October 6, 2016

Retirement, what? Better start planning honey....

future self {heart}
A few months ago the husband said the statement to me, "we're closer to 50 than we are to 20". No, this can't be true....I love Hello Kitty and unicorns like I'm six, but, I did the math and it's true. 

As much as I love planning for the month or the year or the five year goal. I never really thought about my life as an cute old lady that calls everyone honey, other than how much gold chains and neck tattoos I want after 80. So here it goes, I know social security income will be something in the history books, I'm not a government employee or teacher, I don't work for some big corporation with company retirement plans, so nobody but me will be putting money aside for that wonderful life of retirement. {I'm not complaining, I love my employment situation, just realizing my responsibility to my future self.} 


All that to say, if you're thinking the same thing.....I found a good article that explains a Roth vs Traditional IRA, by NerdWallet


Welcome to adult life!

xoxojolleen
{you are beautiful and wonderfully made}


October 1, 2016

October Meal Plan || Hello Fall!

little piggy and cabbage 

Fall is here! I was traveling for a week and a half, when I returned fall had hit. The weather is crisp, leaves are turning, and my mums are blooming! I like summer because of my garden and the excitement of watching things grow, but I'm always ready for fall when it comes...ready for soups, lots of baking, and delicious fluffy adding foods.

flowering moss balls 

OCTOBER

1: Monthly Costco trip - eat there  
2: BBQ meatballs  
3: Veggie rice bowls 
4: Slow-cooker honey sriracha barbecue chicken sandwiches, green salad 
5: Grilled cheese, raw carrots, sliced apples 
6: Leftover clear out 
7: Date night 
8: Saturday 
9: Pork loin with spicy honey glaze, green salad, rice 
10: Mac and cheese, raw broccoli, berries
11: Sesame chicken, rice, raw carrots 
12: Tacos with leftover spicy honey pork loin, sliced cucumber 
13: Leftover clear out 
14: House guest  
15: House guest   
16: House guest  
17: House guest  
18: Chicken BBQ pineapple quesadillas {using frozen leftover rotisserie chicken}, green salad
19: Soup, homemade biscuits, green salad 
20: Leftover clear out 
21: Date night 
22: Saturday 
23: Grilled burgers, baked beans, raw carrots 
24: Cereal, bacon 
25: Black bean taco soup {homemade from freezer}, green salad 
26: BLT {use leftover bacon}, fruit 
27: Leftover clear out 
28: Date night 
29: Saturday 
30: Homemade chili, corn bread muffins, green salad 
31: Leftover chili and corn bread, sliced cucumber 

  • SIDES - I typically cut up fresh fruit and/or raw veggies each night. 
  • Leftover clear out, anything that is a leftover is pulled out of the fridge and you make your own creation. 
  • Saturdays I leave open, then if anything gets switched up during the week whatever I had planned for that night we can have on Saturday. 
  • As with any meal plan it's always subject to change, but planning the month out doesn't take me much longer than planning a week out AND it cuts my grocery shopping down by more than half! I'll get all non-perishable staples for the whole month the first week, then do a quick fresh items trip the remaining weeks. 
  • Staples {not listed above} on my weekly/monthly list are {as needed}: Milk, eggs, peanut butter, jelly, sandwich bread, carrots, broccoli, apples, fresh spinach, bananas, yogurt, seasonal fruit, seasonal vegetable, coffee, cheddar cheese block, oatmeal, cereal, tortillas, tortilla chips, ramen, and peanuts. These items we pretty much always have in house, so for example, if there isn't something leftover on a leftover night we can make something using items from this list. Or if we really don't have something for the Saturday night, then we make something from this list.  
  • Monthly grocery budget: $300 + $20 each Friday for Date Night.

Happy meal planning! 
If you have a recipe favorite, please post in the comment section. 

xoxojolleen
{you are beautiful and wonderfully made} 

February 21, 2016

Monthly Meal Plan || Feb end & March



~ Aloha ~

Here is my meal plan for the remainder of February and all of March. Making some of our favorites and trying a couple new recipes.

Feb end & March's meal plan

FEB
21: Frozen cheese pizza with fresh sliced tomatoes and herbs  
22: Kung Pao Peanut Noodles
23: Caribbean Chicken Tacos  
24: Mac & Cheese
25: Leftovers 
26: Date Night
27: Saturday
28: Pan-seared pork chops, mash potatoes, green salad 
29: Scramble 

MARCH
1: Costco trip 
2: Grilled cheese and pasta salad 
3: Slow-cooker honey sriracha Barbecue chicken sandwiches on Hawaiian sweet rolls  
Note: Make salsa. Whenever I have cilantro (used for above sandwiches), I'll make salsa with the leftover cilantro

4: Date Night
5: Saturday
6: Shredded beef sandwiches (serve on leftover HI sweet rolls) diced garlic potatoes 
7: Veggie rice bowls 
8: Crockpot chicken tacos (use salsa, made above, for this recipe) 
9: Big green salad with lots of fresh veggies
10: Leftovers  
11: Date Night
12: Saturday
13: Jalapeno popper pretzel dogs and green salad  
14: Pot Stickers and rice (make extra rice) 
15: Sesame chicken and rice (use leftover rice)
16: Kielbasa and green salad 
17: Leftovers
18: Date Night
19: Saturday
20: Roasted pork loin with spicy honey glaze and mash potatoes 
21: Mac & cheese 
22: Lime chicken sandwiches with guac and chipotle mayo 
23: Tacos using leftover shredded pork loin 
24: Leftovers
25: Date Night
26: Saturday
27: EASTER! 
28: Leftover Easter 
29: Baked Ziti 
30: Deli meat and cheese sandwiches 
31: Leftovers 

  • SIDES - I typically cut up fresh fruit and/or raw veggies each night 
  • Saturdays I leave open, then if anything gets switched up during the week whatever I had planned for that night we can have on Saturday. 
  • As with any meal plan it's always subject to change, but planning the month out doesn't take me much longer than planning a week out AND it cuts my grocery shopping down by more than half! I'll get all non-perishable staples for the whole month the first week, then do a quick fresh items trip the remaining weeks. 
  • Staples {not listed above} on my weekly/monthly list are {as needed}: Milk, eggs, peanut butter, jelly, sandwich bread, carrots, broccoli, apples, fresh spinach, bananas, yogurt, seasonal fruit, seasonal vegetable, coffee, cheddar cheese block, oatmeal, cereal, tortillas, tortilla chips, ramen, and peanuts. These items we pretty much always have in house, so for example, if there isn't something leftover on a leftover night we can make something using items from this list. Or if we really don't have something for the Saturday night, then we make something from this list.  
  • Monthly grocery budget: $300 +$20 each Friday for Date Night

Happy meal planning! If you have a recipe favorite, please post in the comment section. 
xoxojolleen
{you are beautiful and wonderfully made} 

January 18, 2016

Black, {baby} pink, and gold


It's my birthday week! To indulge in my love of creating outfits; here is my outfit for Monday from my Polyvore Closet. The best part about a virtual closet is you have an endless budget, weather doesn't matter, and everything fits! 

I love a pencil skirt with an over sized sweatshirt, and the length of this sweatshirt will keep the look polished and not frumpy. Big gold hoops are always favorite, and I love the shape of these. Adorable circle glasses and simple black heels. Perfect for birthday dinner with the hubby's parents! 

Happy Monday everyone! 


Black, pink, and gold



T By Alexander Wang long sleeve top
$120 - shopmrsh.com


River Island pink pencil skirt
$21 - riverisland.com




Miu Miu black sunglasses
mytheresa.com




xoxojolleen
{you are beautiful and wonderfully made} 

January 1, 2016

January 2016 Monthly Meal Plan || Cutting the budget and clearing it out!

January 2016 Monthly Meal Plan || Cutting the budget and clearing it out!


I hope you all had a wonderful New Year's celebration and a delightful Christmas with loved ones.

As part of my love for meal planning, organizing, and cleaning out stuff. In January I like to do a major freezer, fridge, and cupboard clear out. My goal is to use as much as I have on hand and spend as little as possible on groceries.

Our normal grocery budget is $300 a month, I'd like to cut that in half for January. It always feels great to do this especially after December, since it's filled with so much splurging. I start by looking through everything and make a list of all the items I have on hand then plan my month. {I do this too for my regular months, but in those months I'm fine with not using stuff if it's not going to waste and will leave it for another month. Where in January, using up everything is the goal.}

January's meal plan
1: Fridge leftovers from New Year's
2: Fridge leftovers from New Year's
3: Cereal (S)
4: Grilled cheese (S) and hash brown patties (S)
5: Buffalo chicken pizza (S) and green salad
6: Bean and cheese burritos (S)
7: Leftovers (S)
8: Date Night
9: Saturday
10: Sloppy Joe's (S), corn (S), and hash brown patties (S)
11: Baked chicken (P chicken breasts), mash potatoes (S), and biscuits (S)
12: Biscuit french toast (using leftover biscuits), blueberries (S), and bacon (P)
13: Pot stickers (S) and rice (S)
14: BLT's (using leftover bacon) (P tomatoes)
15: Date Night
16: Saturday
17: Pork chops (S) with pineapple fried rice (S)
18: Birthday dinner with family
19: Birthday dinner with hubby
20: Leftovers from birthday dinners
21: Leftovers from birthday dinners
22: Homemade chicken tortilla soup (S) and salad
23: Saturday
24: Burgers (S) with roasted red peppers (S), green beans (S), pasta salad (S)
25: Veggie rice bowls (P fresh veggies)
26: Chicken BBQ quesadillas (S) (use leftover roasted red peppers)
27: Homemade chicken noodle soup (S) and salad
28: Leftovers
29: Date Night
30: Saturday
31: Mini cheese pizzas (S)
  • S = Stocked, I have on hand all items needed to make the item or it's already made and in the freezer
  • P = Purchase
  • I typically cut up fresh fruit and/or raw veggies each night as well 
  • Saturdays I leave open, then if anything gets switched up during the week whatever I had planned for that night we can have on Saturday. When I first started meal planning I would plan for each night, so many times something would get switched or we both just wanted mac and cheese or cereal for dinner, so then I started only planning for six nights and it worked out way better. 
  • As with any meal plan it's always subject to change, but planning the month out doesn't take me much longer than planning a week out AND it cuts my grocery shopping down by more than half! I'll get all non-perishable staples for the whole month the first week, then do a quick fresh items trip the remaining weeks. 
  • Staples {not listed above} on my weekly/monthly list are {as needed}: Milk, eggs, peanut butter, jelly, sandwich bread, carrots, broccoli, apples, fresh spinach, bananas, yogurt, seasonal fruit, seasonal vegetable, coffee, cheddar cheese block, oatmeal, cereal, tortillas, tortilla chips, ramen, and peanuts. These items we pretty much always have in house, so for example, if there isn't something leftover on a leftover night we can make something using items from this list. Or if we really don't have something for the Saturday night, then we make something from this list.  
I'll do a follow up post and let you know how everything went! Try it out, let me know how it goes! Pretty much always a good idea to not waste, clear out, and save money. 


To a joyful year filled with less stuff! 
xoxojolleen
{you are beautiful and wonderfully made}