Simple Is The New Special

One would wonder why she would start a blog right before the busy season at work. Well, I did….. and that’s exactly why I haven’t posted in almost 5 months. But, things have settled down a bit and I’m looking forward to getting back to the Z Life blog.

It seems like everywhere you look now a days someone is talking or writing about “keeping it simple” The Z Man and I were talking just the other day about how “simple is the new special”

But sometimes just because it seems simple, doesn’t mean it is. It takes a lot of work to run a home on a budget, it takes a lot of work to make a monthly meal plan, it takes a lot of time and thought to do the things that make it look like our lives are simple.

Sure, you may see me hanging clothes on the line and think well how simple… but I just can’t throw a load of laundry in the washer any day, I have to check the weather and make sure it’s not going to rain so I can hang them to dry. Can you imagine what clean sheet night would be like if I didn’t plan it for a sunny, dry day. Sure we have a dryer, but I would much rather sleep on line dried sheets instead. And, if I don’t have to use the electricity to dry clothes, I would rather save our money.

You may see me eating leftovers for lunch and think, gosh she is so simple, she never eats lunch out “it’s always leftovers” How boring…

Well, that’s not so simple either, because more often than not that is a container of soup I’ve pulled from the freezer that morning, which came from a weekend of cooking soups, using the stocks that I made from the chicken (bones) I roasted and put in the freezer.

We may seem simple to some, but in reality it takes more planning of the details to do the things we do.

This past weekend consisted of spending Saturday with my parents, cutting down (dead) trees and eating homemade peach cobbler. We worked hard, ate good and enjoyed every bit of it. Sundays at the Z house is usually getting our chores done around the house and eating some good food and watching football. Although, I’m sad to say that my Redskins and the Z Man’s Steelers aren’t having the best seasons so far.

So, maybe simple is the new special… but I think we all have different perspectives of “simple”

The Z Man and I love our special life and I’m looking forward to slowing down a bit and simply enjoying it.

With Love,

Lori

Emotions Can Be Dangerous…

First let me apologize for not having posted in what seems forever. I’ve missed it so much! I believe this post will give you some insight as to why it’s been so long…

How can emotions be dangerous especially to your financial goals you ask?

Ok, so maybe you’re not asking, but I’m back to the blog world now and have a lot to share. 🙂

The harvest season (meaning the over time pay season) at my job begins in April and ends in October. This is the time of year that I count on to bank some extra money.

Let me interject here that this is a very high paced, service and retail oriented business. With that, comes all the stresses that you could imagine.

I’m not complaining, let me just say that I am very thankful for my job, all 6 days a week of it. But, I am tired. We are all tired and are already looking forward to fall. And, I’ll admit that there is something a little sad about wishing your summer away. But, it is what it is.

Anyway… The Zman and I have given ourselves a 5K financial goal this year. Meaning we want to save an additional $5,000 over our current savings into retirements, and other savings.

But, let me tell you how I just about blew the whole plan!!! You’re about to read how emotions can be dangerous, especially to your finances!

It all started on Monday…

The ZMan was working night shifts this week, which means we pass in the morning before and after work with just enough time to kiss hello and goodbye. 😦

When I get to work, the phone starts blowing up with customers needing and wanting and complaining and praising and you name it we had it going on. The full spectrum of a customer bringing us homemade chocolate chip cookies to being called every name in the book and crying. It makes for a l-o-n-g day. A long week, a long summer!!!

Earlier this year The ZMan and I had decided to pass on our annual beach trip this year to work on our $5K challenge. (I know poor me, right!) Well…..

By Monday afternoon I had decided that we were in fact going to go on our annual beach trip, but not only that… we were also going to go out and buy a truck and a camper so we could go on our annual beach trip, because I didn’t want to stay in a cabin anymore. And, well I deserve it because I work hard, and people can be mean, and I’m tired, and I need a break and I and I and I and I and I……

Yep, I was ready to wipe out our entire savings, and take out a loan to finance our well deserved camper and truck so we could go on a week long beach trip. It was going to be great, and honestly I thought it was the best idea ever. No matter the cost and giving up a full week of pay with overtime to do it, it is going to be GREAT!!!

Oh Yea, I can feel the sand under my feet and taste the salt in the air now……

Sidebar here…. I have done this before. Several years ago I made plans for us to go camping and reserved a spot in the campground at the beach for a camper that we didn’t even own yet. Then we bought our camper for our vacation. The lady taking my reservations asked me what size camping site I needed to fit my camper in and she got a real big kick out of the fact that I was reserving a spot for a camper that we didn’t own yet. I suppose size does matter sometimes 🙂

Anyway…. back to my story… I came home from work and gave The ZMan every good reason why we needed to do this, could afford it and would save money in the years to come because of it. Heck, it’s like an investment!

He was an absolute saint to me. He listened and agreed that yes he thinks we deserve a nice vacation too. So….

We were looking at campers and trucks, and talking about what kind we wanted. I was making dinner, having a glass (or three) of wine, beginning to relax, and even getting excited for us getting new toys and going on a great vacation. I was feeling so much better, having fun even.

That’s when The ZMan (the Saint) blindsided me with the sweetest voice and loving eyes and said “but Babycakes (that’s me by the way), what about our $5K plan?”

That one question set my world right again. I immediately looked up to the sky and thanked GOD for loving us. I am blessed with a perfect life with the love of my life and sometimes I forget that. The ZMan absolutely talked me right off the ledge. Well, he did more than talk, but that’s between me and him 😉

I am blessed with a Husband that loves me enough to understand and even entertain my emotional (crazy) splurge ideas and take part in honest conversations about how great this or that might be, and then bring me back home to what is really important to us. Our future together.

No our life might not “seem” perfect to others because we work hard, eat leftovers, hang our clothes on the line to dry, recycle, repurpose and reuse, shop at Goodwill, drive older cars, heat our house with a wood stove, and try to find more ways to save.

But, we think it’s perfect, and that’s all that matters to us.

So, we will not be buying a camper or truck, and we are sticking to the plan and passing on going to the beach this summer.

Thank you so much for letting me share my little story with you, I hope you enjoyed it. I’ve missed blogging and can’t wait to get back to it full on.

Y’all Take Care!

Lori

Splurges… Friday Fun…

I was talking with one of my customers this week about the things we will splurge on and the things we wont.

She was asking me about my hairdresser. The hairdresser that I went to 6 months ago and got my hair cut for the first time in 5 years. It was a wonderful experience, he is the perfect mix of personable and professional and gave me exactly what I asked for. He used about 4 different pair of scissors to cut my hair and he styled it perfectly. Then took the time to show me alternative ways to wear it. It was everything I had hoped for. Honestly after he was done I felt like I needed a cigarette.

The crazy thing is that, while I loved that experience, I just find myself being too… oh let’s call it frugal (instead of cheap) to splurge on routine cuts and colors. Or for that matter manicures or pedicures. I’ll admit that there is a part of me (being a woman and all) that feels guilty about not doing these things for myself, and I’m sure if I did do them some of those hard mirror days might not be so hard.

(Sidebar here… I do realize that a cut and color is not going to take the place of or cover up the lack of exercise and healthy living. Those two things are still a struggle for me to get enough of what I should…. I’m going to go make a green smoothie right after this post!!!)

Now, I don’t want you to get the impression that I walk around looking like a hairy gorilla with dirty nails and toes. That’s not the case at all. I mean I do shave my legs, and I paint my toe nails, and I color my own hair (sometimes successfully). I just find these things to be “doable” for me. Does it look as good? That would be a big fat NO. But, I look ok. The ZMan thinks I’m beautiful (he says so anyway, and it’s not just when he is wanting something) so I believe him, and that’s what matters to me the most.

However, having stood on this soap box for the last 5 minutes claiming to be this frugal smugal woman of sensibility…. Did I tell you that I now have about $326.52 worth of olive oil and aged balsamic vinegars in my pantry. No, it’s not huge vats of olive oil and vinegar, the volume is much less. It’s approximately 10 bottles the size of a regular wine bottle. (which used to be 750 ml I’m not sure anymore because I’ve graduated to the large bottles and the boxes) 😉

Anyway, I digress, but isn’t that the point of a blog? HA!

It got me thinking about the things we’ll splurge on and the things we wont. Now, I’m certainly not passing judgement on anyone who goes for weekly pedicures, I just happen to be the type of girl who gets one once a year.

It’s just that I can not press my own olives into a beautiful oil, or age my own vinegars into a thick, rich, sweet balsamic vinegar.

I suppose the point of my post might be that I certainly would if I could. But the chances of the ZMan and I owning a vineyard in Napa valley growing our own grapes and olives is very slim. Oh, how I would love that! But it’s still unlikely. So, I’ll keep buying my good olive oils and vinegars and be happy that I can.

And tomorrow I’ll be going by Sally’s Beauty Supply to pick up hair color to color my hair this weekend, because I have a very special wedding to attend next weekend, and the roots are a little too prominent right now.

What do you splurge on? I’d love to know.

Tonight is pizza and beer night for me and the ZMan. I think it’ll be a ham and pineapple pizza tonight. YUM!

I hope you have a fun Friday and lovely weekend.

Just a little something pretty for you 🙂

Y’all Take Care!

Lori

It’s About Time To Talk DIRT

I LOVE to cook. I love the entire process, the shopping, the chopping, the mixing, the cooking, the smelling, and the eating.

That’s why when I couldn’t cook a decent meal not too long ago in the early stages of stopping smoking, I’m not gonna lie, it really SUCKED! Not only was I not having fun, but everything I made tasted awful and ended up in the trash.

Well, fast forward a few weeks and I’m doing ok now. Disclaimer here… I’m not a trained chef, as a matter of fact I’ve only been trained in the school of my Mother, Food Network and Cooking Channel.

My Mother (I Love You!) taught me how to preserve food. As a child I remember many of the meals being from food we had “put up” from my Father’s (I Love You!) garden. (Working the garden back then, well that’s another post for another day, but what wonderful memories they are. I always thought my Father could plant a rock and get a tomato. I also was about 14 years old before I figured out my name wasn’t weed the beans!)

The ZMan is an excellent gardener too…

As you can see these are pictures of last years garden.

We have already started some of our seeds, just waiting for them to start popping up.

We “put up” a lot of the food from the gardens too, but there is no better taste than fresh from ZMan’s garden to my table.

Me and the ZMan have a very special date night when the potatoes are ready to dig.

The ZMan digs me some new potatoes from the garden and I make salt potatoes and grill steaks. We eat our dinner outside by the pool and when we take that first bite of our garden potatoes that are dripping with butter infused olive oil…. it’s… it’s just…. it’s just Mmmmmmmmm!!!! YUM!!!!

Hands down that is the best bite of food I have all year. It’s my favorite.

My mouth is watering right now.

We plant two decent size gardens with the usuals such as potatoes, several varieties of tomatoes, green beans, bell and jalapeno peppers, lettuce, cabbage, brussel sprouts, yellow and green squash, watermelon, and a decent variety of herbs.

It’s supposed to be about 70 this Saturday, so I plan to play in the dirt a bit and get the herb beds and big planter pots ready for planting.

I can’t wait!!! It’s been a long hard winter and we are ready for Spring!!!

Hhhmmm, by the way… What DIRT did you think I was gonna talk about??? Ah Ha Ha, shame on you 🙂

We would love to know what your garden plans are. If you have any gardening questions for the ZMan, I might be able to get him to answer your questions in a post.

Y’all take care!

P.S. salt potatoes are just whole potatoes boiled in very salty water. The water should remind you of the ocean, that’s how salty it should be. (kosher salt, please)

Lori