Football Games & Finance

Today has been a breath of fresh air, literally! The past week we got a major winter storm and I was snowed in for days. Well today the sun was shinning bright and the air temperature was at a solid 60 degrees! Just beautiful! Today also just happens to be the biggest night of the year for most Americans, Super Bowl Sunday!! Woop Woop! I'm not that big into football. However I do love the idea of it. I enjoy seeing people so excited and hopeful. Each fan is so loyal for their team and they really feel connected to their team. Anyways, my favorite part of the Super Bowl is the food!! I love cheese dip, potato chips, brownies, cookies, root beer, sliders, and wings! Any excuse for me to eat like crap I am totally on board with. I will include the spicy sausage cheese dip recipe below if you are interested :) 

Now, you are probably asking yourself "What is with the Finance is her title?" Well, that is something else that I wanted to share with you this evening. One of my New Year resolutions was to become very organized in all aspects of my life. Well that includes the bills. Last year, I missed a bill altogether!! I misplaced it and then forgot to pay it. I felt terrible and definitely didn't want to hurt our credit score so I vowed to never ever do that again. So I found a great way to organize and keep track of all bills coming in and out. 

So I decided to print out a calendar page for each month and used them as my dividers. I like to pay all the bills at once which works out because they usually all come in within a week or two of each other. When a bill comes in the mail, I write it down on the day it arrives and place it in the pocket to wait for the other ones. When all have arrived and been logged, I sit down and write up the checks to be mailed out and log the day I did it. I then hole punch the bill statement behind the month it was paid. 

This way I can look back at what was paid and when it was paid. Everything is neat and organized!! With tax season here I got to thinking of how awesome this binder will be for next year. This binder will have all our taxes and statements in one place so we can get through our taxes so much faster! 

I am very excited about this and it really is so easy to do. I hope that this will be helpful to someone else out there!! Well I have the smell of cheese dip and the sound of football distracting me so I must say goodbye! I hope everyone enjoys the game tonight and may the best team win. "May the odds ever be in your favor." Sorry for the cheesy Hunger Games reference :)

Oh wait as I promised: Sausage Cheese Dip Recipe

1 lb spicy ground sausage

2 chopped jalapenos

1 pkg of cream cheese

1/3 pkg of Velveeta

1 bag of shredded cheddar cheese

2 cans Rotel (drained)

I cooked the sausage first and then drained the fat. I then added the sausage and the remaining ingredients into a crock pot. I cooked it on high for 2 1/2 hours. I prefer Frito's scoops but whatever chips you prefer will be great. Enjoy!!

Poor Monday. No one ever likes Mondays. Monday means that the weekend is over and the new week has to start. This Monday, in particular, I have so much to do. It always seems like whenever I have so much to do, time just flies by so quickly!! For busy days, I tend to go for a dress and boots. Boots are great because they just slide right on in a hurry and look great with anything. Dresses are great too because they also slip right on but add a delicate, girly touch to your outfit. I paired it with a vest and a scarf for some added warmth. This is the perfect outfit for a {Manic Monday} :)

Dress: Old Navy

Vest: Tjmaxx

Scarf: Nordstrom

Boots: Dillards

Watch: Nixon

Sunglasses: Ralph Lauren

No matter how manic my days get, I will always make time for my babies! We took some time out from running errands to stop by the park. The weather has been beautiful today! So my advice for you if you are scrambling around like me is to stop and take a breather. Open a window and enjoy the beautiful sunshine and fresh air! :)

Have a blessed day,

brianna

Closet Remix

One of my favorite things in the world besides chocolate, of course, is fashion. Not so much the runway, vogue type fashion but just everyday style. After living in  maternity clothes for the better part of two years, I have a yearning for finding my own style. To help me along my way, I started following a few amazing style bloggers. Seeing their different styles helped me find some confidence in my own. I'm tired of the phrase, "I have nothing to wear!" I want to have a closet full of pieces that I actually want to wear. I am also not wealthy so I strive to be a frugal fashionista. I not only want pieces I love but pieces that can pair well with a lot. I decided to take a huge risk and start posting my own outfits to share with the world wide web :) Stay tuned for my very first closet post tomorrow!! 

Clean and Green

As I continue my journey to a healthier diet, I am constantly searching for clean recipes. I have two little ones at home so anything that can be thrown in a blender is a winner in my eyes. I have been reading The Honest Life in hopes of learning some natural alternatives to my lifestyle and in doing so I found a great green smoothie recipe. This book is written by Jessica Alba and I highly recommend it!! If you are wanting to rid yourself of unknown chemicals in everything you use from makeup to cleaning products and don't know where to start, then this is the book for you. Anyways, back to the green smoothie. I have to admit I was very hesitant to try it because well, umm, it has kale in it. Gross, right?? Actually, I had never tried kale before this smoothie so I shouldn't have judged it but I did and I was wrong. This smoothie is not only yummy but super GOOD for you!! Not to mention, all the ingredients are thrown in a blender and then voila- a meal in seconds! Since I first tried this recipe, I have made some of my own changes and I thought I would share them with you.

{Green Smoothie Recipe}

-2 handfuls kale

-1 handful spinach

-1/2 cup crushed pineapple

-1 small green apple (peel skin)

-4 almonds

-2 celery sticks

-1 handful of strawberries or blueberries

My measurements are never exact. Like I said earlier, I am usually rushed so I tend to just eye it and enjoy. I hope you all give kale a chance and try this drink. I tend to drink it either right after I wake up or as a meal replacement for lunch. With this drink, the more the merrier. If you have extras, refrigerate it immediately and enjoy the next day! :)

As always, 

Have a blessed day!

Brianna

Ten Things Thursday

Its Thursday and I am still sick in bed so I figured why not blog, right? So I started to think about what to even write about. My son is in love with Thomas the Train right now so he has been watching the tv show a lot the past few days because of my recent mandatory bed rest. I realized that the show's narrator uses a lot of alliteration. So I thought I could write about something that only starts with the letter "t" like Thursday. Well, I am always thinking of things that would be cool to own that I don't already so I decided to do a {ten things thursday} post. Here are ten things that I have had my eye on and wouldn't mind adding to my collection of things. I sure am saying things a lot. I'm sick, don't judge me :) 

black heels//adorable headphones//gold chain bracelet//chucks//nail glam//blanket scarf//leopard belt//the bootie//iPhone case

I now have a large cup of hot tea calling my name. Here's to feeling better! If anyone else is bed ridden and surrounded by kleenex, then you have my sympathies. Writing down a list of things I wouldn't mind owning actually made me feel a little better and gave me some energy. Maybe enough energy to do some dishes, boo. It's been an exciting time here in the Styron household the past few days. Anyways, what have you been wishing for? Is there anything specific you want to add to your collection of things? 

Get to wishing and have a blessed day!

brianna

School Time with Caleb

Do you have a favorite time of day? I do! That time for me is when I sit down with my son and have "school." When he was about 18 months old, I started setting aside time each day to work with him on the alphabet. He quickly picked up all the sounds of each letter first and then shortly after he could actually say each letter. Now we have added in colors, numbers, shapes, and sight words. At first, I thought that maybe I was working with him too early because I wasn't able to find any workbooks for children ages 18 months to two years old. But I have to say that I am so impressed and amazed at how much he has picked up on. He went from not saying anything at all to now being able to say the alphabet and their sounds, spell short words, count, and imitate anything I say. That all happened within about 9 months!! Something I learned from the many baby books I read is that children are like sponges, especially when they are young. If you are wondering when to start working with them, how about right after they are born!! You can make a habit of reading to them every day and speak to them as much as possible. Studies have proven the amazing benefits of talking to your babies all day long. I have a little piece of advice for teaching and working with a toddler: be very patient and make it fun! If your child becomes bored or distracted then let it go and try again later on or the next day. The key for me was just repetition. I just tried to remember to do something with him every day!! To this day, I still ask him each day to go through the alphabet and their sounds. I wanted to share with you a little look into our school time today. 

As you can see by that adorable smile, he enjoys school time just as much as I do. It is fun to get creative with him. There are many resources out there that I use to help me that are there for you too! Because it has been so cold outside, I have been focusing on crafts and games that are done inside. Next week, I will share with you some of my favorite resources and apps for those tech savvy toddlers out there. 

It's never too early to teach our babies so get to teaching and have a blessed, warm day!!
Brianna

Mothers Shouldn't Ever Get Sick

So according the CDC, flu season has begun! Yippee! If you are anything like me then you probably pray that it passes right over you. Unfortunately, that didn't happen with me this year. I got to ring in the New Year sick in bed. I know this might sound crazy but when I was a kid I actually liked when I came down with a cold or the flu. When I was sick, I got to stay home from school and stay in my pajamas all day! My mom was the best nurse. She waited on me hand and foot. She always made being sick feel like a vacation from the real world. Now that I am a mother I hate getting sick. I was sick seven months of the nine months pregnant with both of my children. I was sick enough to last my whole lifetime! It's not fair! Once delivering a baby, a mother should be handed a certificate declaring that she will be sick free for the rest of her life! When my kids are sick, no problem. I hate when they are sick because it's sad and sometimes scary, but I can be there for them with whatever they need. Chilled wash cloth, check. Humidifier on, check. Keep hydrated, on it. Cuddles, of course. When I am sick though its much harder. I don't have my mother here to fetch me a beverage or help hold my hair as a throw up. I don't have her here to lay next to me and run her fingers through my hair even though there is a risk she might catch what I have, not to mention I most likely smell. I don't have anyone to help me but I have to be here to still fulfill my job duties as a mother. I love being with my kids!! They are my world!! But it is so hard to be this sick while still having to make them meals, change their diapers, bathe them, entertain them, etc. This is just part of the mother contract, written in the small print, no sick days. As I laid in bed this morning fuming over the fact that Mr.Flu came by to visit me, I realized an important life lesson that I learned from all this. No matter how hard times are or how bad you might feel, there are still people around that care about you and depend on you. It is important to try to always be positive even in the darkest of times. It is important for me to still be the best that I can be for my two kids, even if I would much rather stay in bed all day. They depend on me so it's important that I put the way I feel aside for the moment and focus on them. It is a good way to live our lives everyday, actually. Stop being so selfish and strive to be more selfless. Moral of the story: In the great words of Ellen, "Be kind to one another." :) 

Have a blessed day!

Brianna

New Year, New Beginnings

Every year I always come up with a small list of things that I hope to eventually accomplish before the year is out. In fact, many people make a New Year's resolutions list and if they are anything like me, they never complete it. I am a huge list maker! I make lists for everything but I am terrible at actually finishing those lists. Its a huge bummer for me not being able to complete a whole list of mine. This year I am going to try my very best to actually accomplish everything on my list of resolutions. But since Yoda says, "Do or do not, there is no try," I guess I will not try but actually do everything on my list! I would now like to share with you my list of New Year's Resolutions.

1. Clean Eating. I know this one is a cliche resolution but this past year in particular I have gotten in the habit of eating like complete crap so its an important one to me! I also had a baby this year so I have some leftover baby weight on top of that. One thing I have learned is that no matter how hard I work out, if I don't change my diet I will never loose the weight! I also have my kids to think of as well. They watch everything I do and I need to be setting a good example for them. I want them to have a great foundation so that as they get older they will make healthy choices when it comes to food. My first challenge is "No Fast Food January!" I am pledging to cut out fast food for a whole month and hopefully that will really help pave way towards my clean eating path!

2. Style Risks. I have pretty much lived in maternity clothes for the past two years and as comfy as they were, I am ready to be done with them. It has been six months since my little girl was born and I have been slowing fitting back into my old clothes. Since then I have been following and studying many style bloggers hoping to ignite some inspiration. I love fashion and all that it stands for. I love how clothes and style can help really express who you are to the world! It's always new and never boring. This year I want to continue to fuel my fashion fire and experiment with different styles. I also want to become a better thrifter and find great deals on vintage clothing. My ultimate goal this year is to have a closet full of stuff that I actually want to wear all the time and to hopefully never say "I have nothing to wear" again!!

3. Schedule & Stick To It. Like I said before, I am huge on making lists but not so great on completing them all. I am also terrible about making schedules for myself and not sticking to them. I have come to the realization in this past year that I have a terrible sense of self-discipline. Something else that I need to work on this year, I suppose :) Ok, so with my son I was mega scheduled. He was always right on the dot with eating and sleeping. Since my daughter has been born its been a little more difficult to get back on some sort of schedule. Having a schedule that works for our family and actually sticking to it would be an amazing accomplishment for me!

4. Better Mother/Wife. Since becoming a wife and shortly afterwards a mother, I am constantly trying to improve in any ways that I can. I am definitely not one of those "must be perfect" type of people but I do enjoy being the best that I can be for myself and my family. I really want to be able to set a great example for my kids on how to live a healthy, Christian life. I also want them to see a good example of a healthy, happy marriage! 

In August of this year, my husband and I are going to Peru for ten days! Traveling is something I really wanted to do this year so I guess I get to cross that off my list already. I know that I only have four goals on my list but I know they aren't going to be super easy to do. I know that I will have to work hard and consistently to accomplish them all. I guess I will just have to wait until December 31, 2014 to let you know if I was able to be victorious! But until then I wish all you out there good luck with whatever New Year's resolutions you have in mind! 

Have a blessed day!
Brianna

Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014

"Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties."  -Helen Keller

It is always a little sad to see a year come to an end but on the bright side it is like getting a clean slate or a fresh start. You can erase the mistakes you made in the past year and push forward into the new year with a fresh perspective. Some years I have been thankful to put behind me but 2013, in particular, was a great year for me! We welcomed home our sweet baby Catelyn and got our savings back a float. After school loans, a wedding, and two children all within two years, our savings were crushed! I'm sure anyone can agree that financial stability is something to be proud of! We didn't travel or do anything else spectacular this year but it was still just a great year. Two major things that I am thankful for this year is that our family is complete and I believe our marriage has become much stronger. When you marry someone you feel so in love and so connected with them but the longer you are together the stronger those feelings become. Every year you are married, you continue to learn more about your spouse. Your love will continue to grow for one another. Not only will you love your spouse more but you will also begin to obtain a great amount of respect for him/her. For us, we quickly transitioned from wife/husband status to mother/father status. Anyone who has children knows how hard it can be and how much works goes into raising them. Watching my husband go to work every morning to support us financially, go to the gym every night so he can make sure is healthy enough to stick around longer, and rushing to our children's every need no matter what time of day it is makes me not only love him more but respect him! Going into 2014, I not only gained another baby but I also gained some insight into our marriage. I hope to continue to grow as a wife and mother this year. I also hope to accomplish everything on my New Year's resolution list! In my new post, I will discuss what exactly is on that list with you. I hope that all of you were able to look back onto 2013 with a great big smile. If 2013 wasn't a great year for you then my advice to you is to still look back with a smile because you are still alive and you get another chance to make 2014 a wonderful year!! I pray for another great year and can't wait to see how it unfolds for my family! 

So long 2013!

Have a blessed new year,

Brianna :)