I Confess... Life Edition

I confess... I have failed MISERABLY at our March Live Well, Spend Zero month. When we did this challenged back in October, we killed it! We saved over $2,000. Well, we were doing great and then we got great news, "Your house is under contract!" Yay, we have sold our home *high-five*. We were so excited until we realized the costs that come with moving. It started as, "we are only buying the cheapest moving truck" and ended with, "everything is packed, we have to go to eat". So you see, doing LWS0 is great, just not when you are moving.

Now that I have confessed that we blew it, let's celebrate our news!!! THE NELSON'S HAVE MOVED. We have sold our home in Summerville and are now the proud residences of Daniel Island. Y'all, we can bike to the water, hear boat horns in the distance, people use golf carts instead of cars, and there are walking trails all around us. We are in island heaven.

I confess... Yes, our place is MUCH smaller and yes, we are in a condo/apt. and I can hear strange noises that make me anxious (i'll get used to them), but we have arrived. In my years, I have learned it is all about the location! Our location is perfection which means we sacrifice in other areas since we aren't billionaires. Hey, we're only 30, we'll get there!

I confess... We are happy! I have a ten minute ride to work now (I was driving over an hour in traffic), I feel safe going for runs by myself, I like the small feeling, and we have a club house with a pool!!!

I confess... Jeffrey and I are not living the condo/apt. life forever and I know that. I can make it a year or two before we decide to settle down. We are in no rush.

I confess... Moving is STRESSFUL!

I confess... I am excited for this new chapter in our lives. We are going to fully enjoy it and live life to its fullest.

Thank you to all who helped, cheered, celebrated, and supported us during this process. We are so excited and believe this is a great leap of faith for our family!

Currently

Currently...

#1: Running:
I am running a 10K April 2 so I have been pushing myself to get out and run. I am proud of my progress, but I have a long way to go before my race. I mean, look at this view... I can do it (right?!?!).

#2: Loving: Jeffrey Campbell shoes
I love the design of these wedges. I mean these are the perfect Spring/Summer shoe!!! These are in my Nordstrom shopping cart as we speak!

#3: Hating: Gnats 
I am a walking, talking bug bite. The bugs are alive and well in Charleston and they are driving me CRAZY!

#4: Needing: Vacation  
My Spring/Summer break blues are hitting me with full force. I am SO ready for a break and some fun in the sun. Jeffrey has been a work-o-holic so I am craving some time away with him where we can relax.

#5: Trying: Stitchfix
After reading so many great reviews, I decided to try Stitchfix and see how I like it. My first box arrives in April! I can't wait to share what items I receive.  

What are you currently loving?

Confessions!

I confess... I have been SO lazy this week. I have made a Starbucks mobile order everyday so far. My coffee pot isn't hard to use, I just don't want to put forth the efforts. Thank the Lord for Starbucks gift cards and the sweet student's who give them.

I confess... I am really struggling with our "Live Well, Spend Zero" month. I am not motivated at all and I find myself wanting to go out to eat in this gorgeous weather.Maybe no spending moths should be reserved for winter.

I confess... I painted my nails last night and have felt so "Springy" and girly all day. I love having my nails painted.

I confess... I need coffee to survive. I have this terrible habit of drinking 2-3 cups of coffee a day.  The work-room has a full stocked coffee bar so I am always taking advantage of that. I drink my coffee black so that's half-way healthy right?!?

I confess... I am surrounded my laundry and there are dishes in my sink (*gasp*) and I don't care!

I confess... I have Spring Fever BAD!!!!! We still have two weeks until PCA's Spring Break, but I am already "clocked-out". I am so ready for a break and some fun in the sun

When your parent's come to town!

My parents came to visit Jeffrey and I this past weekend and help with a few exciting things we have coming up. I love when my parents visit. LOVE! I wish they would just move here already.

Since Jeffrey and I are doing the "live well and spend zero" challenge, my parents were supper supportive and took Jeffrey and I out!!! I highly recommend having your parents visit when you do a no spend month. Thanks mom and dad!!!

We had a blast together as always! We went to Daniel Island for sushi and island fun, walked King Street for hours, ate at Taco Boy, and finished our trip at Carolina Ale House! It seems like all we did was eat.

My parents are coming back in two weeks for 4-5 days for Spring Break and I cannot wait. I have a TON of amazing Charleston events planned! *hint* Carriage ride and historic home tours....eeeek, I cannot wait!

To off-set all the amazing food we ate, I went for a run in my new shoes!!!!!! It was a hard run because I need to break them in, but once I do, I am really going to love them. I have been wearing them 24-7 to make sure they are good to go for my race!

Also, stay tuned for our news... post coming NEXT WEEK!!!!!! No it's not a baby, geez people! I am only 29 and enjoying my time traveling and spoiling myself and our marriage!!!

Friday Favorites

Currently...

#1: Watching: Fuller House
I fully admit that I watched Fuller House last weekend and completed the season in three days! I also fully admit that the humor is wonderfully terrible and brings back great memories from my childhood.

#2: Using: Breathe Essential Oil
Spring is alive in Charleston and the allergies are NO JOKE! I have been sneezing like crazy. To avoid my yearly stuffy nose I have been diffusing this each night. For the first time in my life, my nose is clear and can sniff all the sniffs during the month of March! It's a Spring miracle.

#3: Making: Salmon
A friend shared this recipe with me and I have made it twice already. So yummy!

Salmon

1. Put salmon in a baking dish
2. Mix juice from 1 whole lemon, 1 tablespoon of capers, 1 tablespoon of garlic, pinch of salt, and 1 whole tomato chopped.
3. pour mix on top of salmon
4. Bake at 475 for 15 minutes.
5. ENJOY!

#4: Wanting: Tory Burch Sandals 
These are on my "to get" list for Spring/Summer!!

#5: Loving: All Things Athletic 
I am running a 10K with fiends this April so I have been "training". I just ordered these and I am so excited to run in them!

I am running my first 10K in a month. What advice do you have? What should I be doing a month, weeks, and days prior to my race?

Life in the Low Country... is there any other way to live?

This past Sunday Jeffrey and I went to an oyster roast. This was my first roast so I had no idea what to expect. They pulled the oysters right out of the bay on Johns Island. The boiled them and dumped them all out on a table. We grabbed utensils and opened the oysters and ate them right there fresh out of the water!!! These were the BEST and BIGGEST oysters I have ever had the pleasure of eating. I must say, life in the low country is amazing!

We had a rocky beginning (aka our first year), but Jeffrey and I are really enjoying and truly LOVING life here in Charleston. We also have some great/exciting/amazing news coming to the Blog in the coming weeks so keep a look out! We are so blessed!!!!!! 

Write the Word

Life isn't easy. It is messy, funny, unpredictable, and at times down right hard. If your life is easy all day everyday, well then don't tell me! Although life is hard, God grants us grace and peace if we ask for it. Over the past year, my faith has grown tremendously and I see clearly (most of the time). Two things have helped me personally in my faith walk.

1. Write the Word: Each day you start the devotional by writing one thing that you are grateful for. I love this because it causes me to concentrate on the many blessings I have in my life. The devotional then gives you a verse to write and a place to journal "What's on your heart". I love this because it not only makes me read and write the verse but then has me dive into self reflection.

2. Power of a Praying Wife: I read the book and I could see a HUGE change in my prayer life. Through my prayers, I could also see a big change in me and the way I saw life and my husband, Jeffrey. Things didn't magically "get better", but I gained trust, faith, and peace which is so much better!

If you're looking to grow your faith or simply a new devotional, I highly recommend these. I leave you with this song which has really spoken to me this week!!! No matter what, HE is a good, good father!

Happy Monday, may God truly bless you today!

Living Well in March

Jeffrey and I did so well on our Live Well Spend Zero month last September, we decided to do another one. For the month of March we are going to focus on "us" as a family and dive into scripture while spending zero "extra" money. Last time we saved over 2,000 extra dollars in addition to our monthly savings!

I would love for you to join us on this journey or encourage us along the way. This is one of the hardest things to do, but it is so rewarding. Give me a shout out if you would like to join and I will send you encouraging words and tips/tricks!

Here is how you start!

#1. Still pay bills (obviously). 

#2. Make sure your monthly budgeted savings goes where it is supposed to go. 

#3. Budget gas. This is the hardest for us because we are ALWAYS traveling and on the go. 

#4. Look in your pantry. What do you already have that you haven't eaten? Make sure to include those on your dinner list.

#5. Budget your groceries. Since I am gluten free and we only eat organic (sorry not budging on this one) our grocery bill is a little higher. We budget $80.00 a week and stick to it. 

#6. Don't go out and "stock up" on "things" the month or week before. That's not the point. The point is to live on what you have and to be grateful for those things. 

#7. Don't go out April 1st and have a shopping spree, that defeats the point. Last time we did this challenge, I gave myself an amount to use the next month. I carefully thought about what I wanted and only used what I allotted myself. It was fun looking and debating what I wanted. It is amazing how many things you can talk yourself out of because you don't really need them. 

#8. NO going out to eat. This was really hard for us because Jeffrey and I are social butterflies. We found that we would still go out with friends, we would just eat before or after. We never deprived ourselves of "friend-time".

#9. Use your gift cards. As a teacher, I get a ton of gift cards. Jeffrey and I save them for these months so that we can use them when we feel like "cheating". We never spend over the amount on the card though. 

#10. Tell everyone you are doing the challenge. We were open and honest with our friends about what we were doing. This helped a lot because our friends would cheer us on! 

Jeffrey and I have big financial goals and achievements ahead. We are doing this challenge for extra encouragement and finances that will help our future goals. Also, we like to do these challenges for future travel???? (I am thinking Hawaii... Jeff says England). Enough about finances and IRA's! Join me and lets save some money! Who cares what it is for. Who cares how much money you make or what debt you have. Everyone can benefit from this challenge!

I am so excited to see the outcome! I will keep you posted every Wednesday in March with our results. Happy Saving my friends!