Trying Barre Classes Online

I’ve been searching for something new and different to do fitness-wise besides running. We looked at some gyms over the weekend, but the only ones I would want to join are the ones with pools. My favorite cross-training is my slow, sad breaststroke -- by far. Too bad those gyms are expensive. And most of them are booked up with aqua classes for the older crowd during the hours when I could typically go (or when childcare is offered, preschool is happening, etc.).

Anyway, I do random workouts on Fitness Blender from time to time. Mostly yoga, body weight stuff, and barre. After mulling over whether or not I should delve into studio yoga classes (which are also expensive, though definitely worth it), I decided I’d try doing something online for a change. When I get a chance to workout besides my usual running, it’s either in the early morning, nap time, or after Ada’s gone to bed for the night. I don’t necessarily feel like dragging myself across town by that point.

So, today I signed up for a Free 15-Day Trial of Barre3 (check it out -- I’m not affiliated with this group -- they don’t even have studios in my area). I just completed a total body 30 minute workout during Ada’s nap and got a needed boost of energy. Since I’ve tried several rogue barre workouts in the past, I knew a bit of what to expect. Lots of tiny movements with tons of burn. I like how the workout incorporates some yoga, ballet, and Pilates movements, too. All the stuff I usually ignore.

There are several offerings of this type that you can find online for free and subscription prices. Here’s a comprehensive comparison I found with Bar Method and Barre3, if you’re interested in more specifics (because I’m still super new to it all). Of the two, I chose Barre3 because I’ve read reviews from bloggers like Emily or heard about it from friends + family who live near studios and regularly take classes. Oh, yeah. And also because it’s $15/month versus $35.

Right now my goal is to do 3-5 barre workouts a week (they have ones from 10 minutes to 60 minutes) along with 20 miles of running. I’m informally doing the 28-day challenge, too, since I like the idea of checking boxes to feel some accomplishment in my day. Plus, being prompted to do certain workouts is helpful when you’re trying to guide yourself from home. I am also looking forward to checking out a few new recipes to shake me out of this carb-craziness + funk I’ve been in.

Have you tried online workout subscriptions? 

I wrote a fun article about them for Wise Bread a couple months back, so you should certainly read it if you’re interested. They're a nice, flexible option if you don’t love driving to the gym or perhaps don’t have time during traditional hours to get your sweat on. I know a lot of people really like Daily Burn and even Gaiam TV, so I’d love to hear more about those if you subscribe!

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Postpartum Fitness Challenge: Month 3

I guess you could say I slacked this month on my fitness challenge (check out month 1 and month 2). Yet in other ways, I did a lot. Our half marathon is on Sunday, so the main focus the past several weeks has been on getting my long run distance up. I struggled with it -- A LOT -- mostly with finding motivation to run for nearly 2 hours when I could be eating a fantastic brunch and hanging out with Stephen and Ada.

My most recent long run was a practice half. Not with regard to speed, though. Just with not stopping home for supplies/etc.

The wind was absolutely wicked that day. Stephen said it slowed him down a good bit, too. I think I would have had more consistent mile paces between 8:50 and 9:00 otherwise. Even if not, I could bomb this weekend's half terribly and still know I could complete one in under 2 hours, which is my goal. Another goal: No stops at Porta-Johns along the way.

Last year, below, I stopped at almost all of them!


Here are last month's stats. And here's this month's:

Pushups: 45 (no change, but I didn't really push myself past this mark)
Chinups: Still 1 (same as above, I just didn't focus on upper-body this month)
Situps: 33 (up from 30 last month! w00t!)
Mile Time: ??? (Waiting on this one until after this weekend's half marathon)

My goals for the coming month with running revolve around speedwork. I've always done some sort of (very, very, very) loose speedwork, but noting in the recent past that actually challenged me to the point of improving dramatically. I did my first-time-in-a-long-time formal speedwork session last Tuesday -- eight 400s, two miles total, at 6:48 (mile) pace with 2 min rest between each repeat. Kicked my BUTT. But I know if I stick with them, I could get closer to my old race times, which would be great!

I also haven't gotten in any double workouts lately. This one has decided she HATES the BOB. Or being in strollers, in general.


Otherwise, a big focus -- as you already know -- has been on my diet. After Easter, my sugar consumption got farther out of control than it already was. As a result, I only lost one pound this month. Nothing like last month's 4 pounds. But there is encouraging news to this part! At Christmas, we had invested in a fancy digital scale. Before that, I had always weighed myself on an old-school one that was consistent, but needed to be calibrated each time. So, I pulled out that old one again this week. And I found that I'm really only 3 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight, not the 6 or so I thought I was.

This puts me at 130 on the digital scale and 127 on the old one. (No photos this month -- there isn't any change.) I don't really care what the a.c.t.u.a.l number is, but to know I'm closer than I thought to my pre-pregnancy weight, which will be 127 on our new scale, has me thrilled. I definitely think by 9 months postpartum, I'll be back -- and that's what my midwife told me is a healthy rate at which to lose the weight.

Overall, I am feeling good about my activity level. I'm excited to start training seriously again after this weekend's half marathon. The sugar stuff is coming along slowly, and I still have a lot of trouble entirely eliminating it from my diet. I'll write more on that another time.

Here's to a great half marathon this weekend! What are you up to? Any races or other adventures planned?

And if you follow Writing Chapter Three, you can check out yesterday's video post full of questions and answers from our readers.

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Postpartum Fitness Challenge: Month 2

I'm falling a bit behind with a postpartum fitness updates. It's been just over 20 weeks since I gave birth to Ada. The best part is that I didn't imagine I'd be in good shape this soon. I'm back to running 5 days a week. My speed is returning slowly but surely . . . and I'm on my way to racing (well, we'll see) my first post-baby half next month.

In my last update, I gave you all the starting numbers. I thought about updating each of these categories each month. But I realize my measurements won't necessarily change dramatically. So, I'd like to refresh those stats perhaps next month or even the month after.

I don't feel like I look much different.

THIS MONTH


But my weight loss has finally started. I lost 4 pounds, going from 135.6 to 131.5. I credit occasional twice-daily workouts, the nicer weather -- which leads to more general activity, and eating less nut butter. Seriously! I was addicted to the stuff all winter.

These days, I'm snacking on smoothies and cheese with carrots, etc. I think the biggest physical change is that my stomach is getting flatter, less puffy. It still sticks out quite a bit compared to before pregnancy. Otherwise, my clothes -- jeans, specifically -- are fitting much better. Still not like they used to, but I can slip on a few more pairs this month than I could last.

More exciting than my physical changes: Here's how big the babe got since early March. Incredible. She's up to 14 pounds at least.


FITNESS: HOW I'M DOING

I tried running my timed mile last night and failed miserably because the wind was blowing against me. Stephen told me -- regardless -- I need to do a proper mile on a track, so I'll be sure to do that soon (early next week) and post about it. I did time a few miles I ran with the jogging stroller today, the fastest of which was in 7:45!

Here are last month's stats. And here are this month's:

Pushups: 45 (up from 35)
Situps: 30 (up from 28 -- not much change)
Pullups: 1 (up from 0, though I had been doing 2 and then got lazy about them!)
Mile time prediction: I'm thinking on a track I could run a mile in 7:15 or less. We'll see how generous I'm being soon enough.

GOALS FOR THIS MONTH:

• I have a long way to go with my eating habits. I'm trying desperately to eat less sugar. But I tend to grab cookies instead of veggies when I'm in a rush, which feels like it's all the time. I can easily prepare grab-and-go fridge foods, I just need to take the time: Goal: Bake only once a week and make those treats last.
• The farthest I've ran in preparation for my half marathon in May is around 11 miles. I'd like to run 13 once before the race. Goal: Keep up with the long runs. They are o hard to get in these days.
• When I read that Kristen ran 10 miles with her little one in the jogger, my jaw dropped. I'm still struggling to complete 3 without feeling exhausted. So, I told Stephen about it. He looked at our stroller and said: Uhm. Have you ever looked at these tires? They're hardly blown up. OOPS. He inflated them to acceptable levels and it has CHANGED MY WORLD. Goal: Run 5 or 6 miles with the jogger by the month's end.
• I had a half marathon time goal to finish under 1:50. But now I've changed my tune. I really don't expect to finish in any particular time. I just want to run and feel great. What's cool is that the course basically goes past our house this year. I'm hoping the weather is nice so I can steal a kiss from Miss Ada along my path. If that take a few minutes off my time, so be it!

Another goal: Get a haircut . . .


My hair has never been this long, and it's getting in the way. I have a few ideas that I pinned on Pinterest. But nothing is decided yet. I tend to go through phases where I want to cut all my hair off. I mean ALL of it. I'm trying my best to resist doing something I'll regret.

Alright. That's it for now. I'll post about my mile next week. And if you're following Writing Chapter Three, you can read Part 1 of the Zero-Intervention Hospital Birth series. We're excited about it! And if you want to contribute, be sure to check it out.

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Fleece and Luon -- No More!

I've been watching a lot of What Not To Wear lately. What it's shown me is that I've really let myself go -- style-wise, at least. I mean, I think we all remember when I wrote about wearing sweatpants to work last month.

Business casual at its most, well, casual.

Comfortable? HECK YES! Appropriate? Uhm. Not at all. But -- hey -- it was the day before Christmas. I'll go easy on myself just this once. Also, with all those before and after work trips to PT, wearing clothes that fit for both activities has been helpful.

Some things I've learned from Stacy and Clinton:

• Style is about way more than looks. It's more about how you feel.
• Dressing for your specific body type is key. And involves trying things on.
• Color and prints aren't bad. They are your friends.
• A little makeup and a good haircut go a long way.
• Looking good doesn't have to be difficult or expensive.

It's not that I don't know how to dress myself. I've just become lazy. And too adamant about being 100% comfortable at all times. This is where I started wearing more and more Lululemon to work. And the minute I get home, I pour my tired self into a t-shirt and flannel PJ pants. I'm sure Stephen just loves that.


I laugh at these photos because looking at myself posing in outfits -- it's just ridiculous. But I love style blogs so much and find absolutely nothing silly about those ladies. I want to BE them. So, it got me thinking.

We all know I'm into challenges . . .

This month (mid-January through mid-February), I'm going to post regularly about my style. The good, bad, and ugly. I'll ask for suggestions. Help. Hopefully this activity will get me to gussy myself up more. Maybe remix some of my clothes in fun, new ways.

As a start, here's today's outfit:


Also -- I'm going to embark on this adventure with the goal of not buying any new clothes. (Yes. I know, dear friend Jesslynn. But yesterday was the LAST shopping day! I promise) Maybe a couple accessories (mostly belts). Otherwise, zero impact on my wallet. Here we go!

Where do you land when it comes to style? Is it important? And what are your favorite style blogs? You can find mine in our Good Reads section on the site. Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Brie Stuffed-Crust Pizza

Would you believe me if I told you our kitchen cabinets are bare? Our refrigerator is only stocked with condiments, almond milk, and a quarter bag of spinach? That we do indeed have some veggies -- carrots, onions, and broccoli -- but we let them get past their prime? And that our usually full-to-the-brim pantry has only a can of beets, two cans of kidney beans, and a can of pumpkin left inside?

It's pitiful, really. But our weekend was busy. We've been living off some homemade peanut butter, oatmeal, and eggs for the past three days. Thankfully, we have a ton of chili in the freezer. But we had chili for lunch (as well as for lunch and dinner on Sunday). Sick. Of. It. Already!

Last night, the ability to be creative with the odds and ends we do have wasn't in me. I had to make it happen. And it was incredibly difficult. But, as I usually do . . . I tried my best to find a way to either order or make pizza.

Yeah, I thought. My love for pizza can get me through this.


As always, the issue with pizza is time. Once the dough is ready, it's pretty easy. Just put whatever you have on the crust and bake. So, I set out to experiment with some of my favorite pizza dough recipes. And I didn't let the dough rise. I thought of it as an experiment.

My hypothesis: The crust would turn out OK, but not as deliciously as normal. Nor would there be as much lift -- the texture would be off slightly. But, it would be worthy of the title "pizza crust."


Did I mention we had a wheel of brie? Probably not. But . . . that was the only cheese in the house besides a Parmesan shaker. I got the idea to stuff the crust with brie because I thought it might make up for the bread being iffy.

These shots were taken of the cold pizza this morning, but you can see the brie inside. It oozes out in all its cheesy glory when heated . . .


BRIE STUFFED-CRUST PIZZA

What you'll need for the crust . . .

• 2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (or one packet)
• 1-1/4 cups warm -- not hot -- water
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 cups white bread flour
• 1-1/4 cups white whole wheat flour (or regular whole wheat)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup olive oil

Method . . .

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the yeast and warm water. Then stir in the maple syrup. Let sit until frothy -- about 5 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours and salt. Set aside.
3. Create an impression in the middle of your dry ingredients with your fist (like a bowl). Pour into the impression your yeast mixture and 1/8 cup of the oil.
4. Mix with a spatula. Then give up and just use your hands. Knead the dough for five minutes. Ad a bit more oil if the dough is too dry. You want a nice, elastic round.
5. Divide dough into 2 balls.
6. Refrigerate or freeze one, unless you want 2 pizzas.

What you'll need for the pizza toppings/stuffing . . .

• 1/2 a round of brie cheese (or a single wedge may do)
• 1 can of white beans, drained, rinsed, and mashed
• 1/2 to 1 cup spinach, rinsed
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Stretch out (or roll) your dough so it's maybe 12 to 14 inches in diameter. (This measurement will make more sense in a moment.)
3. You're going to use a round pie pan, and you want like an inch of overlap. So, make sure your dough is that big . . . then spritz a pie pan with a bit of olive oil . . . center the dough over the pie pan and press into all the sides. Let the part that overlaps hang out for a moment.
4. Cut thin slices of your brie round and line the perimeter of the pan with them. Use as much cheese as you like. When you're done, fold over the excess dough and press into the bottom of the dough to seal. (If this doesn't make sense, please ask questions!)
5. Prick bottom with a fork once or twice, then bake for 10 minutes.
6. While that's baking assemble all your other ingredients. You can really use anything you want. We just used what we had around our kitchen.
7. After the 10 minutes is up, pour your mashed beans into the pizza. Smush them down until they are level. Top with the spinach and then the tomato sauce.
8. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pepper. Then return to the oven to bake for another 10 to 15 minutes.
9. We broiled ours for 3 minutes at the end, too.

My hypothesis was correct. The dough did work with no rising time. It wasn't the best pizza dough I've ever made . . . but it wasn't terrible by any standards. I'll definitely make it again just because it was so fast. The brie tasted amazing . . . and now I'm on a stuffed pizza kick.

I can't wait to try different kinds. I'm even thinking that string cheese might be a great stuffer. I just wish I could find a slightly larger pie pan. It was cool how round the pizzas turned out. Usually mine looks more like the state of Pennsylvania. Sometimes Idaho, even. Yikes.


I also can't wait to get myself to a grocery store! I'm eating chili again for lunch (as I post this) as well as some delicious treats Ashley sent to me this weekend! Her famously beautiful mandel bread.

Wow it's good. I had to limit myself because if I'm not careful, I could seriously eat all of it in one sitting!


How do you make due when you seem to have bare kitchen cabinets and refrigerator shelves? Has it forced you to eat out? Or to just be creative? We'd love to hear your tips/recipes! Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.



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Black Bean Bisque and Double-Duty Meals

Another way to cut back on grocery costs is to create less waste. I think we all have some rotting vegetables in our refrigerators right now. Or at very least, some moldy leftovers that have been forgotten. C'mon! Admit it! I won't judge . . . because, like I said, I am in the same situation. We've mentioned multiple times that we're interested in saving money on groceries.

More importantly, though, we're trying to use the foods we DO have so we don't literally throw our money away. There's nothing worse than reaching for an ingredient you spent your hard-earned dollars on . . . only to have it go limp in your hand (like some broccoli the other day. Ick!).

New to (never home)maker? To catch you up to speed, here are some of the adventures we've had with lowering our grocery bills:

• Grocery Recap: How Far We've Come and Meals at Home
• Grocery Bills: Major Fail!
• Slashing Grocery Bills: We're Going Strong
• Eating Well Need Not Cost a Fortune
• Slashing Our Grocery Bills: Progress
• Slashing Our Grocery Bills: Even More Progress

SOLUTION: I came up with this Double-Duty Meal challenge for myself last night. Once a week, I plan to make a dinner . . . and then re-purpose the leftovers for lunch the next day. Or use them in some other creative way. Key words: USE THEM. Period. Because there are far too many times in our house when the stuff just goes to waste.


BLACK BEAN BISQUE

What you'll need . . .

• 2 green peppers, sliced and roasted (see below)
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-1/2 cups almond milk
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed (or other light) oil
• 1/4 cup pumpkin beer, optional

Method . . .

1. I did this part the night before, but I cut up two green peppers and then roasted them in the oven under 425 degree F, flipping occasionally, until well browned. 20 minutes (or so). Then I refrigerated them overnight. You can make them right before you prepare the bisque, too. No worries!
2. Then, combine the roasted green peppers, black beans, almond milk, water, and pumpkin puree in a blender (I started out doing this in my food processor -- BIG mistake! Leaked EVERYWHERE!). Blend until smooth.
3. Transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat.
4. Add in the ground cloves, garlic power, salt, and pepper. Stir in the oil and -- if you wish -- the beer. (It just gives everything some more flavor -- we used Dogfish Head Punkin Ale.)
5. Serve warm. Perhaps with some white-whole wheat no-knead bread!

If you have some left after dinner (and we had about 2-1/2 cups of leftovers . . . after each having a HEAPING cup serving in the evening), simply follow the following recipe. It's simple enough to prepare in the morning before work, too!


AUTUMN QUINOA (WARM SALAD)

What you'll need . . .

• 1/2 cup red quinoa, dry
• 1 (or 2) heaping handful(s) swiss chard (or kale), raw
• 2 cups Black Bean Bisque

Method . . .

1. Cook the red quinoa according to package directions. (1/2 cup quinoa into 1 cup boiling water. Lower heat, cover, cook for 15 minutes or so.)
2. When it's done cooking, add in the Black Bean Bisque. Increase heat and cook for a few minutes.
3. Add in the swiss chard (or kale). Stir and cook for another couple minutes. Then take off heat and let chard wilt more.
4. Take to work. Or eat at home. Whatever you do, ENJOY!

Do you try to plan your meals out so you can get two-for-one? Any double-duty tips to share? Or just tips for being less wasteful with food in general? We'd love to hear 'em. Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Eating Well Need Not Cost a Fortune

Yes. This is our most recent grocery bill. Fresh from last night's trip to our local Wegmans. In our "budget" (which we don't follow as strictly as we should), we have slotted around $75 for groceries each week. I feel it's possible to go even below that . . . but week after week we spend $85, $90, and more. Not only that, we typically visit the grocery store more than once a week.

Yikes!

We love to eat. What can I say? And being athletes who run (hah, get it?) a food blog -- we're bound to rack up high bills.


What do we buy exactly? Well, we do indulge a bit. Our most pricey items include avocados, coconut oil, cheeses (I love fresh mozzarella), nuts (more on that below), and Nutella. And bakery breads always tug at our heartstrings.

But I'm challenging the both of us to stop our careless spending. To really examine our cupboards and redirect our lust for certain foods. Over the next month, I'm hoping to get back down to our originally agreed upon budget . . . and hopefully go lower.

How are we going to do this . . . and still eat fabulous foods?

1.) Plan ahead. I tell everyone they should plan out their grocery lists and weekly meal plans before heading to the store. It's time to take some of my own advice. This involves sticking my nose in our cupboards . . . seeing what's really in there. Maybe planning to use a box or two of pasta. Inventing some new canned food masterpieces. Whatever. But making a grocery list/meal outline -- and checking it twice -- that's certainly the first goal.

2.) Develop staples. There are certain items (canned beans, wheat pastry flour, natural peanut butter, broccoli, etc. -- here's a good list that I'm planning to use as a guide) that make up the essentials. Vegetarian kitchen staples that are good to have on hand to create a variety of meals.

Right now, we're into exotics. We rarely make use of ingredients twice throughout the week. Maybe that isn't entirely true, but it sure feels like we're opening new bags of this and that at every visit to the kitchen. Developing staples will allow us to make better use of what we do have, so we're not tempted to rush out to the store.

3.) Cook smarter. Once a week, probably on a Sunday afternoon, I'd like to make a big pot-o-soup that could last for not one, but two full dinners. Soup is cheap. Chili is our favorite. It's filling and healthy. And if I calculate what I usually use in a chili, 1 can of corn (39 cents), one large can of kidney beans (80 cents), a large can of tomatoes ($1.50), water (free), salt (basically free), maybe some chopped peppers ($1.25 per pepper), etc. Basically, the whole thing ends up costing less than $5 . . . that's $1.25 a person (if you calculate 2 people, dinner for 2 nights).

And while we're on this topic -- I think we could make better use of leftover foods. Usually, I'm not a fan. I let Stephen be the "garbage can" -- eating everything I don't. But I'm sure our leftovers could be repurposed into another dish.

4.) Eat vegan. Yes -- we do eat vegan most of the time. But we do enjoy our cheese. However, cheese is EXPENSIVE! So, I'd like to say we'll likely only make one non-vegan dinner per week. Of course, this doesn't include meals out -- but that's another topic. Often, when we go on our second trip to the grocery store, it's to buy cheese. And, of course, if we buy cheese, we most typically must also buy bread, which leads us into . . .

5.) Make bread. I've fallen in love with the rosemary-salt bread at Wegmans. It costs nearly $5.00 a loaf. And I've eaten so much of it lately, I swear it's increased my waistline. Now when we want to nosh on fine breads, we'll make them from scratch. After all, our Garlic Tuscan Herb Loaf was awesome. And I'm sure I can adapt it to include the rosemary and salt flavors -- on the cheap.

6. Set a treats budget. We both have our things. For me, it's Nutella and Dark Chocolate Dreams (both are nearly $4.00 a jar). For Stephen, it's seafood. We need to set a budget for buying these items and stick to it. It'll be hard. But it'll make us treasure those blissful bites that much more.


These actions toward a lighter bill are all just a start. But if we can take at least $25 off each visit -- that's $100 a month. If we can stop going to the grocery store more than once a week, that's likely another $25. So, we're talking a $200 savings!

And another thing! What I wanted to mention about the walnuts (referenced above) is that here's yet another reason to READ YOUR BILLS. We never thought to really take a deep, dark look at our grocery receipt. But when I did (and it was only because I took a photo of the darn thing for this post), I noticed that we were charged for not just one, but TWO bags of walnuts. We only bought one. Scout's honor. But at $5.29 a bag, that's a pricey mistake on the checkout clerk's part. At this point, I think we may be stuck with it, though. How can we prove we have only one bag???

Has this ever happened to you? Or are you on your own quest to slash your grocery bills? Tell us all about it! We'd love the advice . . . and just knowing we're not the only ones out there embarrassed at how much we spend. So, leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker@gmail.com.

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Thriftacular Style

You may remember a little ditty about a no-new clothing challenge inspired by Katie over at Making this Home. Status report: Well, I've failed miserably. However, in my defense, I think I started the whole thing at a horrible time of year: Black Friday . . . which leads into X-mas. Yes. I've failed and purchased several items of clothing since then. But if we can't move past and learn from our mistakes, we aren't human. I'd like to start the challenge up again.

What prompted me to revisit this idea and admit to you my un-successfulness? Weekend cleaning -- which dominated most of Sunday, taking away from the cooking/baking/creating time I usually have to fuel this blog. Clothes are EVERYWHERE in this house. And so many that I know I never have and never will wear. But far too often I make this realization and then make an organized bag for the Salvation Army . . . literally throwing away money I've spent. It's more than disconcerting.

(However, not all trips to the Salvo need to be bad. It's a great way to organize, and if you're looking for tips on how exactly to do just that, check out Donate Your Stuff and Save Some Space.)

Here's an outfit almost entirely thrifted and mostly from the "old stuff" in my closet.

Jacket: Thrifted back in 2004

Dress: Thrifted back in 2005

T-shirt: Thrifted back in 2005

Sweater and belt: Target, Clearance rack
Scarf: TJ Max

Tights: Anne Klein

Boots: Dr. Scholl's

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The "B" Word: Budget

Seems like all the buzz since the beginning of the economic downturn has been about cheap or thrifty (perhaps the more popular term) ways of doing anything from remodeling your kitchen to reinventing your wardrobe. Stephen and I are certainly not immune to tight financial situations. Living in New York State isn't exactly a treat right now. Especially considering that we both work FOR the state which is in billions upon billions of dollars in debt (set to double by this time next year) and cutting programs and jobs left and right. Beyond this fact, we've been on the conservative spending side of things since college ended thanks to the 4 most glorious years of our lives -- and an added one for Stephen's graduate work -- at a private school with little $$$ assistance. Add a car loan, home loan, some credit card debt (though, not too much, thankfully), and lots of dinners out, and we really don't have much saved.

There's good news! We're realizing now that despite it all, we FINALLY have the power and the motivation to start saving, even if it's only a tiny bit. And when we passed the 25-year mark in our lives . . . we realized we needed to grow up a bit.



For instance. Wii. We love you dearly. But seriously? You come out with a new game every millisecond -- and Stephen just can't resist you. Just look at him, absolutely addicted to DJ Hero! J. Crew, West Elm, Anthropologie. Please. Stop sending me your gorgeous glossy catalogs every month. I can't resist, and I've taken to having Stephen hide my credit card like some pastel Easter egg! Beloved house. Home. Roof over our heads. I beg of you. Stop presenting problems like poor circulation of heat in the master bedroom . . . a broken garbage disposal/clogged kitchen pipe . . . and who knows what else is next. And just so you're aware, I'm growing tired of your color scheme! So much paint! And then we'll need new curtains . . .

Why rant online about money woes? I guess what spurned it all is that EVERYONE I know seems to be having babies or announcing their preggers status these days. Which is great and lovely -- and I'm excited for all my dear friends. And not that we're thinking of starting a family in the near future, but it'd sure be nice to know we could someday possibly afford a crib for the kid to sleep in. And maybe some food for the poor little thing. Oh, baby . . . but we have a long way to go to build up to that point. Ultimately, we've discovered that our mid-twenties are turning into late-twenties, and fast. This means we're adults, PEOPLE! Though buying our first house was a small step in the right direction, the thought of eventually bringing about new life somehow pushes the (lack of) Benjamins right into our faces.

Well, we've done something about it all today. I drafted up a new and improved budget -- complete with savings projections through this time next year! And it looks positive. What does this mean for the neverhomemakers' household?

Some changes effective immediately:

1.) We've been inspired by Katie over at Making This Home to embark on a "no new clothing" challenge. She's already made it over 7 months. We're just two days and counting, but I'd like to see us go at least three months to start (hopefully more) . . . and then see how it goes from there. This sacrifice, if you can call it that, will likely be difficult for me . . . but it means much more wardrobe remixing!

2.) We're capping our grocery and dinners-out at a much, much lower number. As runners, our favorite non-running activity is eating -- and lots of it. We basically LIVE at Wegmans . . . and consume so much food even a competitive eater would be shamed. But we're creative in the kitchen -- so we're looking at this one as an opportunity as well. Of culinary proportions!

3.) We've given each other an allowance. Each month, instead of loosely-monitored personal spending for things we "need" (like shoes, video games, magazines, cookbooks, power tools, you name it) . . . we are allowing a certain dollar amount for a "treat" -- and we're sticking to our guns. Can't afford the pretty Tiffany key pendant this month? SAVE IT UP, girl! Maybe next month (or the next). Can't quite make the change for that custom Guitar Hero guitar (carved out of exotic beechwood)? You'll just need to wait, buddy!

There's more . . . but it's 8 minutes after my usual bedtime (again, I'm NOT a 12-year-old!). If you'd like some quick tips on how to look at your own budget and possibly pinch some pennies, check out these 9 tips on how to set up a budget. And stay tuned for more of our personal budget modifications. It means a lot less spending and a lot more contending with our home projects (etc.) with little or -- GASP! -- NO money at all.

If you have tips and tricks of you own, feel free to share. We could use some free advice!

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