Birthday Bedding Set

I celebrated my 30th birthday just over a week ago, and was lucky enough to get a bit of cash and some gift cards as well. I got $50 from my mom, which I used to buy a gorgeous bedding set that came with 2 shams, 3 decorative pillows, a dust ruffle, and a comforter. My Grandma gave me $20, so with that I got a queen sized sheet set. The silver in it looks like it was part of the bedding set even though they weren't the same brand. They look great together, and it feels like our room decor is really coming together.


With the rest of my money and gift cards, there are a few more household items I would like to get that we wouldn't ordinarily have money for: decorative shelves and frames for the kids' rooms, new bathroom cup/toothbrush holder/etc, coconut oil for making lotions and other body products, and a new belt for myself, since my current one has just about bit the dust.

Our budget is going well. February will be our first full month using the cash envelope system. We're also coming up a bit ahead from what I estimated our natural gas bill would be. January's bill was $81 instead of $90, although electricity was $63 instead of $60. But we're still coming out slightly ahead overall. We ordered a free water conservation kit from the Portland Water Bureau. It turns out that any customer of the water bureau can order this kit. So far, we have installed the water saver shower head, kitchen sink faucet head, and the 5-minute shower timer. We're also going to use a bag they sent that you can fill with water and attach to the inside of the toilet tank, which cuts down on how much water the toilet uses with each flush. These things should not only help lower our water bill and help the environment, but the faucet heads will also help with the gas bill since our water heater runs on gas. I've also started rinsing dishes in cold water instead of hot because our dishwasher seems to clean the dishes really well so far. Next on the list is to invest in some compact florescent light bulbs in our high-use areas. I can't wait to see those pennies and dollars start falling off the bills!

On the home front with the kids, life is busy! William is Mr. Fussy Pants lately. He cries a lot unless he is nursing or being held (mostly the nursing). I have a feeling he might be teething, but it's hard to tell. His fussiness makes getting even small things done around the house a huge challenge. As organized and clean as I like to keep my house, it's hard to sit there with a fussy baby, but I am trying to soak in all the cuddles I can while he still likes them. It's so sweet when he nestles his little head into my shoulder. I can't believe he's almost 6 months already.

Charlotte just turned two in January, and she seems to be interested in potty training. She's gone a couple of times, but mostly she just likes to run around nakie and sit on her potty a lot. Today she wore panties for a while, but promptly peed in them and came to tell me it was messy. But we're on the way, which I am thrilled about.

Dorothy is really seeming to need some structure, so I am going to be looking at preschool curriculum. I have a feeling she is going to love it.







Tuesday's Tasties
B: The girls each had 3 of the mini cups of yogurt with some cheerios. I had a toasted blueberry bagel with peanut butter and honey. We all had milk to drink.
morning snack was some more chips and guac, which both girls loved. I also sent hubs to work with some guac and a bag of chips to share.
L: Spanish rice from last night, topped with sour cream. The girls and I shared the strawberries (about 1/2 lb ended up being really good).
D: I am going to bake the breaded chicken breasts. On the side we'll have the bagged salad mix and mashed potatoes and gravy. I may also saute a few brussel sprouts that I picked up at Gleaner's last week. They're really good with olive oil, garlic, and salt. But then, so are most things!