HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Welcome 2012! I am ready for you!! I have a few new years resolutions. Since we'll be in this house a year longer than we expected, I need to get organized! I don't like not knowing where my stuff is and feeling so scatterbrained. Hopefully organizing here and there will help with that. We're going on a hardcore budget. My main goals are to save more money (any money really) and to pay the credit card. We've made a few changes so far. I'm shopping the basics to fully stock our pantry and fridge. I gotta get back into couponing but for now, the kitchen is set to prepare all of our meals, including lunches for the boys. That's right.. I'm packing Gabe's lunch and snacks too. If I have to do it so he'll spend less on junk, well then, I'll suck it up and do it for him. Gabe also has a cash allowance for gas and miscellaneous food/drinks he may need while at work. No more swiping the check card for every little thing. Although his incentive is he gets to keep whatever he doesn't spend that week. We'll see how it goes. I think he'll be good actually seeing money in his wallet instead of just tossing receipts my way.

I'm going to start making a lot of things here at home. For instance, my face wash is homemade and all natural. It's so awesome I don't even have to buy face moisturizer. My coffee creamer is now homemade (yay!) and so are our granola bars. I found a GREAT website called budget101.com and it has a lot of great make-your-own recipes and such. And not to mention, there's pinterest. Every time I check it out, I'm inspired to do something else from home.

Although we are saving, saving, saving this year, there's one splurge I will be making. And it's all for me. I (re)joined weight watchers today! A lot has changed since I was a member a few years ago. I'm slowly learning the new points system and website. Today, I'm excited and motivated!! My plan is to get my eating and diet under control and then slowly add in exercise.

I also want to start posting recipes and things again. I think it'll help me stay motivated and excited to try new things. Today's recipe (found on Pinterest, of course!) is from Dr. Oz! I'm planning on making it at night to drink during the day. I'm on my 3rd serving already today!

Dr. Oz's Tangerine Weight-Orade
8 cups brewed green tea
1 tangerine, sliced
A handful of mint leaves

Mix it up and serve over ice. His website states it's an incredible metabolism booster and a great aide (haha) in weight loss. We'll see. I'm not a fan of green tea usually (too weak for me) and I'm really not a fan of flavored teas. BUT, I haven't been drinking water like I should (or at all really) so I'm going to attempt this and add in water and cut out soda. It's really not that bad. Gabe likes it, he said it's refreshing. I think the fresh mint helps. I might add a little honey next time, but we'll see. I'm gonna keep it in a pitcher in the fridge and maybe let the boys drink it too .. =)

So there we go.