Easy Chicken Stir-Fry

So the other day I made really easy, really yummy chicken stir-fry. It is easy to multiply the servings for how many people you're cooking for, and you can add more or less veggies and grain to fit your diet needs.  I made quinoa to go with it, and it was surprisingly good.  Next time I think I will cook the quinoa with a little soy sauce to give it a little more built-in flavor.

Dice up chicken breast.

 Cook the chicken for a 2 minutes in sesame oil with a little soy sauce.

Add half a cup of veggies for each chicken breast. Cook for about 6 minutes.

 Toss in your sauce of choice. Pour over a bowl of rice or quinoa and serve.

That's it! One easy, delicious, healthy meal ready to go!

Chicken Stir-Fry
1 Chicken Breast
1/2 cup stir-fry veggies
1/4 cup rice or quinoa
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sauce of choice (I used teriyaki)

Cook rice or quinoa according to package (this will take the longest).
Heat oil and soy sauce over medium heat
Cut Chicken breast into 1 inch pieces.
Cook in oil and soy sauce for 2 minutes
Add stir-fry veggies and cook 6 more minutes, stirring regularly, or until veggies are tender and chicken is cooked through.
Toss in 2 tbsp sauce
Pour over rice and enjoy!

14 Ways To Sneak In A Workout

With all my travel the past month, and getting very comfy with The Man, I've been neglecting any type of exercise.  I never realized how much running after 2 kids was keeping me in shape!  I've come up with 14 ways start working out without changing your daily routine.  Find what works for you and keep it up!

1. TV walk.  My grandma taught me all about this.  She watches her show (People's Court with Gloria Allred to be exact) and walks around her house for the entire hour.  She'll walk around the upstairs while the show is on, then go up and down the stairs during the commercials.

2. Lunch Walk.  Instead of sitting around on your lunch break, take a walk.

3. Friend Walk. Instead of meeting your friend for coffee, take your coffee to go and walk together.

4. Park farther away. Get those extra steps in!

5. Chair Abs.  So The Man taught me all about working your abs while sitting in a chair and it's so easy! While sitting in a chair, sit up straight and flex your abs. Make sure your back isn't touching the back of the chair and you're good to go.

6. Calf Raises.  Any time you're standing, put your feet about shoulder with apart, and slowly lift your heels off and on the ground.  If you feel it in your calfs you're doing it right.

7. Wall Squats.  While standing at home, go to your nearest wall and hold the squat position for as long as you can. Stand and repeat. This is great while you wait for food to be ready in the kitchen.

8. Isometric Curls. Hold your right forearm with your left hand facing up.  Push down with your arm and up with your hand.  The force will work your arms without them moving.

9. Water Bottle Reps.  Bring a water bottle with you to do most arm workouts wherever you're sitting.  Great for work or watching TV.

10. Commercial Abs.  At commercial breaks in shows get on the floor and do as many crunches or other ab workouts as you can.  Repeat at each commercial break.  If you have a DVR start after every other time you fast forward through commercials.

11. Commercial Arms. Same as Abs, but with push ups, dips, or other arm exercises.

12. Jumping Jacks. Do these any time you're standing around at home for easy cardio.

13. Stretch.  While watching TV sit and stretch.

14. Set Your Alarm.  Wake up 10 minutes earlier than you would and go for a quick run. It will wake you up and jumpstart your metabolism.

I hope these work for you, and let me know any other ideas you have!

XOXO, 

Sarah

I'm Back

So the last month has been crazy busy. I went back to California, Visited my sister and brother-in-law in Colorado, and drove out to North Carolina.  My sister had a baby girl (I will have tons of DIY baby stuff coming shortly).  Oh and the man and I got married!  Well civil ceremony, we'll be having a church deal later.

I've also come up with a lot of quick, easy, and inexpensive meal ideas that will be coming your way all this month! Plus I'm coming up with a way to actually organize when I post and what!  If you have any ideas, please share them with me.

Stay tuned for all the new stuff I have coming!

XOXO
Sarah

Egg Muffins For Under $1

So I originally found a recipe from The Yummy Life for Egg McMuffins and she has the healthy version (with calories and all). They looked magical, but honestly I don't really care about it being healthy.  The other day I made my very own version and they turned out AMAZING!  I also was able to buy all the ingredients on sale to make each sandwich cost less than $1!! You can also buy the ingredients in bulk, make a big batch once you have everything, and freeze them for easy breakfast on the go!

What you'll need:
English Muffins
Eggs
Cheese
Breakfast Meat of your choice
Large Muffin tin or Ramekin (I use the 6oz size from World Market)

Preheat over to 350.  Spray your muffin tin or ramekin with cooking spray.  Crack one egg into each and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Bake 20-30 minutes.

When they are done they should look like this:

While the eggs are baking, cook up your breakfast meat.  I used sandwich meat (ham to be exact) and just "fried" it up in a skillet. It tastes as good as canadian bacon, at a fraction of the price.

Once the eggs are done, toast up your English Muffins and assemble.

Recipe:
Eggs
English Muffins
Cheese
Breakfast Meat
Muffin tin or Ramekin

1. Heat oven to 350
2. Spray muffin tin of ramekin with cooking spray
3. Crack 1 egg into each hole, sprinkle with salt and pepper
4. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the yolk is done in the center (less if you like your egg runny)
5. While eggs are baking cook breakfast meat according to the package (you can also do this ahead of time.
6. Assemble the muffin.  Toast your English muffins if you like, the stack your egg, meat, and cheese.
7. Eat or wrap and freeze
8. Wrap each muffin in parchment paper or aluminum foil.  Place all in a plastic bag and freeze.
Reheat in the microwave for about 50 seconds if thawed, or 90 seconds on 30% power (or until thawed), then 50 seconds.
-If you wrapped your sandwiches in parchment paper they can go straight in the microwave, if you wrapped them in foil, unwrap them and rewrap in a paper towel.

I hope you enjoy!!

XOXO,

Sarah

Inbox Dollars Review

I've decided to start doing a weekly review of different websites and items that I like or don't like (if they are "all the rage") that either help you save money or make money. I hope you enjoy my first one, and give me anything you want me to review!

So I've been using this website called Inbox Dollars for about a month.  Before signing up I scoured the Internet for reviews, but found very few from anyone who actually used it. Well here is my review.  It's definitely worth checking out and seeing for yourself, just don't expect to become rich overnight.

What it is: A website that pays you for referring friends, web searches, reading emails, taking surveys, redeeming grocery coupons, shopping, watching videos, playing games, and completing offers.

What they pay:
Sign up bonus: $5
Refer Friends: You get a percentage of what your friends earn
Web searches: .005/search up to .15 a day (30 searches a day)
Emails: .01-.05 each (usually .02).  You get a few a day
Surveys: .50 each on average.
Coupons: .10 each
Shopping: depends on the store. 1%-10% back
Watching Videos: .01 each (unlimited)
Playing games: About .05 for every dollar you spend
Completing offers: Varies. Some are free some you have to pay.

Inactivity: If you don't log into the website or read the emails in 10 days, you will become inactive.  You can become active again by logging in and requesting reactivation within 6 months of becoming inactive.

How do I get paid? Once you have $30 you can cash out with a $3 processing fee.

Fine Print: Only one person per household (mailing address) can have an account and be paid out.  If you and your partner/roommate/child both want to join, you need to use 2 different addresses.  They still let you sign up with the same one, but will not pay out until there is only 1 user with that address.

My thought:
-Great site for me.  I spend a little time every morning doing a survey, some web searches, and I watch a couple videos.  I print a bunch of grocery coupons from them (they are good ones you can really use) although those take some time to process.  At night while watching TV I do the rest of my searches, try for another survey (if I haven't done one yet).
-Not something to make any serious money on.
-Easily make $1/day just by searching, taking 1 survey, and watching videos.
-Make .20 just by reading emails and doing some searches.

Overall: Great website for anyone with free time.  Hop on while at work or at home and do a few searches or a survey with your free time.  The little bit you make does add up over time.  If you have time and want a little spare money Inbox Dollars is the way to go.

I hope this helps!

XOXO,
Sarah

22 Ways Save Money On Your Wedding

So with my wedding coming in 9 months, I've been compiling ways to save some serious money.  Luckily I have a ton of friends who've given me ideas (and an amazing sister who already paved the way!) and I've come up with a ton of ways to start saving money.  Please give me any ways that worked for you!! I am still working on my own wedding!

1.  Make a budget.  Now take out 20%.  Work with this new budget to help cover any extra costs that may come up.  Many vendors may give you a deal if you come in with a lower ceiling for what you're willing to spend.

2. Hire college students.  Photographer, make-up artists, chefs, DJs, and so many more can be found at your local college at a fraction of the price.  See if you can post an add on campus or through the website or contact the program directly.  These people are going to school for this, and they should work extra hard just for the experience (many can use your wedding as their final project for school).  Make sure you see their portfolio and have a preview of what they will do for you, as you would any other vendor.

3.  NEVER say you're booking for a wedding.  Most vendors jack up the prices for weddings and add in extra costs.  Get your quote first for the date and time, then later tell them it is a wedding.

4. When getting a dress, set your budget at least $500 lower than you want to spend.  You will most likely have alterations, a veil, shoes, etc to make the whole outfit complete.

5.  Check the cheaper bridal stores.  If you find a dress you love, go check David's Bridal or other stores.  Bring them pictures of the dress and see what they have that matches it.  You may find one you love even more. I did for 40% cheaper!

6. DIY.  Try and make sure you can do your centerpieces, decorations, favors, or anything else you may want all by yourself.  You can save some serious money, and have exactly what you want, if you put some effort in.

7.  Get married in your church or friend's large yard.  Both places shouldn't cost you a penny to be at for your ceremony.

8.  Get a good reception site.  If your church has a great hall, or your friend has an amazing house, see if you can use that.  You will also have more time to set up and take down the decorations if you are not in a wedding venue that has multiple people using it a week.

9.  Don't get married Saturday or Sunday.  These are way more expensive than if you were to do a Friday night ceremony.   If you do a mid-week ceremony you are also more likely to have less guests attend (all the really important people will be there for you regardless of what day you have it).

10. BBQ for your rehearsal dinner.  You have to take the wedding party and immediate family out for a rehearsal dinner.  Why not fire up your grill and make a party out of it at your house?

11.  Afternoon wedding.  Serving a meal is much more expensive than appetizers and cake.  If you wedding takes place in the morning or any time after 4, you will be expected to have food.  Think of the timing you would want to eat at when planning.  You also won't have people getting sloppy drunk in the middle of the day.

12. Have signature drinks only.  If you have an open bar, you are opening yourself for a big tab.  Pick 2 or 3 signature drinks (his, hers, theirs) to have available to your guests to drink along with beer and wine.  They won't feel cheated by not having an open bar, and you will only have to pay for specific alcohol.  Plus my friends had their drinks AND an open bar, and very few people got a non-signature drink.

13. Compare buying to renting.  I have heard that the majority of the time, it is much more cost effective to buy and then sell your tables, chairs, glasses, etc than renting.  Check craigslist and ebay for slightly used items as well and then sell them when you're done.

14. Give good, cheap favors.  Candy bars are all the rage, and they can double as part of your dessert (plus they're just fun).  Make your own jam, or other homemade good to send home with people as well.  Hit the dollar store or Oriental Trading to get some fun, cheap gifts (sunglasses, water bottles, anything that fits your theme).

15. Have something other to do than drink.  While you're off taking pictures, your guests will be waiting for you to come back.  This is normally the time they start hitting the bar and eating appetizers.  If your reception is at a venue with an open area, set out some yard games, maybe a snack bar with popcorn, candy, chips and drinks (water, lemonade, beer, wine).  If people are active doing something besides waiting, they will be much less likely to eat and drink.

16.  Easy on the photographer.  Make sure you aren't roped into any big photography packages from the start.  You never know how many photos you will want or NOT want from the photographer.  Also see if you can work a deal to get a digital copy of all the pictures so you can print what you want, when you want.  Make sure they leave once you cut the cake and throw the bouquet  you really don't need them taking pictures of everyone dancing until the end. Also you should...

17.  ...Give your guests a mission.  With everyone having smart phone, set up a picture scavenger hunt for your guests.  We're handing out different tasks for people with the program (get a picture of the kiss, X walking down the isle, when the bride sees the groom, when the groom sees the bride, etc) and another list or two at each table for the reception. I have a great link here from It's a Bride's Life giving tons of ideas.  Give your guests a drop box account or email address to send the pictures to.  Make sure you have plenty of overlap with the lists.

18. Get fake flowers.  Not only can you get the EXACT color you're looking for, the flowers will last forever.  They also are much cheaper than getting real flowers from a florist.  If you don't want fake flowers, get local flowers that are in season.  Bring swatches of your colors to your florist and let them get you the best flowers to match.

19.  Don't have servers for appetizers.  Lay everything out on a table and let guests help themselves.  Have your caterer (or server you hired) on the side to refill anything that goes empty.  Most caterers have the refill included in their cost.

20.  Don't give too many choices.  Having 2 or 3 crowd pleasing appetizers, along with cheese and crackers will go a long way and won't break the bank.  You can pick up bulk cheese and crackers at Costco for less than $1 a guest.

21. Cut out some guests.  Everyone has people they HAVE to invite, and then there is the slippery slope of people that you have to invite because you invited someone else.  Stick to family, close friends, and close coworkers and you'll be set.  If there is someone that causes an avalanche of invites, don't invite them.

22. Ask for help.  Everyone knows somebody who can help you and you'll never know unless you ask.  While talking to people just say you're looking for say someone to do hair and makeup.  Chances are someone will have a sister, cousin, neighbor, etc who does and they could get you a deal.

I hope these help you save some money!

XOXO,
Sarah

Staying Hydrated

With summer here, staying hydrated is more important than ever.  Dehydration can come on without you having a clue until it gets to be too late.  I saw this when my cousin who just felt tired fainted due to dehydration.  Water is one of the easiest liquids to consume, and is great for your body with 17 health benefits including weight loss and healthy skin.  You should be drinking about 64 ounces a day, more if you're active or are out in the heat. This is NOT something you can drink all in one sitting. First I'll give you ways to get the water down (I was a camp counselor and nanny, so I know many), then I'll get you suggestions to make the water more drinkable.  Give me your suggestions!

GET IT DOWN
- Drink 3, 8 ounce glasses of water at each meal.  Do them all before you eat, 1 before, 1 during, and 1 after, or make your own schedule of when you're drinking.
- Drink 1 glass of water before snacks (it helps to fill you up).
- Have a glass ready to go when you wake up.  Jump start your day (and your metabolism) with a nice big glass of water as soon as your alarm goes off.
- Make it a routine.  Once you get in the swing of drinking water, it will just come naturally.
- Bribery.  Yes bribery is not just for kids, it's for you too.  Give yourself a goal (32 ounces and you get a soda or beer with lunch) and stick to it.
- Get a reusable water bottle or cup.  Especially one with a straw.  You never know how much water you can drink until it's right next to you and you keep sipping it all day.  I've gone through a .75L (about 25 ounce) water bottle in 30 minutes, just by going 1 sip at a time.
- Always keep your bottle or cup with you and keep filling it.
- Mark your water bottle.  Water bottles are great, they can be reused and help you gage how much water you're drinking.  I saw this great idea here where she marked her water bottles with how much she should be drinking an hour.
- Make it a competition.  Get some coworkers or roommates together and see who can drink more water in a day.  Put some money down and it will get you drinking faster.
- Make a bet with yourself.  Every day you drink your 64 ounces, put some money away.  Use that to buy yourself a treat.  $1/day can really add up AND you're being healthy.
- Remember, water is free at restaurants.  Most nonalcoholic drinks are now around $3.  If you go out to lunch every day that's $15/week and $780/year!
- While you're at lunch, see if they can leave a pitcher of water at your table (and a bowl of lemons).  Trust me, you'll drink more when it's there and you won't have to wait on your waiter to bring you more water.

DRINK IT
- Try infusing your water with fruit.  I've been doing this for years and it's amazing!  You can buy fruit infusers from the store or just get a pitcher, add your favorite fruits, and let it sit overnight.  Google or search Pinterest for a recipe that inspires you.  I personally just toss a bunch of fruit in (make sure you cut up your fruit first).
- Always have a lemon, lime, and/or orange on hand at work.  Slice it up and stick it in your water when you finish what you have.
- Make sure your water is cold.  Cold water just tastes better for some reason.
- Remember that PURE water (this includes fruit) helps keep your skin looking healthy, along with all the other health benefits.
- You're saving money.  Again when you're thinking about soda, think about what you could do with $780.

SNEAK IT
Most of the things you're drinking already have water in them.  Milk, juice, sports drinks, coffee, and tea all are mostly water.  Why shouldn't you be drinking those for all your water needs?  Well milk, juice, and sports drinks contain a lot of sugar; coffee and most teas contain caffeine which actually dehydrates you (so you're at a wash).  You can count a couple glasses of these towards your water intake if you need to, but why not just make them extra for your day?

How to Rent a Room

So we have this amazing house, but only the two of us living in it.  What are we doing with the extra space?  Renting out a couple rooms to help pay the rent.  This is great if you have extra space you don't use, or if you have kids that have left the nest.  Luckily my amazing man has rented out rooms in his previous houses so he knows all the ins and outs (let me tell you I learned a lot).

Here is your basic guide to rent out a room.

BEFORE DECIDING TO RENT
There are a few basic questions you need to address before deciding to rent out your room:
1. Ask if you would want to rent out the room yourself.  The best rooms are easy to get to in a house and your tenant won't have to go through to much of your area to get there.  Your far back room past everything else is not a good fit.

2.  Ask if you really want someone else in your house.  By having a tenant, your secluded home is no longer going to be there.  You will have someone in your kitchen, laundry room, and with full access to the entire house.  If you have young children I definitely don't recommend renting to a stranger (background checks don't catch everything.

3.  Make sure there are no major repairs that need to be done.  See how much it would be to fix anything wrong in the room (a fan, blinds, paint, etc).  If you have a crappy room, you will get a crappy tenant.

4.  Look up landlord/tenant law.  There are a ton of things you as a landlord are required by law to do, and trust me you could be sued if you don't follow the guidelines.

5. What will you charge.  Figure out what you will charge for rent each month.  Look at similar houses in the area to get an idea.  Furnished rooms run higher than unfurnished, same with having a private bath.

6.  Start thinking of the rules you want for your tenant.  Again look at the tenant rights.  You cannot give someone a curfew, but you can have quiet hours in your house (when you go to bed).  Remember, you have to follow these rules too.

7. Download your forms.  There are many forms you can and should use when getting a tenant.  Renter agreement, deposit, move in/out condition, etc.  There are many places online that have these.  Try ezlandlordforms.com for everything you need (and they're free).

READY TO GO?
Now that you've decided to rent, there are more steps to take.
1. Clean the common areas and make space.  Making sure your house is clean from the beginning will set a good precedent, and you are more likely to get a clean tenant.  You also have to make space in the kitchen for another person's groceries.  Our storage in the kitchen is divided by 4 (how many people will use it).  You may find someone who doesn't want to use the kitchen and that's even better for you.  Also make sure your place settings are easily available (yes this person will be using your plates, cups, silverware, pots, pans, etc).

2. If you haven't cleaned the room to rent while looking for repairs, clean it.  You could have someone coming to look at the house the day you put up the ad (Not joking, we did and we were not fully ready).

3.  Take pictures.  Think of what you want to look at when buying a house.  Take pictures of your best features.  Be sure to include: the room, bathroom, common space.  You can also add: yard, front of the house, kitchen, utility room, any other common area they can use.

4.  Write up a lease agreement.  How long will they be staying, how much for rent, how will utilities be divided, where can they park, can they have guests.  Get all your forms (#7 above) together and start writing!  Anything you want to have cleared up before someone moves in.  Remember your ideas from #6 above and implement them.

PLACE YOUR AD!
Go to craigslist and place your ad.  Be sure to include pictures and any information you think may be relevant.  Look at other ads to use as a guideline.
DEFINITELY INCLUDE:
-Rent
-Deposit Fee
-Utilities
-How long you want them
-If you have pets/if pets are OK
-Move-in date
-Major cross streets
-If there is a college or major office area nearby

Once you place your ad, you will start getting responses.  You can either show your house on a one on one basis (what we did) or pick a time and date for everyone to come look at it at once.  You don't have to settle for the first person interested either.  Be sure to tell them before they come what the situation is, and to bring proof of employment (last pay stub, or a letter from employer if they just moved) if they are interested in moving in ASAP.

That's about it. Please be safe, and good luck renting!

XOXO,

Sarah

20 Cheap Dates

So now that we are saving money, I decided to come up with a list of cheap (or free) dates we can do.  I looked at other people's ideas of cheap dates, and most of them involve driving around the city.  I don't think they took into account the price of gas. Lucky for you I have, and hopefully you can use these. I've also figured out the approximate cost of each (yeah we now have a date budget, so the more money we save on these, the bigger splurges we can take out). Give me your ideas of great date ideas!

1.  Movie Night.  Rent a movie on Netflix or through Redbox.  Make popcorn, have a soda, buy some candy.  Turn up the sound and enjoy your movie.  Total Cost: $5 (more if you buy a lot of candy).

2. Take a Hike (or walk).  Search hiking trails or go to your local park and have an afternoon out in the fresh air.  Bonus points going to a point of interest. Total Cost: gas to location.

3. Picnic.  Either in your backyard or your local park (even combine it with your hike) lay out a blanket and enjoy each others company.  Be sure to leave your phones inside.  Total Cost: $10 (depending on what you want to bring to eat).

4. Game night.  Pull out some board games (buy one from goodwill or borrow one from a friend if you don't have one) grab a beer or glass of wine and prepare to duel.  Total Cost: $5

5. Massage Night.  Learn how to give a massage from Youtube (there are a ton of videos), light a candle and take turns giving a massage.  Split this to two nights if you each want a night of relaxing.  One bottle of massage oil should last at least 4 massages each. Total Cost: $2.50.

6. Make dinner together.  Pick any meal that you can both work together to make and get to it. Try a new recipe from online if you feel extra adventurous.  Total Cost: cost of dinner.

7. DIY project.  What do you have in your house that needs to be fixed?  Find something and work together to fix it. Total Cost: Project.

8. Play 20 questions.  Think outside the box and ask questions you wouldn't normally ask about each others days. Total Cost: $0.

9. Bonfire.  Turn on your charcoal grill or fireplace, roast hot dogs and marshmallows and enjoy an evening in. Total Cost: $5.

10. Costco Sample Party.  We love Costco (or Sams Club if you're a member of that) because they have a ton of samples all the time.  Before you shop, try every sample and see what your favorites are, then do your shopping. Cost: $0 (since you're already there for shopping anyway).

11. Bar at Home.  Try making a new drink (or a few) at home.  There are tons of websites with different drink ideas.  Many of them let you put what alcohol or mixers you have at home.  Total Cost: $5.

12. Clean your Closet.  OK hear me out on this one.  While cleaning your closet is no fun, turn on some fun music and go through everything.  Try stuff on, take it back off, and start piling what you want to get rid of.  You can even make some money from this.  Total Cost: Free

13. Ebay party.  After you clean your closet, list your items on Ebay. Check other ridiculous stuff that people are selling. Total Cost: You're making money here!

14. Wine and Cheese.  Crack open a bottle of wine, get some cheese, salami, and crackers, and relax on the couch or in bed.  You can get very good wines for under $10 at all sorts of beverage retailers (I prefer World Market or Costco) and artisan cheese and salami that can last you 2-4 wine nights. Total Cost: $15.

15. Dive Bar.  Go to your local bar (find one with pool and/or darts), grab a drink and play a game.  Check their website for special deals and promotions.  Total Cost: $10.

16. Volunteer. Through church, soup kitchen, or anything else you enjoy.  Helping others can be fun and fulfilling.  Total Cost: Gas.

17.  Start a garden.  Not only will this help you save money, it can be a fun outdoor activity for both of you. Pick up some veggies you both like and get planting.  Total Cost: $2/ pack of seeds (it all depends on how much you want to plant).

18.  Draw pictures of each other.  No matter how poorly you draw (my stick figures are amazing) you will have fun.  Total Cost: Free

19.  Get a book on tape.  Go to the library or library website and download a book on tape.  Play it while you do other activities or snuggle in bed so you can both enjoy.  Total Cost: Free.

20.  Free in your city.  Search for what's free in your city (Google is amazing) and mark it on your calendar.  Cost: Gas.

Enjoy these dates!  I'll be posting more soon!

XOXO,
Sarah

Chicken Tacos From Heaven

So I found this recipe when I was a nanny for the kids, and it's so easy!  It also gets so many compliments any time I make it.  I have no idea where I actually found it, but if anyone knows, please let me know so I can give credit!  I promise you this will be the best chicken tacos you will ever make, and it takes you maybe 2 minutes to put everything together.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
3 lbs chicken breast
16 oz jar of salsa
1 packet taco seasoning.

Put chicken in slow cooker.  Cover with salsa and taco seasoning.  Cook on low 6-8 hours, high 4-6 hours.  The chicken will fall apart.

Put on a tortilla and top with your favorite taco fixings.

That is it.

This recipe is also very forgiving.  When it's only 2 of us I just toss 3 chicken breasts in, cover with salsa, and add a sprinkling of taco seasoning.  I don't think I've measured the exact recipe in over a year and it always turns out amazing.

XOXO

Sarah

Tasting Party

So the other night I had three of my cousins over to the new house.  What started as a little BBQ quickly turned into an amazing tasting party event!  The man and I bought a new pack of 4 BBQ rubs and we wanted to try them all out, so we made a chicken breast with each rub.

You will need:
Multiple rubs or marinades
Meat to infuse with said rubs or marinades
A fork for each person
Labels for each meat (or guess which is which)

Cook up the meat.
Place on a plate (or a different plate for each)
Start cutting pieces off for each person

We did one bite of each chicken per person, then we all went back and had our favorites.  We didn't remember which chicken had which rub, so it was really fun trying to figure out which was which (there was comparisons of colors what seasoning was in each rub).

Next time we will probably do a rub and beer (or wine, or mixed drink) where we ask our friends to bring the alcohol they would like to share with everyone.

You can also have a tasting party with anything you want (appetizers, sides, desserts, etc).  We may even have a battle of the best where everyone brings a dish and the recipe.  Incorporate that with a pool party, BBQ, or game night and you'll have a night at your house to remember!  As you can see, even my dog wanted to get in on the night!

XOXO Sarah

36 Real Ways To Save Your Pennies

From those of you who know me, I have never really been one to budget my money well.  I paid my bills, saved a little, and spent the rest.  I had a steady job with low expenses, and an enjoyment of going out to eat and designer jeans and heals.

That is all over.  I don't have a job.  We have 2 car payments, rent, and a wedding to pay for (among our other expenses).  Thankfully we do have a little cushion until I get a job, but I am mildly determined to never tough it.  Through a little trial and error I have found some ways to save money, and hopefully make a little extra on the side.  Give me your ideas too!

There are lots of little things you can do that really add up.  Like hundreds of dollars a month.  All of these are easy to do and start implementing 1 a day will really make the savings start to add up.

Save it up:
FOOD
-Coupons! OK so I'm a fan of clipping coupons. I probably use maybe 10% of the coupons I clip, but that's because I get anything that I may possibly need.
-Check what's on sale and stock up.  You can view all the store ads online.
-Never buy something just because you have a coupon or it's on sale, but if you find it is a good deal go for it.
-Buy store brands.  Most are just as good and cost less.  Every store I shop at also lets you return their brand if you are unsatisfied.
-Stick to your list. You may find some great deal you missed, but other than that keep to what you have planned.
-Plan your meals.  No need to have a whole month or the exact day you'll eat what.  Buy for a week or two and eat the food before it spoils.
-Have leftovers.  Cook enough to have at least an extra lunch out of it.  Even have a leftover night once a week to get through them.
-Buy bulk.  Meats, bread, cheese, and milk are among some of the foods that freeze very well.
-Manager special.  Stores mark down meat and veggies (the pre prepared bagged kind) that are getting close to expiring.  Go shopping after 7 when the new markdowns are and plan a meal or two around what you can find on sale.
-Freezer cooking.  Prepare meals in bulk and freeze them until you're ready for them.  You can use any meal that you put together and bake.  You can also bag slow cooker meals and thaw overnight before putting in the slow cooker.
-Stop buying bottled water or cans of soda.  Invest in a water filter pitcher and 2 liter bottles of soda.  If you can live without soda cut it out entirely.
-Garden.  Pick a few of your favorite herbs and veggies and start a garden.  It also gives you an activity to do.
-Eat out sparingly.  When you do use a coupon or deal site (like Groupon) to save more.
-Birthday Rewards.  Almost any restaurant has a birthday program that you can redeem the entire month of your birthday.  Sign up anywhere you eat (or want to eat) and see what you get for free.

HOME
-Turn your lights out.  If you don't need a light turn it out. Not only are you being eco friendly (I'm glad it's really trendy now), you're also cutting down on your electricity cost.
-Watch your temperature.  Try raising the AC a few degrees this summer.
-Use Mother Nature.  If it's breezy or colder at night open your windows to cool your house.  Close everything up in the morning or when the breeze dies to keep the cool inside.
-Turn off the TV.  Play a board game instead or go for a walk or swim.  Head to Goodwill and get a used game or two to mix things up.
-Don't dry clothes/dishes.  Skip the drying mode and open up your dishwasher to let your dishes finish drying.  Put up a clothesline and let your clothes air dry.  Use that summer heat to help save some energy and money.
-Get the best rate.  See if your energy and cable are giving you the best rate.  If not, try for a better deal or change services.
-Make your own cleaners.  They are more natural and a fraction of the cost.  I'll have links up soon for the ones I try.
-Fill your freezer.  The more stuff you have in there, the less work your freezer has to do to keep everything cool.  Bag ice and fill the empty spots until you have food to go in there.

ACTIVITES
-Groupons. Again they have great deals on tons of activities.
-Take a hike (or walk).
-Check out a book.  Libraries are amazing! Find a new book or series to start.
-Dollar theaters.  Go see a movie for cheap.
-First Showing.  AMC and other theaters offer their first movie showing of the day for around $6.
-Sports.  Check out your local high school for sports games.  If you have a minor league team in your area check them out as well.
-Game night.  Spread out some games, invite friends over (have they bring the food) and have a fun night.  You can also have them bring their favorite game for more diversity.
-Movie night.  Get a movie from Netflix or Redbox, make some popcorn, grab some candy, and relax at home.
-Search for free events in your area.
-Have a DIY (or pinterest) day.  Invite some friends over and get crafty and creative with things you can actually use.  Each person is in charge of bringing one activity.  Set a theme (household cleaner, baking mixes, etc).

OTHER
-Plan ahead.  See what errands you have to do and where you need to go each week.  Plan your route and time to make the most out of both.
-Stop impulses.  Some items seem amazing, and then you get them home and never use them.  If you don't know if you'll use it enough, don't buy it.
-Return!  Don't be too proud to return items.
-Use credit cards.  Find a card with rewards you want.  Make sure you pay it off every month!

Make some money:
-Surveys.  There are many survey sites that pay you for taking surveys.  I have a ton of free time now, so I'm only starting to explore this amazing concept.  I love inbox dollars because you get paid to click through emails they send you and search the web.  Try it out here, plus you get a $5 sign up bonus.
-Ebates.  Sign up here and I promise you won't regret it!  You get cash back for shopping at tons of stores that you probably already shop at.  You're also saving money on gas since you don't need to go to the store to buy your items.
-Sell your stuff.  After moving and looking back through my closet, I have found a lot of stuff I don't really need.  Take it to a consignment store or sell it yourself on ebay.  I'll probably have a post soon on my closet reorganization (thanks to Pinterest I have tons of ideas).
-Get Crafty.  I do all sorts of crafts (crochet, sew, make cards, etc).  With my free time I'm hoping to get some stuff together and create an etsy site to sell it on.  Etsy is this amazing website where anyone can sign up and buy and sell homemade goods.  By buying on there you are helping out small artisans (many have an amazing price).  Find something you're good at and start selling it.

Moving Tips

Now that I'm all moved in, I have a long list of things I wish I did, and some I actually did do, for this move.  I'm definitely going to look back here once it's time to move again.  Let me know if you have any other moving tips!

1.  Start packing early.  Like over a month before you move early.  My stuff multiplied while I was packing, and I couldn't believe I had so much stuff!  I ended up shoving a lot of it into boxes to deal with at this house and now I'm kicking myself.  I did start with some cold weather clothes and a few craft boxes a month before, and that seriously make it so much easier!

2. Sort before you move.  If you start packing early, you'll have the ability to sort through all your stuff before you move.  You'll also have plenty of time to itemize it and donate it.  Again I had some stuff, but I'm going through more now that I'm all moved in.

3.  Have everything packed and ready before getting the van.  The man and I were still packing and running around while we had our truck, and it really was stressful.  I was able to have the majority of my stuff packed when we brought the truck to my house, and twice the boxes loaded in half the time.  Also make sure you can lift everything yourself if you plan to move.  We had to get help at his house for a couple things we thought I could manage, but then once it got to the stairs I was useless.

4.  Pack heavy things in suitcases.  I did this and it was magical!  I had a ton of books in one of my suitcases and just rolled it into the truck.  We had a box with half as many books and I couldn't even lift it.  I had another one filled with candles, decorations, frames, etc.

5.  Pack food to eat.  The last thing you want to do when getting into a new house (especially after driving half way across the country) is go to the grocery store.  We had to and we both were so cranky and hungry at the point of breakfast it was not fun.  Dry cereal, spaghetti o's, easy mac, chips, bread, peanut butter, and instant coffee are my big suggestions. Anything you can eat as is, or pop in the microwave with water are great (make sure you have a microwave available if you're doing that).

6.  Create Box #1.  This had a few shirts, pants, underwear, sheets, and towels, really everything you need for a couple days without unpacking any boxes.  We had our toiletries out since we stayed at a hotel, but you may need those too if you're not stopping. It's just one less thing to worry about when you're in your new home.

7.  Map out your neighborhood.  Luckily the man already lived out in this area so he knew where everything was.  I, on the other hand, have found that I need to go different places, and miss some since I didn't realize there were two stores close together.  

8.  Unpack everything before going shopping.  Besides groceries, wait to go shopping until you know everything that you will need.  We keep finding things as we unpack that we thought we had, or we didn't think we had and now we've found it.  It will also save some trips to the store until you know everything you need and can map out what you want (plus it should save some money since you can shop around for the best prices).

9.  Wrap your fragile items in towels.  I used paper towels for the kitchen stuff, and then I had an amazing towel pile for cleaning and use until we could make it to the store for more.  I wrapped pretty much everything else in bath towels.  It was really nice to not have a giant pile of newspaper to recycle and everything was ready to go.

10.  Label your boxes.  This may seem obvious, but we ended up with boxes that we had no idea what they were.  Label the room they belong in on all sides.  If you're feeling extra organized, make a list of the stuff inside the boxes so you know what is in each, and what is important or not.

11.  Create a moving budget cushion.  Moving is expensive, allowing a cushion of money for the initial expenses would have been very helpful for our budget planning.  It never hurts to have more money available that you think.

12. Allow extra time.  Seriously.  You may think you only need so many hours or days to pack, but allow at least a few extra hours or an extra day.  It's much better to be sitting around fully packed then racing around last minute to get everything.

Here We Are!

So now that the man and I are almost settled into our home, I wanted to send out an update and start a blog for all my friends and family (and maybe new internet friends) to follow up on us!  We made it out in 2 days with the man being amazing at driving a truck with my baby Emmy (the Elantra) on a dolly in the back.  Why yes our cars have names.  The doggies love our big back yard, and we love our big house that is way too empty.  I'm sure we'll be figuring out all sorts of tips for filling an empty house on a budget in the future.

We worked out an amazingly possible budget to help us save for buying a house in a year and I found a ton of moving tips that I'll end up sharing with you later.  There's a whole list we made to help us save money and hopefully make our lives easier once we're both working like crazy.  Yes I don't have a job yet, so I get to experiment a lot in the upcoming weeks with ways to save money. Hopefully I'll get stuff that I can do once I'm working and can keep the savings coming (possibly starting some crafty Etsy shop or something to make extra money).

It's also time to get crazy on wedding planning and figuring out how to save as much money as possible.  While my wedding pins (if you don't know what pinterest is, you better get an invite from someone and get addicted) are awesome, we're finding some may not be as attainable as we originally thought.

If you have any ideas or recipes you want me to try out, let me know!!

XOXO

Sarah