pretty curtains at target

Hey all,

I came across these great curtain panels and shower curtains at Target! If they were in our budget this month I'd snatch a few up now. All are under $30!

Source: target.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: target.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: target.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: target.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I'm trying to save up for new curtains in our master bedroom (6 panels), the kids' rooms (8 panels), and areas of our home that need a little extra nighttime insulation between doorways (3 panels). Putting down those numbers puts things in perspective, doesn't it? So we'll just have to see what we can pull off, but I'm hopeful and more frugal than ever!

On a side note, Poppy, Ace and I are off to see two pre-schools for Ace to attend in the fall. I've been growing more aware of his need for consistent away-from-mom play periods, and we have a number of well-respected programs in the area. I'm not sure how we'll manage to unload twice a week with a baby and another infant, but people managed in covered wagons for a time, right? We have it so easy.

Have a lovely Tuesday, friends.

icj,

~j

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how we do it : weekly staples budget

So everyone has their own system, and if I'm like most people then we're all constantly tweaking that system to work with a new budget, new person, new events. In preparation for our budget talk last night, I got down to business on something I'd been wanting to complete for quite some time.

A weekly staples budget.

Exciting, right? Aren't you on the edge of your seat?

See, like I said in this post, I go over budget in groceries almost every week. We have a monthly budget, but I break that down into a weekly budget because I like to shop for and plan meals on a weekly basis. I don't think we're anything near extravagant (even my favorite beer is only $7.99 for a bottled sixer), so I couldn't put my finger on where the money was going.

I thought I had three problems:

1. I often had to rush through meal planning, so I couldn't always keep the budget in check.
2. Because of #1, I'd have to run out and grab random items or meal-fixin's at the last minute, which we all know is more expensive than not.
3. I wasn't sure what we spent on our fixed staples, items we use up every week and that retain a pretty even price.

So here's what I did: First, I checked my Master Grocery List, recorded in Excel. In this list I have tracked ALL my grocery items, even those I've only purchased once before, if I think I'll ever purchase them again. When I have time to properly menu plan this is a phenomenal resource. I can run down the list of what I need and figure out the actual expense at the actual store, no guessing! I even comparison shop between the big chain, Pick'N'Save (really, Roundy's) and the local market, Sendik's. Some items are cheaper in one place than the other, but I haven't noticed a marked change.

Then, I went through our pantry and jotted down our weekly staples like bread, milk, honey. I ran through recent receipts and the Master Grocery List and compiled a separate staples sheet. Like this:

Remember, this doesn't include produce because the prices and items fluctuate with the season. And we buy a lot of fresh produce.

I love it already and it's really opened my eyes to our spending. Let me break it down a bit:

1. I organized it by the aisles of Sendik's since it's my favorite place to shop.
2. I added up each section for quick visual reference when I'm in the store.
3. I added up the totals of all sections so I can see what my expected maximum could be and thus budget for produce, the prices of which fluctuate almost weekly.
4. I kept totals and X's in light gray so I can see them but write over them when I'm using the list a particular week. So when I plan, I scratch the X next to an item I know I'll buy and then I know to write that new section total in before I hit the store.
5. I keep an updated on date so I know how reliable these prices can be.

This has already helped me see I spend almost twice as much on weekly staples than I would have imagined. We literally eat everything here at least once a week, and sometimes twice! 

FINALLY, I called the two stores to find out their current meat prices per pound. I was SO impressed with both conversations, particularly with their willingness to walk me through prices, the differences provided in ABF and reserve meat, the different cuts, etc. The Sendik's butcher was even able to tell me about the limitations the store places on their purchases to preserve quality of meat and integrity of farming. Very enlightening and enjoyable. Who knew? I recorded all of this in the Grocery Master (would you like to see it?), and just chose the prices for what I think I'll purchase in the next week.

I'll let you know how it goes in the next two weeks, but thus far I'm encouraged. I like to know what I'm working with. I can be very creative when I know what my boundaries are.

What do you think? Do you do anything like this, too? Or do you think I'm nuts?

icj,

~j

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monthly budget talk

Tonight is our November money chat. We generally break open a couple bottles of beer and sit down with our budgets. Since we moved almost entirely to credit and check cards and we use an electronic monitoring program, it's been very easy for us to see where we're spending our money. In these monthly talks we discuss upcoming additional or non-budgeted expenses like toys or kids activities, new primer for the shutters Hawk made last year, Punch Brothers concerts, weddings or showers, and we look over the last month to see where we over/underspend.

My biggest temptation is our grocery budget. I haven't stayed on budget yet, though I think our budget is too low for the size and needs of our family. So we're looking into how to change things, where to shop differently, and what to cut out.

What area do you struggle with the most? I bet for someone it has to be clothes!

Happy Wednesday!

icj,
~j

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from cash to credit

Source: craftster.org via Danielle on Pinterest

Well, we've done it. We've opened a new travel rewards credit card and we plan to put most of our expenses on it instead of continuing the cash diet we've been on the last three years. It's a big step for us. Not because we're bad with credit (we pay everything off, every month) but because it's an added step that could, if done correctly, add up to big savings for family trips down the road.

We start in 2 weeks. I'll let you know how it goes. We've been thinking budget quite a bit lately.

And we know that the key to this is to do it like you would cash. Put everything on. Pay everything off. Immediately. Keep to the budget just like any other day.

What about you? Are you cash or credit or both? 

icj,

`j

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review : b.o.b. double stroller

We did it! We settled on a double stroller, and I'm SO happy.

I love rummage sales, and I think there are certain things one can buy used without hesitation: lamps, frames, kids' toys, books, and stollers. So when our neighbors sold us their 2009 B.O.B. Stride Fitness Double for $350, I thought it was a steal. It included a parent console, a carseat adapter, and two kid cupholder adapters. Worth $750 altogether new. I was seriously stressed while making the purchase and I may or may not have called Hawk 6 times while he was on the golf course. (the shame). My friend played with Ace while I paced, phoned, and rang my hands. Here's what we brought home:

As you can see, a very nice model in great shape. You know that joke? The one that goes:

A man will pay $2 for something that costs $1 because he needs it.

A woman will pay $1 for something that costs $2 because it's only $1.

I think I got so excited about the purchase price that I didn't really think about what we wanted. We already have a B.O.B. single stroller, which is unbelievable and we take it everywhere, so I reasoned that the double would just be that much better.

Pluses to the B.O.B.:

Handles beautifully. 

Works just like a single.

Negatives to the B.O.B.:

Heavier than a sumo wrestler-turned-TV-watcher.

Nothing special other than handling to justify the price.

So when I got it home, I wasn't happy. Ace's head hit the fabric fold-top when it was folded, and he's barely 19 months. It was an awkward incline for (at the time) 3 month old Poppy. And while we're hoping to double and maybe even triple our current number of progeny, we weren't sure this was the piece of equipment to survive them all. And I also didn't love that it was used. Strollers are pretty intimate items in that they house sleeping, sweaty, growing children. I realized I don't like buying used kids pajamas or double strollers.

Thus I found myself returning to the Baby Jogger City Mini Double. I'd stalked it a bit online and found 2011 models (easily) for under $400. The ratings were through the roof. and I began to see them everywhere. And Yes, I confess, I coveted them! There was so much more to the equipment for the price, like an almost 90 degree incline, adjustable shoulder strap connections, lighter lifting weight, and mesh backs to allow free flow of air or, should the weather require, a weather-cover, and of course, entrance through any standard doorway. 

So I sold the B.O.B. for a $25 profit on Craigslist. I also took the first full-price offer, which was the third contact received of 14. If I was more experienced I think I would have held out for a better offer, or wagered them against each other, but I'm not good at that sort of thing. I was pretty pleased with any profit at all.

And then I bought me a brand new City Mini 2011 for $9 less than I received for the used B.O.B.

Yessssssss.

Check out our review of our final purchase, the Baby Jogger City Mini Double stroller.

icj,

~j

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new rules for home decorating

Enough! I have been living under the most ridiculous home decorating rules, rather self-imposed I admit, and I say enough.

this is a terrible selfie, but I wanted a visual

Maybe you can relate. You gander at what everyone else is doing. Perhaps you even pin it to boards you call create in space or inspiration for reality except that these brilliant and beautiful pins never become reality.

Because you have these rules. This silly rules that make no sense.

So I've made a list of my previous rules and whether one is self- or other-imposed, the new corresponding rule, and a few that just need to be there.

Old Rule #1: That won't help the resale of your house, also known as, live expecting to leave and refrain from making it yours or enjoying it now.
Goodness, then why buy it? Unless you're a professional flipper, and we at thishawksnest are far from pro flippers, then this is the sort of worrying, silly mindset that makes renting a better route. Isn't this what we envision when we walk through open house after open house? We spend every single minute thinking this is what I would do with this space. So why not do that then?

I've spent 2.5 years listening to this sort of reasoning. Twopointfiveyears people. That's just silly. We've said from the start we hope to make it in this home through the birth of our fourth child (if we're lucky enough to have four) or ten years, whichever is first or most pressing. A decade of one's life is a long time to live with a spirit of transition and borrowed space. But we have. We've refrained from hanging pictures, shelves. We've refrained from repainting things we don't like anymore. We've refrained in an entirely uncreative, unexciting, and un-home-like way.

New Rule #1: 

Unless it involves demolition or the creation of a new structure, it can always be changed if/when you want to sell the house.

Old Rule #2: Paint is a big deal.
Even though we know that we can always repaint, we've waited far too long to do so. When we first painted, we came to an agreement on the paint throughout the main floor (living room, dining room, stairs and upstairs hallway). And we were happy with it. It was a good thing to do, to come together on something. But I think in that new-marriage desire to please each other, coupled with the fact that we didn't yet know what our style was, we chose something that is no longer us.


So I've decided to repaint the living room, hopefully before Obie's arrival. Hawk is thankfully on board (or I wouldn't do something that drastic in such a main area). And in discussing the living room, a few other rooms came up. The bathroom, for example. Right now it is a deep chocolate brown. But we're thinking of repainting it with Restoration Hardware's Slate, mixed into the zero-voc Sherwin Williams Eg-Shel (which was a total I'm a pushover moment mistake that we may be able to turn into good news).

New Rule #2: 

Paint can ALWAYS be "undone" unless you're painting unpainted wood.

This also applies to our staircase. 

very old shot from our original painting experiences

The 13 steps leading from first to second floor are both unpainted and painted. The risers are white, and the steps themselves are stained and glazed wood. I really really really want to do something fun and crazy on the staircase--in part because it can have some great daily impact without overwhelming a very visible part of the house, and in part because I want to experiment! 

And if it is ugly, then guess what -- I can just repaint it. Crazy, right?

Old Rule #3: We have to live with the result regardless of whether or not we like it.

This one is a doozy. Here's why: in part, this old rule is true, especially for families such as ours who depend on a very fixed expense budget. Whatever we do, we have to live with it for at least a little while depending on the project. But that's where this rule ends. Let's throw a couple of punches at it:

1. If it is easy and inexpensive to undo, then we don't have to live with it at all.
2. If it is difficult and expensive to undo, then we should have thought through it more and our problem is less one of results and much more a problem of planning. I'm thinking wall demolition or breaking down upper cabinets and replacing them with open shelving (oh please please please can we do that this summer, Hawk?).
3. There is no invisible (or visible) House Fairy holding us to our actions; only three things limit what can be transformed or undone in a house: 1) housing codes, 2) our budget, 3) fear. And maybe, a distant #4 might be time. We will have 2 kids under 16 months come March, but I think it is still very much dependent upon 1-3. 
4. We have to live in it. So we better like it. And when people come over, they instinctively and subconsciously assess our personalities based on what is presented through our home. Why keep something we don't like just because we did it once?

New Rule #3: 

We can change things and develop them until we are satisfied.

Which leads us to...

Old Rule #4: Our decoration and home improvements dictate our permanent personal style.

I bet how we want our home to look in 10 years is going to be different from what we like today. I used to like leather seating. Now, I think it's unattractive without those puckered button thingies (what are those called and why can't I remember the term?) Ah! Tufted.

Source: cococozy.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

That's silly, isn't it? But let me tell you, Hawk and I have felt so much pressure to figure that out now. And we're in a starter home, we aren't dolling out moola on fancy house dressings, so now's the time to experiment.

New Rule #4: 

Our personal style determine our home decore and thus should develop and alter as time passes.

Alright, four new rules are a good start. What do you think? Check out the poll in the sidebar. We'd love to hear from you!


happy Monday, folks.


icj,
~j

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pottery barn vs. jcpenney

When do you buy brand vs. knock-off?

Because our parents never supported name-brand clothing when we were kids, we've thankfully avoided the brand-trap. You know what I mean. Something hideous becomes desirable just because Gucci made it, when in reality you NEVER would have purchased it if you saw it in Sears.

I avoid the brand-trap with everything from clothing to decor to utensils by asking one simple question in 2 forms:

1. Would I like this if I saw it in (insert lower-end brand)?
2. Would I find this ugly if I found it in (insert higher-end brand)?

So when the latest Pottery Barn bedding mag came out, I knew I wouldn't have a hard time resisting. If I saw any of the following over-worked, uninspired pieces in JCPenneys, I would walk right on by...

pb : breton

pb : nila

pb : bateau

pb : home sentiment

pb : bihar

pb : butterfly

Okay, those butterfly pillows aren't bad, but you get the idea. And this last link os a JCP spread I would have pictured in PB.

jcp : carlisle

You? Have a clever way to avoid spending money on a name over the object itself?

icj,

~j

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it can lightning in SNOW?!

Apparently, yes. Who knew?

courtesy of my iphone

So we're now in the trenches of our big midwestern storm-of-the-last-decade. The above photo was taken in the nursery. Doesn't look like much, but you can see the snow collecting. And snow doesn't collect there. Ever. It's collecting now because snow is being flung at our house like one of those Keanu Reeves or John Cusack or Nick Cage end-of-the-world films. (Yeah, I never saw them either). If you turn off the lights and look outside, you see white-out conditions, lightning, and the big bad tree in front of our house swaying like seagrass in the summer wind. Yikes.


Unless our power or furnace go out, I'm delightfully happy. We cancelled work tonight, and our friends made us a dinner (to help us with my transition back to work) of beef tenderloin (yummmmm), and Cormac went down around 9:30. You'd think that with the bottle of wine we received from Monday's-friend-meal, the fresh loaf of bread and the new bottle of Tuscan Olive Oil, we'd be sitting leisurely, but no...we're dorks.


I cleaned and Hawk paid bills. Yup. Not gonna lie---I'm really happy, and we feel fulfilled. I scrubbed the kitchen floor, finished loads of laundry, swept other rooms, straightened still more, and showered (why have a clean house if you're dirty?). Hawk figured out those lovely labor, delivery, and Hilton Hospital bills, sorted unkept mail, and reworked our new official budget. We are budgetized.


We rock at budgetizing. For and serious. 


We're finally calling it a night, and I'm eager for tomorrow. No where to go, no one to meet. Just our little family, housebound. Nothing to do but spend the day together. 


Perfect.


icj,
~j

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baby items we couldn't do well without

Preparing for Ace's arrival, we spent a LOT of time on numerous websites reviewing checklists, reading reviews, and generally worrying that we were missing something essential. We would shoot email after email throughout the day (during lunch breaks only, of course) comparing prices, needs, and just plain aesthetics.


So here is our list of really-glad-we-got-that-cuz-WOW-would-it-have-been-hard-without-it.

#1: AngelCare Monitor
Sure, you can call us paranoid, "new parents," or over the top, but I'm telling you, we got a lot more sleep during those first 3 weeks than the average brand-new parent. It is by far the best purchase we made. It monitors movement at the breath-level, so if little Ace stops breathing, an alarm sounds. We know it works because at least once a night I forget to turn it off when reaching for the babe. Thankfully, there's a warning light and beep anticipating just that sort of thing, so I'm able to catch it before the real alarm sounds. There's also an option for sound-only, so it can work like any other monitor. We really can't say enough about this!

#2: Summer Bassinet

Now, this is really personal preference, but we've chosen to have Ace sleep in our room for the first few months. From what we researched, doing so reduces the risk of SIDS, fosters better sleep in parents and baby, and increases the mutual understanding of both toward each other. The idea is that parents can respond before the babe increases in stress and volume, and moving within the same room is a bit easier than moving from room to room. We started out with another bassinet, the Nod-A-Way by Safety 1st, which was great, but I couldn't see through the sides during the night light. We moved to a great Arms-Reach style bassinet on loan from a friend. It was great--when Ace would start to fuss I would reach over, pluck him gently from the bassinet, attend to his needs, and set him in without fuss. Then, about 10 days into our new parenthood, Hawk came home with a surprise for me: the Summer Bassinet. It's brilliant. It's a regular bassinet that sits on your own mattress. Now he sleeps next to us and nighttime is even easier. I know this isn't for everyone, but it's really made a positive difference in our lives. Because of the close yet safe proximity, I have a dang good grasp of his cues. I know the difference between hunger, gas pain, and a dirty diaper at 3:00am, and I can respond to all three without leaving my bed. I can also attend to him before he cries, which means he falls back asleep faster. Case in point: last night's 3:37am hunger stir? Never opened his eyes and was back in the bassinet, asleep, in under 30 minutes including nursing time.

#3: Britax Chaperone Car Seat

Hawk wanted black, but we got the green (yay!). I think it's more fun and easier to spot in a sea of carseats at the park. I spent a heck of a hunk of time researching the best carseat. If this isn't the best, it's certainly up there with whichever one is. Why do we love it? 1) Incredible safety record, 2) Solid construction---even feels indestructible, 3) Stupid-easy to install, especially if you purchase the base, which we did. Snaps in and out. Totally worth every penny. Only downside, which I learned from the hundreds of reviews I read and which I've found to be true: This sucker ain't light. It's on the heavier end of the spectrum but for me, that just affirms its solid construction. And my arms and back are increasing in power every day. I'm 5'0" and I haven't struggled with it yet, so I think I'll make it through the end of its use with Ace. Besides, I've noticed my muscles increase along the same plain as his weight.

#4: Medela Hands-Free Pump

It's expensive. It brings to mind a dairy farm. I'm pretty sure the pumping sound is made to sound like a cow's moo. Nonetheless, it's sheer genius. Hawk was adamant about purchasing the hands-free version, and I'm so grateful he was willing to put in the extra dough for it (though we did get it 20% off and with gift money). Going back to work, babysitting, you name it--if ever I need to be away from Ace, I need to be sure there is enough for him to eat. This pump is extremely easy to ready, easy to clean (though I confess, I hate cleaning the parts), easy to use, and easy to wear. I've already used it twice at work and dozens of times around the house. A pump like this helps keep nursing easy and enjoyable. (Note: The black strap is meant to go around your waist so that you have something stable to clip onto. A friend didn't know that, and she spent 4 months clipping to clothing which shifted, bunched, and made the experience miserable.) And it definitely ensures that you'll keep the humor alive in your marriage. Hawk loves to laugh at it and tease me. Even now I'm laughing just thinking about the moo-sound.

#5: Baby Connect iphone App

I've mentioned this before, here, but it's worth mentioning again. Great app. Tracks everything from nursing and pumping to sleep and diapers to activity and medical records. The feature I appreciate most? Graphing. I'm a visual learner (I think--at least, I'm very spatially oriented). 


Hope this helps you or a friend in some way. I know learning from others made all the difference for us!


icj,
~j

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Kitchen Inspiration

Y'all keep reminding me that I'm not posting regularly. Thanks! I love that you check back often enough to know!


Kitchens...We wanted a bright kitchen. I've always like pure-white kitchens for that very reason. They also allow you to place and interchange pops of vibrant color:

myhomeideas

But I really think it only works with white. Otherwise, too much of one color can cause nausea...

myhomeideas

And then there's the typical redo, one that matches it's decade very well:

myhomeideas

Or just too tuscan...

myhomeideas

But sometimes, people get it just right in their mix of modern and retro:

myhomeideas

And then, there's always the boring, same old thing:

hgtv

Oh wait, that must be the Hitchhiker's Guide to Kitchen design...

I can happily announce that our kitchen is 98% finished. We've not performed any demolition. Rather, we decided to adjust the kitchen cosmetically to make it pleasant and efficient for the next 5-10 years until we can afford to "properly" redo the kitchen. 


The problem is that I have no desire to redo it anytime earlier. I can't even talk about it when Hawk brings it up. I really like how it turned out this time around, and I can't imagine losing it--even for more space! 


In the next few days I'll be posting the before-and-afters, but in the meantime, here's the inspiration behind the redesign. I adore great blogs and home magazines, so we saw our fill of kitchen ideas. It wasn't until I happened upon Layla's theletteredcottage and I received the "ah-ha!" moment:

Are you interested in what's coming? We hope so!

icj,

~j

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o tannenbaum

o tannenbaum is German.


I took German in high school. The teacher never taught anything of substance, and even worse, she hated me, but her favorite student, "Sven" (real name, Craig, now a teacher in Milwaukee!) made sure to help me out. And because he liked me, she couldn't fail me--she didn't want to disappoint him. I'm pretty sure I answered every single test question with, "Ich gehe nach hause," which is, if I recall correctly, "I'm going home."


I'm not very good at German. so... tannenbaums.


Hawk and I went to a local tree market to purchase our first-ever, married-and-finally-living-together, who's-going-to-put-on-the-lights Christmas tree. There are three things of interest to note, which I will elaborate on below: 1) Balsam; 2) North Carolina; 3) Height.

{Balsam}My family usually finds Frasier firs but this year, Hawk and I chose a Balsam for its lower pricetag and fragrance. At first it was difficult for me because the Shedd's are really into these little, consistent Christmas traditions, but then I realized, "Hey, I'm in a brand-new little family now, so we gotta do what is right for us." 

Here it is being wrapped up at the market (notice the Packers hat on "the guy"):

Which brings me to point number two: {North Carolina}. My family goes each year to a local tree farm where they grow their own trees, make their own wreaths, steam hot cocoa and bake cookies. Mama & Dad Shedd always find a great Frasier for under $50 bucks--tall, full, fragrant. I believe Mom & Dad Hawk also go to a Milwaukee market and pick up a sweet tree. It's Wisconsin--there are PLENTY of Christmas tree farms within 100 miles!

And yet, this tree market gets their trees from...you guessed it...North Carolina! Why, I'll never know, but it showed in the price tag. We're very pleased with our purchase, but it seems so silly.

and finally, {height}. I think the photos below say it all:

icj,

~j

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little brown pen

If I had my way, I'd spend all my spare time (and I'd have more spare time to spend) doing crafts like homemade calendars designed in Illustrator, or Christmas tree skirts, or cool local photos edited and framed in interesting ways. Alas, I cannot.


And I even hate to post this because I know someone will snatch this up (Hawk? hint hint!), but I recently came upon another great Etsy find: LitteBrownPen. They offer vary affordable items, mostly dealing with photography. I find their "perpetual calendar" quite appealing:

And if I had my druthers, I'd snatch this up NOW for only $8.00 + $5 s&h. It's a 100-pack of photos to be sinched (sp?) together any which way you like for easy hanging...

I had a dinner-meeting last night and finished Christmas decorating, so I'll post photos of that soon. You'll finally get to see how $20 in non-breakable ornaments from good ole Hobby Lobby can go a long way.

Happy Thursday!

icj,

~j

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holiday decore

We finally found a wreath! When visiting my family over Thanksgiving, we ventured into Hobby Lobby and quickly agreed upon this little fella. We chose fake over natural for longevity's sake (oh, and budget--50% off $49) and because I have a habit of killing plants.

Here's a closeup:

It's not the best photo. My camera is from 2005, and it's joined me in Europe twice and, oh yeah, I've dropped it at least 3 dozen times. Once, my friend dropped it and the lens wouldn't close for an hour. But Canon must make some quality stuff because at least it still takes decent photos. 


Since I asked for a $50 budget for holiday decorating, not counting the tree we hope to purchase tomorrow in the Third Ward, I needed to get what I could and make it go a long way. Here's my holiday purchase list:


1)  Red unbreakable ornaments from Hobby Lobby: $19 at 50% off
2)  Gold unbreakable ornaments from Hobby Lobby: $19 at 50% off
3)  Wreath
4)  Cranberries for garland
5)  Oranges and whole cloves

I meet with three women every Friday morning, rotating houses. This week it was my day to host. I am very happy to announce that my one "decoration" produced compliments from Roots. Hawk doesn't understand the fake pears (I told him there such a thing as Christmas pears. I may have made that up). But I like it. And I have to clean it. So there.

They're all around the house in little groupings. Here's our dining room armoire/dresser/buffet thingie:

Ahhh....so fun and easy and cozy!

icj,

~j

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