Tooth #3!

Baby E just got tooth #3! Top center, right. :)

Happy Sunday!

Crawling

Eli has started crawling! He still prefers to army crawl, but he does get up on those little baby knees and crawl. :)

Getting BIG

Eli just figured out how to go from a crawling position to a sitting position today!

He is so adorable, and getting so BIG! He is days away from crawling, and I am not ready for it. :( What happened to my baby?

Number Two

Tooth number two popped through last night for out Mister Eli!

This was a tough one, he was not happy last night. Or was it the frosting Pa kept sneaking him? :)

#2 is right next to the first. Bottom, front, right side. :)

The First of Many

Eli had his first tooth pop through!

Bottom front, left side.

He is a drooling machine!

Overy Family's Grand Adventure

Earlier this month, I was contacted by a man named Chris.  He posed this question: If you were given $1500 for a vacation, where would you go and how would you use these funds to get the biggest bang for your buck?

Great question, and after a lot of consideration, we have decided that a "stay-cation" would be the way to have a grand adventure!

We recently moved to central Iowa, and haven't done much exploring of the local attractions.  And, I am more comfortable at home, in my own bed, than I ever am in a hotel.  Especially since "bed bugs" have become such a big issue.  Gross, that totally creeps me out.

Our first stop would be to the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad.  My oldest son LOVES trains, and would adore a train ride.  :)  The total cost for this excursion would be approximately $75 (includes food and train ride for our family of 5).

Next up, a night out for Mommy and Daddy at a local winery.  Fireside Winery offers a lovely concert each Friday night.  What could be better?  Music and wine!  Of course, hubs and I would stop for dinner as well. The total for this excursion would be approximately $150.

Wow, okay...we still have a lot more money to spend.  :)

Next up would be an over-night stay at the Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark in Dubuque, IA.  It is a bit of a drive, but a wonderful way to spend some time in the winter.  I don't know about you, but I always feel like doing things when I can't....swimming in the winter, Chick Fil-A on Sundays, etc.  Our kiddos would have so much fun!  Especially our Ady, she LOVES to swim.  :)  Total cost for the waterpark, hotel stay, food, gas, is approximately $500.

Our next stop would be to the Disney on Ice show at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.  My kids  love music, in fact they can sing most Disney songs word for word!  I couldn't imagine a better way to spend a night.  There little eyes lighting up as their favorite Disney characters skate across the room.  Priceless memories.  :) Total cost for this excursion is approximately $500 (which includes the ever so important Disney memorabilia)!

The final $275 would be used for a great dinner for our friends and family.  A few steaks, chicken, BBQ ribs, a few bottles of wine, and most importantly, good company.  After all, isn't the point of a vacation to relax and spend time with the people you love?  I enjoy entertaining, and love when people can enjoy our home as much as we do.

So, there you have it.  This is how the Overy's go on an epic "vacation".  How about you?  Do you have any upcoming vacation plans?  How would you spend $1500?

Spend That Cash!

We spent a LOT of money yesterday. Especially for a no spend month, can you guess how much?

If you guessed $136, then you would be right.

I know, I know....please wipe that look of shock off your face. :)

You see, we also have another goal for this year: spend money on no more than 100 days. This is proving to be quite the challenge.

So, when Hubs said he wanted to take me to Texas Roadhouse for my birthday dinner, I knew I had to stop at the grocery store and pay the plumber (our water heater broke, and needed to be replaced).

That brings our total to $179/$250.

I knew our expenses would be slightly higher than our previous no spend month because my birthday with thrown in there, but I did not anticipate replacing the water heater.

Oh well, I am still quite hopeful that we will be near our $250 goal. It will be a challenge, but we plan to give it our best shot!

How are you doing on your no spend month? Am I the only one out there?

My 3 Blessings

I can't even begin to describe how much my children bless my life.

I love you: Jack, Ady, and Eli!

Blessings From A No Spend Month

Each and every time my husband and I do a no spend month, I am amazed at how blessed we truly are.

.......and another realization I have is, why don't I utilize this blessing each and every month?

Hubs and I received his paycheck this morning, so I paid/scheduled bills.  His paycheck was smaller than normal.  Huge bummer, but I began paying bills and was able to pay all our bills AND about $150 in addition debt.  AMAZING!

God blesses you in great ways.  Please do not waste/ignore the blessings he has showered upon you.  I know that I will try my best to use the blessings I have received for Him!

My Big 4 Month Old!

Eli is now 4 months old! :)

He had his check up on Thursday, and passed with flying colors!

He weighs in at 16 lbs 5 oz, and is 26 inches long. We didn't have any concerns, and neither did Dr. S!

We go back in 2 months, but we have his 4 month immunizations in a few weeks, poor baby. :( He did well with the last set, but you just never know.

I have yet to take his 4 month pictures. Mom fail! But hopefully I can get them done this afternoon!

No Spend Month

We have entered our 3rd no spend month!  YEAH!

Hubs and I have restricted our spending to no more than $250 for the month, which is only about 25% of our variable spending during any other month.

It will be a challenge, but let's see how we do!

Here is an update on the last couple of days, I will try my best to update daily...but, things do get a little crazy around here. :)

1/1 - $0
1/2 - $15 (ice cream sundae toppings, ice cream, cheeries, milk)
1/3 - $28 (christmas presents, bread, bacon, soda)

So far, our total is $43/$250.  That number is higher than I would like, but....hopefully we will have no need to run to the grocery store for a while!

Although, I just remembered we are out of potatoes....oh well, meals will get creative this week! :)

Was the $43 ONLY for necessities, umm....no!  But, I justify the expenses.  The $15 was spent on an ice cream "date" with some good friends of ours (I fed 10 people ice cream sundaes for $15!).

Secondly, in order to comply with my goal for 2013, I have begun Christmas shopping with rewards/giftcards....all of which I got for free!  I have purchased 4 gifts, so far, and I have only spent $0.40 on gifts.  AWESOME! Oh, and I still have $29 in rewards/giftcards to spend on future gifts!  I will be shopping!!!  :)

And, the bacon is for my favorite Daddy!  He loves bacon wrapped little smokies, and I am making him some for our Christmas get together this Saturday!

Are you doing a no spend month?  Will you join me?  It's not too late!

Press N Seal

I am usually a big advocate for Press N Seal.

It all began, about 8 years ago, in the front yard of my childhood home.

My parents were remodeling their bathroom (they are in a constant state of remodel, lol), and before they installed their new whirlpool tub, they wanted to make sure there weren't any leaks. Makes sense, right?

Anyway, instead of using a "normal" method to plug up the drain in a bathtub, my parents decided to test the true strength of Glad Press N Seal.

My mom gently pulled a piece of Press N Seal from the yellow cardboard box and covered the drain (sealing all sides quite thoroughly).

My dad drug out the garden hose, and began filling the tub. And it is one of those big tubs.

As the water continued to pour in, they stood in amazement. The Press N Seal held a completely full whirlpool tub. Water is heavy! :)

From that day on, I pledged my allegiance to Glad Press N Seal.

Now, I will always be a fan and avid user of Glad Press N Seal....but that doesn't mean it hasn't failed me on occasion.

Like today, I covered a bowl of salsa with Press N Seal, and at some point it tipped over in the fridge...causing a mess.

Now, I am not blaming Glad Press N Seal....I am sure it was simply user error. :)

So, even though Press N Seal failed me this afternoon, I will still tightly wrap my dinner leftovers tonight!

Do you use Glad Press N Seal? What is your opinion?

INTRODUCING.....

Welcome!  I would like to introduce you to the #1 field service team, not just in their region....but in the ENTIRE company.

I am so proud of "my guys"!

But, before you begin to think that being the #1 team in all of Vivint is serious business....think again.

Here is the team reenacting the "birth of Jesus"....Eli (whom they loving referred to as Baby Vivint) was happy to play a part.

Oh, and here are the lovely bloopers!

Love you guys, and here's to another successful year!  Happy New Year!

2013 Goals

2012 has been a great year for us. We have been blessed beyond our wildest dreams, and are anxious to see what 2013 holds. :)

As the new year begins, most people make resolutions or goals in order to make the most of the upcoming year; I am no different.

One thing I can promise you won't be on my goal list is, wait anxiously for the arrival of little Kimye. Seriously...over it. And it was only announced a few days ago.

Anyway....

My goals are:

1) Spend quality time, individually, with each of my children. Take them on "dates", and make memories. :)
2) Go on more dates with my hubby. I seriously think we only went out twice in 2012. Sad. :(
3) Accomplish 2 no spend months. We have one planned for January, and the next will probably be in July.
4) Stick to our 2013 budget, even more closely than I have in previous years.
5) Purchase at least 50% of our Christmas gifts using Amazon gift cards acquired from Swagbucks (click the icon to the right for more info and to sign up!).
6) Spend money on no more than 100 days for the entire year. Fixed expenses not included.
7) Continue to support my husband to achieve any and all goals he has personally, financially, and career-wise.
8) Keep my blog up to date, and help like-minded people by sharing some tricks I have learned over the years (primarily financially speaking).
9) Try not to cry on Jack and Ady's first day of school in the fall.
10) Take more pictures, and keep images organized on our computer.

Well, those are my goals for 2013. What are yours? Do you have financial goals? Is there anything I can do to help you achieve them?

Happy New Year and many blessings to you and your family!

He Did It!

Today, my precious little baby boy (Eli) rolled over for the first time!

Hubs and I were cleaning up the living room, and he was on his activity mat....and the next thing we knew he was on his belly.  :)

I, unfortunately, haven't caught him in action.....but I will try to this week!

Here is my sweet little guy right after he rolled to his belly for the first time!  :)

Potato Soup

Tonight we had a delicious potato soup!  It was very simple and a great way to use up extra veggies you have lost (or is this only me?) in your fridge.

First, I cut up celery, onion, carrots, potatoes, corn (I used canned, so add the liquid along with the kernels), and leftover ham from the night before.

I threw it all in the crockpot (about 2/3 that way full) with some salt/pepper to taste.  Cranked the slow cooker to high, and covered the veg with warm water.

Then, you leave it alone for 4 hrs.

About an hour before you are ready to eat, you need to start making your roux.  This is super easy...just do equal parts butter and flour.  Melt the butter, add the flour (stirring constantly with a whisk).....once thickened add milk until you get a thick gravy type consistency (add only a little milk at a time and fully combine with the butter/flour mixture).  For an entire crockpot I used:

One cup butter
One cup flour
6 cups milk (approx.)

(I started with only 1/2 cup of butter/flour + 3 cups milk....because you do not want your soup to be, well...basically a gravy, when you add it to your existing cooking liquid.  Lol.)

Add your roux to your crockpot, make sure to combine ingredients fully.  Then, put up your feet....you are almost done.  :)

In about 30 minutes, your potato soup will be ready to serve.

Look, doesn't it look delicious?

Even my picky little eaters devoured this potato soup.  I mean, you can't go wrong.

Oh, and added bonus....we have enough leftovers for 2 more meals.  Into the freezer they go.  :)

PS - Don't be afraid of salt and pepper....one of the key "ingredients" at restaurants is added salt/pepper, so add more than usual.  :) You won't regret it....well, unless you go REALLY crazy.  Let's not do that, okay?  :)

Plan for Future Repairs

So....today we had a homeowner fatality.  Our water heater is no longer working (I am dying for a hot shower).

We quickly called a local plumber, and he was down to our house in 10 minutes (can't bet small town service!).  Thankfully, most of the cost for replacing the water heater will be covered under the warrantee (we just have to pay for labor).

But, this "loss" reminded me of a spread sheet I created (I actually made it even before we purchased a house!).  This spread sheet lists the average life expectancy of different appliances/structural items within your house (follow the link for an even more detailed list of appliance/home life expectancies), as well as the average cost to replace.  Then, I broke the cost down into a yearly total, and finally a monthly total.

Most people don't even think about future costs/repairs...but, you have to be prepared so you do not find yourself turning to a credit card (or worse yet a pay day advance!).

Take the above spread sheet and incorporate this into your budget for 2013.  Using the averages (the life expectancy/replacement cost is all based on the average life/cost, your actual cost may be less or more) to help you prepare for the unexpected.

Oh, and don't worry.  You don't need to back date for "older appliances".  The likely hood of you having to replace all these items according to the life expectancy is rare.  Just start saving the monthly total, and you should be pretty well set for when items need to be replaced.

Also, you can easily customize this spread sheet to fit your specific needs.  For example, if you have your eye on a particular dishwasher....replace the average price with the cost of your "wish list" item.  The total will adjust accordingly, so you will have a better grasp on what you will really be spending when it comes time to replace your appliances.

E-mail me at jennifer.overy@gmail.com if you would like me to send you the spread sheet.  :)

Added tip! Check Craigslist or similar sites in your area to find slightly used appliances.  You will save a TON!!!!

Also, if you are not yet a home owner, please take these numbers into consideration. Your housing costs should not exceed 35% of your income. That's mortgage, insurance, property taxes, utilities, AND repairs.

Financial Success in 2013

I have been thinking a lot about our finances over the past few weeks, and feel more strongly than ever that we need to be completely debt free, including our mortgage.

Now, I know this isn't something that will happen quickly....but, we have a goal of having our 30 year mortgage paid off in 15 or less. Hopefully a lot less! :)

Anyway, while I have been strategizing ways to make this dream a reality, this question arose: How many "no spend days" can we have in one year?

I am going to challenge my family in 2013 to spend money on no more than 100 days (fixed expenses not included). Will you join me?

This includes groceries, gifts, clothing, etc. Basically, anything that isn't a bill (fixed expenses).

Trust me, you will force yourself to plan your meals, discover alternatives (for example, I was short one egg for banana bread the other day but I found an alternative online!), and in doing so.....you will spend less!

Do this exercise...bring up your bank statements for the last 3-6 months. Then calculate how many days in that time period you spent money. Once you have this number cut it by 1/3 or even 1/2....then adjust the number to apply to the entire year.

Everyone wants financial security, why not take steps to make 2013 the best year ever (financially speaking, of course). :)

Image was found via Google at this location.

So PROUD!

I am beyond proud of my wonderful husband.  He is the #1 Lead Technician in the ENTIRE company.

What an amazing accomplishment.  I couldn't be prouder of my hubby!!!  :)

Pitch Perfect

I have arrived at Wal-Mart, at mid-night, to pick up the movie "Pitch Perfect".

Can you believe I couldn't find a spot to park!?!?!  :)

Next up? A 1am movie date with my hubby!

Bath Time Cuties!

Snuggle Your Babies

Holding tight to my little love bugs tonight.  Prays for all those innocent children and their families.

The Best $50 We Have Ever Spent

Eli is starting to need to be entertained.  We are officially beyond the just sleeping and eating phase.

The swing gets old...the bouncy chair gets old.  So, when I ran to the store last night I saw this beauty....and just knew Eli would LOVE it.

And guess what?!?!

He does!  The first time he was playing with it, he sat there for over an hour.  Then he fell asleep the next time, and just now he has learned to move himself around.  No rolling yet, but he can wiggle around until his feet are where his head was originally.  :)

SO BIG!

Sleeping Beauty

And he sleeps....

Peppermint Bark

Today, we began our Christmas baking!

I started off with the very easy "Peppermint Bark".  It is rich, but delicious.

First, crunch up some candy canes or peppermints.

Then, melt some white chocolate chips.  BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVER HEAT!

Then, mix together the peppermints and melted chocolate.

Once well mixed, pour onto a sheet of wax paper.  Spread thinly across the paper.

It takes about 4-6 hours to fully harden, but once it does....just break apart and store in an air tight container.  YUM!

What are you baking this Christmas season?

(Original idea was found on Pinterest...which lead me to this link.)

How I Roll

Apparently, my son likes to show a little leg.  :)

GO BEARS!  (Hubs is at the game, so we are certainly hoping for a win!)

Sick!

Jack, Ady, and I are all sick.  BOO!  Poor Ady Girl has it the worst.  Feel better my little princess!

Let Your Opinions Be Heard

When you think of Christmas dinner, what foods come to mind?

Please help me out! I am hosting Christmas this year, and want it to be a year to remember....and I figured the best way to people's "memory" is through their stomach. :)

If you could, include recipe links. :) Thanks friends!

Side Sleeper

Usually, Eli is swaddled for his long afternoon nap and at night, but today he feel asleep without it!

He also rolled to his side right before falling asleep. So sweet!

Symphony of Lights

edited to add:  this is the post that caused me to go over on my photo storage! :)

Last night, Zach and I decided to make the drive back home to drive through the Symphony of Lights, and of course....spend time with Pa and Byga!

We left the house about 11:30, got to DeWitt around 1:30.  Then we had Chinese/Pizza Hut/McDonald's/Subway....yes, FOUR restaurants.  Uh well, anything for our babies.  :)

We hung out at my parents house for the afternoon, and then drove (with Uncle T!) to Clinton for the Symphony of Lights.

The kids fell asleep on the way, but luckily we were able to wake Jack and Ady up in order to see the lights.  :)

Here is a sneak peak....if you are in the area you should definitely stop to see all the beautiful lights.

Then, after the lights....we went to watch Pa bowl.  He said that we brought him good luck, because after we left he bowled a 277.  :)  Whether we brought the luck or if the good luck arrived because of our departure....we will never know.  :)  LOL!