Jack

So my husband and I like to talk about the future, and with me, babies is always one of my topics. I am what you might call a super planner. I have had my baby names down for quite awhile. Knowing me, I love the ocean, and my name has an ocean related meaning so of course I want to pass that on!

Well... The boy name I liked was Thatcher (I know it's not ocean related... but is strong) and my husband and I would go round and round about it. Then I thought to myself, "it's not fair to have a name both of us don't like". So I did a little bit of searching today and this is what ended up happening... Enjoy...

JACK IT IS!..... One of these days if we have a boy.

Financial Plan

Hey here is my financial plan. I built these based off of two people’s incomes (mine and my husband's) using Excel templets. Once they were printed, I arranged all of my papers in a binder, where it is protected and all together.

Here is my process:

Monthly Paycheck Budget:

-First, write in the blanks, under the “Paycheck” section, the bills you pay monthly.

-Next, calculate what you plan on spending on those bills based off of your past amounts in the bottom spaces, and calculate how much you are planning on getting paid in the top.

-Then, write in what you were actually paid, and the actual amount you were able to save away for your bills.

-It also helps to write your bill’s due date next to its name.

-Once that it done, find your difference (budget-actual) and record it. It is here that you will notice how much more money you need to bring in (if any), how much “spending” money you have (for gas and food), and how much you should pay for each bill. And remember, try to pay over the minimum payment for your credit cards and loans.

Expenses Report:

-Here is where you need to get into that annoying habit of KEEPING YOUR RECEIPTS! This is just a simple way to record you spending BUT! It also helps you monitor your activity (if paying with cards). At the end of the week, I take this form and print out my bank statement. I then compare my spending to my bank statements. If there is anything I am unaware of, I try to figure out what it is IMMEDIATELY! This is the BEST way to avoid scams… they charge your account as little as $1 sometimes!

First and Second Semester Debt:

-Here is where you record your debt for the whole year. Write down the debt that you have and you starting balance.

-Next, record all your payments for every month. (refer to your paycheck budget for due dates)

-At the end of the semester, record your end balance, or write in “PAID” if it is paid off!!! WHOO HOO! And at the end of the month, you can see your total remaining debt.

NOW! Here is where ALL these form come in handy! And this is how you get your overall picture of your finances.

Monthly Summary:

-Again, you are going to calculate your predictions of your spending. If you can predict something, don’t worry. SKIP it! But once you've done this for a few months, you will get a better idea of what to PLAN on spending.

-The rest of this sheet is like the Paycheck Budget. At the end of the month, record your spending (that will come from your expense report) in the appropriate fields.

-Record your income for the month, and how much you have made year to date.

-Calculate your differences (just like before) and see where you are overspending, under budgeting, etc.

Yearly Summary:

-Now this one will take you some getting used to. Budget (if you want) but most importantly, at the end of the year, import all your data from your monthly summaries onto this sheet. 
Not only will it help you keep an eye on your money, it could help you when answering those pesky income questions, help you determine any tax deductible transactions for your yearly taxes, and give you a more organized financial life.

Minion Cake

A couple of weeks ago I made this amazing 3D dinosaur cake for my nephew's 4th birthday. And I mean it was amazing! So my cousin came up to me and asked if I could make her daughter's cake. Needless to say, I took on the task. After searching and searching on Pintrist (the most addicting site EVER) I finally found a cute, but easy, Minion cake. I did encounter a few obstacles. I could not for the life of me find black pull-apart Twizzlers. I know they are gross but they give amazing lines. Well, Luckily I have some left over black frosting from my last cake. Everything (the cake and frosting) was made from scratch. Though this cake gave me a headache from the frosting getting too soft, I pulled it off and I think my recreation of this cake is not too bad for me not being all professional. Hey you gotta start somewhere!

If you want the cake recipe I used, type in "Yellow Star Cake" into the search bar. Yes, I know, I'm asking you to be all old school on me because I can't figure out how to make a link.

Please feel free to comment. :)

Brunch Eggs

This morning I tried out a recipe from Betty Crocker Cookbook: Healthy Heart Edition. It took me a total of 10:00 to bake and it was approved by the hubby! So because it was so yummy, and filling, I am going to share with you how to make it.

FIRST!

You need to gather your ingredients. Make sure you have a really small pot or sauce pan (about 1 quart), a small non-stick skillet, a spatula, and your typical measuring equipment.

PREP!

I ALWAYS prep for my meals before I make them. It makes it easier to flow through the recipes and allows for minimal pausing. I have a ton of little teeny tiny bowls I measure things into. Well, you know, those little dishes that hold your sauce at restaurants that you "accidentally" take home... those. They work perfect!

Here is what you need for 2 servings. Feel free to resize the ingredients to be able to have enough to make for everyone.

1 tsp. Flour

Butter

1/4 c. Milk (to start)

1 tsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/8 tsp. Dried Basil

Cayenne

1 English Muffin (try to find thick and fluffy ones)

2 Slices Canadian Bacon

4 Large Eggs

Freshly Gound Pepper

Sea Salt (I use this instead of table salt because it tastes better in my opinion)

COOK!

Now that you have your ingredients all prepped, it's time to get the ball rolling. Start by heating your sauce pan over medium heat. Add in about 1 tsp. butter, and once it's melted, add in the flour. The butter is then going to bind with the flour and become a paste. Add more butter as needed until all flour has become a paste. Once all is absorbed, remove pot from heat and stir in the milk gradually. **It is really important to add in the milk this way. If you rush it, it will not turn out as creamy**. Return your pan to the medium heat and stir constantly. You will notice that the mixture will now start to become thicker and creamier. Keep it going until it starts to bubble up. **Similar to how pancakes bubble when they are cooking**

Notice the bubbles in the mixture

Once it bubbles, remove it from the heat and add in your cheese, a pinch of cayenne, and the basil. Once combined, keep it warm so it doesn't cool down. **If your cheese is too thick, add in small amounts of milk while constantly stirring until desired thickness**. Keep this warm on low heat.

Toast your English muffins. In the small skillet, lay down the Canadian bacon over medium heat until it is brown on both sides. **To keep this warm, put the bacon in between the English muffin**.

In the same skillet, drop in 1 1/2 tsp. butter over medium heat until it sizzles. Add in your beaten eggs, salt, and pepper. Let sit for about 1 minute and slowly push the eggs around before letting it sit for another 30-45 seconds. Repeat this until your eggs are at the desired temperature.

Once the eggs are scrambled, it's time to start assembling your dish! Place 1 slice of the English muffin on a small plate followed by a slice of Canadian bacon. Gently place the eggs on top of the bacon and spoon some sauce over the top.

Once it is plated, enjoy your masterpiece!

NUTRITIONAL INFO!

1 Serving: 255 calories (cal from fat 145); Fat 16g (sat fat 6g); chol 440mg; sodium 520mg; carbs 17g; fiber 1g; pro 21g

% Daily Value: vit. A 14%; calc. 18%, iron 12%

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 3 medium-fat-meat, carb choices: 1