them, but I couldn't get my hands on any. No doubt this was a blessing from God.

Frugal idea #2 using what you have on hand.

Frugal idea #3 appreciating the generosity of others.

For more ideas on how to pinch those pennies, check out Crystal's Biblical Womanhood blog carnival

The Thrill of the Hunt

because I know you were dying to see them, along with my lovely bag lady exchange reusable shopping bag. it is note worthy that most items i purchased were store brand.

and i'm just so excited about my bargain shopping in eco friendly bags!

Things I Love Thursday: My MP3 Player

Okay so its not mine, its Mr. Rights. Best gift I ever got him. He was impressed that his cousins got them for Christmas, so I bought him one for Valentine's day. I got him a Sansa MP3 player, because product reviews say that its just as good as an Ipod, for half the price. So by getting the "off" brand I was able to get 2 GB more memory storage.

I remember perfectly when he opened it up. He was shocked that I had gotten it for him. He had a ton of music on his computer that he couldn't wait to transfer. As the newness wore off he realized that he had no practical use for it, with the exception of the earbuds. he could plug those into his computer and listen to political videos on youtube and not bother me and my TV viewing.

When I started working out faithfully, I had him load it up for me. It really helps me pass the time. Instead of constantly watching the time, only to see that 30 seconds has passed, I focus on the music and the time passes much quicker. Also, I know that if I can sing along with the song I'm not working out hard enough and I need to punch it up a little.

Check out the Diaper Diaries for more loveable products.

Minor Leagues

Last night was my trip with my parents and their old people group at the bank to see our local minor league club take on none other than the Biscuits. Seriously. Who names a baseball team after a breakfast food?

Any way, my mother assured us that last year many of the people brought their kids and grand kids to the game, and that the invitation did allow for them to bring guests. Mr. Right and I tag along because who can turn down free food and baseball?

I carpooled with my mother yesterday morning so that by the end of the evening one household wouldn't have 3 cars in town. I killed time after work at the gym (its within walking distance of my office) till my father picked me up. We met up with Mr. Right and headed to pick up Mama on the way to the field. This cheap family wasn't going to waste $3 for parking an extra vehicle.

I had changed from my work clothes, to my workout gear, to a nice shirt and shorts for the game. I hadn't looked the forecast to know that there was a chance of rain. Unfortunately, the 90 degree sun that has been camped out in our area all week was no where to be found. Not long after we go to the stadium it came a down pour. On top of that, it was also a pretty seriously electrical storm. There I sat, surrounded by old people (that's right, not including Mr. Right and myself, my parents were the youngest people there. so much for those kids and grand kids), shivering in my sleeveless top and shorts.

Dinner was excellent, if a little soggy. We were on a sky box patio, so we were covered, but the wind kept blowing the rain in. Once the rain eased up, I sent my knight-in-shining-armor to the car to get my work clothes. Who knew that I would need a sweater and long pants at a baseball game in July? Coral sweater and black pants please. They came back with my coral sweater and my black, snug fitting yoga pants. Thankfully they also came back with blanket from the car that I kept around my waist all evening. I didn't think the older set was ready for the booty pants.

After William Faulkner sang the national anthem (no kidding), the game finally got under way. The Biscuits quickly took the 2-0 lead in their half of the 1st inning, but then the Smokies quickly answered back with 3 runs (including one homer) of their own. My mom is older than her 50-something years, and so we packed it in and headed home shortly after 9 o'clock. Hopefully the Smokies were able to keep the lead because how humiliating would it be to get beat by the biscuits???

Works for Me Wednesday: Working out Part 1

I'm not a fan of excercise or sweating like crazy. And to be honest, it takes a while for me to see the results. I need some sort of encouragement to keep myself going.

While I love sports drinks, most of them have enough calories to completely negate the work out. If I'm going to waste my time/energy to burn calories, I don't want to turn around and immediately drink them. My alternative to that is G2 Gatorade. It has only 25 calories per 8 oz serving. But I don't stop there. In an effort to consume even fewer calories, and to save money, I mix the G2 with water. Let's face it G2 just tastes like watered down Gatorade any way, so why not water it down even more. I typically mix about 2 oz of G2 with about 10-14 oz water (depending on the size of my container). It gives my water a kick, but I don't waste the money or the calories on a full size bottle. I stocked up last time Kroger had the big "buy 10 get 5 off" sale, so I got 10-32 oz bottles for $0.50 each. This was several months ago and I still have 6 full bottles left.

To be honest its quite like the "water with lemon" trick at restaurants. You are consuming something that's good for you, only you give it a hint of another flavor to fool yourself into liking it.

To check out more helpful tips and tricks, check out Works For Me Wednesday

1 months groceries + new eco bags =

okay so I was going to have this really cute picture of my ONE bag full of a month's worth of groceries. then i was going to have a cute picture of me carrying the bag over my shoulder. but Mr. Right got busy with work last night and forgot to transfer the pictures over. so get a mental image - a black fred meyer bag with pictures of veggies on the front. and inside loaded down with groceries.

yesterday was the first time this month i had been to the grocery store. normally i do my main shopping at the first of the month, then only head back if there are any good sales. there have been none in my area this month and we've been eating out of the pantry. so last night my $26.82 worth of groceries is my bill for the month (unless they have a can't beat sale next week).

i don't count my health and beauty purchases because not only do i play the drug store game - but i've been playing it for the past three months with a $25 gift card i got from CVS when i moved a RX there. (BTW - I still have $15.98 on that card so it should do me through October.)

July's groceries

10 lb bag sugar (store brand)
2 cans diced tomoatoes (store brand)
mexican blend shredded cheese (store brand)
shredded cheddar cheese (store brand)
shredded mozzarella cheese (store brand)
2 jars minced garlic (half price close out)
pizza sauce (enough for 3 large pizzas)
1 dozen medium eggs
1 sloppy joe seasoning packet
36 packets of kool-aid

just check out my menu plan mondays to see that i do indeed cook real meals (well not by everyone's standards). i stockpile meat, so some months i spend closer to $80 a month for groceries. but you will notice no fresh fruits or veggies. i buy frozen veggies to mix in, but Mr. Right and I just aren't healthy eaters.

my LOST message board friends and i started a "bag lady" club. whenever we see a new or cool reusable eco-friendly shopping bag, we buy it in bulk and ship it across the country. I'm the proud owner of a really cool trader joe's bag from california. no doubt the only shopper in this town to have one. B-) from experience they had all told me that you use far less bags with the reusable kind, since they are bigger/stronger they can hold more. and the elderly man who bagged my groceries proved them right. he got the entire month's groceries in one bag. and it wouldn't have been to bad either if not for the weight of the 10 lb bag of sugar! it did make my trip to the car in the rain much easier. i just threw the bag over my shoulder and didn't have to mess with returning a cart!

Menu Plan Monday

My menu for this week will be a little brief, since I have plans after work a couple of days.

Monday - TexMex Minestrone leftovers

we never have leftovers so i was very suprised that we only ate half. It was delicious!!

Tuesday - Baseball game, food provided

No, we're not pigging out on $5 nachoes and $4 hot dogs. The bank my parents use(they are in the old people club, it has a catch name, so catchy i can't remember) is having their annual party for their members in the sky box. They provide food and the old people can come, enjoy, and bring guests.

Wednesday - Alfredo. We were supposed to have this last week, but didn't since his parents were in town for a couple of days. I just moved it to this week on the menu.

Thursday - Girls Night In w/friends. Mr. Right is on his own. The host is providing the food, i just have to bring tortilla chips.

Friday - Pancakes, sausage or bacon.

Frugal Friday - Lunch

When I moved back home to live with my parents, I knew I'd be saving money in a big way. Although the gas would be more expensive, I would no longer have a rent payment or an electric bill. I talled how much I would save over the next four months living at home and I just couldn't justify the rent payments any more.

What I didn't count on, was the money I would save on food. I go over to Mr. Right's house every evening after work, cook dinner at his place. So my grocery bill would be the same. I'm ashamed to admit that I'm fairly lazy with packing my own lunch. So I either go out to eat (feel free to scold me, I know its a waste) or else eat a frozen SmartOnes Entree, or soup. So it threw me off when my dad ask if wanted a sandwich for lunch. I hadn't though of using their groceries, for whatever reason it would feel like stealing. Sure its my house, but I contribute nothing financially and wouldn't feel right about taking it.

After the first week, he convinced me that I could refill my glass container with milk from their fridge. I rarely buy it (we don't drink it so I only use it for cooking) and my parents buy it weekly (my dad can chug it). Then this morning, my dad asked if I wanted him to pick me up some sandwich meat at the grocery store tonight. Just kidding I said "it depends on who's making it" (when I was living at home before my dad would pack my lunch as he was packing his). He responded "Of course I'll make it." Apparently he's been wanting to this whole time. I guess he feels like he's losing his little girl and he wants to do everything he can to feel needed.

Who knew, I could respect my father's wishes and get a free packed for me lunch out of it all at the same time?!

Things I Love Thursday

I could do a long post about how much I love my 2003 Toyota Matrix. I would tell you how Quinn (my car) has been with me his entire life, is drawing near 100K miles, and loves me every bit as much as the moment we first got together. I would then let you know that just a couple of months ago someone was asking how well I liked him, and was surprised to hear that he was 6 years old. He still looks brand new. I would end with how I have gotten as good as 38 MPG in my wonderful car, and never worse than 32 MPG.

But then I would just be bragging. And we all know that's not becoming.

Check out more products that people love at http://thediaperdiaries.net

Salon Day

You would think anyone this excited about going to the salon would be getting something more than just a trim. The truth is that I'd like to have a couple of inches (if not more) cut off my hair, but I'm trying to keep it long/grow it out for the wedding. I have in mind exactly want I want to do (Mr. Right will love it) and I have to keep it long. I just keep telling myself that if I could grow my hair out for 8 months for my sister's wedding, then I can stand another few months for my own.

This was the trip I was planning to talk to my stylist about doing my hair for the wedding. I'm terrified that she'll charge more than I'm willing to pay. I like her a lot. She does a great job with my hair and calming my fears (I had a bad cut from another stylist earlier in the year and I still haven't recovered) and she's also a really sweet lady. I just don't think that i could pay someone $100 for a hairstyle.

Today's plan was to casually ask her how much she charges as we were discussing my hair and the wedding (sounds perfect right?). Then I got scared that she would say a ridiculous amount, and then since I had brought it up she would expect that I would make an appointment. So I suppose I'll just wait a week or so and call back anonymously.

I think I could do my own hair, but is it worth forking over the money as a little extra pampering on my special day? Please know that I have cried about my hair before, so I have visions of bridezilla pitching in fit when she can't do her own hair properly.

Works for Me Wednesday - Reusing containers

I would love to claim that this is all in an effort to "reduce, reuse, recycle" and it has that added benefit too. But I really get my motivation from being cheap.

Since Mr. Right is an only child of a SAHM, and he moved 6 hours away, when she comes to visit she loves to do things for him to show how she misses him. Service and Gifts are her two love languages. Every time she comes for a visit she leaves a stockpile of gatorade and snacks. Mr. Right LOVES gatorade. Soon-to-be-Mrs. Right has a grocery budget of less than $100 a MONTH, which does not leave room to give Mr. Right a gatorade (or two) for every day. And while he does like kool-aid, it doesn't offer the convience of being able to grab a bottle from the fridge on the way out the door.

Which brings me to my "green" tip. Once the gatorade that my dear future MIL purchased has been consumed, I load it in the dishwasher. I take the newly clean bottle and fill it with kool-aid. Even though Mr. Right knows that its kool-aid in the gatoraid bottles, he swears it tastes better like that than in a regular glass.

My MIL to be also got me started saving glass spaghetti sauce jars. She used them for leftovers, but I repurpose them a little differently. I have one glass jar that I use for milk. I never get up in time to eat breakfast before I leave the house, so I have my cereal (free cereal thanks to www.moneysavingmom.com links to coupons and deals) sitting at my desk as I'm going thru emails first thing at work. So I just fill the jar up with milk, that way it doesn't take up as much room in the cramped office fridge.

If I have extra of the glass jars, they are also perfect to drain the grease from browning hamburger meat. Just cap it and toss it. No need to worry about the garbage leaking because the lid is secure.

And that's what works for me. Check out more tips at http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com

Wedding - 3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days away!

This weekend is actually a pretty full week in regards to my wedding planning. I'm finishing up the last of my florist visits. Right now I'm looking at $180 in real flowers and already have about $40 in artificial ones (a friend of mine is going to help me make the guys' flowers and mother's corsages myself). I doubt anyone can beat that price, but I'm going to double check to be sure.

Today I'm going to get a dress altered that I'll be wearing to a bridal shower. Its a very simple, but elegant straight dress. And since I'm curvy on bottom that type dress is difficult to fit on me. I found this on sale for $10, so I figured it was worth the price of the alterations. I love straight dresses so I'll feel like a million bucks wearing it. I just have to get it taken in right under the armpits. (I like to look classy - I never said I was classy). I'm using a seamstress recommended by a friend, but my one mistake was not asking her how much she charges. I just assumed that my friend wouldn't recommend her if she were too pricy.

Yesterday Mr. Right and I had our first premarital counseling session as required by my pastor who will be marrying us. We both really like him a lot, so while it was a time of serious discussion, we enjoyed our opportunity to talk with him. I'm starting to consider possible readings so I would love any suggestions! I think 1 Corinthians is over done (Wedding Crashers anyone?) Unless of course you had it at your wedding. Then its beautiful.

I have to mail my 2nd catering deposit this week, along with calling to check in with her. And I need to call my photographer to set up engagement photos. The seamstress doing my wedding dress is out of town this week, so I'll have to wait till next week to set up my first appointment with her.

My future mother-in-law got to see the reception site for the first time and she loved it. I believe my future father-in-law is going to get fitted for his tux before they head back home this afternoon.

Frugal Food - Pasta

One of our favorite pasta dishes comes from - wait for it - www.kraftfoods.com. i know, these people should pay me. but i love their site.

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/weeknight-lasagna-toss-95163.aspx


Lasagna Toss

1 lb. lean ground beef
2 cups chopped green peppers (about 2 peppers)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1-2/3 cups water
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
12 oven-ready lasagna noodles, broken into quarters
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
BROWN meat in large (4-qt.) saucepan on medium heat; drain.
ADD peppers, garlic, spaghetti sauce, water and dressing; bring to boil. Stir in noodles; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover.
COOK, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 min. or until noodles are tender. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover; let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Another favorite (partly because its so easy!)

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/bacon-cheese-potato-chowder-107301.aspx

Bacon, Cheese, and Potato chowder

3 cups fat-free milk 1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of potato soup 2 cups frozen Southern-style hash browns 1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese 2 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, crisply cooked, drained and crumbled 2 green onions, thinly sliced MIX milk and soup in large saucepan. Stir in hash browns. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 min., stirring frequently.

SERVE topped with cheese, bacon and onions.


Of course I alter the recipe. I don't always use Kraft products, well I should say I rarely use Kraft producs (maybe that's why they haven't cut me a check) and of course I use the jar garlic rather than fresh garlic.

I also love making my own pasta salad for lunch. A box of rotini pasta, a cucumber, a green pepper, some italian seasoning and italian dressing. usually 1 lb of pasta does me for lunch for 3 days, unless i add something else with the pasta (like an apple), then i can get more lunches out of it.

For more ideas check out Jenn @ Frugal Upstate's Frugal Food series http://frugalupstate.blogspot.com/2008/07/frugal-food-series-part-six-breads.html

Menu Plan Monday

Good morning! I do my dinner meal plans by the month, so that I can limit my trips to the grocery store. Most of my recipes don't call for milk or eggs, so I don't have to make the weekly run to stock up.

This weeks menu consists of the following:

Monday - Salsa Chicken:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 teaspoons taco seasoning mix
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese2 tablespoons sour cream (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place chicken breasts in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle taco seasoning on both sides of chicken breasts, and pour salsa over all. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is tender and juicy and its juices run clear. Sprinkle chicken evenly with cheese, and continue baking for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with sour cream if desired, and serve.

Tuesday - Fettichini Alfredo. Our veggisaurus meal for the week. We do this to save money, but hopefully it will help us stay more health as well *snickers at the thought of alfredo being healthy*

Wednesday - Tex-Mex Minestrone. We're trying this one out for the first time - I'll post about how it goes. http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/tex-mex-minestrone-107322.aspx

Thursday - Fish sticks and fries. Not Mr. Right's favorite, but I have a big bag of them and we don't want to just throw them out (when I purchased them I didn't realize that he wasn't a fan).

Friday - Baked Pizza Mac. I'm gonna have to go to the grocery store if we do this one this week to get some eggs. http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/super-baked-pizza-mac-89844.aspx its a new recipe as well.

I usually don't plan for Saturday, since its hard to tell what we'll be into. This week I'll probably bump one of my week day meals to Saturday since his parents are in town today. Usually when they are in for a visit we go out for pizza and wings, and I doubt tonight will be much different.

for more meal plan ideas please check out http://orgjunkie.com/

Frugal Friday

My very first Frugal Friday, how exciting!! :) And while I have a million and ten different frugal tips, I apparently have stage fright. Here I am standing in front of the microphone and my mind has went blank.

Today I went to another florist to get price quotes on wedding flowers. The first store I went to gave me a quote of $100 for my bouquet and $50 each for my bridesmaids. That seemed a bit pricey to me, but I was assured by friends it was a good price. I kept shopping and found a florist today that will do the exact same flowers for $60 for mine and $35 each for the bridesmaids. They are a good quality florist (my darling love has purchased me flowers at this shop on many occasions).

So my frugal tip is this - SHOP AROUND! Be it for expensive wedding items or just groceries, visit different stores and get an idea who has the best prices.

Newbie Post

Good afternoon!!

This is my first blogging effort so I'll keep 'er short and sweet.

I plan on using this blog to document my wedding planning experiences - as I try to have the wedding of my dreams on a fairly small budget.

Have a wonderful weekend!!